http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. The nation's more than 2,900 nonprofit hospitals are facing new requirements to qualify for federal tax-exempt status under the Affordable Care Act, including producing a Community Health Needs Assessment that identifies local health needs. With obesity affecting more than one-third of adults and 17 percent of children in the United States, the Strategies to Overcome and Prevent (STOP) Obesity Alliance released five research-based, consensus recommendations today to help guide nonprofit hospitals in developing programs that address obesity in their communities. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-obesity-alliance-nonprofit-hospitals-chb.html Overweight and Obesity Tue, 30 Apr 2013 09:38:26 EST news286533490 Probiotics could emerge as a treatment plan to manage hepatic encephalopathy (HE) therapy after a new study announced at the International Liver Congress 2013 found they significantly reduced development of the notoriously difficult-to-treat disease. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-probiotics-hepatic-encephalopathy.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Thu, 25 Apr 2013 10:33:05 EST news286104724 People who participate in community gardening have a significantly lower body mass index—as well as lower odds of being overweight or obese—than do their non-gardening neighbors. Researchers at the University of Utah reported these and other findings in the American Journal of Public Health published online today. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-gardens-vegetables.html Health Thu, 18 Apr 2013 16:00:05 EST news285518456 Twenty-four states and the District of Columbia have selected the health insurance plan in their state that will serve as the "essential health benefit" package sold by all insurers participating in the new health insurance marketplace and the individual and small-group markets beginning January 2014, according to a new Commonwealth Fund study. Designed to improve the adequacy of health coverage, the essential health benefit covers 10 broad service categories, including ambulatory patient care, hospitalization, maternity and newborn care, and prescription drugs. The federal government allowed each state to choose a benchmark plan to help meet the Affordable Care Act requirement that the essential health benefit reflect a typical employer health insurance plan. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-states-benchmark-essential-health-benefit.html Health Wed, 13 Mar 2013 04:48:34 EST news282368905 Women in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will all soon be advised to start screening for cervical cancer at 25 years, and those aged between 50 and 64 years to screen every five years rather than every three. And a review of the Australian National Cervical Screening Program is considering whether it should make the same recommendations. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-cervical-cancer-screening-shouldnt.html Cancer Wed, 20 Feb 2013 08:10:01 EST news280569305 (HealthDay)—A program to administer asthma medication each day to urban children with asthma reduces symptoms and is cost-effective, according to research published online Feb. 11 in Pediatrics. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-urban-school-based-asthma-treatment-cost-effective.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Tue, 12 Feb 2013 12:50:01 EST news279891921 An international analysis of food, drink, and alcohol industry involvement in NCD policies shows that despite the common reliance on industry self-regulation and public-private partnerships to improve public health, there is no evidence to support either their effectiveness or safety. On the contrary, the study, led by Professor Rob Moodie from the University of Melbourne in Australia, found startling evidence that these "unhealthy commodity" industries use similar strategies to the tobacco industry to undermine public health policies and programmes. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-effects-ultra-processed-food-industries.html Health Mon, 11 Feb 2013 18:30:05 EST news279822491 (HealthDay)—Millions of Americans take multivitamins and other supplements, but convincing scientific evidence of any true health benefit is lacking, experts say. Now a new study explores why people continue to consume nutritional supplements. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-benefits-unproven-millions-americans-multivitamins.html Health Mon, 04 Feb 2013 16:32:51 EST news279217962 When you're postmenopausal and overweight, losing weight is a good thing, but gaining back just a few pounds may actually be detrimental to your cardiovascular health. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-weight-loss-important-older-women.html Health Mon, 10 Dec 2012 02:54:30 EST news274330457 (HealthDay)—In 2012, growth in the average total health benefit cost per employee slowed to 4.1 percent, according to the National Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Plans, published Nov. 14 by Mercer. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-growth-health-benefit-employee.html Health Sat, 24 Nov 2012 16:53:42 EST news272998415 Administering to patients stem cells derived from their own bone marrow either three or seven days after a heart attack is safe but does not improve heart function six months later, according to a clinical trial supported by the National Institutes of Health. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-therapy-bone-marrow-derived-stem-cells.html Cardiology Mon, 05 Nov 2012 16:16:10 EST news271354559 In one of the largest and longest trials involving patients with kidney failure, a study led by an international team of researchers found that cinacalcet—a drug commonly prescribed to patients with kidney failure and a disturbance of bone and mineral metabolism known as secondary hyperparathyroidism—does not significantly reduce the risk of death or major cardiovascular events. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-drug-doesnt-significantly-major-heart.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Sun, 04 Nov 2012 05:50:01 EST news271228868 (Medical Xpress)—Peanuts taste good and are good for you. But a new NC State study shows that putting a bit of skin in the game can make peanut products even healthier while keeping them flavorful. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-peanut-skins-boosts-nutrition.html Health Fri, 02 Nov 2012 08:27:22 EST news271063605 (HealthDay) -- The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force released new guidelines Monday recommending that doctors screen all of their patients for obesity and when appropriate, refer them to a comprehensive lifestyle-management program to help them lose weight. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-task-screening-adults-obesity.html Overweight and Obesity Tue, 26 Jun 2012 03:08:55 EST news259898913 Nine out of 10 Californians under the age of 65 will be enrolled in health insurance programs as a result of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), according to a joint study by the UC Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education and the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-non-elderly-californians.html Health Thu, 14 Jun 2012 13:37:17 EST news258899801 Consumption of probiotics (live microorganisms, which may occur naturally in foods such as yogurt, intended to confer a health benefit when consumed) is associated with a reduced risk of antibiotic-associated diarrhea, a common adverse effect of antibiotic use, according to a review and meta-analysis of previous studies published in the May 9 issue of JAMA. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-probiotics-diarrhea-antibiotic.html Medications Tue, 08 May 2012 16:00:07 EST news255710407 Language barriers could deter more than 100,000 Californians from enrolling in the Health Benefit Exchange, according to a study released today by the California Pan-Ethnic Health Network, the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, and the UC Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-californians-health-due-language-barriers.html Health Wed, 29 Feb 2012 12:19:01 EST news249740335 Teaming fresh broccoli with a spicy food that contains the enzyme myrosinase significantly enhances each food's individual cancer-fighting power and ensures that absorption takes place in the upper part of the digestive system where you'll get the maximum health benefit, suggests a new University of Illinois study. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-evidence-spicing-broccoli-boosts-cancer-fighting.html Health Tue, 13 Sep 2011 08:33:02 EST news235121560 Undocumented children who have access to health insurance are healthier and more engaged in school than those without insurance, according to researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC). http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-medical-homes-linked-health-school.html Health Tue, 06 Sep 2011 16:41:40 EST news234546021 Restrictions on eligibility for health care reform programs will result in the potential exclusion of up to 220,000 children from affordable health care coverage in California, according to a new policy brief from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-06-california-children-excluded-health-reform.html Health Thu, 30 Jun 2011 13:44:48 EST news228660275