Stopping Gun Massacres With Extensive Background Checks And Denial Criteria

Editor's Choice
Academic Journal
Main Category: Public Health
Also Included In: Psychology / Psychiatry
Article Date: 28 Dec 2012 - 11:00 PST

Extensive background checks and denials on gun purchases can aid in gun violence prevention, especially mass shootings, such as the ones that occurred at Sandy Hook, Virginia Tech, Aurora, or Columbine, suggests a top expert on gun violence prevention and an emergency medicine physician at UC Davis, Garen Wintemute.

Wintemute, director of the UC Davis Violence Prevention Research Program and inaugural Susan P. Baker-Stephen P. Teret Chair in Violence Prevention at UC Davis says:

"To reduce the number of deaths and injuries from firearms in the United States, we need to develop policies that require background checks for all firearm purchases, including private-party sales, the most important source of firearms for criminal buyers and others who are prohibited from purchasing guns."

Wintemute's views were published in the New England Journal of Medicine as a perspective article. The focus of his article was geared towards putting in place harsher credentials for individuals who try to obtain a firearm. He believes criminals who have previously been convicted of a misdemeanor or violent crime should not be allowed to buy a gun.

He also recommends more criteria be set to differentiate between treatable non-violent mental illness and those with a past of mental illness, violence and substance abuse.

The United States only accounts for five percent of the world's population, and yet holds 40 percent of all firearms that are owned by civilians, according to Wintemute. Additionally, the current laws and policies regarding gun ownership and purchase allow for the broadest group of people to use them under the broadest range of conditions.

Specifically, Wintemute cites the "Stand Your Ground" laws, put into effect at the state level, as harmful and used to validate shootings that should be known as murder.

Wintemute recommends taking a comprehensive stance:

"It may be impossible to predict the next mass shooting incident, and we cannot expect interventions designed for specific circumstances to eliminate the risk of firearm violence. But we can change our firearms laws, based on existing evidence, to reduce harm and better ensure public safety."

He points out that 40 percent of all firearm sales involve private-party sellers and they do not need to conduct background checks or maintain records. Wintemute suggests policies be put into action to avoid these anonymous and unreported sales, as well as those that prevent sales of guns to those who are more inclined to be violent.

The author's research has proven that among people who buy firearms legally, those with a prior charge for a misdemeanor violent crime are nine times more inclined to be arrested again for a violent crime. For individuals with two or more prior convictions, the risk rises by 10 or 15. Also, previous research has established that gun owners who abuse alcohol are at a higher risk than others to participate in violence-related firearm behavior.

He explains:

"We know that comprehensive background checks and expanded denial criteria are feasible and effective, because they are in place in many states and have been evaluated. In California, the denial policy reduced the risk of violence and firearm-related crime by 23 percent among those whose purchases were denied. But we need to broaden these and other effective state-level regulations to eliminate the flow of firearms from states where laws are lax to states where laws are stricter."

Policies for background checks and sales denials for violent criminals has gained significant public support, even from gun owners. Wintemute's research came from survey data and several public polls conducted by the Mayors Against Illegal Guns.

Wintemute stresses that putting into action stricter background check and denial policies for gun sales may not get rid of gun violence but it will surely reduce it. He believes we can only change the outcome of horrible tragedies such as that of Sandy Hook by addressing access to guns.

Written by Kelly Fitzgerald
Copyright: Medical News Today
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Findings Support Safety Of Whooping Cough Vaccine For Older Adults

Main Category: Respiratory / Asthma
Also Included In: Immune System / Vaccines
Article Date: 28 Nov 2012 - 21:00 PST

A new study of the safety of the tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine supports the recommendation that those 65 and older get the vaccine to protect themselves and others, particularly young babies, from pertussis. Published online in Clinical Infectious Diseases, the findings come as reported U.S. cases of the bacterial infection, also known as whooping cough, are at the highest level since the 1950s.

An extremely contagious respiratory illness, pertussis puts infants at greatest risk for severe complications, including death. More than half of infants younger than 1 year old who get pertussis are hospitalized, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and 1 or 2 in 100 hospitalized infants die. Immunity is difficult to maintain in the community because infants cannot be vaccinated until they are 2 months old. As a result, they may be at risk, especially from family members and care givers who have the disease.

In their study, Hung Fu Tseng, PhD, MPH, and his team at Kaiser Permanente Southern California found that adverse events following Tdap vaccination in seniors were mostly minor. "Although there is a small increased risk of injection site reaction following Tdap vaccination in the elderly, it is no more common than that following the traditional tetanus and diphtheria (Td) vaccine," Dr. Tseng said.

The researchers' study included 119,573 seniors who received the Tdap vaccine and the same number of people who received the traditional Td vaccine. Safety data were collected from seven health maintenance organizations across the U.S. The risk for adverse events following vaccination was comparable among both groups.

The authors hope the findings will allay any fears among older adults about the safety of the Tdap vaccine and prompt more doctors to urge across-the-board immunization, which is crucial in the wake of recent pertussis outbreaks, such as those in Minnesota, Washington state, Wisconsin, and elsewhere. Current recommendations call for infants older than 2 months, children, teens, adults (including pregnant women, parents, and health care workers), and those over 65 to be vaccinated.

"Pertussis immunization is important, particularly since one of the most common sources of pertussis in infants is their relatives, including their grandparents," Dr. Tseng said. "We suggest that clinicians follow CDC's recommendation and talk to older adult patients about vaccination against pertussis to protect themselves and their family members."

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Prescribing Emergency Contraception In Advance For Teenagers

Editor's Choice
Academic Journal
Main Category: Sexual Health / STDs
Also Included In: Pediatrics / Children's Health
Article Date: 26 Nov 2012 - 3:00 PST

Teenage girls should be prescribed emergency contraception in advance, because it has been shown that they are more likely to use it promptly when needed, the American Academy of Pediatrics announced in Pediatrics online on November, 26th, 2012.

Even though the number of teenage pregnancies has dropped in the USA over the last few decades, the country still has significantly higher teen birth rates than other industrialized nations, the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) informed.

Federal policy bans the OTC (over the counter) sales of emergency contraception to females aged under 17 years of age. The AAP believes that if young teenagers had emergency contraception on hand - with advance prescriptions - their chances of becoming pregnant unintentionally would be reduced.

In February 2012, the Guttmacher Institute published a report informing that in 2008, teenage pregnancies in the USA reached their lowest levels in nearly four decades. Pregnancy rates among adolescents peaked in the early 1990s, and then fell dramatically, as did birth and abortion rates in this age group.

In this latest report, the AAP discusses how emergency contraception can lower the risk of pregnancy in teenage girls.

Many adolescents in the United States still continue to have unprotected sex. According to the AAP, up to 10% of girls are victims of sexual assault.

Barrier and other forms of contraceptives do not always work:

• Condoms may be faulty
• Condoms may slip
• Contraceptive doses may be missed
• Contraceptive doses may be taken late

Such emergency contraception regimens as Next, Choice, Plan B and some others are the only methods of contraception to prevent unwanted pregnancies if used within 120 hours of having either unprotected or under-protected sex.

The AAP says pediatricians may play a crucial role in counseling teenage girls, and providing them with emergency contraception when in need.

The AAP emphasizes that emergency contraception plays no role in protecting against STIs (sexually transmitted diseases). Doctors should discuss the importance of STI testing with their patients, and when needed, what treatments are recommended.

Pediatricians should also advocate for better insurance coverage, as well as better access to emergency contraception for adolescents, regardless of how young they are.

In August 2010, the AAP wrote that America had the highest pregnancy rate among teenagers in the Western Hemisphere. 25% of US teens had an STI. The authors of a report "Sexuality, Contraception, and the Media", which was published in Pediatrics, said that we should be paying careful attention to media messages regarding contraception and sexuality. Teenagers like certain websites and TV shows - the way they portray sex might have a major impact on how young people initiate sexual intercourse, the authors added.

Unlike most other industrialized nations, emergency contraception has been a controversial subject in the USA for many years.

Written by Christian Nordqvist
Copyright: Medical News Today
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Visitor Opinions (latest shown first)

EC works BEFORE conception

posted by Peavy on 26 Nov 2012 at 8:08 am

Please use FACTS.

There are two kinds of EC pills: levonorgestrel (Plan B One Step, Next Choice) and ulipristal (ella). Both kinds work by blocking OVULATION. The release of the ovum (egg) from the ovary is either delayed or prevented: NO egg, NO fertilization, NO conception, NO zygote, and certainly NO abortion.

Hormonal implants call for long-term disruption of usual hormonal cycles. Personally, I find the idea of point-use of EC (which is also hormonal) more acceptable, but this should be an individual decision.

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Contraception goes against God

posted by Rev. William Fletcher on 26 Nov 2012 at 5:56 am

The Lord said "Go forth and multiply". Contraception of any kind is sinful. Shame on you!!

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A better Option. Contraceptive implants under the skin

posted by Curly on 26 Nov 2012 at 5:48 am

The proposal to give young girls the morning after pill before hand has some merit but it still leaves gaps. So a better way in the long run would be to implant an under the skin birth control implant at the same time the young girls are given their HPV vaccinations. These implants are good for about 5 years. When the girls are ready to start their families then the implant could be removed. Both boys and girls should get the HPV shots when a birth control implant is developed for men then the boys should also get it. Until this method is fully accepted the passing out of the morning after pill should be continued. In addition the cost should be picked up by the federal government should pick up the cost (including of the morning after pill) so both rich and poor can have access to this preventive.

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A tiny new life begins before "pregnancy"

posted by Russ on 26 Nov 2012 at 5:27 am

Pregnancy is often defined as implantation of the embryo in the womb. However, a new human life begins at conception, not at implantation. These "emergy contraceptives" function in part by preventing implantation and run the risk of terminating the tiny human life.

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EHRs Will Likely Have Positive Impact On Health Care According To Clinicians

Main Category: IT / Internet / E-mail
Also Included In: Primary Care / General Practice
Article Date: 07 Oct 2012 - 0:00 PDT

Survey results reveal that an overwhelming majority of clinicians believe that the electronic exchange of health information will have a positive impact on improving the quality of patient care, coordinating care, meeting the demands of new care models, and participating in third-party reporting and incentive programs.

The American College of Physicians (ACP), the Bipartisan Policy Center, and Doctors Helping Doctors Transform Health Care developed the survey and analyzed 527 responses in the report Clinician Perspectives on Electronic Health Information Sharing for Transitions of Care.

"The exchange of patient health information across care settings is a critical component to the success of the new models to improve care, such as the patient-centered medical home," said Michael S. Barr, MD, FACP, MBA, who leads ACP's Medical Practice, Professionalism & Quality division. "ACP agrees with the 78 percent of survey respondents who believe that exchanging health information will have a positive effect on clinicians' ability to meet the demands of these new care models."

Yet challenges remain for the widespread electronic exchange of health information. More than 70 percent of clinicians surveyed identified lack of interoperability, lack of an information exchange infrastructure, and the cost of setting up and maintaining interfaces and exchanges as major barriers, preventing clinicians from exchanging information with others.

"The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology has done a lot to encourage the development of the technology needed to support the exchange of information across care settings, but we still have a long way to go," said Dr. Barr. "These gaps are most apparent when we look at the infrastructure, or lack thereof, needed to support the exchange of information and the governance surrounding such exchange."

Additional key findings from the survey include:

• Access to medication lists and relevant laboratory and imaging test results are commonly recognized as high priorities for transitions of care.
• More than half of respondents prefer that information they view as "essential" get "pushed" to them, with the ability to access the rest of the information through a query.
• Timeliness of information is important. A clear majority of clinicians consider "within 24 hours" a reasonable timeframe for the exchange of information when a patient requires follow-up care or is being treated for an urgent problem.
• When updating the electronic health record with information received from an external source, clinicians prefer to be able to selectively pick and choose the information they want integrated.

"By categorizing clinicians' views on the types of information they want to receive, how they want to receive it, how quickly they want to receive it, and what they want to do with it, we can support efforts to facilitate the exchange of health information," Dr. Barr said.

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Doping Is Now A Public Health Issue, Not Just A Sporting One

Editor's Choice
Main Category: Sports Medicine / Fitness
Also Included In: Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs
Article Date: 24 Sep 2012 - 12:00 PDT

Doping - using drug or blood products to improve athletic performance - has now become a public health problem, and not just a sporting one, experts explained at an anti-doping conference organized by the Arne Ljungqvist Foundation.

Dr. Timothy Armstrong, who works at WHO (World Health Organization) explained that about 3% of high school boys in America regularly take growth hormones or steroids. This amounts to a very large number of people and is definitely a public health problem, he added.

Dr. Armstrong said:

"Substance abuse in any shape or form has a physical and mental health aspect to it. The WHO, being the lead UN (United Nations) agency on health matters, takes this issue quite seriously."

Dr. Arne Ljungqvist, the Foundation's creator, agreed that doping has reached a scale that threatens public health. He hopes this conference may convince everybody that doping is no longer just a problem that exists in the Olympics or other major international events.

Ljungqvist said "This is a first attempt to highlight this matter as a public health issue, which in my view it is. "Elite sport plays an obvious role. They are the role models of youngsters and if they are drug takers, that is not the right role model for the coming society. "I am so happy today to see these international authorities coming together and sharing these concerns that are being expressed and I hope that we can find common ways to deal with them."

David Howman, Director General of WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency), said that events which occur among top athletes often have a knock-on effect that spreads into wider society. He emphasized the need for agencies, organizations and health care professionals to share information if we really want to reign in the doping problem.

Howman said:

"What we have learned in the last 10 years is that there is a trickle-down effect into recreational sports and into the high schools. In Australia now, the customs people share their information with the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Agency (ASADA), and already 40 percent of their anti-doping rule violations come from that sort of information. That's a very good example of how it can work when people work together."

An anti-doping drive, which occurred before the 2012 London Olympics, revealed several cases of doping, Howman said. The Anti-Doping Agency of the UK shared data with the police and customs authorities - these data were then forwarded to the International Olympic Committee. The Olympic Games' anti-doping program was based mainly on that data.

The sharing of information between the various UK authorities led to several discoveries of doping in the out-of-competition phase.

Each organization, Howman explained, has only a small slice of the data cake and can only work on their own up to a limited point. However, if all the agencies, such as UNESCO, WADA, WHO, customs, police and the IOC joined forces, the chances of beating the growing doping problem is much more feasible. Howman said "We all require better data to inform prevalence - how many people are taking what substances and the adverse social and health effects as a consequence of that."

Homan mentioned the UNESCO Anti-Doping Convention, which 172 nations subscribed to, and how national governments could align their domestic policies with the Code. It is important that rules around the world regarding anti-doping in sport become harmonized.

Pilar Alvarez-Laso, the assistant Director General of UNESCO, said that as UNESCO and WADA join together at the international levels, this plague which harms athletes and undermines the fair-play of sports may be eliminated. Doping practices can cause serious harm to the credibility of sport.

Alvarez-Laso says it is crucial that young people be educated on the moral, legal and health consequences of doping.

What is doping, who decides, how do they decide?

Ex-chairman of the WADA List Committee, Dr. Gary Wadler, explained in the conference who decides what doping is, and how. He said that there is a Prohibited List.

For a method or substance to be considered for the Prohibited list, it must match two or more of the criteria below:

• It may enhance performance, or sports performance
• It may be hazardous to health
• Using it violates the spirit of sport

Prohibited substances or methods banned from the Olympics include:

• Banned androgenic agents
• Beta blockers
• Beta-2 agonists
• Blood doping
• Diuretics and masking agents
• Endogenous anabolic androgenic steroids
• Erythropoiesis-stimulating agents
• Exogenous anabolic androgenic steroids
• Glucocorticoids
• Hormone antagonists and modulators
• Hormones and related substances
• Metabolites and isomers
• Narcotics and cannabinoids
• Other anabolic agents
• Stimulants

Professor Arne Ljungqvist (born 1931), from Stockholm, Sweden, is a medical researcher as well as an ex-member of Sweden's Olympic team in 1952. He was Sweden's high jump champion. Prof. Ljungqvist left competitive sports to complete his medical training.

Prof. Ljungqvist is an internationally respected and famous doping hunter, and has been working actively worldwide in the fight against doping in sports for the last four decades. He is a member of the IOC and is vice-chairman of the WADA.

Some doping substances give an unfair advantage for several years

Researchers from Umea University, Sweden, found that power lifters who used to take anabolic steroids years ago, but no longer do, experienced changes in their shoulders and quadriceps which gave them advantages that still persisted. In other words, the unfair advantage offered by anabolic steroids continues for many years after the athlete has stopped using them.

Anabolic steroids are synthetic hormones derived from the human male hormone testosterone.

Written by Christian Nordqvist
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Oh, the irony!

posted by ian on 24 Sep 2012 at 1:46 pm

How ironic that you'd lead off this discussion with a comment by Dr. Armstrong!

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Stressed Black Girls Gain More Weight Than White Females

Editor's Choice
Main Category: Anxiety / Stress
Also Included In: Obesity / Weight Loss / Fitness
Article Date: 20 Sep 2012 - 10:00 PDT

There is a stronger connection between stress and weight gain in American black girls than American white girls.

Although dealing with large amounts of stress for a period of 10 years predicts greater increases in body weight for both white and black girls, the experience of chronic stress appears to have a larger negative impact on the weight of black girls.

This finding, published in Annals of Behavioral Medicine may explain racial disparities in obesity levels.

The prevalence of obesity in black populations in the United States is 50% higher than in those of whites. This contrast is seen as early as childhood, and especially in the teenage years of females.

Ethnic minorities suffer from a great deal of psychological stress, more than whites, partly due to perceived racial discrimination.

Scientists have known that stress is associated with a higher change of depression, heart disease and infectious diseases. One particular study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that chronic psychological stress is associated with the body losing its ability to regulate the inflammatory response, which can promote the development and progression of disease.

In this current study, over a period of ten years, the experience of chronic stress in young girls was examined to determine whether it had an influence on their BMI (body mass index), and whether the same effect was seen in both white and black adolescents.

Data from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute's (NHLBI) Growth and Health Study was gathered and analyzed, in order to assess the prevalence of obesity in 2,379 black and white girls. The girls were observed at age 10 and then followed up for 10 years. Experiences of psychological stress were closely observed.

By the end of the study, the team, led by Dr. Tomiyama of the University of California, Los Angeles, discovered that white girls reported more stress, but more black girls were overweight or obese.

Both groups saw an increase in their weight if their level of chronic stress was increasing. However, the effect of chronic stress was stronger for black girls, even though they reported less stress overall.

For example, black females with one unit increase in stress, led to 0.8 BMI unit increase every two years, while their counterparts with one unit of stress led to 0.55 BMI unit increase.

The authors wrote:

"Our study documents a relationship between chronic perceived stress and BMI over a decade of growth in black and white girls. However, the relationship between perceived stress and BMI is stronger in black girls. Psychological stress may lead to weight gain through behavioral pathways, such as increased food consumption and sedentary lifestyles, but also directly through prolonged exposure to biological stress mediators such as cortisol."

The research pointed out that stress may be playing a significant role in the obesity epidemic, while also contributing to racial disparities at the same time.

Written by Sarah Glynn
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DNA Clue Discovered For Why Women Outlive Men

Featured Article
Academic Journal
Main Category: Seniors / Aging
Also Included In: Men's Health;  Biology / Biochemistry;  Genetics
Article Date: 04 Aug 2012 - 1:00 PDT

A new study of mitochondrial DNA in fruit flies offers a number of clues that might explain why females tend to outlive males across much of the animal kingdom, including humans.

Researchers from Monash University in Australia and Lancaster University in the UK, write about their work in the 2 August online issue of Current Biology.

They found male fruit flies appear to have mutations in their mitochondrial DNA that affect how fast they age and how long they live.

Scientists use fruit flies as models for studies in genes and aging because their biological processes are remarkably similar to that of other animals, such as humans, and with a lifespan of about a month, it doesn't take too long to investigate generational effects.

Senior author Damian Dowling, a research fellow in the Monash School of Biological Sciences, told the press:

"All animals possess mitochondria, and the tendency for females to outlive males is common to many different species. Our results therefore suggest that the mitochondrial mutations we have uncovered will generally cause faster male aging across the animal kingdom."

"Intriguingly, these same mutations have no effects on patterns of aging in females. They only affect males," he added.

Mitochondria are special subunits of cells, about the same size as bacteria, that provide the energy for life. They combine sugar and oxygen into adenosine triphosphate or ATP, molecular packets of energy that are usable by cells.

Mitochondria have their own DNA that is quite separate from the cellular DNA in the nucleus of the cell.

And, unlike cellular DNA, which is inherited from the sperm and egg that fuse to make the new individual, mitochondrial DNA comes only from the egg.

Thus, as mitochondrial DNA is passed down from generation to generation, the process of natural selection has no opportunity to "screen out" mutations in mitochondrial DNA that might be harmful to males. The researchers refer to this as a "sex-specific selective sieve".

For their study, Dowling and colleagues looked at differences in longevity and biological aging in male and female fruit flies whose mitochondria came from different origins.

They found genetic variations in both male and female mitochondrial DNA, but only the male ones could be linked to life expectancy. There weren't just a few mutations in one place, there were several, spread all over the mitochondrial genome:

"... our results indicate that the mitochondrial mutation loads affecting male aging generally comprise numerous mutations over multiple sites," they write.

The researchers suggest the mutations are entirely due to the way mitochondrial DNA is passed down through the female line.

"If a mitochondrial mutation occurs that harms fathers, but has no effect on mothers, this mutation will slip through the gaze of natural selection, unnoticed. Over thousands of generations, many such mutations have accumulated that harm only males, while leaving females unscathed," Dowling explained.

In an earlier study that looked at the effect of mitochondria being passed down the female line, the team had also discovered a link with male infertility.

Dowling said combining this latest study with their earlier work suggests mitochondria are "hotspots" for mutations that influece male health.

"What we seek to do now is investigate the genetic mechanisms that males might arm themselves with to nullify the effects of these harmful mutations and remain healthy," said Dowling.

Written by Catharine Paddock PhD
Copyright: Medical News Today
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Epic Fail!

posted by Kitfox on 3 Aug 2012 at 6:56 am

Is this research screening all flies or just the married ones? The data could be flawed. What we need to look into is the nagging genes of the females of the species and turn it off. Once that has been achieved the males will no longer mutate their genes ON PURPOSE in order to shorten the suffering period. :)

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Allergy Sufferers Have Lower Risk Of Brain Tumors

Editor's Choice
Main Category: Neurology / Neuroscience
Also Included In: Allergy
Article Date: 04 Aug 2012 - 1:00 PDT

A new study has added to the growing body of evidence implying that there's a link between allergies and reduced risk of a serious type of cancer that starts in the brain.

According to this particular study, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, the reduced risk seems to be stronger among women than men, however men have a lower tumor risk with certain allergies.

Scientists have believed having allergies or similar factors reduces the risk for this cancer, and this study has strengthened that theory. Experts have never known whether allergies lower the risk of cancer or if, before diagnosis, these tumors (glioma) interfere with the hypersensitive immune response to allergens, because they have the potential to suppress the immune system in order to grow.

Stored blood samples that were taken from patients decades before they were diagnosed with glioma were analyzed by the researchers. The researchers found that there was a 50% reduced risk of developing glioma 20 years later for men and women who had blood samples containing allergy-related antibodies, compared to people without signs of allergies.

Judith Schwartzbaum, associate professor of epidemiology at Ohio State University, investigator in the University's Comprehensive Cancer Center, and leading author of the study, said:

"This is our most important finding. The longer before glioma diagnosis that the effect of allergies is present, the less likely it is that the tumor is suppressing allergies. Seeing this association so long before tumor diagnosis suggests that antibodies or some aspect of allergy is reducing tumor risk.

It could be that in allergic people, higher levels of circulating antibodies may stimulate the immune system, and that could lower the risk of glioma. Absence of allergy is the strongest risk factor identified so far for this brain tumor, and there is still more to understand about how this association works."

Studies, until now, have not been able to analyze blood samples collected longer than 20 years before tumor diagnosis. Previous studies examining the relationship between allergies and brain tumor risk have used self-report questionnaires on patients' histories with glioma.

The study also showed that women had at least a 50% lower risk for the most severe and common type of these tumors, known as glioblastoma, if their blood samples tested positive for specific allergy antibodies. These results were not seen in men. On the other hand, men had a 20% reduced risk of this tumor if they tested positive for both specific antibodies and antibodies of unknown function than men who tested negative.

In the United States, glioblastomas constitute about 60% of adult tumors that start in the brain, which affects 3 in 100,000 people. Patients may seek treatments such as radiation, surgery, and chemotherapy. On average, these patients survive for about one year, with fewer than 25% surviving up to 2 years and just 10% surviving up to 5 years.

The Janus Serum Bank in Norway granted the research team access to specimens. This bank contains samples collected over the last 40 years from people during their annual medical checkups or from volunteer blood donors. Since 1953, Norway has registered all recent cancer cases in the country, and personal identification numbers allows cross-referencing those cases with blood samples that have been previously collected.

The experts were able to analyze stored samples from 594 citizens who were diagnosed with glioma, including 374 that were diagnosed with glioblastoma, between 1974 and 2007. These samples were matched for age, sex, and date of blood collection with 1,777 samples from people who did not have glioma in order to compare.

The team was looking for levels of two types of proteins, IgE, or immunoglobulin E, while they were measuring the blood samples. This is a class of antibodies that are made from white blood cells that mediate immune responses to allergens. Two classes of IgE take part in the allergic response:

• allergen-specific IgE- identifies specific components of an allergen
• total IgE- identifies these components but also includes antibodies with unknown functions

The researchers observed each sample and determined whether the serum had elevated levels of IgE specific to the most common allergens in Norway as well as IgE. Specific Respiratory allergens were:

• tree pollen and plants
• dog and horse dander
• dust mites
• mold

A statistical analysis was then conducted in order to approximate the association between the risk of developing glioma and elevated concentrations of allergen-specific IgE and total IgE.

A 54% reduced risk of glioblastoma was associated with the women who tested positive for elevated levels of allergen-specific IgE compared to the women who tested negative. This association was not seen in men.

The relation between total IgE levels and risk of glioma was the same for both sexes. For men and women combined, a 25% reduced risk of glioma was associated with testing positive for elevated total IgE.

The analysis for effects on glioblastoma risk alone showed a similar decreased risk for both men and women combined whose blood samples tested positive for elevated levels of IgE. However, this finding was considered borderline in terms of statistical significance because it was not a significant enough number, meaning there is still the possibility that the association could be caused by chance.

"There is definitely a difference in the effect of allergen-specific IgE between men and women. And even results for total IgE suggest there still may be a difference between the sexes. The reason for this difference is unknown," explained Schwartzbaum.

This research has shown evidence for the likelihood that the immune system of people with respiratory allergies could help fight against this type of cancer. The author explained that being able to examine this association over 4 decades between blood sampling and tumor diagnosis gave him and his team better insight.

For example, a 46% reduced risk for developing glioma 20 years later was associated with a positive test for elevated concentrations of total IgE compared to samples that tested negative. That reduced risk was only about 25% in samples that tested positive for high levels of total IgE taken between 2 and 15 years before diagnosis.

Schwartzbaum explained:

"There may be a trend- the closer the samples get to the time of diagnosis, the less help the IgE is in decreasing the risk of glioma. However, if the tumor were suppressing allergy, we would expect to see a bigger difference in risk near the time of diagnosis."

He hopes to further his research and analyze the serum samples for concentration of cytokines (chemical passengers that promote or suppress inflammation as part of the immune response) in order to see if these proteins play a part in the relationship between elevated IgE levels and reduced tumor risk.

Written by Sarah Glynn
Copyright: Medical News Today
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Researchers Develop First Potential Medicine For Patients With Most Severe Form Of Congenital Hyperinsulinism

Main Category: Diabetes
Also Included In: Pediatrics / Children's Health;  Genetics
Article Date: 04 Aug 2012 - 0:00 PDT

A pilot study in adolescents and adults has found that an investigational drug shows promise as the first potential medical treatment for children with the severest type of congenital hyperinsulinism, a rare but potentially devastating disease in which gene mutations cause insulin levels to become dangerously high.

"There is currently no effective medicine for children with the most common and most severe form of hyperinsulinism," said study leader Diva D. De Leon, M.D., a pediatric endocrinologist at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "Our new research shows that this investigational drug, a peptide called exendin-(9-39), controls blood sugar levels in people, a very promising result."

The study appears online ahead of print in the journal Diabetes.

In congenital hyperinsulinism (HI), mutations disrupt the insulin-secreting beta cells in the pancreas. Uncontrolled, excessive insulin levels thus sharply reduce blood glucose levels, a condition called hypoglycemia. If untreated, hypoglycemia may cause irreversible brain damage or death in children. Congenital HI occurs in an estimated one in 50,000 U.S. children, with a higher incidence among Ashkenazic Jews and certain other groups.

The standard treatment for some forms of congenital HI is diazoxide, a drug that controls insulin secretion by opening potassium channels in beta cells. However, this drug does not work in the most common types of HI, in which mutations prevent these potassium channels from forming.

When abnormal beta cells occur only in a discrete portion of the pancreas, precise surgery on the tiny organ can remove the lesion and cure HI. The Congenital Hyperinsulinism Center at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia is a world leader in diagnosing such lesions and performing the curative surgery on newborns.

However, in roughly half of congenital HI cases, abnormal cells are diffused through the pancreas, and surgeons must remove nearly the entire pancreas. This leaves the majority of patients at high risk of developing diabetes.

The current study, which builds on previous research by De Leon and colleagues in animals, uses exendin-(9-39), which blocks the action of a hormone receptor, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), in beta cells. The GLP-1 receptor is currently the target of drugs that treat diabetes, using the opposite effect from that investigated in this HI study.

The current pilot study included nine subjects, aged 15 to 47 years old, who had hyperinsulinism caused by mutations in potassium channels. None were being treated for HI at the time of the study, but all were at risk of hypoglycemia during periods of fasting.

In all nine subjects, the drug controlled blood glucose levels during fasting. Exendin also controlled insulin secretion in cell studies of beta cells taken from newborns with HI. The current research did not focus on the biological mechanisms that occurred, but De Leon said the results are encouraging enough to progress to a clinical study in children with HI over the next year.

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Financial support for this study came from the National Institutes of Health (grant 1R03DK07835), the Lester and Liesel Baker Foundation, and the Clifford and Katherine Goldsmith Foundation. De Leon's co-authors, all from Children's Hospital, were Charles A. Stanley, M.D., Andrew C. Calabria, M.D., Changhong Li, M.D., and Paul R. Gallagher In addition to their positions at Children's Hospital, De Leon, Stanley and Li also are in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
"The GLP-1 Receptor Antagonist Exendin-(9-39) Elevates Blood Fasting Glucose Levels in Congenital Hyperinsulinism due to Inactivating Mutations in the ATP-sensitive Potassium Channel," Diabetes, published online Aug.1, 2012, to appear in print, October 2012. doi: 10.2337/db12-0166.
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Obesity May Affect Response To Breast Cancer Treatment

Editor's Choice
Main Category: Obesity / Weight Loss / Fitness
Also Included In: Cancer / Oncology
Article Date: 16 Jul 2012 - 16:00 PDT

Experts have been questioning if hormone-suppressing drugs is the best treatment for obese women because they still have higher levels of estrogen than normal weight women even after treatment. The Institute of Cancer Research in London and The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, conducted a study and found that hormone-suppressing drugs did greatly decrease estrogen levels in obese women, however those levels still more than doubled a normal weight woman's level.

The experts published their study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology hoping their finding will help doctors be able to provide the best treatment for overweight and obese women. Scientists say that women receiving treatment for breast cancer should not be affected by these findings while emphasizing that the effect of obesity was modest.

More than three quarters of breast cancers need estrogen to grow, so one of the best ways to treat it is by stopping the hormone's ability to increase. As we already know, women with obesity have higher levels of estrogen than normal weight women. This new research shows that overweight women's hormone-suppressing drugs (aromatase inhibitors) considerably decreases their levels, but those levels are higher during treatment than normal weight women who receive the same treatment.

Senior author, team leader in the Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research Centre at The Institute of Cancer Research, and head of the academic department of biochemistry at The Royal Marsden, Professor Mitch Dowsett, said:

"We found that women with higher BMIs had more estrogen remaining in their blood after treatment than healthy-weight women, which is consistent with previous suggestions that aromatase inhibitors might be slightly less effective in these women. Our findings are based on laboratory studies, so we would need to carry out clinical trials to tell us whether women with a higher BMI would benefit from changes to their treatment. Women with higher BMIs should certainly not be alarmed by this finding or stop taking their treatment. Our study takes us a step closer to understanding which of the treatment options available might be the most suitable for individual women."

The research team reviewed a recent study that found the aromatase indicator anastrozole had no better influence than an older drug, tamoxifen, in women with higher BMI. Tamoxifen is, however, more effective in the general population.

Even though it is possible that tamoxifen is more effective in women who are overweight, the researchers wanted to see if there was another possibility. They wanted to research if aromatase inhibitors had less of an influence these women.

Two aromatase inhibitors were examined- anastrozole and letrozole (a more potent drug). 54 postmenopausal women were examined who were treated at the Edinburgh Breast Unit and who had estrogen receptor positive breast cancer. The women were treated with either 3 months of adjuvant anastrozole then 3 months of letrozole, or the drugs in the opposite order. 44 of those patients were able to give data before and after treatment on their BMI and estrogen levels. Their levels of estradiol and oestrone sulphate in the blood were measured.

Results showed:

• Before treatment, women with higher BMIs also had higher estrogen levels (women with BMIs between 30 and 35 had about 3 times more plasma estrogen than women with a BMI of 25 or less.
• Women with BMIs between 30 and 35 still had levels of plasma estrogen 3 times higher than healthy weight women after letrozole treatment.
• The same trend for letrozole was seen in the anastrozole treatment, but it did not reach statistical significance.

Chief Executive of The Institute of Cancer Research, Professor Alan Ashworth, said:

"Aromatase inhibitors have played an increasing role in breast cancer treatment over the past decade, so it is important to understand the factors that affect how well they work in individual women in order to allow doctors to choose the best possible drug from the range available."

Written by Sarah Glynn

Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

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Meta-Analysis of Breast Cancer Outcomes in Adjuvant Trials of Aromatase Inhibitors Versus Tamoxifen
Mitch Dowsett, Jack Cuzick, Jim Ingle, Alan Coates, John Forbes, Judith Bliss, Marc Buyse, Michael Baum, Aman Buzdar, Marco Colleoni, Charles Coombes, Claire Snowdon, Michael Gnant, Raimund Jakesz, Manfred Kaufmann, Francesco Boccardo, Jon Godwin, Christina Davies and Richard Peto
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Swine Flu Vaccine Linked To Guillain-Barré Syndrome Risk

Editor's Choice
Academic Journal
Main Category: Swine Flu
Also Included In: Immune System / Vaccines;  Public Health
Article Date: 10 Jul 2012 - 19:00 PDT

The 2009 influenza A(H1N1) "swine flu" vaccine, which was administered to millions of people around the world, is associated with a "small but significant risk" of Guillain-Barré Syndrome, an uncommon paralyzing nerve disorder, scientists from Quebec, Canada, reported in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association). The authors added that they believe the benefits of immunization outweighed the risks.

Guillain-Barré syndrome is a very uncommon but serious autoimmune disorder that damages the peripheral nervous system. The syndrome is typically caused by an acute infectious process. The peripheral nervous system refers to the nerves in the body outside the brain and spinal cord. A person affected with Guillain-Barré syndrome will initially have a tingly and numbing sensation in the limbs, usually the lower part of the legs; there will also be weakness in those areas. Often the sensations spread to the entire body and the patient becomes paralyzed.

As background information, the authors wrote:

"The disease is thought to be autoimmune and triggered by a stimulus of external origin. In 1976-1977, an unusually high rate of GBS was identified in the United States following the administration of inactivated 'swine' influenza A(H1N1) vaccines. In 2003, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) concluded that the evidence favored acceptance of a causal relationship between the 1976 swine influenza vaccines and GBS in adults. Studies of seasonal influenza vaccines administered in subsequent years have found small or no increased risk.

In a more recent assessment of epidemiologic studies on seasonal influenza vaccines, experimental studies in animals, and case reports in humans, the IOM Committee to Review Adverse Effects of Vaccines concluded that the evidence was inadequate to accept or reject a causal relationship."

The researchers explained that in the Autumn of 2009, in Quebec, public health authorities launched an immunization campaign against the A(H1N1) pandemic strain, using mostly an AS03 adjuvant vaccine. By the end of 2009 approximately 57% of Quebec's 7.8 million residents had received the vaccine.

Philippe De Wals, M.D., Ph.D., of Laval University, Quebec City, and team set out to determine what the risk of Guillain-Barré syndrome was after the shots were administered.

The team carried out a population-based cohort study with follow-up for a period of six months, from October 2009 to the end of March 2010.

Data were gathered from all neurology clinics and acute care hospitals in Quebec of suspected and confirmed Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) cases which had been reported by doctors, the majority of them neurologists during active surveillance. They also examined summary discharge databases of provincial hospitals. They also checked immunization status of the reported cases.

The investigators identified 83 confirmed cases of GBS over the six-month period. Twenty-five of them had been immunized against 2009 influenza A(H1N1) up to eight weeks before GBS onset - 19 of the 25 had been vaccinated within 4 weeks before onset.

After analyzing the data, the researchers concluded that there was "a small but significant risk of BGS following influenza A(H1N1) vaccination".

They attributed 2 GBS cases for every 1 million doses.

The authors emphasized that the higher risk of developing Guillain-Barré syndrome was only higher among people aged 50 years or more.

The authors wrote:

"In Quebec, the individual risk of hospitalization following a documented influenza A(H1N1) infection was 1 per 2,500 and the risk of death was 1/73,000. The H1N1 vaccine was very effective in preventing infections and complications. It is likely that the benefits of immunization outweigh the risks."

In the USA, approximately 1 to 2 people per 100,000 are affected by Guillain-Barré syndrome, says the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Just over 1,500 people in Great Britain are diagnosed annually with Guillain-Barré syndrome, out of a population of 62 million. As mentioned above, GBS is a rare disease. It is slightly more common in men than in women, and can affect people of all ages.

What is swine flu?

Swine flu, also referred to as swine influenza, pig influenza, pig flu and hog flu is a disease of pigs - an extremely contagious respiratory disease caused by one of several Influenza A viruses. From 1% to 4% of pigs that become infected with swine influenza virus die from the infection.

The most common swine influenza virus is of the H1N1 influenza subtype, but can be from other types, such as H1N2, H3N1, and H3N2.

The 2009 swine flu pandemic that infected humans was of the H1N1 type - not a very virulent (dangerous) type. The WHO (World Health Organization) declared the swine flu pandemic officially over in August 2010.

The World Health Organization says that the 2009/2010 H1N1 "swine flu" pandemic killed 18,500 people worldwide. However, a recent report published in The Lancet believes the total may be up to fifteen times higher. (Link to article)

Written by Christian Nordqvist
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Visitor Opinions (latest shown first)

Herd immunity, Jessica, not God

posted by Dr. F. Morris on 10 Jul 2012 at 9:18 pm

Jessica, your protection is from others around you who became vaccinated, it has nothing to do with God. Freeloading, more like.

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God is my vaccine

posted by Jessica Gonzalez on 10 Jul 2012 at 9:16 pm

I have found that faith in the Lord provides me with all the immunization I need from disease. Try it!

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What Improves Quality Of Life For Dying Cancer Patients?

Editor's Choice
Academic Journal
Main Category: Palliative Care / Hospice Care
Also Included In: Cancer / Oncology
Article Date: 09 Jul 2012 - 20:00 PDT

Patients with advanced cancer who are reaching the end of their lives have a better quality of life if they are not hospitalized, are not in an intensive care unit, are being visited by a pastor if they are hospitalized or in a clinic, can worry less, have the opportunity to meditate or pray, and have a therapeutic alliance with their doctor, say researchers from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, in a report published in Archives of Internal Medicine.

When curative treatments no longer work, or are not an option any more, the medical team shifts the focus from prolonging life to optimizing the patients QOL (quality of life) at the end of life (EOL).

As background information to their report, the authors explained that there is a lack of data regarding the strongest predictors of higher quality of life at the end of life.

The authors set out to identify what factors had the best impact on quality of life during the final weeks of life for a patient with advanced cancer.

Baohui Zhang, M.S., wrote:

"By doing so, we identify promising targets for health care interventions to improve QOL of dying patients."

Zhang and team's study involved 396 advanced cancer patients and their caregivers - they were all part of the Coping with Cancer study. The average age of the patients was 59 years.

Nine factors explained the biggest differences in patients' quality of life at their end of life:

• Intensive care stays during the final week of their life
• Hospital deaths
• Level of patient worry at the start of the study
• Meditation or religious prayer at baseline
• Where the cancer care took place
• The use of feeding tubes during their last week
• Pastoral care inside the clinic or hospital
• Chemotherapy during their last week of life
• The patient-doctor therapeutic alliance where the patient felt they were being treated as a whole person

The authors wrote:

"Two of the most important determinants of poor patient quality QOL at the EOL were dying in a hospital and ICU stays in the last week of life. Therefore, attempts to avoid costly hospitalizations and to encourage transfer of hospitalized patients to home or hospice might improve patient QOL at the EOL."

One of the most influential predictors of worse quality of life during the patients final weeks was patient worry at baseline, the researchers found.

The team concluded:

"By reducing patient worry, encouraging contemplation, integrating pastoral care within medical care, fostering a therapeutic alliance between patient and physician that enables patients to feel dignified, and preventing unnecessary hospitalizations and receipt of life-prolonging care, physicians can enable their patients to live their last days with the highest possible level of comfort and care."

Related Commentary in the same journal

B. Zonderman, Ph.D., and Michele K. Evans, M.D., of the Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Md., wrote:

"The concept of quality of the EOL [end of life] in cancer patients has been under examined in cancer medicine in the quest to develop newer, more advanced, and effective modalities of interventional cytotoxic therapies. This study highlights the scarcity of research in an area that can give us important tools in further refining coherent treatment strategies for patients throughout the timeline of cancer treatment and disease trajectory.

It is surprising at this stage in the development and implementation of complex multimodal cancer treatment strategies that the factors most critical in influencing the quality of the EOL are not clearly defined and considered along the entire timeline beginning with cancer diagnosis.

This work as well as the American Society of Clinical Oncology statement support early introduction of palliative care for advanced cancer patients."

How do you talk to somebody when end of life nears?

When serious illness strikes, or takes over, what is the best way to talk to that person about his/her prognosis and quality of life? Surprisingly, researchers from the University of Rochester Medical Center found that none one had really studied that question. So, they audio-recorded 71 palliative care discussions. Link to article.

Written by Christian Nordqvist
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Transplant Cytomegalovirus Infection Test Approved By FDA

Editor's Choice
Main Category: Transplants / Organ Donations
Also Included In: Medical Devices / Diagnostics;  Infectious Diseases / Bacteria / Viruses;  Regulatory Affairs / Drug Approvals
Article Date: 05 Jul 2012 - 20:00 PDT

The FDA has approved a DNA test - COBAS AmpliPrep/COBAS TaqMan CMV Test - to measure the efficacy of anti-viral treatment in solid organ transplant recipients who are being administered CMV (cytomegalovirus) antiviral therapy. The viral load test can determine, from a sample of the patient's blood plasma, levels of CMV nucleic acid.

The doctor can use the device to carry out a series of tests to determine what changes there are in the paient's CMV viral load while undergoing anti-CMV therapy.

A large drop in viral load between tests may mean that a specific therapy is effective, while no change or a rise in viral load may mean that the therapy is not working and a different one is needed.

If the fully automated COBAS AmpliPrep/COBAS TaqMan CMV Test is used in combination with other laboratory and clinical data, the doctor can better manage and optimize patient care.

CMV can cause severe illness in patients with compromised immune systems, including solid organ transplant recipients. Complications include pneumonia, colitis, and liver problems. Solid organ transplant refers to transplants of the small intestine, kidney, pancreas, lung, or heart. Recipients of tissue, or cells, such as skin, muscle or bone marrow do not have so high a risk.

In 2011, there were 28,538 solid organ transplant procedures in the USA, according to the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration's Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network.

Alberto Gutierrez, Ph.D., director of the Office of In Vitro Diagnostic Device Evaluation and Safety in FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health, said:

"Tests such as the COBAS AmpliPrep/COBAS TaqMan CMV Test can play an important role in helping health care professionals appropriately treat patients."

The FDA approved the COBAS AmpliPrep/COBAS TaqMan CMV Test after reviewing data on the test's accuracy in measuring viral load, as well as its ability to measure variations in CMV quantities accurately.

The FDA examined data from a randomized trial which took place in three sites - frozen plasma samples from 211 kidney transplant recipients with confirmed CMV diagnosis had undergone a 7-week course of anti-CMV therapy were used.

The trial demonstrated that a lower baseline viral load usually means a shorter time to resolving the CMV disease, while considerable falls in viral load are closely associated with resolution of CMV disease.

The COBAS AmpliPrep/COBAS TaqMan CMV Test is not a diagnostic tool for determining whether somebody has CMV infection, and neither is it approved as a screening test for CMV DNA presence in blood or blood products, the FDA stressed.

The COBAS AmpliPrep/COBAS TaqMan CMV Test is made by the Roche Molecular Systems in Somerville, N.J.

Paul Brown, Ph.D., head of Roche Molecular Diagnostics, said:

"We are pleased to offer this innovative test to address a key medical need for immunosuppressed solid organ transplant patients.

With this test, laboratories now have an FDA-approved option for standardized and automated CMV viral load testing that improves the laboratory's workflow. It provides physicians with clinically useful information to aid in the management of solid organ transplant patients with CMV disease."

Roche says that its new real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based CMV test is specifically made to be used on the fully automated COBAS® AmpliPrep/COBAS® TaqMan® System, what the company describes as "an established platform for viral load monitoring of multiple infectious diseases. The system can be combined with the cobas p 630 Instrument, which provides an integrated pre-analytical primary tube handling solution."

In a communique issued today, Roche wrote:

"The COBAS® AmpliPrep / COBAS® TaqMan® CMV Test is intended for use as an aid in the management of solid-organ transplant patients who are undergoing anti-CMV therapy. In this population, the test can be used to assess virological response to antiviral treatment. The test is traceable to the first WHO International Standard for Human Cytomegalovirus for Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques (NIBSC 09/162) and reliably monitors cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections."

Deliveries of the new CMV test kit should commence next month, Roche expects.

About Cytomegalovirus

As mentioned earlier, CMV is the most common viral infection in SOT (solid organ transplant) patients; it is also the most important because of the complications associated with it for some transplant recipients. The patient can become infected through the donor organ, which can develop into a CMV infection. Some transplant recipients may already have CMV in their system from a previous infection; the virus which had lain dormant reactivates.

According to Roche, between 50% and 80% of all US citizens become infected with CMV.

Most healthy people who have the virus inside their system have either none or very mild symptoms. After infection, the virus remains within the body for the rest of the person's life, in a latent state.

Written by Christian Nordqvist
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'Transplant Cytomegalovirus Infection Test Approved By FDA'

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UN Sets New Standards For Liquid Infant Formula, Seafood, Melons, Dried Figs And Labeling

Editor's Choice
Main Category: Nutrition / Diet
Also Included In: Pediatrics / Children's Health
Article Date: 05 Jul 2012 - 19:00 PDT

The Codex Alimentarius Commission, jointly run by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO), has announced new standards for the maximum level of melamine in liquid infant formula. Melamine can be deadly at high concentrations and has in the past been used to increase the protein content of infant formula and milk powder.

The Codex Alimentarius Commission celebrates its 49th birthday this year, and is meeting from the 2nd to 7th July with 600 delegates from 184 countries, plus the European Union. It's recommendations are relatively common sense.

After melamine tainted milk caused death and illness in a number of infants two years ago, the Codex Commission announced a maximum level of 1mg/kg for powdered infant formula and 2.5mg for other foods and animal feed. The Commission has now reduced the level to 0.15mg/kg in liquid infant milk. Melamine is used to make dishware and kitchenware, and for other industrial applications, so it's hard to understand how any level of the chemical is acceptable, least of all in baby milk.

The new levels will help both government and consumers to ensure that deliberate contamination is not occurring, whilst leaving manufacturers some breathing room for accidental occurrence of the chemical in their products.

Another toxic and possibly carcinogenic substance the commission looked at are aflatoxins. These are a group of mycotoxins produced by molds. Dried figs & fruit, nuts, spices and cereals can accumulate to high levels if they are not stored properly. The maximum agreed level is now 10mg/kg for dried figs - they also gave information on how to test and quantify this level to their standards.

Last summer there were problems with bacterial contamination in melons. Pre-cut slices are becoming particularly popular, with shoppers not wanting to waste money on a complete melon that partially goes to waste, but these of course allow contamination to occur more easily. Exposed fruit pulp provides a great breeding ground for bacteria and has been linked to both salmonella and listeria outbreaks.

With this in mind, the commission recommends that pre-cut melons be stored below 4' C as soon as possible after being cut, and that they should be wrapped or packed immediately. In addition, knives used for cutting the fruit should be regularly disinfected.

Seafood can also cause problems in food, with hygiene and cold storage being particularly important in mollusks, such as muscles and oysters. Hepatitis A and norovirus are of particular concern, because viruses transmitted via fecal-oral route can be particularly resistant and have been known to survive in mollusks, soil and sediments for months. Viruses can even survive freezing, refrigeration, UV radiation, and disinfection. They are, however, sensitive to heat.

The main problem with seafood is related to the water quality the organisms grow in. Cultivation areas that are suspected of being contaminated should be closed, and heat treatment of harvested mollusks is recommended. The Codex also recommended that food manufacturers around the world label nutritional content on their products, to keep consumers better informed. The WHO has produced a strategy for Diet, Physical Activity and Health - the recommendations are in line with WHO's strategy and constitute a major step towards promoting healthy eating worldwide.

Written by Rupert Shepherd
Copyright: Medical News Today
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Hundreds Receiving Help From Red Cross After Flooding, Fires And Power Outages

Editor's Choice
Main Category: Aid / Disasters
Also Included In: Public Health
Article Date: 03 Jul 2012 - 15:00 PDT

In recent weeks, the American Red Cross has had their work cut out for them, with some 1,180 individuals trying to escape the wildfires, excruciating heat, and floods,Saturday at over 55 different shelters - stretching from the east coast all the way to California.

Charlie Shimanski, senior vice president of Red Cross Disaster Services commented:

"The Red Cross is helping people who ahve no power during this dangerous heat wave while continuing to feed and shelter people impacted by the wildfires out west and flooding in Florida. We urge people to stay safe and follow the direction of local officials during these emergencies."

After Friday's heavy-duty storms, millions of people are still living without power in their homes, and according to officials, they will probably go without electricity for at least another couple of days. The Red Cross reported over 900 people taking shelter in their facilities on Saturday, due to the power outages.

Currently, The Red Cross is offering services, such as cooling centers and shelters, in the following areas:

• Ohio
• Kentucky
• Indiana
• Maryland
• New Jersey
• Virginia
• West Virginia
• Washington D.C and the surrounding areas

The Red Cross had been urging people without power to stick to the safety tips they have been told. These include:

• Making sure pets have a place to rest in the shade and ample amounts of water to drink
• Connecting power machinery to generator outlets, not the home's electrical system
• Checking up on friends/neighbors who live alone
• Keeping fridges and freezers closed to make sure food stays preserved as long as possible (A freezer full of food can stay as cold as it originally was before a power outage should the door stay closed)
• Unplugging appliances, with the exception of one light, in order to know when the power is back
• Avoiding travel as much possible because the roads may not be safe, due to the lack of working traffic lights

Due to the ongoing wildfires that have been hitting the west coast states, 12 Red Cross shelters in Utah, Montana and Colorado housed over 200 people on Saturday. Red Cross volunteers are working endlessly to help the people who are being affected by these horrible fires to have food, shelter, and counseling due to the inevitable mental and emotional problems some of the people will be facing, on top of everything else, because of damaged homes and belongings.

In Florida, close to 75 people are still living in shelters run by Red Cross, until their neighborhoods have recovered from the aftermath of the tropical storm Debby. Hundreds of disaster experts have been diligently working to make sure the people affected by the storm have food, shelter and necessary supplies, such as rakes, shovels, flashlights, gloves and tarps, to repair the damages.

To make a donation to the Red Cross and the victims of these disasters, find a shelter, or receive more information about how to avoid dangerous situations during these tough times, click here.

Written by Christine Kearney
Copyright: Medical News Today
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5 Millionth IVF Baby Born This Year

Editor's Choice
Main Category: Fertility
Also Included In: Women's Health / Gynecology;  Pregnancy / Obstetrics;  Pediatrics / Children's Health
Article Date: 02 Jul 2012 - 19:00 PDT

Experts estimate that around now, approximately 5 million babies have been born as a result of assisted reproduction technologies - namely IVF and ICSF. The first test tube baby was born in July 1978, in England, her name was Louise Brown. These data were presented yesterday at the 28th Meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE), Istanbul, Turkey.

Experts from ICMART (International Committee for Monitoring Assisted Reproductive Technologies) worked out the figure of 5 million babies from the number of IVF and ICSI treatment cycles recorded around the world up to 2008 - they then estimate what the additional numbers probably have been since then.

The presenters yesterday said that up to the end of last year, the total number of births was about 4.6 million, and this year the total will be around 5 million.

Dr David Adamson, chairman of ICMART, said:

"It means that this technology has been highly successful in treating infertile patients. Millions of families with children have been created, thereby reducing the burden of infertility.

"The technology has improved greatly over the years to increase pregnancy rates. The babies are as healthy as those from other infertile patients who conceive spontaneously. The technology is available globally in many different cultures. The major barriers to access are economic, and societal in some situations. With these accomplishments as a technology, and with recognition of Professor Robert Edwards as a Nobel Laureate, IVF is firmly established now in the mainstream of medicine."

According to ICMART, approximately 1.5 million ART cycles are carried out annually worldwide, resulting in the birth of about 350,000 babies. Experts say the numbers are progressively increasing. The most active region in the world is Europe, and the two most active countries are Japan and the USA.

ART (Assisted Reproductive Technologies) success rates "stabilizing"

Success rates from a single fresh treatment cycle of IVF and ICSI appear to have stabilized at around 32% pregnancy rate for each embryo that is transferred (and 28% per aspiration). This success rate has stabilized since 2008.

The total number of embryos transferred has dropped significantly, Dr. Ferraretti explained. Delivery rates can rise significantly while maintaining a very low multiple rate.

Regarding multiple pregnancies, Dr. Ferraretti said:

"The overall trend in Europe of transferring fewer embryos continues. We found in 2009 that, compared with previous years, fewer three-embryo transfers and more single embryo transfers were performed. As a result of this trend, ART triplets have fallen below 1%, and, for the first time, the twin delivery rate was below 20% (19.6%)."

Dr Anna Veiga, Chairman of ESHRE, and Scientific Director, Dexeus University Institute, Barcelona, Spain, said:

"Five million babies are a clear demonstration that IVF and ICSI are now an essential part of normalised and standardised clinical therapies for the treatment of infertile couples. Many aspects have changed since the early days of IVF, especially the results in terms of babies born, but there is still room for improvement.

Our objective is the birth of single healthy baby and this can be achieved though the optimisation of both clinical and embryological performance."

What are IVF and ICSI?

IVF (in vitro fertilization) - a procedure done in the lab in which male sperm are placed in a special dish with unfertilized eggs - hopefully the sperm enter the eggs and fertilize them. When fertilization occurs, the resulting embryos are transferred into the uterus of a woman or cryopreserved (frozen) for future use.

In vitro is latin for "within the glass". Basically, in vitro means that the biological process is performed outside the body of the organism (in this case a human being). In vivo is the opposite, when the process occurs inside the organism.

IFV is a major form of infertility treatment when other assisted reproductive technologies have failed. The process is as follows:

• The woman's ovulatory process is monitored
• An ovum or ova (plural: eggs) is/are removed from the female's ovaries and placed in a fluid medium in the laboratory
• Male sperm are added to the mix to fertilize the egg(s)
• The zygote (fertilized egg) is transferred into the women's uterus, the aim being to establish a successful pregnancy and the birth of a baby

IVF was developed by Robert G. Edwards, a physiologist and biologist, and Patrick Christopher Steptoe, an obstetrician and gynecologist - both from England. Edwards received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2010. Louise Brown was the first "test tube baby" and was born in 1978 as a result of natural cycle IVF.

ICSI (Intracytoplasmic sperm injection) is a form of IVF that goes one step further. The sperm is injected directly into the egg. The procedure is done under a microscope.

What is the difference between IVF and Test Tube Baby?

A test tube baby is the result of an egg being fertilized outside the woman's uterus. IVF is the process of fertilizing a woman's egg outside her body.

A test tube baby is the result, the outcome.

IVF is the technique, the process.

Written by Christian Nordqvist
Copyright: Medical News Today
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'5 Millionth IVF Baby Born This Year'

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