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

Tragic Death Highlights Perils Of Binge Drinking, UK
Commenting on the tragic death of 22-year-old Gary Reinbach, who died as a result of binge drinking since the age of 13, Dr Peter Carter, Chief Executive of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), said:
generic viagra online
Massachusetts Health Insurance Law Lowered Uninsured Rate, Had 'Marginal' Effect On Spending, Group Says
The Massachusetts Health Insurance Law of 2006 has allowed the state to have the lowest uninsured rate in the country while having a "marginal impact" on state spending, according to a report by the Massachusetts Taxpayer Association, the AP/Boston Globe reports. MTA was among the groups supporting the bill"s original passage. The report shows that health care spending will increase by $707 million from fiscal year 2006 to FY 2010. Half of that increase would be covered by the federal government, so the annual cost increase for the state would be $88 million, according to MTA. It noted that many workers who had chosen not to purchase employer-provided insurance before the law took effect now have done so, which has resulted in about $750 million in additional costs for businesses each year (AP/Boston Globe, 5/20). A summary of the report is available online. The full report also is available on the same page (.pdf).
News of the day
Low Vitamin D Levels In Blacks Could Contribute To Higher Rates Of Cancer, Other Diseases, Researcher Says
Low vitamin D levels in blacks could contribute to health gaps between white and black U.S. residents, Michael Holick, a professor at Boston University and a vitamin D researcher, said recently, the GNS/Chicago Sun-Times reports. According to Holick, blacks have lower levels of vitamin D than whites in part because the higher amount of pigment in their skin makes it harder for their body to absorb the nutrient, which is produced in response to sun exposure. Although scientists are debating optimum vitamin D levels, some scientists have said that vitamin D can reduce the risk of cancer, diabetes, heart disease and other illnesses. Holick added that some scientists believe blacks are more likely to have prostate cancer, breast cancer and colon cancer and have more aggressive forms of the cancer because they have lower levels of vitamin D. John Flack, principal investigator at the Center for Urban and African American Health at Wayne State University, said lower vitamin D levels among blacks is "potentially a very important explanation for some of the differences, from hypertension to cancer to heart failure," adding, "The actual proof is not there, but it"s plausible." Flack added that many factors -- including decreased access to health care and differences in income and education -- contribute to the overall poorer health among blacks. The Institute of Medicine next year is expected to release new guidelines on recommended daily intake for vitamin D. "All Americans, but particularly people with darker skin, should pay attention" to the new guidelines, according to Adit Ginde, a researcher at the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine who led a recent study that found vitamin D levels are decreasing in all racial groups and are particularly low in blacks (Painter, GNS/Chicago Sun-Times, 5/28).
Diagnostics

LSUHSC Research On How Like Cell Receptor Systems Determine Very Different Functions, Supported By Grant

Andy Catling, PhD, Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacology and the Stanley S. Scott Cancer Center at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, has been awarded a $177, 500 supplement to his RO1 grant by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences to support his research on the mechanism by which seemingly similar cell receptor systems determine quite different functions influenced by hormones and drugs. "We are interested in how the generic ERK signaling pathway confers specific physiological outcomes such as proliferation, differentiation and cell migration," notes Dr. Catling. "We hypothesize that specificity is conferred by the action of input- and output-specific "scaffolding" molecules that assemble the pathway around growth factor receptors." The supplement was funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and will be used to help retain key personnel needed to identify and characterize ERK phosphorylation targets - proteins to which phosphate groups can be added, increasing or decreasing protein function - specified by the scaffold. These phosphorylation targets are involved in the development of disease. Dr. Ashok Pullikuth in Catling"s lab has recently identified a protein that functions in the intracellular movement and cell division activity of growth factor receptors as a novel phosphorylation target. Understanding this novel mechanism might be important in treating conditions that are dependent upon specific growth factor receptors, like some breast cancers in which the EGF receptor family drives growth and survival. "Our studies might provide insight into how specific functions of a pathway might be targeted therapeutically while not eliminating all essential housekeeping functions of the pathway," Dr. Catling says. "The beauty of research is that no one knows just how useful their findings will be in the future - there may be entirely unexpected benefits in addition to more predictable outcomes." These key personnel and the data they generate are essential to submit a competitive renewal of this RO1 grant in November. Leslie Capo Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center


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

© Copyright 2009