Advertisement

Daily Rounds: Longevity Research Questioned; Ann Romney's Multiple Sclerosis; Brain Injured Troops; Shakeup At MassHealth

Longevity Research Raises Hopes, and Questions - NYTimes.com "A trans-Atlantic dispute has opened up between two camps of researchers pursuing a gene that could lead to drugs that enhance longevity. British scientists say the longevity gene is “nearing the end of its life,” but the Americans whose work is under attack say the approach remains as promising as ever." (nytimes.com)

Despite history of multiple sclerosis, Ann Romney campaigns actively for husband - The Boston Globe (boston.com) "In addition to having multiple sclerosis, Romney had a cancerous lump removed from her breast in 2008. A routine mammogram showed a noninvasive early stage of breast cancer. The abnormal cells were removed through a lumpectomy, and Romney went through several weeks of radiation. She has not had any aftereffects, son Tagg Romney said."

Bombs' hidden impact: The brain war : Nature News "But many more troops have been exposed to multiple blasts and not suffered any visible physical injuries. Like Burt, they often report an array of symptoms, ranging from sleep disturbance to problems concentrating. And an increasing body of evidence suggests that the repeated concussions have left them with an invisible, subcellular-level form of traumatic brain injury (TBI) that not only impairs their day-to-day functioning, but also increases their long-term risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases. "We've got a lot of guys out there that might be 30 years old that have been blown up a dozen times," says Kevin Kit Parker, a biomedical engineer at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, who is conducting research on TBI. "And the risk that these guys are going to get a disease like Alzheimer's or Parkinson's is soaring." (Nature.com)

3 more depart MassHealth in shakeup amid health care reform - Boston Business Journal Rachel Richards, director of the office of long-term care; Phyllis Peters, director of the office of acute and ambulatory care; and Mary Diaz-Przybyl, director of operations integrity, departed in the past few weeks, State House News reported, citing a spokeswoman for the Executive Office of Health and Human Services.Earlier this month, it was reported that health care finance and policy commissioner Seena Carringon and assistant commissioner Stacey Eccleston planned to leave their posts at MassHealth, following the departure of director Terry Dougherty. Julian Harris succeeded Dougherty at MassHealth. Carrington was replaced by Aron Boros." (Boston Business Journal)

This program aired on September 22, 2011. The audio for this program is not available.

Advertisement

More from WBUR

Listen Live
Close