From the machine learning algorithm this morning, culled from over 3,000 new abstracts posted overnight.

1: Refractory rickets in the tropics.

2: "Functional food" for acceleration of growth in short children born small for gestational age.

3: Changes in opioid use and healthcare costs among U.S. patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain treated with duloxetine compared with other therapies.

However you feel about the guy, you gotta admit "You Don't Know Jack" was a well-done movie.

Certainly Jack Kevorkian is a controversial guy, and there are strong opinions on either side.  

I can imagine they'll be watching this movie in "Medical Ethics" classes in med schools for years. 

US Federal Court ruled at the end of March to end Myriad's patent of breast cancer susceptibility genes, known as BRCA1 and BRCA2.  Myriad, of course, is planning to fight in Appeals Court, and vows to take the case to the Supreme Court, if needed.  Myriad shares are trading lower following the ruling.

Mary Claire-King, discoverer of the BRCA gene, applauded the decision. 

Ok, time for InteractMD.com to jump on the "Eat This, Not That" bandwagon.  This guy, David Zinczenko, has a whole slew of books revealing the secrets of foods you'll find in restaurants around the country.  Men's Health has been killing it lately with their regular feature on the surprises lurking in the dark corners of menus everywhere--it's not only amusing, but serves a useful public health purpose.  Pretty rare in the health news arena.

We at InteractMD.com had to exclaim out loud at the culinary crimes being committed at one place in particular, Cheesecake Factory.  The kids' Alfredo pasta plate is so egregiously bad, Child Protective Services should be alerted when any parent orders it.

This from Community Oncology Feb 2010.  The idea is that a community oncology practice reported 6% of their patients referred for BRCA testing reported a positive result.

I get this question at least a few times a day.  Patients want to know.  My father-in-law asks.  Casual acquaintances ask me, "Whaddya think about the health care reform?"

Podcast file: 

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Georgia Supremes_and_Tort_Reform.mp3

Did the Georgia Supreme Court make the right call on  tort reform?  You be the judge!

Not that I'm ranting, but the two week delay CMS has instituted for Medicare claims doesn't really help us docs much.  the issue is that Congress couldn't reach an agreement to reverse the cuts scheduled for March 1, so CMS holds the claims until there is some sort of agreement.  It's easier for them to retoactively pay claims than it is for them to figure out how to make a cut whole again after p

Podcast file: 

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Illinois Supreme Court Reverses Tort.mp3

With the stroke of 4 pens, the Illinois Supreme Court reversed a 2005 tort reform law. This reversal is a welcome mat for more medical malpractice cases and defensive medicine.

WSJ today has the 2009 number on healthcare expenditures in the US: $2.4 trillion.  They check it in t