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Popular Articles

Oral Rivaroxaban As Prevention For Symptomatic Venous Thromboembolism
In this study data from three studies comparing the new oral anticoagulant rivaroxaban against enoxaparin injected subcutaneously was assessed and conclusions drawn about effectiveness of both types of treatment.
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House Committee Approves Amendments Limiting Coverage, Payment For Abortion Under Health Reform
The House Energy and Commerce Committee on Thursday continued work on health care reform legislation (HR 3200), passing an amendment that would neither require nor prohibit insurance companies from providing coverage for abortion services, the New York Times reports. The amendment, offered by Rep. Lois Capps (D-Calif.) and approved by a 30-28 vote, excludes abortion services from the "essential benefits package" that would be defined by the government. While the committee"s reform bill includes subsidies to help pay premiums for low-income people, the amendment prohibits these subsidies from paying for abortion services, stipulating that "insurers must use money from private s to pay for any abortion," the Times reports. The amendment also requires that at least one plan covers abortion services and one does not in every part of the country (Herszenhorn/Pear, New York Times, 7/31).The committee also rejected an amendment that would have been a blanket prohibition on abortion coverage in both public and private plans governed by health care reform legislation, except in very limited cases, the AP/Google reports. The amendment initially was approved when conservative Democrats joined Republicans in supporting it. However, hours later, committee Chair Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) invoked House rules that allowed him to call for a second vote on the amendment. It was then rejected by a 29-30 vote when Rep. Bart Gordon (D-Tenn.) changed his vote from "yes" to "no," and Rep. Zack Space (D-Ohio) voted "no" after abstaining the first time (AP/Google, 7/31). The failed amendment was introduced by Reps. Joe Pitts (R-Pa.), Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) and Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) (Amendment text, 7/30).According to the Times, Democrats on the committee also defeated Republican efforts to eliminate a section of the reform bill that would create a public health insurance plan option (New York Times, 7/31). The AP/Yahoo! News reports that the Energy and Commerce Committee is the last of three House committees to act on health care reform legislation. The Energy and Commerce Committee is expected to finish its work on Friday.The Senate has not matched the House"s progress on reform legislation, as bipartisan negotiators on the Senate Finance Committee Thursday said they need more time to produce an agreement for the committee to review (Werner, AP/Yahoo! News, 7/31). The Finance Committee negotiations between three Democrats and three Republicans, including the committee chair and ranking GOP member, are ongoing as they try to agree on a bipartisan bill that can win at least 60 votes on the Senate floor, CQ Today reports (Jansen/Epstein, CQ Today, 7/30).
News of the day
Statement From The Minister Of Natural Res And The Minister Of Health On Extended NRU Shutdown, Canada
As Ministers of Natural Res and Health, we are disappointed with AECL"s announcement of delays to the repair of the National Research Universal Reactor (NRU) at Chalk River. We wish to be clear to Canadians. The unplanned shutdown of the NRU will result in a significant shortage of medical isotopes in Canada and in the world this summer.
Oncology

Multivitamins In Pregnancy Reduce Risk Of Low Birth Weights

Prenatal multivitamin supplements are associated with a significantly reduced risk of babies with a low birth weight compared with prenatal iron-folic acid supplementation, found a new study in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ). The World Health Organization currently recommends iron-folic acid supplements for all pregnant women. Previous studies have not shown an advantage from prenatal multimicronutrient supplementation over iron-folic acid supplementation. "Low birth weight and related complications are considered the most common cause of global infant mortality under the age of 5 years," write Dr. Prakash Shah and study coauthors from Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto. "With the possibility of reducing low birth weight rates by 17%, micronutrients supplementation to pregnant women, we believe, offers the highest possible return for the investment. These results are synthesized findings from 15 studies published worldwide." It is estimated that of the total 133 million births worldwide per year, 15.5% are low birth weight babies. The authors suggest that approximately 1.5 million babies born with a low birth weight could be avoided each year globally, if all mothers receive prenatal multimicronutrient supplementation. The research is limited by variability among the included studies, including timing, duration, composition of micronutrients, and characteristics of the study populations. In a related commentary, Dr. Zulfiqar Bhutta and Dr. Batool Azra Haider of the Aga Khan University in Karachi, Pakistan recommend that multimicronutrient supplementation during pregnancy replace iron and folate supplements in susceptible populations if it is proven safe and effective. They note that multiple interventions in developing countries may be necessary to improve maternal nutrition and fetal status such as fortified food supplements, interventions that address specific nutrient deficiencies, and measures to reduce the burden of HIV, malaria and other diseases. Canadian Medical Association Journal


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