Endocrinology
As part of its research commitment on bisphenol A (BPA), Health Canada released yesterday the results of studies investigating BPA exposure levels in baby food in glass jars with metal lids, powdered infant formula, and bottled water. The results from these three government studies provide definitive confirmation that baby food products packaged in glass jars with metal lids, powdered infant formula, and bottled water do not pose a health risk. Researchers found that all levels of BPA found in tested products were exceedingly low and all are well below the level established as safe for consumers by the Canadian government. The North American Metal Packaging Alliance, Inc. (NAMPA) welcomes the latest Canadian study, noting that these findings confirm industry"s own research that shows BPA levels in food containers are negligible.
Two new specialist teams will be set up to improve diagnosis, care and support for people with eating disorders in Wales, Health Minister Edwina Hart officially announced.
Inovio Biomedical Corporation (NYSE Amex:INO), a leader in DNA vaccine design, development and delivery, announced today that the company"s SynCon™ H1N1 influenza DNA vaccines achieved protective antibody responses against H1N1 swine influenza virus (A/Swine/Iowa/35233/1999) in 100% of pigs immunized with a two-dose vaccine regimen.
One in seven young adults in Canada is deficient in vitamin C, according to a first-of-its kind study published today. The findings, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, suggest that young adults with a vitamin C (ascorbic acid) deficiency have significantly higher waist circumference, body mass index, inflammation and blood pressure - indicators of chronic disease and obesity - than do people with adequate blood levels of vitamin C.
The U.S. Department of Justice, on behalf of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, has filed a complaint for permanent injunction against Quality Formulation Laboratories, Inc., American Sports Nutrition Inc., Sports Nutrition International LLC and Mohamed S. Desoky, who oversees operations at all three companies.
El Salvador and Benin have marked World Asthma Day by placing orders with the Asthma Drug Facility (ADF). Through the ADF these and other low- and middle-income countries will be able to obtain quality-assured essential asthma medicines at affordable prices for the first time.
New data pooled from four large, "real world" post-marketing surveillance studies showed that sucrose-formulated recombinant factor VIII (rFVIII-FS) reduced bleeding and provided data regarding adverse events in more than 950 patients with mild-to-severe hemophilia A. Additionally, rates of inhibitor formation were reported in both previously treated and previously untreated patients. The data were presented at the XXII Congress of the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH).(1)(2)
An article published Online First and in a future edition of The Lancet reports the extraordinary story of Hannah Clark who had a donor heart grafted onto her own after suffering heart failure as a baby. She underwent surgery ten and a half years after the transplant to remove the donor heart. This was possible because her own heart had recovered satisfactorily to work on its own. Today, three and a half years after this second operation, Hannah, now aged 16, has made a complete recovery. The article is the work of leading heart surgeons Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub, Imperial College London, Heart Science Centre, Harefield Hospital, Middlesex, UK, and consultant Victor Tsang, Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, UK and collaborators.
An iconic photograph (http://img.timeinc.net/time/80days/images/530228.jpg) of Nobel laureates Drs. Francis Crick and James Watson show the pair discussing with a rigid model of the famous double helix.
New research led by Cindy Schwartz, MD, of Hasbro Children"s Hospital has identified a new chemotherapy regimen for pediatric Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) patients. The new treatment enhances efficacy through dose-dense drug delivery while simultaneously reducing the long-term risks presented by high cumulative dose chemotherapy. Schwartz and the researchers of the Children"s Oncology Group have published their findings in the journal Blood (posted in an online first edition).
FDA approved Teva Pharmaceuticals" Plan B One-Step -- a single-pill version of the two-pill dose emergency contraceptive product Plan B -- and lowered the limit for over-the-counter purchase of the drug to age 17, the company announced on Monday, the AP/Yahoo! Finance reports (AP/Yahoo! Finance, 7/13). Individuals ages 16 and younger will be required to obtain prescriptions to purchase Plan B, which reduces the chance of pregnancy when taken within 72 hours of sexual intercourse (Teva Pharmaceuticals release, 7/13). Teva said the one-pill version will be available at retail pharmacies in August (AP/Yahoo! Finance, 7/13). Kelli Conlin, president of the National Institute for Reproductive Health, said, "Health care providers and women"s advocates have been eager for a one-pill emergency contraceptive for years and are happy to see it finally come to fruition" (Teva Pharmaceuticals release, 7/13).The expanded access to the medication comes several months after a federal court lifted restrictions put in place under former President George W. Bush that limited OTC sales to women ages 18 and older (AP/Yahoo! Finance, 7/13).
In a speech before the Ghanaian Parliament, President Obama on Saturday reiterated U.S. support for public health programs that will reduce maternal mortality and the spread of HIV/AIDS in Africa, the New York Times reports. The speech, which was televised across the continent, focused on international relations with Africa and empowering African nations to address problems (Baker, New York Times, 7/12).In a portion of the speech about strengthening public health, Obama said that there has been "enormous progress ... in parts of Africa" in recent years. He continued, "Far more people are living productively with HIV/AIDS, and getting the drugs they need. But too many still die from diseases that shouldn"t kill them." He added, "When children are being killed because of a mosquito bite, and mothers are dying in childbirth, then we know that more progress must be made." Obama said that "incentives often provided by donor nations" often compel doctors and nurses to "go overseas, or work for programs that focus on a single disease," which "creates gaps in primary care and basic prevention." He also said that Africans must "make responsible choices that prevent the spread of disease, while promoting public health in their communities and countries."Obama noted that the U.S. has committed $63 billion "to meet these challenges." He added that the U.S. will not "confront illnesses in isolation" but instead "invest in public health systems that promote wellness and focus on the health of mothers and children" (AP/USA Today, 7/11). Obama also visited a women"s clinic to highlight U.S-backed programs to fight infant and maternal mortality (New York Times, 7/12).
Even as our global population rises, our world is getting smaller. International travel by both people and animals from all corners of the world occurs every hour of every day, bringing both into contact with each other.
The Muscular Dystrophy Association has awarded its highest philanthropic achievement honor, the MDA Directors" Award, to two entertainment industry celebrities.
The American Society of Hematology (ASH) announces that Ellis J. Neufeld, MD, PhD, of Harvard Medical School, Thomas Shea, MD, of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Alvin Schmaier, MD, of Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, will each receive ASH"s Alternative Training Pathway Grant this July. The grant is awarded to selected training program directors to encourage the development and implementation of novel hematology-related training programs in recognition of the need for more clinicians and clinical/translational researchers in hematology-related disciplines.
Two Sides to Every Health Care Debate New York Times
Statement of Captain Charles D. Connor, U.S. Navy (Ret.), American Lung Association President and CEO:
House Democrats on Friday as part of a spending measure to fund the Departments of Labor and HHS for fiscal year 2010, "unveiled legislation to lift a ban on federal funding for needle-exchange programs, a shift to try to reduce [HIV infections] but one that will probably spark a fight," Reuters/Boston Globe reports (7/11). The ban has been included in the annual spending bill in previous years. House Appropriations Committee Chair David Obey (D-Wis.) said, "Scientific studies have documented that needle exchange programs, when implemented as part of a comprehensive prevention strategy, are an effective public health intervention for reducing [HIV] infections and do not promote drug use" (Reuters, Pelofsky, 7/10). "The move is in keeping with a pledge [President] Obama made during the primaries to remove the prohibition on such funding, although the ban was carried in his budget request this year," CQ Today reports (Wolfe, 7/10). However, "Republicans are girding for a fight over the ban and lawmakers could try to restore it as the legislation moves through the House during the next two weeks," according to Reuters (7/10). The bill also addresses sex education and "appears to continue Democrats" slow march away from funding abstinence-only sex education," CQ reports (7/10).
Individuals who have higher levels of education and who are more impaired by Parkinson"s disease appear to require treatment for their symptoms earlier than do other patients, according to a report posted online today that will appear in the September print issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
The overall number of glaucoma surgical procedures appears to be increasing, but payments by Medicare for the procedures have been decreasing, according to a report in the July issue of Archives of Ophthalmology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
States that have passed privacy laws restricting the ability of hospitals to disclose patient information have seen the sharing of electronic medical records suffer by more than 24%, according to the Management Insights feature in the current issue of Management Science, the flagship journal of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS®).
A new study identifies a group of individuals at increased risk for developing colon cancer and holds the promise for developing new tailored cancer treatments. The study in this week"s issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) is by Sanford Markowitz, M.D., Ph.D., the Markowitz-Ingalls Professor of Cancer Genetics at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and oncologist at the Ireland Cancer Center of University Hospitals Case Medical Center, and colleagues.
HIV-positive people with opportunistic infections who receive earlier antiretroviral treatment lower their risk of death compared with people who delay treatment, according to a new study conducted by the Stanford University School of Medicine and published in PLoS One, the San Jose Mercury News reports. The findings could lead to changes in recommendations for antiretroviral treatment protocol, specifically for patients diagnosed with HIV at an advanced stage, the Mercury News reports. The study included 262 HIV-positive participants at 39 health care sites across the U.S., and 20 participants in South Africa. During the yearlong study, the researchers found that among the participants who were treated promptly after developing an opportunistic infection, 14% died or developed another infection. The researchers also found that 24% of participants who deferred treatment for an average of 45 days died or had a decrease in health outcomes. According to the Mercury News, the question of when to start HIV-positive people on antiretroviral treatment remains unclear because of issues such as the high cost of medicines, side effects, and drug interactions or resistance. Andrew Zolopa, head of Stanford University School of Medicine"s division of infectious diseases and lead investigator of the study, said that physicians often treat HIV-positive people for an "acute crisis, then follow up later with treatment for HIV." He continues, "But that answer is wrong. The study shows very clearly that there is no safety downside to doing this -- and the benefit is quite substantial, reducing death by 50%." "Even in San Francisco, one of the first epicenters of HIV in the United States, we still find that many people present late in the course of their illness with an opportunistic infection," Mitch Katz, director of San Francisco"s Department of Health who was not involved in the study, said. He added, "This study shows that it is lifesaving to treat those persons with antiretroviral drugs while they are still in the hospital." Katz said that the results could lead to changes in HIV/AIDS practices worldwide. The International AIDS Society, CDC and the British AIDS Society have developed guidelines recommending that early antiretroviral treatment be considered in patients with opportunistic infections, Zolopa said. In addition, NIH is considering an international study to examine earlier initiation of antiretroviral treatment involving more than 9,000 people from both developed and developing countries (Krieger, San Jose Mercury News, 5/15).
In the brain, many types of synaptic proteins are spatio-temporally regulated to maintain synaptic activity at a constant level. Here, the Japanese research group led by Professor Masaki Fukata, Drs. Yuko Fukata and Jun Noritake in National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Japan, found that two types of palmitoylating enzymes finely-tune the location and function of a major synaptic protein, PSD-95, in different ways. They also found that this mechanism contributes to keeping synaptic activity stable when synaptic activity dynamically changes. The Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) supported this study. They report the finding in Journal of Cell Biology published on July 13, 2009.
For people without a prior conviction for a hands-on sex offense, the consumption of child pornography alone does not, in itself, seem to represent a risk factor for committing such an offense. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Psychiatry studied 231 men convicted of consuming child pornography in 2002 and found that only 1% had gone on to commit a hands-on sex offense in the following six years.
CytRx Corporation (NASDAQ: CYTR), a biopharmaceutical research and development company engaged in the development of high-value human therapeutics, today announced that its investigational cancer drug INNO-206 caused a dramatic destruction of implanted tumors in an experimental animal model of breast cancer, performing considerably better than the broadly used and generally effective chemotherapeutic drug doxorubicin. In addition to improved efficacy in this animal trial, INNO-206 was comparable in toxicity with doxorubicin based on animal body-weight loss.
Elbit Imaging Ltd. (TASE: EMIT, Nasdaq: EMITF), announced that, its subsidiary (in which EI holds indirectly approximately 58.34%, InSightec Ltd., announced that a team at the University Children"s Hospital Zurich has completed a feasibility study testing the use of non-invasive transcranial MR-guided focused ultrasound surgery (TcMRgFUS) for the treatment of neuropathic pain. Ten adult patients diagnosed with chronic neuropathic pain successfully underwent non-invasive deep brain ablation surgery (central lateral thalamotomy) with transcranial TcMRgFUS and showed improvement in pain scores and reduction of pain medication with no adverse effects at three months follow-up. This is the first study in the world to test non-invasive transcranial focused ultrasound as a treatment modality for functional brain disorders.
As the Government sets out proposals to reform social care, leading mental health charity Mind welcomes the move to simplify the process and create a fairer system for the many thousands of people with mental health problems who currently pay for social care services.
AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) President and CEO Darrell G. Kirch, M.D., issued the following statement on President Obama"s nomination of Regina Benjamin, M.D., M.B.A., as U.S. surgeon general:
Blacks and others with darker skin might be at greater risk for tobacco addiction than whites and those with lighter skin because the greater the amount of melanin, the coloring pigment in skin, the more nicotine appears to be stored, according to preliminary findings published in the journal Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior, the New York Times reports. For the study, lead researcher Gary King, a professor of biobehavioral health at Pennsylvania State University, looked at 150 black smokers and measured their levels of melanin and cotinine, a byproduct of nicotine. They also surveyed the participants to determine the level of their smoking habit. Those with the most melanin were found to smoke the most and have the most cotinine in their system. They also had the highest level of dependence on tobacco. The findings might indicate why some people are more affected by nicotine than others, according to the study (Nagourney, New York Times, 5/19).
Following yesterday"s police operation at a makeshift camp for migrants in Patras and the subsequent fire that broke out, Doctors Without Borders/Mç©decins Sans Frontiç¨res (MSF) expresses concern for the medical and humanitarian condition of the migrants and asylum seekers who were left homeless, as well as those who were arrested. MSF urges authorities to ensure humane living conditions and the provision of medical assistance to this population.
At the 146th Annual Convention of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), association leaders welcomed a new president and took action on animal welfare and antimicrobial policies as well as cost cutting measures.
Dr. James Cook officially handed over the title of American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) president to Dr. Larry Corry today at the 2009 AVMA Convention President"s Installation Luncheon in Seattle. Dr. Corry, a small-animal practitioner from Buford, Ga., becomes the 129th president of the AVMA.
Nineteen Democrats have written House Speaker Nancy Pelosi promising not to vote for a health bill that includes funding for abortion, igniting a debate that has the potential to derail a health care overhaul, NPR reports.
"After a weeklong overseas trip that pushed him to the fringes of Washington"s health care debate, Mr. Obama moved aggressively to reclaim control," the New York Times reports. "He summoned top Democrats to the White House to urge them to stick to his legislative timetable - he wants the House and the Senate to pass bills before the August recess - and appeared in the Rose Garden to cast himself as a kind of sheriff who had just come back to town."
"Healthcare costs for U.S. businesses are seen rising by 9 percent in 2010, according to a PricewaterhouseCoopers PWC.UL survey, which showed that employers will expect workers to pay more of the bill," Reuters reports. "PwC"s annual "Behind the Numbers: Medical Costs Trends for 2010," released on Thursday, showed that one of the factors driving costs was more workers using health insurance plans if they expected to be laid off. And, it showed that as unemployment rises in the United States, leaving more people uninsured or underinsured, there will be a decline in membership in commercial plans and greater dependence on public programs, such as Medicaid." Of the 500 employers surveyed, 42 percent said they "would increase workers" share of healthcare costs," and 41 percent that they "would increase medical cost sharing through changes to plans." In addition, "more than two-thirds of employers offer wellness and disease management programs, but few said they were very effective at lowering costs."
NICE today welcomed the Office for Life Sciences new Blueprint to support the life sciences industry, which will also improve patient access to innovative new drugs.
President Obama on Monday nominated Alabama family physician Regina Benjamin, founder of the Bayou La Batre Rural Health Clinic, to be the U.S. surgeon general, the AP/Detroit Free Press reports (Neergaard, AP/Detroit Free Press, 7/13). Benjamin"s clinic serves a low-income community of about 2,500 and has earned a national reputation treating all patients, regardless of their ability to pay. Benjamin founded the clinic in 1990 and repeatedly rebuilt it after two hurricanes and a fire (Zhang, Wall Street Journal, 7/14). In 2008, she received one of the MacArthur Foundation"s $500,000 "genius grants" (Lloyd, USA Today, 7/14). In 1995, Benjamin became the first black woman to be elected to the American Medical Association Board of Trustees. Benjamin also has served as associate dean for rural health at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine (Bellantoni, Washington Times, 7/13). In 2002, she became president of the Medical Association of the State of Alabama, making her the first black woman to be president of a state medical society (Mostrous/Shear, Washington Post, 7/14).Benjamin is a "devout Roman Catholic," according to the New York Times. The administration did not disclose her views on abortion. Benjamin routinely prescribes oral contraceptives, but the clinic does not have the facilities to perform abortions, according to nurse Audrey Bosarge, a colleague of Benjamin"s (Harris, New York Times, 7/14). In his announcement, Obama said Benjamin understands the needs of the low-income and uninsured U.S. residents, which makes her uniquely qualified to serve as surgeon general during health care overhaul negotiations (Wall Street Journal, 7/14). In accepting the nomination, Benjamin vowed to ensure that "no one falls through the cracks as we improve our health care system." Benjamin"s nomination requires Senate confirmation (AP/Detroit Free Press, 7/13).
Boehringer Ingelheim and AmeriCares Free Clinics announced the opening of a new, expanded clinic in Danbury to serve the medical needs of the working poor at a time when demand for such services is higher than ever due to economic pressures.
On 2 July, based on scientific advice, the UK moved to a new "treatment" phase in our response to the current swine flu pandemic.
People with mental health problems could find themselves without adequate help and support under proposals set out in today"s green paper on adult social care, warns leading mental health charity Rethink.
Young American-raised Asian and Pacific Islanders (API), who are in the sexual minority, face psychological and social stresses in dealing with their families" values and ancestral cultures that significantly impact the development of their ethnic and sexual identities.
The 2009 Interventional Radiology Coding Users" Guide, a comprehensive re for endovascular and interventional procedures and services, is now available in both book and CD formats. This unique reference is made available by the Society of Interventional Radiology, a national organization of physicians, scientists and allied health professionals dedicated to improving public health through disease management and minimally invasive, image-guided therapeutic interventions.
U.S. House of Representative Democrats unveiled their bill for health care reform - the America"s Affordable Health Care Choice of 2009. In response, National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) Executive Vice President and CEO Bruce T. Roberts, RPh, issued the following statement:
New data show that Medicare beneficiaries registered to use My Health Manager, Kaiser Permanente"s personal health record, are overwhelmingly satisfied with using the Internet to manage their health care online. Results from the recent Kaiser Permanente survey examining Web site usage and Medicare beneficiary satisfaction were presented today at the World Health Care Congress" 5th Annual Leadership Summit on Medicare in Washington, D.C.
St. Jude Medical, Inc. (NYSE:STJ) announced Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approval of its Libra® and LibraXP™ deep brain stimulation (DBS) systems for treating the symptoms of Parkinson"s disease, a neurological disorder that progressively diminishes a person"s control over his or her movements.
Roche Diagnostics launches campaign to promote widest panel of assays on an automated serum work area platform
Scientists have found a way to identify breast cancer patients at risk of heart disease after radiotherapy, according to a report published yesterday.
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today released new data from the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample -- the largest, all-payer emergency department database in the United States. The Nationwide Emergency Department Sample is designed to help public health experts, policymakers, health care administrators, researchers, journalists and others find the data they need to answer questions about care that occurs in U.S. hospital emergency departments.
Based on the data presented, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee (ODAC) recommended that the combination of trabectedin when administered with DOXIL(R) (doxorubicin HCI liposome injection) did not provide a sufficient benefit-risk profile for the treatment of relapsed ovarian cancer.
Health reform may succeed in creating better coverage and access for Americans, but until we reduce the barriers to proper medication adherence, many patients will not experience improved health, according to experts meeting today to discuss the challenges of adherence.
Most children who suffer from chronic daily headache may outgrow the disabling condition, according to research published in the July 15, 2009, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Nearly 1.5 percent of middle school children are affected by chronic daily headache, which includes chronic migraines and tension-type headaches.
Commenting on news that Lord Ara Darzi will stand down as a government minister, Dr Peter Carter, Chief Executive of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), paid tribute to his contribution to the health service. He said:
Target, the second-largest U.S. discount retailer, and Kelly Services, a temporary worker agency, said "they may support Wal-Mart Stores Inc."s call for mandatory medical insurance by large companies as part of a proposed overhaul of U.S. health care," Bloomberg reports. Wal-Mart, the nation"s largest retailer, favors the employer mandate, a position that has drawn fire form the industry"s main trade group, the National Retail Federation. "The positions of the two companies signal a widening split in the business community over the issue, a core element of President Barack Obama"s proposed changes."
An overhaul of the U.S. health care system would probably help maintain improvements already made in Iowa, Gov. Chet Culver and other health advocates said Tuesday, according to the Des Moines Register.
Newly nominated Surgeon General Regina Benjamin has a "tall order" ahead of her being "[c]hief health educator" of the U.S., "and, if confirmed, she will have to talk to us all in terms we plainly understand," Lorraine Teel, executive director of the Minnesota AIDS Project, writes in a Minneapolis Star Tribune opinion piece. She adds, "But when it comes to unintended pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases and AIDS, the message becomes more difficult" than messages related to nutrition and obesity. Teel says that "former Surgeon Generals tried to educate us," on HIV/AIDS, such as Surgeon General C. Everett Koop, but he "was prevented from speaking frankly." Teel continues, "Let"s hope that this Surgeon General"s administration sounds the alarm, loud and clear, about HIV. A major factor in why we are not winning the battle against AIDS is because we have been forced to only politely talk about risk" (7/1).
Pregnant women and newborns are at greatest risk in a flu epidemic, but more planning must be done to ensure that they receive priority treatment should an outbreak occur, according to a University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) and University of Pittsburgh study. The findings, published online in Emerging Health Threats Journal, raise concerns about the ability of hospitals to adequately treat this vulnerable population, particularly in light of the current H1N1 flu outbreak.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholars Program® is pleased to announce the selection of 29 young physicians who will learn to conduct innovative research and work with communities, organizations, practitioners and policy-makers on issues important to the health and well-being of all Americans. They will begin their prestigious two-year fellowships in July 2010.
Array BioPharma Inc. (NASDAQ: ARRY) announced the filing of an investigational new drug (IND) application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to initiate a Phase 1 clinical trial in cancer patients with its most advanced wholly owned MEK inhibitor, ARRY-162. Recent research confirms that the MEK pathway acts as a central axis in the proliferation of different tumors including melanoma, non-small cell lung, head/neck and pancreatic cancers. Array plans to simultaneously develop ARRY-162 for the treatment of both cancer and inflammatory disease. Array is currently completing a worldwide Phase 2, double-blinded clinical trial with ARRY-162 in 200 patients with active rheumatoid arthritis.
For parents, summer is the ideal time to ensure college students are prepared academically and financially for campus life. From selecting courses to buying textbooks, there are a number of decisions to be made; however, one important decision - health insurance - is often overlooked. As part of the college preparation process, Aetna (NYSE: AET) encourages parents to also consider their student"s health insurance options before heading off to school.
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today released the second in a series of health care success story reports that document innovative programs and initiatives that can serve as models for a reformed American health care system. Today"s report highlights the Nebraska WISEWOMAN program. WISEWOMAN is a community intervention program funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that helps prevent heart disease and stroke by providing screenings and counseling for low-income women. The report is available at http://www.healthreform.gov.
Four major US national laboratories have worked together to develop a computer model to help airport authorities screen passengers for pandemic influenza. The tool can help estimate false negatives, people with influenza who slip through the screening process, and so assess the risk of infected passengers unknowingly spreading disease across the nation.
Springer Science+Business Media is offering all journal articles which deal with the H1N1 virus, or swine flu, free of charge on its online information platform http://www.springerlink.com. The articles can be found by using the search term "H1N1." A total of 318 scientific articles will be available to print out or download from now until 31 December 2009.
In a bold move to back the research projects of the future, the Bupa Foundation is making financial support available for pilot and exploratory studies to encourage researchers to get their projects off the ground.
Diabetes patients taking NovoLog® (insulin aspart [rDNA origin] injection) can now use the insulin in their pump for up to six days following the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of a labeling change, diabetes care company Novo Nordisk announced today.[i] The previous label allowed for NovoLog® to be stored in the pump reservoir for two days. This makes NovoLog® the first and only rapid-acting insulin with this extended in-use time.
Advanced Therapeutics & Co. (ADVTX) announced that Fibrinoplate-S™ has shown efficacy in reducing the bleeding in animals exposed to extreme doses of radiation. Survivors of a nuclear event or a dirty bomb explosion will have similar damage from the ionizing radiation of such bombs.
Approximately two-thirds of the 1.5 million Americans living with lupus will develop some type of skin disease. Lupus is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system is unbalanced causing it to become destructive to any organ and tissue in the body. Skin disease in lupus can cause rashes or sores (lesions), most of which will appear on sun-exposed areas, such as a person"s face, ears, neck, arms, and legs. In addition, 40-70 percent of people with systemic lupus will find that their disease is made worse by exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays from sunlight or artificial light. For this and other reasons, people with lupus are advised to take steps to protect themselves from exposure to UV light.
Spectranetics Corporation (Nasdaq: SPNC) reported the first human procedures using its Turbo-Tandem™ System, which had earlier received FDA clearance and CE mark approval for marketing in the US and the EU. The Turbo-Tandem System is a single-use, disposable device indicated for atherectomy of infrainguinal arteries. It is comprised of two integrated catheters, a 7 French laser guide catheter in combination with a 2.0mm excimer laser ablation catheter, and is designed to perform atherectomy and ablation of plaque in arterial lesions above the knee, primarily within the superficial femoral and popliteal arteries.
Accelr8 Technology Corporation (NYSE Amex:AXK) announced the start of a comprehensive study that integrates its BACcel™ test methods using respiratory clinical specimens from ICU patients. Accelr8"s scientists had previously developed each of its test methods using cultured strains. Development then progressed to clinical specimens, focused on optimizing each individual step. The next stage of combining the steps begins with the new study. The study will test ICU respiratory specimens and compare results with those from standard culturing methods (the "gold standard" for testing). Study completion will constitute a major technical milestone toward commercialization.
Cook Medical has received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market its newest balloon dilatation catheter, the Advance® 35LP. The device is intended for use in patients with lesions in the femoral, iliac and renal arteries and rounds out Cook"s complete line of low-profile PTA balloons.
Elderly Medicare beneficiaries are more satisfied with their health care, and experience fewer problems accessing and paying for care, than Americans with employer-sponsored insurance (ESI), according to a study by Commonwealth Fund researchers published May 12 on the Health Affairs Web site. If given the opportunity, many adults under age 65 would likely select a public health insurance option, say lead author Karen Davis, president of the Commonwealth Fund, and colleagues.
Dr. Zsuzsanna Nagy of the University of Birmingham presented data from a clinical study, funded by Cytox Limited, demonstrating that a simple blood-based biomarker discriminated between patients with Alzheimer"s disease (AD) and control subjects. The findings were statistically highly significant, and the test discriminated between the two groups with 80% sensitivity and 80% specificity. The results also showed that 40% of the mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients tested had the same test results as AD patients. Follow up study of MCI patients enrolled in an earlier study found that the test allowed early identification of those MCI patients who later developed dementia. The results were presented at the 2009 Alzheimer"s Association International Conference on Alzheimer"s Disease (ICAD 2009), held in Vienna, Austria.
Americans are unsure that a healthcare reform bill introduced this week is the solution to problems with the U.S. healthcare system, according to a poll created and commissioned by a public policy expert at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.
Rep. Joe Pitts (R-Pa.) said he plans to introduce an amendment to the House health care overhaul bill (HR 3200) that would prohibit insurers from being required to cover abortion, unless the woman"s life is at risk or the pregnancy is a result of rape or incest, CQ Today reports. Pitts said he will offer the amendment Thursday at the first House Energy and Commerce Committee mark-up session.The House bill would authorize the Obama administration to craft minimum benefit standards for health insurance plans, CQ Today reports. President Obama has said that he considers reproductive health care an essential service. Democrats say Republicans are trying to expand the Hyde amendment"s exclusion on using federal Medicaid funding to cover abortion to all health care services. Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), vice chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee, said, "I think that if anti-choice Republicans or others see this as an opportunity to expand prohibitions on a legally allowed and medically appropriate practice, then they are wrong." She added, "We are not going to use the health care bill to expand prohibitions on a legal medical practice, period." Pitts, Rep. Christopher Smith (R-N.J.) and other supporters of the amendment say it is necessary to block the administration from requiring abortion coverage. The committee has blocked three of Smith"s abortion-related amendments so far this year (Wayne, CQ Today, 7/15).
"Key senators say they want to force the health insurance industry to pay as much as $100 billion toward the 10-year cost of the health care overhaul sought by President Obama," CQ Politics reports. The fees would come on top of a variety of other potential provisions that will change the landscape of their industry, from the requirement that insurers cover people with pre-existing conditions to a government-run plan meant to compete with insurers. The fee may appear in a Finance Committee version of the reform plan that hasn"t been released yet. That committee is responsible for finding ways to pay for the overhaul.
Georgetown Policy Report: Long-Term Care in Health Care Reform: Policy Options to Improve Both - Policy - Long-term care reform belongs in health care reform -- "The well-being and financial security of families depend not only on access to affordable medical services, but also on access to affordable, reliable long-term care - the daily assistance and supports that many individuals need because of serious medical conditions or disabilities." This policy brief presents four policy options that merit serious consideration in the current health care reform discussion. ... The first two options would improve long-term care for people with low incomes and limited financial res. These options would modernize Medicaid in important ways, tailoring services better to individual needs and using res more effectively. The third and fourth options aim to strengthen long-term care protections for the broader population; one with better coordination of medical and long-term care for Medicare enrollees; the other by establishing insurance protection for people of all ages and incomes" (Komisar, Tumlinson, Feder, Burke, 7/16). (Note: KHN"s coverage of aging and long term care issues is supported by a grant from The SCAN Foundation.)
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has awarded AIDS Services of Austin a five-year, $1.6 million grant to fund a program targeting black residents who were recently incarcerated, the Austin Business Journal reports. The grant will be used to create Project Fresh Start, a substance abuse and HIV prevention program aimed at black adults in Travis County who were released from prison or jail in the last two years. The program is set to launch in September. "An estimated 9,000 people will be served during the lifetime of the project," according to the Business Journal (7/15).
US researchers have discovered the molecular mechanisms by which the human body metabolizes selenium, a trace element that plays an essential
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press has launched a new monthly publication, Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology, that provides comprehensive, systematically structured surveys of research in exciting areas of molecular and cellular biology, genetics, developmental biology, neuroscience, cancer biology, and molecular pathology.
More than 43,000 children are injured in bathtubs and showers every year, mostly from slips and falls, according to the study, "Injuries Associated With Bathtubs and Showers Among Children in the United States." While bathtub injuries associated with tap water burns and submersions have generated much research, this is the first study using nationally representative data to look at injuries from slips and falls, which are responsible for the majority of bathtub injuries. Using data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission from 1990 to 2007, researchers evaluated an estimated 791,200 bathtub- and shower-related injuries during the 18-year study period among children 18 years old and younger who were treated in U.S. emergency departments.
Newly announced National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding will expand the reach of ongoing University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) research into a unique nanostructured coating to improve the performance and longevity of total joint replacement components. The broadened UAB research opportunity is funded by a four-year, $790,931 National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant through the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS).
Scientists at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center have found that playing active video games can be as effective for children as moderate exercise. The findings appear this week in the journal Pediatrics from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Following Gordon Brown"s meeting at Downing Street with Britain"s top drinks industry executives he called for them to harness their considerable marketing powers to drive for change in social norm and cultural attitudes towards alcohol in the UK. This has resulted in Project "N" - a collaboration of the not inconsiderable res of top companies throughout the UK.
Clarithromycin is currently one of the antibiotics used for eradication of Helicobacter pylori. However, reports of H. pylori resistance to this antibiotic are increasing worldwide. Clarithromycin resistance has been attributed to the presence of mutations in the 23S rRNA gene, a component of the ribosome that is the protein manufacturing machinery of all living cells. There is little information on the prevalence and characteristics of clarithromycin resistance in H. pylori strains isolated from Malaysian patients.
An upcoming G&D paper reveals how two specific matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) proteins contribute to bone metastasis in advanced breast cancer - lending important new insight into the design of clinically useful small molecule inhibitors.
A single evolutionary event appears to explain the short, curved legs that characterize all of today"s dachshunds, corgis, basset hounds and at least 16 other breeds of dogs, a team led by the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), part of the National Institutes of Health, report. In addition to what it reveals about short-legged dogs, the unexpected discovery provides new clues about how physical differences may arise within species and suggests new approaches to understanding a form of human dwarfism.
THIS month, Cancer Research UK is set to unveil a brand new national television ad campaign to raise awareness and increase donations for vital research into cancer.
Nearly 90 per cent of people in the UK back proposals to stop under 18s from using sunbeds according to a new survey by Cancer Research UK.
New perspectives in the treatment of disease
Respiratory infectious diseases continue to be a huge and rising burden to health-care systems and societies worldwide. Published by Wiley-Blackwell, the latest issue of Respirology includes an invited review series focused on infectious pulmonary diseases.
Bone fractures might heal faster if the patient is injected with medications. This is the outcome of a unique study of 102 women with wrist fractures.
Highly intelligent adults with Asperger Syndrome still have difficulties in day-to-day social interaction. These difficulties may be explained by "mindblindness", the idea that they are unable to predict what other people will do by thinking about their mental states, that is, their knowledge and beliefs. If this is true then why do people with Asperger syndrome pass all the standard tests of mental state attribution? Is the theory wrong or are the tests insensitive? This study reports evidence from eye movements, that adults with Asperger Syndrome do not spontaneously anticipate another person"s behaviour on the basis of that person"s mental state. This is in stark contrast with typical adults, and even young toddlers.
Hospitals across Canada are seeking ways to free up beds. University of Alberta researcher Donna Wilson has a suggestion: people should be encouraged to die at home rather than in hospital.
"In a move that caught many public health experts by surprise, the WHO quietly announced Thursday that it would stop tracking swine flu cases and deaths around the world," the New York Times reports. According to the newspaper, the announcement "perplexed some experts, and even baffled a WHO spokesman, Gregory Hartl," who "earlier in the day ò€¦ had confirmed Argentina, with 137 swine flu deaths since June, had surpassed Mexico, where the epidemic began in February, as the country with second largest number of swine flu deaths." While the last WHO updated indicated nearly 95,000 people worldwide had been infected with H1N1, "[m]any epidemiologists have pointed out that, in reality, millions of people have had swine flu, usually in a mild form, so the numbers of laboratory-confirmed cases were actually meaningless" while tests "overwhelmed national laboratories," according to the New York Times (McNeil, 7/16).
IAS Conference Blog; Lancet Profiles Incoming Executive Director
CDC"s latest Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) examines the sexual health of young adults and teenagers in the U.S., Reuters reports. "The data presented in this report indicate that many young persons in the United States engage in sexual risk behavior and experience negative reproductive health outcomes," the MMWR states (7/16). For the report, CDC compiled data from several different studies involving hundreds of thousands of teenagers and young adults age 10 to 25. Among other findings, the data indicated that AIDS rates among boys age 15 to 19 increased from 1.3 cases per 100,000 in 1997 to 2.5 cases in 2006. The report also said that new HIV and AIDS diagnoses were highest among young blacks across all age groups (Chicago Tribune, 7/17). Kevin Fenton, director of CDC"s National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention, said, "It is imperative that all of us at the national and community level work together to ensure STD and HIV prevention programs are reaching young people, particularly in communities with the greatest burden of disease" (Brewington, "Picture of Health," Baltimore Sun, 7/16).
Hebrew SeniorLife has received a $105,000 grant from the Tufts Health Plan Foundation for the expansion and implementation of three evidence-based healthy aging programs designed to disseminate preventive health-related information to seniors in the community.
The American Hospital Association announces the 2009-2010 class of Patient Safety Leadership Fellows. Thirteen individuals have been selected to participate in this year"s fellowship class.
The American Nurses Association (ANA) reached out to lawmakers Friday, with a letter in support of H.R. 3200 "America"s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009." After a contingent from ANA took part in a Rose Garden press conference with President Obama July 15th, ANA set out to engage lawmakers, nurses, and other health professionals across the country to voice their commitment to real healthcare reform.
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 Bovie"s BOSS for surgical applications where soft tissue bipolar coagulation is desired. The BOSS is the latest generation device based on Bovie"s saline enhanced sintered steel technology.
Cytori Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CYTX) was informed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that the Celution® 700 System will be regulated as a medical device under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. This determination, in response to Cytori"s Request for Designation, clears the way for Cytori to compile and submit a marketing application to the FDA for the Celution® 700 System for use as a medical device in aesthetic body contouring and/or filling of soft tissue voids.
The prevalence of heart disease and certain key risk factors - hypertension, diabetes, and obesity - are increasing in all age groups and most income groups in Canada found a new study published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) http://www.cmaj.ca/press/cmaj081629.pdf. This study, which looked at national data from 1994 to 2005, encompassed people aged 12 years and older sampling from Canadians of all socioeconomic and ethnic groups. Risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, and obesity increased most rapidly among younger people between 12 to 50 years of age.
People have the opportunity to have their eyes checked with one-of-a-kind equipment for free, while helping to solve the mystery behind the leading cause of blindness in Australia. Even people with healthy eyes, aged 50 and over, are being encouraged to participate in the Queensland University of Technology study. Eye specialist and QUT researcher Dr Beatrix Feigl is embarking on the study to detect the early signs of age-related macular degeneration, a disease that progressively causes vision loss.
Family doctors in Northern Ireland moved to allay fears over the swine flu virus.
In an appearance on "Fox News Sunday," White House Office of Management and Budget Director Peter Orszag said that he is "not prepared to say explicitly" whether health care reform legislation would prohibit the use of federal tax revenue to fund abortion coverage, the New York Times reports. Orszag"s statement came in reply to a question asking whether he was prepared to say that "no taxpayer money will go to pay for abortions." Orszag said, "It"s obviously a controversial issue, and it"s one of the questions that is playing out in the debate" (Pear/Liptak, New York Times, 7/20).Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.), who also appeared on "Fox News Sunday," said, "No matter what your views are on abortion, you shouldn"t ask people to use their tax dollars if they think that abortion is taking a life." Gregg added, "I would hate to see the health care debate go down over that issue. We do really need health care reform, and it has to be substantive. ... So hopefully we won"t get ourselves wrapped around the wheel of abortion in this debate" (FoxNews.com, 7/19). According to the Times, there is an ongoing behind-the-scenes debate over handling abortion coverage in health overhaul legislation. The debate affects both the public insurance plan the legislation would create and private insurers, who would receive tens of billions of dollars in federal subsidies to expand coverage for low- and moderate-income U.S. residents. A provision in the House health reform bill (HR 3200) calls for a federal advisory committee to advise the HHS secretary on an "essential benefits package" that most insurers would be required to provide. Abortion-rights opponents want abortion coverage excluded from the package, while abortion-rights advocates say the decision should be left to medical professionals. House committees working on health reform legislation have rejected Republican amendments that would have restricted abortion coverage. The Hyde Amendment, first enacted in 1976, prohibits the use of federal Medicaid money for abortion services. However, abortion-rights opponents argue that federally subsidized coverage of the uninsured would not be subject to the existing restrictions. The National Right to Life Committee issued an analysis of the House bill, stating, "There is no doubt that coverage of abortion will be mandated, unless Congress explicitly excludes abortion from the scope of federal authority to define "essential benefits."" According to the group, even if the HHS secretary did not require abortion coverage, "federal courts would interpret the broadly worded mandatory categories of coverage to include abortion" (New York Times, 7/20).