Sexual Health
This week, Swiss researchers presented positive data from an ongoing Phase II clinical study at the American Thoracic Society (ATS) International Conference that compared PARI Pharma"s inhaled IsoCrom, an isotonic 1% disodium cromoglycate (DSCG) solution, to inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) in 28 children with atopic asthma. Results showed decreases in mean asthma symptom scores without a change in lung function for both groups. These results were achieved with IsoCrom administered via a customized small droplet Investigational eFlow Nebulizer System designed to deliver drugs to the deep lungs. One of the benefits of DSCG is the long track record as an extremely safe drug.
Alkermes, Inc. (NASDAQ: ALKS) announced the initiation of two new clinical trials of ALKS 33, an oral opioid modulator for the potential treatment of addiction and other nervous system disorders. Study ALK33-004 is a phase 1 clinical trial designed to examine the ability of ALKS 33 to block the effects of an opioid following a single oral dose of ALKS 33 in healthy, non-dependent, opioid-experienced subjects. Study ALK33-003 is a phase 1 clinical trial designed to evaluate the pharmacokinetics, safety and tolerability of multiple doses of ALKS 33 in healthy volunteers.
The fitness mantra - Activity, Belief, Confidence, Diet and Exercise.
"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).
Spiration, Inc., a developer of novel medical devices designed to benefit patients with severe and chronic conditions of the lung, presented results of two analyses of methods used for evaluating U.S. Pilot Study effectiveness of bronchial valve treatment for severe emphysema at the annual American Thoracic Society (ATS) International conference taking place in San Diego May 15 to 22, 2009.
A new species of yeast has been discovered deep in the Amazon jungle. In a paper published on-line in FEMS Yeast Research, IFR scientists and colleagues from Pontificia Universidad CatÃölica del Ecuador describe the novel characteristics of Candida carvajalis sp. nov.
Impax Laboratories, Inc. (NASDAQ: IPXL) confirmed that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted approval of the Company"s Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for generic versions of Precose® Tablets (acarbose), 25 mg, 50 mg and 100 mg strengths. Precose®, a Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals product, is used in the management of type two diabetes mellitus.
Women"s reproductive and lifestyle characteristics can be linked to different invasive breast cancer subtypes. Data on 2544 breast cancer cases, presented in the open access journal Breast Cancer Research, suggests that traditional risk factors for development of the condition are associated with different kinds of tumor.
There is currently no suitable replacement for the irreversibly damaged temporomandibular joint (TMJ) discs after discectomy. In this study, we designed a TMJ disc shaped scaffold of biodegradable polylactide and combined it with adipose stem cells (ASCs).
Genomic Health, Inc. (Nasdaq: GHDX) announced positive results from the landmark QUASAR validation study, which demonstrated that the Oncotype DX(R) colon cancer test can independently predict individual recurrence risk in stage II colon cancer patients following surgery. Importantly, the Oncotype DX colon cancer Recurrence Score(R) provided additional independent clinical value beyond standard measures. The study showed that the colon cancer Recurrence Score maintained significance (p=0.008), independent of mismatch repair (MMR), also known as MSI (Microsatellite Instability), T-stage, nodes examined, grade and lymphovascular invasion.
In a few weeks, Delaware Valley Institute of Fertility & Genetics (DVIF&G) will celebrate our first successful birth as a result of our SEEDS® program.
The performance of a new diagnostic test platform that rapidly identifies Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus, "staph") bacteremia and determines antibiotic resistance or susceptibility in as little as five hours was presented at the 109th General Meeting of the American Society of Microbiology in Philadelphia, PA this week.
Taro Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. ("Taro," the "Company," Pink Sheets: TAROF) reported that its Canadian manufacturing site has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") for its Abbreviated New Drug Application ("ANDA") for Sulfacetamide Sodium Topical Suspension USP, 10% (lotion) ("sulfacetamide sodium lotion").
-- 0 confirmed cases in Wales.
Vaginal thrush (thrush) is a yeast infection caused by a type of fungus of the candida species, usually Candida albicans. It can affect all women, but is more common among women who are pregnant, those who have weakened immune systems, and women aged 30 to 50. Thrush is generally recurring - it comes back. The fungus, candida albicans, exists naturally in the vagina. As long as it does not multiply too much a woman will not notice it is there. However, if can sometimes multiply to such an extent that it causes swelling of the vagina and vulva.
Alzheimer imaging aficionados thronged to back-to-back meetings held recently in Seattle for a preview of the latest data from the Alzheimer"s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). Launched in the fall of 2004 and set to conclude next year, the $64-million ADNI is comparing imaging methods and fluid biomarkers in the same set of people to determine which measures can best predict and track Alzheimer-disease clinical changes over time. The project is approaching the homestretch of data collection. By the fall of 2010, ADNI scientists will have collected three years of longitudinal data from more than 800 participants (about 200 normal, 400 with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and 200 with Alzheimer disease) at 59 U.S. and Canadian sites. The Seattle meetings featured preliminary analysis of the one-year data.
VIA Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: VIAP), a biotechnology company focused on the development of compounds for the treatment of cardiovascular and metabolic disease, announced that it has completed enrollment in a Phase 2 clinical trial of its lead drug, VIA-2291 in patients who have experienced an acute coronary syndrome event such as a heart attack or unstable angina. The randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled study examines the impact of VIA-2291 on plaque inflammation as measured by Positron Emission Tomography with fluorodeoxyglucose tracer (FDG-PET), as well as other standard biomarkers of inflammation, over 24 weeks following such an acute event. A total of 52 patients have been enrolled in the study, which is expected to report data in the second half of 2009.
Between 20 and 70 percent of Canadians affected by mental illness shun medical treatment. Such avoidance of services provided by doctors and psychologists is particularly acute among men, according to a recent study published in the Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that there is a "global need for more systemic surveillance of influenza viruses
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.
Today, fifteen new research projects aimed at bringing innovative medicines to market faster have been selected to receive 246 million Euros from the European Commission and the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA), of which the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association (IPHA) is a member. The projects will foster understanding of health issues such as diabetes, pain, severe asthma and psychiatric disorders while increasing medicine safety. They will also help improve the training of researchers and clinicians involved in medicines development. The projects were chosen following the first call for proposals launched within the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI), a public-private partnership - so called Joint Technology Initiative - between the European Commission and the pharmaceutical industry.
Today Macmillan Cancer Support has released shocking new statistics from its survey to launch its Sex and Cancer campaign that aims to break the silence surrounding the impact cancer has on sexual relationships. The surprising and funny viral featuring sex guru, Sabina Pleasure, is a way to get people talking about this really difficult issue. It accompanies the Sex and Cancer campaign which encourages people to talk about the impact of cancer on their sexual relationships.
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.
Almost 90% of diabetic patients invited to attend a routine diabetic eye screening appointment did so last year.
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/Mç©decins Sans Frontiç¨res (MSF) today.
Researchers with ConvaTec Wound Therapeutics presented a series of in vitro studies demonstrating the advanced features and fluid handling capacity of the company"s proprietary dressings containing Hydrofiber® Technology this week at the 19th Conference of the European Wound Management Association.
A survey among Britain"s 40,000 sufferers from dystonia - a
Mr Secretary General, Madame Director General, Ladies and Gentlemen, we are gathered here today in the shadow of the pandemic influenza threat posed by the Novel A / H1N1 virus.
The number of people diagnosed with the deadliest form of skin cancer has crashed through the 10,000 barrier after an alarming rise in new cases, according to the latest Cancer Research UK figures revealed today.
A new Cochrane Library review confirms that years-long use of a drug called rituximab extends the lifespan of people with one of the milder forms of lymphoma.
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced today that the department will take important steps necessary to prepare for potential commercial-scale production of a candidate vaccine for the novel Influenza A ( H1N1). The Secretary is directing approximately $1 billion in existing funds that will be used for clinical studies that will take place over the summer and for commercial-scale production of two potential vaccine ingredients for the pre-pandemic influenza stockpile.
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.
Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of the sanofi-aventis Group (EURONEXT: SAN and NYSE: SNY), announced it has received the first of what is expected to be a series of orders from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to commence production of a vaccine to help protect against the new influenza A(H1N1) virus.
Our genome is a patchwork of neighborhoods that couldn"t be more different: Some areas are hustling and bustling with gene activity, while others are sparsely populated and in perpetual lock-down. Breaking down just a few of the molecular fences that separate them blurs the lines and leads to the inactivation of at least two tumor suppressor genes, according to researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies.
Most women who are likely to have a bone fracture do not think they are at greater risk, said a leading Italian rheumatologist at a European conference today. This could help to explain why many women do not adhere to preventive treatment.
Health Canada is advising expectant mothers and breastfeeding women not to take the vitamin-mineral supplements Maxum Matragen or Maxum Multi-Vite by Seroyal International Inc. Maxum Multi-Vite has been approved as a vitamin-mineral supplement for only the general public but lacks the required cautionary statement on the label regarding pregnant and/or breast feeding women. The product Maxum Matragen is being promoted by the company as a prenatal supplement; however, neither product has been authorized for sale by Health Canada for use by women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
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.
Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is an aggressive muscle cancer that mostly affects children. The most common forms of RMS are embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma (ERMS) and alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma (ARMS). Although ARMS is less common than ERMS, it is associated with a much higher rate of mortality. A therapy tailored to the ARMS form of RMS is therefore badly needed. A team of researchers, at the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, and Monash Institute of Medical Research, Australia, has now provided hope that it might be possible to develop such a therapy by showing that the protein ILK promotes the growth of ARMS cells, whereas it suppresses the growth of ERMS cells.
In a new study published in Disease Models & Mechanisms, scientists use the zebrafish to gain insight into the influence of known cancer genes on the development and progression of melanoma, an aggressive form of human skin cancer with limited treatment options.
Hospice, a well-established approach to palliative care, has enabled countless people worldwide to die with dignity. Through focusing on the patient rather than the disease, individuals can spend the last weeks of their lives in an environment where hospice caregivers minimize their pain, maximize their comfort, and provide bereavement services for loved ones and family members.
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.
The World Health Organization (WHO) have refuted the suggestion made by Australian virologist Adrian Gibbs that the new A/H1N1 influenza
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As community-acquired infections due to meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) increase, so lethal cases of CA-MRSA pneumonia are also on the rise. A paper in the June edition of looks at the emerging and deadly threat of community-acquired necrotising pneumonia due to CA-MRSA. CA-MRSA pneumonia appears to occur most commonly following an influenza-like illness and may have special relevance given the emergence of H1N1 influenza.
WHO Member States had earlier agreed to shorten the Assembly from nine to five days in order to allow senior officials to return to their home countries to help oversee preparedness for a possible influenza pandemic.
A family-based prevention program designed to help adolescents avoid substance use and other risky behavior proved especially effective for a group of young teens with a genetic risk factor contributing toward such behavior, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Georgia. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), components of the National Institutes of Health, supported the study, which appears in the May/June issue of Child Development.
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).
Driven by rising health care costs at home, nearly 1 million Californians cross the border each year to seek medical care in Mexico, according a new paper by UCLA researchers and colleagues published in the journal Medical Care.
If your child had vision problems, you"d be able to tell, wouldn"t you? Maybe not, says Barry Goldman, M.D., pediatrician at Children"s Health Center in Gurnee.
The potential of using stem cells to treat Alzheimer"s disease and other illnesses will be investigated by Victorian and Californian researchers under a US$22 million (US$28.7 million) collaboration, Innovation Minister Gavin Jennings said recently.
Children entering first grade with signs of depression and anxiety or excessive aggression are at risk of being chronically victimized by their classmates by third grade. That"s the finding of a new longitudinal study that appears in the May/June 2009 issue of the journal Child Development.
Concerns regarding the H1N1 flu strain or the current global economic recession should not take attention away from the long-term fight against HIV/AIDS, Julio Mantaner, head of the International AIDS Society, said recently, VOA News reports. Mantaner said global health issues need to be "put ... into the proper perspective," adding, "No doubt that ... whatever new flu or any other epidemic that may show up the day after tomorrow ... is something that we need to respond to. But it cannot be at the expense of a proven, established killer" like HIV/AIDS. He said that although it is important to remain vigilant in detecting emerging epidemics and infectious diseases, "we"re (doing) ourselves a very serious disservice" when res are taken away from combating HIV/AIDS and given to "the next new potential epidemic."Mantaner said that although it is "clear that we failed to meet original targets" in the global fight against HIV/AIDS, there has been an increase in the number of HIV-positive people in developing countries receiving antiretroviral treatments from about 500,000 in 2003 to more than three million by the end of 2007. In addition, he said that antiretrovirals are "saving lives of people" and "preserving the social network, the family structure ... that is so severely compromised by HIV and AIDS." Despite this progress, Mantaner said that "[w]e need to recognize more [people] are being infected every day by a factor of nearly two than the number of people accessing antiretroviral therapy."Mantaner urged members of the World Health Assembly -- who recently met in Geneva -- to honor HIV/AIDS commitments, noting that the gains in fighting the pandemic cannot be reversed. He said that he is concerned the global recession, worries over the H1N1 flu and other "competing needs or hypothetical epidemics" could lead to donor nations "losing their interest" in fighting HIV/AIDS. Mantaner said that he is disappointed with President Obama"s recent $63 billion, six-year proposed global health initiative, adding that it falls short of his campaign promises. He said that IAS is asking leaders from the Group of Eight industrialized nations to "refocus their efforts" and "meet their commitments." He warned that if the commitments are not met, "[h]istory is going to judge us very harshly," adding, "We"ve been distracted by the epidemic of the day without recognizing that we have a killer within our midst that we can control" (DeCapua, VOA News, 5/21).
Agendia, a world leader in molecular cancer diagnostics, today announced
U.S. Senator Mel Martinez (R-FL) introduced an effort aimed at updating the U.S. Census" current function questions to better improve our nation"s long-term care services and support systems. By replacing a small portion of the survey with standardized function questions used by medical providers, the Disability Data Modernization Act will provide more accurately collected data used for planning the future health care needs of elderly and disabled Americans.
Coconino County Health Department (CCHD) officials announced today the first case of H1N1 (swine) flu in Coconino County. The Arizona Department of Health Services Lab confirmed that a 24 year-old male from the Navajo Nation has tested positive for the illness. The man went to the Tuba City Regional Health Care Corporation Emergency Department with flu-like symptoms and was tested. He is now recovering from the illness.
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).
Madeleine Bordallo, the U.S. delegate from Guam, has introduced legislation that would fund a survey to collect health data from Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, the Pacific Daily News reports. The legislation would amend the Public Health Service Act to fund the survey through HHS.Bordallo said, "Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities are eager to move forward with their efforts to improve public health. This scientific survey would establish baseline health information to inform health policy and interventions so that individual and community health can be properly tracked and evaluated." According to the Daily News, while federal agencies should be collecting data on native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders separately from Asian-Americans, most have not done so (Limtiaco, Pacific Daily News, 5/26).
President Obama on Wednesday said he would review potential Supreme Court nominees to replace retiring Justice David Souter over the weekend, prompting those involved with the process to believe he will make an announcement within days, the Washington Post reports. Obama was speaking to a group of senators that included Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Judiciary Committee Chair Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and the committee"s ranking Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.). According to White House spokesperson Robert Gibbs, Obama told the senators that he "would choose a nominee who respects the Constitution and judicial precedent and also has the good judgment and common sense to reach fair decisions" (Murray, Washington Post, 5/14). Although a list of six to eight potential names has been circulating in public, a White House official said an official pick is not likely to be announced before Memorial Day (Weisman, Wall Street Journal, 5/14).During the meeting, the president also urged senators to act quickly during the confirmation hearing so the new justice is confirmed prior to the court"s next session, which begins in October. Obama told Reid that the goal was to hold the confirmation vote before the Senate leaves for its summer recess, for which the official adjournment date is Aug. 7 (Washington Post, 5/14). However, Republican members at the meeting "poured cold water on that idea," the Journal reports. According to McConnell, 60 days usually passes between the naming of a nominee and the first confirmation hearing in the Judiciary Committee. According to the Journal, Obama is aiming to avoid partisan controversy over the summer and "ease his choice onto the court." Obama "got a lift" from Sessions during the meeting when the senator indicated that a filibuster attempt is not in the works, the Journal reports (Weisman, Wall Street Journal, 5/14).Court Watchers Say Next Pick Likely To Be a WomanWhile there has been much speculation on who will be nominated, court watchers have said Souter"s successor likely will be a woman, as the "lack of women [on the court] is widely perceived as the gap that most needs to be addressed," the Journal reports. Advocates for a female nominee argue that the need for a woman on the court is not only a matter of perception. Hannah Brenner, executive director of the University of Texas Center for Women in Law, said that the U.S. and the court benefit from justices with differing experiences and viewpoints. She added that "there is no one who can argue there is not (an) overwhelming number of qualified women who could be nominated to the court" (Forsyth, Wall Street Journal, 5/14).NPR"s "All Things Considered" reports that a list of potential nominees circulating in the public includes the following names: Sonia Sotomayor, a federal appeals judge in New York; Diane Wood of Chicago"s federal appeals court; Elena Kagan, the new solicitor general and former Harvard Law School dean; Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D); and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. Merrick Garland of the Washington, D.C., federal appeals court is the only male included on the list. The "triumvirate mentioned most often" is Sotomayor, Wood and Kagan, "All Things Considered" reports (Totenberg, "All Things Considered," NPR, 5/13).However, some critics -- namely conservatives -- say that there is danger in using gender or race as the primary criteria for selecting a nominee, arguing that such an approach could cause justices to believe they need to reflect the views of a particular group instead of act as a neutral figure. Stephen Presser, a legal historian at Northwestern University, said, "You have to be very careful of having the court be a representative body and thinking about it in political terms, because that weakens the rule of law." Deborah Rhode, director of the Center on the Legal Profession at Stanford University, said that studies show a justice"s legal ideology to be a greater predictor of decisions than his or
Mountain climbers and adventurers who aspire to ascent Mount Everest have more information on immune function and the onset of acute mountain sickness (AMS), thanks to research presented today at the 56th Annual Meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine in Seattle. A team of medical students climbed to Everest Base Camp in order to find physical factors that would reveal information about illness severity in association with immune and hormonal responses to high-altitude exposure.
Diabetes rates have risen sharply in developed countries in the wake of the obesity epidemic, and an estimated 30 million Europeans live with the condition. Foot problems are the most common cause of admission to hospital for diabetics, who are at risk of serious complications such as nerve damage and problems with the blood supply to their feet. Both conditions can lead to slow-healing wounds and foot ulcers which, if they get infected and become gangrenous, can lead to amputation.
"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.
Even though a significant improvement is evident in the care of patients with diabetes over the last ten years, they are not considered as a direct result of the quality and outcomes framework, considered as the method that rewards UK general practices to ensure quality care.
Despite the well-known benefits of having a lifestyle that includes physical activity, eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables, maintaining a healthy weight, moderate alcohol use and not smoking, only a small proportion of adults follow this healthy lifestyle pattern, and in fact, the numbers are declining, according to an article published in the June 2009 issue of The American Journal of Medicine. Lifestyle choices are associated with the risk of cardiovascular disease as well as diabetes.
A group of fertility experts, who pioneered the development of Preimplantation Genetic Screening (PGS), are sharing the step-by-step best practices and explaining what errors can be made along the way.
An international team of scientists studying a rare genetic disease discovered that a bundle of proteins with the long-established function of keeping chromosomes together also plays an important role in regulating genes in humans.
Senesco Technologies, Inc. ("Senesco" or the "Company") (NYSE Amex: SNT) announced that Richard Dondero, Vice President of Research and Development, will be presenting pre-clinical data from Senesco"s multiple myeloma studies at the 12th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Gene Therapy, which is being held at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, CA, from Wednesday, May 27th through to Saturday, May 30th, 2009. Mr. Dondero will be presenting in the afternoon session on Thursday, May 28th.
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.
Amgen (Nasdaq: AMGN) announced the results of a national Harris Interactive, Inc. survey indicating that the vast majority of oncologists and infectious disease (ID) specialists are highly concerned about the negative impact infection may have on treatment outcomes in chemotherapy patients, as well as emerging antibiotic resistance. Nearly all oncologists surveyed (92 percent) believe it is important for cancer patients to prevent infections to achieve successful treatment outcomes. Antibiotic resistance is a growing concern among the majority of physicians surveyed, with 96 percent of ID specialists and 79 percent of oncologists reporting an increase in antibiotic-resistant infections in cancer patients over the past five years. Both groups of physicians report methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections as the most commonly observed in chemotherapy patients.
The incidence of cardiovascular disease is rising due to factors such as ageing, obesity, smoking and other cardiac ailments. Each year cardiovascular diseases cause over 4.3 million deaths, accounting for 48 per cent of all mortalities in Europe.
More people in the Atlanta area and across the U.S. are delaying pregnancy in a possible reaction to the current economic recession, leading to a decline in the number of couples seeking infertility treatments, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. According to the Journal-Constitution, 13 states saw a decrease in the number of recorded births in 2008 compared with 2007. The Georgia Hospital Association reports that there were 5,352 fewer recorded births in Georgia in 2008 than in 2007. Mark Perloe of Georgia Reproductive Specialists said there has been a 20% decline in the number of people seeking infertility services. To retain business during the economic downturn, Perloe said Georgia Reproductive Specialists is offering a discount on select services of as much as 70%.Elisabeth Burgess, a Georgia State University sociology professor who focuses on families, said, "In times of economic downturns, different people react in different ways." For some people, "[f]amily becomes more important, so you might decide to have a child." The Journal-Constitution reports that one cycle of treatment can cost $15,000 or more, which some people pay for through credit, retirement savings or home equity loans. Evelina Sterling, co-author of a book on budgeting finances for infertility treatments, said that 70% of infertility patients cover the costs of the treatments completely out of pocket. She added that some older infertility patients "can"t wait on" the economy to recover to start a family.Carol Hogue, a professor of maternal and child health at Emory University, said there has been a "very predictable" pattern of reduced births during periods of economic recessions dating back to the Great Depression. The Journal-Constitution reports that some people delay planned pregnancy because of concerns over job security, health insurance, income and the cost of raising a child. Statistics from USDA show that the average middle-class family will pay $11,000 to raise a child in the first year, with the largest portion of that cost going to child care. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality reported in 2007 -- the latest year for which data are available -- that prenatal care and routine delivery costs about $7,600 after insurance (Cash, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 5/24).
The discovery of faulty genes by Edinburgh researchers could help people with Paget"s disease, a painful bone condition. Dr Omar Albagha has found three genes associated with the disease which, if detected early enough in people, could hasten diagnosis and treatment.
Providing mass drug administration of praziquantel, at a cost of 32 cents per child, to school-aged children to prevent female genital schistosomiasis could also reduce and possibly interrupt HIV/AIDS transmission throughout many rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa, according to a new analysis published in the open-access journal PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases.
Researchers at the Mayo Clinic set out to determine whether the flu vaccine
South African Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi within the next two weeks is expected to launch a plan to address mother-to-child HIV transmission in an effort to reduce infant mortality in the country, The Times reports. The MTCT plan is part of a new health program adopted by President Jacob Zuma"s administration, according to The Times."This is one of the most urgent things I want to (deal with) as the new minister," Motsoaledi said. According to Motsoaledi, a child dies every eight minutes in South Africa, and about 40% of child deaths are related to HIV/AIDS. The plan was developed by the Development Bank of Southern Africa at a July meeting of government and health sector stakeholders. Participants at the meeting also examined maternal deaths and the decrease in life expectancy among young adults because of HIV/AIDS. According to Motsoaledi, these and other issues have been identified as priorities for the Zuma administration if South Africa is to meet targets in the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. They also have been consolidated into a 10-point plan to help the Department of Health focus on urgent issues through 2015."Health and education are the biggest challenges for (the government) and we ought to be doing something drastic," Motsoaledi said, adding, "These are very serious issues in society." The health department"s plan also calls for the revival of the National AIDS Council and says that the government should improve regulation of the private health sector. It also calls for the establishment of a national tuberculosis reference laboratory, a focus on infection rates among women ages 17 to 21 and the improvement of HIV prevention among commercial sex workers (Molele, The Times, 5/25).
Authorities in South Africa have begun construction of one of the 20 planned Football for Hope centers in Africa -- part of a 2010 World Cup campaign called "20 Centers for 2010" aimed at reducing the prevalence of HIV/AIDS, poverty and crime in local communities -- the AP/Google.com reports. The center under construction in South Africa"s Khayelitsha township will include a soccer field, community center and after-school programs that will focus on sex education and HIV/AIDS education. The International Federation of Football Association, or FIFA, in alliance with Streetfootballworld, a network of development groups, is providing the campaign with $10 million in funding. Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Namibia, Rwanda and other African countries will be home to the remaining 19 centers.According to FIFA President Joseph Blatter, the campaign "emphasizes the power of football far beyond the boundaries of the pitch." He added that the centers will "provide a platform for communities to address social issues such as children"s rights, education, health, HIV/AIDS prevention and will leave a legacy for Africa that will last long after the final whistle of the 2010 FIFA World Cup has been blown." Helen Zille, premier of the Western Cape Province, said construction of the center in the township "shows what we can do when we focus on getting things right rather than concentrating on what"s wrong," adding that she hopes the center is successful with its HIV/AIDS education efforts. The center will be run by Grassroots Soccer, an HIV/AIDS education organization that uses the sport to educate youth. Nocawe Tyali, a life-skills and football teacher who works with teenagers, said the new center will give young people an alternative to high-risk behaviors and enable the area to offer more youth football programs that include an HIV/AIDS prevention message (Nullis, AP/Google.com, 5/25).
In Japan reports of violence linked to SSRI antidepressants have raised
Researchers at Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) in Buffalo, New York, are strongly advocating a national discussion about the need to vaccinate both young men and women against HPV 16 to prevent head & neck cancers. The call comes amid growing evidence that certain cancers of the head and neck are strongly linked to HPV 16, a specific strain of the human papillomavirus (HPV) that is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases in the United States. It is estimated that approximately 70% of Americans, both men and women, will be infected with HPV at some point in their lives.
Timothy J. Bartness, Regents" Professor of Biology at Georgia State University, has received a multi-million dollar award from the National Institutes of Health to further research into the biological mechanisms of obesity.
The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on Wednesday voted to approve the nomination of Margaret Hamburg, President Obama"s nominee for FDA commissioner, moving consideration of the nomination to the Senate floor, CQ Today reports (Armstrong, CQ Today, 5/13).A spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said the Senate could vote on Hamburg as early as Thursday (CongressDaily, 5/14). Key Republican senators such as Orrin Hatch (Utah) and ranking HELP committee member Mike Enzi (Wyo.) have pledged their support of Hamburg (CQ Today, 5/13).If confirmed, one of Hamburg"s top priorities will be to improve food safety, according to the AP/Raleigh News & Observer (AP/Raleigh News & Observer, 5/14).
Promoting physical activity during Girl Scout meetings can be an effective way for young girls to get the exercise they need to be healthy, according to a study presented at the American College of Sports Medicine"s 56th Annual Meeting in Seattle.
When American patients trust their health to a for-profit insurance company, they"re doing nothing less than gambling with their lives. Registered nurses from the National Nurses Organizing Committee and California Nurses Association today announce the launch of a new healthcare video game, based on this idea, called "You Bet Your Health." The game is part of a wide-ranging public education and political mobilization campaign for single-payer health reforms, which is the choice of nurses and doctors. The game can be viewed at http://www.YouBetYourHealth.com
Focusing HIV drug development on immune cells called macrophages instead of traditionally targeted T cells could bring us closer to eradicating the disease, according to new research from University of Florida and five other institutions.
The Alabama Department of Public Health has designated the University of South Alabama
ImmunoVaccine Technologies Inc. (IVT), a Canadian vaccine development
Our brain is wired to identify gender based on facial cues and coloring, according to a new study published in the Journal of Vision. Psychology Professor Frç©dç©ric Gosselin and his Universitç© de Montrç©al team found the luminescence of the eyebrow and mouth region is vital in rapid gender discrimination.
"Maximising Health Gain Through Community Pharmacy" is the title of two jointly badged publications from pharmacy organisations CCA, NPA, RPSGB, PSNC and AIMp. The documents, which were produced in collaboration with the NHS Alliance, were launched to the NHS this week, as part of a strategy to promote the role of pharmacists to commissioners, managers, general practitioners and others in primary care. The documents also seek to influence the commissioning of pharmacy services by PCTs under World Class Commissioning and the integration of pharmacy into Practice Based Commissioning (PBC).
The most reliable method of diagnosing gout is to aspirate the joint in order to obtain fluid to verify the presence of monosodium urate crystals (uric acid). Up to now, computed tomography (CT) has played a limited role in the evaluation of gout, since conventional CT systems cannot reliably verify deposits of uric acid. However, a current study at the Vancouver General Hospital in Canada gives rise to speculation that dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) could radically change the diagnosis of this disease. DECT enables fast, noninvasive examinations and, based on initial evaluations, has the potential to surpass the invasive gold standard and clinical examination in terms of reliability. Investigations have confirmed the high sensitivity of the DECT method in detecting uric acid deposits. The Canadian scientists used the SOMATOM Definition computed tomography (CT scanner) from Siemens for their investigation. This system is the only CT scanner worldwide that features two X-ray tubes capable of simultaneously producing different energies.
Use of prescription drugs in the U.S. declined in 2008 -- the first such decrease in a decade -- but total spending on such treatments increased by 3.3%, according to a report released on Wednesday by Medco Health Solutions, the AP/Washington Post reports. The report attributed the decline in sales to fewer new drugs being introduced in 2008, popular medications becoming available as non-prescriptions and concerns about certain drugs" safety. Total spending increased largely because of increased use of "specialty" medications for chronic and complicated illnesses, which often are more costly and sometimes require special considerations for storage or delivery to patients, according to the AP/Post. Profits on specialty drugs in 2008 increased by about 16%. The average costs for other brand-name drugs increased by more than 8% in 2008, the largest increase in five years. According to the report, spending on prescription drugs would have been higher but less costly generic medications accounted for 64% of all prescriptions in 2008.The report predicted that prescription drug use in the U.S. will increase by no more than 1% in 2009 and 2010. However, price increases are expected to contribute to an increase in total spending of 3% to 5% in 2009 and 4% to 6% in 2010 (Seaman, AP/Washington Post, 5/13).
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,
Walsall Hospitals NHS Trust has "gone-live" with Horizon Enterprise Visibility; a visual control system designed specifically for hospitals, from healthcare IT solutions and services specialists, McKesson. Via real-time access to patient information, Walsall will be using Horizon Enterprise Visibility to improve re efficiency and bed utilisation to reduce costs and improve the quality of patient care.