Health Insurance
Statement by APTA President R. Scott Ward, PT, PhD
More than 40 scientists, bioethicists, lawyers and science journal editors are calling on their colleagues, policy makers and the public to begin developing guidelines for the research and reproductive use of stem cell-derived eggs and sperm, even though such use may be a decade or more away.
UCLA researchers have found that embryonic stem cells and skin cells reprogrammed into embryonic-like cells have inherent molecular differences, demonstrating for the first time that the two cell types are clearly distinguishable from one another.
The owners of a Brechin rendering plant have been convicted of failing to ensure proper health and safety standards were in place, after two workers were overcome by fumes produced by rotting animal waste.
One of the most important challenges in the cancer community today is whether people can, in fact, prevent their own cancers. Susan G. Komen for the Cure® is announcing millions of dollars in long-term grant funding to find out.
UCSF researchers have identified a new "feed-forward" pathway linking estrogen receptors in the membrane of the uterus to a process that increases local estrogen levels and promotes cell growth.
Existing drugs used in the treatment of Parkinson"s disease could be repositioned for use in the treatment of extreme drug-resistant tuberculosis, which kills about 2 million people each year, according to a study led by researchers at the University of California, San Diego. The rise of these strains of TB throughout the world, including industrialized countries, poses a great threat to human health.
US researchers said that undiagnosed cases of celiac disease, where the immune system has a strong adverse reaction to the protein found in
The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) announced that a Butler County male in his 40s, who was infected with H1N1 influenza, died June 29. This is the first Ohio death linked to the pandemic strain of influenza. The patient had underlying health problems that may have contributed to his death.
When left untreated, children infected with Lyme disease can experience many severe complications as a result including arthritis, problems with the heart or central nervous system.
Resuming sexual activity is expressed by patients as extremely important after a myocar÷dial infarction (MI). In spite of this, sex counselling is an area of nursing practice that is frequently neglected and needs more evidence-based knowledge.
Research led by the German Institute of Human Nutrition (DIfE) has identified a new gene associated with diabetes, together with a mechanism that makes obese mice less susceptible to diabetes. A genomic fragment that occurs naturally in some mouse strains diminishes the activity of the risk gene Zfp69. The researchers also found that the corresponding human gene (ZNF642) is especially active in overweight individuals with diabetes. The results of the study, which also involved scientists from the University of Leipzig and the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg, are published July 3 in the open-access journal PLoS Genetics.
Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: BIIB) announced data results from the CHAMPIONS (Controlled High-Risk AVONEX® (interferon beta-1a) Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Prevention Study In Ongoing Neurologic Surveillance) study, an open label follow-up to CHAMPS (Controlled High Risk Subjects AVONEX MS Prevention Study). Based on the CHAMPS study, AVONEX was granted approval for use in patients who experienced their first clinical MS episode with MRI findings. The CHAMPIONS ten-year follow up showed that patients treated immediately after their first episode had significantly less chance of experiencing a second attack versus those patients with delayed treatment. These results at ten years also indicate that 80 percent of patients taking AVONEX were below an expanded disability status scale (EDSS) score of three. These data were presented as a poster at the Annual American Academy of Neurology (AAN) meeting.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) informed in its weekly update on Friday evening, 3rd July, 2009, that the total number of confirmed human cases of swine flu A(H1N1) infection stands at 33,902, including 170 deaths.
The Health Protection Agency (HPA), UK, informed yesterday 3rd July, 2009, in its weekly update that the total number of confirmed human cases of Swine Flu A(H1N1) infection has reached 7,447. British health authorities estimate that the figure will be over 100,000 by the end of this summer.
Common genetic variations spread across five genes raise a person"s risk of developing the most frequent type of brain tumor, an international research team reports online in Nature Genetics.
The NPA is providing training on 4 August 2009 for prereg tutors who will be using the NPA"s Preregistration Trainee Pharmacist (Prereg) Training programme 2009/10.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers not to buy or use Hardcore Energize Bullet or New Whey liquid products sold in test tube-like vials due to suspected product tampering. The products are being recalled.
For the first time, researchers have identified genetic variants commonly found in the population that can increase an individual"s risk of developing glioma, the most prevalent brain tumour. The findings are published today in the journal Nature Genetics.
The newest revolution in microbiology testing walks on four legs and says "baa."
There are many patients worldwide on low-dose aspirin for a variety of conditions, yet few treatments are available to treat the damage that can be caused to the lining of the stomach and upper intestine. The FAMOUS trial, reported in an Article Online First and in an upcoming edition of The Lancet, shows that famotidine is effective in the prevention of stomach and upper intestinal ulcers, and damage to the gullet.
British-born outdoor workers in Australia estimate they have a much lower risk of acquiring skin cancer than do their Australian-born counterparts.
Nearly a quarter of married and cohabiting women who took part in a survey said that they
The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health, announced the approval of a new of the medical isotope Iodine-131 (I-131) to treat thyroid cancer in Canada.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Alimta (pemetrexed), the first drug available for maintenance therapy of advanced or metastatic lung cancer.
OmniGuide, Inc., the developer of the first and only flexible CO2 laser fiber based on breakthrough photonic bandgap technology, announced the results of a pre-clinical study comparing the Company"s fiber scalpels to conventional incision methods in neurosurgery. In the study, surgeons from the Barrow Neurological Institute reported that careful studies of incisions produced in live brain tissue with fiber delivered CO2 laser radiation produced precise cuts while minimally effecting adjacent brain tissue when compared with a widely used reference technique. The study, led by Drs. Mark Preul, Robert W. Ryan, and Robert Spetzler of the Neurosurgery Research Laboratory, Barrow Neurological Institute, in Phoenix, Arizona, was presented at the annual conference of the American Academy of Neurological Surgeons in San Diego, California.
Ikaria Holdings, Inc. and BioLineRx Ltd. (TASE: BLRX) announced that Ikaria has entered into an agreement to obtain a worldwide exclusive license to BioLineRx"s BL-1040, a potential breakthrough treatment for preventing pathological cardiac remodeling following acute myocardial infarction (AMI).
Beginning today, Hong Kong people and their children will have direct access to Filligent"s patented anti- microbial face mask, the BioMask(TM). The revolutionary mask, which traps and kills germs like H1N1 upon contact, was launched at Asia"s leading drugstore chain, Watsons, today. In addition, Hong Kong"s biggest travel agency, Hong Thai, will be providing the BioMask(TM), on a complimentary basis, to all air travelers through the end of August. Up until now, the CE-certified, specialist mask has only been available to medical and healthcare professionals. The launch and availability of the BioMask(TM) in consumer retailers and service providers is significant because, as CEO Melissa Mowbray-d"Arbela says, "The BioMask(TM) is the first "intelligent" face mask. You don"t have to be a health care worker or medical professional to use it correctly. Instead, the mask is very easy to put on, wear and dispose of properly. Thus, it"s one of the best forms of protection for ordinary people and their children during this year"s swine flu crisis."
Scientists at deCODE genetics (Nasdaq: DCGN) and academic colleagues from Europe and the United States today present in the journal Nature Genetics the discovery of common genetic risk factors for basal cell carcinoma (BCC) that affect people with fair and dark complexions alike. deCODE had previously discovered five common single-letter variants in the sequence of the human genome (SNPs) linked to risk of BCC, the most common cancer in people of European descent. However, most of these earlier findings were also correlated with fair skin, well known to accompany vulnerability to the damaging effects of ultraviolet radiation in sunlight.
The estimated one-third of adults who suffer from insomnia could soon find effective treatment without ever leaving their homes. Researchers at the University of Virginia Health System have developed a unique Internet-based intervention, based on well-established face-to-face cognitive behavioral therapy techniques, that has shown remarkable results in improving patients" sleep.
"The nation"s largest insurers, hospitals and medical groups have hired more than 350 former government staff members and retired members of Congress in hopes of influencing their old bosses and colleagues, according to an analysis of lobbying disclosures and other records," the Washington Post reports. The Post"s analysis of lobbying disclosure records shows that three-quarters of major health firms have hired an insider to lobby on their behalf; half of those insiders once worked for the key senators and congressional committees that are now shaping the reform proposals.
When doctors decide whether or not to go ahead with an expensive surgery, "age is no longer the deciding factor, even for invasive treatment such as open-heart surgery," The Philadelphia Inquirer reports. One question is "whether this never-too-old approach is an example of U.S. medical progress, or an example of why Medicare -- federal health insurance for people over 64 -- is headed for insolvency. The answer, experts say, is both. Which is why the current debate over expanding federal coverage to all uninsured Americans is an ethical and economic minefield. "Forty years ago, it was taken for granted that the elderly were not good candidates for organ transplantation, dialysis, or advanced surgical procedures. That has changed," Daniel Callahan, cofounder of the Hastings Center, a bioethics research institute in Garrison, N.Y., wrote recently. "Under the best of circumstances, age should be irrelevant in the Medicare program. But so far, the cost of care has not been considered, and it can hardly remain irrelevant in a program strapped for money.""
As Minnesota braces for some cuts to public health programs, the state"s network of community health centers is being buoyed by money from the federal stimulus that will expand coverage to the un- and underinsured in that state, The Minnesota Post reports.
HELP Is On The Way New York Times
Aine Brady, T.D., Minister for Older People, officially launched the "Directory of Services for Older People in the Stoneybatter Area".
A new laser technique that could lead to bone disorders being diagnosed earlier is to be tested in a hospital for the first time. The study, which it"s hoped will pave the way for future clinical trials, will apply a revolutionary approach known as SORS (Spatially Offset Raman Spectroscopy), to examine specific substances in non see-through surfaces deeper than has previously been possible, without damaging the surface. The research team hope ultimately that the method can be used both to detect and screen for early signs of diseases such as osteoarthritis and osteoporosis.
"Absolutely inspirational" that"s was the expression used by one visitor to describe last years Northwest Disability Awareness Day (DAD).
A British company has launched an anti-infection kit specifically designed to protect hospital patients and visitors from MRSA, Norovirus, Swine-flu, E-Coli and other hospital-acquired infections. The PatientGuard kit includes the world"s first dry-on-contact spray suitable for use on hospital bed linen, curtains and other "near patient touch sites." The launch coincides with the release of new figures on ward closures due to Norovirus from the Health Protection Agency, which show a 23 per cent increase on the same period last year.
Children given an oral syrup containing the naturally occurring sweetener xylitol may be less likely to develop decay in their baby teeth, according to a report in the July issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
The number of prescriptions in Canada for cardiovascular medications has been increasing over the past decade, with a 200% increase in costs, found a new study in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). In 2006, total costs of cardiovascular medications exceeded $5 billion, with statins accounting for almost 40% of the expenditure.
Patients who survive an initial diagnosis of breast cancer often succumb to the disease years later when the cancer shows up in a different part of the body. Now, scientists have identified key signals that support the long term survival of breast cancer cells after they have spread to the bone marrow. The research, published by Cell Press in the July issue of the journal Cancer Cell, may lead to development of treatment strategies that decrease the likelihood of breast cancer recurrence in the bone and other organs.
Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals (P&GP) announced the availability of Asacol HD (mesalamine) delayed-release tablets, which are indicated for the treatment of moderately active ulcerative colitis (UC), a form of inflammatory bowel disease. UC involves inflammation of the lining of the colon and rectum and is typically characterized by flares followed by periods of remission. Moderately active UC is characterized by tougher symptoms than mildly active UC. Asacol HD is proven to help treat these tougher flares of moderately active UC. Asacol HD was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) based on evaluations from the ASCEND studies [Assessing the Safety and Clinical Efficacy of a New Dose of 5-ASA (4.8 g/day 800 mg tablet)].
It is time for states to suspend, rather than terminate, the Medicaid benefits of inmates while they are incarcerated, say correctional health care experts from The Miriam Hospital in a commentary published online by the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
Black women diagnosed with breast cancer have a greater chance of dying from the disease than white women, according to a new study published online July 7 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
A proposal to dramatically weaken intellectual property legislation could lead to the loss
Obesity very often leads to insulin resistance, and now researchers reporting in the July 8 issue of Cell Metabolism, a Cell Press publication, have uncovered another factor behind that ill consequence. The newly discovered culprit - a protein known as pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF for short) - is secreted by fat cells. They also report evidence to suggest that specifically blocking that protein"s action may reverse some of the health complications that come with obesity.
Major hospital groups reached an agreement Monday with the White House and Senate Democrats to accept $155 billion in payment cuts over ten years, a concession that would help pay for proposed health care reforms, the Washington Post reports. Government savings would come mainly from lower Medicare and Medicaid payments to the hospitals, and smaller subsidies for providing care to the uninsured. Hospitals expect to make up some of the losses by increasing their volume as anticipated reforms bring health insurance to many of the 47 million Americans who don"t have coverage.
"Health care overhaul legislation from President Barack Obama"s congressional allies would create a federal insurance czar with sweeping new powers to oversee medical plans nationwide, an idea already drawing fierce criticism," The Associated Press reports. "State insurance commissioners are objecting, saying it would duplicate what they now do without offering any better protection for consumers. Conservatives are calling it a textbook example of a big government mentality."
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is taking several actions to reduce the risk of overdose in patients using pain medications such as Darvon and Darvocet that contain propoxyphene. The actions were taken because of data linking propoxyphene and fatal overdoses.
The U.S. Department of Justice, on behalf of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, filed a complaint seeking injunctive relief against Peregrina Cheese, Inc., (Peregrina Cheese), Brooklyn, N.Y. and two of its officers: Javier Peregrina and Isabel Peregrina.
A new Australian Institute of Health and Welfare/University of Sydney report on General Practice highlights the critical role GPs play in keeping the Australian community healthy, AMA Federal President, Dr Andrew Pesce, said today.
Global HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment programs are already feeling the effects of the global economic crisis, according to a report (pdf) released Monday by UNAIDS and the World Bank, AFP/Google.com reports (7/6).
Pollution from the world"s wealthiest countries is spreading disease and hunger in developing countries, according to a new Oxfam International report, which calls on developed countries to address global warming when G8 leaders meet in Italy, the Globe and Mail reports. The report, titled "Suffering the Science: Climate Change, People and Poverty," says, "It is in the tropics where the bulk of humanity lives - many of them in poverty - that climate change is hitting now and hitting hardest" (Bailey, 7/6).
Lack Of Funds Prevents HIV-Positive People In Uganda From Receiving Antiretroviral Treatment
Jeremiah (Jere) Mead, architect of the field of respiratory mechanics and Professor Emeritus in the Department of Environmental Health at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH), passed away on July 4, 2009, at a health care facility in Ellsworth, ME. He was 88 years old.
Aiming for lower than standard blood pressure targets offers no known clinical benefit, according to a Cochrane Review. In a systematic review of the evidence, researchers found that using antihypertensive drugs to reduce blood pressure below the 140/90 mm Hg standard was not associated with any reduction in death rates or serious morbidity.
ARYx Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ARYX), a biopharmaceutical company, announced results from its Phase 2/3 clinical trial, EmbraceAC, comparing its novel anticoagulant agent tecarfarin (previously ATI-5923) with the leading oral anticoagulant warfarin. In this trial, tecarfarin demonstrated efficacy essentially the same as in earlier Phase 2 studies but did not achieve the primary endpoint of superiority over warfarin, as measured by time in therapeutic range (TTR). This was due to the virtually unprecedented performance of warfarin in this trial. Using the International Normalized Ratio (INR), which is the standard measure of anticoagulation to evaluate TTR, the patients in the trial who were administered tecarfarin stayed within the target therapeutic range 74.0% of the time treated as compared to those patients receiving warfarin who stayed within the target therapeutic range 73.2% of the time (p=0.506). The result for the warfarin group was unexpected based upon the extensive history of prior studies and published literature for the drug. Tecarfarin appeared to be well tolerated by the patients in this Phase 2/3 clinical trial.
The nation"s first standard to safeguard workers from the spread of airborne diseases was approved yesterday by California"s Office of Administrative Law and filed with the Secretary of State. With full support from labor and management stakeholders, on May 21 the Cal/OSHA Standards Board unanimously approved the Aerosol Transmissible Disease (ATD) standard which is designed to protect workers in healthcare and related industries from the spread of diseases such as tuberculosis, measles, influenza, and other pathogens spread by coughing and sneezing. The standard becomes effective on August 5.
Agennix announced that talactoferrin alfa (talactoferrin) has been granted Fast Track designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the first-line treatment of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in combination with sunitinib (Sutent(R) - Pfizer).
Hyperion Therapeutics announced that it has reached agreement with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the Special Protocol Assessment (SPA) process for the pivotal Phase III trial of investigational product HPN-100 (glycerol phenylbutyrate) in adults with urea cycle disorders (UCD). The SPA is a written agreement between the trial sponsor and the FDA regarding the design, endpoints, and planned statistical analysis of the Phase III trial to be used in support of a New Drug Application (NDA).
Severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with lower cognitive function in older adults, according to research from Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Researchers compared cognitive performance in over 4,150 adults with and without COPD and found that individuals with severe COPD had significantly lower cognitive function than those without, even after controlling for confounding factors such as comorbidities.
Pluronic surfactants are synthetic copolymers based on ethylene oxide and propylene oxide. It has been reported that a nonionic L-81, effectively inhibits absorption of dietary lipids from the intestine and secretion of VLDL and LDL from the liver. Although L-81 is a potent anti-obesity drug, its potential in alleviating obesity-induced insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes has not been fully explored.
Bowel preparation has been reported inadequate in 10%-75% of colonoscopic examinations. None of the preparations reached all the requirements of safety, acceptance to patients with negligible discomfort, and rapid cleansing. Polyethyleneglycol is considered as the gold standard for colonoscopic bowel preparation (Grade IA), and aqueous sodium phosphate was an alternative regimen to PEG solution (Grade IA). This consensus also stated that adjunctive therapy, such as bisacodyl, metoclopramide, and simethicone, was shown to improve the quality of bowel preparation. Simethicone works as an adjunct to bowel preparationwith the purpose of diminishing foam formation and improving visualization during colonoscopy. However, the benefit of simethicone in improving colonic bowel preparation, however, was not explored in previous studies.
As leaders at the G8 summit in L"Aquila gather to discuss global
AARP Executive Vice President Nancy LeaMond released
Patients across the country are voicing a growing desire for greater engagement in, and control over, their own medical care. A new study led by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) will examine the impact of adding new layer of openness to a traditionally one-sided element of the doctor-patient relationship - the notes from patients" doctors" visits.
Predicting whether pregnancy complications affect long-term maternal health as well as future pregnancies is at the heart of two studies conducted by researchers in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at Yale School of Medicine.
Fate Therapeutics, Inc. announced the presentation of data from its research on small molecule modulators of the Wnt pathway for osteo-regeneration at the 7th Annual Meeting of the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) in Barcelona, Spain. In its findings, the Company demonstrated that selected Wnt activators induce the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells to mature, bone-forming osteoblasts. The study highlights the potential for using small molecule Wnt activators as osteogenic agents. Because osteogenic agents stimulate positive bone growth, they may offer an improved course of action in clinical settings ranging from orthopedics to osteoporosis as compared to current medications aimed at preventing bone decay.
Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE: WPI), a leader in generic and specialty branded pharmaceuticals, today announced that its subsidiary, Watson Laboratories, Inc., has received approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration to market its over-the-counter Nicotine Polacrilex Gum USP, 2 mg and 4 mg strengths in the coated fruit and cinnamon flavors.
Governor Edward G. Rendell announced that representatives of his office, the departments of Health and Education, and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency will participate in a federally sponsored H1N1 Influenza Preparedness Summit in Maryland on July 9.
Dr. David Steenblock of Mission Viejo, California, a pioneer in clinical applications of stem cells, is pleased to report the results of a 16 year old girl who suffered from cerebral palsy. The patient had right side paralysis and spasticity since birth. The procedure consisted of removing 300 milliliters of bone marrow from her hip and giving it back to her intravenously. Five hours after the raw bone marrow infusion, E.H. was able to move her right toe for the first time in her life. That evening, she was able to walk, stepping heel to toe on her right foot. By the next day, she was able to straighten out and use her right arm and wrist for the first time. Within three weeks, she was also able to move her fingers on her right hand and hold a cup for the first time.
AlphaRx Inc. (OTCBB: ALRX) reported positive preclinical results on GAI-122 injectable nano-emulsion in multiple models of acute hepatitis, an inflammatory liver disease.
Black Americans are nearly twice as likely to develop acute lung injury, or ALI, as white Americans, according to researchers at the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta. The study also revealed that black patients did not have a higher risk of in-hospital death when compared to white patients.
The IFPMA was invited to attend a special session of the United Nations (UN) in Geneva on health in Africa and other least developed countries, organized by the UN Economic and Social Commission (ECOSOC). Michael D. Boyd, Acting Director General of the IFPMA, gave a briefing on the research-based pharmaceutical industry"s contribution to improving health in the developing world, speaking to an audience which included foreign ministers of UN Member States and senior UN officials.
New estimates of the likelihood that a latent case of tuberculosis (TB) will become active have resulted in a roughly 50 percent increase over previous estimates of the number of people needed to be screened (NNS) to prevent an active infection, limiting the cost effectiveness of screening in many Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-defined risk groups, according to an analysis conducted by experts in the epidemiology of the disease.
The GMC is calling for people to give their input on guidance that doctors must follow when filming or making audio recordings of patients and undertaking research.
Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that survival among women with ovarian cancer is influenced by age of menarche and total number of lifetime ovulatory cycles.
Public health experts throughout the UK and Somerset are now implementing new national guidance regarding the treatment and management of swine flu in the UK.
New research, publishedin the New England Journal of Medicine, shows that a woman"s risk of having a child with a neural tube defect (NTD), such as Spina Bifida, is not linked to folic acid related auto-antibodies. The findings refute a well publicised study in 2004, which had indicated a link between the presence of these auto-antibodies in the circulation of mothers who had children with Spina Bifida compared to those who did not.
Standardized requirements for one health insurance plan to electronically send Personal Health Record (PHR) data to another health insurance plan, called the "Personal Health Record (PHR) Transfer Between Health Plans Technical Report, 005050X274," was released by the Accredited Standards Committee (ASC) X12, providing monumental interoperability among insurance companies assisting consumers.
Adverse work conditions may be to blame for the decline in the number of primary care physicians nationwide, according to a study published in the latest issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
bioMç©rieux (Paris:BIM), a world leader in the field of in vitro diagnostics, announced that an AOAC-RI certification has been granted (No. 060903) to the VIDAS® UP E. coli O157 (Including H7) method for screening beef, selected produce and irrigation water. Food manufacturers in the U.S. and many other countries rely on AOAC-RI certified testing methods to release their products on the market. The new solution is based on recombinant phage protein, the latest technology available for food pathogen screening, which offers unique specificity and sensitivity. E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially lethal strain of Escherichia coli that has caused many food outbreaks in the United States, Canada, Japan, and Europe.
Boston Medical Center (BMC) researchers have identified potential safety risks among methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) patients due to the quantity and accuracy of medical record documentation. Improved communication and coordination among substance use treatment and medical providers could mitigate and manage the potential adverse effects of methadone and interacting medications. The BMC study appears in the July issue of Journal of General Internal Medicine.
Boston University School of Medicine researchers (BUSM) have observed in a study of pregnant women that consumption of at least seven servings per day of fruits and vegetables moderately reduced the risk of developing an upper respiratory tract infection (URTI). The BUSM study appears online in the journal Public Health Nutrition.
Recently, the World Health Organization raised the pandemic alert to level 6, which officially declared the H1N1 flu outbreak a pandemic. New York Life Insurance Company, the largest mutual life insurance company in the United States, announced that the company is well prepared to meet its commitments to policyholders in a pandemic, even one as severe as the highly lethal 1918 flu pandemic.
Researchers of the University of Granada (Spain) have used a technique consisting of the induction of neuronal degeneration neuronal for intense light exposure in the mouse"s retina that will be helpful for the study of retinitis pigmentosa (RP), a group of hereditary diseases which lead to blindness and affect more than one million persons a year all over the world. In addition, the results of this research work could be very useful for the detection of new factors or molecules originated by microglial cells and related to degenerative processes of the retina.
Nanyang Technological University (NTU)"s Associate Professor Zhong Guofu has made a significant contribution to the field of organic chemistry, in particular the study of using small organic molecules as catalysts, in the synthesis process called organocatalysis. Such synthesis process takes place for example, during the production of chiral drugs.
Inpatients at Southampton"s teaching hospitals are to be offered advice on lifestyle and weight management as part of a radical new project. Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust"s pharmacy team has invented an innovative plan to tackle obesity during routine risk assessments for venous thromboembolism (VTE), better known as blood clots.
Hospital doctors must learn the basics of NHS finance to help drive greater efficiency and better outcomes for patients, according to the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and the Audit Commission.
People with dementia and their families will get more support throughout the course of the illness as the first dementia advisors started work on Wednesday.
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has licensed the University of Utah"s Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) and Department of Biomedical Informatics as a cancer Biomedical Informatics Grid (caBIG®) Support Service Provider in the category of Training Materials and Services. The distinction is the first to be awarded to an academic medical institution.
Badger culling is necessary in certain circumstances to tackle the spread of bovine tuberculosis (bTB), according to the British Veterinary Association (BVA) and British Cattle Veterinary Association (BCVA).
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALNY) announced that Alnylam will contribute more than 1500 issued or pending patents on its RNA interference (RNAi) technology patent estate to the patent pool established by GSK earlier this year.
Like clothing and hairstyles, oral piercings give teens and adults a way to express themselves. While trendy, this fashion statement poses a number of potential oral and overall health care risks. It"s also important to note that oral piercings most commonly involve the tongue, and also the lips, cheeks, uvula or a combination of sites. Oral piercings have been implicated in a number of adverse oral and systemic conditions.
Prevention is receiving more attention nationwide as a successful strategy to improve the quality and lower the cost of health care. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, care for chronic conditions such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease account for 75 percent of medical care costs in the United States. Independence Blue Cross (IBC) launched two new programs in June to help members avoid, or better manage, two serious chronic conditions -- heart disease and diabetes.
The California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee announces that it filed a complaint with the California Department of Public Health (DPH), calling for an urgent investigation into the ongoing use of dozens of narcotic infusion pumps at the University of California Irvine Medical Center that have a history of failure, thereby exposing patients to a dangerous overdose of narcotics.
In an interview to be published in this weekend"s New York Times Magazine, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg discusses the role of female justices on the court, including the effect on issues related to reproductive rights. When asked if "part of a future feminists legal wish list" could include "repositioning Roe [v. Wade] so that the right to abortion is rooted in the constitutional promise of sex equality," Ginsburg replied, "I think it will be." In response to a follow-up question on what Ginsburg would want to see accomplished in future feminist legal agenda, she said, "Reproductive choice has to be straightened out." She later clarified that she meant that the "basic thing is that the government has no business making that choice for any woman." Ginsburg said that there "will never be a woman of means without choice anymore" and that the "states that had changed their abortion laws before Roe (to make abortion legal) are not going to change it back." However, "we have a policy that only affects poor women, and it can never be otherwise, and I don"t know why this hasn"t been said more often," she said. She continued that she was "surprised" by the Supreme Court"s 1980 ruling in Harris v. McRae, which upheld the Hyde Amendment prohibiting states from using federal Medicaid funds to pay for abortion. Ginsburg also discussed state restrictions on abortion rights, such as waiting periods, and other limits to accessing the procedure. She added that the "possibility of stopping a pregnancy very early is significant" and predicted that emergency contraception "will become more accessible and easier to take." Ginsburg said, "So I think the side that wants to take the choice away from women and give it to the state, they"re fighting a losing battle. Time is on the side of change" (Bazelon, New York Times Magazine, 7/12).
In recent news reports, there was a statement made that abuse experienced as a child can later lead to the development of autoimmune diseases, including lupus. There is no scientific evidence to support this statement, either in humans or animal models of lupus. Stress is sometimes listed as a "trigger" for a lupus flare in a patient that has lupus. Even this hypothesis is only supported by anecdotal data and not a well defined clinical study. There is clearly a connection between the immune system and the nervous system. Stress can induce a number of physiologic changes that can last for varying periods of time. To suggest, however, that child abuse is an accepted cause of lupus is inaccurate and unsupportable until there is clear data linking childhood abuse with later development of lupus.
Blacks receiving treatment equal to whites are more likely to die of breast, prostate and ovarian cancers but not many other types of cancer, according to a study published online Wednesday in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, the Washington Post reports. Previous research has found that lower survival rates for many diseases, including cancer, among low-income populations and minorities often can be attributed to inferior care. These groups are less likely to have insurance and receive routine preventive care, and they are more likely to be diagnosed later and receive less aggressive treatment, research has shown. The new study is the first "that offers provocative evidence" to suggest that biological factors play a role in at least some racial disparities, according to the Post.For the study, Kathy Albain of Loyola University and colleagues examined data collected on nearly 20,000 patients between 1974 and 2001 by the Southwest Oncology Group, a national cooperative of NCI-funded clinical trials. Because all participants received the same care, if socioeconomic factors were affecting survival rates, then differences in those rates would remain constant across all forms of cancer, the researchers reasoned. An analysis of the data found no statistically significant association between race and survival for lung cancer, colon cancer, leukemia, lymphoma or myeloma. However, blacks were 49% more likely than whites to die from early stage postmenopausal breast cancer, 41% more likely to die from early stage premenopausal breast cancer, 61% more likely to die from advanced ovarian cancer and 21% more likely to die from advanced prostate cancer.Albain said, "When there"s a level playing field with the same quality of care, African-Americans survive just as well as other races from some of our most common cancers, which is reassuring news and points us nationally toward a need to make sure there is quality of care and equal access to all." She added that "for prostate, ovarian and breast (cancer), it"s not access to care. There"s something else. And we need to sort that out." Although some of the difference in breast cancer survival rates could be explained by a higher likelihood of black women developing a more aggressive form of the disease, Albain said that this factor could not account for the entire difference in survival rates. Albain also said that because all the cancers with persisting disparities were gender-specific, the gap in survival rates "is almost certainly related to a mix of factors across races pertaining to tumor biology and inherited factors," such as genes that control metabolism of drugs and hormones.However, American Cancer Society Chief Medical Director Otis Brawley said that access to adequate care remains the dominant problem and that socioeconomic factors that occur earlier in life may explain the findings. He said, "These differences are not due to inherent genetics. They are due to the effects of environmental factors like diet and exercise and obesity on biology" (Stein, Washington Post, 7/8).
Senators working feverishly to pass health reform ahead of Congress" August recess raised doubts Wednesday on whether they will be able to pass reform on schedule, The Boston Globe reports.
"As Congress wrangles with overhauling the health care system, there is one population not being discussed. No proposal for a national health plan would cover the nation"s estimated 11 million illegal immigrants," NPR reports. But "analysts say the notion that illegal immigrants drain the health system is overblown. Simply figuring out how many undocumented immigrants lack insurance is not easy," although the Lewin Group has estimated that the number is about 6.1 million, which is "only about half the total population of undocumented immigrants." John Sheils of the Lewin Group "says many illegal immigrants use false documents to work on the books, with regular tax deductions and benefits."
A shortage of new pharmaceutical products in the pipeline-combined with new scientific tools-has created a climate of opportunity for the rare disease community, a senior Food and Drug Administration (FDA) official said at a conference hosted by the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD).
Dr. Francis S. Collins, the Yale-educated, guitar-strumming physician and geneticist who led the Human Genome Project, was nominated Wednesday to head the National Institutes of Health, the New York Times reports. "Dr. Collins"s selection, which had been rumored for weeks, was praised by top scientists and research advocacy organizations for whom the health institute is a crucial patron," the Times reports. He is expected to sail through Senate confirmation.
The use of cardiac CT for low-risk chest pain patients in the emergency department, instead of the traditional standard of care (SOC) workup, may reduce a patient"s length of stay and hospital charges, according to a study performed at the University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA. The SOC workup, which is timely and expensive, consists of a series of cardiac enzyme tests, ECGs and nuclear stress testing.
The strain of influenza, A/H1N1, that is currently pandemic in humans has been shown to be infectious to pigs and to spread rapidly in a trial pig population.
In a new study that could transform embryonic stem cell (ES cell) research, scientists at UT Southwestern Medical Center have discovered why mouse ES cells can be easily grown in a laboratory while other mammalian ES cells are difficult, if not impossible, to maintain.
Race fans at this year"s Allstate 400 at the Brickyard can get a free oral, head and neck cancer screening.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society is backing the Guild of Healthcare Pharmacists (GHP) bid
A sometimes fatal "superbug" is popping up in hospitals, other health care settings and even communities where healthy people live. It"s called methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, (MRSA "mer"-sa"). Health experts urge common-sense steps by medical workers and the public to slow its spread.
Eighty percent of women who have a hysterectomy have a traditional one, in which a surgeon must make an extensive incision that runs from the navel to the top of the pubic bone. If only these women"s gynecologists had been trained in minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery techniques, many of them could have had hysterectomies involving just a few small, keyhole incisions. Also, their recovery time would have also been reduced drastically, permitting them to resume their normal lives much faster.
Kaiser Health News reports on health insurance exchanges, a concept now being considered in the context of Congress"s health overhaul proposals. "The seemingly simple idea behind exchanges - one-stop shopping for insurance - masks the cornerstone role they may play in a national overhaul of the health system. President Obama supports the idea, and exchanges are included in most of the health care proposals now before Congress. Done right, proponents say, exchanges could transform how insurance is sold, giving individuals and small businesses improved purchasing power, increasing price competition among insurers and creating standardized benefits. Done poorly, analysts and critics say, exchanges could drive up insurance costs and encourage employers to drop coverage, unraveling the system that insures most working Americans. While it"s still unclear what Congress will do, Senate Democrats have looked closely at Massachusetts. Here"s how it works there: The state established its exchange, called the Health Connector, mainly for the benefit of individuals who aren"t insured by employers. They include the self-employed and the unemployed, two categories of people who traditionally have the most difficulty obtaining policies. Although not required to buy through the exchange, doing so gives them group-purchasing power. Lower-income people are eligible for state subsidies."
Analysts say many in America take jobs they otherwise wouldn"t simply for the health insurance coverage, Reuters/Boston Globe reports. "It is a situation most Europeans, Canadians and others who enjoy national health services would find bewildering if not appalling and is one factor fueling the drive to reform the hugely expensive U.S. healthcare system. ò€¦ U.S. company healthcare plans are usually subsidized by the employer. They are much more affordable and comprehensive than private plans that can exceed a $1,000 a month for a family, a huge burden for most households."
"All 22 Shriners Hospitals for Children will stay open, but some eventually might become outpatient-only surgery facilities, the system that offers free specialty pediatric care said Thursday," CNN reports. "The system, which has covered all costs of its patients" care throughout its 87-year history, eventually will accept insurance from patients who have it, members of the Shriners fraternity decided in their annual convention in San Antonio, Texas. Accepting money from insurers and finding other ways to cut costs will help Shriners retain their presence in all 22 locations, said Doug Maxwell, the new president and CEO of Shriners Hospitals."
The Los Angeles Times and the New York Times recently published opinion pieces examining issues related to international women"s health. Summaries appear below.~ Michelle Goldberg, Los Angeles Times: The solution to addressing issues of over-population and under-population in various parts of the world is "giving women more control over their fertility and their lives," Goldberg, author of "The Means of Reproduction: Sex, Power and the Future of the World," writes in a Times opinion piece. Goldberg says that both problems are "symptoms of countries" failures to meet women"s needs." Citing United Nations data, Goldberg writes that the world"s population is growing at an "unsustainable" rate of 78 million people annually, and it will probably continue to increase by 70 million or 75 million annually through 2020. Almost all of that growth will occur in developing countries, she says. "The ethical and effective way to counter rapid population growth is to bolster women"s rights and improve their access to family planning," as well as access to education, Goldberg writes, adding that "study after study has found that girls who go to school marry later and have fewer, healthier children." Meanwhile, some developed countries -- including Japan, Russia, Italy and Spain -- are seeing a decline in birth rates, a fact that some social conservatives are using "to argue for restrictions on women"s rights." According to Goldberg, "Fertility is reaching dangerously low levels in countries where social attitudes and institutions haven"t caught up with women"s desire to combine work and family. When faced with men who are unwilling to share domestic burdens, inflexible workplaces and day-care shortages, many women respond by having fewer children." However, "when societies make it possible for women to combine having children with pursuing their other ambitions, fertility rates are fine," Goldberg says. She adds, "Give women freedom and support, and they will find reproductive equilibrium, so that when societies do shrink or grow, they do so in a manageable way" (Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 5/17).~ Nicholas Kristof, New York Times: About 500,000 women "die annually from complications related to pregnancy or childbirth without attracting much interest because the victims are typically among the most voiceless people in the world: impoverished, rural, uneducated and female," Kristof writes in a Times opinion piece. He adds, "It"s no mystery how to save the lives of pregnant women; what"s lacking is the will and res." Kristof writes that Sierra Leone, which has the highest maternal mortality rate in the world, "is now making progress with the help of the United Nations Population Fund." Former President George W. Bush cut off U.S. funding for UNFPA, but President Obama has restored the funding. Kristof adds that a bill (H.R. 1410) that would "establish American leadership in this area ... has attracted pathetically little attention." He continues that if the lives of women in West Africa "were a priority, there would be many simple ways to keep them alive," such as providing them with bed nets to help protect against malaria or iron tablets to fight anemia at a cost of "just a few dollars" (Kristof, New York Times, 5/17).
President Obama is expected to arrive in Accra, Ghana, Friday night, the AP/Google.com reports. White House adviser Michelle Gavin said the president chose to travel to Ghana "because it"s such an admirable example of strong, democratic governance, vibrant civil society" (Babington, 7/10). The following are opinion pieces reflecting on his trip and Africa policy:
UroToday.com - At a glance one could assume that this study was solely empirical - on the contrary! Shock waves (SWs) seem to have a greater therapeutic potential than is assumed and understood today. Finally, the effect of SW cannot be explained by current models of thinking. The recently published SW model by Wess1 is a very promising and tremendous basic approach: SW could modify brain processes and pain storage patterns - both to be influenced therapeutically. We are going to follow these concepts by specific research investigating processes inside the brain during SW application. Possible reactions in the brain and changes under running Extracorporeal Shock Wave Treatment (ESWT) are presently the most promising approaches to understanding the working mechanisms of SW. We intend to apply SWs not only clinically, but also to enhance our knowledge by basic research about their therapeutic effects. The missing animal model for chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS) does not contribute to simplifying the understanding of pathophysiological processes influenced by ESWT, in particular due to the fact that the knowledge about CPPS pathophysiology itself is very limited.