Nutrition
Dr. Michael Holick, a professor of medicine, physiology and biophysics at the Boston University School of Medicine who has revolutionized the understanding of vitamin D and its role in disease prevention, has received the $50,000 Linus Pauling Institute Prize for Health Research.
The American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine is pleased to announce the release of Medical Ultrasound Safety, Second Edition. All operators of ultrasound systems with an output display should review the information in this publication. The book consists of 3 parts: Bioeffects and Biophysics, Prudent Use, and Implementing ALARA (as low as reasonably achievable). With the information from this 64 page publication, users can better control the diagnostic ultrasound equipment and examination to ensure that needed diagnostic information is obtained with minimal risk to the patient.
Nearly two-thirds (63
Dr. Mark Horton, director of the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), warned consumers not to eat SENG Chen PiMei Candy, after tests by CDPH found unacceptable levels of lead. Consumers in possession of the candy should discard it immediately.
Recovering stroke patients and others who find it hard to swallow when they eat and drink are now at a lower risk of developing pneumonia or chest infections, thanks to new technology which will help assess and treat their swallowing difficulties. Many patients suffering from stroke, head injury or major trauma often have swallowing difficulties when food and drink can go down the wrong way - patients can later develop nasty chest infections and pneumonias.
New research published in the June issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons reveals that in counties with the highest levels of segregation, an increase in the African-American or Hispanic population was associated with a decrease in the availability and use of surgical services and an increase in the number of emergency room visits. This research supports prior studies that have shown that minority groups in the United States have comparatively poorer access to a range of health care services, often resulting in late diagnosis of illness and delayed treatment.
A team of researchers led by Amy G. Hise, M.D., M.P.H., assistant professor at the Center for Global Health and Diseases, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, is the first to discover how the body fights off oral yeast infections caused by the most common human fungal pathogen, Candida.
Taking the diabetes medications metformin and rosiglitazone together reverses the adverse effects on bone of rosiglitazone treatment alone in an experimental model, according to a new study done in rats. The results were presented at The Endocrine Society"s 91st Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.
Simple weight-loss advice from a physician and regular follow-up helped obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome lose a substantial amount of weight, a new study found. The results were presented at The Endocrine Society"s 91st Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.
A modest reduction in the amount of carbohydrates eaten, without calorie restriction and weight loss, appears to increase a sense of fullness, which may help people eat less, a preliminary study found. The results were presented at The Endocrine Society"s 91st Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.
The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) will honor a senior U.S. Senator, a top Administration official, a cutting-edge television network, and several pioneering companies developing treatments for rare diseases at the 2009 NORD Gala at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, on Thursday, May 14.
Human Genome Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: HGSI) announced the presentation of results from a long-term Phase 2 continuation trial showing that BENLYSTA(TM) (belimumab, formerly LymphoStat-B(R)) was associated with sustained improvement in disease activity across multiple clinical measures, decreased frequency of disease flares, and was generally well tolerated through four years on treatment in combination with standard of care in patients with serologically active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The results were presented today in Copenhagen at the 2009 Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR).
Combining two chemotherapy drugs with trastuzumab (Herceptin) to treat women who have metastatic HER2+ breast cancer may offer physicians another choice in their treatment options.
In today"s image-obsessed society where millions of photos are uploaded daily through digital networks such as Facebook and Flickr, how much of an impact can a common skin condition like acne have on the life of teens? Based on first impressions, teens with acne are perceived to have different personality and social traits than if they had clear skin, according to results of a new online perception survey sponsored by the American Acne & Rosacea Society (AARS), and co-authored by Dr. Eva Ritvo, psychiatrist and co-author of The Beauty Prescription.(1) The survey asked thousands of teens and adults to offer their impressions of a group of teens based solely on photos of their faces - with clear skin or digitally enhanced to simulate acne. The results, which are being released to mark the first-ever National Acne Awareness Month, also expose the significant lengths that teens with acne would go to if it meant they could get rid of their acne forever.(1a)
Researchers from the University of Washington in Seattle report that algorithms for the management of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (rAAA) with a preference for endovascular repair (EVAR), serve as surrogates for an organized approach to managing the disease process and reducing overall mortality. These findings are from a study presented at the 63rd Annual Meeting of the Society for Vascular Surgery®.
UroToday.com - In this recent review we highlight the important role of MRI in assisting in the detection of prostate cancer (CaP) in men with previous negative biopsies and elevated prostate-specific antigen levels. [1]
The World Health Organization (WHO) announced it has raised the level of influenza pandemic alert from phase 5 to phase 6, following an
The American Medical Association (AMA) announced it is working with Microsoft to better connect patients with their physicians. Patients and their physicians will be able to exchange vital health care information by connecting through Microsoft"s HealthVault, a platform developed by Microsoft to store and maintain health and fitness information. Through this collaboration physicians will be able to access self reported patient health information at the point of care, while enabling patients to access vital information that has been entered through the physician"s office.
In technology that promises to one day allow drug delivery to be tailored to an individual patient and a particular cancer tumor, researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, have developed an efficient system for delivering siRNA into primary cells. The work was published on May 17 in the advance on-line edition of Nature Biotechnology.
As many as half of all men taking the antidepressant medication paroxetine (trade names Seroxat, Paxil) may have increased sperm DNA fragmentation -- a predictor of compromised fertility. Research led by NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center also found that the changes are reversible with normal levels of sperm returning after discontinuation of the drug.
Results from an international online survey, carried out by UCB in conjunction with Lupus Europe and the Lupus Foundation of America, the two principal advocacy groups that represent people with lupus, were presented during the EULAR (European League Against Rheumatism) congress at a symposium called, "Lupus - considering the future."
The benefits of alcohol are all about moderation. Low to moderate drinking - especially of red wine - appears to reduce causes of mortality, while too much drinking causes multiple organ damage.
Men are notoriously reluctant to take their health seriously and are much less likely than women to consult their doctor. With National Men"s Health Week fast approaching (June 15 - 21), the Meningitis Trust is encouraging men to learn the signs and symptoms of meningitis and to be aware of its range of free support services available to them.
On 16 June, boys living with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, their families and supporters will be lobbying MPs and marching to No. 10 Downing Street to bring an end to the continuing serious under-funding for research into the condition. Results from recent clinical trials into the effectiveness of Exon Skipping as a gene therapy for the treatment of Duchenne have been very promising and scientists say that a cure is tantalisingly close, but more funding is needed. The lobby action is being organised by Action Duchenne, the only UK charity dedicated solely to raising awareness and raising funds for research into treatments and finding a cure, and providing support for families living with Duchenne.
"Today is an historic day for public health, as the U.S. Senate passed legislation by a bipartisan 79-17 vote that will finally put an end to Big Tobacco"s despicable marketing practices that are designed to addict children to its deadly products. Senate passage of the "Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act" (S. 982) has the potential to reduce the scourge of tobacco products, which kill more than 400,000 Americans every year.
The All Wales Medicine Strategy Group (AWMSG) has today recommended two Pfizer medicines, Celsentri® (maraviroc) and Ecalta® (anidulafungin) for use in NHS Wales.1
UK researchers who asked over 700 patients and members of the public to pick out a diagram that showed the correct location of the human heart
GTx, Inc. (Nasdaq: GTXI) announced results of a Phase II clinical trial evaluating Ostarine™ (MK-2866), an investigational selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM), in patients with cancer induced muscle loss, also known as cancer cachexia. In the study, Ostarine treatment led to statistically significant increase in lean body mass (LBM) and improvement in muscle performance measured by stair climb in patients with cancer cachexia compared to baseline in both the Ostarine 1 mg and 3 mg treatment cohorts. These study results were the subject today of an oral podium presentation at the 2009 Annual Meeting of the Endocrine Society in Washington.
Fox Chase Cancer Center researchers have identified a genetic marker that is associated with an earlier onset of prostate cancer in Caucasian men who have a family history of prostate cancer. If the data are confirmed, the marker may help clinicians personalize prostate cancer screening.
In light of the World Health Organization raising its pandemic flu alert to the top phase of its six-phase scale, Aon Corporation (NYSE: AOC) today issued the following statement by Gisele Norris, DrPH, national director of Aon Healthcare"s alternative risk practice:
Researchers in the Neuroimaging and Stroke Recovery Laboratory at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center / Harvard Medical School are using a novel treatment for chronic stroke patients. The non-invasive technique of dual-hemisphere transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) uses electrical stimulation to modulate brain activity while simultaneous engaging the paretic arm/hand in sensorimotor activities. They studied chronic stroke patients who had movement problems after a stroke in a randomized clinical trial. The patients were divided into groups receiving either the electrical stimulation or placebo stimulation while receiving occupational therapy (OT) at the same time. After only 5 treatment sessions, patients receiving real stimulation and OT significantly improved in their motor functions, while control patients (receiving placebo stimulation and OT) showed no significant improvement. Functional magnetic resonance imaging showed increased brain activity in areas that control limb movement on the affected side for patients who received the real tDCS. It is important to notice that these changes were found in patients whose strokes had occurred on average about 3 years prior to the study, when patients are typically considered to be stable and unlikely to experience further improvement. This new treatment offers hope for patients debilitated by strokes.
"Vaccines are not just for children any more."
Newborn babies have immature immune systems, making them highly vulnerable to severe infections and unable to mount an effective immune response to most vaccines, thereby frustrating efforts to protect them. The World Health Organization estimates that more than 2 million newborns and infants less than 6 months of age die each year due to infection. Researchers at Children"s Hospital Boston believe they have found a way to enhance the immune system at birth and boost newborns" vaccine responses, making infections like respiratory syncytial virus, pneumococcus and rotavirus much less of a threat.
Dartmouth Medical School geneticists have made new inroads into understanding the regulatory circuitry of the biological clock that synchronizes the ebb and flow of daily activities, according to two studies published May 15.
When Jason Martin gives a talk about his research, he begins with the dramatic story of Mariana Bridi da Costa: The young Brazilian supermodel died from severe sepsis in January after amputation of both her hands and feet failed to stop its spread.
For modern implants and the growth of artificial tissue and organs, it is important to generate materials with characteristics that closely emulate nature. However, the tissue in our bodies has a combination of traits that are very hard to recreate in synthetic materials: It is both soft and very tough. A team of Australian and Korean researchers led by Geoffrey M. Spinks and Seon Jeong Kim has now developed a novel, highly porous, sponge-like material whose mechanical properties closely resemble those of biological soft tissues. As reported in the journal Angewandte Chemie, it consists of a robust network of DNA strands and carbon nanotubes.
A Warwick Business School professor and one of the founders of global risks specialist, Maplecroft, has released three new maps and indices revealing the countries most at risk from an influenza pandemic.
In these difficult times, when the global health community is facing the dangers of an important new influenza pandemic, a new partnership is forming. The lancet, one of the world÷´s leading medical journals has announced its partnership with the Rockefeller Foundation and the China Medical Board. Together they will develop a major series to evaluate the state of public health in Southeast Asia.
UroToday.com - The mortality rate for prostate cancer is declining due to improvements in earlier detection and in local therapy strategies, however, the ability to predict the metastatic behavior of a patient"s cancer, as well as to detect and eradicate disease recurrence remains some of the greatest clinical challenges in oncology.
Aggressive, deadly and often misdiagnosed, inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is the most lethal form of primary breast cancer, often striking women in their prime and causing death within 18 to 24 months. Now, scientists from The Cancer Institute at NYU Langone Medical Center have identified a key gene eIF4G1 that is overexpressed in the majority of cases of IBC, allowing cells to form highly mobile clusters that are responsible for the rapid metastasis that makes IBC such an effective killer.
Depression is an established risk factor for the development of coronary heart disease (CHD) in healthy patients and for adverse cardiovascular outcomes in patients with existing CHD. Dietary factors resulting in lower levels of omega 3 fatty acids not only increase CHD risk, but may also be involved in the pathophysiology of depression. The investigators measured red blood cell levels of two omega 3 fatty acids, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and assessed depressive symptoms in a cross-sectional study of 987 adults with CHD. Omega 3 fatty acids were blindly measured in fasting venous blood samples using capillary gas chromatography to measure the fatty acid composition of red blood cell membranes. Red blood cell levels of EPA and DHA are presented as a percentage composition of total fatty acid methyl esters. The investigators assessed current depression using the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire. They evaluated the association between omega 3 fatty acid levels and depressive symptoms as continuous variables using linear regression.
UroToday.com - Radiofrequency (RF) ablation of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has been accepted as a minimally invasive treatment for patients who are not able to undergo surgery1. These patients have such poor medical conditions that they can have a higher risk of postoperative morbidity or mortality compared to the general population.
Clare Lewis-Jones, Chief Executive of Infertility Network UK (I N UK) and More to Life, the largest national charity providing help, support and information to those suffering the effects of infertility, has been awarded an MBE in the Queen"s Birthday Honours List for her services to healthcare.
Thousands of people with Alzheimer"s will continue to be denied access to the only drug treatments for the disease following the publication of revised guidance by the NICE.
President Obama used his popularity Thursday at a town hall meeting in Green Bay, Wisc., in an effort to help make the case to Americans that a health care system overhaul needs to happen this year, Time reports.
XenaCare Holdings Inc. (OTCBB:XCHO), a healthcare company specializing in the branding, retailing and internet distribution of consumer products, has announced today that in the July 2009 issue of Prevention Magazine™ an article written by Roopoka Malhorta which is about Ageless Summer Beauty - 21 fast, easy ways to look young - and stay that way - this summer and beyond states as their #1 choice was to "Try a Sun Protection pill" they further stated "ò€¦boost your UV protection by taking an antioxidant supplement such as SunPill ($20 for a month"s supply; available at http://www.sunpill.com)." According to Frank Rizzo, president of XenaCare, the SunPill can also be purchased at Walgreens, Rite-Aid, Amazon.com, Drugstore.com, CVS.com, Target.com and various other major retailers.
As health reform heats up, many lawmakers agree that the government should take a larger role in preventing disease. However, the Wall Street Journal reports that "many previous government prevention efforts aimed at costly chronic diseases have had little success in reducing illness or costs."
"The nation"s deep recession is helping to alleviate the decade-long nursing shortage, as workers who had left the field in better times are returning in droves," the Wall Street Journal reports. The paper quotes a study, one of six papers on the nursing workforce published today in the journal Health Affairs, that found "nearly a quarter-million nurses entered the work force in 2007-08, an 18% surge that was the largest two-year increase in at least three decades." Many of them had left nursing, but "re-entered the work force to compensate for a spouse"s lost income or health benefits, the study said." The increase is "particularly remarkable at a time when the U.S. economy has shed more than six million jobs, helping to solidify the profession"s "recession-proof" image." The study found that the surge in new nurses is due to "efforts to expand nursing schools, attract more young people into the field and improve working conditions," along with an increase in the number of foreign-born nurses.
The Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada praised the government"s announcement of $15 million to study the impact of a wide variety of neurological conditions, including multiple sclerosis.
Twenty-two people in the adult film industry have tested positive for HIV in the last five years in Los Angeles County, according to a new report released on Thursday by county health officials, the Los Angeles Times reports. Officials were prompted to release the report after an adult film star last week tested positive for HIV. An outbreak occurred in 2004, in which at least five people tested positive for HIV, and caused the industry to shut down for one month. The cases in 2004 prompted a series of public hearings over the years that sought to require the industry to adopt safer practices, but no legislation was introduced. "The report ò€¦ is bringing renewed scrutiny to the estimated $12-billion-a-year industry"s long history of resisting regulation and condom use," according to the Times. Michael Weinstein, president of the Los Angeles-based AIDS Healthcare Foundation, said, "This industry screams for regulation," adding that the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health "needs to require that condoms be used in any film." Sharon Mitchell, co-founder of the Adult Industry Medical Healthcare Foundation, the clinic which tests people in the adult film industry for sexually transmitted infections, said the clinic promotes HIV prevention and testing, but added "we are not the police department of the industry nor wish to be" (Yoshino/Rong-Gong, Los Angeles Times, 6/12).
New genes discovered by Australian and New Zealand researchers may hold the key to new treatments for people with multiple sclerosis (MS).
Most vaccines that protect against viruses generate infection-fighting proteins called antibodies that either block infection or help eliminate the virus before it can cause disease. Attempts to create a vaccine that induces antibodies that prevent HIV infection or disease, however, have so far been unsuccessful. But several recent studies suggest promising new research directions for the development of an antibody-based HIV vaccine, according to John R. Mascola, M.D., deputy director of the Vaccine Research Center at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health, and colleagues.
Warwickshire, Solihull & Coventry Breast Screening Service (WSCBSS), which installed its first Sectra MicroDose system in 2005, has now invested in another two systems. With the new units, WSCBSS will become one of the first publicly operated breast screening services in the UK to provide a fully direct digital mammography screening service.
Over half (56%) of people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) also have periodontitis (a chronic inflammatory disease of the gum and surrounding ligaments and bones that hold the teeth in place), displaying fewer teeth than healthy matched controls, high prevalence of oral sites presenting dental plaque and advanced attachment loss (the extent of periodontal support that has been destroyed around a tooth) (chi square p
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is reminding employers of their duties to the safety of staff following an incident in Kettering where an employee fell six foot and suffered serious injury.
A new strategy in the fight against pneumonia, the world"s greatest killer of children, was announced in Lecce, Italy. Global health partners gathered to sign an innovative new financing agreement called the Advance Market Commitment (AMC), designed to accelerate access to life-saving new vaccines and medicines in developing countries.
A person whose hand function has been affected by a stroke can release an object more quickly when the affected arm is supported on a platform, but the support does not make it easier to grip the object, according to a new study. The study also found that active muscle-stretching exercises improved how quickly the stroke survivor could grip an object, but made release of the object more difficult. These findings show how a stroke affects hand function, and provide a roadmap for rehabilitation.
The COPD Foundation announces launch of the Lung Health Check, developed in an educational collaboration with WebMD. Development of the Lung Health Check was made possible by funding from the COPD Foundation.
Boehringer Ingelheim and Vitae Pharmaceuticals, Inc., announced today that they have entered into a significant worldwide collaboration to research and develop beta-secretase (BACE) inhibitors for the treatment of Alzheimer"s disease. Current therapies for Alzheimer"s disease can improve symptoms, but do not affect the progression of the disease. The inhibition of BACE - an enzyme involved in the formation of amyloid-beta plaques which accumulate in the brains of patients with Alzheimer"s disease - offers the potential to slow or even halt disease progression.
92.8% of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) suffer anxiety and depression which significantly affects both their physical and emotional quality of life (QoL), according to the results of a new study presented today at EULAR 2009, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism in Copenhagen, Denmark. Logistic regression analysis revealed that depression was the most significant factor shown to affect QoL (p=0.015; OR=0.18; CI 95%:0.045-0.72).
Vanguard Pharmaceutical Corporation (PINKSHEETS: VGPH) has recently acquired a naturally derived product formulated to aid against strains of influenza by strengthening the immune system. Their unique formula combines traditional Chinese medicine with many extracts that have proven to boost the immune system as well as offer many other benefits in the fight against influenza. Swine Guard is formulated with:
Physio-Control Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Medtronic, Inc., (NYSE: MDT), announced that it has received a Gold Medical Design Excellence Award (MDEA) for its LIFEPAK® 15 monitor/defibrillator.
Healthy eating means consuming the right quantities of foods from all food groups in order to lead a healthy life. Diet is often referred to as some dietary regimen for losing weight. However, diet simply means what food we eat in the course of a 24-hour, one week, or one month, etc. period. A good diet is a nutritional lifestyle that promotes good health. A good diet must include several food groups because one single group cannot provide everything a human needs for good health.
Vitamin D deficiency was found to be prevalent in cancer patients regardless of nutritional status, according to the results of a recent study conducted at Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA). Based on these results, CTCA researchers determined that screening for vitamin D deficiency and aggressive vitamin D repletion should be considered for all people with cancer.
Possessing a greater purpose in life is associated with lower mortality rates among older adults according to a new study by researchers at Rush University Medical Center.
Novartis has successfully completed the production of the first batch of influenza A(H1N1) vaccine, weeks ahead of expectations. Cell-based manufacturing technology[1] allows vaccine production to be initiated once a pandemic virus strain is identified without the need to adapt the virus strain to grow in eggs, as with traditional vaccine technologies. This advance has cut weeks off the time required to begin vaccine production. This first batch of ten liters of wild type influenza A(H1N1) vaccine monobulk will be used for pre-clinical evaluation and testing and is also being considered for use in clinical trials. It demonstrates the value of the cell-based production approach, that is also being used by Novartis with reassortant influenza A(H1N1) seed.
Norovirus and Salmonella were the leading causes of foodborne disease outbreaks in 2006, according to a report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The report, based on investigations of foodborne disease outbreaks provides the most recent report of how many illnesses were linked to specific types of foods.
Universal Detection Technology (OTCBB: UNDT), a developer of early-warning monitoring technologies to protect people from bioterrorism and other infectious health threats and provider of counter-terrorism consulting and training services, announced that it has applied for CAGE and NSN Stock numbers for its biological detection equipment. The numbers will facilitate the sales of the items to the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
As President Obama looks for a way to pay for health care reform in the United States, key Democrats advocate taxing employer-provided health benefits, The Washington Post reports.
The Boston Globe examines the U.S. strategy towards global health aid. "President George W. Bush scored major advances in his administration"s worldwide campaign against AIDS," and "[t]he Obama administration believes it can leverage Bush"s successes into an assault against a much broader array of diseases that afflict poor countries," writes the Globe.
Roche Diagnostics announces launch of new Accu-Chek Smart Pix diabetes management system for consumers. Traditionally, Accu-Chek Smart Pix has been an information management tool used by healthcare specialists in clinics, but now people with diabetes can benefit from this advanced technology for home use. With this brand new device, manual log books become a thing of the past, and patients remain fully in control of their diabetes at all times.
The tobacco industry knows exactly what makes social smokers tick. Now, researchers want to use that once-secret information to help them quit.
A low cellular level of a tiny fragment of RNA appears to increase the spread of breast cancer in mouse models of the disease, according to researchers at Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research.
Appearing on CBS" "Face the Nation" on Sunday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnel (R-Ky.) said that Senate Republicans have not ruled out a filibuster on the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor, The Hill reports. Although McConnell acknowledged that he has "consistently opposed filibustering judges," he added that the "precedent was established" when Democrats filibustered Miguel Estrada, an appeals court nominee under former President George W. Bush. When asked to clarify his statement, McConnell added, "The Democrats have firmly established that as a precedent, but that doesn"t mean you are going to use it" (Blake, The Hill, 6/14). McConnell also said that it is "way too early to be talking about whether or not anybody opposes this nominee" (Schieffer, "Face the Nation," CBS, 6/14).According to The Hill, McConnell is the first top GOP senator to state that a filibuster is a possibility, as most other Republicans have said only that it is too early to determine if it should be an option. Republicans "face a difficult path" if they choose to filibuster Sotomayor because party members have long decried judicial filibusters, The Hill reports (The Hill, 6/14).
Research indicating distorted ratios of male to female births among U.S. residents of Chinese, Indian and Korean descent could reflect those families" openness to sex-selection techniques, according to some demographers, the New York Times reports. Historically, male births in the U.S. have led female births by a ratio of 1.05 to 1. A study published last year in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences examined 2000 census data and found that among Chinese-, Indian- and Korean-American families, if the first child was a girl, the likelihood that the second child was a boy increased to 1.17 to 1. In addition, if the first two children were girls, the chance that the third was a boy was 1.51 to 1, or about 50% greater than normal. In a study published this year, Jason Abrevaya of the University of Texas examined census data and birth records through 2004, finding that the incidence of boys as third children among immigrant Chinese parents in New York was 558 of every 1,000 births, significantly higher than the national average of 515. Many experts were surprised at the evidence that the cultural preference for sons among some Asian cultures has carried over to immigrants in the U.S., the Times reports. Studies have not demonstrated a slanted proportion of male births among Japanese immigrants, according to the Times. According to demography experts, the deviation toward male births among some Asian-American immigrants reflects both a cultural preference for boys and an increased tendency for families to seek out sex-selection techniques such as in vitro fertilization, sperm sorting or abortion. Some clinics that offer IVF or sperm sorting to select for sex market their services to Asian-American families through advertisements in Indian- and Chinese-language newspapers. In 2001, criticism arose within the Indian-American community about clinics targeting that population, and some community newspapers and magazines expressed regret for publishing advertisements that critics said were perpetuating a misogynistic practice. Joyce Moy, executive director of the Asian American/Asian Research Institute of the City University of New York, said that younger Chinese immigrants have adopted the family values that are common in China -- such as the tradition of elders depending on their sons for support -- even though some of the reasons behind those customs are less relevant in the U.S. Experts say that the preference for male children may fade with further assimilation, the Times reports.In China, sex selection typically is achieved through abortion of female fetuses. Although doctors say the practice also occurs in the U.S., few families discuss it, the Times reports. Lisa Eng, a Hong Kong-born gynecologist who practices in New York City"s Chinatown and Brooklyn, said that she attempts to discourage couples who prefer boys from having abortions. "If it"s going to be a third [child], they"re pretty determined to have a boy," she said, adding, "If it"s a boy, they keep it. If it"s a girl, they"ll abort" (Roberts, New York Times, 6/15).
When Jason Martin gives a talk about his research, he begins with the dramatic story of Mariana Bridi da Costa: The young Brazilian supermodel died from severe sepsis in January after amputation of both her hands and feet failed to stop its spread.
President Barack Obama speaks to the American Medical Association (AMA) addressing concerns about health insurance reform and the whole nation, including physicians from coast to coast, is listening.
Today, the Israeli medtech startup company CLT Ltd. announced the establishment of Closed Loop Therapies (CLT) BV - a joint venture between Erasmus University Medical Centre (Rotterdam, the Netherlands), a highly prominent medical institute in Europe, and CLT Israel. The joint venture aims to develop and commercialise a novel therapeutic system, consisting of an arrhythmia-detecting drug pump combined with a unique drug, for automatic and immediate treatment of emerging atrial fibrillation (AF). Market size is estimated at 2.5-3 billion Euro, annually.
The first global assessment of road safety finds that almost half of the estimated 1.27 million people who die in road traffic crashes each year are pedestrians, motorcyclists and cyclists. While progress has been made towards protecting people in cars, the needs of these vulnerable groups of road users are not being met.
Paul Ennals, Chief Executive of NCB, has been awarded a knighthood in the Queen"s Birthday Honours list.
A study in the June 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine shows that the complaints of fatigue and tiredness in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) improved significantly with good adherence to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy, suggesting that - like the symptom of excessive daytime sleepiness - these complaints are important symptoms of OSA.
Research by a Hebrew University of Jerusalem professor has led to the development of a product that has been shown in clinical trials to be successful in halting the growth of various types of cancer cells.
New research from Cincinnati Children"s Hospital Medical Center highlights the critical role a certain gene and its protein play during early embryonic development on formation of a normal heart and skull.
Using a highly sensitive new test, scientists in Europe are reporting "convincing evidence" that marijuana smoke damages the genetic material DNA in ways that could increase the risk of cancer. Their study can be found in the June 15 issue of ACS" Chemical Research in Toxicology, a monthly journal.
Programs that bring colleges and their surrounding neighborhoods together may help reduce off-campus drinking problems, a new study suggests.
The Cochlear Implant Program at the London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) working in collaboration with researchers at The University of Western Ontario"s National Centre for Audiology, has joined 16 other world-class centres to form HEARRING - the International Network of Comprehensive Hearing Implant Centers of Excellence. These centres, which are leaders within their specialities, have come together as a globally networked "cluster". This will allow members to set scientific and clinical standards and raise the quality of patient care.
Kidney stones, usually comprised of a compound called calcium oxalate, are the result of a build-up of dissolved minerals on the inner lining of the kidneys. These deposits can grow to the size of a golf ball while maintaining a sharp, crystalline structure. They may be small and pass unnoticed out of the urinary tract, but they may also cause extreme pain upon exiting. Kidney stones that remain inside the body can lead to many conditions, including severe pain and ureter (the tube connecting the kidney and bladder) blockage that obstructs the path urine uses to leave the body.
New data announced at Heart Rhythm 2009, the annual congress of the Heart Rhythm Society, demonstrate that patients implanted with the investigational EnRhythm MRI™ SureScan™ pacing system experienced no complications related to the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Sponsored by Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT), the study confirms that the pacing system can help cardiac device patients benefit from the use of MRI, a critical imaging technique commonly used in disease diagnosis. Currently, due to safety considerations, there are no implantable pacemakers or defibrillators approved for use with MRI in the United States. Commercially released in Europe last fall, the EnRhythm MRI SureScan system is the world"s first and only pacing system designed and approved for use with MRI.
Savient Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: SVNT) announced that the Arthritis Advisory Committee appointed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommended by a vote of 14 to 1 that KRYSTEXXA(TM) (pegloticase), a biologic PEGylated uricase enzyme, be granted marketing approval by the FDA for the treatment of refractory chronic gout. Refractory chronic gout or treatment failure gout (TFG) is gout in patients who have failed to normalize serum uric acid and whose signs and symptoms are inadequately controlled with conventional urate-lowering therapy at the maximum medically appropriate dose or for whom conventional urate-lowering therapy is contraindicated. The current target Prescription Drug User Fee (PDUFA) action date for the FDA"s decision as to whether to grant marketing approval for KRYSTEXXA is August 1, 2009.
Cambridge Research & Instrumentation, Inc. (CRi) announced that Oosight(TM), a non-invasive optical imaging system manufactured by CRi and widely used by embryologists as an aid in the field of in vitro fertilization (IVF), has been used in a groundbreaking study that investigated ways to select eggs most likely to produce a pregnancy.
According to a new report by HHS" Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, there is insufficient evidence to conclude that genetic testing for two gene mutations in adults with a history of blood clots helps to prevent a condition known as deep-vein thrombosis or to improve other clinical outcomes.
NECT (Nifurtimox-Eflornithine Combination Therapy), a new treatment option for sleeping sickness, a fatal disease that threatens 60 million people across sub-Saharan Africa, has been added to the Essential Medicines List (EML) of the World Health Organization (WHO). The inclusion is based on an application submitted by the non-profit Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), supported by the international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Mç©decins Sans Frontiç¨res (MSF), and Epicentre, MSF"s epidemiological research center.
Scientists at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have shown that a fully automated procedure called Volumetric MRI which measures the "memory centers" of the brain and compares them to expected size is effective in predicting the progression from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to Alzheimer"s disease. The procedure can be readily used in clinics to measure brain atrophy, and may help physicians to predict decline in MCI patients. Their study has been published in the June issue of the journal Alzheimer Disease and Associated Disorders.
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission - an independent group that makes recommendations to Congress on Medicare issues - said in its annual June report that the "government must give doctors and health-care facilities incentives to rein in costs in providing care for the elderly and disabled," the Wall Street Journal reports. The panel, known as MedPAC, raised specific questions about high priced imaging services that encourage doctors to over use them, the possibility of penalizing physicians who provide poor care at high cost with lower payments, and whether to cut payments to private plans that provide Medicare coverage (Zhang, 6/16).
A fee for patients at Cleveland Clinic is upsetting some patients who are complaining to the Ohio hospital, their insurance companies and even members of Congress. They say they can"t afford the expense in the current economy, according to The Plain Dealer.
NPR reports on the health care struggles of Howard County, Maryland, a well-off and generally liberal area with hospital fees set by the state and a county program for the uninsured. "But like the rest the country, Howard County is facing the impact of the recession: Employers have to cut back on benefits, so employees cut back on their coverage." Herb Huston, 61, lost his employer-provided insurance when he was laid off a few years ago. He"d always been healthy, but one night in May he suffered a heart attack. "Neither old enough for Medicare nor poor enough for Medicaid," Huston will be responsible for the costs himself, which "should easily exceed $50,000." On the other end of the spectrum is 62-year-old Judy Weeter, who pays no premium for the insurance she receives through her employer. She"s undergoing expensive chemotherapy for breast cancer but expects to pay no more than her $20 copays.
The Delaware State Senate recently passed a bill (SB 86) that would add HIV testing to the standard battery of tests given to all pregnant women, WMTD.com reports. Lawmakers hope that the bill will help reduce the rate of mother-to-child HIV transmission. Women would be able to choose to "opt out" of taking the test, according to WMTD.com (Saki, WMTD.com, 6/14).
The California-based clinic Adult Industry Medical Healthcare Foundation (AIMHF), which serves the adult film industry, said on Monday it will boost its HIV prevention measures by urging the industry to use an online database to verify that employees have recently been tested for HIV, the Los Angeles Times reports. The industry currently requires that workers be tested every 30 days. Los Angeles County health officials recently reported that there had been 16 unpublicized cases of HIV in adult film workers in the county since 2004 after news emerged last week that an adult film actress tested positive for HIV (Yoshino, Los Angels Times, 6/15).
Good communication between patients and their healthcare practitioners is essential to good care. To help older adults better communicate with their healthcare providers, the American Geriatrics Society"s Foundation for Health in Aging (FHA) has released a new, easily understandable tip sheet for older people and their caregivers.
Despite significant efforts from Pakistani authorities and humanitarian organizations to respond to the world"s largest and fastest displacement of people in more than a decade, relief efforts are barely coping, according to an Oxfam report published on Monday, the International News reports.
The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) and the ASHP Foundation today announced the Pharmacy Practice Model Initiative (PPMI), the next major step in the evolution of pharmacy practice in hospitals and health systems.
Taking popular cholesterol-lowering statin drugs, such as Lipitor® (atorvastatin), does not lower the risk of pneumonia. That"s the new finding from a study of more than 3,000 Group Health patients published online on June 16 in advance of the British Medical Journal"s June 20 print issue.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain is concerned that from today, only
The member of parliament for Feltham and Heston Alan Keen MP together with his wife, Health Minister Ann Keen MP,(Brentford & Isleworth) wrote to the UK Autism Foundation wishing the "Scope for Hope" autism charity dinner in Feltham every success. Hundreds attended the glittering event, held at the Royal Naval Association Club in Feltham, Middlesex on Saturday 13th June.
MiCardia® (MiCardia Corporation, Irvine, California) announced the completion of the first U.S. implant of its Dynaplasty® mitral valve repair technology. The surgery was performed last week at Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, Michigan. Francis L. Shannon, M.D., who is a partner in SEMCVS and Director of CV Surgical Research and Quality Outcomes at Beaumont, commented, "The MiCardia® device implanted easily and conformed well to the patient"s mitral annulus. The complete D-shaped ring was used to reinforce a complex repair of a flail leaflet segment using minimally invasive techniques. We are excited to be participating in the DYANA Study and believe Dynaplasty® technology will address a major weakness of current devices, namely their inability to deal with changes in valve shape and function after the initial repair procedure."
As panic surrounding the spread of swine flu heightens following the World Health Organization"s declaration of a global pandemic, many may be fooling themselves into believing that their state or national border can provide protection from the virus, based on new research from NYU Stern on people"s tendency to treat arbitrary political boundaries as safeguards.
PhytoMedical Technologies, Inc. (OTCBB:PYTO) (FWB:ET6), announced the advancement of their anti-cancer compound research and development. The culmination of a series of favorable test results conducted over several months have allowed the company to justifiably expand their cancer research efforts which includes the designing of an IV formulation of their key compound.
ARYx Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:ARYX), a biopharmaceutical company, announced today that the database for the EmbraceAC study has been locked and the study remains on schedule, with the efficacy and safety results to be available during the week of July 6, 2009. The study was designed to compare its oral anticoagulation therapy, tecarfarin (previously ATI-5923), against the leading anticoagulant agent, warfarin. The purpose of the trial is to evaluate whether tecarfarin is superior to warfarin in its ability to maintain patients within a target therapeutic range of the level of anticoagulation as measured by INR (International Normalized Ratio). Based upon recent interactions with the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), ARYx believes this trial could be positioned as one of the required registration studies for tecarfarin.
Computed tomographic (CT) colonography may offer patients at increased risk of colorectal cancer an alternative to colonoscopy that is less-invasive, is better-tolerated and has good diagnostic accuracy, according to a study in the June 17 issue of JAMA.
Chemists at the University of California, Santa Cruz, have developed novel compounds that show promise for photodynamic cancer therapy, which uses light-activated drugs to kill tumor cells.
Contrary to a previous report, an analysis of 14 previous studies does not find an association between a serotonin transporter gene variation, stressful life events, and an increased risk of major depression, according to an article in the June 17 issue of JAMA. The authors did find that the number of stressful life events is associated with depression.
To determine if guided fat (adipose) precursor cells (APCs) could improve nerve regeneration and functional recovery, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh (USA) used biodegradable nerve guides to transplant APCs into the injured peripheral nerves of laboratory rats.
Research published in the June issue of the American Sociological Review examines issues surrounding families, communities, youth and delinquency. The following briefs highlight selected sociological findings.
The following statement was issued by the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) regarding a study on biosimilars presented to Congressional staff by the AARP:
The emergency use of an investigational drug has yielded promising results in reducing the potentially fatal side effects of the widely used cancer chemotherapy 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), according to clinical data that will be reported June 1 at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Orlando.1
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE: BMY) announced interim results from two Phase II studies of SPRYCEL® (dasatinib) which demonstrate that the medicine may have potential as a treatment for a certain type of advanced prostate cancer.
For many women who suffer from migraines, pregnancy can be a period of relief from their headaches. Studies have found that preexisting migraines diminish or disappear in 42% to 98% of pregnant women. However, new, persistent, or worsening migraines during pregnancy can signal a serious problem that could result in a stroke. A study published in the March 2009 issue of the British Medical Journal (BMJ) stroke found that migraine was associated with a 17-fold increase in pregnancy-related stroke.
Enzon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ENZN) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Cimzia®, for the treatment of adult patients with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Cimzia® (certolizumab pegol), is a PEGylated anti-TNFa (Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha). The product is currently being developed by UCB. Cimzia is one of several products which utilize Enzon"s PEGylation technology, including PEG-INTRON®, Macugen®, and Pegasys®.
Targeting children may be an effective use of limited supplies of flu vaccine, according to research at the University of Warwick funded by the Wellcome Trust and the EU. The study suggests that, used to support other control measures, this could help control the spread of pandemics such as the current swine flu.
The health and physiological effects of an intervention which facilitates the opening of feelings are described in a paper published in the current issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics.
A new theory on the role of developmental experiences is presented in the current issue of Psychotherapy and Psycosomatics.
JustAnswer®, the website where people go when they need answers from Doctors, Lawyers, Mechanics or other Experts, today announced it is partnering with the Glaucoma Research Foundation (GRF), as part of Vision Research Month. The collaboration is to help the non-profit educate, identify and treat individuals with glaucoma. This disease, diagnosed in 2.4 million people per year worldwide, leads to blindness if untreated.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the release of $1.79 billion to ensure that people living with HIV/AIDS continue to have access to life-saving health care and medications. The grants are funded through the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, which helps more than 529,000 individuals every year obtain the care and services they need to live longer, healthier lives.
Brain injuries are the number one killer and disabler of people under the age of 45 in Canada. These injuries are
HIV and sexual health charity Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) Cymru is reminding visitors to Swansea Pride (Saturday 27th June) not to put their sexual health at risk by getting carried away with the party mood.
As attempts to gain support for health reform across party lines and from stoic interest groups like the American Medical Association continue, House leaders are seeking to rally centrist members of their own caucus, CQ Politics reports. "House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, whose liberal committee leaders will write health care legislation is attempting to engage moderate Democrats whose votes she will need on the floor."
"Democrats Tom Daschle and George Mitchell are set to join Republicans Bob Dole and Howard Baker on Wednesday to release a $1.2 trillion proposal that would be fully paid for with a combination of spending cuts and tax increases," the Associated Press reports. The proposal from the four former Senate leaders "combines ideas from both political parties to guarantee coverage for all" and is an attempt to "prevent a repeat of the 1990s standoff over health care."
The Ozone Man, Inc. (OTCBB: OZOM), dba TOMI Environmental Solutions, or TOMIES, announced today the completion of a deep cleaning treatment of Xaverian High School with a student body of 1400 located in Brooklyn, New York. The Ozone Man"s treatment eliminated contaminants including Swine Flu "H1N1" along with inactivating viruses. The Ozone Man"s treatment also eliminates odor, mold spores and kills bacteria in the treated areas. Its proprietary Ultraviolet Ozone Generators produce the cleanest ozone south of the stratosphere, helping to ensure the health, safety and well being of the building and its inhabitants.
A recent local study shows a new approach to treating bunions could save up to 400 million dollars a year.
Nearly one-third of sexually active women ages 15 to 24 in Nigeria had an unmet need for modern contraception in 2003, according to a study from the Guttmacher Institute, BBC News reports. The study, which analyzed health data from Nigerian authorities and non-governmental organizations, found that 16% of pregnancies among women ages 15 to 24 in 2003 were unintended, compared with 10% in 1990. From 1990 to 2003, there was little change -- from 4% to 8% -- in use of modern contraceptives among young women who were sexually active. In addition, the proportion of sexually active young women who were aware of how to access family planning services decreased from 32% in 1990 to 18% in 2003, the study found. The study also said that although the proportion of girls and young women with some secondary education increased from 34% in 1990 to 50% in 2003, Nigerian authorities have inadequately promoted sexual health information, including contraceptive information, to the country"s youth. The report noted that Nigeria"s population is increasing by 2.2% annually and will double every 32 years if that rate is maintained.Friday Okonofua, the co-author of the report, said, "We are failing Nigerian adolescents when it comes to providing them with the information and services they need to delay marriage and avoid unintended pregnancies." She added that the lack of information leaves girls and young women vulnerable to unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections like HIV (BBC News, 6/16).
TR BioSurgical, LLC, announced highly encouraging results using their new medical device (bioscaffold) in canine patients with advanced osteoarthritis. The new bioscaffold is implanted in or near diseased tissue and provides a structural matrix for local repair cells, such as stem cells or fibroblasts, to attach and heal tissue by local, physiological repair mechanisms. The new bioscaffold implant contains no drugs, cells or growth factors and is eventually resorbed by the infiltrating cells. The implant is made from a proprietary, copolymerized collagen and is sterile, cost effective, and non- immunogenic.
The world"s first virtual heart has been developed to improve teaching of peri-operative transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) skills in the care of patients with heart disease. HeartWorks, a uniquely realistic computer-generated model of the heart and echocardiography simulator, is the result of a 4 year project driven by a team of three London-based cardiac anaesthesiologists. Recognising the power of education through simulation and its increasingly widespread adoption throughout clinical practice, the team is spearheading a pathway change in education in one of the most interesting and challenging areas of cardiac care. Now in production by Inventive Medical, a subsidiary of UCLH Charity London, HeartWorks is set to dramatically transform TEE training by university teaching hospitals worldwide.
A Minnesota program that provides psychiatric medications to low-income patients received a 2009 Community Leadership Award honorable mention from America"s Health Insurance Plans. The awards, which were announced at AHIP"s annual Institute in San Diego, recognize programs that address a community need.