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High Calcium Level In Arteries May Signal Serious Heart Attack Risk
Researchers may be able to predict future severe cardiac events in patients with known, stable coronary artery disease (CAD) using coronary calcium scoring, according to a study published in the online edition of Radiology.
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Thousands Of Pennsylvania Graduates Need Health Insurance Options
Employers will hire 22 percent fewer college graduates in 2009 than they did last year, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers. That means thousands of Pennsylvania college students graduating this spring may be without health insurance coverage due to unemployment or time elapsing before starting a new job.
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Novel Handheld Device Detects Anthrax With Outstanding Accuracy And Reliability
Veritide Ltd., a developer of innovative biological identification and detection solutions, today reported that new independent data to be presented at the Biodetection Technologies 2009 conference confirm the exceptional accuracy of its Ceeker™ (pronounced "seeker") portable bacterial detection device in discriminating between anthrax spores and similar-looking hoax substances. The data show that in over two weeks of testing at the Midwest Research Institute in Florida, the company"s Ceeker scanner accurately identified 100% of the anthrax samples used and was correct in 95% of tests involving hoax substances. These test results are consistent with similar results produced last year by a New Zealand forensic testing agency, Environmental Science and Research (ESR).
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NYT Examines Effects Of Illegal Abortion On Maternal Mortality In Tanzania

The New York Times on Tuesday examined how botched abortion procedures contribute to maternal mortality in Tanzania, in the second of a three-part series on pregnancy- and childbirth-related deaths in the country. The Times reports that the lack of abortion rights in Tanzania -- where the procedure is illegal except in cases where the woman"s life or health is at risk -- has prompted pregnant women and girls to seek the procedure from people who have not been trained to perform such procedures. In some cases, these untrained providers give the pregnant women herbs before performing abortions by punching the pregnant women"s stomachs or inserting objects into the vagina and uterus. Local hospitals in Tanzania often have to correct mistakes made by the untrained abortion providers. For example, during the month of January, 17 of the 31 minor surgical procedures performed at one Tanzanian hospital were to correct the results of "incomplete abortions."Africa has the world"s highest maternal mortality rate -- at least 100 times that of developed countries -- making pregnancy and childbirth among the most serious health dangers that African women face, according to the Times. Abortion accounts for a significant portion of those deaths. Tanzania has a maternal mortality rate of 950 deaths for every 100,000 births, a figure that is "neither the best nor the worst in Africa," the Times reports.Because most abortions in Tanzania are performed illegally, there are no reliable abortion figures for the country. However, the World Health Organization estimates that Eastern Africa, where Tanzania is located, has the world"s second-highest rate of unsafe abortions. Abortion rates typically decrease with increased contraceptive use, the Times reports. Only about one-quarter of Tanzanians use contraception in part because of misinformation that girls receive about the safety of condoms and hormonal contraceptives. By comparison, Kenya and South Africa both have higher contraception use and lower maternal mortality. However, in countries such as Sierra Leone and Nigeria, where abortion is not available on request, contraception use is lower than in Tanzania, and maternal mortality is much higher (Grady, New York Times, 6/2). Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.nationalpartnership.org. You can view the entire Daily Women"s Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women"s Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company. © 2009 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.


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