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Black Religious Leaders Urging Passage Of HIV/AIDS Bill
Black religious leaders across the country are urging the passage of a bill (H.R. 1964) that would provide more than $600 million in funding for faith-based prevention, testing and outreach programs, the St. Petersburg Times reports. The bill, named the National Black Clergy for the Elimination of HIV/AIDS Act of 2009, calls for programs targeting specific populations within the black community, including young people, substance users and inmates, among others. The bill, introduced in Congress this spring, has been referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce (Zayas, St. Petersburg Times, 6/1).
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Bypass Or Angioplasty No Better Than Drug Therapy In Reducing Deaths Among Patients With Type 2 Diabetes And Heart Disease
There is no difference in mortality among patients with type 2 diabetes and stable heart disease who received prompt bypass surgery or angioplasty compared to drug therapy alone, according to a landmark study focused exclusively on patients with both conditions. The study, which was led by investigators at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, published in the June 11 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine and presented at the American Diabetes Association 69th Scientific Sessions, also found that while prompt bypass in patients with more severe heart disease did not lower mortality, it lowered their risk of subsequent major cardiac events.
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Critical Appraisal Of Continuous Glucose Monitoring Technology Is Focus Of Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics Supplement
Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) devices represent a critical step toward achieving automated glucose measurement, offering people with diabetes a promising new tool for maintaining optimal glucose control. A comprehensive review of this rapidly changing field, featuring the most recent research findings and critical analysis, is the focus of a special supplement of Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. The supplement is available free online at http://www.liebertonline.com/dia
Diagnostics

Bone Marrow Cell Therapy May Be Beneficial For Patients With Ischemic Heart Disease

The injection of bone marrow cells into the heart of patients with chronic myocardial ischemia (reduced blood flow to some areas of the heart) was associated with modest improvements in blood flow and function of the left ventricle, according to a study in the May 20 issue of JAMA. Bone marrow cell therapy is currently being investigated as a new therapeutic option for patients with ischemic heart disease. Two small-sized studies assessed the effect of this therapy in patients with chronic myocardial ischemia, but with varying results, according to background information in the article. Jan van Ramshorst, M.D., of Leiden University Medical Center, the Netherlands, and colleagues assessed the effect of intramyocardial (within the heart wall) bone marrow cell injection on myocardial perfusion (the flow of blood to the heart muscle) and left ventricular (LV) function in patients with chronic ischemia who were not eligible for conventional treatment. The trial included 50 patients (average age, 64 years; 43 men), who were randomized to receive about 8 injections of either bone marrow cells or placebo solution. At 3-month follow-up, when the two groups were compared, the improvement in summed stress score (a measure of myocardial perfusion) was significantly greater in the bone marrow-cell treated patients as compared with placebo-treated patients. Magnetic resonance imaging indicated that the absolute increase in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF; a measure of how well the left ventricle of the heart pumps with each contraction) was significantly larger in bone marrow cell-treated patients. A quality-of-life score increased at 3 and 6 months in bone marrow cell-treated patients, compared with a smaller increase in the placebo group. There was also greater improvement in exercise capacity in the bone marrow cell group. "In summary, the results of this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial demonstrate that intramyocardial bone marrow cell injection in patients with chronic ischemia is associated with significant improvements in anginal symptoms, myocardial perfusion, and LV function," the authors write. JAMA 2009;301[19]:1997-2004. JAMA


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