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Statements By Secretary Of Health And Human Services And Commissioner Of Food And Drugs, Regarding Passage Of The Family Smoking Prevention
Kathleen G. Sebelius: I am pleased Congress has taken swift action to pass the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulation of tobacco products will be a critical piece of a coordinated effort to save lives, lower costs and reduce suffering from heart disease, cancer and other tobacco-related illness. This is a great step towards a healthier America.
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HHS Secretary Sebelius, Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Announce New Strategies To Keep America's Food Supply Safe
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that prevention and partnership will guide their departments" efforts to safeguard the food Americans eat every day. Both Secretaries announced new strategies that focus on prevention and depend on working closely with growers, food processors and consumers to achieve their goals.
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CDC Report Examines Sexual Health, AIDS Rates Among U.S. Teenagers, Young Adults
CDC"s latest Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) examines the sexual health of young adults and teenagers in the U.S., Reuters reports. "The data presented in this report indicate that many young persons in the United States engage in sexual risk behavior and experience negative reproductive health outcomes," the MMWR states (7/16). For the report, CDC compiled data from several different studies involving hundreds of thousands of teenagers and young adults age 10 to 25. Among other findings, the data indicated that AIDS rates among boys age 15 to 19 increased from 1.3 cases per 100,000 in 1997 to 2.5 cases in 2006. The report also said that new HIV and AIDS diagnoses were highest among young blacks across all age groups (Chicago Tribune, 7/17). Kevin Fenton, director of CDC"s National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention, said, "It is imperative that all of us at the national and community level work together to ensure STD and HIV prevention programs are reaching young people, particularly in communities with the greatest burden of disease" (Brewington, "Picture of Health," Baltimore Sun, 7/16).
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Lumbar Matrix(TM) Scan From SpineMatrix(R) Revolutionizes The Diagnosis Of Low Back Pain

A new technology that revolutionizes the way low back pain is diagnosed and treated, while also significantly reducing healthcare costs, has been introduced by SpineMatrix(R) Inc., an Akron, Ohio-based medical technology company that specializes in advanced spinal diagnostics. SpineMatrix"s new, non-invasive Lumbar Matrix(TM) Scan uses high-speed computer processing of thousands of bioelectric signals to observe neuromuscular activity of the low back. The advanced diagnostic technology allows physicians to accurately identify the of low back pain, which helps determine proper treatment and can result in significant savings for patients and the healthcare industry. Low back pain is the most common and costly disabling condition in the United States, affecting nearly 31 million Americans. Current diagnostic methods used most frequently to detect lower back pain - such as X-rays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) scans - take into account the anatomy of the back but not the physiology. These methods often fail to pinpoint the precise cause of pain for this reason. More than 85 percent of patients with low back pain are never given a specific diagnosis, leading to ineffective treatment and billions of dollars spent in unnecessary healthcare costs. Additionally, invasive procedures, including surgery, may follow misdiagnosed lower back pain, further elevating healthcare spending. Since 1997, U.S. spending on diagnosis and treatment of spinal disorders increased 65 percent, as indicated by the Journal of the American Medical Association. "The Lumbar Matrix Scan was developed to help physicians more precisely diagnose the cause of low back pain and prescribe the best form of treatment to alleviate the pain," said Ben Shappley, president and CEO of SpineMatrix. "Not only are we improving patient care, but we"re providing a tool with the real potential to save millions of dollars for consumers, employers and health plans." The Lumbar Matrix Scan collects thousands of bioelectrical signals from the back and reconstructs them into easily interpreted images, which helps physicians to differentially diagnose lower back pain by identifying disc, facet and muscle pathology. The FDA-approved procedure monitors and displays the bioelectric signals produced by the paraspinal neuromuscular system using an array of 63 sensors that are placed on the back. The sensors are connected to a computer, which is calibrated to read the neuromuscular activity covered by the electrode grid. Typically, the scan is used to capture three lower back scans of the patient in varying stances: -- Standing relaxed with arms at side (baseline) -- Flexing at the hips to a 20-degree angle -- Standing with arms outstretched in front holding a three-pound weight in each hand The image of the bioelectric signals produced by the low back muscles indicates the precise origin of low back pain. The procedure is fast, taking less than 15 minutes, and costs much less than an MRI, CT scan or invasive procedures. Factor in the savings on unnecessary treatments to relieve the pain, and the positive impact on healthcare costs significantly increases. In blinded clinical studies at the Cleveland Clinic, Texas Back Institute and The Ohio State University College of Medicine, the Lumbar Matrix Scan was shown to be a safe, non-invasive and effective diagnostic procedure. "Patients are already benefiting from the Lumbar Matrix Scan"s ability to more accurately identify the of low back pain," said Shappley. "But many individuals continue to suffer from ineffective treatments stemming from improper diagnosis. The Lumbar Matrix Scan provides a solution to improve diagnosis for these individuals, ultimately enabling physicians to prescribe the most effective treatments." About SpineMatrix Founded in 2003, SpineMatrix Inc. is a medical technology company specializing in advanced spinal diagnostics. A member of Northeast Ohio"s thriving biomedical community, Akron-based SpineMatrix developed the Lumbar Matrix(TM) Scan, the first and only diagnostic procedure to produce an all-inclusive physiological image of the lower back. SpineMatrix Inc.


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