On Wednesday, the Food and Drug Administration approved the Maestro system, a surgically implanted device manufactured by EnteroMedics that can help treat obesity in adults. The device, the first of its kind, generates an electrical pulse that prevents nerve signals from the brain from getting to the stomach. Basically it stops someone from feeling hungry. […]
European Union law could shift to recognize extreme obesity as a disability, preventing employers from firing workers for the condition. The situation has come about based on a claim by Karsten Kaltoft, a Danish childminder who was dismissed by his local city council in 2010 after reportedly being unable to bend down to tie up […]
Munck Wilson Mandala Partner Greg Howison shared his perspective on some of the legal ramifications around AI, IP, connected devices and the data they generate, in response to emailed questions.
The Creating Health Collaborative was formed to understand why, despite their potential, broader definitions of health remain only a fringe of health innovation. In today’s post, I am sharing their first report (opens a PDF) and have reproduced below an edited version of what the Collaborative thought were the emerging principles for creating health. We […]
If you really like soda and really value your doctor’s opinion, this may be a harsh realization, unless you’re Mike Bloomberg. More than half of physicians polled at the Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine conference in San Diego support the idea of a soda tax, with “poor diet” ranked as the leading cause of […]
Peripheral Arterial Disease (P.A.D.) is a serious circulation problem in which narrowed arteries reduce the blood flow to one’s limbs. People working in wound care are well aware of the dangers of P.A.D., but the general public is less educated. Since September is P.A.D. Awareness month, it is a great time to explore this topic […]
A new study shows that artificial sweeteners may make it harder for your body to process sugar, which increases your chances of pre-diabetes and diabetes.
At the Abarca Forward conference earlier this year, George Van Antwerp, managing director at Deloitte, discussed how social determinants of health and a personalized member experience can improve medication adherence and health outcomes.
Update below Drug developer Zafgen priced its IPO at the upper end of its projected share price range ($16) on the evening before its public debut on the Nasdaq. It reflects confidence in the company’s unconventional injectible drug to treat severe obesity. It’s seeking to raise $96 million to push its drug alternative to costly […]
Need something to help you eat more slowly and lose weight? There’s a fork for that. The French company, HAPILABS Ltd. came out with a fork that vibrates if you are eating too fast. The HAPIfork measures the length of your meals, how many forkfuls you eat and length of each bite. The goal is […]
May is National High Blood Pressure Month, and to check on this year’s numbers, iHealth has conducted a study with data from Practice Fusion and has published hypertension levels by city. Of the 17 cities presented, the two cities with the highest hypertension levels are Columbus, Ohio and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at 58 percent and 51.7 […]
A young Boston company thinks it has what could be a safe, effective and noninvasive way to help overweight and obese people drop those dangerous extra pounds. Investors including PureTech Ventures and a group of prominent senior leaders from the pharmaceutical, biotech and finance sectors have just entrusted Gelesis with $12 million to continue developing […]
We will highlight Build My Health's revenue practice management tools, which could help physician practices add up to $250,000 to their practices.
Scientific understanding of the microbiome – the ecosystem of bacteria in the gut – has matured to the point where the pharmaceutical industry recognizes it as a critical part of drug discovery, says Peter DiLaura, CEO of Second Genome. “The microbiome certainly is not the total picture of disease, but there’s now recognition that you […]
The city of Boston and Boston Medical Center have come up with a creative new way to address both health and transportation issues for low-income residents struggling with obesity. Under the new Prescribe-a-Bike program, BMC doctors will be able to “prescribe” $5 memberships to Hubway, a bike-sharing program in the greater Boston area, to obese […]
Don’t get the idea that beer is good for you, but a biotech startup is pinning it hopes on the ability of a derivative of hops, the plant that gives beer its bitter taste, to help people with diabetes lose weight and control their glucose levels. Seattle-based KinDex Pharmaceuticals recently unveiled itself with the announcement […]
The meanest weight loss coach ever has landed in the app store, and her name is CARROT Fit. It’s a simple app that uses manually entered data to calculate BMI and track a user’s weight over time. But instead of incorporating game mechanics or social interaction or a wearable device, it adds a slightly different […]
Message boards, blogs and social networks could empower more people to change their unhealthy behaviors and better manage chronic conditions like diabetes and obesity if they overcome a few key barriers, a new report claims. “Social support can augment information to encourage self-reflection, strengthen accountability to achieve goals and ameliorate adverse psychosocial health effects of […]