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Maryland County Officials Create State's First Suburban HIV/AIDS Commission
Anne Arundel County, Md., Executive John Leopold recently appointed 20 community leaders, government officials and health workers to serve on the county"s first HIV/AIDS commission, which aims to understand and develop strategies for addressing the disease, the Baltimore Sun reports. The Sun reports the commission is believed to be the first of its kind in a suburban Maryland county and similar to a commission launched in Baltimore City. Council member Daryl Jones in 2008 proposed legislation to create the commission, citing the increasing number of HIV cases in the northern part of the county, likely because of its close proximity to Baltimore. According to Jones, the commission aims to generate funds for testing and outreach services; address stigma associated with the disease; and heighten awareness of the virus among residents. The commission also will produce an annual report on HIV/AIDS-related issues in the county, Jones said. Anne Arundel County had 1,000 recorded HIV/AIDS cases in 2006, with 56 newly reported HIV cases that year, according to the Maryland AIDS Administration. "It"s pretty much what I would classify as having the potential to reach epidemic proportions," Jones said, adding that Baltimore has the second highest AIDS rate among major metropolitan areas in the country. According to Kelly Sipe Russo, a physician clinical specialist with the county health department"s division of public health, the department has identified "hot spots" in the county with high HIV/AIDS rates, including the northern area and Annapolis. Russo noted that while HIV/AIDS rates in the county are not on the rise, they also are not declining, even with programs in place to increase awareness and provide help for those living with the disease. According to the Sun, although res and staffing are limited for many programs, health department officials still believe the programs are slowly having an effect and that more outreach is needed, especially for testing and treatment. Jones said that the economic downturn could lead more people to drug or alcohol use. He also noted that the stigma surrounding the disease is a major factor behind the creation of the commission. "Part of what the commission will address is figuring out ways to take away some of the fear factor" associated with HIV testing, he said. The Sun also profiled Carolyn Massey, an HIV-positive woman appointed to the commission. She said that stigma associated with the virus still is widespread, adding, "I feel we"re doing some of the right things the right way. HIV infection is something that does not have to happen" (Dixon, Baltimore Sun, 5/18).
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Study Supports Validity Of Test That Indicates Widespread Unconscious Bias
In the decade since the Implicit Association Test was introduced, its most surprising and controversial finding is its indication that about 70 percent of those who took a version of the test that measures racial attitudes have an unconscious, or implicit, preference for white people compared to blacks. This contrasts with figures generally under 20 percent for self report, or survey, measures of race bias.
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Hearing Loss More Prominent In Men, Says Miracle-Ear
When it comes to maintaining their health, men tend to wait for serious symptoms to appear before taking the necessary precautions. Indications of serious physical conditions, however, can oftentimes take a silent form. Take hearing loss: The condition affects more than 31 million people, 65 percent of whom are men, but the signs of the condition are typically overlooked. With that in mind, Miracle-Ear is honoring National Men"s Health Week, which begins on June 15th, with advice on what to look - or listen - for to determine if men are living with diminished hearing capacity.
Cardiovascular

Risk Of Dialysis Access Failure Reduced By Combination Of Aspirin And Anti-Clotting Drug

For the first time, a combination of aspirin and the anti-platelet drug dipyridamole has been shown to significantly reduce blockages and extend the useful life of new artery-vein access grafts used for hemodialysis, according to a study by the Dialysis Access Consortium (DAC). The study, supported by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), part of the National Institutes of Health, will be published in the May 21, 2009, New England Journal of Medicine. Artery-vein access grafts, called arteriovenous (AV) grafts, fail most often due to narrowing of blood vessels (stenosis) at the graft site and subsequent clotting, which block the flow of blood. A blocked graft cannot be used for dialysis and is a major cause of worsening health in dialysis patients. The DAC trial found that the combination treatment decreased the rate of loss of primary unassisted graft patency - the useful life of a graft before it becomes blocked the first time - by 18 percent and the rate of developing significant stenosis by 28 percent, compared to placebo. Previous smaller clinical trials of anti-clotting therapies failed to show that these drugs improve AV graft patency or that they could be used safely in dialysis patients. "This drug combination provides a modest but important new therapy to keep AV grafts in good working order so patients can get the dialysis they need," said NIDDK Director Griffin P. Rodgers, M.D. "But clearly more research is needed to extend the useful life of AV grafts." A total of 649 participants with new AV grafts were recruited for the trial at 13 clinical sites in the United States and were randomly assigned to treatment with dipyridamole plus aspirin or to a placebo. The trial took place over a period of five years. "Our trial results show that we now have a drug therapy that significantly prolongs the viability of AV grafts," said Bradley S. Dixon, M.D., of the University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, and lead author of the study. "This is an important step forward as we proceed to develop therapies to improve dialysis patients" quality of life." According to the 2008 U.S. Renal Data System Annual Data Report, more than half a million patients have kidney failure, 70 percent of whom are on dialysis. Costs for kidney failure are more than $30 billion. Annual costs of vascular access-related procedures in the United States have been estimated to exceed $1 billion. Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. provided the study drugs and placebo at no cost and provided additional funding as well. The company was not involved in the design of the study, the analysis of data, or the preparation of the manuscript. Arthur Stone NIH/National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases


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