Parent Activists and Overdose Prevention Groups Cheer Groundbreaking State Legislation SACRAMENTO–(ENEWSPF)–March 27, 2013. Assemblymember Richard Bloom (D-Santa Monica) introduced an overdose prevention bill that many are hailing as the first of its kind in the state. The bill, AB 831, asks the legislature to take action to address California’s growing[Read More…]

Silver Spring, Maryland–(ENEWSPF)–March 27, 2013. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Tecfidera (dimethyl fumarate) capsules to treat adults with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). MS is a chronic, inflammatory, autoimmune disease of the central nervous system that disrupts communication between the brain and other parts of the[Read More…]

Impact of Affordable Care Act on Communities of Color to be Discussed CHICAGO–(ENEWSPF)–March 27, 2013.  Eliminating health disparities and understanding the impact of the federal Affordable Care Act on communities of color in Illinois are among the issues being examined at the 2nd annual Minority Health Conference, hosted by the[Read More…]

Campaign to Encourage Use of Proper Riding Safety Gear; Warns Against Drunk Driving CHICAGO–(ENEWSPF)–March 27, 2013.  The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) today kicked off the “Gear Up-Ride Smart” motorcycle safety campaign in partnership with the Illinois State Police (ISP), Gold Wing Road Riders Association (GWRRA) and A Brotherhood Aimed[Read More…]

Researchers Raise Alarm about Loss of Individual “Genomic Liberty” Due to Gene Patents That May Impact the Era of Personalized Medicine NEW YORK–(ENEWSPF)–March 26, 2013 — Humans don’t “own” their own genes, the cellular chemicals that define who they are and what diseases they might be at risk for. Through[Read More…]

Tuberculosis numbers continue to drop in Illinois, but increase worldwide SPRINGFIELD–(ENEWSPF)–March 26, 2013. The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is recognizing March 24, 2013 as World Tuberculosis Day (TB) and encouraging Illinoisans to learn about the disease in order to help stop the spread. Illinois ranks sixth in the[Read More…]

ANNAPOLIS–(ENEWSPF)–March 26, 2013.  A bill that could allow Maryland citizens with serious illnesses to obtain medical marijuana legally via state-regulated programs took an important step toward becoming law yesterday when the Maryland House of Delegates voted 108-28 to send it to the Senate, where it is also expected to pass. “People[Read More…]

UK–(ENEWSPF)–25 March 2013. The first multi-gene DNA sequencing test that can help predict cancer patients’ responses to treatment has been launched in the National Health Service (NHS), thanks to a partnership between scientists at the University of Oxford and Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust. The test uses the latest DNA[Read More…]

NIH-funded study documents possible risk factor for autism at 7 months of age Bethesda, Maryland–(ENEWSPF)–March 25, 2013. At 7 months of age, children who are later diagnosed with autism take a split second longer to shift their gaze during a task measuring eye movements and visual attention than do typically[Read More…]

Elk Grove Village, IL–(ENEWSPF)–March 25, 2013.  Experts recommend introducing solid foods into infants’ diets no earlier than 4 to 6 months of age, but many mothers do so earlier. A study in the April 2013 issue of Pediatrics, “Prevalence and Reasons for Introducing Infants Early to Solid Foods: Variations by[Read More…]