MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'disease'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:51:18 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5182094&cid=t_101542_129_f&fid=36035&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-chronic-pain%2Fhow-dry-i-am-day-to-day-life-with-sjogrens-syndrome%2F Many of us who live with autoimmune diseases wonder how many different ones we can have. Sometimes they seem to be piling up on us in a world in which one usually has one disease, we can have several. There are times they “bleed” into each other like sand art when the tide rises and life can become very confusing. There is something about we mere mortals that drives us on to find a name for our suffering. Usually, we know something is wrong long before we get a label from a doctor. It often involves seeing many physicians and hearing their guesses as to what we have wrong with us. Each of them cannot know everything but the good ones do know what to do about it when they don’t know; they send you to a specialist. We keep the appointments because, secretly, we need to know our sym... Life with Chronic Pain blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5182094 Fri, 02 Sep 2011 14:42:14 +0100 5182094 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5181942&cid=t_101542_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.drmalpani.com%2F2011%2F09%2Fthrough-eyes-of-consumer-health-care-in.html Here's a guest post from a class mate, Ela Ghose. ---------------------- The past two years have been filled with ailments of various kinds: in some cases I have been the patient and in others the care-giver/ attendant. As a consequence I have met a plethora of doctors: gynecologists, orthopedic surgeons, gastroenterologists, gastric surgeons, cardiologists, endocrinologists, sleep specialists , oncologists to name a few. As you’ve probably guessed, the ailments have ranged from minor (knee pain) to major (stomach cancer). Some of the doctors have been the epitome of caring and compassion, spending time with the patient to explain the disease and the alternatives. Others have exhibited what I would consider an inclination to cover all possibilities and make money in the bargain. As wi... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5181942 Fri, 02 Sep 2011 05:40:00 +0100 5181942 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5181810&cid=t_101542_88_f&fid=38129&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Flifeinthefastlane%2FWZHV%2F%7E3%2FsuwvoByosDQ%2F Do you work in an emergency department? Or maybe in an ICU? Or perhaps the prehospital environment? Regardless, of where you look after critically ill patients you MUST click on this LINK now! What will you find there? Two things: The first part of a talk by ‘Early Goal Directed Therapy’ legend Dr Manny Rivers on [...] (Source: Life in the Fast Lane) Life in the Fast Lane blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5181810 Thu, 01 Sep 2011 17:38:31 +0100 5181810 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5181843&cid=t_101542_105_f&fid=34896&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorrw.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F09%2Feffect-of-mrsa-bundle-for-hospitalized.html (Source: Notes from Dr. RW) Notes from Dr. RW blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5181843 Thu, 01 Sep 2011 12:02:00 +0100 5181843 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5181804&cid=t_101542_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthree-common-ailments-that-can-be-treated-with-regular-exercise%2F2011.08.31 It’s Wednesday, so I would like to tell you about some cool things I learned this past week about the science of how exercise can be used as a treatment for three common ailments. First, some background about exercise: The great thing about exercising every day that you eat is that this magic potion is not a shot or a pill. It does not involve a doctor burning or squishing anything in your body. There are no HIPAA forms, no insurance pre-certifications, and not even a co-pay. It’s as we say, easy and free. And drum roll please…exercise is active—not passive. Here’s the Mandrola take on how exercise might treat three specific medical conditions: (more…) *This blog post was originally published at Dr John M* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5181804 Wed, 31 Aug 2011 18:00:42 +0100 5181804 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5182066&cid=t_101542_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FcHHww-Xin4g%2F (Editor’s note: Pathways responsible for higher-order thinking in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), or executive center of the brain, remain vulnerable throughout life—during critical early-life developmental windows, when the PFC fully matures in the early 20s, and finally from declines associated with old age. At all ages, physical activity and PFC-navigated social connections are essential components to maintaining brain health. The Experience Corps, a community-based social-engagement program, partners seniors with local schools to promote purpose-driven involvement. Participating seniors have exhibited immediate short-term gains in brain regions vulnerable to aging, such as the PFC, indicating that people with the most to lose have the most to gain from environmental enrichment.) Over ... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5182066 Tue, 30 Aug 2011 14:18:19 +0100 5182066 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5181853&cid=t_101542_105_f&fid=34896&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorrw.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F08%2Fcauses-of-death-in-patients.html (Source: Notes from Dr. RW) Notes from Dr. RW blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5181853 Tue, 30 Aug 2011 11:55:00 +0100 5181853 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5181854&cid=t_101542_105_f&fid=34896&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorrw.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F08%2Flinezolid-vs-glycopeptide-antibiotics.html (Source: Notes from Dr. RW) Notes from Dr. RW blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5181854 Tue, 30 Aug 2011 11:50:00 +0100 5181854 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5174589&cid=t_101542_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F2BbP583QpPw%2F Superior to the Standard: Data from an 18,201-person study show that apixaban, a blood thinner being developed by Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer, reduced the risk of stroke in atrial fibrillation patients by 21% and the risk of death by 11% compared to the standard treatment, warfarin, the WSJ reports. Apixaban also cut the risk of bleeding by 31% compared to warfarin. The drug will be submitted to the FDA for approval this year, the paper says. Bird Flu, Again: The United Nations is warning that a strain of avian flu against which current vaccines may not protect is spreading among birds in China and Vietnam, the Associated Press reports. Meantime, the avian flu virus, officially called H5N1, is now showing up in wild birds in areas that haven’t seen it for many years, thanks to mig... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5174589 Mon, 29 Aug 2011 12:42:13 +0100 5174589 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5174619&cid=t_101542_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fmedical-news-stories-beware-of-insufficient-evidence%2F2011.08.28 After seeing the NBC Nightly News last night, a physician urged me to write about what he saw: a story about a “simple blood test that could save women’s lives.” Readers – and maybe especially TV viewers – beware whenever you hear a story about “a simple blood test.” And this is a good case in point. Brian Williams led into the story stating: “Two of three women who die suddenly of cardiac heart disease have no previous symptoms which is all the more reason women may want to ask their doctors about a blood test that can be a lifesaver.” Then NBC News chief medical editor Dr. Nancy Snyderman said: “It’s not a new test, it’s not an experimental test but nonetheless it’s a test not a lot of people know about and tha... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5174619 Sun, 28 Aug 2011 14:00:15 +0100 5174619 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5169561&cid=t_101542_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F08%2Fthe-challenge-of-obesity.html For those interested in epidemiology, chronic disease, and obesity. This week's edition of the Lancet has a series of four articles and several commentaries that review the economics, epidemiology, social, and policymaking issues affecting obesity that are well worth reading in full. The take away message is that this is an extremely complicated area. There is an emphasis by the authors and commentators that correction of obesity will take government action. Government action in this area tends to resolve around police actions, and taxation. Taxation policies have worked to a significant extent in reducing tobacco consumption in Europe. However, smoking is not a survival necessity whereas eating is. We have to be very careful about the use of police power for public health policy with the ... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5169561 Fri, 26 Aug 2011 17:05:04 +0100 5169561 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159832&cid=t_101542_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FMZZz09zPr9Q%2F Despite strong endorsements from public health officials, teenage vaccination rates for the HPV vaccine are trailing the other two vaccines recommended for teens and pre-teens, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The two vaccines approved to combat the human papillomavirus are Gardasil, which is sold by Merck, and Cervarix, which is sold by GlaxoSmithKline. To be specific, coverage was 49 percent for one dose of HPV vaccine; 63 percent for MenACWY, which protects against meningococcal meningitis; and 69 percent for the TDP vaccine, which guards against tetanus, diptheria and pertussis. Meanwhile, coverage increases for Tdap and MenACWY vaccines grew 13.3 percent and 9.1 percent, respectively. For girls who received the recommended three doses of HPV vaccine, covera... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159832 Fri, 26 Aug 2011 12:25:02 +0100 5159832 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159078&cid=t_101542_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F08%2Fpreserving-the-bodys-bugs.html An interview today in TheScientist magazine, with Martin Blaser of New York University school of medicine, discusses the hypothesis that the overuse of antibiotics is affecting the normal flora of the gut, which in turn may be may be affecting the likelihood of development chronic diseases. While the theory is not new, the research discussed is and should be watched with interest by everyone in the public health field. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159078 Thu, 25 Aug 2011 16:39:59 +0100 5159078 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159079&cid=t_101542_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F08%2Fpainless-intervention-for-tooth-cavities.html I am sure there are others who, like me were traumatized as children from painful dental care, although this occurs far less today. From ScienceDaily today is news from the University of Leeds in the UK. Their pioneering treatment promises to transform the approach to filling teeth forever. It is a totally natural non-surgical repair process. The 'magic' fluid was designed by researchers in the University of Leeds' School of Chemistry, and it contains a peptide known as P 11-4 that -- under certain conditions -- will assemble together into fibers. When applied to the tooth, the fluid seeps into the micro-pores caused by acid attack and then spontaneously forms a gel. This gel then provides a 'scaffold' or framework that attracts calcium and regenerates the tooth's mineral from within, prov... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159079 Wed, 24 Aug 2011 15:25:46 +0100 5159079 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5158930&cid=t_101542_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FGM3h8DIfMuk%2F Food as Medicine: People who ate a diet rich in plant-based foods such as nuts, soy, plant-based margarine spreads, barley and oats saw levels of their “bad” cholesterol drop 13% more than people who simply cut back on saturated fats, the WSJ reports. Results from the randomized trial, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, add to the evidence suggesting it’s better to replace dietary saturated fats with healthy fats rather than with simple carbohydrates, an expert tells the paper. Interpreting Results: Another study appearing in JAMA, this one a review of previously published research, found that a new group of psoriasis drugs called anti-IL-12/23 agents doesn’t seem to raise the risk of serious heart problems — though the study has limitati... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5158930 Wed, 24 Aug 2011 12:31:57 +0100 5158930 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159099&cid=t_101542_105_f&fid=34896&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorrw.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F08%2Fgram-negative-bacteria-which-produce.html (Source: Notes from Dr. RW) Notes from Dr. RW blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159099 Wed, 24 Aug 2011 10:13:00 +0100 5159099 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5158852&cid=t_101542_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F08%2F23%2Fmanaging-copd-as-a-long-term-condition-emerging-learning-from-the-national-improvement-projects%2F Scan or click to download 'Managing COPD as a Long Term Condition: Emerging Learning from the National Improvement Projects' Title: Managing COPD as a Long Term Condition: Emerging Learning from the National Improvement Projects The Skinny: Report from NHS Improvement offering top tips for COPD management projects and service improvement. Just giving patients a plan and telling them what they should do probably won’t change behaviour: Effort, time and skills are needed to build rapport and focus on the person’s own goals and motivation so that they want to do the right thing Different approaches work for different people The more time you invest up front with people, the less frequently you will probably see them – this and how to optimise resources are being tested To Impr... Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5158852 Tue, 23 Aug 2011 16:09:42 +0100 5158852 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5158933&cid=t_101542_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2Fuyz0A8eYTZA%2F As today’s Heart Beat column reports, a group of international experts recently published recommendations for interpreting the electrocardiograms of young athletes, hoping to reduce the number of false positive results that can spark further, costly testing. The debate over whether high-school and college athletes should routinely have ECGs added to their pre-participation physicals has been brewing for years, sparked by the rare but shocking deaths of young, seemingly healthy athletes on the field of play. Routine ECG screening for young athletes is currently not recommended by the American Heart Association nor mandated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association, though some colleges do screen all or some of their athletes. The University of Washington, in Seattle, for example,... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5158933 Tue, 23 Aug 2011 16:02:38 +0100 5158933 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5158935&cid=t_101542_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FDE9jY4KlZcI%2F More heart-attack patients now than five years ago are getting a potentially life-saving procedure to open blocked arteries within the recommended time  frame, a new study shows. The so-called “door-to-balloon” time refers to how long it takes for heart attack patients who need an angioplasty  — an opening of the blocked artery using a catheter — to receive one once they’ve gotten to the hospital. The recommendation is to get the procedure within 90 minutes. Every minute is precious, because the longer patients go without the procedure, which restores blood flow to the heart, the lower their odds of survival. In 2005, only 44% of patients were getting treated within the recommended 90 minutes. But by 2010, that had increased to 91%, with 70% treated in less than ... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5158935 Mon, 22 Aug 2011 20:30:42 +0100 5158935 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5158919&cid=t_101542_87_f&fid=35060&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthnewsblog.com%2Fblog%2F820111 Erectile dysfunction can be an early indicator for heart disease in men. Dr. Terry Mason, Cook County Hospitals, calls erectile dysfunction the "canary in the coal mine." He says it can be a leading indicator of not only heart disease, but other diseases as well. Take a look: Permalink | Facebook | Twitter | Recent Headlines | News Feeds (Source: HealthNewsBlog.com) HealthNewsBlog.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5158919 Sun, 21 Aug 2011 02:00:00 +0100 5158919 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159082&cid=t_101542_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F08%2Fhealthy-behaviors-will-help-you-live-longer.html Researchers looked at long-term data from Americans aged 17 and older and found that those who embraced four healthy behaviors -- not smoking, eating a healthy diet, getting regular physical activity and avoiding excessive alcohol use -- were 63 percent less likely to die early from any cause than those with none of those healthy habits. Comment: one more piece of confirmatory data that are health relies more behaviors. The problem is that despite many repeated similar studies of population behaviors do not change. Instead of wasting money repeat the same old research. Why not develop methods to change population? If this is much not possible, which I suspect, perhaps we should stop funding ineffectual research. [http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2011/p0818_living_longer.htm ] (Source: Dr.... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159082 Fri, 19 Aug 2011 15:26:38 +0100 5159082 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159084&cid=t_101542_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F08%2Fdogs-can-detect-lung-cancer.html The study, carried out by researchers from Schillerhoehe Hospital in Germany, is the first to find that sniffer dogs can reliably detect lung cancer. This method relies on identifying volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are linked to the presence of cancer. The dogs successfully identified 71 samples with lung cancer out of a possible 100. They also correctly detected 372 samples that did not have lung cancer out of a possible 400. [European Respiratory Journal, 2011; DOI: 10.1183/09031936.00051711] Comment: Dogs really man’s best friend. Compared to other screening methods the sensitivity and specificity are better.           (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159084 Fri, 19 Aug 2011 15:22:51 +0100 5159084 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159892&cid=t_101542_158_f&fid=38949&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FAgingWithGraceCareconnection%2F%7E3%2F3-yasFsHnTU%2Fhow-to-get-mom-to-eatand-other-good.html "Growing up my favorite time of the year was summer",says Nataly Rubenstein, author of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias - The Caregivers Complete Survival Guide. Long lazy days spent fishing on the lake, outdoor grilling and enough corn on the cob and watermelon to fill the county fair. Just thinking about the summer of my youth brings back fond food memories and my appetite increases. For those of you who are caring for a person who has dementia one of the frequently asked questions I get is, “How do I get Mom to eat”? The obvious answer is serve food the person liked when they were growing up. You see, over time our taste buds and our food preferences changed. The foods we prefer later in life are not always food that we liked when we were younger. I love blue cheese salad... Aging with Grace CareConnection blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159892 Fri, 19 Aug 2011 14:07:00 +0100 5159892 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5139671&cid=t_101542_87_f&fid=35060&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthnewsblog.com%2Fblog%2F817111 Three people have died this summer from Naegleria, a rare brain-eating amoeba that lives in warm water. Most people get it from swimming in lakes in the summer. The amoeba is extremely rare and kills just a few people a year. The CDC has an information page about the amoeba here. People rarely get the amoeba, but those that do usually die. A 16-year-old Brevard County girl died from the amoeba after swimming in a branch of the St. Johns River. A Richmond, Virginia boy also died from the amoeba - the first Virginia case since 1969. Take a look: Photo: CDC Permalink | Facebook | Twitter | Recent Headlines | News Feeds (Source: HealthNewsBlog.com) HealthNewsBlog.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5139671 Thu, 18 Aug 2011 03:00:00 +0100 5139671 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5139830&cid=t_101542_105_f&fid=34896&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorrw.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F08%2Fupdate-on-cutaneous-fungal-infections.html (Source: Notes from Dr. RW) Notes from Dr. RW blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5139830 Wed, 17 Aug 2011 15:14:00 +0100 5139830 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5139739&cid=t_101542_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fpreparation-for-surgical-patients-with-a-latex-allergy%2F2011.08.17 A couple of nice articles recently on latex allergy have crossed my path – one in a journal I subscribe to (Aesthetic Surgery Journal) and the other via twitter and @Allergy (Ves Dimov, M.D., blogs at Allergy Notes).  I’ve put both full references below. Latex allergy became widely recognized in the late 1980s and early 1990s.  The increase in latex allergies cases is felt to be associated with the increase use of latex gloves and implementation of universal precautions (now known as standard precautions) in the 1980s. Management of possible or confirmed latex allergic patients begin with history and suspicion: All patients who present for surgical procedures or exams which require latex gloves (pelvic exam, dental exams, etc) should be questioned about possible latex allergy. Patien... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5139739 Wed, 17 Aug 2011 15:00:00 +0100 5139739 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5139637&cid=t_101542_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F08%2F17%2Fdeveloping-health-communication-research-a-focus-on-communicable-diseases%25e2%2580%2594challenges-and-opportunities%2F Title: Developing health communication research: a focus on communicable diseases—challenges and opportunities Scan or click to download Developing health communication research: a focus on communicable diseases—challenges and opportunities The Skinny: Health communication represents an innovative approach to applied communication research in the European Union (EU). A large number of public health interventions in the EU related to communicable diseases include health communication objectives. Publisher: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control Published: Dec 2010 Size: 12p. Filed under: Ooops Missed Category! Tagged: Communicable disease control, Communication, Grey Literature, Health communication (Source: Fade Library) Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5139637 Wed, 17 Aug 2011 14:15:19 +0100 5139637 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5139678&cid=t_101542_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FqCxSoSXzlrc%2F Warning Suit: Cigarette manufacturers filed suit in federal court in an attempt to prevent an FDA requirement for graphic cigarette package warnings from going into effect, the WSJ reports. Lorillard, Reynolds American’s R.J. Reynolds, Imperial Tobacco Group’s Commonwealth Brands and Vector Group’s Liggett claim the proposed changes violate their freedom of speech. Philip Morris’s parent company, Altria, meantime, has supported the law that mandated new labels, the New York Times reports. Screening Recommendation: The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force says there isn’t enough evidence to support regular screening for bladder cancer among healthy people with no symptoms of the disease, Reuters reports. There isn’t enough data to show whether the benefits... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5139678 Wed, 17 Aug 2011 12:54:41 +0100 5139678 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5139643&cid=t_101542_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F08%2F17%2Flaunch-of-dementia-commissioning-pack%2F Title: Launch of Dementia Commissioning Pack Scan or click to download 'Launch of Dementia Commissioning Pack' The Skinny: Dear Colleague letter announcing publication of the Dementia Commissioning Pack provides practical resources for health and social care commissioners to work together to improve the quality of both specialist dementia services and general health and care services for people with dementia and their carers. Publisher: DH Published: 21/07/11 Size: 2p. Filed under: Ooops Missed Category! Tagged: Alzheimers Disease, Dementia, Grey Literature, Mental Disorders, Mental Health, Nervous system diseases, Older People, Pre senile dementia (Source: Fade Library) Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5139643 Wed, 17 Aug 2011 07:12:46 +0100 5139643 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5139725&cid=t_101542_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FAyWAH4hu6eo%2F The following is a guest post by Janice Lynch Schuster who  works at the Altarum Institute, a new voice in the field of aging and end of life issues. This post orginally ran on July 14th on Health AGEnda. By Janice Lynch Schuster. When I was a little girl, country singer Glen Campbell had a variety show on television called “The Glen Campbell Good Time Hour.” As I remember it, it was a good time; in my young imagination, I often confused him with my father, who I thought was just as handsome and talented and fun as Glen. I loved his songs and wanted to learn to play guitar so I could be more like him. Sadly, Mr. Campbell has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’ disease. As most people know, Alzheimer’s is the primary cause of dementia, a gradual loss of brain function that becomes more ... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5139725 Tue, 16 Aug 2011 13:17:07 +0100 5139725 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5125710&cid=t_101542_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2Fyuvnx5yNOGI%2F Did you know that bats are the primary source of human rabies in the U.S.? Neither did we, until today, when we heard not one, but two bits of bat/rabies related news. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describes the first reported death by rabies via a vampire bat in the U.S., in 2010. Before you resolve to stay indoors for the rest of your life, though, know that vampire bats aren’t found here (yet) — the transmission of the virus occurred in Mexico. Last summer, a 19-year-old migrant farm worker there was bitten on his left heel. He didn’t seek medical help. According to National Geographic, vampire bats usually stick to pigs, horses and cows but will occasionally go after humans. Ten days later, the man left for the U.S., and ended up on a sugarcane planta... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5125710 Fri, 12 Aug 2011 21:11:49 +0100 5125710 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5118642&cid=t_101542_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fpediatric-physician-joins-collaborative-network-and-sees-improvement-in-his-work%2F2011.08.11 I never thought I’d change the way I practice medicine.  But I recently enrolled as a provider in the Improved Care Now (ICN) collaborative network and I’m already working differently. ICN is an alliance of gastroenterologists and patients working in a new model of pediatric inflammatory bowel disease care based on the analysis of thousands of doctor–patient visits as well as the latest studies and treatments.  Doctors and patients apply this information, experiences are tracked in an open registry, the results are then shared and refined to improve care.  I can see what I’m doing well and where I’m falling short relative to other clinics and pediatric gastroenterologists. ICN is under the direction of Dr. Richard Colletti of the University of Vermont.  ICN is supported by t... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5118642 Thu, 11 Aug 2011 16:00:26 +0100 5118642 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5118602&cid=t_101542_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FpeC19rp8Jrw%2F By Sophia Hollander and Katherine Hobson The death of two athletes in Sunday’s New York City Triathlon, both of whom were pulled from the water during the swim, is raising questions about whether that leg of triathlon can be made any safer. As the WSJ reports today, one 64-year-old male participant suffered a heart attack during the swim and was later pronounced dead at a hospital, while a 40-year-old female spotted floating face-down was taken to the hospital and died early Monday. The only other death in the race’s 11-year history also occurred during the 1,500-meter swim leg. And a study published as a research letter in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2010 found that of 14 deaths recorded in USA Triathlon-sanctioned events between Jan. 2006 and Sept... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5118602 Tue, 09 Aug 2011 19:41:34 +0100 5118602 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107508&cid=t_101542_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FrhiqkVxpRhI%2F Women for a Healthy Future Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), commonly known as chronic diseases, cause two out of three deaths worldwide, and are the leading cause of death for women around the world. We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to tackle NCDs, considered to be one of the 21st century’s greatest health and development challenges. In September, world leaders will gather at the United Nations (UN) for a historic summit on NCDs. The decisions they make will impact the lives of millions. NCDs threaten women’s lives and our children’s future. Yet, we know that 80% of cardiovascular disease and diabetes and 40% of cancers can be prevented by avoiding tobacco, increasing physical activity and eating healthy foods. It’s going to take strong commitments from th... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107508 Tue, 09 Aug 2011 13:28:40 +0100 5107508 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107532&cid=t_101542_90_f&fid=34474&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCasesBlog%2F%7E3%2FpQaRPj8pfzs%2Fworldwide-number-of-new-tb-cases-is.html From the 2011 Lancet review: The worldwide number of new TB cases is more than 9 million - higher than at any other time in history. 22 low-income and middle-income countries account for more than 80% of the active cases in the world. Due to the devastating effect of HIV on susceptibility to TB, sub-Saharan Africa has been disproportionately affected and accounts for 4 of every 5 cases of HIV-associated tuberculosis. Management problems include: - In highly endemic areas, TB diagnosis continues to rely on century-old sputum microscopy - No vaccine with adequate effectiveness (although BCG works to some extent). According to a recent report, BCG vaccination not only protects against tuberculosis but the number needed to treat (NNT) is 11. - TB treatment regimens are protracted and hav... Clinical Cases and Images - Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107532 Tue, 09 Aug 2011 12:41:03 +0100 5107532 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107737&cid=t_101542_125_f&fid=38999&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbellevuedentist-cosmetic.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F08%2Fnormal-0-false-false-false-en-us-x-none.html Tooth Loss and Periodontal Disease Potentially Linked to Breast Cancer Bellevue Dentist saw an interesting article discussing the possible link between breast cancer and tooth loss as reported on the Dental News and Technology Blog by Dr Marty Jablow. I am reprinting his article without editing as written in his blog article. I found this interesting because of the apparent extremely high likely hood to develop breast cancer when women have missing teeth and periodontal disease. According to Dr Jablow’s blog post, whose information source was the British Dental Health Foundation, the study suggests that women may be over 11 times more likely to have breast cancer if they have periodontal disease and missing teeth. Bellevue Cosmetic Dentist has discussed the association of periodontal ... Bellevue Cosmetic Dentist Choosing the Best Dentistry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107737 Mon, 08 Aug 2011 23:07:00 +0100 5107737 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107517&cid=t_101542_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fanonymous-blogger-reviews-the-lack-of-evidence-for-robotic-surgery%2F2011.08.08 The surgeon who blogs as Skeptical Scalpel writes that he (she?) is unable to contain him(her)self any longer and then lunges into a review of evidence (or lack thereof) for robotic surgery. You may disagree with Skeptical Scalpel’s decision to be anonymous, but he/she explains: “I’ve been a surgeon for almost 40 years and a surgical department chairman for over 23 of those years. During much of that time, conforming to the norms, rules and regulations of government agencies, accrediting bodies, hospitals, societies, and social convention was necessary for survival. I was always somewhat outspoken but in a controlled way most of the time. I now have a purely clinical surgery practice with no meetings, site visits or administrative hassles. I am free to speak my mind about... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107517 Mon, 08 Aug 2011 18:00:07 +0100 5107517 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107902&cid=t_101542_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2F12-step-and-mutual-help-programs%2F Twelve-Step and Mutual-Help Programs for Addictive DisordersThis important statement was made after an extensive review of outcomes research on addiction treatment. It reflects the conclusions of recent scientific reviews that alcohol and other drug addictions are chronic, relapsing diseases of the brain.The Minnesota Model, which throughout the 1980s featured 28 days of intensive inpatient and residential treatment, has more recently evolved to a longer continuum of care and greater reliance on outpatient treatment. Brief detoxification establishes abstinence, and patients move to successively less intensive levels of care from inpatient, to partial, to intensive outpatient, to less frequent outpatient visits. The model of chronic illness, which O’Brien and McLellan used in comparin... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107902 Mon, 08 Aug 2011 04:37:18 +0100 5107902 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5103347&cid=t_101542_88_f&fid=38129&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Flifeinthefastlane%2FWZHV%2F%7E3%2FnPoSFjxykkk%2F The UCEM executive have recently relocated from Swarmington-on-the-Wold to the more picturesque setting of Enlightenment Boulevard...but where should we move the non-executive members? (Source: Life in the Fast Lane) Life in the Fast Lane blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5103347 Sat, 06 Aug 2011 03:00:12 +0100 5103347 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5103344&cid=t_101542_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fstrokes-are-quite-common-in-pregnant-women-how-can-they-be-prevented%2F2011.08.05 According to CDC, there has been a 54 percent increase in the number of pregnant women who’ve had strokes in 1995 to 1996 and in 2005 to 2006. While this may surprise some researchers, it certainly would not surprise clinicians who take care of pregnant women who have risk factors such as obesity, chronic hypertension or a lack of prenatal care. Ten percent of strokes occur in the first trimester, 40 percent during the second trimester and more than fifty percent occur during the post partum period and after the patient has been discharged home. Hypertension was the cause of one-third of stroke victims during pregnancy and fifty percent in the post partum period. Hypertension accounted for one-third of stroke cases during pregnancy and fifty percent in the post partum period. Many stroke... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5103344 Fri, 05 Aug 2011 16:00:21 +0100 5103344 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5097091&cid=t_101542_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FkBbacS-nh_o%2F What consent decree? Just one week after sending a July 26 letter to patients that limited allocations of the Fabrazyme medication would remain available this month, Genzyme is now telling patients that unspecified quality control problems have disrupted supplies. Although the disruption is supposed to be brief, Genzyme was unable to say when Fabrazyme would be shipped, according to patients. “I got a call from my nurse case manager (at Genzyme) to say there’s no drug available this month,” Tom Olshewski of Grayling, Michigan, tells us. “I was told there’ll be no medicine until further notice.” And Michael Masula of Kilbuck, Pennsylvania says that “it was due to a quality control issue and they anticipate it being short lived…but they always say ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5097091 Thu, 04 Aug 2011 16:34:58 +0100 5097091 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5096252&cid=t_101542_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F08%2Fwasted-research-funds.html According to a story on research in ScienceDaily today, “With Regular Exercise, People with Inactive Lifestyles More at Risk for Chronic Diseases”. I first read about research on this topic when the Alameda study on behavior among men was published in the 1960s. Similar research has been repeated hundreds of times in the intervening years yet the behaviors with which we are all familiar continue. It is high time that those who fund research stop funding issues that have been confirmed and either direct their funds for transitional research that shows that change in behavioral outcome is possible and effective. There have been many behavioral research studies that have shown the ability to change behavior for a few weeks, none that show long-term changes. It is high time to star... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5096252 Thu, 04 Aug 2011 16:16:56 +0100 5096252 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5096153&cid=t_101542_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FNS7lvS4dblo%2F Reviewing Infuse Data: Medtronic will give Yale University $2.5 million to supervise two independent reviews of clinical trial and other data on the company’s controversial spinal-fusion product Infuse Bone Graft, the WSJ reports. In June, a paper published in the Spine Journal raised questions about clinical trials of Infuse, including a failure to report some complications. Infection Rates: Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that some 50,000 Americans become infected each year with HIV, a number that has changed little in a decade and that is prompting discussion about whether government prevention programs are working, the New York Times reports. More infections are being seen in young gay black men, while the number of infections of children by their HI... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5096153 Thu, 04 Aug 2011 12:39:54 +0100 5096153 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5096154&cid=t_101542_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FjQR12buOyUs%2F Pfizer is hoping to milk even more dollars from its blockbuster Lipitor by introducing an over-the-counter version of the cholesterol-lowering drug, the WSJ reports, citing people familiar with the matter. Whether Pfizer can get the FDA to swallow an OTC statin is another matter entirely. The WSJ reports the company would first need to conduct research demonstrating consumers could follow instructions and properly take an OTC iteration of Lipitor. (That wouldn’t happen before patent protection for the prescription drug expires in November.) Pfizer spokesman MacKay Jimeson tells us in an email that the company has “strategic plans in place for Lipitor’s loss of exclusivity and will comment no further at this time.” The notion of an OTC statin isn’t new. Merck tried ... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5096154 Wed, 03 Aug 2011 21:06:20 +0100 5096154 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5096155&cid=t_101542_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2Fken0xStXN44%2F The bad news is that you’ve got nausea, chills and fever. The somewhat cooler news is that your symptoms were traced to a bacterium that had never before been identified. That’s what happened to 25 people who fell sick with ehrlichiosis in Minnesota and Wisconsin beginning in 2009. Tests showed they weren’t infected by Ehrlichia chaffeensis and E. ewingii, the two species of the bacterium previously implicated as a cause of the disease in humans here in the U.S. Instead, DNA testing at the Mayo Clinic showed the people were infected by a previously unreported, still-unnamed species of Ehrlichia. The identification of the initial four cases traced to the new bacterium is described this week in the New England Journal of Medicine. Ehrlichiosis, which can cause chills, fever... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5096155 Wed, 03 Aug 2011 21:03:49 +0100 5096155 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5096156&cid=t_101542_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F_jVNM16eMgA%2F Salmonella is the chief baddie of the food pathogen world, accounting for 35% of foodborne disease hospitalizations in the U.S. and 28% of related deaths each year. And now a particularly nasty, antibiotic-resistant type of the bacteria, Salmonella Heidelberg, has infected 77 people, killing one in California, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Ground turkey is being investigated as the source, the CDC says. The cases were spread across 26 states (see the map below, with the number of cases per state as of Monday) and were reported between March 1 and August 1. Here’s the WSJ story. Health officials homed in on ground turkey because among the 51 people with available information, almost half reported eating it recently, as opposed to 11% of healthy peo... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5096156 Wed, 03 Aug 2011 16:05:57 +0100 5096156 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5096266&cid=t_101542_105_f&fid=34896&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorrw.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F08%2Freduction-of-central-line-infections.html (Source: Notes from Dr. RW) Notes from Dr. RW blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5096266 Wed, 03 Aug 2011 11:55:00 +0100 5096266 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5096158&cid=t_101542_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FqLLArYGAJPM%2F A heart pump for kids awaiting a transplant appears headed for approval at the FDA, as the WSJ reports. It would help fill a void for lot of children hit by diseases usually associated with adults: the lack of kid-friendly devices to help in their care. The Berlin Heart can help keep kids’ hearts beating for several months if necessary until a donor organ can be found, much longer than a last-ditch heart-lung machine called ECMO that doctors sometimes use in such circumstances. The Berlin, which won unanimous recommendation from an FDA advisory panel last month, has been on the market in Europe since 1996 and available in the U.S. under a compassionate use protocol since 2000. A clinical trial presented at the FDA panel provided evidence of substantial benefit despite a risk of stroke. A ... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5096158 Tue, 02 Aug 2011 20:13:16 +0100 5096158 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5097128&cid=t_101542_155_f&fid=38409&url=http%3A%2F%2Fneuropathologyblog.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F08%2Fbest-post-of-march-2011-dawson-fingers.html The next in our "Best of the Month" series is from March 10, 2011: Dawson Fingers (in box)One of the nice things about teaching is that you frequently learn a lot from your students and residents. I had never heard of a radiological finding in multiple sclerosis known as "Dawson Fingers" until I was informed of it by Southern Illinois University second-year medical student Joshua Billington and neurology resident Laxmi Prasad Dhakal. "Dawson Fingers" are a purely radiological finding, which may be why the term is not found in neuropathology textbooks (at least not in the indices of eight different neuropathology textbooks that I consulted). Here's what Adams and Victor's Principles of Neurology (9th edition, page 889) has to say on the subject: "Especially diagnostic are oval or linear r... neuropathology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5097128 Tue, 02 Aug 2011 17:38:00 +0100 5097128 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5086240&cid=t_101542_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencebase.com%2Fscience-blog%2Fgenetics-at-a-snp.html – There are genetic variants, SNPs, associated with a tendency to have almost any physical trait such as baldness, athleticisim, green eyes, red hair, obesity, alcohol dependence, type 2 diabetes and many other diseases, even the amount of earwax one produces. There are also SNPs associated with the presence of metabolic enzymes or the lack thereof that mean an individual is more or less responsive to a given pharmaceutical or other therapeutic agent. There are often variations between human populations, so a SNP that is common in one geographical or ethnic group may be much rarer in another. Now, UK researchers have developed a very simple technique for finding SNPs that could revolutionise testing for genetic disease markers and more… Related Posts:Top Ten MutantsSpectroscop... Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5086240 Tue, 02 Aug 2011 08:36:38 +0100 5086240 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5086169&cid=t_101542_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fheart-health-related-to-satisfaction-with-life%2F2011.08.01 For centuries, health providers have focused on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease. This time-honored paradigm has generated phenomenal advances in medicine, especially during the last 60 years. It has also created a bit of an image problem for providers. That’s because the paradigm encourages consumers to perceive health care as a negative good; an economic term describing a bundle of products and services that we use because we must, not because we want to. Recent trends towards empowered consumers are a symptom of this problem more than a solution to it, as I described here. Recently, the concept of Positive Health has emerged as a possible antidote for the malaise. Pioneered by University of Pennsylvania psychologist Martin Seligman, Positive Health encourages us to i... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5086169 Mon, 01 Aug 2011 16:00:39 +0100 5086169 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5086170&cid=t_101542_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwho-report-outlines-problem-of-hospital-acquired-infections%2F2011.08.01 The World Health Organization’s new patient safety envoy will take on health care acquired infections in his new role, he announced last week. Liam Donaldson, England’s former Chief Medical Officer, pointed out in his first report as envoy that patient safety incidents occur in 4% to 16% of all hospitalized patients, and that hospital-acquired infections affect hundreds of millions of patients globally. A WHO report outlined the problem. High-income countries had pooled health care acquired infection rates of 7.6%. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control estimated that 4.1 million Europeans incur 4.5 million health care acquired infections annually. In the U.S. the incidence rate was 4.5% in 2002, or 9.3 infections per 1,000 patient-days and 1.7 million affected ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5086170 Mon, 01 Aug 2011 14:00:00 +0100 5086170 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5086137&cid=t_101542_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FY2g0k-H0Yys%2F Paying Up: Getting a drug approved is only the first step for pharma companies as insurance companies and governments crack down on spending by focusing on the value that a new medication will bring, the WSJ reports. AstraZeneca, for example, will be negotiating with U.S. insurers over the next year, hoping to convince them that the new anti-clotting drug Brilinta is worth the $7.24 per day it plans to charge. That’s a 20% premium over the current gold-standard treatment, Plavix, which will lose patent protection next year, the paper says. “Lab On a Chip”: A report published online by Nature Medicine shows that a small device that can be used in the field accurately detected both HIV and syphilis in a group of Rwandan people, the Washington Post reports. The so-called lab... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5086137 Mon, 01 Aug 2011 12:46:43 +0100 5086137 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5086220&cid=t_101542_105_f&fid=34896&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorrw.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F08%2Fceftaroline-teflaro-whats-its-role.html (Source: Notes from Dr. RW) Notes from Dr. RW blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5086220 Mon, 01 Aug 2011 10:22:00 +0100 5086220 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5086356&cid=t_101542_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FuEjEDMUJhrQ%2F First of all, an announcement. We are starting a Virtual Internship Program @ SharpBrains, allowing full-time undergrad and grad students and postdocs to lead 100-hour projects jointly defined by themselves and by SharpBrains. Interested candidates should Contact Us indicating a) a preliminary project proposal (200 words or less), and b) brief bio and qualifications (200 words or less). Internships don’t require travel and will be paid in-kind, with access to SharpBrains reports and conference recordings. SharpBrains will select a limited number of Interns based on fit between candidates’ proposal and bio and SharpBrains mission and activities. Let’s now explore the latest edition of the monthly Sharp­Brains eNewslet­ter, starting with a comprehensive perspective on the educati... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5086356 Mon, 01 Aug 2011 05:29:36 +0100 5086356 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5086562&cid=t_101542_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Frussell-brand-on-amy-winehouse%2F When you love someone who suffers from the disease of addiction you await the phone call. There will be a phone call. The sincere hope is that the call will be from the addict themselves, telling you they’ve had enough, that they’re ready to stop, ready to try something new. Of course though, you fear the other call, the sad nocturnal chime from a friend or relative telling you it’s too late, she’s gone. Frustratingly it’s not a call you can ever make it must be received. It is impossible to intervene. Russell Brand on Amy Winehouse: ‘We have lost a beautiful, talented woman’ | Music | guardian.co.uk. :Ever Wondered Why?Women’s Sexual AddictionWomen’s Sexual Addiction30 Natural HighsI Finally Listened to Their Stories (Source: Recovery ... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5086562 Sun, 31 Jul 2011 20:45:39 +0100 5086562 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5086577&cid=t_101542_158_f&fid=38949&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FAgingWithGraceCareconnection%2F%7E3%2FWjh4QjBdhjQ%2Ftips-to-overcome-mealtime-frustrations.html Mealtime with an Alzheimer's patient can be stressful and challenging, to make sure the patient gets sufficient nutrition. To help mealtime go more smoothly consider the following: Serve meals in a quiet environment with no distractions. Clear the table of everything but basic utensils and dishes; keep dishes plain rather than with bright colors or patterns. Make sure the food isn't too hot. Serve only one or two foods at a time, and make an effort to honor the patient's food preferences. Have meals together, and don't rush the meal. Be understanding if the patient can't remember already having eaten. Above all else, try and be patient (Source: Aging with Grace CareConnection) Aging with Grace CareConnection blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5086577 Sun, 31 Jul 2011 03:45:00 +0100 5086577 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5077640&cid=t_101542_87_f&fid=35060&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthnewsblog.com%2Fblog%2F729111 A new report says hand, foot and mouth disease has killed at least 70 people in Vietnam. Most of the those who have died have been children under the age 5. This is an increase from a report last week that said 56 people have died from the disease. There have been over 20,000 cases in recent months and as many as 2,000 new patients each week. A report in the English edition of Saigon Giai Phong says the outbreak is being blamed on a new etiological agent, Enterovirus 71 (EV-71). The virus causes severe complications, including paralysis and brain swelling. Hand, foot and mouth disease hits Vietnam each year and kills about 20 to 30 children. The numbers this year are much higher. Permalink | Facebook | Twitter | Recent Headlines | News Feeds (Source: HealthNewsBlog.com) HealthNewsBlog.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5077640 Fri, 29 Jul 2011 20:00:00 +0100 5077640 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5077719&cid=t_101542_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F07%2Fhow-should-we-define-health.html The British Medical Journal today contains an interesting analysis of the term "Health". Some 14 commentators are concerned that the WHO definition is restrictive and absolute. The authors are also concerned that the current definition leads to medicalization of society and particularly in the US to an inappropriate increase in treatments that produce little benefit a t great cost. This interesting discussion suggests that “health” be a social contract that accepts the current aging society and increases in chronic diseases in functional rather than biologically. This discussion is well worth reading. (BMJ 2011; 343:d4163). (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5077719 Fri, 29 Jul 2011 16:04:12 +0100 5077719 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5077723&cid=t_101542_105_f&fid=34896&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorrw.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F07%2Fclinical-prediction-rule-may-obviate.html (Source: Notes from Dr. RW) Notes from Dr. RW blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5077723 Fri, 29 Jul 2011 12:47:00 +0100 5077723 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5078034&cid=t_101542_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FpESdhESRxXI%2F And so, another working week is drawing to a close. This is, of course, our signal to daydream about weekend plans. We have not yet finalized our agenda, but we do hope to catch up on some reading and spend time with our short people. We may even tidy up the Pharmalot corporate campus. And you? Anything special in the offing? A day at the beach? A night at the movies? Maybe a dinner with someone special? Or if you have a high pain threshold, you could track the children in Washington DC as they jeopardize the economy. Whatever your pleasure, have a great time, but be safe. See you soon… Pfizer Wins Prempro Case In West Virginia (Bloomberg News) Nevada Wins Right To Continue Hormone Replacement Lawsuit (Las Vegas Sun) Sanofi Won’t Make Genzyme Milestone Payment (The Boston Globe... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5078034 Fri, 29 Jul 2011 12:10:06 +0100 5078034 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5077688&cid=t_101542_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fcan-pharmacogenomic-tests-help-to-improve-public-health%2F2011.07.29 Adverse drug events are a serious public health problem. Consider the following facts: an estimated 82% of American adults take at least one medication and 29% take five or more; 700,000 emergency department visits and 120,000 hospitalizations are due to adverse drug events annually; $3.5 billion is spent on extra medical costs of adverse drug events annually; at least 40% of costs associated with adverse drug events occurring outside hospitals can be prevented. How can genomics help? Pharmacogenomics is the study of genetic variation as a factor in drug response, affecting both safety and effectiveness. The intended applications of pharmacogenomics research include identifying responders and non-responders to medications, avoiding adverse events, optimizing drug dose and avoiding unnece... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5077688 Fri, 29 Jul 2011 12:00:10 +0100 5077688 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5078041&cid=t_101542_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fteens-its-not-your-fault%2F It’s Not Your Fault! Hi!   Are you worried that your Mom or Dad drinks too much or uses drugs? You are right to be concerned— about their safety and health, about what will happen to you, about their embarrassing you or criticizing you unfairly, about breaking promises, about driving under the influence, and about lots of other things that create unpredictability and confusion. While you cannot stop your parent from drinking or using drugs, you can take steps to make things better for yourself. Facts You Should Know… One in four youth under age 18 lives in a family where a person abuses alcohol or suffers from alcoholism. Countless others are affected by a family member’s use of drugs. Remember: You are not alone. Lots of teens are in your situation a... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5078041 Fri, 29 Jul 2011 04:07:53 +0100 5078041 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5077648&cid=t_101542_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F-ov1EUi1q9Y%2F Stroke rates are up in women who are pregnant and who recently gave birth, a new study shows. Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention looked at hospital-discharge data and found that between 1994-95 and 2006-07, the rate of stroke hospitalization rose 47% for expectant mothers, while climbing 83% for women in the three months after giving birth. The results are published in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association. The absolute numbers are still low — 0.22 stroke hospitalizations per 1,000 deliveries both for expectant and new moms. But the sharp increases suggests a need “to tease out what’s going on,” Elena Kuklina, lead study author and a senior service fellow and epidemiologist at the CDC’s division for heart disease and st... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5077648 Thu, 28 Jul 2011 20:12:17 +0100 5077648 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5069475&cid=t_101542_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhat-is-the-most-costly-healthcare-expenditure%2F2011.07.27 The National Institute for Healthcare Management Foundation is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization focused on healthcare. The foundation just published an excellent report on the distribution of  healthcare costs in the population. The results indicate that reducing healthcare cost is all about reducing and managing chronic diseases. U.S. healthcare spending has sharply increased between 2005 and 2009 by 23 percent from $2 trillion to $2.5 trillion per year. This is a result of a combination of factors. Chief among them is the increasing incidence of obesity. Who spends the money? (more…) *This blog post was originally published at Repairing the Healthcare System* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5069475 Wed, 27 Jul 2011 12:00:54 +0100 5069475 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5069476&cid=t_101542_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-surprising-life-saving-advantage-of-facebook%2F2011.07.26 “Health is social,” says SPM member Phil Baumann, RN (@PhilBaumann) at HealthIsSocial.com. Slate has a dramatic story of how a mother’s Facebook network helped spot – rapidly – Kawasaki Disease, a rare auto-immune disease that the family’s doctors had initially missed. Her social network contains some medically knowledgeable people. (Do you have any docs, nurses, etc in your Facebook circle?) Note that friends’ availability is sometimes far greater than a doctor’s office. Read how the diagnosis unfolded. And read what her family physician said, when she called from the E.R.: “You know what?” he said, “I was actually just thinking it could be Kawasaki disease. Makes total sense. Bravo, Facebook.” Then this, as the crisis wound down: (more…) *This blog... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5069476 Tue, 26 Jul 2011 21:00:21 +0100 5069476 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5069479&cid=t_101542_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fnsaids-might-be-risky-for-people-with-heart-problems%2F2011.07.26 As if people with the combination of high blood pressure and heart disease don’t already have enough to worry about, a new study suggests that common painkillers called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) pose special problems for them. Among participants of an international trial called INVEST, those who often used NSAIDs such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin and others), naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn, and others), or celecoxib (Celebrex) were 47% more likely to have had a heart attack or stroke or to have died for any reason over three years of follow-up than those who used the drugs less, or not at all. The results were published in the July issue of the American Journal of Medicine. Millions of people take NSAIDs to relieve pain and inflammation. They are generally safe and effectiv... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5069479 Tue, 26 Jul 2011 14:00:35 +0100 5069479 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5069802&cid=t_101542_149_f&fid=35776&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpipeline.corante.com%2Farchives%2F2011%2F07%2F26%2Falzheimers_the_news_is_not_getting_better.php Is there something going on with patients in Alzheimer's trials that we didn't expect? There have been reports of an unexpected side effect (vasogenic edema) in several trials, for drugs that work through completely different mechanisms. It makes some sense in the case of antibody-based therapies like bapineuzumab (where this problem first got attention) and solanezumab. After all, the immune system is pretty powerful stuff, and you could certainly imagine these sorts of side effects (either directly or from some effect of clearing out amyloid debris). As those reports indicate, the problem may lessen with time, and may be more severe in patients with the APOE4 allele, a known (but not understood) risk factor for Alzheimer's. But this latest report is for the Bristol-Myers Squibb gamma-... In the Pipeline blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5069802 Tue, 26 Jul 2011 12:08:06 +0100 5069802 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5069647&cid=t_101542_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FLn-_yPbE_50%2F (Editor’s Note: this timely new report illustrates the need for innovative brain fitness interventions focused on maintaining if not enhancing targeted cognitive functionality, such as driving safety or financial decision-making, leveraging lifelong neuroplasticity and cognitive reserve. What the report presents as inexorable, somewhat genetically pre-programmed decline, it is not.) BMO Retirement Institute Report: Boomers’ Ability to Make Financial Decisions Often Declines With Age (Market Watch): - “The BMO Retirement Institute released a report today which raises awareness of the potential impact on aging Canadians of declining cognitive abilities — often caused by Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia — and describes how this decline can affect their ability to ma... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5069647 Tue, 26 Jul 2011 09:33:51 +0100 5069647 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5062217&cid=t_101542_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FWHCDkTaW16s%2F For the Health Blog, the major trauma of the chickenpox was breaking out in itchy blisters mere weeks before the senior prom. But in rare cases, chicken pox can actually kill people, and new research shows how vaccination has helped curb the number of annual deaths from the disease. Writing online in the journal Pediatrics, researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention track the number of annual deaths with varicella — the scientific name for chickenpox — since a vaccine was introduced in 1995. They report that between 1990 and 1994, an average of 105 people died each year directly due to varicella, and for an additional 40, it was listed as a contributing cause. Those deaths have declined over the years, with 14 people dying in 2007 directly due to varicella ... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5062217 Mon, 25 Jul 2011 15:23:12 +0100 5062217 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5062514&cid=t_101542_155_f&fid=38409&url=http%3A%2F%2Fneuropathologyblog.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F07%2Fbest-post-of-february-2011-finally.html The next in our "Best of the Month" series is from February 2, 2011: prion proteinResearchers report in an article in Nature Medicine that a new cerebrospinal fluid test, known as real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QUIC) assay, appears to be more specific than the problematic 14-3-3 test, which not infrequently gives false-positive results. ('Quaking-induced' refers to in vitro shaking, which helps to accelerate the reaction.) Not only that: it looks as though RT-QUIC may work on serum samples too, opening up the possibility of much earlier diagnosis and more widespread screening of donated blood. This development could truly revolutionize the pre-mortem diagnosis of prion disease! (Thanks to Dr. Doug Shevlin for calling my attention to this article.) (Source: neuropathology blog) neuropathology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5062514 Mon, 25 Jul 2011 11:00:00 +0100 5062514 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5062219&cid=t_101542_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FO1ylZZ9OpiQ%2F Ah, summer in the city. If urbanites aren’t contending with a stifling heat wave,  they’re slapping at the aggressive mosquitoes that prefer big-city infrastructure as their hunting grounds. As the WSJ reported last week, two types of mosquitoes inadvertently imported from Asia are settling into new digs in big U.S. cities. In this WSJ video, State University of New York at Albany professor Laura Kramer talks about one of these species, the Asian tiger mosquito. It prefers cities because there are lots of small, artificial containers like tires and cans — its chosen places to breed. And the tightly packed quarters mean more people to bite. Watch the video to learn what kind of viruses these mosquitoes might carry, then comment below on your favorite urban mosquito-fighti... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5062219 Sun, 24 Jul 2011 20:25:40 +0100 5062219 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5062294&cid=t_101542_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F07%2F24%2Fmental-illness-is-not-simply-a-brain-disease%2F Last month, Andrew Brown writing for the UK’s Guardian, noted when Professor David Nutt kept referring to depression as a “brain disease” on a popular UK television program. We commend Andrew Brown for his calling out Professor Nutt in trying to dumb down the portrayal of mental disorders to simply “brain diseases.” Mental disorders remain complex disorders that involve all aspect of a person’s functioning and life — their brain and biology, their psychological makeup and personality, and their social interactions and relationships with others. The cause isn’t just one of these things in the vast majority of people who have a mental illness — the cause is all of these things, in differing proportions. I’ve written about this in th... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5062294 Sun, 24 Jul 2011 16:36:25 +0100 5062294 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5062267&cid=t_101542_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F07%2Fscreening-for-breast-cancer.html This week a number of media outlets have been explaining the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology's push for increased screening below the age of 50 and at the same time noting in a critical manner the recommendations of the US Task Force on Preventive Services. This reminds me of the push by urologists for more screening for prostate cancer without concern for potential side effects. Earlier screening for breast cancer has more to do with politics and economics than science. The Task Force's recommendations are based on good epidemiology but unfortunately the way in which the data was presented to of the public did more harm than good and caused a lot of misunderstanding. We should be very careful when any special interest group, but the medical or political make recommendations ... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5062267 Sun, 24 Jul 2011 15:46:12 +0100 5062267 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5062248&cid=t_101542_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdo-you-know-what-metabolic-syndrome-is%2F2011.07.24 People with metabolic syndrome are twice as likely to develop heart disease, and five times as likely to develop diabetes, as those who don’t have metabolic syndrome. But many people are not yet familiar with this relatively new term. Do you know what metabolic syndrome is? OECD Country Populations with a BMI > 30 (1996-2003) Metabolic syndrome is the combination of several medical problems associated with morbid obesity. In addition to obesity, these conditions include: (more…) *This blog post was originally published at Columbia University Department of Surgery Blog* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5062248 Sun, 24 Jul 2011 12:00:10 +0100 5062248 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5062504&cid=t_101542_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fabout-alcoholics-anonymous%2F Image via Wikipedia A Few Basic Facts About AA Alcoholics Anonymous is well-known as an organization for people who want to stop drinking. At the same time, there are some points about A.A. that may be unclear to the general public and even to professionals working to help problem drinkers. Founded in the United States in 1935, when one alcoholic discovered he could stay sober by helping another alcoholic, Alcoholics Anonymous now has more than two million members in some 180 countries. A.A.’s sole purpose is helping people recover from the disease of alcoholism, and it has no affiliation with any other group or organization. Members anywhere in the world can come together to form an A.A. group, of which there are an estimated 106,000 worldwide. Among other facts about Alcoholics An... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5062504 Sun, 24 Jul 2011 02:55:50 +0100 5062504 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5057913&cid=t_101542_149_f&fid=35776&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpipeline.corante.com%2Farchives%2F2011%2F07%2F22%2Fa_few_more_victories_like_this_and_we_will_be_undone.php AstraZeneca has a lot of problems these days, so you'd think that approval of their new anticoagulant Brilinta would be reason for the company to celebrate. Not much, though - see this post at InVivoBlog for more. A lot of companies have piled into this space over the last ten years, seeking some of those huge, huge Plavix-style revenues. But blood thinning is a tricky business. One step over the line and you're causing more problems than you're helping. And given the heterogeneity of the patient population, you never quite know where that line is going to be. By this point, too, any new therapy is going to have to compete with the generic of tried-and tested Plavix pretty soon. No, anticoagulants of all sorts don't seem to making anyone as rich as they were supposed to. King Pyrrhus woul... In the Pipeline blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5057913 Fri, 22 Jul 2011 16:47:03 +0100 5057913 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050914&cid=t_101542_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FO712DJOvAhQ%2F Very interesting new data reinforcing two main themes we have been analyzing for a while: 1) We better start paying serious attention (and R&D dollars) to lifestyle-based and non-invasive cognitive and emotional health interventions, which are mostly ignored in favor of invasive, drug-based options 2) Interventions will need to be personalized. The study below analyzes data at the country level, but the same logic applies to the individual level Many fear Alzheimer’s, want to be tested: survey (Reuters): - “The telephone survey of 2,678 adults aged 18 and older in the United States, France, Germany, Spain and Poland was conducted by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health and Alzheimer Europe, with funding by Bayer AG” - “When asked to identify the most feared disea... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050914 Thu, 21 Jul 2011 15:26:15 +0100 5050914 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050513&cid=t_101542_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FcqXOz0DR0kw%2F PBM Deal: Express Scripts announced it will buy rival pharmacy-benefit manager Medco Health Solutions for $29.1 billion in cash and stock, or $71.36 per share — a 28% premium to yesterday’s closing price –the WSJ reports. Express Scripts CEO George Paz will lead the combined company, which will be based in St. Louis, the paper says. Genetics of Infertility: A study published in Science Translational Medicine finds men with two flawed copies of a certain gene can’t make a sperm-coating protein that seems to play a role in fertility, the New York Times reports. Researchers say it’s too early to tell whether, or to what degree, the common defect delays or prevents couples from conceiving, the paper says. More Earnings: Pharma earnings continue to roll in, with Ro... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050513 Thu, 21 Jul 2011 12:23:32 +0100 5050513 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050543&cid=t_101542_87_f&fid=36941&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mazecordblood.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1441   An umbilical cord blood transplant is a procedure used to treat various forms of blood disease, such as leukemia, certain types of anemia, and other forms of cancer. The umbilical cord contains stem cells, which can develop into healthy blood cells. Cord blood for an umbilical cord blood transplant can be used from the patient’s own umbilical cord, if it was banked, or from a donor’s cord blood. Banking your baby’s umbilical cord blood is very important in case your child ever needs it. There are many diseases it can help such as cerebral palsy, leukemias, myeloldysplastic syndromes (pre-leukemia) lymphomas, Erythrocyte, and other bone cancers. Read here for  more extensive information on wisegeek.com If you  go to this non commercial site and check out the comp... Cord Blood News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050543 Tue, 19 Jul 2011 18:52:53 +0100 5050543 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5051270&cid=t_101542_155_f&fid=38409&url=http%3A%2F%2Fneuropathologyblog.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F07%2Fformal-guidelines-for-alzheimers.html Dr. Edward B. LeeIn recent posts, I discussed the availability of direct-to-consumer ApoE testing and the fact that I myself submitted buccal cells to 23andMe.com to discover my own ApoE status. The illustrious Eddie Lee, MD, PhD just emailed me news that the American College of Medical Genetics and the National Society of Genetic Counselors have recently issued formal guidelines regarding ApoE testing in patients. Reported and discussed on the Alzheimer Research Forum, the guidelines, published in the June issue of Genetics in Medicine, identify which individuals may benefit from genetic testing. (Source: neuropathology blog) neuropathology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5051270 Tue, 19 Jul 2011 14:55:00 +0100 5051270 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5029211&cid=t_101542_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F2TajULYXlqU%2F Last month, a widely publicized study raised concerns about the safety of the blockbuster Spiriva inhaler that is used to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The meta-analysis published in the British Medical Journal found that, when administered in the mist form known as Respimat, there was a 52 percent increase in mortality risk compared with a placebo (see here). Not surprisingly, Boehringer Ingelheim, which makes the inhaler, disagreed. And in disputing the findings, the drugmaker made a point of saying the results were not based on new clinical evidence and that the meta-analysis relied on already publicly available data. BI also maintained that “robust evidence” has also been published about the safety of the older, powder version known as HandiHaler (read the statement)... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5029211 Thu, 14 Jul 2011 16:25:23 +0100 5029211 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028215&cid=t_101542_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fcdc-outlines-infection-prevention-in-outpatient-settings%2F2011.07.14 jQ(document).ready(function(){jQ('.bannerad').html("");jQ('#healthy_vision').parent().parent().parent().hide();});As healthcare professionals, we must recognize our responsibility to protect patients – care should not provide any avenue for the transmission of infections. By working together, we can ensure infection prevention practices are understood and followed by all, during every patient visit. Healthcare continues to transition to settings outside the hospital, and efforts to prevent infections must extend to all settings where patients receive care. Today, CDC is pleased to present the Guide to Infection Prevention for Outpatient Settings: Minimum Expectations for Safe Care. a summary guide of infection prevention recommendations for outpatient settings. Although these recommendat... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028215 Thu, 14 Jul 2011 16:00:41 +0100 5028215 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028346&cid=t_101542_105_f&fid=34896&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorrw.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F07%2Fchanging-profile-of-bacterial.html (Source: Notes from Dr. RW) Notes from Dr. RW blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028346 Thu, 14 Jul 2011 12:21:00 +0100 5028346 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028220&cid=t_101542_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fmeta-analyses-and-a-capricious-drug-approval-process-the-actos-and-avandia-stories%2F2011.07.13 Both Germany and France have now suspended the marketing of Actos (pioglitazone) due to concerns of a link between Actos and bladder cancer. Though we have known about bladder cancer concerns for some time, these recent concerns about the bladder cancer link stem from a recent report analyzing the FDA’s Adverse Event Reporting System (AERS), which found that 93 cases of cancer were recorded between 2004 and 2009 in patients treated with antidiabetic drugs, of which 31 patients were treated with pioglitazone, representing a statistically significant increased risk of bladder cancer (ROR 4.30, 95% confidence interval, 2.82-6.52; P less than 0.0001). Interestingly, the FDA announced that it was going to look into the link between Actos and bladder cancer only a few days before it made i... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028220 Wed, 13 Jul 2011 19:00:00 +0100 5028220 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5020732&cid=t_101542_10_f&fid=35345&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.GIDEONonline.com%2F2011%2F07%2F11%2Ftick-borne-encephalitis-correction%2F In a previous post, I noted that “highest rates [of Tick-borne encephalitis] are reported in Germany and the Czech Republic.” The statement should read, “highest rates …. in Slovenia and the Czech Republic.” Not surprisingly, Slovenia and the Czech Republic also report the highest rates of Lyme borreliosis, another tick-borne illness. In the following graph, rates for the United States are added for comparison. [1,2] References: 1. Berger SA. Infectious Diseases of Slovenia, 2011. 377 pp., 114 graphs, 931 references. Gideon e-books, http://www.gideononline.com/ebooks/country/infectious-diseases-of-slovenia/ 2. Berger SA. Lyme disease: Global Status, 2011. 68 pp., 61 graphs, 496 references. Gideon e-books, http://www.gideononline.com/ebooks/disease/lyme-disea... GIDEON blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5020732 Tue, 12 Jul 2011 06:15:14 +0100 5020732 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028201&cid=t_101542_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FFHJ1_9gzNLA%2F The recent outbreak of lethal E. coli in Germany is noteworthy for many reasons. While this time the source was sprouts and the location was Germany, we do not know what or where the next outbreak will be. However, the risk of this or the next outbreak are not equally borne by all in Germany, all in Europe, or all in the U.S.   The heightened impact of E. coli in women means it joins a growing list of diseases and disorders that have distinct effects on women, perhaps for no other reason than her sex.  Women are experiencing more severe illness during the current E. coli outbreak than men and the only explanation being offered is that infected women may be more likely to consume raw vegetables than uninfected women.  But why are women more likely to be hospitalized with severe sympt... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028201 Mon, 11 Jul 2011 12:12:49 +0100 5028201 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008657&cid=t_101542_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FzvMEtESvnWs%2F File this under ‘Only In Your Dreams.’ To promote its Zolfresh sleeping pill in India, Abbott Laboratories has embarked on an advertising campaign that is being harshly criticized for using unproven data and old-fashioned fear in the guise of educating consumers about insomnia. Moreover, critics say the ads may prompt some people to buy potentially harmful pills that are not really needed, Reuters writes in an interesting expose. To wit, a newspaper ad featuring an attractive Bollywood actress warns that “Hard Work Never Kills. Lack of Sleep Can.” The message then says that “Research shows that sleeping less than 6 hours at night leads to (a) 48 percent increase in developing or dying from heart disease.” But the research cited only demonstrates an assoc... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008657 Fri, 08 Jul 2011 17:12:36 +0100 5008657 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008234&cid=t_101542_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F07%2Fradicals-and-cancer.html A paper reviewed in TheScientist magazine today states that unstable molecules called reactive oxygen species (ROS) have long been thought to promote cancer by causing DNA damage and activating oncogenes, but new data suggests they may actually suppress tumor growth, according to a paper published this week in Nature. The finding suggests that antioxidants, which clear ROS from a cell and are used as a treatment for cancer, may be doing more harm than good—causing complications instead of preventing disease. Comment:for years we have been inundated by stories about the danger of free radicals and the wonders of anti-oxidant diets. Now we have a paper suggesting that all these wonders of antioxidants may be a figment of the imagination. Clearly more research is needed befor... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008234 Fri, 08 Jul 2011 16:32:09 +0100 5008234 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008235&cid=t_101542_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F07%2Fpatient-care-in-rural-hospitals.html In this week’s JAMA there’s an interesting article looking at the quality of care delivered in rural hospitals when Medicare patients are treated for heart attacks, congestive heart failure and pneumonia. It appears the rural hospitals with emergency access provide worse care than those seen in large cities with tertiary care hospitals. This is not particularly surprising considering the cost of a fully staffed the emergency room is often greater than the cost of an entire rural hospital. the issue should not be whether rural hospitals should be closed, but whether transportation should be provided to centers more capable of treating the serious conditions. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008235 Fri, 08 Jul 2011 16:30:13 +0100 5008235 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008232&cid=t_101542_99_f&fid=34589&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Faetiology%2F%7E3%2Fy36csy7Oqmg%2Fheigh_ho_heigh_ho_its_off_to_k.php As good news surfaces regarding a new (well, old) potential drug to help combat malaria--a drug already used to treat river blindness--KeithB and Phil Scheibel alerted me to another old malaria fighter featuring Dopey, Sneezy, and the whole gang: Other Disney disease-fighting videos include Water, Friend or Enemy, Insects as Carriers of Disease and Hookworm. A list of other wartime shorts is here. Read the comments on this post... (Source: Aetiology) Aetiology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008232 Fri, 08 Jul 2011 14:00:00 +0100 5008232 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008508&cid=t_101542_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FkdB_uXaZ2bI%2F It’s no secret that Americans have an obesity problem, but since we’re awfully skilled at looking away from the scale and towards our next drive thru, it can’t hurt to take a moment to check in with the numbers: According to an annual report from the Trust for America’s Health, adult obesity rates have gone up in 16 states between 2008 and 2010 (and gone down in none). Which puts over two-thirds of U.S. states at obesity rates of over 25 percent, while only one state — Colorado — has a rate lower than 20 percent. You could roll your eyes and tell me you’ve heard it before; you could question all these studies’ definitions of “obese.” But if I told you that 25% of the population had AIDS, you’d be frantic. Everyone would freak out. T... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008508 Thu, 07 Jul 2011 22:29:07 +0100 5008508 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008509&cid=t_101542_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2Fu6iLUvhK3-w%2F You know how you can sometimes get a feel for what kind of bugs are going around your city, school or social circle from tweets or Facebook status updates? Sickweather can too. The still-in-beta site —s ure to be a hypochondriac’s new favorite URL — aggregates illness-related data from social networks to produce real-time “weather maps” of flus, fevers and other reported symptoms like some sort of digital epidemiologist. Is this cool or creepy? Sickweather boasts that it can “forecast the movement of everything from stomach bugs to chronic illness and other sickness, including depression.” Someone should inform its copywriter that reflecting is not the same thing as ‘forecasting,’ which implies some sort of prescience with concern to mood disorders, as in, ‘Watch ou... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008509 Thu, 07 Jul 2011 20:55:16 +0100 5008509 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008472&cid=t_101542_129_f&fid=36035&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-chronic-pain%2Flife-can-become-very-weird-living-with-chronic-pain%2F I know. You’re thinking life is weird already but let me say, if you’re newly diagnosed, “You ain’t seen nothin’ yet!” If you are one of us who live with connective tissue or rheumatoid disease you may see a certain set of weirdness. If you suffer from back pain or had a previous injury, you’re not excluded, either. It’s amazing what life can do to twist, shape and torment us. If our diseases or injuries don’t do enough in that department then there are always the medications to take up the slack and pile it on. Get your sense of humor ready and if you don’t have one, well, blessings upon you my friend because you’re going to need one. The other day I was fitted for a sacroiliac belt to aid my sacroiliac joints to stay put. All that was missing at the fitting was Scar... Life with Chronic Pain blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008472 Thu, 07 Jul 2011 20:13:33 +0100 5008472 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008666&cid=t_101542_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Fb0Td2mZIFjs%2F European Union antitrust regulators have ended a four-year probe into charges that Boehringer Ingelheim abused the patent system to thwart rivals from launching versions of the best-selling Spiriva med for treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD. To settle the investigation, the German drugmaker agreed to make changes in its intellectual property protections. As the EU noted, Boehringer is the market leader in COPD meds thanks to its Spiriva inhalers, which generated nearly $4.3 billion in sales last year. The fracas began, though, in 2003, when Boehringer filed patent applications for new treatments involving combinations of three categories of active substances, including a new active substance that was discovered by Almirall, a Spanish drugmaker. Almirall objected to the... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008666 Thu, 07 Jul 2011 12:15:21 +0100 5008666 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008127&cid=t_101542_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FqRVbe1H99tY%2F A review of previously published research finds that telling people to reduce dietary sodium produces small reductions in blood pressure but has no effect on heart attacks or death from heart disease. But that doesn’t mean it’s okay to salt with abandon, an author of the study says. Rod Taylor, professor of health services research at the University of Exeter’s Peninsula Medical School, and colleagues crunched data from seven randomized controlled trials with at least six months of follow-up. But even with studies covering 6,250 participants, there wasn’t enough data to tell one way or the other whether lowering salt consumption helps people avoid heart issues or live longer. The findings were published in detail by the Cochrane Library and in abbreviated form in th... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008127 Wed, 06 Jul 2011 18:05:44 +0100 5008127 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008430&cid=t_101542_117_f&fid=37824&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.doctorkalitenko.com%2Fblog%2Flyme-disease-summer-vacation-ruin-life%2F It is so surprising to see that people don’t take precautions against well-known evils. Among the cruelest offenders and that which we take for granted is a small tick bite that could lead to Lyme disease, a debilitating, harsh and crushing condition that can last a lifetime and destroy your life. Go on a hike, have a picnic or sit in a grassy park and look around. How many people are wearing shorts around you? It’s warm out and they are walking through the brush with little on. Look at yourself. What are you wearing? Well, if you’re not covered in loose, light pants and a long sleeve shirt, you are putting yourself in danger of getting the disease. What is even more frightening is the battle over treatment. Drug companies, insurance companies and doctors are in a constant legal bat... Doctor Kalitenko antiaging blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008430 Wed, 06 Jul 2011 17:40:27 +0100 5008430 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008237&cid=t_101542_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F07%2Fhealthy-lifestyle-makes-women-less-likely-to-die-suddenly.html Medpage Today tells us that women who adhered to a healthy lifestyle had as much as a 90% reduction in the risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) as compared with those with a high-risk profile, data from the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS) showed. The risk of SCD declined linearly as the number of these attributes increased, ranging from a 46% reduction for a woman who had one to 92% for those who had all four. Comment: these results are not surprising as the Alameda study showed more than 40 years ago where health behaviors were studied for some 11 conditions showing a significant increase in longevity for those who followed more than half of them. We have many studies that show that change in behavior can significantly improve health. The problem is we still don’t know how... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008237 Wed, 06 Jul 2011 15:28:49 +0100 5008237 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4992684&cid=t_101542_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhhs-recommends-toothless-unfunded-plans-to-reduce-health-disparities-and-promote-disease-prevention%2F2011.07.02 In the 1993 film Groundhog Day, Bill Murray plays a TV weatherman who finds himself trapped in a do-loop, covering the numbingly boring display of Punxutawney Phil, over and over again. Forgive those of us who follow news from the Department of Health and Human Services for feeling like Bill Murray in that movie. Last month, HHS released an action plan to reduce racial disparities in health care. The plan called for new care models, more service delivery sites, a beefed-up health and human services workforce, and targeted efforts to reduce cardiovascular disease, childhood obesity and other scourges of minority populations. Remarkably however, the plan came with no funding. Apparently, it was supposed to prompt agencies within HHS to assure that their own internal plans were aligned with t... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4992684 Sat, 02 Jul 2011 18:00:01 +0100 4992684 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4992723&cid=t_101542_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F07%2Fdrug-side-effect-linked-with-increased-health-risks-for-over-65s-1.html More than 13,000 men and women aged 65 and over from across the UK were included in the two-year study from the University of East Anglia. Around half were found to use a medication with potential anticholinergic properties.In the study, each drug taken by the participants was given a ranking based on the strength of its anticholinergic activity, or AntiCholinergic Burden (ACB) - 0 for no effect, 1 for mild effect, 2 for moderate effect and 3 for severe effect.The key findings were:• Twenty per cent of participants taking drugs with a total ACB of four or more had died by the end of the two-year study, compared with only seven per cent of those taking no anticholinergic drugs - the first time a link between anticholinergics and mortality has been shown.• For every additional ACB point ... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4992723 Fri, 01 Jul 2011 19:56:41 +0100 4992723 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4992724&cid=t_101542_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F07%2Ftext-messaging-in-smoking-cessation-the-txt2stop-trial.html From today's Lancet: As with many such trials, the continuous abstinence rate at 6 months in the intervention group, although statistically significant as compared with the control group, was low (10•7%). Data were also missing due to withdrawals and non-completion of self-reported smoking status. However, robust sensitivity analyses were done to account for these losses to follow-up with multiple imputation techniques based on important predictors of missingness, and also by assuming that individuals with missing self-reported smoking status were smokers. Finally, as the investigators acknowledge, to ascertain the mechanism by which the txt2stop intervention actually increased continuous abstinence is difficult. Nonetheless, the abstinence rates in the txt2stop intervention group are br... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4992724 Fri, 01 Jul 2011 19:55:18 +0100 4992724 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4992729&cid=t_101542_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F07%2Fdrug-side-effect-linked-with-increased-health-risks-for-over-65s.html More than 13,000 men and women aged 65 and over from across the UK were included in the two-year study from the University of East Anglia. Around half were found to use a medication with potential anticholinergic properties.In the study, each drug taken by the participants was given a ranking based on the strength of its anticholinergic activity, or AntiCholinergic Burden (ACB) - 0 for no effect, 1 for mild effect, 2 for moderate effect and 3 for severe effect.The key findings were:• Twenty per cent of participants taking drugs with a total ACB of four or more had died by the end of the two-year study, compared with only seven per cent of those taking no anticholinergic drugs - the first time a link between anticholinergics and mortality has been shown.• For every additional ACB point ... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4992729 Fri, 01 Jul 2011 16:13:07 +0100 4992729 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4984446&cid=t_101542_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention-cdc-bloggers-join-the-better-health-team%2F2011.06.30 It is with great pleasure that I welcome our CDC colleagues to the Better Health blog team. Going forward, Better Health will feature content from the CDC blogs on a weekly basis, and our collaborative efforts will be highlighted on the CDC blog pages as appropriate. Better Health and the CDC share a common mission: to reach as many Americans as possible with scientifically accurate, trustworthy, and helpful medical information. As social media platforms (such as blogs, Twitter, and Facebook) become a gathering place for people seeking health information – it is important for experts to be able to provide content through these channels. The CDC’s relationship with Better Health is an excellent example of a public-private partnership that can magnify reach and relevance. By beco... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4984446 Thu, 30 Jun 2011 14:00:47 +0100 4984446 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028115&cid=t_101542_87_f&fid=35060&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthnewsblog.com%2Fblog%2F629111 Health experts have traced a dangerous infection called babesiosis to tick bites. The disease can be fatal in people with already weakened immune systems. The disease does not have the characteristic mark of Lyme disease, so it can be easy to miss. The CDC says babesiosis primarily occurs in the Northeast and upper Midwest and peaks during the warm months. Take a look: Permalink | Facebook | Twitter | Recent Headlines | News Feeds (Source: HealthNewsBlog.com) HealthNewsBlog.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028115 Wed, 29 Jun 2011 20:44:00 +0100 5028115 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4984610&cid=t_101542_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F3uQnB31DzeI%2F Whether you were a pothead in college, enjoy an occasional toke, or are straight-laced and never touch the stuff, you’ve probably taken part in at least one debate about medical marijuana. Recently, during a girls’ night out, my fellow ladies and I somehow got onto this subject. What struck me as funny listening to everyone opine about the issue was not so much which side they were on, it was the fact that we were debating it over cocktails. So here we were saying whether or not someone with a serious illnesses should be allowed to get high when we were in fact getting high ourselves. Kind of ironic, I thought. There is a general acceptance in this country that people can consume as much alcohol as they want (providing they are over 21 and don’t drink and drive, of course... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4984610 Wed, 29 Jun 2011 18:13:15 +0100 4984610 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4984451&cid=t_101542_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdoes-accutane-cause-inflammatory-bowel-disease-the-evidence-is-weak%2F2011.06.29 At home the kids’ current TV show of choice is How I Met Your Mother, supplanting Scrubs as the veg out show in the evening. Both shows are always on a cable channel somewhere and are often broadcast late at night. Late night commercials can be curious, and as I work on projects, I watch the shows and commercials out of the corner of my eye. Law firms trolling for business seem common. If you or a family member has had a serious stroke, heart attack or death from Avandia, call now. The non-serious deaths? I suppose do not bother. One ad in particular caught my eye: anyone who developed ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease (collectively referred to inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD) after using Accutane, call now. Millions have been awarded. My eye may have been caught because of ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4984451 Wed, 29 Jun 2011 17:00:47 +0100 4984451 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4984562&cid=t_101542_117_f&fid=37824&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.doctorkalitenko.com%2Fblog%2Fcereal-bowl-americas-1-killer%2F Did you know that heart disease is the #1 killer in the U.S.? Cancer is number two. That means that you have a 34 percent chance of dying of heart problems, and a 22 percent chance of dying from cancer.  This is despite all advances in medicine, a huge pharmaceutical industry, scientists and the Internet.  Why can’t we beat these two monsters that continue to take our lives?  It remained a puzzle until now.   A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association may be the explanation.  What they found was that people have a 35 percent increased risk of dying from heart disease and cancer because of something we deal with every day.  It was not cholesterol or other fats; it was not smoking or other toxins.   Sugar? No.  Sodas? No. We all know about... Doctor Kalitenko antiaging blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4984562 Wed, 29 Jun 2011 16:49:54 +0100 4984562 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4976111&cid=t_101542_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2Fn5t1eQczI5w%2F You probably know him best as “Mr. Big,” but Chris Noth is putting his star power behind something other than Carrie Bradshaw these days in a new Diabetes Awareness campaign. The actor, who’s starred in Law & Order and The Good Wife, in addition to Sex and The City, told Huffington Post that “[diabetes] is a disease that’s way too much under the radar. We’re trying to get ahead of the game with people; … encouraging [them] to call [their] doctors and get a blood test.” According to recent CDC statistics, 25.8 million Americans, or just over eight percent of the population, is living with diabetes, which can be a life-threatening disease. If caught early, however, complications can be prevented or delayed, and all it takes to screen for diabetes is a simp... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4976111 Tue, 28 Jun 2011 21:57:30 +0100 4976111 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4976058&cid=t_101542_129_f&fid=36036&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Fkelly-building-a-crohns-disease-community%2Fmanaging-job-stress-and-crohns%2F Well…I think that, once again, I am facing a change in my career. Actually, I am not certain where my career is going, but I do know that I cannot continue working in my current position. During October of last year, I was transitioned onto a ‘Proposal Tiger Team’ within my corporation and have been struggling with my work-life balance ever since. The job is intense, stressful, and one of those occupations where, to succeed, you have to give up your personal life and give everything you have to the company. I cannot do that — nor do I want to. Having a chronic disease further limits how much I can afford to give. I actually told my management that I have Crohn’s disease (a career first for me!) and that I cannot afford to work 10- to 11-hour days every day of the week (for w... Life with Crohn's blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4976058 Tue, 28 Jun 2011 15:09:21 +0100 4976058 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4976112&cid=t_101542_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FqyMhgUbUfzA%2F We were hoping that even though we spend the majority of our working hours tethered to our computer, the fact that we exercise each morning would negate the consequences of sitting all day. But, according to the release of a 13-year study, even us athletes-by-morning, desk-jobbers-by-day have a higher risk of death than slackers who don’t exercise yet don’t sit all day either. Pardon??? You mean, running, swimming and biking all those miles each morning aren’t buying us extra time? According to the study published in the latest American Journal of Epidemiology, no. Researchers from the American Cancer Society reported that those of us who sit for more than six hours a day have an increased risk of death over those who don’t sit as much — even if we exercise. A... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4976112 Mon, 27 Jun 2011 19:03:20 +0100 4976112 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4975859&cid=t_101542_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2F-NditOzSIT8%2F Every year on June 27th the National Association of People With AIDS (NAPWA) organizes National HIV Testing Day (NHTD), in partnership with other national and local groups. They do this to send the message to both those at risk and those already living with HIV that it is critical to know your HIV status. This year marks the 17th NHTD. The CDC estimates approximately 21 percent of the 1.3 million Americans living with HIV are unaware that they have it. Voluntary HIV counseling and testing is the important first step in taking control and responsibility over one’s health, their message for NHTD “Take the Test, Take Control” reflects this. As the HIV epidemic turns thirty it is more important than ever to to heed their message. For More Information: CMS National Coverage Dete... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4975859 Mon, 27 Jun 2011 13:29:26 +0100 4975859 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4968761&cid=t_101542_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FT0Ftzoyx8Z8%2F As soda and potato chips spread through the world, so does diabetes. An international study published today in The Lancet found that as of 2008, 347 million adults have diabetes; far more than previously thought (other studies have placed estimates around 285 million), and more than double the number of adults with diabetes in 1980. The study, which was funded by the World Health Organization and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, also found that average blood pressure and cholesterol levels actually dropped during the same time period, things that researchers say would actually be much easier to manage than diabetes. In 1980, data indicates that 153 million adults had diabetes; today’s numbers indicate a global epidemic. While they attribute 70% of the rise in diabetes rates to ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4968761 Sat, 25 Jun 2011 15:33:31 +0100 4968761 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4968925&cid=t_101542_155_f&fid=38409&url=http%3A%2F%2Fneuropathologyblog.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F06%2Fi-have-discovered-my-apoe-status.html I just got my ApoE results back from 23andMe.com.  When I ordered the test, the first question I posed to readers was whether it was wise to even find out whether or not I have the epsilon 4 allele. One commentator, "Agent 86", quoted the ancient Greek philosopher Epictetus for guidance on this issue. In 135 AD, Epictetus argued that one should emotionally separate oneself from those things which are not one's own -- i.e., those things that over which one has no control. Therefore, had he known what a gene was at the time, Epictetus would have counted one's genome as among those things that is not one's own. As such, knowing his ApoE status would have been of no consequence either way to Epictetus. I do find it rather easy to take this Epictetusian attitude toward my ApoE status. But ... neuropathology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4968925 Thu, 23 Jun 2011 20:29:00 +0100 4968925 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4960119&cid=t_101542_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F06%2F22%2Fare-low-carb-diets-bad-for-the-brain%2F Are low carbohydrate diets bad for the brain? Ketogenic diets (low carbohydrate diets) promote the increased use of ketone bodies–soluble compounds produced by the body when fatty acids are broken down–by the brain. But, is this safe? When examining epileptic children who spend years in ketosis, or the accumulation of higher than normal ketone bodies, there seems to be no negative effect on cognitive function, except fatigue in the beginning stages of the diet (Hale, 2010). In addition, ketogenic diets are used as treatment for some diseases.  Klepper and colleagues (2003) reported that ketogenic diets have been used for decades to treat intractable childhood epileptics, but they can also be used for treating other conditions such as glut 1 deficiency syndrome and pyruvatedehy... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4960119 Wed, 22 Jun 2011 21:58:36 +0100 4960119 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4953387&cid=t_101542_155_f&fid=38409&url=http%3A%2F%2Fneuropathologyblog.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F06%2Fwhats-wrong-with-finding-out-and.html In a recent blog post, I stated that I intended to publish my ApoE status on the blog when I get the results back from 23andMe.com. I was surprised to find that some people objected to this. One associate said that by publishing information about my genetic status, I would be "normalizing" the dissemination of information that should be confidential. That sets a bad precedent for the use of personal genomic data. Another individual emailed me the following suggestion: "Instead of posting your results, maybe you would consider instead the value of not doing so at the request of an 'anonymous' reader and keeping the information private in order to stimulate debate about finding out about a disease process for which there is no cure." Finally, "jd" commented in the original post about the wis... neuropathology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4953387 Tue, 21 Jun 2011 11:48:00 +0100 4953387 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4952846&cid=t_101542_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-new-world-view-of-coronary-artery-disease%2F2011.06.20 In 2007, when the results were published from the COURAGE trial, all the experts agreed that this study would fundamentally change the way cardiologists managed patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD).* ____ *”Stable” CAD simply means that a patient with CAD is not suffering from one of the acute coronary syndromes – ACS, an acute heart attack or unstable angina. At any given time, the large majority of patients with CAD are in a stable condition. ____ But a new study tells us that hasn’t happened. The COURAGE trial has barely budged the way cardiologists treat patients with stable CAD. Lots of people want to know why. As usual, DrRich is here to help. The COURAGE trial compared the use of stents vs. drug therapy in patients with stable CAD. Over twenty-two hundred patie... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4952846 Mon, 20 Jun 2011 18:00:25 +0100 4952846 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4952849&cid=t_101542_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fcdc-reports-that-salmonella-is-still-a-major-problem%2F2011.06.20 Salmonella food infections continue despite success reducing disease caused by other pathogens, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports. Salmonella should be targeted because while infection rates have not declined significantly in more than a decade, they are one of the most common, the CDC reports in its latest Vital Signs. Contaminated food causes approximately 1,000 reported disease outbreaks and an estimated 48 million illnesses, 128,000 hospitalizations, and 3,000 deaths annually in the U.S. Salmonella causes 1 million foodborne infections annually, incurring an estimated $365 million in direct medical costs. Salmonella infections in 2010 increased 10% from 2006-2008. The same prevention measures that reduced Escherichia coli infections to less than 1 case per 100,000 ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4952849 Mon, 20 Jun 2011 12:00:00 +0100 4952849 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4952908&cid=t_101542_105_f&fid=34896&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorrw.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F06%2Fprehospital-point-of-care-lactate.html (Source: Notes from Dr. RW) Notes from Dr. RW blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4952908 Fri, 17 Jun 2011 19:07:00 +0100 4952908 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4952856&cid=t_101542_88_f&fid=38129&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Flifeinthefastlane%2FWZHV%2F%7E3%2Fh6TXpOjm4ic%2F At long last there has been a truly European epidemic, or ‘Eurodemic’ (an outbreak of truly EU-ge proportions), to use a term originally coined by Broughton-D’Lirium. (Source: Life in the Fast Lane) Life in the Fast Lane blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4952856 Fri, 17 Jun 2011 07:31:24 +0100 4952856 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934160&cid=t_101542_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fvitamin-d-for-copd-why-that-wont-be-enough%2F2011.06.16 I am frequently extolling the health benefits of Vitamin D because almost weekly there is a new study that correlates high vitamin D levels with reducing some disease.  The latest is from the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine and research shows that high doses of vitamin D supplementation improved respiratory muscle strength in patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).  The patients that did not receive supplemental vitamin D had blood levels of 22.8 compared to 53.8 in the supplemented group.  The patients who were supplemented had improved respiratory function, strength and less shortness of breath.  It certainly didn’t cure or reverse COPD but the improvement was an encouraging trend in this terrible chronic disease. In reading about ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934160 Thu, 16 Jun 2011 14:00:00 +0100 4934160 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934087&cid=t_101542_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FqECbWDTutb0%2F With growing concern about infectious diseases in donated organs, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is due to release next month draft guidelines for reducing transmission of hepatitis C and HIV through solid organ transplants. While the guidelines are still under review, they are widely expected to reflect the results of a new study led by CDC researchers that concludes the use of a rapid assay known as nucleic acid testing (NAT) could significantly reduce the rate of undetected hepatitis C in deceased donors. The study calculated the prevalence of the two viruses in 13,667 potential donors managed by 17 organ procurement organizations over a five-year period. It estimated that a striking 18.2% of potential donors considered at high risk for hepatitis C and 3.45% of donors co... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934087 Thu, 16 Jun 2011 12:42:03 +0100 4934087 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934239&cid=t_101542_105_f&fid=34896&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorrw.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F06%2Fcluster-of-zygomycosis-infections-in.html (Source: Notes from Dr. RW) Notes from Dr. RW blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934239 Wed, 15 Jun 2011 21:25:00 +0100 4934239 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934185&cid=t_101542_90_f&fid=34474&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCasesBlog%2F%7E3%2Fk-ToHwMO0e4%2Fmicroscopic-look-at-hotel-hygiene-makes.html From CNN:The microbiologist Philip Tierno doesn't feel comfortable staying in hotels. He knows too much. He travels with an impervious mattress and pillow cover to protect against the unseen debris that guests leave behind. When humans sleep they shed about 1.5 million cells an hour.While the covers were developed for allergy sufferers, Tierno encourages everyone to use them at home and on the road.And definitely ditch the bedspread, he advises. Hotel bedspreads became a hot topic when one featuring bodily fluids from several sources was introduced in boxer Mike Tyson's 1992 rape trial.How hotels clean drinking glassesAn Atlanta TV station used hidden cameras to monitor how the drinking glasses in hotel rooms were cleaned. In one case, a housekeeper appeared to clean a toilet and the glass... Clinical Cases and Images - Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934185 Wed, 15 Jun 2011 13:06:01 +0100 4934185 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934646&cid=t_101542_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FDwssmUnlML8%2F Photo Via Ragesoss When men are diagnosed with iron-deficiency anemia, the first thing doctors usually do is check for internal bleeding. When women are diagnosed with iron-deficiency anemia, they’re given an iron supplement and told to eat more broccoli. Why the discrepancy? The main cause of iron deficiency in men is upper-gastrointestinal bleeding, so it makes sense for doctors to rule this out first. However, a 1999 study on anemia in women found that “on women for whom a gynecological source was diagnosed by a specialist” — i.e., women whose anemia was blamed on their periods — 86 percent actually had a gastrointestinal disease. “The majority of the women in that study were bleeding internally, and no one had figured it out until then because they had periods,” writes Pr... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934646 Tue, 14 Jun 2011 16:35:04 +0100 4934646 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934234&cid=t_101542_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F06%2Flarge-differences-in-mortality-rates-and-life-expectancy-in-homeless-people.html Research published in the Lancet this week shows that homeless men and women have mortality rates some six times higher than the general population. Comment: why do need another study based on data from a small Scandinavian country to validate what researcher has shown for at least 40 years? There is nothing new or startling about the fact that people whose behavior is inimical to health have poorer outcomes in life. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934234 Tue, 14 Jun 2011 14:36:04 +0100 4934234 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934095&cid=t_101542_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F9FKcbVKIg40%2F Inadvisable Use?: Pricey heart devices used in cardiac resynchronization therapy may not help 38% of the patients for whom they’re currently indicated, the WSJ reports, citing a study published online by the Archives of Internal Medicine. The devices — whose makers include Medtronic, St. Jude and Boston Scientific — help synchronize the contraction of the left and right ventricles, but a subset of patients don’t seem to receive any benefit. The president of the Heart Rhythm Society says the study isn’t enough to change current practice guidelines. Humira Suit: A man who took Abbott’s Humira for rheumatoid arthritis has sued the company, saying it failed to warn him about the risk of the serious fungal infection he developed, Bloomberg News reports. The s... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934095 Tue, 14 Jun 2011 12:26:45 +0100 4934095 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934343&cid=t_101542_109_f&fid=34752&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPsychsplash%2F%7E3%2Fna5reMeRs38%2F URL: http://askjan.org/The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) is the leading source of free, expert, and confidential guidance on workplace accommodations and disability employment issues. Working toward practical solutions that benefit both employer and employee, JAN helps people with disabilities enhance their employability, and shows employers how to capitalize on the value and talent that people with disabilities add to the workplace. For: Anyone, Consumers, Researchers, Anyone, ConsumersTopics: Abnormal, Attachment, Behaviour Management, Foundation Website, Personality disorders, Relationships, Sexual Assault, Aspergers, Autism, Bipolar, Chronic Disease, Foundation Website, Mental Health, Social SupportFeatures: Articles, Collaborative News, Conferences, Information, Links, Research, Res... PsychSplash blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934343 Mon, 13 Jun 2011 17:00:05 +0100 4934343 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934233&cid=t_101542_99_f&fid=34589&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Faetiology%2F%7E3%2FIA0BiO97UVI%2Fnick_kristof_on_our_food_suppl.php Nick Kristof has an op/ed in today's NY Times noting some sober statistics about the food we eat: that it puts 350,00 people in the hospital and kills 5,000 in the U.S. every year. He also cites three of our papers examining MRSA and swine/swine facilities. Read the comments on this post... (Source: Aetiology) Aetiology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934233 Sun, 12 Jun 2011 15:00:00 +0100 4934233 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4921649&cid=t_101542_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2Fixas8kAPlD8%2F Alice Pyne is 15 years old and has been battling Hodgkin’s lymphoma for four years. As the cancer that attacks white blood cells began to spread, her mother encouraged her to write a bucket list of things she’d like to accomplish before the cancer wins the fight. It was only three days ago that she set up Alice’s Bucket List, but her brave face, and inspirational goals (which include increasing bone marrow donorship) have ignited social media sites, and her name has become a trending topic on Twitter. “I thought that I was just doing a little blog for a few friends!” she wrote, after the media caught wind of her blog and her name was mentioned across some of Britain’s most popular discussion and news shows. Her fast-spreading worldwide support has also i... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4921649 Thu, 09 Jun 2011 21:13:25 +0100 4921649 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4921425&cid=t_101542_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhow-to-treat-horse-and-donkey-bite-wounds%2F2011.06.09 Earlier this week this tweet from @prsjournal caught my eye Most Popular: Management of Horse and Donkey Bite Wounds: A Series of 24 Cases: No abstract available http://bit.ly/lgNkCS I missed this article when it came out in the June 2010 issue of the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Journal.  As I have covered fire ant bites, cat bites, and snake bites.  Fellow blogger Bongi has written about hippo bites.  It’s time to cover horse and donkey bites. Dr. Köse, Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Harran University Hospital, Turkey and colleagues presented a retrospective evaluation of 24 patients treated for animal bites (19 horse and five donkey bites) from 2003 to 2009.  The head and neck were the most frequent bite sites (14 cases), followed by the extremities (8 ca... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4921425 Thu, 09 Jun 2011 21:00:00 +0100 4921425 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4921378&cid=t_101542_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FtgVll3fLTEI%2F When it comes to assuaging concerns about vaccines, scientific information is not enough. That point is made by two papers out today. One, appearing in the Lancet as part of a special series, finds that vaccines “are losing public confidence” and that their acceptance (or lack thereof) is “neither driven by scientific nor economic evidence alone, but is also driven by a mix of psychological, sociocultural and political factors, all of which need to be understood and taken into account by policy and other decision makers.” The paper’s lead author, Heidi Larson, is from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Her co-authors work in the U.S. and Finland, and one reports having received funding from Novartis for advisory and trial monitoring work; anot... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4921378 Thu, 09 Jun 2011 15:30:33 +0100 4921378 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4921733&cid=t_101542_149_f&fid=35776&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpipeline.corante.com%2Farchives%2F2011%2F06%2F09%2Fcardiac_hope_and_cardiac_hype.php There have been quite a few headlines over the last few days like this one: "A New Drug Makes Hearts Repair Themselves". Unfortunately, that's not quite true. Not yet. It's this paper in Nature that's getting the attention, and it is a very interesting one. The authors have identified a population of progenitor cells in the adult heart that can be induced to turn into fully differentiated myocytes after an infarction. In fewer syllables, and reasonably accurately: stem cells, already in the heart, can be made to repair it after a heart attack. And that's getting closer to that headline I was just complaining about - so what's the gap between the two? Well, there are several rather huge factors. One of them is that the way that these cells were stimulated into action was by treatment with... In the Pipeline blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4921733 Thu, 09 Jun 2011 15:26:41 +0100 4921733 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4911479&cid=t_101542_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fstatins-reduce-heart-disease-risk-but-probably-not-because-they-lower-cholesterol%2F2011.06.08 When cyclists find out that I am a heart doctor, they most frequently ask about cholesterol numbers. “…My cholesterol is this…What do you think?” “…My doctor wants me to take a statin…But I read that these drugs might lower my functional threshold power 2.014 watts/40km.” All this focus on numbers saddens me. Remember, I am a forest guy, not a tree guy. What’s more, as a doctor that revels in the adrenaline rush of ablating rogue circuits with technology that would impress even a twenty-something, I find questions about biochemistry dreary–like eating quinoa. I wish folks would ask me about how to terminate AF with a catheter, or how an (evidenced-based) ICD saved a mom’s life, or perhaps even this: “Do you do heart surgery?” But more often than not people want t... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4911479 Wed, 08 Jun 2011 21:00:58 +0100 4911479 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4911527&cid=t_101542_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F06%2Fheadache-experts-call-for-more-migraine-research-funding.html Migraine specialists attending the American Headache Society meeting in Washington last weekend said they believe more government money for migraine research holds the most promise for winning the battle against the disease." Notably, "40 percent of those attending the conference said increased public funding is more important than understanding basic aspects of the disease.  Comment:  There is little evidence that throwing money at a problem solves it. There is too much research being conducted, without accountability. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4911527 Wed, 08 Jun 2011 18:23:48 +0100 4911527