Mental Health
Bacteria can anticipate a future event and prepare for it, according to new research at the Weizmann Institute of Science. In a paper that appeared today in Nature, Prof. Yitzhak Pilpel, doctoral student Amir Mitchell and research associate Dr. Orna Dahan of the Institute"s Molecular Genetics Department, together with Prof. Martin Kupiec and Gal Romano of Tel Aviv University, examined microorganisms living in environments that change in predictable ways. Their findings show that these microorganisms" genetic networks are hard-wired to "foresee" what comes next in the sequence of events and begin responding to the new state of affairs before its onset.
Long-term survivors of childhood central nervous system (CNS) malignancies remain at risk for death and are at increasing risk for developing subsequent cancers and chronic medical conditions over time, according to a new study published online June 17 in the JNCI.
The saying "Knowing is half the battle" is never more true than when discussing early treatment of disease. Muscular dystrophy is one such disease where patients can benefit from early treatment. Now, new research is moving doctors and scientists closer to disease diagnosis in advance of patient symptoms.
Sanofi-aventis, a French global healthcare company that makes vaccines announced on Wednesday that it will be giving the World Health
Clinuvel Pharmaceuticals Limited (ASX: CUV; XETRA-DAX: UR9; ADR: CLVLY) is pleased to announce that afamelanotide, its photoprotective drug, has been granted Orphan Medicinal Product (OMP) designation by the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) for the treatment of Solar Urticaria (SU). The EMEA granted afamelanotide its first OMP designation in March 2008 for the treatment of Erythropoietic Protoporphyria (EPP), Clinuvel"s lead indication currently in Phase III clinical trials.
AARP announced its endorsement of the
In designing and conducting clinical trials, it is critical to meet FDA objectives while preventing program "drift," according to Matthew Lehman, chief operating officer of SPRI Clinical Trials-Global, LLC in his remarks at a recent seminar for biotechnology companies.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Ilaris(R) (canakinumab) for the treatment of children and adults with cryopyrin-associated periodic syndrome (CAPS), which includes a number of rare, but life-long, auto-inflammatory disorders with debilitating symptoms and limited treatment options. The FDA granted priority review to Ilaris based on its potential to meet an important clinical need for patients with CAPS.
According to a report issued, drug safety leaders in pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies recognise the need to increase res, either internally or through partnerships, to comply with the safety regulations recently issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Medicines Agency (EMEA). The report - Safety First: The Impact of New Regulations on Clinical Development - is based on a survey of 140 industry safety specialists, including heads of medical, drug safety, pharmacovigilance, and regulatory departments within large and mid-sized pharmaceutical companies and biotech firms. The survey found that more than three-quarters (77%) of respondents believe that new safety regulations have had a considerable impact on the industry as companies implement drug safety regulations throughout the clinical development process.
The following statement can be attributed to Steven G. Hentges, Ph.D. of the American Chemistry Council"s (ACC) Polycarbonate/BPA Global Group. Dr. Hentges" comments are in regard to a study from researchers at North Carolina State University (NCSU) and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). The study, "Neonatal bisphenol A exposure alters rat reproductive development and ovarian morphology without impairing activation of gonadotropin releasing hormone neurons," was funded by NIEHS and published online June 17 by the journal Biology of Reproduction. The study was co-authored by Heather B. Patisaul and Heather B. Adewale of NCSU and Wendy N. Jefferson and Retha R. Newbold of NIEHS.
An article published Online First and in the July edition of The Lancet Oncology reports that the combination of human papillomavirus (HPV) testing with regular liquid-based cytology (LBC) screening does not improve the detection of cervical cancer compared with LBC screening alone.
Provectus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (OTC BB: PVCT), a development-stage oncology and dermatology biopharmaceutical company has completed patient accrual and initial PV-10 treatment in its Phase 2 trial of PV-10 for metastatic melanoma. The study involved treatment of 80 subjects with Stage III or Stage IV metastatic melanoma.
Scientists at Johns Hopkins have discovered a potential strategy for cancer therapy by focusing on what"s missing in tumors.
American Public Media"s "Marketplace" on Tuesday examined how some women and their partners are deciding to have more children, a choice that runs contrary to birth rate trends during past economic recessions. Stephanie Ventura, a demographer at the National Center for Health Statistics, said that in previous severe economic recessions, birth rates have decreased or stabilized. It is too soon to tell whether the current recession will affect birth rates because the most recent birth data are from July 2008. Ventura also noted that the data will encompass a broad range of personal choices, including people who delayed pregnancy and those who went forward with plans to have children despite the recession.According to "Marketplace," some women who have lost jobs but have other s of income believe that having time away from work is a good opportunity to plan a pregnancy. Ellen Galinsky, president of the Families and Work Institute, called this rationale "very clever" but added that being out of work only "gives you a break as long as you"ve got health insurance coverage, or unemployment, or some other of income that you can depend on." Galinsky said, "This country is increasingly becoming family centric. There is much more of an emphasis on children and families and being with them and taking good care of them than there has been before" (Keith, "Marketplace," American Public Media, 6/16).
Well-heeled donors, private corporations and average citizens sending money to their favorite charities are changing the landscape of global health funding, according to a new study by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington.
The ability to learn and to establish new memories is essential to our daily existence and identity; enabling us to navigate through the world. A new study by researchers at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital (The Neuro), McGill University and University of California, Los Angeles has captured an image for the first time of a mechanism, specifically protein translation, which underlies long-term memory formation. The finding provides the first visual evidence that when a new memory is formed new proteins are made locally at the synapse - the connection between nerve cells - increasing the strength of the synaptic connection and reinforcing the memory. The study published in Science, is important for understanding how memory traces are created and the ability to monitor it in real time will allow a detailed understanding of how memories are formed.
Under legislation reported by the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, small companies that receive the majority of their financing from venture capital will once again be considered eligible to compete for Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants. The change will allow more small biotechnology start-ups to compete for these funds and continue critical research and development of medical advancements and breakthroughs. Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) President and CEO Jim Greenwood made the following statement today:
A study by Oregon State University researchers suggests that school-based prevention programs begun in elementary school can significantly reduce problem behaviors in students.
Detailed, accurate evolutionary trees that reveal the relatedness of living things can now be determined much faster and for thousands of species with a computing method developed by computer scientists and a biologist at The University of Texas at Austin.
Researchers funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) have shown that past experience really does help when we have to make complex decisions based on uncertain or confusing information. They show that learning from experience actually changes the circuitry in our brains so that we can quickly categorise what we are seeing and make a decision or carry out appropriate actions. The research is published in Neuron.
Teamsters General President Hoffa called on the American Red Cross to support its frontline blood drive workers whose efforts help safeguard America"s blood supply. The Red Cross is currently pursuing a campaign against its frontline workers that would worsen working conditions, push down living standards, undermine workers" rights to representation, threaten safety standards and create a disposable work force.
Congress can help diminish barriers to quality care for people with serious illness, according to Howard Tuch, MD, MS, a spokesperson for the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM). AAHPM was one of three groups that presented information at a Capitol Hill briefing coordinated by the offices of US Reps. Earl Blumenauer and Charles Boustany, MD, sponsors of legislation (HR 1898) that would provide Medicare coverage for "end of life" care consultations.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), USA, in its latest update, dated Friday evening, 19th June, 2009, reports a total of 21,449 confirmed human cases of swine flu A(H1N1) infection, including 87 deaths. Authorities say the novel A(H1N1) influenza virus has not mutated and is not more virulent (aggressive) than most normal seasonal human flu viruses. However, health services are bracing themselves for a busy flu season this winter as the swine flu virus will have been circulating for several months, but will still be a relatively novel one.
A study of the award-winning Behavioral Pharmacy Management Program (BPM) shows the private-public Medicaid partnership program has helped improve patient care while saving eight states almost $95 million in behavioral health pharmaceutical costs. Lilly funds the program, which is designed and run by research firm Comprehensive NeuroScience, Inc. (CNS) at the sole direction and guidance of state Medicaid departments. The BPM, which has been executed in more than half of the states, has won a variety of national awards, including the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Science and Service Award, URAC Silver Award for Best Practices in Consumer Empowerment and Protection, American Psychiatric Association Bronze Achievement Award and Disease Management Association of America Gold Award.
On June 12, the Heart and Diabetes Center NRW in Bad Oeynhausen, Germany, performed the 800th implant of the SynCardia temporary CardioWest™ Total Artificial Heart. The 60-year-old patient, who was suffering from biventricular failure, was listed in stable condition post-implant.
New plans to improve the support and care for individuals and their families living with dementia were announced by Health Minister Edwina Hart.
The Dairy Council said on Friday that regulators need to raise their game and take a "common sense" approach to health and nutrition messages to the public. The plea comes in a week that has seen the European Food Safety Authority promise greater clarity in its procedures for assessing the science used to evaluate health claims and for better communications with applicants.
Indigenous people in the Northern Territory who participate in "caring for country" activities enjoy significantly better health, a study published in the May 18 Indigenous Health issue of the Medical Journal of Australia has found.
A review published in the July edition of The Lancet Infectious Diseases discusses septic syndromes and bite-related infections caused by cats and dogs. It is written by Dr Richard Oehler, of the University of South Florida College of Medicine, Tampa, FL, USA, and his team. The review informs on how MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) infections are increasing. They are transmitted between dogs or cats and their human handlers, and vice-versa, and cause infections of the skin and soft-tissue. Surgical infections are the most common.
School Nutrition Association president Dr. Katie Wilson, SNS announced new data today on the widespread availability of vegetarian school lunch options. Almost two thirds of school nutrition programs now offer a vegetarian school lunch on a consistent basis, up from 22% in 2003, according to the Association"s soon to be released 2009 School Nutrition Operations Report. The availability of vegetarian school lunches in a majority of districts is consistent with the overall trend in the past five years towards more nutritious school lunches emphasizing whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and low-fat dairy. The vegetarian choices also come in spite of federal school lunch reimbursements that have not kept pace with increased food and labor costs. Dr. Wilson presented the research findings at the National Conference on Childhood Obesity in Washington, DC today.
The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health, announced today that the Government of Canada is proposing new regulations to prevent the use of six chemicals (phthalates) in soft vinyl toys and child-care articles. Regulations are also being proposed to further reduce lead limits in consumer products.
The number of Filipino "women who die yearly due to childbirth and pregnancy complications has doubled in the last four years," and a reproductive health bill opposed by some lawmakers and stalled in Congress could address this rise in maternal mortality, health groups say, ABS-CBN News reports. The bill includes a "range of programs to promote reproductive health through education and access" to family planning methods, according to ABS-CBN News.
Senate Democratic leaders on Thursday circulated talking points stating that Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor has a "mainstream record of judicial modesty," the AP/Miami Herald reports. The document includes a quote from Sotomayor expressing her belief in basing judicial decisions on the Constitution rather than on politics.Meanwhile, Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and ranking member Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) also wrote to the president of LatinoJustice PRLDEF, formerly known as the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Educational Fund, requesting the quick disclosure of documents Sotomayor has requested in relation to her work with the group (Hirschfeld Davis, AP/Miami Herald, 6/19). Sotomayor worked with the group from 1980 to 1992, assisting in a number of legal briefs and helping the group develop stances on public policy matters (Stanton, Roll Call, 6/18). According to the AP/Herald, interest groups and members of both political parties are "competing to define" Sotomayor ahead of her confirmation hearing, which is scheduled to begin July 13. Conservative groups have focused on labeling her an "activist" and singled out her involvement with PRLDEF as evidence of her support for abortion rights. The group sided with abortion-rights supporters in several major Supreme Court cases during Sotomayor"s time on its board (AP/Miami Herald, 6/19).
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced that $6 billion in new federal funds will be made available to states and U.S. territories for fiscal year 2009 to provide health care to millions of children across America through their Children"s Health Insurance Programs (CHIP).
When treating the diabetes patient, doctors discussed how a "one size fits all" approach to testing is not enough to reveal an individual"s risk for cardiovascular disease Saturday at the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) 18th Annual Meeting & Clinical Congress.
Alphatec Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATEC), the parent company of Alphatec Spine, Inc., a medical device company that designs, develops, manufactures and markets products for the surgical treatment of spine disorders, with a focus on treating conditions related to the aging spine, today announced that, as of June 1, 2009, over 115 patients in eight European countries have been treated with the OsseoFix™ Spinal Fracture Reduction System, the Company"s innovative product for the treatment of vertebral compression fractures. The first European training session was held at the University of Vienna in mid-December 2008. The first shipments of OsseoFix products into Europe occurred at the end of December 2008.
A London surgeon is pioneering a new way to remove abdominal organs through the belly button using an approach called single incision
The rapid development of modern neuroimaging has made a decisive improvement in the diagnosis of neurological illnesses. As Professor Filippi notes: "Neuroimaging makes new diagnostic tools available with the potential to quantify the extent of CNS injury, to define the nature of the different pathological substrates of the various CNS affections and to assess the functional changes following tissue damage with the ability to limit the clinical consequences of injury."
Amicus Therapeutics (Nasdaq: FOLD) announced it has commenced the U.S. registration Phase 3 trial with its investigational drug, Amigal(TM) (migalastat hydrochloride) for the treatment of Fabry disease. The Company has reached agreement with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on the key protocol design elements of the pivotal trial, including the use of the surrogate primary endpoint of the change in the amount of kidney interstitial capillary GL-3, the substrate that accumulates in the cells of Fabry patients. In addition, the FDA is in agreement that the Company is eligible to seek Accelerated Approval for Amigal according to Subpart H regulations. The Company has begun submitting the Phase 3 protocol to investigational sites worldwide and expects to begin the dosing of subjects in the second half of this year.
New research sheds light on how cocaine regulates gene expression in a crucial reward region of the brain to elicit long-lasting changes in behavior. The study, published by Cell Press in the May 14th issue of the journal Neuron, provides exciting insight into the molecular pathways regulated by cocaine and may lead to new strategies for battling drug addiction.
Arlington Medical Res (AMR), a provider of premier market intelligence for the pharmaceutical and diagnostic imaging industries, finds that for the July - December 2008 time period, skin and skin structure infections continue to be the second most common diagnoses for which an antibiotic is used in the hospital setting. Antibiotic use for these infections is up 3 percent compared to the January - June 2008 time period. Lower respiratory infections continue to rank first with 29 percent of therapy courses even though this represents a 4 percent decrease from the previous audit period.
Last week the FDA knocked the wind out of asthmatics by requesting the manufacturers of Singulair, a popular leukotriene blocking asthma and allergy drug, to upgrade their warning against psychotic side effects. Further respiratory distress was imposed on Zicam users when the FDA also last week announced warnings that the drug may cause a loss of smell.
New research shows that physicians failed to report clinically significant abnormal test results to patients -- or to document that they had informed them -- in one out of every 14 cases of abnormal results. In some medical groups, the failure rate is close to zero; in others it is as high as one in four abnormal results.
Being overweight is a health concern, but Body Mass Index doesn"t tell the whole story because it is part of a larger picture, says a new advisory
A major study of three to 19 year-olds has provided vital data on the weight problems
Merck Serono, a division of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, announced the initiation of its global Phase III clinical study of the therapeutic cancer vaccine Stimuvax® (BLP25 liposome vaccine, L-BLP25) in patients with advanced, inoperable breast cancer. The STRIDEa study will determine if Stimuvax can extend progression-free survival in patients treated with hormonal therapy who have hormone receptor-positive, locally advanced, recurrent or metastatic breast cancer. Overall survival, quality of life, tumor response and safety will also be assessed in this study. The STRIDE study will be supervised by an expert Steering Committee and is sponsored by Merck Serono, which is leading the development of Stimuvax.
A new study from the US suggests that the less socially active an older person is, the higher the chances that their motor ability such as strength
A pending House bill would aim to address the nursing shortage by allowing "20,000 additional nurses to enter the U.S. each year for the next three years as a temporary measure to fill the gap," Business Week reports. The bill was introduced by Representative Robert Wexler, D-Fla., in May. If it doesn"t "pass on its own, lawmakers may include it in a comprehensive immigration reform package." Hospital administrators in some areas that face nursing shortages support the bill as "temporary relief," but "Wexler"s bill is opposed by labor unions, whose leaders say it would undermine efforts to produce a steady domestic workforce while sapping other nations" nurses. [President Barack] Obama has also expressed skepticism about the idea that the U.S. needs to import nurses, in particular because the U.S. unemployment rate continues to rise." Instead, Obama has said, the focus should be on improving the res to fund education for new American-born nurses. "The $787 billion economic stimulus bill included $500 million to address shortages of health workers in the U.S., with about $100 million to promote nursing and increase capacity at U.S. nurse-training schools."
The Houston Department of Health and Human Services, along with several community health agencies, over the next three weeks is seeking to test 15,000 young adults for HIV as part of an effort to commemorate National HIV Testing Day on June 27, the Houston Chronicle reports. To encourage people to participate, those who take the test and receive their results and one hour of HIV education will get free tickets to a local hip-hop concert. A similar effort last year tested 2,700 young adults in two weeks, and roughly 7,500 were screened over seven weeks in 2007. Combined, the 2007 and 2008 efforts identified about 50 people with the virus, according to the Chronicle (George, Houston Chronicle, 6/21).
After the murder last month of Kansas abortion provider George Tiller, "there is a very real danger" that the availability of abortion later in pregnancy "will end in this country -- not after public deliberation, legislative debate and majority vote, but because antiabortion absolutists on the fringe have intimidated and blacklisted doctors and successfully threatened violence against them," Jim Buie, author of the blog The Buie Knife, writes in a Newsweek.com opinion piece. Buie writes that his parents in the early 1950s chose to institutionalize his three-year-old-brother, who was born with severe Down syndrome, after their attempts to care for him left them with "severe emotional distress" and unable "to meet the needs of their healthy children."Buie continues that he "cannot say that the option of a late-term abortion would have been the right one for my parents." However, "some of the arguments advanced by pro-life forces disturb me," he says, especially a "tendency to romanticize, sentimentalize and idealize life with a cute, forever-young Down-syndrome "angel child."" Buie adds, "It"s an argument I find off-putting, especially when it"s espoused by people who have never been through the wringer trying to care for a child whose disability level is on the most severe end of the scale." He continues, "At the same time, it is very disturbing that until recently, the majority of Down-syndrome fetuses were aborted without expectant mothers receiving proper information or support."Because of Tiller"s murder, it is "possible there won"t be any doctors in the country willing to perform" abortion later in pregnancy, "even if prenatal tests indicate severe retardation," according to Buie, who adds that this would mean that "domestic terrorism could win." He concludes, "It would mean that parents like my own would no longer have a choice, and would instead be forced to endure the same harsh realities that were present in the 1950s" (Buie, Newsweek.com, 6/17).
Joel Drevet and colleagues, at Clermont Universitē©, France, have identified a protein that helps protect immature mouse sperm after they have been released into a region of the testis known as the epididymis, which is where they undergo maturation. Although male mice lacking this protein, Gpx5, had normal looking sperm and were equally as efficient as normal male mice at fertilizing female mice, an increased incidence of miscarriages and fetal developmental defects were observed when normal female mice were mated with Gpx5-deficient males over 1 year old compared with normal male mice of the same age. Further analysis indicated that Gpx5 acts as an antioxidant in the epididymis, protecting the sperm from oxidative stress. As discussed by the authors, and, in an accompanying commentary, John Aitken, at the University of Newcastle, Australia, these data have immense clinical relevance as age-related DNA damage to human sperm has been associated with a range of adverse outcomes including decreased fertility, and increased rates of miscarriage and childhood disease.
The largest analysis of its kind has found that Caucasians are much more likely than people in other racial/ethnic groups to develop a rare bone and soft tissue cancer called Ewing"s sarcoma. In addition, among Caucasians with this cancer, men are more likely to die than women. Published in the August 1, 2009 issue of CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the study indicates that examining the gender and racial differences related to Ewing"s sarcoma could provide a better understanding of the disease and could lead to improved treatments for patients.
A University of Pennsylvania-collaboration of bioengineers studying the physical forces generated by individual cells has created a tiny micron-sized device that allows researchers to measure and manipulate cellular forces as assemblies of living cells reorganize themselves into tissues.
A global healthcare senior executive has called the latest infection threat to confront the NHS "a national epidemic". Whilst Government statements imply that hospital acquired infections are in decline Jim Taylor, a former Smith & Nephew President and now CEO of infection prevention specialist Saniguard International, says that Norovirus is now an increasing threat to our NHS wards. His company is launching PatientGuard this month - an anti-infection kit created specifically for the UK public, designed to help halt the spread of viruses (including Norovirus & H1N1) & bacteria (including MRSA).
A new study shows that older people who are thinner or are losing weight quickly are at a higher risk of developing dementia, especially if they started out overweight or obese. The research is published in the May 19, 2009, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Provectus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (OTC BB: PVCT), a development-stage oncology and dermatology biopharmaceutical company, has begun a compassionate use program for PV-10 and has made the agent, which is in development as a therapeutic agent for a broad spectrum of cancers, available for select cancer patients.
Micronics, Inc. announced that it has been issued a letters patent from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for a system and method for performing rapid thermocycling on a microfluidic device. The new patent has broad utility across the life sciences sector with particular application in point of care molecular diagnostics.
Researchers at the University of Illinois report that a toxic molecule known to damage cells and cause disease may also play a pivotal role in bird migration. The molecule, superoxide, is proposed as a key player in the mysterious process that allows birds to "see" Earth"s magnetic field.
Research led by scientists in India suggests there is a direct link between smoking and brain damage whereby a compound in tobacco that turns
The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law welcomes President Obama"s announcement today of his commitment to the promise of the landmark Supreme Court case, Olmstead v. L.C., on its 10th anniversary. In a statement released by the White House today the President launched a "Year of Community Living" and tasked the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to identify initiatives that will develop and improve services and supports to assist people with disabilities who wish to live in the most integrated settings possible.
On the eve of an international meeting bringing together 200 African researchers to discuss progress on research for neglected tropical diseases (NTD), Merck & Co., Inc. and the not-for-profit Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) announced a master agreement to support discovery and development of improved treatments for NTDs.
A group of German investigators demonstrated that the early increase in phosphorylated CREB (pCREB) is related to treatment response and does not depend on pharmacological interventions or brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plasma levels. For the first time, cellular biological markers could be associated with response to psychotherapy.
HealthLeaders-InterStudy, a leading provider of managed care market intelligence, reports that while health systems and physician groups in the Phoenix market seem to be ahead of the curve in adopting electronic medical records (EMR), there is a high rate of "deinstallation" wherein physician groups cancel their EMR contracts as a result of training, functionality or affordability issues. According to the recent Phoenix Market Overview, this trend is especially prevalent among smaller physician groups and points to the need for a simplified, affordable solution.
Women who suffer from migraine headaches in middle age particularly those accompanied by neurological aura are more likely to have damage to brain tissue in the cerebellum later in life, according to a study by researchers at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, the National Institute on Aging (NIA) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Icelandic Heart Association in Reykjavik. The study appears in the June 24, 2009, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. The researchers found that migraine sufferers with aura are more susceptible than others to localized brain tissue damage identified on magnetic resonance images (MRI). In particular, women who reported having migraines with aura were almost twice as likely to have such damage in the cerebellum as women who reported not having headaches.
Depression in older adults too often goes unrecognized and untreated, resulting in untold misery, worsening of medical illness, and early death. A new study has identified one important remedy: Adding a trained depression care manager to primary care practices can increase the number of patients receiving treatment, lead to a higher remission rate of depression, and reduce suicidal thoughts.
The American Pain Society (APS) has issued a new clinical practice guideline for low back pain that emphasizes the use of noninvasive treatments over interventional procedures, as well as shared decision making between provider and patient. The findings are published in the current (May 1, 2009) issue of the journal Spine.
The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine has won the Gates Award for Global Health, and will receive $1 million in prize money.
Australian regenerative medicine company Mesoblast Limited has announced successful results from the first five patients who underwent bone marrow transplantation with haematopoietic stem and progenitor cells expanded by the patented allogeneic, or "off-the-shelf", Mesenchymal Precursor Cells (MPCs).
An elderly Baltimore metro area resident with serious underlying medical conditions and a novel H1N1 influenza virus infection has died, according to the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH). Among other complications, H1N1 flu was a contributing factor, making this Maryland"s first death confirmed to be associated with the novel flu strain. Personal details about the case, including specific underlying health conditions, will not be released to protect the privacy of the resident and the resident"s family.
The Rhode Island Department of Health (HEALTH) recognizes and applauds the significant public health achievement of The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act being signed into law. This new law gives the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the authority to regulate tobacco products.
New research from scientists in the US and Greece suggests that the health and longevity effects of the Mediterranean Diet are more strongly
"As sentiment and the stock market increasingly look bearish, look for the recent outperformance in health care to continue," The Wall Street Journal reports. Health-care firms were "hardly a leader" during the "initial run of stocks following the March lows," but they also "fared much better during the market"s plummet. Last week, "health care was the one exception to a sliding market." Katie Stockton, chief market technician for MKM Partners, "says it is likely most of the health-care sector will outperform and not just large pharmaceutical companies" (Rogow, 6/23).
The California Medical Association applauded the U.S. Senate Finance Committee for producing a thoughtful analysis of ways to expand the nation"s health care coverage. The committee"s paper, titled "Expanding Health Care Coverage: Proposals to Provide Affordable Coverage to All Americans," includes certain market reforms that all participating health plans would be required to participate in.
The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations (IFPMA) is pleased to announce that Johnson & Johnson has become its newest member company.
The Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) has endorsed bipartisan legislation that would create a regulatory pathway for the approval of follow-on biologics and allow competition on brand-name biologics after five years of marketing exclusivity instead of the pharmaceutical industry"s preferred 14-year window.
New research from Vanderbilt University indicates the way our brain handles how we move through space - including being able to imagine literally stepping into someone else"s shoes - may be related to how and why we experience empathy toward others.
A family-based prevention program designed to help adolescents avoid substance use and other risky behavior proved especially effective for a group of young teens with a genetic risk factor contributing toward such behavior, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Georgia. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), components of the National Institutes of Health, supported the study, which appears in the May/June issue of Child Development.
The Lupus Foundation of America (LFA) is seeking proposals for grant funding for research studies on lupus, an unpredictable and potentially fatal autoimmune disease. Grants will support areas of study in pediatric lupus and adult stem cell transplantation. The purposes of the studies are to advance adult stem cell transplantation research in humans as a treatment for lupus and address key understanding of pediatric/adolescent lupus research issues.
Allosteric modulation company Addex Pharmaceuticals (SWISS: ADXN) announced today that its partner Ortho-McNeil- Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc. (OMP) has started Phase I testing of ADX71149, a metabotropic glutamate receptor 2 (mGluR2) positive allosteric modulator (PAM). This product, which has potential to treat schizophrenia, anxiety, depression and other CNS disorders, is the first PAM of any mGluR subtype to enter clinical trials. Targeting mGluR2 with a PAM is a novel approach that may offer advantages over classical drug approaches. In reaching this milestone, Addex received a EUR 1 million payment from OMP and remains eligible for additional development milestones and royalties.
Middle-aged women who had migraine headaches with aura (sensory disturbances, such as with vision, balance or speech) had a higher prevalence of brain lesions when they were older, compared to individuals without similar types of headaches, according to a study in the June 24 issue of JAMA.
Mothers who breast feed their babies are also more likely to follow recommendations to delay the introduction of solid foods finds a study of over 1500 infants across 5 European countries published this month in the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition.
The effect of anxiety on academic performance is not always obvious but new research funded by the Economic and Social Research Council suggests that there may be hidden costs. The research found that anxious individuals find it harder to avoid distractions and take more time to turn their attention from one task to the next than their less anxious peers.
In the world of Disney, falling in heterosexual love can break a spell, save Christmas, change laws, stop wars and even, in the case of The Little Mermaid, cause an individual to give up her personal identity.
Kamalesh Sirkar, PhD, distinguished professor of chemical engineering at NJIT, and internationally-renowned expert in membrane separation technologies will be the recipient of the NJIT Board of Overseers Excellence in Research Prize and Medal. The award presentation and lecture will take place Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2009, in Kupfrian Hall on the NJIT campus.
The global economic crisis has had a devastating impact on the world"s hungry. In the past year, approximately 100 million people have been added to the ranks of the roughly 1 billion people worldwide considered by the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization to be undernourished, according to its report issued June 19, 2009.
A US doctor who diagnosed and treated herself for breast cancer while stationed in the South Pole during the winter of 1999, was then rescued
Seasonal influenza in health care workers is a personal health threat, but also poses a significant risk to the patients in their care. In an effort to help health care organizations improve the rate of health care worker influenza vaccinations, The Joint Commission is releasing a monograph "Providing a Safer Environment for Health Care Personnel and Patients Through Influenza Vaccination: Strategies from Research and Practice."
Students wishing to pursue a career in nursing will have a helping hand thanks to an innovative partnership between City University London, five London colleges and one other university, in an agreement brokered by Linking London, a Lifelong Learning Network. The partners have signed a unique Progression Agreement which facilitates student progression, from Access Diploma courses and Certificates of Higher Education, to studying adult nursing at City University"s School of Community and Health Sciences.
Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:OSIR) announced six-month interim data from a Phase II clinical trial evaluating Prochymal, the Company"s proprietary formulation of adult mesenchymal stem cells, for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Sixty-two patients were enrolled and are being followed for two years in the placebo-controlled study. At the six-month time-point, the data revealed several important findings.
In his address at the University of Notre Dame"s commencement ceremony on Sunday, President Obama urged advocates on both sides of the abortion-rights debate to treat each other with civility and find ways to work together on common goals, such as reducing the number of unintended pregnancies, the New York Times reports. Obama, who also received an honorary degree from the Roman Catholic university, called for more "open hearts, open minds, fair-minded words" on an issue that has long polarized the U.S. Obama said that although not all will agree on abortion rights, people "can still agree that this heart-wrenching decision for any woman is not made casually" and "has both moral and spiritual dimension." He continued, "So let us work together to reduce the number of women seeking abortions," by reducing unintended pregnancies, making "adoption more available," and providing "care and support" to women who carry pregnancies to term. Obama also said he supports a "sensible conscience clause" that would allow health care workers to withhold services they find morally or religiously objectionable, the New York Times reports. The president said that "[e]ach side will continue to make its case to the public with passion and conviction. But surely we can do so without reducing those with differing views to caricature" (Baker/Saulny, New York Times, 5/18).According to the Wall Street Journal, Notre Dame"s invitation to Obama "amplified longstanding tensions" between the Catholic Church"s position against abortion rights and Catholic universities" academic freedom. Several Catholic bishops and antiabortion-rights advocates argued that it was wrong to honor Obama because of his support for abortion rights, while the university"s leadership and others said it is necessary to communicate with people of opposing views (Meckler, Wall Street Journal, 5/18). Notre Dame"s president, the Rev. John Jenkins, in his introduction of Obama praised the president for agreeing to speak at the ceremony. He said that although some individuals "might have avoided this venue" because of the abortion issue, Obama "is not someone who stops talking to those who differ with him" (Evans, USA Today, 5/18). Jenkins also said, "If we want to extend courtesy, respect and love and enter into dialogue, then surely we can start by acknowledging what is honorable in others" (Dinan, Washington Times, 5/18).The New York Times reports that about 100 abortion-rights opponents protested on the edge of Notre Dame"s campus, and nearly 40 protesters were arrested trying to enter the campus (New York Times, 5/18). According to the Washington Post, more than 70 Catholic bishops criticized the university"s invitation, and more than 360,000 people signed a petition calling for the university to rescind the invite. The Post also reports that 26 of the 2,900 graduates chose to skip the commencement ceremony in protest of Obama"s speech (Shear, Washington Post, 5/18). However, the bulk of the audience at the ceremony "enthusiastically supported" the president, the New York Times reports. A few graduates pasted crosses and replicas of infants" feet on their mortarboards in protest of Obama"s visit, while some supporters displayed Obama"s campaign logo. Four protesters interrupted the speech with shouting and were removed by security guards; audience members responded to the shouting with Notre Dame chants and shouts of "Yes, we can," an Obama campaign slogan. The New York Times reports that while Obama has tried to avoid confrontation on the issue of abortion rights, the controversy over this Notre Dame speech and his pending nomination to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice David Souter have "pushed the issue to the forefront" (New York Times 5/18). Obama"s speech comes as his administration initiates its first meetings between advocates on both sides of the debate to discuss ways to reduce unintended pregnancies and the need for abortion. The meetings, which began at the beginning of May, are expected to continue for the next few
Hospitalist programs designed and managed by Cogent Healthcare have been found by a recent academic study to have exceptionally low readmission rates, especially for Medicare patients, officials announced today.
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia, affecting an estimated 7 million people worldwide, including 4.5 million in the European Union1,2. Data presented today as a Hot Line session at the EUROPACE 2009 congress on the XPECT clinical trial, sponsored by Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT), shows that the Medtronic Reveal® XT Insertable Cardiac Monitor (ICM) reliably identifies patients with AF (sensitivity of 96.1 percent) and correctly confirms the absence of AF in patients (negative predictive value of 97.4 percent).
The emerging field of synthetic biology draws on a variety of technologies, including genetic engineering and nanotechnology, to engineer biological systems to perform novel tasks. As the science and its applications develop, instead of creating a "new kind" of ethics for each new techno-scientific arena, a comprehensive approach is needed to address ethical and social issues of emerging technologies as a whole, according to a report by Erik Parens, Josephine Johnston, and Jacob Moses of The Hastings Center. Synthetic biology promises significant advances in areas such as biofuels, specialty chemicals, agriculture, and medicine but also poses potential risks.
"As President Obama"s effort to overhaul the health care system seems to hit one roadblock after another in Congress, he is counting on Senator Max Baucus [D-Mont.], a political shape-shifter and crafty deal maker who is not fully trusted by either party, to help him clinch his top domestic priority," the New York Times reports in a profile of the Senate Finance Committee leader. Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., has been unable to garner GOP support. Obama"s preferred health leader, Tom Daschle, dropped out of the Obama team because of tax problems and highly partisan House Democrats have failed to work with Republicans, leaving the task of ushering a bill through the legislative process largely to Baucus.
Health Care Overhaul: The Public Option Debate CQ Politics
Men are twice as likely as women to not protect their skin in the sun, despite more men dying from melanoma than women, according to research due to be released at the British Association of Dermatologists annual conference in Glasgow next month.
The Ventura County Rainbow Alliance, the county"s only HIV/AIDS center, could be significantly affected by proposed funding cuts to state HIV/AIDS programs, the Ventura County Star reports. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) has proposed about $80 million in cuts to HIV/AIDS programs, including the state"s AIDS Drug Assistance Program and education and prevention programs, a figure the state Legislature"s Joint Budget Conference Committee has proposed be reduced to $33.5 million. The Rainbow Alliance serves 350 clients and provides emergency housing, food pantry services, mental health counseling and a case management program - all of which might be impacted by the budget cuts. The Legislature hopes that a final budget will be approved by the end of the month (Guerrero, Ventura County Star, 6/23).
The HHS on Tuesday announced its decision to award a $35 million contract to a U.S. company using "insect cell technology" to develop flu vaccines, AFP/Google.com reports (AFP/Google.com, 6/23). CQ HealthBeat reports: "If the Food and Drug Administration approves the new technology [to be safe and effective], Connecticut-based Protein Sciences Corp. will establish the capability to produce a finished vaccine within 12 weeks of a pandemic"s onset and manufacture at least 50 million doses in the following six months."
Local campaigners met with MPs and senior primary care trust staff at a parliamentary event today to raise awareness of HIV and discuss ways to increase HIV testing.
County public health officials in California say proposed budget cuts could hurt or end the state"s Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Program, which provides care for high-risk women and teenagers during pregnancy and up to one year after giving birth, the Riverside Press-Enterprise reports. County health departments operate the program with oversight from the state Department of Public Health. Sarah Mack, a spokesperson for the Riverside County Department of Public Health, said the program provides a safety net for women who are uncertain about how to obtain prenatal care. The program"s nurses and social workers work to identify vulnerable groups with the goal of initiating care within the first trimester of pregnancy. The program aims to reduce incidences of low birthweight, premature delivery, maternal and infant mortality, preventable childhood diseases and disabling conditions.Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) has proposed eliminating more than $20 million in funding from the program to help reduce California"s estimated $24 billion budget deficit. Last week, the state Legislature"s joint budget conference introduced a counterproposal that would lower cuts to the program to $8 million.The most recent statistics from the state public health department show that nearly 16,000 California women who gave birth in 2006 had late or no prenatal care. More than 38,500 low-birthweight infants were born that year. Jim Lindley, director of the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health, said that Schwarzenegger"s proposal would amount to the elimination of "the bulk of funding" for the program. Mack said that Riverside County officials have identified scenarios to continue providing services if the state funding is eliminated. However, without the funding, "[m]ore people could fall through the safety net," Mack said, adding, "Those who need the program the most would be the most likely to fall through."Schwarzenegger spokesperson Lisa Page has said that the governor believes the state"s budget situation leaves him with little choice about making cuts (Hines, Riverside Press-Enterprise, 6/22).
Transferring heart attack patients to specialized hospitals to undergo angioplasty within six hours after receiving clot-busting drugs reduces the risk of life-threatening complications including repeat heart attacks, according to a new study from St. Michael"s Hospital and Southlake Regional Hospital.
Investigators at Children"s Hospital Oakland Research Institute, Oakland, California found a way to obtain large numbers of hematopoietic stem cell from human term placenta. The results, which appear in the July 2009 issue of Experimental Biology and Medicine, describe detailed report on quantification, characterization, engraftment capacity, and most importantly, practical way to obtain hematopoietic stem cells from placenta in numbers that are several-fold higher than could be obtained from cord blood.
Oprah Winfrey "has scored good ratings with her health episodes" of her television show, but "in doing so, she seems to have thrown therapeutic caution to the wind," such as on her shows featuring actress Suzanne Somers" opinions on bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, Salon contributor and physician Rahul Parikh writes in an opinion piece. Somers, while advocating for the use of bioidentical HRT as a safe alternative to traditional HRT for postmenopausal women, said she used "mega-doses of bioidenticals continuously and aggressively," according to Parikh. Parikh writes that Somers, on television and in her 2007 book, "argues that these hormones are more natural, more effective and safer than what doctors prescribe." According to Parikh, "In reality, ...÷ there are no good medical studies to back up those claims."Parikh says that although "what Somers was advocating was radically different from standards of medical care," Winfrey "was not concerned" and even said that Somers ""might be a pioneer,"" Parikh continues. Winfrey billed the episode as part of a ""great debate"" on hormone therapy, but she "didn"t ask about whether [Somers"] super-hormone regimen could have contributed to Somers" history of breast cancer"; "her hysterectomy, the result of pre-cancerous changes in her uterus from her use of HRT"; or the "validity of Somers" book"s s, many of whom are neither experts in women"s health or endocrinology, nor board-certified physicians, nor experienced researchers," Parikh states. He adds, "It"s not that Winfrey doesn"t try to maintain medical credibility in her shows," but "her efforts seem subpar," noting that her show "reaches millions of people, while each doctor can reach only one patient at a time." Parikh concludes, "That could easily be corrected by Winfrey providing more thought and balance in her medical advice" (Parikh, Salon, 5/15).
Researchers at the Duke University Institute for Genome Sciences & Policy have found that variation in the same gene in humans and baboons produces the same kind of disease resistance. The findings were published in the June 24 online edition of the journal Nature.
A new study from Bradley Hospital and The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, as well as two other institutions, adds to mounting evidence that clinicians consider irritability as a symptom when diagnosing pediatric bipolar disorder.
For a fifth consecutive year Diabetes UK will be running its Volunteer Achievement Awards to celebrate and recognise the important work all its volunteers do.
Experiment after experiment confirms that a diet on the brink of starvation expands lifespan in mice and many other species. But the molecular mechanism that links nutrition and survival is still poorly understood. Now, researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have identified a pivotal role for two enzymes that work together to determine the health benefits of diet restriction.
Finalising a review of the safety and efficacy of
A multi-center clinical trial led by a Riley Hospital for Children endocrinologist has found that inhaled growth hormone (GH) is well tolerated by children with GH deficiency and that this easy-to-use method can, over a one-week period, safely deliver GH to the blood stream. In addition to having implications for those who need GH, this first pediatric study of administering it through the lungs may also help researchers interested in using this convenient method for effectively delivering other types of medications to children.
A variation in a gene that is active in the central nervous system is associated with increased risk for obesity, according to an international study in which Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University played a major role. The research adds to evidence that genes influence appetite and that the brain plays a key role in obesity.
Each year, approximately 795,000 people experience a new or recurrent stroke1 in the United States, and approximately a half million people in Western Europe are similarly afflicted2. Today, Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT) announces two significant clinical trials related to medical device interventions for stroke. First enrollments in the global CRYSTAL AF (Study of Continuous Cardiac Monitoring to Assess Atrial Fibrillation After Cryptogenic Stroke) trial have taken place. The trial will use the Reveal® XT Insertable Cardiac Monitor (ICM) to assess the incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with cryptogenic stroke (stroke of an undetermined cause) or transient ischemic attack (TIA) in order to aid physicians in determining the optimal course of treatment for these patients. It is widely recognized that patients with sustained AF are at increased risk of stroke3.