Categories
Cardiovascular
Diagnostics
Endocrinology
Health Insurance
Medical Devices
Mental Health
Nutrition
Oncology
Public Health
Sexual Health
Popular Articles

First Ten-Year Follow-Up Shows That Treatment With AVONEX® Leads To Long-Term Benefits In Early Multiple Sclerosis Patients
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.

Amira Pharmaceuticals To Present Preclinical Data From LPA1 Receptor Antagonist Program At FASEB Summer Research Conference
Amira Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that it will present preclinical data from its LPA1 receptor antagonist program on June 30, 2009 at the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) Summer Research Conference in Carefree, Arizona.
News of the day
HIV/AIDS Vaccine Coalition Urges Continued Funding For Research Amid Economic Crisis
A recently released AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition report says that although there has been a renewed focus on discovery, innovation and basic science in vaccine research, action is needed to ensure that research funding continues during the economic downturn, VOA News reports. AVAC executive director Mitchell Warren said the report is "about putting all the pieces together ... not just the search for an AIDS vaccine, but in fact the entire HIV prevention response." He added, "[T]he good news is we have some new pieces of the puzzle, and we"re expecting additional new pieces of understanding through research this year." Warren said that AVAC believes HIV/AIDS vaccine research is in "one of the most exciting times," with "new energy, new commitment to unlocking some of the basic scientific roadblocks that have impeded our ability to find a vaccine." For example, a study released earlier this week examined efforts to produce a vaccine through genetic transfer. Regarding the study, Warren said, "It doesn"t mean we have an AIDS vaccine, but it means we have an entirely new approach to trying to deliver protection." Warren said that the field of HIV/AIDS vaccine research has shown a renewed commitment since Merck canceled its vaccine trial in 2007. According to Warren, the new AVAC report examines knowledge gained from the Merck study, which has provided "an unimaginable amount of information." Meanwhile, the effect of the economic crisis on research funding is concerning, Warren said, adding, "I believe that every dollar spent is going to be held up to a greater scrutiny as budgets tighten and as funders have to re-examine their priorities." According to Warren, without renewed funding commitments, "we will not only incur a much greater public health catastrophe, but I would argue that the economic catastrophes to come, if we don"t respond aggressively to HIV, will actually have repercussions that will ... make the economic crisis pale in comparison" (DeCapua, VOA News, 5/18).
Endocrinology

World Health Organization Publishes First Indoor Air Quality Guidelines On Dampness And Mould

WHO publishes its first guidelines on indoor air quality, addressing dampness and mould (WHO guidelines on indoor air quality: dampness and mould. Copenhagen, WHO Regional Office for Europe, 2009 (See Here). They are the result of a rigorous two-year review of the currently available science by 36 leading experts worldwide, coordinated by the WHO Regional Office for Europe. The authors conclude that occupants of damp or mouldy buildings, both private and public, have up to a 75% greater risk of respiratory symptoms and asthma. The guidelines recommend the prevention or remediation of dampness- and mould-related problems to significantly reduce harm to health. "As people spend most of their daily lives in homes, offices, schools, health care facilities or other buildings, the quality of the air they breathe indoors is critical for their health and well-being," says Dr Srdan Matic, Unit Head, Noncommunicable Diseases and Environment at the WHO Regional Office for Europe. "For the first time, these guidelines offer guidance to public health and other authorities on how to ensure safety and healthy conditions in buildings. We believe that this work will contribute to improving the health of people around the world." The book is the first in a series of WHO guidelines on indoor air quality. They are intended for worldwide use, to protect health under various environmental, social and economic conditions. Future publications addressing selected chemicals and combustion products are being prepared. Together, the guidelines will comprise the first-ever comprehensive evidence-based recommendations to tackle indoor air pollution, one of the major causes of death and disease worldwide. Globally, about 1.5 million deaths each year, mostly among women and children in developing countries, are associated with the indoor combustion of solid fuels. In the European Union (EU) alone, combustion, chemicals from building materials and dampness cause an annual loss of over 2 million years of healthy life due to premature death or to chronic diseases, such as asthma and cardiovascular diseases. In many EU countries, 20-30% of households have problems with dampness. Strong evidence indicates that this is a risk to health. In damp conditions, hundreds of species of bacteria and fungi grow indoors and emit spores, cell fragments and chemicals into the air. Exposure to these contaminants is associated with the incidence or worsening of respiratory symptoms, allergies, asthma and immunological reactions. Children are particularly susceptible. According to recent evidence, 13% of childhood asthma in developed countries in the WHO European Region could be attributable to damp housing. Knowledge of indoor air pollutants is the key to enabling action to prevent related health effects and maintain clean air. Many of these actions are beyond the power of individual building users and occupants, and must be taken by public authorities. The guidelines recommend measures to ensure that buildings are well designed, constructed and maintained, and to make adequate housing and occupancy policies. Building owners are responsible for providing healthy workplaces or living environments, free of moisture and mould, by ensuring adequate insulation. Occupants are responsible for managing the use of water, heating and ventilation to avoid excess humidity. "In the absence of clear evidence, building standards and regulations have not sufficiently targeted prevention and control of excess moisture. The new guidelines are essential, as they provide reference criteria for what constitutes healthy indoor air," concludes Dr Michal Krzyzanowski, Regional Adviser, Noncommunicable Diseases and Environment at the WHO Regional Office for Europe, and the leader of the WHO project to draw up the guidelines. "More than 100 studies on the health effects of damp environments were reviewed in the preparation process. This body of evidence forms the basis of the guidelines and provides a solid foundation for action." World Health Organization


Add your comment:
Name:
Site address: http://
Your message:
Enter today\\\\'s date, 2 digits
(spam protection):

© Copyright 2009