Daily Rounds: Testosterone Tanks With Fatherhood; Medical Code Explosion; Cadmium Ban Considered; Cancer Research Gift

In Study, Fatherhood Leads to Drop in Testosterone - NYTimes.com “This is part of the guy being invested in the marriage,” said Carol Worthman, an anthropologist at Emory University who also was not involved in the study. Lower testosterone, she said, is the father’s way of saying, “ ’I’m here, I’m not looking around, I’m really toning things down so I can have good relationships.’ What’s great about this study is it lays it on the table that more is not always better. Faster, bigger, stronger — no, not always.” (nytimes.com) New Medical Codes Provide Precision - WSJ.com "Indeed, health plans may never again wonder where a patient got hurt. There are codes for injuries in opera houses, art galleries, squash courts and nine locations in and around a mobile home, from the bathroom to the bedroom. Some doctors aren't sure they need quite that much detail. "Really? Bathroom versus bedroom?" says Brian Bachelder, a family physician in Akron, Ohio. "What difference does it make?" The federal agencies that developed the system—generally known as ICD-10, for International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision—say the codes will provide a more exact and up-to-date accounting of diagnoses and hospital inpatient procedures, which could improve payment strategies and care guidelines. "It's for accuracy of data and quality of care," says Pat Brooks, senior technical adviser at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services." (Wall Street Journal)

Mass. Bill Targets Cadmium In Kids’ Jewelry | WBUR "A bill scheduled to be heard on Tuesday by the Legislature’s Public Health Committee would prohibit the manufacture or sale of any item of children’s jewelry if its paint or coating has more than 75 parts per million of cadmium. The measure is sponsored by Sen. Gale Canderas, a Wilbraham Democrat.
At least five states have passed similar bans. Exposure to cadmium in high amounts has been linked to cancer and other health problems." (WBUR | 90.9 FM)

Ex-Genzyme chief gives $10m for MGH cancer unit - Metro - The Boston Globe "The new Henri and Belinda Termeer Center for Targeted Therapies will be aimed at bringing the emerging field into the forefront of treatment and research. Its initial focus will be on drugs tailored to the genetic makeup of tumors, especially breast cancers, lung cancers, and leukemias. Currently, there are few effective treatments for patients with less common types of the diseases." (bostonglobe.com)