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.
Two people with the same kind of cancer who receive the exact same treatment may nevertheless have different chances of their tumors coming back years later. Now a team of scientists has developed a computer model that predicts cancer recurrence in an individual based on how her tumor changes size in response to the first rounds of radiation therapy.
DLX5, a gene crucial for embryonic development, promotes cancer by activating the expression of the known oncogene, MYC, according to researchers from Fox Chase Cancer Center. Since the DLX5 gene is inactive in normal adults, it may be an ideal target for future anti-cancer drugs, they reason. Their findings are published in the July 31 edition of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, available online now.
Over 50 pharmacists have been trained to provide seasonal flu vaccinations under a private Patient Group Direction that the NPA is facilitating. Training days were conducted in London and Birmingham with further training days scheduled at the start of September 2009 in Newport, Durham, St Albans and Haydock.
As part of its continuing efforts to help physicians learn about and adopt new technology, the American Medical Association (AMA) announced a new, free webinar series that will help physicians understand the health information technology (HIT) provisions laid out in the recently passed economic stimulus bill. The three-part series will lay out what these provisions mean for physicians and how they can take advantage of the $19 billion in funds allocated for the purchase and use of HIT. The first webinar is Thursday, May 21.
As they worked to move health care reform legislation through the Energy and Commerce Committee, House Democrats said they were close to a compromise with fiscally conservative Democrats, a group that so far has been a roadblock, The Hill reports.
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.
Cannabis Science Inc. (OTCBB: CBIS), an emerging pharmaceutical cannabis company, is pleased to report that the FDA has provided the Company with documentation to assist the Company to review and plan its initial applications to get its first drug into formal testing.
Illinois health officials contend that images seen in the media, social influences, and a lack of "frank" discussion on STDs in schools, among other issues, might be contributing to increases in STD rates across the state, the State Journal-Register reports. "According to recently released data, new cases of chlamydia in Illinois reached an all-time high statewide in 2008 - 59,169 - while the number of gonorrhea cases outside Chicago has been rising in recent years and totaled 10,165 in 2008," the Journal-Register reports. In addition, about 35,000 state residents have HIV/AIDS, the article states. Charlie Rabins, chief of the STD program at the Illinois Department of Public Health, said a bill (SB 212) currently awaiting Gov. Pat Quinn"s (D) approval might help reduce STD rates. The bill "would allow what is called "expedited partner therapy," in which medical professionals who treat patients for gonorrhea or chlamydia can give those patients single-dose antibiotics to pass on to sexual partners without first examining the partners," according to the Journal-Register (Olsen, 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.
SNM and a coalition of eight other organizations have issued a white paper urging Congress to take steps to maintain adequate supplies of Molybdenum-99 (Mo-99), a radioactive substance that is the basis for a common medical isotope used in more than 80 percent of all nuclear medicine procedures.
The HealthGrades Fourth Annual Bariatric Surgery Trends in American Hospitals Study released today identifies 88 hospitals as "best" performers (five-star rated), with mortality rates, complication rates and patient lengths of stay that are dramatically lower than poorly rated hospitals.
Scientists in the UK who systematically reviewed research from the last 50 years concluded that from a nutritional point of view, organically
In order to increase productivity, healthcare providers have started to integrate many IT-based ancillary systems such as EMR, HIS and PACS. So far, this has purely been a service-oriented business, in which IT systems have accelerated healthcare practices. However, the lack of qualified staff, such as technologists, physicians and radiologists is creating a challenge for hospitals. A huge number of radiological examinations and the interpretation of images has to take place, and many hospitals are outsourcing this work to speed up productivity.
The House of Lords Science and Technology Committee has published
A shortage of primary care physicians in California "is driving community clinics to find innovate ways" to provide care to an increasingly linguistically and culturally diverse patient population, New America Media reports. According to New America Media, primary care physicians are in short supply nationwide because many medical students are pursuing more lucrative specialty fields that have higher reimbursement rates. Marty Lynch -- executive director of LifeLong Medical Care, a not-for-profit primary health care facility that operates nine health centers in Berkeley, Oakland and Marin County -- said he has tried unsuccessfully to hire minority primary care physicians and nurses. Lynch said it is "very difficult to find primary care providers" to provide care for minorities. Meanwhile, the demand for health services is on the rise, Jane Garcia, CEO of La Clinica de la Raza, said. The clinic has provided health services in the Bay Area at 27 satellite clinics for 38 years.The clinic for the last two years has partnered with neighboring community colleges to train medical assistants to work at their clinics to meet demand for diverse staff. "We"re training our own community members," Garcia said. She added that in the current economy, the "silver lining" is that "health care is one of the few sectors that more people will be choosing careers in" (Sundaram, New America Media, 5/18).
People in less affluent countries appear to suffer from more severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA) than people in wealthy countries, suggests research published ahead of print in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.
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.
ImmuneRegen BioSciences(R), a wholly owned subsidiary of IR BioSciences Holdings, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: IRBS), reports preliminary evidence that its selective Neurokinin 1-receptor agonist Homspera(R) is both active on oral administration and provides therapeutic effects against the current pandemic H1N1 virus infection.
As we age, brown spots and splotchy skin are all too often a fact of life. But for people with darker skin, changes in pigmentation can occur without warning at any age and can be very difficult to treat. Fortunately, dermatologists can help people with skin of color diagnose and treat bothersome pigmentation problems.
The Washington Post: "Three Democrats and three Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee are expected to wrap up their arduous multi-week talks in the coming days, and Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) said he expects a panel vote before the Senate recess, which will begin Aug. 7. Assuming the fragile committee coalition holds, the legislation it produces would scramble the reform landscape by introducing policy ideas that have their origins in the political center. The bill is bound to disappoint liberals."
Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT) announced new data
Lawmakers push bill to fight Medicare fraud as part of health reform legislation.
Inter Press Service examines how efforts underway in Namibia have helped to decrease the number of infants born with HIV while also increasing the number of HIV-positive infants on life-saving antiretrovirals (ARVs). According to the news service, since the launch of an early infant detection (EID) program in 2006, "the number of HIV-infected newborns has dropped from 13 percent to two percent in Namibia, according to the national Ministry of Health" -- figures that "stand in sharp contrast with data from other African countries where many pregnant women are not diagnosed in time to prevent mother-to-child transmission of the virus and only a few HIV-positive infants receive ARVs."
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
Although Hispanic women tend to develop breast cancer less than Caucasian women, it is usually more aggressive and advanced when it does develop.
The American Nurses Association (ANA) joins with the entire nursing community in mourning the passing of American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) interim Executive Director John Garde, CRNA, MS, FAAN. John Garde passed away last week from complications related to pancreatic cancer.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has called for clarification of the responsible pharmacist requirements but will not be asking the Department of Health to amend the commencement date of the regulations.
The American Lung Association will tell the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) at a public hearing today to adopt even stronger, health-based national air quality standards for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) than what the agency proposed. Lung Association leadership and healthy air advocates will call for tighter standards at the hearing that begins at 9:00 AM at the EPA Potomac Yard Conference Center located at 1 Potomac Yard, 2777 South Crystal Drive in Arlington, Va. Mary Partridge, American Lung Association National Board Chair, is scheduled to speak at 10:15 AM. The hearing will conclude at 9:00 PM.
More patients with metastatic breast cancer could benefit from Avastin (bevacizumab) as a result of a broader label announced by the European Commission that allows bevacizumab to be combined with either docetaxel or paclitaxel chemotherapy1. This is an important announcement, as although bevacizumab has been approved for use in the UK in combination with paclitaxel for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer since March 2007, a higher proportion of metastatic breast cancer patients in the UK are treated with docetaxel.
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.
[Efficacy and safety of comfrey root extract ointment in the treatment of acute upper or lower back pain: results of a double blind randomised placebo controlled multicentre trial Online First Br J Sports Med 2009; doi: 10.1136/bjsm.2009.058677]
Anadys Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ANDS) announced finalization of the protocol for the Company"s Phase II trial of ANA598 in combination with pegylated interferon-alpha and ribavirin in hepatitis C patients. Allowance of the protocol has been received from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and patient dosing is expected to commence within the next several weeks.
Numerous pathogens contain an "internal time bomb", a deadly mechanism that can be used against them. After years of work, VIB researchers at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) were able to determine the structure and operating mechanism of the proteins involved. This clears the road for finding ways to set the clock on this internal time bomb and, hopefully, in the process developing a new class of antibiotics. The research was accepted for publication by top journal Molecular Cell, with congratulations from the editorial board.
Americans spent $33.9 billion out-of-pocket on complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) over the previous 12 months, according to a 2007 government survey1. CAM is a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products such as herbal supplements, meditation, chiropractic, and acupuncture that are not generally considered to be part of conventional medicine. CAM accounts for approximately 1.5 percent of total health care expenditures ($2.2 trillion2) and 11.2 percent of total out-of-pocket expenditures (conventional out-of-pocket: $286.6 billion2 and CAM out-of-pocket: $33.9 billion1) on health care in the United States.
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).
A new rapid urine test for chlamydia in men identified 84% of infections, according to a study of 1,200 men published Tuesday in the British Medical Journal, Reuters reports. Chlamydia is the most common sexually transmitted infection among women and can be treated easily with antibiotics. However, the STI often goes undiagnosed and causes no symptoms in 70% of cases. It can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy and infertility. It also can make women more vulnerable to HIV.Rapid tests for chlamydia in men often have been inconclusive and uncomfortable, involving a painful swab of the urethra. The developer of the new test, Helen Lee of the University of Cambridge, said, "This has led to many cases of infection in men going undiagnosed and being transmitted to their female partners, with potentially more serious complications." The new test is "both accurate and swift, allowing men attending the clinics to be tested and treated on site in one visit," according to Lee. She said that the test already is approved in France and soon will be available in Italy, Spain, Portugal and other European countries (Reuters, 7/28).
This is the time of year when even teens who have never tried a drop of alcohol may be tempted. Middle and high school proms and graduation are big events and there will be multiple parties to attend and a wide array of opportunities for alcohol to be served.
South Africa"s Science and Technology Minister Naledi Pandor on Tuesday announced a government-sponsored research initiative that "aims to combat HIV and AIDS through scientific and technological research, the development of new drugs, diagnostic tests and vaccines," SAPA/IOL reports (7/28). "[K]ey focus areas" of the South Africa HIV/AIDS Research and Innovation Platform (SHARP) will be prevention and therapeutics, according to BuaNews (7/28).
Video Game Teaches Kenyan Teens HIV Prevention
The following statistics were released by the Department of Health - Inpatient Waiting Times; Outpatient Waiting Times.
The Physicians Coalition for Injectable Safety issued a consumer warning about carboxytherapy and mesotherapy injections. These products, touting everything from cellulite treatment to weight loss are not FDA approved, and do not have clinical data that demonstrates results or safety.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is urging companies to ensure that sufficient safety procedures and risk assessments are in place to properly protect staff.
Patients with developmental disabilities such as Down syndrome or cerebral palsy will benefit from a new online learning activity launched today by The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) to assist GPs to navigate the complex area of developmental disability.
In this week"s New England Journal of Medicine, scientists in Singapore, The Netherlands and France report that they have developed a novel immunization method that will induce fast and effective protection in humans against the life-threatening malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, which infects 350 to 500 million people world-wide and kills over one million people each year.
Without knowing how much of an industrial chemical is being produced, it is almost impossible for scientists to determine if it poses any threat to the environment or human health.
A study led by scientists in Austria suggests that kids as young as 9 years old can and should learn how to use CPR (cardiopulmonary
From time to time, Headway is made aware of worthy causes it believes it should provide its support to.
Merck is committed to putting patients first and providing accurate information regarding the efficacy, safety and tolerability of our medicines. Merck offers the following statement concerning the osteoporosis medication FOSAMAX® (alendronate sodium) and reports of jaw problems associated with delayed healing and infection of the jaw often following tooth extraction. The condition is known as osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ).
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Genmab A/S (OMX: GEN) announced preliminary top-line results from a Phase III study of ofatumumab administered intravenously for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in patients who had an inadequate response to methotrexate. The study met the primary endpoint, ACR20 at 24 weeks, which indicates a 20 percent or greater improvement in the number of swollen and tender joints, as well as improvements in other disease-activity measures.
The advantages of volunteering reported by adults aged 55 and older are largely dependent upon the characteristics of the activities in which they participate, according to a recent article appearing in The Gerontologist (Vol. 49, No. 1). The lead author is Nancy Morrow-Howell, PhD, of Washington University in St. Louis.
The biotechnology medicine Ilaris® (canakinumab) has passed another major milestone with a recommendation for approval in the European Union to treat patients with a life-long and potentially fatal auto-inflammatory disease called cryopyrin-associated periodic syndrome (CAPS). When approved, Ilaris will be the only treatment in the EU indicated for CAPS patients aged four years and older[1].
The Food Standards Agency (FSA), UK, issued a report last week claiming that there is no evidence of any significant benefits to human health from consuming organic foods. It is surprising that such a claim could be made from a public health agency after what could best be described as rather limited research - according to much of the British press.
San Antonio ò€¦ Robert Renthal, professor of biochemistry in the College of Sciences" Department of Biology at The University of Texas at San Antonio and JosÓ© Lopez-Ribot, professor of microbiology in UTSA"s Department of Biology and a member of the university"s South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, have received a combined $940,000 in stimulus funding from the National Institutes of Health to further their research over the next two years.
International patients spending $3 billion a year on care in the United States are helping fund a gap for hospitals waiting with bated breath to see how health care reform will affect them, Marketplace reports.
"Creating an electronic health record for every American by 2014 is a big part of Obama"s agenda but it may be easier said than done," CNN Money reports. "For one, the cost can be prohibitive - easily running into the tens of millions of dollars. Getting physicians on board can be challenging. And the sheer magnitude of implementing the technology can be overwhelmingly cumbersome - translation: try creating a system for a hospital that serves 600,000 patients." The ambitious idea is to eventually create a network between hospitals and doctors offices all across the nation (Goldman, 7/31).
"The U.N. unveiled a multimillion dollar strategy a dozen years ago to save children worldwide, but a new [Lancet] study has found the program had surprisingly little effect in Bangladesh, one of the world"s poorest countries," the Associated Press reports. Since 1997, when the WHO and UNICEF launched the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) Program to help reduce the numbers of deaths in children under age 5 from diarrhea, pneumonia, measles and malnutrition, more than 100 countries have adopted the program, drawing upon "millions" in aid, according to the news service.
"A U.S. plan to rely on swine flu vaccines without ingredients to stretch the supply [known as adjuvants] would reduce the number of available shots just when other countries need them most, the British journal Lancet said in an editorial," Bloomberg writes. On July 7, the WHO recommended the use of adjuvants - "mixes of oil and water that trigger a stronger response in the body to antigen, the substance that induces immunity" - to increase the global vaccine supply. Though adjuvants are not approved for flu vaccines in the U.S., HHS" decision to declare the H1N1 flu a public health emergency in April gave the FDA the go-ahead to use "unapproved medical products including adjuvants," according to Bloomberg.
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.
Taking the most commonly-prescribed anti-diabetic drug, metformin, reduces an individual"s risk of developing pancreatic cancer by 62 percent, according to research from The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, published in the Aug. 1 issue of Gastroenterology.
A study, "Prenatal Origins of Poor Sleep in Children," in the Aug.1 issue of the journal SLEEP found that alcohol consumption during pregnancy and small body size at birth predict poorer sleep and higher risk of sleep disturbances in 8-year-old children born at term. Findings are clinically significant, as poor sleep and sleep disturbances in children are associated with obesity, depressive symptoms, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and poor neurobehavioral functioning.
UroToday.com - Most recently, health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL) after definitive local therapy for prostate cancer has been argued in the patient group with an oncological risk category. [1] Prior to such controversy, we thought that posttreatment HRQOL issues or functional outcomes possibly vary among oncological risk categories, and compared both oncological and functional outcomes between patients receiving radical prostatectomy (RP) and those undergoing external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) with risk stratification. [2] Indeed, we found that the low- and intermediate-risk patients in the RP group reported poorer urinary function than those in the EBRT group.
By searching millions of DNA variations in the genomes of thousands of women with and without ovarian cancer, scientists have discovered a
A marked and broad expansion in antidepressant treatment occurred among Americans older than 6 years between 1996 and 2005, although treatment rates remain low among racial and ethnic minorities, according to a report in the August issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
By combining the art of origami with nanotechnology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute researchers have folded sheets of DNA into multilayered objects with dimensions thousands of times smaller than the thickness of a human hair. These tiny structures could be forerunners of custom-made biomedical nanodevices such as "smart" delivery vehicles that would sneak drugs into patients" cells, where they would dump their cargo on a specific molecular target.
The Society of Gynecologic Oncologists (SGO) has published the first in a series of four papers on a variety of cervical cancer issues and topics that were the focus of its Forum "The Future Strategies for Cervical Cancer Prevention: What Do We Need to Do Now to Prepare," held last September in Chicago, Illinois. The paper, entitled "The Impact of Human Papillomavirus Vaccination on Cervical Cancer Prevention Efforts," is featured in the August, 2009 issue of Gynecologic Oncology. It includes data relevant to HPV natural history as well as excerpts from Forum discussions regarding the limits of current screening, the impact that eliminating HPV 16/18 through vaccination may have on rates of cervical precancer and cervical cancer screening, strategies to measure vaccine uptake and obstacles surrounding separate screening for vaccinated women.
House Democrats celebrated late last week the passage of a health reform bill out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, but they still face a lot of work when they return in September, Roll Call reports.
To combat the many fetal deaths that occur annually because the placenta is too small, researchers at Yale School of Medicine have developed a method to measure the volume of the placenta, which provides nourishment to the fetus.
A new oral vaccine against sylvatic plague is showing significant promise in the laboratory as a way to protect prairie dogs and may eventually protect endangered black-footed ferrets who now get the disease by eating infected prairie dogs, according to results by a USGS researcher at the USGS National Wildlife Health Center. Sylvatic plague is an infectious bacterial disease usually transmitted from animal to animal by fleas. This exotic disease is usually deadly for black-footed ferrets and their primary prey, prairie dogs, resulting in local extinctions or regional population reductions. Along with other wild rodents, prairie dogs are also considered a significant reservoir of plague for other wildlife, domestic animals, and people in the western U.S. Prevention of plague in wild rodents by immunization could reduce outbreaks of the disease in animals, thereby reducing the risk for human exposure to the disease.
Positive data from a
Daytime temperature fluctuations greatly alter the incubation period of malaria parasites in mosquitoes and alter transmission rates of the disease. Consideration of these fluctuations reveals a more accurate picture of climate change"s impact on malaria.
A new study published in the August issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine shows that positron emission tomography (PET) is an important tool for depicting the extent of neuroblastoma in some patients, particularly for those in the early stages of the disease. Neuroblastoma accounts for six to ten percent of all childhood cancers in the United States and 15 percent of cancer deaths in children. Accurately identifying where in the body the disease is located and whether it is spreading is critical for choosing appropriate types of treatment, which can include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation and-in the most advanced cases-a combination of all of these treatments along with bone marrow transplant or investigational therapies.
About half of the car trips in the U.S. are less than five miles - a distance easily navigated by walking or cycling. Reducing short-distance car trips has many benefits - it decreases car accidents, has positive benefits for the environment and increases physical health and activity, says communication professor Edward Maibach of George Mason University. An expert in climate change communication research, Maibach says that community leaders should make promotion of physical activity a priority.
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.
The WHO/UNICEF Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) strategy is paying dividends for most health indicators in Bangladesh. But over the seven years since the plan was enacted, there has been no significant effect on mortality of children under 5 years -although the strategy does seem to have reduced mortality at a greater rate than non-strategy areas in the last two years. These are the conclusions of an Article published in this week"s edition of The Lancet, written by Dr Shams E Arifeen, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh, and colleagues.
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.
New recommendations to limit the work hours of medical residents could cost the nation"s teaching hospitals about $1.6 billion annually to hire substitute workers, according to a new report from the RAND Corporation and UCLA.
Anorexic patients drastically reduce food intake and are often not capable of changing their behavior. This can lead to life-threatening weight loss. Using MRI technology, scientists at Heidelberg University Hospital have discovered for the first time processes in brain metabolism that explain this disturbed eating behavior.
Scientists at Leeds and Bradford have discovered a unique "DNA signature" in human sperm, which may act as a key that unlocks an egg"s fertility and triggers new life.
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.
Biomolecular computers, made of DNA and other biological molecules, only exist today in a few specialized labs, remote from the regular computer user. Nonetheless, Tom Ran and Shai Kaplan, research students in the lab of Prof. Ehud Shapiro of the Weizmann Institute"s Biological Chemistry, and Computer Science and Applied Mathematics Departments have found a way to make these microscopic computing devices "user friendly," even while performing complex computations and answering complicated queries.
Drug companies may exploit new rules to promote their products to the public but present it as mere provision of information, according to an editorial published this week in the Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin (DTB).
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.
Boehringer Ingelheim announced today at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer"s 13th World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC), San Francisco, CA, the initiation of a Phase III clinical study of BIBW 2992 as first-line treatment in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations. BIBW 2992 (planned brand name Tovok™) is the first orally-administered, irreversible dual inhibitor of EGFR and HER2,1 to reach Phase III development in NSCLC.2
Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued the following statement tonight on the vote by the House Energy and Commerce Committee to pass the America"s Affordable Health Choices Act, the third House committee to pass the bill this month. The House Ways and Means Committee and Education and Labor Committee approved the bill earlier this month:
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.
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.
A new study, published in the journal Menopause, found postmenopausal women with vasomotor symptoms-which include hot flashes and night sweats-had lower bone mineral density in the spine and hip.
A determined effort by Audiology teams across the country has led to 99% of people receiving hearing aids or other appropriate treatment within the government"s 18-week target. Figures for February 2009, just released by the Department of Health, show that the situation has been improving every month since April 2008. The improvements have come about as a result of re-instating frozen posts combined with a determined effort by Audiology teams to work in more flexible and creative ways.
Walter and Eliza Hall Institute scientists have found that a population of breast cells called luminal progenitor cells are likely to be responsible for breast cancers that develop in women carrying mutations in the gene BRCA1.
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.
BioTrends Research Group, Inc. released TreatmentTrends(R): US Nephrology, a syndicated report analyzing treatment practices, attitudes and perceptions based on online survey results from over 200 US Nephrologists. The survey was fielded in late May and focuses on trends in treatment patterns for renal anemia, secondary hyperparathyroidism and hyperphosphatemia.
PEAK Surgical, Inc. announced the launch of the PEAK((R)) PlasmaBlade TnA (Tonsil and Adenoid) tissue dissection device following 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This new product is indicated for cutting and coagulation of soft tissue during otolaryngology (ear, nose and throat [ENT]) surgery, including removal of the tonsils and adenoids.
Angiotech Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ANPI, TSX: ANP) announced the launch of a series of new, proprietary Quill(TM) SRS product codes specifically designed for laparoscopic, or minimally invasive, gynecology procedures, including hysterectomies and myomectomies. In 2008, there were approximately 750,000 hysterectomies performed in the United States of which approximately 130,000 were performed laparoscopically. In addition, there were approximately 72,000 myomectomies performed in the United States to remove uterine fibroid tumors. Management estimates 6-8% annual growth in laparoscopically assisted hysterectomies through 2014.
University of Michigan researchers have developed an animal model that provides strong evidence why imatinib, marketed as Gleevec, helps patients with chronic myeloid leukemia survive longer, but does not keep the disease from returning if treatment ends.
The family planning industry in Massachusetts is flourishing during the economic recession, according to state medical experts, the Boston Herald reports. Planned Parenthood has reported a 77% increase in the state for procedures to insert intrauterine devices, and physicians are seeing higher numbers of vasectomy procedures. In addition, condom sales are increasing.A recent Gallup survey conducted for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists found that 17% of married women said the economy has affected their plans to have children, and 33% of women who are in a relationship but not married said they are now more concerned with unintended pregnancies compared with the previous year.Jesse Mermell, vice president of external affairs for the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts, said that NuvaRing and long-term IUD use has increased by 77% in the past year. Mermell said, "The universal reaction to that spike has been "wow.""According to Nelson Bennett, director of male sexual medicine at the Lahey Clinic, there was a 30% increase in vasectomies in the first quarter of 2009 compared with the same period in 2008. Emanuel Friedman of MetroWest Urology -- who has performed about 1,500 vasectomies -- said, "People who wanted four children might now stop at two," adding, "Last year I was doing four to six surgeries weekly, now I"m doing six to 10."Davin Wedel, president of Glob Protection, a Boston-based condom manufacturer, said that condom sales "are up, even in retail, which is rare." His company has seen a 35% increase in online traffic from its flagship brand"s Web site. He added that the increase is not only because of couples being more careful. "People are out of work, and sex is a cheap form of entertainment," he said.According to the Herald, area hospitals have not yet seen a steep drop in the number of newborns, but representatives say it is still too early to forecast how the economy will affect birthrates. August marks the ninth month since the start of the recession (Jordan, Boston Herald, 8/2).
Today, the Maricopa County Department of Public Health in cooperation with Phoenix Elementary School District has closed Lowell Elementary School until May 26, 2009 due to a high rate of influenza like illness.
Over the weekend, a series of protests at Democratic events meant to promote health reform "organized by loose-knit coalition of conservative voters and advocacy groups, were a raucous start to what is expected to be weeks of political and ideological clashes over the health care overhaul," the New York Times reports. "Republicans said that the protests were just the beginning of spontaneous opposition to the health care proposals and that they would only gain momentum as Americans learn more about the legislation." But Democrats said they were only an effort to block discourse, and were anything but a grass-roots campaign. "This is a very coordinated effort," said one Democratic Congressman who was confronted by protestors at a grocery store (Herszenhorn and Stolberg, 8/3).
"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."
Congressional Quarterly examines a "three-page concept paper" issued by the House Foreign Affairs Committee that lays out a plan to overhaul U.S. foreign aid. The committee suggests "giving the administration greater flexibility to control aid in exchange for greater public oversight and a performance- and need-driven allocation system," the news service writes. "The plan would reorganize aid programs around seven purposes, including "reducing poverty and alleviating human suffering," "supporting human rights and democracy," and "expanding prosperity through trade and investment,"" according to CQ. The House committee wants to enhance USAID"s role, "giving the agency a seat on the National Security Council and putting it in charge of the U.S. global AIDS plan and the Millennium Challenge Corporation," the news service writes.
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.
The 8th International Conference of Food Science and Technology will bring together more than 100 scientists from China and the United States to present a wealth of information on food quality and safety. Conference sessions will take place in Freeborn Hall on Wednesday and Wellman Hall on Thursday. Both venues are on the UC Davis campus.
The so-called "Khmer Rouge trials" now underway are likely to have an impact on the mental health of many Cambodians, according to a new study published in the August 5 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on violence and human rights.
Antisoma plc (LSE: ASM; USOTC: ATSMY) announces that the journal Lung Cancer has published the results of a single-arm phase II trial of ASA404 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The trial included patients with both major histological forms of NSCLC: squamous and non-squamous. Positive data from this trial supported the progress of ASA404 into phase III trials in patients with NSCLC of all histologies.
Avian influenza (AI) viruses are believed to be transmitted within aquatic bird populations through contaminated water. This study determined that filter-feeding clams can remove AI virus from water and reduce infectivity.
Professor Declan Murphy and colleagues Dr Michael Craig and Dr Marco Catani from the Institute of Psychiatry at King"s College London have found differences in the brain which may provide a biological explanation for psychopathy. The results of their study are outlined in the paper "Altered connections on the road to psychopathy", published in Molecular Psychiatry.
Cooling unconscious cardiac arrest survivors can increase survival and has a cost effectiveness comparable to other widely accepted treatments in modern health care, researchers report in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.
The Mount Sinai Medical Center has a new re center for prostate cancer treatment. Led by David B. Samadi, M.D., Chief of the Division of Robotics and Minimally Invasive Surgery in the Department of Urology, the new state-of-the-art facility at 625 Madison Avenue in New York City specializes in pre- and post-surgery care for patients who undergo a robotic prostatectomy at Mount Sinai"s main campus. It also provides expertise in the treatment of other urologic cancers, including bladder and kidney. A multilingual staff offers assistance with patient travel arrangements, accommodations, and translation services when required.
In a finding that challenges the increasingly popular belief that smoking marijuana is less harmful to health than smoking tobacco, researchers in Canada are reporting that smoking marijuana, like smoking tobacco, has toxic effects on cells. Their study is scheduled for the Aug. 17 issue of ACS" Chemical Research in Toxicology, a monthly journal.
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.
NeurogesX, Inc. (Nasdaq: NGSX), a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing novel pain management therapies, announced that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has extended the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) date from August 16, 2009 to November 16, 2009 to review the new drug application (NDA) for Qutenza(TM) to manage pain associated with postherpetic neuralgia (PHN).
Infectious diseases are important causes of morbidity and mortality in patients with cancer. In certain cases, the malignancy itself can predispose patients to severe or recurrent infections. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) recognizes the importance of providing the latest information on treating these infections and has developed the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology(TM) for the Prevention and Treatment of Cancer-Related Infections. The NCCN Guidelines were recently updated to include information about the effect that the H1N1 virus, or "swine flu," may have on the diagnosis and treatment of cancer treatment-related infections.
President Obama and his Administration launched "a coordinated effort Tuesday to combat what it calls a "viral whisper campaign" against health reform, Politico reports. The effort "continued through the day with press secretary Robert Gibbs and Democratic National Committee spokesman Brad Woodhouse both saying a series of confrontational town hall meetings were manufactured by Republicans, conservative groups and lobbyists who are paid to drum up opposition."
Americans appear split over the president"s push for health care reform, a new CNN poll has found. "Fifty percent of those questioned in CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Wednesday morning say they support the president"s plans, with 45 percent opposed. The results indicate a generational divide. ""Obama"s plan is most popular among younger Americans and least popular among senior citizens," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "A majority of Americans over the age of 50 oppose Obama"s plan; a majority of those under 50 support it.""
The Associated Press reports: "Health care legislation before Congress would allow a new government-sponsored insurance plan to cover abortions, a decision that would affect millions of women and recast federal policy on the divisive issue. Federal funds for abortions are now restricted to cases involving rape, incest or danger to the health of the mother. Abortion opponents say those restrictions should carry over to any health insurance sold through a new marketplace envisioned under the legislation, an exchange where people would choose private coverage or the public plan. Abortion rights supporters say that would have the effect of denying coverage for abortion to millions of women who now have it through workplace insurance and are expected to join the exchange. Advocates on both sides are preparing for a renewed battle over abortion, which could jeopardize political support for President Barack Obama"s health care initiative aimed at covering nearly 50 million uninsured and restraining medical costs" (Alonso-Zaldivar, 8/5).
During a presentation about the Health Agenda for the Americas at the "Seventh
The addition of the anaesthetic lidocaine to radiocolloid injection for sentinel- lymph-node (SLN) mapping in patients with early breast cancer reduces injection pain and improves patient comfort without compromising SLN identification, and should be introduced as standard practice, concludes an Article published Online First and in the September edition of The Lancet Oncology.
"You"ll feel better after a good night"s sleep." We"ve all heard those words, but have we ever stopped to wonder about the mental health of people who just aren"t able to sleep well? Rachel Manber has, and the Stanford University School of Medicine researcher is trying to identify the best way to treat patients suffering from both depression and insomnia.
BSD Medical Corporation (NASDAQ:BSDM) announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Humanitarian Use Device (HUD) designation for the company"s BSD-2000 Hyperthermia System for use in conjunction with radiation therapy for the treatment of cervical carcinoma patients who are ineligible for chemotherapy. This is the first of the two steps required to obtain Humanitarian Device Exemption (HDE) marketing approval, which requires BSD Medical to demonstrate the device"s safety and probable benefit in treating a disease or condition that affects fewer than 4,000 individuals in the United States per year. Now that FDA has granted the Humanitarian Use Designation for the BSD-2000, which confirms that the intended use population is fewer than 4,000 patients per year, BSD can file an HDE submission with the FDA. FDA has 75 days from the date of receipt of the HDE submission to grant or deny an HDE application. This period includes a 30-day filing period during which FDA determines whether the HDE application is sufficiently complete to permit substantive review. During this review, FDA may refine the indications for use which received HUD designation to finalize the indications for use for which HDE approval will be granted. This decision will be based on the data that are available to support the device"s HDE application. The company believes that the data previously submitted to FDA and reviewed by the agency in the company"s pending PMA application can be used to support the HDE approval, and that this previous review may expedite marketing approval for the BSD-2000.
Leaders in biotechnology research and patient advocacy joined forces today at the 2009 BIO International Convention to discuss the latest breakthroughs in HIV/AIDS treatments. Following a keynote speech by Sir Elton John focused on the needs of the HIV/AIDS community, representatives of biotech companies previewed the next generation of treatments while patient advocates reiterated the need for new therapies, particularly for those who have developed resistance to existing medications. Researchers are developing new therapies that are more effective in treating HIV/AIDS, including an AIDS vaccine and new methods of delivery that hold the potential to increase patient compliance.