Public Health
Long-term complications of critical illness include intensive care unit (ICU)-acquired weakness and neuropsychiatric disease - both of which could be related to the immobilisation caused by sedation. An Article published Online First and in an upcoming edition of The Lancet has found that interrupting sedation in the earliest days of treatment to give critically ill patients physical and occupational therapy leads to better outcomes than standard care.
InteKrin Therapeutics, Inc. announced it will present Phase 2a clinical data for INT131, a Selective PPAR Modulator (SPPARM), at the American Diabetes Association annual meeting in New Orleans Saturday, June 6, 2009 during the "Novel Diabetes Therapies in Development in Humans" session at 4:00 pm CDT.
Results and additional analyses from the Phase II portion of a Phase II/III clinical trial of Corthera"s investigational drug relaxin for the treatment of acute heart failure will be presented at the Heart Failure Congress, the annual meeting of the Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology in Nice, France.
Eating red or white meat, including meat cooked at high temperatures, does not increase the risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women, according to a large study conducted by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University. The study was published this month in the International Journal of Cancer.
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).
To help customers have a safe and fun summer in the sun, Rite Aid and The Skin Cancer Foundation are partnering to raise awareness and offer free information on the importance of smart skin care practices. A free skin care guide aimed to encourage customers to protect their skin this summer will be available at nearly 4,900 Rite Aid stores nationwide and online at http://www.riteaid.com starting May 31.
Academic Press, a division of Elsevier, would like to announce the publication of a new title in psychology; Evidence-Based Addiction Treatment by Peter Miller, PhD.
The health of our skin - one of the body"s first lines of defense against illness and injury - depends upon the delicate balance between our own cells and the millions of bacteria and other one-celled microbes that live on its surface. To better understand this balance, National Institutes of Health researchers have set out to explore the skin"s microbiome, which is all of the DNA, or genomes, of all of the microbes that inhabit human skin. Their initial analysis, published in the journal Science, reveals that our skin is home to a much wider array of bacteria than previously thought.
Two studies in the May 29th issue of Cell, a Cell Press publication, have taken advantage of new technological advances to search for and find previously unknown weaknesses in a hard to treat form of cancer. The discoveries lend new hope in the fight again tumors that are today considered "undruggable."
Sipping wine, beer or spirits three to four times per week increases the risk of binge drinking, particularly among young men, according to a new study published in the journal Addiction. Researchers from the Universitç© de Montrç©al and the University of Western Ontario analyzed the drinking habits of Canadians and found that frequent alcohol consumption can lead to binge drinking among all gender and all age groups.
As many as 700,000 people in the UK suffer from a heart abnormality
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Vancomycin resistant enterococci (VRE) have been found in sewage sludge, a by-product of waste-water treatment frequently used as a fertilizer. Researchers writing in the open access journal Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica point out the danger of antibiotic resistance genes passing into the human food chain.
A home-based diet and exercise program reduced the rate of functional decline among older, overweight long-term survivors of colorectal, breast and prostate cancer, according to a study in the May 13 issue of JAMA.
A dog born with a deadly disease that prevents the body from using stored sugar has survived 20 months and is still healthy after receiving gene therapy at the University of Florida - putting scientists a step closer to finding a cure for the disorder in children.
Informa Healthcare - one of the world"s leading medical and scientific publishers- has announced that its peer-reviewed medical titles will be joining the company"s pharmaceutical science titles to form one, united platform for drug discovery and clinical medicine on http://www.Informahealthcare.com.
An analysis of previous studies indicates that among patients with peripheral artery disease, aspirin use is associated with a statistically nonsignificant decrease in the risk of a group of combined cardiovascular events (nonfatal heart attack, nonfatal stroke, and cardiovascular death), but is associated with a significant reduction in the risk of one of these events, nonfatal stroke, although the findings may be limited by the lack of a large study population, according to an article in the May 13 issue of JAMA.
The popular belief that healthy eating starts at home and that parents" dietary choices help children establish their nutritional beliefs and behaviors may need rethinking, according to a study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. An examination of dietary intakes and patterns among U.S. families found that the resemblance between children"s and their parents" eating habits is weak. The results are published in the May 25, 2009, issue of Social Science and Medicine.
Congressman James McGovern, D-Massachusetts, has announced National Institutes of Health (NIH) awards for two researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute"s Life Sciences and Bioengineering Center at Gateway Park.
Two of the world"s leading Alzheimer"s researchers have co-edited a book critically synthesizing the major new developments in the diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer"s disease. Building upon a 2007 Alzheimer"s disease conference held in Chile, George Perry, dean of the College of Sciences at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) and Ricardo B. Maccioni, neurology professor at The University of Chile Medical School have edited "Current Hypotheses and Research Milestones in Alzheimer"s Disease," a 254-page text written by academics and medical doctors. The book focuses on the most promising hypotheses that illuminate the path to more effective treatment.
For years, doctors and other health-care providers have managed pregnant patients according to guidelines issued by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). In 1986, ACOG stated, "Regardless of how much women weigh before they become pregnant, gaining between 26-35 pounds during pregnancy can improve the outcome of pregnancy and reduce their chances of having the pregnancy end in fetal death." Until its revised guidelines were released yesterday, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) had recommended that overweight women should gain about 15 pounds during pregnancy.
People who feel pressure to look attractive are more fearful of being rejected because of their appearance than are their peers, according to a new study by researchers at the University at Buffalo and the University of Kent.
As the childhood obesity epidemic in the United States continues, researchers are examining whether early parent and child behaviors contribute to the problem. A study from the Department of Nutritional Sciences, Rutgers University, published in the May/June 2009 issue of the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior reports that mothers who miss signs of satiety in their infants tend to overfeed them, leading to excess weight gains during the 6 month to 1 year period.
The Texas Senate on Wednesday voted to approve a bill that would boost enrollment in the state"s version of CHIP, the Houston Chronicle reports. The bill, sponsored by state Sen. Kip Averitt (R), would raise the income eligibility threshold for the program to 200% of the federal poverty level for a family of four. Families" premiums, copayments and fees would not exceed 5% of their net income, under the bill (Elliott, Houston Chronicle, 5/28).Supporters of the bill say that it could extend CHIP coverage to as many as 80,000 uninsured children statewide (AP/Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5/28). The bill now moves back to the state House for approval. The House approved legislation last month that would have expanded CHIP to families with annual incomes up to $88,000. Averitt said the measure, which he attached to a House bill on disease screening for newborns, is similar to a bill that passed the Senate in March.According to the Chronicle, the state budget being finalized this week includes $43 million to expand CHIP, which would draw down federal matching funds (Houston Chronicle, 5/28).
Isaac Muliloa -- national coordinator of the HIV and sexually transmitted infections unit at the Solomon Islands" Ministry of Health -- recently said that a lack of national HIV/AIDS laws is hindering efforts to address the disease, the Solomon Times reports. Recent World Health Organization estimates said that the number of HIV cases in the Solomon Islands could reach 350 by 2010. Muliloa said that legislation is needed to address continued discrimination against HIV-positive employees in the workplace. He added that the HIV/AIDS and STI unit is relatively new in the health ministry, as is the Solomon Islands" National AIDS Council. According to Muliloa, officials are continuing to work toward implementing policies. The Times reports that the Solomon Islands does not have laws in place criminalizing the intentional transmission of HIV (Solomon Times, 5/27).
A leading expert has warned that the UK can expect to be hit by a swine flu pandemic in the autumn when students go back to school and
A report released by the consumer health organization Families USA spotlights a growing crisis among insured families, as rising health care costs devour a growing portion of their pre-tax income.
Final results from a phase II study presented at ASCO show that 25% of women with advanced HER2-positive breast cancer experienced significant shrinkage of their tumours, when treated with a first in class combination antibody called trastuzumab-DM1 (T-DM1). T-DM1 potentially represents another option for patients with metastatic disease, for which there is no cure.
Of all cancers, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) represents one of the greatest unmet needs for an effective and life-prolonging treatment. The condition, which accounts for 85 per cent of all lung cancers - roughly 1.4 million worldwide each year - is rarely diagnosed at its earliest and most potentially curable stage when it is amenable to surgical resection. Most patients are diagnosed when the tumour has already advanced to stage III, where it has invaded the chest tissues or mediastinal lymph nodes and is inoperable, or to stage IV where it has spread to other organ sites. Around 30 per cent are diagnosed at stage III and 40 per cent at stage IV. Both stages carry a poor prognosis. From stage III, and following chemo and radiotherapy treatment, median survival has been at best only between 13 and 18 months.
MDS Nordion, a leading global provider of medical isotopes and
Poxel is a research integrated pharmaceutical Company (RIPCO),
Genzyme Corporation (Nasdaq: GENZ) announced that the European Medicines Agency"s Committee for Human Medicinal Products (CHMP) has adopted a positive opinion on the marketing authorization application for Mozobil ® (plerixafor injection).
Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) cells are present in the majority of patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), aplastic anemia (AA), and other bone marrow failure syndromes (BMF), according to interim results from 5,285 patients enrolled in the EXPLORE trial. EXPLORE (EXamination of PNH, by Level Of CD59 on REd and white blood cells) is the first large multicenter study to determine the frequency of PNH cells in these patient populations using a central laboratory conducting a high sensitivity test for PNH cells. The findings from EXPLORE will be presented tomorrow at the 45th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). The EXPLORE trial was sponsored by Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:ALXN).
There are striking differences in treatment regimens for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, based on both age and geography, according to a new market research study conducted by Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, presented as a poster on Saturday at the 2009 ASCO (American Society of Clinical Oncology) meeting in Orlando, Florida (Abstract no.: 8053; Poster no.: N15). Performed in conjunction with TNS Healthcare, the representative study shows that among patients with advanced NSCLC, monotherapy is used most often among those 70 or older, while combination therapies are administered most frequently to younger patients. Location also is a key factor in determining therapy choice, with a chemotherapy doublet plus a targeted agent far more common in the US than in Europe.
bioTheranostics, a bioMerieux company that discovers, develops and commercializes new molecular diagnostic tests in oncology, announced that a recent study demonstrated the company"s THEROS CancerTYPE ID(R) molecular diagnostic test predicted cancer origin with 75 percent accuracy in patients whose primary cancer was initially "unknown" using traditional diagnostics. Findings were presented at the 2009 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Orlando, Fl.
Researchers studying a difficult-to-treat form of childhood epilepsy called infantile spasms have developed a line of mice that experiences seizures with features closely resembling those occurring in patients with infantile seizures. These genetically engineered mice provide a new opportunity for scientists to test treatments that may benefit children.
Mersana Therapeutics presented preliminary results of a Phase 1 clinical trial for its lead development candidate, XMT-1001, in a poster session at the 2009 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Orlando. XMT-1001 is a broad-spectrum cytotoxic, based on camptothecin (CPT), conjugated to Mersana"s biodegradable polymer platform, Fleximer(R).
Neurobiological Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: NTII) (NTI(R)) announced that Celtic Pharmaceutical Holdings L.P. (Celtic Pharma) has announced the results from its Phase 3 Clinical Program for XERECEPT(R) in patients with edema associated with brain tumors and from preclinical studies of XERECEPT in brain tumor models.
Proteolix, Inc. presented results from the company"s most advanced clinical trial of single-agent carfilzomib demonstrating anti-cancer activity and progression-free survival in patients with relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma. Carfilzomib is the first in a new class of selective, irreversible proteasome inhibitors being developed by Proteolix for the treatment of hematologic malignancies and solid tumors.
Computer scientists at the University of East Anglia (UEA) have developed a new way of cloning facial expressions during live conversations to help us better understand what influences our behaviour when we communicate with others.
Maryland intensive care patients will now be connected by voice, video and data lines to specialized physicians and nurses at a tertiary care referral center 130 miles away. A year after announcing six, independent Maryland hospitals, with a $3 million grant from CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, were joining together to provide state-of-the-art critical care to their patients, the first hospital, Calvert Memorial Hospital in Prince Frederick, Md., is fully online with the sophisticated care system.
Researchers from the Peninsula Medical School and the University of Bristol, using data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children and the Exeter Family Study of Childhood Health, have identified a common genetic variant that explains why some women may find it more difficult to quit smoking during pregnancy.
Bird flu virus remains infectious up to 600 days in municipal landfills
A program aimed at reducing criminal behavior in juvenile justice teens has yielded a surprising side benefit. The program is also reducing the teens" rate of pregnancy, according to a new study out this week.
Gene therapy should be used in tandem with stem cell therapy to enhance the reliability of stem cells, provide an opportunity to limit adverse effects and increase treatment success, according to research presented at the American Society of Gene Therapy"s 12th Annual Meeting, May 30.
If you had cancer and a genetic test could predict the risk of the tumor spreading aggressively, would you want to know - even if no treatments existed to help you?
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The latest research in liver disease being presented at Digestive Disease Week® 2009 (DDW®) has important implications for tracking disease development in patients and for current and future transplant recipients. Researchers are making great strides in diagnosing and treating liver disease.
Dr Alexis Willett, Head of Policy & Involvement at Breakthrough Breast Cancer, says:
Causal inference is challenging in all non-experimental studies because of the possibility of hidden bias. Hidden bias may exist as a result of failure to control for unobservable factors, such as doctors" practice/prescription patterns.
The following statistics were released by the Department of Health:
While the majority of patients with common vision problems can find glasses or contact lenses fairly easily, others who suffer from diseases of the eye that affect the focus of light have more limited options and may simply have to learn to live with poor vision.
Biovest International, Inc. (Other OTC: BVTI), a majority-owned subsidiary of Accentia Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. (Other OTC: ABPIQ) announced that an eight year pivotal, randomized, multi-center, double-blind, controlled Phase III clinical study has shown that BiovaxID® (personalized therapeutic anti-cancer vaccine) significantly prolonged disease-free survival in follicular non-Hodgkin"s lymphoma. The study, which is being featured at today"s American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting Plenary Session, found that patients who received BiovaxID experienced a median disease-free survival of 44.2 months compared to 30.6 months for those who received a control vaccine - an increase of 47 percent. In the study, with a median follow-up of 4.7 years, patients receiving BiovaxID experienced a 38% lower risk of disease recurrence compared to patients receiving the control vaccine. BiovaxID is the first ever vaccine targeting lymphoma to demonstrate such a disease-free survival benefit.
If you want a safe way to take your dog with you on bike rides, the Springer dog exerciser might be the perfect answer.
Infants" sleep patterns and their parents" influence on it are the focus of the SIESTA II project, supported by a five-year, $2.67 million grant from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development to Douglas M. Teti, professor of human development and psychology, Penn State.
Plexxikon Inc. today announced preliminary data from a Phase 1 clinical study investigating PLX4032 (R7204). PLX4032 is a novel, oral and highly selective drug that targets the BRAFV600E cancer-causing mutation that occurs in most melanomas and about eight percent of all solid tumors. In patients whose cancer harbors this mutation and who were treated with therapeutic doses of PLX4032, tumor shrinkage and extended progression-free survival have been observed. Currently, two extension studies are being conducted in mutation-positive melanoma and colorectal cancer patients. Following the initial positive findings announced today, larger clinical trials to support a registration program for product approval are targeted to start later in 2009. Plexxikon and Roche are co-developing PLX4032 under their 2006 license and collaboration agreement.
The Los Angeles Times on Sunday examined how the recession is impacting people living with HIV in California. Brad Hare, medical director of University of California-San Francisco"s Positive Health Program at San Francisco General Hospital, said that people living with HIV who have lost their jobs and private health insurance are turning to public and nonprofit clinics for the first time and are responsible for a 12% increase this year in the clinic"s overall patient visits. He added that many of the patients he sees have gone months without receiving medical care. In addition, at the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center, which also provides HIV treatment, the number of new patients has doubled over the last year, Thomas Soule, a spokesperson for the center, said. The Times also profiled a client of the center (Lin, Los Angeles Times, 5/31).
ChemoCentryx, Inc., announced that Phase II/III clinical data from the company"s PROTECT-1 (the Prospective Randomized Oral Therapy Evaluation in Crohn"s disease Trial) of Traficet-EN(TM) (CCX282-B) in patients with moderate-to-severe Crohn"s disease demonstrated evidence of clinical efficacy in the reduction of disease severity, as defined by a decrease from baseline in the Crohn"s Disease Activity Index (CDAI) score of at least 70 points over the course of 12 weeks; the more stringent criterion of at least a 100 point decrease in the CDAI score was also met by week 12. In addition, Traficet-EN treatment resulted in colonoscopic evidence of improvement. These data, reported from the Induction Stage of the ongoing PROTECT-1 trial, were presented at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2009 in Chicago, IL, by Satish Keshav, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Gastroenterology, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford University, in an oral session today.
B. Braun Medical Inc. (B. Braun), a leader in infusion therapy and pain management, said today it anticipates U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for 2g Cefazolin for Injection USP and Dextrose Injection USP in B. Braun"s DUPLEX(R) Drug Delivery System.
China Sky One Medical, Inc. ("China Sky One Medical" or "the Company") (Nasdaq: CSKI), a leading fully integrated pharmaceutical company producing over-the-counter drugs in the People"s Republic of China ("PRC"), announced that it obtained approval from the State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) in China for the production of Diclofenac Sodium eye drops. The document number for the drug is 2009S02063.
In the midst of Zimbabwe"s growing humanitarian crisis, U.N. agencies on Monday released a revised statement of appeal for foreign donations totaling $718 million for "food, clean water, AIDS medicines and other aid - up from an estimate of $550 million in November," the AP/Washington Post reports (Shaw, AP/Washington Post, 6/1).
(DH) Health Minister invites delegates to visit tomorrow"s world:
Opponents and supporters of abortion rights on Monday said they expect the murder of Kansas abortion provider George Tiller on Sunday to further intensify the debate over reproductive rights in the U.S., with some abortion-rights advocates expressing concern that the killing could spur a new wave of protests or violence from opponents, the Washington Post reports. Tiller, one of the few U.S. doctors who performed abortions later in pregnancy, was shot to death on Sunday at his church in Kansas. According to the Post, Tiller"s death has brought the issue of violence back into the spotlight in the abortion debate at a time when President Obama is urging both sides to find "common ground." Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, said the "ongoing pattern of hateful rhetoric" used by some in the antiabortion-rights movement contributes to violence like Tiller"s shooting (Slevin, Washington Post, 6/2). Keenan singled out groups that she said have used "hateful rhetoric" in recent months. "If they truly abhor the violence their rhetoric is encouraging, then they need to stop using the inflammatory phrases to describe the people they don"t agree with," she said, adding that "until then, I think their claims of the shock of Dr. Tiller"s murder ring very hollow." The antiabortion-rights group Operation Rescue is at the center of debate over whether certain rhetoric stokes violence in the movement, NPR"s "Morning Edition" reports. The group"s founder, Randall Terry, said after the shooting, "What that man did by shooting George Tiller is wrong. Period" (Rovner, "Morning Edition," NPR, 6/2). However, Terry also called Tiller a "mass murderer" who "reaped what he sowed" (Milligan, Boston Globe, 6/2). Tom McClusky, vice president of the Family Research Council"s legislative arm, said the group is concerned with "how an action like this might be exploited" by abortion-rights supporters, particularly the idea of condemning the entire antiabortion-rights movement for Tiller"s death. He said that FRC is "already seeing some indications of people trying to throw everybody into the same boat" ("Morning Edition," NPR, 6/2).The Rev. Rob Schenck, president of the National Clergy Council, said that Terry"s views do not represent the modern antiabortion-rights movement. Schenck added that he believes "that a lot of pro-life leaders from the past are not carefully, prayerfully thinking through the moral consequences of an act like" the shooting. Schenck and abortion-rights opponents also expressed concerns that the murder will harm the credibility of their attempt to block the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor. "When an act like this happens, it becomes a greater threat to the pro-life movement than anything the pro-choice movement" could do, Schenck said (Boston Globe, 6/2). Andy Wollen of the centrist group Kansas Traditionalist Republican Majority said that Tiller"s shooting "brings home the impact of the kind of rhetoric that the hard right uses when they talk about abortion." He said that when antiabortion-rights advocates "called him "Tiller the Killer" and they call their political opponents "baby killers," as they do on a regular basis, they"re opening the doors" to acts of violence.Meanwhile, USA Today reports that U.S Attorney General Eric Holder has increased security measures for abortion providers and clinics across the country, including Tiller"s clinic (Bello/Stone, USA Today, 6/2). Dan Monnat, Tiller"s attorney, said that the clinic is currently closed for mourning but will reopen next week to serve women who "came to Dr. Tiller because they had nowhere else to turn" (Washington Post, 6/2). Scott Roeder, the man accused of shooting Tiller, remained in custody in Wichita, Kan., the day after the shooting. USA Today reports that the district attorney has until today to file charges (USA Today, 6/1).
Could the salamander"s natural ability to grow back severed appendages lead to a scientific breakthrough for humans who have lost limbs?
Early results from a Mayo Clinic research study demonstrate the effectiveness of a new approach to blocking an important part of the immune system that causes severe damage to some kidney transplants. Historically, these patients have been very difficult to treat successfully because their immune systems are already primed with antibodies to destroy the donor organ. These findings were presented at the American Transplant Congress.
Men are planning for their financial security in retirement but not for their happiness, according to a survey revealing that more women than men plan for their health and leisure interests before they stop working.
Violence, sexual abuse, harassment, appalling living conditions, and a serious lack of access to essential healthcare define the desperate lives of thousands of Zimbabweans in South Africa today, warned the international medical humanitarian aid organization, Doctors Without Borders/Mç©decins Sans Frontiç¨res (MSF).
External beam partial breast irradiation (EB-PBI) is the most cost-effective method for treating postmenopausal women with early-stage breast cancer based on utilities, recurrence risks and costs when compared to whole breast radiotherapy (WBRT) and brachytherapy partial breast irradiation (brachy-PBI), according to a study in the June 1 issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics, the official journal of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).
Low antioxidant intake is associated with low reproductive capacity in semen. This is the finding of a new study carried out in two infertility centres in Alicante and Murcia, and which has been published online in the journal Fertility and Sterility.
Cephalon, Inc. (Nasdaq: CEPH) today announced that NUVIGIL® (armodafinil) Tablets [C-IV], a longer-lasting formulation of modafinil, is now available. NUVIGIL is indicated to improve wakefulness throughout the day for the millions of patients who struggle with excessive sleepiness associated with treated obstructive sleep apnea, shift work sleep disorder, also known as shift work disorder, and narcolepsy. Cephalon has finalized the commercialization plans for NUVIGIL and, beginning today, any patient with a NUVIGIL prescription should be able to obtain the medication from their pharmacy or have it filled within 24 hours.
Patients diagnosed with non-Hodgkin"s lymphoma who become resistant to standard therapies may have a new treatment option. Scientists in the Lymphoma Translational Research Laboratory at Roswell Park Cancer Institute analyzed the mechanisms to overcome treatment resistance, including a new drug combination. Francisco J. Hernandez-Ilizaliturri, MD , Departments of Medicine and Immunology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI), will present the findings at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2009 annual meeting, May 29 - June 2, in Orlando, FL.
Shire plc (LSE: SHP, NASDAQ: SHPGY), the global specialty biopharmaceutical company, today announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a change to the prescribing information for its once-daily Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) treatment VYVANSE® (lisdexamfetamine dimesylate) CII, to include supplemental data that demonstrated significant ADHD symptom control in children aged 6 to 12 from the first time point measured (1.5 hours) through 13 hours postdose. VYVANSE is now the first and only oral ADHD stimulant treatment to have 13-hour postdose efficacy data for pediatric patients included in its product labeling.
ASD Centers, LLC has expanded the clinical study started in the Dallas, Texas area to include other locations. This study is designed to examine mitochondrial dysfunction and how L-carnitine supplementation affects behavior, cognition, muscle strength, and health/physical traits in those with a diagnosed autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Diabetes UK launches its national Measure Up Roadshow today to tackle the diabetes epidemic, as it reveals that more than 1.7 million people in the UK could have avoided developing Type 2 diabetes.
The House Ear Institute, HEI, established Family Camp 24 years ago as a comfortable, open forum where parents raising a child with hearing loss could share their experiences and exchange information and varying philosophies with one another.
Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. (NASDAQ:SLXP) announced on Monday the presentation of new data from its Phase III pivotal clinical trial evaluating the efficacy, safety and tolerability of rifaximin - a non-absorbed (O144. The Effect of Prognostic Factors on the Maintenance of Remission in Hepatic Encephalopathy Patients Treated with Rifaximin
The Senate began debate Tuesday on whether to grant the Food and Drug Administration power to regulate tobacco products, Reuters reports. Debate began after an 84-11 procedural vote and could continue into next week. The Democratic-backed bill "would let the FDA oversee the packaging, marketing and manufacturing of cigarettes and other tobacco products, which have been linked to cancer and other illnesses and kill 400,000 Americans each year."
Low Medicare reimbursement rates are not keeping up with costs at hospitals in Iowa and California while a grant helps boost Medicare enrollment in Missouri.
June 1, 2009: Citalopram (Celexa), a medication commonly prescribed to children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), was no more effective than a placebo at reducing repetitive behaviors, according to a multi-site clinical trial guided by lead author Bryan H. King, MD, director of child and adolescent psychiatry at Seattle Children"s Hospital and professor and vice chair of psychiatry at the University of Washington School of Medicine. Because citalopram is also prescribed for patients with obsessive compulsive disorders (OCD), these study results may challenge the widely held premise that repetitive behaviors in children with ASD are similar to repetitive behaviors often found in cases of OCD. The study "Lack of Efficacy of Citalopram in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and High Levels of Repetitive Behavior" was published in the June 2009 issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.
The Premier healthcare alliance applauds the healthcare stakeholders group for their commitment to achieve up to $2 trillion in savings over the next decade.
The WHO on Tuesday said it was "getting closer" to declaring the H1N1 (swine) flu outbreak to be a pandemic, as the virus continues to spread to people outside of North America, and in populations "as far apart as Britain, Spain, Japan, Chile and Australia," the AP/Washington Post reports (Jordans, AP/Washington Post, 6/2).
The repetitive behaviors exhibited by some children and teens with autism spectrum disorders are not reduced with the antidepressant citalopram, according to a study in the June issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. Lawrence Scahill, professor at Yale University School of Nursing and the Child Study Center was the principal investigator at Yale for the multi-center study. Yale Child Study Center Director Fred R. Volkmar, M.D., authored an accompanying editorial.
New findings throw light on how the brain heals itself and may change the way we think about treating chronic neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson"s and Alzheimer"s.
University of Queensland scholarship recipient Alex Ridley is using his mathematical and communication skills to improve future public health.
GE Healthcare announced that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted the New Drug Application (NDA) for DaTSCAN (Ioflupane I123 Injection) for priority review. DaTSCAN is a radiopharmaceutical agent containing Ioflupane (Âð²ÂöI) in development for a proposed indication of the detection of loss of functional nigrostraiatal dopaminergic neurons by single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging in patients presenting with symptoms or signs suggestive of dopaminergic neurodegeneration.
Data was announced today that demonstrated Salix Pharmaceuticals" (NASDAQ:SLXP) APRISO™ (mesalamine) 0.375g extended-release capsules had a favorable safety profile in patients in remission from ulcerative colitis (UC) for up to 24 months. APRISO is approved for use up to six months. The majority of treatment-emergent adverse events were mild or moderate in intensity, and were similar to what was seen during the 6-month phase 3 trials. The study, which is the first to examine the long-term safety profile of APRISO, was presented at the Digestive Disease Week (DDW) annual meeting in Chicago, Illinois.
A study by neuroscientist Heather Rupp and her team found that a woman"s partner status influenced her interest in the opposite sex. In the studyÂð, published in the March issue of Human Nature, women both with and without sexual partners showed little difference in their subjective ratings of photos of men when considering such measures as masculinity and attractiveness. However, the women who did not have sexual partners spent more time evaluating photos of men, demonstrating a greater interest in the photos. No such difference was found between men who had sexual partners and those who did not.
Registration for the American Association of Kidney Patients" (AAKP) 36th Annual National Convention is now open. The Convention takes place Sept. 3-5 at the Hyatt Regency Denver in Denver, Colo. The Annual Convention provides patients, family members and health care professionals the opportunity to learn about important issue affecting kidney patients. During this three-day event, attendees participate in educational sessions for those with chronic kidney disease (CKD) to long-term dialysis and transplant patients. Participants also learn about various treatments for each stage of kidney disease.
Post-operative anaemia is a recognised complication of total hip replacement and can increase the length of hospital stay, delay rehabilitation and is poorly tolerated by patients with vascular disease. Current practice sees homologous blood transfusion commonly used to correct blood loss, however, it is associated with risk of infection, viral transmission, fluid overload and high cost. Thus various blood-conserving techniques are also used to reduce the need for homologous blood transfusion, of these fibrinolytic inhibitors, such as tranexamic acid have been shown to be cost-effective in reducing blood loss in surgery.
Low energy fractures of the proximal humerus indicate osteoporosis and it is important to direct treatment in order to prevent further fractures. Therefore, in this study the authors collected data from 79 patients with fractures of the proximal humerus in order to determine if current guidelines on measurement of bone mineral density at the hip and lumbar spine were adequate to stratify the risk and to guide the treatment of osteoporosis.
Many hospitalized patients overestimate their chance of surviving an in-hospital cardiac arrest and do not know what CPR really involves, a University of Iowa study has shown.
Danish children who move frequently appear to have an increased risk of attempted or completed suicide between ages 11 and 17, according to a report in the June issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Government warnings about suicidality among children taking antidepressants appear to be associated with unintended and persistent changes in the diagnosis and treatment of depression in children and adults, according to a report in the June issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Although it is a relatively widespread phenomenon, the experts have still not been able to come up with an all-encompassing and precise definition of workplace abuse or bullying. Basing their work on previous literature, David González, of the High Court of Justice of Madrid and José LuÃs Graña, of the Faculty of Psychology at the Complutense University, have defined it in their study as a "process of systematic and repeated aggression by a person or group towards a workmate, subordinate or superior". Their research has been published in the latest issue of Psicothema.
Santaris Pharma announced that the cancer drug EZN-2968 - an inhibitor of HIF-1alpha, jointly developed by Enzon Pharmaceuticals and Santaris Pharma A/S - was well tolerated and showed early signs of clinical benefit in previously treated cancer patients with advanced malignancies. EZN-2968 is being evaluated in patients with solid tumors and lymphoma. The study data, which was presented at the 2009 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting in Florida last week, demonstrated that EZN-2968 is well tolerated, and that early signs of clinical benefit - prolonged stable disease - were observed in several patients.
Johns Hopkins brain scientists have figured out why a faulty protein accumulates in cells everywhere in the bodies of people with Huntington"s disease (HD), but only kills cells in the part of the brain that controls movement, causing negligible damage to tissues elsewhere. The answer, reported this week in Science, lies in one tiny protein called "Rhes" that"s found only in the part of the brain that controls movement. The findings, according to the Hopkins scientists, explain the unique pattern of brain damage in HD and its symptoms, as well as offer a strategy for new therapy.
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the most common vaginal infection in US women of childbearing age, and is common in pregnant women. BV occurs when the normal balance of bacteria in the vagina is disrupted and replaced by an overgrowth of certain bacteria. Because having BV puts a woman at increased risk for a variety of complications, such as preterm delivery, there is great interest in understanding how it can be prevented. Vitamin D may play a role in BV because it exerts influence over a number of aspects of the immune system. This hypothesis is circumstantially supported by the fact that BV is far more common in black than white women, and vitamin D status is substantially lower in black than white women. This relation, however, has not been rigorously studied. To assess whether poor vitamin D status may play a role in predisposing a woman to BV, Bodnar and coworkers at the University of Pittsburgh and the Magee-Womens Research Institute studied 469 pregnant women. The results of their investigation are published in the June 2009 issue of the Journal of Nutrition.