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September 30, 2009

Foot pain

That's the result of a large population-based study of foot pain and shoe style, according to Alyssa Dufour of the Institute for Aging Research, Hebrew SeniorLife in Boston, and colleagues.

But the finding applies only to women and only to one type of foot pain, Dufour and colleagues said in the October issue of Arthritis Care & Research.

Women who wore "good" shoes were 67 percent less likely to develop hindfoot pain -- in other words, pain in the heel area of the foot -- than those who wore "average" shoes, they found.

Doug

CDIstaffing.com

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September 29, 2009

9-29-2009

PATSY Enjoying another day at the office on this Tuesday morning.Got a few addresses to change,better get to it.
HAVE A GREAT DAY

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jaundice

In a new study, which appears in the October issue of Pediatrics, researchers found that high levels of bilirubin can indicate that jaundice is in danger of becoming severe.

"While we know that early identification of bilirubin levels before reaching toxic levels is important, bilirubin screening has not been universal, as physicians have decided which infants to screen based upon their degree of jaundice and clinical risk factors," study author Dr. Michael Kuzniewicz, a neonatologist at University of California San Francisco Children's Hospital, said in the news release.

The researchers examined how implementation of American Academy of Pediatrics screening guidelines affected newborn babies in Northern California medical facilities operated by Kaiser Permanente. The guidelines advise that each newborn be given a bilirubin blood test or undergo an assessment.

"This study provides evidence that universal screening during the birth hospitalization is a more effective method for monitoring bilirubin levels in order to prevent them from rising to a point that can damage an infant's brain," Kuzniewicz stated.

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September 27, 2009

Violence

Parents who spare the rod just might end up with smarter kids.

Two new studies suggest that children who are spanked have lower IQs than children who aren't, regardless of where they live.

In one study, researchers analyzed the intelligence scores of roughly 1,500 children in the U.S. who took part in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. They found that these scores were slightly lower among children whose mothers reported using spanking as a form of discipline.

In the other study, national average IQ scores were found to be lower in countries where spanking is common.

The research was led by University of New Hampshire sociologist Murray A. Straus, PhD, who has studied the impact of corporal punishment on child development for decades. He is a vocal opponent of the practice.

Straus was scheduled to present his findings Friday in San Diego at the 14th International Conference on Violence, Abuse and Trauma.

"The best kept secret of American child psychology is that kids who are not spanked are the best behaved and do the best in life," he tells WebMD. "You won't find that in a single child development textbook, but it is true."

Doug

CDIstaffing.com

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September 26, 2009

Meds

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N) said on Friday U.S. regulators approved its new treatment for psoriasis, called Stelara, for patients 18 years or older with moderate to severe psoriasis.

Stelara, deemed a potential blockbuster because of its effectiveness and infrequent administration, has been awaiting approval since late 2007. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration had extended its review of the product on several occasions to study amendments to J&J's marketing application and to review other information.

"Stelara's main advantage is its more-convenient dosing," said Wells Fargo analyst Larry Biegelsen. He noted that it is given by injection only once every three months, compared with injections every few weeks with the leading class of drugs called tumor necrosis inhibitors -- including Abbott Laboratories Inc's (ABT.N) Humira.

Doug

CDIstaffing.com

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September 24, 2009

New Day

Patsy saying this has been a day of working on applications an updating information.
Until tommorrow.

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Meds

An experimental vaccine prevented HIV infections for the first time, a breakthrough that has eluded scientists for a quarter century.

A U.S.-funded study involving more than 16,000 volunteers in Thailand found that a combination of ALVAC, made by Paris- based Sanofi-Aventis SA, and AIDSVAX, from VaxGen Inc., of South San Francisco, cut infections by 31.2 percent in the people who received it compared with those on a placebo, scientists said today in Bangkok. Neither vaccine had stopped the virus that causes AIDS when tested separately in previous studies.

Doug

CDIstaffing.com

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September 23, 2009

In the office

Hi Patsy here, it is Wed. I am in the office. Thanks

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flu

People suffering from the flu may be at higher risk for having a heart attack, especially those with heart disease and diabetes, British researchers report.

 

Because both seasonal and the pandemic H1N1 swine flu are circulating this fall and winter, people at risk for heart attacks are urged to get a seasonal flu shot

 

 

and an H1N1 flu shot, which may reduce the chance of getting the flu and thereby lower the risk for a heart attack, experts say.

 

"Influenza is most concerning because of its secondary complications," said Dr. Marc Siegel, an associate professor of medicine at New York University School of Medicine in New York City.

 

"Most of the time with influenza, death or hospitalization isn't because of the influenza, it's because influenza puts you in a weakened state -- it's a stress on the system," he said. "So, it is not surprising that you would have the increased risk of a myocardial infarction during or right after an influenza infection."

 

In addition, the flu virus may have a negative effect directly on the heart, Siegel said. "Flu stresses and strains the system," he added.

 

To determine the risk of heart attack among those with flu, a research team led by Andrew C. Hayward, a senior lecturer in infectious disease epidemiology at the UCL Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology in London, looked at 39 studies conducted between 1932 and 2008.

 

 Doug

CDIstaffing.com

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September 21, 2009

Cancer

People with a genetic susceptibility to colon cancer could cut their chances of developing the disease in half by taking a daily dose of aspirin, researchers said Monday.

The finding might lead to other treatments by helping researchers understand how aspirin combats colon cancer, one of the top three cancers in rich countries.

Though aspirin has been used widely for years to treat minor aches and to alleviate fevers, it can irritate the stomach and intestines and cause major bleeding.

European researchers followed more than 1,000 people with Lynch syndrome, a genetic mutation that makes them vulnerable to cancers in the colon, rectum, stomach, brain, liver, womb and elsewhere. The syndrome accounts for about 5 percent of all colon cancers.

About half of the study participants were given 600 milligrams, or two aspirin pills daily, while the other half got placebo pills for about four years.

In the group that got aspirin, six people developed colon cancer, versus 16 in the group that got placebos. "We are delighted," said John Burn of Newcastle University in Britain, who led the study.

"All the more so because we stopped giving the aspirin after four years, yet the effect is continuing," he said in a statement.

Doug

CDIstaffing.com

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September 19, 2009

Dementia

People may be able to reduce their risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, according to two recently published studies that are the latest in a long line of research. But does that hold for everyone? And by how much can you lower the risk? Here's a look at the facts.

Alzheimer's afflicts 5.3 million Americans and that number is predicted to grow to nearly 8 million in the next 20 years, according to a 2009 report by the Alzheimer's Assn. Because the disease has no cure, medical researchers continue to focus on preventing or delaying the disease.

Two weeks ago, a paper in the journal Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders reported that people with even moderately elevated cholesterol in their 40s have twice the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease in their 60s, 70s and 80s, adding blood cholesterol to a variety of already-known risk factors for the disorder.

High blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, smoking and high-fat diets have all been associated with increasing one's risk. Last week, a paper in the Journal of the American Medical Assn. reported that people eating a so-called Mediterranean diet and exercising regularly were at lower risk -- by as much as 50%.
Doug

CDIstaffing.com

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September 18, 2009

Birth Control

Teenage birth rates are higher in states with greater levels of religious belief, possibly due to strong disapproval of contraception, a new U.S. study suggests.

Doug

CDIstaffing.com

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September 10, 2009

BP

While we're on the subject of healthcare reform, why doesn't everyone cut back on salt? Wednesday, President Obama outlined his plans to provide better health coverage and cut healthcare costs. But cost-cutting starts at home. A new study published by Rand Corp. researchers concludes that if Americans reduced their salt intake to the recommended maximum amount, hypertension cases could be cut by 11 million with a savings of $18 billion in healthcare costs and 312,000 years of life gained.

The Institute of Medicine recommends adults consume no more than 2,300 milligrams a day of salt. Salt increases blood pressure, which then raises the risk of heart and kidney disease. The average American gets about 1,000 milligrams more than is recommended. In the study, researchers used data from a government survey conducted between 1999 and 2004 about salt intake and other health measures to arrive at their conclusions.

About 70 million Americans have high blood pressure. But cutting salt is difficult to do because it's not just about putting the salt shaker away. Many processed and packaged foods contain high levels of salt -- even foods that are considered lower-calorie or "healthy." People would need to read food labels carefully to make a concerted effort to curb salt intake.

Doug

CDIstaffing.com

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September 09, 2009

Meds

A new blood test has been developed which will allow doctors to determine which patients could benefit from antibiotics and those who would not.

The test, say researchers could lead to fewer cases of antibiotic resistance, and will most definitely result in fewer people receiving the drugs to treat a wide array of medical conditions.

The study was performed by Swiss researchers, and featured more than 1200 participants.

All participants had gone to ERs with lower respiratory tract infections, and some were treated with antibiotics others not.

A blood test was performed to look for the presence of infection, whether viral or not, to determine which patients could benefit from the drugs.

Depending on the level of serum procalcitonin in the blood of patients, they either received antibiotics or standard care.

The study can be found in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Doug

CDIstaffing.com

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September 07, 2009

Cancer

 A virus has been linked to the most aggressive form of prostate cancer, potentially leading the way to identifying men with the deadliest tumors and pinpointing their treatment.

The discovery, reported today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, involves the XMRV virus, discovered just three years ago, said Ila Singh, an associate professor of pathology at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. Forty-four percent of men with tumors graded 9 out of 10 for severity on a standard scale had evidence of XMRV, Singh’s study found

Doug

CDIstaffing.com

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September 05, 2009

Meds

Merck & Co's Gardasil vaccine appears to be safe and effective in preventing genital warts in young men and boys, a U.S. medical reviewer said in documents released on Friday.

A U.S. Food and Drug Administration staff reviewer said the company's data showed the vaccine, already approved for use in girls and young women, was effective in preventing the warts caused by certain strains of the human papillomavirus.

The company is seeking the FDA's permission to market Gardasil for males between 9 and 26 years old, the same age range currently approved for females.

The FDA released the staffer's memo ahead of an advisory panel meeting on Wednesday to discuss whether to approve the new use. The agency usually follows its panelists' recommendations.

Doug

CDIstaffing.com

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September 04, 2009

Swine Flu

A recent report said that the life of a young cancer patient infected by swine flu was saved by a group of enterprising doctors who used an unlicensed antiviral drug, Relenza.

The 22 year old patient was attacked by Hodgkin's disease, which completely damaged his immune system. The combined effect of chemotherapy weakened his defences against the A(H1N1) virus.

After being admitted to the hospital following shortness of breath and fluid buildup in both lungs, she was treated with Tamiflu and other antibiotics without any effect. Tamiflu is a pill used as the frontline treatment for swine flu. She was placed on an artificial respirator on the third day when doctors administered Relenza, also known by its lab name as zanamivir. They used it in its licensed form as a nebulised spray.

This too did not work and her condition worsened over the next two weeks. Doctors then took a chance with her life in the balance, by giving her Relenza intravenously using a batch specially provided by the manufacturers, GlaxoSmithKline.

This was supported by a dose of corticosteroids to tackle the lung inflammation. There was a dramatic improvement in her condition within the next 48 hours.

Doug

CDIsataffing.com

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September 03, 2009

swine flu

Swiss drugmaker Novartis said Thursday one of its swine flu vaccines may work with just one dose, rather than two as previously expected, a finding that could potentially boost global supplies.

In early results from human tests on one of its swine flu vaccine candidates, Novartis AG said one shot of its vaccine provided enough protection against the virus, as set out by criteria by U.S. and European drug regulators.

Most experts had thought two doses of vaccine would be necessary, since swine flu is a new virus to which virtually no one has immunity. On Thursday, China approved a swine flu vaccine which its producer, Sinovac, says also works with just one dose.

"The pilot results are encouraging," said Andrin Oswald, CEO of Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics in a statement. "This is important information for public health authorities who prepare for vaccination in the coming months with limited vaccine supply."

Doug

CDIstaffing.com

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September 02, 2009

Heart Failure

The CRT-D, part automated defibrillator, part cardiac resynchronization device, reduced hospitalizations in milder cases. But issues including cost have some questioning how widely it should be used.

 

 

An implantable device that shocks an erratically beating heart and works to keep both ventricles beating synchronously reduced hospitalizations for heart failure by 41%, according to results reported Tuesday at the European Society of Cardiology Congress in Barcelona, Spain.

The results, reported online in the New England Journal of Medicine, were significantly better than preliminary results announced in June, when the trial was halted prematurely because of its success.

"This is a real breakthrough" for patients with mild to moderate heart disease, said Dr. Leslie Saxon, a cardiologist at USC's Keck School of Medicine, one of the study sites.

"The results are very encouraging, but we need to take them with a grain of salt," said Dr. Shephal K. Doshi, director of electrophysiology and pacing at St. John's Health Center in Santa Monica. "No one receiving the devices lived longer."

 

 Doug

CDIstaffing.com

Posted by doug at 12:01 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Heart Failure

The CRT-D, part automated defibrillator, part cardiac resynchronization device, reduced hospitalizations in milder cases. But issues including cost have some questioning how widely it should be used.

 

 

An implantable device that shocks an erratically beating heart and works to keep both ventricles beating synchronously reduced hospitalizations for heart failure by 41%, according to results reported Tuesday at the European Society of Cardiology Congress in Barcelona, Spain.

The results, reported online in the New England Journal of Medicine, were significantly better than preliminary results announced in June, when the trial was halted prematurely because of its success.

"This is a real breakthrough" for patients with mild to moderate heart disease, said Dr. Leslie Saxon, a cardiologist at USC's Keck School of Medicine, one of the study sites.

"The results are very encouraging, but we need to take them with a grain of salt," said Dr. Shephal K. Doshi, director of electrophysiology and pacing at St. John's Health Center in Santa Monica. "No one receiving the devices lived longer."

 

 Doug

CDIstaffing.com

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