Nutrition
A plan to pool the ownership of health insurance into cooperatives owned by groups of residents and small businesses is attracting renewed hopes that a bipartisan public plan bill will pass Congress with wide support, The Associated Press reports.
A bill introduced Wednesday in the House would create an artificial joints database to root out bad practices and unnecessary surgeries, The New York Times reports. "The bill, co-sponsored by (Democrats) Bill Pascrell Jr. of New Jersey and Lloyd Doggett of Texas, would establish a government-backed registry to track patients" results over time and help detect ineffective surgical practices and faulty devices. Patient registries, in areas like orthopedics, are expected to play an important role in "comparative effectiveness" reviews that the Obama administration hopes will help identify which medical procedures and products work best."
Legislation seeks to fix Medicare payment rates for doctors, who are routinely underpaid for services in California, while hearings in South Dakota focus on Medicare reimbursement issues in rural areas.
Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans on Wednesday sent a letter to Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor requesting additional background information to supplement a committee questionnaire, CQ Today reports. The Republicans said that Democrats are rushing the nomination process by scheduling Sotomayor"s confirmation hearing to begin July 13 and that they need more information on the nominee. According to CQ Today, Democrats are unlikely to budge from their determination to confirm Sotomayor before the Aug. 7 recess, although Republicans might convince Leahy to postpone the hearing for a week in exchange for a GOP pledge not to delay a committee vote on Sotomayor for a week, as allowed under the panel"s rules (Perine, CQ Today, 6/10). Among their requests, Republicans asked that Sotomayor provide copies of the Yale Law Journal, for which she served as an editor, and that she elaborate upon her role with the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund. White House spokesperson Ben LaBolt said that the Obama administration has made clear that it plans to provide additional information but that it has presented most of the information quickly to allow the Senate to begin its review (Herszenhorn, "The Caucus," New York Times, 6/10). Judiciary Committee ranking member Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) said that the information requested is not "little itty-bitty matters" but "important" components of Sotomayor"s background. He added, "If we"re going to move forward in a record-breaking time frame, the least we can expect is complete and full answers to these questions." Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), a senior member on the committee, said there is "a lot of irritation and discomfort" among Republicans "about the way it"s being handled." He added that he does not think Republicans want to filibuster the nomination but implied that they might use procedural tools to slow the process (CQ Today, 6/10).
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) announced the
Knockout of myostatin, a growth factor that limits muscle growth, can decrease body fat and promote resistance against developing atherosclerosis, or "hardening" of the arteries, according to a new study conducted in mice. The results were presented at The Endocrine Society"s 91st Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.
GenWay Biotech, Inc., a US-based diagnostic company which specializes in providing protein and antibody solutions, announced its partnership with AMDL, Inc., a US-based pharmaceutical company with major operations in China, regarding the distribution of AMDL"s DR-70 (FDP) cancer test in both the United States and Canada. GenWay Biotech will be the exclusive distributor of the DR-70 test for general cancer screening by CLIA laboratories in the United States and for lung cancer screening in Canada. The commercialization efforts include raising awareness of the disease and demand creation for the test through multiple media channels and healthcare outreach. Both exclusive distribution agreements extend for five-years based on continuing success in both the Canadian and US markets.
Researchers at Addenbrook"s Hospital in Cambridge published a study on bmj.com in which they explain their design and evaluation of a new cognitive test for detecting Alzeimer" disease called TYM ("test your memory") which is considered quicker and more precise than many existing tests, and which can also help diagnose early dementia.
Following the World Health Organization (WHO) declaration of swine flu pandemic, the Infectious Disease Research Institute (IDRI) announced it has successfully developed an adjuvant that could significantly enhance both the effectiveness and supplies of pandemic flu vaccines. The Seattle-based not-for-profit organization will make its adjuvant technology available to flu vaccine manufacturers for the production of A (H1N1) or future pandemic flu vaccines.
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.
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]
An embolism - from the Greek ç©mbolos meaning "stopper" or "plug" - is the term that describes a condition where an object called an embolus is created in one part of the body, circulates throughout the body, and then blocks blood flowing through a vessel in another part of the body. Emboli (plural of embolus) are not to be confused with thrombi (plural of thrombus), which are clots that are formed and remain in one area of the body without being carried throughout the bloodstream.
Faced with a new mosquito species that could transmit disease in Minnesota, state health and mosquito control officials are urging residents to rid their property of water-holding containers. The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and the Metropolitan Mosquito Control District (MMCD) confirmed that the Japanese rock pool mosquito (Aedes japonicus) is established in at least five southeastern Minnesota counties. This mosquito could potentially transmit LaCrosse encephalitis virus (LAC) and West Nile virus (WNV) to humans.
A new era in the National Health Service that builds on targets achieved and prioritises quality of care was set out by new Health Secretary Andy Burnham today.
A new report tracking selected indicators of health system performance over 10 years in Canada shows significant improvements in the prevention and management of heart disease, with fewer Canadians having a heart attack, one of the leading causes of death in this country. Data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) shows the rate of patients admitted to hospital for heart attack in Canada (outside Quebec) dropped 13% between 2003-2004 and 2007-2008, after population growth and aging were taken into account. Over the same time period, deaths in hospital within 30 days of admission for acute myocardial infarction (AMI), or heart attack, were down 11%, and unplanned readmissions to hospital after a heart attack declined by 31%. Health Indicators 2009 marks the 10th anniversary of CIHI"s annual report. Produced with Statistics Canada, the report provides more than 40 comparable measures of health and the health system by health region, province and territory.
An endoscopy involves examining the inside of a person"s body using an endoscope. An endoscope is a medical device consisting of a long, thin, flexible (or rigid) tube which has a light and a video camera. Images of the inside of the patient"s body can be seen on a screen. The whole endoscopy is recorded so that doctors can check it again. Endoscopy is a minimally invasive diagnostic medical procedure. It is used to examine the interior surfaces of an organ or tissue.
U.S. Rep. Sam Farr (D-Calif.) and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) introduced legislation sponsored by the California Medical Association to eliminate one of the biggest barriers for seniors to get access to health care - low Medicare reimbursement rates in several counties.
Legislation released June 9 by Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Edward Kennedy (D-MA) would expand access to pharmacist-delivered medication therapy management (MTM) services for patients suffering from chronic diseases.
When a hospital"s emergency department is overcrowded with seriously sick and injured patients, it may "go on diversion," re-routing ambulances to other emergency departments. But the benefits of "diversion" are largely unproven. Often those emergency departments are just as crowded, and the greater distance to that other hospital can worsen the condition of some patients.
Eduardo Villamor , Assistant Professor of International Nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH), will serve as co-principal investigator of a research and training center in Guatemala to reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the Mesoamerican region, which includes Central America, the Caribbean, and Southern Mexico.
Actelion Ltd (SIX: ATLN) announced the creation of the position of Chief Medical Officer (CMO). This change was initiated to fulfill the needs of a fast growing organization, which is developing products rapidly and managing a growing portfolio. Effective 1 July 2009, the current Head of Clinical Development, Isaac Kobrin will move into this position. He will continue to be a member of Actelion"s Executive Committee (AEC).
Most patients undergoing total hip replacement surgery want to know when they"ll be able to return to their normal life. "Recovery time" is a common question posed to specialists and non-specialists alike. There are many factors that can contribute to recovery time, but typically patients can return to normal life activities within 1 to 6 months. To be more specific, however, we can examine the difference between "short-term recovery" and "long-term recovery".
Bayer Schering Pharma AG, Germany, has completed
The Sarah Cannon Cancer Center (SCCC) at Centennial Medical Center last week began treating patients with a new non-invasive weapon in the battle against cancer. The Sarah Cannon Cancer Center is the first and only cancer center in Middle Tennessee to offer image-guided robotic stereotactic radiosurgery.
Pathfinders, a program designed to care for the whole person -- body, mind and spirit -- has been found to help women with terminal cancer cope and has improved their quality of life, according to a study led by researchers in the Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Seeing others in pain can automatically engage the brain"s empathy systems even if we are not paying attention, according to new research from Mount Sinai School of Medicine presented at the Annual Meeting of the Organization for Human Brain Mapping. The investigators showed people images of hands and feet in painful or non-painful situations while scanning the brain using magnetic resonance imaging. Under some conditions the subjects paid attention to whether the situation was painful, while in other conditions they paid attention to other aspects of the images. The results showed that a brain area called the insula responded to pain even if the subject was not paying attention to pain, while another area called the anterior cingulate cortex was important for the voluntary control of empathy for pain. The research provides a better understanding of how the social brain responds to others" pain.
A new study reports that 75 percent of cardiac damage after vascular surgery is asymptomatic or patients" symptoms are concealed by postoperative complaints such as nausea and incision pain. This damage is associated with an increased risk for mortality. Researchers have found that screening for cardiac damage following surgery helps identify high-risk patients who might benefit from more aggressive medical therapy and follow-up after discharge. These findings are from a study presented today at the 63rd Annual Meeting of the Society for Vascular Surgery®.
A unique Network studying the health and wellbeing of older people is bringing together health, social science and mathematics experts in a revolutionary project which will help shape the long-term provision of health and social care services across the UK and ultimately benefit older people.
The labour force in the health services is shrinking, there are more and more old people, and a very high proportion of them are plagued by deteriorating short- and long-term memory. All this has created a need for computer-based solutions that will enable elderly people to live safely in their own homes, but at the same time, the technology needed to take special care of them is expensive. On top of this, different standards for home sensors create problems.
Almost 90 per cent of the world"s population will not have timely access to affordable supplies of vaccines and antiviral agents in the current influenza pandemic, but it is possible that inexpensive generic drugs that are readily available, even in developing countries, could save millions of lives.
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.
The Soil Association is pleased to announce a new EU-wide, harmonised standard for organic health and beauty products.
Prevalence of multiple sclerosis in the United Kingdom - study estimates now 100,000 people with MS in UK.
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.
The British Psychological Society has today welcomed the announcement by the Health Professions Council (HPC) to set high entry level qualifications for psychologists to be admitted to the forthcoming statutory register of Practitioner Psychologists.
Merck & Co., Inc. issued the following statement in response to today"s communication from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) addressing updated information on leukotriene inhibitors, including SINGULAIR® (montelukast sodium).
Based on its ongoing avian influenza vaccine research, Inviragen is designing vaccines to protect against multiple influenza strains, including seasonal influenza and the recently emerged H1N1 influenza strain. The H1N1 influenza virus has caused nearly 30,000 cases worldwide in 74 countries leading to 144 deaths. In contrast, while no H5N1 avian influenza strain capable of human-to-human transmission has yet emerged, the high mortality of the virus represents a threat for future epidemics. In addition, conventional seasonal influenza continues to impact public health, causing an estimated 250,000 deaths worldwide every year. Inviragen will leverage its success in designing avian influenza vaccines to identify vaccine candidates that protect against pandemic and seasonal influenza viruses.
Walgreen Co."s member organization in Delaware has "filed a suit against the state to put a stop to Medicaid rate cuts" just one week after "Walgreens announced it will stop filling prescriptions of brand-name medications for patients on Medicaid" in Delaware, the News Journal reports. The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court by the National Community Pharmacists Association and the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, whose members include Rite Aid, CVS, Wal-Mart and Target, in addition to Walgreens. The groups say "the new rates will lead to more pharmacies closing their doors to Medicaid clients. Gov. Jack Markell, D-Del., "said in a statement that the suit will not intimidate his administration into paying Walgreens higher reimbursement rates."
The Oregon state legislature cleared two reform bills that passed its House of Representatives earlier this week, the Portland Oregonian reports. One bill will tax insurers and hospitals up to $500 million over two years to provide "health coverage for 80,000 uninsured children and an additional 35,000 uninsured low-income adults and put the state on a path toward covering all of its more than 600,000 uninsured residents." The state will leverage as much as $1 billion in federal matching funds. "Some of the federal money will be used to pay hospitals what they pay in taxes. Insurers also will get a portion of their tax money back," the Oregonian reports.
The WHO"s decision Thursday to declare H1N1 (swine) flu a pandemic will "speed the production of a vaccine against the new virus," however scientists continue to caution that "it will be fall at the earliest before the first doses are available," the Los Angeles Times reports.
The NFU has told a European Commission review of anti-dumping duties imposed on fertiliser from the Ukraine that such measures act as artificial trade barriers and, given the importance of fertiliser to agriculture, can curb profitability of farms across the UK and EU.
The following summarizes news coverage on women"s health-related legislation in Arizona and North Carolina. ~ Arizona: The Arizona Senate Public Safety and Human Services Committee on Wednesday voted 4-3 to approve a bill (S.B. 1206) that would place several restrictions on abortion rights and allow pharmacists or other health care providers to refuse to distribute emergency contraception based on religious or moral objections, the AP/Arizona Daily Star reports. The state House passed an identical bill in March. The measure would impose a 24-hour waiting period for women seeking abortion procedures and mandate that doctors inform women about risks and alternatives. It also would toughen an exisiting parental consent requirement for minors seeking abortion. The bill requires an in-person consultation before the 24-hour waiting period, which would increase costs for women who are forced to travel to a clinic twice, according to Planned Parenthood of Arizona President Bryan Howard. The Legislature approved bills with similar restrictions in recent years, but the measures were vetoed by then-Gov. Janet Napolitano (D). Current Gov. Jan Brewer (R) has said she supports mandatory disclosures and a 24-hour waiting period (Billeaud, AP/Arizona Daily Star, 6/10).~ North Carolina: The North Carolina Senate Mental Health and Youth Services Committee this week approved a bill (S. 221) that would require all public school systems to offer information on the use of contraceptives to students in grades seven through nine, the AP/Raleigh News & Observer reports. The information would be presented as part of a larger reproductive health education program that would maintain the abstinence-only education curricula currently taught at nearly all of the state"s 115 school districts. Parents would be permitted to prevent children from participating in the classes with contraceptive information. The measure is a revised version of state House-approved legislation (H.B. 88) that would have required schools to teach two separate abstinence-only and comprehensive sex education tracks. If the full state Senate passes the new bill, the two chambers will meet to negotiate a compromise (Robertson, AP/Raleigh News & Observer, 6/11).
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration provided further updated safety information on a class of asthma drugs known as leukotriene modifiers. The FDA has requested that manufacturers include a precaution in the drug prescribing information (drug labeling) regarding neuropsychiatric events (behavior, mood changes) that have been reported in some persons taking montelukast (Singulair), zafirlukast (Accolate), and zileuton (Zyflo and Zyflo CR).
LSU"s WAVCIS, or Wave-Current-Surge Information System for Coastal Louisiana, has a few new tricks up its sleeve in preparation for the 2009 hurricane season.
People over the age of 60 are more likely than younger people to take risks with "use by" dates, according to new research findings published by the Food Standards Agency.
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.
UroToday.com - Over the past decade, the most significant advance, in my mind, with regard to the treatment of the distal ureteral stone, has been the advent of medical expulsive therapy as described by Porpiglia and colleagues in 2000, and corroborated by many subsequent studies. Savings with this approach, according to work by Lotan and colleagues, is around $1100/patient in addition to the benefits of decreased renal colic. Stone passage rates increase anywhere from 40-100% of controls within 10 days of starting medical expulsive therapy. While a variety of medications have been used (e.g. alpha blockers, steroids, calcium channel blockers), the alpha blockers (i.e. tamsulosin and alfuzosin) appear to be effective and well tolerated.
The Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada has made public the creation of five research and training centers with the participation of over one hundred established scientists and two hundred and fifty trainees. Funded entirely by the MS Society of Canada, which has already raised 32 million dollars from a goal of 60 million, the objectives of these new centers is to considerably increase the speed on MS research investigations so that an end to MS may be found as quickly as possible. These centres will serve as key establishments in achieving these goals.
Statement of Charles D. Connor, American Lung Association President and CEO:
Moscow
People with memory problems who are depressed are more likely to develop Alzheimer"s disease compared to people who are not depressed, according to a study published in the June 16, 2009, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. However, the research also shows that the popular Alzheimer"s drug donepezil may delay the progression to Alzheimer"s disease for depressed people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or memory problems.
A marker in the blood of both cats and humans that was identified in a recent study might signal both species" susceptibility for a painful bladder disorder called interstitial cystitis, a condition that is often difficult to diagnose.
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.
The United Kingdom"s National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has published a Final Appraisal Determination (FAD) recommending the use of the drug Erbitux® (cetuximab) in combination with chemotherapy as a first-line treatment for patients with metastatic (advanced) colorectal cancer (mCRC) who have met specific additional criteria(1) - presenting the possibility of potentially curative surgery.(2) The treatment is recommended for patients in whom the cancer has spread only to the liver and who have normal or "wild-type" KRAS tumors.(1) In the UK, a recommendation by NICE is a prerequisite for funding of a medical treatment by the National Health Service.
Critical Health will be launching RetmarkerDR, an innovative Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) progression biomarker software in the European market at the Euretina exhibition (Booth C3; 14th to 17th May; Acropolis Centre; Nice; France). Critical Health is a leading provider of innovative products that help prevent the loss of vision, mobility and cognitive skills in an ageing population.
A new study by researchers in the US suggests there may be a link between the use of stimulant drugs for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder
Australia"s peak nursing and midwifery groups will host a roundtable at Parliament House in Canberra today bringing nurses, midwives, doctors and the Government together to discuss community health services that better meet the needs of all Australians and that will take pressure off our over-burdened public hospitals.
The Australian Nursing Federation (ANF) says the annual Roy Morgan professions survey, which shows nurses are regarded as the most "ethical and honest" of all professions, confirms the Australian public continues to appreciate the benefits nurses bring to Australia"s health.
Galapagos NV (Euronext: GLPG) announced that it has initiated Phase I clinical development of its integrin receptor antagonist (IRA), GLPG0187. This is the second small molecule therapeutic from Galapagos" internal drug discovery program to enter the clinic in 2009. Candidate drug GLPG0187 could offer a promising new therapeutic approach for treating cancer patients. Initial development will focus on bone metastases from prostate and breast cancer.
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.
Reuters reports that "a North American shortage of medical isotopes has forced many U.S. hospitals to begin rationing scores of diagnostic tests, and doctors said on Friday they see no quick solution." The shortage is due to last month"s shut down of a "nuclear reactor in eastern Ontario that produces a third of the world"s supply of medical isotopes, used in scans to check for an impending heart attack or see if cancer has spread." Reuters notes that "the Canadian plant is one of five aging reactors worldwide -- none located in the United States -- to produce molybdenum-99, the most commonly used medical isotope. The rapidly decaying substance has a shelf life of just 67 hours, making it impossible to stockpile."
Wrong Way On Health Reform Washington Post
The Los Angeles Times examined the documentary movie "Sex Positive," which chronicles the lives and efforts of three men who sought to promote safe sex during the early years of HIV/AIDS in the U.S. According to the Times, late singer-songwriter Michael Callen, activist Richard Berkowitz and Joseph Sonnabend, a virologist and personal physician of Callen and Berkowitz, together "actually invented the notion of safe sex." With professional guidance from Sonnabend, in 1983, Callen and Berkowitz co-authored "How to Have Sex in an Epidemic: One Approach," the "first document to identify and advocate "medically safe sex," which encouraged condom use" along with other practices, the Times reports. "Sex Positive" will debut in theaters on Friday (Goldstein, Los Angeles Times, 6/14).
UK and US researchers found that more intelligent people are often healthier, and suggest that this could be due to what they describe as a genetic
With the H1N1 flu outbreak now elevated to pandemic level, a new article http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/rapidpdf/cmaj.090866 in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) reports that oseltamivir (Tamiflu®) and zanamivir (Relenza®) are relatively safe drugs for use in pregnant and breast-feeding women.
Mayo Clinic cardiology researchers have found a peptide that helps preserve and improve kidney function during heart failure, without affecting blood pressure. Earlier variations of this peptide caused blood pressure to drop limiting the potential benefits to the kidneys. The findings appear in the current Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries with plaque buildup, is the underlying cause of heart disease and stroke, which together account for more than half of all death and disability in developed nations. The world"s largest forum for new research on the topic, the International Symposium on Atherosclerosis (ISA), will hold its 15th triennial meeting at the John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center in Boston, June 14 to 18.
Swinton Commercial is advising social welfare organisations including care homes, nurseries, shelters and youth centres to check they are adequately covered by their insurance policies in advance of upcoming market changes.
A new article in Scrip World Pharmaceutical News highlights enormous change in cancer medicine with highly personalised treatments, patient top-up payments in some markets, response-related payments and even refunds when there is no response to a treatment, all driving the future of cancer care worldwide.
It"s common for retailers to bundle two different products (like razors and blades) together and describe one as free. A new study in the Journal of Consumer Research shows that this strategy leads consumers to devalue the items when they"re sold individually.
As Congress drafts health care reform legislation, HIV clinicians urge lawmakers to include a public plan option to ensure affordable access to comprehensive care for HIV patients - nearly 30 percent of whom have no insurance. The HIV Medicine Association (HIVMA) believes that a public plan option can help offer everyone the chance to benefit from early and reliable access to lifesaving HIV care and treatment.
Alcohol-related deaths among U.S. college students rose from 1,440 deaths in 1998 to 1,825 in 2005, along with increases in heavy drinking and drunk driving, according to an article in the July supplement of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) provide guidance to promote health and reduce risk of chronic diseases. However, what evidence is there that following the DGA optimizes health? Is this advice useful for individuals already in poor health? To study these questions, researchers at the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University and Wake Forest University devised a statistical model that assessed adherence to the DGA and then related it to progression of atherosclerosis in women. Their results can be found in the July 2009 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
A multi-ethnic study in the June 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine reports that there is a statistically significant relationship between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) episodes occurring during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and type 2 diabetes.
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.
Disabled children missing out on basic NHS care Parents tell of "battle" to get basic healthcare for disabled children and of agencies routinely "passing the buck"
Scientists from A*STAR"s Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN) and the University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy, have discovered another signaling pathway for the activation and apoptosis, or programmed cell death, of dendritic cells[1] . This discovery was published in the advanced online publication of Nature on 15 Jun 2009.
Boston University Biomedical Engineer Joyce Wong will work to create engineered blood vessels aimed at correcting pediatric heart defects under a major grant from The Hartwell Foundation. Wong is one of just 12 researchers nationwide to win the foundation"s prestigious Individual Biomedical Research Award.
Stalled microtubules might be responsible for some cases of the neurological disorder Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease, Tanabe and Takei report in the June 15, 2009 issue of the Journal of Cell Biology. A mutant protein makes the microtubules too stable to perform their jobs, the researchers find.
A group of scientific academies in Africa encourages the G8+5 countries to help Africa stem the scientific brain drain.
The Burroughs Wellcome Fund (BWF) has announced the recipients of the 2009 Investigators in the Pathogenesis of Infectious Disease Award. MUHC researcher Dr. Maya Saleh was one of six recipients granted $500,000 over a 6-year period for her research proposal, "Regulation and molecular mechanisms of NLR-mediated innate immunity."
British scientists have developed a unique air purifier, now patented in 36 jurisdictions around the world, which according to independent research can kill the viruses H1N1 Swine Flu and H5N1 Bird Flu within minutes in any room or other enclosed space. It is also effective against the MRSA "superbug" and other airborne bacteria and viruses: Tri-Air Developments
Abbott (NYSE: ABT) announced the initiation of SPIRIT PRIME, a clinical trial to study the performance of the company"s next-generation XIENCE PRIME(TM) Everolimus Eluting Coronary Stent System, currently an investigational device, for the treatment of coronary artery disease. Results from SPIRIT PRIME will be used to support the regulatory filing for XIENCE PRIME in the United States. The first patient was enrolled into the SPIRIT PRIME clinical trial at Hillcrest Medical Center in Tulsa, Okla., by Rajesh Chandwaney, M.D.
In remarks on health care reform to the American Medical Association"s (AMA) House of Delegates on Monday, President Barack Obama pointed to pharmacists" participation on "multidisciplinary rounds" as an "island of excellence" that should become the "standard in our health care system."
Complex new Medicare rules that seek to cut costs of home-oxygen therapy are confusing the more than one million people who rely on the federal insurer to pay for the coverage.
A group of 50 families will ask lawmakers this week to keep in mind 9 million uninsured children and many more who are underinsured when they undertake health reform this summer, the Cincinnati Enquirer reports. "Covering all children, and making sure they have access to the care they need regardless of their family"s financial situation or where they live, is an achievable first step toward covering all Americans," the CEO of the Children"s Hospital Association told the Enquirer.
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 Kaiser Family Foundation will hold a briefing on June 17 to examine the U.S. government"s role in addressing malaria, including its strategic options for reducing the impact of the disease and the current status of the development of the comprehensive malaria strategy. The discussion will touch on issues such as: What will the U.S. malaria response look like over the next five years? What strategies are most likely to prove effective? How will the U.S. efforts fit into the broader global response to malaria?
On Monday, USA Today examined how the popularity of vasectomies remains relatively low compared with other contraceptive methods, despite the procedure"s high level of effectiveness. However, some physicians believe that the current economic recession might be a factor in the recent surge of men seeking the procedure, according to USA Today. Charles Wilson, founder of The Vasectomy Clinic in Seattle, said although it has been a "long-term struggle trying to sell vasectomy," he now performs about 140 vasectomies monthly, compared with the usual 100. Lawrence Ross, a professor of urology at the University of Illinois-Chicago, said vasectomy consultations have about doubled compared with one year ago.Despite the recent uptick, experts say that sterilization surgeries for women remain much more popular than vasectomies. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 50% of women ages 40 to 44 who used birth control in 2002 had undergone sterilization surgery, but fewer than 20% of their male partners had undergone a vasectomy. According to USA Today, physicians cite several reasons for the lower popularity of vasectomies. Compared with women, men generally are less comfortable with medical procedures, particularly procedures involving sexual organs. In addition, myths about side effects of the procedure -- such as reduced testosterone levels and diminished sexual function or desire -- continue to persist.Some men experience feelings of regret post-surgery, but there is a lack of data on the number of men who seek vasectomy reversals, USA Today reports. Wilson said that although the recent increase in vasectomy surgeries might be tied to the economy, the trend probably does not reflect a long-term shift. He said that fears of losing a job and health insurance might play a role in convincing some men to go ahead with a vasectomy but that most of these individuals would eventually have had the procedure anyway (Painter, USA Today, 6/14).
Agreements have been signed between the UK Government and vaccine manufacturers to secure supplies of up to 90 million doses of pre-pandemic H1N1 vaccine before a pandemic begins, the Department of Health announced today.
Building on the historic $19 billion investment provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act), efforts continued today to further the national adoption and implementation of health information technology (HIT) -- an essential tool to modernize the health care system and bring about improved health for all Americans. The Health Information Technology (HIT) Policy Committee, a Federal Advisory Committee (FACA) to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), met today to begin the process of defining "meaningful use" of electronic health records (EHRs). This meeting is a first step for the department, as it investigates possible definitions for meaningful use.
To improve efficiency and expand capacity to monitor the growing number of clinical studies being conducted in Western Sub-Saharan Africa, Quintiles today announced the opening of a new office in Accra, Ghana.
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.
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.
In a multi-center trial led by a Saint Louis University researcher, investigators found that a new combination therapy of daily consensus interferon and ribavirin helps some hepatitis C patients who have not responded to previous treatment. The findings, published in the June issue of Hepatology, offer a new option for hepatitis C patients, and may be effective even for those patients with factors that make their condition difficult to treat.
The following statement was issued by Jeff Joseph, Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) Vice President of Communications, in response to a new report on biosimilars released today by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC):
A new study by UK scientists showed that cooking carrots whole preserves their anti-cancer properties better than cooking them sliced or
The Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP) recently released the text of a comment letter it has provided to the Federal Coordinating Council for Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER) in which AMP sets forth its recommendations for priority areas on which to focus CER activities.
"GW Metabolic Research Laboratory" established in conjunction with Professor Cawthorne and the Clore Laboratory, University of Buckingham
A leading Danish cancer hospital has treated its first patient using RapidArc(R) radiotherapy after installing eight advanced radiotherapy treatment machines from Varian Medical Systems (NYSE: VAR) of Palo Alto, California. Herlev Hospital, to the north-west of Copenhagen, delivered the fast and efficient RapidArc treatment to a prostate cancer patient using a Clinac(R) iX linear accelerator.
A research team led by Professor Einar Hallberg at the Department of Life Sciences at Sç¶dertç¶rn University in Sweden has discovered a new protein in the inner membrane of the cell nucleus. This protein may play an important role in cell division and now provides a new piece of the puzzle to study in cancer research.
BioElectronics Corp. (PINKSHEETS: BIEL), the maker of inexpensive, disposable drug-free anti-inflammatory devices, announced its sponsorship of a groundbreaking clinical study on musculoskeletal disorders. The randomized, double blinded and placebo-controlled study will be supervised by a primary investigator, Sheena Kong, MD of San Francisco, California in conjunction with several other leading physicians.
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."
The Washington Post details Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Margaret Hamburg"s to-do list, noting that during her brief tenure the agency has announced nearly-daily warnings about various consumer products and created an internal task force to recommend ways to release more information about FDA decisions and policies. Hamburg"s list "goes beyond reorienting and restoring public confidence in the FDA. Last week, Congress passed historic legislation that gives significant new authority and responsibility to the FDA to regulate tobacco for the first time. That means Hamburg must create a new center within her agency to handle oversight of the manufacturing, marketing and sale of cigarettes, cigars and other tobacco products. And today a House committee takes up legislation that would give FDA broad new powers to regulate food safety -- a bill that House leaders are determined to pass this year. The bill would place greater responsibility on the food industry to prevent food-borne illnesses and would require the FDA to significantly expand its inspection and oversight of the industry" (Layton, 6/17).
St. Jude Medical, Inc. (NYSE:STJ) announced U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of its Cool Point™ Irrigation Pump. Used in conjunction with SJM open-irrigated ablation catheters, an irrigation pump supplies a continuous flow of saline through the catheter"s inner lumen to cool the ablation electrode for more effective energy delivery. Designed to enhance physicians" ability to perform successful atrial ablations, the new Cool Point irrigation pump was developed specifically for use with the company"s IBI-1500T9-CP cardiac ablation generator and family of Therapy™ Cool Path™ irrigated catheters.
The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday narrowly passed a $106 billion war-funding bill, which "included 7.7 billion to help the nation prepare for an outbreak of the H1N1 virus, the so-called swine flu," the Washington Times reports (Rowland, Washington Times, 6/17). The spending bill will now move to the Senate for consideration (Pelofsky, Reuters, 6/16).
"To some, human trafficking may seem like a problem limited to other parts of the world," Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton writes in a Washington Post opinion piece, but "it occurs in every country, including the U.S., and we have a responsibility to fight it just as others do." According to Clinton, trafficking can produce "destructive effects" on "all of us," because it "weakens legitimate economies, breaks up families, fuels violence, threatens public health and safety, and shreds the social fabric that is necessary for progress." She writes that the problem is "particularly urgent now, as local economies around the world reel from the global financial crisis."
Endocrine Society Unveils First-Ever Scientific Statement: Inaugural Statement Identifies Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals as a Significant Concern to Public Health
A new approach to stimulating immune cells enhances their anticancer activity, resulting in a powerful anti-tumor response in mice, according to a study by researchers at the National Cancer Institute, a part of the National Institutes of Health. This work represents an important advance in the development of immunotherapy for cancer and appears online June 14, 2009 in Nature Medicine.
Concerns over whether the tests a treatment undergoes before release onto the market are enough to ensure its long-term safety are raised in an editorial published by BMJ Clinical Evidence today.
ZOLL Medical Corporation (Nasdaq GS: ZOLL), a manufacturer of resuscitation devices and related software solutions, announced that the ambulance service, RAV Gooi en Vechtstreek in Hilversum, The Netherlands, is the first EMS organization to equip its ambulances with a revolutionary new system that allows rescuers to defibrillate a heart without the need to stop chest compressions.
Diagnostic display monitors have experienced slow growth in 2007 due to picture archiving and communication system (PACS) installations across radiology departments of European hospitals having reached saturation. However, favourable regulations mandating the sales of 5MP displays for digital mammography have ensured high-volume sales in several European countries. The increasing demand for clinical review display monitors from private practitioners has also ensured very high growth rates for medical imaging display monitors.