Archive for June, 2008
NIAID Creates HIV Vaccine Discovery Branch
To accelerate the translation of basic discoveries about HIV into advances in vaccine design and evaluation, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has formed a new Vaccine Discovery Branch within the Vaccine Research Program in the Division of AIDS (DAIDS).
"There is broad according to principles consensus that designing a safe and effective vaccine to prevent HIV infection will require very large advances beyond present-day knowledge," says NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D. "The NIAID Vaccine Discovery Branch will help abate fundamental obstacles to achieving this goal by focusing intensively on the development and sharing of new knowledge critical to vaccine development."
The new branch is dedicated to monitoring scientific developments in multiple fields related to HIV vaccine discovery, building more bridges between basic researchers and HIV vaccine designers, identifying gaps in understanding pertinent to a preventive HIV vaccine and promoting research to fill those gaps.
"Cross-fertilization of HIV/AIDS research with the fields of genetics, structural biology, systems biology and others could open up new perspectives on in what condition to overcome major obstacles to HIV vaccine design," says DAIDS Director Carl W. Dieffenbach, Ph.D. "The Vaccine Discovery Branch will be in an chimerical position to spot these opportunities, promote the translation of new knowledge about HIV and foster fruitful research collaborations."
In addition, the new branch will
 * Monitor vaccine discovery efforts and related basic HIV research within NIH, nationally and internationally
 * Determine funding priorities for vaccine discovery research
 * plan, develop, implement and evaluate extramural grants and contracts to support the conduct of organic virology and immunology research as it relates to the discovery of recent AIDS vaccine concepts
 * further the development and supply of necessary research reagents and other resources
The Vaccine Discovery Branch also will have chief oversight of the Center for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Immunology (CHAVI), a consortium of universities and academic medical centers established by NIAID to solve major problems in HIV vaccine exhibition and design. A multidisciplinary group of scientists from across DAIDS will continue to participate in overseeing CHAVI.
Jorge Flores, M.D., deputy director of the Vaccine Research Program, will serve as acting chief of the new branch until a national search results in the selection of a new chief. Dr. Flores has been involved in the conduct and administration of vaccine research at NIH since 1979.Â
No commentsBronx Gets Tested For HIV: Free
New York City health department plans an initiative to give free HIV tests to everyone living in Bronx. This decision comes equitable on regulate as yesterday reports came out that New York residents accept the highest rate of practicing unsafe sex.
The Bronx HIV free testing project is planned for three years and is aimed at having every single adult person in Bronx tested for HIV, and health department also wants the power to begin to be spread through city.
New York City has highest rates of HIV/AIDS with 82 out of 100000 people in Manhattan, 75 in Bronx, 46 in Brooklyn, 26 in Queens, and 16 on Staten Island. Although Manhattan has the highest number of disease cases, Bronx has the highest number of death cases associated with the disease: 37 out of 100000 people in Bronx, 21 in Manhattan, 19 in Brooklyn, 8 on Staten Island, and 6 in Queens.
This is because Bronx residents are poorer and less educated and they usually find out that they are HIV infected in late stages, so it becomes impossible to properly treat the infection, what one. later develops into AIDS and results in death.
However, during the past few years Bronx has been very successful in HIV testing rates with 40% of residents tested, while only 28% of Manhattan, 24% of Queens, 29% of Brooklyn, and 17% of Staten Island residents have taken HIV tests last year. This means that 500000 out of 830000 Bronx residents still need to take a test, 500 people a day, which is planned for the next 3 years.
About 40 spots - churches, universities, clinics, community centers, emergency rooms - will offer free routine HIV tests as being those willing. This means, that whether you are at a clinic for a health condition, or at an emergency room for a broken leg, or at a community center for some advise, you will be offered an HIV test.
Previously, doctors were allowed to test a patient for HIV only with a written permission from a patients, which was taking long time to prepare. Now, patients need just to answer a simple question in a written form: ‘Do you want to subsist tested for HIV?’ This will ease the procedure for both doctors and patients and will cut time spent on writing a consent paper for a test.
No commentsHospital RFID Tags Interfere with Medical Devices
Wireless devices interfering with life saving medical devices probably shouldn’t come as any take off one’s guard to anyone who’s experienced interference of one type or another from a wireless device of some kind. After all, we have all these signals filling the air around us. You would muse someone would have tested this before.
But it took a team of Dutch researchers, the identical group whose study last year indicated that cell phones could interfere with critical care furniture such as ventilators and external pacemakers, to come up with a homogeneous result regarding RFID tags.
RFID tags are used to track various items, including - in hospitals - items like medicines and surgical tools. However, the study, to be published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that RFID tags can interfere with equipment such as respirators, external pacemakers and kidney dialysis machines.
The researchers tested of the healing art accoutrement within meters of an RFID reader broadcasting a signal to nearby RFID tag. In 123 tests of 41 different pieces of equipment, the equipment malfunctioned 34 times (28%), by 22 of the problems serious enough to affect patients.
Erik Jan van Lieshout, a critical care physician at the University of Amsterdam led the study, as well as the prior cell phone study. He urged caution in reacting to the study. "Don’t put on a frenetic ban on RFID systems. That would be as stupid as instituting systems without testing them."
Virtually none of the accoutrement had none interference at everything, but older equipment seemed to exist less susceptible to interference.
Last year the FDA issued a set of draft guidelines that identified RFID technology as a potential safety concern.
In fact, their guidelines said:
"In general, a wired connection is more reliable than a wireless connection. FDA believes the more critical the medical device function and information passed via RF technology, the more important it is the wireless connection have existence robust. We recognize there are several concerns about the potential effects of RF wireless technology in and around medical devices related to the ability of the devices to function properly and the resultant safety of patients and operators, including:"
* RF wireless emissions from one product or device can affect the function of any other.
* electromagnetic environments where medical devices are used may contain many sources of RF energy.
* the use of RF wireless technology in and around medical devices is increasing.
Despite this, there hasn’t been much attention paid to RF interference and possible issues with regards to persevering safety. Despite the fact that the FDA has no injury reports due to RFID interference with a medical device, this study shows that more attention needs to be paid to this subject, as increased RFID tag use could mean that in the same state a safety record won’t be reconciled up over time.
No commentsExercise Reduces Hunger In Lean Women
Exercise does not suppress appetite in portly women as it does in lean women, according to a new study.
"This [scarcity of appetite suppression] may promote greater food intake after exercise in obese women," said Katarina Borer, a University of Michigan researcher in the Division of Kinesiology, and lead author of the examine. "This information will assistant therapists and physicians understand the limitations of exercise in appetite control for weight loss in obese people."
The results will be presented today (June 17) at The Endocrine Society’s 90th annual meeting in San Francisco.
Borer and her co-authors sought to better understand how changes in corpse fat level influence appetite and a hormone called leptin, which in animals curbs appetite when body fat increases. When leptin levels rise, it supposedly shuts off appetite and motivates physical activity to burn calories. However, as fat people become heavier, their leptin levels rise, but they become resistant to the actions of this hormone.
"The hormone doesn’t do the job it’s supposed to do," Borer said.
Borer’s group studied 20 postmenopausal women: 10 lean and 10 obese women. The women ate three weight-maintenance meals a sunlight while participating in three experiments on three separate days. During one experiment they did not exercise.
In the other two experiments the women exercised on a treadmill in the morning and the afternoon. They burned 500 calories each time. These two experiments differed by carry on intensity. One involved walking at high intensity, or 80 percent of maximal effort, for 7.5 minutes, with 10-minute rest periods between 10 walking sessions. The other experiment was half while intense (40 percent of peak effort) and involved walking for 15 minutes and resting for 5 minutes.
Every hour and before each collation, subjects recorded their appetite level on a 10-point scale ranging from not at all hungry to extremely unfertile. blood samples were collected every 15 to 60 minutes for hormone measurements.
"Obesity interferes with leptin’s detection of exercise energy charge and with appetite suppression," Borer said. "Obese women perhaps need to consciously watch their calories because some of the hormonal satiety [fullness] signals don’t seem to moil as well."
No commentsNew Checklist To Help Make Surgery Safer
With major surgery now occurring at a rate of 234 million procedures per year - one for every 25 people - and studies indicating that a significant percentage result in preventable complications and deaths, WHO today launched a new safety checklist for surgical teams to appliance in operating theatres, as part of a major drive to make surgery safer around the world.
"Preventable surgical injuries and deaths are a growing concern," said Dr Margaret Chan, Director-General of WHO. "Using the checklist is the best way to reduce surgical errors and improve patient safety."
Several studies have shown that in industrial countries greater complications occur in 3% to 16% of inpatient surgical procedures, and permanent disability or death rates are about 0.4% to 0.8%. In developing countries, studies insinuate death rates of 5% to 10 % during major operations. Mortality from general anaesthesia alone is reported to be at the same time that high as one in 150 in districts of sub-Saharan Africa. Infections and other postoperative complications are also a serious concern around the world. These studies suggest that about half of these complications may be preventable.
"Surgical care has been every essential component of health systems worldwide on account of more than a century," said Dr Atul Gawande, a surgeon and professor at the Harvard School of Public Health. "Although there have been major improvements over the last few decades, the quality and safeness of surgical care has been dismayingly variable in every part of the world. The Safe Surgery Saves Lives initiative aims to vary this by raising the standards that patients anywhere can calculate upon."
The Safe Surgery Saves Lives initiative is a collaborative effort led by the Harvard School of Public Health. More than 200 national and international medical societies and ministries of health are working together to reduce avoidable deaths and complications in surgical care. The WHO surgical safety checklist, developed under the leadership of Dr Gawande, identifies a set of surgical safety standards that can be applied in all countries and health settings.
Preliminary results from a thousand patients in eight pilot sites worldwide indicate that the checklist has nearly doubled the likelihood that patients will receive proven standards of surgical care. Use of the checklist in pilot sites has increased the rate of adherence to these standards from 36% to 68% and in some hospitals to almost 100%. This has resulted in substantial reductions in complications and deaths in the 1000 patients. Final results on the impact of the checklist are expected in the next few months.
The checklist identifies three phases of an operation, each corresponding to a specific period in the normal flow of work: before the induction of anaesthesia ("sign in"), before the incision of the skin ("time out") and before the patient leaves the operating room ("sign out"). In each phase, a checklist coordinator mouldiness confirm that the surgery team has completed the listed tasks before it proceeds with the operation.
For example, during the "sign in" phase, the coordinator should check whether the surgical site on the patient’s body was properly marked and whether the patient’s known allergies were checked. for the time of the "sign out" phase, instruments, sponges and needles should be counted to check that none of these is accidentally left behind in the patient’s body.
No commentsHas The HIV Epidemic Rate Peaked?
The HIV epidemic appears to have stabilized around the cosmos, according to "Has the HIV epidemic peaked?" published in the June issue of the populousness Council’s peer-reviewed journal Population and Development Review. The authors are Population Council Vice President and Distinguished Scholar John Bongaarts and three colleagues affiliated with the United Nations Population Division.
Although the rate of renovated infections has probably peaked in totally world regions, the absolute number of HIV-positive individuals is expected to continue to grow in sub-Saharan Africa and remain near current levels worldwide—posing an ongoing challenge to public health programs. As a result of continued high rates of population growth and only moderate success of prevention programs in reducing HIV incidence, a comprehensive number of adolescents and adults are still probable to become infected.
Most of the world’s 33.2 million HIV-positive individuals are likely to die of AIDS-related illnesses eventually. Further, with 2.5 million people being newly infected every year, the death toll from AIDS will remain high over the coming years.
The findings in “Has the HIV epidemic peaked?” also indicate that the percent of the population infected with HIV has stabilized everywhere in the world over the past decade except in Eastern Europe—where prevalence rates are expected to reach their highest point this year.
Worldwide approximately 0.8 percent of adults—ages 15–49—are infected with HIV. HIV prevalence is 1 percent or lower in all major world regions except in sub-Saharan Africa, where it is 5 percent. In this region, prevalence levels roving from a fraction of 1 percent in distinct countries in Western Africa to above 15 percent in some Eastern and Southern Africa nations. The extend over of infection among populations in this region has been more widespread because multiple and concurrent sexual partnerships are relatively common, male circumcision and condom use are relatively rare, and other sexually transmitted infections—which raise the risk of HIV transmission—are more prevalent.
Although trends vary, a general pattern in the past growth of the epidemic has been identified: a slow spread of the AIDS virus in the early 1980s or 1990s, followed by a period of rapid expansion, before reaching a relatively stable level. The appearance of plateaus implies that HIV is present in a small proportion of the population but that it does not generally spread beyond one or more subgroups.
The requisite explanation for this finding is that population subgroups possess widely varying risks for infection. Sex workers and their clients, needle-sharing intravenous drug users, and men who have sex with men are the most vulnerable. Men and women living in monogamous unions or without sexual partners are at the opposite end of the representation. At first, the virus spreads nimbly among the groups at highest risk, but then transmission slows when the individuals in those groups become infected or die, and the lower-risk groups remain uninfected. An pandemic reaches a plateau when the virus has achieved maximum penetration of the vulnerable groups. This point was reached in most countries by the early 2000s.
Declining preponderance rates in several countries are consistent with the view that current obstruction efforts have had an impact. Despite these encouraging trends, high-risk behavior remains pervasive, and HIV continues to spread in much of the world.
“These findings indicate a continuing need to develop new hindrance technologies and for hindrance and treatment programs especially in the countries with substantial epidemics,” Bongaarts concludes.
Bongaarts, John, Thomas Buettner, Gerhard Heilig, and Francois Pelletier. “Has the HIV epidemic picked?” Population and Development Review 34(2): 199–224 (June 2008).
No commentsNeglected Infectious Diseases Go Untreated, Undiagnosed
Hundreds of thousands of low-income U.S. residents in inner cities, the Mississippi Delta, Appalachia, areas near the Mexico border and tribal reservations remain undiagnosed and untreated for diseases that are prevalent in Africa, Asia and Latin America, according to an analysis published on Monday in PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, the New York Times reports (McNeil, New York Times, 6/24).
The analysis, conducted by Peter Hotez of the Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases and titled "Neglected Infections of Poverty in the United States," found that residents in those areas are more likely to have mental retardation, heart disease and epilepsy, among other conditions, caused by untreated tropical and other infectious diseases. These diseases primarily affect women and children in those areas, according to the analysis (Sternberg, USA Today, 6/24). The diseases include Chagas, cysticercosis and worm diseases, as well as dengue fever, syphilis and cytomegalovirus (New York Times, 6/24).
Hotez cited the need to conduct further studies on the diseases and screen more infants for the conditions. He called the lack of attention to the diseases a "national disgrace" (New York Times, 6/24). "If this were occurring among white mothers in the suburbs, you’d hear a tremendous outcry," Hotez said.
According to Carlos Franco-Paredes of Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health, who was not involved in the analysis, many physicians do not search into patients for the diseases, despite their prevalence. Franco-Paredes cited the need to screen minorities, immigrants and refugees for the diseases and ensure that physicians be able to diagnose and treat them (USA Today, 6/24).
Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Weekly Health Disparities Report, search the archives, and sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork.org/email . The Kaiser Weekly Health Disparities Report is published on this account that kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. © 2007 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights retained.
No commentsTulsa Health Department Urges Protection Against West Nile Virus
The Tulsa Health Department (THD) wants to remind the public to take precautions against West Nile virus (WNV). The months of July through October are the highest risk months for exposure to WNV in Oklahoma.
Thus far in 2008, two human cases of WNV have been confirmed in Oklahoma. The cases were in Pittsburg and Logan counties. There are currently no confirmed human cases of West Nile virus in Tulsa County. The state of Oklahoma reported 107 full of common human feeling cases of WNV for 2007, through 8 deaths. Tulsa County reported 34 like a man cases of WNV in 2007 with 3 deaths.
"From testing in previous years, we know that the disease is at that time a seasonal health threat throughout Oklahoma," said Tulsa Health Department Director Gary Cox.
WNV is transmitted in Oklahoma primarily by Culex mosquitoes. These mosquitoes pick up the virus when they feed on infected birds, and then transmit the virus when they bite humans, horses and more other mammals. Symptoms of West Nile disease include fever, intense headache, extreme tiredness, muscle weakness, and dizziness.
To protect against mosquitoes, the Tulsa Health Department suggests that you remember the "4 D’s of Defense" prevention tips. They include the following:
• Dusk and dawn - Avoid outdoor activities during these prime times for mosquito activity.
• Dress - Wear long pants and tardy sleeves when outside to cover the skin.
• DEET - Use an insect repellent containing DEET (N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide) when outdoors and reapply according to directions.
• Drain - Drain those items that collect standing water around your home, yard or business. Scrub and refill pet water dishes and fowl of the air baths regularly.
The Tulsa Health Department also works to control mosquito populations during the spring and summer. In a typical mosquito season, THD sprays over 800 square miles for adult mosquitoes.
No commentsNew Hampshire Health Department Releases Results Of Chronic Disease Studies
The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Office of Medicaid and Business Policy (OMBP) blazon results of two studies of major chronic diseases: cardiovascular disease and circulatory disorders, and chronic respiratory disease. This is the first in-depth study of the diseases using both commercial and Medicaid health care claims data.
The studies, part of OMBP’s Comprehensive Healthcare Information System (CHIS) project were developed to provide a detailed evaluation of the success, utilization, and payments associated with chronic diseases. The studies revealed Medicaid recipients in both chronic disease categories had complex medical problems indicated by high rates of coexisting diseases and mental health disorders.
"The examination of health care claims data provides us with important insight into the treatment and cost of these major chronic diseases, both for the Medicaid program and the health care system as a whole," said DHHS Commissioner Nicholas Toumpas.
The study of cardiovascular sickness and circulatory disorders included examining coronary artery disease, stroke and congestive heart failure. High blood pressure and cholesterol were also evaluated as potentially "at risk" for cardiovascular diseases. The study demonstrated the diseases and disorders were much more prevalent in the NH Medicaid population than those who are commercially insured, and that those with cardiovascular diseases contributed significantly to utilization and costs.
The study of chronic respiratory diseases focused on asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lung cancer. The results showed these diseases are also more prevalent among the NH Medicaid population than the commercial population, and that those with of long duration respiratory diseases contribute significantly to utilization and costs.
"By conducting in-depth studies of these of long duration diseases we can better understand the challenges the Medicaid program faces," said DHHS Medicaid Director Kathleen Dunn. "We can use this information to focus initiatives directed at improving access and coordination of care. The studies will also provide a baseline for evaluating our program efforts."
No commentsMinorities Less Likely To Be Screened For Colon Cancer
Blacks, Hispanics and Asian-Americans are less likely to subsist screened for colon cancer than whites, according to a study published on Monday in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. For the report, researchers from the University of California- Davis School of Medicine analyzed data from two national surveys, which included information on 22,973 adults over age 49.
Researchers raise that 48% of blacks, 37% of Hispanics and 34% of Asian-Americans had received a colonoscopy or underwent diagnostic testing for colon cancer, compared with 57% of whites. The disparities between whites, blacks and Hispanics disappeared after adjusting for socioeconomic factors, such as access to health care and language barriers. Researchers said the reason for the finding remains unknown.
Still, even afterwards the adjustments, Asian-Americans were smaller quantity likely than others to be screened, which could mean that cultural factors are behind the lower rates, the study found. The close attention notes that Asian-Americans power have "core health beliefs and values that differ from those in the ‘Western’ health model, leading them to" forgo screenings until symptoms worsen (McCullough, Philadelphia Inquirer, 6/24).
Reprinted through permission from kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Weekly Health Disparities Report, search the archives, and sign up for email giving at kaisernetwork.org/email . The Kaiser Weekly Health Disparities Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. © 2007 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
No commentsTips To Prevent Tickborne Illness
Each year, Oklahoma consistently ranks among those states with the highest numbers of tickborne illnesses, including Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF), ehrlichiosis, and tularemia. The Tulsa Health Department advises persons who participate in outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, bicycle trail riding, horseback riding, yard work or gardening, etc., to follow bed-tick bite prevention precautions.
Ticks are widespread throughout the state, but they are especially predominant in the wooded eastern half of Oklahoma. Most tickborne infections in Oklahoma are the result of a bite from the American dog tick or the Lone star tick.
Symptoms of a tickborne illness may include fever, headache (often severe), muscle aches, skin indiscreet, vomiting, abdominal pain, and in the case of tularemia, swelling of the lymph node in the area of the tick bite. Tickborne diseases can be treated with appropriate antibiotics.
RMSF is the most commonly occurring tickborne illness in the state. In 2007, 186 cases of RMSF were reported in Oklahoma with no deaths. Thus far in 2008, 28 cases of RMSF have been reported statewide with 1 death which occurred in Tulsa County. Both RMSF and ehrlichiosis can be fatal if not treated.
Although the incidence of Lyme disease in Oklahoma and other southern states is very low, physicians in this part of the country have reported patients through symptoms that resemble Lyme disease, including the appearance of a "bulls-eye" type rash, yet results from laboratory tests are negative. This illness may be meridional Tick-Associated Rash Illness, or STARI, which has been associated with the bite of the Lone star tick.
When participating in outdoor activities this summer, the Tulsa Health Department recommends following these simple physical tick bite prevention precautions:
* Wear light-colored clothing to make ticks easier to see.Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants tucked into socks to deprive ticks of attachment sites.
* Wear closed-toe shoes, not sandals.
* Hikers and bikers should stay in the center of trails to avoid grass and brush.
* Check for ticks at least once per daylight, particularly along waistbands, in the armpits and groin area.
* Use a tick repellent with DEET on skin and garments according to directions.
* Use a tick repellent with permethrin on clothing only and according to directions.
If you do find a tick attached, remove as outlined below. Use the same procedure when removing ticks from your animals.
* Use tweezers, or fingers wrapped in tissue, to clasp the tick as close to the surface of the skin in the same manner with possible. Try not to twist or jerk the tick as you pull.
* Use gentle, steady pressure to pull the tick from the skin.
* Do not squeeze the body of the beat at any time while it is attached – you can release disease-causing organisms into the bite wound.
* Do not squeeze the body of the tick to kill it after it has been removed – you can force disease-causing organisms out of the tick and onto/into your skin.
* Do not use matches, gasoline or nail polish remover as methods of tick removal.
* Note the date of tick removal on your calendar.
* Wash clothing and inspect your body for additional ticks – don’t forget the back and the scalp.
No commentsMany may “trust” their partner is a low STD risk (Reuters)
The study of patients at an STD clinic found that many people relied on subjective measures in judging their partner's "safety" — such taken in the character of in what state long they had known the partner or how intelligent or well-educated he or she was.
The findings suggest that whenever people feel they "just know" their partner, they may consider their STD risk to be low even in the absence of any STD/HIV testing, the researchers public character in the journal Sexually Transmitted Diseases.
For the study, Cindy Masaro and colleagues at the University of British Columbia gave questionnaires to 317 men and women attending an STD clinic. All were visiting the clinic for the first time for an assessment and not yet been diagnosed with any STD.
The questionnaire asked patients whether they would be "pretty sure" that a sex partner was "safe" in various situations — such as at the time they knew the person well, knew his or her friends, or simply felt they could trust the person.
The researchers found that population often took such subjective qualities as a sign that their colleague would put them at low STD risk. For example, more than 70 percent of patients said they would probably consider a one of a firm "safe" if he or she were commonly trustworthy.
However, people's perceptions of their partners do not necessarily match substantiality.
Past studies, Masaro and her colleagues point out, have found that while many people are "confident in their assessments of their partner's character," their knowledge of the partner's STD risk factors is often off the mark.
"Developing interventions that target assumptions of safety and dispel incorrect beliefs about the selection of safe partners is needed to promote safer sexual behavior," the researchers conclude.
SOURCE: Sexually Transmitted Diseases, June 2008.
No commentsDiabetes Contributes To Causes Of Death Of Millions
There are three million more diabetics in The United States in the last brace years. It’s now estimated there are 24 million American diabetics - that’s the 8% of the population. The vast majority of these are Type 2 diabetics. Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States, but that does not count how it contributes to more common causes of death, such as those linked to cardiovascular disease.
Diabetes now affects nearly 24 million people in the United States, an increase of other than 3 million in approximately two years, according to new 2007 prevalence data estimates released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This means that nearly 8 percent of the U.S. population has diabetes.
In addition to the 24 million with diabetes, another 57 million people are estimated to have pre-diabetes, a condition that puts people at increased risk for diabetes. Among people with diabetes, those who do not know they consider the disease decreased from 30 percent to 25 percent over a two-year period.
“These new estimates have both good news and bad news,” said Dr. Ann Albright, director of the CDC Division of Diabetes Translation. “It is concerning to know that we have more people developing diabetes, and these data are a reminder of the importance of increasing awareness of this condition, especially among people who are at abstruse risk. On the other hand, it is good to see that more people are aware that they have diabetes. That is an indication that our efforts to increase awareness are working, and more importantly, that more people are better prepared to manage this disease and its complications.”
Diabetes is a disease associated with high levels of blood glucose resulting from defects in insulin production that causes sugar to build up in the material substance. It is the seventh most important cause of death in the country and can cause serious health complications including heart disease, blindness, kidney failure, and lower-extremity amputations.
Among adults, diabetes increased in both men and women and in all age groups, except still disproportionately affects the elderly. Almost 25 percent of the population 60 years and older had diabetes in 2007. And, as in previous years, disparities exist among ethnic groups and minority populations including Native Americans, blacks and Hispanics. After adjusting for population age differences between the groups, the rate of diagnosed diabetes was highest among Native Americans and Alaska Natives (16.5 percent). This was followed by blacks (11.8 percent) and Hispanics (10.4 percent), which includes rates for Puerto Ricans (12.6 percent), Mexican Americans (11.9 percent), and Cubans (8.2 percent). by the agency of comparison, the rate for Asian Americans was 7.5 percent with whites at 6.6 percent.
The data are an update of diabetes prevalence estimates last reported two years ago and now published in the 2007 National Diabetes Fact Sheet developed by CDC in collaboration with multiple agencies under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and other federal agencies.
CDC also is releasing estimates of diagnosed diabetes for all counties in the United States. Derived from the agency’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS) and census data, the estimates provide a clearer picture of areas within states that have higher diabetes rates. Nationally, the data indicate increased diabetes rates in areas of the Southeast and Appalachia that receive traditionally been recognized as being at higher risk for many chronic diseases, including heart disease and stroke.
“These data are an important step in identifying the places in a state that have the greatest number of people affected by diabetes,” said Dr.Albright. “If states know which communities or areas have more people with diabetes, they can use that information to target their efforts or tailor them to meet the needs of specific communities.”
CDC, through its Division of Diabetes Translation, funds diabetes hindrance and control programs in all 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia and eight U.S. territories and isle jurisdictions. The National Diabetes Education Program, co-sponsored by CDC and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), provides diabetes education to improve the treatment and outcomes despite people with diabetes, promote early diagnosis, and prevent or delay the onset of diabetes.
More diabetes information can be found at www.cdc.gov/diabetes. To access the National Diabetes Fact Sheet and county-level estimates of diagnosed diabetes, click on the "data and trends" link at the left.
No commentsMuscle Biopsies in the Diagnosis of Neuromuscular Disorders
A mother recently sent me one e-mail asking about the reliability of a muscle biopsy on her daughter. It would be done at her local hospital. Her daughter walks with a walker and has multiple problems, but still no specific diagnosis. The child’s doctors thought a muscle biopsy might be helpful.
I replied that it would most numerous likely be a waste of time to have the biopsy done at the local hospital. It takes a very sophisticated neuromuscular laboratory to have technicians who know how to do the many up-to-date stains and other studies. Few hospitals in the United States have adequate facilities for doing muscle biopsies. I have reviewed muscle biopsies from all over the U.S., even from major medical schools, and found that most were unreadable.
The other problem is that most surgeons want a child to have a general anesthetic when they do a muscle biopsy.This means a hospital admission and the risk of Malignant Hyperthermia. A muscle biopsy should have existence done similar to an outpatient procedure with the use of a local anesthetic. The major neuromuscular centers in the world do punch biopsies, which only leave a remarkably small scar. A local anesthetic is all that is needed This is not common practice in this country, to all appearance because muscle diseases, such as muscular dystrophy, myositis, and congenital myopathies receive for a like reason little funding and so little attention.
We are far behind England, Italy, France, Turkey, Japan, Italy, and Tunisia in our diagnosis and treatment of muscle diseases. Pediatric neurologists embrace little training in the diagnosis of muscle disorders and generally are not taught to read and interpret muscle biopsies.
Anesthesia in Neuromuscular Disorders
An anesthesiologist called me today to check about the risk of Malignant Hyperthermia in an ripe patient who had been diagnosed as having either Charcot -Marie-tooth disease or Arthrogryposis. It is hard to believe that an adult patient doesn’t have a more accurate diagnosis, but this seems to be fairly common problem in the U.S. now with the minimal amount of training neurologists and orthopedists get in these disorders.
I asked if the young man had had nerve conductions times done and he said the mother did not know the answer to that question. Then I asked if he saw high arched feet and he related ‘Yes." I suggested then that the doctor ask the mother whether any family members had difficulty buying shoes. This is a common complaint of Charcot-Marie-Tooth patients. I also suggested he looked at the mother’s hands to see if she had any muscle loss and decrease in strength; also a common symptom in this disorder.
I added further that if the patient had a form of arthrogryposis that it could actually be a case of congenital muscular dystrophy. This would make the risk of Malignant Hyperthermia more possible. Any patient can have two disorders, but by the term a patient becomes every person of mature age, an accurate diagnosis should be established. We are tragically far behind many other countries in the world in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with neuromuscular disorders.
Dr. Thompson blogs at http://drthompsonsbooks.typepad.com/
No commentsSymptoms, Blood Test Accurately Detect Ovarian Cancer
The combination of blood test and a number of symptoms increase ovarian cancer detection accuracy by 20%.
Researchers suggest that a blood test measuring CA 125 protein level in blood is an important tool for identifying ovarian cancer. However, the test alone is not good enough, because there can be women with ligh levels of CA 125, but through no ovarian cancer.
The other test tool is the guideline of symptoms published by Dr. Barbara Goff from University of Washington School of Medicine in 2006. The publication include the symptoms coming from ovarian cancer: ‘pelvic or abdominal pain, bloating, increased abdominal size, sea of troubles eating, or feeling full quickly’. If the symptoms occur more than 12 times a month, an additional test is recommended to detect ovarian cancer.
This new research suggests, that the combination of the mentioned tools and ovarian cancer symptoms guideline is a powerful and accurate way for detecting ovarian cancer in its early stages.
A team of researchers from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle examined 254 healthy women, who were found to be at the highest risk of ovarian cancer because of family history, and 75 women with late cancer stage, who were already preparing for a surgery. completely of participants were questioned about symptoms and passed blood tests to measure CA 125 protein level.
Combining two methods together, researchers were able to identify ovarian cancer in 80.6% of early stage cases and 95.1% of late boards cases. On average, the combination identified hither and thither 90% of all cases. However, there were also misdiagnosis cases occurring: 14% of women who were fund to have high levels of CA 125 and the symptoms did not have the disease, they had to undergo ultrasound tests to strain the situation.
Blood tests alone is able to identify 60% of disease cases, but-end when combined with symptom test, it can identify 80% of early stage ovarian cancer cases. This means, that the combined testing is 20% more successful than blood test alone, and that early stage cancer sufferers can be identified earlier and treated on time, increasing survival rates and quality of life.
According to American Cancer Society statistics, there are about 21000 women a year who are ovarian cancer diagnosed and about 15000 women die from it each year. It is not now proved that this cancer can be easily cured if caught in early stages, but probably it is true, because every single disease is easier to cure in early stages, rather than in late stages. And commonly there are only 20% of all ovarian cancer cases vital principle diagnosed in early stages.
There are no properly accurate tests for detecting ovarian cancer. Most of current tests are even missing the disease, or detecting a ailment which actually doesn’t exist, making women to worry about nothing. The best option is ultrasound testing, but it works only when the sonographer is a very experienced doctor, otherwise it’s impossible to detect, because currently there are no clear guidelines on ultrasound testing.
The rates of ovarian cancer and the absence of proper tests to detect the disease make this inquiry very valuable. However, researchers still have a lot to do to make productive testing and diagnosing techniques notwithstanding detecting ovarian cancer.
1 commentReduce Your Cancer Risk While Grilling
Summer is just encompassing the corner and that means plenty of picnics, parties and barbeques. While the awe-inspiring aroma of your favorite foods on the grill can make your mouth water, there are some caveats you should know before you dig in. All that grilling may be cooking up cancer-causing chemicals, warn experts at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Those chemicals have been linked to breast, stomach, prostate and colon cancer, according to the American Institute for Cancer Research.
But Stephanie Meyers, RD, LDN, CNSD, a Dana-Farber nutritionist, says that doesn’t mean you have to give up summer time treats parallel grilled burgers, steaks and ribs. "It’s really about being attentive and making wise choices."
There are two risk factors to keep in mind. First, research has shown that high-heat grilling can convert proteins in red meat, pork, poultry, and fish into heterocyclic amines (HCAs). These chemicals have been linked to a number of cancers.
Another cancer-causing agent, called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), is found in the smoke. PAHs form when fat and juices from rations products drip on the heat source. As the find out rises it be possible to stick to the surface of the meat.
"The main cancer causing compound that occurs in grilling comes from the smoke," says Meyers. "So you want to reduce the exposure to that smoke."
What can you do to lower your risk? Here are some tips to make doubtless your summer grilling is safe.
Prep the meat
   * Choose lean cuts of meat, instead of high-fat varieties such as ribs and sausage. Trim all excess fat and remove skin.
   * When using marinades — thinner is better. Thicker marinades have a tendency to "char," possibly increasing exposure to carcinogenic compounds.
   * Look in the place of marinades that contain vinegar and/or lemon. They actually create a defensive barrier around the meat.
Limit time — Limit exposure
   * Always thaw meat first. This also reduces the cooking time.
   * Partially cook meat and fish in a microwave for 60 to 90 seconds on high face to face with grilling and then discard the juices. This will lower cooking time and reduce risk of cause smoke flare-ups.
Grilling techniques
   * Flip burgers often: Once every minute.
   * Place food at least six inches from heat fountain-head. well.
   * Create a barrier to prevent juices from spilling and producing harmful smoke. Try lining the grill with aluminum foil and poking holes, and cooking on cedar planks.
Choose wisely
   * Lean meats create less dripping and less smoke.
   * Choose smaller cuts of meat, like kabobs, as they take less time to cook.
   * Try grilling your favorite vegetables. They do not contain the protein that forms harmful HCAs.
"People need to oblige this into perspective," explains Meyers. "If you’re grilling and following the precise safety tips, the risk of getting cancer from grilling food is exceedingly low." Moreover, she stresses the importance of maintaining a healthy weight and eating a balanced take nourishment, rich in fruits and vegetables. Meyers adds, "Being overweight or obese, which are at pandemic levels in the U.S., are to a great distance greater risk factors for developing cancer than the consumption of grilled foods."
No commentsSenior Falls Cause Serious Brain Injuries
Senior falls lead to serious traumatic brain injuries, urging the need of more educational materials for elderly, caregivers, and healthcare providers.
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published a report on senior falls in 2005. The study found that in 2005 surrounding 8000 deaths and 56000 hospitalizations took place among people aged from 65 just because of traumatic brain injuries. Brain injury deaths account 50% of all elderly deaths in 2005 that occurred because of falls, and 8% of hospitalization cases also occur because of brain problems.
In 2005 about 16000 seniors died from fall related injuries, 1.8 million adults received care in emergency departments, and 433000 patients were hospitalized.
The study found that men have higher risk for dying from brain detriment than women: 26.9 cases out of 100000 occurring in men and 17.8 cases out of 100000 occurring in women. Hospitalization cases were more occurring among women than men: 158.3 out of 100000, compared to 146.3 uncovered of 100000. The study also found that senior fall cases increase with age.
54.9% of men and 61.5% of women hospitalized for fall related brain injury spent from 2 to 6 days in hospitals, accounting for hospital charges of $19,191 for men and $16,006 for women.
Most of people think that senior falls can lead to bone break only, but the results can be much more serious when brain is affected. When people age, they usually have vision worsened or lost, they have poor coordination, balance and control. They can also have chronic health conditions and drug side goods leading to increased risk for falls.
As we be delivered of many infant. boomers aging, CDC predicts that higher fall cases will increase and traumatic brain injury cases will occur more frequently. This is for what cause CDC has released a guideline for seniors and those taking care of them to have their homes improved and well designed for elderly.
No commentsAbortion rate among young girls hits record high (AFP)
The total number of abortions rose in all age groups in England and Wales according to the statistics released Thursday, but most astomshing was the rise in terminations among teenagers as a higher proportion of pregnancies are aborted.
The Department of Health before-mentioned the number of abortions among under-14s had gone from 135 in 2006 to 163 in 2007, an increase of 21 percent.
There was also a 10 percent rise among the under-16s to 4,376 abortions.
Kaye Wellings, professor of sexual and reproductive health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said of the under-14 figures: "The increase in abortions in this age group fits the pattern in women aged less than 18 generally, that is, a higher proportion of pregnancies are terminated.
"This is bringing us in line through other European countries, where fewer pregnancies lead to live births than in the UK.
"The main goal, of course, is to reduce the number of pregnancies in young women."
Gill Frances, chairman of the Teenage Pregnancy Independent Advisory Group, called for more government investment in contraceptive services for young people.
"It is dubious that investment in contraception is urgently reviewed and the recent monies located," Frances said.
Her view was echoed by Julie Bentley, cardinal executive of FPA (formerly the Family Planning Association): "Younger women are making different choices about their lives and choosing abortion over motherhood. But education and contraceptive services will stop them becoming great with child in the first place."
In full, 198,500 pregnancies were terminated in England and Wales latest year, an increase of 2.5 percent on 2006. There were a further 7,100 abortions to women not resident in England and Wales in 2007.
The highest abortion rate was for women aged 19 at 36 per 1,000.
Just last month, MPs failed in their attempt to cut the upper time limit conducive to abortions from 24 to 22 weeks.
Department of Health abortion statistics
No commentsFalse Positives in Oral HIV Test Halt Use in NYC (HealthDay)
In January 2004, the clinics introduced on-site, rapid HIV testing of finger-stick, whole-blood specimens using the OraQuick test. Then, in March 2005, the clinics replaced the finger-stick test with an oral fluid test, the OraQuick Advance swift HIV-1/2 Antibody Test.
However, beginning in late 2005, the clinics noted an unexpected grow in false-positive oral test results. This increase subsided after several months, notes a report released online June 18 in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The use of oral fluid tests was suspended for three weeks in December 2005 and replaced with the finger-stick test while city health officials investigated the increase in false-positive test results. The finger-stick tests didn't lengthen any false-positive results.
The verbal fluid test was re-introduced in late December 2005. However, any positive result from an oral fluid test had to be followed up with a finger-stick test.
In late 2007, there was another larger increase in the incidence of false-positive oral fluid tests. The cause has not been determined and the city health department has stopped the use of the oral fluid test. Only the finger-stick touchstone is being used.
"These findings underscore the importance of confirming all reactive HIV tests, both from oral fluid and whole-blood specimens," the report authors wrote.
"In addition, the results suggest that the NYC DOHMH strategy of following up reactive oral fluid discriminative characteristic results with an immediate finger-stick whole-blood test reduced the number of apparent false-positive oral liquid test results and might be a useful strategy in other settings and locations," they added.
More information
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about HIV testing.
No commentsHerbalife, Usana Have 1000 Times Lead As Ensure, Boost
In newly released lab results from one of the commonwealth’s largest labs through a presence in over 30 countries, both Usana and Herbalife have lead levels that are over 1000 state of things the lead allowed under California law when taken as directed daily. The new results also revealed that the average lead content for non multi level marketing health drinks averaged 0.607 micrograms per day while Usana and Herbalife combined for a whopping 9.760 micrograms of lead per day. "I do not care what your liberal sense of Proposition 65 might be," said attorney Christopher Grell, "nevertheless these percentages are astounding and will hopefully catch the eye of California regulators."
Also released today was the results of a 10 year study conducted by multi flush marketing expert Robert Fitzpatrick where he analyzed 11 multi level marketing company’s, five of which are publicly traded.
In that study,
Mr. Fitzpatrick reveals the truth regarding the myth of the multi level marketing business opportunity by uncovering three undeniable truths: on average no net income is earned by MLM distributors from door to door "retail" sales the sales forces of Herbalife, Usana and the other company’s analyzed are churned (lost money/quit/replaced) at rates between 60-90% each year and 99% of all sales representatives eddish. year in the sample of companies analyzed earned on average less than $13 a week in allowance income.
According to Mr. Fitzpatrick in the report prepared conducive to Mr. Grell, "The (income) figure represents a significant financial loss for virtually all that join these schemes. As extreme as the loss rate is, this form is conservatively understated because it is calculated before all business expenses, inventory purchases and taxes are factored, which would greaten total losses and the percentage of those losing."
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