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Health News from Medical News Today

Uninsured Adults With Chronic Illnesses Use More Health Care Services When They Qualify For Medicare Than Those Who Were Insured, Study Finds

Uninsured adults with common chronic illnesses had greater health expenditures and more frequent physician office visits and hospitalizations after they became eligible for Medicare compared with those who had insurance before age 65, according to a study published Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine, Reuters reports.

Further Light Shed On The Mechanisms Regulating ER-Alpha Expression Levels During Breast Cancer

Estrogen, which binds estrogen receptor alpha (ER -alpha), is a risk factor for breast cancer development. However, one -third of new breast cancers lack detectable ER -alpha. These ER -alpha -negative cancers are more aggressive and have a worse prognosis than do ER -alpha -positive breast cancers, and have been thought to be estrogen independent.

UNAIDS, IPPF, World YWCA, ICW Compiling Information On HIV/AIDS-Related Stigma In Some Developing Countries

UNAIDS, the International Planned Parenthood Federation, World YWCA and the International Community of Women Living with HIV/AIDS are compiling data on HIV/AIDS -related stigma and the accessibility of health services in some developing countries in an effort to compare official information with the perceptions of HIV -positive people, IRIN/PlusNews reports.

HIV Prevention Clinical Trial Negates Women's Diaphragm Use

A clinical trial involving 5,045 women in South Africa and Zimbabwe found no statistical difference in the rate of new HIV infections in the two study arms: those who received a diaphragm plus lubricant along with male condoms for their partners and those who only received male condoms.

Women With Breast Cancer Carrying BRCA Genetic Mutations Have Similar Survival, Death Rates As Noncarriers, Study Says

Women diagnosed with breast cancer carrying the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutations, which are thought to increase the risk of developing the disease, have similar survival and death rates as women not carrying the mutations, according to a study published Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Fight Against Frivolous Medical Malpractice Suits Needed, Op-Ed Says

"Though the medical tort system is designed to deter unsafe practices and to make negligently injured patients whole, it does neither. Nor does it prevent a high frequency of frivolous lawsuits," Jeffrey Segal, a neurosurgeon and founder and CEO of Medical Justice Services, and Michael Sacopulos, general counsel for the organization, write in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece.

House Appropriations Committee Approves $607B Labor-HHS-Education Bill

The House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday by voice vote approved a $607 billion fiscal year 2008 Labor -HHS -Education spending bill, CQ Today reports. The bill includes $151.5 billion in discretionary funds, exceeding FY 2007 discretionary spending by $7 billion and topping President Bush's FY 2008 spending request by $10.6 billion (Wayne, CQ Today, 7/11).

During Recovery From ACL Surgery Neoprene Sleeve Equal To Knee Brace

Users of functional knee braces and neoprene sleeves have similar recoveries from anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, according to new research presented at the 2007 Annual Meeting of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine at the Telus Convention Center.

HIV Medicine Association, Other Groups Oppose Bush Surgeon General Nominee

The HIV Medicine Association and other groups -- including the American Public Health Association and some gay and lesbian organizations -- have announced their opposition to President Bush's surgeon general nominee, James Holsinger, ahead of his Senate confirmation hearing on Thursday, Reuters/Scientific American reports (Dunham, Reuters/Scientific American, 7/11).

New Type 1 Diabetes Gene Found In Children

A team of scientists in the US and Canada have discovered a gene variant that is thought to increase a child's risk for type 1 diabetes.The study is published in the advanced online publication of the journal Nature.Type 1 diabetes used to be called juvenile diabetes because it mostly begins in childhood.

Wyeth To File For FDA Approval Of Tygacil For The Treatment Of Patients With Community-Acquired Pneumonia

Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, a division of Wyeth (NYSE: WYE), announced today that it plans to submit a supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this summer for its first -in -class antibiotic Tygacil ® (tigecycline) for the treatment of patients with Community -Acquired Pneumonia (CAP).

Preliminary Results For Phase III Study Evaluating CellCept In Lupus Nephritis

Aspreva Pharmaceuticals Corporation and Roche today released preliminary results for a clinical phase III trial comparing CellCept (oral mycophenolate mofetil, MMF) to intravenous cyclophosphamide (IVC), which is the current standard of care, for inducing treatment response in the induction phase of patients suffering from lupus nephritis.

Breast Cancer Survivor Jaclyn Smith Urges Women To Know Their Breast Cancer Risk Factors

Jaclyn Smith, a multi -talented actress, entrepreneur, philanthropist and breast cancer survivor, is touring the country with the Strength in Knowing: The Facts and Fiction of Breast Cancer Risk program, sharing her experience as a breast cancer survivor and encouraging women to understand breast cancer risk factors.

Cordis Corporation Introduces FIRE STAR™ Rx PTCA Dilatation Catheter

Cordis Corporation today announced its introduction in Europe of the FIRE STAR ™ Rx PTCA (Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty) Dilatation Catheter, which features the lowest pre -dilatation balloon profile in the market. The device will be introduced in other regions later in the year.

GSK Receives Extended Licence Indication For Seretide In Europe Following Submission Of TORCH Data For COPD

GSK announced today that it has been granted a licence extension in Europefor Seretide ™ 50/500 Â µ g(salmeterol/fluticasone propionate) for use in a broader population of patients with the lung disease COPD. This follows a regulatory review of the TORCH (TOwards a Revolution in COPD Health) study data by the European Regulatory authorities.

Study Shows Ixabepilone Demonstrated Clear Activity In Patients With Metastatic Breast Cancer Resistant To Anthracycline, Taxane, And Capecitabine

Results from a Phase II study - which will be published in the August 10, 2007 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO) and are now available as an Early Release Article at http://www.jco.

Data Available From ERBITUX® Phase III Study In First-Line Treatment Of Advanced Lung Cancer

ImClone Systems Incorporated (NASDAQ: IMCL) and Bristol -Myers Squibb Company (NYSE: BMY) today announced results from an open -label Phase III study of ERBITUX ® (Cetuximab) plus a taxane and carboplatin in the first -line treatment for metastatic non -small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Smith & Nephew Launches Journey Deuce Knee System

Smith & Nephew, Inc. (NYSE: SNN, LSE, SN) Orthopaedic Reconstruction business today announced the global launch of the JOURNEY DEUCE Bi -Compartmental Knee System. The JOURNEY DEUCE Knee System is a new, innovative solution that may give nearly 70% of all patients receiving a total knee replacement a more minimally invasive, bone and ligament preserving treatment alternative.

Vermont Launches Web Site That Compares Drug Prices

Vermont Attorney General William Sorrell (D) on Tuesday unveiled a Web site that will allow state residents to compare prices offered by Vermont pharmacies for prescription medications, the AP/Boston Globe reports. Using the site, consumers can select their medication, town or county and view a list of prices offered for various drugs in area pharmacies.

Louisiana Incentive Program Does Not Require Medical Professionals To Dedicate 30% Of Practice To Medicare, Medicaid Beneficiaries, Uninsured

The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals has issued a release to clarify that medical professionals who participate in the Greater New Orleans Health Service Corps program do not need to dedicate 30% of their practice to treating Medicaid, Medicare and uninsured patients, the Lafayette Daily Advertiser reports.

When Dispensing Off-Label Drugs To Children, 1/3 Of Community Pharmacists Don't Tell Parents

Forty per cent of community pharmacists have dispensed an off -label drug to a child in the last month, according to research published in the July issue of the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.

Vision Loss And Carbohydrate Quality Link Strengthened By New Data

Groundwork Laid For Rejection-Free Lung Transplants In Humans

Lung transplants have been performed successfully for more than 20 years in humans but never before in mice -- until now. Surgeons at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have developed the first mouse model of lung transplantation, and they're hoping it will help explain why the success of the procedure in humans lags far behind other solid organ transplants.

Analysis Of The Impact Of Limiting Hours For Physician Trainees

Four years ago this month, new rules went into effect that restricted the long hours worked by many physicians in training. Now researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have shown that the regulations are associated with somewhat lower death rates in high -risk medical patients in teaching hospitals.

Gene Discovered Which Increases Risk Of Gallstones

Scientists at the University of Bonn, together with colleagues from Romania, have discovered a gene variant that significantly increases the risk of developing gallstones (Hepatology No. 46, 11 July 2007, DOI 10.1002/hep.21847). It is estimated that one in ten Europeans has this variant in their hereditary disposition.

How Immune Cells Catch Pathogens

To protect us from disease our immune system employs macrophages, cells that roam our body in search of disease -causing bacteria. With the help of long tentacle -like protrusions, macrophages can catch suspicious particles, pull them towards their cell bodies, internalise and destroy them.

Risk Of Death Can Now Be Predicted In Sickle Cell Disease

Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) have developed a method to estimate sickle cell disease severity and predict the risk of death in people with this disease. The study appears online in the journal Blood.Sickle cell disease is caused by mutations in the beta -hemoglobin gene (HBB).

Cell Toxin Found To Inhibit Survival Proteins In Cancer Cells Has New Application

A chemically -modified version of a mitochondrial toxin long used to control species of invasive fish in lakes has been found to selectively inhibit two "survival proteins" in cancer cells. The research is a first step toward developing a molecularly -targeted drug that could eliminate cellular -level resistance to multiple types of chemotherapy and radiation therapy found in many types of cancers.

Evaluation Of Impact On The Environment Of Feeding Antibiotics To Livestock

Scientists at the University of Minnesota have been evaluating the impact of antibiotic feeding in livestock production on the environment. This particular study, funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), evaluated whether food crops accumulate antibiotics from soils spread with manure that contains antibiotics.

Advance In The Search For An Effective Treatment For Liver Cancer

Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine report a significant new advance in the search for an effective treatment for human liver cancer in the July issue of Molecular Cancer Therapeutics. Using a newly available monoclonal antibody, they demonstrated significant reductions in tumor cell proliferation and survival in human and mouse hepatocellular cancer (HCC) cell lines.

Innovative Furniture Design For Elderly And Infirm

While younger people can easily get in and out of bed or sit on a couch, older people can have a much harder time of it, with conditions such as arthritis or rheumatism considerably limiting their movements. Czech and German partners, involved in the EUREKA E! 3210 SPECIFURN project, have developed a new line of furniture aimed at making life and leisure easier for the elderly and infirm.

Agreement On A State Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Package, USA

Bipartisan agreement has been reached on a reauthorization package that would cover an extra 3.3 uninsured children, Senate Finance Committee leaders announced on Friday. Children whose household incomes are up to 300% of the federal poverty line will be covered. The Senate Finance Committee said a 61 cent per pack tax on cigarettes would make sure the 6.

Anti-Smoking Campaigns Often Undermined By Tobacco Industry

Anti -smoking ads that reveal the tobacco industry's deceptive practices have been aggressively quashed through various methods found Temple University Assistant Professor Jennifer K. Ibrahim, co -author of an analysis in the August issue of the American Journal of Public Health.In the article, Ibrahim tracks the rise and fall of state and national efforts to curb smoking for the past 40 years.

Genetic Predisposition To Develop COPD Found In Some Smokers

Some people have a genetic variation that makes them more susceptible to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) if they smoke tobacco, according to new research from Wake Forest University School of Medicine and colleagues."The genetic variant we studied seemed harmless on its own," said Alireza Sadeghnejad, M.D., Ph.D., lead author.

Research May Lead To Better Drugs To Fight Deadly Pathogens

Biology textbooks suggest that blunt -neutrophils are mindless killers. These white blood cells patrol the body and guard against infection by bacteria and fungi, identifying and destroying any invaders that cross their path. But new evidence, which may lead to better drugs to fight deadly pathogens, indicates that neutrophils might actually distinguish among their targets.

Anemia Control In Dialysis Patients Studied

Anemia is one of the most frequent complications of hemodialysis, and its correction is an important factor in restoring a tolerable quality of life to dialysis -dependent patients.

Walking Has Major Benefits, Whatever The Problem

These days, it's easy for people to get confused about exercise -- how many minutes a day should they spend working out, for how long and at what exertion level. Conflicting facts and opinions abound, but one Mayo Clinic physician says the bottom line is this: walking is good, whether the outcome measurement is blood pressure, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, joint problems or mental health.

Recent Changes Discovered In The Human Genome

A Cornell study of genome sequences in African -Americans, European -Americans and Chinese suggests that natural selection has caused as much as 10 percent of the human genome to change in some populations in the last 15,000 to 100,000 years, when people began migrating from Africa.

Discovery May Change The Future Of Human Embryonic Stem Cells Research

A startling discovery on the development of human embryonic stem cells by scientists at McMaster University will change how future research in the area is done.An article published in the prestigious scientific journal Nature this week reports on a new understanding of the growth of human stem cells.

The Poor And The Well Off Have Similar Eating And Cooking Habits

Are the rich enjoying a healthier or different diet to the poor in Great Britain? According to the Food Standards Agency (FSA), poorer families have similar nutritional habits, access to food and cooking skills to the better off. The FSA also stressed that most people in the UK could do a lot better.

Choking Hazard Of Some Gerber Babyfood, Products Recalled

Gerber organic rice and oatmeal cereals have been recalled because they may clump together and be a potential choking risk, said the Gerber Products Company. According to the company, reports have come in of babies choking, but no injuries. The problem, says the company, is that small quantities of rice or oatmeal might not dissolve in water or milk, and remain as lumps. [click link fo r full article]

The Association Of Time Of Day And Serum Testosterone Concentration In A Large Screening Population

UroToday.com - Testosterone levels in older men are stable throughout the day and decline 13% in the later afternoon according to a report by Dr. Davis Crawford and associates that appears in the online version of the BJU International.The researchers evaluated 3,006 men participating in Prostate Cancer Awareness Week Screening.

Under Diagnosis And Over Diagnosis Of Prostate Cancer

UroToday.com - According to reports from the US and Europe it is more common that prostate cancer (CaP) is under diagnosed than over diagnosed. Both studies appear in the July 2007 issue of the Journal of Urology.Dr. Graif and the group of Dr.

Renal Cell Carcinoma With Tumor Thrombus Extension Into The Vena Cava: Prospective Long-Term Follow-up

UroToday.com - Involvement of the renal vein or vena cava (IVC) occurs in approximately 14% of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) patients and represents an adverse prognostic feature that impacts patient outcome. Despite this surgical therapy can be curative in patients even those with locally advanced IVC involvement.

Super Selective Embolization As First Step Of Laparoscopic Partial Nephrectomy

UroToday.com - While laparoscopic radical nephrectomy has been widely touted as the new standard of care in the treatment of localized renal cell carcinoma (RCC) laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (LPN) has failed to gain such widespread acceptance due to the steep learning curve and technical difficulties associated with the successful application of this approach.

Tumor-Infiltrating Foxp3 CD4+CD25+ T Cells Predict Poor Survival In Renal Cell Carcinoma

UroToday.com - The infiltration of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) tumors by lymphocytes was initially thought to represent the host immune system attacking the tumor. Indeed therapies have been developed in the past that utilized these tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs).

Microvascular Tumor Invasion: Prognostic Significance In Low-Stage Renal Cell Carcinoma

UroToday.com - The importance of microvascular invasion (MVI) of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) as a prognostic factor has been much debated in the literature of urology. Opinions range from no significance to the most significant histologic variable that can be reported. Here, Madbouly and colleagues report their outcomes for patients with RCC examining MVI as a prognostic variable.

Phase II Trial Of Capecitabine And RHu-Interferon-Î±-2a In Patients With Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma, Limited Efficacy, And Moderate Toxicity

UroToday.com - Traditionally a number of hormonal, immunotherapeutic, and chemotherapy agents have been the basis of treatment in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) however, they are typically associated with low response rates and considerable toxicity in patients that receive them.

Quality Of Life, Sexual Function And Decisional Regret At 1 Year After Surgical Treatment For Localized Prostate Cancer

UroToday.com - Sexual function is one of the most important factors impacting quality of life (QoL) after radical prostatectomy (RP). Along with other potential factors, sexual function after RP influences whether a patient regrets their decision to have had surgery.

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