UIC professor receives international humanitarian award
Dr. Samuel Epstein, professor emeritus of environmental and occupational medicine at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health, has received the Albert Schweitzer Golden Grand Medal for Humanitarianism.... ...The award, given by the Albert Schweitzer World Academy of Medicine, honors Epstein for his "longstanding and pioneering international contributions to cancer prevention....Lack of clinical trial participation may contribute to lower survival rates
A new study finds poor survival rates among young adults and older adolescents with some cancers may be partially explained by the lack of participation in clinical trials. The study, published in the May 1, 2005 issue of CANCER ( ), a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, found that age-dependent survival rates among patients with sarcomas - except Kaposi Sarcoma (KS) - correlate...Protecting children from industrial chemicals in the environment
American children are likely to face serious health consequences from new and existing industrial chemicals in the environment, argue a group of researchers in a report in this month's premier open-access global health journal .... ...Women exposed to industrial chemicals in the environment pass them on to their children across the placenta or via breast milk, and children are also exposed to c...Raw food vegetarians have low bone mass
St. Louis, March 28, 2005 -- Vegetarians who don't cook their food have abnormally low bone mass, usually a sign of osteoporosis and increased fracture risk. But a research team at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis also found that raw food vegetarians have other biological markers indicating their bones, although light in weight, may be healthy. ......The study, published in t...Hopkins begins human trials with donor adult stem cells to repair muscle damaged from heart attack
Researchers at Johns Hopkins have begun what is believed to be the first clinical trial in the United States of adult mesenchymal stem cells to repair muscle damaged by heart attack, or myocardial infarct. ......The so-called Phase I study is designed to test the safety of injecting adult stem cells at varying doses in patients who have recently suffered a heart attack. .........An estimate...US attempting to flout ethical practice for patient trials abroad
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has proposed that observing a widely accepted code of medical ethics that protects patients who take part in trials is not necessary for studies conducted abroad, states a comment in this week's issue of THE LANCET....... The 2000 Declaration of Helsinki, produced by 82 national medical associations, states that: "At the conclusion of the study, every pat...Oral bacteria may predict pregnancy outcomes
Chicago March 23, 2005 Researchers from New York University found that certain bacteria from the mouth may be related to preterm delivery and low birthweight according to a study in the (JOP). ...... It's been reported in the past that periodontal disease may be a factor in the occurrence of preterm low birthweight babies. Now it is believed that bacteria commonly found in dental plaque biofi...Stanford patient is first to test new treatment for peripheral arterial disease
STANFORD, Calif. - For several years, crippling leg pain has prevented Joan Erickson from walking more than a block. If she paused to rest, she could walk a little more, but not enough to continue playing golf, her favorite pastime....... ...An ultrasound and CT scan early this year showed that an artery in Erickson's thigh was almost completely blocked, confirming that her troubles were caused b...NIAID initiates trial of experimental avian flu vaccine
Fast-track recruitment has begun for a trial to investigate the safety of a vaccine against H5N1 avian influenza, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), announced today. ...... Sites in Rochester, NY, Baltimore and Los Angeles will enroll a total of 450 healthy adults. The clinical sites are part of the NIAID-sponsored V...African-American women with endometrial cancer have more aggressive cancer than Caucasian women
Miami, March 21, 2005--In two studies of African-American women with endometrial cancer, a group of investigators from Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the National Cancer Institute has found that African-American women with advanced endometrial cancer have more aggressive tumors than Caucasian women, potentially leading to worse outcomes. ...... Specifically, the investigators first performe...WISE study starts in Toulouse: 60 days of bed-rest for terrestrial female astronauts
Since Saturday, 19 March, the study entitled Women International Space Simulation for Exploration (WISE) has been fully under way. All participants in the first of two campaigns have been lying in bed, tilted head down at an angle of 6 below horizontal, so that their heads are slightly lower than their feet....... This position results in physiological changes that also occur in astronauts during...Use of potentially inappropriate medications among elderly common in some European countries
There are substantial differences between European countries in the potentially inappropriate use of medications among elderly home care patients, according to a study in the March 16 issue of JAMA....... Use of potentially inappropriate medications in elderly patients is a major health care concern, according to background information in the article. It is likely to increase the risk of adverse...Study finds direct association between cardiovascular disease and periodontal bacteria
Baltimore, MarylandResearchers report this week that older adults who have higher proportions of four periodontal-disease-causing bacteria inhabiting their mouths also tend to have thicker carotid arteries, a strong predictor of stroke and heart attack.... ...An investigative team of researchers from the University of Minnesota (Minneapolis) and Columbia University (New York City) presented their...Sharing clinical trial results with participants may be beneficial
Offering patients the results of clinical trials that they have participated in could have a positive effect, suggests a study published in his week's issue of THE LANCET....... Clinical research trials designed to improve healthcare depend on the voluntary participation of patients. However, patients are not routinely given information about the aggregate results of trials in which they have par...Drug that hinders blood vessel growth under study in ovarian cancer
A drug that may help prevent recurrence of ovarian cancer by inhibiting development of new blood vessels essential to cancer growth is under study at the Medical College of Georgia.... ...MCG is among some 25 centers nationally enrolling patients in remission to see if the investigational drug A6 can help them stay that way, says Dr. Sharad Ghamande, MCG gynecologic oncologist and a principal in...2005 H. Trendley Dean Memorial Award
Baltimore, Maryland...The 2005 H. Trendley Dean Memorial Award will be presented today to Dr. R. Gary Rozier, of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, during the Opening Ceremonies of the 83rd General Session of the International Association for Dental Research (IADR), convening at the Baltimore Convention Center....... Dr. Rozier is an outstanding scholar known worldwide for his leaders...2005 Geriatric Oral Research Award
Baltimore, Maryland...The 2005 Geriatric Oral Research Award from the International Association for Dental Research (IADR) will be presented today to Professor Jukka H. Meurman, Chair of the Department of Oral Infectious Diseases in the School of Dentistry and Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Helsinki, Finland. He is also Head Physician in the Department of Oral and Maxil...Emergency clopidogrel could save thousands of lives46,000-patient heart attack trial results
Orlando: Adding the anti-platelet drug clopidogrel to aspirin for the emergency treatment of heart attacks could save thousands of lives a year worldwide and prevent thousands of repeat heart attacks and strokes, according to new research presented today (Wednesday 9 March) at the American College of Cardiology annual conference....... . But, early use of beta-blocker treatment raises the risk of...Northwestern Memorial Hospital honored with one of the nation's top awards for quality
CHICAGO One of the nation's preeminent symbols of quality in health care the 2005 National Quality Health Care Award was bestowed upon Northwestern Memorial Hospital. The award is presented annually by the National Committee for Quality Health Care (NCQHC) with corporate sponsorship from the Cardinal Health Foundation and with legacy partner Modern Healthcare magazine. ...... Established in 1...Decreased levels of 'good' cholesterol in children with Progeria may cause premature heart disease
In a study published in the March issue of , researchers found that decreased levels of HDL cholesterol, or "good" cholesterol, may contribute to premature heart disease in children with Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome, or Progeria. Additionally, adiponectin, a hormone that regulates the metabolism of fat and sugar, may be linked to the disease process and prove helpful in finding treatmen...Northwestern Memorial physicians encourage screenings during colon cancer awareness month
March is Colon Cancer Awareness Month and doctors at Northwestern Memorial Hospital are encouraging Chicagoans to know their family history and get screened. ... ... To help kick-off Colon Cancer Awareness Month and educate patients about the risks, symptoms, prevention, early detection and treatment options for colorectal cancer, Northwestern Memorial Hospital and the Robert H. Lurie Comprehens...New trials for counseling caregivers and patients with Alzheimer's begin
Three studies are underway at the NYU School of Medicine to find out whether short-term counseling can ease the psychological stress and depression of people with Alzheimer's disease and their family members. These studies were inspired by the success of a previous trial at the NYU School of Medicine that showed that even a short period of counseling can have a long-term beneficial impact on the...Chemists synthesize molecule that helps body battle cancers, malaria
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The first synthesis of QS-21A, a medicinally important molecule that helps the body battle disease, has been achieved by chemists at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. ......In clinical trials, QS-21A has been shown to significantly improve the body's immune response in vaccine therapies against aggressive diseases such as melanoma, breast cancer, small-cell lung c...More training needed to care for growing geriatric population
CINCINNATI--The changing medical needs of the growing 65-and-over population in the United States are not being met by current medical education, University of Cincinnati (UC) researchers warn. ......What is required, they say, is more standardized geriatric training across all medical specialties. ......An article in the March 2005 issue of Academic Medicine says older adults are making more vis...Elderly receiving inappropriate prescriptions from their doctor's office
New York, NY - A large review of data linked to over 175,000 older adults enrolled in HMOs indicates that potentially inappropriate medications are being prescribed in substantial numbers. The findings are published in the February . ...... In 2000-01, according to researchers, more than 28% of elderly individuals received at least one of 33 medications deemed potentially inappropriate by medica...Mind-body connection in placebo surgery trial studied by University of Denver researcher
Patients with Parkinson's disease who thought they had received a transplant of human neurons into their brains--but who really hadn't--reported an improved quality of life one year later. ... In the April issue of the ... Forty persons from the United States and Canada participated to determine the effectiveness o...Changes in ovaries could indicate higher risk of ovarian cancer
Currently, no accurate test for the early detection of ovarian cancer exists. Instead, ovarian cancer usually strikes quietly, becoming known to doctor and patient only after the disease has reached an advanced stage. But a new study in the April issue of Gynecologic Oncology suggests that certain cellular and molecular changes in the ovary could provide the warning signs needed for early detecti...Promising vaccine may provide long-lasting protection against malaria
Researchers have developed a unique vaccine that destroys a deadly toxin produced by the parasite that causes malaria, which kills more than two million people each year. The vaccine appears extremely promising in animal studies, they say....... If the drug works in humans, it could become a more effective and longer lasting anti-malarial vaccine than those currently available, according to the r...NIAID Phase III HIV vaccine trial to determine correlates of protection will not proceed
...... The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command (USAMRMC) of the Department of Defense (DoD), support a broad, comprehensive HIV/AIDS research and development program. Two recent decisions will substantially contribute to a coordinated and comprehensive U.S. governm...More potent cancer drug made from platinum shows promise in clinical trials
. Click for abstract. . . . HONOLULU, Dec. 14 - Clinical trials of a new platinum-based cancer drug could hold promise for many cancer patients, in particular the nearly 25,000 women in the United States who develop ovarian cancer each year, according to research presented here today during the 2000 International Chemical Congress of Pacific Basin Societies.. . The w...Imperial statistician estimates size of French BSE epidemic
.Around one hundred BSE infected animals will have been slaughtered for human consumption in France during 2000, an Imperial College statistician has estimated. Dr Christl Donnelly, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, analysed BSE-incidence data from the French Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, combined with information from the UK epidemic, to estimate the size and course of the...Penn Researchers Initiate Ground-Breaking New Trials To Treat
(Philadelphia, PA) -- Surgeons and radiation oncologists at the...University of Pennsylvania Medical Center have recently initiated...ground-breaking new protocols to treat locally advanced cases of...lung cancer and mesothelioma for patients who are generally...considered untreatable at other institutions. These new clinical...trials are applying innovative combination treatments with...photod...Drug Regimen Reduces Atrial Fibrillation After Heart Surgery
ANN ARBOR, Mich.--Up to 40 percent of patients who undergo open heart surgery suffer atrial fibrillation---a rapid, irregular beat in the upper chambers of the heart---in the days after the operation. Administering a cardiac drug called amiodarone for several days prior to surgery, however, reduces the likelihood of atrial fibrillation by approximately 50 percent, according to a study conducted...'EuroVacc 02' HIV vaccine trial begins in February 2005
Lausanne, Switzerland and London, United Kingdom, February 16, 2005 -- The European Vaccine Effort against HIV/AIDS, today announced that a phase I clinical trial of novel investigational vaccines comprising DNA-HIV-C and NYVAC-HIV-C for the prevention of HIV infection has started in Lausanne and London in February 2005. These vaccines are based on HIV subtype C, which is prevalent in China, Ind...PENN begins clinical trial of newest technology to treat thoracic aortic aneurysms
(Philadelphia, PA) A clinical trial is underway at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP) to study the safety and effectiveness of an endovascular medical device to treat life-threatening thoracic aortic aneurysms. Ronald Fairman, MD, Chief of Vascular Surgery at HUP, is leading the study at Penn and is one of 35 principal investigators in North America to participate in this land...NIAID seeks applicants to lead clinical trials units for revamped HIV/AIDS networks
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) today announced that it is soliciting applications from U.S. and overseas research institutions seeking to become Clinical Trials Units (CTUs) in the Institute's revamped HIV/AIDS Clinical Trials Networks. NIAID, part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), supports the world's largest portfolio of clinical research in HIV...Bacteria collection sheds light on urinary tract infections
Food of animal origin, contaminated with E.coli, can lead to urinary tract infections in women, according to a team of bacteriologists. ... "We found out that UTIs may be caused by ingesting food contaminated with E. coli," said Dr. Chobi DebRoy, director of Penn State's Gastroenteric Disease Center. Previously, this link was not established, she noted. ... Senior author, Dr. Lee W. Riley, Univ...Northwestern Memorial Hospital receives $10 million commitment to support preeminent heart program
Northwestern Memorial Hospital today announced that Neil G. Bluhm, a prominent real estate developer, and his family have committed $10 million to the Northwestern Cardiovascular Institute, which has been renamed the Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute of Northwestern Memorial Hospital. The Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute, which launched in April of 2004 with the arrival of renowned cardiothoracic sur...International trial of two microbicides begins
A large, multisite trial designed to examine the safety and preliminary effectiveness of two candidate topical microbicides to prevent HIV infection has opened to volunteer enrollment. The trial, sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, represents a partnership among various research institutions in Africa and the U...Trial reveals safer and simpler approach to treating children with cystic fibrosis
Treating chest infections in young cystic fibrosis patients with an antibiotic once instead of three times daily is as effective and less toxic, conclude the results of a randomised trial published in this week's issue of THE LANCET....... Aminoglycoside antibiotics are widely used for the management of patients who have cystic fibrosis and chronic chest infection with a bacterium called Pseudomo...