Sexual Health
The 2009 spring issue of the NAMI Advocate Magazine features a cover story about two conversations Matt Kunz of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) had with President Barack Obama on the mental health needs of America"s veterans.
The University of Liverpool has been awarded ÷£2.2 million to establish a high-throughput genomic analysis hub for the North of England.
Nearly two of every three adult Americans under age 65 who were covered by public insurance from 2005 to 2006 had at least one chronic illness, such as diabetes, heart disease, and kidney disease, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
In light of interest in the ongoing H1N1 influenza outbreak, several scientific papers are being published online ahead of schedule. A special supplement to the American Journal of Public Health (AJPH) on influenza preparedness, in which these and other papers appear, will be published as scheduled later this year.
A new study of nearly 14,000 U.S. women reveals that those who are in physically abusive relationships are at higher risk for HIV infection.
Invatec, a comprehensive innovator of interventional products, today announced the availability of its newly CE marked coronary balloon, the IN.PACT™ Falcon paclitaxel-eluting PTCA balloon catheter at the EuroPCR Congress 2009 in Barcelona, Spain. This is one of the first drug-eluting balloons designed specifically to treat atherosclerosis in the coronary arteries and underscores Invatec"s commitment to robust scientific research into the reduction of re-intervention rates in the treatment of Coronary Artery Disease (CAD).
Current research suggests that Mycobacterium tuberculosis can evade the immune response. The related report by Rahman et al, "Compartmentalization of immune responses in human tuberculosis: few CD8+ effector T cells but elevated levels of FoxP3+ regulatory T cells in the granulomatous lesions," appears in the June 2009 issue of The American Journal of Pathology.
Hyperkyphosis, or "dowager"s hump" - the exaggerated forward curvature of the upper spine seen commonly in elderly women - may predict earlier death in women whether or not they have vertebral osteoporosis, UCLA researchers have found.
The Washington Times recently published an opinion piece and an editorial discussing President Obama"s nomination of Indiana University law professor Dawn Johnsen to head the Office of Legal Counsel in the Justice Department. Summaries appear below. ~ Mickey Edwards/William Sessions, Washington Times: The Senate should "act expeditiously to approve" Johnsen"s nomination because "her views on the limits of presidential power are precisely what the Constitution envisions and conservatives have long championed," Edwards, vice president of the Aspen Institute and author of "Reclaiming Conservatism," and Sessions, a partner at the law firm Holland & Knight, write in a Times opinion piece. According to the authors, Johnsen "made her views clear" on the limits of presidential power when she joined a bipartisan group of lawyers that declared that the Office of Legal Counsel should promote "presidential adherence to the rule of law." Edwards and Sessions write that Johnsen is being criticized for "being blunt, unserious and critical of presidential policies." However, these attacks are unwarranted, they write, noting that in the legal profession, "a little blunt talk to a client -- in this case, the president of the United States -- might be required." Edwards and Sessions continue, "What is needed in the Office of Legal Counsel is a person with the constitutional understanding to know that even presidents with whose politics she agrees must obey both the Constitution and federal statutes and who has the gumption to say so, even if the advice won"t be well received" (Edwards/Sessions, Washington Times, 5/21).~ Washington Times: The editorial states that Johnsen "is so radical" that 31 Republican Indiana state senators on Monday sent a letter to Sens. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) and Dick Lugar (R-Ind.) asking them to oppose her confirmation. The Republican senators called Johnsen"s views supporting abortion rights "extremely radical" and said she often uses "harsh, sensationalizing rhetoric" in her writings on Supreme Court cases, the editorial states. According to the editorial, Johnsen"s "political advocacy shows a profound disregard for the courts" proper role" because she considers the courts "as making up just another political, policymaking branch of government, not as bodies restrained by the Constitution or existing laws." The editorial continues that Johnsen is "guilty" of "asking judges to impose their own policy preferences" in favor of abortion rights "against the dictates of existing constitutional law." The editorial concludes, "Someone with such contemptuous views of the Constitution should not be the Obama administration"s chief constitutional interpreter" (Washington Times, 5/21).
The fitness mantra - Activity, Belief, Confidence, Diet and Exercise.
Sens. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) and Reps. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) and Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) on Wednesday introduced the Patients" Choice Act (S 1099, HR 2520), a counter proposal to Democratic health care reform plans that would create state-based health insurance exchanges and provide U.S. residents tax credits to subsidize coverage premiums, Roll Call reports (Drucker [1], Roll Call, 5/20). The act would require states to separately establish health insurance exchanges made up of private health insurers through which individuals could pick their coverage. The legislation would provide $5,700 in tax credits to families and $2,200 in tax credits to individuals to subsidize coverage premiums, the Washington Times reports (Washington Times, 5/21). An additional $5,000 tax credit would be provided to low-income families (Budoff Brown, Politico, 5/20). The credits would be funded by taxing employer-provided health benefits (Washington Times, 5/21). Under the plan, states would be allowed to shift state residents covered by Medicaid into private coverage (Wayne, CQ Today, 5/20). The measure also would establish a system of health coverage auto-enrollment at emergency departments, motor vehicle departments and through employers (Politico, 5/20). The plan does not establish any new government health care programs (Drucker [1], Roll Call, 5/20). According to Politico, the bill"s sponsors hope to achieve universal coverage for U.S. residents (Politico, 5/20). According to the bill"s sponsors, the plan is budget neutral (Drucker [1], Roll Call, 5/20). Prospects
As employers increasingly offer no-cost preventive care as a means of controlling health costs, some people under such plans are being charged for services not deemed preventive by the insurer, the Wall Street Journal reports. According to Watson Wyatt Worldwide, 72% of large employers in 2009 cover 100% of preventive care -- such as physicals, colonoscopies or mammograms -- for employees, an increase from 55% of large companies in 2008. The Journal reports that the charges often result from billing errors or from a physician"s office being unaware of an insurer"s procedures. Charges that are the result of billing errors often can be reversed. However, others -- such as a test or treatment not being defined by the insurer as preventive -- force some patients to "wage a protracted battle" to get the charges reversed, according to the Journal. When unexpected charges appear on patients" bills, physicians and employers often receive complaints but they have little control over how insurers classify treatments. The Journal reports that patients can prevent being charged for preventive services by checking with their insurer before seeking care; asking for specific, covered screenings and treatments at physicians" offices; reviewing explanation of benefits forms supplied by insurers; asking supervisors at insurers to review disputed claims; and seeking help from employees in company human re departments (Wilde Mathews, Wall Street Journal, 5/21).
"Achieving Health Care Reform -- How Physicians Can Help," New England Journal of Medicine: In a perspective piece, Elliott Fisher, a professor of medicine and of community and family medicine at Dartmouth Medical School and associate director for Population Health and Policy at the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice; Donald Berwick, a professor at the Harvard University School of Public Health Department of Health Policy and Management and president and CEO of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement; and Karen Davis, president of the Commonwealth Fund, call on physicians to "lead the change our country needs" on health reform. They suggest several areas for physicians to become involved, saying that physicians should "first help to create a shared vision that could overcome doctrinal divides" and that they also must "recognize that achieving savings sufficient to cover the cost of expanded coverage need not impose a hardship on patients or providers." Finally, physicians also must help with a health reform deal that "all stakeholders can support," the authors say (Fisher et al., NEJM, 5/21).
Singer Elton John on Tuesday at the 2009 Bio International Convention in Atlanta called for renewed efforts to fight HIV/AIDS, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. John, founder of the Elton John AIDS Foundation, addressed an audience that included CEOs of organizations working to develop HIV/AIDS therapies and vaccines. He called on governments and institutions to increase their focus on education, especially among young people; access to medical treatment; and needle-exchange programs (Poole, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 5/19)."There are long-standing stereotypes and prejudices that inhibit our efforts to combat AIDS," John said, adding, "I am asking for your leadership." According to John, CDC estimates that one in every three new HIV cases occurs among people younger than age 30, a statistic that he said has not received adequate attention. "It is unfathomable and unconscionable that we are not making a bigger effort to educate this demographic about HIV/AIDS with creative materials and up-to-date information," John said, adding, "Our failure to do so is costing lives" (Turner, AP/PennLive.com, 5/19). John also noted a recent report by the Kaiser Family Foundation, which found that the number of Americans who believe HIV/AIDS is an urgent health problem has declined to 6% currently from 44% in 1995. Bob McNally, CEO of GeoVax Labs, said John"s message is that "just not enough is being done" and that "people continue to die from the disease." He added that John "spurred the audience towards being advocates" (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 5/20).
A chemical found in green tea might be an effective tool against the sexual transmission of HIV, according to a study conducted by researchers at the University of Heidelberg in Germany and published online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, AFP/Google.com reports. According to the study, green tea polyphenol -- called epigallocatechin-3-gallete, or EGCG -- neutralizes a protein in sperm that aids in the transmission of HIV during sex. The researchers noted that they "recently identified a peptide fraction in human semen that consistently enhanced HIV-1 infection." The study found that EGCG is able to neutralize the sperm protein, known as a semen-derived enhancer of virus infection, or SEVI. The researchers said that SEVI is "an important infectivity factor of HIV." According to the researchers, EGCG "appears to be a promising supplement to antiretroviral microbicides to reduce sexual transmission of HIV-1." The researchers said that because a majority of people living with HIV contract the disease through heterosexual transmission and that 96% of new cases are reported in developing and impoverished nations, the use of green tea in topical creams could be a "simple and affordable prevention method" (AFP/Google.com, 5/19).
During a White House teleconference last week, Nancy-Ann DeParle, director of the White House Office on Health Reform said that reducing health care costs is "particularly important for the [black] community because on average, they spend a higher percentage of their income on health care costs, compared to their white counterparts," the Washington Informer reports. Nancy-Ann DeParle, director of the office, at a press conference last week said that reducing health care costs is "particularly important for the [black] community because on average, they spend a higher percentage of their income on health care costs, compared to their white counterparts." She added that blacks spend about 16.5% of their income on health care, while whites spend about 12%. In addition, blacks "continue to face disparities in terms of the (quality of care) they get," DeParle said. According to DeParle, blacks tend to visit hospitals that "provide lower-quality care." She added that higher health care costs are "especially troubling" to the black community because blacks "suffer from higher percentages of chronic diseases such as heart disease, kidney disease and diabetes, that are due in part to a lack of access to quality care."According to the Informer, $1 billion of the $787 billion stimulus package that President Obama signed in February will be allocated to prevention efforts and public health campaigns (Michaels, Washington Informer, 5/21).
Yolo County, Calif., Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a proposal to cut county funding for health care services for undocumented immigrants in an effort to save the county more than $1 million, the Sacramento Bee reports (Sangree, Sacramento Bee, 5/20).California counties have been taking such action amid the economic recession to reduce their budgets. In February, Sacramento County voted to prohibit undocumented immigrants from receiving care at county clinics to save an estimated $2.4 million. Contra Costa County last month cut services for undocumented adults, seeking to save an estimated $6 million. Yolo County is facing a $24 million budget deficit for fiscal year 2009-2010 (Kaiser Health Disparities Report, 5/7).Robin Affrime -- head of CommuniCare Health Centers, which provide treatment to low-income residents of Woodland, Davis and West Sacramento -- said the county spending cuts would shift costs to health care providers. Supervisor Jim Provenza said undocumented immigrants would delay care at clinics and eventually seek treatment in hospital emergency departments (Sacramento Bee, 5/20).
Regulatory processes differ across continents,
Although a test for gene mutations known to significantly increase the risk of hereditary breast or ovarian cancer has been available for more than a decade, a new study finds that few women with family histories of these cancers are even discussing genetic testing with their physicians or other health care providers. In a report in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, which has been released online, investigators from the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Institute of Health Policy and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute note that their findings illustrate the challenges of bringing genetic information into real-world clinical practice.
People with diabetes who maintain intensive, low blood sugar levels are significantly less likely to suffer heart attacks and coronary heart disease, new research published in The Lancet has shown.
Bovie Medical Corporation (the "Company") (NYSE-AMEX Symbol: BVX), a manufacturer and marketer of electrosurgical products, announced a 510K submission to the FDA seeking pre-market clearance for a laparoscopic SEER device for solid organ resection. The laparoscopic SEER is a line extension of the Saline Enhance Electrosurgical Resection (SEER) device that Bovie launched earlier this year and will address the growing market of minimally invasive liver resection.
An experimental vaccine applied to the surface of the skin appears to protect against certain types of ear infections. Scientists from the Research Institute at Nationwide Children"s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, reported their findings at the 109th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in Philadelphia.
In comparing ultrasound with other medical imaging methods such as MRI and CT scans, a literature review of published studies in the May/June issue of Journal of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (JDMS) describes the use of ultrasound to provide an accurate diagnosis more cost effectively than the alternatives.
Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc. introduces two advanced multi-detector CT systems, the Aquilion® Premium edition and the Aquilion CX edition. The Aquilion Premium rounds out the company"s CT portfolio to include a product with 160-detector rows and coverage up to 8 cm in a single rotation. This system is also field-upgradeable to an Aquilion ONE. The Aquilion CX is Toshiba"s next generation 64-detector row CT system featuring faster reconstruction standards with up to 28 images per second, Toshiba"s proven Quantum Advantage detector technology and a patient couch that can accommodate up to 660 lbs. The Aquilion Premium and Aquilion CX are both available now.
Autism Spectrum Therapies (AST), an agency providing behavior therapy and other autism services, now offers new summer programs for children of all ages and their parents. These fun, kid-friendly programs are designed to help children with autism disorders maintain their academic and communication skills over summer vacation and to develop new skills for the upcoming school year.
Hospital facilities upgrades due for completion by June 2009. Measures to reduce and eventually eliminate mixed sex wards and washing facilities throughout Somerset"s 13 community hospitals are nearing completion. Last year the government pledged to reduce mixed sex accommodation throughout all England"s NHS hospitals. All hospitals have now stepped up their efforts to deliver this goal.
Workers in one of the largest PCT"s in the UK have been benefiting from a scheme that is part of the "improving working lives in the workplace" initiative. Since January 2009, training company, Ethos (Education, Training, Health and Online Service Ltd) have been working with staff across all disciplines within the trust including clinical and non-clinical staff on a programme of taster complementary therapy sessions.
The National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) in conjunction with the National Coalition for Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases held a briefing on Capitol Hill to engage Congress in an action plan for making bone health a national priority and encourage lawmakers to sign on to the "Bone Health Promotion and Research Act."
Several newspapers recently published opinion pieces and editorials regarding President Obama"s commencement address at the University of Notre Dame on Sunday. Summaries appear below.~ Austin Hill, U.S. News and World Report: A "careful look" at the controversy surrounding Notre Dame"s invitation to Obama "suggests that ... the Catholic Church in America is neither communicating very clearly to the broader American society, nor is it communicating very clearly among its own members," columnist Hill writes. Hill asks, "[I]f Catholics need to criticize a political figure even when he is "right" on the abortion issue, can they, or should they, praise a political figure even when he is "wrong" on the abortion issue" but "right" on other moral issues? He adds, "The bishops need to answer this question, in no uncertain terms, and they need to do so with clarity" (Hill, U.S. News and World Report, 5/20).~ William Saletan, Slate: Abortion is "the classic multidimensional issue," and "Obama"s acknowledgment of the issue"s complexity is important for two reasons," author and Slate correspondent Saletan writes. The first reason is that Obama is "dropping the pretense of a conclusive answer," and the second is that "even strategic symbolic dialogue can bring unforeseen consequences," Saletan writes (Saletan, Slate, 5/20).~ Julia Duin, Washington Times: A number of things "did not seem right" about Obama"s speech,"[e]specially about "common ground" on an issue that has none" -- abortion rights, columnist Duin writes. Duin asks, "Does this "common ground" idea really work? On peripheral issues, yes. On life-and-death issues, no." According to Duin, "It seems that one side of the debate is always told it needs to move to the center on a given issue, while the other side is told it needs to stand firm." She adds that Obama"s speech highlighted "a huge disconnect," possibly "that some issues don"t have a common ground" (Duin, Washington Times, 5/21).~ Marybeth Hicks, Washington Times: In his speech, Obama "shared a world view that people of all strongly held beliefs must consider: While we will never agree on certain matters of principle, we should still find ways to lift up mankind through cooperation and service and love," columnist Hicks writes. Hicks says that she would like "Obama to send a copy of that speech to Harry Knox" -- director of the religion and faith program at the Human Rights Campaign and a member of Obama"s White House Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships -- because Knox "must learn to respect the right of Catholics and of our church to hold principled beliefs of our own" (Hicks, Washington Times, 5/20).~ Dallas Morning News: Obama "[o]nce again ... displayed his gift for making his most strident opponents marginalize themselves" by "com[ing] across as the kind of politician who genuinely sees those who disagree with him as opponents, not enemies," a Morning News editorial says. "When a strong abortion-rights supporter like Obama is not only honored at the nation"s most important Catholic university (in terms of cultural symbolism), but enthusiastically embraced, times are changing," it adds (Dallas Morning News, 5/18).~ Kansas City Star: Most Americans "have more in common with the 12,000 graduates, families and friends who were inside the Notre Dame arena than with the demonstrators outside" and "are willing to listen to different views and ... seek a middle ground that would lessen the [abortion] issue"s grip on political discourse," a Star editorial states. It continues, "Instead of ostracizing those of different views, Americans would do better to follow the path suggested by Obama: Reduce unintended pregnancies, make adoption more available and provide "care and support for women who do carry their children to term"" (Kansas City Star, 5/18).~ Baltimore Sun: Obama "met the challenge head-on" of speaking at Notre Dame amid the protests through "his faith in the ability of reasonable people to disagree and still find common gro
"Less than two weeks" after health industry interest groups pledged to work with President Obama on health reform, "the double-crossing is already well under way" as Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina prepares a series of ads criticizing a public plan option that might be included in health reform legislation, New York Times columnist Paul Krugman writes. Krugman says, "The medical-industrial complex has called the president"s bluff," adding, "It polished its image by showing up ... and promising cooperation, then promptly went back to doing all it can to block real change." According to Krugman, "The insurers and the drug companies are, in effect, betting that Obama will be afraid to call them out on their duplicity." He concludes, "It"s up to Obama to prove them wrong" (Krugman, New York Times, 5/22).
At some point during their care, more than one-third of metastatic breast cancer patients receive chemotherapy off label, the legal use of FDA-approved drugs in a different indication than for which they were approved, according to researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.
DePuy Mitek, Inc., a leading orthopaedics sports medicine company, announced that all of its QUICKANCHOR® Plus suture anchors for small joint repair are now available pre-loaded with ORTHOCORD®. ORTHOCORD is the only high-strength, partially absorbable orthopedic suture on the market designed to provide a supple solution for soft tissue fixation while maintaining strength and knot security. The QUICKANCHOR Plus small joint suture anchors with ORTHOCORD include the MINI, MINILOK™, MICRO and MICROFIX™ product families.
Researchers in Finland who tracked the health of over 1,000 men from middle age into old age found that being overweight and having high risk
The World Health Organization (WHO) has cut short its annual health ministers meeting because of influenza A (H1N1) preparations and has postponed discussions about Chagas disease. Much needed progress in diagnosing and treating people for this neglected disease must not be further delayed, warned the international medical humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders/Mçİdecins Sans Frontiç¨res (MSF) today.
The GMC is proposing to extend the types of cases that can be concluded by "consensual disposal" instead of being referred to a full fitness to practise hearing.
Diagnostic companies looking for growth in a tough economy can still find a vibrant market for their products in China, says a leading healthcare market research publisher. IVD markets in China will grow to more than $1.5 billion in 2009, making it the world"s sixth largest IVD market. The last few years have seen market growth of 15-20%. With about 575 new hospitals opening each year and a government plan to open more than 20,000 health clinics, the lab market is booming, according to a new report, "Who is Who in Clinical Diagnostics in China (Manufacturers and Distributors Profiles, Market, Industry Overview)," from Kalorama Information, in partnership with IVD market research firm McEvoy & Farmer.
UroToday.com - In the online edition of the British Journal of Cancer, Dr. J. Nilsson and an international team of investigators report on a new biomarker methodology for prostate cancer (CaP). The authors explain that prostatic secretions contain two types of microvesicles; prostasomes (150-500nm) are produced by prostatic ductal epithelial cells that are a normal component of seminal fluid and participate in male fertility and exosomes which are specialized nanovesicles (30-100nm) with cup-shaped morphology and are actively secreted by normal and tumor cells.
With support from a foundation that champions cutting-edge medical research, a biomedical engineer at UC Davis will start work this month on developing a new treatment for infants born with disorders that cause the sutures of their skulls to prematurely fuse together.
UroToday.com - During the last economic boom of 2003-2007, cancer centers in second and third-tier countries across the globe made significant investments in radiotherapy infrastructure, acquiring state-of-the-art technologies such as intensity modulated radiotherapy, image-guided radiotherapy, proton therapy and stereotactic radiotherapy, to mention a few. This rapid expansion was partly brought on by competition in the burgeoning global medical tourism industry, and partly by the availability of easy credit, the hallmark of the last economic expansion and the current calamitous downturn.
Scientists in Germany have discovered a gene that links the gum disease periodontitis and increased risk of coronorary heart disease (CHD) and
On World No Tobacco Day, The Lung Association is celebrating those who have successfully quit smoking and sharing their success stories in the hopes of motivating others to quit.
More than 11,000 neurologists, investigators and trainees gathered in Seattle in late April for the 2009 annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology, one of this country"s top venues for sharing clinical research progress related to multiple sclerosis and other neurological disorders. This year, there were over 400 platform and poster presentations focusing on progress related to MS. This summary covers just a fraction of the platform talks. To read the researchers" original abstracts, sign up at no charge at the American Academy of Neurology"s Website.
Private well water should be tested yearly, and in some cases more often, according to new guidance offered by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Researchers at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), part of the National Institutes of Health, took a lead role in working with the AAP to develop these recommendations and draft a new AAP policy statement about the things parents should do if their children drink well water. The recommendations call for annual well testing, especially for nitrate and microorganisms such as coliform bacteria, which can indicate that sewage has contaminated the well. The recommendations point out circumstances when additional testing should occur, including testing when there is a new infant in the house or if the well is subjected to structural damage.
Pediatricians now have a new and simple way to diagnose a serious problem facing our nation"s children - thanks to David Kaelber, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., MetroHealth System pediatrician, internist, and chief medical informatics officer and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine researcher and faculty member. Nearly 75% of cases of hypertension and 90% of cases of prehypertension in children and adolescents go undiagnosed. These troubling statistics were documented in previously published research by Dr. Kaelber. From this research, Dr. Kaelber and fellow researchers felt that one of the main reasons for the under-diagnosis may be due to the complex chart currently used to help physicians and medical personnel identify high blood pressure in children. So Dr. Kaelber"s team simplified the chart - focusing solely on a child"s age and gender - eliminating the need for a height percentile and reducing the number of values in the blood pressure table from 476 to just 64. The revised chart and accompanying description are published in the June issue of the journal Pediatrics.
Nigel Edwards, the director of policy at the NHS Confederation, said, "The surpluses generated by the NHS over the 2007-2008 financial year are a testament to sound financial planning and an awareness on the part of everyone in the service of the need to spend public money carefully.
Neurosensory diseases are difficult to model in mice because their symptoms are complex and diverse. The genetic causes identified are often lethal when transferred to a mouse. The lack of animal models slows progress in understanding and treating the diseases. By strategically altering a protein-making molecule, a mouse was made to help understand nervous system diseases that impair feeling and cause paralysis of the arms and legs in humans.
Thank parasites for making some of our immune proteins into the inflammatory defenders they are today, according to a population genetics study that will appear in the June 8 issue of the Journal of Experimental Medicine (online May 25). The study, conducted by a team of researchers in Italy, also suggests that you might blame parasites for sculpting some of those genes into risk factors for intestinal disorders.
Swinging the club on the open green, hitting the perfect shot and playing in the warm sun are just a few things golfers love about hitting the links. Golfing can be a treat for both the mind and body. However, an injury to the bones, muscles or joints can cast a big shadow over the day. That is why the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) recommends following the proper techniques to prevent golf-related injuries.
For the first time, scientists have been able to identify genetic factors that influence the age at which natural menopause occurs in women. Ms Lisette Stolk, a researcher from Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, told the annual conference of the European Society of Human Genetics that a greater understanding of the factors influencing age at menopause might eventually help to improve the clinical treatment of infertile women.
Children are a pain in the back!
U.S. Senator Mel Martinez (R-FL) commended the Departments of Justice (DoJ) and Health and Human Services (HHS) for their decision to focus on detecting, preventing, and prosecuting Medicare fraud cases.
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the nation"s largest non-profit HIV/AIDS healthcare provider, today criticized California state officials for planning draconian budget cuts that will jeopardize the public health by eliminating all funding for AIDS care and treatment from the state"s General Fund. The state action came on the heels of Tuesday"s state election where five ballot measures to address the state"s burgeoning budget deficit were voted down and; as a result, in response to the $21 billion and growing deficit now facing California.
Researchers from around the world will present the latest breakthroughs in electro-optics, lasers and the application of light waves at the 2009 Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics/International Quantum Electronics Conference (CLEO/IQEC) May 31 to June 5 at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore.
Accumetrics, Inc. announces that it has enrolled its 1,000th patient
Patients living with migraine have strong reason for new optimism concerning a positive future. Two review articles and an accompanying editorial, "The Future of Migraine: Beyond Just Another Pill," in the current issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings, are the basis for an ironic premise.
Sections of proteins previously thought to be disordered may in fact have an unexpected biological role - providing certain proteins room to move - according to a study published by researchers at Fox Chase Cancer Center in this month"s issue of the journal Structure (Cell Press).
A short, preoperative team briefing prior to cardiac surgery - where each person on the team speaks - improves communication and reduces errors and costs, according to a pilot study conducted at Mayo Clinic.
MAP Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: MAPP) announced that the efficacy portion of its first Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating its novel LEVADEX(TM) orally inhaled migraine therapy met all four primary endpoints. Additional endpoints showed that LEVADEX provided rapid and sustained pain relief for up to 48 hours after dosing.
Vaxart, Inc., a biotechnology company focused on the development of oral vaccines, announced today that the company has created a candidate vaccine for H1N1 influenza (swine flu). On Saturday, May 23, Vaxart began testing for immune responses in animals, just 25 days after initiating the project. The company will compare performance of the research-grade H1N1 vaccine to its successful avian flu vaccine as a first step towards potential human clinical testing.
Mayo Clinic researchers are reporting positive results in early leukemia clinical trials using the chemical epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), an active ingredient in green tea. The trial determined that patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) can tolerate the chemical fairly well when high doses are administered in capsule form and that lymphocyte count was reduced in one-third of participants. The findings appear today online in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Young children learn how to speak and understand language from the words parents speak at home and teachers speak in preschool. A new longitudinal study has found that their preschool classmates also play a part.
Today sees the European launch of the first topical calcineurin inhibitor to be approved for the maintenance treatment of eczema to prevent flares and prolong flare-free intervals. PROTOPIC ointment (tacrolimus monohydrate) is already licensed to treat moderate and severe eczema (atopic dermatitis), often involving the treatment of flares as and when they occur.* It is now also approved for twice-weekly application to previously affected skin to prevent these exacerbations and prolong flare-free periods in PROTOPIC-responsive patients.ò Clinical studies have shown that this new approach brings significant benefits with over 40% of patients with moderate to severe eczema remaining flare-free for at least a year.1 Flares are known to place an enormous burden on patients. The International Study of Life with Atopic Eczema (ISOLATE) found that about 55% of these patients worried about the onset of their next exacerbation and that they spent on average over a third of the year (136 days) with their eczema in flare.2
Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) announced it will begin enrolling
Two newspapers recently published opinion pieces responding to President Obama"s comments on the need for "empathy" in candidates to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice David Souter. Summaries appear below.~ Ellen Goodman, Boston Globe: When discussing Souter"s replacement, Obama said he will seek a nominee ""who understands that justice isn"t about some abstract theory. ... It is also about how our laws affect the daily realities of people"s lives,"" Globe columnist Goodman writes in an opinion piece. According to Goodman, Obama"s emphasis on the need for judicial "empathy" has sparked outrage among a "phalanx of horrified conservatives" who claim that "empathy is just a code word for the sentimental liberal bias in favor of underdogs over the Constitution." However, she continues, "let us remember that empathy is not sympathy. It doesn"t require that we take sides. Nor is it an emotional shortcut that upends all legal reasoning to declare a winner." According to Goodman, empathy "is rather the ability to imaginatively enter into the experience of others." She writes that the "capacity to recognize another person"s reality is not just liberal," adding that empathy "doesn"t trump reason, it informs reason." Goodman writes, "The truth is that we want judges who "get it,"" adding that the "myth of justice as a matter of pure objective reasoning that could be meted out by a computer is just that, a myth" (Goodman, Boston Globe, 5/22).~ Mike Rosen, Denver Post: Although Obama"s emphasis on empathy might seem "[c]ompassionate and seductive" to some, his stance "represents a radical and dangerous departure from traditional American jurisprudence," radio host Rosen writes in a Post opinion piece. Rosen writes, "When empathetic judges rule on their feelings, they are exceeding their authority," adding that the "role of the judicial branch of our government is to rule on the Constitution as written and the law as passed by Congress and signed by the president." According to Rosen, the courts "are a co-equal branch of government, not a superior branch," and judges should not "rule on what they think the law ought to be" because that would be "government by a presumptuous, unelected judiciary." Rosen continues that "judges are referees, not rule makers" because they are "not there to empathize with the fans or the players. They represent the rule book, and they aren"t authorized to … make it "fairer."" According to Rosen, the "dispute between conservatives and liberals on judicial activism is philosophical and irreconcilable." He concludes that Senate confirmation hearings for Obama"s nominee "should make for an interesting debate on these principles" (Rosen, Denver Post, 5/22).
How well health care industry groups follow through on their "homework assignment" from President Obama to submit specific plans by early June on how they intend to reduce health care spending growth by $2 trillion over the next decade could determine whether current attempts to develop health care overhaul legislation are successful, the AP/Contra Costa Times reports (Alonso-Zaldivar, AP/Contra Costa Times, 5/25).In a letter that was sent to Obama on May 10, a coalition of health care industry groups wrote, "We will do our part to achieve your administration"s goal of decreasing by 1.5 percentage points the annual health care spending growth rate. ... This represents more than a 20% reduction in the projected rate of growth." The letter -- which was signed by the American Medical Association, the American Hospital Association, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, the Advanced Medical Technology Association, America"s Health Insurance Plans and the Service Employees International Union -- did not elaborate on what specific measures the groups would take to achieve such reductions. The Obama administration requested specifics on the coalition"s cost-cutting plans by June 1 (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 5/18).Each group has been looking into its own ways it can reduce spending growth, the AP/Contra Costa Times reports. Insurers currently are examining strategies to cut the administrative costs of filing claims. AMA President-elect James Rohack said his organization will look at how to implement comparative effectiveness research and ways to prevent harmful and costly drug interactions, which he said "can save money ... by preventing unnecessary readmissions to hospitals," adding, "The most costly site where patients get care is the hospital." In addition, hospitals have begun looking into how to reduce readmissions.If the industry groups are able to convince lawmakers that their plans can significantly reduce spending growth, Obama "could be well on his way to closing a deal with Congress" on universal health coverage, the AP/Contra Costa Times reports. However, if the plans are rejected, the groups risk their reputations and Obama could be "seen as naive for entertaining such promises," according to the AP/Contra Costa Times. Some experts have said that the groups" pledge to cut health care spending is possible "in theory." According to the AP/Contra Costa Times, the challenge will be to persuade medical providers "to change years of ingrained habits that lead to much of the wasteful spending" in the health care system (AP/Contra Costa Times, 5/25). AHIP"s Ignagni Profiled
The following summarizes news about BlueCross BlueShield Association plans increasing rates in Michigan and Pennsylvania.
The Armed Forces Pay Review Body has announced that military doctors and dentists will receive a 1.5% pay rise this year, significantly lower than the 2.8% awarded to other armed forces personnel. There are serious manpower problems in the Defence Medical Services. The BMA is concerned that the announcement will have an adverse effect on the recruitment and retention of armed forces doctors.
A new analysis by AARP"s Public Policy
Providing girls in rural Africa with a deworming drug could help reduce the spread of HIV, according to a study recently published in PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, the New York Times reports. The drug, called praziquantel, costs about 32 cents per pediatric dose and prevents schistosomiasis, a worm disease that starts as a urinary tract infection. If untreated, schistosomiasis can lead to female genital sores that can facilitate HIV infection. Because the drug can kill the worms but cannot cure genital sores, girls should be protected before they reach sexual maturity, according to the Times. "For this relatively small investment, the reproductive health of young women would be improved," the authors from the Sabin Vaccine Institute, Imperial College London and Oslo University wrote, adding that "there is a reasonable chance that HIV/AIDS transmission can be reduced." There are about 207 million schistosomiasis cases worldwide, 90% of which occur in Africa, where humans are exposed usually through snail-infested water. According to a pilot program conducted in Burkina Faso, all 70 million cases among young children in Africa could be treated for $22 million, and repeating universal treatment every two years for 10 years would cost $112 million (McNeil, New York Times, 5/26).
A strong throwing arm isn"t the only factor on which to judge pitchers; experts at the American College of Sports Medicine"s 56th Annual Meeting in Seattle say the pelvis may be a strong predictor of future pitching success in baseball.
Exercise and behavioral intervention improves fitness and lowers systolic blood pressure, according to a study presented today at the 56th American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Annual Meeting in Seattle. The findings are consistent with ACSM"s Exercise is Medicine™ ™ (EIM) program, which recommends physical activity as a standard health care component.
UCB today announced that Vimpat® (lacosamide) C-V, a new antiepileptic drug (AED) is available in the U.S. as an add-on therapy for the treatment of partial-onset seizures in people with epilepsy who are 17 years and older. Vimpat® will be available in U.S. pharmacies by the first week of June 2009.
Roche Diagnostics announced the launch of a new tuberculosis test for South Africa. Worldwide, South Africa is one of the countries with the highest prevalence of tuberculosis. The new kit detects different species of Mycobacterium from human sputum samples using the LightCycler® 2.0 Instrument.
It is time to realign research and policy making to promote better sexual
"Most of the push-back" from antiabortion-rights advocates to a recent e-mail message from author Judy Blume on behalf of Planned Parenthood -- which asked mailing list subscribers for donations -- was generated by an article in the antiabortion-rights publication LifeNews, columnist Meghan Daum writes in a Los Angeles Times opinion piece. The article put a "heavy, misrepresentative spin" on Blume"s message, which urged donors to "do all [they] can to support" the increasing number of women turning to Planned Parenthood centers for health care during the economic downturn.The LifeNews article said, "Blume notes how more women are seeking abortions from Planned Parenthood because of the difficult economy, and she urges readers of the e-mail to use that as a reason to support the abortion business." According to Daum, "this is just the kind of thing that makes abortion-rights advocates apoplectic," noting that abortion-rights advocates "fired-back" in the "blogosphere ... imparting the statistic about abortion making up only 3% of Planned Parenthood"s services and pointing out that many of the women being yelled at by picketers in clinic parking lots aren"t even pregnant but, rather, trying to avoid getting pregnant." Daum continues that the organization, much like Blume, "occupies a clear position on the post-Roe cultural map," adding, "Generally speaking, if you"re on board with abortion rights, you"re on board with Planned Parenthood." In addition, if you are against abortion rights, the "organization is the headquarters of Godlessness," she adds. Daum writes that it is not difficult to see why Planned Parenthood enlisted Blume -- an "icon of 1970s-era feminism and its efforts on behalf of sex education and women"s health" -- because she conjures "nostalgia for the early days of the fight that makes pro-choicers want to keep fighting today."Daum writes that as she watched this "saga unfold in [her] inbox," she was "struck by a troubling question. Even though Blume may not be associated with abortion in and of itself … is there something about her persona that signals a lack of dispassion about its ramifications? Is she reminding people of a time when, in the relief of Roe being decided, there was a cultural perception that abortion was a simple procedure that needn"t come with attendant emotional baggage?"Daum adds that there is "no denying that the language and overall tone around abortion has changed. Despite what many pro-life groups seem to think, most abortion-rights advocates prefer "safe, legal and rare" to "no big deal."" According to Daum, President Obama, "pro-choice though he is, is hardly strident -- and even a little evasive -- on the issue." She adds that Obama favors language about reducing the need for abortions and "finding common ground with the other side." Daum notes that the pop cultural arena "has become downright allergic to the issue" of abortion, with a recent movie coining the term "shmashmortion" because the characters "can"t even get the word out." Daum adds that although Blume "was undoubtedly effective" at bringing in funding for Planned Parenthood, perhaps what might have been "even more radical is if the pro-choice community could find a way of talking about reproductive freedom that neither reverts to the perceived casualness of the 1970s nor panders to the "shmashmortion" dialect of today. "Safe, legal and rare" comes close. But "safe, legal, rare and a big deal" might be even better" (Daum, Los Angeles Times, 5/14).
Mice and rabbits immunized with a multimeric-L2 protein vaccine had robust antibody responses and were protected from infection when exposed to human papillomavirus (HPV) type 16 four months after vaccination, according to a new study published in the May 26 online issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Childhood cancer survivors have a persistent and high risk for a second primary cancer throughout their lives, according to a new study published in the May 26 online issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Kinex Pharmaceuticals will present results from a Phase 1 clinical study with KX2-391, at the ASCO 2009 Annual Meeting in Orlando, on May 29, 2009. The study was carried out at MD Anderson, Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) and Fox Chase Cancer Center. Dr. Alex Adjei, the Principal Investigator from RPCI will deliver the presentation entitled "Results of a phase I trial of KX2-391, a novel non-ATP competitive substrate-pocket directed SRC inhibitor, in patients with advanced malignancies."
Fate Therapeutics, Inc. announced that the first patient has been treated in a Phase 1b clinical trial of FT1050, a small molecule Stem Cell Modulator (SCM) designed to increase hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) number and function through its activation of key pathways that guide cell fate. The study, which is being conducted at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Massachusetts, will determine the safety and tolerability of introducing FT1050 during the standard course of dual umbilical cord blood transplant in adult patients with hematologic malignancies, such as leukemia and lymphoma, who have undergone nonmyeloablative conditioning therapy. Fate Therapeutics is developing FT1050 to improve the overall efficiency of HSC treatment by enhancing HSC proliferation and homing to the bone marrow.
Ceregene, Inc. reported additional clinical data from a double-blind, controlled Phase 2 trial of CERE-120 in 58 patients with advanced Parkinson"s disease. CERE-120 uses AAV-based gene therapy to deliver the neurotrophic factor, neurturin, to Parkinson"s disease patients in order to restore the function and protect degenerating nigrostriatal neurons. The company previously announced that the Phase 2 trial did not meet its primary endpoint of improvement in the Unified Parkinson"s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) motor off score at 12 months of follow-up, although several secondary endpoints suggested a modest clinical benefit.
The New York Times on Sunday examined maternal mortality in Tanzania, in the opening of a three-part series on maternal mortality in Africa. According to the Tanzanian Ministry of Health, the country has a maternal death rate of 578 per 100,000 births, though the World Health Organization puts the count at 950 maternal deaths per 100,000 births. Roughly 13,000 Tanzanian women die of pregnancy- or childbirth-related causes annually, giving it "neither the best nor the worst record in Africa," the Times reports. Tanzania is one of the world"s poorest countries and faces shortages in several areas -- including health workers, drugs, equipment and infrastructure -- that contribute to maternal mortality.The Times profiled obstetrical care at a rural hospital in Berega, Tanzania, that typifies efforts to reduce maternal mortality in Africa. Facing a shortage of doctors and nurses, the hospital has been training "assistant medical officers" to perform caesarean sections and other procedures. Meanwhile, the government also is attempting to train more assistants and midwives, build more clinics and nursing schools, offer housing to attract health workers to rural areas and provide places for pregnant women to stay closer to hospitals.According to the Times, many women who die in childbirth are young and healthy, and most maternal deaths are preventable with basic obstetrical care. The five leading causes of maternal death are bleeding, infection, high blood pressure, prolonged labor and complications resulting from abortions, the Times reports. In discussing maternal mortality, experts often refer to what are known as "the three delays": a woman"s delay in going to the hospital, the time spent traveling there and the hospital"s delay in starting treatment upon the woman"s arrival. Although only around 15% of births have dangerous complications, the problems are almost impossible to predict, and seemingly normal labors can quickly progress into serious emergencies. Worldwide, more than 536,000 women die annually from pregnancy or childbirth, according to WHO (Grady, New York Times, 5/24).
Vietnamese officials announced recently that about 678 billion dong, or about $38.7 million, will be allocated for HIV/AIDS prevention efforts in the country in 2009, the VNA/VietnamPlus.com reports. The announcement was made during a press briefing earlier this week held by the Department for HIV/AIDS Prevention and the Vietnam Journalists Association to review Vietnam"s HIV/AIDS efforts in 2008. Health officials at the briefing said that more than 27,000 people living with HIV/AIDS received treatment through one of the 207 district-level clinics put in place last year and that about 6,000 peer educators and health workers distributed information about the disease to 53.8% of the country"s districts.The new funding will help provide antiretroviral treatment to an estimated 32,000 people living with HIV/AIDS. It also will be used to provide post-exposure prophylaxis to health workers. In addition, the funding will allow up to 90% of HIV-positive pregnant women to receive antiretroviral treatment and information about preventing mother-to-child transmission. Last year, 20,260 new HIV cases were reported in Vietnam, of which 7,452 had progressed to AIDS, according to the HIV/AIDS department. The city of Ho Chi Minh reported the largest number of HIV cases with more than 34,000, accounting for more than 25% of the total number of cases in Vietnam (VNA/VietnamPlus.com, 5/12).
Technology Partners, Inc. (dba IMAGINE Software), a leading provider of medical billing technology, recently announced it has attained Gold Certified Partner status in the Microsoft Partner Program with its flagship product IMAGINEradiologyTM, which achieved an ISV/Software Solutions Competency. The company also received a Networking Infrastructure Solutions Competency, recognizing Technology Partners" expertise and impact in the technology marketplace.
In a recent New Yorker essay, physician Atul Gawande examines the rising cost of health care in the U.S. and how controlling those costs is a central issue as lawmakers prepare health care overhaul legislation. Gawande compares hospitals in McAllen, Texas -- which is in the county with the lowest household income nationwide but has one of the most expensive health care markets in the U.S. -- with hospitals in other parts of the country that have lower costs but higher quality of care. He writes, "McAllen and other cities like it have to be weaned away from their untenably fragmented, quantity-driven systems of health care, step by step," which means rewarding physicians and hospitals that "collaborate to increase prevention and the quality of care, while discouraging overtreatment, undertreatment and sheer profiteering" (Gawande, New Yorker, 6/1).
A Canadian researcher working in the U.K. says doctors, authors and educators are doing hyperactive children a disservice by claiming that hyperactivity as we understand it today has always existed.
Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted infected caused by HSV (herpes simplex virus). This virus affects the genitals, the cervix, as well as the skin in other parts of the body. There are two types of herpes simplex viruses: a) HSVp1, or Herpes Type 1, and b) HSV-2, or Herpes Type 2.
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) are reminding Canadians that fresh fiddleheads should be properly cooked before being consumed.
Could a holiday in the sun reduce the risk of developing multiple sclerosis? In a recent review for F1000 Medicine Reports, Bridget Bagert and Dennis Bourdette highlight recent advances in potential treatments.
Agendia, a world leader in molecular cancer diagnostics,
A new instrument for improving patient understanding and acceptance of long-acting injectable antipsychotic therapy (LAT) has been published in the April edition of Psychiatry 2009.1 This novel, psychosocial approach encompasses Goal setting, Action planning, Initiating treatment, and Nurturing motivation (GAIN) through the use of a clinical discussion tool.
Immunology researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have discovered how two biochemical signals play unique roles in promoting the development of a group of immune cells employed as tactical assassins.
Overfishing and disease have decimated shellfish populations in many of