Oncology
An initial version of health reform legislation could be available "in the next several days," Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., a senior member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, told Dow Jones Newswires. Dodd added that another Democrat had presented ""four or five" different versions of a public plan Wednesday," but that the committee had not yet ironed out those controversial details (Yoest, 6/3).
"Even with the Medicare drug benefit, even with the prevalence of low-cost generics, even with loss-leader discounting by big chains, many Americans still find themselves unable to afford the prescription medications that manage their life-threatening conditions," The New York Times reports. In some areas, "the recession has heightened the struggle. National surveys consistently find that as many as a third of respondents say they are not complying with prescriptions because of cost, up from about a fourth three years ago."
Tamiflu
On Friday, HIV/AIDS advocates in California will appear at the state Legislature"s Budget Conference Committee hearing to urge lawmakers to block proposed health-related budget cuts, the Bay Area Reporter reports. According to the Reporter, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger"s (R) latest budget proposal includes cutting $67.8 million from state HIV programs and an additional $12.3 million from the AIDS Drug Assistance Program. Anne Donnelly of Project Inform said, "We realize we may have to take cuts to our programs. But let"s make sure they are minimized and that we continue to deliver the essential services to those people living with HIV and those also at risk." Next week HIV/AIDS advocates also plan to convene on the steps of the state Capitol to protest the proposed budget cuts (Bajko, Bay Area Reporter, 6/4).
Judge Sonia Sotomayor, President Obama"s nominee for the Supreme Court, on Thursday will hold a third round of private meetings with senators who will be voting on her confirmation, the AP/Chicago Tribune reports. The AP/Tribune reports that by Friday, Sotomayor will have met with more than one-quarter of the Senate and a majority of members on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which will lead an as-yet-unscheduled set of hearings for her confirmation.The Judiciary Committee is expected to receive and examine a large collection of documents for the hearings -- including Sotomayor"s writings, speeches and unpublished rulings -- as part of a questionnaire response on personal and financial data, possible conflicts of interest and the procedure that led to her nomination. According to the AP/Tribune, the White House in recent days has been rallying support for Sotomayor, with first lady Michelle Obama on Wednesday talking about the nominee at a high school graduation (Hirschfeld Davis, AP/Chicago Tribune, 6/4).Meanwhile, Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and ranking member Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) on Wednesday failed to reach an agreement on a timeline for Sotomayor"s confirmation hearings and vote, CongressDaily reports. According to CongressDaily, Democrats and Republicans generally are "at odds" over the issue, particularly over when the confirmation hearings should start (Friedman, CongressDaily, 6/3). Leahy said that he would like hearings to begin next month, with the goal of scheduling a confirmation vote before the month-long congressional recess that begins in early August. Sessions has called for the process to be spread out over the summer to allow committee members to analyze the large volume of Sotomayor"s records, with hearings beginning in September (AP/Chicago Tribune, 6/4).Leahy -- who will have the final say on the start of the hearings -- on Tuesday said that "it would be irresponsible to leave [Sotomayor] hanging out there" until September (CongressDaily, 6/3).
A unique research project into the highly sensitive problem of domestic violence towards older women is being carried out by researchers from The University of Nottingham"s Division of Nursing. 12 participants have already taken part since the project started last year for this valuable study aimed at helping those who have experienced abuse and health professionals deal with the problem.
More than 80 community pharmacists from the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) and several patients met with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) today to discuss the negative impact of the March 2007 CVS/Caremark merger and to urge the FTC to re-examine it.
Latent HIV genes can be "smoked out" of human cells. The so-called "shock and kill" technique, described in a preclinical study in BioMed Central"s open access journal Retrovirology, might represent a new milestone along the way to the discovery of a cure for HIV/AIDS.
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.
As the 2009 hurricane season begins, the MIT AgeLab and the Advance 50 Team of gerontologists at The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc., offer new research and life-saving tips to help caregivers, family and friends of those with Alzheimer"s disease who live at home prepare for a natural disaster and get their lives back on track in the aftermath.
Novocell, Inc., a stem cell engineering company, announced that it has received U.S. Patent No. 7,541,185 with method claims covering the use of endoderm cells derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) for drug discovery. This is the second U.S. patent issued to Novocell related to human endoderm. U.S. Patent No. 7,510,876, issued on March 31, 2009, is directed to an in vitro human endoderm composition.
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.
SRI International, an
The Department of Health is rolling out a new systems-based approach to improve stop smoking interventions in primary care. This new approach has increased referrals to local NHS Stop Smoking services by up to 49% in pilot areas.
Huge economic gains could be made if eyeglasses were provided to approximately 150 million people in need, according to research published today in the international public health journal, the Bulletin of the World Health Organization.
BMA Scotland has called on the NHS in Scotland to value the clinical leadership offered by consultants in Scotland in order for patients to benefit from developments and innovations in healthcare. In order to do this, they say, the NHS needs to plan and invest in a consultant workforce that can lead the NHS and deliver the best care for patients.
A recent surge in immigration rates has led psychologists to study how these families are coping and thriving in their adopted countries. In a special June issue of the Journal of Family Psychology, published by the American Psychological Association, researchers report that close family ties are crucial for immigrants" successful transition to their new country.
Journalist, Malini Guha, has won the prestigious new Advances in Renal Cancer Journalists" Award - Europe for her article "New Advances Deliver Fresh Hope in Kidney Cancer" - which was published in Scrip World Pharmaceutical News on February 13th 2009.
Sanofi-aventis (EURONEXT: SAN and NYSE: SNY) and its fully
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).
International development agency Sightsavers International supports the World Health Organisation"s (WHO) call for the distribution of low-cost interventions such as spectacles to help boost the global economy which loses billions of dollars each year due to visual impairments.
CEL-SCI Corporation (NYSE AMEX: CVM) announced that its collaborators at the University of Hawaii reported on data at the annual American Society for Microbiology in Philadelphia, PA. This data demonstrates that vaccines utilizing its L.E.A.P.S.(TM) (Ligand Epitope Antigen Presentation System) vaccine technology with specificity for particular Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB) antigens can elicit immune responses that would be protective against tuberculosis and have the potential to treat swine and other H1N1 influenzas.
The axon is a part of the neuron through which nerve impulses are transmitted, and at the end of which is located the synapse, which connects it to another neuron. In the event of a lesion, the axon is the component which must be regenerated in order to restore the connections between the different neurons and re-form the nerve.
DKT Ethiopia and TOTAL Ethiopia have formed a groundbreaking partnership to run a pilot project to promote condoms to housemaids and other low-income women.
The American Society of Hematology (ASH) announces the selection of 15 participants for its 2009 Minority Medical Student Award Program (MMSAP), which encourages minority medical students to pursue an interest in hematology research. Under the program, each award recipient will receive the support of a research mentor and a career development mentor, travel stipends to attend the ASH annual meeting, and a subscription to the scientific journal Blood, the official journal of ASH.
President Obama has named Alexia Kelley -- Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good co-founder and former executive director -- to the position of director of Faith-Based and Community Partnerships at HHS, Salon"s "War Room" reports. According to Salon"s the "War Room," CACG primarily has worked to find ways to reduce the demand for abortion procedures rather than advocate for laws to restrict access. However, CACG"s Web site reads, "Catholics in Alliance believes in the sanctity of all human life -- from conception until natural death" (Madden, "War Room," Salon, 6/4).Catholics for Choice President Jon O"Brien writes in The Hill"s "Congress Blog" that the appointment is "a defeat for reason and logic" and "calls into question whether President Obama"s administration is serious about reducing the need for abortion." According to O"Brien, Kelley "is on record with her support for restrictions on access to abortion," although CACG has sought to "avoid the question of legalization at every turn." O"Brien continues that the group also used "flawed economic data to support anti-poverty measures as a means to reduce the number of abortions," and "opposed evidence-based prevention methods such as contraception and comprehensive sexuality education" (O"Brien, "Congress Blog," The Hill, 6/4).Officials at the White House and HHS did not return calls for comment. CACG spokesperson Jennifer Goff said, "Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good is working toward reaching common ground in order to make real progress on the moral and political challenges our country faces instead of resorting to spurious attacks launched by those who are more concerned with inflaming the culture wars than effecting positive change" ("War Room," Salon, 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."
U.N. officials on Thursday expressed growing concern about potential disease outbreaks among the two million displaced Pakistanis and warned that aid money is running out, AFP/Yahoo! News reports (AFP/Yahoo! News, 6/4). According to the U.N., more than two million Pakistanis have been driven from their homes in the past month because of a government-led offensive against the Taliban, "in addition to the 400,000 already displaced in fighting last year," Environment News Service reports (ENS, 6/4).
UroToday.com - "Good judgment comes from experience, experience (unfortunately) comes from bad judgment." So the saying goes, but perhaps good judgment can (hopefully) come from carefully done reading of the "experiences" of others.
Results from a number of clinical trials were presented during the Digestive Disease Week (DDW) in Chicago this week, revealing new outcomes data related to endoscopic radiofrequency ablation using the HALO ablation system for eradicating a pre-cancerous esophageal condition known as Barrett"s esophagus. Among them, reports included durability outcomes from a randomized sham-controlled trial, safety and efficacy outcomes from a large U.S. registry of 429 patients, a randomized trial comparing ablation to endoscopic resection, and the largest European series to date in patients with high-grade dysplasia and early cancer.
Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center researchers have uncovered a gene signature that may help predict clinical outcomes in certain types of breast cancer.
When it comes to maintaining their health, men tend to wait for serious symptoms to appear before taking the necessary precautions. Indications of serious physical conditions, however, can oftentimes take a silent form. Take hearing loss: The condition affects more than 31 million people, 65 percent of whom are men, but the signs of the condition are typically overlooked. With that in mind, Miracle-Ear is honoring National Men"s Health Week, which begins on June 15th, with advice on what to look - or listen - for to determine if men are living with diminished hearing capacity.
Cobalis Corporation (OTC:CLSC) was recently awarded two additional International Patents in Canada and Mexico and has a patent pending application in Japan. PreHistin® is patented, safe for long-term daily use and available without a prescription. It is available in a cherry flavored, all natural, proprietary cyanocobalamin (vitamin B12) sub-lingual lozenge that is taken twice daily to regulate allergy sufferers" response to both indoor and outdoor allergens with daily and year round usage.
Merck & Co., Inc. said that preliminary results for the pivotal Phase III study of rolofylline (MK-7418), the Company"s investigational medicine for the treatment of acute heart failure, show that rolofylline did not meet the primary or secondary efficacy endpoints. While Merck will continue to analyze the data with outside experts, the Company will not file applications for regulatory approval this year. The results from this study will be presented at a medical meeting later this year.
New treatments to ease or even cure the most common cancer affecting Australian men are a step closer to reality with a $1.25 million grant awarded to QUT prostate cancer researcher Professor Colleen Nelson today.
The current financial meltdown has in part been caused by bankers who display the attributes of Hubris Syndrome, a former leader of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has claimed.
AARP Executive Vice President John Rother issued the
Australian Nursing Federation (ANF) Federal Secretary Ged Kearney said comments made by Senator Nick Xenophon today display a lack of understanding of the award modernisation process and the benefits this process brings to nursing staff, employers and the aged care industry.
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is streaming
A study in the June issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, published by Elsevier, demonstrates that the Hepascore(TM) liver fibrosis blood-serum test panel may help physicians more accurately diagnose and stage liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C (HCV), potentially alleviating the need for liver biopsy, the standard of care for staging fibrosis, in a particular subset of patients. The Hepascore test panel is provided exclusively by Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE: DGX), the world"s leading provider of diagnostic testing, information and services.
Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: KERX) announced results of the Phase 2 study of Zerenex (ferric citrate) for the treatment of elevated serum phosphorous levels, or hyperphosphatemia, in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) on thrice weekly hemodialysis. The study was a multicenter, open-label clinical trial, which enrolled 55 patients. The primary objective of this study was to assess the tolerability and safety of Zerenex (ferric citrate) with doses ranging from approximately 1 gram per day to 12 grams per day.
Trius Therapeutics, Inc. announced results from its Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of oral torezolid (TR-701), its investigational antibiotic for the treatment of severe complicated skin and skin structure infections (cSSSI) caused by gram-positive bacteria, especially drug-resistant strains such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The study achieved its primary goals of establishing safety and efficacy in all doses evaluated.
I want to update Members on the swine flu outbreak and how preparations in Wales are proceeding.
Sexual abuse in childhood damages women far more than men and could account for just over a quarter of suicide attempts in women, according to new research.
At a June 12 forum cosponsored by Health
The Washington Independent examines a recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, which found that a federal law requiring most international food aid to come from U.S. farmers could be "hobbling efforts to feed the world"s hungry." Currently, Food for Peace - the nation"s largest food aid program - "requires that the crops be purchased from U.S. growers, processed through U.S. companies, and shipped using U.S.-flagged vessels," according to the article.
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.
BioVex Inc, a company developing next generation biologics for the treatment and prevention of cancer and infectious disease, announced that the results from a Phase I/II combination study in previously untreated patients with head and neck cancer will be presented at the 2009 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, which will take place May 29, 2009 - June 2, 2009 in Orlando, FL.
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 World Medical Association has urged the President of Sri Lanka to intervene on behalf of three government employed doctors, two of whom have been detained and the third taken to an unknown destination, after working in the conflict zone in Sri Lanka.
Nile Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: NLTX), a company focused on the development of novel therapeutics for heart failure patients, received notification from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that the agency has released the Company"s CD-NP development program from clinical hold.
Four leading patient and medical associations announced the formation of AF AWARE (Atrial Fibrillation AWareness And Risk Education), a joint initiative to highlight and address issues that contribute to the growing burden of atrial fibrillation (AF) worldwide.
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).
According to a research abstract presented on Monday, June 8, at SLEEP 2009, the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, both long and short sleepers are at greater risk for diabetes. Individuals sleeping for more than eight hours per night may be particularly vulnerable.
A team of researchers sponsored by three major international diabetes organizations has definitively established that the GlycoMark® test (1,5-AG), a simple blood test used to measure glucose control in patients with diabetes, accurately reveals potentially dangerous fluctuations in blood sugar that are undetectable by other means.
AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) President and CEO Darrell G. Kirch, M.D., issued the following statement today on U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius"s recent announcement that the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) would provide nearly 3,300 new loan repayments for health professions training. The $200 million in repayment funds were made possible by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA):
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine are trailblazing the molecular pathway that regulates replication of pancreatic beta cells, the insulin-producing cells that are lacking in people who have type 1 or type 2 diabetes.
Mammomat Inspiration, the digital mammography platform designed by Siemens and designaffairs, has received the iF Product Design Award 2009 and the red dot award: product design 2009. The device for the early detection of breast cancer shows that ease of use, high functionality, and unique design come together beautifully in a single medical engineering product.
Primary care pediatricians may be under-diagnosing sleep disorders in children and teens, according to a research abstract presented on June 8 at SLEEP 2009, the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies.
In recognition of World Blood Donor Day on June 14th, the National Anemia Action Council (NAAC) is providing the online tutorial Anemia & Blood Donation to blood donors who have been deferred because of a low blood count.
According to a research abstract presented on June 8, at SLEEP 2009, the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, active problem solving strategies are associated with successful use of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
A new study finds that in sharp contrast to the overall declining rates of colorectal cancer in the United States, incidence rates among adults younger than age 50 years are increasing. The authors theorize that these increases may be related to rising rates of obesity and changes in dietary patterns, including increased consumption of fast food. The study, which appears in the June 2009 issue of Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention, says further studies are necessary to elucidate causes for this trend and to identify potential prevention and early detection strategies.
A new lung cancer therapy employing a vaporized viral vector to deliver a cancer-inhibiting molecule directly to lung tissue shows early promise in mouse trials, according to researchers at the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology in Korea.
Health professionals across the world can now get on-the-spot access to expert opinion, guidelines and the latest clinical evidence on their mobile phone.
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.
In this week"s edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, PNAS, Uppsala University scientists describe a new mechanism behind an important process that causes a rapid reduction of DNA in the chromosomes of bacteria. The findings advance our knowledge of how DNA content has been reduced, which is something that has occurred in bacteria that live as parasites inside the cells of other organisms.
When it comes to concussions, children and teens require different treatment, according to international experts who recently published consensus recommendations. The British Journal of Sports Medicine"s new guidelines say children and teens must be strictly monitored and activities restricted until fully healed. These restrictions include no return to the field of play, no return to school, and no cognitive activity.
A consortium of research centers in the Tri-state Region, including Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, has received a $46 million grant to conduct research on emerging infectious diseases.
When mothers become infected with influenza during their pregnancy, it may increase the risk for schizophrenia in their offspring. Influenza is a very common virus and so there has been substantial concern about this association. A new study in the June 15th issue of Biological Psychiatry, published by Elsevier suggests that the observed association depends upon a pre-existing vulnerability in the fetus.
This Sunday, thousands of people around the globe will join the
The UK"s longest established meningitis charity - the Meningitis Trust - is encouraging carers across the UK to speak out and earn the recognition that they deserve, as part of Carer"s Week (June 8 - 14).
A CT scan stands for Computed Tomography scan. It is also known as a CAT (Computer Axial Tomography) scan. It is a medical imaging method that employs tomography. Tomography is the process of generating a two-dimensional image of a slice or section through a 3-dimensional object (a tomogram). The medical device (the machine) is called a CTG scanner; it is a large machine and uses X-rays. It used to be called an EMI scan, because it was developed by the company EMI. Undergoing a CT scan is a painless procedure.
Israeli researchers have developed a technique that could produce a more effective blend of tumor-fighting immune cells used to treat cancers such as metastatic melanoma.
A veterinarian at Kansas State University"s College of Veterinary Medicine has advice for pet owners who want to consider how pets fit into their own household emergency plans -- especially if that includes evacuating.
The World Health Organization announced today that swine flu, or influenza A(H1N1) has now infected humans in 36 cases, making a total of 8,451 people ill, and causing the deaths of 66 people in Mexico, 4 deaths in the USA, and 1 death in Canada. All data indicate the virus strain is not a virulent one (an aggressive and dangerous one).
A majority of Southwesterners - 86 percent - think the U.S. health care system is in need of some reform, and more than half - 53 percent - indicate "a great deal of reform" is needed, according to the most recent Arizona State University-Southwest Poll.
The Times of Zambia/allAfrica.com examines abortion in Zambia and efforts to reduce maternal mortality. "Unsafe abortions are one of the top five causes of maternal mortality in Zambia," writes the newspaper, which adds they are one factor keeping the country from meeting the U.N. Millennium Development Goal target of reducing maternal mortality.
In the White House"s pitches for health care reform, controlling costs has replaced universal coverage as the leading imperative to overhaul the system. A top White House economist, Christina Romer, said in a public appearance Monday, "Good health care reform is good economic policy," the San Francisco Chronicle reports. "Fixing what"s wrong with our health care system is no longer a luxury we hope to achieve - it"s a necessity we cannot postpone any longer" (Abate, 6/9).
"Black, Latino and Asian lawmakers want President Barack Obama to focus more on racial disparities reported in medical treatment as the White House works toward overhauling the nation"s health care system," the Associated Press reports. "Members of the Congressional Black Caucus sent Obama a letter last week calling for more attention to minority health problems" and are "expected to join lawmakers from Hispanic and Asian caucuses Tuesday at a news conference on Capitol Hill." They plan to "introduce an alternative health care proposal soon that would improve services in low-income areas, eliminate language barriers and improve data collection to help detect gaps in care for various racial and ethnic groups" (Evans, 6/9).
The family of murdered Kansas abortion provider George Tiller is expected to decide this week whether his Wichita clinic will reopen, NPR"s "Morning Edition" reports. Tiller"s clinic is one of the few in the U.S. that performs abortions later in pregnancy, and many abortion-rights advocates are concerned whether women in need of abortions in the second and third trimester would be able to obtain care if it were not reopened. LeRoy Carhart, a Nebraska abortion provider who worked with Tiller at his clinic for four years, said that although it is a difficult time for abortion providers, he hopes that the family will reopen the clinic. "This is a job that we took, and we were well-aware of the risks when we started, as was Dr. Tiller," he said. Providing abortion services in the second and third trimester is "a service that"s so needed that it"s worth the risks," he added (Lohr, "Morning Edition," NPR, 6/9). Carhart also said that although no decision on Tiller"s clinic has been made, he "want[s] to assure the press and the women of America ... that we will somehow, somewhere continue to provide abortions later in gestation" (Duin, Washington Times, 6/9).According to Carhart, there are only about 10 providers in the U.S. who perform abortions in the second and third trimesters, including a few hospitals that do not advertise the services. "Morning Edition" reports that most women"s health care providers either are not trained or do not want to receive training to perform the procedure later in pregnancy. Providers who do tend to be older and face extreme pressure from antiabortion-rights advocates. Data from the Guttmacher Institute show that about 1% of all abortions performed in the U.S. occur after 21 weeks" gestation. Elizabeth Nash of Guttmacher said that 37 states have laws that limit access to abortion after a certain point in pregnancy, "usually around 24 weeks, which is at the end of the second trimester." She added that most of those states only allow abortions to save the life of the woman or if her physical health is in jeopardy. Pratima Gupta, an ob-gyn in California, said that she is concerned about what will happen to Tiller"s patients. Gupta said Tiller "had patients that were scheduled for Monday morning. What happened to those patients for the rest of the week, the rest of the month? Those patients are the ones who need us" ("Morning Edition," NPR, 6/9).
The Royal College of Pathologists welcomes the Royal College of Physicians" report into the future
Small LDL (sLDL) is the most harmful form of cholesterol! People with small LDL are five times as likely to have cardiovascular disease. However, most laboratories do not test for it. Randox provides an easy to use sLDL test to help assess cardiovascular disease risk.
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, older adults are able to retain better cognitive functioning during sleep deprivation than young adults.
Quality, in addition to quantity, is important for maintaining health, 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.
A new self administered cognitive screening test for detecting Alzheimer"s disease has been developed by researchers at Addenbrooke"s Hospital in Cambridge, according to a study in bmj.com.
Almost three-quarters (74%) of people providing unpaid care for a loved
Retirement from some occupations may not provide relief from the potentially devastating health effects of work-related hypertension, according to a new study from UC Davis.
Scientists at The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research and a team of collaborators from across the country have identified a new risk factor gene for rheumatoid arthritis. The paper will be published in Nature Genetics and the finding brings light to the nature of the disease. The gene, dubbed REL, is a member of the NF-íºB family, important transcription factors that have many roles in the body. The NF-íºB family seems to have a big hand in regulating the body"s immune response as well.
The nature of the U.S. Navy workplace leads to higher heavy drinking for sailors than for civilians, according to an article in the May issue of the Journal of Mixed Methods Research published by SAGE.
Experts from across the country will gather at a conference at De Montfort University (DMU) in Leicester next week to discuss the issue of Sickle Cell and deaths in custody.
President Obama on Friday named New York City Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden as the new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the New York Times reports. It has long been expected that Obama would select Frieden, an infectious disease specialist who is "widely admired" in the public health arena, according to the Times. In his seven years as health commissioner of New York City, Frieden pushed to establish HIV testing as a part of routine medical exams and defended a condom-distribution program that hands out more than 35 million condoms annually. Frieden is expected to take office in June and does not require Senate confirmation for the position. He will replace Richard Besser, the current acting director of CDC, who will return to his position as head of CDC"s coordinating office for terrorism preparedness and emergency response.The Times reports that Frieden will "inherit a host of immediate and long-term problems" at CDC, including organizational issues, low morale and the Obama administration"s health care reform agenda. "Health care reform also needs to be on his plate," Jeffrey Koplan, who served as CDC director from 1998 to 2002, said, adding, "There is a huge opportunity there to improve public health, and it"s one in which any CDC director will want to be a player." Several health care advocates praised the appointment, according to the Times. Dennis deLeon, president of the Latino Commission on AIDS in New York City said that Frieden is "willing to challenge the status quo in an effort to make a difference." Jeffrey Levi, executive director of the not-for-profit Trust for America"s Health, said Frieden is a "transformational leader" who "can take public health to a new place" (Harris/Hartocollis, New York Times, 5/15).
Patients suffering from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) have an increased prevalence of parasomnia symptoms compared with the prevalence rates of individual parasomnias, according to a research abstract presented at SLEEP 2009, the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies.
The naturalistic respiratory muscle training with high resistance wind instruments may potentially reduce musicians" risk for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), according to a research abstract presented at SLEEP 2009, the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies.
Older women who take hormone therapy to relieve menopausal symptoms may get the added benefit of reduced body fat if they are physically active, according to a new study. The results were presented at The Endocrine Society"s 91st Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.
New research from Jefferson Hospital for Neuroscience (JHN) may redefine how Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP) is diagnosed. Eduardo De Sousa, M.D., assistant professor of Neurology at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, and director of the Electrodiagnostic Neuromuscular Lab at JHN, led the study which looked at the number of demyelinating features that are needed to differentiate between CIDP, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig"s disease) and diabetic neuropathy. His research suggests a minimum number of three demyelinating features can be used to positively identify CIDP in a patient. CIDP is a neurological disorder characterized by progressive weakness and impaired sensory function in the legs and arms. It affects about 50,000 people in the United States. The study, available in the current edition of the Journal of Clinical Neuromuscular Disease, may help doctors more effectively diagnose and treat CIDP.
Alcohol consumption by pregnant women hinders brain development in their children by interfering with the genetic processes that control thyroid hormone levels in the fetal brain, a new animal study found. Results were presented at The Endocrine Society"s 91st Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.
Weekly tablet delivers major new benefits for patients, doctors and payors: avoiding the need for burdensome and costly infusions and related infection risks; weekly tablet dosing offers potential for better safety and side effect profile of a "gold standard" oncology drug.
President Obama on Friday appointed New York City Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden as CDC director, according to Obama administration officials, the New York Times reports. According to the Times, Frieden, an infectious disease specialist, has "cut a high and sometimes contentious profile" in his seven years as health commissioner in New York City, during which time he has advocated for a smoking ban in restaurants and bars, made HIV testing part of routine medical exams and protected a program that distributes 35 million condoms a year. According to the Times, Frieden is expected to take office next month. The Times reports that he will "inherit a host of immediate and long-term problems," including questions surrounding a vaccine for the H1N1 influenza virus, also known as swine flu, health care reform and organizational issues at CDC.The Times reports that a potential advantage for Frieden is a positive relationship with likely FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg, who also was New York City health commissioner. Frieden would work with Hamburg to combat the H1N1 flu virus and to re-evaluate the U.S. food safety system (Harris/Hartocollis, New York Times, 5/15).
New investigational data presented at the American Diabetes Association (ADA) 69th Annual Scientific Sessions showed that initial combination therapy with "Januvia" (sitagliptin) and pioglitazone* substantially improved blood sugar control. [i]
It"s June, the month when many couples promise to stay together "in sickness and in health."
World Health Organization officials are meeting today to discuss the world swine flu situation and are expected to decide to move the pandemic
A team of scientists in the US suggested that bisphenol A (BPA) may harm the heart, particularly in women, because of what they discovered in tests
An intervention that includes techniques to reduce the amount of radiation from cardiac computed tomography angiography (scanning used to diagnose coronary artery disease) was associated with decreasing patient exposure to radiation without significantly changing the quality of the images, according to a study in the June 10 issue of JAMA.
Senate Democrats on Tuesday announced that confirmation hearings for Judge Sonia Sotomayor"s nomination to the Supreme Court are set to begin on July 13, the New York Times reports. According to Democrats, the schedule puts the Senate on track to confirm Sotomayor before the August recess. By the Thursday before the recess, 72 days will have elapsed since President Obama nominated Sotomayor, which is the same number of days that passed during the confirmation process for Chief Justice John Roberts (Herszenhorn, New York Times, 6/10).Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) said, "There is no reason to unduly delay consideration of this well-qualified nominee." He said that critics" attacks on her character are "compelling reasons to proceed even ahead of this schedule," adding that Sotomayor needs to be given a chance to respond to her critics (Isenstadt/Raju, Politico, 6/9).Republican senators have started a campaign to stall the confirmation process, saying they need more time to review her judicial record (LoBianco, Washington Times, 6/10). Republican senators had requested to delay the hearing until September. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said that Democrats are acting "unilaterally" and "being dismissive of the minority"s legitimate concerns for a fair and thorough process."Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said he discussed the timeline with Obama and Leahy, both of whom had reviewed a letter from McConnell that expressed concerns about the process starting before September. According to Reid, Obama and Leahy went ahead with an earlier schedule after concluding that the timetable was similar to that of past nominations (New York Times, 6/10).
NPR"s "Talk of the Nation" on Tuesday included a discussion with NPR health policy correspondent Julie Rovner regarding abortion-rights policies and other reproductive health-related issues under the Obama administration. Rovner also discussed a recent Gallup poll that found more U.S. residents described themselves as "pro-life" rather than "pro-choice" for the first time. Rovner noted that public opinion on abortion "tends to be countercyclical to who"s in charge." For example, when the president and the majority in Congress both oppose abortion rights, supporters of those rights "tend to get kind of riled up," she said. Similarly, abortion-rights opponents often are more vocal when abortion-rights supporters occupy the White House and control the majority in Congress, "[s]o it wouldn"t be surprising that you would see ... more of a pro-life push in opinion polls." Rovner noted that the percentage of people who believe abortion should be always illegal or always legal has not changed significantly since 1975. The discussion included Obama"s nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court, and his administration"s proposal to repeal the Bush administration"s HHS "conscience" rule, which expanded the ability health care workers now have to refuse to provide services they find morally or religiously objectionable. Rovner said that a finalization of the Obama administration"s proposal on the refusal rule is expected in July, although she added that repealing the rule would "likely have little practical effect" because existing statutes already protect workers with moral and religious objections. When asked about whether Obama has lived up to the expectations of abortion-rights supporters who endorsed him as a candidate, Rovner said that the president has "tried very hard to steer middle ground on this issue, to say, really, there should be a way to find peace" (Conan [1], "Talk of the Nation," NPR, 6/9).Tuesday"s program also included a discussion on how some physicians decide whether they will perform abortions and how that decision affects their lives. Guests included Suzanne Poppema, board chair of Physicians for Reproductive Choice and Health, and John Kelly, a retired surgeon who opposes abortion rights (Conan [2], "Talk of the Nation," NPR, 6/9).
The war on healthcare associated infections (HCAIs), or so-called "superbugs", will never be won unless long-term strategies are introduced to radically reduce their prevalence, says a BMA report launched recently.
The Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA) announced the recipients of nearly two million dollars in grants to fund 13 individual scientists pursuing innovative melanoma research proposals. This second round of MRA grants is focused on research that addresses the gap in translational science.
Tamoxifen is a widely used and highly successful drug in the treatment of breast cancer, though resistance to tamoxifen is still a concern in recurrent disease (affecting 25-35% of patients), since therapy resistant metastatic tumor cells are a major cause of death. In a study in this month"s Molecular and Cellular Proteomics, researchers have uncovered a protein profile that may accurately predict whether a cancer will be tamoxifen resistant.
In response to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) report on hospitals, Australian Nursing Federation (ANF) said the best remedy for Australia"s hospitals is to keep people out of them.
Hawaii-based Kai Sensors announced it has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k) clearance for the Kai Sensors Non-Contact Respiratory Rate Spot Check, also called the Kai RSpot. The 510(k) clearance allows Kai Sensors to market the Kai RSpot to physicians, hospitals, and clinics.
The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) announced its official product endorsement of the NESS L300 Foot Drop System, manufactured by Bioness Inc. of Valencia, CA, the first functional electrical stimulation (FES) foot drop system to be endorsed by APTA.
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.
Cocaine and heroin increase permeability of the placenta. Researchers writing in BioMed Central"s open access journal Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology have shown that exposure to the drugs causes an increase in the passage of some chemicals into the fetus.
The following statistics were released by the Department of Health: Patient experience PSA scores update based on data up to and including 2008 patient surveys. This publication updates the patient experience scores previously published on 24 November 2008. The patient experience PSA has been rolled forward as one of the indicators against "PSA delivery agreement 19: Ensure better care for all" for 2008-11. These figures report initial progress against the PSA target for sustained improvement in patient experience for the 2008-11 spending review period. Results are updated to include scores derived from survey results published by the Care Quality Commission in 2008. There are new data points for "adult inpatients" and "emergency department service users".
The Rt Hon Harriet Harman QC MP, Minister for Women and Equality, will be speaking at the launch of the 2009 RADAR People of the Year (POTY) Awards on Tuesday 16 June at the BT Tower in central London.
- The "Improving Access to Audiology Services in England", document in March 2007 by stated that:
Eureka! Vancouver scientists from the Ovarian Cancer Research (OvCaRe) Program at BC Cancer Agency and Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute have discovered that there appears to be a single spelling mistake in the genetic code of granulosa cell tumours, a rare and often untreatable form of ovarian cancer. This means that out of the three billion nucleotide pairs that make up the genetic code of the tumour, one - the same one in every tumour sample - is incorrect. The discovery, published online June 10th in the New England Journal of Medicine, marks the beginning of a new era of cancer genomics, where the complete genetic sequence of cancers can be unravelled and the mutations that cause them exposed. For women with granulosa cell tumours it represents the first specific diagnostic tool and clear path to develop much needed treatments for this cancer.
Scientists have discovered exactly how some bacteria act to protect themselves when they are threatened or under attack.
Nexstim Oy, a medical device company developing non-invasive brain diagnostics and therapy technologies, announces presentation of the abstract "TMS as a part of multimodal management of safe glioma resection in the motor cortex" at the 60th Annual Meeting of the German Society of Neurosurgery.
Xcelience, a leader in early drug development services, has developed a faster, more cost effective path to Phase I studies using Xcelodose® 600 and 600 S precision powder micro-dosing systems (Xcelodose® is a registered trademark of Capsugel® BVBA). API into Capsule projects are on average completed 45 percent faster than traditional formulation efforts, and in some specific cases we have saved our clients as much as 17 weeks.
The results of a new study reinforce an advisory that patients taking
When is a cataract
Nulliparous women (those who have not given birth to children) are diagnosed with chronic arthritides (including ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) an average of 5.2 years before parous women (those who have given birth to children), according to a new study presented at EULAR 2009, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism in Copenhagen, Denmark.
The following highlights efforts that seek to reduce racial and ethnic health disparities
The Fort Myers, Fla.-based McGregor Clinic has been awarded a five-year, $1.4 million grant from the federal government to fund HIV/AIDS services, the Fort Myers News-Press reports. The McGregor Clinic serves hundreds of people living with HIV/AIDS. Sharon Murphy, executive director of the clinic, said the funds will go toward extending office hours and hiring additional staff, including a case manager and nurses. The funds will also be used to establish a partnership with the of Light and Hope Development Center, a local organization that works on HIV/AIDS issues and assists pregnant women children, she said (Booth Reed, Fort Myers News-Press, 6/10).
At 66 years old, Elizabeth Adeney is set to become Britain"s oldest mother when she gives birth to a child conceived following fertility treatment at a clinic in Ukraine. The example highlights the growing trend among fertility patients to travel abroad to access treatment which in Britain often involves high cost and a long wait.