Oncology
Capitol News Service reports that an estimated 50,000 additional uninsured children may receive medical coverage from legislation that Gov. Charlie Crist signed Tuesday. "The Kid Care program offers low cost insurance to children up to ages 19. But penalties and a lengthy application process have kept thousand of families out," Capitol News Service reports. "The legislation shortens the waiting time to enroll in the state"s Kid Care program and lessens the penalties for missing a premium payment." Children"s advocates have been pushing for the legislation for three years and call it a good start. The program enrolls 1.5 million children, but a lack of advertising money has hindered its ability to "spread the word" further (Ray, 6/2).
In a New England Journal of Medicine perspective published online last night, Harvard Business School Professor Michael E. Porter outlines a national health care strategy. Recognizing "a new openness to changing a system that we all agree is broken," Porter emphasizes the need for a "value-based system" that both moves toward universal insurance coverage and restructures the care delivery system. Porter offers six steps critical to achieving such a system:
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.
The first of six online courses to educate healthcare professionals on preventing the transmission of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) is being launched by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC). Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) cause 99,000 deaths in the U.S. each year.
Pfizer Animal Health today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first canine cancer therapy in the U.S. - PALLADIATM (toceranib phosphate) - which was developed by Pfizer to treat mast cell tumors in dogs. Pfizer made the announcement to veterinarians attending the 2009 American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) Forum and Canadian Veterinary Medical Association Convention.
He doesn"t care for the term "caveman therapy." But Stephen Ilardi, associate professor of clinical psychology at the University of Kansas, has turned to our hunter-gatherer ancestors for clues about how to best combat major depressive disorder.
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.
The health service is entering a "dark and dangerous period" because of the economic crisis, the Chairman of the BMA"s Consultants Committee warned in a speech. Arguing that public money must not be diverted away from patient care into "the pockets of shareholders", Dr Jonathan Fielden called for private management consultants to be "ditched" from the NHS.
A new partnership between NHS Counter Fraud and law firm Capsticks will strengthen support to health bodies seeking to recover NHS funds lost to fraud.
The NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement launches its first National Innovation and Improvement Survey. Created in partnership with strategic health authorities, the survey offers all NHS staff in the UK an opportunity to influence the national innovation agenda.
Only one in five UK patients have surgery to reduce their risk of stroke within the two week target time set by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), finds a study published on bmj.com today.
Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas is the first hospital in the country to collaborate with GE Healthcare and BrainLAB to open technically advanced neurosurgery operating room (OR) suites that will allow neurosurgeons to use real-time, intra-operative images of the brain during surgery. The $16.5 million operating suites will be the first to combine the BrainSUITE(R) iMRI and GE Healthcare MR Surgical Suite.
Both blood pressure and serum lipid levels have improved in Swedish middle-aged women during the past 30 years. Levels of perceived mental stress, however, have increased significantly. These are the of a thesis presented at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
A new Faculty of Translational Medicine has been launched to increase support for, and enhance collaboration among researchers as they search for new treatments and diagnostic tests for a range of diseases and conditions. The Faculty is based in the National Institute for Health Research Comprehensive Biomedical Research Center at Guy"s and St Thomas" hospitals and King"s College London.
Ortho Biotech Oncology Research & Development, a unit of Centocor Research & Development, Inc., has announced that it has entered into a five-year Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the National Cancer Institute (NCI), with Steven A. Rosenberg, M.D., Ph.D., chief, Surgery Branch, serving as the NCI principal investigator, to research and develop novel cell therapy technologies as potential treatments for a variety of cancers. These adoptive immunotherapy technologies are designed to work by helping the immune system fight cancer. Standard cancer treatments still have not progressed much beyond surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, which are effective at killing tumor cells but also can harm or kill healthy tissues. Adoptive immunotherapies have the potential to spare healthy tissue because they are designed to directly find and destroy cancerous tumor cells using a patient"s own immune system T cells.
"As the debate on how to fix health care picks up pace, so does discussion about one of the most lucrative ways to pay for it:" taxing employer-provided health benefits, CNN reports. The "tax-free arrangement" in which an employer"s contribution to employee health benefit "is treated as tax-free to the employee in terms of income tax and payroll tax," was "born during the days of wage control in 1943." According to Paul Fronstin, director of the health research program at the Employee Benefit Research Institute, employers were not allowed to "attract workers on the basis of better pay," so instead they offered the benefits "as a way to compete for the best talent." Over the past 66 years, employees have come to expect it. But "tax and health experts say it"s inequitable. High-income workers and those with the most expensive health insurance plans enjoy the biggest break as a result of the tax exclusion."
The Chicago Tribune published a series of articles on industry"s solutions for health care reform. The paper "turned to Chicago-area leaders in three key segments of the industry: insurers, medical providers and pharmacy," and presented their "thoughts on how best to expand medical-care coverage to all Americans."
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).
Lancet Study Finds No Association Between Human-Rights Treaties and Health Status
The Dallas City Manager"s Office is proposing to cut $325,000 from the city"s general fund for HIV/AIDS education, outreach and prevention programs, according to a city official, the Dallas Voice reports. The city is facing a $190 million budget deficit. Karen Rayzer, director of the city"s Environmental and Health Services department, said the funding currently allows agencies such as the AIDS Interfaith Network, Re Center of Dallas and Dallas County Health and Human Services to serve 20,200 people annually, most of whom are low-income and minorities.
In the battle against cancer, allies can come from unexpected s. Research at The Jackson Laboratory has yielded a new approach to treating leukemia, one that targets leukemia-proliferating cells with drugs that are already on the market.
The Medical Defence Union (MDU) the UK"s largest medical defence organisation has reassured doctors that they are not admitting liability if they apologise when something has gone wrong with their treatment of a patient.
The results of the LEAD-6 study are published in an article Online First and in a future edition of The Lancet. The findings are presented at the same time at the American Diabetes Association meeting in New Orleans, USA. They indicate that taking liraglutide once a day is more efficient in controlling blood glucose in type 2 diabetes than the presently marketed treatment - two doses a day of exenatide.
Argenta Discovery and Porsolt announced they have entered into an alliance to provide unparalleled CNS and pain drug discovery services and expertise on a fee-for- service basis. The collaboration enables Argenta and Porsolt to undertake fully integrated CNS and pain-focused drug discovery programmes for their clients, from hit identification to development candidate nomination. Both companies bring a wealth of "Big Pharma" industry based experience and know-how in CNS and pain research. This alliance will leverage those key skills for its partners to ensure the rapid generation of high quality development candidates.
Recent calls by California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and others to study the legalization of marijuana as a way of boosting tax revenues are "irresponsible" and send a dangerous message, the chairman of the board of the drug abuse education program D.A.R.E., prominent Los Angeles attorney Louis "Skip" Miller, said today. "Marijuana is a dangerous drug with numerous demonstrable ill effects on health," Mr. Miller added.
Avexa Limited (ASX:AVX) announced that the Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) met today to review the 16 week data from Avexa"s apricitabine (ATC) Phase III clinical trial. The DSMB reviewed the data and recommended continuation of the study with the 800mg dose. Patients taking the 1200mg dose will be transitioned to the optimum 800mg dose to continue their therapy.
Joe Korner, Director of Communications at The Stroke Association said: "This audit shows that there is still a long way to go to make sure people get urgent preventative treatment that could prevent a catastrophic stroke.
Experts in criminology will discuss "Alternatives to Custodial Sentencing" at a Parliamentary seminar organised by the British Psychological Society and the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Social Services and Policy. The event takes place at Westminster on Tuesday 16 June (4.30 - 6.00 p.m.)
Commenting on the news that the Rt Hon Andy Burnham MP has been appointed as the new Secretary of State for Health, Dr Peter Carter, Chief Executive & General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), said:
Mark Lever, NAS chief executive said; "In the current economic climate the Government cannot possibly ignore the huge cost savings and benefits, identified by their own auditing body, of providing adults with autism with the right support at the right time. Neither the Government, people with autism nor the taxpayer are getting value for money from existing autism services and support, leaving those affected by the condition feeling isolated, ignored and often at breaking point. This is simply unacceptable.
Patients with symptoms of stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA or brain attack) are missing out on potentially life saving treatment because they are routinely considered by the NHS as low priority cases. Instead of being fast-tracked into hospital for surgery the vast majority of patients are spending weeks and sometimes months on poorly managed referral pathways with the risk of going on to have more severe strokes.
Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT) announced results of a randomized, controlled trial to demonstrate the benefits of an insulin pump therapy augmented with real-time continuous glucose monitoring (Personal CGM) versus a conventional pump and self-monitoring of blood glucose in type 1 diabetes patients with poor metabolic control. Study findings showed that patients who used Personal CGM more than 70 percent of the time achieved nearly a full percentage point reduction in A1C (average blood glucose levels). The results were presented at the 69th Annual Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) in New Orleans.
A new taskforce of health professionals working together to spot early signs of violence and abuse against women and girls, investigate the scale of the problem and ensure victims across the NHS get the support they need was announced by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith and Health Secretary Alan Johnson.
The results of the WHITEHALL II study are published in an article Online First and in a future edition of The Lancet. The findings are presented at the same time at the American Association of Diabetes meeting in New Orleans, USA. The study was funded by the UK Medical Research Council, as well as other organisations. They indicate that insulin sensitivity and blood glucose trends are altered a few years before the start of type 2 diabetes. Onset could be considerably postponed if people could identify the early stages of disease progress.
Tolerx, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery and development of novel therapies for immune-mediated diseases, presented results from a pre-clinical dose-optimization study conducted with a surrogate of its Phase 3 anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody, otelixizumab, at the 69th Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association (ADA), which is continuing until June 9, 2009 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
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.
Diamyd Medical reported that the company has received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to include children with type 1 diabetes from 10 years of age in the company"s Phase III study with the diabetes vaccine Diamyd(R).
More than one million Americans are living in nursing homes, but many would prefer to receive the services they need in their own homes, where they would be more comfortable and potentially save the health care system money in the long run. Unfortunately, many Americans who want to be cared for at home can"t because of a costly institutional bias in Medicaid, which pays for nearly two-thirds of the country"s nursing home residents. While state Medicaid programs are required to provide nursing home care, home and community-based services that are often less expensive are optional, leaving them first in line to be cut in a poor economy.
The AP/Washington Post examines how the millions of Pakistani refugees fleeing from the army"s offensive against the Taliban in the northwest of the country are overwhelming the country"s health care system. "The crisis has exhausted doctors, used up limited supplies of medicines and buried hospitals in a mountain of red tape as they try to get money and medicine for the crisis" pushing the entire health system to the brink of collapse, the AP/Washington Post writes.
South African President Jacob Zuma on Wednesday said he wants to have 80 percent of HIV-positive South Africans who need antiretrovirals (ARVs) on them by 2011, BuaNews reports (BuaNews/allAfrica.com, 6/3). The announcement was part of Zuma"s first state-of-the-nation address, when he discussed ways the government would strive to "step up measures to improve health care in Africa"s strongest economy," Reuters writes. "We have set ourselves the goals of reducing inequalities in health care ... and step up the fight against the scourge of HIV and AIDS, TB and other diseases," Zuma said (Roelf, Reuters, 6/4).
Congressional Democrats are preparing the message to go with their sweeping health reform in both the House and the Senate, after Sen. Edward Kennedy"s draft reform bill was circulated, CNN.com reports.
Economists say taxing health benefits not only could raise billions per year for health care reform efforts, but also could make the system run better, NPR and KHN report.
Democrats working feverishly on health care reform "face increasingly noisy protests from those on the left who complain that a national program like those in Europe has been excluded from the debate," The Washington Post reports.
Roll Call published a special section today that pulls together opinion pieces from 20 major players from all corners of the health care debate, including Tom Daschle, Michael Tanner, Dick Gephardt and Tommy Thompson and Newt Gingrich and Jim Frogue.
Obama"s Health Cost Illusion Wall Street Journal
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).
DrugScope has welcomed the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse"s announcement of an extra ÷£11.8m government investment in drug treatment.
According to a research abstrac presented on Monday, June 8, at SLEEP 2009, the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, white Americans are more likely to report experiencing excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) more days per month than Asians, African Americans and Hispanics, but African Americans experience more severe EDS.
PLC Systems Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: PLCSF), a company focused on innovative cardiac and vascular medical device-based technologies, announced that it will demonstrate its RenalGuard System(TM) at EuroPCR, the annual meeting of the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI), May 19-22, 2009, in Barcelona, Spain. More than 11,000 clinicians and professionals are expected to attend this event.
PanGenetics B.V. announced that the Competent Authority of the Netherlands has approved the Clinical Trials Application for a first-in-man study with antibody PG110. This humanized antibody is a member of the class of Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) inhibitors which represent a promising novel approach in the treatment of chronic pain. PG110 will be evaluated in patients suffering from pain caused by osteoarthritis (OA). The clinical trial is designed as a double blind, placebo controlled study and will be conducted in a single site in Utrecht, the Netherlands, in collaboration with Kendle International.
Registered nurses, healthcare workers and community leaders will hold a major protest rally Tuesday at noon, outside of the Alameda County Administration building. The action, one of many occurring over the last two months, is being held on the day that the board is scheduled to vote on Sutter Health"s plan to rebuild Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley as a luxury hospital with all private rooms and 48 fewer beds. It is likely that approval will result in closure of the 122-bed San Leandro Hospital, also owned and operated by Sutter.
AdvanDx announced it received FDA 510(k) clearance for GBS PNA FISH(R) for detection of Streptococcus agalactiae, aka Group B Strep, from turbid Lim Broths inoculated with vaginal and rectal swabs obtained from pregnant women between 35 and 37 weeks gestation. The 90 minute molecular diagnostic test enables rapid and highly sensitive detection of Group B Strep from Lim Broths to help detect colonization in pregnant women.
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.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that Clarcon Biological Chemistry Laboratory Inc. of Roy, Utah, is voluntarily recalling some skin sanitizers and skin protectants marketed under several different brand names because of high levels of disease-causing bacteria found in the product during a recent inspection. The FDA is warning consumers to not use any Clarcon products.
Entries are invited for the 2009 NHS Alliance Acorn Awards. This year, the awards, which recognise excellence in primary care, have nine categories. Since last year, the NHS Alliance introduced a new category, Pharmaceutical Services Commissioning, which has been designed to showcase Primary Care Trusts which are excelling at world class commissioning of pharmaceutical services.
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.
Research conducted under the direction of Melinda Sothern, PhD, Professor and Director of Health Promotion at the LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans School of Public Health, showing early signs of diabetes in healthy children as young as seven years old was presented at the American Diabetes Association 2009 Annual Scientific Session Meeting in New Orleans. Dr. Sothern"s group is the first to document previously unknown markers for obesity, heart disease and diabetes, collectively called the Metabolic Syndrome, in children this young. Posters were presented on June 6, 2009, and Brian Bennett, a Research Associate in Dr. Melinda Sothern"s laboratory made the oral presentation, Early Markers for the Metabolic Syndrome in Youth, on June 8, 2009 at 9:30 a.m. at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Room 343. Dr. Sothern was there for the presentation.
Scientists at South Dakota State University are exploring the mechanisms by which a substance derived ultimately from Red Sea coral could help treat skin cancer.
Four well-known risk factors for heart attack significantly increased the size of the heart"s left ventricle, a key precursor of heart failure, according to a study in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
New research from the University of Virginia Health System shows that, when combined, two emerging medical technologies hold significant promise for treating the most deadly and devastating form of brain tumor, glioblastoma multiforme (GBM).
Middle-aged adults who sleep fewer hours appear more likely to have high blood pressure and to experience adverse changes in blood pressure over time, according to a report in the June 8 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Although alcohol consumption is known to be associated with chronic pancreatitis, new evidence indicates that a threshold of five or more drinks per day is required to significantly raise risk; however, most patients with chronic pancreatitis do not drink this amount, according to a report in the June 8 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. In addition, smoking is an independent, dose-dependent risk factor.
Researchers in the University of Virginia Department of Urology have developed a novel method that could help physicians determine the best course of treatment for patients suffering from bladder cancer.
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.
With an annual budget of 20 Million Euro, 67 research groups develop new tools to control cells
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.
New research indicates that natural selection may shape the human genome
An over-the-counter prostate cancer test kit
Arete Therapeutics Inc. announced the presentation of three posters that validate the mechanistic activity and therapeutic potential of the company"s lead drug candidate, AR9281, an orally-administered soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) inhibitor that is in a Phase II clinical program for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. sEH is an enzyme involved in the metabolism of arachidonic acid, a key signaling molecule implicated in diabetes, hypertension and inflammatory disorders.
Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ISIS) announced that Isis" antisense drugs were highlighted with eight presentations (including three oral talks and two late-breaking posters) during the American Diabetes Association"s (ADA) 69th Scientific Sessions in New Orleans by Isis and its collaborators. Isis" scientists presented new preclinical data on ISIS-SGLT2Rx showing a robust and sustained reduction in sodium dependent glucose co-transporter type 2 (SGLT2) levels that resulted in a significant reduction in blood glucose levels in multiple animal species. Isis and its collaborators also presented data on a number of other promising new targets demonstrating that reducing levels of these targets with antisense drugs can significantly lower blood glucose levels and increase the body"s sensitivity to insulin. Additionally, data was presented from Isis" anti-obesity drug discovery program showing antisense drugs reduced fat mass and body weight in animals by reducing levels of targets in peripheral tissues such as liver and fat without affecting the central nervous system, further validating Isis" anti-obesity therapeutic strategy.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has downgraded its Travel Health Warning that recommended against non-essential travel to Mexico to a "Travel Health Precaution". The CDC says it has been monitoring the swine flu (H1N1) outbreak in Mexico together with Mexican authorities, and now has a more comprehensive picture of the current behavior of the outbreak.
Statement of Charles D. Connor, American Lung Association President and CEO:
Factors affecting whether intensive glucose control is likely to reduce or increase the risk of cardiovascular events, including death, based on evidence in the VA Diabetes Trial, were reported in a symposium here today at the American Diabetes Association"s 69th Scientific Sessions.
A California Restaurant Association has asked the Supreme Court to rule on the legality of San Francisco"s mandate that employers pay for health care coverage for employees, The San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Low blood glucose levels do not explain the excess deaths seen in the intensive control group of the Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD) trial, according to a report presented here today at the American Diabetes Association"s 69th Scientific Sessions.
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 case of George Tiller, the Kansas abortion provider who was recently murdered, "helps explain why so many people believe that abortion should be available at any stage of pregnancy," New York Times columnist Ross Douthat writes. Because Tiller provided abortions in the third trimester of pregnancy, he "inevitably ... handled the hardest of hard cases," according to Douthat. He continues that since Tiller"s murder, "there"s been an outpouring of testimonials, across the Internet, from women (and some men) who lived through these hard cases." Douthat adds that these patients" experiences "help explain why so many Americans defend [Tiller"s] right" to perform abortions later in pregnancy. However, "such narratives are not the only story about George Tiller"s clinic," as he "was a target of protests -- and, tragically, of terrorist violence -- because he performed late-term abortions, period," Douthat writes. According to Douthat, Tiller"s critics claim that he performed abortions later in pregnancy "not only in truly desperate situations, but in many other cases as well." Although a final determination about "how many of George Tiller"s abortions were performed on healthy mothers and healthy fetuses" might never be made, "most abortions in the United States bear no resemblance whatsoever to the hardest third-trimester cases," according to Douthat. He continues, "Yes, many pregnancies are terminated in dire medical circumstances," but "these represent a tiny fraction of the million-plus abortions that take place in this country every year," and the "same is true of the more than 100,000 abortions that are performed after the first trimester: Very few involve medical complications of any kind." Douthat writes, "The argument for unregulated abortion rests on the idea that where there are exceptions, there cannot be a rule." He adds, "As a matter of moral philosophy, this makes a certain sense," as a fetus either "has a claim to life or it doesn"t," and the "circumstances of its conception and the state of its health shouldn"t enter into the equation." However, he continues, "the law is not a philosophy seminar. It"s the place where morality meets custom, and compromise, and common sense," and "it can take account of tragic situations without universalizing their lessons." Douthat also writes that the "argument that some abortions take place in particularly awful, particularly understandable circumstances is not a case against regulating abortion." He adds, "It"s the beginning of precisely the kind of reasonable distinction-making that would produce a saner, stricter legal regime."According to Douthat, "If abortion were returned to the democratic process, this landscape would change dramatically," and "[a]rguments about whether and how to restrict abortions in the second trimester -- as many advanced democracies already do -- would replace protests over the scope of third-trimester medical exemptions." Douthat concludes, "The result would be laws with more respect for human life, a culture less inflamed by a small number of tragic cases -- and a political debate, God willing, unmarred by crimes like George Tiller"s murder" (Douthat, New York Times, 6/9).
UroToday.com - At present, no consensus exists on how patients with PSA recurrence after radical prostatectomy (RP) should be treated. Although patients with postoperative PSA recurrence frequently undergo androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) before evidence of metastatic disease, the benefit of this approach is uncertain. As no randomized studies are performed in this clinical setting there is no conclusive evidence that hormone therapy (HT) after RP will prolong survival or reduce morbidity.
Naps with rapid eye movement (REM) sleep refresh the brain"s empathetic sensitivity for evaluating human emotions by decreasing a negative bias and amplifying recognition of positive emotions, 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.
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.
A bidirectional association exists between couples" sleep quality and the quality of their relationship, 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.
Employees who often go to work despite feeling sick have higher rates of future work absences due to illness, according to a study in the June Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM).
Almost three-quarters (74%) of people providing unpaid care for a loved
The General Optical Council (GOC) has launched a consultation on its proposed Welsh Language Scheme. Anyone with an interest in the GOC"s work is encouraged to offer their suggestions and feedback on the draft proposals.
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-íşB family, important transcription factors that have many roles in the body. The NF-íşB family seems to have a big hand in regulating the body"s immune response as well.
CPD4Health Innovation is facilitating a ground breaking event, The Missing Expertise, which will bring together service users, carers, health technology companies, NHS staff and higher education representatives.
Don"t feel like you are getting full when eating a large meal? New research from The Miriam Hospital suggests that a physiological response may partially explain why severely obese individuals may not feel satisfied after eating and often have difficulty controlling the amount of food they consume during a meal.
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.
A leading anxiety charity has today criticised Veteran Labour MP Sir Gerald Kaufman for using Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder as an excuse for, by his own admittance "bizarre and daft" MP expense claims.
A research abstract presented on June 9, at SLEEP 2009, the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, is the first demonstration of a specific neurochemical abnormality in adults with primary insomnia (PI), providing greater insight to the limited understanding of the condition"s pathology.
There is a high probability of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in non-obese, middle-aged patients, according to a research abstract presented at SLEEP 2009, the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies.
A majority of people experiencing chronic insomnia can experience a normalization of sleep parameters through the use of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), according to a research abstract presented at SLEEP 2009, the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies.
Clinicians from the Centre hospitalier de l"Universitçİ de Montrçİal (CHUM) have perfected an operation, which was previously considered too dangerous, to control refractory insular epilepsy, using an innovative microsurgery technique. According to a study published as the feature article in the latest issue of the Journal of Neurosurgery, the new surgical technique is both safe and beneficial for patients.
Considerable discrepancies have been reported between diagnoses of colorectal epithelial neoplastic lesions made by Western and Japanese pathologists from endoscopic cold biopsies and resected specimens of the same lesions
So many classic childhood movies (Dumbo) and sing-a-longs (Do your ears hang low? Do they wobble to and fro?) emphasize large and protruding ears. But it turns out that having protruding ears is often-times a humiliating feature for a teenager.
Scientists at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) have initiated the BrainGate2 pilot clinical trial to expand restorative neurotechnology research for some patients with paralysis. This trial expands on previous research that explores methods that may help paralyzed patients control assistive technologies.
New post-hoc analyses, presented at the American Diabetes Association (ADA) 69th Annual Scientific Sessions, of data pooled from studies of 104 weeks in duration showed "Januvia" (sitagliptin), when taken alone* (2 studies) or in combination with metformin (2 studies), provided significant blood sugar lowering, which was sustained over two years.[i]
Four suspects often found at the scene of the crime in cancer are guilty of the initiation and progression of breast cancer in mice that are resistant to the disease, a team led by scientists at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center reports in the June edition of Cancer Cell.
Osteotech, Inc. (Nasdaq: OSTE), a leader in the emerging field of biologic products for regenerative healing, announced that it has completed enrollment for the clinical trial of its DuraTech(TM) BioRegeneration Matrix. Based upon Osteotech"s proprietary HCT(TM) (human collagen technology) platform, DuraTech is used to repair dura mater (the tough, outermost membrane surrounding the brain and spinal cord) during cranial surgical procedures.
VNUS(R) Medical Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: VNUS), a worldwide leader in medical devices for the minimally invasive treatment of venous reflux disease, announced that the Journal of Vascular & Interventional Radiology, the prestigious monthly publication of the Society of Interventional Radiology, has published a study showing the VNUS ClosureFAST(TM) system for radiofrequency (RF) thermal ablation to be "significantly superior" to endovenous laser (EVL) for treating venous reflux, the underlying cause of symptomatic varicose veins.
EyeIC, an innovator of eye care solutions for ophthalmologists and optometrists, announced today that its MatchedFlicker(TM) technology has received FDA 510(k) clearance from the United States Food & Drug Administration (FDA). MatchedFlicker is a device-agnostic, software-only solution that uses time series retinal photographs to help doctors monitor the advent and progress of glaucoma faster and with accuracy now available to only a few experts.
Seeking ways to improve blood recovery after chemotherapy or bone marrow transplant, researchers at Children"s Hospital Boston have discovered that fat cells, which accumulate in bone marrow as people age, inhibit the marrow"s ability to produce new blood cells. Their study, published online June 10 by the journal Nature, suggests that blocking this fatty infiltration could help enhance patients" recovery after transplant.
The Los Angeles Times examined the effects of the proposed $80.1 million in budget cuts to HIV/AIDS programs in the state, as advocates are expected today to convene at the California State Capitol in Sacramento to protest the cuts. According to the Times, the proposed cuts would mean that the costs of running many HIV/AIDS-related programs would be shifted to local jurisdictions study, which "would become increasingly difficult for cash-strapped counties." HIV/AIDS programs would also need to rely more heavily on available federal financing. HIV education, prevention, counseling and testing services and early intervention programs would be affected, the Times reports. The state"s AIDS Drug Assistance Program would stand to lose $12 million (Yoshino, Los Angeles Times, 6/9). In related news, the Santa Cruz News examined how the proposed state budget cuts could put the Santa Cruz AIDS Project"s centers and programs, including sex education in schools and a needle exchange program "in serious jeopardy" (Lussenhop, Santa Cruz News, 6/9).
"Immigrant and health-care advocacy groups" are calling on New Jersey to "restore $1 million in funding that has been eliminated in the latest round of budget tightening," the AP/Philadelphia Inquirer reports. "The money was earmarked for community-outreach efforts to educate legal immigrants on available state health programs." A report released yesterday by Rutgers University concluded that "New Jersey"s percentage of uninsured immigrant children is higher than the national average, and the state has a poor track record of making sure those children receive health coverage."
A Selection of Opinions and Editorials
NIH and the advocacy group Autism Speaks are enrolling 1,200 pregnant women who have other children with autism spectrum disorders to participate in a large study that aims to identify early signs of the condition and its possible causes, the Wall Street Journal reports. Women who participate in the study -- known as the Early Autism Risk Longitudinal Investigation, or EARLI, study -- will be monitored throughout their pregnancies, and their infants will be monitored until age three. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that one in 150 children in the U.S. has an autism spectrum disorder, which includes autism, Asperger"s syndrome and pervasive developmental disorders. The study will focus on women who already have one child with an autism spectrum disorder because such women have a higher chance of having another child with the condition. Craig Newschaffer, the study"s lead investigator and a department chair at Philadelphia"s Drexel University School of Public Health, said, "By studying families who are already affected by autism, we feel we have the best chance at learning how genetics and environmental factors could work together to cause autism." Autism usually is characterized by social interaction and communication impairments, as well as unusual interests or behaviors. Although there is no cure for autism, its symptoms can be improved through therapy and medication, the Journal reports.According to Newschaffer, researchers throughout the study will collect blood and urine for DNA analysis. Samples also will be collected from the umbilical cord, placenta and meconium -- the infant"s first stool -- after birth. Infants born during the study will be provided with a series of developmental assessments, and older siblings with autism also could receive assessments to confirm their diagnosis (Corbett Dooren, Wall Street Journal, 6/9).
Covidien (NYSE: COV), a leading global supplier of healthcare products, has announced the integration of its Nellcor™ OxiMax™ oximetry system into Philips IntelliVue and M-Series patient monitors. Philips is a leading global provider of patient monitoring solutions, and the collaboration between the companies is expected to significantly increase, in all major geographies, hospitals" and healthcare providers" access to the industry-leading capabilities offered by both companies.
NHLBI Funds Research and Training Centers Aimed at Prevention and Treatment of Chronic Diseases in Developing Countries and Collaborates with UnitedHealth Group"s Chronic Disease Initiative
Britannia Building Society wrapped up its best ever charity fundraising year with a ÷£400,000 birthday boost to Alzheimer"s Society.
The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) applauds the report by The White House Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) which provides a comprehensive analysis of the economic impact of health care reform.
The American Nurses Association (ANA) eagerly awaits the imminent debate prompted by the Affordable Health Choices Act, introduced in the U.S. Senate today by Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA). ANA views the bill as a critical first step toward ANA"s goal of ensuring guaranteed, affordable, high-quality health care for all.
U.S. researchers have reversed multiple sclerosis symptoms in early stage patients by using bone marrow stem cell transplants to reset the immune system.
UCB today announced data that showed rapid and sustained improvements in symptoms of RA, as early as the first week, and inhibition of progression of structural joint damage (seen at week 24) following treatment with certolizumab pegol, together with methotrexate (MTX), was sustained for two years. The results from an open-label extension study*** to RAPID 1*, were presented at the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) meeting in Copenhagen.
Altus Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: ALTU) announced that patient dosing in its Phase 2 trial for ALTU-238 in growth hormone deficiency pediatric subjects began on June 2, 2009. ALTU-238 is a long-acting, extended-release formulation of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH, somatropin), which is being developed utilizing Altus" proprietary protein crystallization technology. ALTU-238 is a ready-to-use liquid suspension of crystallized rhGH that preserves the structure of the rhGH molecule without the need for pegylation, polymerization, or encapsulation and enables administration through a fine gauge needle. The Phase 2 ALTU-238 pediatric trial is being conducted in approximately 18 clinical sites in the U.S. and targets enrolling 36 growth hormone deficient pediatric patients. ALTU-238 has been studied in a series of Phase 1 and Phase 2 studies in healthy and GH deficiency adults.
PharmaCom BioVet, Inc.
A realistic computer game will soon be used to help dental students worldwide learn and reinforce dental implant procedures.
New Era examines discussions at the meeting over how "an acute scarcity of financial res is threatening to set back the commendable strides achieved in the global fight against HIV/AIDS pandemic within the next three to five years." The Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria"s Director for the Africa Unit Fareed Abdullah said during a news briefing at the conference, "There is no[t] enough money on the table for antiretroviral (ARV) treatments. It is a massive conundrum. The funding gap would start to hit in the period going forward."
Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai met with U.S. lawmakers in Washington, D.C., Wednesday in an attempt to secure donations for a country in economic collapse, ZimOnline reports. Tsvangirai"s visit is part of "a three-week trip to America and Europe to try to drum up financial support for the power-sharing government," entered into with his political rival, President Robert Mugabe in February, according to ZimOnline (ZimOnline, 6/11).