Forgetting long-time bonds, Alzheimer's patients fall in love
Retired Supreme Court justice Sandra Day Oa??Connor, pictured in May, recently revealed that her husband, John, an Alzheimer's patient, has begun a romance with a fellow patient after moving into an assisted living center, one of the possible effects of the progressive degenerative disease which deprives a suffer of the memories of their past live and ties.(AFP/File/Mandel Ngan)WASHINGTON (AFP) - When her husband of 55 years began seeing another woman, former US Supreme Court justice Sandra Day O'Connor did not begin high-profile divorce proceedings or condemn his infidelity.
Indeed, it was O'Connor herself who recently went public with the news that her husband John, 77, who suffers from Alzheimer's disease, had struck up a relationship with a woman patient at a care facility in Arizona.
"Mom was thrilled that dad was relaxed and happy and comfortable living here, and wasn't complaining," one of the O'Connors' three sons, Scott, said on television.
Before meeting his new romantic interest, who also suffers from Alzheimer's disease, John O'Connor was depressed and had talked of suicide, his son said.
Sandra Day O'Connor left her seat on the Supreme Court last year to look after her husband, who has suffered from Alzheimer's disease for 17 years.
The former judge chose to reveal her husband's "infidelity" to raise awareness of a lesser-known side of the degenerative brain disease, but did not comment publicly about the new woman in the life of her long-time partner.
Experts say it is not uncommon for Alzheimer's patients, who suffer memory loss and tend to live for the moment, to embark on new romantic relationships.
"I can't quantify how often this type of situation occurs, but it will continue to occur in greater number as the years go by, and particularly with baby boomers coming into long-term care settings," Rubin Dessel, head of memory care services at the Hebrew Home care facility in New York, told AFP.
Peter Reed, director of programs at the Alzheimer's Association, agreed that it was difficult to estimate how common the phenomenon was, but explained how it might come about.
"Alzheimer's is a progressive disease that affects the memory. Sufferers can forget familiar people, and live in the moment," he said.
"But people with dementia still need social connections, still need to interact and have meaningful relationships," he added.
Relationships between Alzheimer sufferers can take the form of an almost child-like romance where the couple simply holds hands.
But sexual relations are not unheard of.
"Sex? People certainly develop new relationships and they can take a variety of different forms," said Reed.
"They are not children despite having a memory problem," he said.
"While hand-holding is one demonstration of caring and camaraderie and intimacy, it may well extend to something more physical," said Dessel.
To families, watching a father or mother, husband or wife begin a new life with a new person, even as they have difficulty remembering their children and spouse, can be hurtful.
"If the marital relationship was a happy one, this can be extraordinarily hurtful and the family can react with sadness and pain," said Dessel.But, she said, an Alzheimer patient who embarks on a new relationship is not truly cheating on their marriage."These relationships are not based on adultery or betrayal. Alzheimer's patients lose so much of their past and very often have no memory or recall of anything of their lives, apart from their day-to-day experience."They live in the moment without the luxury of their past lives," Dessel said.She praised O'Connor's reaction to her husband's new object of affection."I applaud her. I believe that her support is noble and selfless. She is really looking to support the health of her husband and is concerned only at this point with his happiness and well-being," said Dessel."You have to be like Justice O'Connor. You have to be selfless."
Sunday, December 30, 2007
New Drug Option for Late-Stage Breast Cancer Patients (American Cancer Society)
New Drug Option for Late-Stage Breast Cancer Patients (American Cancer Society)
There's good news for advanced breast cancer patients whohaven'tresponded to current chemotherapy drugs.
RESOURCES:
Detailed Guide: BreastCancer
UnderstandingChemotherapy: A Guide For Patients And Families
BreastCancer Treatment Decision Tools
After a swift 6-month priority review, the Food and DrugAdministration put its stamp of approval on ixabepilone(IxempraTM), a new chemotherapy drug shown to reduce tumor sizeand slow tumorgrowth in some patients with metastatic or locally advanced breastcancer.
The new drug, developed by Bristol-Myers Squibb, is approved for use incombination with another chemotherapy drug capecitabine, in patientswho haven't had success with an anthracycline (like doxorubicin orepirubicin) and a taxane (like paclitaxel or docetaxel), and as astandalone option for patients who have exhausted all 3 options (ananthracycline, a taxane, and capecitabine).
The FDA review was based on studies of ixabepilone alone andin combination with capecitabine. In a study of 126 breast cancerpatients who received ixabepilone alone, 12% saw a significant decreasein the size of their tumors. In a randomized trial of 752 patients whotook both ixabepilone and capecitabine, tumor growth slowedsignificantly compared to patients who were taking capecitabine alone.
Ixabepilone belongs to a class of drugs known as epothiloneanalogs, which work by binding to and interfering with microtubules,structures that play a key role in cell division. The net effect is aslowing of the growth of cancer cells in the body.
Ixabepilone is given by intravenous infusion over 3 hoursevery 3 weeks. One of the possible side effects of taking ixabepiloneis bone marrow suppression, so it is not recommended for patients whohave low white blood cell or platelet counts. Other possible sideeffects include numbness or tingling in the hands or feet,constipation, nausea, vomiting, and muscle and joint pain.
There's good news for advanced breast cancer patients whohaven'tresponded to current chemotherapy drugs.
RESOURCES:
Detailed Guide: BreastCancer
UnderstandingChemotherapy: A Guide For Patients And Families
BreastCancer Treatment Decision Tools
After a swift 6-month priority review, the Food and DrugAdministration put its stamp of approval on ixabepilone(IxempraTM), a new chemotherapy drug shown to reduce tumor sizeand slow tumorgrowth in some patients with metastatic or locally advanced breastcancer.
The new drug, developed by Bristol-Myers Squibb, is approved for use incombination with another chemotherapy drug capecitabine, in patientswho haven't had success with an anthracycline (like doxorubicin orepirubicin) and a taxane (like paclitaxel or docetaxel), and as astandalone option for patients who have exhausted all 3 options (ananthracycline, a taxane, and capecitabine).
The FDA review was based on studies of ixabepilone alone andin combination with capecitabine. In a study of 126 breast cancerpatients who received ixabepilone alone, 12% saw a significant decreasein the size of their tumors. In a randomized trial of 752 patients whotook both ixabepilone and capecitabine, tumor growth slowedsignificantly compared to patients who were taking capecitabine alone.
Ixabepilone belongs to a class of drugs known as epothiloneanalogs, which work by binding to and interfering with microtubules,structures that play a key role in cell division. The net effect is aslowing of the growth of cancer cells in the body.
Ixabepilone is given by intravenous infusion over 3 hoursevery 3 weeks. One of the possible side effects of taking ixabepiloneis bone marrow suppression, so it is not recommended for patients whohave low white blood cell or platelet counts. Other possible sideeffects include numbness or tingling in the hands or feet,constipation, nausea, vomiting, and muscle and joint pain.
CDC Report: Smoking Rate Steady for Two-Years Running (American Cancer Society)
CDC Report: Smoking Rate Steady for Two-Years Running (American Cancer Society)
The number of adult smokers in the United States hasremainedconstantsince 2004, according to a report published this week by the US Centersfor Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
RESOURCES:
GreatAmerican Smokeout Challenge
Guideto Quitting Smoking
Quiz:What's the Best Way For You to Quit?
Based on the CDC's numbers, 20.8% of US adults smoked in 2006,compared to the 20.9% who were smoking in 2004 and 2005, data thatsuggests a marked slowdown from the steady declines seen in previousyears.
Who's Smoking?
The CDC analyzed data from the 2006 National Health InterviewSurvey (NHIS), a questionnaire that evaluated the smoking habits of24,275 adults 18 and older. Of the group, 20.8% currently smoked, andamong those individuals, 44.2% had made an effort to stop smoking inthe last 12 months.
Slightly more men (23.9%) than women (18.0%) still light up.Only 10.4% of Asians surveyed still smoked, followed by Hispanics(15.2%), non-Hispanic whites (21.9%), non-Hispanic blacks (23%), andAmerican Indians/Alaskan Natives (32.4%). And overall, the likelihoodthat a person might smoke decreased as education level increased.
Numbers were especially high among those who had already beendiagnosed with smoking-related chronic diseases (36.9%), includingcertain cancers. That indicates a need for more aggressive cessationmessages directed at this population, the researchers say, especiallygiven data that shows that continued smoking has harmful effects ontreatment and survival.
Behind the Numbers
There are likely several reasons for the standstill in smokingrates. The authors of the study point to the 20.3% decrease in fundingfor comprehensive state-sponsored smoking cessation and preventionprograms from 2002 to 2006. On top of that, many states havere-allocated funds previously devoted to tobacco control, says ThomasJ. Glynn, Ph.D., director of the American Cancer Society's CancerScience and Trends and International Tobacco programs.
Also to blame: tobacco companies have offset the burden ofcigarette price increases by offering coupons, two-for-one deals, andother incentives to smokers, retailers, and wholesalers. Approximately81% of tobacco-industry marketing efforts were related to discountingstrategies, according to the report.
Call to Action
In order to get the numbers down, tobacco control advocatesneed to turn the heat up, Glynn says. The American Cancer Society iscalling for tighter regulations on cigarettes, from increasingworkplace laws and cigarette tax increases to granting the Food andDrug Administration the authority to regulate tobacco products.
"Tobacco use rates could even begin to rise rather thanstagnate if strong, effective action is not taken now," says Glynn.
Citation: "Tobacco Use Among Adults --United States, 2006." Published in the Nov. 9, 2007 Morbidityand Mortality Weekly Report (Vol. 56, No. 44:1157-1161). First author: VJ Rock, MPH, US Centers for Disease Controland Prevention.
The number of adult smokers in the United States hasremainedconstantsince 2004, according to a report published this week by the US Centersfor Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
RESOURCES:
GreatAmerican Smokeout Challenge
Guideto Quitting Smoking
Quiz:What's the Best Way For You to Quit?
Based on the CDC's numbers, 20.8% of US adults smoked in 2006,compared to the 20.9% who were smoking in 2004 and 2005, data thatsuggests a marked slowdown from the steady declines seen in previousyears.
Who's Smoking?
The CDC analyzed data from the 2006 National Health InterviewSurvey (NHIS), a questionnaire that evaluated the smoking habits of24,275 adults 18 and older. Of the group, 20.8% currently smoked, andamong those individuals, 44.2% had made an effort to stop smoking inthe last 12 months.
Slightly more men (23.9%) than women (18.0%) still light up.Only 10.4% of Asians surveyed still smoked, followed by Hispanics(15.2%), non-Hispanic whites (21.9%), non-Hispanic blacks (23%), andAmerican Indians/Alaskan Natives (32.4%). And overall, the likelihoodthat a person might smoke decreased as education level increased.
Numbers were especially high among those who had already beendiagnosed with smoking-related chronic diseases (36.9%), includingcertain cancers. That indicates a need for more aggressive cessationmessages directed at this population, the researchers say, especiallygiven data that shows that continued smoking has harmful effects ontreatment and survival.
Behind the Numbers
There are likely several reasons for the standstill in smokingrates. The authors of the study point to the 20.3% decrease in fundingfor comprehensive state-sponsored smoking cessation and preventionprograms from 2002 to 2006. On top of that, many states havere-allocated funds previously devoted to tobacco control, says ThomasJ. Glynn, Ph.D., director of the American Cancer Society's CancerScience and Trends and International Tobacco programs.
Also to blame: tobacco companies have offset the burden ofcigarette price increases by offering coupons, two-for-one deals, andother incentives to smokers, retailers, and wholesalers. Approximately81% of tobacco-industry marketing efforts were related to discountingstrategies, according to the report.
Call to Action
In order to get the numbers down, tobacco control advocatesneed to turn the heat up, Glynn says. The American Cancer Society iscalling for tighter regulations on cigarettes, from increasingworkplace laws and cigarette tax increases to granting the Food andDrug Administration the authority to regulate tobacco products.
"Tobacco use rates could even begin to rise rather thanstagnate if strong, effective action is not taken now," says Glynn.
Citation: "Tobacco Use Among Adults --United States, 2006." Published in the Nov. 9, 2007 Morbidityand Mortality Weekly Report (Vol. 56, No. 44:1157-1161). First author: VJ Rock, MPH, US Centers for Disease Controland Prevention.
Naples bans smoking near pregnant women, children: city official
Naples bans smoking near pregnant women, children: city official
Cigarettes burn in an ashtray. A new law has taken effect in Naples prohibiting smoking near pregnant women and children in the southern Italian city's public parks.(AFP/File/Joel Saget)ROME (AFP) - A new law took effect in Naples on Monday prohibiting smoking near pregnant women and children in the southern Italian city's public parks.
"We're not going to use a ruler to measure the distance between smokers and women or children," Deputy Mayor Gennaro Nasti told AFP.
"But it will be forbidden to smoke during open-air shows or under covered structures."
Violators will have to pay fines of between 27.50 and 500 euros (40 and 730 dollars), Nasti said, adding that police would enforce the law.
Smoking in public buildings has been illegal throughout Italy since January 2005.
Cigarettes burn in an ashtray. A new law has taken effect in Naples prohibiting smoking near pregnant women and children in the southern Italian city's public parks.(AFP/File/Joel Saget)ROME (AFP) - A new law took effect in Naples on Monday prohibiting smoking near pregnant women and children in the southern Italian city's public parks.
"We're not going to use a ruler to measure the distance between smokers and women or children," Deputy Mayor Gennaro Nasti told AFP.
"But it will be forbidden to smoke during open-air shows or under covered structures."
Violators will have to pay fines of between 27.50 and 500 euros (40 and 730 dollars), Nasti said, adding that police would enforce the law.
Smoking in public buildings has been illegal throughout Italy since January 2005.
Want to lose that baby weight? Get some sleep
Want to lose that baby weight? Get some sleep
A mother and her toddler are shown in this undated file photo. Researchers presented a conundrum to new mothers on Monday, saying that women who want to lose the extra weight gained in pregnancy should try to get more sleep. (Kieran Doherty/Reuters)WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Researchers presented a conundrum tonew mothers on Monday, saying that women who want to lose theextra weight gained in pregnancy should try to get more sleep.
They found that mothers who slept five hours or less a daywhen their babies were six months old were three times morelikely than more rested mothers to have kept on the extraweight at one year.
"We've known for some time that sleep deprivation isassociated with weight gain and obesity in the generalpopulation, but this study shows that getting enough sleep --even just two hours more -- may be as important as a healthydiet and exercise for new mothers to return to theirpre-pregnancy weight," said Erica Gunderson of KaiserPermanente, which runs hospitals and clinics in California.
Gunderson and colleagues studied 940 women taking part in astudy of prenatal and postnatal health at Harvard MedicalSchool in Boston.
The women who slept five hours or less a night when theirbabies were six months old were more likely to have kept on 11pounds (5 kg) of weight one year after giving birth, theyfound.
Women who slept seven hours a night or more lost moreweight, they reported in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
The researchers acknowledged this may pose a dilemma to newmothers, given that infants sleep so fitfully.
"With the results of this study, new mothers must bewondering, 'How can I get more sleep for both me and my baby?'Our team is working on new studies to answer this importantquestion," said Dr. Matthew Gillman of Harvard Medical Schooland Harvard Pilgrim Health Care.
A mother and her toddler are shown in this undated file photo. Researchers presented a conundrum to new mothers on Monday, saying that women who want to lose the extra weight gained in pregnancy should try to get more sleep. (Kieran Doherty/Reuters)WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Researchers presented a conundrum tonew mothers on Monday, saying that women who want to lose theextra weight gained in pregnancy should try to get more sleep.
They found that mothers who slept five hours or less a daywhen their babies were six months old were three times morelikely than more rested mothers to have kept on the extraweight at one year.
"We've known for some time that sleep deprivation isassociated with weight gain and obesity in the generalpopulation, but this study shows that getting enough sleep --even just two hours more -- may be as important as a healthydiet and exercise for new mothers to return to theirpre-pregnancy weight," said Erica Gunderson of KaiserPermanente, which runs hospitals and clinics in California.
Gunderson and colleagues studied 940 women taking part in astudy of prenatal and postnatal health at Harvard MedicalSchool in Boston.
The women who slept five hours or less a night when theirbabies were six months old were more likely to have kept on 11pounds (5 kg) of weight one year after giving birth, theyfound.
Women who slept seven hours a night or more lost moreweight, they reported in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
The researchers acknowledged this may pose a dilemma to newmothers, given that infants sleep so fitfully.
"With the results of this study, new mothers must bewondering, 'How can I get more sleep for both me and my baby?'Our team is working on new studies to answer this importantquestion," said Dr. Matthew Gillman of Harvard Medical Schooland Harvard Pilgrim Health Care.
New research explains why some tumors undetected
New research explains why some tumors undetected
LONDON (Reuters) - Researchers looking at immune systems inhealthy people have discovered an interaction between two typesof cells that may help explain why the body's natural defensesfail to detect and fight tumors.
The findings could lead to better cancer treatments and newtargets for drugs, said Leonie Taams, an immunologist at King'sCollege London, who led the study published on Tuesday.
The study looked at regulatory T-cells, which keep theimmune system stable and are key in controlling immune cellscalled macrophages that cause inflammation. Inflammation is oneof the body's first responses when fighting infection.
Taams said the study showed that just as regulatory "policeofficer" T-cells can stop killer T-cells from attacking atumor, they can also shut off macrophages, suppressinginflammation and keeping the body from detecting tumors.
"Before these police officers were never believed to speakto these macrophages. We have shown they can do it," Taams saidin a telephone interview.
"The regulatory T-cells trick the immune system intothinking there is no problem."
Scientists had known things like the presence of bacteriatypically activated macrophages but understood less about whatcaused the cells to switch off.
Taams said the study -- in which researchers tookmacrophages from healthy people and cultured them in disheseither on their own, with normal T-cells or with regulatoryT-cells -- answered that question for the first time.
Their findings, published in the Proceedings of theNational Academy of Sciences, could lead to better ways todetect whether someone's immune system is fighting a tumorafter treatment, she said.
It could also lead to more specific drugs aimed at removingor altering these non-inflammatory macrophages that suppressthe immune system's response, Taams added.
"The work was done in healthy people but we believe it hasimplications for cancer," she said. "We believe that theregulatory T-cells are doing the job they are supposed to dobut they are doing it at the wrong place and the wrong time."
"The findings provide more ammunition for the idea thatregulatory T-cells should be removed from tumors."
(Editing by Maggie Fox and Michael Winfrey)
LONDON (Reuters) - Researchers looking at immune systems inhealthy people have discovered an interaction between two typesof cells that may help explain why the body's natural defensesfail to detect and fight tumors.
The findings could lead to better cancer treatments and newtargets for drugs, said Leonie Taams, an immunologist at King'sCollege London, who led the study published on Tuesday.
The study looked at regulatory T-cells, which keep theimmune system stable and are key in controlling immune cellscalled macrophages that cause inflammation. Inflammation is oneof the body's first responses when fighting infection.
Taams said the study showed that just as regulatory "policeofficer" T-cells can stop killer T-cells from attacking atumor, they can also shut off macrophages, suppressinginflammation and keeping the body from detecting tumors.
"Before these police officers were never believed to speakto these macrophages. We have shown they can do it," Taams saidin a telephone interview.
"The regulatory T-cells trick the immune system intothinking there is no problem."
Scientists had known things like the presence of bacteriatypically activated macrophages but understood less about whatcaused the cells to switch off.
Taams said the study -- in which researchers tookmacrophages from healthy people and cultured them in disheseither on their own, with normal T-cells or with regulatoryT-cells -- answered that question for the first time.
Their findings, published in the Proceedings of theNational Academy of Sciences, could lead to better ways todetect whether someone's immune system is fighting a tumorafter treatment, she said.
It could also lead to more specific drugs aimed at removingor altering these non-inflammatory macrophages that suppressthe immune system's response, Taams added.
"The work was done in healthy people but we believe it hasimplications for cancer," she said. "We believe that theregulatory T-cells are doing the job they are supposed to dobut they are doing it at the wrong place and the wrong time."
"The findings provide more ammunition for the idea thatregulatory T-cells should be removed from tumors."
(Editing by Maggie Fox and Michael Winfrey)
Condoms for inmates: a tough sell
Condoms for inmates: a tough sell
NEW YORK - To activists concerned about AIDS and prisoners' rights, it's an urgent, commonsense step that should already be nationwide policy — letting inmates have condoms to reduce the spread of sexually transmitted diseases behind bars.
Yet their efforts have run headlong into a stronger political force: Authorities' desire not to encourage inmates who flout prison rules against sex. Only one state, Vermont, and five cities regularly hand out condoms to inmates. Mississippi does so only for inmates receiving conjugal visits from their spouses.
Left out are the vast majority of America's 2.2 million prisoners — many held in facilities where sex between men is common and the risk of STDs is far higher than in the general population.
"I realize this is not a comfortable topic for many people, but it's one we simply cannot afford to ignore," said Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif. "When more than 90 percent of incarcerated people return to our communities, taking a head-in-the-sand approach to the fact that our prisons have become a breeding ground for HIV/AIDS poses a serious public health risk."
Despite such warnings, recent efforts to expand behind-bars condom access have gone almost nowhere. Prison officials contend that condoms can be used to conceal drugs, and law-and-order politicians scoff at what they depict as a step that would encourage both consensual and coercive sex.
"Removing the freedoms of criminals is in itself a deterrent," said California Assemblyman Paul Cook. "Allowing condoms into prisons simply sends the wrong message and confirms what we all suspect: Our prison system has serious and severe behavioral and inmate-control issues."
A measure introduced by Lee in Congress this year to allow condom access in federal prisons has made little headway. A bill in Illinois failed to clear a legislative committee in March. And a bill in California was vetoed last month by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who said the proposal conflicted with prison regulations banning sexual activity.
Yet Ron Snyder, an HIV-positive Californian who served 19 months in the state's prison systems for embezzlement, said sex was widespread despite the rules. Some inmates used rubber gloves as makeshift condoms, and some supervisors allowed romantically involved men to share cells, he said.
Schwarzenegger, in his veto message, offered a ray of hope to advocates of condom access. He described it as "not an unreasonable public policy" and instructed corrections officials to assess the feasibility of a pilot program at a yet-to-be-selected state prison.
Snyder predicted a "tough struggle" to extend any such program systemwide because of staff attitudes. Many of the correctional officers are from rural areas, "and they assume men don't have sex with men," he said. "They just don't understand the picture."
California already is home to two of the local condom programs, at jails in Los Angeles and San Francisco. New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., also have programs — New York's dates back to 1987.
In Los Angeles, the condoms are distributed by an activist group, the Center for Health Justice, only in a special unit reserved for gay men who ask to be assigned there. San Francisco, for nearly 20 years, has allowed prisoners to be issued condoms by the health staff; distribution was expanded in April in the form of a condom-dispensing machine placed in a jail recreation hall.
Mary Sylla, the Center for Health Justice's policy director, said there have been no security problems in either city.
"If there was a case of somebody doing something horrible with a condom, we would have heard about it — it would be all over the corrections community," she said. "But it doesn't happen."
Though disappointed by Schwarzenegger's veto, Sylla is hopeful that a pilot program will indeed get started in the state prison system. She said corrections officials already had visited the Los Angeles unit to see that local program in action.
But Sylla acknowledged that the cause is tough to promote.
"It's easy to make fun of," she said. "People don't like to think about prisoners having sex, even though everybody knows it goes on."
Vermont's Corrections Department, although it holds relatively few HIV-positive inmates, has been making condoms available in prisons since 1992 — even though sexual activity remains officially prohibited."It's a courageous position that Vermont took then and continues to have now," said the department's health services director, Dr. Dolores Burroughs-Biron.Under the program, inmates are granted a single condom at a time if they request one from a nurse. Burroughs-Biron said there had been no reports of any security problems.But corrections officials insist there are dangers. Glenn Goord, New York State's former corrections commissioner, told the Legislature that inmates use condoms to transport drugs within prison grounds. He also said condoms might embolden prison rapists, who could use them to avoid leaving DNA evidence after their assaults.There is no authoritative U.S. data on the extent of HIV behind bars, but the federal Centers for Disease Control did conduct a detailed study in Georgia which found that 856 male inmates — about 2 percent of the state's total — were HIV-positive, and that 76 of them apparently got the virus while in prison.The CDC report, published last year, suggested that lawmakers consider the condom policy.Patrick Sullivan, the CDC epidemiologist who led the study, said sex among inmates was common in Georgia despite being prohibited. He said many of the sexually active inmates used condoms — or some improvised substitute — even though they were considered contraband.In several foreign countries — including Canada, Australia and much of Western Europe — condoms have been freely distributed to prisoners for years without security problems.Though activists are convinced condom access would reduce STD transmission, they are cautious in making specific health claims."I don't know how we'd ever be able to prove how much they reduce HIV," said Ron Snyder, who now works for the Center for Health Justice. "But if we could affect one or two people who wouldn't bring it back to their women when they get home, that's dramatic impact right there."
NEW YORK - To activists concerned about AIDS and prisoners' rights, it's an urgent, commonsense step that should already be nationwide policy — letting inmates have condoms to reduce the spread of sexually transmitted diseases behind bars.
Yet their efforts have run headlong into a stronger political force: Authorities' desire not to encourage inmates who flout prison rules against sex. Only one state, Vermont, and five cities regularly hand out condoms to inmates. Mississippi does so only for inmates receiving conjugal visits from their spouses.
Left out are the vast majority of America's 2.2 million prisoners — many held in facilities where sex between men is common and the risk of STDs is far higher than in the general population.
"I realize this is not a comfortable topic for many people, but it's one we simply cannot afford to ignore," said Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif. "When more than 90 percent of incarcerated people return to our communities, taking a head-in-the-sand approach to the fact that our prisons have become a breeding ground for HIV/AIDS poses a serious public health risk."
Despite such warnings, recent efforts to expand behind-bars condom access have gone almost nowhere. Prison officials contend that condoms can be used to conceal drugs, and law-and-order politicians scoff at what they depict as a step that would encourage both consensual and coercive sex.
"Removing the freedoms of criminals is in itself a deterrent," said California Assemblyman Paul Cook. "Allowing condoms into prisons simply sends the wrong message and confirms what we all suspect: Our prison system has serious and severe behavioral and inmate-control issues."
A measure introduced by Lee in Congress this year to allow condom access in federal prisons has made little headway. A bill in Illinois failed to clear a legislative committee in March. And a bill in California was vetoed last month by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who said the proposal conflicted with prison regulations banning sexual activity.
Yet Ron Snyder, an HIV-positive Californian who served 19 months in the state's prison systems for embezzlement, said sex was widespread despite the rules. Some inmates used rubber gloves as makeshift condoms, and some supervisors allowed romantically involved men to share cells, he said.
Schwarzenegger, in his veto message, offered a ray of hope to advocates of condom access. He described it as "not an unreasonable public policy" and instructed corrections officials to assess the feasibility of a pilot program at a yet-to-be-selected state prison.
Snyder predicted a "tough struggle" to extend any such program systemwide because of staff attitudes. Many of the correctional officers are from rural areas, "and they assume men don't have sex with men," he said. "They just don't understand the picture."
California already is home to two of the local condom programs, at jails in Los Angeles and San Francisco. New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., also have programs — New York's dates back to 1987.
In Los Angeles, the condoms are distributed by an activist group, the Center for Health Justice, only in a special unit reserved for gay men who ask to be assigned there. San Francisco, for nearly 20 years, has allowed prisoners to be issued condoms by the health staff; distribution was expanded in April in the form of a condom-dispensing machine placed in a jail recreation hall.
Mary Sylla, the Center for Health Justice's policy director, said there have been no security problems in either city.
"If there was a case of somebody doing something horrible with a condom, we would have heard about it — it would be all over the corrections community," she said. "But it doesn't happen."
Though disappointed by Schwarzenegger's veto, Sylla is hopeful that a pilot program will indeed get started in the state prison system. She said corrections officials already had visited the Los Angeles unit to see that local program in action.
But Sylla acknowledged that the cause is tough to promote.
"It's easy to make fun of," she said. "People don't like to think about prisoners having sex, even though everybody knows it goes on."
Vermont's Corrections Department, although it holds relatively few HIV-positive inmates, has been making condoms available in prisons since 1992 — even though sexual activity remains officially prohibited."It's a courageous position that Vermont took then and continues to have now," said the department's health services director, Dr. Dolores Burroughs-Biron.Under the program, inmates are granted a single condom at a time if they request one from a nurse. Burroughs-Biron said there had been no reports of any security problems.But corrections officials insist there are dangers. Glenn Goord, New York State's former corrections commissioner, told the Legislature that inmates use condoms to transport drugs within prison grounds. He also said condoms might embolden prison rapists, who could use them to avoid leaving DNA evidence after their assaults.There is no authoritative U.S. data on the extent of HIV behind bars, but the federal Centers for Disease Control did conduct a detailed study in Georgia which found that 856 male inmates — about 2 percent of the state's total — were HIV-positive, and that 76 of them apparently got the virus while in prison.The CDC report, published last year, suggested that lawmakers consider the condom policy.Patrick Sullivan, the CDC epidemiologist who led the study, said sex among inmates was common in Georgia despite being prohibited. He said many of the sexually active inmates used condoms — or some improvised substitute — even though they were considered contraband.In several foreign countries — including Canada, Australia and much of Western Europe — condoms have been freely distributed to prisoners for years without security problems.Though activists are convinced condom access would reduce STD transmission, they are cautious in making specific health claims."I don't know how we'd ever be able to prove how much they reduce HIV," said Ron Snyder, who now works for the Center for Health Justice. "But if we could affect one or two people who wouldn't bring it back to their women when they get home, that's dramatic impact right there."
Tonsillectomy Not Always Cost-Effective for Kids' ThroatWoes
Tonsillectomy Not Always Cost-Effective for Kids' ThroatWoes
MONDAY, Nov. 19 (HealthDay News) -- In children with mild to moderatesymptoms of throat infection, surgery to remove the tonsils is moreexpensive, but not necessarily more beneficial, compared to simplywatching and waiting to see if symptoms resolve, a Dutch study finds.
Between 2000 and 2003, researchers at the University Medical CenterUtrecht compared 151 children, ages 2 to 8, who were assigned to haveadenotonsillectomy (removal of tonsils and adenoids) within six weeks and149 children assigned to watchful waiting, which involved close monitoringand interventions as necessary. Follow-ups were conducted at three, six,12, 18 and 24 months.
Annual costs averaged about $500 per child per year in the watchfulwaiting group, compared with about $730 (46 percent more) in the surgerygroup. Children who had surgery had fewer fevers, throat infections andrespiratory tract infections than those in the watchful waiting group.
"Overall, the balance between costs and effects in this populationseemed unfavorable for adenotonsillectomy, with incrementalcost-effectiveness ratios in excess of $423 per disease episode averted,"the study authors wrote.
"Note that this estimate includes societal costs such as parental leaveof absence associated with their child's illness. Had these costs beenleft out of the equation, the figures would be even somewhat lessfavorable. With time, the child's immune system matures, and thedifference in adverse episodes disappears. Thus, the initial costincrement in the adenotonsillectomy group will never be counterbalanced bya continued positive health effect," they concluded.
The study was published in the November issue of the journalArchives of Otolaryngology -- Head & Neck Surgery.
More information
The American Academy of Otolaryngology -- Head & Neck Surgery hasmore about tonsils and adenoids.
MONDAY, Nov. 19 (HealthDay News) -- In children with mild to moderatesymptoms of throat infection, surgery to remove the tonsils is moreexpensive, but not necessarily more beneficial, compared to simplywatching and waiting to see if symptoms resolve, a Dutch study finds.
Between 2000 and 2003, researchers at the University Medical CenterUtrecht compared 151 children, ages 2 to 8, who were assigned to haveadenotonsillectomy (removal of tonsils and adenoids) within six weeks and149 children assigned to watchful waiting, which involved close monitoringand interventions as necessary. Follow-ups were conducted at three, six,12, 18 and 24 months.
Annual costs averaged about $500 per child per year in the watchfulwaiting group, compared with about $730 (46 percent more) in the surgerygroup. Children who had surgery had fewer fevers, throat infections andrespiratory tract infections than those in the watchful waiting group.
"Overall, the balance between costs and effects in this populationseemed unfavorable for adenotonsillectomy, with incrementalcost-effectiveness ratios in excess of $423 per disease episode averted,"the study authors wrote.
"Note that this estimate includes societal costs such as parental leaveof absence associated with their child's illness. Had these costs beenleft out of the equation, the figures would be even somewhat lessfavorable. With time, the child's immune system matures, and thedifference in adverse episodes disappears. Thus, the initial costincrement in the adenotonsillectomy group will never be counterbalanced bya continued positive health effect," they concluded.
The study was published in the November issue of the journalArchives of Otolaryngology -- Head & Neck Surgery.
More information
The American Academy of Otolaryngology -- Head & Neck Surgery hasmore about tonsils and adenoids.
Cannabis Compound May Stop Metastatic Breast Cancer
Cannabis Compound May Stop Metastatic Breast Cancer
MONDAY, Nov. 19 (HealthDay News) -- A non-toxic, non-psychoactivecompound in marijuana may block the progress of metastatic breast cancer,according to a new study by researchers in California.
"This is a new way to treat a patient that is not toxic likechemotherapy or radiotherapy. It is a new approach for metastatic cancer,"said lead researcher Sean D. McAllister, an associate scientist at theCalifornia Pacific Medical Center Research Institute in San Francisco.
The compound found in cannabis, called cannabidiol (CBD), inhibits agene, Id-1, that researchers believe is responsible for the metastaticprocess that spreads cells from the original tumor throughout thebody.
Opting for a musical metaphor, senior researcher Pierre-Yves Desprezlikened Id-1 to "an [orchestra] conductor. In this case, you shoot theconductor, and the whole orchestra is going to stop. If you shoot theviolinist, the orchestra just continues to play."
In humans, the Id-1 gene is found only in metastatic cancer cells, saidDesprez, a staff scientist at the institute. Before birth, they arepresent and involved in the development of human embryos, but after birth,they go silent -- and should stay that way, he said.
But in metastatic cancer "when [the genes] wake up, they are very bad,"he said. "They push the cells to behave like embryonic cells and grow.They go crazy, they proliferate, they migrate." Desprez said, "We need tobe able to turn them off."
According to the study, CBD does exactly that.
"We are focusing on the latest stages of cancer," Desprez added. Thecancer cell itself is not the problem, because a tumor can be "removedeasily by surgery," he said. The problem is the development of metastaticcells which is "conducted" by Id-1.
McAllister and Desprez said they are not suggesting thatpatients with hormone-independent metastatic breast cancer smokemarijuana. For one thing, a sufficient amount of CBD could never beobtained in that way, they said.
The research that has been done on marijuana and its compounds,however, is helpful, McAllister, said. CBD has been around for a longtime, and researchers have found it is not psychoactive, and its "toxicityis very low," he added.
The new findings are published in the November issue of MolecularCancer Therapeutics.
If McAllister's and Desprez's work results in the development of acancer treatment, someone with metastatic cancer might be placed on CBDfor several years. That means low toxicity is important, McAllisterexplained.
McAllister also suggested that Id-1 is "so important in providing the[metastatic] mechanism in these cells in so many types of cancers" thatthey "provide us an opportunity potentially to target other types ofcancers."
The study's findings were "were a serendipitous discovery, in a way,"McAllister said. Desprez noted that he had been working on the Id-1 genefor 12 years. His lab had demonstrated that it was a key gene for invasivebreast cancer and tumor progression, and Desprez had found a way toinhibit it in mice, but not in humans.
Then, two years ago, McAllister -- an expert on cannabinoids -- andDesprez, a cancer researcher, started to work together. Through theircombined forces "what we found is actually what I was looking for for thelast 12 years," Desprez said.
Further study is needed before CBD can be conclusively identified as atreatment option, McAllister and Desprez said. "We need to involve a teamof physicians, because we are bench [basic] scientists," McAllistersaid.
One expert called the findings intriguing but preliminary.
"This is the first evidence that a cannabinoid can target theexpression of an important breast cancer metastasis gene," noted ManuelGuzman, a Spanish expert on cannabinoids and cancer. He described theCalifornia study as giving "preliminary insight into the question ofwhether CBD could be used clinically to treat metastatic breastcancer."
However, "all the experiments in the paper have been conducted incultured cells and none of them in any animal model of breast cancer,which would be one of the steps for further research," added Guzman, whois a professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at ComplutenseUniversity in Madrid.
Guzman also noted that "Id-1 is just one of many genes involved inbreast cancer metastasis" and that future research also needs to examinethe impact of CBD on these other metastasis genes.
More information
There's more on breast cancer at the U.S.National Cancer Institute.
MONDAY, Nov. 19 (HealthDay News) -- A non-toxic, non-psychoactivecompound in marijuana may block the progress of metastatic breast cancer,according to a new study by researchers in California.
"This is a new way to treat a patient that is not toxic likechemotherapy or radiotherapy. It is a new approach for metastatic cancer,"said lead researcher Sean D. McAllister, an associate scientist at theCalifornia Pacific Medical Center Research Institute in San Francisco.
The compound found in cannabis, called cannabidiol (CBD), inhibits agene, Id-1, that researchers believe is responsible for the metastaticprocess that spreads cells from the original tumor throughout thebody.
Opting for a musical metaphor, senior researcher Pierre-Yves Desprezlikened Id-1 to "an [orchestra] conductor. In this case, you shoot theconductor, and the whole orchestra is going to stop. If you shoot theviolinist, the orchestra just continues to play."
In humans, the Id-1 gene is found only in metastatic cancer cells, saidDesprez, a staff scientist at the institute. Before birth, they arepresent and involved in the development of human embryos, but after birth,they go silent -- and should stay that way, he said.
But in metastatic cancer "when [the genes] wake up, they are very bad,"he said. "They push the cells to behave like embryonic cells and grow.They go crazy, they proliferate, they migrate." Desprez said, "We need tobe able to turn them off."
According to the study, CBD does exactly that.
"We are focusing on the latest stages of cancer," Desprez added. Thecancer cell itself is not the problem, because a tumor can be "removedeasily by surgery," he said. The problem is the development of metastaticcells which is "conducted" by Id-1.
McAllister and Desprez said they are not suggesting thatpatients with hormone-independent metastatic breast cancer smokemarijuana. For one thing, a sufficient amount of CBD could never beobtained in that way, they said.
The research that has been done on marijuana and its compounds,however, is helpful, McAllister, said. CBD has been around for a longtime, and researchers have found it is not psychoactive, and its "toxicityis very low," he added.
The new findings are published in the November issue of MolecularCancer Therapeutics.
If McAllister's and Desprez's work results in the development of acancer treatment, someone with metastatic cancer might be placed on CBDfor several years. That means low toxicity is important, McAllisterexplained.
McAllister also suggested that Id-1 is "so important in providing the[metastatic] mechanism in these cells in so many types of cancers" thatthey "provide us an opportunity potentially to target other types ofcancers."
The study's findings were "were a serendipitous discovery, in a way,"McAllister said. Desprez noted that he had been working on the Id-1 genefor 12 years. His lab had demonstrated that it was a key gene for invasivebreast cancer and tumor progression, and Desprez had found a way toinhibit it in mice, but not in humans.
Then, two years ago, McAllister -- an expert on cannabinoids -- andDesprez, a cancer researcher, started to work together. Through theircombined forces "what we found is actually what I was looking for for thelast 12 years," Desprez said.
Further study is needed before CBD can be conclusively identified as atreatment option, McAllister and Desprez said. "We need to involve a teamof physicians, because we are bench [basic] scientists," McAllistersaid.
One expert called the findings intriguing but preliminary.
"This is the first evidence that a cannabinoid can target theexpression of an important breast cancer metastasis gene," noted ManuelGuzman, a Spanish expert on cannabinoids and cancer. He described theCalifornia study as giving "preliminary insight into the question ofwhether CBD could be used clinically to treat metastatic breastcancer."
However, "all the experiments in the paper have been conducted incultured cells and none of them in any animal model of breast cancer,which would be one of the steps for further research," added Guzman, whois a professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at ComplutenseUniversity in Madrid.
Guzman also noted that "Id-1 is just one of many genes involved inbreast cancer metastasis" and that future research also needs to examinethe impact of CBD on these other metastasis genes.
More information
There's more on breast cancer at the U.S.National Cancer Institute.
Clinical Trials Update: Nov. 19, 2007
Clinical Trials Update: Nov. 19, 2007
(HealthDay News) -- Here are the latest clinical trials, courtesyof Thomson CenterWatch:
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (EnlargedProstate)
If you are having urinary problems caused by anenlarged prostate, you may be eligible to participate in thisstudy.
The research site is in San Antonio, Texas.
More information
Please see http://www.centerwatch.com/patient/studies/cat276.html.
-----
Weight Loss
If you are aged 18 to 70 and are overweight, you mayqualify to participate in this study.
The research site is inBrooklyn Center, Minn.
More information
Please see http://www.centerwatch.com/patient/studies/cat706.html.
-----
Healthy Patient Studies
If you are a healthy post-menopausal female aged 30 to75, you may be eligible to participate in this study.
The researchsite is in Daytona Beach, Fla.
More information
Please see http://www.centerwatch.com/patient/studies/phasei.html.
-----
Copyright 2007 Thomson CenterWatch. All rights reserved.
(HealthDay News) -- Here are the latest clinical trials, courtesyof Thomson CenterWatch:
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (EnlargedProstate)
If you are having urinary problems caused by anenlarged prostate, you may be eligible to participate in thisstudy.
The research site is in San Antonio, Texas.
More information
Please see http://www.centerwatch.com/patient/studies/cat276.html.
-----
Weight Loss
If you are aged 18 to 70 and are overweight, you mayqualify to participate in this study.
The research site is inBrooklyn Center, Minn.
More information
Please see http://www.centerwatch.com/patient/studies/cat706.html.
-----
Healthy Patient Studies
If you are a healthy post-menopausal female aged 30 to75, you may be eligible to participate in this study.
The researchsite is in Daytona Beach, Fla.
More information
Please see http://www.centerwatch.com/patient/studies/phasei.html.
-----
Copyright 2007 Thomson CenterWatch. All rights reserved.
Nexavar Approved for Liver Cancer
Nexavar Approved for Liver Cancer
MONDAY, Nov. 19 (HealthDay News) -- The Bayer anticancer drugNexavar (sorafenib) has been approved by the U.S. Food and DrugAdministration to treat the most common form of liver cancer that can't besurgically removed, medically called unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC), the drug maker said Monday.
In 2005, Nexavar was approved to treat advanced kidney cancer. It'samong a newer class of drugs called kinase inhibitors, which targetenzymes that spur tumor cell growth.
HCC is responsible for about 90 percent of malignant liver tumors,Bayer said in a statement. Liver cancer is the world's sixth most commonform of cancer, with roughly 600,000 cases diagnosed globally each year,including 19,000 annually in the United States.
In clinical testing, Nexavar improved overall survival by 44 percentamong people with HCC. Median overall survival was 10.7 months among thosetreated with the drug, versus 7.9 months among those who took a placebo,Bayer said.
More information
The FDA has more information about this drug.
MONDAY, Nov. 19 (HealthDay News) -- The Bayer anticancer drugNexavar (sorafenib) has been approved by the U.S. Food and DrugAdministration to treat the most common form of liver cancer that can't besurgically removed, medically called unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC), the drug maker said Monday.
In 2005, Nexavar was approved to treat advanced kidney cancer. It'samong a newer class of drugs called kinase inhibitors, which targetenzymes that spur tumor cell growth.
HCC is responsible for about 90 percent of malignant liver tumors,Bayer said in a statement. Liver cancer is the world's sixth most commonform of cancer, with roughly 600,000 cases diagnosed globally each year,including 19,000 annually in the United States.
In clinical testing, Nexavar improved overall survival by 44 percentamong people with HCC. Median overall survival was 10.7 months among thosetreated with the drug, versus 7.9 months among those who took a placebo,Bayer said.
More information
The FDA has more information about this drug.
Health Tip: Taking a Home Pregnancy Test
Health Tip: Taking a Home Pregnancy Test
(HealthDay News) - Many women take a home pregnancy test whenthey suspect they may be pregnant.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services offers thesesuggestions to ensure that home pregnancy test results are as accurate aspossible:
Always follow the directions on the box, and make sure that the testhas not expired.Take the test first thing in the morning.Wait at least one week after your missed period.Hormonal levels that indicate pregnancy vary in every woman. If yourtest is negative but you still have symptoms, wait a few days and tryanother test.Different brands may react differently with different women. Try adifferent brand if you doubt that results of the first test areaccurate.
(HealthDay News) - Many women take a home pregnancy test whenthey suspect they may be pregnant.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services offers thesesuggestions to ensure that home pregnancy test results are as accurate aspossible:
Always follow the directions on the box, and make sure that the testhas not expired.Take the test first thing in the morning.Wait at least one week after your missed period.Hormonal levels that indicate pregnancy vary in every woman. If yourtest is negative but you still have symptoms, wait a few days and tryanother test.Different brands may react differently with different women. Try adifferent brand if you doubt that results of the first test areaccurate.
Farming, Fatherhood Hallmarks of Men Who Live to 100
Farming, Fatherhood Hallmarks of Men Who Live to 100
MONDAY, Nov. 19 (HealthDay News) -- A young, trim farmer with four ormore children: According to a new study, that's the ideal profile forAmerican men hoping to reach 100 years of age.
The research, based largely on data from World War I draft cards,suggests that keeping off excess weight in youth, farming and fathering alarge number of offspring all help men live past a century.
One finding in particular was unexpected, the researchers said.
"We were surprised that having more than three children is beneficialto longevity -- based on previous studies by other authors, and commonsense, quite the opposite could be expected," said study co-author LeonidGavrilov, who conducted the study with his wife, Natalia Gavrilova, bothof the University of Chicago's Center on Aging.
Gavrilov, a leader in longevity research, was to present the findingsMonday at the Gerontological Society of America annual meeting, in SanFrancisco.
The husband-and-wife team have long mined vital statistics and otherdata, looking for clues to why some people live into extreme old age.
Just last year, they reported one new finding: Babies born to womenunder 25 years of age were twice as likely to live to 100 years of agecompared to infants born to moms aged 25 or older.
The new research in men was spurred by the fact that a treasure troveof information about 20th-century American males has now been put online:World War I Draft Registration Cards.
From 1917 to 1918, almost all adult males aged 46 or under wererequired by law to fill out these cards, which asked them to detail anumber of physical and social attributes.
In their study, Gavrilov and Gavrilova first used Social Security datato locate 240 men born in 1887 who lived to be at least 100.
In 171 of those cases, the men's physical and social attributes at age30 were recorded on their WW I draft cards -- giving the researchers asnapshot of their lives at the time.
The Chicago team then compared that data against draft card informationfor a randomly selected group of American men who were also born in 1887but who did not reach 100.
Some surprising findings emerged. First of all, a man's chances ofreaching 100 rose along with the number of children he had produced by age30.
Compared to childless men of the same age, a 30-year-old man in 1917who had one to three children had a 61 percent increased chance of livingpast a century, the data showed. However, a man's chances for extremelongevity almost tripled if he had fathered four or more children by age30, the study found.
That's at odds with a prevailing theory in longevity research thatholds that "there is a trade-off between the number of children and[parental] longevity," noted Arnold Mitnitski, a longevity researcher andassociate professor of medicine, mathematics and statistics at DalhousieUniversity in Halifax, Canada.
He described the study as "very well-done, very clean."
Theoretically, a household full of young kids should deplete a family'sresources and undermine the longevity of parents, Mitnitski said. And yet,young dads with many children lived much longer than other men in thissample.
"This may be due to the support by the children when the person becomesolder," Gavrilov speculated. Alternatively, siring many children "could bean indicator of good general health and attractiveness on the marriagemarket, leading to earlier marriage and hence to more kids by age 30," hesaid.
In other words, the same robust health that boosted a man's marriageprospects and fertility might also promote long life, Gavrilovreasoned.
Another finding, replicated in prior studies, was that being a farmer(as listed on the Draft Card) more than doubled a man's odds of livinginto the triple digits.
"The most popular hypothesis [there] is that people in the past hadpoor sanitation in towns, and hence a high infection load early in life,"Gavrilov said. Farms were more isolated, and so farmers were less likelyto contract life-limiting illnesses, he reasoned.
Not unexpectedly, overweight -- what the researchers described as a"stout" physique -- reduced a man's likelihood for very long life. Infact, slender or medium-built men were twice as likely to reach thecentury mark compared to stout types.
But, "surprisingly, there is not much difference between the slenderand the medium body build, in terms of survival chance to 100," Gavrilovsaid. That runs counter to the results of animal studies that havesuggested that low-calorie diets, and resultant skinniness, boostslongevity.
Other characteristics -- including marital and immigration status at30 -- had little or no impact on longevity.
Finally, taller men were only marginally more likely to live to 100than their shorter peers, the team found. Experts have long linkedshorter adult height to the types of childhood infections that mightshorten lifespan, so this finding is also a bit of a puzzle, Gavrilovsaid.
"We need to make a larger study and take a closer look at the linksbetween adult height, childhood infection and longevity," he said.
He stressed that findings for women would no doubt be different, for avariety of reasons. "We need to find [similar] data for women to get theanswer," Gavrilov said.
More information
There's more on healthy aging at the U.S. National Institute on Aging.
MONDAY, Nov. 19 (HealthDay News) -- A young, trim farmer with four ormore children: According to a new study, that's the ideal profile forAmerican men hoping to reach 100 years of age.
The research, based largely on data from World War I draft cards,suggests that keeping off excess weight in youth, farming and fathering alarge number of offspring all help men live past a century.
One finding in particular was unexpected, the researchers said.
"We were surprised that having more than three children is beneficialto longevity -- based on previous studies by other authors, and commonsense, quite the opposite could be expected," said study co-author LeonidGavrilov, who conducted the study with his wife, Natalia Gavrilova, bothof the University of Chicago's Center on Aging.
Gavrilov, a leader in longevity research, was to present the findingsMonday at the Gerontological Society of America annual meeting, in SanFrancisco.
The husband-and-wife team have long mined vital statistics and otherdata, looking for clues to why some people live into extreme old age.
Just last year, they reported one new finding: Babies born to womenunder 25 years of age were twice as likely to live to 100 years of agecompared to infants born to moms aged 25 or older.
The new research in men was spurred by the fact that a treasure troveof information about 20th-century American males has now been put online:World War I Draft Registration Cards.
From 1917 to 1918, almost all adult males aged 46 or under wererequired by law to fill out these cards, which asked them to detail anumber of physical and social attributes.
In their study, Gavrilov and Gavrilova first used Social Security datato locate 240 men born in 1887 who lived to be at least 100.
In 171 of those cases, the men's physical and social attributes at age30 were recorded on their WW I draft cards -- giving the researchers asnapshot of their lives at the time.
The Chicago team then compared that data against draft card informationfor a randomly selected group of American men who were also born in 1887but who did not reach 100.
Some surprising findings emerged. First of all, a man's chances ofreaching 100 rose along with the number of children he had produced by age30.
Compared to childless men of the same age, a 30-year-old man in 1917who had one to three children had a 61 percent increased chance of livingpast a century, the data showed. However, a man's chances for extremelongevity almost tripled if he had fathered four or more children by age30, the study found.
That's at odds with a prevailing theory in longevity research thatholds that "there is a trade-off between the number of children and[parental] longevity," noted Arnold Mitnitski, a longevity researcher andassociate professor of medicine, mathematics and statistics at DalhousieUniversity in Halifax, Canada.
He described the study as "very well-done, very clean."
Theoretically, a household full of young kids should deplete a family'sresources and undermine the longevity of parents, Mitnitski said. And yet,young dads with many children lived much longer than other men in thissample.
"This may be due to the support by the children when the person becomesolder," Gavrilov speculated. Alternatively, siring many children "could bean indicator of good general health and attractiveness on the marriagemarket, leading to earlier marriage and hence to more kids by age 30," hesaid.
In other words, the same robust health that boosted a man's marriageprospects and fertility might also promote long life, Gavrilovreasoned.
Another finding, replicated in prior studies, was that being a farmer(as listed on the Draft Card) more than doubled a man's odds of livinginto the triple digits.
"The most popular hypothesis [there] is that people in the past hadpoor sanitation in towns, and hence a high infection load early in life,"Gavrilov said. Farms were more isolated, and so farmers were less likelyto contract life-limiting illnesses, he reasoned.
Not unexpectedly, overweight -- what the researchers described as a"stout" physique -- reduced a man's likelihood for very long life. Infact, slender or medium-built men were twice as likely to reach thecentury mark compared to stout types.
But, "surprisingly, there is not much difference between the slenderand the medium body build, in terms of survival chance to 100," Gavrilovsaid. That runs counter to the results of animal studies that havesuggested that low-calorie diets, and resultant skinniness, boostslongevity.
Other characteristics -- including marital and immigration status at30 -- had little or no impact on longevity.
Finally, taller men were only marginally more likely to live to 100than their shorter peers, the team found. Experts have long linkedshorter adult height to the types of childhood infections that mightshorten lifespan, so this finding is also a bit of a puzzle, Gavrilovsaid.
"We need to make a larger study and take a closer look at the linksbetween adult height, childhood infection and longevity," he said.
He stressed that findings for women would no doubt be different, for avariety of reasons. "We need to find [similar] data for women to get theanswer," Gavrilov said.
More information
There's more on healthy aging at the U.S. National Institute on Aging.
Removing tonsils may not be best for kids: study
Removing tonsils may not be best for kids: study
LONDON (Reuters) - Removing the tonsils of children withmild or moderate throat infections is more expensive and hasfewer health benefits than simply watching and waiting, Dutchresearchers said on Monday.
In a study involving 300 children aged 2 to 8 advised tohave their tonsils out, those who avoided surgery had fewerannual visits to doctors and lower resulting medical costs dueto fevers and throat infections.
Tonsils are masses of tissue at the back of the throat thattrap bacteria and viruses a person may breathe in.
"Surgery resulted in a significant increase in costswithout realizing relevant clinical benefit," Erik Buskens, anepidemiologist and colleagues at the University Medical CentreUtrecht in the Netherlands, wrote in the Archives ofOtolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery.
Tonsillectomy is one of the most frequently performedsurgical procedures for children. Young patients havetraditionally had their tonsils removed to relieve repeatedthroat infections and related fevers.
While doctors today carry out far fewer tonsil operationsthan in the past, the Dutch study provides evidence that manychildren who do have the procedure see little, if any benefit.
In their study conducted between 2002 and 2003, the teamexcluded children with frequent throat infections or those whohad their tonsils removed because of sleep apnea.
The researchers asked parents to track their children'srespiratory track symptoms, measure their temperatures dailyand record any costs related to their care.
They found that annual costs among the group which did nothave surgery was about 551 euro per year, about 46 percent lessthan the 803 euros for children who had their tonsils removed.The children who avoided surgery also had fewer fevers, throatinfections and respiratory illnesses.
The researchers did not take into account costs borne byparents in the form of missed days from work or other expensesrelated to their children's illnesses.
And because the surgery is cheaper in the Netherland thanin many other countries, the gap between costs and benefits inother Western nations is likely greater, they said.
"Compared with other Western countries, our cost estimatesmay be low," the researchers wrote. "In other settings, thecost-effectiveness would be further offset by more costlyprocedures."
(Editing by Maggie Fox and Michael Winfrey)
LONDON (Reuters) - Removing the tonsils of children withmild or moderate throat infections is more expensive and hasfewer health benefits than simply watching and waiting, Dutchresearchers said on Monday.
In a study involving 300 children aged 2 to 8 advised tohave their tonsils out, those who avoided surgery had fewerannual visits to doctors and lower resulting medical costs dueto fevers and throat infections.
Tonsils are masses of tissue at the back of the throat thattrap bacteria and viruses a person may breathe in.
"Surgery resulted in a significant increase in costswithout realizing relevant clinical benefit," Erik Buskens, anepidemiologist and colleagues at the University Medical CentreUtrecht in the Netherlands, wrote in the Archives ofOtolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery.
Tonsillectomy is one of the most frequently performedsurgical procedures for children. Young patients havetraditionally had their tonsils removed to relieve repeatedthroat infections and related fevers.
While doctors today carry out far fewer tonsil operationsthan in the past, the Dutch study provides evidence that manychildren who do have the procedure see little, if any benefit.
In their study conducted between 2002 and 2003, the teamexcluded children with frequent throat infections or those whohad their tonsils removed because of sleep apnea.
The researchers asked parents to track their children'srespiratory track symptoms, measure their temperatures dailyand record any costs related to their care.
They found that annual costs among the group which did nothave surgery was about 551 euro per year, about 46 percent lessthan the 803 euros for children who had their tonsils removed.The children who avoided surgery also had fewer fevers, throatinfections and respiratory illnesses.
The researchers did not take into account costs borne byparents in the form of missed days from work or other expensesrelated to their children's illnesses.
And because the surgery is cheaper in the Netherland thanin many other countries, the gap between costs and benefits inother Western nations is likely greater, they said.
"Compared with other Western countries, our cost estimatesmay be low," the researchers wrote. "In other settings, thecost-effectiveness would be further offset by more costlyprocedures."
(Editing by Maggie Fox and Michael Winfrey)
U.N. warns AIDS could spike if countries drop guard
U.N. warns AIDS could spike if countries drop guard
A volunteer from the AIDS control society takes part in a campaign for AIDS awareness program in the northern Indian city of Chandigarh October 28, 2007. The United Nations has slashed its estimates of how many people are infected with the AIDS virus, from nearly 40 million to 33 million. (Ajay Verma/Reuters)LONDON (Reuters) - The world risks a resurgence of the AIDSepidemic if countries let their guard down, United Nationsofficials cautioned on Tuesday.
Lower estimates of how many people are infected with thevirus, and more effective treatments, are causing countries torelax their vigilance, they said.
Earlier, the U.N. AIDS agency slashed its estimates of howmany people are infected from nearly 40 million to 33 million,mainly due to revised figures for India. It said better methodsof collecting data showed it is not quite a common as feared..
But officials said evidence also showed the epidemic wascreeping back in countries that have become less careful,mainly industrialised nations where many people with AIDS haveaccess to drugs that can extend their lives.
"We are seeing a return of the epidemic," Paul De Lay ofUNAIDS told reporters. "We are seeing that in the U.S., we areseeing that in the UK, we are seeing that in Germany and we areseeing that in the developing world also."
Each day there are more than 6,800 new HIV infections and5,700 AIDS-related deaths, ensuring that the disease will posea major health concern for years, UNAIDS said.
"The sheer scale of the epidemic compared to other diseasesis so much more vast," De Lay said. "The epidemic is justwaiting to come back if programs are reduced."
The U.N. agency said the single biggest reason for thisreduction was a push to better assess India's HIV epidemic.After originally estimating some 5.7 million people wereinfected in India, the U.N. more than halved that estimate, to2.5 million, in July.
Experts and AIDS advocacy groups have long criticized theagency's numbers as too high, and some said there was no way totell if the new report was any better without universaltesting.
Kevin De Cock, director of the World Health Organization'sDepartment of HIV/AIDS said the implications for dealing withthe disease were the same despite the lower estimates.
"This remains the leading infectious disease challenge topublic health even if some of these figures are adjusted," hetold reporters in a telephone briefing . "We are facing decadesof this problem."
(Reporting by Michael Kahn and Maggie Fox; editing byRobert Hart)
A volunteer from the AIDS control society takes part in a campaign for AIDS awareness program in the northern Indian city of Chandigarh October 28, 2007. The United Nations has slashed its estimates of how many people are infected with the AIDS virus, from nearly 40 million to 33 million. (Ajay Verma/Reuters)LONDON (Reuters) - The world risks a resurgence of the AIDSepidemic if countries let their guard down, United Nationsofficials cautioned on Tuesday.
Lower estimates of how many people are infected with thevirus, and more effective treatments, are causing countries torelax their vigilance, they said.
Earlier, the U.N. AIDS agency slashed its estimates of howmany people are infected from nearly 40 million to 33 million,mainly due to revised figures for India. It said better methodsof collecting data showed it is not quite a common as feared..
But officials said evidence also showed the epidemic wascreeping back in countries that have become less careful,mainly industrialised nations where many people with AIDS haveaccess to drugs that can extend their lives.
"We are seeing a return of the epidemic," Paul De Lay ofUNAIDS told reporters. "We are seeing that in the U.S., we areseeing that in the UK, we are seeing that in Germany and we areseeing that in the developing world also."
Each day there are more than 6,800 new HIV infections and5,700 AIDS-related deaths, ensuring that the disease will posea major health concern for years, UNAIDS said.
"The sheer scale of the epidemic compared to other diseasesis so much more vast," De Lay said. "The epidemic is justwaiting to come back if programs are reduced."
The U.N. agency said the single biggest reason for thisreduction was a push to better assess India's HIV epidemic.After originally estimating some 5.7 million people wereinfected in India, the U.N. more than halved that estimate, to2.5 million, in July.
Experts and AIDS advocacy groups have long criticized theagency's numbers as too high, and some said there was no way totell if the new report was any better without universaltesting.
Kevin De Cock, director of the World Health Organization'sDepartment of HIV/AIDS said the implications for dealing withthe disease were the same despite the lower estimates.
"This remains the leading infectious disease challenge topublic health even if some of these figures are adjusted," hetold reporters in a telephone briefing . "We are facing decadesof this problem."
(Reporting by Michael Kahn and Maggie Fox; editing byRobert Hart)
Doctors offer holiday hints for allergy-prone
Doctors offer holiday hints for allergy-prone
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Family feasts, air travel andeven moldy Christmas trees make the holiday season a risky timefor allergy sufferers, the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma& Immunology (AAAAI) warns.
So it's particularly important for people with allergies orasthma to anticipate potential triggers for their condition atthis time of year, and to be prepared by bringing asthma orallergy medication along while traveling. Medications must beon hand in a person's carry-on luggage or purse rather thanstowed with checked baggage, the AAAAI advises.
"Always have your as needed medicine as well as your dailymedicine," says Dr. Pamela Georgeson, president and CEO of theKenwood Asthma and Allergy Center in Chesterfield Township,Michigan and an AAAAI spokesperson. People traveling by airshould either have a note from their doctor or the prescriptionlabel on their medication with them, she added, so they won'thave any trouble making it through airport security.
And people with food allergies are now advised to carry notone but two Epi-pens for treating a severe allergic reaction,Georgeson said, because as many as 30 percent of patients mayhave a second reaction up to eight hours after the first.
Just being on an airplane can dry out the nasal passages,making people with asthma more prone to catching respiratoryinfections, which can in turn worsen asthma symptoms. "If theyhave underlying inflammation due to asthma, they just pick upthe bug faster and it causes more problems," adovrg.nakar, anallergist and immunologist at Children's Mercy Hospital inKansas City, Missouri, and a spokesperson for the AAAAI.
Holiday treats can contain hidden nuts, dairy or other foodallergy triggers, notes Dinakar, so make sure hosts know aboutany food allergies you have; it may make sense to bring yourown home-made dessert, she added.
If an animal-allergic person is visiting a pet owner'shome, Dinakar advised, he or she should take asthma medicationbefore arriving there.
Christmas decorations can be full of dust and mold whenthey're brought out of storage, Dinakar said. They should becleaned outdoors, if possible, she said, while clothdecorations should be washed in soapy water. Georgeson pointedout that Christmas trees that have been cut in the fall andstored in damp conditions frequently carry mold. "People whoare exquisitely sensitive to mold have real issues with that,"she said. However, freshly cut trees aren't usually a problem.
More AAAAI holiday tips for people with asthma andallergies:
* Try to keep stress, which can trigger an asthma attack,to a minimum.
* Bring along your own pillow with an allergen-proof cover,or ask for non-down pillows if you're staying at a hotel orwith a relative or friend. Down pillows harbor more dust mitesthan pillows with synthetic fill.
* If you're using artificial snow spray to decorate, followinstructions carefully; the spray can be a lung irritant.
* Request that your hosts refrain from burning wood intheir fireplace while you are at their home, as breathing woodsmoke can lead to an asthma attack.
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Family feasts, air travel andeven moldy Christmas trees make the holiday season a risky timefor allergy sufferers, the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma& Immunology (AAAAI) warns.
So it's particularly important for people with allergies orasthma to anticipate potential triggers for their condition atthis time of year, and to be prepared by bringing asthma orallergy medication along while traveling. Medications must beon hand in a person's carry-on luggage or purse rather thanstowed with checked baggage, the AAAAI advises.
"Always have your as needed medicine as well as your dailymedicine," says Dr. Pamela Georgeson, president and CEO of theKenwood Asthma and Allergy Center in Chesterfield Township,Michigan and an AAAAI spokesperson. People traveling by airshould either have a note from their doctor or the prescriptionlabel on their medication with them, she added, so they won'thave any trouble making it through airport security.
And people with food allergies are now advised to carry notone but two Epi-pens for treating a severe allergic reaction,Georgeson said, because as many as 30 percent of patients mayhave a second reaction up to eight hours after the first.
Just being on an airplane can dry out the nasal passages,making people with asthma more prone to catching respiratoryinfections, which can in turn worsen asthma symptoms. "If theyhave underlying inflammation due to asthma, they just pick upthe bug faster and it causes more problems," adovrg.nakar, anallergist and immunologist at Children's Mercy Hospital inKansas City, Missouri, and a spokesperson for the AAAAI.
Holiday treats can contain hidden nuts, dairy or other foodallergy triggers, notes Dinakar, so make sure hosts know aboutany food allergies you have; it may make sense to bring yourown home-made dessert, she added.
If an animal-allergic person is visiting a pet owner'shome, Dinakar advised, he or she should take asthma medicationbefore arriving there.
Christmas decorations can be full of dust and mold whenthey're brought out of storage, Dinakar said. They should becleaned outdoors, if possible, she said, while clothdecorations should be washed in soapy water. Georgeson pointedout that Christmas trees that have been cut in the fall andstored in damp conditions frequently carry mold. "People whoare exquisitely sensitive to mold have real issues with that,"she said. However, freshly cut trees aren't usually a problem.
More AAAAI holiday tips for people with asthma andallergies:
* Try to keep stress, which can trigger an asthma attack,to a minimum.
* Bring along your own pillow with an allergen-proof cover,or ask for non-down pillows if you're staying at a hotel orwith a relative or friend. Down pillows harbor more dust mitesthan pillows with synthetic fill.
* If you're using artificial snow spray to decorate, followinstructions carefully; the spray can be a lung irritant.
* Request that your hosts refrain from burning wood intheir fireplace while you are at their home, as breathing woodsmoke can lead to an asthma attack.
UN cuts AIDS infection estimate
UN cuts AIDS infection estimate
Indian students light candles after a procession held to mark World AIDS Day in New Delhi, 2006. The United Nations sharply reduced its estimate for the number of people worldwide infected with the AIDS virus, citing a major reassessment of HIV prevalence in India.(AFP/File/Prakash Singh)GENEVA (AFP) - The United Nations on Tuesday sharply reduced by about seven million its estimate for the number of people worldwide infected with the AIDS virus, citing a major reassessment of HIV prevalence in India.
Health officials warned against any complacency in the fight against the disease in the light of the latest statistics, stressing the need for vigilance and ever more reliable monitoring mechanisms.
Revised figures in the latest UNAIDS annual report slashed an estimate for total infections this time last year to 32.7 million from 39.5 million cases, the number given in the agency's 2006 report.
"The single biggest reason for the reduction in global HIV prevalence figures in the past year was the recent revision in India after an intensive reassessment of the epidemic in that country," UNAIDS said in its report.
Improvements in data collection also resulted in statistics being revised for Angola, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria and Zimbabwe, it added.
UNAIDS cautioned against comparing 2007 figures to those of last year in the light of the revisions.
"Reliable public health data are the essential foundation for an effective response," said Kevin De Cock, head of HIV/AIDS at the World Health Organisation.
"We need to continue investing more in all countries and all aspects of strategic information relating to health," he added.
The WHO official told journalists it was "probably not likely" that there were any other big countries where there could be a similar "major error" in the estimate of HIV/AIDS cases as happened in India.
The number of people worldwide infected with HIV in 2007 totalled 2.5 million people and 33.2 million are now living with the virus, the report said. More than two million people died from the incurable disease in 2007.
Children under the age of 15 totalled 2.5 million of the total number of those living with the virus, 420,000 of new cases and 330,000 of all AIDS deaths.
Numbers of people living with the virus were levelling out and the percentage of the population affected was now in decline, the report said.
But UNAIDS director of evidence, monitoring and policy Paul De Lay told a press briefing that the fall in numbers should not be taken as a sign that the battle had been won.
"This is an epidemic where we need eternal vigilance and to never let our guard down," he said.
"If we start to neglect our prevention programmess, the epidemic turns around and starts to increase again," De Lay added.
Some 1.7 million new infections were recorded in sub-Saharan Africa, two-thirds of the global total, and AIDS remains the leading cause of death in the region.
About 22.5 million people living in Africa have HIV/AIDS, 68 percent of the global total, the report said.
Sub-Saharan African countries are in the grip of a sustained epidemic among the general populations, with women making up 61 percent of all people infected.Elsewhere in the world, the epidemic is chiefly concentrated in vulnerable groups such as men who have sex with men, sex workers and their partners, and injecting drug users.In Asia there are now 4.9 million cases, up 440,000 from last year. Indonesia has the fastest growing HIV prevalence on the continent, while the number of infections in Vietnam has more than doubled between 2000 and 2005.In India, the latest figures show around 2.5 million people living with the disease in 2006, with a national adult HIV prevalence of 0.36 percent.Unprotected sex is the main factor behind the spread of the disease in the country, with contaminated drug injecting equipment also playing a key role in the north-eastern regions, the report said.The Caribbean is the second worst-hit region of the world in per capita terms with one percent of adults -- 230,000 people -- carrying the virus, according to the report.In Eastern Europe and Central Asia, the number of people living with the disease rose to 1.6 million in 2007, with around 150,000 new infections.Nearly 90 percent of new cases were recorded in Russia and Ukraine, and injecting drug use is a major factor in the region's epidemic, the report said.
Indian students light candles after a procession held to mark World AIDS Day in New Delhi, 2006. The United Nations sharply reduced its estimate for the number of people worldwide infected with the AIDS virus, citing a major reassessment of HIV prevalence in India.(AFP/File/Prakash Singh)GENEVA (AFP) - The United Nations on Tuesday sharply reduced by about seven million its estimate for the number of people worldwide infected with the AIDS virus, citing a major reassessment of HIV prevalence in India.
Health officials warned against any complacency in the fight against the disease in the light of the latest statistics, stressing the need for vigilance and ever more reliable monitoring mechanisms.
Revised figures in the latest UNAIDS annual report slashed an estimate for total infections this time last year to 32.7 million from 39.5 million cases, the number given in the agency's 2006 report.
"The single biggest reason for the reduction in global HIV prevalence figures in the past year was the recent revision in India after an intensive reassessment of the epidemic in that country," UNAIDS said in its report.
Improvements in data collection also resulted in statistics being revised for Angola, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria and Zimbabwe, it added.
UNAIDS cautioned against comparing 2007 figures to those of last year in the light of the revisions.
"Reliable public health data are the essential foundation for an effective response," said Kevin De Cock, head of HIV/AIDS at the World Health Organisation.
"We need to continue investing more in all countries and all aspects of strategic information relating to health," he added.
The WHO official told journalists it was "probably not likely" that there were any other big countries where there could be a similar "major error" in the estimate of HIV/AIDS cases as happened in India.
The number of people worldwide infected with HIV in 2007 totalled 2.5 million people and 33.2 million are now living with the virus, the report said. More than two million people died from the incurable disease in 2007.
Children under the age of 15 totalled 2.5 million of the total number of those living with the virus, 420,000 of new cases and 330,000 of all AIDS deaths.
Numbers of people living with the virus were levelling out and the percentage of the population affected was now in decline, the report said.
But UNAIDS director of evidence, monitoring and policy Paul De Lay told a press briefing that the fall in numbers should not be taken as a sign that the battle had been won.
"This is an epidemic where we need eternal vigilance and to never let our guard down," he said.
"If we start to neglect our prevention programmess, the epidemic turns around and starts to increase again," De Lay added.
Some 1.7 million new infections were recorded in sub-Saharan Africa, two-thirds of the global total, and AIDS remains the leading cause of death in the region.
About 22.5 million people living in Africa have HIV/AIDS, 68 percent of the global total, the report said.
Sub-Saharan African countries are in the grip of a sustained epidemic among the general populations, with women making up 61 percent of all people infected.Elsewhere in the world, the epidemic is chiefly concentrated in vulnerable groups such as men who have sex with men, sex workers and their partners, and injecting drug users.In Asia there are now 4.9 million cases, up 440,000 from last year. Indonesia has the fastest growing HIV prevalence on the continent, while the number of infections in Vietnam has more than doubled between 2000 and 2005.In India, the latest figures show around 2.5 million people living with the disease in 2006, with a national adult HIV prevalence of 0.36 percent.Unprotected sex is the main factor behind the spread of the disease in the country, with contaminated drug injecting equipment also playing a key role in the north-eastern regions, the report said.The Caribbean is the second worst-hit region of the world in per capita terms with one percent of adults -- 230,000 people -- carrying the virus, according to the report.In Eastern Europe and Central Asia, the number of people living with the disease rose to 1.6 million in 2007, with around 150,000 new infections.Nearly 90 percent of new cases were recorded in Russia and Ukraine, and injecting drug use is a major factor in the region's epidemic, the report said.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
South Africa has world's highest number with AIDS: UN report
South Africa has world's highest number with AIDS: UN report
Thembi (L), a volunteer from a local NGO, takes care of an HIV patient in the Ixopo Region of South Africa in 2005. More than three-quarters of AIDS-related deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa and South Africa is now officially the country with the highest prevalence of HIV in the world, according to a new UN report.(AFP/File/Gianluigi Guercia)GENEVA (AFP) - More than three-quarters of AIDS-related deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa and South Africa is now officially the country with the highest prevalence of HIV in the world, according to a new UN report to be published Wednesday.
Improved monitoring of the pandemic has led the United Nations to revise its estimates, particularly in Southern Africa and Asia, resulting in a major revision in the assessment of India's epidemic, the country previously thought to be worst-hit.
"South Africa is the country with the largest number of HIV infections in the world," read the UNAIDS annual report on the epidemic for 2007.
While the report did not give a figure, the South African government currently estimates some 5.5 million of the country's 48 million population are living with the disease.
While AIDS continued to be the leading cause of death in Africa, sub-Saharan Africa was the worst affected region.
"More than two out of three (68 percent) adults and nearly 90 percent of children infected with HIV live in this region, and more than three in four (76 percent) AIDS deaths in 2007 occurred there, illustrating the unmet need for antiretroviral treatment in Africa."
Women in the region bear the brunt of the disease.
"Unlike other regions, the majority of people (61 percent) living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa are women," the report found.
"It is estimated that 1.7 million people were newly infected with HIV in 2007, bringing to 22.5 million the total number of people living with the virus" that causes AIDS.
Southern Africa was the worst affected in the region with national adult HIV prevalence over 15 percent in eight countries.
"While there is evidence of a significant decline in the national HIV prevalence in Zimbabwe, the epidemics in most of the rest of the subregion have either reached or are approaching a plateau."
The UN data showed that adult HIV prevalence was either stable or has started to decline in many parts of Africa.
According to the report, Kenya and Zimbabwe were some of the countries where the slowing trend of new infections was most evident, with similar shifts in Burkino Faso, Ivory Coast and Mali.
Worldwide, new infections of AIDS were levelling off, and of the 2.5 million people newly infected overall, more than half come from sub-Saharan Africa.
Thembi (L), a volunteer from a local NGO, takes care of an HIV patient in the Ixopo Region of South Africa in 2005. More than three-quarters of AIDS-related deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa and South Africa is now officially the country with the highest prevalence of HIV in the world, according to a new UN report.(AFP/File/Gianluigi Guercia)GENEVA (AFP) - More than three-quarters of AIDS-related deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa and South Africa is now officially the country with the highest prevalence of HIV in the world, according to a new UN report to be published Wednesday.
Improved monitoring of the pandemic has led the United Nations to revise its estimates, particularly in Southern Africa and Asia, resulting in a major revision in the assessment of India's epidemic, the country previously thought to be worst-hit.
"South Africa is the country with the largest number of HIV infections in the world," read the UNAIDS annual report on the epidemic for 2007.
While the report did not give a figure, the South African government currently estimates some 5.5 million of the country's 48 million population are living with the disease.
While AIDS continued to be the leading cause of death in Africa, sub-Saharan Africa was the worst affected region.
"More than two out of three (68 percent) adults and nearly 90 percent of children infected with HIV live in this region, and more than three in four (76 percent) AIDS deaths in 2007 occurred there, illustrating the unmet need for antiretroviral treatment in Africa."
Women in the region bear the brunt of the disease.
"Unlike other regions, the majority of people (61 percent) living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa are women," the report found.
"It is estimated that 1.7 million people were newly infected with HIV in 2007, bringing to 22.5 million the total number of people living with the virus" that causes AIDS.
Southern Africa was the worst affected in the region with national adult HIV prevalence over 15 percent in eight countries.
"While there is evidence of a significant decline in the national HIV prevalence in Zimbabwe, the epidemics in most of the rest of the subregion have either reached or are approaching a plateau."
The UN data showed that adult HIV prevalence was either stable or has started to decline in many parts of Africa.
According to the report, Kenya and Zimbabwe were some of the countries where the slowing trend of new infections was most evident, with similar shifts in Burkino Faso, Ivory Coast and Mali.
Worldwide, new infections of AIDS were levelling off, and of the 2.5 million people newly infected overall, more than half come from sub-Saharan Africa.
Study urges stepped-up response at youth hospitals
Study urges stepped-up response at youth hospitals
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Deploying standby emergency responseteams in children's hospitals could have a dramatic impact ondeath rates, researchers reported on Tuesday.
Some experts have recommended such teams for patients notin intensive care in adult and children's hospitals; butstudies have been inconsistent on whether they actually cutdeath rates in juvenile settings, a team from Lucile PackardChildren's Hospital and the Stanford University School ofMedicine said.
Their report, published in this week's Journal of theAmerican Medical Association, found that adding a rapidresponse team to work outside of intensive care units producedan 18 percent drop in the death rate, and about a 70 percentdecline in the rate of cardiac and respiratory arrests.
"The potential implications of these findings on nationalmortality rates for children are dramatic," the report said.
"Future research should focus on replicating these findingsin other pediatric inpatient settings, including settings wherechildren are treated in predominantly adult-focused hospitals,"it added.
Such teams consist of medical personnel with intensive careunit training who are available around the clock to rush to theaid of patients in the general hospital population whoseconditions appear to be deteriorating.
"Even in the hospital, sick children can deteriorate soquickly," said Dr. Paul Sharek, who led the study. "They don'thave the energy reserves or muscle mass that most adultpatients have."
In the Stanford study the teams were made availablebeginning in 2005 to proactively respond at the first sign oftrouble rather than waiting for further observations or alife-threatening development.
Once a child's heart or breathing stops "the odds oflong-term survival are pretty small," Sharek said.
"However, there's often a period of about six to eighthours when a child who might later (have trouble) begins toshow subtle signs of distress. If we can intervene early inthis process, the child is far more likely to improve than ifwe simply monitor and maintain the same approach to treatment,"he added.
The researchers said some of the cases responded to weretriggered simply because the child's caretaker or a parent feltsomething was not quite right, rather than a change in anyvital sign measurement.
"Despite the fact that (response teams) had never beenshown to decrease mortality in hospitalized children, wedecided to take a chance on this," Sharek said, adding that histeam was "excited about the results."
(Reporting by Michael Conlon; Editing by Maggie Fox andDavid Wiessler)
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Deploying standby emergency responseteams in children's hospitals could have a dramatic impact ondeath rates, researchers reported on Tuesday.
Some experts have recommended such teams for patients notin intensive care in adult and children's hospitals; butstudies have been inconsistent on whether they actually cutdeath rates in juvenile settings, a team from Lucile PackardChildren's Hospital and the Stanford University School ofMedicine said.
Their report, published in this week's Journal of theAmerican Medical Association, found that adding a rapidresponse team to work outside of intensive care units producedan 18 percent drop in the death rate, and about a 70 percentdecline in the rate of cardiac and respiratory arrests.
"The potential implications of these findings on nationalmortality rates for children are dramatic," the report said.
"Future research should focus on replicating these findingsin other pediatric inpatient settings, including settings wherechildren are treated in predominantly adult-focused hospitals,"it added.
Such teams consist of medical personnel with intensive careunit training who are available around the clock to rush to theaid of patients in the general hospital population whoseconditions appear to be deteriorating.
"Even in the hospital, sick children can deteriorate soquickly," said Dr. Paul Sharek, who led the study. "They don'thave the energy reserves or muscle mass that most adultpatients have."
In the Stanford study the teams were made availablebeginning in 2005 to proactively respond at the first sign oftrouble rather than waiting for further observations or alife-threatening development.
Once a child's heart or breathing stops "the odds oflong-term survival are pretty small," Sharek said.
"However, there's often a period of about six to eighthours when a child who might later (have trouble) begins toshow subtle signs of distress. If we can intervene early inthis process, the child is far more likely to improve than ifwe simply monitor and maintain the same approach to treatment,"he added.
The researchers said some of the cases responded to weretriggered simply because the child's caretaker or a parent feltsomething was not quite right, rather than a change in anyvital sign measurement.
"Despite the fact that (response teams) had never beenshown to decrease mortality in hospitalized children, wedecided to take a chance on this," Sharek said, adding that histeam was "excited about the results."
(Reporting by Michael Conlon; Editing by Maggie Fox andDavid Wiessler)
Obesity can skew key prostate cancer test results
Obesity can skew key prostate cancer test results
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Doctors reading the results of ablood test widely used to screen for prostate cancer can befooled into thinking obese men are disease-free, researcherssaid on Tuesday.
The test may yield falsely reassuring results because obesepeople have more blood in their bodies due to their girth, thusdiluting the concentration of the protein doctors use to detectthe presence of prostate tumors, the researchers said.
The prostate gland produces a protein calledprostate-specific antigen, or PSA. Only prostate cells produceit and if levels are higher it suggests the cells are growing-- which can be a sign of cancer although an enlarged prostatecan also send PSA levels up.
The researchers examined medical records for nearly 14,000men who had undergone surgery to treat prostate cancer between1988 and 2006 at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Maryland, DukeUniversity in North Carolina or five U.S. Veterans Affairshospitals in California, Georgia and North Carolina.
Men with a body mass index, or BMI, indicating obesity hada higher blood volume and lower PSA concentrations. The mostobese men had PSA concentrations 11 to 21 percent lower thanthose recorded in men of normal weight, the researchersreported in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
These men could have a total amount of PSA in the bloodthat might signal prostate cancer, but because they had so muchmore blood, the PSA concentration was so diluted that the testresults seemed to show no cause for alarm, they added.
Thus, PSA concentrations that might be no worry for a thinman might suggest cancer for an obese one. "It's not that PSAis a bad test in obese men. Rather, we just need to learn howto use it better," Duke urologist Dr. Stephen Freedland, one ofthe researchers, said in a telephone interview.
"So whatever (PSA level) you consider abnormal, you justhave got to adjust it by about 15 to 20 percent downwards forobese people," Freedland added, or risk missing many cancers.
The prostate is a walnut-sized gland that produces seminalfluid. It is found below the bladder.
Dr. Carmen Rodriguez, an American Cancer Societyepidemiologist who participated in the study, said the findingswere particularly important considering the rising rates ofobesity in the United States and worldwide.
Rodriguez said doctors had known obese men were at higherrisk of developing more aggressive prostate cancer. She saidthis study indicates one of the reasons may be that some obesemen could have had false negative results in PSA tests, withtheir cancer then detected much later after it had grown moreadvanced and more dangerous.
Freedland said the findings could affect the way doctorslook at other tests for cancer and other diseases that dependon concentrations of disease markers like PSA in the blood.
He said it might be helpful to consider the total amount ofa disease marker in the body rather than its concentration in acertain volume of blood, in order to account for the dilutionthat can occur in the obese.
Worldwide, prostate cancer is estimated to kill about221,000 people annually, with 679,000 new cases diagnosed.
The American Cancer Society estimates that about 27,000 menwill die from prostate cancer in the United States this yearand about 219,000 men will be diagnosed with it.
(Editing by Maggie Fox)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Doctors reading the results of ablood test widely used to screen for prostate cancer can befooled into thinking obese men are disease-free, researcherssaid on Tuesday.
The test may yield falsely reassuring results because obesepeople have more blood in their bodies due to their girth, thusdiluting the concentration of the protein doctors use to detectthe presence of prostate tumors, the researchers said.
The prostate gland produces a protein calledprostate-specific antigen, or PSA. Only prostate cells produceit and if levels are higher it suggests the cells are growing-- which can be a sign of cancer although an enlarged prostatecan also send PSA levels up.
The researchers examined medical records for nearly 14,000men who had undergone surgery to treat prostate cancer between1988 and 2006 at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Maryland, DukeUniversity in North Carolina or five U.S. Veterans Affairshospitals in California, Georgia and North Carolina.
Men with a body mass index, or BMI, indicating obesity hada higher blood volume and lower PSA concentrations. The mostobese men had PSA concentrations 11 to 21 percent lower thanthose recorded in men of normal weight, the researchersreported in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
These men could have a total amount of PSA in the bloodthat might signal prostate cancer, but because they had so muchmore blood, the PSA concentration was so diluted that the testresults seemed to show no cause for alarm, they added.
Thus, PSA concentrations that might be no worry for a thinman might suggest cancer for an obese one. "It's not that PSAis a bad test in obese men. Rather, we just need to learn howto use it better," Duke urologist Dr. Stephen Freedland, one ofthe researchers, said in a telephone interview.
"So whatever (PSA level) you consider abnormal, you justhave got to adjust it by about 15 to 20 percent downwards forobese people," Freedland added, or risk missing many cancers.
The prostate is a walnut-sized gland that produces seminalfluid. It is found below the bladder.
Dr. Carmen Rodriguez, an American Cancer Societyepidemiologist who participated in the study, said the findingswere particularly important considering the rising rates ofobesity in the United States and worldwide.
Rodriguez said doctors had known obese men were at higherrisk of developing more aggressive prostate cancer. She saidthis study indicates one of the reasons may be that some obesemen could have had false negative results in PSA tests, withtheir cancer then detected much later after it had grown moreadvanced and more dangerous.
Freedland said the findings could affect the way doctorslook at other tests for cancer and other diseases that dependon concentrations of disease markers like PSA in the blood.
He said it might be helpful to consider the total amount ofa disease marker in the body rather than its concentration in acertain volume of blood, in order to account for the dilutionthat can occur in the obese.
Worldwide, prostate cancer is estimated to kill about221,000 people annually, with 679,000 new cases diagnosed.
The American Cancer Society estimates that about 27,000 menwill die from prostate cancer in the United States this yearand about 219,000 men will be diagnosed with it.
(Editing by Maggie Fox)
Pfizer anti-smoking drug under FDA safety review
Pfizer anti-smoking drug under FDA safety review
An ink-stained finger is seen holding on to a cigarette in Amman, Iraq December 14, 2005. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an early warning on Tuesday about Pfizer Inc's anti-smoking drug, Chantix, amid reports of suicidal thoughts and behavior, and at least one death potentially linked to the medication. (Ali Jarekji/Reuters)WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and DrugAdministration issued an early warning on Tuesday about PfizerInc's anti-smoking drug, Chantix, amid reports of suicidalthoughts and behavior, and at least one death potentiallylinked to the medication.
The FDA is analyzing reports of erratic and aggressivebehavior and suicidal thoughts and behavior in patients takingthe prescription drug, known generically as varenicline.
An early agency assessment "reveals that many of the casesreflect new-onset of depressed mood, suicidal ideation(thoughts) and changes in emotion and behavior within days toweeks" of starting treatment, the FDA said in a posting aboutthe new review.
Under increased scrutiny from lawmakers and consumer groupsfor failing to communicate safety problems with drugs in atimely manner, the FDA has started alerting the public earlierabout a review, even if it has not come to a conclusion.
Many drugmakers claim the agency is taking a tougher stanceon safety following the 2004 withdrawal of Merck & Co Inc'sarthritis drug, Vioxx, and amid recent safety concerns aboutGlaxoSmithKline Plc's diabetes drug, Avandia.
"My first thought is this is another example of the FDAbeing overly safety conscious in light of the withdrawal ofcertain products, such as Vioxx and Avandia," said DamienConover, an analyst at investment research group Morningstar.
But he said it could still be a problem for Chantix.
"When the (attention deficit disorder) drugs got associatedwith increased risk of suicidal thinking, you definitely saw aclass effect of slower growth," he added.
Pfizer, the world's biggest pharmaceutical company,reported revenue of $241 million for Chantix in the thirdquarter of 2007. That is significant, but still not one of itsmajor drugs. It recently launched an ad campaign touting thedrug, which it began selling last year.
CAUSALITY UP IN AIR
The FDA stressed the warning "does not mean that FDA hasconcluded that there is a causal relationship between the drugand the emerging safety issue."
Adverse event reports following a drug's approval arevoluntarily submitted to companies by consumers and doctors andare a very rough indicator of any potential trends, a Pfizerofficial said.
"Postmarketing reports usually do not allow you toestablish a causality because there is very often a significantamount of information missing," said Martina Flammer, a seniormedical director at Pfizer.
She also noted that programs to stop smoking very oftenlead to nicotine withdrawal, which is exacerbated in patientswith psychiatric illness.
The FDA noted, however, that not all patients in the casesnoted had a preexisting psychiatric illness and not all hadstopped smoking.
In its alert, the FDA cited one case of a patient whoseerratic behavior while on the drug lead to death, but addedthat alcohol was also involved.
Doctors are advised to monitor patients taking the drug forchanges in behavior and mood, the FDA said.
Pfizer shares closed up 1 cent at $22.72 on the New YorkStock Exchange.(Reporting by Kim Dixon; additional reporting by ToniClarke and Lewis Krauskopf; editing by Jeffrey Benkoe and AndreGrenon)
An ink-stained finger is seen holding on to a cigarette in Amman, Iraq December 14, 2005. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an early warning on Tuesday about Pfizer Inc's anti-smoking drug, Chantix, amid reports of suicidal thoughts and behavior, and at least one death potentially linked to the medication. (Ali Jarekji/Reuters)WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and DrugAdministration issued an early warning on Tuesday about PfizerInc's anti-smoking drug, Chantix, amid reports of suicidalthoughts and behavior, and at least one death potentiallylinked to the medication.
The FDA is analyzing reports of erratic and aggressivebehavior and suicidal thoughts and behavior in patients takingthe prescription drug, known generically as varenicline.
An early agency assessment "reveals that many of the casesreflect new-onset of depressed mood, suicidal ideation(thoughts) and changes in emotion and behavior within days toweeks" of starting treatment, the FDA said in a posting aboutthe new review.
Under increased scrutiny from lawmakers and consumer groupsfor failing to communicate safety problems with drugs in atimely manner, the FDA has started alerting the public earlierabout a review, even if it has not come to a conclusion.
Many drugmakers claim the agency is taking a tougher stanceon safety following the 2004 withdrawal of Merck & Co Inc'sarthritis drug, Vioxx, and amid recent safety concerns aboutGlaxoSmithKline Plc's diabetes drug, Avandia.
"My first thought is this is another example of the FDAbeing overly safety conscious in light of the withdrawal ofcertain products, such as Vioxx and Avandia," said DamienConover, an analyst at investment research group Morningstar.
But he said it could still be a problem for Chantix.
"When the (attention deficit disorder) drugs got associatedwith increased risk of suicidal thinking, you definitely saw aclass effect of slower growth," he added.
Pfizer, the world's biggest pharmaceutical company,reported revenue of $241 million for Chantix in the thirdquarter of 2007. That is significant, but still not one of itsmajor drugs. It recently launched an ad campaign touting thedrug, which it began selling last year.
CAUSALITY UP IN AIR
The FDA stressed the warning "does not mean that FDA hasconcluded that there is a causal relationship between the drugand the emerging safety issue."
Adverse event reports following a drug's approval arevoluntarily submitted to companies by consumers and doctors andare a very rough indicator of any potential trends, a Pfizerofficial said.
"Postmarketing reports usually do not allow you toestablish a causality because there is very often a significantamount of information missing," said Martina Flammer, a seniormedical director at Pfizer.
She also noted that programs to stop smoking very oftenlead to nicotine withdrawal, which is exacerbated in patientswith psychiatric illness.
The FDA noted, however, that not all patients in the casesnoted had a preexisting psychiatric illness and not all hadstopped smoking.
In its alert, the FDA cited one case of a patient whoseerratic behavior while on the drug lead to death, but addedthat alcohol was also involved.
Doctors are advised to monitor patients taking the drug forchanges in behavior and mood, the FDA said.
Pfizer shares closed up 1 cent at $22.72 on the New YorkStock Exchange.(Reporting by Kim Dixon; additional reporting by ToniClarke and Lewis Krauskopf; editing by Jeffrey Benkoe and AndreGrenon)
Abilify Approved as Additional Treatment for MajorDepression
Abilify Approved as Additional Treatment for MajorDepression
TUESDAY, Nov. 20 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and DrugAdministration has approved Abilify (aripiprazole) as an add-on therapyfor people with major depressive disorder who don't benefit enough fromantidepressant therapy alone, its makers said Tuesday.
Abilify, approved in November 2002 to treat schizophrenia, is among aclass of medications called atypical antipsychotics. The latest approvalfollowed clinical studies involving 743 patients.
Elderly people with dementia-related psychosis who are treated withatypical antipsychotics are at greater risk of death, drug makerBristol-Myers Squibb warned in a statement.
Abilify is co-produced by Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. of Japan.
Side effects of Abilify may include akathisia -- a syndromecharacterized by feelings of inner restlessness and the urge to move.Other "adverse events" reported among clinical users included insomnia,constipation, fatigue, and blurred vision, the companies said.
More information
Learn more about this drug from the FDA.
TUESDAY, Nov. 20 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and DrugAdministration has approved Abilify (aripiprazole) as an add-on therapyfor people with major depressive disorder who don't benefit enough fromantidepressant therapy alone, its makers said Tuesday.
Abilify, approved in November 2002 to treat schizophrenia, is among aclass of medications called atypical antipsychotics. The latest approvalfollowed clinical studies involving 743 patients.
Elderly people with dementia-related psychosis who are treated withatypical antipsychotics are at greater risk of death, drug makerBristol-Myers Squibb warned in a statement.
Abilify is co-produced by Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. of Japan.
Side effects of Abilify may include akathisia -- a syndromecharacterized by feelings of inner restlessness and the urge to move.Other "adverse events" reported among clinical users included insomnia,constipation, fatigue, and blurred vision, the companies said.
More information
Learn more about this drug from the FDA.
PET Scans Can Spot Cervical Cancer's Return
PET Scans Can Spot Cervical Cancer's Return
TUESDAY, Nov. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Whole-body positron emissiontomography (PET) scans three months after cervical cancer patients havecompleted therapy can help determine whether they're cancer-free orrequire further treatment, U.S. researchers say.
It can be difficult to determine if treatment has eliminated cervicaltumors, noted study author Dr. Julie K. Schwarz, a Barnes-Jewish Hospitalresident in the department of radiation oncology at Washington UniversitySchool of Medicine, St. Louis. Small tumors are difficult to detect withpelvic exams and obvious symptoms such as leg swelling don't occur untiltumors are quite large.
CT and MRI scans aren't able to differentiate between tumor tissue andsurrounding tissue, the expert added. There's also no blood test toindicate the presence of cervical cancer, and Pap tests can be inaccuratebecause of tissue changes caused by radiation therapy.
However, Schwarz and her colleagues found that cervical tumors glowbrightly in FDG-PET scans, which detect emissions from radioactivelytagged blood sugar (glucose). Tumor tissue traps more of this glucose thannormal tissue.
"This is the first time we can say that we have a reliable test tofollow cervical cancer patients after therapy," Schwarz said in a preparedstatement. "We ask them to come back for a follow-up visit about threemonths after treatment is finished, and we perform a PET scan. If the scanshows a complete response to treatment, we can say with confidence thatthey are doing to do extremely well."
If the PET scan reveals cervical tumors that haven't responded totreatment, patients can discuss further treatment options with theirdoctor.
The study was published in the Nov. 21 issue of the Journal of theAmerican Medical Association.
More information
The U.S. National Women's Health Information Center has more about cervicalcancer.
TUESDAY, Nov. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Whole-body positron emissiontomography (PET) scans three months after cervical cancer patients havecompleted therapy can help determine whether they're cancer-free orrequire further treatment, U.S. researchers say.
It can be difficult to determine if treatment has eliminated cervicaltumors, noted study author Dr. Julie K. Schwarz, a Barnes-Jewish Hospitalresident in the department of radiation oncology at Washington UniversitySchool of Medicine, St. Louis. Small tumors are difficult to detect withpelvic exams and obvious symptoms such as leg swelling don't occur untiltumors are quite large.
CT and MRI scans aren't able to differentiate between tumor tissue andsurrounding tissue, the expert added. There's also no blood test toindicate the presence of cervical cancer, and Pap tests can be inaccuratebecause of tissue changes caused by radiation therapy.
However, Schwarz and her colleagues found that cervical tumors glowbrightly in FDG-PET scans, which detect emissions from radioactivelytagged blood sugar (glucose). Tumor tissue traps more of this glucose thannormal tissue.
"This is the first time we can say that we have a reliable test tofollow cervical cancer patients after therapy," Schwarz said in a preparedstatement. "We ask them to come back for a follow-up visit about threemonths after treatment is finished, and we perform a PET scan. If the scanshows a complete response to treatment, we can say with confidence thatthey are doing to do extremely well."
If the PET scan reveals cervical tumors that haven't responded totreatment, patients can discuss further treatment options with theirdoctor.
The study was published in the Nov. 21 issue of the Journal of theAmerican Medical Association.
More information
The U.S. National Women's Health Information Center has more about cervicalcancer.
Rapid Response Teams Can Save Hospitalized Kids
Rapid Response Teams Can Save Hospitalized Kids
TUESDAY, Nov. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Incorporating a rapidresponse team of experts at a children's hospital can cut rates of patientdeaths, heart attacks and respiratory arrests outside the intensive careunit, a new study suggests.
"This is the first paper to show an improvement in mortality, so thatadds to the potential that having rapid response teams can really changethe outcome," said Dr. Richard Brilli, author of an editorial thataccompanies the article in the Nov. 21 issue of the Journal of theAmerican Medical Association.
"This validates with research that this is a good process. It's sound,reliable and shows an improvement in outcomes," added Audrey Hubbard,director of children's services at The Children's Hospital at Scott &White in Temple, Texas.
A rapid response team (RRT) is composed of experts from differentdisciplines who are available 24-7 to evaluate patients who arehospitalized but not in the intensive care unit (ICU). The experts arefrequently trained in ICU procedures.
Such teams have been extensively studied and have been shown todecrease mortality and cardiopulmonary arrest rates in hospitalizedadults. The research in children is more limited.
"In pediatrics, there have only been three papers [including thecurrent one], and that's not a very robust literature yet to say this isright or wrong," Brilli said.
Two of those papers (one led by Brilli) showed a benefit incardiopulmonary arrest rates without a benefit in mortality.
There is a clear need for some kind of intervention, however.
"[There are] children who have deterioration while in the hospital, somuch so that they end up having a cardiopulmonary arrest," Brilli said."The question is what is the best method to recognize that patient who isgetting sicker and do something about it before they get so sick?"
The current study was a before-and-after look at mortality andcardiorespiratory arrest rates at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital inPalo Alto, Calif.
After rapid response teams were added at the hospital on Sept. 1, 2005,the monthly death rate decreased by 18 percent, while the rate ofcardiopulmonary arrests (what doctors call "codes") declined by almost 72percent.
The authors estimated that 33 children's lives were saved over a19-month period.
"What was particularly profound was both the codes outside of ICU andmortality rates dropped precipitously within a month of the intervention,which is fairly unusual for a quality-improvement initiative," said Dr.Paul J. Sharek, study lead author, assistant professor of pediatrics atStanford University School of Medicine in Palo Alto, Calif., and chiefclinical patient safety officer at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital."Usually, it takes three to six months to roll out . . . I would say thatthis really encourages children's hospitals to really think hard aboutthis being an intervention that truly improves the mortality rate."
Why did this study see improvements in mortality, while the other twodid not? One possible reason was that it covered a longer time period. Thesecond, and probably more important reason, was that many of the childrenstudied at Lucile Packard tended to be extremely sick. "The kids aremedically so fragile that if you happen to be able to catch theirdecompensation early, you're more likely to have a great outcome," Shareksaid.
But the editorial authors are not completely convinced that rapidresponse teams, while helpful, are the most efficient answer to theproblem.
For one thing, vital signs for adults are pretty much the sameregardless of whether the person is 20 years old or 80, making it easierto respond to abnormalities. For children, vitals can vary drasticallyfrom a nine-month-old to a 15-year old.
"When you start to take all of the age distributions, the number oftrigger points become very large, and as soon as it gets more complicated,it's harder to remember and to implement," Brilli said.
More information
There's more on kids' health at the Nemours Foundation.
TUESDAY, Nov. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Incorporating a rapidresponse team of experts at a children's hospital can cut rates of patientdeaths, heart attacks and respiratory arrests outside the intensive careunit, a new study suggests.
"This is the first paper to show an improvement in mortality, so thatadds to the potential that having rapid response teams can really changethe outcome," said Dr. Richard Brilli, author of an editorial thataccompanies the article in the Nov. 21 issue of the Journal of theAmerican Medical Association.
"This validates with research that this is a good process. It's sound,reliable and shows an improvement in outcomes," added Audrey Hubbard,director of children's services at The Children's Hospital at Scott &White in Temple, Texas.
A rapid response team (RRT) is composed of experts from differentdisciplines who are available 24-7 to evaluate patients who arehospitalized but not in the intensive care unit (ICU). The experts arefrequently trained in ICU procedures.
Such teams have been extensively studied and have been shown todecrease mortality and cardiopulmonary arrest rates in hospitalizedadults. The research in children is more limited.
"In pediatrics, there have only been three papers [including thecurrent one], and that's not a very robust literature yet to say this isright or wrong," Brilli said.
Two of those papers (one led by Brilli) showed a benefit incardiopulmonary arrest rates without a benefit in mortality.
There is a clear need for some kind of intervention, however.
"[There are] children who have deterioration while in the hospital, somuch so that they end up having a cardiopulmonary arrest," Brilli said."The question is what is the best method to recognize that patient who isgetting sicker and do something about it before they get so sick?"
The current study was a before-and-after look at mortality andcardiorespiratory arrest rates at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital inPalo Alto, Calif.
After rapid response teams were added at the hospital on Sept. 1, 2005,the monthly death rate decreased by 18 percent, while the rate ofcardiopulmonary arrests (what doctors call "codes") declined by almost 72percent.
The authors estimated that 33 children's lives were saved over a19-month period.
"What was particularly profound was both the codes outside of ICU andmortality rates dropped precipitously within a month of the intervention,which is fairly unusual for a quality-improvement initiative," said Dr.Paul J. Sharek, study lead author, assistant professor of pediatrics atStanford University School of Medicine in Palo Alto, Calif., and chiefclinical patient safety officer at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital."Usually, it takes three to six months to roll out . . . I would say thatthis really encourages children's hospitals to really think hard aboutthis being an intervention that truly improves the mortality rate."
Why did this study see improvements in mortality, while the other twodid not? One possible reason was that it covered a longer time period. Thesecond, and probably more important reason, was that many of the childrenstudied at Lucile Packard tended to be extremely sick. "The kids aremedically so fragile that if you happen to be able to catch theirdecompensation early, you're more likely to have a great outcome," Shareksaid.
But the editorial authors are not completely convinced that rapidresponse teams, while helpful, are the most efficient answer to theproblem.
For one thing, vital signs for adults are pretty much the sameregardless of whether the person is 20 years old or 80, making it easierto respond to abnormalities. For children, vitals can vary drasticallyfrom a nine-month-old to a 15-year old.
"When you start to take all of the age distributions, the number oftrigger points become very large, and as soon as it gets more complicated,it's harder to remember and to implement," Brilli said.
More information
There's more on kids' health at the Nemours Foundation.
Why Obese Men Post Lower PSA Levels
Why Obese Men Post Lower PSA Levels
TUESDAY, Nov. 20 (HealthDay News) -- In recent years, doctorshave learned that they need to adjust the results of blood tests toproperly diagnose prostate cancer in obese men, but now researchers thinkthey know why.
It turns out that larger men have more blood, which dilutes the levelsof the protein called PSA -- a key indicator of prostate trouble.
The new study doesn't definitively prove why overweight and obese menwith prostate cancer tend to score lower on the PSA (prostate specificantigen) test, but it does give doctors an idea about what may be goingon, said study co-author Dr. Stephen Freedland, an assistant professor ofurology and pathology at Duke University.
"PSA is not a bad test for obese men. We just need to know how to useit," he said. "If we use it correctly, it will be just as good as innormal-weight men."
Prostate cancer strikes one in six men, mostly those over the age of65, according to the Prostate Cancer Foundation.
Older men often routinely undergo a PSA blood test that looks for anantigen made by the prostate that helps it function. The antigen leaksinto the bloodstream at a steady rate, and the amount is higher in menwith prostate cancer, Freedland explained.
Recent research has revealed that PSA levels are 20 percent to 25percent lower in overweight and obese men than in men of normal weight.This can translate into diagnostic problems with bigger men, Freedlandsaid.
"You may call him normal and not worry about him and wait another yearor two or longer, and that gives time for the cancer to grow," henoted.
According to Freedland, it's not clear if there's any impact on PSAlevels from being underweight.
In the new study, researchers tested a theory that the reason PSAlevels are lower in larger men is because the antigen gets diluted inlarger volumes of blood. "It's like taking a little bit of a drug andputting it in a cup of water versus a bowl of water," Freedland said.
The study authors looked at the records of about 14,000 men withprostate cancer who underwent removal of their prostates between 1988 and2006. The findings are published in the Nov. 21 issue of the Journal ofthe American Medical Association.
The researchers found that men who were fatter had larger bloodvolumes, which the study authors said supports their theory that dilutioncaused their PSA levels to lower.
The same thing could hold true for blood markers of other cancers,Freedland said. "As we develop blood tests for other cancers, we should bekeeping this in mind," he added.
However, Dr. Nelson Stone, a clinical professor of urology andradiation oncology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, is skeptical of theresults, because the research just focused on men with advanced prostatecancer. That and other factors may have skewed the results, he said.
"I don't think they've proved their point," he said. But he added, "Weneed to be a little bit more careful when we evaluate a patient who islarger, and we look at his PSA and compare to a patient who is thinner.The PSAs are not the same."
More information
For advice on losing weight, visit the U.S.Food and Drug Administration.
TUESDAY, Nov. 20 (HealthDay News) -- In recent years, doctorshave learned that they need to adjust the results of blood tests toproperly diagnose prostate cancer in obese men, but now researchers thinkthey know why.
It turns out that larger men have more blood, which dilutes the levelsof the protein called PSA -- a key indicator of prostate trouble.
The new study doesn't definitively prove why overweight and obese menwith prostate cancer tend to score lower on the PSA (prostate specificantigen) test, but it does give doctors an idea about what may be goingon, said study co-author Dr. Stephen Freedland, an assistant professor ofurology and pathology at Duke University.
"PSA is not a bad test for obese men. We just need to know how to useit," he said. "If we use it correctly, it will be just as good as innormal-weight men."
Prostate cancer strikes one in six men, mostly those over the age of65, according to the Prostate Cancer Foundation.
Older men often routinely undergo a PSA blood test that looks for anantigen made by the prostate that helps it function. The antigen leaksinto the bloodstream at a steady rate, and the amount is higher in menwith prostate cancer, Freedland explained.
Recent research has revealed that PSA levels are 20 percent to 25percent lower in overweight and obese men than in men of normal weight.This can translate into diagnostic problems with bigger men, Freedlandsaid.
"You may call him normal and not worry about him and wait another yearor two or longer, and that gives time for the cancer to grow," henoted.
According to Freedland, it's not clear if there's any impact on PSAlevels from being underweight.
In the new study, researchers tested a theory that the reason PSAlevels are lower in larger men is because the antigen gets diluted inlarger volumes of blood. "It's like taking a little bit of a drug andputting it in a cup of water versus a bowl of water," Freedland said.
The study authors looked at the records of about 14,000 men withprostate cancer who underwent removal of their prostates between 1988 and2006. The findings are published in the Nov. 21 issue of the Journal ofthe American Medical Association.
The researchers found that men who were fatter had larger bloodvolumes, which the study authors said supports their theory that dilutioncaused their PSA levels to lower.
The same thing could hold true for blood markers of other cancers,Freedland said. "As we develop blood tests for other cancers, we should bekeeping this in mind," he added.
However, Dr. Nelson Stone, a clinical professor of urology andradiation oncology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, is skeptical of theresults, because the research just focused on men with advanced prostatecancer. That and other factors may have skewed the results, he said.
"I don't think they've proved their point," he said. But he added, "Weneed to be a little bit more careful when we evaluate a patient who islarger, and we look at his PSA and compare to a patient who is thinner.The PSAs are not the same."
More information
For advice on losing weight, visit the U.S.Food and Drug Administration.
Clinical Trials Update: Nov. 20, 2007
Clinical Trials Update: Nov. 20, 2007
(HealthDay News) -- Here are the latest clinical trials, courtesyof Thomson CenterWatch:
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
If you are aged 18 to 70 with IBS and diarrhea, and arenot taking any cardiac medication, you may be eligible for thisstudy.
The research site is in Chaska, Minn.
More information
Please see http://www.centerwatch.com/patient/studies/cat90.html.
-----
AIDS and AIDS related infections
If you have HIV and are at least 18, are not pregnantor breast feeding, and have no history of cancer, you may qualify toparticipate in this study.
The research site is in Bronx, N.Y.
More information
Please see http://www.centerwatch.com/patient/studies/cat2.html.
-----
Smoking Cessation
If you are a smoker, drug free, and are aged 18 to 65,you may be eligible to participate in this study. You do not have to beready to quit in order to qualify.
The research site is in Durham,N.C.
More information
Please see http://www.centerwatch.com/patient/studies/cat237.html.
-----
Copyright 2007 Thomson CenterWatch. All rights reserved.
(HealthDay News) -- Here are the latest clinical trials, courtesyof Thomson CenterWatch:
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
If you are aged 18 to 70 with IBS and diarrhea, and arenot taking any cardiac medication, you may be eligible for thisstudy.
The research site is in Chaska, Minn.
More information
Please see http://www.centerwatch.com/patient/studies/cat90.html.
-----
AIDS and AIDS related infections
If you have HIV and are at least 18, are not pregnantor breast feeding, and have no history of cancer, you may qualify toparticipate in this study.
The research site is in Bronx, N.Y.
More information
Please see http://www.centerwatch.com/patient/studies/cat2.html.
-----
Smoking Cessation
If you are a smoker, drug free, and are aged 18 to 65,you may be eligible to participate in this study. You do not have to beready to quit in order to qualify.
The research site is in Durham,N.C.
More information
Please see http://www.centerwatch.com/patient/studies/cat237.html.
-----
Copyright 2007 Thomson CenterWatch. All rights reserved.
Thousands protest over China ant aphrodisiac scheme
Thousands protest over China ant aphrodisiac scheme
BEIJING (Reuters) - Thousands of people in north-easternChina have protested on the streets and surrounded governmentoffices demanding help recovering money from a get-rich-quickscheme to raise ants to make an aphrodisiac tonic.
Hundreds of anti-riot troops and police in Shenyang,capital of Liaoning province, were deployed to stop protestersreaching the provincial government and Communist Partyheadquarters, residents said on Wednesday.
The irate investors from across Liaoning, a rustbeltprovince striving to attract investment, have demonstrated inShenyang since Monday and sporadic clashes with police havebroken out, they said.
Several thousand protesters gathered near the provincialgovernment offices on Wednesday, a resident told Reuters bytelephone.
The investors -- many of them laid-off workers or farmers-- put their savings into Shenyang's Yilishen Group for ascheme in which they raised ants to provide ingredients for ahealth tonic promising an aphrodisiac boost.
For every 10,000 yuan (655 pounds) they paid the company as"deposit", investors were promised a dividend of 3,250 yuan.
The tonic was promoted on television by Zhao Benshan, thecountry's best-known comic who specialises in playing innocentbumpkins with a north-eastern twang.
But since October, the group has twice delayed payment ofdividends, fuelling investor fears that it was on the brink ofbankruptcy or that the government might have frozen its funds.
"We strongly demand the government offer a way out forYilishen!" read a banner held by protesters as they marchedalong a Shenyang street. A photo of the banner was posted onInternet and blog sites.
China has seen rising protests from farmers and disgruntledworkers as inequality and corruption stoke popular resentment
The unusual origin of this latest uproar was a reminderthat even as China's economy booms, there are pitfalls that canspark discontent from citizens eager for a share of wealth.
Chinese media have said the scheme collected more than 10billion yuan from hundreds of thousands of Liaoning residents.
USELESS RUSE?
Some local reports have said the ants were a useless rusefor an illegal scam, but the group has survived several probesin the past eight years and investors had previously receivedtheir dividends on time, protesters said.
As they looked for reassurance, panicked investors haveturned their ire on the government.
"If Yilishen goes bankrupt, the government will be thechief culprit," said a message that appeared briefly ondomestic Chinese Web sites before it was removed. "Thegovernment will be drinking our blood."
A Shenyang resident told Reuters that about 1,000 peoplehad collected in front of the company's head office onWednesday. Repeated calls to the office by Reuters wentunanswered.
Investors said the group's good relations with thegovernment and its commercials on state television hadconvinced them Yilishen was legitimate."It has been out there for eight years and the governmenthas given the company and the manager so many honours. Wethought there mustn't be any problem," investor Li Dechun toldReuters.He said he had poured more than 200,000 yuan into thescheme.A spokesman for the Liaoning provincial government saidofficials had been talking to the protesters, and the company'sfailure to pay dividends was not due to any government action."Most of the investors are from the lower class of society.Some have threatened to take more radical actions, such asblocking trains at the railway station," a local residentsurnamed Cong told Reuters.Online discussions about the protests and the ant schemewere quickly removed from Web sites, as were recent newsreports about Yilishen. The Group's Web site was also shut,announcing "service unavailable".(Reporting by Beijing office, editing by Nick Macfie andRoger Crabb)
BEIJING (Reuters) - Thousands of people in north-easternChina have protested on the streets and surrounded governmentoffices demanding help recovering money from a get-rich-quickscheme to raise ants to make an aphrodisiac tonic.
Hundreds of anti-riot troops and police in Shenyang,capital of Liaoning province, were deployed to stop protestersreaching the provincial government and Communist Partyheadquarters, residents said on Wednesday.
The irate investors from across Liaoning, a rustbeltprovince striving to attract investment, have demonstrated inShenyang since Monday and sporadic clashes with police havebroken out, they said.
Several thousand protesters gathered near the provincialgovernment offices on Wednesday, a resident told Reuters bytelephone.
The investors -- many of them laid-off workers or farmers-- put their savings into Shenyang's Yilishen Group for ascheme in which they raised ants to provide ingredients for ahealth tonic promising an aphrodisiac boost.
For every 10,000 yuan (655 pounds) they paid the company as"deposit", investors were promised a dividend of 3,250 yuan.
The tonic was promoted on television by Zhao Benshan, thecountry's best-known comic who specialises in playing innocentbumpkins with a north-eastern twang.
But since October, the group has twice delayed payment ofdividends, fuelling investor fears that it was on the brink ofbankruptcy or that the government might have frozen its funds.
"We strongly demand the government offer a way out forYilishen!" read a banner held by protesters as they marchedalong a Shenyang street. A photo of the banner was posted onInternet and blog sites.
China has seen rising protests from farmers and disgruntledworkers as inequality and corruption stoke popular resentment
The unusual origin of this latest uproar was a reminderthat even as China's economy booms, there are pitfalls that canspark discontent from citizens eager for a share of wealth.
Chinese media have said the scheme collected more than 10billion yuan from hundreds of thousands of Liaoning residents.
USELESS RUSE?
Some local reports have said the ants were a useless rusefor an illegal scam, but the group has survived several probesin the past eight years and investors had previously receivedtheir dividends on time, protesters said.
As they looked for reassurance, panicked investors haveturned their ire on the government.
"If Yilishen goes bankrupt, the government will be thechief culprit," said a message that appeared briefly ondomestic Chinese Web sites before it was removed. "Thegovernment will be drinking our blood."
A Shenyang resident told Reuters that about 1,000 peoplehad collected in front of the company's head office onWednesday. Repeated calls to the office by Reuters wentunanswered.
Investors said the group's good relations with thegovernment and its commercials on state television hadconvinced them Yilishen was legitimate."It has been out there for eight years and the governmenthas given the company and the manager so many honours. Wethought there mustn't be any problem," investor Li Dechun toldReuters.He said he had poured more than 200,000 yuan into thescheme.A spokesman for the Liaoning provincial government saidofficials had been talking to the protesters, and the company'sfailure to pay dividends was not due to any government action."Most of the investors are from the lower class of society.Some have threatened to take more radical actions, such asblocking trains at the railway station," a local residentsurnamed Cong told Reuters.Online discussions about the protests and the ant schemewere quickly removed from Web sites, as were recent newsreports about Yilishen. The Group's Web site was also shut,announcing "service unavailable".(Reporting by Beijing office, editing by Nick Macfie andRoger Crabb)
Thousands protest over ant aphrodisiac scheme
Thousands protest over ant aphrodisiac scheme
An ant crawls on its colony's hive in Roccafluvione, Italy, September 1, 2006. Thousands of people in northeastern China have protested on the streets and surrounded government offices demanding help recovering money from a get-rich-quick scheme to raise ants to make an aphrodisiac tonic. (Daniele La Monaca/Reuters)BEIJING (Reuters) - Thousands of people in northeasternChina have protested on the streets and surrounded governmentoffices demanding help recovering money from a get-rich-quickscheme to raise ants to make an aphrodisiac tonic.
Hundreds of anti-riot troops and police in Shenyang,capital of Liaoning province, were deployed to stop protestersreaching the provincial government and Communist Partyheadquarters, residents said on Wednesday.
The irate investors from across Liaoning, a rustbeltprovince striving to attract investment, have demonstrated inShenyang since Monday and sporadic clashes with police havebroken out, they said.
Several thousand protesters gathered near the provincialgovernment offices on Wednesday, a resident told Reuters bytelephone.
The investors -- many of them laid-off workers or farmers-- put their savings into Shenyang's Yilishen Group for ascheme in which they raised ants to provide ingredients for ahealth tonic promising an aphrodisiac boost.
For every 10,000 yuan ($1,350) they paid the company as"deposit," investors were promised a dividend of 3,250 yuan.
The tonic was promoted on television by Zhao Benshan, thecountry's best-known comic who specializes in playing innocentbumpkins with a northeastern twang.
But since October, the group has twice delayed payment ofdividends, fuelling investor fears that it was on the brink ofbankruptcy or that the government might have frozen its funds.
"We strongly demand the government offer a way out forYilishen!" read a banner held by protesters as they marchedalong a Shenyang street. A photo of the banner was posted onInternet and blog sites.
China has seen rising protests from farmers and disgruntledworkers as inequality and corruption stoke popular resentment
The unusual origin of this latest uproar was a reminderthat even as China's economy booms, there are pitfalls that canspark discontent from citizens eager for a share of wealth.
Chinese media have said the scheme collected more than 10billion yuan from hundreds of thousands of Liaoning residents.
USELESS RUSE?
Some local reports have said the ants were a useless rusefor an illegal scam, but the group has survived several probesin the past eight years and investors had previously receivedtheir dividends on time, protesters said.
As they looked for reassurance, panicked investors haveturned their ire on the government.
"If Yilishen goes bankrupt, the government will be thechief culprit," said a message that appeared briefly ondomestic Chinese Web sites before it was removed. "Thegovernment will be drinking our blood."
A Shenyang resident told Reuters that about 1,000 peoplehad collected in front of the company's head office onWednesday. Repeated calls to the office by Reuters wentunanswered.
Investors said the group's good relations with thegovernment and its commercials on state television hadconvinced them Yilishen was legitimate."It has been out there for eight years and the governmenthas given the company and the manager so many honors. Wethought there mustn't be any problem," investor Li Dechun toldReuters.He said he had poured more than 200,000 yuan into thescheme.A spokesman for the Liaoning provincial government saidofficials had been talking to the protesters, and the company'sfailure to pay dividends was not due to any government action."Most of the investors are from the lower class of society.Some have threatened to take more radical actions, such asblocking trains at the railway station," a local residentsurnamed Cong told Reuters.Online discussions about the protests and the ant schemewere quickly removed from Web sites, as were recent newsreports about Yilishen. The Group's Web site was also shut,announcing "service unavailable."
An ant crawls on its colony's hive in Roccafluvione, Italy, September 1, 2006. Thousands of people in northeastern China have protested on the streets and surrounded government offices demanding help recovering money from a get-rich-quick scheme to raise ants to make an aphrodisiac tonic. (Daniele La Monaca/Reuters)BEIJING (Reuters) - Thousands of people in northeasternChina have protested on the streets and surrounded governmentoffices demanding help recovering money from a get-rich-quickscheme to raise ants to make an aphrodisiac tonic.
Hundreds of anti-riot troops and police in Shenyang,capital of Liaoning province, were deployed to stop protestersreaching the provincial government and Communist Partyheadquarters, residents said on Wednesday.
The irate investors from across Liaoning, a rustbeltprovince striving to attract investment, have demonstrated inShenyang since Monday and sporadic clashes with police havebroken out, they said.
Several thousand protesters gathered near the provincialgovernment offices on Wednesday, a resident told Reuters bytelephone.
The investors -- many of them laid-off workers or farmers-- put their savings into Shenyang's Yilishen Group for ascheme in which they raised ants to provide ingredients for ahealth tonic promising an aphrodisiac boost.
For every 10,000 yuan ($1,350) they paid the company as"deposit," investors were promised a dividend of 3,250 yuan.
The tonic was promoted on television by Zhao Benshan, thecountry's best-known comic who specializes in playing innocentbumpkins with a northeastern twang.
But since October, the group has twice delayed payment ofdividends, fuelling investor fears that it was on the brink ofbankruptcy or that the government might have frozen its funds.
"We strongly demand the government offer a way out forYilishen!" read a banner held by protesters as they marchedalong a Shenyang street. A photo of the banner was posted onInternet and blog sites.
China has seen rising protests from farmers and disgruntledworkers as inequality and corruption stoke popular resentment
The unusual origin of this latest uproar was a reminderthat even as China's economy booms, there are pitfalls that canspark discontent from citizens eager for a share of wealth.
Chinese media have said the scheme collected more than 10billion yuan from hundreds of thousands of Liaoning residents.
USELESS RUSE?
Some local reports have said the ants were a useless rusefor an illegal scam, but the group has survived several probesin the past eight years and investors had previously receivedtheir dividends on time, protesters said.
As they looked for reassurance, panicked investors haveturned their ire on the government.
"If Yilishen goes bankrupt, the government will be thechief culprit," said a message that appeared briefly ondomestic Chinese Web sites before it was removed. "Thegovernment will be drinking our blood."
A Shenyang resident told Reuters that about 1,000 peoplehad collected in front of the company's head office onWednesday. Repeated calls to the office by Reuters wentunanswered.
Investors said the group's good relations with thegovernment and its commercials on state television hadconvinced them Yilishen was legitimate."It has been out there for eight years and the governmenthas given the company and the manager so many honors. Wethought there mustn't be any problem," investor Li Dechun toldReuters.He said he had poured more than 200,000 yuan into thescheme.A spokesman for the Liaoning provincial government saidofficials had been talking to the protesters, and the company'sfailure to pay dividends was not due to any government action."Most of the investors are from the lower class of society.Some have threatened to take more radical actions, such asblocking trains at the railway station," a local residentsurnamed Cong told Reuters.Online discussions about the protests and the ant schemewere quickly removed from Web sites, as were recent newsreports about Yilishen. The Group's Web site was also shut,announcing "service unavailable."
Thailand may get cancer drug free from Novartis: minister
Thailand may get cancer drug free from Novartis: minister
BANGKOK (AFP) - Thailand could get a cancer medicine from Norvatis for free if it slows its drive for generic versions of patented drugs, the country's health minister said Wednesday.
Thailand is at the forefront of an international battle with pharmaceutical companies over so-called compulsory licenses, which temporarily suspend patent protections.
The government has already issued compulsory licenses to get copycat versions of a heart drug and two key AIDS medicines. In September, it announced that it would also seek generic versions of four cancer drugs.
During talks with Novartis over its cancer-fighting Imatinib, Health Minister Mongkol Na Songkhla said the company had offered to provide the drug for free if Thailand halts its drive to expand its generic drug programme.
If a deal were reached, the government could provide unlimited amounts of the drug through its universal health care scheme, he said.
Imatinib currently costs as much as 100,000 baht (2,950 dollars) per patient per month.
"Novartis proposed to us to give free Imatinib without condition and limit in amount and time. We are in the final process of discussion," Mongkol told a seminar on compulsory licensing (CL) in Bangkok.
He said talks with two other drugmakers on cheaper prices for cancer drugs were also making progress.
"If this is successful, there will be no need for the government to implement more CL" on other drugs, he added.
Thailand has so far imposed compulsory licenses for the blockbuster heart drug Plavix and the AIDS medicines Kaletra and Efavirenz.
It has already begun importing cheaper versions from India, a major source of generic drugs.
Mongkol refused to rule out the possibility that the country would seek generic versions of other drugs in extraordinary circumstances.
"I won't say that we will do it again or not. We will do more CL only (on an) exceptional basis," he told reporters.
He also said that the government was considering legal action against Abbott, which withdrew an advanced version of Kaletra from the Thai market after the compulsory license was issued.
Thailand has a law that bars pharmaceutical companies from limiting access to their drugs if the medicine is available in other countries.
"The commerce ministry has been under negotiations with Abbott and considering a chance for legal action against the company," he said.
BANGKOK (AFP) - Thailand could get a cancer medicine from Norvatis for free if it slows its drive for generic versions of patented drugs, the country's health minister said Wednesday.
Thailand is at the forefront of an international battle with pharmaceutical companies over so-called compulsory licenses, which temporarily suspend patent protections.
The government has already issued compulsory licenses to get copycat versions of a heart drug and two key AIDS medicines. In September, it announced that it would also seek generic versions of four cancer drugs.
During talks with Novartis over its cancer-fighting Imatinib, Health Minister Mongkol Na Songkhla said the company had offered to provide the drug for free if Thailand halts its drive to expand its generic drug programme.
If a deal were reached, the government could provide unlimited amounts of the drug through its universal health care scheme, he said.
Imatinib currently costs as much as 100,000 baht (2,950 dollars) per patient per month.
"Novartis proposed to us to give free Imatinib without condition and limit in amount and time. We are in the final process of discussion," Mongkol told a seminar on compulsory licensing (CL) in Bangkok.
He said talks with two other drugmakers on cheaper prices for cancer drugs were also making progress.
"If this is successful, there will be no need for the government to implement more CL" on other drugs, he added.
Thailand has so far imposed compulsory licenses for the blockbuster heart drug Plavix and the AIDS medicines Kaletra and Efavirenz.
It has already begun importing cheaper versions from India, a major source of generic drugs.
Mongkol refused to rule out the possibility that the country would seek generic versions of other drugs in extraordinary circumstances.
"I won't say that we will do it again or not. We will do more CL only (on an) exceptional basis," he told reporters.
He also said that the government was considering legal action against Abbott, which withdrew an advanced version of Kaletra from the Thai market after the compulsory license was issued.
Thailand has a law that bars pharmaceutical companies from limiting access to their drugs if the medicine is available in other countries.
"The commerce ministry has been under negotiations with Abbott and considering a chance for legal action against the company," he said.
Russian health chief disputes UN's HIV numbers
Russian health chief disputes UN's HIV numbers
Russia's chief epidemiologist, Gennady Onishchenko answers journalists' questions in Moscow, 2006 during a press conference. Onishchenko on Wednesday accused the UN's AIDS agency of publishing "incorrect" statistics on the number of HIV infections in the country.(AFP/File/Alexander Nemenov)MOSCOW (AFP) - The head of Russia's health services on Wednesday accused the UN's AIDS agency of publishing "incorrect" statistics on the number of HIV infections in the country.
"We have seen incorrect estimations from several international organisations, including UNAIDS, the World Health Organisation and other UN institutions concerning the situation in Russia," said Gennady Onishchenko, cited by Interfax news agency.
UNAIDS said in its 2007 report on Wednesday that Russia accounts for 66 percent of all new infections in the former Soviet Union, confirming the steady worsening of the AIDS pandemic following a period from 2001 to 2003 when AIDS was on the decline.
The total number of people living with HIV in the former Soviet Union has climbed to 1.6 million, a 150-percent increase from 2001, it said.
"None of the former Soviet republics, expect for Russia, are undertaking serious work toward detecting and caring for HIV infections," he said. "Where work is not being done, the problem does not seem to exist."
He added: "That unilateral judgement without basis is beginning to worry us."
Onishchenko said some 403,000 HIV infections had been detected in Russia since the appearance of the virus in the former Soviet Union in 1987. Those still living number 314,000, he said.
Russia's chief epidemiologist, Gennady Onishchenko answers journalists' questions in Moscow, 2006 during a press conference. Onishchenko on Wednesday accused the UN's AIDS agency of publishing "incorrect" statistics on the number of HIV infections in the country.(AFP/File/Alexander Nemenov)MOSCOW (AFP) - The head of Russia's health services on Wednesday accused the UN's AIDS agency of publishing "incorrect" statistics on the number of HIV infections in the country.
"We have seen incorrect estimations from several international organisations, including UNAIDS, the World Health Organisation and other UN institutions concerning the situation in Russia," said Gennady Onishchenko, cited by Interfax news agency.
UNAIDS said in its 2007 report on Wednesday that Russia accounts for 66 percent of all new infections in the former Soviet Union, confirming the steady worsening of the AIDS pandemic following a period from 2001 to 2003 when AIDS was on the decline.
The total number of people living with HIV in the former Soviet Union has climbed to 1.6 million, a 150-percent increase from 2001, it said.
"None of the former Soviet republics, expect for Russia, are undertaking serious work toward detecting and caring for HIV infections," he said. "Where work is not being done, the problem does not seem to exist."
He added: "That unilateral judgement without basis is beginning to worry us."
Onishchenko said some 403,000 HIV infections had been detected in Russia since the appearance of the virus in the former Soviet Union in 1987. Those still living number 314,000, he said.
Happy in old age: study shows anti-blues drug prolongs life
Happy in old age: study shows anti-blues drug prolongs life
An elderly man checks his e-mail at an Internet cafe for elderly people in Tokyo, July 2007. A commonly-prescribed antidepressant increases the lifespan of worms to the human equivalent of a centenarian, scientists looking for chemicals that prolong longevity reported Wednesday.(AFP/File/Yoshikazu Tsuno)PARIS (AFP) - A commonly-prescribed antidepressant increases the lifespan of worms to the human equivalent of a centenarian, scientists looking for chemicals that prolong longevity reported Wednesday.
What determines lifespan remains poorly understood, but a spate of recent research has begun to unlock mechanisms that could one day adds years and extra pep to the human endgame.
In humans, the antidepressant mianserin prevents the neurotransmitter serotonin from being reabsorbed once it has been released by nerve cells in the brain, thus extending its impact.
Decreased levels of serotonin, a naturally occurring chemical that creates a feeling of well-being, have been linked in many studies to depression.
Linda Buck, a researcher at the Howard Hughes Institute in Seattle, Washington, and two colleagues screened 88,000 chemicals to see which might enhance the lifespan of Caenorhabiditis elegans, a short-lived worm commonly used in experiments on longevity.
In the experiments, a chemical virtually identical to the drug mianserin extended the lives of worms by 30 percent, according to the study.
Three other compounds that also act on serotonin also had a similar effect: mirtazapine, methiothepin and cyproheptadine.
The antidepressant notably blocked uptake of another neurotransmitter, octopamine, which has a role in releasing fat from fat cells.
This links to previous studies showing that lab animals which were kept on a low-calorie diet live longer, said Buck, who won the 2004 Nobel for medicine for research on the human olfactory system.
The findings are not proof that antidepressants can extend life in humans. Rather, they shed light on some of the molecular pathways in the ageing process, say the authors.
"Lifespan can be extended by blocking certain types of neurotransmission implicated in food sensing in the adult animal," Buck said.
An elderly man checks his e-mail at an Internet cafe for elderly people in Tokyo, July 2007. A commonly-prescribed antidepressant increases the lifespan of worms to the human equivalent of a centenarian, scientists looking for chemicals that prolong longevity reported Wednesday.(AFP/File/Yoshikazu Tsuno)PARIS (AFP) - A commonly-prescribed antidepressant increases the lifespan of worms to the human equivalent of a centenarian, scientists looking for chemicals that prolong longevity reported Wednesday.
What determines lifespan remains poorly understood, but a spate of recent research has begun to unlock mechanisms that could one day adds years and extra pep to the human endgame.
In humans, the antidepressant mianserin prevents the neurotransmitter serotonin from being reabsorbed once it has been released by nerve cells in the brain, thus extending its impact.
Decreased levels of serotonin, a naturally occurring chemical that creates a feeling of well-being, have been linked in many studies to depression.
Linda Buck, a researcher at the Howard Hughes Institute in Seattle, Washington, and two colleagues screened 88,000 chemicals to see which might enhance the lifespan of Caenorhabiditis elegans, a short-lived worm commonly used in experiments on longevity.
In the experiments, a chemical virtually identical to the drug mianserin extended the lives of worms by 30 percent, according to the study.
Three other compounds that also act on serotonin also had a similar effect: mirtazapine, methiothepin and cyproheptadine.
The antidepressant notably blocked uptake of another neurotransmitter, octopamine, which has a role in releasing fat from fat cells.
This links to previous studies showing that lab animals which were kept on a low-calorie diet live longer, said Buck, who won the 2004 Nobel for medicine for research on the human olfactory system.
The findings are not proof that antidepressants can extend life in humans. Rather, they shed light on some of the molecular pathways in the ageing process, say the authors.
"Lifespan can be extended by blocking certain types of neurotransmission implicated in food sensing in the adult animal," Buck said.
Worm study shows antidepressant may lengthen life
Worm study shows antidepressant may lengthen life
A petri dish containing C. elegans nemotodes, (round worms), is prepared for examination by scientists in this photo released on May 7, 2003. An antidepressant may help worms live longer by tricking the brain into thinking the body is starving, U.S. researchers reported on Wednesday. (NASA/Handout/Reuters)WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An antidepressant may help wormslive longer by tricking the brain into thinking the body isstarving, U.S. researchers reported on Wednesday.
The drug, called mianserin, extended the life span of thenematode Caenorhabditis elegans by about 30 percent, theresearchers reported in the journal Nature. They hope to findout if the same mechanism can help people live longer.
Three other compounds, including another antidepressant,have similar effects, said Michael Petrascheck of the FredHutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. But thelife-extending benefits come at a cost.
"Weight gain and increased appetite seems to be one of theside effects. It is one of the reasons these are not suchpopular antidepressants," Petrascheck said in a telephoneinterview.
Many studies have shown that slightly starving certainanimals -- reducing how much they eat by about 30 percent --can cause them to live longer.
It is not entirely clear if this occurs in humans, butresearchers are keen to duplicate the beneficial effects ofcalorie restriction without the misery of going hungry.
Howard Hughes Medical Institute researcher Linda Buck andcolleagues were looking for drugs that might do this.
C. elegans is a roundworm, or nematode, much studiedbecause despite its tiny size, its biology is similar to thatof humans and other animals.
Buck's team did a random search through 88,000 differentdrug compounds to see if any of them happened to make C.elegans live longer.
They found four drugs that extended life span by 20 percentto 30 percent. The drug with the strongest effect wasmianserin, in a class of drugs known as tetracyclicantidepressants.
It blocks brain cell signaling by the neurotransmitter ormessage-carrying chemical serotonin, which is linked with moodand appetite.
The drug is used in Europe under several brand names,including Bolvidon, Norval and Tolvon but not usually in theUnited States. It can cause aplastic anemia and other effectson immune system cells.
Buck's team found that in addition to interfering withserotonin in the worm, it also blocked receptors for anotherneurotransmitter, octopamine.
They said some other research suggests that serotonin andoctopamine may complement one another -- with serotoninsignaling the presence of food and octopamine signalingstarvation.
Buck said it is possible that mianserin drug tips thebalance in the direction of octopamine, tricking the brain intothinking it has been starved.
Petrascheck said another antidepressant, mirtazapine, hadsimilar effects. An antihistamine and migraine drug calledcyproheptadine, as well as a compound not used in people calledmethiothepin also affected serotonin and extended worm lifespan.
They tested other popular antidepressants that affectserotonin and found they did not make the worms live longer.
He is worried that people will rush to take the drugs inthe hope of living longer."It is a stretch from a worm to a human being," Petraschecksaid.(Reporting by Maggie Fox, editing by Will Dunham and DavidWiessler)
A petri dish containing C. elegans nemotodes, (round worms), is prepared for examination by scientists in this photo released on May 7, 2003. An antidepressant may help worms live longer by tricking the brain into thinking the body is starving, U.S. researchers reported on Wednesday. (NASA/Handout/Reuters)WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An antidepressant may help wormslive longer by tricking the brain into thinking the body isstarving, U.S. researchers reported on Wednesday.
The drug, called mianserin, extended the life span of thenematode Caenorhabditis elegans by about 30 percent, theresearchers reported in the journal Nature. They hope to findout if the same mechanism can help people live longer.
Three other compounds, including another antidepressant,have similar effects, said Michael Petrascheck of the FredHutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. But thelife-extending benefits come at a cost.
"Weight gain and increased appetite seems to be one of theside effects. It is one of the reasons these are not suchpopular antidepressants," Petrascheck said in a telephoneinterview.
Many studies have shown that slightly starving certainanimals -- reducing how much they eat by about 30 percent --can cause them to live longer.
It is not entirely clear if this occurs in humans, butresearchers are keen to duplicate the beneficial effects ofcalorie restriction without the misery of going hungry.
Howard Hughes Medical Institute researcher Linda Buck andcolleagues were looking for drugs that might do this.
C. elegans is a roundworm, or nematode, much studiedbecause despite its tiny size, its biology is similar to thatof humans and other animals.
Buck's team did a random search through 88,000 differentdrug compounds to see if any of them happened to make C.elegans live longer.
They found four drugs that extended life span by 20 percentto 30 percent. The drug with the strongest effect wasmianserin, in a class of drugs known as tetracyclicantidepressants.
It blocks brain cell signaling by the neurotransmitter ormessage-carrying chemical serotonin, which is linked with moodand appetite.
The drug is used in Europe under several brand names,including Bolvidon, Norval and Tolvon but not usually in theUnited States. It can cause aplastic anemia and other effectson immune system cells.
Buck's team found that in addition to interfering withserotonin in the worm, it also blocked receptors for anotherneurotransmitter, octopamine.
They said some other research suggests that serotonin andoctopamine may complement one another -- with serotoninsignaling the presence of food and octopamine signalingstarvation.
Buck said it is possible that mianserin drug tips thebalance in the direction of octopamine, tricking the brain intothinking it has been starved.
Petrascheck said another antidepressant, mirtazapine, hadsimilar effects. An antihistamine and migraine drug calledcyproheptadine, as well as a compound not used in people calledmethiothepin also affected serotonin and extended worm lifespan.
They tested other popular antidepressants that affectserotonin and found they did not make the worms live longer.
He is worried that people will rush to take the drugs inthe hope of living longer."It is a stretch from a worm to a human being," Petraschecksaid.(Reporting by Maggie Fox, editing by Will Dunham and DavidWiessler)
Lung transplants no help for cystic fibrosis: study
Lung transplants no help for cystic fibrosis: study
An empty operating theatre is seen at the University hospital in western German city of Bonn March 16, 2006. Children with severe cystic fibrosis are seldom helped by a lung transplant, researchers said on Wednesday in findings they said stunned them. (Ina Fassbender/Reuters)BOSTON (Reuters) - Children with severe cystic fibrosis areseldom helped by a lung transplant, researchers said onWednesday in findings they said stunned them.
Only five of the 514 U.S. children on the waiting list fora transplant from 1992 through 2002 lived longer as a clearresult of the expensive and complicated operation, Dr. TheodoreLiou of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City and colleaguesfound.
"We were stunned, literally," Liou said in a telephoneinterview.
"We went into this thinking there would be a number ofpatients who would benefit and a number who would not, and itwould balance out. This study showed it wasn't close to beingequal," said Liou, whose findings were reported in the NewEngland Journal of Medicine.
Transplantation is an accepted treatment for severe casesof the fatal genetic disease, which affects about 70,000 peopleworldwide and creates an abnormally thick mucus that clogs thelungs and digestive system.
But few studies have assessed the effectiveness of lungtransplants for helping treat the incurable disease.
Although the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation says that 50percent of recipients are alive five years after surgery,complications from transplants are responsible for 12 percentof all deaths among people with CF.
"A basic tenet regarding lung transplantation is that itextends life," Dr. Julian Allen of Children's Hospital ofPhiladelphia and Dr. Gary Visner of Children's Hospital inBoston wrote in a commentary.
"Most workers in transplant centers have encounteredpatients in whom the results of transplantation seem nothingshort of miraculous," they wrote.
However there have been hints that the operation may not bebest for sufferers under 18. The five-year survival rate of 33percent for children is less than for adults or people who havereceived a transplant for another reason, Allen and Visnersaid.
But the duo also cautioned that because there has been achange in the rules that determine who gets a new set of lungs,waiting times for the sickest patients have shortened. Thus theLiou findings may no longer apply.
Liou disagreed. The new system of ranking patients will nothelp people who are unlikely to benefit from a transplant inthe first place, he said.
"I think it's going to make people think twice about lungtransplants," he said.
Because of improvements in treatment, children who mighthave died in their mid-teens in the 1970s now survive untiltheir mid-30s.
"The results underscore that sustained, multidisciplinarycare rather than lung transplantation is central to longevityin children with cystic fibrosis," the Liou team concluded.
(Reporting by Gene Emery; Editing by Maggie Fox and VickiAllen)
An empty operating theatre is seen at the University hospital in western German city of Bonn March 16, 2006. Children with severe cystic fibrosis are seldom helped by a lung transplant, researchers said on Wednesday in findings they said stunned them. (Ina Fassbender/Reuters)BOSTON (Reuters) - Children with severe cystic fibrosis areseldom helped by a lung transplant, researchers said onWednesday in findings they said stunned them.
Only five of the 514 U.S. children on the waiting list fora transplant from 1992 through 2002 lived longer as a clearresult of the expensive and complicated operation, Dr. TheodoreLiou of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City and colleaguesfound.
"We were stunned, literally," Liou said in a telephoneinterview.
"We went into this thinking there would be a number ofpatients who would benefit and a number who would not, and itwould balance out. This study showed it wasn't close to beingequal," said Liou, whose findings were reported in the NewEngland Journal of Medicine.
Transplantation is an accepted treatment for severe casesof the fatal genetic disease, which affects about 70,000 peopleworldwide and creates an abnormally thick mucus that clogs thelungs and digestive system.
But few studies have assessed the effectiveness of lungtransplants for helping treat the incurable disease.
Although the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation says that 50percent of recipients are alive five years after surgery,complications from transplants are responsible for 12 percentof all deaths among people with CF.
"A basic tenet regarding lung transplantation is that itextends life," Dr. Julian Allen of Children's Hospital ofPhiladelphia and Dr. Gary Visner of Children's Hospital inBoston wrote in a commentary.
"Most workers in transplant centers have encounteredpatients in whom the results of transplantation seem nothingshort of miraculous," they wrote.
However there have been hints that the operation may not bebest for sufferers under 18. The five-year survival rate of 33percent for children is less than for adults or people who havereceived a transplant for another reason, Allen and Visnersaid.
But the duo also cautioned that because there has been achange in the rules that determine who gets a new set of lungs,waiting times for the sickest patients have shortened. Thus theLiou findings may no longer apply.
Liou disagreed. The new system of ranking patients will nothelp people who are unlikely to benefit from a transplant inthe first place, he said.
"I think it's going to make people think twice about lungtransplants," he said.
Because of improvements in treatment, children who mighthave died in their mid-teens in the 1970s now survive untiltheir mid-30s.
"The results underscore that sustained, multidisciplinarycare rather than lung transplantation is central to longevityin children with cystic fibrosis," the Liou team concluded.
(Reporting by Gene Emery; Editing by Maggie Fox and VickiAllen)
Prenatal cocaine exposure cuts blood flow to brain
Prenatal cocaine exposure cuts blood flow to brain
Newborn babies are shown in this undated file image. Babies born to mothers who used cocaine while pregnant show a reduction in blood flow to the brain when they reach adolescence, according to a report in the journal Pediatrics. (SimonThong/Reuters)NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Babies born to mothers who usedcocaine while pregnant show a reduction in blood flow to thebrain when they reach adolescence, according to a report in thejournal Pediatrics.
"What this means is not certain at this time," Dr. HallamHurt from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Pennsylvaniatold Reuters Health. "These changes may have been present sincebirth, suggesting a long-lasting effect of (exposure duringpregnancy), or they may have just occurred during adolescence,a so-called latent effect."
Hurt and associates used a special type of MRI to measurebrain blood flow in adolescents who had been exposed to cocaineprenatally and those who had not.
The exposed teens showed decreased blood flow in variousbrain regions, with marked decreases in two key regions: theoccipital lobe, an area that controls vision, and the thalamus,an area that acts as a sensory relay station for the brain.
SOURCE: Pediatrics, November 2007.
Newborn babies are shown in this undated file image. Babies born to mothers who used cocaine while pregnant show a reduction in blood flow to the brain when they reach adolescence, according to a report in the journal Pediatrics. (SimonThong/Reuters)NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Babies born to mothers who usedcocaine while pregnant show a reduction in blood flow to thebrain when they reach adolescence, according to a report in thejournal Pediatrics.
"What this means is not certain at this time," Dr. HallamHurt from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Pennsylvaniatold Reuters Health. "These changes may have been present sincebirth, suggesting a long-lasting effect of (exposure duringpregnancy), or they may have just occurred during adolescence,a so-called latent effect."
Hurt and associates used a special type of MRI to measurebrain blood flow in adolescents who had been exposed to cocaineprenatally and those who had not.
The exposed teens showed decreased blood flow in variousbrain regions, with marked decreases in two key regions: theoccipital lobe, an area that controls vision, and the thalamus,an area that acts as a sensory relay station for the brain.
SOURCE: Pediatrics, November 2007.
Magnetic pulses to brain can treat depression: study
Magnetic pulses to brain can treat depression: study
A patient is seen at a psychiatric hospital. Stimulating the brain with rapid bursts of magnetic energy is a safe and effectively treatment for major depression, a new large-scale study has found.(AFP/File/Torsten Blackwood)CHICAGO (AFP) - Stimulating the brain with rapid bursts of magnetic energy is a safe and effectively treatment for major depression, a new large-scale study has found.
The finding offers a ray of hope to the 20 to 40 percent of patients who do not respond to antidepressants and psychotherapy and to those who do not wish to treat their illness with drugs.
"This study provides new support for the efficacy of TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation) as a 'stand alone' treatment for depression," said John Krystal, editor of Biological Psychiatry which will publish the study on December 1.
"This finding could be particularly important for patients who do not tolerate antidepressant medications, for whom they are not safe, or who have not benefited from other alternative treatments."
The treatment works by sending very rapid bursts of magnetic energy into the brain through coils attached to the scalp.
These pulses cause the neurons in a small area of the brain to "fire off," said study co-author Philip Janicak, a psychiatry professor at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.
"It also indirectly sends signals down to the deeper areas of the brain which controls the appetite and are linked to depression," he said in a telephone interview.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation has been used as an alternative to electroshock treatment since the mid 1980's but small-scale studies of its effectiveness have shown mixed results, Janicak said.
This is the first large-scale study of the technique and researchers also used much higher doses of the energy pulses.
Remission rates among those who received the treatment were twice as high as those receiving a "sham" treatment where a shield was placed on the coils.
They were also higher than average rates in antidepressant drug trials, Janicak said.
This is particular significant given that most of the patients in the study had failed to respond to antidepressants - a criteria which would have excluded them from most drug trials, he said.
Researchers in at 23 sites in Canada, the United States and Australian randomly assigned 325 patients suffering from major depressive disorder to nine weeks of magnetic stimulation or a sham treatment.
Neither the patients nor the researchers knew who received the sham treatments and there was a very low drop-out rate, indicating that the treatment was well-tolerated by patients.
Side effects included headaches and scalp discomfort.
A patient is seen at a psychiatric hospital. Stimulating the brain with rapid bursts of magnetic energy is a safe and effectively treatment for major depression, a new large-scale study has found.(AFP/File/Torsten Blackwood)CHICAGO (AFP) - Stimulating the brain with rapid bursts of magnetic energy is a safe and effectively treatment for major depression, a new large-scale study has found.
The finding offers a ray of hope to the 20 to 40 percent of patients who do not respond to antidepressants and psychotherapy and to those who do not wish to treat their illness with drugs.
"This study provides new support for the efficacy of TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation) as a 'stand alone' treatment for depression," said John Krystal, editor of Biological Psychiatry which will publish the study on December 1.
"This finding could be particularly important for patients who do not tolerate antidepressant medications, for whom they are not safe, or who have not benefited from other alternative treatments."
The treatment works by sending very rapid bursts of magnetic energy into the brain through coils attached to the scalp.
These pulses cause the neurons in a small area of the brain to "fire off," said study co-author Philip Janicak, a psychiatry professor at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.
"It also indirectly sends signals down to the deeper areas of the brain which controls the appetite and are linked to depression," he said in a telephone interview.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation has been used as an alternative to electroshock treatment since the mid 1980's but small-scale studies of its effectiveness have shown mixed results, Janicak said.
This is the first large-scale study of the technique and researchers also used much higher doses of the energy pulses.
Remission rates among those who received the treatment were twice as high as those receiving a "sham" treatment where a shield was placed on the coils.
They were also higher than average rates in antidepressant drug trials, Janicak said.
This is particular significant given that most of the patients in the study had failed to respond to antidepressants - a criteria which would have excluded them from most drug trials, he said.
Researchers in at 23 sites in Canada, the United States and Australian randomly assigned 325 patients suffering from major depressive disorder to nine weeks of magnetic stimulation or a sham treatment.
Neither the patients nor the researchers knew who received the sham treatments and there was a very low drop-out rate, indicating that the treatment was well-tolerated by patients.
Side effects included headaches and scalp discomfort.
Smoking Before, After Pregnancy Harms Daughters' Fertility
Smoking Before, After Pregnancy Harms Daughters' Fertility
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 21 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers haveidentified the chemical pathway by which a mother's smoking before andafter pregnancy might reduce her daughter's fertility by as much astwo-thirds.
Cigarette smoking during pregnancy has been shown in retrospectivestudies to affect the fertility of a woman's offspring, but this is thefirst study to offer an explanation of the biology behind the effect, theCanadian scientists claim.
A team at the Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute at Mount SinaiHospital in Toronto investigated the impact of polycyclic aromatichydrocarbons (PAH), a byproduct of smoking, on mouse fertility.
Researchers injected three groups of female mice with a low-dosemixture of PAH: One group received PAH before conception and again whenthey were providing milk for their pups; one group received PAH onlybefore conception; and the third group received PAH only during lactation.A fourth control group did not receive PAH but were mated at the same timeas the others. The total amount of PAH given to each mouse over thethree-week injection cycle was equivalent to 25 packs of cigarettes,according to the researchers. The exposed mice did not have fewer pups intheir own litters, but when researchers investigated the number of eggs intheir female offspring, they found about 70 percent fewer folliclesavailable to produce eggs.
"Mothers, mice in this case, exposed to PAHs -- environmentalpollutants found in cigarette smoke, car exhaust, smoke produced by fossilfuel combustion, as well as in smoked food --before pregnancy and/orduring breast-feeding, but not during pregnancy, can cause a reduction inthe number of eggs in the ovaries of their female offspring by two-thirds.This limits the window in which the daughter will be able to reproduce,"explained lead researcher Dr. Andrea Jurisicova.
Further analysis indicated that the effects of PAHs on the number offollicles in female offspring were mediated through a receptor thataffects the expression of a gene that makes a protein that causes cells todie. The researchers then demonstrated similar effects in human ovariantissue transplanted into immunocompromised mice.
Jurisicova described the process: "Toxic compounds were injected underthe skin of mice and were picked up by the bloodstream and carriedthroughout the body until they reached the ovaries. Once at the ovaries,they passed through the cell membrane and bound to the receptor. When thishappens, it activates the receptor, which then enters the cell nucleus.The receptor then finds a specific DNA sequence that turns on the gene,which accumulates and eventually kills the eggs."
"This study now is providing a chemical pathway, which is very nice,"said Dr. Norman Edelman, consultant for scientific affairs with theAmerican Lung Association. The new data provides biological support forepidemiological results, such as the previously observed reduction infertility among daughters of smoking women, he added.
Whether the news will have an impact on a woman's decision to smoke isanother question, said Edelman.
"If we do our job right and these results get good press, this datacould remind women of what they are doing to their unborn fetuses,"Edelman said.
Another expert noted this latest finding adds to a growing body ofevidence that shows a strong connection between smoking and fertility.
"I think it is an interesting study, but it doesn't add much new. Otherstudies have shown similar outcomes. The theory is that smoking couldaffect the follicles or the fallopian tubes," said Dr. Amos Grunebaum,director of obstetrics at New York Weill Cornell Medical Center, in NewYork City. "We have known for many years that smoking affects fertility onmany levels."
"The key is women should quit smoking before they are thinking ofgetting pregnant," Grunebaum said.
The Canadian researchers did offer some good news in their report,published in the Dec. 3 edition of the Journal of ClinicalInvestigation. Injecting resveratrol in the mice who were exposed toPAH prevented the reduction in egg follicles in their offspring.Resveratrol is a naturally occurring antioxidant found in wine and grapeskins. However, that reversal of damage does not mean that women who smokecan counter the effects with a nutritional supplement or a glass of redwine, the researchers stressed.
"We have found that oral consumption of resveratrol as a foodsupplement, at least in mice, is not effective, as levels of resveratroldo not reach sufficient amount in the bloodstream to provide protection,"Jurisicova said.
Although the findings do not define the length of time between quittingsmoking and healthier fertility in offspring, Jurisicova noted thatprevious studies have shown that women who smoke have better results within vitro fertilization one year after they quit smoking. The micein the current study conceived up to two weeks after their final PAHinjection, which is approximately equivalent to three menstrual cycles inwomen.
The effect of a mother's cigarette smoking is not limited to her femalechildren. A study published in the Jan. 1 issue of the American Journalof Epidemiology suggested that the male offspring of mothers who smokehave lower sperm counts.
There is still more research to be done, Jurisicova noted.
"We hope to continue studying the female offspring to see if they enterthe mouse version of menopause earlier than mice whose mothers were notexposed to PAHs," Jurisicova said. "We also hope to study if their reducedfertility passes on to subsequent generations, and if the granddaughtersare predisposed to similar problems."
More information
Need to quit smoking? Visit the U.S. SurgeonGeneral or the National Institutes of Health.
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 21 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers haveidentified the chemical pathway by which a mother's smoking before andafter pregnancy might reduce her daughter's fertility by as much astwo-thirds.
Cigarette smoking during pregnancy has been shown in retrospectivestudies to affect the fertility of a woman's offspring, but this is thefirst study to offer an explanation of the biology behind the effect, theCanadian scientists claim.
A team at the Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute at Mount SinaiHospital in Toronto investigated the impact of polycyclic aromatichydrocarbons (PAH), a byproduct of smoking, on mouse fertility.
Researchers injected three groups of female mice with a low-dosemixture of PAH: One group received PAH before conception and again whenthey were providing milk for their pups; one group received PAH onlybefore conception; and the third group received PAH only during lactation.A fourth control group did not receive PAH but were mated at the same timeas the others. The total amount of PAH given to each mouse over thethree-week injection cycle was equivalent to 25 packs of cigarettes,according to the researchers. The exposed mice did not have fewer pups intheir own litters, but when researchers investigated the number of eggs intheir female offspring, they found about 70 percent fewer folliclesavailable to produce eggs.
"Mothers, mice in this case, exposed to PAHs -- environmentalpollutants found in cigarette smoke, car exhaust, smoke produced by fossilfuel combustion, as well as in smoked food --before pregnancy and/orduring breast-feeding, but not during pregnancy, can cause a reduction inthe number of eggs in the ovaries of their female offspring by two-thirds.This limits the window in which the daughter will be able to reproduce,"explained lead researcher Dr. Andrea Jurisicova.
Further analysis indicated that the effects of PAHs on the number offollicles in female offspring were mediated through a receptor thataffects the expression of a gene that makes a protein that causes cells todie. The researchers then demonstrated similar effects in human ovariantissue transplanted into immunocompromised mice.
Jurisicova described the process: "Toxic compounds were injected underthe skin of mice and were picked up by the bloodstream and carriedthroughout the body until they reached the ovaries. Once at the ovaries,they passed through the cell membrane and bound to the receptor. When thishappens, it activates the receptor, which then enters the cell nucleus.The receptor then finds a specific DNA sequence that turns on the gene,which accumulates and eventually kills the eggs."
"This study now is providing a chemical pathway, which is very nice,"said Dr. Norman Edelman, consultant for scientific affairs with theAmerican Lung Association. The new data provides biological support forepidemiological results, such as the previously observed reduction infertility among daughters of smoking women, he added.
Whether the news will have an impact on a woman's decision to smoke isanother question, said Edelman.
"If we do our job right and these results get good press, this datacould remind women of what they are doing to their unborn fetuses,"Edelman said.
Another expert noted this latest finding adds to a growing body ofevidence that shows a strong connection between smoking and fertility.
"I think it is an interesting study, but it doesn't add much new. Otherstudies have shown similar outcomes. The theory is that smoking couldaffect the follicles or the fallopian tubes," said Dr. Amos Grunebaum,director of obstetrics at New York Weill Cornell Medical Center, in NewYork City. "We have known for many years that smoking affects fertility onmany levels."
"The key is women should quit smoking before they are thinking ofgetting pregnant," Grunebaum said.
The Canadian researchers did offer some good news in their report,published in the Dec. 3 edition of the Journal of ClinicalInvestigation. Injecting resveratrol in the mice who were exposed toPAH prevented the reduction in egg follicles in their offspring.Resveratrol is a naturally occurring antioxidant found in wine and grapeskins. However, that reversal of damage does not mean that women who smokecan counter the effects with a nutritional supplement or a glass of redwine, the researchers stressed.
"We have found that oral consumption of resveratrol as a foodsupplement, at least in mice, is not effective, as levels of resveratroldo not reach sufficient amount in the bloodstream to provide protection,"Jurisicova said.
Although the findings do not define the length of time between quittingsmoking and healthier fertility in offspring, Jurisicova noted thatprevious studies have shown that women who smoke have better results within vitro fertilization one year after they quit smoking. The micein the current study conceived up to two weeks after their final PAHinjection, which is approximately equivalent to three menstrual cycles inwomen.
The effect of a mother's cigarette smoking is not limited to her femalechildren. A study published in the Jan. 1 issue of the American Journalof Epidemiology suggested that the male offspring of mothers who smokehave lower sperm counts.
There is still more research to be done, Jurisicova noted.
"We hope to continue studying the female offspring to see if they enterthe mouse version of menopause earlier than mice whose mothers were notexposed to PAHs," Jurisicova said. "We also hope to study if their reducedfertility passes on to subsequent generations, and if the granddaughtersare predisposed to similar problems."
More information
Need to quit smoking? Visit the U.S. SurgeonGeneral or the National Institutes of Health.
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