Nutrition
Infighting among Democrats over inclusion of a public plan in health care reform is turning disagreement between moderates and liberals into a "Democratic civil war" with outside groups taking part in the attacks, Politico reports.
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.
Operation Rescue President Troy Newman on Wednesday said that his group is considering trying to purchase murdered abortion provider George Tiller"s Wichita, Kan., clinic, which Tiller"s family permanently closed on Tuesday, the New York Times reports. The clinic is owned by Tiller"s family. The family"s lawyer, Dan Monnat, called Operation Rescue"s proposal "just another irreverent, extremist publicity stunt." He declined to comment further on the situation. The family has not announced its plans for the building and land, which are worth $734,100, according to Sedgwick County, Kan., property records. The clinic has long been a focal point for the antiabortion-rights movement because it was one of the few in the U.S. that offered abortion later in pregnancy. Newman said that he has discussed the possible purchase with only a few members of Operation Rescue"s board but is certain that the funds could be raised if they decide to attempt to buy the clinic. Newman also said that one possibility for the location would be to turn it into a memorial museum to serve as "a tribute to the babies." He denied the claim that his comments are a publicity stunt.According to the Times, the closing of Tiller"s clinic has set off a "flurry of concerns" from abortion-rights advocates that it will be more difficult for women to access abortion services in situations when catastrophic health issues are identified late in pregnancy (Davey, New York Times, 6/11). LeRoy Carhart, a Nebraska abortion provider who worked with Tiller at the clinic, said that he will continue to perform third-trimester abortions in Kansas but did not provide information on where he will practice, the AP/Yahoo! News reports. Although he did not provide details, Carhart said that "there will be a place in Kansas for the later second- and the medically indicated third-trimester patients very soon." He said he has seen an increase in patients at his Nebraska clinic since Tiller"s murder. Carhart traveled to Tiller"s clinic to perform second- and third-trimester abortions because Kansas has less restrictive abortion laws than Nebraska. Carhart said he has not performed any procedures at his clinic after 22 weeks" gestation because his staff is not trained to do them. According to the AP/Yahoo! News, Nebraska law prohibits abortion when a fetus is considered viable. Kansas law, however, allows abortion after 21 weeks" gestation if continuing the pregnancy would endanger the woman"s life or cause "substantial and irreversible impairment" of a major bodily function, which courts have interpreted to include mental health (Gibbs, AP/Yahoo! News, 6/11).Broadcast CoverageThree media outlets on Wednesday reported on issues related to Tiller"s murder. Summaries appear below.~ MSNBC"s "The Rachel Maddow Show": The program included a discussion with Jennifer Boulanger, executive director for the Allentown Women"s Center, about threats to the center since Tiller"s murder (Maddow, "The Rachel Maddow Show," MSNBC, 6/10).~ NPR"s "All Things Considered": The program included a discussion with NPR health policy correspondent Julie Rovner about the correct terminology for referring to abortion later in pregnancy and why the phrase "late-term abortion" is inaccurate (Block, "All Things Considered," NPR, 6/10).~ WBUR"s "On Point": The program included a discussion with the Rev. Katherine Ragsdale -- a board member of NARAL Pro-Choice America and the incoming dean and president of Episcopal Divinity School -- and Jim Wallis -- founder and editor of the progressive evangelical group Sojourners -- about abortion-rights supporters" reaction to violence in the antiabortion-rights movement (Ashbrook, "On Point," WBUR, 6/10).
As GPs across the UK gathered in London for the Annual Conference of Local Medical Committees, Dr Dean Marshall, chairman of the BMA"s Scottish General Practitioners Committee, slammed the government for trying to strip GPs of funding and called for the profession to make decisions about general practice, not civil servants.
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.
The International Union for Health Promotion and Education (IUHPE) and the Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) are pleased to release special, complementary peer-reviewed journals containing ten articles on strengthening standards and quality assurance systems of global capacity in health promotion and health education.
The Rhode Island Department of Health (HEALTH) is seeing that H1N1 (Swine) flu continues to spread both locally and nationally. In Rhode Island, HEALTH has seen an increase in sporadic cases and outbreak clusters throughout the state, including in schools. As of 11 a.m., June 9, there are 39 confirmed positive cases in RI, doubling the case count in less than a week. Rhode Island and national surveillance data indicate increased infections in children, increased infections in individuals with chronic medical conditions, and a generally higher hospitalization rate of those infected. Although most illness in Rhode Island has been mild, compared to seasonal influenza, there is an increase in the number of hospitalizations. Ten of the Rhode Islanders with swine flu have been hospitalized.
It"s rare when real-world events perfectly mirror experiments that scientists are conducting.
Medivation, Inc. (Nasdaq: MDVN) announced the completion of patient enrollment in the CONNECTION study, a six-month, confirmatory, pivotal Phase 3 trial of the investigational drug dimebon in patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer"s disease.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Psychopharmacologic Drugs Advisory Committee (PDAC) voted that Zyprexa(R) (olanzapine), an atypical antipsychotic, is effective and acceptably safe for the acute treatment of schizophrenia or manic or mixed episodes associated with bipolar I disorder in adolescents aged 13-17 years old. The panel supported the FDA and Lilly"s position that if Zyprexa is approved for the two indications, prescribers should consider other treatment options first for adolescent patients.
An embolism - from the Greek ē©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.
The World Health Organization (WHO) announced it has raised the level of influenza pandemic alert from phase 5 to phase 6, following an
South Carolinians are encouraged to join in obesity prevention efforts where they live, work, and play, and to make healthier decisions in their day-to-day lives during Obesity Awareness Month, the state Department of Health and Environmental Control announced today.
A Marion County woman with confirmed novel H1N1 (swine) influenza died on Sunday. "We are saddened by this death, and our hearts go out to the family," said Dr. Karen Landers, health officer for Marion County. "It"s an unfortunate reminder of the seriousness of flu."
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.
HCL, the UK"s largest health and social care recruiter, said today that it anticipates increasing demand for its temporary and locum staff as the NHS seeks to increase efficiencies in healthcare provision.
The International
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.
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.
Power of the Dream Ventures, Inc. (OTCBB: PWRV), Hungary"s premier technology acquisition and development company, is pleased to present this Genetic Immunity release, based on a previously announced agreement whereby Power of the Dream Ventures will issue communications for Genetic Immunity on a going forward basis.
The California Medical Association supports the passage of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act that would allow the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to finally set standards for cigarettes and regulate chemicals. In 1963, CMA was the first among state medical societies to create policy to inform people about the harmful effects of cigarette smoking.
Laboratory experiments have demonstrated the immunological effects of ginseng. Researchers writing in BioMed Central"s open access Journal of Translational Medicine have shown that the herb, much used in traditional Chinese and other Asian medicine, does have anti-inflammatory effects.
Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE: DGX), the world"s leading provider of diagnostic testing, information and services, today announced the availability of a new laboratory developed test designed to help physicians determine whether a patient with a history of HIV drug resistance will respond to the latest class of HIV antiretroviral therapies. The HIV-1 Coreceptor Tropism Test, which reports results in approximately half the time of the nearest competing test, provides physicians with timely information so they may more quickly determine or change therapy based on how the HIV virus infects cells in the individual patient.
Masimo (Nasdaq: MASI), the inventor of Pulse CO-Oximetry(TM) and Measure-Through Motion and Low-Perfusion pulse oximetry, announced that three new independent studies demonstrating the clinical accuracy and utility of Masimo PVI as a noninvasive and continuous measure of patient fluid status and responsiveness were presented this week at the European Society of Anaesthesiology (ESA) Annual Congress in Milan, Italy.
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.
In a study funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, Saint Louis University"s Center for Vaccine Development is investigating whether the standard vaccine used in foreign countries against tuberculosis offers better protection as a shot, drink or combination of both.
Recently the use of laparoscopy for vascular procedures has been limited by difficulties in aortic exposure and anastomosis techniques, as well as the concurrent competitive progress of endovascular surgery. For aortic repair, best results (in terms of long-term patency) have been obtained by conventional surgery which has been associated short-term morbidity and mortality.
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 research group based at the University of Granada, in cooperation with the Neurology Unit of the San Cecilio Hospital of Granada and the Department of Experimental Sciences of the University of Jaen, is studying the Neurobiology of Parkinson"s disease (PD). They have developed a non-invasive method for serological diagnosis of Parkinson"s disease, which is being patented by the University of Granada. To this end, the scientists analyzed and purified proteins associated with this disease, such as aminopeptidase. However, it is not an easy task: "there are thousands of proteins in the blood, and only a few are related to neurodegenerative diseases."
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.
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.
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.
UroToday.com - This publication describes our unique finding that the steroidogenic enzyme CYP17A1 is present in prostate derived exosomes, isolated from human serum. We also describe CYP17A1 expression in human prostate tissues during castration resistant progression of cancer and identify a subcellular pattern of distribution for CYP17A1 consistent with a secretory protein in human prostate tissues, similar to that of PSA.
The Soil Association is pleased to announce a new EU-wide, harmonised standard for organic health and beauty products.
Mental Health America tomorrow will honor journalists, producers and writers for outstanding coverage of mental health issues at a Media Awards luncheon being held during its Centennial Conference in Washington, D.C.
Genzyme Corporation (Nasdaq: GENZ) announced that the European Commission has approved Renvela(R) (sevelamer carbonate) for the control of serum phosphorus in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The approval includes patients not on dialysis with serum phosphorus levels greater than or equal to 1.78 mmol/L (5.5 mg/dL), and covers both the tablet and powder formulations.
Lawmakers want federal rules to cover home health care workers while Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., plans to introduce legislation in Congress today to better educate the public on end-of-life care.
It"s not just humans that suffer from obesity - vets say that emerging obesity problems in dogs are leading to shorter lives and reduced quality of life.
At the 2009 HIV Implementers" Meeting in Namibia Thursday, Paul DeLay, deputy executive director of UNAIDS, said the global economic crisis will impact countries who receive international aid for HIV/AIDS programs, so recipients of such aid should identify priorities for their programs, the China Post reports (China Post, 6/12).
The Los Angeles County"s Commission on HIV this week backed down on a proposal that would have cut $350,000 from nutrition programs that serve people living with HIV, the Los Angeles Daily News reports. The commission members voted on Thursday to send the proposal back to a committee for further review after protests by food pantry clients and volunteers and staff from AIDS Project Los Angeles, Project Angel Food and other organizations attending a hearing on the issue. While this year"s Ryan White Program funds, which the county uses for its programs, were increased from last year, the bad economy and increasing medical and pharmaceutical costs for people living with HIV prompted the commission to consider using the $350,000 slated for nutrition for other services, according to the Daily News. Roughly 3,000 people use the nutrition services monthly (Abram, Los Angeles Daily News, 6/11).
The New York Times on Thursday examined how thousands of women have posted videos on YouTube showing themselves giving birth. According to the Times, the women believe the videos help "demystify" childbirth by candidly presenting the process in a manner that pregnant women and their partners otherwise might not see. Along with YouTube, Web sites like Internet chat rooms and pregnancy blogs are helping to shift dynamics between pregnant women and their care providers, the Times reports. Eileen Ehudin Beard, an adviser for the American College of Nurse-Midwives, said, "The more information you have, the more s you have, the more informed you are, the better questions you ask." However, she added that the videos could have negative effects, particularly if they make women more fearful of childbirth. The childbirth videos are relatively controversial because of their graphic nature, which has challenged some of YouTube"s rules and raised issues of propriety. Victoria Grand, the head of policy for YouTube, said that nudity generally is banned from YouTube but that the site "make[s] exceptions for videos that are educational, documentary or scientific." Most childbirth videos on YouTube are age restricted to ages 18 and older. A majority of them show home births because most U.S. hospitals prohibit patients from recording births due to liability concerns, the Times reports. Although childbirth education classes have shown edited videos of births since the 1970s, the Internet and YouTube could change the way such classes are taught, according to Jeanette Schwartz, president of the International Childbirth Education Association. She noted that most videos currently used in childbirth classes are heavily edited and out of date, adding that the YouTube videos "create a wonderful opportunity to show free, real life, candid videos in a classroom setting." Eugene Declercq, a professor at the Boston University School of Public Health, said, "A hundred and fifty years ago, women viewed birth on a pretty regular basis -- they saw their sisters of neighbors give birth." He said that changed with a trend toward hospital births beginning in the late 19th century. "But now, with YouTube, we"ve come back around and women have this opportunity to view births again," Declercq said (Wollan, New York Times, 6/11).
The following summarizes news coverage on two pregnancy-related studies. ~ Morning sickness: The commonly prescribed heartburn drug metoclopramide -- sold generically and under the brand-names Reglan, Octamide and Maxolon -- can be used to treat morning sickness without harming the health of the fetus, according to a study published on Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine, Time reports. The drug, which also has anti-nausea properties, is not FDA-approved for use in pregnant women in the U.S., though it is commonly prescribed in European and other countries to treat morning sickness (Park, Time, 6/10). According to the Los Angeles Times, U.S. physicians occasionally prescribe metoclopramide to treat severe morning sickness cases. The new study found that there were no statistically significant differences between infants born to women who took metoclopramide and those who did not. Researchers said that the findings "provide reassurance regarding the safety of metoclopramide for the fetus when the drug is given to women to relieve nausea and vomiting during pregnancy." The study involved 81,703 births among women enrolled in Israel"s largest health HMO, including 33,458 who used the drug (Maugh, Los Angeles Times, 6/11). Jennifer Niebyl, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Iowa, said, "There are very few drugs approved for use in the first trimester of pregnancy. But this study could lead to metoclopramide getting approved to treat morning sickness because this is good data with big numbers" (Time, 6/10).~ Progesterone: The hormone progesterone was not effective at preventing premature births among women pregnant with twins, despite evidence suggesting its effectiveness at preventing premature births in single pregnancies, according to a University of Edinburgh study published in the journal Lancet, Reuters reports. Multiple pregnancies have a larger health risk for women and significantly increase the likelihood of miscarriage, premature birth and long-term health problems. The study involved 500 women who took either progesterone or a placebo daily for 10 weeks. Although previous studies have shown that progesterone might prevent premature birth in certain high-risk pregnancies, the new findings show the treatment did not reduce the likelihood of premature delivery or a fetus dying in utero in twin pregnancies. Twenty-five percent of women delivered or had a fetus die before 34 weeks in the progesterone group, compared with 20% in the placebo group (Kahn, Reuters, 6/10).
The Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme
After five years of receiving infliximab (IFX) anti-TNF therapy, 61.8% of patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) showed substantial clinical benefit (ASAS40, ASsessment in AS, 40-response) and 27.6% achieved ASAS partial remission.
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.
Young patients at The Portland Hospital in London, part of the HCA group, will now undergo less stressful MRI examinations due to the installation of a MAGNETOM® Avanto from Siemens Healthcare. The system is used for a range of imaging procedures from brain to spine to small bowel.
Drinking a glass of skimmed milk, rather than fruit juice, at breakfast time could leave you feeling fuller for longer and less likely to eat heavily at lunchtime, according to new research.
In June, the Royal College of Physicians will be holding a series of workshops with local schools and families exploring The Great Plague of 1665 and the involvement of the Royal College of Physicians.
BioElectronics Corp. (PINKSHEETS: BIEL), the maker of inexpensive, disposable drug-free anti-inflammatory devices, announced it is filing an application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for 510(k) clearance to market its Allay™ Menstrual Pain Relief Patch product. The filing follows a very successful double blinded, placebo controlled clinical trial in which 71% of women in the active group reported either complete elimination or a reduction in their typical menstrual pain symptoms, with 49% showing at least a 50% reduction in pain associated with dysmenorrhea.
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.
Jazz Pharmaceuticals" (Nasdaq: JAZZ) sodium oxybate (JZP-6) demonstrated statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in pain and the core symptoms associated with fibromyalgia, according to Phase III data presented last week at the 2009 Associated Professional Sleep Societies meeting in Seattle, WA. These data have not been evaluated by the FDA or other regulatory authorities for use of sodium oxybate in the treatment of fibromyalgia.
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.
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.
Abbott"s (NYSE: ABT) TRILIPIX® (fenofibric acid) delayed-release capsules in combination with rosuvastatin calcium achieved individual and combined lipid targets in patients with mixed dyslipidemia and type 2 diabetes. In these patients, the combination of TRILIPIX and rosuvastatin helped up to three times more patients simultaneously reach all three key lipid targets HDL, triglycerides and LDL than the pre-determined monotherapy. Results from this post-hoc analysis were presented at the American Diabetes Association"s 2009 Scientific Sessions.
Rich Umbdenstock
President Obama plans to tell the American Medical Association gathering for its annual meeting Monday that health care reform can"t wait and bringing down cost will ensure America"s financial health, The Associated Press reports.
Diabetes UK is today bringing together 100 people, including 20 diabetes amputees, at the "Body Worlds and Mirror of Time" exhibition at London"s O2 Arena for a photo call to highlight the fact that diabetes causes 100 amputations a week in the UK.
The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is conducting a three-week tour featuring a mobile testing unit named for former National Basketball Association player Earvin "Magic" Johnson that provides free HIV testing to local residents, WDSU.com reports. During the tour, which recently stopped in New Orleans, AHF will present $5,000 grants to local HIV/AIDS organizations (WDSU.com, 6/14). In related news, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) sponsored a health awareness festival in Pensacola, Fla. that sought to raise HIV/AIDS awareness among the black community as part of its annual state convention. According to Art Rocker, head of the local SCLC chapter, since 2007, there has been an increase in the number of people living with HIV/AIDS in Escambia County, Fla., which prompted the organization to focus its event on HIV/AIDS (Dugas, Pensacola News Journal, 6/14).
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.
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.
EuropaBio, the European biotech industry association applauds the report "IB 2025: Maximising UK Opportunities from Industrial Biotechnology in a Low Carbon Economy" (1) released today by the UK"s Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR). The biotech industry welcomes the report which is completely in line with the EU"s Lead Market Initiative for Biobased Products (2). EuropaBio is also pleased to note that the report also embraces EuropaBio"s policy recommendations (3) developed to help the EU realise the vision of a Knowledge-Based Bio-Economy (KBBE).
We"ve all experienced listening to a song until we can"t stand it. A new study in the Journal of Consumer Research may help people continue to enjoy the products and experiences they once loved.
Celgene Corporation (NASDAQ: CELG) announced the preliminary results of a phase II, multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, three-arm study of apremilast - a novel, orally available small molecule that exhibits anti- inflammatory activities through the suppression of multiple pro-inflammatory mediators and cytokines - in adult patients with psoriatic arthritis (CC-10004-PSA-001). The study met its primary objective of assessment of ACR20 at 12 weeks. ACR20 is defined as the percentage of patients achieving a 20% or better improvement according to the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria. ACR20 is the primary assessment utilized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for assessment of efficacy in psoriatic arthritis, as well as rheumatoid arthritis.
The UPMC Cardiovascular Institute currently is enrolling participants for a Phase 2 clinical trial to examine whether administering a naturally occurring protein improves blood supply to the cardiac muscle in patients with severe coronary artery disease.
HydroCision Inc. announced the launch of its new SpineJet® Percutaneous Access Set for use in herniated disc procedures using its novel cutting-with-water fluidjet technology. "These instruments will assist the company to more quickly capitalize on the double digit growth of the minimally invasive percutaneous discectomy market," says Doug Daniels. "A large driver of procedural growth has been patients who seek out surgeons who perform minimally invasive procedures to reduce down time from work in these tough economic times. This has led to rapid adoption of this new and evolving technique for the treatment of lower back pain by a growing number of neurosurgeons, orthopedic surgeons and interventional pain physicians. This trend has created the need for new instruments that can work through very small incisions."
NanoViricides, Inc. (OTC BB: NNVC.OB) (the "Company"), reported today that testing of its topical eye drops drug candidate has begun at two different, independent facilities.
Scientists from the Helmholtz Center for Infection Research in Braunschweig, Germany and the Medical School Hannover, Germany have succeeded in treating immune cells in a way that enables them to inhibit unwanted immune reactions such as organ rejection. Their results have now been published in the current issue of the scientific journal Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine.
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.
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.
Molecules known as type I IFNs are a central component of the protective immune response following infection with a virus. In contrast, these molecules are not normally linked to the protective immune response following infection with the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, which is becoming a major health problem due to the emergence of methicillin-resistant (MRSA) strains. However, Alice Prince and colleagues have now determined that Staphylococcus aureus induce the production of type I IFNs by mouse and human airway cells, but these molecules are not part of a protective immune response in mice, rather they markedly enhance the severity of the pneumonia caused by Staphylococcus aureus infection.
Programs that bring colleges and their surrounding neighborhoods together may help reduce off-campus drinking problems, a new study suggests.
The University of South Florida and Moffitt Cancer Center have been awarded a highly competitive, $6-million federal grant to create a National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NCMHD) Center of Excellence. The five-year program grant from the NCMHD, National Institutes of Health, will focus on research, education and training, and community outreach activities to reduce cancer-related health disparities among minority and underserved communities in Florida.
Has the key to reducing breast cancer gotten lost in the race for a cure? A new book, No Family History, presents compelling evidence that exposure to everyday products such as cosmetics and toiletries, hormones in food, household cleaners and pesticides is behind the dramatic increase in breast cancer and argues that the solution is simple: prevention.
We know that the environment can have long-term effects on our health, but what about the health of those who aren"t born yet? A recent study looking at the birth weights of more than 5 million children born in Canada between 1981 and 2003 showed an increase in the frequency of genital malformations in male newborns and a decrease in male fertility.
A new technique known as stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) is safe for patients with recurrent head and neck cancers and may improve their quality of life, according to researchers from the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI). Results of the phase I study were reported today in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics.
June is National Osteoporosis Month and health experts from NHS Somerset are urging people to look after their bones by living well and eating well.
Breast cancer researchers at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine have been awarded a prestigious Department of Defense Synergistic Idea Award, one of just 12 such grants in the United States. The $725,000 research grant over two years will allow Lisa Baumbach, Ph.D., associate professor of pediatrics at the Miller School, and Mark Pegram, M.D., professor of medicine and associate director for clinical and translational research at the Braman Family Breast Cancer Institute at Sylvester, to expand their work examining the genetic differences found in African-American breast cancer patients.
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.
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.
Sparta Systems, Inc., the maker of TrackWise(R) software and the market leader in enterprise quality and compliance management solutions, outlined its recommendations to help companies prepare for electronic Medical Device Reporting (eMDR), the expected regulation from FDA Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH). The mandate will require electronic filing of safety reports for medical device organizations.
Researchers at the University of Virginia Health System have found a new way to study how genes function in living organisms, and their approach could substantially cut the time and costs that drug makers spend in searching for potential targets for new cancer therapies.
A report released by the U.S. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism found that binge drinking and drinking-related deaths among college-age students are increasing.
A German study published in The Journal of Pain showed that an external suction technique mainly used outside the U.S., called cupping, is effective for providing temporary relief of pain from carpal tunnel syndrome (CPS).
"General Electric Co. said its GE Capital division will make no-interest loans to hospitals and health-care providers that purchase GE"s health-care information technology," The Wall Street Journal reports. The company "expects to offer $100 million in interim financing to hospitals and health-care providers for projects that are expected to qualify for funds from the U.S. government"s economic-stimulus package" as part of a program called Stimulus Simplicity. "GE said the move offers doctors, community health clinics and hospitals a bridge to qualify for stimulus funds and faster access to electronic medical records."
In a bid to improve RN-to-patient staffing ratios, win an equitable contract, and ensure the highest safety standards for all their patients, the registered nurses of MountainView Hospital in Las Vegas, owned by HCA, have filed a petition to join the California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee, the nation"s pre-eminent professional association and union for RNs.
To mark Day of the African Child on Tuesday, the U.N. Millennium Campaign is calling on African governments, civil society organizations and the private sector to address child and maternal mortality and other targets related to the U.N. Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), InDepthNews reports (Mwanda, InDepthNews, 6/16), while Save the Children released a new briefing paper, indicating that more than 1,500 babies born in sub-Saharan Africa die daily, "mostly from preventable or treatable causes," (Save the Children release, 6/16).
Youngsters suffering severe nerve poisoning following a scorpion sting recover completely and quickly if a scorpion-specific antivenom is administered, according to a study conducted by researchers from The University of Arizona and reported in the May 14 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine.
A new report issued recently by the U.S. Global Change Research Program outlines the extent of climate change around the U.S. and its effects not only at present but for the future as well.
Children born without thymus glands have given Duke University Medical Center researchers a rare opportunity to watch as a new immune system develops its population of infection-fighting T-cells.
The U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging will hold a hearing on Wednesday, June 17, 2009 at 2:00 pm ET, to examine the current Social Security benefit structure, and how to strengthen and reform the program for future beneficiaries. The committee will hear from witnesses on reform ideas and how to meet our retiree and disabled citizens" needs. Today, one-third of Americans 65 years and older depend on Social Security benefits to supply 90 percent of their total income.
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.
Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on the treatment of cardiovascular and metabolic disease, announced final data from three separate Phase II trials involving its lead cholesterol management compound, lomitapide (AEGR-733), which is a microsomal triglyceride transfer protein inhibitor (MTP-I) small molecule drug. The final data was recently presented at the American Diabetes Association"s "69th Scientific Sessions" in New Orleans, LA on June 7, 2009 and the International Symposium on Atherosclerosis (ISA) in Boston, MA on June 15, 2009.
Melanoma is a malignant tumor of melanocytes. The tumors are generally found in the skin, but may also appear in the bowel and the eye (uveal melanoma). Melanoma is a type of skin cancer - one of the rarer types - but the cause of most skin cancer related deaths. Malignant melanoma is caused by an uncontrolled growth of skin pigment cells (melancytes). The word "melanoma" comes from the Ancient Greek melas meaning "black", and the Ancient Greek oma meaning "disease, morbidity".
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.
Three-dimensional, real-time X-ray images of patients could be closer to reality because of research recently completed by scientists at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a pair of Russian institutes.
ChemGenex Pharmaceuticals Limited (ASX:CXS) (NASDAQ:CXSP) announced that updated clinical data from the registration-directed clinical trial of omacetaxine will be presented as an oral presentation at the forthcoming American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 45th Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida.
A coalition of organizations representing healthcare stakeholders throughout Greater Boston has been selected by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) to participate in a planning grant to become part of the Aligning Forces for Quality (AF4Q) initiative. AF4Q is the Foundation"s signature effort to lift the overall quality of healthcare in targeted communities, reduce racial and ethnic disparities, and provide models for national reform.
Trial reports of the Evolife range of products in France have pointed to significant benefits and enhanced quality of life for cancer patients who use the products before, during and after chemo or radiotherapy treatment. Evolife is a natural range of cosmetics that is 100% dedicated to the support care of cancer patients.
Clavis Pharma ASA (OSE: CLAVIS) announces positive final results from a Phase II trial of its novel investigational cancer drug, elacytarabine (CP-4055), in patients with late-stage acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). In the trial, elacytarabine showed statistically significant superior efficacy compared to published clinical data for late-stage AML. Based on these encouraging results an elacytarabine registration study is being planned.
One in four multiple sclerosis (MS) patients are declining to fill their prescriptions likely due to high out-of-pocket costs, according to new research conducted by pharmacy benefits manager Prime Therapeutics (Prime). The study found that patients with an out-of-pocket expense greater than $250 were seven times more likely to decline to fill their prescription than patients with an out-of-pocket cost of $100 or less. The study concluded that this increase in the number of patients who decline to fill their MS specialty prescriptions and do not continue taking the necessary MS medications may adversely affect long term patient care.
CardioNet, Inc. (NASDAQ:BEAT) announced the launch of SomNet ™, a new clinical indicator available in the Company"s existing Mobile Cardiac Outpatient Telemetry™ (MCOT™) system. Because many patients with cardiac disorders also suffer from common sleep disorders like sleep apnea, CardioNet believes that SomNet has the potential to identify patients with a high likelihood of such sleep disorders by measuring cyclic variation of heart rate (CVHR), a rhythm that is caused by repeated arousals from sleep due to such disorders. SomNet"s utility is based on data presented at the Heart Rhythm Society"s (HRS) 30th Annual Scientific Sessions in Boston.
Joan MassaguƩ (Barcelona, Spain, 1953) is the first winner of the BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Awards in the Biomedicine category. The Frontiers of Knowledge Awards are intended to recognize and promote research of excellence. The breadth of disciplines addressed and their monetary amount a combined purse of 3.2 million euros spread over eight prize categories place them among the world"s foremost award schemes.
Our brains get a first impression of people"s overriding social signals after seeing their faces for only 100 milliseconds (0.1 seconds). Whether this impression is correct, however, is another question. Now an international group of experts has carried out an in-depth study into how we process emotional expressions, looking at the pattern of cerebral asymmetry in the perception of positive and negative facial signals.
The first results from the Medtronic Inc., (NYSE: MDT) OMNI Study were released at Heart Rhythm 2009, the annual congress of the Heart Rhythm Society, revealing that one out of six patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) or cardiac resynchronization therapy-defibrillators (CRT-Ds) to prevent sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), received potentially life-saving medical therapy - either in the form of anti-tachycardia pacing (ATP) or a shock for dangerously fast heart rhythms - within a period of two years following their implant. Further, the study showed that patients received therapy at similar rates, regardless of whether they meet current medical society guidelines.
Diabetes UK and the South Asian Health Foundation (SAHF) are highlighting 16 research topics in a new report to find out more about diabetes in South Asian people.
Senate Democrats are scrambling to reduce the price tag of reform proposals, which initial estimates place at $1.6 trillion, The Wall Street Journal reports.
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 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.
According to the latest ratings of two watchdog groups, medical schools are "improving their conflict-of-interest policies to police their ties with drug and medical-device makers. But more than half the schools still have inadequate policies or no policies at all," the Wall Street Journal"s Health Blog reports. The American Medical Student Association and the Pew Prescription Project said the number of schools earning top marks had more than doubled, in part because of pressure from lawmakers like Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa. But, "there are a lot of schools that are yet to look seriously at these issues," the director of the Pew project said.
"A New York State law that takes effect on July 14 has physicians who perform office-based surgery scrambling to upgrade their offices or find new space altogether," The New York Times reports. The Patient Protection Bill, "signed into law by Gov. Eliot Spitzer in July 2007, is intended to ensure high safety standards in offices when surgery and other invasive procedures are conducted with more than minimal sedation" and is "the first time that New York State will regulate office-based surgeries." Doctors may need to modify their office space with "larger elevators, improved ventilation, backup power equipment with the ability to run for a longer period and other mechanical accommodations." But "since some medical offices cannot be physically adapted to meet accreditation requirements, especially in Manhattan, many physicians have been seeking new office space." This can be difficult in the city, where there is "a dearth of recently built medical office space." Claire Pospisil, "a spokeswoman with the New York State Department of Health, said the state did not know how many medical offices were conducting operations; this was one reason for the new law." She estimates that "70 or 75 percent of medical offices in New York City and Long Island do these surgeries."
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon during a General Assembly meeting Tuesday urged governments not to cut aid for the international fight against HIV/AIDS, the AP/Washington Post reports. Even as Ban "called for "bold action" not only to increase funding but also to break down social barriers to achieve the goal set by world leaders in 2006 of universal access to comprehensive HIV prevention services, treatment, care and support by 2010," he and other speakers at the meeting "reviewing progress and challenges in the battle against AIDS indicated that it will be exceedingly difficult - if not impossible - to reach the goal" (Lederer, AP/Washington Post, 6/16).
Scotland has one of the highest rates in the world of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and its incidence is rising among Scots children. Now researchers have begun a major Scotland wide study into IBD - which encompasses Crohn"s disease and ulcerative colitis - which afflicts around 1,000 people under 18 years old in Scotland. Their work - led by the University of Aberdeen - is being supported by a research grant of ÷£182, 235 from the Chief Scientist Office.