Health Insurance
Researchers at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) and the University of Liverpool will work with universities across Africa as part of a ÷£30 million initiative to strengthen research into science and health on the continent.
Research published this week in the journal Autism, published by SAGE, estimate the annual costs of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to be more than ÷£27 billion a year. The costs of supporting children with ASDs were estimated to be ÷£2.7 billion per year, ÷£25 billion each year for adults. The findings were presented at the Autism & Employment Workshop at Goldsmiths, University of London.
UCLA researchers have found that embryonic stem cells and skin cells reprogrammed into embryonic-like cells have inherent molecular differences, demonstrating for the first time that the two cell types are clearly distinguishable from one another.
Scientists at Singapore"s Bioprocessing Technology Institute (BTI) have made a novel discovery about how the gene, "Fas-apoptosis inhibitory molecule" (FAIM), protects both immune and liver cells from apoptosis, or programmed cell death.
A new study published in the July issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine shows that positron emission tomography (PET) scans in mice can be used to determine whether a novel type of breast cancer treatment is working as intended. Researchers successfully used PET and a specially-developed radioactive compound to image HER2 - a protein often associated with aggressive breast cancer - in breast cancer cells before and after treatment aimed at decreasing HER2 expression. This molecular imaging methodology could facilitate development of new targeted therapies not only for breast cancer, but also for certain types of ovarian, prostate, and lung cancers that may be aggravated due to HER2.
Middle-aged people living alone have twice the risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer"s disease in later life compared with married or cohabiting people, while being widowed or divorced in mid-life carries three times the risk, according to a study led by Miia Kivipelto from the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet and published on http://www.bmj.com.
On Independence Day, Doctors on Strike for Freedom in Medicine will take on the mission of preserving, protecting, and promoting freedom in healthcare. This nonprofit organization"s web site (http://www.doctorsonstrike.com) states that their most pressing goal is to mobilize doctors to go on strike against any new government healthcare plans. Their long-term objective is to supply healthcare providers with intellectual ammunition to win the "philosophical war" against statism in medicine.
Existing drugs used in the treatment of Parkinson"s disease could be repositioned for use in the treatment of extreme drug-resistant tuberculosis, which kills about 2 million people each year, according to a study led by researchers at the University of California, San Diego. The rise of these strains of TB throughout the world, including industrialized countries, poses a great threat to human health.
The MS Society has called on Gordon Brown to ring-fence funds for stem cell research into multiple sclerosis (MS).
In a bid to reduce dangerous levels of undiagnosed HIV among gay men, Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) is launching a new campaign encouraging men to take control of their sexual health by regularly testing for HIV. The campaign "THIVK - Test - Take Control" will be run through a stand-alone website (http://www.thinkHIV.co.uk), adverts in gay press, posters, leaflets and condom packs, carrying the following messages:
The 2009 Australian Medical Students" Association (AMSA) Convention begins on Monday with 850 future doctors joining leaders in health and politics to debate the hot issues in healthcare.
Resuming sexual activity is expressed by patients as extremely important after a myocar÷dial infarction (MI). In spite of this, sex counselling is an area of nursing practice that is frequently neglected and needs more evidence-based knowledge.
Mayo Clinic researchers and colleagues at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) have found a connection between DNA alterations on human chromosome 9 and aggressive brain cancer known as glioblastoma. The findings are reported in the current online issue of Nature Genetics.
In a discovery that rebuffs conventional scientific thinking, researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC) have discovered a novel way to block the activity of the fusion protein responsible for Ewing"s sarcoma, a rare cancer found in children and young adults.
New strategies to reduce maternal death in Bangladesh will be presented at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) South Asia Day. The conference gathers together a group of international experts to discuss ways to achieve Millennium Development Goals 4 (reduce child mortality) and 5 (improve maternal health).
The innovative pharmaceutical industry is committed to ensuring any animal-based
Osteoporosis and periodontitis are common diseases whose sufferers must cope with weakness, injury and reduced function as they lose bone more quickly than it is formed. While the mechanism of bone destruction in these diseases is understood, scientists have had less information about how bone formation is impaired.
The Victorian hospital system coped well in the wake of the Black Saturday bushfires of February 2009 but new research, published in the Medical Journal of Australia, suggests the lessons learned over this time must be used to further strengthen the State"s prevention and medical response systems.
For the first time, researchers have identified genetic variants commonly found in the population that can increase an individual"s risk of developing glioma, the most prevalent brain tumour. The findings are published today in the journal Nature Genetics.
Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) announced that the initial offering period of its tender offer for all outstanding shares of common stock of Cougar Biotechnology, Inc. (NASDAQ: CGRB) expired at midnight (Eastern time) on July 2, 2009. The offer was conducted through a wholly owned subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson named Kite Merger Sub, Inc.
Leading interventional pain physicians from key U.S. centers gathered at a special clinical symposium to share their experience with Vertos Medical"s mild (Minimally Invasive Lumbar Decompression), the least invasive surgical procedure for treating lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS), with no implants left behind.* Their early clinical experiences suggest that mild may be an appropriate treatment alternative earlier in the LSS progression, as mild patients have shown favorable results when comparing post-treatment improvement at three months to open surgical procedure patient results at one year1. Moreover, mild leaves future surgical options open.
Men who drink 22 or more units of alcohol a week have a 20% higher rate of admissions into acute care hospitals than non-drinkers, researchers from the University of Glasgow have found.
British-born outdoor workers in Australia estimate they have a much lower risk of acquiring skin cancer than do their Australian-born counterparts.
Research released by Alzheimer"s Society this Dementia Awareness Week has shown widespread misunderstanding about dementia and the factors that put people at risk.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Alimta (pemetrexed), the first drug available for maintenance therapy of advanced or metastatic lung cancer.
Suspected side effects to swine flu antiviral medicines can now be reported to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) via a new dedicated webpage (http://www.mhra.gov.uk/swineflu).
Power3 Medical Products, Inc. (OTCBB: PWRM), announced that results for the early stage diagnosis from clinical validation trials of the NuroPro® PD test for Parkinson"s disease are better than expected. The NuroPro PD test was developed to help clinicians distinguish patients with Parkinson"s disease from "normal" individuals and patients with other neurological disorders. The NuroPro PD test, developed by Power3, utilizes a panel of blood serum protein biomarkers evaluated by biostatistical analysis to predict the probability that a patient has Parkinson"s disease. The test is intended to solve a critical challenge facing physicians, clinicians, and patients for a quick, early stage and accurate diagnosis of the debilitating disease known as Parkinson"s.
The Iowa Independent looks at the complexity of changing Iowa"s HIV transmission law. The Independent writes that Iowa "isn"t a state with a high percentage of people living with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Prosecutions related to this particular law are often highly publicized as much for their uniqueness as for a public"s need to know. In addition, of the statute"s 24 convictions since its inception, three have been appealed and subsequently affirmed by the Iowa Supreme Court." The article features comments from a former state legislator and a member of the legislative study committee that could potentially reconsider this law (Waddington, 7/3).
ATS Medical, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATSI), manufacturer and marketer of state-of-the-art cardiac surgery products and services, announced FDA clearance and the first implant of the ATS Simulus(R) Semi-Rigid Annuloplasty Band. The Simulus Semi-Rigid Annuloplasty Band was developed through the Company"s collaboration with Genesee BioMedical and represents the latest addition to the expanding portfolio of valve repair products.
A procedure that sends targeted energy into the heart through a catheter can be used to treat a common type of irregular heartbeat, but little is known about the treatment"s long-term benefits and the best methods and circumstances for applying it, according to a new report funded by HHS" Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
Several area health care organizations agree that today"s tough economic times can make staying healthy a challenge. The organizations provided tips for Ohioans to stay healthy.
The estimated one-third of adults who suffer from insomnia could soon find effective treatment without ever leaving their homes. Researchers at the University of Virginia Health System have developed a unique Internet-based intervention, based on well-established face-to-face cognitive behavioral therapy techniques, that has shown remarkable results in improving patients" sleep.
Researchers from the Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have collaborated to uncover important new insights into the neurological basis of autism. Their new study, published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, examined patterns of movement as children with autism and typically developing children learned to control a novel tool. The findings suggest that children with autism appear to learn new actions differently than do typically developing children. As compared to their typically developing peers, children with autism relied much more on their own internal sense of body position (proprioception), rather than visual information coming from the external world to learn new patterns of movement. Furthermore, researchers found that the greater the reliance on proprioception, the greater the child"s impairment in social skills, motor skills and imitation.
Roll-your-own (RYO) cigarettes expose smokers to similar levels of cancer-causing chemicals as manufactured cigarettes according to a new study by Cancer Research UK now published in Addiction Biology *.
"Some of the "bluest" states that propelled Obama into the White House are among those most likely to pay more in taxes to fund expanded health insurance coverage and make other changes to the system, analysts say," The Los Angeles Times reports. "People in states such as Illinois, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut and New York have a higher share of wealthier taxpayers and residents who get generous healthcare plans through work -- and both sets of people may be tapped to raise money for the healthcare overhaul. Moreover, those states have less to gain from a national effort to expand health insurance coverage because their residents already are more likely to have insurance than are Americans as a whole. Those conclusions by a range of policy analysts may point to future tension in the healthcare debate: Though battle lines so far have been drawn largely in partisan terms, lurking regional divisions could fracture Congress even further."
As President Barack Obama pushes to overhaul health care, many look to Europe for examples of government-run health care.
The Minister for Health & Children published the Report of the Working Group on certain accounting issues related to the Health Service Executive.
A new laser technique that could lead to bone disorders being diagnosed earlier is to be tested in a hospital for the first time. The study, which it"s hoped will pave the way for future clinical trials, will apply a revolutionary approach known as SORS (Spatially Offset Raman Spectroscopy), to examine specific substances in non see-through surfaces deeper than has previously been possible, without damaging the surface. The research team hope ultimately that the method can be used both to detect and screen for early signs of diseases such as osteoarthritis and osteoporosis.
A new 12 month hormone therapy treatment is launched for men with advanced prostate cancer. The Vantas® (histrelin) implant is a small and flexible device, made from the same materials as soft contact lenses. Vantas® is the first 12 month implant to treat prostate cancer to be available in the UK.1
The Genome Analysis Centre (TGAC) will further the UK"s capacity in genomics - the science of understanding the genetic makeup of organisms and the genetic differences that exist between individuals. This knowledge can then be used for developments that include the production of new antibiotics to fight "superbugs", breeding of new crops with increased tolerance of drought, and the breeding of livestock better able to resist emerging exotic disease. TGAC will underpin these advances as well as making a significant contribution to economic development.
The first findings from a one-of-a-kind, patient-driven effort to provide lung tissue for research might help doctors predict when patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) are becoming dangerously ill and also could point the way to interventions that could sustain them until life-saving transplants can be performed.
The final analysis of the PATRICIA study shows that the HPV-16/18 AS04-adjuvanted vaccine (GlaxoSmithKline) has high efficacy against the precancerous cervical lesions that can eventually lead to cervical cancer. The vaccine also shows cross-protective efficacy against other oncogenic (cancer-causing) HPV types closely related to HPV-16/18. Furthermore, it also shows efficacy in the cohorts relevant to universal mass vaccination and catch-up programmes. The findings are reported in an Article Online First and in an upcoming edition of The Lancet, written by Dr Jorma Paavonen, University of Helsinki, Finland, and colleagues.
Children given an oral syrup containing the naturally occurring sweetener xylitol may be less likely to develop decay in their baby teeth, according to a report in the July issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
The amino acid N-acetylcysteine appears to reduce symptoms of compulsive hair-pulling in patients with a condition known as trichotillomania, according to a report in the July issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Pinpointing the genes involved in human brain cancer can be like looking for a needle in a haystack, and sometimes the needle you find may not be the right one. By comparing human and canine genomes, researchers at North Carolina State University have discovered that a gene commonly believed to be involved in meningiomas-tumors that affect the meninges, or thin covering, of the human brain and account for one out of four adult brain tumors -may not be as key for tumor formation as previously thought, and they"ve narrowed the search for the real culprit.
Researchers from the Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have collaborated to uncover important new insights into the neurological basis of autism. Their new study, published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, examined patterns of movement as children with autism and typically developing children learned to control a novel tool. The findings suggest that children with autism appear to learn new actions differently than do typically developing children. As compared to their typically developing peers, children with autism relied much more on their own internal sense of body position (proprioception), rather than visual information coming from the external world to learn new patterns of movement. Furthermore, researchers found that the greater the reliance on proprioception, the greater the child"s impairment in social skills, motor skills and imitation.
An assistive technology that enables individuals to maneuver a powered wheelchair or control a mouse cursor using simple tongue movements can be operated by individuals with high-level spinal cord injuries, according to the results of a recently completed clinical trial.
Antibodies to a wide range of substances that can aggregate to form plaques, such as those found in Alzheimer"s patients, have been identified in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid of healthy people. Levels of these antibodies decline with age and, in Alzheimer"s patients, with increasing progression of the disease.
Structural muscle damage may be present in patients who have statin-associated muscle complaints, found a new study in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).
Patients who survive an initial diagnosis of breast cancer often succumb to the disease years later when the cancer shows up in a different part of the body. Now, scientists have identified key signals that support the long term survival of breast cancer cells after they have spread to the bone marrow. The research, published by Cell Press in the July issue of the journal Cancer Cell, may lead to development of treatment strategies that decrease the likelihood of breast cancer recurrence in the bone and other organs.
The worldwide economic downturn has exacerbated a global food crisis that started in 2007, leading to a significant increase in the number of people who are malnourished. The Institute of Medicine will convene top experts at a three-day workshop to explore the implications of the food crisis on nutrition and health. Participants will discuss the effects of the economic crisis and escalating food prices on nutrition, country and global responses, U.S. policies, and actions to mitigate food crises now and in the future. Speakers include representatives from the World Bank, World Food Program, UN Task Force on Global Food Security Crisis, academic health centers, and organizations from Bangladesh, China, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mexico, and other countries.
Many people living with cancer are researching their illnesses online. In fact, research has shown that patients who use the Internet consider it a more useful of information as compared with other media. Further, patients" Internet use can encourage active communication with their physicians.
African-American women who were younger at menarche, or the onset of their menstrual periods, were more likely to report a history of childhood sexual abuse, according to a new study led by a researcher at Boston University"s Slone Epidemiology Center. The results suggest that a history of sexual abuse may increase the risk of early menarche (i.e., onset of menstrual periods before age 12 years).
Last week, New York became the first state in America to allow scientists to pay women for donating their eggs for use in stem cell research, triggering further ethical debate. Professor Loane Skene of the Faculty of Law at the University of Melbourne and Deputy Chair of the high-profile Lockhart Committee on Human Cloning and Embryo Research (2005) says women should be paid for the invasive procedure.
The recent global swine flu outbreak has underscored the critical need for good surveillance and access to rapid epidemiological data. The US military, starting with early monitoring efforts in the 1970s, has developed a broad-based influenza monitoring system. In an article published in the September 2009 issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, researchers describe this little-known national jewel that has repeatedly made notable contributions to global influenza control through close collaboration with CDC, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the WHO, and many other partners.
Medical Industry E-Mail News Service™ -- July 07 2009 -- The US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that its Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee will meet on July 15 2009, in Gaithersburg MD, to discuss (1) new drug application (NDA) 022-447, proposed trade name Yondelis (trabectedin) powder, for concentrate for solution for intravenous infusion, Centocor Ortho Biotech Products, L.P., proposed indication in combination with Doxcil (doxorubicin HCl liposome injection), for treating patients with relapsed ovarian cancer; and (2) supplemental new drug application (sNDA) 050-718/S-039, Doxil (doxorubicin HCl liposome injection), for intravenous infusion, Centocor Ortho Biotech Products, L.P., proposed indication in combination with docetaxel for treating patients with locally advanced or metasatic breast cancer who have received prior anthracycline treatment. There is no charge to attend.
Amgen (Nasdaq: AMGN) announced that a pivotal, Phase 3, head-to-head trial evaluating denosumab versus Zometa(R) (zoledronic acid) in the treatment of bone metastases in 2,049 patients with advanced breast cancer met its primary and secondary endpoints and demonstrated superior efficacy compared to Zometa. Superiority was demonstrated for both delaying the time to the first on-study Skeletal Related Events (SREs)(fracture, radiation to bone, surgery to bone, or spinal cord compression) (hazard ratio 0.82, 95 percent CI: 0.71, 0.95), and delaying the time to the first-and-subsequent SREs (hazard ratio 0.77, 95 percent CI: 0.66, 0.89). Both results were statistically significant.
It is time for states to suspend, rather than terminate, the Medicaid benefits of inmates while they are incarcerated, say correctional health care experts from The Miriam Hospital in a commentary published online by the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
Obesity very often leads to insulin resistance, and now researchers reporting in the July 8 issue of Cell Metabolism, a Cell Press publication, have uncovered another factor behind that ill consequence. The newly discovered culprit - a protein known as pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF for short) - is secreted by fat cells. They also report evidence to suggest that specifically blocking that protein"s action may reverse some of the health complications that come with obesity.
New studies that analyse genetic differences across thousands of human genomes
The resumption of fighting in Mogadishu, Somalia"s capital, has forced the majority of people living in the Yaqshid, Karan, and Abdul Azziz districts in the north of the city to flee, according to the international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Mç©decins Sans Frontiç¨res (MSF). Continuous shelling, explosions, and open combat among various armed groups have claimed the lives of dozens of civilians and plunged the city into chaos. As a consequence, MSF has been forced to close its medical centers in the area.
Services for veterans have improved recently, but many veterans say more improvements still need to be made.
The U.S. Department of Justice, on behalf of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, filed a complaint seeking injunctive relief against Peregrina Cheese, Inc., (Peregrina Cheese), Brooklyn, N.Y. and two of its officers: Javier Peregrina and Isabel Peregrina.
New data demonstrate that maintenance therapy with RISPERDAL(R) CONSTA(R) (risperidone) Long-Acting Treatment (RLAT) significantly delayed the time to relapse compared to placebo in patients with Bipolar I Disorder. Results of the study were presented this week at a major medical meeting.
Global HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment programs are already feeling the effects of the global economic crisis, according to a report (pdf) released Monday by UNAIDS and the World Bank, AFP/Google.com reports (7/6).
The White House announced on Monday that the U.S. and Russia have signed on to a "memo of understanding" to cooperate on several public health and medical science projects, ModernHealthcare.com reports. The agreement calls for USAID and other scientific research institutions to work on specific health goals with Russian institutions, including the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences (Rhea, 6/6).
Atrium Medical is pleased to announce that is has received CE Mark for a new generation Cobalt Chromium Coronary Stent System called Cinatra™. Cinatra™ is indicated for the treatment of coronary artery occlusive disease.
Healthy young mice treated with erythropoietin show lasting improved performance in learning and other higher brain functions. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Biology tested the cognitive effects of the growth factor, finding that it improved the sequential learning and memory components of a complex long-term cognitive task.
A Purdue University scientist has discovered a key process in cell growth that can lead to the formation of tumors.
With the 2009 hurricane season underway, Mississippi has joined other states in FEMA Region IV by deploying the AmbuBus from First Line Technology in a statewide effort to enhance special needs evacuation capabilities. Delivery of the initial 14 AmbuBus kits, purchased through grant funds, were delivered to 6 different locations around the state. A joint training session was conducted between the school districts and the Department of Health to prepare for summertime severe weather.
Diabetica Research Solutions, Inc. (DRSI) http://www.drsirestoreenergy.com: Diabetes is a disease of energy currently affecting 24 million people who have been diagnosed and approximately 55 million who are in a pre-diabetic condition. For so many of these people with diabetes, particularly those with type 2 diabetes, persistent fatigue is a constant complaint. According to a 2007 survey of 8,000 people with diabetes, approximately 85% of respondents reported that fatigue was their number one complaint. When asked how they dealt with their fatigue, 17% of respondents said they do nothing, 31% drink water, 23% drink coffee, 6% drink energy drinks and 23% drink sodas and diet sodas. Now, with the introduction of drsi™ Restore! Energy, there"s a quick and effective way for diabetics and pre-diabetics to experience balanced, long lasting energy and stamina to help them through their daily routines.
GTx, Inc. (Nasdaq: GTXI), announced the initiation of a Phase I multiple ascending dose clinical trial evaluating GTx-758, an oral LH inhibitor for first line treatment of advanced prostate cancer. A Phase I single ascending dose clinical trial in 96 subjects was successfully completed in June.
Yale University researchers have found that a single gene plays a key role in the development of atherosclerosis in mice. The research provides insight into the causes of atherosclerosis, or the hardening of the arteries caused by a buildup of plaque.
A new score for predicting a person"s risk of heart disease performs better than the existing test and should be recommended for use in the United Kingdom by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), say researchers in a paper published on bmj.com.
New research may help doctors pinpoint when patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) are becoming dangerously ill. The findings may also point the way to interventions that could sustain the lives of IPF patients until life-saving transplants could be performed.
Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals (P&GP) announced the availability of Asacol HD (mesalamine) delayed-release tablets, which are indicated for the treatment of moderately active ulcerative colitis (UC), a form of inflammatory bowel disease. UC involves inflammation of the lining of the colon and rectum and is typically characterized by flares followed by periods of remission. Moderately active UC is characterized by tougher symptoms than mildly active UC. Asacol HD is proven to help treat these tougher flares of moderately active UC. Asacol HD was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) based on evaluations from the ASCEND studies [Assessing the Safety and Clinical Efficacy of a New Dose of 5-ASA (4.8 g/day 800 mg tablet)].
AlphaRx Inc. (OTCBB: ALRX) reported positive preclinical results on GAI-122 injectable nano-emulsion in multiple models of acute hepatitis, an inflammatory liver disease.
Scientists investigating the cough reflex have discovered a new group of molecules on the surface of nerve cells that make us cough when irritated.
Rising levels of smokestack emissions from oceangoing ships will cause an estimated 87,000 deaths worldwide each year by 2012 - almost one-third higher than previously believed, according to the second major study on that topic. The study says that government action to reduce sulfur emissions from shipping fuel (the of air pollution linked to an increased risk of illness and death) could reduce that toll. The study is in the current issue of ACS" Environmental Science & Technology, a semi-monthly publication.
America"s hospitals have long been committed to expanding coverage to the millions of
As Ministers of Natural Res and Health, we are disappointed with AECL"s announcement of delays to the repair of the National Research Universal Reactor (NRU) at Chalk River. We wish to be clear to Canadians. The unplanned shutdown of the NRU will result in a significant shortage of medical isotopes in Canada and in the world this summer.
Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) is launching a new campaign to reduce levels of undiagnosed HIV by encouraging gay men, and particularly younger gay men, to start regularly attending sexual health clinics. The campaign will use a stand-alone website (http://www.betterclinics.co.uk), media adverts, posters, condom packs and pin badges to dispel some of the myths about clinics and what the testing process involves.
President Barack Obama, in comments about health reform, has acknowledged what most Americans already know, that "(w)hat"s good for the health care system as a whole often looks very different when it"s their own health at stake, or the health of someone in their family," CQPolitics reports.
An improved Continuing Professional Development (CPD) recording system is being launched
Patients with undiagnosed or untreated obstructive sleep apnea are especially vulnerable to the effects of sleep deprivation and even legal doses of alcohol when it comes to lowered driving performance and increased risk of vehicular accidents, according to new research to be announced on May 19 at the American Thoracic Society"s 105th International Conference in San Diego.
"Adverse working conditions for primary care doctors, including time pressures and an unfavorable organizational culture, may lead to stress, burnout, and ultimately to lower quality patient care, a new study found," MedPage Today reports. The study, published in the July 7 issue of The Annals of Internal Medicine, found that "53.1% of primary care physicians reported time pressure during physical examinations, while 48.1% reported chaotic working environments. Only 23.7% felt that quality was strongly emphasized in their practices. ... Moreover, 48.8% described their jobs as moderately or highly stressful, while 26.5% reported burnout, and 30.1% said they were at least moderately likely to leave their practices within two years." The authors wrote that the findings "are disturbing at a time when recruitment and retention in primary care are of major concern."
Celebrating its fifth year in the virtual world, the 2009 American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Second Life is set for July 18-19 as avatars representing cancer survivors, caregivers, their families and the millions of passionate supporters gather virtually to celebrate the lives of those who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and join the American Cancer Society in fighting for every birthday, threatened by every cancer in every community.
Within the next few days, the WHO "will recommend that countries stop trying to test all suspected cases of swine flu, said Keiji Fukuda, the agency"s assistant director-general of health security and environment," Tuesday during a conference call with reporters, Bloomberg reports. Instead, countries who have previously confirmed cases of the H1N1 virus in their population should diagnose the flu based on symptoms alone, opening up "laboratories to test samples in unusual or severe cases, clusters of illnesses and cases with odd symptoms, he said," Bloomberg writes (Serafino/Hallam, 7/7).
KPBS examines the reasons why the San Diego Board of Supervisors will not support the city"s needle exchange program, which twice weekly provides clean needles to injection drug users as part of an effort to curb the spread of HIV, Hepatitis C and other blood-borne diseases. Dianne Jacob, chair of the board, said, "I think it particularly sends a wrong message to our kids. It sends a message to our kids that as county government, if we gave out clean needles for illegal drug use, that we condone illegal drug use. And we don"t. And it"s wrong." She said government support should go toward drug use prevention and treatment. Steffanie Strathdee, head of the division of global public health at the University of California-San Diego School of Medicine, has examined several needle exchange programs across the world, and said, "It hasn"t been associated with more people starting drug use at earlier ages, etc., ò€¦ In fact, it"s consistently been associated with reductions in high-risk behavior. And so there"s really no reason not to support it on a broader scale" (Goldberg, 7/8). This series of articles was supported by a Kaiser Family Foundation mini reporting fellowship.
New consensus has been reached by a panel of leading European experts on the guidelines for the treatment of acute minor wounds which states that healing is accelerated by a moist wound environment.
How does Hollywood impact radiation perception? Can we treat cancer with microscopic particles acting like a Trojan horse? How does the radiation exposure our astronauts receive during space travel compare to their routine diagnostic radiology exams?
Noncommunicable diseases such as heart attacks, strokes, cancers, diabetes, respiratory diseases, and common injuries account for the vast majority of all global deaths, but because they are not yet included as priorities in the global development agenda, donors and international organizations have yet to pledge support to help developing countries address these leading health problems.
The world-wide explosion of overweight people has been called an epidemic. The inflammatory nature of obesity is widely recognized. Could it really be an epidemic involving an infectious agent? In this climate of concern over the increasing prevalence of overweight conditions in our society, investigators have focused on the possible role of oral bacteria as a potential direct contributor to obesity.
Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that survival among women with ovarian cancer is influenced by age of menarche and total number of lifetime ovulatory cycles.
Transplant patients rely on drugs to prevent graft rejection, but at the cost of serious side effects. The class of immunosuppressive drugs known as calcineurin inhibitors (examples are cyclosporine and tacrolimus) can damage patients" kidneys and lead to high blood pressure, among other problems.
Adverse work conditions may be to blame for the decline in the number of primary care physicians nationwide, according to a study published in the latest issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Using a combination of sensory, genetic, and in vitro approaches, researchers from the Monell Center confirm that the T1R1-T1R3 taste receptor plays a role in human umami (amino acid) taste.
A new finding reveals that African-American patients with breast, ovarian, and prostate cancer tend to die earlier than patients of other races with these cancers, even when they receive identical medical treatment and when socioeconomic factors are controlled for. The finding, an analysis of almost 20,000 patient records from 35 clinical trials, points to biological or genetic factors as the potential of the survival gap. Dawn Hershman, M.D, M.S., a Columbia University Medical Center oncologist whose research is dedicated to examining racial and ethnic disparities in cancer outcome and in cancer survivorship, was the senior author of the research published online by the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (JNCI).
A Medical College of Georgia nurse researcher is among the first in the nation to receive National Institutes of Health stimulus funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
Recently, the World Health Organization raised the pandemic alert to level 6, which officially declared the H1N1 flu outbreak a pandemic. New York Life Insurance Company, the largest mutual life insurance company in the United States, announced that the company is well prepared to meet its commitments to policyholders in a pandemic, even one as severe as the highly lethal 1918 flu pandemic.
Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: BIIB) announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted PEGylated interferon beta-1a (BIIB017) Fast Track designation for relapsing multiple sclerosis (RMS). Biogen Idec is currently enrolling patients in a global Phase III study evaluating the efficacy and safety of either bi-weekly or once-monthly injections of PEGylated interferon beta-1a in this patient population.
An independent external validation of QRISK® (http://www.qrisk.org) - a new score for predicting a person"s risk of heart disease - has shown that it performs better than the existing test and should be recommended for use in the United Kingdom by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE).
An aneurysm occurs when part of a blood vessel (artery) or cardiac chamber swells, - either the blood vessel is damaged or there is a weakness in the wall of the blood vessel. As blood pressure builds up it balloons out at its weakest point. The swelling can be quite small or very large - when large it tends to extend along the blood vessel. As the aneurysm grows there is a greater risk of rupture - this can lead to severe hemorrhage, and other complications, including sudden death.
Researchers conclude in a paper just published on bmj.com that one in three breast cancers detected in a population with a public breast screening program is overdiagnosed.
Red wine (resveratrol) pills appear to be the rage these days and a local group of cardiologists wants to lead the way for patients and consumers to learn more about them. They may be among the first U.S. cardiologists to do so.
The California Immunization Coalition recently bestowed the Natalie J. Smith, MD, MPH Immunization Champion Award upon Steve Baranov, vice president for community health at the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center (LA BioMed) and executive director of South Los Angeles Health Projects.
ZyGEM Corp. Ltd., a provider of innovative enzyme-based products for DNA extraction and other life sciences applications, today announced the availability of a new application note documenting that its prepGEM(R) Bacteria DNA extraction kit is capable of producing high quality, ready-to-analyze DNA from a broad range of bacterial species, including mixed or unknown sample types. This addresses an important unmet need --current DNA extraction methods typically require the use of different enzymes for each type of bacteria tested. The prepGEM(R) Bacteria kit also uses a single closed-tube system that reduces extraction time and cost while protecting the sample from contamination and making the kit easily adaptable for automation.
Fourteen young people from countries attending the G8 called on their respective leaders to get tough with countries who don"t meet climate change targets and teachers whose standards slip.
The "outstanding" work of Julia Hippisley-Cox, Professor of Clinical Epidemiology and General Practice at The University of Nottingham, has been recognised by the Royal College of General Practitioners.
BioElectronics Corp. (PINKSHEETS: BIEL), the maker of inexpensive, disposable drug-free anti-inflammatory devices, announced the Company is currently preparing an application for 510(k) premarket notification for submission to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for general surgical recovery. The filing will request an indication for the adjunct of use in palliative treatment of postoperative edema and pain in superficial soft tissue.
A shortage of new pharmaceutical products in the pipeline-combined with new scientific tools-has created a climate of opportunity for the rare disease community, a senior Food and Drug Administration (FDA) official said at a conference hosted by the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD).
Connecticut: The Associated Press/Hartford Courant reports, "Gov. M. Jodi Rell has vetoed two health insurance bills he said were "well-intentioned" but "would cost the state billions of dollars before any economic recovery is complete." Unions and health care advocates had pressured the Republican governor to sign the measures. "[O]ne of the billsò€¦ opens the state"s health insurance plan to municipalities, small businesses and nonprofit agencies. The second bill creates a new public authority to develop a plan to extend coverage to the state"s uninsured." It"s not yet clear if Democrats, who have a veto-proof majority in the General Assembly, will try to override Rell"s action (7/8).
Replacing a joint in any part of the body often leads to a long recovery process and the possibility of not being able to return to a sport or activity. However, a new study presented at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine"s (AOSSM) Annual Meeting in Keystone, Colorado, (July 9 -12) presents findings that even an older individual who receives a total shoulder joint replacement can return to full participation within approximately six months of surgery.
President Obama has announced that two Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center investigators have been awarded the nation"s highest honor for scientists at the beginning of their independent research careers. Basic scientist Harmit Singh Malik, Ph.D., and cancer-prevention researcher Ulrike "Riki" Peters, Ph.D., are among 100 researchers to receive the prestigious 2008 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE). Each will be honored in a ceremony this fall at the White House.
Dental disease may be a wake-up call that your diet is harming your body.
Since its discovery just a few years ago, graphene has climbed to the top of the heap of new super-materials poised to transform the electronics and nanotechnology landscape. As N.J. Tao, a researcher at the Biodesign Institute of Arizona State University explains, this two-dimensional honeycomb structure of carbon atoms is exceptionally strong and versatile. Its unusual properties make it ideal for applications that are pushing the existing limits of microchips, chemical sensing instruments, biosensors, ultracapacitance devices, flexible displays and other innovations.
Surgeons from Hospital for Special Surgery in New York have identified a drilling technique that improves the outcome of surgery to reconstruct the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). The news is being presented during the annual meeting of the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine, June 9 -12, in Keystone. Colo.
The bottom-line message from a decades-long study of monkeys on a restricted diet is simple: Consuming fewer calories leads to a longer, healthier life.
As soccer continues to grow in popularity, injuries to soccer players are likely to increase as well. Certain injuries fall into gender-based patterns and new research at Hospital for Special Surgery suggests some underlying causes that could help lead to better treatment, or even prevention for present and future soccer stars.
All first year doctors training in Wales will now benefit from free hospital accommodation indefinitely. Health Minister Edwina Hart had previously agreed to extend the provision of free on-site housing for F1 training grade doctors in Wales, until summer 2010. That will now continue for the foreseeable future.
The California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee announces that it filed a complaint with the California Department of Public Health (DPH), calling for an urgent investigation into the ongoing use of dozens of narcotic infusion pumps at the University of California Irvine Medical Center that have a history of failure, thereby exposing patients to a dangerous overdose of narcotics.
The seventh and final member of a multi-million pound international counterfeit gang was sentenced at Kingston Crown Court earlier this week, 6 July 2009.
Daiichi Sankyo, Inc. and Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Effient(TM) (prasugrel) tablets for the reduction of thrombotic cardiovascular events (including stent thrombosis) in patients with acute coronary syndromes who are managed with an artery-opening procedure known as percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). PCI usually includes the placement of a stent to help keep the artery open.
Many of us turn to the Internet to simplify our day-to-day transactions, reserving plane tickets, finding apartments and keeping in touch with old friends via cyberspace. Some of us even buy products such as prescription drugs online. This is one online transaction, says Dr. Marv Shepherd, which requires caution.
Emerging research suggests that nutritional factors including vitamin D, magnesium, and others may influence the risk and progression of cardiovascular disease. The new data on nutrition and heart disease were the topic of a recent symposium and are summarized in the July issue of The American Journal of the Medical Sciences (AJMS), official journal of the Southern Society for Clinical Investigation (SSCI). The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading provider of information and biomedical intelligence for students, professionals, and institutions in medicine, nursing, allied health, pharmacy and the pharmaceutical industry.
"Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) presented his members Thursday with more than a dozen ways to pay for health care legislation, ranging from new fees on industry to an income-tax hike on couples making more than $1 million a year," Politico reports.
New data regarding hospital readmission rates have emerged "amid a national debate over how to reduce" these numbers, "which cost the federal government billions of dollars a year in Medicare reimbursements," the New York Times reports. The data, posted on Medicare"s Hospital Compare Web site, examines the number of patients "readmitted to hospitals within a month of being discharged after treatment for heart attack, heart failure or pneumonia between July 2005 and June 2008."
"As the recession has cost more people their jobs and their health insurance, local hospitals have seen more patients show up with no way to pay," reports KUOW, a Washington State public radio station. "Hospitals in Washington are required to provide free care to anyone living below the poverty line, if they ask for it. But some hospitals give more freely than others."
The Los Angeles Times and the New York Times recently published opinion pieces examining issues related to international women"s health. Summaries appear below.~ Michelle Goldberg, Los Angeles Times: The solution to addressing issues of over-population and under-population in various parts of the world is "giving women more control over their fertility and their lives," Goldberg, author of "The Means of Reproduction: Sex, Power and the Future of the World," writes in a Times opinion piece. Goldberg says that both problems are "symptoms of countries" failures to meet women"s needs." Citing United Nations data, Goldberg writes that the world"s population is growing at an "unsustainable" rate of 78 million people annually, and it will probably continue to increase by 70 million or 75 million annually through 2020. Almost all of that growth will occur in developing countries, she says. "The ethical and effective way to counter rapid population growth is to bolster women"s rights and improve their access to family planning," as well as access to education, Goldberg writes, adding that "study after study has found that girls who go to school marry later and have fewer, healthier children." Meanwhile, some developed countries -- including Japan, Russia, Italy and Spain -- are seeing a decline in birth rates, a fact that some social conservatives are using "to argue for restrictions on women"s rights." According to Goldberg, "Fertility is reaching dangerously low levels in countries where social attitudes and institutions haven"t caught up with women"s desire to combine work and family. When faced with men who are unwilling to share domestic burdens, inflexible workplaces and day-care shortages, many women respond by having fewer children." However, "when societies make it possible for women to combine having children with pursuing their other ambitions, fertility rates are fine," Goldberg says. She adds, "Give women freedom and support, and they will find reproductive equilibrium, so that when societies do shrink or grow, they do so in a manageable way" (Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 5/17).~ Nicholas Kristof, New York Times: About 500,000 women "die annually from complications related to pregnancy or childbirth without attracting much interest because the victims are typically among the most voiceless people in the world: impoverished, rural, uneducated and female," Kristof writes in a Times opinion piece. He adds, "It"s no mystery how to save the lives of pregnant women; what"s lacking is the will and res." Kristof writes that Sierra Leone, which has the highest maternal mortality rate in the world, "is now making progress with the help of the United Nations Population Fund." Former President George W. Bush cut off U.S. funding for UNFPA, but President Obama has restored the funding. Kristof adds that a bill (H.R. 1410) that would "establish American leadership in this area ... has attracted pathetically little attention." He continues that if the lives of women in West Africa "were a priority, there would be many simple ways to keep them alive," such as providing them with bed nets to help protect against malaria or iron tablets to fight anemia at a cost of "just a few dollars" (Kristof, New York Times, 5/17).
The WHO announced Thursday it had approved a second cervical cancer vaccine, opening "U.N. agencies and partners [to] now officially buy millions of doses of the vaccine for poor countries worldwide," where an estimated 80 percent of the 280,000 annual deaths from cervical cancer occur each year, the AP/Google.com reports (7/9).
Twenty-six people representing a coalition of five HIV/AIDS groups from Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and New York were arrested on Thursday for unlawfully demonstrating in the Capitol rotunda, the AP/Washington Post reports (7/9). According to Politico, the protestors were demanding "congressional action on three AIDS priorities: the end of the federal ban on syringe exchange, increased housing funding for [people living with AIDS] and significant increases in U.S. international AIDS contributions" (McGrane, 7/9). The group contends that the Obama "administration"s budget proposal "essentially flatlines global AIDS funding,"" CNN.com reports. In a statement, Omolola Adele-Oso of DC Fights Back, said, "HIV is not in recession. So why are we bailing out the bankers with $9 trillion, but breaking promises to fund life-saving AIDS programs in the U.S. and around the world at a fraction of that cost?" (7/9).
"HIV/AIDS has literally become a state of emergency in the [b]lack community and our leaders, organizations and institutions can no longer afford to remain silent," Lisa Fager Bediako, project coordinator for the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation"s ACT! Against AIDS Leadership Initiative, writes in the Florida Courier. She continues, "Over the past three years that I have been involved in HIV/AIDS prevention and advocacy, one thing has become apparent: the crucial need for expanded dialogue about HIV/AIDS within the [b]lack community." Bediako writes, "In order to reach a larger audience, we need to have hard conversations, creative outreach and committed support from leadership organizations and media outlets," concluding, "We cannot afford to ebb and flow our conversations of HIV/AIDS while this preventable disease continues to devastate our community" (Bediako, 7/10).
The American Heart Association has pledged $50,000 to fund the work of University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) biomedical engineering undergraduate students who are working to develop a computer program that teaches CPR using hand-held remote controls from the Nintendo® Wii video game console.
The secret to longevity may lie in an enzyme with the ability to promote a robust immune system into old age by maintaining the function of the thymus throughout life, according to researchers studying an "anti-aging" mouse model that lives longer than a typical mouse.
Microbes contribute to manifold human endeavors ranging from bioenergy to agriculture to medicine. Moreover, they make the Earth"s biogeochemical cycles go round, a prerequisite for all life on the planet. Exceedingly numerous, they are also extremely diverse, encompassing most of Earth"s total biodiversity. So it should come as no surprise to find that two-thirds of the nearly 5,000 genome projects reported in the Genomes OnLine Database involve microbes. But far more could be done with microbial genomics, according to DOE JGI Genome Biology head Nikos Kyrpides, if researchers would embrace the world of possibilities that lie beyond the present anthropocentric focus and would also institute shared standards for genomic data collection and analysis.
A new study in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) reports that the number of prescriptions in Canada for cardiovascular medications has been increasing over the last ten years. There has been a 200 percent increase in costs. Overall costs of cardiovascular medications exceeded $5 billion in 2006. And statins accounted for nearly 40 percent of the expenditure.
Researchers in the US found that the destructive cellular pathways that occur following traumatic brain injury are the same as those activated in
Top researchers from the West Midlands are working to improve the treatment of conditions that affect millions of people. Across the region research into areas such as osteoarthritis, joint pain and sciatica, stroke prevention and treatment, community care for people living with diabetes, and the treatment of liver disease have received a real boost over the last three years.