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Yale Scientists Develop 'Gas Gauge' To Prevent Pregnancy Loss
To combat the many fetal deaths that occur annually because the placenta is too small, researchers at Yale School of Medicine have developed a method to measure the volume of the placenta, which provides nourishment to the fetus.

Inflammatory Molecules Promote Liver Scarring
Scarring of the liver, which can progress to cirrhosis and/or cancer of the liver, is caused by persistent liver damage, such as occurs in those with untreated hepatitis C or alcoholism. Although such scarring (fibrosis) develops in an inflammatory environment, the role of inflammatory molecules has not been well defined. However, a team of researchers at Columbia University, New York, and UCSD, La Jolla, has established that the proteins CCR1 and CCR5 and the soluble inflammatory molecules that bind to them promote the development of liver fibrosis in mice.
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Some Small Businesses Must Cut Employee Health Benefits Or Lay Off Workers Amid Economic Recession
Small businesses increasingly are eliminating their employee health coverage plans because of rising health care premiums and declining revenue attributed to the current economic recession, the Wall Street Journal reports. About 10% of small companies are considering ending their employee health coverage plans over the next year, compared with 3% of small businesses in 2005, according to a recent survey by the National Small Business Association. In 2008, 38% of small companies offered health coverage, compared with 41% in 2007 and 61% in 1993, according to NSBA. According to a Hewitt Associates survey, 19% of all U.S. businesses plan to halt providing health care benefits to their employees in the next three to five years.A rise in health care coverage premiums has contributed to employers eliminating plans, according to the Journal. Premiums for single policies increased by 74% for small businesses from 2001 to 2008, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. According to Scott Krienke, senior vice president of product lines for Assurant Health, health insurance premiums for small businesses increase by 8% to 16% annually on average, with smaller firms often having the highest increases. According to the Journal, many employers are choosing to eliminate health coverage instead of eliminating jobs or closing down their business. Some businesses have chosen instead to shift more health care costs to workers, change health insurers, switch prescription drug plans to encourage employees to purchase more generic drugs or offer employees wellness plans that encourage healthy habits as a strategy to reduce health care costs, the Journal reports (Mattioli, Wall Street Journal, 5/26).
Oncology

USA Warning Against Non-essential Travel To Mexico Lifted As Swine Flu Spread Subsides

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has downgraded its Travel Health Warning that recommended against non-essential travel to Mexico to a "Travel Health Precaution". The CDC says it has been monitoring the swine flu (H1N1) outbreak in Mexico together with Mexican authorities, and now has a more comprehensive picture of the current behavior of the outbreak. The CDC says current evidence is clear that the Mexican swine flu spread is slowing down significantly in several cities - but not all of them. Additionally, the USA, as well as some other nations, is seeing increasing numbers of human swine flu infections that are not linked to travel to Mexico - people are catching swine flu from other people in their own country or from another country that is not Mexico. The CDC also added that the risk of severe disease from this new H1N1 virus infection seems to be a great deal less that originally feared. Current CDC advice for travelers to Mexico: The CDC still recommends that travelers to Mexico take steps to protect themselves from swine flu infection. If you are at high risk of flu complications you should discuss your travel plans with your doctor. The following people are considered at high risk of serious complications from flu (any flu): *Children under 5 years of age *People over 65 years of age *People under 18 years of age who are receiving long-term aspirin therapy and who might be at risk for experiencing Reye syndrome after influenza virus infection *Pregnant women *People with chronic pulmonary, cardiovascular, hepatic, hematological, neurologic, neuromuscular, or metabolic disorders *People who have immunosuppression (including immunosuppression caused by medications or by HIV) *Residents of nursing homes and other chronic-care facilities *See our Map Of H1N1 Outbreaks *See our Mexico Swine Flu Blog Written by Christian Nordqvist Copyright: Medical News Today Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today


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