Oncology
"Medical bills are involved in more than 60 percent of U.S. personal bankruptcies, an increase of 50 percent in just six years, U.S. researchers reported on Thursday," according to Reuters. The researchers found that "more than 75 percent of these bankrupt families had health insurance but still were overwhelmed by their medical debts." Most of them were "well-educated, owned homes and had middle-class occupations," the researchers from Harvard Law School, Harvard Medical School and Ohio University wrote in the American Journal of Medicine.
Hackers raided a server at the University of California, Berkeley last fall, stealing everything from Social Security numbers to immunization records in an episode that highlights one danger of moving health information from file cabinets to cyberspace, Forbes reports in a first-person account by one of the 160,000 victims. "Stealing medical data has become more attractive to hackers and identity thieves as banks and individuals have become more sophisticated about protecting credit-building information." One consumer group estimates that as many as 12 percent of digital security breaches target the medical industry.
During the warmer months, the use of trampolines is more frequent and as a result children are more likely to be hospitalized with related injuries, especially after bouncing with adults at the same time, according to doctors" warnings.
Whether and how medical personnel and their digital systems can talk to one another in a meaningful way is a subject pertinent to the health of patients about whom they "converse."
A new study suggests that over 60 per cent of all bankruptcies in the US are down to medical reasons, with most victims being health-insured
The Institute for OneWorld Health, the US-based non-profit pharmaceutical company that develops drugs for people with neglected infectious diseases in the developing world, today announced that it has successfully completed its first screening campaign of the Roche proprietary compound library and will select up to 40 new drug leads for further study intended to identify a new treatment for childhood diarrhea.
Improvements in diagnosis and treatment over the past 30 years have led to a 17% decrease in the likelihood of death from aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (the bursting of a blood vessel on the surface the brain) in the general population, according to an Article published Online First and in the July edition of The Lancet Neurology.
American Innovative Research (A.I.R.) cofounders, David Palmer and Judy Piscione, explain how the impact of the avian flu pandemic originally motivated their company"s researching a home option of an isolation and containment unit.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are warning health care professionals about the risk of serious liver injury linked to the anti-thyroid drug propylthiouracil that is used to treat Graves" disease, an autoimmune disorder that results in overactivity of the thyroid gland.
There are many indications that computer aided surgery has a major role to play in improving results in orthopaedic surgery, says Dr. Stefano Zaffagnini, who has played a pioneering role in the use of this technology and who moderates a symposium on this theme at the Congress of the European Federation of National Associations of Orthopaedics and Traumatology (EFORT), taking place from June 3 to 6 in Vienna, with more than 8,000 participants from around the world. This technology should allow total knee prosthesis using minimally invasive surgery to become a standard procedure within a decade. Osteotomy and hip operations are only two of the many other fields where computer aided surgery can also markedly improve results for patients, experts state at the EFFORT Congress in Vienna.
Responding to news that a couple jumped to their death because they were left devastated by the death of their son, who lost his life to meningitis, Sue Davie, Chief Executive at the Meningitis Trust, says:
In a variety of organisms, from zebrafish to fruit flies to humans, stem cells have the potential to differentiate into a variety of tissues--and, in some cases, to give rise to a complete new organism. Stem cell research, therefore, has attracted the attention of a range of biologists--reproductive biologists, cancer biologists, cell and developmental biologists, and others--who have all recognized its importance and therapeutic potential.
"Thanks to patients" champions in the House and Senate, the 2009 Texas Legislature passed bills to reform health insurance, increase access to health care, preserve the patient-physician relationship, and improve the health of all Texans.
Patients with psychiatric disorders occupy around 15% of total bed days in the NHS - and have a longer length of stay than people with other medical conditions.
InfoMedics, Inc., the patient feedback company, recently co-authored two posters detailing patients" experiences with the attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) drug lisdexamfetamine dimesylate (LDX).
Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists have sequenced the genome
In recent decades, there have been periodic reports of a worldwide decline in sperm count and quality. Male infertility has ostensibly been on the rise, accompanied by increases in testicular cancer and hypospadias -- a congenital defect in which the opening of the urethra is on the underside, rather than at the end, of the penis. Taken together, these three conditions have been termed testicular dysgenesis syndrome.
Dandruff affects the scalp and causes flakes of skin to appear - it is a common condition. Our skin cells are forever renewing themselves. When the skin cells on our scalp are renewed the old ones are pushed to the surface and out of the scalp. For a person with dandruff the renewal is faster, meaning more dead skin is shed, making the dandruff more noticeable. Dandruff can also occur if the scalp is frequently exposed to extreme temperatures. Dandruff is also known as scurf - its medical term is Pityriasis capitis.
Dey, L.P., a subsidiary of Mylan Inc. (NYSE: MYL), has announced that data from two presentations highlighting the use of Perforomist® (formoterol fumarate) Inhalation Solution will be featured in poster format at the International Conference of the American Thoracic Society on May 19, 2009 in San Diego.
Australian researchers have developed gene expression biomarkers which can accurately discriminate pre-cancerous and cancerous colorectal growths from non-cancerous controls.
SAGE have announced that flagship medical journal Palliative Medicine is to become the official journal of the Association for Palliative Medicine.
The Senate Judiciary Committee"s vetting of Judge Sonia Sotomayor, President Obama"s nominee for the Supreme Court, officially began Thursday when the White House delivered her written responses to a comprehensive questionnaire designed by the committee"s leadership, Roll Call reports. The questionnaire -- developed by Committee Chair Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and ranking member Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) -- will be used as part of preparations for Sotomayor"s as-yet-unscheduled round of confirmation hearings (Stanton, Roll Call, 6/4).Sotomayor disclosed a large amount of information in the questionnaire, such as her net worth and a timeline for when she learned that she was under consideration by the White House as a potential replacement to retiring Supreme Court Justice David Souter (Perine, CQ Today, 6/4). According to Roll Call, Sotomayor"s responses might offer members of both parties "fodder to support or oppose her nomination."Leahy, who has the authority to schedule the confirmation hearings, said in a statement that Sotomayor "has advanced the confirmation process by promptly complying with this Senate requirement, and now the Senate should promptly schedule hearings to fairly consider her nomination to our highest court," adding, "The unfair attacks that have been leveled at her from outside the Senate are all the more reason to give her the chance to respond." Earlier this week, he said that he would announce a start date for the hearings after Sotomayor"s responses were received (Roll Call, 6/4). Meanwhile, Sotomayor on Thursday continued another round of private meetings with senators on Capitol Hill, including a few GOP senators who earlier had expressed concerns about her past comments and actions, CQ Today reports (CQ Today, 6/4).Questions Over Sotomayor"s Position on Abortion-Rights Issue RemainIn related news, USA Today on Friday examined how Sotomayor in the past 17 years as a federal judge "has left no clear footprints revealing" her position on abortion-rights issues. This week, some Democratic senators in private meetings with Sotomayor attempted to seek answers, while advocates on both sides of the debate are urging senators to question her about her views on Roe v. Wade during the expected confirmation hearings. On Wednesday, following a meeting with Sotomayor, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said that she believes Sotomayor has respect for judicial precedent. Nancy Northup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights, said, "I don"t have concerns about this nominee in the sense that I think there is something on the record (against abortion rights)," adding, "We just think it"s important for Supreme Court nominees to say where they stand." Charmaine Yoest, president of Americans United for Life, agreed, noting the lack of a definitive position on abortion rights in Sotomayor"s record. Feinstein also said that she will persist on abortion-rights issues. "I remember what it was like when abortion was illegal, and the lives of young, desperate women were in jeopardy," she said, adding that she is concerned "Americans no longer appreciate what it would mean if (abortion rights) were taken away" (Biskupic, USA Today, 6/5).
The recent murder of Kansas abortion provider George Tiller has prompted other providers nationwide to reassess their need for protective measures against violent actions from opponents of abortion rights, the AP/San Francisco Chronicle reports. In the days following Tiller"s murder, many clinic officials nationwide said that they had contacted law enforcement and examined their existing security measures. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder also ordered the U.S. Marshals Service to provide security to several clinicians and facilities. According to the AP/Chronicle, violence against abortion providers in the 1980s and 1990s forced many to take various precautionary measures in and around their clinics, while some underwent training to protect themselves.Kate Michelman, former president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, said the election of former President George W. Bush, an abortion-rights opponent, helped alleviate some violence against abortion providers. However, she said that she believes Tiller"s murder might indicate the situation is changing during the first months of President Obama"s administration. Obama has rejected abortion-rights opponents" calls for restrictions on the procedure and also reversed the "global gag rule," or "Mexico City" policy.Michelman said, "Historically, when those who oppose a woman"s right to decide are frustrated politically, they get more violent," adding, "I have been thinking about this ever since the [Obama] election." She said that some providers will remain fearful even though she believes clinics are now safe. "In the end ... if someone is out to get you and they are determined and have a chorus encouraging them, ... there"s not much you can do to stop them," Michelman said. Provider LeRoy Carhart, who provided abortion services at Tiller"s clinic, said that people who commit violence against abortion providers should be charged with hate crimes (Hanna, AP/San Francisco Chronicle, 6/3).
Fox News host Bill O"Reilly is "being incredibly disingenuous when he claims that he bears no responsibility for others" actions in the killing of Dr. George Tiller on Sunday," Mary Alice Carr, vice president of communications for NARAL Pro-Choice New York, writes in a Washington Post opinion piece. "When you tell an audience of millions over and over again that someone is an executioner, you cannot feign surprise when someone executes that person," she continues, adding that "O"Reilly knew that people wanted Tiller dead, and he knew full well that many of those people were avid viewers of his show. Still, he fanned the flames."Carr writes that she has pledged to no longer appear on O"Reilly"s show because she realized that her appearance "would only legitimize his speech and that no good would come of my efforts." She adds that when a producer called her to come on the show following Tiller"s murder, she responded that, among other things, the community of abortion-rights supporters "hold[s] O"Reilly responsible for helping to create a climate in which hate was allowed to fester."Carr notes that following Tiller"s death, "O"Reilly had the opportunity to apologize for his words" and "say that this tragic outcome was something about which he felt sorry," but "[h]e didn"t." She adds, "When restraint and perspective were called for, he fanned the flames higher." Carr concludes that she will not appear on O"Reilly"s show because "if the murder of a man in a house of worship wasn"t enough to make Bill O"Reilly repent, what hope d[o] I have?" (Carr, Washington Post, 6/4).
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said he disagrees with President Obama"s support of transferring Congress"s price-setting powers over Medicare to the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), which now acts as an advisory panel, USA Today reports. In a letter to senators Wednesday, Obama floated support for the idea: "Under this approach, MedPAC"s recommendations on cost reductions would be adopted unless opposed by a joint resolution of the Congress."
Eleven people were charged in an indictment unsealed on Thursday with "scamming Medicare to get painkillers," the Associated Press reports. "A federal indictment in Detroit says the government unwittingly paid more than $480,000 to a phony health-care business that was a front for acquiring and selling painkillers." Authorities say Quick Response Medical Professionals paid people up to $220 to be seen by a doctor and that those visits were then reimbursed by Medicare. The case also involves thousands of doses of OxyContin worth more than $5 million that were sold during 2007 and 2008. The AP noted that "the government says Medicare and Medicaid fraud costs taxpayers billions each year" (6/4).
Thousands of international HIV/AIDS experts will convene in Windhoek, Namibia, next week for a five-day meeting focused on HIV/AIDS, New Era reports.
Lancet Study Finds No Association Between Human-Rights Treaties and Health Status
The Medical Defence Union (MDU) the UK"s largest medical defence organisation has reassured doctors that they are not admitting liability if they apologise when something has gone wrong with their treatment of a patient.
In the sense that organisms existing today are connected through a chain of life - through their parents, grandparents and other ancestors - almost a billion years back to the first animals of the pre-Cambrian era, an animal"s reproductive cells can be considered to be immortal. These germline cells generate their offspring"s somatic cells - other cells involved in all aspects of growth, metabolism and behavior, which have a set lifespan - and new germline cells that continue on, generation after generation.
PMSI Settlement Solutions, a leading solutions provider for liability and workers" compensation claims, announced its initiative to address payor concerns regarding the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) new prescription drug requirement associated with Medicare Set-Asides (MSA"s). As part of this initiative, PMSI Settlement Solutions will work with government affairs experts, industry consultants and other interested payors.
Memgen announced that the ongoing Phase Ib study of its cancer immune therapy, ISF35, has produced positive results, including a complete remission in the trial"s first patient who had 17p deleted chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).
Avexa Limited (ASX:AVX) announced that the Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) met today to review the 16 week data from Avexa"s apricitabine (ATC) Phase III clinical trial. The DSMB reviewed the data and recommended continuation of the study with the 800mg dose. Patients taking the 1200mg dose will be transitioned to the optimum 800mg dose to continue their therapy.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is warning employers to ensure the effective management of the safe movement of pedestrians and vehicles around the workplace, after a man was reversed over by a forklift truck at the new ÷£22.5m shopping complex at Willow Place, Corby.
A new report, issued by an expert committee convened by the AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), for the first time defines scientific competencies for future medical school graduates and for undergraduate students who want to pursue a career in medicine.
Health professionals need to look no further than their iPhone to support them at the point of care. Wave Medical, who provides clinical decision support applications to general practitioners, nurses, emergency doctors and medical students has recently expanded its mobile platform offering to include the iPhone™ and iPod® Touch. Now all healthcare professionals can easily access any of Wave Medical"s specialty-focused clinical decision support applications through iPhone"s innovative platform.
New research launched today (Monday) to mark the start of national Carers Week (8-13 June) shows that almost three-quarters (74%) of carers have reached breaking point due to the pressures of their caring role.
A new taskforce of health professionals working together to spot early signs of violence and abuse against women and girls, investigate the scale of the problem and ensure victims across the NHS get the support they need was announced by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith and Health Secretary Alan Johnson.
Delcath Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: DCTH), a medical technology company testing its proprietary percutaneous hepatic perfusion (PHP(TM)) system for the treatment of cancers of the liver, announced today that it has achieved the seventy-five percent enrollment point of its pivotal Phase III clinical trial treating metastatic cutaneous and ocular melanoma to the liver. The participating cancer centers in this trial continue to evaluate and enroll patients and the Company remains on target to complete enrollment this year.
New Phase II data presented at the American Diabetes Association 69th Scientific Sessions in New Orleans show that the investigational type 2 diabetes treatment Syncria(R) (albiglutide) significantly reduced blood glucose levels and provided weight loss across weekly, biweekly and monthly dosing. Reducing blood sugar is a key part of managing type 2 diabetes, a disease that affects over 250 million people worldwide.
I want to update Members on the swine flu outbreak and how preparations in Wales are proceeding.
The UK"s first guide to help secondary breast cancer1 patients struggling to access necessary levels of support and care has been launched today.
Early results of a clinical trial that treated 40 patients with metastatic melanoma using PV-10, a form of the staining compound better known as
Mental health care must improve to halt the staggering number of suicides occurring in prisons, new research has revealed.
The AP/Washington Post examines how the millions of Pakistani refugees fleeing from the army"s offensive against the Taliban in the northwest of the country are overwhelming the country"s health care system. "The crisis has exhausted doctors, used up limited supplies of medicines and buried hospitals in a mountain of red tape as they try to get money and medicine for the crisis" pushing the entire health system to the brink of collapse, the AP/Washington Post writes.
South African President Jacob Zuma on Wednesday said he wants to have 80 percent of HIV-positive South Africans who need antiretrovirals (ARVs) on them by 2011, BuaNews reports (BuaNews/allAfrica.com, 6/3). The announcement was part of Zuma"s first state-of-the-nation address, when he discussed ways the government would strive to "step up measures to improve health care in Africa"s strongest economy," Reuters writes. "We have set ourselves the goals of reducing inequalities in health care ... and step up the fight against the scourge of HIV and AIDS, TB and other diseases," Zuma said (Roelf, Reuters, 6/4).
Tau protein tangles are found in the brains of people with a range of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer"s.
Known for his often controversial approach to public health issues, Dr. Thomas Frieden will take over as the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today, according to various news outlets.
The recession has increased the number of uninsured Americans and made it more difficult to access health care programs while also placing special burdens on caregivers.
Antiabortion-rights legislators in Kansas plan to push for harsher restrictions on abortion when the next legislative session begins in January 2010, despite increased tensions following the murder of abortion provider George Tiller, the AP/Indianapolis Star reports.According to state House Judiciary Committee Chair Lance Kinzer (R), the debate over abortion rights should continue in the state because some laws aimed at restricting abortion access are not being enforced properly. This year, Kinzer pushed legislation (S.B. 218) to strengthen the state"s restrictions on abortions performed later in pregnancy, but the bill was vetoed by former Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D). Gov. Mark Parkinson (D) has said his views are "very similar" to those of Sebelius on abortion rights. On Monday, he called on advocates on both sides of the issue to tone down their rhetoric. Parkinson also has said that Kansas should aim to reduce unplanned pregnancies.State Rep. Tom Sawyer (D), who supports abortion rights, said he would like to see legislators take one year off of debating the issue, adding that he thinks this is unlikely. He said, "It"d be nice to have one session where we didn"t have to debate it," adding, "People who are adamant, who keep bringing up these issues, are going to keep bringing them up. I don"t think [Tiller"s murder] is going to slow them down."However, state House Speaker Mike O"Neal (R) said tensions over abortion rights "will calm down a great deal" in the coming months. He added, "All those issues are still there. As long as the parties on both sides behave themselves and not let the rhetoric get out [of] hand, I think we can stay focused on the issues." State Sen. Tim Huelskamp (R) said that abortion-rights opponents likely will focus in the short term on the Board of Healing Arts, which licenses and regulates physicians, and the courts. A criminal case against a Planned Parenthood clinic in Johnson County, Kan., is pending (Hanna, AP/Indianapolis Star, 6/5).
Consumer concern over the swine influenza outbreak has reinforced the
In the wake of the shooting death of Kansas abortion provider George Tiller, columnist Ellen Goodman writes in the Boston Globe that she "can"t help wondering whether rhetoric can justify a crime in the mind of a fanatic." She continues, "Can"t words provide the sort of perverse moral platform that jihadists stand on and the alternate universe in which a "lone nut" can find a home?" Goodman writes that she does not blame Tiller"s death on "everyone who checks a pro-life box on the pollster"s chart," but it is "well past time for the antiabortion movement to denounce those who are in the profession of inflaming passions."Tiller "was a doctor of last resort for many women, especially those women for whom the sonogram did not bring joy but tragic tidings," Goodman writes, adding, "He refused to be cowed. At the very least, he should be buried with truth." In his recent commencement address at the University of Notre Dame, President Obama asked, "As citizens of a vibrant and varied democracy, how do we engage in vigorous debate? How does each of us remain firm in our principles, and fight for what we consider right, without demonizing those with just as strongly held convictions on the other side?" Goodman writes, "One way is for those who truly "denounce the murder" to take on the chorus, the back-up singers, who still provide the doo-wop for the next deranged soloist." She concludes, "You see, this suspect was not such a lone gunman. And no, I am afraid, this was not an isolated incident" (Goodman, Boston Globe, 6/5).
"When a Supreme Court nominee such as Judge Sonia Sotomayor comes before the Senate for confirmation, she is promised a full, fair hearing," yet "every nominee"s path is booby-trapped by the history of previous confirmation battles," Washington Post columnist David Broder writes. Broder examines prior confirmation hearings, noting that the "[o]ne thing that may make it harder to forget the partisan and ideological battles of the past is that President Obama found reasons to oppose" Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito while he was in the Senate.During Roberts" confirmation hearing, Obama said that although he was "sorely tempted to vote for Judge Roberts," he had issues with Roberts in cases where "precedent and rules of construction" are insufficient and where justice "can only be determined on the basis of one"s deepest values." Obama added that the rights of women and minorities are dependent on cases in which "the critical ingredient is supplied by what is in the judge"s heart." Obama said Roberts" record on women"s rights and other issues was not strong enough to quell doubts about Roberts" "deepest values."Broder continues, "Based on the Obama precedent, the White House can hardly complain if Republicans push beyond the question of Sotomayor"s qualifications and examine her values -- and her biases." He concludes, "Someday, the Senate may again be satisfied to examine only professional credentials, recognizing the uncertain dynamics of a nine-person bench," but while past precedents survive, "that is not likely" (Broder, Washington Post, 6/4).
The King"s Fund has announced a series of new initiatives and projects to take forward its work to improve health care.
VeroScience, in collaboration with S2 Therapeutics, announced the presentation of clinical and preclinical data at the American Diabetes Association (ADA) 69th Scientific Sessions on Cycloset, a novel treatment for patients with Type 2 diabetes. FDA-approved in May 2009, Cycloset is the first therapy directly targeting the body"s dopamine activity to improve glycemic control. It is also the only drug to be approved subsequent to the FDA"s new guidelines that require studies demonstrating that diabetes drugs do not increase cardiovascular risk.
PLC Systems Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: PLCSF), a company focused on innovative cardiac and vascular medical device-based technologies, announced that it will demonstrate its RenalGuard System(TM) at EuroPCR, the annual meeting of the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI), May 19-22, 2009, in Barcelona, Spain. More than 11,000 clinicians and professionals are expected to attend this event.
Hemophilia A is an inherited bleeding disease caused by a lack of the blood clotting protein Factor VIII. It had been hoped that gene therapy would provide a breakthrough in treatment, but the most common gene therapy approach has had little clinical success. However, a team of researchers, at the University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, has now developed a new approach to target genes specifically to mouse liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (the cells that are the main of Factor VIII) and used it to provide long-term expression of Factor VIII in hemophilia A mice, markedly reducing their disease. They hope that their data might prove to be a step toward successful human clinical trials in individuals with hemophilia A.
Opal Events is proud to present our next exciting conference Drug Discovery Partnerships: Academia & Industrial Interactions , to be held at the Hyatt Regency in Boston on October 28-30, 2009.
The California State Assembly passed Assemblymember Hector De La Torre"s (D-South Gate) Assembly Bill 2 that prevents the insurance industry from unfairly rescinding patients" healthcare policies without oversight from a state regulator with a 46-24 vote.
Women with chest pain are less likely than male patients to receive recommended, proven therapies while en route to the hospital, according to new research from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Despite evidence showing that the drugs aspirin and nitroglycerin are important early interventions for people who may be having a heart attack, women don"t get them as often as male patients with the same types of symptoms, says a new study that will be presented Friday, May 15, 2009 at the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine"s annual conference.
Alzheimer"s disease and its precursor, mild cognitive impairment, appear to be associated with an increased risk of death among both white and African American older adults according to a new, long-term research study by neurological experts at the Alzheimer"s Disease Center at Rush University Medical Center. The study findings are published in the June issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Scientists at South Dakota State University are exploring the mechanisms by which a substance derived ultimately from Red Sea coral could help treat skin cancer.
Low income, conflict-affected countries such as Afghanistan, Sudan and
Overweight individuals who ate a low-calorie, low-carbohydrate diet high in plant-based proteins for four weeks lost weight and experienced improvements in blood cholesterol levels and other heart disease risk factors, according to a report in the June 8 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. A high-carbohydrate, low-fat vegetarian diet also resulted in weight loss but without the additional cardiovascular benefits.
Children and especially boys diagnosed with intermittent exotropia, a condition in which the eye turns outward (away from the nose) only some of the time, appear more likely to develop mental illness by young adulthood than children without strabismus (when the eyes deviate or are misaligned when looking at an object), according to a report in the June issue of Archives of Ophthalmology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Judges often make poor decisions about the stories asylum seekers tell them because their decisions are based on false assumptions.
University of Florida scientists have discovered why a paralyzing brain disorder speeds along more rapidly in some patients than others - a finding that may finally give researchers an entry point toward an effective treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, often referred to as ALS or Lou Gehrig"s disease.
As stroma - the supportive framework of the prostate gland- react to prostate cancer, changes in the expression of genes occur that induce the formation of new structures such as blood vessels, nerves and parts of nerves, said researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in a report that appears in the current issue of the journal Clinical Cancer Research.
An electrolyte is "any compound that, in solution or in molten form, conducts electricity and is decomposed (electrolyzed) by it. It is an ionizable substance in solution" (Medilexicon"s medical dictionary). An electrolyte is any substance that contains free ions that behaves as an electrically conductive medium (conducts electricity). All higher forms of life cannot exist without electrolytes, and that includes humans.
After last Wednesday"s revelations that NHS jargon could be affecting patient health, Thames Translations" MD Simon George raised concerns that the needs of foreign patients could be missed in the rush to remove jargon from communications and replace it with plain English.
Biotech company Pharming Group NV ("Pharming" or "the Company") (NYSE Euronext: PHARM) today announced that the Paediatric Committee (PDCO) of the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) has adopted an opinion agreeing the paediatric investigation plan (PIP) for Rhucin® (recombinant human C1 inhibitor) in the therapeutic area of immunology-rheumatology transplantation.
Methuselah Foundation has identified Organovo, Inc. as a leader in the extraordinary science of bio-printing. The US Department of Health and Human Services predicts: "Within 20 years regenerative medicine will be the standard of care for replacing all tissue/organ systems in the body." Organovo, with the support of Methuselah Foundation, is applying its breakthrough organ printing technologies to make that prediction a reality.
BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. (Nasdaq: BMRN) announced results from the Phase 1 clinical study of PEG-PAL (PEGylated recombinant phenylalanine ammonia lyase) for the treatment of phenylketonuria (PKU). The company expects to initiate the Phase 2 clinical study in late June or early July, pending institutional review board (IRB) approval from the clinical trial sites. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has reviewed the Phase II clinical trial protocol.
Roche announced it will start Phase III clinical investigations for aleglitazar, its innovative PPAR co-agonist R1439 which is uniquely designed to reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in high risk patients with type 2 diabetes. This decision is supported by data from the Phase II SYNCHRONY study published today in The Lancet(1) and announced at the American Diabetes Association meeting in New Orleans. The Phase III program is anticipated to start in the second half of 2009.
Results from three placebo controlled studies conducted to assess NT-201 in upper limb post-stroke spasticity, pre-treated cervical dystonia, and treatment-naive cervical dystonia patients represent the second data set presented at the Movement Disorder Society (MDS) 13th Annual International Congress in Paris, France. The studies were sponsored by Merz Pharmaceuticals, which plans to file a Biologic License Application (BLA) for NT-201 in the USA in the near future.
United Therapeutics Corporation (Nasdaq: UTHR) and Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) today announced the results of a pivotal 16-week study showing that a once-daily dose of tadalafil was generally well tolerated, improved exercise capacity and improved time to clinical worsening in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH)(1). The randomized, double-blind, 16-week, placebo-controlled Phase 3 study followed 405 patients with PAH, either treatment-naive or taking bosentan, randomized to placebo or tadalafil 2.5 mg, 10 mg, 20 mg or 40 mg orally. Results from the study entitled, "Tadalafil Therapy for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension," were published in today"s issue of Circulation.
Gregg Duester, Ph.D., professor of developmental biology at Burnham Institute for Medical Research (Burnham), along with Xianling Zhao, Ph.D., and colleagues, have clarified the role that retinoic acid plays in limb development. The study showed that retinoic acid controls the development (or budding) of forelimbs, but not hindlimbs, and that retinoic acid is not responsible for patterning (or differentiation of the parts) of limbs. This research corrects longstanding misconceptions about limb development and provides new insights into congenital limb defects. The study was published online in the journal Current Biology on May 21.
According to the American Cancer Society, colorectal cancer, America"s third leading type of cancer, is also one of the most preventable. One-third of all colorectal cancer deaths could be avoided by simple screening, they say. But colonoscopies, though highly effective, can also be painful, and current diagnostic techniques are time-consuming and sometimes inaccurate.
Protesting what they call a "dangerous and frightening" reduction in medical res, Registered Nurses from UCSF will picket their hospital this Wednesday, calling on administrators to immediately withdraw their proposal to increase patient loads for nurses by 25 to 100 percent.
More than 3,300 primary care providers nationwide will be eligible for approximately $200
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has downgraded its Travel Health Warning that recommended against non-essential travel to Mexico to a "Travel Health Precaution". The CDC says it has been monitoring the swine flu (H1N1) outbreak in Mexico together with Mexican authorities, and now has a more comprehensive picture of the current behavior of the outbreak.
The AP/Washington Post examines attempts to create a live vaccine and mutant mosquitoes to fight malaria.
Statement of Charles D. Connor, American Lung Association President and CEO:
Parental presence at bedtimes appears to have a greater negative impact on infant sleep than actual co-sleeping, according to a research abstract that will be presented on Wednesday, June 10, at SLEEP 2009, the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies.
Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) introduced its microTEE, the world"s smallest transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) transducer for cardiac imaging of neonatal patients. As part of the latest Vision release for the Philips iE33 intelligent echocardiography system, the microTEE transducer provides pediatric cardiologists with a diagnostic tool for imaging the hearts of newborn patients. Philips microTEE will be showcased next week at the 20th annual American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) in Washington, D.C. and will be available for sale globally this summer.
Abbott Park, Illinois (NYSE: ABT) and London, UK - Abbott and AstraZeneca announced that the companies have submitted a New Drug Application (NDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for an investigational compound for the treatment of mixed dyslipidemia, a combination of two or more lipid abnormalities including high LDL- cholesterol (the "bad" cholesterol), high triglycerides and low HDL-cholesterol (the "good" cholesterol). The NDA submission for this investigational compound, containing the active ingredients of CRESTOR® (rosuvastatin calcium) and TRILIPIX® (fenofibric acid), is supported by data from multiple studies, including efficacy and safety studies with the 5mg, 10mg and 20mg doses of rosuvastatin combined with fenofibric acid. Pending approval of the NDA, the treatment will be marketed as CERTRIAD™.
According to a research abstract that will be presented on Wednesday, June 10, at SLEEP 2009, the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, getting more high-quality sleep is associated with better academic performance. The positive relationship is especially relevant to performance in math.
Residential childcare and fostering agency, Perpetual Care, and the University of Central Lancashire"s School of Nursing & Caring Sciences are jointly developing an introductory workshop on the ground-breaking Nurtured Heart Approach, which seeks to improve social and educational outcomes for many children and young people. Experts from UCLan and Perpetual are currently designing an awareness workshop, which will provide an overview of the approach, examine existing US research findings and explore its potential role in UK residential childcare and fostering, particularly in the light of revised NICE guidelines relating to children with ADHD. The first session is scheduled at UCLan"s Preston campus in late June this year and should be of interest to registered social workers, local authority placement officers and other social care and health professionals concerned with the well-being of challenging young people.
While back pain, blurred vision and mouse-related injuries are now well-documented hazards of long-term computer use, the number of acute injuries connected to computers is rising rapidly. According to a study published in the July 2009 issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, researchers from the Center for Injury Research and Policy and The Research Institute at Nationwide Children"s Hospital; and The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus have found a more-than-sevenfold increase in computer-related injuries due to tripping over computer equipment, head injuries due to computer monitor falls and other physical incidents.
A research abstract presented on June 9, at SLEEP 2009, the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, is the first demonstration of a specific neurochemical abnormality in adults with primary insomnia (PI), providing greater insight to the limited understanding of the condition"s pathology.
According to a research abstract presented at SLEEP 2009, the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, patients suffering from chronic primary insomnia (PIs) have higher levels of brain activation compared to normal sleepers during a working memory test.
Researchers at Imperial College London have identified a new appetite suppressant for promoting weight loss that they say works in rodents and may one day be used to develop an effective anti-obesity treatment. Results of the new study were presented at The Endocrine Society"s 91st Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.
First year to be offered live and online
Scientists at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) have initiated the BrainGate2 pilot clinical trial to expand restorative neurotechnology research for some patients with paralysis. This trial expands on previous research that explores methods that may help paralyzed patients control assistive technologies.
VNUS(R) Medical Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: VNUS), a worldwide leader in medical devices for the minimally invasive treatment of venous reflux disease, announced that the Journal of Vascular & Interventional Radiology, the prestigious monthly publication of the Society of Interventional Radiology, has published a study showing the VNUS ClosureFAST(TM) system for radiofrequency (RF) thermal ablation to be "significantly superior" to endovenous laser (EVL) for treating venous reflux, the underlying cause of symptomatic varicose veins.
House Democrats on Tuesday released an outline of their proposal to reform the health care system that would require that all Americans have insurance and that employers provide coverage or pay a penalty, The Associated Press reports. The bill also emphasized preventive care but omitted details about how to cover the costs.
Democratic leaders have begun moving the rank and file closer to acceptance of basic tenets of health reform proposals, but concerns remain among the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Democrats on how it will be paid for, Politico reports.
Seventy-three percent of insured patients receiving assistance from Patient Access Network (PAN) Foundation reported that health care costs are influencing their medication and treatment decisions more this year than last. Nearly half of these said that cost is having a "very big" or "big" impact on whether they seek treatment or fill prescriptions.
DxNA announced that it has submitted a request to the FDA for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for its GeneSTAT(R) pathogen platform, for the detection of the H1N1 virus (known as swine flu). EUA allows for the early availability of important diagnostic and therapeutics tools to diagnose, treat, or prevent critical or life-threatening diseases or conditions, when an alternative or approved solution is not available(1).
Depression is a major public health problem, and one of the most important challenges for psychiatrists is to determine whether an individual with depression should receive cognitive-behavioral therapy or treatment with antidepressant medication. A study by researchers from Emory University, presented at the Annual Meeting of the Organization for Human Brain Mapping in San Francisco, used brain imaging along with sophisticated statistical techniques to examine the differences in brain function that result from these two different kinds of treatment. Forty individuals with depression were scanned with magnetic resonance imaging after undergoing cognitive behavioral therapy or antidepressant therapy. The researchers found that they could distinguish the brain activity of individuals undergoing the two different treatments, and in particular that the two treatments differently affected the communication of the brain areas that are thought to play a role in depression, including the communication between the prefrontal cortex and the nucleus accumbens, and between the subgenual cingulate and the thalamus. The results provide a basis for future research that will try to predict which individuals will benefit from different treatments for depression.
A modest reduction in the amount of carbohydrates eaten, without calorie restriction and weight loss, appears to increase a sense of fullness, which may help people eat less, a preliminary study found. The results were presented at The Endocrine Society"s 91st Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.
Medtronic, Inc (NYSE: MDT) announced the launch of the Shock-Less clinical trial. This trial will identify ways physicians can improve the quality of care for patients through optimal application of device-based tools designed to reduce unnecessary shocks in patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) and cardiac resynchronization therapy-defibrillator (CRT-D) devices. Specifically, the Shock-Less study aims to create evidence that will increase the use of programming tools that reduce unnecessary shocks including features on Medtronic devices, such as Medtronic"s exclusive Lead Integrity Alert™ (LIA) and Anti-Tachycardia Pacing (ATP) During Charging™.
Weatherwood Manor, a UPMC Senior Living Community, will host a health fair from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. and a blood drive from 12 to 5 p.m., Thursday, June 11. Weatherwood Manor is located at 896 Weatherwood Lane in Greensburg.
Researchers at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School are a step closer to treating, and perhaps preventing, muscle damage caused by disease and aging. In their study, published in the June issue of Journal of Biological Chemistry, the scientists have linked the newly discovered protein MG53 to a pathway that repairs human muscle tissue along with the proteins caveolin-3 (Cav3) and dysferlin. Prior to this study, the underlying interactions that inhibited membrane repair in muscle tissue were unknown. Linking these proteins creates a mechanism that allows damaged membranes to be repaired, which may transform treatment for patients who suffer from severe complications of diseases such as muscular dystrophy, as well as cardiovascular disorders and conditions related to advancing age.
He"s already shown that a blue curing light stunts tumor growth. Now the senior in the Medical College of Georgia School of Dentistry is trying to identify the proteins responsible.
NHLBI Funds Research and Training Centers Aimed at Prevention and Treatment of Chronic Diseases in Developing Countries and Collaborates with UnitedHealth Group"s Chronic Disease Initiative
A treatment that prevents premature births in single pregnancies may be ineffective in women expecting more than one child, a study has shown.
Annette Langer-Gould, MD, PhD (Stanford University) and colleagues followed 32 pregnant women with MS, assessing their disease and breastfeeding status at intervals out to 12 months after giving birth. They found that women who breastfed their babies exclusively (without giving supplemental bottles) for at least the first two months post-partum were less likely to have an MS relapse than those who did not breastfeed or who did not breastfeed exclusively during the first two months (36% who breastfed exclusively experienced a relapse, as compared to 87% who did not breastfeed or who supplemented with formula).
A suite of genes that affect aggression in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster has been identified. By investigating male flies from a large panel of lines which each carry a mutation in a single gene but are otherwise genetically identical, researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Biology identified particularly angry and particularly placid insects, uncovering 59 mutations in 57 genes that affect aggressive behavior.
A team of researchers at The Scripps Research Institute and other institutions has discovered a new way by which DNA repairs itself, a process that is critical to the protection of the genome, and integral to prevention of cancer development.
New data presented at the 13th International Congress of Parkinson"s Disease and Movement Disorders show that Requip-Modutab* (ropinirole prolonged release tablets) improves nocturnal symptoms experienced by patients with advanced Parkinson"s disease (PD).[i] The data showed that patients with more significant nocturnal symptoms had a greater improvement with Requip-Modutab, when used as an adjunct to levodopa (L-dopa), versus placebo. These data indicate that once-daily Requip-Modutab remains effective in treating PD symptoms over the night as well as during the day and provides benefit to those in most need. Sleep disturbances, a key element of nocturnal symptoms, are one of the most common non-motor complications of PD and can affect up to 98% of patients.[ii]
OCD-UK, the leading national charity for people with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder with the support of a grant from Comic Relief has announced a year long research project to understand and evaluate if treatment guidelines have had a positive impact on providing treatment for people with OCD across the UK.
Two signals - an external one from retinoic acid and an internal one from the transcription factor Neurogenin2 - cooperate to activate chromatin (the basic material of chromosomes) and help determine that certain nerve progenitor cells become motor neurons, said researchers from Baylor College of Medicine in a report in the current issue of the journal Neuron.
Emergent BioSolutions Inc. (NYSE:EBS) announced that its flagship product, BioThrax® (Anthrax Vaccine Adsorbed), has been granted a shelf life extension from 3 to 4 years by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Based on this approval, Emergent has achieved a contract milestone warranting a payment of approximately $30 million for doses previously delivered to the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) under the terms of the company"s existing BioThrax procurement contracts with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This amount is expected to be recognized as revenue in the second quarter of 2009. In addition, FDA approval of 4-year expiry dating results in an immediate price increase for the future delivery of BioThrax doses under the current contract as well as under the follow-on multi-year contract, valued at $405 million, for the delivery of 14.5 million doses of BioThrax.
COPENHAGEN - The interleukin (IL)-6 receptor inhibitor tocilizumab (ActemraR) combined with methotrexate is more effective than methotrexate monotherapy in inhibiting the progression of structural joint damage in rheumatoid arthritis patients, according to results released at the 10th Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) 2009.
Low blood glucose
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers in China. Although the association between the epidemiological factors and sporadic colorectal cancer has been studied, the relation between smoking, alcohol drinking, family history of cancer, body mass index (BMI) and sporadic colorectal cancer still remains uncertain. So it is important to investigate the role of these factors in the development of sporadic colorectal cancer.
The following highlights efforts that seek to reduce racial and ethnic health disparities
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients who failed to respond to initial treatment with rituximab (RTX) (a chimeric monoclonal antibody against the protein CD20) can still be successfully re-treated with a second course of RTX after six months, according to the results of a new study presented at EULAR 2009, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism in Copenhagen, Denmark.
According to the results of a national survey conducted in 2008 and released Tuesday, HIV prevalence among South Africans between the ages of 15 and 24 dropped from "a high of 10.3 percent in 2005 to 8.7 percent last year, with the decreases most marked among teenagers," AFP/Google.com reports (AFP/Google.com, 6/9). The Telegraph writes, "HIV prevalence in children between 2 and 14 fell from 5.6 per cent in 2002 to 2.5 per cent last year, mainly thanks to the spread of drugs to prevent women passing on the virus to their children" (Telegraph, 6/10).