Cardiovascular
In today"s health environment, harmful cold and flu strains can travel the globe and pose serious risk to young children. And, at the same time, the FDA has issued warnings about administering over-the-counter cough and cold medications to children under the age of four. Parents of young children are in a quandary as to how to keep their kids safe and healthy. Many are embracing preventative measures to improve their child"s immune system and ward off illness.
The tubes that power X-ray machines are shrinking, improving the clarity and detail of their Superman-like vision. A team of nanomaterial scientists, medical physicists, and cancer biologists at the University of North Carolina has developed new lower-cost X-ray tubes packed with sharp-tipped carbon nanotubes for cancer research and treatment.
Some HIV/AIDS advocates have voiced disappointment with the level of HIV/AIDS funding in President Obama"s proposed $63 billion, six-year global health initiative, VOA News reports. According to VOA News, the advocates say that Obama has not met pledges he made as a presidential candidate, while other say that the "picture is more complicated." According to the Global AIDS Alliance, Obama previously pledged to dedicate $50 billion over five years to HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria, but has instead proposed $51 billion over six years. GAA Executive Director Paul Zeitz said this proposal translates into significantly less annual funding for PEPFAR (Kilner, VOA News, 5/19). Zeitz said, "President Obama has a moral obligation to demonstrate global leadership on behalf of the poorest and most marginalized people of the world, especially in Africa," adding, "But by turning his back on those needs, the president is betraying the trust of tens of millions of people" (Pflanz, Daily Telegraph, 5/18). Advocates estimate that the funding shortfall could result in about one million people going without HIV/AIDS treatment and about 2.9 million women going without treatment to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission. James Kamau, coordinator for the Kenya Treatment Action Movement, said that one effect of Obama"s proposal is that other donor countries could take similar actions, leading to additional cuts. "In Kenya here we say when the lead sheep limps then it does not get the others to the pastures," Kamau said, adding, "Now if [Obama] cuts back funding on the Global Fund, then the rest of the people will follow suit" (VOA News, 5/19). Some have welcomed Obama"s proposal, saying that it has expanded the focus of global health initiatives to include other health issues that can be treated at a low cost but have not received as much attention, VOA News reports. Obama"s proposal includes $12 billion for these additional areas of focus, including more emphasis on maternal health and health infrastructure, according to VOA News.According to VOA News, Obama"s proposal might be more than Congress is willing to allocate during the economic crisis. The current budget resolution under consideration by Congress would allocate $51 billion for foreign aid in FY 2010, almost $3 billion less than what Obama requested (VOA News, 5/18). African Government Spending on Health
Healthcare Advocates Will Present Congressmembers with "Happy Birthday Medicare" Cakes-And a Plea to Improve and Expand the Beloved Program
A new study by researchers at the Georgetown"s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center finds a higher level of common household pesticides in the urine of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), a cancer that develops most commonly between three and seven years of age. The findings are published in the August issue of the journal Therapeutic Drug Monitoring.
The number of people killed by individuals suffering from mental illness in England and Wales increased between 1997 and 2005, figures show. The rise occurred in people who were not under mental health care and was not found in mental health patients.
The cast of characters spearheading the health care debate in Congress doesn"t contain all of the usual suspects.
Eating fish - long considered "brain food" by generations of housewives - really is good for the old grey matter, as is a healthy dose of sunshine, new research suggests.
A new report finds nearly 10 percent of health care costs are due to obesity and per capita medical spending is significantly higher for obese people.
On the second annual World Hepatitis Day, the World Hepatitis Alliance today called on governments not to forget the plight of 500 million people living with hepatitis B and C, as the World Health Assembly postpones discussion of a World Health Organization (WHO) resolution on viral hepatitis - one of the biggest threats to global health.
Ventana Biotech Inc ("Ventana")(PINK SHEETS:VNTA), a biotechnology company that is developing a appetite-suppressing chewing gum, released detailed information about its innovative Anti-Obesity Chewing Gum.
The Illinois attorney general on Thursday filed a lawsuit against the Center for AIDS Prevention for unlawful fundraising and falsifying official documents, ProPublica reports (Weaver, 7/27). Attorney General Lisa Madigan said the state revoked the organization"s registration 20 years ago, but its director, Steve Neely, also known as Morrell Neely, has continued to solicit donations in the state. "The state says the group tried to reregister as a nonprofit using a phony Chicago address, though its boss, ò€¦ lives in Riverside, Calif.," Courthouse News Service reports (Freeland, 7/27). "If the suit is successful, Illinois could seize money illegally raised there, bar Neely and others involved with the center from future charitable work in the state, freeze their assets, force them to pay back donations they may have "misused and/or wasted" with interest, and attempt to shut the group down for good by revoking its corporate status," ProPublica reports (7/27).
Mitochondrial diseases disrupt the power generating machinery within cells and increase a person"s susceptibility to bacterial infection, particularly in the lungs or respiratory tract. A new study published in Disease Models & Mechanisms (DMM), shows that infection with the pneumonia causing bacteria Legionella, is facilitated by an increased amount of a signaling protein that is associated with mitochondrial disease.
A new urine test developed with funding from the Wellcome Trust will allow doctors to diagnose Chlamydia infection in men within the hour, improving the ability to successfully treat the infection on the spot and prevent re-transmission.
Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) should be the new standard treatment for prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV in poor countries, according to an editorial in response to a research study in the August 15 issue of JAIDS: Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes. JAIDS is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading provider of information and business intelligence for students, professionals, and institutions in medicine, nursing, allied health, pharmacy and the pharmaceutical industry.
Breakthrough Breast Cancer scientists have taken a significant step towards personalising cancer treatment by developing a new method to predict a patient"s response to the drug Herceptin.
Guns smuggled from the US arm criminals in Canada and Mexico, contributing to a higher murder rate in Canada and more intense drug crime conflict near the Mexican border, according to a study published in a special issue of Criminology and Criminal Justice, published by SAGE.
The Minister for Health and Children, Mary Harney TD, announced the commencement of the outstanding Sections of the Pharmacy Act 2007 to provide for the introduction of a Complaints, Inquires and Discipline regime for pharmacists and pharmacy businesses. Also included are Sections 63 and 64 of the Act, which relate to the prohibition of certain economic relationships between pharmacists or pharmacies and medical practitioners, or medical practices.
Using both animal and human cells, Duke University Medical Center scientists have demonstrated that a single lung cell can become one of two very different types of airway cells, which could lead to a better understanding of lung diseases.
Researchers have found a way to directly convert spermatogonial stem cells, the precursors of sperm cells, into tissues of the prostate, skin and uterus. Their approach, described this month in the journal Stem Cells, may prove to be an effective alternative to the medical use of embryonic stem cells.
A new study by psychologists at the University at Buffalo and the F. W. Olin College of Engineering finds that in the aftermath of national trauma, the ability to make sense out of what happened has implications for individual well-being and that the kinds of stories people tell about the incident predict very different psychological outcomes for them.
Cervical screening in women aged 20-24 has little or no impact on rates of invasive cervical cancer up to age 30, concludes a study published on bmj.com.
A simple urine test for diagnosing chlamydia in men could help reduce the risks of persistent infection and transmission to sexual partners, finds a study published on bmj.com.
Roche and Google.org recently started a joint project to demonstrate the feasibility of developing a multidisciplinary surveillance, research and response system. This system will enhance the ability to predict and prevent emerging infectious diseases in East Africa. Roche has donated a Genome Sequencer FLX system as backbone of this project."We are proud to work with Google.org, and the dedicated research organizations in Kenya to bring this technology to a region of the world where novel viruses frequently emerge. We are confident that access to the 454 Sequencing Systems will improve monitoring of novel infectious diseases and enable faster discovery in case of an outbreak," said Chris McLeod, CEO of 454 Life Sciences, a member of the Roche Group.
For many women, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can alleviate the physical symptoms associated with the change of life. But despite the initial hype generated by post-menopausal women who noticed a marked improvement in their skin"s appearance while on HRT, dermatologists argue that scientific studies of estrogen do not show definitive improvements for skin rejuvenation of photodamaged skin and the potential risks when used long-term outweigh any potential skin benefits.
"Although the number of mentally ill immigration detainees" at the La Mesa, Calif.-based private psychiatric hospital Alvarado Parkway Institute "at any one time seems to range from as few as two to only five or so, their situation needs to be addressed quickly," a San Diego Tribune editorial states (San Diego Tribune, 5/19). Some disability rights lawyers and advocates for the mentally ill say that conditions at many of the private facilities, including API, violate state and federal laws governing treatment of mentally ill people. Ann Menasche, a lawyer with the legal advocacy group Disability Rights California, last month sent a letter to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement claiming that after visiting API and interviewing detainees, she found that the conditions are "excessive, unjustifiable and punitive" (Kaiser Health Disparities Report, 5/18).According to the Tribune, "California"s strict patients" rights laws specify that psychiatric patients can have daily visitors, use the telephone, exercise, socialize and be free from restraint unless the chief of the facility determines that a specific individual is a threat to himself or others," but, according to Menasche, patients at API are being denied those rights. The editorial adds that the conditions Menasche describes "may sound appalling, but it is unclear whether they are proper for the circumstances," and an "independent probe by the state Department of Public Health ... is needed to determine whether the detainees are being treated properly" (San Diego Tribune, 5/19).
A groundbreaking study in Cancer Prevention Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, suggests that having the human papillomavirus (HPV) improves survival in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Furthermore, African Americans had far less HPV infection than whites, which led to worse survival.
Scientists in New York and North Carolina are reporting assembly of the first functioning prototype of an artificial Golgi organelle. That key structure inside cells helps process and package hormones, enzymes, and other substances that allow the body to function normally. The lab-on-a-chip device could lead to a faster and safer method for producing heparin, the widely used anticoagulant or blood thinner, the researchers note. Their study is scheduled for the Aug. 12 issue of the Journal of the American Chemical Society, a weekly publication.
Scott Roeder, the man charged with the May 31 shooting death of abortion provider George Tiller, pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and aggravated assault at a Wichita, Kan., hearing on Tuesday, the AP/Boston Globe reports (AP/Boston Globe, 7/29). After witnesses described events surrounding the shooting, the judge presiding over the hearing concluded that there was sufficient evidence to try Roeder. Tiller was murdered in the foyer of his church, where he was serving as an usher. According to several church members who testified Tuesday, Roeder occasionally had come to the church in the months before the shooting.The trial is scheduled to begin Sept. 21 (Davey, New York Times, 7/28). At the hearing, Roeder made no public comments, and the not-guilty plea was entered by the public defender representing him in the case (AP/Boston Globe, 7/29).If convicted, Roeder likely will face life in prison, as the case does not meet state criteria for the death penalty. His lawyers declined to comment on their defense plans (New York Times, 7/28).
Commenting on figures released on Tuesday on Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) in Scotland, Dr Charles Saunders, chairman of the BMA"s Scottish Consultants Committee, said:
Scientists in the US have found a way of slowing the growth of ovarian cancer tumors in mice by using nanoparticles to deliver suicide genes to
The US-based PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative (MVI), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Malaria Vaccine Development Program (MVDP), and Dutch biopharmaceutical company Crucell N.V. (Euronext, Nasdaq: CRXL; Swiss Exchange: CRX) today announced a collaboration to accelerate development of a promising type of malaria vaccine. Through funding from the USAID MVDP, the partners will conduct studies to determine the effectiveness of Crucell"s novel prime-boost vaccine approach against the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. This approach uses Crucell"s proprietary recombinant adenoviruses (a type of virus associated with the common cold and other mild respiratory infections) to deliver a malaria antigen to the immune system.
In what will be the Stem Cell Awareness Association"s seventh awareness rally, past patients, interested physicians, and prospective patients will meet in Manchester to learn about stem cell technologies and discuss the various current treatments available throughout the world.
To learn from experience, it is essential to know whether a past action was associated with a desired outcome. Now, scientists have demonstrated how this information can be coded by a single cell. The research, published in the July 30th issue of the journal Neuron, provides strong support for a neural mechanism that allows reward signals to be combined over time to drive successful learning.
Helicobacter pylori, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use and smoking are the most important risk factors for peptic ulcer. Alcohol intake may also play a role in the development of gastric ulcers. Psychological stress may also have an impact on the onset and course of ulcer disease. However, very little is known as to whether childhood adversities involving financial problems, conflicts in the family, problems with alcohol, and matters of personal security are associated with peptic ulcer.
Breast cancer patients have for the first time been recruited from China to take part in an international trial of breast radiotherapy.
Molecular Insight Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: MIPI) announced that the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) has approved its Phase 3 protocol for Onalta (Yttrium-90 edotreotide). Onalta is the Company"s lead radiotherapeutic product candidate under development for the treatment of metastatic carcinoid and pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors in patients whose symptoms are not controlled by conventional therapy. The compound has shown the potential to selectively deliver lethal radiation to cancer cells. The proposed Phase 3 trial will confirm that administration of Onalta results in stabilization, regression or complete remission of the carcinoid tumor, and improves carcinoid-related symptoms when compared to a high-dose regimen of the current standard therapy for this disease, Sandostatin®. With EMEA"s approval of its proposed Phase 3 protocol in hand, Molecular Insight can proceed with the final clinical trial that will position Onalta for marketing authorization in the EU.
This study consisted of 10 patients (three male and seven female) with hepatic angiomyolipoma, with a mean age of 55.1 years (age range, 19-78 years). Of these patients, dynamic contrast CT showed hepatic angiomyolipoma as a hypervascular mass with intratumoral fatty density, absence of a capsule, and prominent central vessels in six sporadic cases, and multiple, small hepatic angiomyolipomas, with or without a fat component in four cases with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) and multiple hepatic angiomyolipomas were found in one patient with TSC.
The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget urges policymakers to make controlling health care cost growth the focus of health care reform (see Principle #1: Slowing Health Care Cost Growth ).
Wiley-Blackwell, the scientific, technical, medical and scholarly publishing business of John Wiley & Sons, Inc (NYSE: JWa), (NYSE: JWb), has announced that it will be publishing a new diabetes journal titled Journal of Diabetes Investigation from 2010.
Psychotherapists who treat mothers suffering from postpartum depression and other mood disorders with their infants have developed a proven process that contributes to a greater positive experience with immediate insights for the mothers to develop healthy connections between their maternal experiences and their infants" behaviors.
Stem Cell Therapeutics Corp. ("SCT" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE:SSS) is pleased to announce the acceptance and publication of the paper entitled "Open labeled, uncontrolled pharmacokinetic study of single intramuscular hCG dose in healthy male volunteers" by the International Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Vol. 47, August 2009. This paper was authored by Drs. Alan Moore, President & CEO, Allen Davidoff, VP Product Development and Yan Yang, Clinical Research Associate, all of SCT; Dr. Michael D. Hill of Foothills Hospital at the University of Calgary, and Dr. Steven C. Cramer, from the University of California, Irvine.
Commenting on the publication of the results of a national patient access survey BMA Scotland said it was pleased that most patients are happy with access to their GP practice but warned that many practices face significant cuts in funding because of the survey methodology.
As part of its study of how much vitamin D and calcium people need, a committee convened by the Institute of Medicine will hold a public workshop to gather insights and data from experts on Tuesday, Aug. 4. Among the workshop"s presentations will be a discussion of a recent vitamin D and calcium report released by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, which can be found at http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/tp/vitadcaltp.htm. A workshop agenda with a list of presentations is available at http://www.iom.edu/?id=68400.
Oregon Health & Science University has been named a Circle of Life Award winner for its innovative program that improves the care of patients near the end of life or with life-threatening conditions.
The International Diabetes Federation (IDF), International Union Against Cancer (UICC) and World Heart Federation (WHF) issued a joint statement that calls on the international community to address urgently the epidemic of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), responsible for 35 million deaths a year. The statement demands a substantial increase in funding for NCDs and greater availability of essential medicines, among other urgent responses, in a way to accelerate achievement of the health Millennium Development Goals.
Chinese state media on Thursday reported that women in the country have about 13 million abortions annually, the AP/Houston Chronicle reports. According to the China Daily newspaper, the actual number likely is much higher because the 13 million includes abortions performed in hospitals but not unreported procedures performed in rural clinics. Most of the abortions were among single young women who experts say know little about contraception. The paper also said that about 10 million pills for medical abortion are sold annually in the country. China imposed strict population controls in the 1970s that prohibit most couples from having more than one child. For married women, sterilization and the use of intrauterine devices are widely promoted and subsidized. However, Chinese policies typically do not address the needs of unmarried women, even as national attitudes have become more accepting of sex outside of marriage, the AP/Chronicle reports. According to the newspaper, about 62% of the abortions were among unmarried women ages 20 to 29. The Chinese report called the number of abortions "an unfortunate situation" but did not indicate whether the procedures are increasing or decreasing from year to year. National Population and Family Planning Commission official Wu Shangchun is quoted in the report as saying that almost half of the women seeking abortion had used no form of contraception. Wu also said that reducing abortions is a national challenge that requires significant effort. Peking University professor Li Ying said that sex education in China must be improved at the university level and that Chinese parents must do more to teach children about sex (AP/Houston Chronicle, 7/30).
The White House says opponents of the President"s health care reform effort are misrepresenting parts of the House and Senate legislation including a provision on end-of-life care. Critics say they fear health care reform could lead to excessive government intervention in end-of-life issues.
"Earnings from the nation"s big health insurers show signs of a new uptick in medical costs related to the recession: As unemployment rises, people who have lost their jobs or are fearful of losing them are rushing to see doctors to get medical tests before their benefits expire," the Wall Street Journal reports. WellPoint, the nation"s largest insurer by volume, reported a 7.6 percent dip in profits and the loss of 338,000 members in the second quarter, further illuminating the trend. Other insurers have experienced similar patterns in which policyholders are seeking more - and more expensive - health services.
Columnist Sees "Dawn Of A Global Movement Against Maternal Mortality"
Stem Cell Therapeutics Corp. ("SCT" or "the Company") (TSX VENTURE:SSS) is pleased to announce the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") has provided a verbal confirmation to remove its clinical hold placed on NTx®-265 on September 18, 2008. This will allow SCT to commence the recruitment of patients under an amended protocol using NTx®-265 for the Company"s Phase IIb clinical trial treating acute ischemic stroke.
An annual report by the Health Council of East Central Florida released on Wednesday said that nearly 800 new cases of HIV were reported in Central Florida in 2008 and blacks and Hispanics remain disproportionately affected, the Orlando Sentinel reports. The report was presented to the Ryan White Planning Council, according to the Sentinel. The report said that there are now more than 4,000 people living with HIV in the area, and another 4,400 living with AIDS. In addition, a majority of the new cases of HIV were among blacks and Hispanics, according to the report (Maza, 7/29). In an interview with the Sentinel, Debbie Tucci, the Orange County Health Department"s HIV/AIDS program coordinator, discussed the findings. She said, "HIV/AIDS is not in the forefront the way it used to be. We"ve been talking about this for a long time, and people just don"t think it"s going to happen to them." She added, "The disease doesn"t care what your race or ethnicity is. Now we target minorities more, and what"s happened is that they"re getting tested more. Prevention strategies are absolutely working. There"s always room for improvement, but we"ve come a long way - especially among minorities" (Maza, 7/30).
The following statistics were released by the Department of Health - Inpatient Waiting Times; Outpatient Waiting Times.
As mathematics continues to become an increasingly important component in undergraduate biology programs, a more comprehensive understanding of the use of algebraic models is needed by the next generation of biologists to facilitate new advances in the life sciences, according to researchers at Sweet Briar College and the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute (VBI) at Virginia Tech.
A study of almost 25,000 coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) patients has shown that receiving blood from another person is associated with a two-fold increase in post-operative infection rates. The research, published in the open access journal BMC Medicine, also found considerable hospital variation in transfusion practices.
Short-term complications and death rates were low following bariatric surgery to limit the amount of food that can enter the stomach, decrease absorption of food or both, according to the Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery (LABS-1). The study was funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), part of the National Institutes of Health. Results are reported in the July 30 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
In light of yesterday"s Public Health Advisory from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warning consumers to immediately stop using all body-building products that claim to contain steroids or steroid-like substances, The Endocrine Society is re-issuing its Position Statement on Steroid Abuse initially launched in 2008.
The incidence of a rare and deadly tumor called primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) is two times higher in black Americans, ages 20 to 49, than in white Americans, according to a Mayo Clinic study published in the June issue of Journal of Neuro-Oncology. In patients older than 49, the results were reversed. White Americans were twice as likely as black Americans to be diagnosed with PCNSL.
NHS staff will be vaccinated first in the Government"s swine flu vaccination campaign, followed by pregnant women, young children and adults with chronic illnesses, Pulse can exclusively reveal. Pulse has learned from a senior Government adviser that a "pecking order" has been drawn up for vaccination.
Cancer researchers at Georgetown University"s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center have successfully tested a small, engineered antibody they say shuts down growth of human glioblastoma tumors in cell and animal studies. Glioblastoma is the deadliest of brain cancers; there is no effective treatment.
This month"s Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, reports on the use of bevacizumab (Avastin) to benefit diabetic patients with macular edema as well as people who develop cystoid macular edema after cataract surgery. Bevacizumab is also used to treat some cancers. A third study describes methods that could make cataract surgery safer for diabetic retinopathy (DR) patients. DR is the major threat to vision in working-age people, a health issue that will only intensify if cases triple by 2050 as predicted.
GSK announced that it has notified the European Medicines Agency of its decision to withdraw the Marketing Authorisation Application (MAA) in the EU for mepolizumab for the treatment of hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES).
As the world prepares for a probable resurgence of H1N1 in the coming months, University of Pittsburgh researchers are controlling the spread of infectious diseases virtually with a $13.4 million National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant to establish a Center of Excellence in Modeling of Infectious Diseases. The five-year grant, part of the NIH"s Modeling of Infectious Disease Agent Study (MIDAS) program, funds the development and testing of computer simulations that will ultimately enable public health officials and policymakers to evaluate intervention strategies to contain infectious disease outbreaks.
The Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday approved its fiscal year 2010 spending bill (HR 3293) for health, education and labor programs, CQ Today reports. The bill does not include funding for abstinence-only sex education, instead providing $104.5 million for a comprehensive "Teen Pregnancy Prevention" program. The recently passed House version of the bill takes a similar approach, according to CQ Today.The committee voted 29-1 to approve the $730 billion bill, with abstinence-only advocate Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) being the sole opponent (Wolfe, CQ Today, 7/30).In related news, Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) in the FY 2010 spending bill did not request funding for abstinence-only sex education programs in his home state, despite routinely requesting such funds as a Republican, CQ Politics reports.When he was a Republican, Specter sponsored 22 earmarks totaling $550,000 for abstinence-only programs in the FY 2009 version of the bill. Specter"s aides said that he wanted to focus earmark requests on hospitals and universities in the FY 2010 version of the bill. However, the "likely" explanation for the absence of abstinence-only earmark requests is the senator"s 2009 switch to the Democratic Party, which often advocates for comprehensive sex education programs as a way to reduce teen pregnancy, CQ Politics reports (Clarke, CQ Politics, 7/29).
President Obama on Thursday issued a directive to federal agencies to begin following new NIH guidelines on federally funded embryonic stem cell research, Reuters/New York Times reports (Reuters/New York Times, 7/30). NIH announced the final guidelines earlier this month. The guidelines assess whether newly created embryonic stem cell lines can be used for federally funded research, as well as clarify how old lines will be evaluated (Daily Women"s Health Policy Report, 7/7).In March, Obama overturned President George W. Bush"s policy limiting federal funding of embryonic stem cell research. In a statement Thursday, Obama said, "I hereby direct the heads of executive departments and agencies that support and conduct stem cell research to adopt these guidelines, to the fullest extent practicable in light of legal authorities and obligations" (Reuters/New York Times, 7/30).
Lobbying efforts by Doctors Hospital at Renaissance, in Edinburg, Texas, have steered hundreds of thousands of dollars to key lawmakers in hopes of blocking reforms that would restrict ownership of hospitals by physicians, the Associated Press/Dallas Morning News reports in a follow up to an article in yesterday"s New York Times. Doctor-owned hospitals "have been blamed for helping drive up health care costs." The hospital in question was "featured in a June article by The New Yorker that singled the area out for some of the highest health care costs in the country." The article has become a talking point for the White House on reform (7/30).
Inter Press Service examines several civil society organizations" argument that legislative measures aimed at fighting HIV/AIDS, "hurt more" than they "help." There are 58 countries with laws in place to "prosecute HIV transmission" and 33 others where such legislation is being considered, according to the International Planned Parenthood Federation.
Gastroesophageal reflux diseases , or GERD, affects about 10 million people in the United States, yet the cause and an unexpected increase in its prevalence over the last three decades remains unexplainable. Now, researchers have discovered that GERD is associated with global alteration of the microbiome in the esophagus. The findings, reported in the August 1, 2009 issue of Gastroenterology, may provide for the foundation for further study of the condition as a microecological disease with new treatment possibilities.
Patient satisfaction with their medications and the quality of interactions with their doctor reflect the success of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) therapy, according to a new study in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute.
A study, "Longitudinal Evaluation of Sleep-Disordered Breathing and Sleep Symptoms with Change in Quality of Life: The Sleep Heart Health Study (SHHS)," in the Aug. 1 issue of the journal Sleep indicates that self-reported worsening in initiating and maintaining sleep over a five-year period was significantly associated with poorer mental quality of life, and increasing daytime sleepiness symptoms were associated with both poorer physical and mental quality of life.
The Medical Defence Union (MDU) has recruited three new medico-legal advisers in Scotland, bringing its team of experts north of the border to nine - its biggest ever team in the country.
While state insurance regulators are working hard to keep most insurance oversight squarely in their hands, they are actively promoting new federal mandates and rules for health insurance-with a major caveat, according to a story in BestWeek U.S./Canada.
Reports published today in the Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism suggest that many people are confused about the health consequences of fats consumed. Often fat is not considered to be part of a healthy, balanced diet. Also many do not know that there are good, and even essential, fats. As a result, the quality of fats they consume is not in line with recommendations. To help overcome this problem, experts suggest that simple dietary changes be made, such as replacing full fat dairy (e.g. fatty cheeses) and meat products with lean choices, and use of fats and oils of vegetable origin rich in essential fats (sunflower oil, rapeseed oil, soybean oil and products made of these oils such as margarines) rather than of consuming fat of animal origin (lard, butter, etc).
Sedentary behaviors such as TV viewing and "screen time" involving computer use, videos and video games appear to be associated with elevated blood pressure in children, independent of body composition, according to a report in the August issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Taking opioid drugs without a prescription appears relatively common among high school seniors, according to a report in the August issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. The most common reasons survey respondents gave for taking the medications included relaxation, feeling good or getting high, experimentation and pain relief.
Physicians should recommend low to moderate levels of exercise to their pregnant patients, even if they have not exercised prior to pregnancy, states a report published in the August 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (JAAOS). According to this review article, exercise can strengthen and improve overall musculoskeletal and physiologic health as well as pregnancy related symptoms. Exercise such as aerobics, impact and nonimpact activities, resistance training and swimming:
Oxygen levels while flying are substantially less than at ground level. Current guidelines for in-flight oxygen levels are sufficient to support the needs of passengers with non-obstructed lung disease. According to two articles published in the Wiley-Blackwell journal, Respirology, commercial air travel appears to be safe for patients with lung disease as the current policies for the in-flight oxygen levels and availability of supplemental oxygen can adequately accommodate passenger"s needs.
InfoLogix, Inc. (Nasdaq: IFLG), a leading technology provider of enterprise mobility solutions for the healthcare and commercial industries, announced the introduction of a new mobility offering for healthcare providers, the InfoLogix M24 mobile clinical assistant: a powerful mobile computing solution that enables medical professionals to access critical patient information at the point-of-care.
To mark the International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO) on 17 May, a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth group in Telford and Shropshire is calling for local people to be aware that "Being gay is only part of who you are". The group chose this slogan to put across the message that LGBT people should not be defined by their sexuality alone, but by who they are as individuals. The I-mix group, run by HIV and sexual health charity Terrence Higgins Trust (THT), will be distributing posters and flyers across the region to encourage LGBT young people interested in joining to get in touch.
California"s experience with insurance exchanges could prove a valuable lesson for the nation"s flirtation with such pools for covering large numbers of people, The Wall Street Journal reports.
The Agence-France Press examines the debate over how much developed countries are spending to fight the H1N1 virus. There is concern that as developed countries store away antivirals, face masks and vaccines to protect against the H1N1 (swine) flu virus, poor countries are being left empty handed. "Some critics say the spending is so imbalanced that it amounts to health apartheid, protecting rich countries against H1N1 but leaving poor nations to fend for themselves," the news service writes, adding, "Others argue gargantuan sums are being spent on a disease that is no more lethal than seasonal flu, which is grotesquely disproportionate when thousands die each day of less media-friendly diseases."
Despite "the flimsy arguments" that some Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee made for opposing the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, she "clearly belongs on the court," a New York Times editorial states. Although Sotomayor sometimes avoided "forthright answers on important legal issues" during the confirmation hearings, she consistently "showed an impressive command of the law," according to the editorial.Claims that Sotomayor would not be able to resist "judicial activism" and that she would be "overly influenced by "personal preferences"" if she were to serve on the court are "strikingly weak," the editorial states. It continues, "Some Republicans may be wary of opposing Judge Sotomayor because she would be the first Hispanic justice, and they are reluctant to alienate a large voting bloc," but "[t]here is no need for political calculations." According to the editorial, "Senators should support her because she is eminently qualified."The editorial states, "We hope the vote in the full Senate for Judge Sotomayor will be overwhelming and the rhetoric more high-minded" (New York Times, 8/2).
A new diagnostic tool developed by Van Andel Research Institute (VARI) scientists has shown promising results when used with patients of pancreatic cancer, one of the deadliest forms of cancer due to the difficulty of diagnosing it in its early stages. The method, which studies carbohydrate structures in the bloodstream, could lead to the development of blood tests that can detect cancer more effectively.
Brain scientists and cardiac surgeons at Johns Hopkins have evidence from 227 heart bypass surgery patients that long-term memory losses and cognitive problems they experience are due to the underlying coronary artery disease itself and not ill after-effects from having used a heart-lung machine.
Like the sensitive seismographs that can pick up tremors of impending earthquakes long before they strike, a similar invention from Tel Aviv University researchers may change the face of molecular biology.
An international team of researchers has identified a new method for selectively killing metastatic melanoma cells, which may lead to new areas for drug development in melanoma - a cancer that is highly resistant to current treatment strategies.
Use of the HIV antiretroviral treatment raltegravir, in combination with optimum background therapy, is a safe and effective alternative to conventional combination treatment using efavirenz in patients yet to start antiretroviral treatment. Furthermore, the raltegravir regimen is faster acting and causes fewer adverse events than the efavirenz regimen. These are the conclusions of an Article published Online First and in an upcoming edition of The Lancet, written by Dr Jeffrey L Lennox, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA, and colleagues.
The use of digital mammography equipment alone is responsible for an increased number of breast cancers detected at a community-based mammography facility, according to a study performed at San Luis Diagnostic Center in San Luis Obispo, CA.
Interventional radiology procedures are on the rise in developing countries and there is a significant need for optimization of these procedures to ensure patient safety. Many facilities in these countries lack the concept of patient dose estimation and dose management, putting patients at a higher risk of developing complications due to overexposure from radiation during interventional procedures, according to a study performed by the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, Austria.
UK clinical research is currently benefiting from significant additional investment from Government and other research funders. A challenge for funders and institutions is to allocate res across the range of clinical academic specialties, to most effectively pursue research and its translation into improved healthcare.
Physical education (PE) in schools is one of the main tools used to increase physical activity and to prevent childhood obesity, and PE-related injuries are on the rise. Although increasing physical activity may reduce obesity, it may also increase the risk of injury. While recognizing that PE classes and physical activity are important components in combating obesity, parents and school administrators should remain vigilant for injuries. A recent study conducted by the Center for Injury Research and Policy of The Research Institute at Nationwide Children"s Hospital, found that the number of PE-related injuries to elementary, middle and high school students in the United States increased 150 percent between 1997 and 2007.
Researchers at Stanford"s School of Medicine have identified the first human bladder cancer stem cell and revealed how it works to escape the body"s natural defenses.
Middle aged people who smoke, have high blood pressure or diabetes are far more likely to develop dementia in later life, suggests research published ahead of print in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.
One of the most bothersome symptoms of leukemia is extreme fatigue, and asking these patients to exercise doesn"t sound like a way to help them feel better.
Recent research has uncovered an unexpected vulnerability in deadly melanoma cells that, when exploited, can cause the cancer cells to turn against themselves. The study, published by Cell Press in the August issue of the journal Cancer Cell, identifies a new target for development of future therapeutics aimed at selectively eliminating this aggressive skin cancer which is characterized by a notoriously high rate of metastasis and treatment-resistance.
Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-Texas) sent a letter to President Obama yesterday accepting his invitation to "come over to the White House and go over line-by-line" the health care reform plan the President is pushing.
As the field of stem cell based therapies has progressed, there have been numerous questions about the exact way one of the most promising lines of adult stem cells works to repair damaged heart muscle. Although cells obtained from adult bone marrow are proving to be useful to treat heart disease, there has been a major controversy over whether they are true stem cells capable of forming new heart muscle.
New research helps explain why infection with herpes simplex virus-2 (HSV-2), which causes genital herpes, increases the risk for HIV infection even after successful treatment heals the genital skin sores and breaks that often result from HSV-2.
In a major step in spinal cord injury research, scientists at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have demonstrated that regenerating axons can be guided to their correct targets and re-form connections after spinal cord injury. Their findings were published in the advance online edition of the journal Nature Neuroscience on August 2.
Two common anti-influenza drugs - Relenza and Tamiflu - appear equally effective at preventing common flu symptoms when given before infection, say researchers from the Stanford University School of Medicine. However, data is lacking on the effectiveness and safety of the two drugs in vulnerable groups such as the very young and people with compromised immune systems.
Ferring Pharmaceuticals announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the trade name FIRMAGON(R) (degarelix for injection) for its prostate cancer treatment previously marketed under the generic name degarelix. FIRMAGON is a new injectable gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) receptor antagonist indicated for patients with advanced prostate cancer. Since initial market introduction under the generic name degarelix, FIRMAGON has been used by more than 3,000 patients to fight their prostate cancer.
Cervical cancer, or cancer of the cervix, is cancer of the entrance to the uterus (womb). The cervix is the narrow part of the lower uterus, often referred to as the neck of the womb. Cervical cancer occurs most commonly in women over the age of 30.
WHAT: The Nutrient-Rich Foods (NRF) Index is a new, objective, science-based way to measure the total nutritional quality of foods and beverages.
"When President Barack Obama said at a recent news conference that he has the best health care in the world, he wasn"t exaggerating," The Chicago Tribune reports. "The White House medical unit with a staff of four doctors and even more nurses and physicians" assistants is just steps from his office, ready to provide free treatment to him and his family. ... Air Force One is stocked with equipment to rapidly assemble an onboard operating room. ò€¦ White House physicians provide free medical coverage for the first family and the vice president"s family, as well as urgent treatment to White House staff and visitors as needed."
Minnesota"s only storefront needle exchange drop-in center, called Access Works!, "fell victim to economic hard times and federal anti-drug policies" and ended its program last week after 13 years, the Minnesota Independent reports. The program "traded used needles for clean ones, conducted HIV and Hepatitis C testing, taught overdose prevention, held support groups and connected users with chemical dependency treatment experts," according to the Independent. Federal funding cannot be used to administer needles for such programs, Lauri Wollner, executive director of the program said. She added, "The federal ban has had a long-term impact. We spend almost $40,000 a year on needles and about $5,000 a year on disposal (of used needles)." Private donations also have been down, she said. While the ban on the use of federal funding for needle exchange is being revisited by Congress, "local needle-exchange activists say it is doubtful that congressional action will be able to save the struggling organization," the article states (Birkey, 8/3).
Nearly 75 percent of Americans suffer from some form of periodontal disease, the major cause of adult tooth loss. In addition, cardiovascular disease, the leading killer of men and women in the United States, is a major public health issue contributing to 2,400 deaths each day. And while these two conditions are seemingly unrelated, research suggests that managing one disease may reduce the risk for the other.
Researchers from the University of Bath are embarking on a project to use stem cell technology that could reduce the number of animal experiments used to study conditions such as motor neurone disease.
The active ingredient in many insect repellents, deet, has been found to be toxic to the central nervous system. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Biology say that more investigations are urgently needed to confirm or dismiss any potential neurotoxicity to humans, especially when deet-based repellents are used in combination with other neurotoxic insecticides.
AlburtyLab released a report on its comprehensive evaluation of health risks for workers in pharmacies using air pressure-activated drug dispensing machines. The study tested pharmacy workers wearing personal exposure monitors (PEMs) while using the two leading types of air pressure-activated dispensing technologies - the McKesson/Parata Max and the McKesson/Parata RDS. This is the third major study conducted by AlburtyLab examining the issues relating to pharmacy worker exposure.
The fight against obesity has stepped up a gear with the
The number of Americans under care for depression and other mental illnesses nearly doubled between 1996 and 2006, and the overall cost of treating them jumped by nearly two-thirds, according to the latest News and Numbers from HHS" Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
Cancer Centers of North Carolina, an affiliate of US Oncology, Inc., continues to offer cutting-edge treatment options to its patients through the addition of High Dose Rate (HDR) brachytherapy. This latest advance in brachytherapy allows physicians to deliver precise radiation treatment to a patient"s cancerous tumor and is rapidly becoming the treatment of choice for certain types of cancer.
GeoVax Labs, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: GOVX), an Atlanta-based HIV/AIDS vaccine development company announced updates on its ongoing and planned human clinical trials.
Students and staff, among others in the profession, have the chance to make their views
Decoding the complete DNA of cancer patients is giving scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis a clearer picture of the complexity of the disease and allowing them to see intriguing and unexpected genetic relationships among patients.
An estimated 200 people die each year in the U.S. after being struck by lightning. An extremely brief but intense hit delivers more than 10 million volts and is fatal in about 30 percent of cases. Recent lightning strikes in Newark resulted in one death and three injuries.
In today"s troubled economy, saving money is a hot topic. No matter what gets cut from your budget, however, experts at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center believe that healthy choices to prevent cancer shouldn"t be on the list.
The structure of an entire HIV genome has been decoded for the first time by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The results have widespread implications for understanding the strategies that viruses, like the one that causes AIDS, use to infect humans.
HIV and sexual health charity Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) is joining forces with other local HIV organisations to remind visitors to Birmingham Pride (23 - 24 May) not to put their sexual health at risk by getting carried away with the party mood.
Washington, D.C., officials are planning to make testing for sexually transmitted infections available at all public high schools in the coming school year, adding D.C. to a growing list of cities that test students for STIs, the Washington Post reports. All 50 states and the district allow minors older than age 12 to be tested for STIs without parental consent.The new program requires all students to attend a lecture about STIs, after which they are escorted into restroom areas in groups of 15 to 20. They are then given paper bags with urine collection cups and go into the stalls, at which point they can decide whether to provide a sample. All students return the paper bags, regardless of whether they provided samples. Students give a password and can call a week later to receive their confidential results and, if necessary, treatment at the school or an STI clinic, which is paid for by the city. The district first offered the program two years ago at two charter schools, and eight high schools were included during the past school year.A 2007 study by the D.C. public school system found that 60% of high school students and 30% of middle school students reported having sex. According to the study, 20% of high school students reported having sex with four or more partners and 12% of middle school students reported having three or more partners.According to the D.C. Department of Health, the program at eight high schools last year found that 13% of 3,000 students tested positive for an STI, most commonly chlamydia or gonorrhea. Fifty percent of the chlamydia and gonorrhea cases in the district are among teenagers.According to the D.C. Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, the new program is an important step toward curbing the district"s HIV/AIDS rate, which is among the highest in the U.S. Walter Smith, executive director of D.C. Appleseed, said, "If 13% of these students are testing positive for [STIs], those same kids could get HIV," adding, "A lot needs to be done to get the message out to the schools, ... and this very high [STI] rate is an indication that what we"ve been doing is not effective" (Fears/Hernandez, Washington Post, 8/5).
"As they work to overhaul the nation"s healthcare system, President Obama and his congressional allies have pledged to help small-business owners such as Rhonda Ealy and Kelli Glasser," The Los Angeles Times reports. "Both businesswomen desperately want help. But they have strongly divergent views about what Washington should do, reflecting a broader debate about how to relieve the burden on the nation"s roughly 6 million small businesses." Ealy owns a coffee roasting company in Bend, Ore. with 13 employees, she says she "loves a Democratic proposal to create a government-run insurance plan, which she hopes will allow her to get her employees better coverage for less." Glasser, who "makes museum and trade-show exhibits" and has 87 employees, "hates a separate provision in the legislation that would place a new requirement on many businesses to cover their employees."
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is warning employers to ensure they assess the safety of equipment and ensure that it is sufficiently guarded after an employee"s left hand was severely damaged by the rotating blades of a valve that forms part of the extraction system in a metal recycling process.
States are grappling with budget cuts, trying to anticipate the effects of Washington"s health system overhaul and rejiggering Medicaid programs. Here"s a round-up of today"s local coverage:
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends the human papillomavirus vaccination for all 11- and 12-year-old girls, but results of a recent survey showed that more than half of Texas physicians do not follow these recommendations.
A team of researchers from CIC bioGUNE from the Cellular Biology and Stem Cell Unit, alongside a team from Paris" Cardiovascular Research Centre (INSERM U970) have developed a new area of research which looks extremely promising as regards the development of new therapeutic responses to ischemic pathologies and cardiovascular diseases in general. The results of this research project, which was initiated in 2005 and is supported by Bizkaia:Xede and the Basque Government"s Etortek programme, were published in the prestigious scientific journal Circulation.