National and International News
A fatal dose - The Sunday Times 27/02/05
Fresh from its hound’s breakfast of a law to ban hunting, Labour is preparing to botch its next attempt to outlaw a pastime.
The Sunday Times 27/02/05
Focus: Sudan 1: the bungles that put poison on our plates - The Sunday Times 27/02/05
The toxic dye which sparked the latest food scare has probably been in our diet for a decade or more. Jonathan Ungoed-Thomas and Jonathan Leake report
Police fail to tackle binge drinkers - The Sunday Times 27/02/05
LABOUR’S new powers to tackle binge drinking have led to only one prosecution in four years and even that proved unsuccessful.
Focus: Drink, drugs and rape - The Sunday Times 27/02/05
A new study shows more rapes are reported now than ever before but convictions are falling. Experts blame the new binge drinking culture, reports Lois Rogers
Britain goes top of heroin league - The Sunday Times 27/0/05
BRITAIN has become the heroin capital of Europe with the largest number of seizures and one of the highest levels of abuse, says a United Nations report published this week.
Leading Article: Eat cheap, eat nasty - The Sunday Times 27/0/05
The chain of events that began in September 2002 with the export of a batch of contaminated chilli powder from India to Britain, and has so far resulted in more than 470 food products being withdrawn from shelves, has once more put the spotlight on what we choose to shovel into our mouths. The scare over the toxic dye Sudan 1 may not be entirely logical; even the most determined gluttons would have felt challenged by the mountains of contaminated food they would have had to eat to be exposed to a significant cancer risk. But it has brought home one unpalatable truth: the British remain as obsessed with cheap food as they do with housing. Now that obsession has drawn us into an addiction to processed food, and it is not doing us any good at all.
The Observer 27/02/05The Observer 27/02/05The Observer 27/02/05The Observer 27/02/05
Fast-track women ask fertility clinics for twins - The Sunday Times 27/02/05
COUPLES are asking fertility clinics to help them to have twins so they can produce an instant family with just one pregnancy.
Drug giants court NHS nurses with luxury hotel breaks - The Sunday Times 27/02/05
NHS nurses have been invited on luxury trips to four and five-star hotels by pharmaceutical firms which manufacture the drugs they are now allowed to prescribe.
Brain ‘pacemaker’ can lift depression - The Sunday Times 27/02/05
SCIENTISTS have conducted a successful trial of a “brain pacemaker” that can make depressed people happy again by electronically stimulating the brain.
Food labels of confusion at Tesco - The Sunday Times 27/02/05
FOR the harassed mother piling the weekly shopping into her trolley while hanging on to a screaming toddler, Breakfast boulders may appear to be the ideal cereal.
The Sunday Times 26/02/05
Hundreds of babies hit by hospital superbug - The Sunday Times 27/02/05
HUNDREDS of babies, many just a few days old, have been infected with the deadly superbug MRSA in hospitals across Britain. A study by the Patients Association has found that it is now commonplace for babies aged from a few days to four weeks to catch MRSA.
Is it the dawn of a new age for older staff? - The Guardian 26/02/05
Employers may learn the hard way that there are just as many thrusting people in their 50s and 60s as in their 20s. Sean Coughlan investigates
Natural health therapist Emma Mitchell answers your questions - The Guardian 26/02/05
In the two years I've known my partner and her cat, my cat allergy has developed from a slight sniffle to full-blown asthma attacks. My homeopath has tried everything, while my GP can only suggest antihistamines, which stop the itching and streaming eyes, but not the respiratory problems. My partner cannot bring herself to rehome the cat, which she rescued.
You are what you eat? Fat chance - The Times 26/02/05
Nobody likes the idea of crap in their grub, but let’s not lose perspective here
Lender moves into PFI funding - The Guardian 26/02/05
Alliance & Leicester is planning to back the private finance initiative by lending money to hospital and school building projects.
How worried should we be? - The Guardian 26/02/05
The recall of hundreds of products contaminated with the cancer-causing dye Sudan 1 has caused the biggest food scare since BSE, but how worried should we be about the risks to our health? How do they compare with the risks from other carcinogens in our food, many of which are legally present?
US abortion row hots up with court fight over medical records - The Guardian 26/02/05
The Kansas state attorney general has demanded the medical files of women who have had late-term abortions for potential criminal investigations, it was reported yesterday.
Lie back for the light show - The Times 26/02/05
Can a mix of water, music and colour therapy be healing? Sorrell Downer lets it all sink in
Smooth delivery - The Times 26/02/05
After two traumatic experiences, one mother learnt how to switch off labour pains andenjoy the birth of her third baby, says Emma Mahony
Your questions answered by fitness expert Joanna Hall. - The Guardian 26/02/05
My friend and I have embarked on a keep-fit and weight-loss plan: we go to the gym twice a week and do 10,000 steps daily. She's lost 8lb, all of it off her tummy, which is where I want to lose it; I've lost only 2lb, and that off my bum! What am I doing wrong?
Rebecca Front: This week - The Guardian 26/02/05
I was in the newsagent's yesterday morning and found myself transfixed by a part work which, in weekly instalments, provides an A-Z guide to family health. This week's issue was subtitled "From diarrhoea to ego", an impressive amount of ground to cover in one slim magazine.
Sex with Dr Thomas Stuttaford and Suzi Godson - The Times 26/02/05
I'm 72 and my relationship with a woman 20 years younger has ended after she was unfaithful. I still love her and know she would like to see me again but I doubt that she would be faithful. Should I accept that love involves giving each other freedom?
Dear John - The Observer 27/02/05
After reading your article on children's health a few weeks ago I have come to the conclusion that my 15-month-old son has a sensitivity to cow's milk. I tried him on goat's milk, but he did not take to it. Do you have any advice about alternatives, including suggestions about replacements for cheese and yogurt?
Zero tolerance - The Observer 27/02/05
In a surprisingly short time, smokers have become social pariahs in this country. But why? And is it a sign of a new puritanism, asks Oliver James
Grow old gloriously - The Times 26/02/05
What should 50-plus women do with the rest of their lives? Valerie Grove meets an author who has all the answers
'We have created a culture that fails to teach our children about coping' - The Observer 27/02/05
When Jane Austen was 16 she wrote a short story entitled Catharine, or the Bower. The tale follows the adventures of a young penniless orphan, Miss Wynne, forced to marry a man twice her age 'whose disposition was not amiable and whose Manners were unpleasing'. Austen's own teenage years were not much better: they were spent looking after nephews and nieces, caring for a hypochondriac mother, assisting various female relatives during their confinement and then childbirth.
Family's hell at bird flu deathbed - The Observer 27/02/05
A brother is dying and his sister is ill. Mark Honigsbaum in Hanoi reports on cases that are causing new fear
Jamie learns his lessons - The Times 26/02/05
Jamie Oliver turned out to be Jane Clarke’s star pupil when she advised him on nutrition for Jamie’s School Dinners. They tell Hilly Janes how their healthy food manifesto works at home
Pass notes - The Observer 27/02/05
Fluid and fibre help keep us regular - or do they? A recent study has cast new light on the right way to keep us moving, says Dr John Briffa
Showing it like it really is - The Times 26/02/05
The sex that we see in cinemas has a nasty habit of making us feel insecure. Because film, particularly Hollywood film, is essentially aspirational, watching the undulating buttocks of honey-coloured body doubles having airbrushed intercourse creates a certain amorphous anxiety about our own sexual technique. Celluloid lovers never fiddle with zips or fumble with bra clasps. They don’t have wobbly flesh or hairy backs. They don’t rummage for lubricant in the bedside table or grab a Kleenex afterwards. And they never, ever use condoms.
Watchdogs divided by food scare - The Observer 27/02/05
It's the tale of two FSAs, and while Premier Foods might escape punishment from one, the other is still weighing the evidence
Hospital let ex-offender go the day before he killed - The Times 26/02/05
A PARANOID schizophrenic with a history of violence killed a man after being allowed to leave a psychiatric hospital, the Old Bailey was told yesterday.
The Guardian 26/02/05BBC Health News 24/02/05
Two more fly out for assisted suicide - The Observer 27/02/05
Husbands face prosecution, but deaths give fresh support to Lords campaign to aid the terminally ill
Coca-Cola adds fizz to fighting the flab - The Observer 27/02/05
The company behind the world's most famous brand has seen the future and it contains phytosterol. The Observer has learnt that Coca-Cola is preparing to target consumers with a new range of health drinks containing this obscure plant extract, which has started to earn a strong following in the scientific community thanks to its cholesterol-reducing properties.
Salt-overdose boy failed by police and hospital staff - The Times 26/02/05
THE police, a hospital and child protection services yesterday all admitted that they failed a nine-year-old boy who was killed by his mother with a salt overdose.
Minimum wage to top £5 an hour - The Times 26/02/05
THE minimum wage will rise above £5 an hour in October, Tony Blair announced yesterday.
Breast cancer detection rises by 14% -The Guardian 26/02/05
The NHS breast cancer screening programme detected more than 11,000 women with the disease last year - an increase of 14% on the 12 months before, it was announced yesterday.
Obesity weighs heavily on Blair's seat - The Guardian 26/02/05
County Durham and Tees Valley contains the highest proportion of obese people in England, according to Department of Health figures.
The Times 26/02/05The Times 26/02/05
Private scan delays let down NHS patients - The Observer 27/02/05
The NHS is reviewing thousands of scans by a private medical company following problems with long delays in diagnosing illness.
Drugs stockpiled as bird flu fears rise - The Observer 27/02/05
Emergency quarantine measures planned after warning of the risk of pandemic of deadly avian virus
Tilly gets a taste of real life at last -
The Times 26/02/05A girl fed by a tube and a backpack celebrated her freedom with a burger
The Times 26/02/05
Radical Christians to target abortion clinics - The Times 25/02/05
A MILITANT evangelical Christian group plans to target pregnant women and medical staff at abortion clinics as it steps up its campaign against what it calls a tidal wave of filth, The Times has learnt.
Hospital that let out killer has history of fatal errors - The Telegraph 27/02/05
A psychiatric hospital that let out a violent schizophrenic who then stabbed a cyclist to death has a history of management failures which resulted in at least four other killings by patients, The Telegraph can disclose.
Did salt poisoning really kill Christian? - The Telegraph 25/02/05
Last month, Ian and Angela Gay were imprisoned for manslaughter after the three-year-old boy they were planning to adopt died with high levels of sodium in his system. Were they responsible for his death or, asks Cassandra Jardine, is there another explanation?
Chilli powder overlooked in 2003 recall - The Telegraph 23/02/05
The batch of contaminated chilli powder that led to Britain's biggest food scare since BSE should have been recalled and destroyed two years ago, it emerged yesterday.
Are GPs in thrall to the drug companies? - The Telegraph 23/02/05
Campaigners fear the pharmaceuticals industry, through its hard-nosed sales techniques, has too much influence over the drugs some doctors give to their patients. Lisa Reich reports
Umbilical cord blood banks 'are exploiting parents' - The Telegraph 23/02/05
Private companies that offer to store the umbilical cord blood of babies as an insurance policy against future serious illnesses were criticised yesterday for exploiting vulnerable parents.
Genetic clues could simplify breast cancer treatment - The Telegraph 23/02/05
Scientists believe they have found a way of identifying which women with breast cancer will need more aggressive forms of treatment.
Baby recovering after second head removed - The Telegraph 24/02/05
An Egyptian baby is recovering after a 13-hour operation to remove the head of a twin that failed to develop in the womb.
Reuters 22/02/05
Drug abuse deaths among women on the rise - The Telegraph 24/02/05
Deaths from drug abuse have reached an all-time high among women, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has said.
Superbug MRSA deaths surge to 955 a year - The Telegraph 24/02/05
The number of deaths in which the superbug MRSA was a factor has doubled over four years to 955 in 2003, figures reveal for the first time.
Cabinet minister reveals smoking ban turmoil - The Telegraph 27/02/05
The government's plan to ban smoking in nearly all pubs by 2008 was in disarray last night after a cabinet minister disclosed that the proposals are to be watered down significantly.
Food, poisonous food... - The Telegraph 27/02/05
The consensus is that it is "the biggest food scare since BSE". Three weeks ago, a random test in Italy showed that Sudan 1 – the chemical used to dye oils, waxes, petrol, industrial solvents, as well as shoe and floor polishes – was present in a brand of Worcester sauce made by Crosse and Blackwell in Britain.
Mother seeks prosecution of doctors who 'murdered' son - The Telegraph 27/02/05
The mother of a terminally ill baby boy who died after the High Court ruled that doctors could withhold life-saving treatment, is to press for a criminal investigation.
Mental patient allowed out to kill in park - The Telegraph 26/02/05
A man with a history of mental illness yesterday admitted stabbing to death a stranger who was cycling through a park.
Girl fed through a tube for seven years discovers burgers - The Telegraph 26/02/05
An eight-year-old girl who has been fed through a tube all her life is eating normally for the first time after doctors discovered that a rare nerve illness she was diagnosed with as a baby was just enlarged tonsils.
How the ready meal revolution has all the ingredients to keep consumers worried - The Telegraph 26/02/05
The phenomenal growth of the ready meal is making Britain increasingly vulnerable to the sort of scares that this week led to more than 470 products being pulled from the shelves, food campaigners warned yesterday.
Mother loses court fight over £60 speeding fine taking her son to surgery - The Telegraph 26/02/05
A mother who rushed her son to the doctors because she feared he might choke on a joke tooth he had swallowed has had a speeding fine upheld.
Woman banned from jumping in the river - The Telegraph 26/02/05
A woman who attempted suicide four times has been banned from jumping into rivers and canals, or from going on to railway lines.
Toothpaste that fixes cavities as they appear - The Telegraph 24/02/05
A toothpaste has been developed that can rapidly and seamlessly fix little cavities without need for drilling.
'Heartbroken' couple jailed for son's death set to appeal - The Independent 26/02/05
When Ian and Angela Gay were convicted of the salt poisoning of three-year-old Christian Blewitt, they were portrayed as a cold-hearted and ambitious couple who deliberately killed a child they had planned to adopt because he did not fit their ideal stereotype.
East European vice gangs cover whole of UK - The Independent 26/02/05
East European prostitutes and pimps are operating in every town and city in Britain, the head of the country's biggest vice squad said yesterday.
Is there still such a thing as care in the community? - The Independent 26/02/05
In 1992, Jonathan Zito was murdered by a stranger in an unprovoked attack. Yesterday, the man who stabbed to death Denis Finnegan was convicted. In both cases, the assailants were mentally ill patients denied the care they needed. In the years between these two tragic incidents, up to 40 people a year have died in similar circumstances
Who paid for the drugs? - The Independent 27/02/05
They buy fair-trade coffee, recycle their papers and worry about the environment. Then they buy a gram of coke that leaves children's blood on their hands. Steve Bloomfield travels to Colombia to see the horrific cost of Britain's middle-class cocaine boom
UK dithers as 12 nations stockpile bird-flu drug - The Independent 27/02/05
Lek, a beggar who squats like a troll atop a pedestrian bridge in central Bangkok, used to keep a fluffy baby chick to attract passers-by to his outstretched cup. When bird flu broke out last year and Thai farmers were forced to cull 60 million poultry, he switched to a cute duckling instead. Last week, when Thailand's livestock ministry announced that 2.7 million free-range ducks must be slaughtered because water fowl can harbour and transmit the deadly H5N1 virus without showing any symptoms, Lek replaced his duckling with a wind-up toy.
Ministers to back do-it-all fathers - The Independent 27/02/05
A new breed of "Do It All Dad", who does eight times as much childcare as 30 years ago, has been identified by government equality advisers.
They're the Alpha females: clever, confident, well-off. So what's their problem? - The Independent 27/02/05
The higher their IQ, the less chance they have of finding a partner, that's the problem. And guess what? The rule doesn't apply to men
Was 11 days too long to wait for a health alert, if it took 85 years to ban Sudan 1? - The Independent 27/02/05
Another week, another food scare. This time it is Sudan 1, a synthetically produced red dye, normally used for colouring solvents, oils, waxes, petrol and shoe and floor polishes, which has been found in nearly 500 food products.
More than 50 dangerous pesticides found in British food - The Independent 27/02/05
Fears over Sudan 1 have been put in the shade by the discovery of even more damaging residues in our diet
Britannia ruins the waves: how pollution and over-fishing are destroying sea life - The Independent 27/02/05
Fish are changing sex. Species are disappearing as breeding patterns collapse. The food chain is in chaos as temperatures rise, says the first ever major audit of the state of our seas. Severin Carrell reveals what ministers will say on Tuesday about the damage being done to British waters by industry and global warming
British smoking ban 'inadequate' - BBC Health News 26/02/05
A total ban on smoking in public places should be enforced in England, a World Health Organization official says.
Smoking gets own 'Kyoto treaty' - BBC Health News 27/02/05
Each day about 13,500 people worldwide die from smoking-related diseases.
Reuters 27/02/05
'Banana surgery' lures young doctors - BBC Health News 26/02/05
There is nothing better than getting some practical experience of a job before deciding whether or not to consider it as a career.
Baby Charlotte new evidence claim - BBC Health News 25/02/05
Parents involved in a dispute with doctors over the care of their gravely-ill baby say they have new evidence her condition is improving.
Boy has thumbs built from fingers - BBC Health News 25/02/05
A four-year-old boy has had thumbs created by plastic surgeons after he was born with a rare genetic disorder.
Hospitals must reveal performance - BBC Health News 26/02/05
Hospitals must be put under pressure to provide more detailed performance data to patients, regulators have been told.
More ops cancelled at last minute - BBC Health News 25/02/05
The number of NHS operations cancelled at the last minute in English hospitals increased by almost 2,500 at the end of last year, official figures show.
Workplace failing cancer patients - BBC Health News 26/02/05
Cancer patients are unnecessarily losing out in the workplace, a survey has found.
Daily Mail 25/02/05
Chemical leak shuts hospital A&E - Daily Mail 26/02/05
An accident and emergency department has been shut down after four people were admitted with burns and breathing difficulties following a chemical leak.
Milk can cause acne, says report - Daily Mail 25/02/05
Milk can cause acne, according to a new US study.
Man cleared of sex attack charge - Daily Mail 25/02/05
An auxiliary nurse accused of sexually assaulting a semi-paralysed woman patient as she lay in a hospital bed has been acquitted of one of the charges.
Dead patient's family to sue Jacko - Daily Mail 25/02/05
The family of a woman who died after being moved out of a trauma room to accommodate the ailing Michael Jackson plans to sue both the hospital and the star.
Increase in cancelled NHS ops - Daily Mail 25/02/05
The number of operations cancelled at the last minute in NHS hospitals in England increased by almost 2,500 at the end of last year, figures revealed today.
More breast cancers detected early - Daily Mail 25/02/05
More breast cancers are being detected early due to the national screening programme, figures have shown.
Soccer Tied to Risk of Motor Neuron Disease -Study - Reuters 23/02/05
Professional soccer players have a higher risk of suffering from the incurable degenerative illness motor neuron disease, according to a study on Wednesday.
Clue Found to How HIV Invades Cells - Reuters 24/02/05
Scientists said Wednesday they have discovered a key clue to how HIV mutates to evade the immune system that could advance the search for new drugs and a vaccine.
Government Paying Ever More Health Costs -Report - Reuters 24/02/05
Within a decade, the public sector will be paying nearly half the cost of U.S. health care, which is also swallowing an ever-larger chunk of the nation's resources, government economists reported on Wednesday.
Salt Should Be Regulated Food Additive, Group Says - Reuters 24/02/05
A consumer group sued the federal government Thursday, saying that salt is killing tens of thousands of Americans and that regulators have done too little to control salt in food.
Kids at Risk for Obesity Need Early Attention - Reuters 24/02/05
For children, obesity often begins in preschool, suggesting that pediatricians need to act early to prevent and treat excess weight in childhood, new research shows.
Hospitals Aim to Split Device Savings with Doctors - Reuters 24/02/05
Hospitals desperate to save money are trying to get doctors to find methods of cutting supply costs and offering to share savings with doctors.
Meditation Technique Helps Lower Blood Pressure - Reuters 24/02/05
Transcendental meditation is an effective alternative to blood pressure-lowering medication, according to the results of a study involving African Americans.
US Experts Support New AstraZeneca Heart Drug Use - Reuters 24/02/05
AstraZeneca Plc should be allowed to market its hypertension drug Atacand to heart failure patients taking other heart medicines called ACE inhibitors, U.S. experts recommended on Thursday, despite finding problems with a trial of the medicine.
Heart Attack Risk with HIV Drugs a Concern - Reuters 24/02/05
The risk of having a heart attack for HIV-positive people increases the longer they're on anti-HIV drug therapy, according to the latest results of a large multi-center study.
US Worried by Infections in Transfusion Recipients - Reuters 24/02/05
Americans who receive blood platelet transfusions are probably at a higher risk than generally believed to contract potentially deadly bacterial infections, according to a report published on Thursday.
Wives of Smokers Run Risk of Stroke - Reuters 24/02/05
Smoking by husbands is associated with an increased occurrence of stroke among their non-smoking wives, according to a new study.
Malaria Preventive Linked to 'Psychiatric Events' - Reuters 24/02/05
Nearly two-thirds of people want the U.S. government more involved in limiting the price of prescription drugs, according to a survey released on Thursday by a nonprofit health research group.
No Evidence Flu Jabs Work for Under-2s - Study - Reuters 25/02/05
There is no evidence that vaccinating children under 2 years old against influenza reduces deaths or complications from the illness, researchers said on Friday.
Asian Countries Appeal for Bird Flu Help - Reuters 25/02/05
Asian countries battling a bird flu virus that threatens to create a human pandemic that could kill millions need urgent help from the wealthy West if they are to succeed, a 28-nation conference said on Friday.
Fight Against Polio Launched in Ivory Coast - Reuters 27/02/05
On foot and by bicycle, an army of 28,000 people advanced through towns and remote villages in Ivory Coast Sunday to vaccinate children against polio to try and finally defeat the crippling disease.
Ethiopia Records Polio Case as Virus Spreads - Reuters 25/02/05
A two-year-old girl has contracted polio in Ethiopia in another sign that the epidemic is spreading across Africa, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday.
Smoking Ups Impotence Risk in Younger Men - Reuters 25/02/05
Adding to evidence that smoking is bad for a man's sex life, new study findings show that smoking may raise the risk of impotence, particularly in younger men.
Eating Breakfast May Do a Heart Good - Reuters 25/02/05
Mom may have been right when she said breakfast is the most important meal of the day. A small study suggests that skipping that morning meal may be a bad move for the heart, and possibly the waistline.
Anti-Smoking Message Saves Heart Patients' Lives - Reuters 25/02/05
Counseling people who have survived a heart attack about quitting smoking before they have even checked out of the hospital appears to reduce their risk of dying up to one year after the attack, new research reports.
Medtronic Voluntarily Recalls Defibrillators - Reuters 25/02/05
Medtronic Inc. on Friday said it was voluntarily recalling around 1,900 automated external heart defibrillators used by paramedics and firemen.
New Therapies May Expand AIDS Arsenal - Conference - Reuters 26/02/05
Several new drugs work well in HIV patients who are beginning to run out of options because their virus has mutated into drug-resistant forms, researchers reported on Friday.
New Virus May Have Come from Monkeys, Experts Say - Reuters 26/02/05
Two new retroviruses never before seen in humans have turned up among people who regularly hunt monkeys in Cameroon, researchers reported on Friday.
Life-Prolonging AIDS Cocktails Show Real Value - Reuters 26/02/05
Drug cocktails that can prolong the lives of people infected with the AIDS virus are beginning to show their value but only about half of U.S. adults who should be receiving them are actually getting them, scientists reported on Friday.
Clinton Hails China's AIDS Progress, Offers Help - Reuters 23/02/05
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton said Wednesday China has made progress in fighting AIDS since he last visited in 2003 and his foundation would give drugs and help train doctors battling the disease.
Asian Bird Flu Raises Risk of Global Flu Pandemic - Reuters 23/02/05
Scientists fear the avian flu that has killed 46 people in Asia could be the strain that will cause the next global pandemic but said more evidence is needed about how infectious it is in humans.
Burkina's Women Learn to Fight Malaria Through Loans - Reuters 23/02/05
For years, Clarisse Tangkwano had no idea mosquitoes spread malaria.
World Must Act on Bird Flu or Face Pandemic - U.N. - Reuters 23/02/05
The world is overdue an influenza pandemic and it must act swiftly to prevent one being triggered by bird flu now endemic in parts of Asia where it has killed 46 people, U.N. officials said on Wednesday.
Parents Talking Less to Kids About Drugs - Reuters 22/02/05
The number of U.S. parents talking to their teenagers about drugs has dropped, perhaps reflecting the more relaxed attitudes of a generation that came of age in the late 1970s when U.S. teen drug use peaked, a study on Tuesday found.
Nigeria Chosen to Combat Dreadful Pregnancy Ills - Reuters 22/02/05
Nigeria has been chosen for a crash campaign against obstetric fistula, one of the world's worst pregnancy-related disabilities and one that usually goes untreated, a U.N. agency announced on Tuesday.
A Little Meat Adds a Lot to Poor Kids' Diets - Reuters 22/02/05
Including a few bites of meat in the diets of poor children from developing countries improves both their health and their performance in mental tests, according to reports presented at this year's annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Court: Feeding Must Continue for Florida Woman - Reuters 22/02/05
A Florida court ordered continued feeding for a severely brain-damaged woman on Tuesday, shortly after an appeals court said the feeding tube could be removed to let her die.
Avian Flu World's No. 1 Threat, CDC Head Says - Reuters 21/02/05
Avian flu poses the single biggest threat to the world right now and health officials may not yet have all the tools they need to fight it, the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Monday.
Camera-Mounted Spectacles May Restore Sight - EU - Reuters 21/02/05
A small camera mounted on spectacles and connected to the optical nerve could restore the sight of thousands of people suffering from deterioration of the retina, European scientists said on Monday.
Environmental Change May Be Boosting Diseases - UN - Reuters 21/02/05
Environmental changes wrought by population movement, destruction of habitats and other factors may be behind a resurgence of infectious diseases, a United Nations study says.
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Heart Attack Care May Be Worse for Women - Reuters 21/02/05
Previous reports have found that although women are less likely to experience a heart attack than men, they are more likely to die afterward. Now, Scottish researchers suggest that this may be because women receive inferior care.
Electrical Stimulation Stops Epileptic Seizures - Reuters 21/02/05
People with epilepsy, especially those who don't respond to anti-seizure medication, may one day be helped with a kind of brain pacemaker.
Waist Circumference Predicts Heart Disease Risk - Reuters 21/02/05
The circumference of your waist correlates more closely with several known risk factors for heart disease than does your body mass index (BMI) -- the measure of weight in relation to height -- according to a report in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Germany to Restrict Use of Cox-2 Inhibitors - Reuters 21/02/05
Germany will issue guidelines in the next few days to significantly restrict the use of so-called COX-2 inhibitors to ease pain, the country's drug regulator said on Monday.
Adverse Drug Events in Nursing Homes Are Far More Common Than Previously Identified - Medical News Today 27/02/05
Injuries from adverse drug events in the long-term care setting are more common than previously documented, and largely preventable, according to the findings of a study published today in The American Journal of Medicine.
Shadow Health Minister Welcomes Opening of Children's Hospital for Wales - Medical News Today 27/02/05
Plaid Cymru's Shadow Health Minister Rhodri Glyn Thomas AM has welcomed the opening of the Children's Hospital in Wales.
Over 11,000 Cancers Detected Thanks To NHS Breast Screening Programme, UK - Medical News Today 27/02/05
1,400,000 women screened in England last year - New statistics published today show a big increase in the number of cancers detected by breast screening. In 2003/04 over 14% more cancers were detected compared to the previous year with over 11,000 women having breast cancer detected and treated following screening for the disease. Since 2001 the total number of cancers detected through breast screening has risen by nearly a third.
UK Hospital Waiting And Activity; Breast Screening; Social Care - Medical News Today 27/02/05
The UK Department of Health released the following statistics today. For access to this information, click on the links below. Outpatient Activity, England: Qtr ending 31 December 2004 performance.doh.gov.uk/hospitalactivity Cancelled Operations, England: Qtr ending 31 December 2004 performance.doh.gov.uk/hospitalactivity Waiting Times for First Outpatient Appointments in England (Responsible population based): Qtr ending 31 Dec 2004 performance.doh.gov.uk/waitingtimes/2004/q1/index.html Breast Screening Programme, England 2003-04 publications.doh.gov.uk/public/sb0506.htm Commuinity Care statistics 2003-04: Referrals, Assessments and Packages of Care for Adults, England: National Report and CSSR tables publications.doh.gov.uk/rap Personal Social Services expenditure and unit costs: England: 2003-04 publications.doh.gov.uk/public/sb0507.htm
HDA Comment on the ONS report on healthy life expectancy and deprivation, UK - Medical News Today 27/02/05
Professor Mike Kelly, Director of Evidence and Guidance for the Health Development Agency said: “Longer, healthier lives for the rich; shorter, unhealthier lives for the poor: the ONS report focuses much needed attention on the stark impact of health inequalities.
Program to Take Psychiatric Services to Frail Elderly in Their Homes - Medical News Today 27/02/05
A groundbreaking outreach program for frail elderly who need psychiatric services in their homes - believed to be the first of its kind in the United States -- is being launched by the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.
Ranbaxy Receives Tentative Approval To Market Donepezil Hydrochloride Tablets - Medical News Today 27/02/05
New Delhi - Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited (RLL) announced today that the Company has received tentative approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to manufacture and market Donepezil Hydrochloride Tablets, 5 mg and 10 mg. Total annual market sales for Donepezil Hydrochloride Tablets, 5 mg and 10 mg, were $935.3 million (IMS - MAT: December 2004).
Advisory Panel Discussion points to Aleve® - Medical News Today 27/02/05
Members of FDA Committees Support Safety of Naproxen, Active Ingredient in Aleve® - Bayer HealthCare's Consumer Care Division said today it was pleased that discussions by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Arthritis and Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committees clarified conflicting reports about the safety of Aleve® that have confused and, in some instances, alarmed consumers and healthcare professionals.
Botswana, Barbados Agree To Cooperate To Exchange HIV/AIDS Expertise, Research - Medical News Today 27/02/05
Botswana President Festus Mogae and Barbados Prime Minister Owen Arthur on Wednesday in Bridgetown, Barbados, signed an agreement to cooperate in the fight against HIV/AIDS, the... Barbados Advocate reports (Barbados Advocate, 2/24). Mogae and Arthur agreed that their countries should share strategies in areas such as HIV/AIDS research and prevention, according to the AP/Fox23news.com. According to UNAIDS, Barbados has an HIV/AIDS prevalence of 1.5%, and Botswana has a prevalence of 37% (AP/Fox23news.com, 2/23). The Caribbean region has the second-highest HIV/AIDS prevalence in the world after sub-Saharan Africa (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 3/9/04).
Combination Therapy Might Be Better Choice Than Nevirapine Alone To Prevent Vertical HIV Transmission, Researchers Say - Medical News Today 27/02/05
Antiretroviral drug combination therapy might be more effective in preventing mother-to-child HIV transmission and less likely to foster drug resistance among pregnant women than single-dose nevirapine, according to data presented this week at the... 12th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Boston, the Washington Post reports. Single-dose nevirapine has been administered to about 500,000 HIV-positive pregnant women in developing countries over the past five years, and some studies have suggested that this method has cut the rate of vertical HIV transmission by 50%. However, some studies also have shown that single-dose nevirapine might foster drug resistance in many women who take the drug, effectively "clos[ing] off" future treatment options, according to the Post.
FDA Approves Atacand® (Candesartan Cilexetil) for the Treatment of Heart Failure - Medical News Today 27/02/05
AstraZeneca today announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved its angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) ATACAND® (candesartan cilexetil) for the treatment of heart failure (New York Heart Association Class II-IV and ejection fraction less than or equal to 40 percent) to reduce the risk of death from cardiovascular causes and reduce hospitalisations from heart failure. ATACAND is the first ARB in the US to receive an indication for reducing both cardiovascular mortality and hospitalisations for heart failure.
Gilead Gains European Approval To Market Combination Antiretroviral Drug Truvada - Medical News Today 27/02/05
Foster City, Calif.-based biotech company... Gilead on Wednesday received approval from the European Commission to market its combination antiretroviral drug Truvada in all 25 European Union countries, the AP/Forbes reports. Truvada is a once-daily combination pill containing the antiretroviral drugs Emtriva and Viread, known generically as emtricitabine and tenofovir, respectively. The drugs work by blocking HIV's reverse transcriptase enzyme to prevent viral replication (AP/Forbes, 2/23). The drug was approved for marketing in the United States in August 2004, according to San Francisco Business Times (San Francisco Business Times, 2/23).
Individual Guidelines Determine Frequency of Colonoscopy - Medical News Today 27/02/05
March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month - People know to get their cars tuned up every 10,000 miles, change the batteries in the smoke detector once a year and rotate their mattress every month or two. Health screenings, however, are not always on a standard timeline - and when it comes to screenings for colorectal cancer, people should follow individualized guidelines to determine when to be checked.
Kogenate® FS Donated by Bayer Biological Products to World Federation of Hemophilia - Medical News Today 27/02/05
Bayer Healthcare LLC, Biological Products Division (Bayer BP), announced it is donating 2.15 million units of Kogenate® FS (Antihemophilic Factor [Recombinant], Formulated with Sucrose) to the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH). The Kogenate® FS donation will be distributed by WFH to support the treatment needs of hemophilia patients in 13 countries in southeast and central Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Central and South America.
Majority of foods contaminated with dye Sudan I removed from sale - Medical News Today 27/02/05
The Food Standards Agency (UK) has announced that the vast majority of products contaminated with the illegal dye Sudan I have been removed from sale. This page contains the lists of the products affected plus latest news from the Agency on the situation.
Many States Have Inadequate Response Procedures for Bioterrorist, Chemical Attacks, HHS Official Says (USA) - Medical News Today 27/02/05
Fewer than 25% of states can respond at all times of the day to hospital alerts about patients who might have experienced bioterrorist or chemical attacks, William Raub,... HHS principal deputy assistant secretary for public health emergency preparedness, said at a recent CDC public health conference, the AP/Wall Street Journal reports. According to Raub, several states have not reviewed new laws and rules for quarantine enacted after Sept. 11, 2001. He added that many states also do not have the ability to use the national emergency supply of vaccines to immunize large groups of residents. However, Raub said that more than 90% of states have at least one epidemiologist in each metropolitan area with a population of more than 500,000. "Preparing for catastrophic events almost guarantees readiness for lesser -- and possibly more likely -- challenges. Improving performance will be the key," Raub said (AP/Wall Street Journal, 2/24).
Multiple Sclerosis - Tysabri® 2-Year Monotherapy Trial Demonstrates Significant Impact On Disability Progression And Relapse Rate - Medical News Today 27/02/05
Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: BIIB) and Elan Corporation, plc (NYSE: ELN) announced today that the Phase III TYSABRI® (natalizumab) AFFIRM monotherapy trial achieved the two-year primary endpoint of slowing the progression of disability in patients with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). TYSABRI treatment led to a 42 percent reduction in the risk of disability progression relative to placebo. These data also demonstrated a 67 percent reduction in the rate of clinical relapses over two years, which was sustained and consistent with the previously reported one-year results.
Neulasta Significantly Lowers Incidence of Neutropenia with Related Fever and Hospitalization, Phase 3 Study - Medical News Today 27/02/05
Amgen Inc announced that data from the largest randomized placebo-controlled study to date for Neulasta(R) (pegfilgrastim) has been published in the February 20 issue of The Journal of Clinical Oncology. The phase 3 study showed that administering Neulasta beginning in the first and subsequent cycles of chemotherapy reduced the incidence of febrile neutropenia (low white blood cell count with fever), a serious complication of cancer chemotherapy typically associated with infection, by more than 90 percent.
Nigerian Government Hopes To Provide Low-Cost Antiretroviral Drugs to 100,000 People This Year - Medical News Today 27/02/05
Nigerian Health Minister Eyitayo Lambo on Wednesday announced that the government plans to expand its antiretroviral drug program to provide low-cost drugs to 100,000 HIV-positive people by the end of this year,... Reuters reports. Nigeria in 2002 launched a program to provide antiretroviral drugs to HIV-positive people in the nation at a cost of about $7 per person per month. However, because of financial shortfalls, only about 14,000 people of an estimated 3.5 million HIV-positive people in the country currently receive the drugs at the government's 25 HIV/AIDS treatment centers. According to Lambo, the program expansion will be funded in part by a grant from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Reuters, 2/24). Lambo said the government hopes to enroll 350,000 people in the antiretroviral drug program by 2007, AFP/Yahoo! News reports. Approximately 5% of Nigerian adults are HIV-positive, according to AFP/Yahoo! News (AFP/Yahoo! News, 2/23).
One central point for start-up biopharmaceutical companies: BioConnection - Medical News Today 27/02/05
A new center, unique in Europe, will be established in Oss, The Netherlands, providing facilities and expertise for the development and production of new biopharmaceutical medicines. These medicines are making a growing contribution to Human Health. BioConnection is the first initiative in Europe that will offer young biopharmaceutical companies production facilities via one central point. The intended establishment of this center is the result of a unique collaboration between government authorities and the business community, comprising a total investment of fifteen million euros. In exchange, it will obtain user rights to part of Organon's facilities.
Protecting your skin from ageing - Simple Tips to Looking Good At Every Age - Medical News Today 27/02/05
Warmer weather will soon be here and that means spending more time in the sun's dangerous rays, which cause about 85 percent of premature aging. Following are some skin care and anti-aging tips from The Plastic Surgery Group on how you can protect yourself and avoid seeing a physician too soon.
Researchers Still Divided Over Significance of New York City Case of Rare, Drug-Resistant HIV Strain - Medical News Today 27/02/05
Experts on Thursday at the... 12th Annual Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Boston remained divided about whether the detection of a rare, drug-resistant HIV strain in a New York City man represents "a scientific oddity or a public health menace," the San Francisco Chronicle reports (Russell, San Francisco Chronicle, 2/25).
Smith & Nephew Launches Periarticular Locked Plating System to Treat Trauma Patients - Medical News Today 27/02/05
Smith & Nephew's Orthopaedics business (NYSE: SNN, LSE: SN) announced the introduction of its PERI-LOC° Periarticular Locked Plating System.
California's Emergency Medical Response Systems in Crisis - Medical News Today 27/02/05
Ninety-percent of California communities' emergency medical services response and patient transport falls to private ambulance operations during a natural disaster, act of terrorism or other large scale incident. Private ambulance companies routinely send ambulance resources to support local public safety agencies (law enforcement agencies and fire departments) at mass casualty incidents such as recent floods, wildland fires, train derailments and floods.
Merck Issues Statement on Granting of Coordinated Pre-Trial Status For Federal VIOXX® Lawsuits - Medical News Today 27/02/05
The federal Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation granted motions by several parties, including Merck, to transfer all VIOXX® shareholder suits pending in federal courts nationwide into one consolidated Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) for coordinated pre-trial proceedings.
Georgia House Approves Bill That Would Require 24-Hour Waiting Period for Women Seeking Abortion - Medical News Today 27/02/05
The Georgia House on Wednesday voted 139-35 to approve a bill... (HB 197) that would require a 24-hour waiting period for women seeking abortion and tighten parental notification regulations for minors seeking the procedure, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. The measure would require women seeking abortion to be informed of the medical risks of the procedure, the gestational age of the fetus, information about potential fetal pain experienced during an abortion and alternatives to the procedure. In addition, the measure would require that a minor's parent or legal guardian be notified if she seeks an abortion. The current parent notification law allows other adults, such as a grandparent or other relative, to "stand in" for a minor's parent or guardian, according to the Journal-Constitution (Campos, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 2/24). The House Health and Human Services Committee last week removed from the bill the requirement that doctors tell women about a possible link between abortion and an increased risk of breast cancer. The committee also removed a provision that would have allowed the partner or parents of a woman who has undergone an abortion to sue the abortion provider if they believe the procedure was conducted improperly. In addition, the committee agreed to keep secret the names of abortion providers who would be required to report information to the state about abortions performed (Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report, 2/22). The bill now goes to the full state Senate, which approved similar legislation in 2003 (Basinger, Florida Times-Union, 2/24).
Zerhouni Defends New NIH Conflict-of-Interest Guidelines - Medical News Today 26/02/05
NIH Director Elias Zerhouni on Thursday met with senior-level agency scientists -- many of whom have criticized NIH's "sweeping new ethics regulations" -- and "defended the rules" while being "sympathetic to their grievances," the Baltimore Sun reports (Baer, Baltimore Sun, 2/25). The rules, announced Feb. 1, would restrict the ability of NIH employees to enter outside consulting agreements with pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, health insurers and health care providers. The revised guidelines also would mandate that about 6,000 top NIH employees cannot hold stock in pharmaceutical or biotech companies and require current stockholders in the group to sell their shares (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 2/24). The regulations are open to public comment for one year before becoming final.
Inadequate Health Infrastructures in Africa Limiting Number of Patients Receiving HIV/AIDS Care, Boston Globe - Medical News Today 27/02/05
More than 20 sub-Saharan African countries are limiting the number of new patients receiving HIV/AIDS care because of insufficient health infrastructures and a shortage of health care workers, problems that pose a "major new obstacle" for expanding treatment programs in the region, the... Boston Globe reports. African physicians, Bush administration officials and HIV/AIDS advocates say that some sub-Saharan African countries are experiencing capacity problems in health clinics after enrolling a few thousand patients in antiretroviral drug programs, according to the Globe. Although these countries face future challenges in HIV/AIDS treatment, many people say that getting to this point "represents a significant accomplishment," the Globe reports. "We have moved from destructive chaos four years ago, when the epidemic was wreaking havoc and little was being done, to a kind of happy chaos," Paul Zeitz, head of the Global AIDS Alliance, said, adding, "We want these kind of problems. Now we need to rapidly upgrade health systems to improve capacity." The largest long-term problem facing African antiretroviral treatment programs is the lack of trained health care workers, according to the Globe. Dr. Jim Yong Kim, director of the World Health Organization's HIV/AIDS Program, said that donors will have to find ways to increase health workers' salaries in developing countries to prevent them from leaving their jobs. Zeitz said, "There are a ton of vibrant people who would love to get trained as community health workers. It would help the unemployment problem in many countries." Other African countries "are still not ready to start" antiretroviral drug treatment programs, the Globe reports. "[D]rug-distribution systems are a massive, massive problem," Mark Dybul, deputy chief of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, said, adding, "It's not just the supply chain, it's capacity overall. We're going from doubling or tripling the number of people on therapy, and the production capacity isn't there" (Donnelly, Boston Globe, 2/24).
More training needed to care for growing geriatric population - Medical News Today 27/02/05
The changing medical needs of the growing 65-and-over population in the United States are not being met by current medical education, University of Cincinnati (UC) researchers warn.
Illegal Dietary Supplements Seized, USA - Medical News Today 27/02/05
At the request of the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the US Attorney's Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania filed a Complaint for Forfeiture against $13,500 worth of adulterated and misbranded dietary supplement containing ephedrine alkaloids that were located at ATF Fitness Products, Inc. (ATF) in Oakmont, PA. The U.S. Marshals seized the products in response to a warrant issued by the court.
Idaho Senate Committee Approves Bill Expanding Family Planning Services Under State CHIP, Medicaid Programs - Medical News Today 27/02/05
The Idaho Senate Health and Welfare Committee on Wednesday approved 8-0 a bill... (SB 1140) that would expand family planning services offered under the state's Children's Health Insurance Program and Medicaid Pregnant Women and Children program, the Spokane Spokesman-Review reports. The expanded services would cover diagnosis, treatment, contraceptive supplies, counseling and restricted sterilization for low-income women ages 19 and older and guardians of children who qualify for one of the two programs. The services would not provide abortion coverage, according to the Spokesman-Review. State Sen. Shawn Keough (R), who co-sponsored the legislation, said the bill would cost $212,000 in its first year and $300,000 the second year, and Medicaid would provide 90% of the funding. He added that the legislation would "result in healthier women, healthier babies and healthier families." Some antiabortion advocates oppose the legislation because some funding might indirectly support clinics that provide abortion services (Wright, Spokane Spokesman-Review, 2/24).
GSI Creos Develops Innovative Cell Culture Incubator Using Cup-stacked Carbon Nanotubes - Medical News Today 27/02/05
GSI Creos (TSE: 8101) has announced that it has prototyped Carbere, a new cell culture incubator, using its proprietary cup-stacked-type carbon nanotubes (CSCNT). The new incubator, which takes advantages of the CSCNT's surface activity, increases the yields of antibodies and proteins as well as proliferates cells that are difficult to be incubated.
Flu activity continues to rise in USA, CDC - Medical News Today 27/02/05
During week 6 (February 6-12, 2005)*, influenza activity continued to increase in the United States. Nine hundred twelve (25.3%) specimens tested by U.S. World Health Organization (WHO) and National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System (NREVSS) collaborating laboratories were positive for influenza viruses. The proportion of patient visits to sentinel providers for influenza-like illness (ILI) has been above the national baseline for 5 consecutive weeks. The proportion of deaths attributed to pneumonia and influenza is below the epidemic threshold. There have been six influenza-associated pediatric deaths reported to CDC this season. Twenty-nine states reported widespread influenza activity, 19 states and New York City reported regional influenza activity, and 2 states and the District of Columbia reported local activity.
Effectiveness of Simultaneous Use of Alpha Lipoic Acid and Amino Acid in Reducing Fat Accumulation, Rohto Pharmaceutical - Medical News Today 27/02/05
Rohto Pharmaceutical (TSE: 4527) has announced that the company has discovered an unique property of alpha lipoic acid and amino acid.
Coast-to-coast polio drive to counter epidemic in Africa - Medical News Today 27/02/05
22-nation synchronized immunization campaign to reach 100 million children as virus spreads to Ethiopia - A mass polio immunization drive starting today across Africa gained greater urgency from reports that a child has contracted polio in Ethiopia, the first case there in four years.
Cameroon Health Ministry Agrees To Allow Follow-Up in Viread Trial; FHI To Help Participants Infected During Study - Medical News Today 27/02/05
Cameroon's Ministry of Health over the past few days has agreed to allow the follow-up of participants currently enrolled in a clinical trial that is testing the antiretroviral drug Viread, known generically as tenofovir, to determine if it can reduce the risk of HIV infection, the... Financial Times reports (Jack, Financial Times, 2/23). The health ministry earlier this month announced that it had suspended the trial, which involves HIV-negative commercial sex workers in the city of Douala, after the advocacy group ACT UP/Paris alleged that the trial violated ethical norms and called for it to be stopped. ACT UP/Paris claims that the study recruited particularly vulnerable participants without providing HIV/AIDS prevention information or treatment. Dr. Ward Cates, president of Family Health International's Institute for Family Health, which is conducting the study, earlier this month flew to Cameroon to try to salvage the trial and denied ACT UP/Paris' claims that the study is unethical (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 2/8).
Ankle Sprains Show Link to Development of Osteoarthritis - Medical News Today 27/02/05
Ankle sprains may predispose a patient to osteoarthritis according to a study presented at the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society's Annual Winter Meeting in Washington, DC, today.
S. Dakota House Committee Approves Parental Notification Bill; Senate Committee Approves Three Abortion-Related Bills - Medical News Today 27/02/05
The South Dakota House State Affairs Committee on Wednesday approved 10-1 a bill... (SB 193) that would require parents to be notified within 24 hours of "emergency abortions" performed on their minor daughters, the AP/Aberdeen American News reports (Brokaw, AP/Aberdeen American News, 2/23). The measure also would tighten the current state definition of a parent to ensure that nonparents cannot take minors across state lines to access abortion services. The measure includes a clause that would allow minors to seek a court order to avoid parental notification for emergency abortions. The state Senate approved the measure earlier this month (Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report, 2/18). The measure now goes to the full state House (AP/Aberdeen American News, 2/23).
Two-Thirds of US Residents Support More Regulation of Prescription Drug Prices, Poll Shows - Medical News Today 27/02/05
Sixty-five percent of US residents support more federal regulation of prescription drug prices, and 51% support additional regulations on prescription drug advertisements, according to a... Kaiser Family Foundation survey released Thursday, the AP/Las Vegas Sun reports. The survey, which had a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points, included interviews with 1,200 adults in the first week of February. According to the survey, 74% of adults attribute the increase in prescription drug costs to profits by pharmaceutical companies and cost of marketing and advertising, compared to 22% who say it is mostly because of the cost of research (AP/Las Vegas Sun, 2/24). The survey says that 46% of adults support more federal regulation of prescription drug prices, even if they heard investment in research and development of new medications would decrease (Reuters, 2/24). According to other recent data from the foundation, 69% of adults cite high profits by drug companies as a very important contributor to recent increases in health care costs, more than any other factor. According to the Newark Star-Ledger, the survey indicates a "growing suspicion" among many U.S. residents about the pharmaceutical industry that is "repeatedly underscored by debates over prices, drug safety and promotional spending by companies" (Silverman, Newark Star-Ledger, 2/25). Forty-four percent of people had a "favorable" opinion of pharmaceutical companies, including 14% with a "very favorable" view, compared with 50% who had an "unfavorable" opinion, the survey finds (Kaiser Family Foundation release, 2/24). Seventy-seven percent of people said that they have confidence in the ability of FDA to ensure prescription drug safety, with more than 25% saying that they have less confidence than in the past, the survey says (Newark Star-Ledger, 2/25). Nearly eight in 10 adults say prescription drugs have had a positive impact on people's lives, and 91% say drug companies make an important contribution to society by researching and developing new medications, according to the survey (Kaiser Family Foundation release, 2/24).
Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report Examines Developments Related to Medical Malpractice in Five States, USA - Medical News Today 27/02/05
The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report features recent developments related to medical malpractice insurance in five states. Summaries appear below. * Arizona: The state Senate on Monday dropped from consideration a bill that would have capped noneconomic damages in malpractice lawsuits, the Arizona Daily Star reports. The Arizona Medical Association had lobbied for the legislation -- which did not specify the amount of the cap -- to include a $250,000 cap. State Sen. John Huppenthal (R), who sponsored the bill, said that questions arose about whether the bill would have had adequate support in the state Legislature and among voters (Fischer, Arizona Daily Star, 2/22). The bill would have required an amendment to the state constitution (Fehr-Snyder, Arizona Republic, 2/21). Such an amendment would require 182,917 valid signatures to appear on the state ballot for voter approval. Huppenthal, chair of the state Senate Judiciary Committee, said that next year he plans to reintroduce the legislation with revisions. State Sen. Carolyn Allen (R) said that the bill might have to specify a $500,000 cap to pass in the state Legislature. Chic Older, executive vice president of AMA, said that the issue could appear on the state ballot in 2006 (Arizona Daily Star, 2/22). JoJene Mills, former president of the Arizona Trial Lawyers Association, said before the state Senate dropped the legislation, "This bill gives the Legislature a blank check. They (bill supporters) are not being very open with the voters in the state. This (bill) just asks to remove the constitutional protection without the voters understanding exactly what this means" (Arizona Republic, 2/21).
Illinois HMO Enrollment Falls Below 2M for First Time in 10 Years - Medical News Today 27/02/05
HMO enrollment in Illinois decreased by 6.8% in 2003 and by another 2.7% in the first half of 2004, according to the annual Illinois Managed Care Review, the... Chicago Tribune reports. The report, by Minneapolis-based by consultant Allan Baumgarten, says that HMO enrollment in the state dropped from a peak of 2.4 million in 1999 to 1.84 million in the first half of 2004. HMOs "aren't all that different from other health plans" now that certain restrictions have been loosened, "so there is less reason for an employer to choose one," the Tribune reports. In addition, Illinois employers or individuals with private health coverage have "always had more interest" in less-restrictive coverage, according to the Tribune. However, some experts predict that President Bush's proposal to reduce federal Medicaid funding could lead to a rebound for HMOs as a cost-saving measure (Japsen, Chicago Tribune, 2/24).
CDC To Separate Vaccine Safety Monitoring, National Immunization Programs - Medical News Today 27/02/05
CDC on Feb. 18 announced that it would divide its national immunization program, which encourages vaccination, and its vaccine safety branch, which monitors potential risks, to create two separate offices, the New York Times reports. CDC Director Julie Gerberding said the separation is intended to improve the "credibility and capability" of the safety branch. The move comes amid criticism that CDC's advocacy program affects the agency's ability to monitor and investigate adverse reactions to vaccines. According to the Times, "much of the pressure" has come from political leaders and parents of autistic children, who believe there might be a link between thimerosal, a mercury preservative once used widely in many childhood vaccines, and autism. CDC also has been criticized for holding private meetings with representatives of the vaccine industry, government officials and physicians to discuss the preliminary findings of a 2003 study that did not show a significant link between autism and thimerosal, according to Rep. Dave Weldon (R-Fla.). A panel of medical experts assembled by the Institute of Medicine on Feb. 17 issues recommendations to ease restrictions to CDC's "heavily guarded" Vaccine Safety Datalink, which contains more than seven million medical records that CDC used to monitor reactions to vaccines, for scientists outside the agency. CDC spokesperson Tim Skinner said the agency would consider the panel's recommendations and "continue to deliberate on them as we strengthen our vaccine program."
Arkansas Senate Passes Bill That Would Require State To Negotiate Discounts on Prescription Drugs for Uninsured - Medical News Today 27/02/05
The Arkansas Senate on Wednesday voted 26-4 to approve a... bill (HB 1241) that would have the state negotiate with pharmaceutical companies to obtain discounts on prescription drugs for uninsured residents, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports. Under the proposal, sponsored by state Rep. Dustin McDaniel (D), the state would negotiate the discounts with pharmaceutical companies and then pass the rebates on to participating pharmacists. The pharmacists then would charge program beneficiaries lower prices for the discounted medications. The program, called Arkansas Rx, would be available to all state residents older than age 65 who do not enroll in the new Medicare prescription drug benefit -- scheduled to begin on Jan. 1 -- and to those with annual incomes lower than 350% of the federal poverty level. State residents covered by other private or public health plans would not be eligible for the program. According to the Democrat-Gazette, an estimated 400,000 state residents would meet the eligibility requirements. Beneficiaries would pay an annual fee of $25 to help fund the program. The state Department of Human Services has said that startup costs for Arkansas Rx would be about $8.5 million and annual costs would be about $1.5 million. The bill, which is opposed by pharmaceutical companies, now returns to the state House for consideration of a Senate amendment that would require DHS to implement the program "subject to available funding." Jim Harris, a spokesperson for Gov. Mike Huckabee (R), said the governor supports the bill (Wickline/Bleed, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 2/24).
Administration Officials Clarify Bush Comments on Legislation To Change Medicare Drug Benefit - Medical News Today 27/02/05
Bush administration officials this week sought to address concerns among some conservative Republicans that President Bush would veto any legislation aiming to alter the new Medicare law, ...CongressDaily reports (Cohn, CongressDaily, 2/24). At the swearing-in ceremony for new HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt, Bush warned Congress not to reopen the new Medicare law, saying, "I signed Medicare reform proudly, and any attempt to limit the choices of our seniors and to take away their prescription drug coverage under Medicare will meet my veto." The comments came in response to criticism from some Democrats and Republicans about new cost projections for the new Medicare prescription drug benefit. CMS earlier this month said that the new drug benefit would cost more than $720 billion over its first 10 years, with expenses reaching $100 billion annually by 2015 (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 2/14).
AARP Launches Prescription Drug Comparison Web Site - Medical News Today 27/02/05
AARP on Thursday launched a Web site that allows U.S. residents to compare the "safety, effectiveness and cost" of prescription drugs, CQ HealthBeat reports. The site offers data on drugs for nine medical conditions and includes information about generic alternatives and pricing. The Web site will be expanded to include drugs from 20 conditions in the coming months. According to AARP, the information provided on the Web site seeks to correct an "imbalance" in prescription drug information created by pharmaceutical company marketing efforts. An AARP poll released Thursday found that most physicians receive free samples of brand-name drugs and visits from brand-name pharmaceutical company representatives, but few receive free samples of generic drugs or visits by generic drug maker sales reps. "It's our hope that the online information will raise awareness among members and consumers about the relative effectiveness of prescription drugs, while helping them identify lower cost, yet equally effective, alternatives," AARP Policy Director John Rother said (CQ HealthBeat, 2/24).
Florida To Hire Firms To Detail Governor's Medicaid Reform Proposal - Medical News Today 27/02/05
The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration will hire a consulting firm and an actuarial firm as early as this week to develop details of Gov. Jeb Bush's (R) Medicaid reform proposal, state Medicaid Director Tom Arnold said Wednesday, the Orlando Sentinel reports (Hollis, Orlando Sentinel, 2/24). Bush's proposal would determine and assign each Medicaid beneficiary a "risk-adjusted" premium, which the state would pay based on a person's health. State officials would assist beneficiaries in using the premium to choose among managed care organizations, insurance plans, provider service networks or community-based care systems to provide their health services. According to the proposal, insurance companies would compete to administer coverage and would be allowed to define the amount and scope of benefits they will offer. The proposal would provide beneficiaries with "flexible accounts," which would be used to purchase additional coverage or services. Unused funds in the accounts could be carried over for future use (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 1/12). According to Arnold, the agency has sought bids from consulting and actuarial firms. Some observers have criticized the move, noting it comes before Bush's proposal has received legislative approval, the Sentinel reports. State Sen. Nan Rich (D) said, "I think there are some real questions about what direction we should go now, and hiring these experts may be taking a few too many steps." But Arnold said, "Some of the intermediary steps, such as hiring actuaries and a benefits design specialist, clearly are just that: intermediary steps" (Orlando Sentinel, 2/24).
10 Experts on FDA Advisory Panel Supporting COX-2 Inhibitors Had Ties to Pharmaceutical Industry - Medical News Today 27/02/05
Almost one-third of the members on the... FDA advisory committee that last week recommended the continued sale of COX-2 inhibitors "have consulted in recent years for the drugs' makers" and in large part voted in favor of the recommendation, according to a recent review of medical journals and other public records conducted by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, the New York Times reports (Harris/Berenson, New York Times, 2/25). The committee, which included members of the FDA arthritis and drug safety and risk management advisory committees, on Feb. 16 began three days of meetings to examine the safety of COX-2 inhibitors and make recommendations to the agency. The committee voted: * 31-1 to recommend that FDA allow Celebrex, manufactured by Pfizer, to remain on the market; * 17-13 -- with two abstentions -- to recommend that FDA allow Bextra, also manufactured by Pfizer, to remain on the market; and * 17-15 to recommend that FDA allow Vioxx, manufactured by Merck, to return to the market (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 2/22).
Make Plans To Attend AAKP's 32nd Annual Convention - For Kidney Patients - Medical News Today 27/02/05
Drive excellence in your healthcare by attending the nation's largest gathering of kidney patients and their families - the American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP) Annual Convention. This year's Convention, titled “Quality First: Patients Driving Excellence,” will be held Sept. 1-4 in Las Vegas at the JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort and Spa.
Dysentery uses 'sword and shield' to cause infection - Medical News Today 25/02/05
Scientists have found that the bacterium that causes dysentery uses a 'sword and shield' approach to cause infection.
Cellular porthole connects odors to brain - Medical News Today 25/02/05
A cellular "porthole" known best for its role in the digestive system apparently has a major role in helping the brain sense odors, Johns Hopkins scientists report in the Feb. 17 issue of Neuron. The porthole, which lets chloride into cells, is also critical in digestion, hearing, balance, and fertility.
FDA Approves Astrazeneca's Atacand(R) (Candesartan Cilexetil) For The Treatment Of Heart Failure - Medical News Today 25/02/05
Atacand is first ARB to receive approval for reducing both CV mortality and hospitalizations for heart failure - AstraZeneca today announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved its angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) ATACAND(r) (candesartan cilexetil) Tablets for the treatment of heart failure (NYHA class II-IV and ejection fraction ˜ 40%) to reduce the risk of death from cardiovascular causes and reduce hospitalizations for heart failure. ATACAND is the first ARB to receive an indication for reducing both cardiovascular mortality and hospitalizations for heart failure.
History of broken bones overlooked when treating osteoporosis - Medical News Today 25/02/05
Women who need treatment for osteoporosis--thinning of the bones--may not be receiving it because their history of fractures is not being considered by physicians, according to a study done in part at the University of Alberta.
Fox Chase Cancer Center scientists identify immune-system mutation - Medical News Today 25/02/05
A team of Fox Chase Cancer Center scientists led by immunologist Dietmar J. Kappes, Ph.D., has identified the genetic mutation that keeps a mouse strain from developing white blood cells, or lymphocytes, called helper T cells. The report by Kappes and his colleagues appears in the Feb. 24 issue of Nature.
New radio-frequency technique for knee injuries - Medical News Today 25/02/05
The application of a new technique for injuries of the cruciate ligament in the knee, involving the use of bipolar radio-frequency plus heat, has proved to be 90% effective in cases and shortens the recovery time of the patient. This technique, carried out by specialists at the Navarre University Hospital Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, has received the National Prize for Research into Sports Medicine, awarded annually by the University of Oviedo. The awarded work, “Retraction of anterior cruciate ligament using bipolar radio-frequency”, was penned by five doctors at the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery.
New imaging technologies can enhance orthopaedic outcomes - Medical News Today 25/02/05
New imaging technologies are enabling doctors to not only diagnose a variety of orthopaedic and musculoskeletal conditions with more accuracy, but also to determine with unprecedented precision whether clinical recovery from bone, joint or tendon damage is actually complete and not simply a "placebo effect."
New binding target for oncogenic viral protein - Medical News Today 26/02/05
The DNA tumor virus simian virus 40 produces the Large T antigen which inactivates two of the cell's most important cancer-preventing proteins, p53 and pRb. In a study published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center report the discovery of an additional target for T antigen--a protein called Fbw7.
NTT Prototypes Technology to Use Human Body As Digital Transmission Path - Medical News Today 26/02/05
NTT (TSE: 9432) has developed an innovative human area networking technology called RedTacton (red implies a warm color; tacton is coined with "touch" and "action") that turns the surface of a human body into a data transmission path. RedTacton uses weak electric fields on the surface of the body as a transmission medium to enable data speeds of up to 10Mbps between any two points on the body.
Officials Discuss Increasing HIV/AIDS Incidence Among Women in Middle East, North Africa, Call for Action - Medical News Today 26/02/05
More needs to be done to protect women in the Middle East and North Africa from HIV/AIDS, according to health officials meeting in Amman, Jordan, at a three-day conference sponsored by... UNAIDS and the Jordanian government, BBC News reports. Although the HIV/AIDS incidence rate among women in the Middle East and North Africa is low compared with rates in other parts of the world, the incidence rate is rising among women in the region, according to BBC News. U.N. officials estimate that more than 500,000 HIV-positive people live in the region, BBC News reports. UNAIDS Associate Director Dr. Suman Mehta said accurate data are extremely difficult to collect because of HIV-positive women's reluctance to come forward. "(That) not a single one is coming forward to say, 'I am HIV-positive,' says something about the fear, the scare, the discrimination and stigma attached to AIDS," Mehta said. She added that HIV/AIDS will continue to be a problem in the region because women and girls have a lower social status than men, often experience rape and domestic violence and usually are unable to negotiate safe sex with their partners, BBC News reports. Dr. Hind Khattab, a public health specialist from Egypt, said that dispelling myths about sexuality is important in the fight against HIV/AIDS in the region, according to BBC News. "The most important thing to do is not to wait until we are in a dangerous situation and then do something," Khattab said. Health officials at the conference called for governments to provide comprehensive sex education -- including information about HIV prevention -- in schools and include HIV/AIDS treatment and care in general education and health care efforts (Gavlak, BBC News, 2/23).
Researchers find a mutation in LRRK2 gene causes Parkinson's disease in several North American and European families - Medical News Today 26/02/05
Neuroscientists at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla., leading a team of researchers in the United States and Europe, have discovered that a novel mutation in the recently identified LRRK2 gene causes parkinsonism in several North American and European families. Their findings will be reported in the April edition of the American Journal of Human Genetics. The disease-causing G2019S mutation in the LRRK2 gene is the first time a genetic cause has been associated with typical, late-onset Parkinson's disease.
San Francisco Board of Supervisors Votes To Allow Pharmacies To Sell Syringes Without Prescriptions - Medical News Today 26/02/05
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved an ordinance that would allow city... Walgreens and Rite Aid pharmacies to sell syringes to people who do not have a doctor's prescription, the San Francisco Chronicle reports (Herel, San Francisco Chronicle, 2/23). Under a new law (SB 1159) that went into effect Jan. 1, cities and counties in California can authorize pharmacies to sell up to 10 sterile syringes at a time to an adult without a prescription. California law previously required prescriptions to purchase syringes, except when used to inject adrenaline or insulin. Under the new law, the state Department of Health Services is responsible for evaluating local syringe sales and must report back to the state Legislature and pharmacies selling syringes without prescriptions must register with their county health department. Pharmacies also must provide educational and referral information and written and verbal counseling to people purchasing syringes without a prescription (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 1/6). San Francisco Supervisor Bevan Dufty, who co-sponsored the city measure with Supervisors Tom Ammiano and Ross Mirkarimi, said that allowing injection drug users to buy syringes directly from pharmacies without a doctor's prescription will help to prevent the spread of HIV, according to the Chronicle. Approximately 20% of the city's 20,000 injection drug users are HIV-positive and 80% have hepatitis C, according to Dufty. Although the city already has needle-exchange programs where injection drugs users can exchange used syringes for clean ones, Dufty said the measure is necessary because the needle-exchange programs cannot reach every part of San Francisco, according to the Chronicle. If the board approves the measure again next week after a second hearing, it will go to Mayor Gavin Newsom (D), who is expected to sign it, the Chronicle reports (San Francisco Chronicle, 2/23).
Statement by New York City Health Commissioner Dr T R Frieden opn Rare Strain of HIV in a New York City Resident - Medical News Today 26/02/05
On February 11, 2005, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) reported a case of HIV infection with a strain that is resistant to many drugs in three classes of HIV medications, and which appears to have progressed to AIDS within 4 to 20 months after infection. We continue to move forward in our investigation to identify the source and potential spread of this strain.
Study: Hypothermia-Related Deaths - USA, 2003-2004 - Medical News Today 26/02/05
CDC Report States Hypothermia-Related Deaths are Preventable - Hypothermia, the lowering of the body's core temperature to less than 95° F, causes nearly 700 deaths in the United States each year. Typically caused by prolonged exposure to cold temperature, hypothermia can be prevented by recognizing the risk factors and signs of this medical emergency, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report.
Toray Industries Develops Innovative Plastic and Hypersensitive Chip for Protein Analysis - Medical News Today 26/02/05
Toray Indsutries (TSE: 3402) has announced that it has prototyped a plastic chip designed for protein analysis. This half-card sized chip can detect a minute amount of disease-related proteins with 100 times the high sensitivity of the existing chip.
UNFPA Responds to Reproductive Health Needs in Rebuilt Communities and Among Migrants in Tsunami Region - Medical News Today 26/02/05
Responding to critical needs in Thailand's tsunami-affected communities, UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, is expanding its support for maternal and child health and family planning services and HIV prevention.
Adverse drug events in nursing homes are far more common than previously identified - Medical News Today 26/02/05
Injuries from adverse drug events in the long-term care setting are more common than previously documented, and largely preventable, according to the findings of a study published today in The American Journal of Medicine.
Comment on NHS Breast Screening Programme statistics - Medical News Today 26/02/05
Leading cancer care charity Macmillan Cancer Relief commented on the news that over 11,000 cancers have been detected in the past year thanks to the NHS Breast Screening Programme.
Elderly receiving inappropriate prescriptions from their doctor's office - Medical News Today 26/02/05
A large review of data linked to over 175,000 older adults enrolled in HMOs indicates that potentially inappropriate medications are being prescribed in substantial numbers. The findings are published in the February Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
New NIST reference material reinforces fragile-x screens - Medical News Today 26/02/05
A new Standard Reference Material from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will help clinical genetics labs improve the accuracy of their diagnostic tests for the most common cause of hereditary mental retardation.
Genetic amplification (NAAT) test detects HIV more effectively than standard tests in urban study - Medical News Today 26/02/05
Adding a new HIV screening method, called nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT), to standard HIV testing, researchers were able to uncover six percent more cases of HIV infection in urban STD and drug treatment clinics and HIV testing sites in Atlanta than with standard HIV antibody tests alone. The research will be presented at the 12th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Boston on February 25, 2005 by Frances Priddy, MD, assistant professor of medicine at Emory University School of Medicine.
Patient knows best when it comes to ulcerative colitis, U-M study finds - Medical News Today 26/02/05
People living with fatigue, abdominal discomfort and bloody diarrhea caused by the chronic inflammation of ulcerative colitis may no longer need to undergo frequent and uncomfortable endoscopies, a new study shows.
Infectious microorganism linked to kidney stones and other diseases - Medical News Today 26/02/05
NASA researchers announce a potential cause of rapid kidney stone formation in astronauts on space travels. The authors of a study published in Kidney International call for a "Major Initiative" to investigate nanobacteria.
Poor prenatal nutrition permanently damages function of insulin-producing cells in the pancreas - Medical News Today 26/02/05
Scientists at Joslin Diabetes Center have discovered one reason why infants with low birth weight have a high potential of developing type 2 diabetes later in life. In studies of mice, the researchers found that poor prenatal nutrition impairs the pancreas's ability to later secrete enough insulin in response to blood glucose.
Protecting drinking water supplies within buildings - Medical News Today 26/02/05
Mention drinking water contamination and most people would suspect problems with the ground water or with a water treatment plant. However, contamination of a building's internal piping or associated household appliances, whether by terrorist act or through an unintentional mishap, also could pose a serious threat to the health of building occupants. Recently, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Environmental Protection Agency's National Homeland Security Research Center (NHSRC) joined forces to cut the risk of this little explored hazard.
Majority of Doctors, Public Believe Mandatory, Federally Funded HIV Testing Would Benefit U.S. Health, Survey Says - Medical News Today 24/02/05
More than 60% of doctors and the general public in the United States believe that mandatory, federally funded HIV testing would improve the overall health of U.S. citizens, according to a national survey conducted by... HCD Research, the Washington Times reports. HCD separately polled 864 physicians and 1,339 non-physicians from Feb. 12 to Feb. 14 and found that 64% of physicians and 63% of non-physicians surveyed said they believe that compulsory HIV testing funded by the government "would improve the overall health of the U.S. population," according to the Times. Participants in both groups said that "employment issues" and difficulty in obtaining life insurance were the "most serious social concerns" associated with a policy requiring HIV testing, the Times reports. However, 59% of physicians and 60% of non-physicians surveyed said that "health care benefits would outweigh the social implications," according to the Times. "Physicians are a distinct group who share similar education, income and status in society, and it is interesting that their views reflect those of the general public on serious and evolving health care issues such as this one," HCD Co-Founder Glenn Kessler said. David Williams, policy director for Citizens Against Government Waste, said that he is "not impressed" by the survey results, according to the Times. "Those 60% [of doctors who support federally funded HIV testing] should go out and get tested and pay for it themselves. Instead of testing everyone, people need to know how not to get infected with HIV. They need to practice safe sex," he said (Howard Price, Washington Times, 2/18).
Near Elimination of Vertical HIV Transmission in United States Could Be 'Bad News' in Other Countries, Editorial Says - Medical News Today 24/02/05
Although reports that mother-to-child HIV transmission has been "nearly wiped out" in the United States and Western Europe are "thrill[ing]," it could be "bad news for the rest of the world" because "with few children with AIDS in rich nations, [drug] companies will have little incentive to improve on current pediatric AIDS products, and governments will continue to make sick children an afterthought," a... New York Times editorial says. There are few pediatric forms of antiretroviral drugs, and those that do exist are at least six times the cost of generic drugs for adults, according to the Times. In addition, there are no "cheap generic forms" of pediatric formulations or "easy-to-take" combination pills for children, the Times says. Therefore, health care providers administer smaller doses of adult antiretroviral therapy to many HIV-positive children in developing countries, a practice that can lead to "dangerous" overdoses or underdoses, according to the Times. Children living with HIV/AIDS "need the easiest, most child-friendly medical regime possible," the editorial says. The "major buyers" of HIV/AIDS treatments should guarantee drug companies a market if they come up with "better or cheaper" pediatric antiretroviral drugs, the Times says. In addition, training for HIV/AIDS health care workers in Africa must include pediatric treatments, and countries need to "integrate" children into their programs to fight the disease, according to the Times. "Children should not be left to die simply because they cannot pay," the editorial concludes (New York Times, 2/22).
Montana House Approves Bill Requiring Parental Notification for Minors Seeking Abortion - Medical News Today 24/02/05
The Montana House on Monday preliminarily approved 53-47 a bill... (HB 730) that would require parental notification for minors seeking abortion, the AP/Billings Gazette reports. The measure is an effort to "revive" a state parental notification law, which the Montana Department of Justice in the late 1990s stopped enforcing after the Montana Supreme Court issued a ruling nullifying the law's restrictions, according to the AP/Gazette. The current bill would "revam[p]" the system by which minors seeking abortion can gain judicial bypass to avoid parental notification for the procedure, the AP/Gazette reports. According to state Rep. Michael Lange (R), the measure would relax the current law's requirements for judicial bypass. Currently, a judge must find "clear and convincing evidence" that a minor is "mature enough" to undergo abortion. The new measure would require a judge only find that a minor seeking abortion is "competent," according to the AP/Gazette. "It doesn't try to do some super-secret change," Lange said, adding, "It just tries to make the law constitutional." However, state Rep. Gail Gutsche (D) said that the measure fails to overcome the state Supreme Court ruling, adding that the law would still impose a restriction violating the privacy right guaranteed by the state constitution (Anez, AP/Billings Gazette, 2/21).
Malaria threatens children in Zimbabwe - Medical News Today 24/02/05
New funds will help UNICEF fight malaria - Despite impressive advances made against malaria in Zimbabwe during the mid and late 1990s, UNICEF today warned that the country's children are once more under threat from the disease.
Macmillan expresses concerns about lack of funding to implement NICE lung cancer guidance - Medical News Today 24/02/05
Leading cancer care charity Macmillan Cancer Relief expressed concerns that there is a lack of funding to back up recommendations made in the NICE Guidance on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Lung Cancer announced today.
Los Angeles Times Examines Why U.S. Physicians Slow To Adopt Use of Rapid HIV Test - Medical News Today 24/02/05
The... Los Angeles Times on Monday examined the various reasons why rapid HIV tests, which give results in about 20 minutes and have been available since 2003, have been "slowly adopted" by U.S. physicians. According to a survey expected to be released next month by the American Academy of HIV Medicine, only about 5% of 300 private practice physicians in 10 states with high HIV prevalence reported using the rapid tests. Many doctors who do not offer to the test to their patients cited concern about the additional time needed to train staff to use the new tests and counsel patients and the possibility that many patients' insurance companies will not cover the cost of the new tests, leaving physicians to pay the $10 per test themselves, according to the survey (Costello, Los Angeles Times, 2/21). The complete article is available online.
Insurance incentives might help smokers quit, study says - Medical News Today 24/02/05
Health insurance that pays the full cost of smoking-cessation treatments can increase quit rates, compared to benefit plans that pick up only part of the tab or that offer no cessation benefits at all, according to a new review of studies.
Investigational transplant drug effectively preserves kidneys while avoiding toxic side effects - Medical News Today 24/02/05
Physician-researchers at Emory University in Atlanta have shown an investigational medication, known as LEA29Y (belatacept), is effective in preserving transplanted kidney function while at the same time avoiding the toxic side effects that are common in the currently used long-term, immunosuppressive transplant medications. The pre-clinical research conducted with nonhuman primates at the Yerkes National Primate Research center was an important step in establishing human clinical trials to develop an effective alternative to current anti-rejection therapies. Findings from one of the nonhuman primate studies appear in the March issue of the American Journal of Transplantation, which currently is online and appeared in print on February 21.
In Advance of Annual Meeting, Governors Preparing To Oppose President Bush's Medicaid Reform Plans - Medical News Today 24/02/05
Medicaid reform will be a "top agenda item" at the... National Governors Association meeting scheduled from Feb. 26 to March 1, and governors might go "beyond overhauling [the program] to include new approaches" to covering low-income state residents, NGA executive Director Ray Sheppach said Friday at an Alliance for Health Reform panel meeting, CQ HealthBeat reports (CQ HealthBeat [1], 2/18). In its FY 2006 budget proposal, the Bush administration seeks to reduce Medicaid funding through a number of provisions, including limits on state claims for federal matching funds, restrictions on transfers of assets by seniors to obtain Medicaid eligibility and reductions in reimbursements for prescription drugs. HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt earlier this month in testimony before the Senate Finance Committee also said that the administration hopes to provide states with more flexibility in Medicaid programs (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 2/17). CMS Administrator Mark McClellan said, "We're going to work closely with (governors) to find ways to use flexibility to get better results. What we're focused on is making it more routine in Medicaid to adopt proven approaches at a lower cost."
Homicide One of Leading Causes of Injury-Related Death Among Pregnant Women, New Mothers, CDC Study Says - Medical News Today 24/02/05
Homicide is the second most common cause of injury-related death among pregnant women and new mothers, according to a... CDC study released on Tuesday and published in the March issue of the American Journal of Public Health, the Washington Post reports. In CDC's first national examination of pregnancy and homicide, Jeani Chang, an epidemiologist with the Division of Reproductive Health at CDC's National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, and colleagues documented injury-related deaths of pregnant women and women who had recently given birth in 30 states. Between 1991 and 1999, 617 maternal homicides were recorded, and researchers estimate that there are 1.7 maternal homicides per 100,000 live births in the United States. However, researchers say that number is "significantly understate[d]" because many of the 30 states studied do not have reliable methods for keeping track of such deaths, according to the Post. According to the study -- which examined trauma deaths only and did not compare them to maternal deaths due with medical causes -- auto accidents accounted for about 44% of maternal trauma deaths, homicide accounted for 31%, other unintentional injuries accounted for 13% and suicide accounted for 10%.
Global tobacco treaty enters into force with 57 countries already committed - Parties represent 2.3 billion people - Medical News Today 24/02/05
The World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) enters into force on Sunday 27 February 2005. This represents an historical moment in public health, as the Treaty gives countries more tools to control tobacco use and save lives. On the 27th, the provisions of the Treaty will be legally binding for the first 40 countries that became Contracting Parties before 30 November 2004.
FDA Advisory Panel Votes To Allow COX-2 Medications To Remain on Market; Vioxx Could Return - Medical News Today 24/02/05
An FDA advisory panel on Friday voted unanimously to advise the agency that all COX-2 inhibitors increase a person's risk for cardiovascular problems, yet a "substantial majority" of panelists recommended that despite the risks, the medications should remain on the market and be accompanied by strong warnings, the... Washington Post reports. The panel's recommendations are nonbinding, but FDA generally follows its advice (Kaufman, Washington Post, 2/19). The panel, which includes members of the FDA arthritis and drug safety and risk management advisory committees, on Feb. 16 began three days of meetings to examine the safety of COX-2 inhibitors (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 2/18).
Exercise therapy builds strength, mobility in MS patients - Medical News Today 24/02/05
Exercise therapy can improve muscle strength, mobility and other signs of fitness in people with multiple sclerosis, according to a recent review of studies.
Employers, Health Plans Offer Incentives To Curb Health Care Cost Increases, USA - Medical News Today 22/02/05
Two newspapers recently examined efforts by employers and health plans to control health care costs by offering incentives to workers and members. Summaries appear below. * The Boston Globe on Thursday examined consumer-directed health plans, "the next new thing employers and insurers are pushing" to help reduce health care costs. Such health plans are intended to increase members' involvement in health care decisions by increasing their awareness of the cost of health care services and offering incentives for controlling health care costs along with higher out-of-pocket expenses than other health plans. About one million of the 160 million U.S. residents with employer-based health coverage currently are members of consumer-directed health plans, and a Kaiser Family Foundation survey conducted last year found that half of all employers with 5,000 or more workers said they likely would introduce such health plans as an option for health care coverage in the next two years. However, Karen Davis, president of the Commonwealth Fund, said that such health plans discourage people from seeking necessary medical care (Blanton, Boston Globe, 2/17).
Drug-Resistant HIV Strain in NYC Patient Similar to Treatable Canadian Cases; Debate Over Announcement Continues - Medical News Today 22/02/05
The rare, drug-resistant HIV strain recently detected in a New York City man appears to be "similar in some ways" to two HIV cases in Canada that first appeared in 2001 and did not lead to the spread of a "supervirus," the... Washington Post reports. Both cases -- despite "worrisome features" -- were treatable with three- or four-drug combinations, including antiretroviral medications in the same classes of drugs that the virus was resistant to in lab tests, according to the Post. The cases also involved a drug-resistant strain and rapidly evolving virus, although neither case was "as extreme" as the strain found in New York City, according to the Post (Brown, Washington Post, 2/19). Officials from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene on Feb. 11 announced they had detected in a local man a rare strain of HIV that is resistant to most antiretroviral drugs and possibly causes a rapid onset of AIDS. The city health department issued an alert to physicians, hospitals and medical providers asking them to test all HIV-positive patients for evidence of the strain. Dr. David Ho, director of the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center -- where the patient was diagnosed as HIV-positive in December 2004 -- said the combination of highly drug-resistant HIV and rapid progression to AIDS had not been identified before (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 2/18). Drug-resistant HIV can be treated using specific drug combinations or higher doses of medications, according to the Post. The New York patient's rapid progression to AIDS could indicate an "especially virulent" HIV strain or mean the man had a "pre-existing weakness" in his immune system, according to the Post. The two Canadian men in the previously detected cases currently are in good health, according to Julio Montaner, chair of AIDS research at the University of British Columbia and the physician who treated the men. However, he said that the New York case is "more florid, with more resistance" than the Canadian cases and that the New York man is sicker than the Canadian patients (Washington Post, 2/19).
Drug Related Deaths Down For Third Year Running, UK - Medical News Today 22/02/05
Figures published today by the Office for National Statistics (UK) for 1999 to 2003 show that drug related deaths fell for the third year in a row to reach their lowest level since 1997. The total reduction since 1999 has been 12% and in young people under the age of 20, deaths from drug misuse fell by almost a third from 2002 to 2003.
Celecoxib safe for short-term use in patients with cirrhosis, says study - Medical News Today 22/02/05
Short-term use of selective COX-2 inhibitors may be safe for patients with cirrhosis of the liver, according to a recent study that compared the effects of celecoxib, naproxen, and a placebo on cirrhotic patients in a double-blind randomized controlled study. The findings are published in the March 2005 issue of Hepatology, the official journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD). Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., the journal is available online via Wiley InterScience at http://www.interscience.wiley.com/journal/hepatology.
Cancer in patients with hepatitis C - Medical News Today 22/02/05
People infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) have a higher risk of developing non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and multiple myeloma, according to a recent study of the Swedish population. These findings are published in the March 2005 issue of Hepatology, the official journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD). Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc, the journal is available online via Wiley InterScience at http://www.interscience.wiley.com/journal/hepatology.
Arkansas Senate Committee, House Approve Bill To Establish Prescription Drug Discounts for the Uninsured - Medical News Today 22/02/05
An Arkansas Senate Committee on Monday voted to give its approval to a bill... (HB 1241) that would establish a prescription drug discount program for the uninsured, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports (Bleed, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 2/22). The state House on Thursday voted 81-5 to approve the bill. The bill, sponsored by state Rep. Dustin McDaniel (D), would create the Arkansas Rx program for residents with annual incomes up to 350% of the federal poverty level or who are older than age 65 and do not have coverage. Participants would pay $25 annually to be in the program. The program would require participating pharmacies to lower the price of medications for participants, and then the state would refund pharmacies the difference between the price paid and the medication's standard price. The state Department of Human Services estimates the program would cost $1.5 million per year to operate and require an additional $8.5 million to start (Bleed/Wickline, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 2/18). The full state Senate will now consider the bill (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 2/22).
Actor Will Smith To Host Second '46664' HIV/AIDS Awareness Concert in South Africa; Mandela To Attend - Medical News Today 22/02/05
Former South African President Nelson Mandela on Thursday announced that he will attend next month's... "46664" HIV/AIDS awareness concert and that U.S. actor and musician Will Smith will host the event, the SAPA/News24.com reports. Mandela last month in an effort to reduce the stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS announced that his son Makgatho had died of AIDS-related causes (SAPA/News24.com, 2/17). The concert will feature 150 local and international musicians, including Usher and Annie Lennox (AFP/news.com.au, 2/17). The concert is scheduled to be held on March 19 at the Fancourt Hotel, Country Club and Golf Estate in George, South Africa, and will be spearheaded by the musical group Queen, whose original lead singer, Freddie Mercury, died of AIDS-related complications in 1991 (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 12/23/04). Mandela said the concert will focus specifically on HIV prevention among women and children, Xinhuanet reports (Xinhuanet, 2/17). Mandela said that women and girls in South Africa are six times as likely to be HIV-positive as men, according to the AP/Chicago Tribune. "We do not treat our women with enough dignity and respect," Mandela said, adding, "We must mobilize to act, and act soon, before it is too late" (AP/Chicago Tribune, 2/17). Mandela said he plans to attend the concert even though he has "been told explicitly to retire from public life" (Chiahemen, Reuters, 2/17). The first 46664 concert was held in Cape Town, South Africa, in December 2003 to benefit Mandela's 46664 campaign -- named for his prison number during his nearly 20-year incarceration at the South African prison on Robben Island. Fancourt owner Dr. Hasso Plattner has agreed to underwrite all the costs of the second concert so that the Nelson Mandela Foundation can receive all profits (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 12/23/04).
18 Glasgow children given out of date jabs, UK - Medical News Today 23/02/05
NHS Greater Glasgow has written to the parents of 18 children, between the ages of one and five, to ask them to contact their GP to make arrangements for their children to receive an additional vaccination.
New device will help stroke victims' recovery - Medical News Today 23/02/05
Engineers at Cardiff University, UK, are using their expertise to help create a device which could greatly increase the rate of recovery for stroke victims.
USA Today Examines India's HIV/AIDS Epidemic, Responses From Government, Nongovernmental Organizations - Medical News Today 26/02/05
USA Today on Thursday examined India's HIV/AIDS epidemic and efforts by both government and nongovernmental organizations to fight the spread of the virus. Married men who pay for sex with women, have unprotected sex with other men or engage in injection drug use put themselves and their wives at risk of contracting HIV and are "driving up India's contribution to the next wave of global AIDS, now emerging mainly in Asia," according to USA Today. Almost half of all new HIV cases in India are among women, USA Today reports. However, the "prospect that a major AIDS epidemic could flood hospital beds, drain budgets, kill hundreds of millions of Indians and derail economic progress ... deeply worries India's power elite," according to USA Today. The administration of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh "has taken a much more aggressive stance" on HIV/AIDS than the previous government, and nongovernmental organizations -- including the Clinton Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation -- are helping the government establish HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention programs throughout the country, according to USA Today (Sternberg [1], USA Today, 2/24).
Uganda's Decline in HIV/AIDS Prevalence Attributed to Increased Condom Use, Early Death From AIDS, Study Says - Medical News Today 26/02/05
Increased condom use and premature deaths from AIDS-related diseases might be playing more of a role in declining HIV prevalence in Uganda than abstinence and fidelity, according to a study presented Wednesday at the... 12th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Boston, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Supporters of Uganda's ABC method -- which stands for Abstinence, Be faithful, use Condoms -- have "widely credited" the approach with lowering the country's HIV prevalence rate from 30% of adults in the early 1990s to under 10% currently (Russell, San Francisco Chronicle, 2/24). However, the results of the unpublished study -- which was conducted by researchers at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University and several Ugandan organizations -- "contradict" previous findings that attribute Uganda's declining HIV prevalence to initiatives promoting abstinence and faithfulness to one sexual partner, according to the Washington Post. According to study co-author Maria Wawer of Mailman School of Public Health, the researchers interviewed over a period of 10 years 10, 000 people ages 15 to 49 living in 44 villages in the Rakai district of Uganda. They also collected blood and urine samples and asked about participants' health and behavior. Approximately 85% of Rakai's residents cooperated with the study, which also included treatment and prevention services (Brown, Washington Post, 2/24).
Salt Kills 150,000 a Year, Says CSPI Report - Medical News Today 25/02/05
Too much salt in the diet is boosting Americans' blood pressure and is prematurely killing roughly 150,000 people each year, according to a new report issued today by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). Despite the pleas of health experts to cut back, salt consumption has drifted upward over the past 30 years to the point where Americans are now consuming about 4,000 milligrams of sodium per day - about twice the recommended amount. CSPI is filing a lawsuit against the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in federal court to compel the agency to classify salt as a food additive. Presently, FDA classifies salt as GRAS, or Generally Recognized as Safe, which means that it is not closely regulated.
