Although the use of ovarian tissue cryopreservation and transplantation has lead to 13 live births in women with lymphoma or solid tumors, this method of fertility preservation may be unsafe for patients with leukemia, according to a recent study published online in Blood, the journal of the American Society of Hematology. The method involves removing and freezing ovarian tissue before the patient undergoes aggressive chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and then reimplanting the tissue once the cancer has been brought under control. One major concern with leukemia patients is the risk that their frozen-thawed ovarian tissue might harbor malignant cells that could induce a recurrence of the disease after reimplantation.
"Our study provides clear evidence that cancer cells in women with acute and chronic leukemias can contaminate the ovaries," said Marie-Madeleine Dolmans, MD, professor at the Universite Catholique de Louvain in Brussels and lead author of the study. "If this tissue is reimplanted in these women when they're ready to have children, there's a good possibility that the cancer will come back."
As most acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients are diagnosed with the disease at a young age, consideration of the preservation of their fertility is especially important. In fact, according to the National Cancer Institute, 71 percent of those diagnosed with ALL are less than 35 years old, as are nearly 10 percent of those with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML)(1). In 2010, it is estimated that 2,180 women will be diagnosed with ALL and 2,070 with CML(1).
As aggressive chemotherapy and radiotherapy are damaging to the reproductive organs, the researchers wanted to examine the safety of using ovarian tissue cryopreservation to safeguard the fertility of patients with leukemia. In this study, researchers examined the implications of the technique in 12 women with ALL, a fast-growing cancer of the white blood cells, and six women with CML, a slowly progressing bone marrow cancer. The 18 patients included in this study were between 2 and 31 years of age when their ovarian tissue was cryopreserved (from 1999 to 2008). The mean age of the patients with ALL was 14.5 years and 24.7 years for those with CML.
Although initial microscopic examination did not reveal any cancerous cells in the ovarian tissue samples collected from each patient, by using a technique called real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), the scientists found cancerous cells in the ovarian tissue of 70 percent of the ALL patients and 33 percent of the CML patients. For further analysis, the researchers engrafted the ovarian tissue samples into 18 healthy mice for an observational period of six months. In the mice who received tissue from CML patients, the grafts looked normal and did not appear to contain any cancerous cells. In contrast, four of the mice who received ovarian tissue from ALL patients developed tumors. Through use of RT-qPCR and the mouse model, the researchers demonstrated the viability and malignant potential of leukemic cells present in the frozen ovarian tissue, especially from ALL patients.
"Given our findings, further research is needed to develop safer options for fertility preservation in patients with acute and chronic leukemias," said Jacques Donnez, MD, professor at the Universite Catholique de Louvain in Brussels and co-author of the study.
"Leukemia patients can benefit from fertility preservation techniques," added Brandon Hayes-Lattin, MD, the Director of the Adolescent and Young Adult Center at the Knight Cancer Institute in Portland, Oregon. "But the strategies offered must be both effective and safe. Among its other strengths, this work emphasizes that molecular methods can be successfully applied to assessments of safety."
Source: American Society of Hematology
вторник, 27 декабря 2011 г.
вторник, 20 декабря 2011 г.
Rushing Mandatory HPV Vaccinations A 'Mistake,' Opinion Piece Says
Although much of the "resistance" to state efforts to mandate vaccination against human papillomavirus is "misguided," mandating the vaccine would be a "mistake at the present time," Arthur Allen -- a Washington, D.C.-based writer and author of the book "Vaccine: The Controversial Story of Medicine's Greatest Lifesaver" -- writes in Washington Post opinion piece (Allen, Washington Post, 4/8). Merck's HPV vaccine Gardasil in clinical trials has been shown to be 100% effective in preventing infection with strains 16 and 18, which together cause about 70% of cervical cancer cases, and about 99% effective in preventing HPV strains 6 and 11, which together with strains 16 and 18 cause about 90% of genital wart cases, among women not already infected with these strains. FDA in July 2006 approved Gardasil for sale and marketing to girls and women ages nine to 26, and CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices later that month voted unanimously to recommend that girls ages 11 and 12 receive the vaccine (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 4/5). According to Allen, "the fact that HPV is sexually transmitted is no reason to keep children from being vaccinated against it." Allen writes that a "controversial" decision in 1992 to vaccinate infants and adolescents against hepatitis B "has clearly shown that public health campaigns can prevent disease without causing moral turpitude," adding that HPV "is not linked to risky sexual behavior" and is "as common as influenza." In addition, "as long as the HPV vaccine is not required, the people who need it most probably won't get it." However, Allen writes that he has "reservations" about mandating HPV vaccination because of cost concerns, the vaccine's lack of a "track record" and its current lack of "credibility." According to Allen, only Merck and "a few" advocates are calling for mandates. The "rickety" pediatric vaccination system is a "three-legged stool whose stability relies on the participation" of drug companies, the government and parents, according to Allen. "In failing to include two legs of the system, those pushing for immediate mandatory vaccination are risking it's collapse," Allen writes, concluding, "The HPV vaccine may do great things, but we shouldn't rush it" (Washington Post, 4/8).
"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
View drug information on Gardasil.
"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
View drug information on Gardasil.
вторник, 13 декабря 2011 г.
Lack Of Investment In Maternal, Infant Health In Afghanistan, Worldwide Is 'Tragedy,' Letter To Editor Says
Given that healthy women "deliver not just babies but paychecks and economic growth," it is a "mystery why maternal and newborn health still receives inadequate international attention and funding," Jill Sheffield, president of Family Care International, writes in a Washington Post letter to the editor.
According to Sheffield, Afghanistan's "devastated health care system" has contributed to one of the world's highest maternal mortality rates. "The sad truth is that if the Afghan government and its U.S. backers had invested in things that keep pregnant women alive -- such as emergency care facilities and training and security for paramedics, including midwives -- the country would now have at least a bare bones health care system," Sheffield writes.
"Pregnancies don't take timeouts to await solutions to political struggles, and meanwhile, every generation loses 10 million women worldwide," Sheffield writes, concluding, "It's a real tragedy, and not only in Afghanistan" (Sheffield, Washington Post, 7/5).
"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
According to Sheffield, Afghanistan's "devastated health care system" has contributed to one of the world's highest maternal mortality rates. "The sad truth is that if the Afghan government and its U.S. backers had invested in things that keep pregnant women alive -- such as emergency care facilities and training and security for paramedics, including midwives -- the country would now have at least a bare bones health care system," Sheffield writes.
"Pregnancies don't take timeouts to await solutions to political struggles, and meanwhile, every generation loses 10 million women worldwide," Sheffield writes, concluding, "It's a real tragedy, and not only in Afghanistan" (Sheffield, Washington Post, 7/5).
"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
вторник, 6 декабря 2011 г.
Hormone-replacement Therapy Causes Hearing Loss, Study Finds
The largest study ever to analyze the hearing of women on hormone-replacement therapy has found that women who take the most common form of HRT have a hearing loss of 10 to 30 percent more compared to similar women who have not had the therapy. The results are being published on-line this week by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
It's as if the usual age-related hearing loss in women whose HRT included progestin, a synthetic form of the hormone progesterone, was accelerated compared to women taking estrogen alone or women not taking HRT. On average, women who received progestin had the hearing of women five to 10 years older.
The results of the study involving 124 women confirm results from a smaller study that the same group reported in 2004 at the annual meeting of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology. The new results also identify progestin as the component of HRT doing possible damage.
"Whether a woman goes on HRT is certainly her decision, and she should discuss the options with her doctor," says senior author Robert D. Frisina, Ph.D. "In light of these findings, we feel that hearing loss should be added to the list of negative things to keep in mind when talking about HRT. Women especially who already have a hearing problem should weigh this decision carefully. Women on HRT should consider having a thorough hearing check-up done every six months."
Frisina is part of one of the world's leading groups in hearing research, the International Center for Hearing and Speech Research (ICHSR), which includes scientists from the University of Rochester Medical Center and the National Technical Institute for the Deaf at Rochester Institute of Technology. The center, funded by the National Institutes of Health, is a collaboration of two leading groups of scientists just down the road from each other: scientists at RIT/NTID who have extensive experience with research with people, and their counterparts at a top neuroscience program, including the Department of Otolaryngology, at the university.
In the study published in PNAS, a team of scientists, nurses and audiologists compared the hearing of healthy women ages 60 to 86 who were divided into three groups. Thirty women had taken a form of HRT that included only estrogen; 32 women had taken both estrogen and progestin; and 62 women had never been on HRT. Each group contained women whose health histories and other characteristics closely matched those of the women in the other groups.
Each of the women was tested with a battery of hearing tests. A standard "pure tone" test - a common hearing test where a person raises her hand or presses a button when she hears a tone - was used to measure which frequencies each woman could hear. In addition, the team did two sophisticated tests in which a sound was sent into each woman's ear, and then the echo coming back out was measured. These tests tell scientists how healthy a person's inner ear is, particularly the hair cells that convert noise to electrical signals that the brain interprets as sound. Finally, each woman underwent a "hearing in noise" test that measures how well the brain sorts out the multitude of signals traveling from the ear to the brain. Most of the painstaking tests are available only at a few major medical centers and other institutions that focus on hearing research.
By all measures, women whose HRT included progestin - the most common type of HRT - had worse hearing than the other groups. The tests showed that women who had received progestin had problems both in the inner ear and in the portions of the brain used for hearing.
The results also show no benefit to hearing for women who take a form of HRT that includes estrogen alone, a surprise to researchers who thought that estrogen might help hearing.
"It's long been thought that estrogen is good for nerve cells, so we wanted to see if women on estrogen as part of HRT had better hearing than women not on HRT," said Frisina, a neuroscientist at the University of Rochester Medical Center and Distinguished Researcher in Biological Sciences at Rochester Institute of Technology. "We were very surprised to find not only that women on estrogen did not hear better than other women, but that the women who were also on progestin actually heard worse."
The team asked the question about hormones as part of a wider research project into age-related hearing loss, or presbycusis, which is one of the chief complaints of older people. In past research the team has found that the problem stems not only from degradation of the inner ear but also from an aging brain that loses its ability to process and filter information as the years go by. As in most people with age-related hearing loss, the team, whose work is supported by the National Institute on Aging and the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, found that women on progestin had problems with both systems.
The group is continuing its studies, trying to figure out the exact effects of progestin on the ears and brain. Those effects are likely felt to some degree by all women, since progesterone is a natural hormone that enables a woman to carry a pregnancy. Other scientists have found that a woman's hearing can worsen slightly when her progesterone levels are high, during the latter portion of the monthly cycle.
The team also plans to study women who have gone off HRT, to see if the hearing loss might be reversible. And they say that women on the birth control pill, which includes progesterone, should also be studied.
The first author of the PNAS paper is Patricia Guimaraes, M.D., of the University's Department of Otolaryngology, who did much of the testing. Also part of the study were research nurse Susan Frisina of the University, who worked with the research subjects at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf; research audiologist Frances Mapes of NTID, who tested many of the subjects; Frisina's father, D. Robert Frisina, Ph.D., founding director of NTID, who directs the hearing research center; and otolaryngologist Sherif Tadros, M.D., of the University of Rochester.
Frisina, professor of Otolaryngology at the University of Rochester Medical Center, also has appointments in the departments of Biomedical Engineering and Neurobiology and Anatomy at the university.
Contact: Tom Rickey
University of Rochester Medical Center
It's as if the usual age-related hearing loss in women whose HRT included progestin, a synthetic form of the hormone progesterone, was accelerated compared to women taking estrogen alone or women not taking HRT. On average, women who received progestin had the hearing of women five to 10 years older.
The results of the study involving 124 women confirm results from a smaller study that the same group reported in 2004 at the annual meeting of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology. The new results also identify progestin as the component of HRT doing possible damage.
"Whether a woman goes on HRT is certainly her decision, and she should discuss the options with her doctor," says senior author Robert D. Frisina, Ph.D. "In light of these findings, we feel that hearing loss should be added to the list of negative things to keep in mind when talking about HRT. Women especially who already have a hearing problem should weigh this decision carefully. Women on HRT should consider having a thorough hearing check-up done every six months."
Frisina is part of one of the world's leading groups in hearing research, the International Center for Hearing and Speech Research (ICHSR), which includes scientists from the University of Rochester Medical Center and the National Technical Institute for the Deaf at Rochester Institute of Technology. The center, funded by the National Institutes of Health, is a collaboration of two leading groups of scientists just down the road from each other: scientists at RIT/NTID who have extensive experience with research with people, and their counterparts at a top neuroscience program, including the Department of Otolaryngology, at the university.
In the study published in PNAS, a team of scientists, nurses and audiologists compared the hearing of healthy women ages 60 to 86 who were divided into three groups. Thirty women had taken a form of HRT that included only estrogen; 32 women had taken both estrogen and progestin; and 62 women had never been on HRT. Each group contained women whose health histories and other characteristics closely matched those of the women in the other groups.
Each of the women was tested with a battery of hearing tests. A standard "pure tone" test - a common hearing test where a person raises her hand or presses a button when she hears a tone - was used to measure which frequencies each woman could hear. In addition, the team did two sophisticated tests in which a sound was sent into each woman's ear, and then the echo coming back out was measured. These tests tell scientists how healthy a person's inner ear is, particularly the hair cells that convert noise to electrical signals that the brain interprets as sound. Finally, each woman underwent a "hearing in noise" test that measures how well the brain sorts out the multitude of signals traveling from the ear to the brain. Most of the painstaking tests are available only at a few major medical centers and other institutions that focus on hearing research.
By all measures, women whose HRT included progestin - the most common type of HRT - had worse hearing than the other groups. The tests showed that women who had received progestin had problems both in the inner ear and in the portions of the brain used for hearing.
The results also show no benefit to hearing for women who take a form of HRT that includes estrogen alone, a surprise to researchers who thought that estrogen might help hearing.
"It's long been thought that estrogen is good for nerve cells, so we wanted to see if women on estrogen as part of HRT had better hearing than women not on HRT," said Frisina, a neuroscientist at the University of Rochester Medical Center and Distinguished Researcher in Biological Sciences at Rochester Institute of Technology. "We were very surprised to find not only that women on estrogen did not hear better than other women, but that the women who were also on progestin actually heard worse."
The team asked the question about hormones as part of a wider research project into age-related hearing loss, or presbycusis, which is one of the chief complaints of older people. In past research the team has found that the problem stems not only from degradation of the inner ear but also from an aging brain that loses its ability to process and filter information as the years go by. As in most people with age-related hearing loss, the team, whose work is supported by the National Institute on Aging and the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, found that women on progestin had problems with both systems.
The group is continuing its studies, trying to figure out the exact effects of progestin on the ears and brain. Those effects are likely felt to some degree by all women, since progesterone is a natural hormone that enables a woman to carry a pregnancy. Other scientists have found that a woman's hearing can worsen slightly when her progesterone levels are high, during the latter portion of the monthly cycle.
The team also plans to study women who have gone off HRT, to see if the hearing loss might be reversible. And they say that women on the birth control pill, which includes progesterone, should also be studied.
The first author of the PNAS paper is Patricia Guimaraes, M.D., of the University's Department of Otolaryngology, who did much of the testing. Also part of the study were research nurse Susan Frisina of the University, who worked with the research subjects at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf; research audiologist Frances Mapes of NTID, who tested many of the subjects; Frisina's father, D. Robert Frisina, Ph.D., founding director of NTID, who directs the hearing research center; and otolaryngologist Sherif Tadros, M.D., of the University of Rochester.
Frisina, professor of Otolaryngology at the University of Rochester Medical Center, also has appointments in the departments of Biomedical Engineering and Neurobiology and Anatomy at the university.
Contact: Tom Rickey
University of Rochester Medical Center
вторник, 29 ноября 2011 г.
Groundbreaking Female Fertility Test Measuring Biological Clocks Launches In Illinois
Fertility Centers of Illinois S.C. has joined forces with Repromedix Corp, the nation's leading diagnostic laboratory for fertility testing, to be the first in Chicago to offer the PlanAhead™ test, a cutting edge test measuring a woman's biological clock. PlanAhead is an innovative blood test that provides a much more convenient, accurate and less costly method of assessing a woman's supply of eggs, by combining several factors such as the measurement of ovary-related hormones AMH, Inhibin B, and FSH.
The window of opportunity for a woman to conceive naturally depends upon an adequate supply of eggs, which invariably decline with age making it a critical factor in the fertility process. PlanAhead enables women to compare their own supply of eggs with the normal expected range for women of their age and provides valuable directional information by helping them make more informed decisions about when to have a child.
"PlanAhead represents an extraordinary advance in fertility diagnostics compared to what has previously been available to the general population," explains Dr Benjamin Leader, Chief Medical Officer of Repromedix. "Many fertility experts have long viewed the gold standard of egg supply measurement to be the number of eggs obtained through egg retrieval; an expensive procedure usually reserved for specialty fertility clinics involving hormone injections and minimally invasive procedures. PlanAhead offers similar information to the general public via a simple blood test," he adds.
Fertility Centers of Illinois was selected by PlanAhead test co-developer Repromedix Corp., to be one of a select number of In Vitro Fertilization centers around the country to debut the test. Dr. Kevin Lederer, reproductive endocrinologist with Fertility Centers of Illinois comments that they are extremely pleased to be able to add this pioneer testing to their existing cutting edge, reproductive technologies. "Our mission is to always provide patients with the most advanced testing and treatment options available," he says.
The cost of the PlanAhead is $350 and can be purchased online at www.planaheadtest/us or at Fertility Centers of Illinois, where patients can also have their blood drawn. Blood samples will be sent to Repromedix, whose lab will perform the advanced testing and submits the report and recommendations to the patient's physician.
Repromedix will expand the PlanAhead launch to major markets across the United States throughout 2008. For more information visit: www.planaheadtest/us.
About Fertility Centers of Illinois
Fertility Centers of Illinois, S.C., is one of the nation's leading infertility treatment practices, providing advanced reproductive endocrinology services in the Chicago area for over 30 years. FCI has more babies born than the next ten centers combined with high success rates that are recognized throughout the nation. In addition to a team of nationally recognized reproductive physicians who stay current on the latest technology and procedures, FCI patients have access to many other unique support services, such as professional counseling from a licensed, Ph.D. clinical psychologist, patient advocates and innovative financial options. FCI is part of IntegraMed, the nation's largest and most reputable network of fertility centers and has multiple offices conveniently located throughout the Chicago area. For more information visit fcionline
About Repromedix
Repromedix is the leading national diagnostic laboratory for fertility testing and offers a multifaceted approach to clinical fertility testing that encompasses many medical disciplines including endocrinology, immunology and genetics. Repromedix offers the most comprehensive suite of advanced diagnostic tests that provide valuable information regarding the complex problems of reproductive failure. Since its inception in 1993, the company has assisted more than 45,000 patients by performing over 100,000 diagnostic tests for recurrent pregnancy loss, premature ovarian failure, male infertility, and unexplained infertility. Repromedix is a portfolio company of Brook Venture Partners, Ironwood Capital Management, and Brooke Private Equity Advisors.
Repromedix
The window of opportunity for a woman to conceive naturally depends upon an adequate supply of eggs, which invariably decline with age making it a critical factor in the fertility process. PlanAhead enables women to compare their own supply of eggs with the normal expected range for women of their age and provides valuable directional information by helping them make more informed decisions about when to have a child.
"PlanAhead represents an extraordinary advance in fertility diagnostics compared to what has previously been available to the general population," explains Dr Benjamin Leader, Chief Medical Officer of Repromedix. "Many fertility experts have long viewed the gold standard of egg supply measurement to be the number of eggs obtained through egg retrieval; an expensive procedure usually reserved for specialty fertility clinics involving hormone injections and minimally invasive procedures. PlanAhead offers similar information to the general public via a simple blood test," he adds.
Fertility Centers of Illinois was selected by PlanAhead test co-developer Repromedix Corp., to be one of a select number of In Vitro Fertilization centers around the country to debut the test. Dr. Kevin Lederer, reproductive endocrinologist with Fertility Centers of Illinois comments that they are extremely pleased to be able to add this pioneer testing to their existing cutting edge, reproductive technologies. "Our mission is to always provide patients with the most advanced testing and treatment options available," he says.
The cost of the PlanAhead is $350 and can be purchased online at www.planaheadtest/us or at Fertility Centers of Illinois, where patients can also have their blood drawn. Blood samples will be sent to Repromedix, whose lab will perform the advanced testing and submits the report and recommendations to the patient's physician.
Repromedix will expand the PlanAhead launch to major markets across the United States throughout 2008. For more information visit: www.planaheadtest/us.
About Fertility Centers of Illinois
Fertility Centers of Illinois, S.C., is one of the nation's leading infertility treatment practices, providing advanced reproductive endocrinology services in the Chicago area for over 30 years. FCI has more babies born than the next ten centers combined with high success rates that are recognized throughout the nation. In addition to a team of nationally recognized reproductive physicians who stay current on the latest technology and procedures, FCI patients have access to many other unique support services, such as professional counseling from a licensed, Ph.D. clinical psychologist, patient advocates and innovative financial options. FCI is part of IntegraMed, the nation's largest and most reputable network of fertility centers and has multiple offices conveniently located throughout the Chicago area. For more information visit fcionline
About Repromedix
Repromedix is the leading national diagnostic laboratory for fertility testing and offers a multifaceted approach to clinical fertility testing that encompasses many medical disciplines including endocrinology, immunology and genetics. Repromedix offers the most comprehensive suite of advanced diagnostic tests that provide valuable information regarding the complex problems of reproductive failure. Since its inception in 1993, the company has assisted more than 45,000 patients by performing over 100,000 diagnostic tests for recurrent pregnancy loss, premature ovarian failure, male infertility, and unexplained infertility. Repromedix is a portfolio company of Brook Venture Partners, Ironwood Capital Management, and Brooke Private Equity Advisors.
Repromedix
вторник, 22 ноября 2011 г.
White House To Release Report Highlighting Nonembryonic Stem Cell Research Progress
The White House Domestic Policy Council on Wednesday is scheduled to release a report highlighting the progress and benefits of nonembryonic stem cell research, including a study published in the Jan. 7 online edition of the journal Nature Biotechnology that found stem cells derived from human amniotic fluid appear to offer many of the same benefits of embryonic stem cells, the Wall Street Journal reports. According to the Journal, White House officials confirmed that they have been drafting a possible executive order related to the stem cell research. White House spokesperson Tony Fratto declined to give details about the content and potential timing of the order but said, "[W]e are clearly working on ways we can direct whatever tools and funding we can" for stem cell research that does not involve harming human embryos. According to the Journal, some stem cell research supporters said the executive order would endorse federal funding for research of nonembryonic stem cells and would not reverse restrictions President Bush placed on federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research in 2001 (Lueck, Wall Street Journal, 1/10). Federal funding for embryonic stem cell research is allowed only for research using embryonic stem cell lines created on or before Aug. 9, 2001, under a policy announced by Bush on that date (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 1/9).
Effect on Legislation
Some stem cell research supporters also said an executive order might help the Bush administration respond to criticism of an expected veto of a pending bill (HR 3, S 5) that would expand federal funding for embryonic stem cell research, the Journal reports (Wall Street Journal, 1/10). The legislation -- called the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007 -- is identical to a measure (HR 810) Bush vetoed in July 2006 that would have expanded stem cell lines that are eligible for federal funding and allowed funding for research using stem cells derived from embryos originally created for fertility treatments and willingly donated by patients (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 1/9). "We are exploring all the alternative science that maybe will make this question moot so we as a society do not have to deal with this moral grudge match," Fratto said. Supporters of the legislation have "dismissed the strategy as a distraction" and are "frustrated" that opponents, including Bush, "have seized" on the amniotic stem cell study "to bolster claims" that additional embryonic stem cell research is unnecessary, the Journal reports (Wall Street Journal, 1/10). Anthony Atala, senior author of the study and director of the Wake Forest University Institute for Regenerative Medicine, on Tuesday in a letter to Reps. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) and Michael Castle (D-Del.), co-sponsors of the legislation, said that it is "essential that NIH-funded researchers are able to fully pursue embryonic stem cell research as a complement to research into other forms of stem cells" (Mulkern, Denver Post, 1/10). Atala wrote, "Some may be interpreting my research as a substitute for the need to pursue other forms of regenerative medicine therapies, such as those involving embryonic stem cells," adding, "I disagree with that assertion" (Kellman, AP/Winston-Salem Journal, 1/9). Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) on Tuesday said the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act lacks one vote in the Senate before having a veto-proof majority, CongressDaily reports. "We have 66 (votes) with Sen. [Tim] Johnson (D-S.D.)," Harkin said. Johnson, who had suffered a brain hemorrhage and underwent brain surgery last month, is expected to undergo several months of recovery, CongressDaily reports. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has scheduled the vote for February or March (CongressDaily, 1/9). The House is scheduled to vote on the legislation on Thursday (Denver Post, 1/10).
Vatican Welcomes Amniotic Stem Cell Study
The Roman Catholic Church on Tuesday applauded the study by Atala and colleagues, calling it a breakthrough in medical research that could help medical research without conflicting with the church's beliefs, Reuters reports. Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragan, head of the Vatican's Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care, in an interview with the Italian daily newspaper La Stampa on Monday, said the study is "a very significant and ethically admissible advance." In a Vatican Radio interview on Tuesday, Barragan said, "I am very glad to see this progress in the field of science for the good of humankind." He also said that the Vatican does not oppose all stem cell research. "The [c]hurch is not obscurantist and is always ready to welcome real scientific progress that neither threatens nor manipulates the sources of life" (Reuters, 1/9).
"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
вторник, 15 ноября 2011 г.
Vegans Less Likely To Have Twins Than Women Who Eat Animal Products
According to new research, women who consume animal products, especially dairy, are five times as likely to have twins than vegan women - women who consume no animal products at all. Dr. Gary Steinman, Long Island Jewish (LIJ) Medical Center in New Hyde Park, NY, said the consumption of dairy products, especially, raised a woman's chances of having twins.
You can read about this study in the Journal of Reproductive Medicine, May 20 Issue.
Scientists found that Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF) is 13% lower in vegan women, when compared to women who consume dairy products. IGF is a protein, released from the liver in response to growth hormone. It circulates in the blood and finds its way into the animal's milk. Sensitivity of the ovaries to follicle-stimulating hormone is increased with the presence of IGF - this increases ovulation.
IGF, according to some studies, helps embryos survive during the early stages of development.
In the USA the percentage of women who have given birth to twins has steadily increased since 1975. Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) started around 1975. Also, as women have babies later in life, the chances of having twins also goes up. Another factor has been the introduction of growth-hormone treatment of cows, which started in the 1990s. Growth-hormone treatment of cows makes them produce more milk and beef.
Dr. Steinman compared the twinning rates of three types of women:
-- Vegans (no animal products at all)
-- Vegetarians who consumed dairy products
-- Women who were omnivores and consumed dairy
He found that vegan women's chances of having twins were one fifth of those who consumed dairy.
Twinning rates among women around the world parallels IGF levels. African American women have much higher IGF rates than most other groups, and also the highest twinning rates. Asian women have the lowest IGF levels, and also the lowest twinning rates. Apart from diet, IGF production is genetically linked.
Dr. Steinman said that for the first time, this study shows that the chances of having twins are influences by both nurture and nature. Nature, because it depends on what group you are - African American, Asian, European, etc. Nurture, because your dairy consumption can have an influence. A woman's chances of having twins are influenced by her levels of insulin-like growth factor.
In this text, 'nurture' means the same has 'environment' or 'environmental'.
As multiple births are associated with higher incidences of premature births, congenital defects and pregnancy-induced hypertension, Dr. Steinman suggest woman wanting to get pregnant might consider replacing dairy products with other protein sources - especially in countries where growth hormone administration to cattle is allowed.
You can read about this study in the Journal of Reproductive Medicine, May 20 Issue.
Scientists found that Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF) is 13% lower in vegan women, when compared to women who consume dairy products. IGF is a protein, released from the liver in response to growth hormone. It circulates in the blood and finds its way into the animal's milk. Sensitivity of the ovaries to follicle-stimulating hormone is increased with the presence of IGF - this increases ovulation.
IGF, according to some studies, helps embryos survive during the early stages of development.
In the USA the percentage of women who have given birth to twins has steadily increased since 1975. Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) started around 1975. Also, as women have babies later in life, the chances of having twins also goes up. Another factor has been the introduction of growth-hormone treatment of cows, which started in the 1990s. Growth-hormone treatment of cows makes them produce more milk and beef.
Dr. Steinman compared the twinning rates of three types of women:
-- Vegans (no animal products at all)
-- Vegetarians who consumed dairy products
-- Women who were omnivores and consumed dairy
He found that vegan women's chances of having twins were one fifth of those who consumed dairy.
Twinning rates among women around the world parallels IGF levels. African American women have much higher IGF rates than most other groups, and also the highest twinning rates. Asian women have the lowest IGF levels, and also the lowest twinning rates. Apart from diet, IGF production is genetically linked.
Dr. Steinman said that for the first time, this study shows that the chances of having twins are influences by both nurture and nature. Nature, because it depends on what group you are - African American, Asian, European, etc. Nurture, because your dairy consumption can have an influence. A woman's chances of having twins are influenced by her levels of insulin-like growth factor.
In this text, 'nurture' means the same has 'environment' or 'environmental'.
As multiple births are associated with higher incidences of premature births, congenital defects and pregnancy-induced hypertension, Dr. Steinman suggest woman wanting to get pregnant might consider replacing dairy products with other protein sources - especially in countries where growth hormone administration to cattle is allowed.
вторник, 8 ноября 2011 г.
New Uses For PGD Increasingly Raising Ethical Questions, Opinion Piece Says
The expanding use of preimplantation genetic diagnosis, which historically has been used to test embryos for fatal childhood diseases, is an increasingly "slippery slope" because it is being used to screen for "milder disease, the absence of useful tissue or just the wrong sex," William Saletan, science and technology reporter for Slate online magazine, writes in a Washington Post opinion piece. According to Saletan, PGD increasingly is being used to predict "[p]robability and life expectancy" of a child and to screen for "less serious diseases," such as arthritis. He notes that according to a new survey of U.S. fertility clinics scheduled for release this week by the Genetics and Public Policy Center, 28% of clinics offering PGD have used it to target genes whose associated diseases, such as Alzheimer's, do not appear until adulthood. "If PGD were evil, it would be easy to head off such abuse by banning it," Saletan writes. However, PGD "prevents hellish diseases," he says, adding, "In those cases, you have to say yes. And once you start saying yes, it's hard to say no" (Saletan, Washington Post, 9/17).
"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
вторник, 1 ноября 2011 г.
Grade 8 Girls To Be Offered Cervical Cancer Vaccine, Gardasil - Ontario, Canada
Ontario is to offer Gardasil, a vaccine to protect against cervical cancer, to all Grade 8 girls, even though the Canadian Medical Association Journal indicated that it is perhaps too early to offer the vaccine on a universal basis. The program will be free and voluntary and will be offered to approximately 84,000 girls and young women. The vaccine will be offered in schools.
The program will cost Ontario CAN$117 million over three years.
Sandra Pupatello, Minister for Women's Issues, Ontario, said that all Grade 8 girls will get the vaccine if they so choose by the end of this school year. Pupatello added "There has never been an issue around women's health that has had this level of unanimity. It wasn't a difficult decision."
Public health nurses will administer Gardasil. Parents will be given consent forms, plus information, well before the vaccines are offered. Nova Scotia started offering Gardasil to girls in July, 2007.
Older females will not get the vaccine free-of-charge. The full course, involving three injections over six months, costs around CAN$600.
What is cervical cancer?
It is cancer of the cervix, the lower part of the uterus that connects to the vagina. Certain types of HPV (human papillomavirus) cause abnormal cells to develop in the lining of the cervix. If these abnormal cells are not treated early enough they may become pre-cancers, and eventually cancer. HPV does not go away on its own.
Why Gardasil?
Gardasil helps protect a woman against diseases caused by HPV Types 16 & 18. These two types are responsible for 70% of all cervical cancer cases. Gardasil also protects women against HPV Types 6 & 11, the cause of 90% of genital warts.
Gardasil does not protect everyone, it does not prevent all cervical cancer types. It is important for women who have received Gardasil to continue having regular cancer screenings.
According to the Gardasil web site, the three-injection six month course may cause swilling, itching, redness at injection site, raised temperature, nausea and dizziness.
How does one become infected with HPV?
-- Anyone who has sexual activity with a person infected with HPV can become infected. An infected person may have no symptoms and not know he/she could be it on. Sexual activity does not exclusively involve sexual intercourse.
-- HPV infection affects both men and women.
-- According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 20 million people in the USA were infected with HPV in 2005. The CDC adds that the only fully-guaranteed way of never becoming infected with HPV is to avoid any sexual activity.
-- Gardasil Web Site
-- Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, Ontario
View drug information on Gardasil.
The program will cost Ontario CAN$117 million over three years.
Sandra Pupatello, Minister for Women's Issues, Ontario, said that all Grade 8 girls will get the vaccine if they so choose by the end of this school year. Pupatello added "There has never been an issue around women's health that has had this level of unanimity. It wasn't a difficult decision."
Public health nurses will administer Gardasil. Parents will be given consent forms, plus information, well before the vaccines are offered. Nova Scotia started offering Gardasil to girls in July, 2007.
Older females will not get the vaccine free-of-charge. The full course, involving three injections over six months, costs around CAN$600.
What is cervical cancer?
It is cancer of the cervix, the lower part of the uterus that connects to the vagina. Certain types of HPV (human papillomavirus) cause abnormal cells to develop in the lining of the cervix. If these abnormal cells are not treated early enough they may become pre-cancers, and eventually cancer. HPV does not go away on its own.
Why Gardasil?
Gardasil helps protect a woman against diseases caused by HPV Types 16 & 18. These two types are responsible for 70% of all cervical cancer cases. Gardasil also protects women against HPV Types 6 & 11, the cause of 90% of genital warts.
Gardasil does not protect everyone, it does not prevent all cervical cancer types. It is important for women who have received Gardasil to continue having regular cancer screenings.
According to the Gardasil web site, the three-injection six month course may cause swilling, itching, redness at injection site, raised temperature, nausea and dizziness.
How does one become infected with HPV?
-- Anyone who has sexual activity with a person infected with HPV can become infected. An infected person may have no symptoms and not know he/she could be it on. Sexual activity does not exclusively involve sexual intercourse.
-- HPV infection affects both men and women.
-- According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 20 million people in the USA were infected with HPV in 2005. The CDC adds that the only fully-guaranteed way of never becoming infected with HPV is to avoid any sexual activity.
-- Gardasil Web Site
-- Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, Ontario
View drug information on Gardasil.
вторник, 25 октября 2011 г.
Kathryn Calame, Timothy Pedley And Carolyn Westhoff Elected To Institute Of Medicine
Three distinguished Columbia University Medical Center faculty have been elected to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences this year.
Election to the Institute of Medicine (IOM) is one of the highest honors in the fields of medicine and health, and Columbia now has 49 members in this esteemed organization. The three CUMC faculty -- Kathryn Calame, Timothy Pedley and Carolyn Westhoff -- were among the 65 new IOM members announced Oct. 8, 2007, raising its total active IOM membership to 1,538.
"Columbia's new members were chosen through a highly selective process that recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to advancing the medical science, health care, and public health fields," said Lee Goldman, M.D., executive vice president for health and biomedical sciences and dean of the faculties of health and medicine at Columbia University. "We are proud to have them in our midst."
Kathryn Calame, Ph.D., is professor of microbiology and of biochemistry & molecular biophysics at Columbia's College of Physicians and Surgeons. Dr. Calame studies gene regulation in the immune system, and her laboratory work focuses primarily on transcriptional regulation of lymphocyte development. A major focus of her current work is an unusual transcriptional repressor called Blimp-1 (B lymphocyte induced maturation protein). Her studies on Blimp-1 are revealing important aspects of regulation in both B and T cells.
Timothy A. Pedley, M.D., is the Henry and Lucy Moses Professor of Neurology, chairman of the Department of Neurology at P&S, and neurologist-in-chief at the Neurological Institute at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. Dr. Pedley's clinical and research interests are focused on epilepsy. His laboratory interests are in the role played by the ionic microenvironment in abnormal hippocampal and cortical excitability and in long-lasting changes in the hippocampus induced by repeated seizures.
Carolyn L. Westhoff, M.D., is professor of obstetrics and gynecology at P&S and professor of epidemiology and of population and family health at Columbia's Mailman School of Public Health. She studies the effect of obesity on contraceptive effectiveness and leads several research projects investigating contraception and the epidemiology of women's reproductive health. Most recently, Dr. Westhoff was the principal investigator of a clinical trial of a novel oral contraceptive initiation method known as Quick Start.
The Institute of Medicine is part of the National Academies, which also includes the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and National Research Council. The IOM structure is unique in its role as both an honorific membership group and advisory organization. Members are expected to volunteer on study committees to serve as a national resource for independent, scientifically informed analysis and recommendations on issues related to human health.
Columbia University Medical Center provides international leadership in pre-clinical and clinical research, in medical and health sciences education, and in patient care. The medical center trains future leaders and includes the dedicated work of many physicians, scientists, public health professionals, nurses, and dentists at the College of Physicians & Surgeons, the Mailman School of Public Health, the School of Nursing, the College of Dental Medicine, the biomedical departments of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and allied research centers and institutions. cumclumbia.edu/
Source: Alex Lyda
Columbia University Medical Center
Election to the Institute of Medicine (IOM) is one of the highest honors in the fields of medicine and health, and Columbia now has 49 members in this esteemed organization. The three CUMC faculty -- Kathryn Calame, Timothy Pedley and Carolyn Westhoff -- were among the 65 new IOM members announced Oct. 8, 2007, raising its total active IOM membership to 1,538.
"Columbia's new members were chosen through a highly selective process that recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to advancing the medical science, health care, and public health fields," said Lee Goldman, M.D., executive vice president for health and biomedical sciences and dean of the faculties of health and medicine at Columbia University. "We are proud to have them in our midst."
Kathryn Calame, Ph.D., is professor of microbiology and of biochemistry & molecular biophysics at Columbia's College of Physicians and Surgeons. Dr. Calame studies gene regulation in the immune system, and her laboratory work focuses primarily on transcriptional regulation of lymphocyte development. A major focus of her current work is an unusual transcriptional repressor called Blimp-1 (B lymphocyte induced maturation protein). Her studies on Blimp-1 are revealing important aspects of regulation in both B and T cells.
Timothy A. Pedley, M.D., is the Henry and Lucy Moses Professor of Neurology, chairman of the Department of Neurology at P&S, and neurologist-in-chief at the Neurological Institute at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. Dr. Pedley's clinical and research interests are focused on epilepsy. His laboratory interests are in the role played by the ionic microenvironment in abnormal hippocampal and cortical excitability and in long-lasting changes in the hippocampus induced by repeated seizures.
Carolyn L. Westhoff, M.D., is professor of obstetrics and gynecology at P&S and professor of epidemiology and of population and family health at Columbia's Mailman School of Public Health. She studies the effect of obesity on contraceptive effectiveness and leads several research projects investigating contraception and the epidemiology of women's reproductive health. Most recently, Dr. Westhoff was the principal investigator of a clinical trial of a novel oral contraceptive initiation method known as Quick Start.
The Institute of Medicine is part of the National Academies, which also includes the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and National Research Council. The IOM structure is unique in its role as both an honorific membership group and advisory organization. Members are expected to volunteer on study committees to serve as a national resource for independent, scientifically informed analysis and recommendations on issues related to human health.
Columbia University Medical Center provides international leadership in pre-clinical and clinical research, in medical and health sciences education, and in patient care. The medical center trains future leaders and includes the dedicated work of many physicians, scientists, public health professionals, nurses, and dentists at the College of Physicians & Surgeons, the Mailman School of Public Health, the School of Nursing, the College of Dental Medicine, the biomedical departments of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and allied research centers and institutions. cumclumbia.edu/
Source: Alex Lyda
Columbia University Medical Center
вторник, 18 октября 2011 г.
Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report Summarizes HPV Vaccine-Related Editorial, Opinion Pieces
CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which drafts recommendations and schedules for the administration of vaccines in the U.S., last week unanimously voted to recommend that all girls ages 11 and 12 receive Merck's human papillomavirus vaccine Gardasil. FDA last month approved Gardasil -- which is given in three injections over six months and will cost $360 -- for sale and marketing to girls and women ages nine to 26. According to Merck, Gardasil in clinical trials has been shown to be 100% effective in preventing infection in women who do not already have HPV with strains 16 and 18, which together cause about 70% of cervical cancer cases, and about 99% effective in preventing HPV strains 6 and 11, which together with strains 16 and 18 cause about 90% of genital wart cases. Gardasil also protects against vaginal and vulvar cancers, two other gynecological cancers that are linked to HPV, according to a study presented in Atlanta at a meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. The ACIP recommendation also allows for girls as young as nine to receive the vaccine and recommends that girls and women ages 13 to 26 receive Gardasil. Although the vaccination should be given before a girl begins sexual activity, sexually active girls and women still should receive Gardasil, the recommendation says (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 6/30). The Washington Post and Atlanta Journal-Constitution recently published an editorial and opinion pieces related to Gardasil. Summaries appear below.
Editorial
Washington Post: Although there were "predictions" that some conservative groups would oppose recommending Gardasil for girls ages 11 and 12, the lack of "political controversy" possibly could be attributed to the "unquestioned worth" of the vaccine, which has no known side effects and is effective against four strains of HPV, a Post editorial says. Even though the vaccine cannot replace a "frank discussion of the dangers of sex," pediatricians should provide Gardasil to their female patients before the girls become sexually active, parents should allow their preteen girls to receive the shot and the vaccine should be as routine as other inoculations so that "9,700 fewer American women will be diagnosed with cancer each year," according to a Post editorial. Whether to mandate the vaccine for young girls will be determined by the states, and "local legislators probably will not consider it until after the first few years of widespread use," the editorial says, concluding, "By that time, its worth and safety may be so clear that state legislatures will experience the same welcome consensus" (Washington Post, 7/7).
Opinion Pieces
Maureen Downey, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Though some social conservatives and abstinence-only advocates "reacted warily" to ACIP's recommendation that all girls ages 11 and 12 receive Gardasil, the response among conservatives "[f]ortunately ... was muted" because they understood that the vaccine would protect against cervical cancer and genital warts, Journal-Constitution editorial board member Downey writes in an opinion piece. "[G]iven how deadly cervical cancer is, the health benefits of widespread vaccination overwhelm other concerns," Downey concludes (Downey, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 7/7).
Linda Klepacki, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Focus on the Family and its "allies" support ACIP's recommendation that all girls ages 11 and 12 be vaccinated but have voiced concern for the "rights of parents as the medical decision-makers for their children," Linda Klepacki, a sexual health analyst for Focus on the Family, writes in a Journal-Constitution opinion piece. "[D]eciding about a vaccine against a disease or infection that is sexually transmitted is not as clear-cut for parents as deciding about other immunizations," she writes, adding, "The one certain truth is that the HPV vaccine does not, in any circumstance, negate or substitute God's message of sexual abstinence until marriage and sexual faithfulness within marriage." Klepacki says, "Attempting to reduce the risk of a life-threatening disease solely by viewing teen sexual activity as a foregone conclusion -- the solution proffered by the HPV vaccine -- puts our children in the bull's-eye of heartache and ill health," concluding, "Government has no right to place them there" (Klepacki, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 7/7).
"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
View drug information on Gardasil.
вторник, 11 октября 2011 г.
Sexist Men Earn More
A large new US study found that sexist men earned more, that is men with more traditional views on the work and home roles of women on average earned
higher salaries than men with more egalitarian views about gender roles. The study also found that women with a more egalitarian outlook did not earn much
more than women with more traditional views.
The research was the the work of Dr Timothy Judge, Matherly-McKethan Eminent Scholar at the Department of Management, Warrington College of Business,
University of Florida, and colleague Beth Livingston, a PhD candidate in the same department at the University of Florida, and is published in the September
issue of the Journal of Applied Psychology.
Judge said in a press statement that:
"More traditional people may be seeking to preserve the historical separation of work and domestic roles. Our results prove that is, in fact, the
case."
"This is happening even in today's work force where men and women are supposedly equal as far as participation," he added.
Judge and Livingston analyzed data from a nationally representative study of over 12,500 men and women who were interviewed four times during 1979 to 2005.
Their ages ranged from 14 to 22 at the start of the study, and 60 per cent of them stayed for the whole duration.
At each interview participants were asked about their views on gender roles at work and at home. The questions ranged from whether they thought a woman's
place was in the home, did working mothers increase juvenile delinquency, should the man be the main achiever outside the home, and should the woman be mainly
concerned with caring for home and family.
Previous studies have suggested that men hold more traditional views about gender roles than women, although the gap is closing.
The participants also answered a range of other questions about their circumstances, such as marital status, earnings, upbringing, religious background, education,
and work outside of the home.
Judge and Livingston were particularly interested in how the views of the participants were linked to their earnings. After taking into account job
complexity, how many hours they worked, and education, they found that male participants who had more traditional attitudes toward gender roles earned on
average about 8,500 dollars a year more than men with less traditional views.
Curiously for women the findings revealed the reverse; women with more traditional views earned an average of 1,500 dollars a year less than women with more
egalitarian views on gender roles.
Viewed from another angle, the data also showed that the earnings gap between husband and wife was eight times greater in married couples where both partners
held traditional views compared to married couples where both partners held egalitarian views.
Judge said the findings showed there was a significant link between attitudes to gender role and pay equity:
"When workers' attitudes become more traditional, women's earnings relative to men suffer greatly. When attitudes become more egalitarian, the pay gap nearly
disappears," he added.
Judge and Livingston found the results did not change much when they took account of possible influencers such as industry sector, occupation, number of
hours worked, and number of children.
"These results cannot be explained by the fact that, in traditional couples, women are less likely to work outside the home," said Judge.
He explained that regardless of potential influencing factors like working hours and whether women worked ouside the home or not, the results showed that
women holding traditional views were paid less than men with traditional views for comparable work.
Judge and Livingston also found that Northeastern city dwellers had the most egalitarian views about gender roles, as did people whose parents had both
worked outside the home. Younger people tended to have less traditional views, but these became more traditional as they got older; and the more
traditional views on gender roles were held mostly by married, religious people.
The researchers suggested further studies should investigate the relationships between happiness and attitudes to work among people with different views on
gender roles, because they suspect more money and happiness aren't necessarily coincidental for certain groups.
Judge and Livingston also suggested that these findings aren't just reflecting an economic phenomenon but a psychological one too.
"Our country's policies have been leaning toward gender equality for decades now," said Judge, "but, according to our study, traditional gender role views
continue to work against this goal."
A psychologist from Winchester University in the UK, Dr Magdalena Zawisza, proposed a number of explanations for the findings. She told BBC News that more
traditionally minded men could be more power-oriented, for instance toward money and in having a more submissive woman for a partner.
Another possible explanation, said Zawisza, was that employers were more likely to promote men who were the sole breadwinner, because their families only had
their income to depend on.
"Is the gap more than gender? A longitudinal analysis of gender, gender role orientation, and earnings."
Judge, Timothy A.; Livingston, Beth A.
Journal of Applied Psychology, Vol 93(5), Sep 2008, 994-1012.
DOI: 10.1037/0021-9010.93.5.994
Click here for Article (PDF).
Source: journal abstract, APA, BBC News.
: Catharine Paddock, PhD
higher salaries than men with more egalitarian views about gender roles. The study also found that women with a more egalitarian outlook did not earn much
more than women with more traditional views.
The research was the the work of Dr Timothy Judge, Matherly-McKethan Eminent Scholar at the Department of Management, Warrington College of Business,
University of Florida, and colleague Beth Livingston, a PhD candidate in the same department at the University of Florida, and is published in the September
issue of the Journal of Applied Psychology.
Judge said in a press statement that:
"More traditional people may be seeking to preserve the historical separation of work and domestic roles. Our results prove that is, in fact, the
case."
"This is happening even in today's work force where men and women are supposedly equal as far as participation," he added.
Judge and Livingston analyzed data from a nationally representative study of over 12,500 men and women who were interviewed four times during 1979 to 2005.
Their ages ranged from 14 to 22 at the start of the study, and 60 per cent of them stayed for the whole duration.
At each interview participants were asked about their views on gender roles at work and at home. The questions ranged from whether they thought a woman's
place was in the home, did working mothers increase juvenile delinquency, should the man be the main achiever outside the home, and should the woman be mainly
concerned with caring for home and family.
Previous studies have suggested that men hold more traditional views about gender roles than women, although the gap is closing.
The participants also answered a range of other questions about their circumstances, such as marital status, earnings, upbringing, religious background, education,
and work outside of the home.
Judge and Livingston were particularly interested in how the views of the participants were linked to their earnings. After taking into account job
complexity, how many hours they worked, and education, they found that male participants who had more traditional attitudes toward gender roles earned on
average about 8,500 dollars a year more than men with less traditional views.
Curiously for women the findings revealed the reverse; women with more traditional views earned an average of 1,500 dollars a year less than women with more
egalitarian views on gender roles.
Viewed from another angle, the data also showed that the earnings gap between husband and wife was eight times greater in married couples where both partners
held traditional views compared to married couples where both partners held egalitarian views.
Judge said the findings showed there was a significant link between attitudes to gender role and pay equity:
"When workers' attitudes become more traditional, women's earnings relative to men suffer greatly. When attitudes become more egalitarian, the pay gap nearly
disappears," he added.
Judge and Livingston found the results did not change much when they took account of possible influencers such as industry sector, occupation, number of
hours worked, and number of children.
"These results cannot be explained by the fact that, in traditional couples, women are less likely to work outside the home," said Judge.
He explained that regardless of potential influencing factors like working hours and whether women worked ouside the home or not, the results showed that
women holding traditional views were paid less than men with traditional views for comparable work.
Judge and Livingston also found that Northeastern city dwellers had the most egalitarian views about gender roles, as did people whose parents had both
worked outside the home. Younger people tended to have less traditional views, but these became more traditional as they got older; and the more
traditional views on gender roles were held mostly by married, religious people.
The researchers suggested further studies should investigate the relationships between happiness and attitudes to work among people with different views on
gender roles, because they suspect more money and happiness aren't necessarily coincidental for certain groups.
Judge and Livingston also suggested that these findings aren't just reflecting an economic phenomenon but a psychological one too.
"Our country's policies have been leaning toward gender equality for decades now," said Judge, "but, according to our study, traditional gender role views
continue to work against this goal."
A psychologist from Winchester University in the UK, Dr Magdalena Zawisza, proposed a number of explanations for the findings. She told BBC News that more
traditionally minded men could be more power-oriented, for instance toward money and in having a more submissive woman for a partner.
Another possible explanation, said Zawisza, was that employers were more likely to promote men who were the sole breadwinner, because their families only had
their income to depend on.
"Is the gap more than gender? A longitudinal analysis of gender, gender role orientation, and earnings."
Judge, Timothy A.; Livingston, Beth A.
Journal of Applied Psychology, Vol 93(5), Sep 2008, 994-1012.
DOI: 10.1037/0021-9010.93.5.994
Click here for Article (PDF).
Source: journal abstract, APA, BBC News.
: Catharine Paddock, PhD
вторник, 4 октября 2011 г.
Chicago Tribune Examines Increasing Impact Of HIV/AIDS In Rural Southern Communities
The Chicago Tribune on Monday examined the growing number of HIV/AIDS cases in rural Southern communities against a backdrop of limited resources, inadequate HIV/AIDS education efforts, tightening state budgets, and HIV/AIDS-associated stigma and discrimination. According to the Southern AIDS Coalition, about half of the 1.1 million HIV-positive people in the U.S. live in the South, where communities have "too few doctors, staggering poverty and a history of inadequate AIDS education programs," the Tribune reports.
Midwestern and Southern states receive the lowest amount of federal funding from CDC for public health programs, including HIV/AIDS efforts, according to a Trust for America's Health study. CDC reports that urban areas, particularly in the Northeast, continue to be most affected by AIDS, with 16.4 AIDS cases per 100,000 people in 2007, compared with 15.1 cases per 100,000 people in the South. However, the South has the greatest number of people living with AIDS and accounted for 46.4% of new cases in 2007, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation analysis of CDC data. President Obama's administration announced last week it will spend $45 million over five years on HIV/AIDS prevention and education through a TV and radio advertising campaign, transit signs and other efforts, the Tribune reports
Although changes to the distribution process for Ryan White Program funding in 2006 brought more funding to the South, health workers "still are catching up from years of underfunding and are struggling to provide the level of medical and support services to their primarily low-income patients as those in other regions receive," the Tribune reports. In addition, many HIV/AIDS patients in the South lack adequate housing, transportation and access to medication, the Tribune reports. "Some states have significantly less money to engage in disease prevention," Jeff Levi, executive director of TAH, said, adding that states will "have to make up the difference, which is hard to do in these economic times or there will be harsh outcomes." Michelle Ogle, director of the Northern Outreach Clinic in Henderson, N.C., said providing for low-income patients has become more difficult because the economic downturn has forced many uninsured patients to put medical needs on hold. Ogle said, "We are not just fighting HIV, we are fighting a culture," adding that many women in the South are "victims of poor education, low self-esteem" and do not "feel empowered" or "feel comfortable insisting that men use condoms" (Glanton, Chicago Tribune, 4/13).
Reprinted with kind permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.
© 2009 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
Midwestern and Southern states receive the lowest amount of federal funding from CDC for public health programs, including HIV/AIDS efforts, according to a Trust for America's Health study. CDC reports that urban areas, particularly in the Northeast, continue to be most affected by AIDS, with 16.4 AIDS cases per 100,000 people in 2007, compared with 15.1 cases per 100,000 people in the South. However, the South has the greatest number of people living with AIDS and accounted for 46.4% of new cases in 2007, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation analysis of CDC data. President Obama's administration announced last week it will spend $45 million over five years on HIV/AIDS prevention and education through a TV and radio advertising campaign, transit signs and other efforts, the Tribune reports
Although changes to the distribution process for Ryan White Program funding in 2006 brought more funding to the South, health workers "still are catching up from years of underfunding and are struggling to provide the level of medical and support services to their primarily low-income patients as those in other regions receive," the Tribune reports. In addition, many HIV/AIDS patients in the South lack adequate housing, transportation and access to medication, the Tribune reports. "Some states have significantly less money to engage in disease prevention," Jeff Levi, executive director of TAH, said, adding that states will "have to make up the difference, which is hard to do in these economic times or there will be harsh outcomes." Michelle Ogle, director of the Northern Outreach Clinic in Henderson, N.C., said providing for low-income patients has become more difficult because the economic downturn has forced many uninsured patients to put medical needs on hold. Ogle said, "We are not just fighting HIV, we are fighting a culture," adding that many women in the South are "victims of poor education, low self-esteem" and do not "feel empowered" or "feel comfortable insisting that men use condoms" (Glanton, Chicago Tribune, 4/13).
Reprinted with kind permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.
© 2009 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
вторник, 27 сентября 2011 г.
Political Candidates' Views On Abortion 'Not Especially Important,' Opinion Piece Says
Although some voters might "care deeply" about how a candidate views abortion "because that stance is accurately considered an important signifier of the candidate's sensibilities and sympathies, and of his or her notion of sound constitutional reasoning," those views are "not especially important" when it comes to abortion policy Washington Post columnist George Will writes in a Post opinion piece.
According to Will, abortion policy is not determined by political candidates but is "almost entirely in the custody of the U.S. Supreme Court and will remain so unless or until the court" overturns Roe v. Wade -- the 1973 decision that effectively barred state abortion bans. In addition, a "Republican president's alteration of the court's balance" might not result in the overturning of Roe, Will writes.
Will adds that "many, perhaps most, Americans ... think that overturning Roe would make abortion ... illegal everywhere," but "all it actually would do is restore abortion as a practice subject to state regulation." Therefore, if Roe were overturned, states, such as California, whose residents "strongly" support abortion rights likely "would adopt" laws that guarantee access to abortion, according to Will (Will, Washington Post, 10/28).
Reprinted with kind permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation© 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
According to Will, abortion policy is not determined by political candidates but is "almost entirely in the custody of the U.S. Supreme Court and will remain so unless or until the court" overturns Roe v. Wade -- the 1973 decision that effectively barred state abortion bans. In addition, a "Republican president's alteration of the court's balance" might not result in the overturning of Roe, Will writes.
Will adds that "many, perhaps most, Americans ... think that overturning Roe would make abortion ... illegal everywhere," but "all it actually would do is restore abortion as a practice subject to state regulation." Therefore, if Roe were overturned, states, such as California, whose residents "strongly" support abortion rights likely "would adopt" laws that guarantee access to abortion, according to Will (Will, Washington Post, 10/28).
Reprinted with kind permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation© 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
вторник, 20 сентября 2011 г.
News From The Journals Of The American Society For Microbiology
New Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizer May Minimize Viral Transmission, Including Norovirus
A newly developed ethanol-based hand sanitizer may significantly impact public health by minimizing the transmission of multiple viruses, including norovirus, from food handlers and care providers. The researchers from the University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and North Carolina State University, Raleigh report their findings in the August 2008 issue of the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.
The annual number of food-related infections in the U.S. is an estimated 76 million, with norovirus accounting for up to 59% of the viral cases. Contamination of ready-to-eat items by food handlers largely attributes to the high rate of infections, emphasizing the importance of proper hand hygiene. In addition to washing with soap and water some organizations such as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization recommend the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers citing such advantages as faster and greater microbial kill, ease of use and time savings, as well as independence from sinks and running water.
In the study the researchers formed a synergistic blend of ethanol, polyquaternium polymer and organic acid and tested its capability to inhibit human and animal viruses. When compared with a benchmark alcohol-based hand sanitizer, results showed higher levels of reduced infectivity of human rotavirus, adenovirus type 5, poliovirus type 1, and norovirus, as well as feline calicivirus and murine norovirus type 1 from the new ethanol-based sanitizer.
"Based on these results, we conclude that this new ethanol-based hand sanitizer is a promising option for reducing the transmission of enteric viruses, including norovirus, by food handlers and care providers," say the researchers.
(D.R. Macinga, S.A. Sattar, L. Jaykus, J.W. Arbogast. 2008. Improved inactivation of nonenveloped enteric viruses and their surrogates by a novel alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 74. 16: 5047-5052.)
New Oral Vaccine May Protect Against Bubonic Plague
Researchers from the Institut Pasteur in Paris, France used a less virulent ancestor to the highly infectious bubonic plague to develop a potentially safe, efficient and inexpensive live oral vaccine. They report their findings in the August 2008 issue of the journal Infection and Immunity.
Transmitted by infected fleas, Yersinia pestis is the causative agent responsible for bubonic and pneumonic plague. Both highly contagious, the bubonic form of the disease is the most common in the world and can be treated; however, pneumonic plague is almost always fatal within 3 days of infection. Pneumonic plague can also be generated into aerosols and transmitted from human to human placing it at serious risk for use as weapon of bioterrorism.
Yersinia pseudotuberculosis shares a genetic identity rate of 95% with Y. pestis, but is much less virulent and rarely attributed to disease-related fatalities. In the study 41 strains of Y. pseudotuberculosis were screened for low pathogenicity. Researchers identified one strain (IP32680) which was then tested and found to persist in the mouse intestine for 2 months following intragastric and subcutaneous inoculation without any clinical signs of disease. The previously inoculated mice were then challenged intravenously with Y. pestis following which low levels of the bacteria were found in the organs and blood. Finally, IP32680 was administered orally and results showed that one dose protected 75% of mice, while two doses protected 88%.
"We report that oral inoculation with a Y. pseudotuberculosis strain, selected for its very low virulence, induces an efficient immunity against bubonic plague without causing adverse reactions," say the researchers. "This demonstrates that a live attenuated Y. pseudotuberculosis can be a promising vaccine against bubonic plague."
(T. Blisnick, P. Ave, M. Huerre, E. Carniel, C.E. Demeure. 2008. Oral vaccination against bubonic plague using a live avirulent Yersinia pseudotuberculosis strain. Infection and Immunity, 76. 8: 3808-3816.)
Oral Administration of Lactobacillus from Breast Milk May Treat Common Infection in Lactating Mothers
Oral administration of lactobacillus strains found in breast milk may provide an alternative method to antibiotics for effectively treating mastitis, a common infection that occurs in lactating mothers say researchers from Spain. They report their findings in the August 2008 issue of the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.
Mastitis, inflammation of one or more lobules of the mammary gland, occurs in anywhere from 3 to 33% of lactating mothers and of those incidences 75 to 95% are diagnosed within the first twelve weeks postpartum. While Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis are considered to be the main infectious agents associated with mastitis, increased multi-drug resistance to antibiotics are making such infections difficult to treat, therefore prompting researchers to explore alternative treatment options.
In prior studies researchers collected lactobacillus strains from the breast milk of healthy mothers and found the probiotic potential of Lactobacillus gasseri and Lactobacillus salivarious to be comparable to strains currently used in commercial probiotic products. Here the researchers randomly divided twenty women diagnosed with staphylococcal mastitis into two groups, a probiotic group and a control. The probiotic group received the same daily dosage of L. salivarius and L. gasseri for four weeks, both of which were originally isolated from breast milk. Results showed that on day zero staphylococcal counts in both groups were similar. At day fourteen women in the probiotic group were displaying no clinical signs of mastitis, but infection in the control group persisted. Finally, on day thirty the staphylococcal count was lower in the probiotic group and L. salivarius and L. gasseri were detected in milk samples from six of the ten women.
"In conclusion, L. salivarius CECT5713 and L. gasseri CECT5714 appear to be an efficient alternative for the treatment of lactational infectious mastitis during lactation," say the researchers.
(E. Jimenez, L. Fernandez, A. Maldonado, R. Martin, M. Olivares, J. Xaus, J.M. Rodriguez. 2008. Oral administration of Lactobacillus strains isolated from breast milk as an alternative for the treatment of infectious mastitis during lactation.Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 74. 15: 4650-4655.)
Source: Carrie Slijepcevic
American Society for Microbiology
A newly developed ethanol-based hand sanitizer may significantly impact public health by minimizing the transmission of multiple viruses, including norovirus, from food handlers and care providers. The researchers from the University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and North Carolina State University, Raleigh report their findings in the August 2008 issue of the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.
The annual number of food-related infections in the U.S. is an estimated 76 million, with norovirus accounting for up to 59% of the viral cases. Contamination of ready-to-eat items by food handlers largely attributes to the high rate of infections, emphasizing the importance of proper hand hygiene. In addition to washing with soap and water some organizations such as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization recommend the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers citing such advantages as faster and greater microbial kill, ease of use and time savings, as well as independence from sinks and running water.
In the study the researchers formed a synergistic blend of ethanol, polyquaternium polymer and organic acid and tested its capability to inhibit human and animal viruses. When compared with a benchmark alcohol-based hand sanitizer, results showed higher levels of reduced infectivity of human rotavirus, adenovirus type 5, poliovirus type 1, and norovirus, as well as feline calicivirus and murine norovirus type 1 from the new ethanol-based sanitizer.
"Based on these results, we conclude that this new ethanol-based hand sanitizer is a promising option for reducing the transmission of enteric viruses, including norovirus, by food handlers and care providers," say the researchers.
(D.R. Macinga, S.A. Sattar, L. Jaykus, J.W. Arbogast. 2008. Improved inactivation of nonenveloped enteric viruses and their surrogates by a novel alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 74. 16: 5047-5052.)
New Oral Vaccine May Protect Against Bubonic Plague
Researchers from the Institut Pasteur in Paris, France used a less virulent ancestor to the highly infectious bubonic plague to develop a potentially safe, efficient and inexpensive live oral vaccine. They report their findings in the August 2008 issue of the journal Infection and Immunity.
Transmitted by infected fleas, Yersinia pestis is the causative agent responsible for bubonic and pneumonic plague. Both highly contagious, the bubonic form of the disease is the most common in the world and can be treated; however, pneumonic plague is almost always fatal within 3 days of infection. Pneumonic plague can also be generated into aerosols and transmitted from human to human placing it at serious risk for use as weapon of bioterrorism.
Yersinia pseudotuberculosis shares a genetic identity rate of 95% with Y. pestis, but is much less virulent and rarely attributed to disease-related fatalities. In the study 41 strains of Y. pseudotuberculosis were screened for low pathogenicity. Researchers identified one strain (IP32680) which was then tested and found to persist in the mouse intestine for 2 months following intragastric and subcutaneous inoculation without any clinical signs of disease. The previously inoculated mice were then challenged intravenously with Y. pestis following which low levels of the bacteria were found in the organs and blood. Finally, IP32680 was administered orally and results showed that one dose protected 75% of mice, while two doses protected 88%.
"We report that oral inoculation with a Y. pseudotuberculosis strain, selected for its very low virulence, induces an efficient immunity against bubonic plague without causing adverse reactions," say the researchers. "This demonstrates that a live attenuated Y. pseudotuberculosis can be a promising vaccine against bubonic plague."
(T. Blisnick, P. Ave, M. Huerre, E. Carniel, C.E. Demeure. 2008. Oral vaccination against bubonic plague using a live avirulent Yersinia pseudotuberculosis strain. Infection and Immunity, 76. 8: 3808-3816.)
Oral Administration of Lactobacillus from Breast Milk May Treat Common Infection in Lactating Mothers
Oral administration of lactobacillus strains found in breast milk may provide an alternative method to antibiotics for effectively treating mastitis, a common infection that occurs in lactating mothers say researchers from Spain. They report their findings in the August 2008 issue of the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.
Mastitis, inflammation of one or more lobules of the mammary gland, occurs in anywhere from 3 to 33% of lactating mothers and of those incidences 75 to 95% are diagnosed within the first twelve weeks postpartum. While Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis are considered to be the main infectious agents associated with mastitis, increased multi-drug resistance to antibiotics are making such infections difficult to treat, therefore prompting researchers to explore alternative treatment options.
In prior studies researchers collected lactobacillus strains from the breast milk of healthy mothers and found the probiotic potential of Lactobacillus gasseri and Lactobacillus salivarious to be comparable to strains currently used in commercial probiotic products. Here the researchers randomly divided twenty women diagnosed with staphylococcal mastitis into two groups, a probiotic group and a control. The probiotic group received the same daily dosage of L. salivarius and L. gasseri for four weeks, both of which were originally isolated from breast milk. Results showed that on day zero staphylococcal counts in both groups were similar. At day fourteen women in the probiotic group were displaying no clinical signs of mastitis, but infection in the control group persisted. Finally, on day thirty the staphylococcal count was lower in the probiotic group and L. salivarius and L. gasseri were detected in milk samples from six of the ten women.
"In conclusion, L. salivarius CECT5713 and L. gasseri CECT5714 appear to be an efficient alternative for the treatment of lactational infectious mastitis during lactation," say the researchers.
(E. Jimenez, L. Fernandez, A. Maldonado, R. Martin, M. Olivares, J. Xaus, J.M. Rodriguez. 2008. Oral administration of Lactobacillus strains isolated from breast milk as an alternative for the treatment of infectious mastitis during lactation.Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 74. 15: 4650-4655.)
Source: Carrie Slijepcevic
American Society for Microbiology
вторник, 13 сентября 2011 г.
Moderate female drinkers less ikely to have Alzheimer's later on
Older women who drink a moderate amount of alcohol each day may be helping to keep their minds sharp, according to
researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and colleagues.
"In our study, older women who drank moderate amounts of alcohol tended to perform better on tests for cognitive function and
dementia," said Mark Espeland, Ph.D., lead researcher. "Most of these women drank one or two drinks per day."
The researchers used data from the Women's Health Initiative Memory Study, a large national study to assess the effects of
hormone therapy on dementia and cognitive function. As part of the study, women reported how much alcohol they drank daily.
The research, which will be reported in the February 1 issue (Vol. 161, pages 228-38) of the American Journal of
Epidemiology, found that women who reported having one or more alcohol drinks daily scored higher on tests of cognitive
function than women who reported drinking less. Cognitive function includes concentration, language, memory and abstract
reasoning.
"Women who reported drinking one or more drinks a day had a 40 percent lower risk of significant declines in cognitive
function over time, compared to women who reported no alcohol intake," said Espeland, a professor of public health sciences.
The researchers followed 4,461 women aged 65 to 79 years for an average of 4.2 years with annual Modified Mini-Mental State
Examinations (MMSE), which is a measure of cognitive function, and other tests to detect mild cognitive impairment and
probable dementia. Dementia occurs when memory, judgment and thinking ability decline substantially to the point of
interfering with basic day-to-day activities.
"There are a number of reasons one might expect moderate alcohol intake to be beneficial," Espeland says. "Some cognitive
problems are due to strokes and blood vessels in the brain becoming blocked, and alcohol may reduce the development of blood
clots and increase blood flow, thereby improving cognition."
Espeland said alcohol also tends to increase levels of high-density lipoprotein, or "good" cholesterol, which might also
reduce the risk for narrowed vessels in the brain. In addition, alcohol may decrease the formation of plaque that is
associated with Alzheimer's disease.
Previous studies have also indicated that moderate levels of alcohol intake reduce the risk of dementia and decline in
cognitive function. Espeland said, however, that the results must be interpreted with caution.
"While evidence is growing that alcohol is beneficial in this area, it is still unclear whether alcohol intake or another
defining characteristic is the reason for reduced risk," he said.
The researchers adjusted for other factors that might affect the results, such as education level and family income, and
still found the same pattern of moderate alcohol intake associated with better cognitive function and less risk of dementia.
"But we cannot rule out that unmeasured factors affected cognition," he said. "My sense is that for older women who choose to
drink - and are not restricted from drinking for medical reasons - moderate alcohol intake is not harmful for cognition and
may provide some benefits by reducing the risk of cognitive decline.
"Until we better understand the reasons why alcohol consumption is associated with better cognitive functioning, however,
these results on their own are not a reason for people who don't drink to start or for those who drink less to increase their
intake."
Espeland's co-researchers were Lin Gu, M.S., Laura Coker, Ph.D., and Stephen R. Rapp, Ph.D., also from Wake Forest Baptist,
Kamal H. Masaki, M.D., from the University of Hawaii, Robert D. Langer, M.D., M.P.H., from the University of California at
San Diego School of Medicine, Marcia L. Stefanick, Ph.D., from Stanford University School of Medicine, and Judith Ockene,
Ph.D., from the University of Massachusetts.
Media Contacts:
Karen Richardson, krchrdsnwfubmc.edu; Shannon Koontz, shkoontzwfubmc.edu; at 336-716-4587.
About Wake Forest University Baptist
Medical Center: Wake Forest Baptist is an academic health system comprised of North Carolina Baptist Hospital and Wake Forest
University Health Sciences, which operates the university's School of Medicine. The system comprises 1,282 acute care,
psychiatric, rehabilitation and long-term care beds and is consistently ranked as one of "America's Best Hospitals" by U.S.
News & World Report.
Karen Richardson - krchrdsnwfubmc.edu
Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center
researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and colleagues.
"In our study, older women who drank moderate amounts of alcohol tended to perform better on tests for cognitive function and
dementia," said Mark Espeland, Ph.D., lead researcher. "Most of these women drank one or two drinks per day."
The researchers used data from the Women's Health Initiative Memory Study, a large national study to assess the effects of
hormone therapy on dementia and cognitive function. As part of the study, women reported how much alcohol they drank daily.
The research, which will be reported in the February 1 issue (Vol. 161, pages 228-38) of the American Journal of
Epidemiology, found that women who reported having one or more alcohol drinks daily scored higher on tests of cognitive
function than women who reported drinking less. Cognitive function includes concentration, language, memory and abstract
reasoning.
"Women who reported drinking one or more drinks a day had a 40 percent lower risk of significant declines in cognitive
function over time, compared to women who reported no alcohol intake," said Espeland, a professor of public health sciences.
The researchers followed 4,461 women aged 65 to 79 years for an average of 4.2 years with annual Modified Mini-Mental State
Examinations (MMSE), which is a measure of cognitive function, and other tests to detect mild cognitive impairment and
probable dementia. Dementia occurs when memory, judgment and thinking ability decline substantially to the point of
interfering with basic day-to-day activities.
"There are a number of reasons one might expect moderate alcohol intake to be beneficial," Espeland says. "Some cognitive
problems are due to strokes and blood vessels in the brain becoming blocked, and alcohol may reduce the development of blood
clots and increase blood flow, thereby improving cognition."
Espeland said alcohol also tends to increase levels of high-density lipoprotein, or "good" cholesterol, which might also
reduce the risk for narrowed vessels in the brain. In addition, alcohol may decrease the formation of plaque that is
associated with Alzheimer's disease.
Previous studies have also indicated that moderate levels of alcohol intake reduce the risk of dementia and decline in
cognitive function. Espeland said, however, that the results must be interpreted with caution.
"While evidence is growing that alcohol is beneficial in this area, it is still unclear whether alcohol intake or another
defining characteristic is the reason for reduced risk," he said.
The researchers adjusted for other factors that might affect the results, such as education level and family income, and
still found the same pattern of moderate alcohol intake associated with better cognitive function and less risk of dementia.
"But we cannot rule out that unmeasured factors affected cognition," he said. "My sense is that for older women who choose to
drink - and are not restricted from drinking for medical reasons - moderate alcohol intake is not harmful for cognition and
may provide some benefits by reducing the risk of cognitive decline.
"Until we better understand the reasons why alcohol consumption is associated with better cognitive functioning, however,
these results on their own are not a reason for people who don't drink to start or for those who drink less to increase their
intake."
Espeland's co-researchers were Lin Gu, M.S., Laura Coker, Ph.D., and Stephen R. Rapp, Ph.D., also from Wake Forest Baptist,
Kamal H. Masaki, M.D., from the University of Hawaii, Robert D. Langer, M.D., M.P.H., from the University of California at
San Diego School of Medicine, Marcia L. Stefanick, Ph.D., from Stanford University School of Medicine, and Judith Ockene,
Ph.D., from the University of Massachusetts.
Media Contacts:
Karen Richardson, krchrdsnwfubmc.edu; Shannon Koontz, shkoontzwfubmc.edu; at 336-716-4587.
About Wake Forest University Baptist
Medical Center: Wake Forest Baptist is an academic health system comprised of North Carolina Baptist Hospital and Wake Forest
University Health Sciences, which operates the university's School of Medicine. The system comprises 1,282 acute care,
psychiatric, rehabilitation and long-term care beds and is consistently ranked as one of "America's Best Hospitals" by U.S.
News & World Report.
Karen Richardson - krchrdsnwfubmc.edu
Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center
вторник, 6 сентября 2011 г.
What Is Date Rape? What Is Drink Spiking?
Date rape means the rape of a person by an acquaintance; the rapist is usually a woman's date or escort and is usually male. A date rape drug, also known as a predator drug is any drug that is used to assist in carrying out a sexual assault, such as date rape. Such drugs may have sedative, hypnotic, dissociative and/or amnesiac effects. They are usually added to the victims drink without her knowledge. More rarely, they may be added to her food. The act of adding such drugs to drinks is known as drink spiking. People may spike drinks for maliciousness, personal amusement, kidnapping, theft or sexual assault (rape).
Although victims of date rape drugs may also be male, the vast majority are female. Therefore, the pronouns in this text which refer to the victim will be she, her, or herself.
Date rape not only includes spiking a drink and sexually assaulting a woman. The meaning also includes trying to weaken the female's resistance by exerting excessive psychological pressure. However, in the vast majority of cases today, the term date rape includes spiking her drink without her knowledge.
Frequently, the woman has no memory of the sexual assault, either because of the amnesiac effects of the substance used to control her, or because of the traumatic nature of the event.
Drink spiking may also include the addition of alcohol to a person's soft drink without their knowledge, or giving them a stronger dose of alcohol than they asked for or expected. In cases of date rape the term may also refer to mind-altering drugs. A mind-altering substance affects how the individual acts or behaves with others.
According to the National Health Service (NHS), UK, individuals who regularly drink too much alcohol are at most risk from drink spiking.
Symptoms of drink spiking depend on several factors - whether just alcohol was added, another drug, what type of drug, and how much alcohol the victim has already consumed. Victims will need to have their blood or urine tested to confirm that their drink has been spiked.
Drink spiking is illegal, regardless of what the perpetrator's intention was - even if no attack or assault occurred, it is still illegal. In the UK drink spiking carries a punishment of up to ten years in prison for the person found guilty of doing it. If the perpetrator then attacked, raped or robbed the victim, the punishment will be more severe.
How common is drink spiking?
It is virtually impossible to have accurate figures regarding the incidence of drink spiking nationally. Many victims do not report cases, while others may put down their "black out" to the effects of too much alcohol.
As media coverage of date rape and drink spiking has grown, so has the impression that the problem is a new and ever-growing one.
Some small studies in the United Kingdom appear to suggest that a significantly small percentage of people who report that their drink had been spiked actually had positive blood or urine test results. Nobody is sure why this is so. Some believe that increased awareness of drink spiking has made more people assume it happened to them, when in fact they may just have had too much to drink, were experiencing exhausting, or low blood sugar levels. It is also possible that the substances used to control victims left their system rapidly - an illegal substance may have entered the victim, but by the time their blood or urine is tested levels of it have dropped too low to be detected.
If a victim's soft drink has been spiked with alcohol it is extremely difficult to prove that a crime occurred.
The National Health Service (NHS), UK reports that in 2007, one telephone helpline received 600 reports of drug-related rape and sexual assault.
Authorities advise anybody who suspects they have had their drink spiked to inform the police, and seek medical attention. The human body may react in unpredictable ways to unknown substances. It is also vital that the victim be with people she trusts implicitly and who will be able to look after her. The perpetrator can only be caught and punished if people report it.
What are the signs and symptoms of drink spiking?
A symptom is something the patient senses and describes, while a sign is something other people, such as the doctor notice. For example, drowsiness may be a symptom while dilated pupils may be a sign.
The signs and symptoms of drink spiking vary and depend mainly on what substance has been used, the victims age, body size, how much of the spiked drink has been consumed, and how much alcohol has been drunk.
The substance that was slipped into the victim's drink may be a liquid or powder; it often has no taste or odor.
The most common substances used in drink spiking are date rape drugs. Date rape drugs make it much more difficult for the victims to respond defensively to an assault. According to the National Health Service, UK, the most common date rape drugs are:
GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyrate, 4-hydroxybutanoic acid, or sodium oxybate) - according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), USA, has effects that are very similar to those of alcohol. This substance is used by doctors to treat cataplexy (patient suddenly feels weak and collapses at moments of strong emotion, such as laughter, anger, fear or surprise) and excessive daytime sleepiness in patients with narcolepsy. When used as a date rape drug it comes in the form of a slightly oily, colorless, liquid, and less often as a powder.
This substance may also be informally known as G, Georgia home boy, grievous bodily harm, liquid ecstasy.
GBl (gamma-butyrolactone). It has also been used in a medical setting as a general anesthetic, to treat conditions such as insomnia, clinical depression, narcolepsy, and alcoholism, and to improve athletic performance. When GBI enters the body it turns into GHB. When used as a date rape drug it comes in the form of a liquid.
Benzodiasepines, such as valium or rohypnol - these drugs are primarily used for the treatment of anxiety, panic attacks, insomnia and some other conditions. Some benzodiazepines have powerful sedative (calming), motor-impairing (loss or limitation of function in muscle control or movement) and amnestic (causing loss of memory) properties. When used as a date rape drug they may come in many different forms. Rohypnol is usually a pill that dissolves in liquid.
Rohypnol is the brand name of flunitrazepam, and is a part of the Valium family, but 10 times more potent. Hoffman LaRoche, the company that makes Rohypnol, revised the formula in 1998 so that a blue dye appears when it is added to any drink. The new formula also made it much slower to dissolve. However, counterfeit versions have been reported which do not have these added features.
These substances may also be informally known as forget-me pill, Mexican Valium, R2, Roche, roofies, rope, or rophies.
Ketamine - primarily used for the induction and maintenance of general anesthesia. It has a wide range of effects in humans, including analgesia (painkilling while still conscious), anesthesia (loss of feeling or awareness), hallucinations, elevated blood pressure (hypertension), and bronchodilation (expansion of the bronchial air passages). When used as a date rape drug it usually comes in the form of a grainy white powder or a tablet
All these substances slow down the victim's nervous system - they are depressants. They dull the victim's responses, judgment and instincts. Although these medications can be helpful when treating certain conditions, they may leave the victim vulnerable to danger when taken unknowingly and not in a medical setting.
Victims who take these substances unwittingly may behave quite differently and give out messages they would not normally give - people can more easily take advantage of them.
Some date rape drugs act very fast - having an effect within minutes of being taken, while others may take up to an hour. The following signs and symptoms are possible:
Light headedness
Drowsiness
Simultaneously feeling too hot and too cold
Concentration difficulties
Confusion (especially after waking up)
Disorientation (especially after waking up)
Difficulty moving
Difficulty speaking
Paranoia
Slow heart rate
Lowered social inhibitions
Memory loss (amnesia) - the victim cannot recall what happened, or large sections of the previous evening; sometimes referred to as a black out
Out of body experience - the person feels as if they are floating above their body, there is a loss of sensation
Blurred vision
Hallucinations - this may involve hearing, seeing or touching things that are not there
Nausea
Vomiting
Unconsciousness
If mixed with alcohol, date rape drugs have a very strong anesthetic effect. There is a raised risk of unconsciousness, coma and even death.
In most cases, signs and symptoms start to ease off after 3 to 7 hours. However, this may vary. Some victims wake up next morning still with nausea, confusion and amnesia.
According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, the following signs and symptoms are listed according to the date rape drug used:
GHB signs and symptoms
Drowsiness
Dizziness
Slow heart rate
Nausea
Loss of consciousness
Inability to remember what happened while drugged
Seizures
Coma, death
Ketamine signs and symptoms
Hallucinations
Lost sense of time and identity
Agitation, aggressive or violent behavior
Convulsions
Loss of consciousness
Loss of coordination
Potentially fatal respiratory failure
Rohypnol signs and symptoms
Lower blood pressure
Sleepiness
Muscle relaxation or loss of muscle control
Visual disturbances
Loss of consciousness
Problems talking
Inability to remember what happened while drugged
Nausea
Alcohol - still the most commonly used date rape drug. Experts say it is popular for two main reasons:
It readily available, legally.
Victims are usually willing to consume it; making it easier for the assailant to get them to consume enough to lose inhibitions or consciousness.
Even if the victims eventually agreed to have sex, if their judgment was incapacitated or impaired by alcohol in some jurisdictions the act may be considered as rape. If the victim becomes unconscious after drinking too much alcohol and the assailant rapes her, it is called rape of convenience. According to some studies carried out in the UK and Australia a significant proportion of victims who thought their drink had been spiked with illegal substances had become intoxicated with only alcohol (no other associated substances were found in the their blood or urine).
What to do if you believe/suspect your drink has been spiked
The victim's main aim is to protect herself from harm. According to the National Health Service (NHS), UK, she should find someone she trusts completely and have them take her to the emergency department of a hospital for treatment.
If the victim starts feeling drunk after having consumed a small amount of alcohol she should seek out somebody she can trust, this can be a relative, a good friend or a senior member of the management of the establishment (pub, club) she is in. She should be taken to a place of safety.
If the victim is with strangers she should contact a trusted friend or relative and ask them to pick her up.
This trustworthy companion should remain with the victim until the substance has completely left her system - this will usually mean being with her until the next morning. There is a risk the victim's symptoms may worsen and she may need further medical attention. If she experiences hallucinations, drowsiness, or vomiting she should be taken to the emergency department of a hospital. When arriving at the hospital tell the medical team that you think her drinks have been spiked. The patient may be asked to provide a blood or urine sample for testing.
Substances may stay in the patient's system for 12 to 72 hours, depending on what it was and how much was taken. Prompt testing helps detect any unusual substances before it has left the system. GHB is usually undetectable in urine 12-18 hours later (6-8 hours in blood samples).
If blood and/or urine tests show that the victim's drinks were spiked the police will be informed. Spiking a person's drink is a criminal offence, regardless of the perpetrator's intentions (even if it was just for a laugh, it is still a criminal offence).
Assault, robbery - if the victim has been assaulted or robbed they should report the incident to the police, with information regarding the assailant(s), what was robbed, and how the attack occurred. The police will also record any details about injuries.
Rape or sexual assault - if the victim has been raped she should seek medical attention. The medical team will also recommend screening for any sexual transmitted disease (STIs), and pregnancy. In the UK and many other countries, it is up to the victim whether the incident be reported to the police. While the victim is deciding forensic results can be taken and stored.
How to avoid becoming a victim of drink spiking
As most substances used for drink spiking have no taste, smell or visible peculiarities, the best way to protect yourself is to take measures to prevent drink spiking from occurring in the first place. The following tips may help reduce the risk:
Hold on to your drink - do not leave your drink alone, hold it in your hand for as much time as you can. If you are holding a bottle hold your thumb or a finger over the opening. Some establishments have stopper devices you can place on bottles to keep them closed (or take one yourself). Do not leave your drink unattended - even when you go to the toilet.
If you are with a trustworthy friend, keep an eye on each others' drinks.
Never accept a drink from a stranger
Never accept a drink from somebody you do not trust 100%.
Remember that it is harder to spike a bottle than a glass. Whenever you can, ask for the bottle, and have it opened in front of you (or open it yourself).
Remove yourself from any situation which makes you feel uncomfortable.
If you have just met a stranger, do not tell them too much about yourself. Do not give details of your address. If you are alone in the establishment, do not let them know this.
If you are on a date with a stranger make sure people you trust know about it, where you are going, and what time you should be back.
Beware of objects which may attract attention, such as expensive watches, jewelry, cell phones and MP3 players.
Drink responsibly. Remember that alcohol can impair your judgment and make you more vulnerable. Avoid becoming drunk as perpetrators often prey on vulnerable individuals.
Remember that if you go in a group your risk of being manipulated is less, especially if you all agree to keep an eye on each other.
If you arrive as a group, leave as a group.
Tell as many people as you can about the effects of these dangerous substances.
Be on the lookout all the time. Do not become complacent.
Testing kits - there are some kits you can use that test your drink to determine whether it has been spiked. They may not detect every substance there is. Remember that tests which darken the color of a drink to indicate a positive result will be no good if the original drink, such as a cola, is already dark. If you think your drink has been spiked tell the management of the establishment immediately.
Although victims of date rape drugs may also be male, the vast majority are female. Therefore, the pronouns in this text which refer to the victim will be she, her, or herself.
Date rape not only includes spiking a drink and sexually assaulting a woman. The meaning also includes trying to weaken the female's resistance by exerting excessive psychological pressure. However, in the vast majority of cases today, the term date rape includes spiking her drink without her knowledge.
Frequently, the woman has no memory of the sexual assault, either because of the amnesiac effects of the substance used to control her, or because of the traumatic nature of the event.
Drink spiking may also include the addition of alcohol to a person's soft drink without their knowledge, or giving them a stronger dose of alcohol than they asked for or expected. In cases of date rape the term may also refer to mind-altering drugs. A mind-altering substance affects how the individual acts or behaves with others.
According to the National Health Service (NHS), UK, individuals who regularly drink too much alcohol are at most risk from drink spiking.
Symptoms of drink spiking depend on several factors - whether just alcohol was added, another drug, what type of drug, and how much alcohol the victim has already consumed. Victims will need to have their blood or urine tested to confirm that their drink has been spiked.
Drink spiking is illegal, regardless of what the perpetrator's intention was - even if no attack or assault occurred, it is still illegal. In the UK drink spiking carries a punishment of up to ten years in prison for the person found guilty of doing it. If the perpetrator then attacked, raped or robbed the victim, the punishment will be more severe.
How common is drink spiking?
It is virtually impossible to have accurate figures regarding the incidence of drink spiking nationally. Many victims do not report cases, while others may put down their "black out" to the effects of too much alcohol.
As media coverage of date rape and drink spiking has grown, so has the impression that the problem is a new and ever-growing one.
Some small studies in the United Kingdom appear to suggest that a significantly small percentage of people who report that their drink had been spiked actually had positive blood or urine test results. Nobody is sure why this is so. Some believe that increased awareness of drink spiking has made more people assume it happened to them, when in fact they may just have had too much to drink, were experiencing exhausting, or low blood sugar levels. It is also possible that the substances used to control victims left their system rapidly - an illegal substance may have entered the victim, but by the time their blood or urine is tested levels of it have dropped too low to be detected.
If a victim's soft drink has been spiked with alcohol it is extremely difficult to prove that a crime occurred.
The National Health Service (NHS), UK reports that in 2007, one telephone helpline received 600 reports of drug-related rape and sexual assault.
Authorities advise anybody who suspects they have had their drink spiked to inform the police, and seek medical attention. The human body may react in unpredictable ways to unknown substances. It is also vital that the victim be with people she trusts implicitly and who will be able to look after her. The perpetrator can only be caught and punished if people report it.
What are the signs and symptoms of drink spiking?
A symptom is something the patient senses and describes, while a sign is something other people, such as the doctor notice. For example, drowsiness may be a symptom while dilated pupils may be a sign.
The signs and symptoms of drink spiking vary and depend mainly on what substance has been used, the victims age, body size, how much of the spiked drink has been consumed, and how much alcohol has been drunk.
The substance that was slipped into the victim's drink may be a liquid or powder; it often has no taste or odor.
The most common substances used in drink spiking are date rape drugs. Date rape drugs make it much more difficult for the victims to respond defensively to an assault. According to the National Health Service, UK, the most common date rape drugs are:
GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyrate, 4-hydroxybutanoic acid, or sodium oxybate) - according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), USA, has effects that are very similar to those of alcohol. This substance is used by doctors to treat cataplexy (patient suddenly feels weak and collapses at moments of strong emotion, such as laughter, anger, fear or surprise) and excessive daytime sleepiness in patients with narcolepsy. When used as a date rape drug it comes in the form of a slightly oily, colorless, liquid, and less often as a powder.
This substance may also be informally known as G, Georgia home boy, grievous bodily harm, liquid ecstasy.
GBl (gamma-butyrolactone). It has also been used in a medical setting as a general anesthetic, to treat conditions such as insomnia, clinical depression, narcolepsy, and alcoholism, and to improve athletic performance. When GBI enters the body it turns into GHB. When used as a date rape drug it comes in the form of a liquid.
Benzodiasepines, such as valium or rohypnol - these drugs are primarily used for the treatment of anxiety, panic attacks, insomnia and some other conditions. Some benzodiazepines have powerful sedative (calming), motor-impairing (loss or limitation of function in muscle control or movement) and amnestic (causing loss of memory) properties. When used as a date rape drug they may come in many different forms. Rohypnol is usually a pill that dissolves in liquid.
Rohypnol is the brand name of flunitrazepam, and is a part of the Valium family, but 10 times more potent. Hoffman LaRoche, the company that makes Rohypnol, revised the formula in 1998 so that a blue dye appears when it is added to any drink. The new formula also made it much slower to dissolve. However, counterfeit versions have been reported which do not have these added features.
These substances may also be informally known as forget-me pill, Mexican Valium, R2, Roche, roofies, rope, or rophies.
Ketamine - primarily used for the induction and maintenance of general anesthesia. It has a wide range of effects in humans, including analgesia (painkilling while still conscious), anesthesia (loss of feeling or awareness), hallucinations, elevated blood pressure (hypertension), and bronchodilation (expansion of the bronchial air passages). When used as a date rape drug it usually comes in the form of a grainy white powder or a tablet
All these substances slow down the victim's nervous system - they are depressants. They dull the victim's responses, judgment and instincts. Although these medications can be helpful when treating certain conditions, they may leave the victim vulnerable to danger when taken unknowingly and not in a medical setting.
Victims who take these substances unwittingly may behave quite differently and give out messages they would not normally give - people can more easily take advantage of them.
Some date rape drugs act very fast - having an effect within minutes of being taken, while others may take up to an hour. The following signs and symptoms are possible:
Light headedness
Drowsiness
Simultaneously feeling too hot and too cold
Concentration difficulties
Confusion (especially after waking up)
Disorientation (especially after waking up)
Difficulty moving
Difficulty speaking
Paranoia
Slow heart rate
Lowered social inhibitions
Memory loss (amnesia) - the victim cannot recall what happened, or large sections of the previous evening; sometimes referred to as a black out
Out of body experience - the person feels as if they are floating above their body, there is a loss of sensation
Blurred vision
Hallucinations - this may involve hearing, seeing or touching things that are not there
Nausea
Vomiting
Unconsciousness
If mixed with alcohol, date rape drugs have a very strong anesthetic effect. There is a raised risk of unconsciousness, coma and even death.
In most cases, signs and symptoms start to ease off after 3 to 7 hours. However, this may vary. Some victims wake up next morning still with nausea, confusion and amnesia.
According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, the following signs and symptoms are listed according to the date rape drug used:
GHB signs and symptoms
Drowsiness
Dizziness
Slow heart rate
Nausea
Loss of consciousness
Inability to remember what happened while drugged
Seizures
Coma, death
Ketamine signs and symptoms
Hallucinations
Lost sense of time and identity
Agitation, aggressive or violent behavior
Convulsions
Loss of consciousness
Loss of coordination
Potentially fatal respiratory failure
Rohypnol signs and symptoms
Lower blood pressure
Sleepiness
Muscle relaxation or loss of muscle control
Visual disturbances
Loss of consciousness
Problems talking
Inability to remember what happened while drugged
Nausea
Alcohol - still the most commonly used date rape drug. Experts say it is popular for two main reasons:
It readily available, legally.
Victims are usually willing to consume it; making it easier for the assailant to get them to consume enough to lose inhibitions or consciousness.
Even if the victims eventually agreed to have sex, if their judgment was incapacitated or impaired by alcohol in some jurisdictions the act may be considered as rape. If the victim becomes unconscious after drinking too much alcohol and the assailant rapes her, it is called rape of convenience. According to some studies carried out in the UK and Australia a significant proportion of victims who thought their drink had been spiked with illegal substances had become intoxicated with only alcohol (no other associated substances were found in the their blood or urine).
What to do if you believe/suspect your drink has been spiked
The victim's main aim is to protect herself from harm. According to the National Health Service (NHS), UK, she should find someone she trusts completely and have them take her to the emergency department of a hospital for treatment.
If the victim starts feeling drunk after having consumed a small amount of alcohol she should seek out somebody she can trust, this can be a relative, a good friend or a senior member of the management of the establishment (pub, club) she is in. She should be taken to a place of safety.
If the victim is with strangers she should contact a trusted friend or relative and ask them to pick her up.
This trustworthy companion should remain with the victim until the substance has completely left her system - this will usually mean being with her until the next morning. There is a risk the victim's symptoms may worsen and she may need further medical attention. If she experiences hallucinations, drowsiness, or vomiting she should be taken to the emergency department of a hospital. When arriving at the hospital tell the medical team that you think her drinks have been spiked. The patient may be asked to provide a blood or urine sample for testing.
Substances may stay in the patient's system for 12 to 72 hours, depending on what it was and how much was taken. Prompt testing helps detect any unusual substances before it has left the system. GHB is usually undetectable in urine 12-18 hours later (6-8 hours in blood samples).
If blood and/or urine tests show that the victim's drinks were spiked the police will be informed. Spiking a person's drink is a criminal offence, regardless of the perpetrator's intentions (even if it was just for a laugh, it is still a criminal offence).
Assault, robbery - if the victim has been assaulted or robbed they should report the incident to the police, with information regarding the assailant(s), what was robbed, and how the attack occurred. The police will also record any details about injuries.
Rape or sexual assault - if the victim has been raped she should seek medical attention. The medical team will also recommend screening for any sexual transmitted disease (STIs), and pregnancy. In the UK and many other countries, it is up to the victim whether the incident be reported to the police. While the victim is deciding forensic results can be taken and stored.
How to avoid becoming a victim of drink spiking
As most substances used for drink spiking have no taste, smell or visible peculiarities, the best way to protect yourself is to take measures to prevent drink spiking from occurring in the first place. The following tips may help reduce the risk:
Hold on to your drink - do not leave your drink alone, hold it in your hand for as much time as you can. If you are holding a bottle hold your thumb or a finger over the opening. Some establishments have stopper devices you can place on bottles to keep them closed (or take one yourself). Do not leave your drink unattended - even when you go to the toilet.
If you are with a trustworthy friend, keep an eye on each others' drinks.
Never accept a drink from a stranger
Never accept a drink from somebody you do not trust 100%.
Remember that it is harder to spike a bottle than a glass. Whenever you can, ask for the bottle, and have it opened in front of you (or open it yourself).
Remove yourself from any situation which makes you feel uncomfortable.
If you have just met a stranger, do not tell them too much about yourself. Do not give details of your address. If you are alone in the establishment, do not let them know this.
If you are on a date with a stranger make sure people you trust know about it, where you are going, and what time you should be back.
Beware of objects which may attract attention, such as expensive watches, jewelry, cell phones and MP3 players.
Drink responsibly. Remember that alcohol can impair your judgment and make you more vulnerable. Avoid becoming drunk as perpetrators often prey on vulnerable individuals.
Remember that if you go in a group your risk of being manipulated is less, especially if you all agree to keep an eye on each other.
If you arrive as a group, leave as a group.
Tell as many people as you can about the effects of these dangerous substances.
Be on the lookout all the time. Do not become complacent.
Testing kits - there are some kits you can use that test your drink to determine whether it has been spiked. They may not detect every substance there is. Remember that tests which darken the color of a drink to indicate a positive result will be no good if the original drink, such as a cola, is already dark. If you think your drink has been spiked tell the management of the establishment immediately.
вторник, 30 августа 2011 г.
Congress Approves Gynecologic Cancers Prevention Bill; Bush Expected To Sign Into Law
Congress over the weekend passed and sent to President Bush a bill (HR 1245) that would authorize $16.5 million over two years to create prevention education materials for gynecologic cancers, the Detroit News reports (Kozlowski, Detroit News, 12/11). The measure would require HHS to use the funding to create public service announcements and written materials about the symptoms and early detection of gynecologic cancers. The money, which would be awarded as HHS grants, also would help to direct information -- including early warning signs and treatment options of gynecologic cancers -- to health professionals and families. About 71,000 women annually are diagnosed with gynecologic cancers, and early detection of the disease can lead to survival rates of between 80% and 90%. Survival rates for women diagnosed with late-stage cancers are about 20%. The bill, known as Johanna's Law, was passed by the House last month (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 11/16). The Senate on Friday approved the bill by unanimous consent, and the measure was cleared to be sent to Bush on Saturday (HR 1245 major actions, 12/12). According to the News, Bush is expected to sign the measure into law. "Knowledge is hope," Rep. Sander Levin (D-Mich.) said, adding, "Knowledge essentially is a cure. This isn't true of all malignancies." Julene Fabrizio, head of the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition, said the measure "not only will help women, it will also help physicians think a little more about (gynecological) cancers" (Detroit News, 12/11).
"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved
"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved
вторник, 23 августа 2011 г.
Weight Gain Throughout Adulthood Raises Risk Of Breast Cancer
A woman who puts on weight throughout her adult years has a higher risk of developing breast cancer, compared to a woman who has maintained a constant weight, according to an article published in Archives of Internal Medicine (JAMA/Archives), October 22 issue. The researchers explain that this research was carried out among women who did not take hormone therapy after the menopause.
The authors explain that it is already known that an obese woman has a higher risk of developing breast cancer after her menopause, as estrogen may accumulate in fat tissue, increasing the potential for initiating or promoting the growth of cancerous cells in the breast.
Jiyoung Ahn, Ph.D., of the National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Md., and team looked at information from 99,039 postmenopausal women who had taken part in the National Institutes of Health-AARP Diet and Health Study. Their body measurements, weight and ages 18, 25 and 50 were reported in 1996. The women were deemed to be either underweight, normal weight or overweight according to their BMI (body mass index).
By the end of 2000, 2,111 of them had developed breast cancer. For the women who did not have menopausal hormone therapy, gaining weight was linked to a raised risk of developing breast cancer for those aged 18-35, 35-50, and 50 to their current age (all three age groups), compared to women who maintained stable weights.
The authors explained "Because weight gain during adulthood mainly reflects the deposition of fat mass rather than lean body mass, weight gain potentially represents age-related metabolic change that may be important in breast cancer development. These findings may reinforce public health recommendations for the maintenance of a healthy weight throughout adulthood as a means of breast cancer prevention."
"Adiposity, Adult Weight Change, and Postmenopausal Breast Cancer Risk"
Jiyoung Ahn, PhD; Arthur Schatzkin, MD, DrPH; James V. Lacey Jr, PhD; Demetrius Albanes, MD; Rachel Ballard-Barbash, MD; Kenneth F. Adams, PhD; Victor Kipnis, PhD; Traci Mouw, MPH; Albert R. Hollenbeck, PhD; Michael F. Leitzmann, MD, DrPH
Intern Med. 2007;167:2091-2102.
Click here to view abstract online
The authors explain that it is already known that an obese woman has a higher risk of developing breast cancer after her menopause, as estrogen may accumulate in fat tissue, increasing the potential for initiating or promoting the growth of cancerous cells in the breast.
Jiyoung Ahn, Ph.D., of the National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Md., and team looked at information from 99,039 postmenopausal women who had taken part in the National Institutes of Health-AARP Diet and Health Study. Their body measurements, weight and ages 18, 25 and 50 were reported in 1996. The women were deemed to be either underweight, normal weight or overweight according to their BMI (body mass index).
By the end of 2000, 2,111 of them had developed breast cancer. For the women who did not have menopausal hormone therapy, gaining weight was linked to a raised risk of developing breast cancer for those aged 18-35, 35-50, and 50 to their current age (all three age groups), compared to women who maintained stable weights.
The authors explained "Because weight gain during adulthood mainly reflects the deposition of fat mass rather than lean body mass, weight gain potentially represents age-related metabolic change that may be important in breast cancer development. These findings may reinforce public health recommendations for the maintenance of a healthy weight throughout adulthood as a means of breast cancer prevention."
"Adiposity, Adult Weight Change, and Postmenopausal Breast Cancer Risk"
Jiyoung Ahn, PhD; Arthur Schatzkin, MD, DrPH; James V. Lacey Jr, PhD; Demetrius Albanes, MD; Rachel Ballard-Barbash, MD; Kenneth F. Adams, PhD; Victor Kipnis, PhD; Traci Mouw, MPH; Albert R. Hollenbeck, PhD; Michael F. Leitzmann, MD, DrPH
Intern Med. 2007;167:2091-2102.
Click here to view abstract online
вторник, 16 августа 2011 г.
United Medical Systems Partners With IceCure For Treatment Of Fibroadenoma
United Medical Systems (UMS) announces it has entered into an exclusive agreement in the United States with IceCure Medical (IceCure), an innovative provider of medical technology from Israel. The agreement provides for the mobile deployment of IceCure's medical product IceSense3 for cryoablation.
IceSense3 is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of benign tumors in the breast (fibroadenoma). In the United States alone, approximately 500,000 of these tumors are surgically removed every year. The partnership with IceCure adds a new treatment to UMS's breast care segment. UMS plans to build up the US market for mobile services using IceSense3 in the next six to twelve months by offering onsite mobile cryoablation systems in combination with modern ultrasound technology.
UMS is an international leader in shared medical services providing mobile services to over 650 hospitals and medical centers in 32 states in addition to sites in Canada and South America. Other mobile services include extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy, stereotactic breast biopsy and laser treatment of BPH.
Source:
United Medical Systems
IceSense3 is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of benign tumors in the breast (fibroadenoma). In the United States alone, approximately 500,000 of these tumors are surgically removed every year. The partnership with IceCure adds a new treatment to UMS's breast care segment. UMS plans to build up the US market for mobile services using IceSense3 in the next six to twelve months by offering onsite mobile cryoablation systems in combination with modern ultrasound technology.
UMS is an international leader in shared medical services providing mobile services to over 650 hospitals and medical centers in 32 states in addition to sites in Canada and South America. Other mobile services include extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy, stereotactic breast biopsy and laser treatment of BPH.
Source:
United Medical Systems
вторник, 9 августа 2011 г.
Nigerian Women's Ministry Develops HIV/AIDS Workplace Policy
The Nigerian Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development recently developed a policy that provides a framework for addressing HIV/AIDS in the workplace, Health Minister Hajiya Saudatu Usman Bungudu announced over the weekend, Nigeria's Daily Trust reports. She said the policy seeks to protect the rights of HIV-positive workers, as well as foster a safe and healthy work environment for employees.
According to Usman Bungudu, the policy will provide a framework for prevention, care and support for those living with the disease, adding that it will demonstrate zero tolerance of psychological abuse, stigma and discrimination of HIV-positive staff. "The issue of HIV/AIDS has been of great interest to the ministry, and we have committed so much resource into the National Response both humanly and materially," Usman Bungudu said, adding, "Since no drugs have yet been found for the cure of the virus, concerted efforts should be made by all and sundry to check the spread."
In addition, she said that employees' medical records should remain confidential. "Everybody who is in position to obtain any medical information on any individual should respect the confidentiality of such information," Usman Bungudu said. Health Ministry Permanent Secretary Yakubu Nuhu Giwa said the policy will provide information about HIV/AIDS, as well as sexual and reproductive health, to help develop an informed work force and ultimately reduce the spread of HIV.
Giwa added that HIV/AIDS "shall be treated as any other chronic illness in the workplace in terms of employee policies and benefits, including health and life insurance, disability benefits and leave of absence." He added, "Employees living with or affected by HIV infection and AIDS will be treated with compassion and understanding, as with employees with other chronic illnesses" (Shehu, Daily Trust, 12/17).
Reprinted with kind permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation© 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
According to Usman Bungudu, the policy will provide a framework for prevention, care and support for those living with the disease, adding that it will demonstrate zero tolerance of psychological abuse, stigma and discrimination of HIV-positive staff. "The issue of HIV/AIDS has been of great interest to the ministry, and we have committed so much resource into the National Response both humanly and materially," Usman Bungudu said, adding, "Since no drugs have yet been found for the cure of the virus, concerted efforts should be made by all and sundry to check the spread."
In addition, she said that employees' medical records should remain confidential. "Everybody who is in position to obtain any medical information on any individual should respect the confidentiality of such information," Usman Bungudu said. Health Ministry Permanent Secretary Yakubu Nuhu Giwa said the policy will provide information about HIV/AIDS, as well as sexual and reproductive health, to help develop an informed work force and ultimately reduce the spread of HIV.
Giwa added that HIV/AIDS "shall be treated as any other chronic illness in the workplace in terms of employee policies and benefits, including health and life insurance, disability benefits and leave of absence." He added, "Employees living with or affected by HIV infection and AIDS will be treated with compassion and understanding, as with employees with other chronic illnesses" (Shehu, Daily Trust, 12/17).
Reprinted with kind permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation© 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
вторник, 2 августа 2011 г.
Royal College Of Obstetricians And Gynaecologists Statement On PMETB's National Trainee Survey 2006, UK
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) is aware of the issues highlighted by PMETB's recent survey . Many of these issues were previously identified in the report A Career in Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Recruitment and Retention in the Specialty (RCOG, 2006).
There are specific reasons for the lack of supervision in obstetrics and gynaecology and the perceived low satisfaction rate among trainees. On the whole, these have been systematically addressed by the RCOG since the publication of the above RCOG report. For instance, the RCOG has set up a network of 170 recruitment champions around the country to ensure that trainees receive the support they require. We have also appointed a junior and senior Careers Advisor and a Recruitment Champion to ensure the momentum needed to carry forward the recommendations of the report and to improve trainees' experience of the specialty.
The bulk of the workload in obstetrics within the hospital is related to the labour ward. The 1999, we recommended 40-hour consultant presence in the labour ward to provide better supervised training and to increase patient safety in the document Towards Safer Childbirth . Only 50% of hospitals were able to fulfil this requirement when audited in 2006. The RCOG has looked at service and training issues and published The Future Role of the Consultant , where we recommended increase consultant numbers to provide better supervision and safer delivery of services.
The RCOG has also been working closely with colleagues in the Royal College of Midwives to explore multidisciplinary team working in maternity services and will publish the report The Clinical Learning Environment and Recruitment: A Report of the Joint RCM/RCOG Working Party in due course. This report will look at better collaboration between the different disciplines to ensure that trainees receive the attention they need.
The RCOG's Trainees Committee is at the moment conducting its own research into trainees' experience and attitudes in obstetrics and gynaecology across the country. This research is expected to be expansive in its data collection, and will include an examination of specific training and supervision issues.
RCOG Vice President Professor Sabaratnam Arulkumaran said "We recognise it is important that trainees have ample support and are satisfied with the supervision they receive. We are doing all we can and are currently surveying our trainees across the regions on their training experiences in order to better understand their needs."
"Better supervision of training in our acute specialty where activity takes place 24hours of the day is only possible with increased consultant presence in the labour ward. We look forward to working with the Department of Health to achieve the aim of safer childbirth."
rcog
There are specific reasons for the lack of supervision in obstetrics and gynaecology and the perceived low satisfaction rate among trainees. On the whole, these have been systematically addressed by the RCOG since the publication of the above RCOG report. For instance, the RCOG has set up a network of 170 recruitment champions around the country to ensure that trainees receive the support they require. We have also appointed a junior and senior Careers Advisor and a Recruitment Champion to ensure the momentum needed to carry forward the recommendations of the report and to improve trainees' experience of the specialty.
The bulk of the workload in obstetrics within the hospital is related to the labour ward. The 1999, we recommended 40-hour consultant presence in the labour ward to provide better supervised training and to increase patient safety in the document Towards Safer Childbirth . Only 50% of hospitals were able to fulfil this requirement when audited in 2006. The RCOG has looked at service and training issues and published The Future Role of the Consultant , where we recommended increase consultant numbers to provide better supervision and safer delivery of services.
The RCOG has also been working closely with colleagues in the Royal College of Midwives to explore multidisciplinary team working in maternity services and will publish the report The Clinical Learning Environment and Recruitment: A Report of the Joint RCM/RCOG Working Party in due course. This report will look at better collaboration between the different disciplines to ensure that trainees receive the attention they need.
The RCOG's Trainees Committee is at the moment conducting its own research into trainees' experience and attitudes in obstetrics and gynaecology across the country. This research is expected to be expansive in its data collection, and will include an examination of specific training and supervision issues.
RCOG Vice President Professor Sabaratnam Arulkumaran said "We recognise it is important that trainees have ample support and are satisfied with the supervision they receive. We are doing all we can and are currently surveying our trainees across the regions on their training experiences in order to better understand their needs."
"Better supervision of training in our acute specialty where activity takes place 24hours of the day is only possible with increased consultant presence in the labour ward. We look forward to working with the Department of Health to achieve the aim of safer childbirth."
rcog
вторник, 26 июля 2011 г.
Grapes, Soy And Kudzu Blunt Some Menopausal Side Effects
Menopausal women are at relatively high risk for memory loss, high blood pressure (hypertension) and diabetes. A decade ago, the standard treatment for these problems was long-term hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Since then, studies have shown that extensive use of HRT is associated with significant adverse effects. As a result, alternatives have been sought. Certain naturally occurring edible compounds found in plants - dietary polyphenols - have been shown to have some beneficial effects similar to HRT but without the appreciable adverse effects. Grape, soy and kudzu are dietary polyphenols. One research lab investigating them through several studies has found they can blunt cognitive loss, hypertension and insulin resistance in an experimental model.
These and related studies are being led by physiologist J. Michael Wyss, Department of Cell Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), Birmingham, AL. Dr. Wyss will be discussing his work, entitled "The Role of Estrogens and Polyphenols in Hypertension and Diabetes," at the upcoming conference, Sex and Gender in Cardiovascular-Renal Physiology and Pathophysiology, being held August 9-12, 2007 at the Hyatt Regency Austin on Town Lake, Austin, TX. The meeting is the second scientific event to be sponsored by the American Physiological Society (APS; The-APS) this year.
Incorporated in Dr. Wyss' presentation are results from the following studies:
Study 1: Grapes, Cognitive Enhancement and Hypertension
The research team examined whether grape polyphenols were associated with reduced cognitive dysfunction and a lower incidence of high blood pressure. They found that the effect of the polyphenols on working and reference memory errors indicated that both short-term (working memory) and long-term (reference memory) were beneficially and nearly equally enhanced by grape polyphenols.
However, a more formal test of this hypothesis, using other indices of these forms of memory, is needed before the effect can be fully interpreted.
The researchers also tested the hypothesis that grape seed polyphenols reduced salt-sensitive hypertension in young, estrogen-depleted rats. After ten weeks on specific diets, grape seed supplementation significantly reduced arterial pressure in the rats fed a high salt diet, compared to controls. The results indicate that grape seed polyphenols decrease arterial pressure in rats, probably via an antioxidant mechanism. The published results of this study are the first to demonstrate that dietary grape seed polyphenols blunt memory loss and hypertension in an animal model.
Study 2: Soy and Hypertension
Previous studies from the Wyss lab indicate that polyphenols in soy diets protect against hypertension in estrogen-depleted/ovariectomized rats. Specifically, they have found that estrogen deprivation (by surgical removal of the ovaries) only modestly increases arterial pressure in hypertensive rats. However, in estrogen depleted rats, the removal of soy polyphenols from the diet results in a large increase in arterial pressure, putting the animal at a much greater risk of stroke and other cardiovascular complications. The precise mechanism by which soy interacts with the blood to affect hypertension is not yet known.
Study 3: Kudzu and Insulin Resistance
The UAB researchers have examined kudzu, a vine growing in the southeast United States. Their research, and others', shows kudzu root extract blunts a significant percent of the blood pressure rise that occurs in rats placed on a high salt diet. Kudzu has also been shown to reduce blood glucose, insulin and leptin in this animal model of insulin resistance (a precursor to type 2 diabetes). Glucose tolerance and sensitivity are improved some 20 percent in chronic studies and about 50 percent when kudzu and glucose are administered simultaneously.
Conclusion
These studies demonstrate that three polyphenols - grape, soy and kudzu - blunt hypertension, insulin resistance and cognitive decline when estrogen is not present in female rats. According to Dr. Wyss, "It is unlikely that these polyphenols could eventually provide effective stand-alone therapy for post-menopausal women, but in the future they may provide effective adjunct therapy that complements the use of lower doses of traditional pharmaceutical compounds."
The American Physiological Society (APS; The-APS) has been an integral part of the scientific discovery process since it was established in 1887. Physiology is the study of how molecules, cells, tissues and organs function to create health or disease.
The APS meeting is being held August 9-12, 2007 at the Hyatt Regency Austin on Town Lake, Austin, TX. Members of the media are invited to attend the sessions.
The-APS
These and related studies are being led by physiologist J. Michael Wyss, Department of Cell Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), Birmingham, AL. Dr. Wyss will be discussing his work, entitled "The Role of Estrogens and Polyphenols in Hypertension and Diabetes," at the upcoming conference, Sex and Gender in Cardiovascular-Renal Physiology and Pathophysiology, being held August 9-12, 2007 at the Hyatt Regency Austin on Town Lake, Austin, TX. The meeting is the second scientific event to be sponsored by the American Physiological Society (APS; The-APS) this year.
Incorporated in Dr. Wyss' presentation are results from the following studies:
Study 1: Grapes, Cognitive Enhancement and Hypertension
The research team examined whether grape polyphenols were associated with reduced cognitive dysfunction and a lower incidence of high blood pressure. They found that the effect of the polyphenols on working and reference memory errors indicated that both short-term (working memory) and long-term (reference memory) were beneficially and nearly equally enhanced by grape polyphenols.
However, a more formal test of this hypothesis, using other indices of these forms of memory, is needed before the effect can be fully interpreted.
The researchers also tested the hypothesis that grape seed polyphenols reduced salt-sensitive hypertension in young, estrogen-depleted rats. After ten weeks on specific diets, grape seed supplementation significantly reduced arterial pressure in the rats fed a high salt diet, compared to controls. The results indicate that grape seed polyphenols decrease arterial pressure in rats, probably via an antioxidant mechanism. The published results of this study are the first to demonstrate that dietary grape seed polyphenols blunt memory loss and hypertension in an animal model.
Study 2: Soy and Hypertension
Previous studies from the Wyss lab indicate that polyphenols in soy diets protect against hypertension in estrogen-depleted/ovariectomized rats. Specifically, they have found that estrogen deprivation (by surgical removal of the ovaries) only modestly increases arterial pressure in hypertensive rats. However, in estrogen depleted rats, the removal of soy polyphenols from the diet results in a large increase in arterial pressure, putting the animal at a much greater risk of stroke and other cardiovascular complications. The precise mechanism by which soy interacts with the blood to affect hypertension is not yet known.
Study 3: Kudzu and Insulin Resistance
The UAB researchers have examined kudzu, a vine growing in the southeast United States. Their research, and others', shows kudzu root extract blunts a significant percent of the blood pressure rise that occurs in rats placed on a high salt diet. Kudzu has also been shown to reduce blood glucose, insulin and leptin in this animal model of insulin resistance (a precursor to type 2 diabetes). Glucose tolerance and sensitivity are improved some 20 percent in chronic studies and about 50 percent when kudzu and glucose are administered simultaneously.
Conclusion
These studies demonstrate that three polyphenols - grape, soy and kudzu - blunt hypertension, insulin resistance and cognitive decline when estrogen is not present in female rats. According to Dr. Wyss, "It is unlikely that these polyphenols could eventually provide effective stand-alone therapy for post-menopausal women, but in the future they may provide effective adjunct therapy that complements the use of lower doses of traditional pharmaceutical compounds."
The American Physiological Society (APS; The-APS) has been an integral part of the scientific discovery process since it was established in 1887. Physiology is the study of how molecules, cells, tissues and organs function to create health or disease.
The APS meeting is being held August 9-12, 2007 at the Hyatt Regency Austin on Town Lake, Austin, TX. Members of the media are invited to attend the sessions.
The-APS
вторник, 19 июля 2011 г.
FDA Official Calls Results Of Ortho Evra Birth Control Patch Studies 'Preliminary'; No Regulatory Action Expected
Daniel Shames, director of FDA's Division of Reproductive and Urologic Drug Products, on Friday called the results from two Ortho-McNeil-funded studies, which link the Ortho Evra birth control patch to an increased risk of blood clots, "preliminary" and said regulatory action is not expected, the Los Angeles Times reports (Alonso-Zaldivar, Los Angeles Times, 2/18). One of the studies -- which was conducted by i3 Drug Safety, an Ingenix subsidiary, and released last week -- compared the combined risk of heart attack, stroke and blood clots in the legs or lungs in women using Ortho Evra and women taking oral contraceptive pills containing norgestimate and estrogen. The study did not find an increased combined risk for heart attack or stroke in women taking Ortho Evra, but patch users had about double the risk of blood clots as the women taking the pills. A separate manufacturer-funded study comparing Ortho Evra users to pill users examined a database of 200,000 women and showed that the risk of blood clots was similar between the two groups. That study, which was conducted by the Boston Collaborative Drug Surveillance Program and published in the Jan. 30 online edition of the journal Contraception, also did not find an increased risk for heart attack or stroke among women using Ortho Evra, but evaluation of the data is ongoing (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy, 2/17). Shames said, "We're not sure what this means clinically, but it's information that people need to know about" (Los Angeles Times, 2/18). Shames said women should consult their doctors when deciding on a method of birth control, adding, "For some people the patch may be better because some people don't reliably take the pill or don't want to take the pill or forget the pill." He said, "On the other hand, these results are preliminary, so we can't make hard comments about it" (Schmid, AP/Philadelphia Inquirer, 2/18). Shames said FDA currently is reviewing the study results, and he expects the company to submit more data by May (Corbett Dooren, Wall Street Journal, 2/21).
CBS' "Evening News" on Friday reported on the study. The segment includes comments from Shames; a gynecologist who prescribes the patch; and a user of the patch (Bowers, "Evening News," CBS, 2/17). The complete segment is available online in RealPlayer.
"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
CBS' "Evening News" on Friday reported on the study. The segment includes comments from Shames; a gynecologist who prescribes the patch; and a user of the patch (Bowers, "Evening News," CBS, 2/17). The complete segment is available online in RealPlayer.
"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
вторник, 12 июля 2011 г.
Incontinence A Common Postnatal Problem
Almost a quarter of all mothers have problems with exertion incontinence one year after childbirth, according to a new doctoral thesis from Karolinska Institutet. However, despite many physical ailments, new mothers have better self-rated health than other women in the same age group.
In her thesis, Women's health after childbirth, postgraduate student and midwife Erica Schytt takes an all-inclusive approach to the question of how childbirth affects mothers' physical health. Her survey included some 2,500 Swedish women, who were asked to complete a series of questionnaires on physical symptoms and rate their health on a scale of one to five, from the start of their pregnancy until after the delivery.
The thesis shows that most of the women were troubled by at least one symptom for their entire first year, and that a quarter of them had five or more symptoms. The most common complaint was exertion incontinence, which no less than 22% of the women suffered a year after childbirth.
"This is serious, as it's often a chronic problem," says Dr Schytt.
Women who suffer from obesity or constipation, who have already had a child, or who are older than 35 are at particular risk of developing exertion incontinence, while the chances were lower for those who had had a caesarean. However, Dr Schytt stresses that this is not to be taken as an argument for opting for a caesarean, as the operation has its own dangers.
Other common complaints after delivery were fatigue, headaches, and neck, shoulder or lower back pain. Pain from the caesarean operation, pain during intercourse and haemorrhoids were common after two months, but for most women these problems had ceased after a year.
Despite a number of physical complaints, most of the women described themselves as feeling well. To the question: "All in all, how would you describe your present state of health"", 91% responded "good" or "very good" two months after childbirth. When the question was asked again after one year, the number had dropped slightly to 86%.
According to Dr Schytt, these figures are better than for women of the same age in the normal population.
"Either giving birth makes you healthy, or healthy women have babies," she says. "It's probably the latter, but I daresay it's also the case that women experience powerful elation after giving birth that takes their mind off any ailments that they might also expect to be only temporary."
Dr Schytt thinks that her results can be of use in postnatal care.
"Most women recover after childbirth, but there are those who don't, and it's these we need to get to," she says. "The two-month postnatal check up is an important opportunity for midwives and doctors to identify and deal with women's physical problems and other risk-factors of poor self-rated health."
Thesis: "Women's health after childbirth" by Erica Schytt, Department for Neurobiology, Caring Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet
For further information, please contact:
PhD Erica Schytt
Contact: Katarina Sternudd
Karolinska Institutet
In her thesis, Women's health after childbirth, postgraduate student and midwife Erica Schytt takes an all-inclusive approach to the question of how childbirth affects mothers' physical health. Her survey included some 2,500 Swedish women, who were asked to complete a series of questionnaires on physical symptoms and rate their health on a scale of one to five, from the start of their pregnancy until after the delivery.
The thesis shows that most of the women were troubled by at least one symptom for their entire first year, and that a quarter of them had five or more symptoms. The most common complaint was exertion incontinence, which no less than 22% of the women suffered a year after childbirth.
"This is serious, as it's often a chronic problem," says Dr Schytt.
Women who suffer from obesity or constipation, who have already had a child, or who are older than 35 are at particular risk of developing exertion incontinence, while the chances were lower for those who had had a caesarean. However, Dr Schytt stresses that this is not to be taken as an argument for opting for a caesarean, as the operation has its own dangers.
Other common complaints after delivery were fatigue, headaches, and neck, shoulder or lower back pain. Pain from the caesarean operation, pain during intercourse and haemorrhoids were common after two months, but for most women these problems had ceased after a year.
Despite a number of physical complaints, most of the women described themselves as feeling well. To the question: "All in all, how would you describe your present state of health"", 91% responded "good" or "very good" two months after childbirth. When the question was asked again after one year, the number had dropped slightly to 86%.
According to Dr Schytt, these figures are better than for women of the same age in the normal population.
"Either giving birth makes you healthy, or healthy women have babies," she says. "It's probably the latter, but I daresay it's also the case that women experience powerful elation after giving birth that takes their mind off any ailments that they might also expect to be only temporary."
Dr Schytt thinks that her results can be of use in postnatal care.
"Most women recover after childbirth, but there are those who don't, and it's these we need to get to," she says. "The two-month postnatal check up is an important opportunity for midwives and doctors to identify and deal with women's physical problems and other risk-factors of poor self-rated health."
Thesis: "Women's health after childbirth" by Erica Schytt, Department for Neurobiology, Caring Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet
For further information, please contact:
PhD Erica Schytt
Contact: Katarina Sternudd
Karolinska Institutet
Подписаться на:
Комментарии (Atom)