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Health Care - Chamomile Tea And Lotion Causing Internal Bleeding In Patient On

2006-05-02T16:08:00.001-07:00

Chamomile Tea And Lotion Causing Internal Bleeding In Patient On Anti-coagulant Medication
Researchers at the MUHC in Montreal have documented a severe case of internal hemorrhaging in a patient that drank chamomile tea and used chamomile lotion while taking anti-coagulant medication for a heart condition. The 70-year old patient was admitted to the MUHC ER in Montreal after using chamomile to help soothe her sore throat... click link for more info.

County Elections Office Certifies Petition For Grand Jury To Investigate Death Of Woman Who Received Abortion At Kansas Clinic
Officials from the Sedgwick County, Kan., Elections Office on Wednesday confirmed the office has certified a petition to assemble a grand jury to investigate the death of a woman who died three days after undergoing an abortion at the ... click link for more info.

Wisconsin Scientists Discover A Master Key To Microbes' Pathogenic Lifestyles
For some microbes, the transformation from a benign lifestyle in the soil to that of a potentially deadly human pathogen is just a breath away.Inhaled into the lungs of a mammal, spores from a class of six related soil molds found around the world encounter a new, warmer environment. And as soon as they do, they rapidly shift gears and assume the guise of pathogenic yeast, causing such serious and sometimes deadly afflictions as blastomycosis and histoplasmosis... click link for more info.

AACAP Urges FDA To Expand Research On ADHD Medications
Today, at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Pediatric Advisory Committee meeting, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) pledged to work with the FDA in communicating to parents and providers any potential risks that may be associated with taking medications for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)... click link for more info.

Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report Highlights Governors' Actions In Various US States
The following highlights recent news of gubernatorial actions on women's health issues. Alabama Alabama Gov. Bob Riley (R) on Tuesday signed into law a bill that allows a judge to order that someone charged with sexual assault or rape be tested for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, the ... click link for more info.

ADHD in children associated with gene variant and environmental risk factors
For children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), possessing a variant of a gene involved in brain signaling may predict antisocial behavior and increase susceptibility to the effects of lower birth weight, according to a study in the November issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals... click link for more info.

Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report Highlights Issues In Various US States
The following highlights recent news of state actions on women's health issues. Abortion Regulations Tennessee: The state House Public Health and Family Assistance Subcommittee on Wednesday voted 4-3 to reject a bill (... click link for more info.

Combining Alcohol And Red Bull Reduces The 'perception' Of Impairment - Alcohol's Harmful Effects On Motor Coordination, However, Remain Intact
The combined use of alcohol and "energy drinks" such as Red Bull have become increasingly popular among youth and young adults in recent years. Users often report reduced sleepiness and increased sensations of pleasure. In the April issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, Brazilian researchers conduct the first controlled scientific study on the effects of combining alcohol with Red Bull ... click link for more info.

Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report Highlights Issues In Various US States
The following highlights recent news of state actions on women's health issues. Abortion Regulations Kentucky: The state House on Wednesday, in the final day of the legislative session, did not vote on the Senate's changes to a bill (... click link for more info.

Ultrasounds Show Mothers' Drinking Shrinks Fetal Brain
Routine ultrasounds show that heavy drinkers who continue to imbibe after learning they are pregnant may carry fetuses with reduced skull and brain growth compared to those of abstainers or quitters, says a new study.Although the alcohol-exposed babies' growth remained within normal range, the findings reveal effects of drinking on the developing human brain... click link for more info.

Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report Highlights Issues In Various US States
The following highlights recent news of state actions on women's health issues. Abortion Regulations Idaho: The state House on Monday voted 50-14 to approve a bill (S 1482) that would change an Idaho law requiring a 24-hour waiting period before women seeking abortion can undergo the procedure, the ... click link for more info.

Advisers Reject "Black Box" Warning For ADHD Drugs
A Food and Drug Administration Pediatric Advisory Committee has rejected having "black box" warnings regarding psychiatric and cardiovascular risks associated with ADHD drugs. This advice goes against a recommendation issued one month ago by the Drug Safety And Risk Management Advisory Committee, which supported the idea of a black box warning... click link for more info.

Injection Drug Use Fueling Spread Of HIV/AIDS In Iran, Official Says
The growing number of injection drug users in Iran is fueling an increase in the number of new HIV cases, Mohammed Mehdi Gooya, head of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education's disease management office, said Monday, ... click link for more info.

Brain Study Considers Motor Function, Cognition With Alcohol Consumption
Dartmouth researchers are learning more about the effects of alcohol on the brain. They've discovered more about how the brain works to mask or suppress the impact that alcohol has on motor skills, like reaching for and manipulating objects. In other words, the researchers are learning how people process visual information in concert with motor performance while under the influence of alcohol... click link for more info.

New WHO Child Growth Standards
The World Health Organization (WHO) is releasing new international Child Growth Standards for infants and young children that, for the first time, provide evidence and guidance about how every child in the world should grow.The new WHO Child Growth Standards confirm that a child born anywhere in the world and given the optimum start in life has the potential to develop to within the same range of height and weight... click link for more info.

Tennessee Officials Weigh Options For Funding Program To Cover The Uninsured
Tennessee lawmakers, state officials and patient advocates on Monday at a meeting of the Legislature's Fiscal Review Committee discussed funding options for a proposal by Gov. Phil Bredesen (D) that aims to expand coverage to some of the state's 600,000 uninsured residents, the Knoxville News-Sentinel reports... click link for more info.

Placebos provide pain relief
The brain can respond to a dummy drug (a placebo) in the same way as it responds to a proper painkiller, according to some recent scans. Volunteers were exposed to heat and electric shocks at Princeton and Michigan Universities by scientists. When the volunteers were given what they thought was a painkiller, it was in fact a placebo... click link for more info.

Evolution Of Hyperactivity, Impulsivity, And Cognitive Diversity
The evolutionary status of ADHD is central to assessments of whether modern society created it, and is important in understanding its neurobiology and treatment. ADHD's association with a positively selected gene raises the possibility that ADHD itself is selected for. But previous suggestions of evolutionary benefits of ADHD have either been factually incorrect, or have not explained why, if it is useful, it remains confined to a minority... click link for more info.

FDA Panel Made 'Brave Effort' To Urge Risk Warning On ADHD Medications, New York Times Editorial States
An FDA advisory panel's recommendation last week that black box labels for some attention deficit hyperactivity disorder drugs should warn about potential cardiovascular risks "is best understood as a response to an alarming upsurge in use of stimulants that many have deemed unwarranted," a ... click link for more info.

Arthritis Drug Might Reduce Fatigue In Cancer Patients
Researchers here have found evidence that combining a drug typically used to treat rheumatoid arthritis with chemotherapy might help reduce fatigue and muscle wasting that often afflicts cancer patients.The findings of the preliminary study with 24 patients are reported in the April issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology... click link for more info.

Arizona Republic Examines Contrast On Abortion Issues Between Arizona Gubernatorial Candidates
The Arizona Republic on Wednesday examined how a "string of vetoes" by Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano (D) is likely in the November gubernatorial election to make abortion "the issue of perhaps greatest contrast between the incumbent and challenger" (Benson, Arizona Republic, 4/19)... click link for more info.

NYC Mayor Bloomberg Criticizes Abortion-Rights Supporters Who Support Abortion-Rights Opponents In Elections
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg at a NARAL Pro-Choice New York event on Thursday criticized abortion-rights supporters who support abortion-rights opponents in elections, saying that supporters must "exercise vigilance" so that lawmakers do not "try to nuance themselves away from that commitment in the interest of political expediency," the ... click link for more info.

Scientists Discover Possible Link Between Oxidative Stress And Non-hereditary Degenerative Disease
The irreversible neurological degeneration associated with Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases may be the consequence of oxidative stress--the imbalance of antioxidants and pro-oxidants in cells. This imbalance results in an excess of reactive oxygen species--harmful oxygen-containing molecules that can cause damage to proteins... click link for more info.

Health Care - FDA Panel Suggests Adding Black Box Warning To ADHD Medications

2006-05-02T16:08:00.000-07:00

Health Care - Study Finds That Seeing Plaque Buildup Prompts Patients To Comply

2006-05-01T13:55:00.001-07:00

Study Finds That Seeing Plaque Buildup Prompts Patients To Comply With Medications
A new study has found that seeing the build-up of plaque in their own arteries is the incentive patients need to comply with doctor's orders. The study, conducted at the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center (LA BioMed) and published in the journal Atherosclerosis, found that patients who see more plaque in their arteries (coronary artery calcium) tend to be more likely to stay on statin therapy than those who do not get visual proof of their risk of heart attack... click link for more info.

Health Care - S.D. Health Department Site Includes Link To Group That Advocated

2006-05-01T13:55:00.000-07:00

S.D. Health Department Site Includes Link To Group That Advocated For Abortion Ban Despite State Policy On Politically Affiliated Links
The South Dakota Department of Health's Web site includes a link to the Alpha Center -- a center in Sioux Falls that promotes alternatives to abortion and also advocated for approval of the state's abortion ... click link for more info.

Young adults with ADHD - ADDERALL XR significantly improves driving performance, study
ADDERALL XR (mixed salts of a single-entity amphetamine product) significantly improved driving performance, cognitive function and attention in young adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in a controlled driving simulator study conducted by the Washington Neuropsychological Institute and presented today at the 18th Annual U... click link for more info.

How Organisms Manage To Create Self-medications Discovered By MIT Chemist
MIT scientists have just learned another lesson from nature.After years of wondering how organisms managed to create self-medications, such as anti-fungal agents, chemists have discovered the simple secret.Scientists already knew that a particular enzyme was able to coax a reaction out of stubborn chemical concoctions to generate a large family of medically valuable compounds called halogenated natural products... click link for more info.

Moderate Drinking Associated With Better Cognition In Women
A drink or two a day may be associated with better cognitive function in women, according to a report from an ongoing study of New York City residents. The report was published in the rapid access issue of Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association."Women who had up to two drinks a day scored about 20 percent higher on the Mini Mental State Exam (MMSE) than women who didn't drink at all or who consumed less than one drink a week," said Clinton Wright, M... click link for more info.

Advisers Reject "Black Box" Warning For ADHD Drugs
A Food and Drug Administration Pediatric Advisory Committee has rejected having "black box" warnings regarding psychiatric and cardiovascular risks associated with ADHD drugs. This advice goes against a recommendation issued one month ago by the Drug Safety And Risk Management Advisory Committee, which supported the idea of a black box warning... click link for more info.

Rooney Breaks Fourth Metatarsal On Right Foot
Wayne Rooney, England's young star in the World Cup squad, broke the fourth metatarsal on his right foot yesterday following a tackle during a match between his team, Manchester United, and Chelsea. Manchester United doctors say he will be off any kind of sports for about six weeks. If his recovery goes well, that places him back in action during the first day of the world cup for England, in a match against Paraguay... click link for more info.

Red Bull Plus Alcohol Makes You Drunker Than You Feel
Many people feel more in control when they mix Red Bull with alcohol than if they mix some other drink with alcohol. According to a study carried out at the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, people may feel more in control, but tests have proved the opposite is the case. You can read about this study in Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research... click link for more info.

Relief of Child Pain & Anxiety Critical Component of Emegency Medical Treatment
Relief of pain and stress for children receiving emergency medical treatment is a vital, and readily available, component of care. According to the new AAP clinical report, "Relief of Pain and Anxiety of Pediatric Patients in Emergency Medical Systems," advances in the recognition and treatment of pain in children over the past 20 years have led to improved pain management for acutely ill and injured children... click link for more info.

Arizona Republic Examines Contrast On Abortion Issues Between Arizona Gubernatorial Candidates
The Arizona Republic on Wednesday examined how a "string of vetoes" by Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano (D) is likely in the November gubernatorial election to make abortion "the issue of perhaps greatest contrast between the incumbent and challenger" (Benson, Arizona Republic, 4/19)... click link for more info.

Dr. McCluskey Receives Top Honor For Young Taste Researchers
Dr. Lynnette P. McCluskey, a Medical College of Georgia neuroscientist using taste buds as a model for studying nerve regeneration, is the 2006 recipient of the country's top honor for young taste researchers.Dr. McCluskey received the Ajinomoto Award for Young Investigators in Gustation during the 28th annual meeting of the Association for Chemoreception Sciences April 26-30 in Sarasota... click link for more info.

Senior FDA Officials To Give Depositions In Lawsuit To Force Federal Government To Allow Nonprescription Sales Of Plan B
Former FDA Commissioner Lester Crawford, agency Deputy Operations Commissioner Janet Woodcock and Steven Galson, director of FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, from Wednesday to Friday are scheduled to give depositions in a lawsuit attempting to force the government to allow nonprescription sales of ... click link for more info.

Pharmacokinetic Data For Nastech's Intranasal Parathyroid Hormone (PTH1-34) Demonstrated Similar Profile To Approved Injectable Product
NastechPharmaceutical Company Inc. (Nasdaq: NSTK) presents data today from a PhaseI pharmacokinetic study of Parathyroid Hormone (PTH1-34) nasal spraydemonstrating a similar pharmacokinetic profile to the approvedsubcutaneous product, Forteo(R) (teriparatide). The data are beingpresented at the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists AnnualMeeting in Chicago... click link for more info.

How Early Work And Health Habits Affect Later Health - $1.7 Million NIA Aging Study At Yale
Yale School of Medicine researchers have received a four-year, $1.7 million grant from the National Institute on Aging to examine how early choices in work-life and health habits can have long-lasting health effects. The overall aim of the study, "Work-life, Health Habits and Health: Longitudinal Analysis of Aging," is to examine the dynamic interplay of work-life, health habits and health outcomes throughout life... click link for more info.

Molecular Variation In One Gene Affects The Growth Of Natural Populations
For the first time, ecologists have been able to show that molecular variation in one gene may affect the growth of a population in its natural habitat. Research Professor Ilkka Hanski, University of Helsinki, and Dr Ilik Saccheri, University of Liverpool, UK, discovered that the population growth of the Glanville fritillary butterfly (Melitaea cinxia) is affected by the allelic composition of the phosphoglucose isomerase (Pgi) enzyme... click link for more info.

Health Authorities, Women Need To Examine Data, Consider Risks Of Mifeprex, Editorial Says
It "seems premature" to remove from the market Danco Laboratories' Mifeprex -- known generically as mifepristone, which when taken with misoprostol can cause a medical abortion -- "given the uncertainties and small number of ... click link for more info.

Ultrasounds Show Mothers' Drinking Shrinks Fetal Brain
Routine ultrasounds show that heavy drinkers who continue to imbibe after learning they are pregnant may carry fetuses with reduced skull and brain growth compared to those of abstainers or quitters, says a new study.Although the alcohol-exposed babies' growth remained within normal range, the findings reveal effects of drinking on the developing human brain... click link for more info.

Study Examines Risk For Misuse Of ADHD Stimulant Medications
A major concern regarding the use of stimulant medications to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adolescents and young adults has been the risk that they will be misused or diverted to those for whom they have not been prescribed. A new study from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers has found that, while the great majority of young people with ADHD use their medications appropriately, a small percentage are likely to abuse or to sell prescribed stimulants... click link for more info.

Technique That Makes Brain Tumours Fluoresce Improves Surgical Outcome
A new technique that causes brain tumours to fluoresce results in more complete removal of the tumour and in improved progression-free survival, report German researchers in the May issue of The Lancet Oncology. "This technique is an advance over older, traditional methods, because it is simple, cheap, can be performed in real-time, and has now been put to a truly prospective test", claims coordinating investigator Dr Walter Stummer... click link for more info.

Better Model Of Deadly Brain Cancer
Researchers have created a mouse model that closely mimics human medulloblastoma, the most common type of childhood brain tumor. The new model, which was created by knocking out a key component of the DNA repair machinery, will aid in exploring the genetic roots of this deadly brain cancer.The researchers, led by Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator Frederick W... click link for more info.

Equivalent Of 2-4 Drinks Daily Encourages Cancer Tumors In Mice
University of Mississippi researchers say they have created the first-ever mammalian model of how alcohol consumption spurs tumor growth, showing that even moderate drinking resulted in larger and more robust tumors.The research provides the first mammalian model of the links between alcohol, VEGF, and tumor growth, said Wei Tan, the study's lead author... click link for more info.

Kansas AG Kline's Antiabortion Campaign Impaired By Helpful Federal Court Ruling, Editorial Says
A federal judge in Kansas has "dealt another blow" to the campaign of state Attorney General Phill Kline (R) to restrict access to abortion under the "phony banner of combating child abuse," a New York Times editorial says (New York Times, 4/22)... click link for more info.

Abbott's HUMIRA(R) (Adalimumab) Receives Positive Opinion From European Medicines Agency For The Treatment Of Ankylosing Spondylitis
Abbott todayannounced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP),the scientific committee of the European Medicines Agency (EMEA), granted apositive opinion recommending approval of HUMIRA(R) (adalimumab) for thetreatment of severe active ankylosing spondylitis. The positive opinion isbased on results from the Adalimumab Trial Evaluating Long-Term Efficacyand Safety in AS (ATLAS) Phase III clinical trial... click link for more info.

Possibility That Chiropractic Care May Reduce Anxiety Symptoms
A recent study, published in the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research (JVSR -- http://www.jvsr.com), describes a 19-year old female diagnosed with General Anxiety Disorder (GAD) who suffered from somatic and psychiatric symptoms for two years. After a four-month course of chiropractic care, the young woman reported an 80% reduction in her anxiety symptoms, including a 90% decrease in her headaches... click link for more info.

Keeping Amyloid - And Alzheimer's - In Check
Researchers have identified a protein that reins in the rogue activity of the molecules that make the amyloid-beta protein--which may prevent normal brain function in people with Alzheimer's disease. Their findings reveal a potentially powerful tool for designing novel Alzheimer's treatments.Amyloid beta-peptides are sticky, neurotoxic protein fragments that accumulate, kill nerve cells, and clump together to form the distinctive amyloid plaques in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease... click link for more info.

FDA Asks Advisory Committee To Examine Cardiovascular Risks Of ADHD Medications
FDA has asked the agency Drug Safety and Risk Management advisory committee to examine the potential cardiovascular risks of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder medications in response to reports of deaths and other serious adverse events in individuals who have taken the treatments, the ... click link for more info.

Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report Highlights Governors' Actions In Various US States
The following highlights recent news of gubernatorial actions on women's health issues. Alabama Alabama Gov. Bob Riley (R) on Monday signed into law legislation that calls for anyone who injures or kills an "unborn child" to be charged with assault or homicide, the ... click link for more info.

Study Finds That Seeing Plaque Buildup Prompts Patients To Comply With Medications
A new study has found that seeing the build-up of plaque in their own arteries is the incentive patients need to comply with doctor's orders. The study, conducted at the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center (LA BioMed) and published in the journal Atherosclerosis, found that patients who see more plaque in their arteries (coronary artery calcium) tend to be more likely to stay on statin therapy than those who do not get visual proof of their risk of heart attack... click link for more info.

Health Care - Australian Agency Authorizes Two OB/GYNs To Import, Prescribe Mifepristone To

2006-04-18T16:49:00.001-07:00

Australian Agency Authorizes Two OB/GYNs To Import, Prescribe Mifepristone To Women In Country
The Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration on Wednesday announced that it has authorized two Queensland physicians to import and prescribe mifepristone, which when taken with misoprostol can cause a medical abortion, ... click link for more info.

Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report Highlights Issues In Various US States
The following highlights recent news of state actions on women's health issues. Abortion Regulations Idaho: The state Senate Affairs Committee voted unanimously to approve a bill that would change an Idaho law requiring a 24-hour waiting period before women seeking abortion can undergo the procedure, the ... click link for more info.

Young adults with ADHD - ADDERALL XR significantly improves driving performance, study
ADDERALL XR (mixed salts of a single-entity amphetamine product) significantly improved driving performance, cognitive function and attention in young adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in a controlled driving simulator study conducted by the Washington Neuropsychological Institute and presented today at the 18th Annual U... click link for more info.

Psychologist Explores Human Perception, Finds "wow Factor"
Faces tell the stories in UC Riverside Professor Larry Rosenblum's ecological listening lab, as volunteer test subjects show that they can "read" unheard speech -- not just from lips, but from the simple movements of dots placed on lips, teeth and tongue.They can also recognize people's voices just from seeing their faces, and vice versa, and seem to be able to distinguish among a variety of rooms on campus just from their echoes... click link for more info.

The Hill Examines Democrats' Attempts To Strengthen Party Position In Abortion-Rights Debate, US
The Hill on Wednesday examined how the Senate's Democratic leadership is focusing on legislation that would expand access to contraception and promote comprehensive sex education as a way to "strengthen" the Democratic Party's position in the abortion-rights debate... click link for more info.

Placental Growth Factor May Help Body Repair Heart Attack Damage
Heart attack patients produce higher levels of a natural substance in the body that plays a role in the growth of new blood vessels and this over-expression of placental growth factor (PlGF) may help reduce damage to the heart muscle, according to a new study in the April 2006, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology... click link for more info.

Premarital Sex Declines In Zambia Due To HIV Prevention Strategies, Health Minister Says
Premarital sex has declined among young people in Zambia, Health Minister Sylvia Masebo said on Tuesday, Xinhua News Agency reports. According to Masebo, the percentage of young people having sex with nonregular partners has decreased to 29% for boys and 16% for girls. Masebo attributed the to the country's multisectoral approach to HIV prevention... click link for more info.

Karen Duff Receives Prestigious Prize For Alzheimer's Research
Karen E.K. Duff, Ph.D., a research scientist at the Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research in Orangeburg, New York, and an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at New York University School of Medicine, will receive the 2006 Potamkin Prize from the American Academy of Neurology. The prize recognizes outstanding research in Alzheimer's and related neurodegenerative brain diseases, and is considered one of the most prestigious in the field of Alzheimer's research... click link for more info.

16 Dead Birds To Be Tested For Bird Flu, UK
16 birds have been found dead in north Wales, six at Harlech beach, Gwynedd and ten at Criccieth beach. All the dead birds were Guillemots. The Guillemot is not thought of as an importer of bird flu, therefore the bird flu tests are seen as a precaution. Welsh authorities said the birds are being tested because more than three dead birds have been found together - current guidelines in the UK say that all dead swans, ducks and geese found in the wild, as well as any three dead birds found together should be reported and tested for bird flu... click link for more info.

Memory Function: There Is Hope For Alcoholics With Korsakoff Syndrome
People with Korsakoff Syndrome (KS), a brain disorder usually associated with long-term heavy drinking and thiamine deficiency, often have profound deficits in their "explicit memory" or ability to recall recent events. A study in the April issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research looks at a memory process called visuoperceptual learning, a component of "implicit memory," which does not require conscious recollection... click link for more info.

Options To Replace Current U.S. Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance System Limited, Opinion Piece States
"If employers pull out of the health and pension business, who takes their place?" Wall Street Journal columnist David Wessel writes in a Journal opinion piece, adding, "Ultimately, there are three options, all with problems." One option, which business "resists," is to "make it cheaper for employers to offer benefits" through high-deductible health plans and other proposals or "force them to do so" through legislation, Wessel writes... click link for more info.

Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report Highlights Issues In Various US States
The following highlights recent news of state actions on women's health issues. Abortion Regulations Hawaii: The state Senate on Tuesday voted to approve a bill (HB 1242) that would repeal a current law requiring women seeking abortion to be state residents and also would allow women to undergo the procedure in clinics and physicians' offices outside of hospitals, the Hawaii Channel reports (Hawaii Channel, 4/11)... click link for more info.

Combination Of Interventions Can Substantially Reduce Incidence Of Malaria In People With HIV
Taking antiretroviral therapy (ART) and the antibiotic co-trimoxazole daily, and using insecticide-treated bed nets could reduce the incidence of malaria by 95% in HIV-infected adults, according to a study in this week's issue of The Lancet.Malaria and HIV are two of the most common infections in sub-Saharan Africa... click link for more info.

Pennsylvania Senatorial Candidates; Wisconsin Gubernatorial Candidates Comment On Abortion
Pennsylvania Democratic senatorial candidates -- state Treasurer Bob Casey, Chuck Pennacchio and Alan Sandals -- in a 90-minute debate on Saturday "sparred" on several issues, including abortion rights, the ... click link for more info.

Drinking - Young British Women, Matching And Overtaking Men
Britain's growing binge drinking culture is likely to create future health problems such as liver disease at a much faster rate and younger age than ever before, the Royal College of Nursing's 2006 International Nursing Research Conference will be told this week. The four-day conference kicks off in York today... click link for more info.

Brain Imaging Designs ADHD Treatment With Lower Risk Of Abuse
An article by Thomas J. Spencer, M.D, on a new study in the March 2006 issue of The American Journal of Psychiatry (AJP), the official journal of the American Psychiatric Association (APA), shows how brain imaging is used to identify a form of methylphenidate, a stimulant drug used to treat patients with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), that is less likely to be abused during treatment... click link for more info.

Missouri Supreme Court Hears Arguments In Appeal Of Ruling That Planned Parenthood Affiliates Must Repay State Family Planning Grants
The Missouri Supreme Court on Wednesday heard arguments in an appeal of a lower court ruling that requires two Planned Parenthood affiliates to repay about $900,000 in state family planning grants that violated a state prohibition on funding for affiliates of abortion providers, the ... click link for more info.

Fluorescent Imaging Technologies To Advance Life-science Research
An interdisciplinary team of biological imaging experts from the University of California, San Diego has published a review of fluorescent imaging technologies and underscored the importance of those technologies to major advances in the life sciences.The article--"The Fluorescent Toolbox for Assessing Protein Location and Function"--is the cover story in the April issue of the journal Science... click link for more info.

NIH Seeks Strategies To Preserve Brain Health As People Grow Older
With the rapid aging of the population, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is intensifying the search for strategies to preserve brain health as people grow older. The effort moved an important step forward today with a report by an expert panel to the NIH, suggesting a number of promising avenues for maintaining or enhancing cognitive and emotional function... click link for more info.

Bile Acids, Receptor Key In Regenerating Livers
Bile must have been the most important thing in medicine for the physicians of ancient Greece and Rome. Yellow bile and black bile are half of the four humors that they believed made up the body, along with blood and phlegm. In their view, restoring health required correcting imbalances in these four components... click link for more info.

Experimental Drug Reverses Key Cognitive Deficits, Pathology In Alzheimer's
A new drug that enhances the activity of a key brain cell receptor involved in Alzheimer's disease (AD) reverses learning and memory deficits in mice engineered to have pathological hallmarks of the disease. What's more, the drug, called AF267B, reduces both of the pathologies--the brain-clogging buildup of protein "amyloid plaque" outside brain cells and the protein "neurofibrillary tangles" inside the cells... click link for more info.

Study Warns Of Growing Cardiovascular Disease Epidemic In China As Western Diets And Lifestyles Are Adopted
As more people in China adopt Western diets and lifestyles, many are developing a cluster of cardiovascular disease risk factors, according to a new study in the April 2006, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology."The metabolic syndrome has become increasingly common in this Asian population and the prevalence is about to catch up with that in Western populations... click link for more info.

Fleeting Images of Fearful Faces Reveal Neurocircuitry of Unconscious Anxiety
Researchers at Columbia University Medical Center have found that fleeting images of fearful faces - images that appear and disappear so quickly that they escape conscious awareness - produce unconscious anxiety that can be detected in the brain with the latest neuroimaging machines. It's one of the first times that neuroimaging has captured the brain's processing of unconscious emotion... click link for more info.

Health Care - Self Harm High Among Goth Youths Rates of self harm

2006-04-18T16:49:00.000-07:00

Self Harm High Among Goth Youths
Rates of self harm and attempted suicide are high within Goth youth subculture, finds a study published on bmj.com today.Deliberate self harm is common among young people, with rates of 7-14% in the UK. It is particularly widespread in certain populations and may be linked to depression, attempted suicide, and various psychiatric disorders in later life... click link for more info.

Concerta (methylphenidate HCl) Approved for the Treatment of ADHD in Adolescents, Canada
Health Canada has approved CONCERTA (methylphenidate HCl) Extended-release Tablets for use in adolescents (aged 13 to 18) with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).1 Until now CONCERTA was approved for the treatment of ADHD in children aged six to 12 years. In a clinical study of adolescents aged 13 to 18 years, CONCERTA at doses up to 72 mg significantly reduced ADHD symptoms, such as difficulty paying attention to schoolwork... click link for more info.

President Bush Urges Medicare Beneficiaries To Enroll In Drug Benefit By May 15 Deadline
President Bush on Wednesday urged Medicare beneficiaries who are non-English speakers to enroll in the prescription drug benefit, saying the program would save them money, the Washington Post reports. Speaking to about 400 Chinese, Filipino, Korean and Vietnamese seniors at an event in Annandale, Va... click link for more info.

What Is Pharmacology's Place In Finding Alternatives To Alcohol?
Journal of Psychopharmacology is proud to be publishing this leading research on the place of pharmacology in finding alternatives for alcohol. The following papers appear in the May 2006 issue:Critique: * Alcohol alternatives - a goal for psychopharmacology, by David J Nutt, University of Bristol, UK Commentaries: * Alcohol alternatives - a goal for psychopharmacology, by Ian Ragan, CIR Consulting UK * Harm reduction - lessons learned from toba... click link for more info.

Abortion-Rights Opponents To File Petition For Grand Jury To Investigate Death Of Woman Who Received Abortion At Kansas Clinic
Abortion-rights opponents in Sedgwick County, Kan., on Friday plan to submit a petition to convene a grand jury to investigate the death of a woman who died two days after receiving an abortion at the Women's Health Care Services clinic in Wichita, Kan... click link for more info.

Taller People More Likely To Develop Atrial Fibrillation
Analysis of data from a registry of patients with left ventricular dysfunction indicates that height is an independent risk factor for an arrhythmia of the upper chambers of the heart, according to a new study in the April 18, 2006, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology."Tall stature is a potent risk for the development of atrial fibrillation and is independent of other clinical risk factors... click link for more info.

Children's anxiety prior to surgery linked to behavioral changes
A child's level of anxiety prior to surgery is predictive of whether they will experience post-surgical delirium and maladaptive behavioral changes, including anxiety, nighttime crying, and bedwetting, according to a Yale study published in the journal Anesthesia & Analgesia. "This finding is of importance to the clinician, who can now better predict the development of adverse postoperative phenomena in children based on the child's preoperative anxiety," said Zeev Kain... click link for more info.

ACLU To Appeal Federal Appeals Court Ruling Upholding Tennessee Statute Allowing "Choose Life" License Plates, Executive Director Says
The American Civil Liberties Union likely will appeal the ruling of a three-judge panel of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati that upholds a Tennessee statute authorizing the production and sale of "Choose Life" specialty license plates, ACLU Executive Director Hedy Weinberg said on Wednesday, the ... click link for more info.

Premarital Sex Declines In Zambia Due To HIV Prevention Strategies, Health Minister Says
Premarital sex has declined among young people in Zambia, Health Minister Sylvia Masebo said on Tuesday, Xinhua News Agency reports. According to Masebo, the percentage of young people having sex with nonregular partners has decreased to 29% for boys and 16% for girls. Masebo attributed the to the country's multisectoral approach to HIV prevention... click link for more info.

Options To Replace Current U.S. Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance System Limited, Opinion Piece States
"If employers pull out of the health and pension business, who takes their place?" Wall Street Journal columnist David Wessel writes in a Journal opinion piece, adding, "Ultimately, there are three options, all with problems." One option, which business "resists," is to "make it cheaper for employers to offer benefits" through high-deductible health plans and other proposals or "force them to do so" through legislation, Wessel writes... click link for more info.

Health Care - Positive study results for methylphenidate transdermal system Shire announced at

2006-04-16T13:11:00.001-07:00

Positive study results for methylphenidate transdermal system
Shire announced at the US Psychiatric and Mental Health Congress in Las Vegas, Nevada, that its investigational methylphenidate transdermal system (MTS) demonstrated statistically significant reductions in the symptoms of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and was generally well tolerated in patients aged 6 to 12 in two clinical trials... click link for more info.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch Examines Prospective Importance Of Birth Control-Related Issues In Missouri, Illinois Elections
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Thursday examined how issues related to birth control have appeared to "nudg[e] aside" abortion rights as the top "hot-button topic" in Illinois and Missouri leading up to elections this fall... click link for more info.

Teens' Herbal Product Use Associated With Illicit Substance Use
Adolescents who have ever used herbal products are six times more likely to have tried cocaine and almost 15 times more likely to have used anabolic steroids than teens who have never used herbal products, according to a University of Rochester Medical Center study published in March in the Journal of Adolescent Health... click link for more info.

May 14-17 NJIT Conference Focuses On How People React During Emergencies
A closer look at how people react during emergencies, the role of computers and technology and what really happened during Hurricane Katrina number among the topics to be discussed at the third annual meeting of the Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (ISCRAM). New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) will host the event May 14-17, 2006... click link for more info.

American Indians With Alcohol Problems Have More Medical Conditions
Alcohol abuse and dependence are known to be major health problems among American Indians, yet little research has examined alcohol's detrimental effect on organ systems among these populations. Looking at two American Indian tribes, a study in the April issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research has confirmed that a significant relationship exists between alcohol disorders and medical conditions, specifically: sprains and strains, hearing and vision problems, kidney and bladder p... click link for more info.

Health Care - Reduced Insulin In The Brain Triggers Alzheimer's Degeneration Providence, RI

2006-04-16T13:11:00.000-07:00

Reduced Insulin In The Brain Triggers Alzheimer's Degeneration
Providence, RI - By depleting insulin and its related proteins in the brain, researchers at Rhode Island Hospital and Brown Medical School have replicated the progression of Alzheimer's disease - including plaque deposits, neurofibrillary tangles, impaired cognitive functioning, cell loss and overall brain deterioration - in an experimental animal model... click link for more info.

Encouraging Data From Islet Transplantation Studies In Primates, MicroIslet, Inc.
MicroIslet, Inc. (Amex:MII), a biotechnology company engaged in the research, development andcommercialization of patented technologies in transplantation therapy forpeople with insulin-dependent diabetes, today announced encouraging datafrom preclinical primate studies. The data shows that minimally-invasive transplantation of encapsulatedporcine islets into diabetic primates resulted in significant and prolonged(greater than 30 days) improvement of blood sugar, with reduced insulinuse, in the primate subjects... click link for more info.

How many mental illnesses are there?
The DSM-IV, the U.S. standard reference for psychiatry, includes over 300 different manifestations of mental illness. Psychiatrists themselves are in dispute over how common some of these conditions are, or whether they should be listed as 'mental illnesses', and each version of the DSM is slightly different to the previous ones... click link for more info.

Brain Imaging Designs ADHD Treatment With Lower Risk Of Abuse
An article by Thomas J. Spencer, M.D, on a new study in the March 2006 issue of The American Journal of Psychiatry (AJP), the official journal of the American Psychiatric Association (APA), shows how brain imaging is used to identify a form of methylphenidate, a stimulant drug used to treat patients with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), that is less likely to be abused during treatment... click link for more info.

NPR Series Examines South Dakotans' Reactions To State Abortion Ban
NPR's "Day to Day" on Thursday in the first of a two-part series on South Dakotans' reactions to the state's law (... click link for more info.

CU, Harvard Researchers Team Up To Break Down Causes Of Alzheimer's
An enzyme previously associated with preventing the dementia of Alzheimer's disease now appears to play an even bigger role in safeguarding against the disease, bringing the promise of new targets for drug therapies.While scientists already knew that the enzyme known as Pin1 can prevent the tangles of knotlike brain lesions associated with Alzheimer's, new research, published in the March issue of Nature, finds the enzyme also plays a pivotal role in guarding against a second t... click link for more info.

Supplemental Biologics License Application For Avastin(R) With Chemotherapy In First-Line, Non-Squamous, Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Genentech, Inc. (NYSE: DNA) announced today that the company submitted asupplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) with the U.S. Food andDrug Administration (FDA) for Avastin(R) (bevacizumab) in combination withplatinum-based chemotherapy for first-line treatment of advanced, non-squamous, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)... click link for more info.

Response to ADHD Medication May Be in The Genes
Testable genetic differences might be used to predict the effectiveness of a medication commonly prescribed to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, a new study suggests. "This is an exciting finding because ADHD is such a common disorder and it's often difficult to know how patients will respond to ADHD medications," said Dr... click link for more info.

Memory, Speed Of Thinking Get Worse Over Time With Marijuana Use
Memory, speed of thinking and other cognitive abilities get worse over time with marijuana use, according to a new study published in the March, 2006, issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.The study found that frequent marijuana users performed worse than non-users on tests of cognitive abilities, including divided attention (ability to pay attention to more than one stimulus at a time) and verbal fluency (number of words generated with... click link for more info.

Health Care - New York Senatorial Candidates, Alabama, South Dakota Gubernatorial Candidates Comment

2006-04-15T17:16:00.001-07:00

New York Senatorial Candidates, Alabama, South Dakota Gubernatorial Candidates Comment On Abortion
Former Yonkers, N.Y., Mayor John Spencer (R), who is seeking the Republican nomination to run against incumbent Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y), on Friday called on Rodham Clinton to criticize a bill aimed at regulating advertisements for crisis pregnancy centers, the ... click link for more info.

Fighting America's No. 1 Killer: Cardiovascular Disease
Despite significant reductions in morbidity and mortality, cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States today. It represents a wide array of illnesses, including heart attack, angina, congestive heart failure, sudden cardiac death, hypertension, stroke and diabetes mellitus... click link for more info.

Anxiety disorder recovery accelerated by yohimbe tree bark
New findings at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute demonstrate the potential of a substance found in yohimbe tree bark to accelerate recovery from anxiety disorders suffered by millions of Americans. In the latest in a series of studies of how mice acquire, express and extinguish conditioned fear, the UCLA team finds yohimbine helps mice learn to overcome the fear faster by enhancing the effects of the natural release of adrenaline... click link for more info.

Study Examines Risk For Misuse Of ADHD Stimulant Medications
A major concern regarding the use of stimulant medications to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adolescents and young adults has been the risk that they will be misused or diverted to those for whom they have not been prescribed. A new study from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers has found that, while the great majority of young people with ADHD use their medications appropriately, a small percentage are likely to abuse or to sell prescribed stimulants... click link for more info.

Benefit Of Chemotherapy In Breast Cancer Depends On Estrogen-receptor Status
When it comes to chemotherapy treatment for women whose breast cancer has spread to their lymph nodes, the estrogen status of their tumors matters, says a team of researchers in the April 12 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.Analyzing data from three clinical trials with a total of 6,644 patients, they determined that chemotherapy works much better in breast cancer that is estrogen receptor-negative (ER-) than many people think, and conversely, doesn't work as well in estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) cancer as believed, says the study's lead author Donald Berry, Ph... click link for more info.

Drinking - Young British Women, Matching And Overtaking Men
Britain's growing binge drinking culture is likely to create future health problems such as liver disease at a much faster rate and younger age than ever before, the Royal College of Nursing's 2006 International Nursing Research Conference will be told this week. The four-day conference kicks off in York today... click link for more info.

Fleeting Images of Fearful Faces Reveal Neurocircuitry of Unconscious Anxiety
Researchers at Columbia University Medical Center have found that fleeting images of fearful faces - images that appear and disappear so quickly that they escape conscious awareness - produce unconscious anxiety that can be detected in the brain with the latest neuroimaging machines. It's one of the first times that neuroimaging has captured the brain's processing of unconscious emotion... click link for more info.

Envision Solutions, LLC Releases First-Ever Comprehensive Report On Blogs And Healthcare
Envision Solutions, LLC, a full-service healthcare marketing communications consultancy, today announced the release of the first comprehensive report on healthcare blogs. This 110-page report is titled, "The Healthcare Blogosphere: What Is It & Why Does It Matter?" It focuses on how blogs have influenced major players in the healthcare industry, including patients, medical professionals, pharmaceutical companies and non-profit organizations... click link for more info.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch Examines Prospective Importance Of Birth Control-Related Issues In Missouri, Illinois Elections
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Thursday examined how issues related to birth control have appeared to "nudg[e] aside" abortion rights as the top "hot-button topic" in Illinois and Missouri leading up to elections this fall... click link for more info.

Florida Supreme Court Upholds Part Of State "Informed-Consent" Law With Some Limitations
The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday voted unanimously to uphold part of a stricken 1997 state abortion law that requires physicians to tell women seeking abortion the gestational age of the fetus and discuss the risks of abortion, after which the woman must provide written, voluntary consent to undergo the procedure, the ... click link for more info.

Illinois Gov. Blagojevich Proposes Order For Pharmacies To Post Signs Detailing Contraceptives In Stock
Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) on Monday announced a proposal to require each of Illinois' 2,700 pharmacies to post a sign detailing which forms of contraception the store stocks, the Chicago Tribune reports (Chase, Chicago Tribune, 3/28)... click link for more info.

Drug Effective For Severe Alzheimer's Disease
The drug donepezil can reverse some aspects of cognitive and functional deterioration seen in patients with severe Alzheimer's disease, according to a randomised trial published online (March, 2006) by The Lancet.About 20% of Alzheimer's patients have severe dementia. As their health deteriorates they become less able to communicate, less mobile, and increasingly reliant on nursing care... click link for more info.

Mankind Would Benefit From Eating Less Meat
If people were to eat more vegetable proteins instead of animal proteins, this would result in multiple - and much-needed - benefits. Such a "protein transition" would positively affect sustainable energy production, sustainable water use, biodiversity, human health and animal welfare. Collective vegetarianism is not required, but good-tasting, high-quality meat substitutes ought to be used more often in place of meat... click link for more info.

Reduced Insulin In The Brain Triggers Alzheimer's Degeneration
Providence, RI - By depleting insulin and its related proteins in the brain, researchers at Rhode Island Hospital and Brown Medical School have replicated the progression of Alzheimer's disease - including plaque deposits, neurofibrillary tangles, impaired cognitive functioning, cell loss and overall brain deterioration - in an experimental animal model... click link for more info.

New Vaccine Delivery Methods That Are Practical And Needle-free Being Developed
People who fear needles may one day have no need to fear the doctor, with the help of a funding injection for The University of Queensland's Professor Mark Kendall.Professor Kendall today won a three year Queensland Government Smart State Senior Fellowship, gaining $300,000 to research how nanotechnology may replace syringes in administering therapeutics... click link for more info.

Nature Paper Shows That Cell Division Is Reversible: Could Open Doors For Treatment Of Cancer, Birth Defects
Gary J. Gorbsky, Ph.D., a scientist with the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, has found a way to reverse the process of cell division.The discovery could have important implications for the treatment of cancer, birth defects and numerous other diseases and disorders. Gorbsky's findings appear in the April 13 issue of the journal Nature... click link for more info.

Nanomotors And Mechanical Nanoswitches Offer Applications In Medicine And Pharmaceutics
This year's Julius Springer Prize for Applied Physics will be awarded to Dr. Viola Vogel for her creative and pioneering work on bionanotechnology exploring single molecule mechanics and nanomotors for technical applications. The award, accompanied by USD 5,000, will be presented during the 2006 Spring Meeting of the Materials Research Society (MRS) in San Francisco, CA on 18 April 2006... click link for more info.

Exelon Granted EU Marketing Authorization As First Treatment For Dementia Associated With Parkinson's Disease By European Commission
Novartis announced today that Exelon (rivastigmine tartrate) has been granted European marketing authorizationby the European Commission for the symptomatic treatment of mild tomoderately severe dementia in patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease(PD) in all 25 European member states... click link for more info.

Curry Colouring And Fat Mix Could Help Diabetics
Brisbane immunologist Dr Brendan O'Sullivan hopes to put a dent in skyrocketing rates of diabetes in Australia by creating a new treatment for Type 2 diabetes.The Senior Research Officer and his team at UQ's Centre for Immunology and Cancer Research (CICR) are developing a drug that targets liver cells to prevent their inflammation in obesity -- a common precursor to diabetes... click link for more info.

No Link Between Estrogen-only Therapy, Breast Cancer In Postmenopausal Women
There's a tangle of information about the pros and cons of using hormones to relieve the symptoms of menopause, but a new analysis of data generated by the Women's Health Initiative confirms that one cause of concern can be laid to rest: There is no evidence that taking estrogen alone increases the risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women... click link for more info.

Possible Alzheimer's Link To Brain Organ Revealed By Purdue Findings
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Researchers have discovered that an organ in the brain called the choroid plexus apparently plays a critical role in preventing the accumulation of a protein associated with Alzheimer's disease.The researchers found that the choroid plexus acts as a sort of "fishnet" that captures the protein, called beta-amyloid, and prevents it from building up in the cerebrospinal fluid, which surrounds and bathes the brain and spinal cord... click link for more info.

South Dakota A.G. Says Abortion Ban Legal Fund's Donors' Names Must Be Public Record
South Dakota Attorney General Larry Long (R) on Monday in an official opinion said that the names of donors and the amounts of their contributions to a state account set up to fund any potential court battles resulting from a state ... click link for more info.

NICE Issues Guidance On Drug Treatments For ADHD, UK
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) today issued guidance to the NHS in England and Wales on the use of methylphenidate, atomoxetine and dexamfetamine for treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children and adolescents. This updates previous guidance (TA no... click link for more info.

'The First 100 Days' Of Medicare Part D Conference
As Medicare Part D is underimplementation, so are the far-reaching policy and administrative issuesthat have an impact on patients, health care plans and state governments.As a result of this changing landscape, Medicaid Health Plans of America(MHPA) is hosting a three-day special conference, "Medicare Part D: TheFirst 100 Days," to address and discuss these critical issues... click link for more info.

Neuroscientists Discover New Cell Type That May Help Brain Maintain Memories Of Smells And Lead To Better Understanding Of Alzheimer's Disease
Neuroscientists at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have discovered a new cell type in the part of the brain that processes our sense of smell. This new cell type, the Blanes cell, is a member of a group of previously unstudied brain cells described by the Spanish neuroanatomist Blanes (pronounced blon " es) in the late 1800s... click link for more info.

Health Care - Nanomotors And Mechanical Nanoswitches Offer Applications In Medicine And Pharmaceutics

2006-04-15T17:16:00.000-07:00

Nanomotors And Mechanical Nanoswitches Offer Applications In Medicine And Pharmaceutics
This year's Julius Springer Prize for Applied Physics will be awarded to Dr. Viola Vogel for her creative and pioneering work on bionanotechnology exploring single molecule mechanics and nanomotors for technical applications. The award, accompanied by USD 5,000, will be presented during the 2006 Spring Meeting of the Materials Research Society (MRS) in San Francisco, CA on 18 April 2006... click link for more info.

Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney's Healthcare Remarks
Here are the remarks made by Governor Mitt Romney about the new health care bill:"Thank you Governor Healey for your introduction, and thank you for your work and counsel on this bill." "This is an impressive sight, not because of how many are here, but because of who is here. There are hospitals, insurers, advocates, legislators, educators, administrators, doctors and nurses, business and community leaders, officials and citizens... click link for more info.

Group Opposed To Abortion Rights Files Lawsuit Challenging Pittsburgh Ordinance Requiring Buffer Zone Outside Abortion Clinics
The Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Alliance Defense Fund, which opposes abortion rights, on Monday filed a lawsuit in a U.S. District Court on behalf of a woman, challenging a Pittsburgh, Pa., ordinance that creates a buffer zone between protesters and health care facilities, including abortion clinics, the ... click link for more info.

Cow Suspected Of Having Mad Cow Disease (BSE) In Canada
Initial tests indicate that a six-year-old cow in Fraser Valley, British Columbia, Canada, has Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), otherwise known as Mad Cow Disease. Further tests are being carried out at the National Center for Foreign Animal Disease, Winnipeg. We should know what the final results show either today or tomorrow... click link for more info.

ADHD - FDA expands indication for ADDERALL XR (CII) confirming safety and efficacy in adolescents
Shire Pharmaceuticals Group plc announced today that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved ADDERALL XR (mixed salts of a single-entity amphetamine product) as a once-daily treatment for adolescents aged 13 to 17 with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Since October 2001, ADDERALL XR has been approved in the U... click link for more info.

Romney Signs Landmark Massachusetts Health Insurance Reform Bill
Through private market reforms, all Massachusetts citizens to be insured by 2009. Governor Mitt Romney signed landmark legislation today that through a private, market-based reform will make health insurance available to every resident of Massachusetts within the next three years. "An achievement like this comes around once in a generation, and it proves that government can work when people of both parties reach across the aisle for the common good," said Romney... click link for more info.

Experimental Drug Reverses Key Cognitive Deficits, Pathology In Alzheimer's
A new drug that enhances the activity of a key brain cell receptor involved in Alzheimer's disease (AD) reverses learning and memory deficits in mice engineered to have pathological hallmarks of the disease. What's more, the drug, called AF267B, reduces both of the pathologies--the brain-clogging buildup of protein "amyloid plaque" outside brain cells and the protein "neurofibrillary tangles" inside the cells... click link for more info.

Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report Highlights Issues In Various US States
The following highlights recent news of state actions on women's health issues. Abortion Regulations Oklahoma: Several abortion-related state House-approved bills -- including measures regulating informed consent (... click link for more info.

MIT Fights Addiction With In-depth Brain Research Symposium
The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory at MIT presents "On Addiction," a major symposium that will bring scientists together with clinicians, public policy makers and former addicts to confront a disease that affects more than 22 million Americans every year. Moderated by NPR's Ira Flatow, the symposium will explore how chronic drug and alcohol use affects the inner workings of the brain... click link for more info.

New Model Of P53 Regulation Proposed That Suggests Novel Anticancer Strategy
Genetically engineered mice convinced scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies that it was time to overhaul widely held beliefs about how a powerful tumor suppressor called p53 is controlled in cells. Their new model of p53 regulation has important implications for the development of anticancer drugs... click link for more info.

No Link Between Estrogen-only Therapy, Breast Cancer In Postmenopausal Women
There's a tangle of information about the pros and cons of using hormones to relieve the symptoms of menopause, but a new analysis of data generated by the Women's Health Initiative confirms that one cause of concern can be laid to rest: There is no evidence that taking estrogen alone increases the risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women... click link for more info.

How Odors Are Sensed: A Complex System Clarified
Yale scientists have systematically plotted the responses of the entire Drosophila (fruit fly) olfactory system, providing the first multi-dimensional map of the range of odorants sensed and the regions of the brain that are stimulated.John Carlson, the Eugene Higgins Professor of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology and Elissa Hallem, his former graduate student in the Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, published the comprehensive study in the journal Cell... click link for more info.

Federal Judge Orders Idaho To Pay Planned Parenthood For Attorney Fees Related To Challenge Of Parental Consent Law
U.S. District Judge Mikel Williams on Friday ruled that Idaho must pay more than $380,000 to reimburse Planned Parenthood of Idaho -- which challenged the constitutionality of the state's abortion-related law requiring parental consent before a minor could undergo the procedure -- for its attorney's fees, the ... click link for more info.

Fighting America's No. 1 Killer: Cardiovascular Disease
Despite significant reductions in morbidity and mortality, cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States today. It represents a wide array of illnesses, including heart attack, angina, congestive heart failure, sudden cardiac death, hypertension, stroke and diabetes mellitus... click link for more info.

ADHD - Important Strattera(R) Label Update Regarding Uncommon Reports of Suicidal Thoughts Among Children and Adolescents
Eli Lilly and Company announced that it will update the product label globally forits attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medication, Strattera, tocommunicate new information regarding uncommon reports of suicidal thoughtsamong children and adolescents. In conjunction with a request from the U... click link for more info.

The Hill Examines Democrats' Attempts To Strengthen Party Position In Abortion-Rights Debate, US
The Hill on Wednesday examined how the Senate's Democratic leadership is focusing on legislation that would expand access to contraception and promote comprehensive sex education as a way to "strengthen" the Democratic Party's position in the abortion-rights debate... click link for more info.

Health Care - Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report Highlights Issues In Various

2006-04-13T15:52:00.001-07:00

Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report Highlights Issues In Various US States
The following highlights recent news of state actions on women's health issues. Abortion Regulations Arizona: The state Senate on Tuesday voted 17-13 to approve a bill (... click link for more info.

American Indians With Alcohol Problems Have More Medical Conditions
Alcohol abuse and dependence are known to be major health problems among American Indians, yet little research has examined alcohol's detrimental effect on organ systems among these populations. Looking at two American Indian tribes, a study in the April issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research has confirmed that a significant relationship exists between alcohol disorders and medical conditions, specifically: sprains and strains, hearing and vision problems, kidney and bladder p... click link for more info.

Near Universal Health Insurance In Massachusetts Becomes Law
The Governor of Massachusetts, Mitt Romney, signed a health care bill that takes his state light-years ahead of the rest of the USA. Many will see Massachusetts as a national model. All state residents will have to purchase health insurance by July, 2007. There was one part of the Bill that Gov... click link for more info.

HIV In Injecting Drug Users Reaches Highest Levels For A Decade, UK
Figures released today by the Health Protection Agency show that the number of injecting drug users (IDUs) infected with HIV has reached its highest level since 1992. The figures from the Unlinked Anonymous Prevalence Monitoring Programme (UAPMP) show that in England and Wales, one in 62 (1... click link for more info.

Sociologists Find Low Self-esteem At 11 Predicts Drug Dependency At 20
Every parent worries that his or her child may turn to drugs, or worse, become dependent on them, and a new Florida State University study indicates that parents of boys who have very low self-esteem and have friends who approve of drug and alcohol use may have good cause to worry.FSU sociology professors John Taylor and Donald Lloyd, along with University of Miami professor emeritus George Warheit, found that low self-esteem and peer approval of drug use at age 11 predicted dr... click link for more info.

Globalization Creates Pressing Need For Good Distribution Practices In Pharmaceutical Excipient Supply
It is remarkable that among the major public health problems associated with the use of substandard pharmaceutical excipients in recent years, the majority have come about not because of errors in manufacturing, but errors in distribution. As supply chains for sourcing excipients become more complex, the likelihood of errors caused by mislabelling, contamination or substitution of one substance for another increases, potentially increasing the risk that patients can be put at risk from quality impaired products that could cause harm... click link for more info.

Moderate Drinking Associated With Better Cognition In Women
A drink or two a day may be associated with better cognitive function in women, according to a report from an ongoing study of New York City residents. The report was published in the rapid access issue of Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association."Women who had up to two drinks a day scored about 20 percent higher on the Mini Mental State Exam (MMSE) than women who didn't drink at all or who consumed less than one drink a week," said Clinton Wright, M... click link for more info.

ADHD - Positive study results for methylphenidate transdermal system
Shire announced at a major medical meeting in Toronto, Canada, that its investigational methylphenidate transdermal system (MTS) demonstrated statistically significant reductions in the symptoms of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and was generally well tolerated in patients aged 6 to 12 in two clinical trials... click link for more info.

ADHD Skin Patch Approved By FDA
The FDA has approved the Daytrana patch, a skin patch for the treatment of ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) in children. Regulators said the patch would help in the administration of ADHD drugs to children who find it hard to take pills or tablets. According to many experts, a large number of children taking ADHD medication have problems with swallowing pills... click link for more info.

CNN's "Paula Zahn Now" Profiles Abortion Provider Who Flies To South Dakota To Provide Services
CNN's "Paula Zahn Now" on Monday profiled Miriam McCreary, a 70-year-old physician and abortion provider in Minnesota who has flown to South Dakota in once or twice per month for seven years to perform the procedure (Griffin/Kay, "Paula Zahn Now," CNN, 4/3)... click link for more info.

Lancet Examines Global Health Advocates' Concerns Over Tobias' Confirmation As Foreign Aid Coordinator, USAID Head
The April 8 issue of the Lancet examined some global health advocates' concerns that the confirmation last week of Randall Tobias as the new administrator of USAID and the first director of foreign assistance at the State Department "could result in diversion of funds from economic and social development to more immediate political issues" (Bristol, Lancet, 4/8)... click link for more info.

Strength Of Cocaine Cravings Linked To Brain Response
DALLAS March 2006, Rats that have a strong craving for cocaine have a different biochemical response to the drug than their less-addicted counterparts, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found.The difference lies in the pleasure-seeking area of the brain, according to a study available online and appearing in a future issue of the journal Neuropsychopharmacology... click link for more info.

Group Opposed To Abortion Rights Files Lawsuit Challenging Pittsburgh Ordinance Requiring Buffer Zone Outside Abortion Clinics
The Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Alliance Defense Fund, which opposes abortion rights, on Monday filed a lawsuit in a U.S. District Court on behalf of a woman, challenging a Pittsburgh, Pa., ordinance that creates a buffer zone between protesters and health care facilities, including abortion clinics, the ... click link for more info.

Long Island Newsday Examines Reports Of Birth Control Patch's Side Effects
Long Island Newsday on Monday examined reports of the potentially serious side effects from use of medicated patches, including the Ortho Evra birth control patch (Kerr, Long Island Newsday, 4/10). FDA last month announced it would launch a review of the safety of medicated patches. Medicated patches were cited as the primary cause of death in eight cases in 2004 and in three cases in 2003, according to a Philadelphia Inquirer analysis of FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System... click link for more info.

Pennsylvania Researchers Find Liver Transplants Provide Metabolic Cure For Rare Genetic Disease
Liver transplants cured the metabolic symptoms of 11 patients with a rare but devastating genetic condition known as Maple Syrup Urine Disease (MSUD), according to a study by researchers from Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh and the Clinic for Special Children.All patients from the study (ranging in age from 1-20) are alive and well with normal liver function, according to the researchers... click link for more info.

Health Authorities, Women Need To Examine Data, Consider Risks Of Mifeprex, Editorial Says
It "seems premature" to remove from the market Danco Laboratories' Mifeprex -- known generically as mifepristone, which when taken with misoprostol can cause a medical abortion -- "given the uncertainties and small number of ... click link for more info.

Problem Gambling And Its Effects
The Grand National (horserace) spurs over a third of the adult population of the United Kingdom into having a flutter making it the country's single biggest gambling event. However, even with the recent boom in internet gambling, problems with gambling are often overlooked. Problem gambling is the subject of a new research venture funded by Economic and Social Research Council in partnership with the Responsibility in Gambling Trust (RIGT)... click link for more info.

Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report Highlights Issues In Various US States
The following highlights recent news of state actions on women's health issues. Abortion Regulations Oklahoma: Several abortion-related state House-approved bills -- including measures regulating informed consent (... click link for more info.

Florida Supreme Court Upholds Part Of State "Informed-Consent" Law With Some Limitations
The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday voted unanimously to uphold part of a stricken 1997 state abortion law that requires physicians to tell women seeking abortion the gestational age of the fetus and discuss the risks of abortion, after which the woman must provide written, voluntary consent to undergo the procedure, the ... click link for more info.

Health Care - Gastroenterologists Disappointed In Level Of Rise In Alcohol Duty, UK

2006-04-13T15:52:00.000-07:00

Gastroenterologists Disappointed In Level Of Rise In Alcohol Duty, UK
Statement From The British Society of Gastroenterology Following The Chancellor's Budget Announcement: "The British Society of Gastroenterology is disappointed and concerned that the level of increase in the duty on alcohol is not higher. It should have been increased at a level far higher than inflation to limit drinking... click link for more info.

Concerta (methylphenidate HCl) Approved for the Treatment of ADHD in Adolescents, Canada
Health Canada has approved CONCERTA (methylphenidate HCl) Extended-release Tablets for use in adolescents (aged 13 to 18) with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).1 Until now CONCERTA was approved for the treatment of ADHD in children aged six to 12 years. In a clinical study of adolescents aged 13 to 18 years, CONCERTA at doses up to 72 mg significantly reduced ADHD symptoms, such as difficulty paying attention to schoolwork... click link for more info.

N.J. Court Panel Rules Jury Can Consider If Doctor Being Sued For Emotional Damages Over Abortion Gave Adequate Information
A three-judge panel of the Appellate Division of the New Jersey Superior Court on Friday unanimously ruled that a jury can consider whether a doctor gave adequate medical information to a woman who claims she was unable to give informed consent to undergo an abortion, the ... click link for more info.

CNN's "Paula Zahn Now" Profiles Abortion Provider Who Flies To South Dakota To Provide Services
CNN's "Paula Zahn Now" on Monday profiled Miriam McCreary, a 70-year-old physician and abortion provider in Minnesota who has flown to South Dakota in once or twice per month for seven years to perform the procedure (Griffin/Kay, "Paula Zahn Now," CNN, 4/3)... click link for more info.

Indonesia Confirms 31st Human Case Of Bird Flu Infection
Indonesian authorities have confirmed the country's 31st human case of H5N1 bird flu infection. The patient worked in a poultry farm in West Java, which had had a bird flu outbreak before he started work there. The man has made a full recovery. The Ministry of Health says he first developed bird flu like symptoms on the 20th March... click link for more info.

Clues To Obesity's Cause And New Approach For Curbing Appetite
Hot fudge sundaes and french fries aside, new research suggests obesity is due at least in part to an attraction between leptin, the hormone that signals the brain when to stop eating, and a protein more recently associated with heart disease. Reporting in Nature Medicine, University of Pittsburgh researchers provide evidence that C-reactive protein (CRP) not only binds to leptin but its hold impairs leptin's role in controlling appetite... click link for more info.

Health Authorities, Women Need To Examine Data, Consider Risks Of Mifeprex, Editorial Says
It "seems premature" to remove from the market Danco Laboratories' Mifeprex -- known generically as mifepristone, which when taken with misoprostol can cause a medical abortion -- "given the uncertainties and small number of ... click link for more info.

OurPetition.org Calls For MP's To Use NHS Exclusively In Their Own Medical Treatment As Prescription For Healthcare Reform, UK
OurPetition.org today launched its lobbying efforts to place healthcare reform squarely on the political agenda prior to the next general election. Ordinary citizens are being urged to sign a petition that asks those responsible for creating the public health system, to use the same system (without opt-out) in their own medical treatment and in the medical treatment of their immediate families... click link for more info.

Florida Supreme Court Upholds Part Of State "Informed-Consent" Law With Some Limitations
The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday voted unanimously to uphold part of a stricken 1997 state abortion law that requires physicians to tell women seeking abortion the gestational age of the fetus and discuss the risks of abortion, after which the woman must provide written, voluntary consent to undergo the procedure, the ... click link for more info.

Altering Genetic Blueprint Of Receptors In Brain Could Help Stroke Victims Avoid Brain Damage
A University of Central Florida researcher has discovered that altering a receptor that mediates communication between nerve cells in the brain significantly improves animals' chances of surviving strokes and allows them to remain healthier afterwards.YouMing Lu, a professor at the UCF Burnett College of Biomedical Sciences, is hopeful that changing the genetic blueprint of AMPA receptors can help to block lethal flows of calcium into neurons of human stroke victims... click link for more info.

Why 42% of Clinic Appointments are No-Shows: An Issue of Respect
Interviews with patients revealed three reasons why 42 percent of appointments are no-shows: 1) patients feel anxiety or fear about the cause of the symptoms and anticipated diagnostic tests, 2) they feel disrespected by the health care system, and 3) they do not understand the scheduling system... click link for more info.

South Dakota Group Launches Petition Drive For Referendum On State's Abortion Ban
The South Dakota Campaign for Healthy Families -- a coalition of opponents of the state's law (HB 1215) that bans abortion in all cases except to save a woman's life -- on Friday announced it plans to collect the 16,728 signatures from state residents needed to put the law on a statewide ballot in November, the ... click link for more info.

Moderate Drinking Associated With Better Cognition In Women
A drink or two a day may be associated with better cognitive function in women, according to a report from an ongoing study of New York City residents. The report was published in the rapid access issue of Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association."Women who had up to two drinks a day scored about 20 percent higher on the Mini Mental State Exam (MMSE) than women who didn't drink at all or who consumed less than one drink a week," said Clinton Wright, M... click link for more info.

Determining Prevalence Of ADHD Adverse Medication Events, AACAP And APA Pledge To Work With FDA
The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) and the American Psychiatric Association (APA) pledged to work with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee on determining the prevalence of rare, unexpected, and serious adverse events that occasionally occur in clinical trials for medications used in the treatment of children and adolescents with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)... click link for more info.

NICE Issues Guidance On Drug Treatments For ADHD, UK
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) today issued guidance to the NHS in England and Wales on the use of methylphenidate, atomoxetine and dexamfetamine for treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children and adolescents. This updates previous guidance (TA no... click link for more info.

Talking Treatments 'Cut Alcohol Intake By A Quarter'
Simple advice and brief interventions - 'talking treatments' - could reduce the amount of alcohol individuals consume to low risk levels, the British Society of Gastroenterology's Annual Scientific Meeting heard today. The effect could be to cut consumption by up to a quarter. But most areas of the NHS are currently failing to offer these simple, cheap treatments, and they are particularly scarce where they can do most good - in GP surgeries and health centres... click link for more info.

Knowledge About HIV Transmission Declined In Britain Over Last Five Years, Survey Says
Knowledge about HIV transmission has decreased in the past five years in Great Britain, according to an Ipsos MORI poll commissioned by the National AIDS Trust, BBC News reports. The survey -- released last week -- finds that in 2005, 79% of people surveyed knew that HIV can be transmitted through unprotected heterosexual sex compared with 91% in 2000... click link for more info.

Antibiotic, Telithromycin, Can Help Some Asthma Patients
According to an international study of 278 patients in 70 centres, an antibiotic called Telithromycin reduces asthma symptoms and enhances lung function. Researchers also found that the drug improved recovery times. Telithromycin is currently used for the treatment of sinusitis. You can read about this study in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM)... click link for more info.

Positive study results for methylphenidate transdermal system
Shire announced at the US Psychiatric and Mental Health Congress in Las Vegas, Nevada, that its investigational methylphenidate transdermal system (MTS) demonstrated statistically significant reductions in the symptoms of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and was generally well tolerated in patients aged 6 to 12 in two clinical trials... click link for more info.

Health Care - New York Times Examines Planned Parenthood Federation Of America's Religious

2006-04-12T15:44:00.001-07:00

New York Times Examines Planned Parenthood Federation Of America's Religious Connections
The New York Times on Monday examined the religious connections of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, which has held an Interfaith Prayer Breakfast for four years and has worked with "Jewish and mainline Protestant groups" for decades... click link for more info.

Large Family Study Pinpoints Genetic Linkage In Drug Addiction
Based on data obtained from one of the largest family sets of its kind, Yale School of Medicine researchers have identified a genetic linkage for dependence on drugs such as heroin, morphine and oxycontin. The lead author, Joel Gelernter, M.D., professor in the Department of Psychiatry, said the researchers recruited a sample of 393 small families, most with at least two individuals with opioid dependence... click link for more info.

Tony Blair Says NHS Faces Hard Times
Prime Minister, Tony Blair, says the NHS (National Health Service) faces hard times ahead. Despite record investment, the NHS still cannot balance its books. A 623 million ($1.1 billion) deficit is predicted. Rumours are rife that about seven thousand jobs will have to be cut. However, according to the Department of Health, efficiency will be achieved through 'natural wastage' and a revision of temporary and agency staff... click link for more info.

Treating Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is one of the most common psychiatric illnesses in the United States among children and adults. While the condition is highly treatable with psychosocial therapies, medication, or both, only about one-third of those suffering from the condition receive treatment... click link for more info.

Recent Trends In Children's Stimulant Prescriptions For ADHD, USA
The percentage of U.S. children taking stimulants for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) remained at a constant level between 1997 and 2002. These data were collected by the federal government and are summarized in an article in the April 2006 issue of The American Journal of Psychiatry (AJP), the official journal of the American Psychiatric Association (APA)... click link for more info.

ADHD in children associated with gene variant and environmental risk factors
For children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), possessing a variant of a gene involved in brain signaling may predict antisocial behavior and increase susceptibility to the effects of lower birth weight, according to a study in the November issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals... click link for more info.

Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report Highlights Issues In Various US States
The following highlights recent news of state actions on women's health issues. Abortion Regulations Georgia: The state House on Monday voted 155-0 to approve a bill (SB 77) that would make it a felony to kill a fetus during an attack on a pregnant woman, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 3/28)... click link for more info.

Moderate Drinking Associated With Better Cognition In Women
A drink or two a day may be associated with better cognitive function in women, according to a report from an ongoing study of New York City residents. The report was published in the rapid access issue of Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association."Women who had up to two drinks a day scored about 20 percent higher on the Mini Mental State Exam (MMSE) than women who didn't drink at all or who consumed less than one drink a week," said Clinton Wright, M... click link for more info.

Retailers Clear Bausch & Lomb Contact Lens Cleanser From Shelves
After a series of serious eye infections were reported in 17 US states, stores all over the USA are taking Bausch & Lomb's ReNu with MoistureLoc contact lens cleanser off their shelves. The infections are usually rare, caused by a fungus, but can cause blindness or serious vision degredation. Major retailers, such as Walgreen, Rite Aid Corp and Wal-Mart quickly took the product off their shelves as doctors warned to expect more eye infections... click link for more info.

NPR Examines Debate Surrounding Lancet Study On Number Of Aborted Female Fetuses In India
NPR's "All Things Considered" on Tuesday examined the debate surrounding a study published earlier this year in the Lancet that finds up to 10 million female fetuses might have been aborted in the country over the past 20 years... click link for more info.

One-fourth Of America's Non-elderly Poor Go Years Without The Protection Of Health Insurance
According to HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 24.2 percent of poor Americans under age 65 - 3.8 million persons - reported being continuously uninsured for at least four years when surveyed in 2003. Not being insured refers to private health insurance as well as government programs such as Medicaid... click link for more info.

Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report Highlights Issues In Various US States
The following highlights recent news of state actions on women's health issues. Abortion Regulations Idaho: The state Senate Affairs Committee voted unanimously to approve a bill that would change an Idaho law requiring a 24-hour waiting period before women seeking abortion can undergo the procedure, the ... click link for more info.

Health Care - Advisers Reject "Black Box" Warning For ADHD Drugs A Food

2006-04-12T15:44:00.000-07:00

Advisers Reject "Black Box" Warning For ADHD Drugs
A Food and Drug Administration Pediatric Advisory Committee has rejected having "black box" warnings regarding psychiatric and cardiovascular risks associated with ADHD drugs. This advice goes against a recommendation issued one month ago by the Drug Safety And Risk Management Advisory Committee, which supported the idea of a black box warning... click link for more info.

Determining Prevalence Of ADHD Adverse Medication Events, AACAP And APA Pledge To Work With FDA
The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) and the American Psychiatric Association (APA) pledged to work with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee on determining the prevalence of rare, unexpected, and serious adverse events that occasionally occur in clinical trials for medications used in the treatment of children and adolescents with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)... click link for more info.

Extended release stimulant effective for long-term ADHD treatment
A new study has found that an all-day, extended-release stimulant for treating attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) remains effective for up to two years without significant side effects. In the October issue of the Journal of the American Association of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, a multi-institutional research team reports finding that treatment with Concerta, a once-daily form of the drug methylphenidate, successfully controlled ADHD symptoms in more than 200 children with A... click link for more info.

Combining Alcohol And Red Bull Reduces The 'perception' Of Impairment - Alcohol's Harmful Effects On Motor Coordination, However, Remain Intact
The combined use of alcohol and "energy drinks" such as Red Bull have become increasingly popular among youth and young adults in recent years. Users often report reduced sleepiness and increased sensations of pleasure. In the April issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, Brazilian researchers conduct the first controlled scientific study on the effects of combining alcohol with Red Bull ... click link for more info.

Sociologists Find Low Self-esteem At 11 Predicts Drug Dependency At 20
Every parent worries that his or her child may turn to drugs, or worse, become dependent on them, and a new Florida State University study indicates that parents of boys who have very low self-esteem and have friends who approve of drug and alcohol use may have good cause to worry.FSU sociology professors John Taylor and Donald Lloyd, along with University of Miami professor emeritus George Warheit, found that low self-esteem and peer approval of drug use at age 11 predicted dr... click link for more info.

ADHD Skin Patch Approved By FDA
The FDA has approved the Daytrana patch, a skin patch for the treatment of ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) in children. Regulators said the patch would help in the administration of ADHD drugs to children who find it hard to take pills or tablets. According to many experts, a large number of children taking ADHD medication have problems with swallowing pills... click link for more info.

ADHD - Positive study results for methylphenidate transdermal system
Shire announced at a major medical meeting in Toronto, Canada, that its investigational methylphenidate transdermal system (MTS) demonstrated statistically significant reductions in the symptoms of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and was generally well tolerated in patients aged 6 to 12 in two clinical trials... click link for more info.

ADHD Drugs Should Have Black Box Warning, Says FDA Advisory Panel
According to the FDA advisory panel, ADHD drugs, including Ritalin, Concerta, Methylin and Metadate should have a 'black box' warning. The FDA usually does what the advisory panel recommends. This is after data revealed that ADHD drugs may have caused 25 deaths and 54 serious medical problems among patients during 1999-2003... click link for more info.

Indian Doctor, Assistant Sentenced To Two Years In Prison For Revealing Gender Of Fetuses, Offering Sex-Selective Abortions
An Indian court in the northern state of Haryana on Tuesday sentenced a doctor and his technician to two years in prison and fined them about $125 each for performing a gender determination test in 2001, ... click link for more info.

Doctor Jailed For Aborting Foetus Just Because It Was A Girl, India
Dr Anil Sabhani, and his assistant, Kartar Singh, have been jailed for two years for telling a pregnant woman her fetus was a girl and then agreeing to get rid of it for her by abortion - the first time any doctor in India has been imprisoned for doing so. In India it is illegal to use ultrasound tests to find out what sex the unborn child is... click link for more info.

MIT Fights Addiction With In-depth Brain Research Symposium
The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory at MIT presents "On Addiction," a major symposium that will bring scientists together with clinicians, public policy makers and former addicts to confront a disease that affects more than 22 million Americans every year. Moderated by NPR's Ira Flatow, the symposium will explore how chronic drug and alcohol use affects the inner workings of the brain... click link for more info.

Mental attitude crucial for marathon running
Your mental attitude is crucial for marathon running, if you can cope with the stress of HITTING THE WALL, this is the fatigue that you feel during the second half of the race, you are more likely to endure the race and run to your full potential. You may be very fit, but if you are not psychologically prepared you may find the race overwhelming, say a researcher... click link for more info.

Young adults with ADHD - ADDERALL XR significantly improves driving performance, study
ADDERALL XR (mixed salts of a single-entity amphetamine product) significantly improved driving performance, cognitive function and attention in young adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in a controlled driving simulator study conducted by the Washington Neuropsychological Institute and presented today at the 18th Annual U... click link for more info.

BMA Welcomes Action On Research Fraud, UK
Professor Michael Rees, Chair of the BMA's Medical Academics Committee, said: "Fraudulent and unethical practices have no place in UK research. It is in all our interests - universities', academics' and patients' - to ensure that the research environment is as transparent as possible. "It is also key that there is a nationwide approach to uncovering and dealing with these issues... click link for more info.

Experts Discuss Sales Of BiDil, Implications For Race-Based Drugs
Medical experts at a two-day conference hosted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology discussed how "the much-hyped future of racially targeted drugs may have tanked even before it took off," citing lagging sales of NitroMed's BiDil, the Boston Herald reports (Crimaldi, Boston Herald, 4/9). FDA in June 2005 approved BiDil for use in black heart failure patients based on the results of a study that found the medication reduced their risk for heart disease... click link for more info.

UK Court Decides Health Trust Cannot Cherry Pick Herceptin Users
The Court of Appeal in the UK has ruled that Swindon Primary Care Trust cannot cherry-pick its Herceptin (Trastuzumab) users. Herceptin is an experimental breast cancer drug marketed by Roche. Every NHS trust in England and Wales is likely to be affected by this ruling. The appeal court judges decided that trusts cannot decide that one patient can have Herceptin while another, Ann Maria Rogers (who has an aggressive form of breast cancer) cannot, just because of exceptional circumstances... click link for more info.

Lyrica Receives CHMP Opinion For The Treatment Of Generalized Anxiety Disorder In Adults
Pfizer Inc said today that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency issued a positive opinion recommending marketing authorization of Lyrica (pregabalin), a novel mechanism for the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in adults. The CHMP's positive recommendation will be reviewed by the European Commission, which has authority to approve medicines for the European Union... click link for more info.

Abortion Rights Groups Endorse Pa. Democratic Senatorial Candidate Sandals, Criticize Party Support Of Casey
The National Organization for Women Political Action Committee and Feminist Majority PAC on Wednesday announced that they will support Pennsylvania Democratic senatorial candidate ... click link for more info.

Fla. Gubernatorial Candidates Voice Support For, Opposition To South Dakota Abortion Ban
Florida Republican gubernatorial candidate and state CFO Tom Gallagher on Thursday announced that he would sign similar legislation to the South Dakota law (... click link for more info.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch Examines Prospective Importance Of Birth Control-Related Issues In Missouri, Illinois Elections
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Thursday examined how issues related to birth control have appeared to "nudg[e] aside" abortion rights as the top "hot-button topic" in Illinois and Missouri leading up to elections this fall... click link for more info.

American Indians With Alcohol Problems Have More Medical Conditions
Alcohol abuse and dependence are known to be major health problems among American Indians, yet little research has examined alcohol's detrimental effect on organ systems among these populations. Looking at two American Indian tribes, a study in the April issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research has confirmed that a significant relationship exists between alcohol disorders and medical conditions, specifically: sprains and strains, hearing and vision problems, kidney and bladder p... click link for more info.

Tony Blair Says NHS Faces Hard Times
Prime Minister, Tony Blair, says the NHS (National Health Service) faces hard times ahead. Despite record investment, the NHS still cannot balance its books. A 623 million ($1.1 billion) deficit is predicted. Rumours are rife that about seven thousand jobs will have to be cut. However, according to the Department of Health, efficiency will be achieved through 'natural wastage' and a revision of temporary and agency staff... click link for more info.

Researchers Use Mass Spectrometry To Detect Norovirus Particles
Scientists have used mass spectrometry for decades to determine the chemical composition of samples but rarely has it been used to identify viruses, and never in complex environmental samples. Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health recently demonstrated that proteomic mass spectrometry has the potential to be applied for this purpose... click link for more info.

Wall Street Journal Examines How Some HIV-Positive South Africans Skip Treatment To Qualify For Welfare
The Wall Street Journal on Friday examined how some low-income, HIV-positive people in South Africa forego antiretroviral treatment regimens to become sick enough to qualify for a disability grant. Two HIV/AIDS counselors at one of the largest hospitals in Durban, South Africa, estimate that about 30% of their clients choose this tactic for financial support, though there are no reliable statistics, according to the Journal... click link for more info.

Health Care - Abortion-Rights Opponents To File Petition For Grand Jury To Investigate

2006-04-11T13:35:00.001-07:00

Abortion-Rights Opponents To File Petition For Grand Jury To Investigate Death Of Woman Who Received Abortion At Kansas Clinic
Abortion-rights opponents in Sedgwick County, Kan., on Friday plan to submit a petition to convene a grand jury to investigate the death of a woman who died two days after receiving an abortion at the Women's Health Care Services clinic in Wichita, Kan... click link for more info.

ACLU To Appeal Federal Appeals Court Ruling Upholding Tennessee Statute Allowing "Choose Life" License Plates, Executive Director Says
The American Civil Liberties Union likely will appeal the ruling of a three-judge panel of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati that upholds a Tennessee statute authorizing the production and sale of "Choose Life" specialty license plates, ACLU Executive Director Hedy Weinberg said on Wednesday, the ... click link for more info.

New York Senatorial Candidates, Alabama, South Dakota Gubernatorial Candidates Comment On Abortion
Former Yonkers, N.Y., Mayor John Spencer (R), who is seeking the Republican nomination to run against incumbent Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y), on Friday called on Rodham Clinton to criticize a bill aimed at regulating advertisements for crisis pregnancy centers, the ... click link for more info.

Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report Summarizes Editorials, Opinion Pieces About South Dakota Law Banning Abortion
Several newspapers recently published editorials and opinion pieces about a South Dakota law (HB 1215) that bans abortion in the state except to save a pregnant woman's life... click link for more info.

International Study Questions Health Benefits Of Moderate Drinking
The majority of studies suggesting that "moderate" drinking helps prevent heart disease may be flawed, according to an international research group.In a new report, researchers from the U.S., Canada, and Australia analyze 54 studies that linked how much people drink with risk of premature death from all causes, including heart disease... click link for more info.

Latest Discoveries In Alzheimer's Disease Therapy To Be Presented
The world's leading physicians and scientists in the fields of Alzheimer's disease treatment and dementia research will participate in the 9th International Geneva/Springfield Symposium on the Advances in Alzheimer Therapy. The conference will be held April 19-22 at the International Conference Center in Geneva, Switzerland... click link for more info.

FDA Asks Advisory Committee To Examine Cardiovascular Risks Of ADHD Medications
FDA has asked the agency Drug Safety and Risk Management advisory committee to examine the potential cardiovascular risks of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder medications in response to reports of deaths and other serious adverse events in individuals who have taken the treatments, the ... click link for more info.

Large Family Study Pinpoints Genetic Linkage In Drug Addiction
Based on data obtained from one of the largest family sets of its kind, Yale School of Medicine researchers have identified a genetic linkage for dependence on drugs such as heroin, morphine and oxycontin. The lead author, Joel Gelernter, M.D., professor in the Department of Psychiatry, said the researchers recruited a sample of 393 small families, most with at least two individuals with opioid dependence... click link for more info.

Response to ADHD Medication May Be in The Genes
Testable genetic differences might be used to predict the effectiveness of a medication commonly prescribed to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, a new study suggests. "This is an exciting finding because ADHD is such a common disorder and it's often difficult to know how patients will respond to ADHD medications," said Dr... click link for more info.

Ranbaxy Receives USFDA Approval to Market Clorazepate Dipotassium Tablets USP
Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited (Ranbaxy) announced today that the Company has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to manufacture and market Clorazepate Dipotassium Tablets USP, 3.75 mg, 7.5 mg, and 15 mg. The Office of Generic Drugs, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, has determined the Ranbaxy formulations to be bioequivalent and have the same therapeutic effect as that of the reference listed drug, Tranxene Tablets, 3... click link for more info.

Sociologists Find Low Self-esteem At 11 Predicts Drug Dependency At 20
Every parent worries that his or her child may turn to drugs, or worse, become dependent on them, and a new Florida State University study indicates that parents of boys who have very low self-esteem and have friends who approve of drug and alcohol use may have good cause to worry.FSU sociology professors John Taylor and Donald Lloyd, along with University of Miami professor emeritus George Warheit, found that low self-esteem and peer approval of drug use at age 11 predicted drug dependency at age 20... click link for more info.

NICE Issues Guidance On Drug Treatments For ADHD, UK
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) today issued guidance to the NHS in England and Wales on the use of methylphenidate, atomoxetine and dexamfetamine for treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children and adolescents. This updates previous guidance (TA no... click link for more info.

Pathological Gambling Runs In Families, Study Finds
Problem gambling runs in families according to a University of Iowa study published online in the journal Psychiatry Research. The study also found an excess of alcoholism, drug disorders and antisocial personality disorder in families with pathological gamblers.This is the first study of its kind to include detailed family interviews of relatives of persons with pathological gambling, said Donald W... click link for more info.

Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report Highlights Issues In Various US States
The following highlights recent news of state actions on women's health issues. Abortion Regulations Alabama: The state Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday approved by voice vote a bill that would allow anyone who injures or kills an "unborn child" to be charged with assault or homicide, the ... click link for more info.

Hyperactivity, Sleepiness, And ADHD Often Improved After Tonsillectomy
In fact, about half of the children in the study who were found to have Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder before tonsil surgery no longer met criteria for this diagnosis one year later. Other cognitive and behavioral issues also improved.On the whole, the 78 children who had their tonsils out were much more likely than a comparison group of 27 children to have had behavior and sleep problems at the start of the study... click link for more info.

Yale Technology Spins Out Varicose Vein Device Company: Vascular Insights, LLC
A new company, Vascular Insights, LLC, was founded to develop, manufacture and market devices to treat varicose vein disease, based on technology invented by Michael Tal, M.D., assistant professor of diagnostic radiology (http://radiology.yale.edu/) and director of research interventional radiology at Yale University School of Medicine... click link for more info.

ADHD - Important Strattera(R) Label Update Regarding Uncommon Reports of Suicidal Thoughts Among Children and Adolescents
Eli Lilly and Company announced that it will update the product label globally forits attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medication, Strattera, tocommunicate new information regarding uncommon reports of suicidal thoughtsamong children and adolescents. In conjunction with a request from the U... click link for more info.

CU, Harvard Researchers Team Up To Break Down Causes Of Alzheimer's
An enzyme previously associated with preventing the dementia of Alzheimer's disease now appears to play an even bigger role in safeguarding against the disease, bringing the promise of new targets for drug therapies.While scientists already knew that the enzyme known as Pin1 can prevent the tangles of knotlike brain lesions associated with Alzheimer's, new research, published in the March issue of Nature, finds the enzyme also plays a pivotal role in guarding against a second t... click link for more info.

ADHD Skin Patch Approved By FDA
The FDA has approved the Daytrana patch, a skin patch for the treatment of ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) in children. Regulators said the patch would help in the administration of ADHD drugs to children who find it hard to take pills or tablets. According to many experts, a large number of children taking ADHD medication have problems with swallowing pills... click link for more info.

One Death Unrelated To Abortion Pill Says FDA
The FDA has said that the abortion pill, RU-486, was not linked to the death of a woman who had taken it. Regulators said the second death is still being looked into and no decision has yet been taken on that one. Both deaths were reported in March, 2006. Regulators said it appears the patient in the second death had an infection... click link for more info.

HIV In Injecting Drug Users Reaches Highest Levels For A Decade, UK
Figures released today by the Health Protection Agency show that the number of injecting drug users (IDUs) infected with HIV has reached its highest level since 1992. The figures from the Unlinked Anonymous Prevalence Monitoring Programme (UAPMP) show that in England and Wales, one in 62 (1... click link for more info.

Fruit Fly Reveals A Potential Connection Between Dementia And Cancer
By expressing a protein associated with Alzheimer's disease in the brain of the fruit fly, researchers have demonstrated an intriguing link between neuronal death and proteins previously associated with cancer.The findings are reported by Vik Khurana, Mel Feany, and colleagues from Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and the Burnham Institute... click link for more info.

South Dakota Group Launches Petition Drive For Referendum On State's Abortion Ban
The South Dakota Campaign for Healthy Families -- a coalition of opponents of the state's law (HB 1215) that bans abortion in all cases except to save a woman's life -- on Friday announced it plans to collect the 16,728 signatures from state residents needed to put the law on a statewide ballot in November, the ... click link for more info.

Researchers Discover A Natural Defense Mechanism For Alzheimer's Disease
A team from the Faculty of Medicine at Universit Laval and the research center at CHUQ (Centre hospitalier universitaire de Qu bec) has discovered a natural defense mechanism that the body deploys to combat nerve cell degeneration observed in people with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Scientists Alain R... click link for more info.

CNN's "Paula Zahn Now" Profiles Abortion Provider Who Flies To South Dakota To Provide Services
CNN's "Paula Zahn Now" on Monday profiled Miriam McCreary, a 70-year-old physician and abortion provider in Minnesota who has flown to South Dakota in once or twice per month for seven years to perform the procedure (Griffin/Kay, "Paula Zahn Now," CNN, 4/3)... click link for more info.

Amazon.com Removes Question Prompt About Adoption When Abortion Is Typed Into Search Engine
Amazon.com last week modified its search engine to remove the question, "Did you mean adoption?" from appearing at the top of the page when "abortion" is searched, the ... click link for more info.

Health Care - New Anti-drug Program Shows 'Phenomenal' Success By Focusing On Positives

2006-04-11T13:35:00.000-07:00

New Anti-drug Program Shows 'Phenomenal' Success By Focusing On Positives
A newly-released study suggests that a well-designed in-school and community communication campaign really can dramatically cut marijuana and alcohol use among young teens.In a study of 32 schools in 16 communities around the country, researchers found that the campaign cut in half the number of students who began using marijuana and alcohol during the two years of the project, compared to students in communities without the program... click link for more info.

New Mechanism Found For Neurodegenerative Effects Of Amphetamines In Mice
University of Toronto researchers have discovered a new mechanism for the neurodegenerative effects of amphetamines. These drugs are converted in the brain into free radicals, highly reactive molecules that cause neurodegenerative brain damage and whose effects manifest and linger long after the amphetamine has left the body... click link for more info.

Young adults with ADHD - ADDERALL XR significantly improves driving performance, study
ADDERALL XR (mixed salts of a single-entity amphetamine product) significantly improved driving performance, cognitive function and attention in young adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in a controlled driving simulator study conducted by the Washington Neuropsychological Institute and presented today at the 18th Annual U... click link for more info.

Extended release stimulant effective for long-term ADHD treatment
A new study has found that an all-day, extended-release stimulant for treating attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) remains effective for up to two years without significant side effects. In the October issue of the Journal of the American Association of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, a multi-institutional research team reports finding that treatment with Concerta, a once-daily form of the drug methylphenidate, successfully controlled ADHD symptoms in more than 200 children with A... click link for more info.

Memory Function: There Is Hope For Alcoholics With Korsakoff Syndrome
People with Korsakoff Syndrome (KS), a brain disorder usually associated with long-term heavy drinking and thiamine deficiency, often have profound deficits in their "explicit memory" or ability to recall recent events. A study in the April issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research looks at a memory process called visuoperceptual learning, a component of "implicit memory," which does not require conscious recollection... click link for more info.

Conference Examines Latest Research On Drug-induced Liver Injury
A recent conference examined issues relating to drug-induced liver injury (DILI), the primary cause of acute liver failure in the U.S. The proceedings of the conference are summarized in a paper appearing in the March 2006 issue of Hepatology, the official journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD)... click link for more info.

Japanese Encephalitis Widespread In Bali
Japanese encephalitis might be more widespread in Indonesia than previously thought. In a study published today in the open access journal BMC Medicine (http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcmed/), researchers analysed the incidence rate of Japanese encephalitis, a potentially lethal disease caused by a mosquito-borne virus, in children living on the Indonesian island of Bali... click link for more info.

'Prosthetic' Retinal Cells Let Blind Mice See Light
In an experiment that could offer a new pathway to restoring vision in people with inherited retinal degeneration, researchers have engineered cells in the eye to be light sensitive that were not before. Using a harmless virus, they introduced a gene for a light-sensitive protein into "inner retinal neurons" in a strain of mice with photoreceptor deficiency that resembles the defect in such inherited human disorders as retinitis pigmentosa... click link for more info.

ADHD - Important Strattera(R) Label Update Regarding Uncommon Reports of Suicidal Thoughts Among Children and Adolescents
Eli Lilly and Company announced that it will update the product label globally forits attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medication, Strattera, tocommunicate new information regarding uncommon reports of suicidal thoughtsamong children and adolescents. In conjunction with a request from the U... click link for more info.

Blind Mice Recover Visual Responses Using Protein From Green Algae
Nerve cells that normally are not light sensitive in the retinas of blind mice can respond to light when a green algae protein called channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) is inserted into the cell membranes, according to a National Institutes of Health (NIH)-supported study published in the April 6, 2006 issue of the journal Neuron... click link for more info.

Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report Summarizes Editorials, Opinion Pieces About South Dakota Law Banning Abortion
Several newspapers recently published editorials and opinion pieces about a South Dakota law (HB 1215) that bans abortion in the state except to save a pregnant woman's life... click link for more info.

Health Care - FDA Panel Suggests Adding Black Box Warning To ADHD Medications

2006-04-10T16:08:00.001-07:00

FDA Panel Suggests Adding Black Box Warning To ADHD Medications About Risk Of Sudden Death, Heart Problems
An FDA advisory panel on Thursday voted 8-7 with one abstention that attention deficit hyperactivity disorder drugs should carry "black box" warnings about an increased risk of sudden death and serious cardiovascular problems, the ... click link for more info.

Group Opposed To Abortion Rights Files Lawsuit Challenging Pittsburgh Ordinance Requiring Buffer Zone Outside Abortion Clinics
The Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Alliance Defense Fund, which opposes abortion rights, on Monday filed a lawsuit in a U.S. District Court on behalf of a woman, challenging a Pittsburgh, Pa., ordinance that creates a buffer zone between protesters and health care facilities, including abortion clinics, the ... click link for more info.

Extreme Personality Poses Risk Of ADHD, Conduct Disorder
Children with personalities marked by aggressiveness, mood swings, a sense of alienation and a need for excitement may be at greater risk for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or conduct disorder, according to a new Florida State University study.FSU psychology professors Jeanette Taylor and Chris Schatschneider, FSU doctoral student Kelly Cukrowicz and University of Minnesota Professor William Iacono found that children with ADHD or conduct disorder had more negative em... click link for more info.

Recent Trends In Children's Stimulant Prescriptions For ADHD, USA
The percentage of U.S. children taking stimulants for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) remained at a constant level between 1997 and 2002. These data were collected by the federal government and are summarized in an article in the April 2006 issue of The American Journal of Psychiatry (AJP), the official journal of the American Psychiatric Association (APA)... click link for more info.

ADHD in children associated with gene variant and environmental risk factors
For children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), possessing a variant of a gene involved in brain signaling may predict antisocial behavior and increase susceptibility to the effects of lower birth weight, according to a study in the November issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals... click link for more info.

Michigan Gov. Granholm Signs Ultrasound Bill
Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D) on Friday signed legislation (HB 4446) that requires health professionals who give ultrasounds to women seeking abortion an opportunity to see the ultrasound images of their fetuses before undergoing the procedure, the ... click link for more info.

New York Senatorial Candidates, Alabama, South Dakota Gubernatorial Candidates Comment On Abortion
Former Yonkers, N.Y., Mayor John Spencer (R), who is seeking the Republican nomination to run against incumbent Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y), on Friday called on Rodham Clinton to criticize a bill aimed at regulating advertisements for crisis pregnancy centers, the ... click link for more info.

Abortion-Rights Opponents To File Petition For Grand Jury To Investigate Death Of Woman Who Received Abortion At Kansas Clinic
Abortion-rights opponents in Sedgwick County, Kan., on Friday plan to submit a petition to convene a grand jury to investigate the death of a woman who died two days after receiving an abortion at the Women's Health Care Services clinic in Wichita, Kan., the Wichita Eagle reports. Christin Gilbert, a 19-year-old Texas resident Down syndrome who was 28 weeks pregnant, died on Jan... click link for more info.

New Mechanism For Neurodegenerative Effects Of Amphetamines In Mice Found, University Of Toronto
University of Toronto researchers have discovered a new mechanism for the neurodegenerative effects of amphetamines. These drugs are converted in the brain into free radicals, highly reactive molecules that cause neurodegenerative brain damage and whose effects manifest and linger long after the amphetamine has left the body... click link for more info.

Scientists Still Can't Identify Species Of Dead Infected Swan In Scotland
A week-and-a-half after finding the dead, H5N1 infected swan in Fife, Scotland, scientists are still not able to identify what type of swan it was. Epidemiologists need to know what type of swan it is so that they can have a better idea how the virus entered the UK. If it was a native, non-migratory, British swan, then another bird brought the bird flu in... click link for more info.

Federal Judge Orders Idaho To Pay Planned Parenthood For Attorney Fees Related To Challenge Of Parental Consent Law
U.S. District Judge Mikel Williams on Friday ruled that Idaho must pay more than $380,000 to reimburse Planned Parenthood of Idaho -- which challenged the constitutionality of the state's abortion-related law requiring parental consent before a minor could undergo the procedure -- for its attorney's fees, the ... click link for more info.

Booze - How Much Is Too Much? Interactive Web Site For Students
The country's first interactive website to help students cut down on alcohol has launched at Leeds. If successful, it could be rolled out across the UK and beyond. The e-UNICAL project will use tailored online feedback based on reported alcohol consumption to help students make informed decisions about their drinking... click link for more info.

Signaling Proteins May Represent Biomarkers For Melanoma
For the first time, researchers studying patients with abnormal moles have identified proteins that could help predict whether such moles will progress into melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. The study provides promising evidence that the proteins may represent potential biomarkers for prevention therapy... click link for more info.

New Anti-drug Program Shows 'Phenomenal' Success By Focusing On Positives
A newly-released study suggests that a well-designed in-school and community communication campaign really can dramatically cut marijuana and alcohol use among young teens.In a study of 32 schools in 16 communities around the country, researchers found that the campaign cut in half the number of students who began using marijuana and alcohol during the two years of the project, compared to students in communities without the program... click link for more info.

Zimbabwe Life Expectancy Lowest In The World
In Zimbabwe, female life expectancy stands at 34 years, while for males it is 37 years. According to a report issued by the United Nations, Zimbabwe has the lowest life expectancy in the world. Over the last two years, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), life expectancy for women has dropped by two years... click link for more info.

Some Diabetes Patients Lose Lower Limbs Because Their Skin Changes
Researchers from the University of Bristol, UK, have discovered why patients with diabetes develop a condition which leads to amputation of the lower limbs. It is caused by an alteration in their skin tissue before leg ulcers develop. It is not uncommon for a person with Diabetes Type 2 to develop an ulcer in the lower limb which does not heal... click link for more info.

First Link Of Oral Bacteria And Preterm Birth Found In Human
A 37-year-old-mother, who gave birth to a low-weight preemie at 24 weeks, exhibited the first-found link in a human between bacteria found in the mouth and the amniotic fluid of a woman in preterm labor.Using new DNA finger-printing techniques to find bacteria that cannot be cultured and grown in the lab, researchers from Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland made the discovery... click link for more info.

Latin America's Abortion Restrictions Should Serve As Warning For South Dakota Gov. Rounds, Opinion Piece Says
"It's been a long time since the days of back-alley abortions in the U.S.," which is why South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds (R) might not "remember what it was like" before Roe v. Wade - the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that effectively barred state abortion bans - when "women had no right to a safe, legal abortion," Marianne Mollmann, who researches women's issues at ... click link for more info.

A Clue To Core Problem Of Neurodegenerative Disease And Cell Death
Misfolded and damaged proteins are common to all human neurodegenerative diseases. Clumps of these aggregated proteins destroy neurons within the brain and cause disease. But explanations for the mechanism that actually causes cell death have varied widely, puzzling scientists and leading them to ask whether Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's and Creutzfeldt-Jakob diseases and familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are related diseases or very different diseases... click link for more info.

International Study Questions Health Benefits Of Moderate Drinking
The majority of studies suggesting that "moderate" drinking helps prevent heart disease may be flawed, according to an international research group.In a new report, researchers from the U.S., Canada, and Australia analyze 54 studies that linked how much people drink with risk of premature death from all causes, including heart disease... click link for more info.

FDA Asks Advisory Committee To Examine Cardiovascular Risks Of ADHD Medications
FDA has asked the agency Drug Safety and Risk Management advisory committee to examine the potential cardiovascular risks of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder medications in response to reports of deaths and other serious adverse events in individuals who have taken the treatments, the ... click link for more info.

Better Regulation Needed For Ethical Research In Africa
Better regulation is needed to ensure that research carried out in Africa and other developing countries is ethical, says an expert in this week's BMJ.Although most developing countries adhere to international ethical codes, some foreign researchers have taken advantage of the lack of local legislation and have ignored rudimentary local statutes, writes Sylvester Chima of Northumbria University... click link for more info.

Poll Shows U.S. Residents Believe Care Quality Can Be Quantified, Would Not Pay Higher Premiums For Better Care
"Many U.S. Adults Believe Health Care Quality Can Be Fairly Assessed, But Few Willing To Pay Significantly Higher Premiums for Superior Care," Wall Street Journal/Harris Interactive Health Care Poll: Forty-nine percent of U.S. adults believe there exist "fair and reliable" methods to measure and compare hospitals' and medical groups' quality of care, according to the survey of 2,123 adults conducted between March 20 and March 22... click link for more info.

Substance use and mood and anxiety disorders among the most prevalent psychiatric disorders
Substance abuse and mood and anxiety disorders that arise independently of substance abuse and withdrawal are some of the most common psychiatric disorders in the United States, according to an article in the August issue of The Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. According to information in the article, substance use and mood and anxiety disorders are widespread in the general population and are associated with substantial societal and personal costs... click link for more info.

Migration Of Health Care Workers Undermining Services In Poorer Countries
According to a report by the World Health Organization, so many health care workers from developing countries are migrating to rich countries that health services in poorer countries are becoming seriously harmed. Even basic health care, in some parts, is becoming very hard to provide because so many doctors and nurses have left... click link for more info.

Evolution Of Hyperactivity, Impulsivity, And Cognitive Diversity
The evolutionary status of ADHD is central to assessments of whether modern society created it, and is important in understanding its neurobiology and treatment. ADHD's association with a positively selected gene raises the possibility that ADHD itself is selected for. But previous suggestions of evolutionary benefits of ADHD have either been factually incorrect, or have not explained why, if it is useful, it remains confined to a minority... click link for more info.

Crystal Meth Use Increasing High Risk Sexual Activity Among Heterosexual Men, Could Lead To Increase In HIV Cases, Study Says
Crystal methamphetamine use is leading to an increase in high-risk sexual behavior among heterosexual men in Northern California, according to preliminary results of a study published Thursday in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the ... click link for more info.

Cymbalta Safely And Effectively Treats Core Anxiety Symptoms Of Generalized Anxiety Disorder - Study
A new study of approximately 500 patients evaluated the safety and efficacy of the antidepressant Cymbalta (duloxetine HCl) on the core anxiety symptoms in patients with generalized anxiety disorder. Cymbalta significantly reduced core anxiety symptoms and associated painful physical symptoms and improved functional impairment associated with the illness... click link for more info.

ADHD - FDA expands indication for ADDERALL XR (CII) confirming safety and efficacy in adolescents
Shire Pharmaceuticals Group plc announced today that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved ADDERALL XR (mixed salts of a single-entity amphetamine product) as a once-daily treatment for adolescents aged 13 to 17 with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Since October 2001, ADDERALL XR has been approved in the U... click link for more info.

Gastroenterologists Disappointed In Level Of Rise In Alcohol Duty, UK
Statement From The British Society of Gastroenterology Following The Chancellor's Budget Announcement: "The British Society of Gastroenterology is disappointed and concerned that the level of increase in the duty on alcohol is not higher. It should have been increased at a level far higher than inflation to limit drinking... click link for more info.

Health Care - New Mechanism For Neurodegenerative Effects Of Amphetamines In Mice Found,

2006-04-10T16:08:00.000-07:00

New Mechanism For Neurodegenerative Effects Of Amphetamines In Mice Found, University Of Toronto
University of Toronto researchers have discovered a new mechanism for the neurodegenerative effects of amphetamines. These drugs are converted in the brain into free radicals, highly reactive molecules that cause neurodegenerative brain damage and whose effects manifest and linger long after the amphetamine has left the body... click link for more info.

Placebos provide pain relief
The brain can respond to a dummy drug (a placebo) in the same way as it responds to a proper painkiller, according to some recent scans. Volunteers were exposed to heat and electric shocks at Princeton and Michigan Universities by scientists. When the volunteers were given what they thought was a painkiller, it was in fact a placebo... click link for more info.

Fla. Gubernatorial Candidates Voice Support For, Opposition To South Dakota Abortion Ban
Florida Republican gubernatorial candidate and state CFO Tom Gallagher on Thursday announced that he would sign similar legislation to the South Dakota law (... click link for more info.

Alcohol Branded Merchandise Associated With Early Teen Drinking
HANOVER, NH. Young adolescents who own t shirts, hats and other merchandise with an alcohol brand name on it are more likely to begin drinking than kids who do not own these items, according to a study by Dartmouth Medical School researchers published in the April issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine... click link for more info.

Crystal Meth Use Increasing High Risk Sexual Activity Among Heterosexual Men, Could Lead To Increase In HIV Cases, Study Says
Crystal methamphetamine use is leading to an increase in high-risk sexual behavior among heterosexual men in Northern California, according to preliminary results of a study published Thursday in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the ... click link for more info.

ADHD - Important Strattera(R) Label Update Regarding Uncommon Reports of Suicidal Thoughts Among Children and Adolescents
Eli Lilly and Company announced that it will update the product label globally forits attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medication, Strattera, tocommunicate new information regarding uncommon reports of suicidal thoughtsamong children and adolescents. In conjunction with a request from the U... click link for more info.

Women Now Live Longer Than Men, Even In The Poorest Countries
2006 is likely to be the first year in human history when - across almost all the world - women can expect to outlive men, say researchers in this week's BMJ.The trend towards this remarkable achievement will probably be confirmed this week in the 2006 world health report."We tend to forget that in many countries of the world women could expect, until recently, to live fewer years than men and that maternal death in particular remains a big killer," write Danny Dorling and colleagues... click link for more info.

Fat Melting Laser May Treat Cellulite, Heart Disease And Acne
Scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital, USA, are using the Free-Electron Laser at specific wavelengths (selective photothermolysis) to heat up fat, which is then excreted by the body - without harming the skin. They say this technique could be used for treating cellulite, acne and heart disease... click link for more info.

Nanoparticle Shows Promise In Reducing Radiation Side Effects
Using transparent zebrafish embryos, researchers at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia have shown that a microscopic nanoparticle can help fend off damage to normal tissue from radiation. The nanoparticle, a soccer ball-shaped, hollow, carbon-based structure known as a fullerene, acts like an "oxygen sink," binding to dangerous oxygen radicals produced by radiation... click link for more info.

Extended release stimulant effective for long-term ADHD treatment
A new study has found that an all-day, extended-release stimulant for treating attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) remains effective for up to two years without significant side effects. In the October issue of the Journal of the American Association of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, a multi-institutional research team reports finding that treatment with Concerta, a once-daily form of the drug methylphenidate, successfully controlled ADHD symptoms in more than 200 children with A... click link for more info.

EC Opponents, Supporters Should Listen To Each Other To Ensure Safest Access To Pill, Opinion Piece Says
The outcome of the "political war" over emergency contraception -- which can prevent pregnancy if taken up to 72 hours after intercourse -- "depends on whether EC gets defined as birth control or abortion," William Saletan, a Slate national correspondent and author of "Bearing Right: How Conservatives Won the Abortion War," writes in a ... click link for more info.

Advisers Reject "Black Box" Warning For ADHD Drugs
A Food and Drug Administration Pediatric Advisory Committee has rejected having "black box" warnings regarding psychiatric and cardiovascular risks associated with ADHD drugs. This advice goes against a recommendation issued one month ago by the Drug Safety And Risk Management Advisory Committee, which supported the idea of a black box warning... click link for more info.

Health Care - MIT Research Links Cancer, Inflammatory Disease The biological processes underlying

2006-04-09T03:54:00.000-07:00

MIT Research Links Cancer, Inflammatory Disease
The biological processes underlying diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and cancer are fundamentally linked, and should be linked in how they are treated with drugs, a series of MIT studies indicates.Key to the work: The researchers applied an engineering approach to cell biology, using mathematical and numerical tools normally associated with the former discipline... click link for more info.

Health Care - Salk Scientist Ron Evans Wins 2006 Gairdner Award For His

2006-04-09T03:53:00.000-07:00

Salk Scientist Ron Evans Wins 2006 Gairdner Award For His Discovery Of Hormone Sensors
Ronald M. Evans, Ph.D., professor and head of the Gene Expression Laboratory of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, has been named a 2006 winner of the prestigious Gairdner Award for his pioneering research into nuclear hormone receptors.The Gairdner, Canada's highest scientific honor, recognizes medical science leaders whose accomplishments have advanced the frontiers of knowledge... click link for more info.

ADHD Drugs Should Have Black Box Warning, Says FDA Advisory Panel
According to the FDA advisory panel, ADHD drugs, including Ritalin, Concerta, Methylin and Metadate should have a 'black box' warning. The FDA usually does what the advisory panel recommends. This is after data revealed that ADHD drugs may have caused 25 deaths and 54 serious medical problems among patients during 1999-2003... click link for more info.

Health Care - Maryland House Approves Stem Cell Research Legislation, Sends Measure To

2006-04-04T12:04:00.001-07:00

Maryland House Approves Stem Cell Research Legislation, Sends Measure To Governor
The Maryland House on Wednesday voted 90-48 to approve a bill (SB 144) that would offer as much as $15 million in grants in 2007 to university-based and private researchers working with stem cells, the Washington Post reports (Wagner, Washington Post, 3/30). The bill would establish procedures for reviewing stem cell research projects, which could involve either embryonic or adult stem cells, the Baltimore Sun reports... click link for more info.

Cholesterol Levels Discounted As A Biological Marker For Suicide Risk Among Alcoholics
* Alcoholism is a major risk factor for suicidal behavior.* Prior research has suggested that cholesterol may be a general biological marker for suicide risk.* New research discounts cholesterol levels as a biological marker for suicide attempt risk among alcoholics, but identifies a "profile" of patients at risk... click link for more info.

ADHD - Important Strattera(R) Label Update Regarding Uncommon Reports of Suicidal Thoughts Among Children and Adolescents
Eli Lilly and Company announced that it will update the product label globally forits attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medication, Strattera, tocommunicate new information regarding uncommon reports of suicidal thoughtsamong children and adolescents. In conjunction with a request from the U... click link for more info.

Computer scientists at UH developing 'nurturing' computers
Imagine a day when your computer will be able to let you know if you need a break, alert you to take medication or even go to the doctor. In some computer science labs at the University of Houston, such human-computer interaction is becoming a reality. Ioannis Pavlidis, associate professor of computer science at UH, and his Infrared Imaging Group at UH's computer science department in the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics are leading the way with ATHEMOS (Automatic THErma... click link for more info.

ADHD - FDA expands indication for ADDERALL XR (CII) confirming safety and efficacy in adolescents
Shire Pharmaceuticals Group plc announced today that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved ADDERALL XR (mixed salts of a single-entity amphetamine product) as a once-daily treatment for adolescents aged 13 to 17 with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Since October 2001, ADDERALL XR has been approved in the U... click link for more info.

Doctor Jailed For Aborting Foetus Just Because It Was A Girl, India
Dr Anil Sabhani, and his assistant, Kartar Singh, have been jailed for two years for telling a pregnant woman her fetus was a girl and then agreeing to get rid of it for her by abortion - the first time any doctor in India has been imprisoned for doing so. In India it is illegal to use ultrasound tests to find out what sex the unborn child is... click link for more info.

Concerta (methylphenidate HCl) Approved for the Treatment of ADHD in Adolescents, Canada
Health Canada has approved CONCERTA (methylphenidate HCl) Extended-release Tablets for use in adolescents (aged 13 to 18) with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).1 Until now CONCERTA was approved for the treatment of ADHD in children aged six to 12 years. In a clinical study of adolescents aged 13 to 18 years, CONCERTA at doses up to 72 mg significantly reduced ADHD symptoms, such as difficulty paying attention to schoolwork... click link for more info.

FDA Asks Advisory Committee To Examine Cardiovascular Risks Of ADHD Medications
FDA has asked the agency Drug Safety and Risk Management advisory committee to examine the potential cardiovascular risks of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder medications in response to reports of deaths and other serious adverse events in individuals who have taken the treatments, the ... click link for more info.

Knight Ridder/San Jose Mercury News Examines Possible Shift In Supreme Court's Abortion-Rights Stance
Knight Ridder/San Jose Mercury News on Thursday examined how a South Dakota law (... click link for more info.

American Indians With Alcohol Problems Have More Medical Conditions
Alcohol abuse and dependence are known to be major health problems among American Indians, yet little research has examined alcohol's detrimental effect on organ systems among these populations. Looking at two American Indian tribes, a study in the April issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research has confirmed that a significant relationship exists between alcohol disorders and medical conditions, specifically: sprains and strains, hearing and vision problems, kidney and bladder p... click link for more info.

ADHD in children associated with gene variant and environmental risk factors
For children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), possessing a variant of a gene involved in brain signaling may predict antisocial behavior and increase susceptibility to the effects of lower birth weight, according to a study in the November issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals... click link for more info.

Cocaine Addiction Could Be All In Your Genes
How likely you are to becoming a cocaine addict could well depend on your genetic make up, say researchers from the Institute of Psychiatry. Some people have a gene variation which stops the production of a protein that regulates dopamine in the brain. The researchers said that if you have two copies of this gene variation, your chances of becoming addicted to cocaine are 50% higher... click link for more info.

Health Care - The Intelligent Search Engine For Biomedical Specialists Founded in November

2006-04-04T12:04:00.000-07:00

The Intelligent Search Engine For Biomedical Specialists
Founded in November 2005, Transinsight is a software company focused on the life sciences that provides products and solutions for intelligent search technologies. Their main product, GoPubMed, was partly developed during the IST project, Biogrid, by Professor Michael Schroeder and his research team from the Biotechnology Centre at the Technical University of Dresden... click link for more info.

Fla. Gubernatorial Candidates Voice Support For, Opposition To South Dakota Abortion Ban
Florida Republican gubernatorial candidate and state CFO Tom Gallagher on Thursday announced that he would sign similar legislation to the South Dakota law (... click link for more info.

Scientific Study Of Recovery Process Sheds New Light On Role Of Spirituality
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK " In a forthcoming article in Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly, scientists from NDRI explore the role of social supports, spirituality, religiousness, life meaning, and 12-step participation in the process of recovery from addiction. While the path to recovery is challenging, the study reveals markedly improved life satisfaction as recovery progresses as well as a decrease in stress, a critical finding since stress is a key predictor of relapse to drug use... click link for more info.

Jackson Laboratory Joins National Centers For Systems Biology Program With A New, "systems" Approach To Studying The Genetics Of Health And Disease
A $15.1 million National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant has been awarded to a team of Jackson Laboratory researchers with a new, "systems" approach to studying the genetics of health and disease.The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) is awarding the five-year grant for $15,073,585 under a "National Centers for Systems Biology" program... click link for more info.

Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report Highlights Issues In Various US States
The following highlights recent news of state actions on women's health issues. Abortion Regulations Georgia: The state House on Monday voted 155-0 to approve a bill (SB 77) that would make it a felony to kill a fetus during an attack on a pregnant woman, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 3/28)... click link for more info.

Young adults with ADHD - ADDERALL XR significantly improves driving performance, study
ADDERALL XR (mixed salts of a single-entity amphetamine product) significantly improved driving performance, cognitive function and attention in young adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in a controlled driving simulator study conducted by the Washington Neuropsychological Institute and presented today at the 18th Annual U... click link for more info.

Convicted Murderer Kopp Asks To Represent Himself In Federal Trial
Convicted murderer James Kopp on Tuesday asked that he be allowed to represent himself during his upcoming federal trial after his request to stop his attorney's motion to suppress his confession of murdering Buffalo, N... click link for more info.

NPR Examines Debate Surrounding Lancet Study On Number Of Aborted Female Fetuses In India
NPR's "All Things Considered" on Tuesday examined the debate surrounding a study published earlier this year in the Lancet that finds up to 10 million female fetuses might have been aborted in the country over the past 20 years... click link for more info.

Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Study Launched Nationwide By National Institutes Of Health
The Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) -- a project developed by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) -- is seeking 800 older adults to participate in a study aimed at identifying biological markers of memory decline and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Ultimately, scientists hope that brain and biological changes can be detected before memory decline and other symptoms appear, allowing the effectiveness of drugs to be evaluated at the earliest possible time... click link for more info.

Strength Of Cocaine Cravings Linked To Brain Response
DALLAS March 2006, Rats that have a strong craving for cocaine have a different biochemical response to the drug than their less-addicted counterparts, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found.The difference lies in the pleasure-seeking area of the brain, according to a study available online and appearing in a future issue of the journal Neuropsychopharmacology... click link for more info.

Scent Of Fear Impacts Cognitive Performance
The chemical warning signals produced by fear improve cognitive performance, according to a study at Rice University in Houston.Women who were exposed to chemicals from fear-induced sweat performed more accurately on word-association tasks than did women exposed to chemicals from other types of sweat or no sweat at all... click link for more info.

Lyrica Receives CHMP Opinion For The Treatment Of Generalized Anxiety Disorder In Adults
Pfizer Inc said today that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency issued a positive opinion recommending marketing authorization of Lyrica (pregabalin), a novel mechanism for the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in adults. The CHMP's positive recommendation will be reviewed by the European Commission, which has authority to approve medicines for the European Union... click link for more info.

Health Care - Cipralex (Escitalopram) Superior to Placebo and Paroxetine in Treatment of

2006-03-26T14:46:00.003-08:00

Cipralex (Escitalopram) Superior to Placebo and Paroxetine in Treatment of GAD
Cipralex / Lexapro (escitalopram) is an effective and well tolerated treatment for general anxiety disorder (GAD), and significantly more effective than both placebo and paroxetine, according to a new study presented today at the ECNP (European College of Neuropsychopharmacology) in Stockholm... click link for more info.

Infused Spleen Cells Found Not To Impact Islet Recovery And Reversal Of Type 1 Diabetes In Mice
BOSTON. Researchers from Joslin Diabetes Center have published in the March, 2006, issue of the journal Science a significant study about islet cell recovery and reversal of type 1 diabetes in mice.It is generally believed that an effective cure for type 1 diabetes will require two substantial scientific advances... click link for more info.

Evolution Of Hyperactivity, Impulsivity, And Cognitive Diversity
The evolutionary status of ADHD is central to assessments of whether modern society created it, and is important in understanding its neurobiology and treatment. ADHD's association with a positively selected gene raises the possibility that ADHD itself is selected for. But previous suggestions of evolutionary benefits of ADHD have either been factually incorrect, or have not explained why, if it is useful, it remains confined to a minority... click link for more info.

New Lipid Molecule Holds Promise For Gene Therapy
Scientists at the University of California, Santa Barbara have created a new molecule that holds promise in fighting disease via gene therapy. Inherited diseases, as well as many cancers and cardiovascular diseases, may eventually be helped by this approach, which delivers therapeutic genes directly to cells... click link for more info.

Genetic And Environmental Influences On Alcohol Consumption
There is little doubt that alcohol-related disorders in humans are genetically based. The influence of environmental factors, however, remains unclear. Given that studies of humans are complicated by a multitude of cultural and day-to-day-living factors, researchers in the March issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research use rhesus monkeys to examine genetic and environmental influences on alcohol consumption... click link for more info.

Genetic Factors Important In Development And Timing Of Alzheimer's Disease
In a large study of twins, Alzheimer's disease appears to be highly heritable and genetic factors may also influence timing of the disease, according to an article in the February Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.Two-thirds of adults aged 65 years and older with dementia have Alzheimer's disease (AD), and the number of AD cases is predicted to increase with the growing older adult population... click link for more info.

Patients Want To Know Results Of Their Clinical Trials
Although an overwhelming 98% of cancer patients wanted to know the results of the clinical trial they took part in, there is currently no standard way of conveying the information. The onus is usually placed on the patient to find out the results from their doctor. Over 1,400 people with cancer took part in a new study to determine the best way of telling patients about their clinical trial results, the findings of which were announced today at the 5th European Breast Cancer Conference (EBCC-5)... click link for more info.

Bills Allowing Access To EC Not Linked To Political Boundaries, Post Letter To The Editor Says
Bills seeking to prevent unplanned pregnancies by increasing access to emergency contraception -- which can prevent pregnancy if taken up to 72 hours after sexual intercourse -- are not linked solely to politically and/or ideologically "red" and "blue" states, Belle Taylor-McGhee, executive director of ... click link for more info.

Ocean Virus Identified In Human Blood Samples
A virus of ocean origin that can cause a range of diseases in several animal species has been found in human blood samples. The virus, or antibodies to it, was found most often in the blood of individuals with liver damage, or hepatitis of unknown cause related to blood exposure.A study on these findings was published Wednesday in the online edition of the Journal of Medical Virology, by scientists from Oregon State University, the Center for Pediatric Research at Eastern Virginia Medical School, and AVI BioPharma... click link for more info.

Conference Urges Black Churches To Improve Efforts To End Abortion Among Black Women
Black churches need to improve efforts to end abortion in the black community, according to speakers at the 2006 Pro-Life Conference held at Mount Gilead Full Gospel Church in Chesterfield County, Va., on Friday, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reports (Smith, Richmond Times-Dispatch... click link for more info.

Alcohol Branded Merchandise Associated With Early Teen Drinking
HANOVER, NH. Young adolescents who own t shirts, hats and other merchandise with an alcohol brand name on it are more likely to begin drinking than kids who do not own these items, according to a study by Dartmouth Medical School researchers published in the April issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine... click link for more info.

Cholesterol Levels Discounted As A Biological Marker For Suicide Risk Among Alcoholics
* Alcoholism is a major risk factor for suicidal behavior.* Prior research has suggested that cholesterol may be a general biological marker for suicide risk.* New research discounts cholesterol levels as a biological marker for suicide attempt risk among alcoholics, but identifies a "profile" of patients at risk... click link for more info.

New Dosages Of RISPERDAL (Risperidone) Now Available
Physicians treating people with schizophrenia or bipolar mania now have expanded treatment options: Two additional dosages (3 mg and 4 mg) of RISPERDAL M-TAB , the fast-dissolving form of one of the most prescribed antipsychotic medications, RISPERDAL (risperidone), are now available by prescription... click link for more info.

Same Genes May Underlie Alcohol And Nicotine Co-Abuse
Vulnerability to both alcohol and nicotine abuse may be influenced by the same genetic factor, according to a recent study supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).In the study, two genetically distinct kinds of rat " one an innately heavy-drinking strain bred to prefer alcohol ("P" rats), the other strain bred to not prefer alcohol ("NP" rats) -- learned to give themselves nicotine injections... click link for more info.

FDA Approval Of Plan B Could Assure Von Eschenbach Confirmation, Editorial Says
FDA approval of Barr Laboratories' application for nonprescription sales of the emergency contraceptive Plan B for girls and women ages 17 and older could assure Senate ... click link for more info.

Scientific Study Of Recovery Process Sheds New Light On Role Of Spirituality
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK " In a forthcoming article in Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly, scientists from NDRI explore the role of social supports, spirituality, religiousness, life meaning, and 12-step participation in the process of recovery from addiction. While the path to recovery is challenging, the study reveals markedly improved life satisfaction as recovery progresses as well as a decrease in stress, a critical finding since stress is a key predictor of relapse to drug use... click link for more info.

Scientists Making Advances In Cancer To Receive International Awards, American Association For Cancer Research
Leading scientists whose work in research laboratories, universities and medical centers is helping to understand and eradicate cancer will be recognized April 1-5, 2006, by the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) at its 97th Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. A series of awards is given annually by the AACR - the world's oldest and largest professional society representing cancer scientists from the United States and more than 60 other countries - to honor world-class accomplishments in basic research, clinical care, therapeutics and prevention... click link for more info.

Delayed-release Stimulant Used To Treat Attention-deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) May Be Less Likely To Be Abused Than Other Stimulant Drugs
A team led by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers has found that a delayed-release stimulant used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be less likely to be abused than other stimulant drugs. Study participants taking therapeutic oral doses of Concerta, a once-daily form of the drug methylphenidate, did not report perceiving and enjoying the drug's subjective effects, features that are associated with a medication's potential for abuse... click link for more info.

AP/Centre Daily Times Examines Discontent Among Pa. Abortion-Rights Advocates Over Casey's Senate Candidacy; Michelman Will Not Run
The AP/Centre Daily Times on Monday examined the "[s]immering unhappiness" among some Democrats in Pennsylvania who support abortion rights over the U.S. Senate candidacy of state Treasurer ... click link for more info.

Fruit Fly Reveals A Potential Connection Between Dementia And Cancer
By expressing a protein associated with Alzheimer's disease in the brain of the fruit fly, researchers have demonstrated an intriguing link between neuronal death and proteins previously associated with cancer.The findings are reported by Vik Khurana, Mel Feany, and colleagues from Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and the Burnham Institute... click link for more info.

Bayer Makes Move To Buy Schering AG
Bayer intends to make a public takeover offer to the stockholders of Schering AG. In a transaction with a total value of EUR 16.3 billion, the company is willing to pay EUR 86 in cash for each Schering share or ADS (American Depositary Share). The offer price is 39 percent above the Schering share price before the announcement of the hostile bid by Merck KGaA and 12 percent above this competing offer... click link for more info.

Inconsistent Effort May Be Sign of Attention Disorder in Adults and Children
The adult or child who only concentrates when performing an activity in which they have a deep interest, such as playing a sport or drawing, may have "impotence of the mind," according to a new book by Thomas E. Brown, clinical professor of psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine. "Impotence of the mind is a chronic inability to mobilize focus and effort unless the task is personally interesting," said Brown, who specializes in treating adults and children with attention deficit di... click link for more info.

New Survey Indicates Majority Of Americans Suffer From 'Sleep Slump'
When clocks "spring forward" at 2:00 a.m. on the first Sunday in April, most Americans lose an hour of sleep. And for those who are already in a sleep slump, losing an extra hour can add to the negative consequences of lack of sleep. According to nationally renowned sleep expert, Dr. James B. Maas, past chairman of the Department of Psychology at Cornell University and author of best-selling book "Power Sleep," this is not surprising... click link for more info.

Tips On How Elderly Can Stay Home From NJIT Environmental Psychologist
Environmental psychologist Richard Olsen, PhD, and research architect Lynn Hutchings are people on a mission. The researchers, based in the architecture school at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), would like to see older people and people with dementia live better, safer and more comfortable lives staying in their homes... click link for more info.

Extended release stimulant effective for long-term ADHD treatment
A new study has found that an all-day, extended-release stimulant for treating attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) remains effective for up to two years without significant side effects. In the October issue of the Journal of the American Association of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, a multi-institutional research team reports finding that treatment with Concerta, a once-daily form of the drug methylphenidate, successfully controlled ADHD symptoms in more than 200 children with A... click link for more info.

Concerta (methylphenidate HCl) Approved for the Treatment of ADHD in Adolescents, Canada
Health Canada has approved CONCERTA (methylphenidate HCl) Extended-release Tablets for use in adolescents (aged 13 to 18) with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).1 Until now CONCERTA was approved for the treatment of ADHD in children aged six to 12 years. In a clinical study of adolescents aged 13 to 18 years, CONCERTA at doses up to 72 mg significantly reduced ADHD symptoms, such as difficulty paying attention to schoolwork... click link for more info.

Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report Summarizes Editorials, Opinion Pieces About South Dakota Law Banning Abortion
Several newspapers recently published editorials and opinion pieces about a South Dakota law (HB 1215) that bans abortion in the state except to save a pregnant woman's life... click link for more info.

New Drug Shown To Reduce Gastric Ulcers In At-risk Patients Using Long-term NSAIDS
March 2006, Wilmington, DE. Results from two clinical trials, to be published in the April 2006 edition of the American Journal of Gastroenterology, indicate that NEXIUM® (esomeprazole magnesium) can reduce the incidence of gastric (stomach) ulcers in patients at risk of developing gastric ulcers and who regularly take either non-selective nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or COX-2-selective NSAIDs... click link for more info.

AP/CNN Examines Threats By Abortion Rights Groups To Boycott South Dakota
The AP/CNN on Friday examined threats by abortion-rights groups to boycott South Dakota attractions, such as Mount Rushmore and the Badlands, in protest of a recently passed ... click link for more info.

Medications That Lower Blood Pressure Linked To Reduced Risk Of Alzheimer's Disease
Taking medications to lower blood pressure, particularly those known as diuretics, may be associated with a lower incidence of Alzheimer's disease, according to a study posted online today that will appear in the May 2006 print issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.Hypertension (high blood pressure) may increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD), according to background information in the article... click link for more info.

FDA Panel Suggests Adding Black Box Warning To ADHD Medications About Risk Of Sudden Death, Heart Problems
An FDA advisory panel on Thursday voted 8-7 with one abstention that attention deficit hyperactivity disorder drugs should carry "black box" warnings about an increased risk of sudden death and serious cardiovascular problems, the ... click link for more info.

Pathological Gambling Runs In Families, Study Finds
Problem gambling runs in families according to a University of Iowa study published online in the journal Psychiatry Research. The study also found an excess of alcoholism, drug disorders and antisocial personality disorder in families with pathological gamblers.This is the first study of its kind to include detailed family interviews of relatives of persons with pathological gambling, said Donald W... click link for more info.

Childhood Depression May Encourage Ecstasy Use
Children with symptoms of anxiety and depression may have an increased tendency to use ecstasy in adolescence or young adulthood, finds a study published online by the BMJ today.The use of ecstasy is associated with emotional health problems, such as depression, psychotic symptoms, and anxiety disorders... click link for more info.

APA Urges FDA To Rely On Science, Not Anecdote Alone, For Regulating ADHD Drugs
In testimony today, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) told the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that more research is needed in the area of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and rare adverse events. Research has already shown ADHD to be highly prevalent and treatments for it to be indisputably effective... click link for more info.

Focalin XR(TM) Approved for Treatment of ADHD in Adults, Adolescents and Children
The FDA has just approved focalin XR(TM), a new long-acting medication foradults, adolescents and children who struggle with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder also known as ADHD. In adults, adolescents andChildren, the core symptoms of adhd are inattention, impulsivity andHyperactivity... click link for more info.

Shire's Patch For ADHD, Daytrana, Recommended For Approval To FDA
Shire plc confirmed today that a Psychopharmacologic Drugs Advisory Committee recommended to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that DAYTRANA (methylphenidate transdermal system) is safe and effective. DAYTRANA is an investigational transdermal patch formulation for methylphenidate designed for once-daily use to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children aged 6 to 12 years... click link for more info.

What is Anxiety? What causes Anxiety? What to do about it.
What is Anxiety?Anxiety affects our whole being. It affects how we feel, how we behave and has very real physical symptoms. It feels a bit like fear but whereas we know what we are frightened of, we often don't know what we are anxious about. Mild anxiety is vague and unsettling - severe anxiety can be extremely debilitating... click link for more info.

Electrical Stimulation Boosts Stroke Recovery
Sending tiny electric pulses to a part of the brain controlling motor function helps ischemic stroke survivors regain partial use of a weakened hand, new Oregon Health & Science University research shows.But coupling the technique known as cortical stimulation with aggressive rehabilitation is key to reversing the impairment, doctors say... click link for more info.

FDA Will Extend Regulatory Review Period For The Reintroduction Of Tysabri For Multiple Sclerosis
Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: BIIB) and Elan Corporation, plc. (NYSE: ELN) announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) informed the companies that the Agency will extend its regulatory review of TYSABRI (natalizumab) as a treatment for multiple sclerosis by up to 90 days. The companies have been informed by the FDA that the Agency requires additional time to review information regarding the TYSABRI risk management plan... click link for more info.

Booze - How Much Is Too Much? Interactive Web Site For Students
The country's first interactive website to help students cut down on alcohol has launched at Leeds. If successful, it could be rolled out across the UK and beyond. The e-UNICAL project will use tailored online feedback based on reported alcohol consumption to help students make informed decisions about their drinking... click link for more info.

Exelon Granted EU Marketing Authorization As First Treatment For Dementia Associated With Parkinson's Disease By European Commission
Novartis announced today that Exelon (rivastigmine tartrate) has been granted European marketing authorizationby the European Commission for the symptomatic treatment of mild tomoderately severe dementia in patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease(PD) in all 25 European member states... click link for more info.

ADHD - Newly Published Canadian Study Demonstrates Long-Acting Methylphenidate Effective In Achieving Symptom Remission In Children
According to an open-label, Canadian study published by The Canadian Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, long-acting, once-daily CONCERTA XL* (OROS* methylphenidate hydrochloride) is significantly more effective than usual care with immediate release methylphenidate (IR-MPH) in achieving symptom remission in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)... click link for more info.

Pre-existing anxiety disorder raises risk of a subsequent onset of suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts
A pre-existing anxiety disorder significantly increases the risk of a subsequent onset of suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts, according to a study in the November issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. Suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts are strong risk factors for completed suicides, according to background information in the article... click link for more info.

Newsweek Examines Anxiety Among Some Republicans About Abortion-Rights Restrictions
Newsweek in its March 20 issue examines how the approval of a South Dakota law that bans abortion in the state except to save a pregnant woman's life, the recent "flurry of activity" on abortion-related restrictions in state legislatures and the recent changes on the Supreme Cour... click link for more info.

$77 billion in lost income is attributed to ADHD annually in USA
US household income losses due to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) total nearly $77 billion each year, according to a new analysis of the national large-scale survey, "Capturing America's Attention," presented today at the American Psychiatric Association (APA) annual meeting in Atlanta... click link for more info.

Alzheimer's Study First To Explain Death Of Brain Cells
Researchers at Children's Hospital & Research Center at Oakland (CHRCO) have published a new study that is the first to explain how brain cells die in patients with Alzheimer's Disease. This discovery is an important first step to helping researchers devise ways to slow, prevent and eventually cure a disease that affects an estimated 4... click link for more info.

Keeping Patients From Falling Through The Medical-imaging Cracks
Every day in hospitals around the country, thousands of patients undergo CT, MRI, X-ray and other kinds of scans, producing detailed images of their bodies. Specially trained doctors "read" those images to look for problems, and then send a report of what they've found to each patient's own doctor... click link for more info.

MTBE Contamination: A Microbial Approach For Groundwater
Max Haggblom's Rutgers laboratory has taken an important step on the path to using microbes to rid the environment of methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE), a toxic gasoline additive now classified as a potential human carcinogen.In a February 2006 paper in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, the researchers bring to light a tool that will help them find the key bacteria capable of breaking down MTBE... click link for more info.

Crystal Meth Use Increasing High Risk Sexual Activity Among Heterosexual Men, Could Lead To Increase In HIV Cases, Study Says
Crystal methamphetamine use is leading to an increase in high-risk sexual behavior among heterosexual men in Northern California, according to preliminary results of a study published Thursday in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the ... click link for more info.

Cell Therapy Slows Progression Of An Inherited Neurological Disease; Improves Motor Skills In Mice
In an important discovery, scientists have demonstrated that the progression of a type of genetic brain disease is slowed and symptoms are improved in mice that received cell transplants.The new study, published in the March issue of The Journal of Neuroscience, may have implications for developing new therapies for metachromatic leukodystrophy, or MLD, a fatal, relatively rare inherited disorder that in humans usually begins early in life... click link for more info.

ADHD Drugs Should Have Black Box Warning, Says FDA Advisory Panel
According to the FDA advisory panel, ADHD drugs, including Ritalin, Concerta, Methylin and Metadate should have a 'black box' warning. The FDA usually does what the advisory panel recommends. This is after data revealed that ADHD drugs may have caused 25 deaths and 54 serious medical problems among patients during 1999-2003... click link for more info.

Advisers Reject 'black Box' Warning For ADHD Drugs
A Food and Drug Administration Pediatric Advisory Committee has rejected having 'black box' warnings regarding psychiatric and cardiovascular risks associated with ADHD drugs. This advice goes against a recommendation issued one month ago by the Drug Safety And Risk Management Advisory Committee, which supported the idea of a black box warning... click link for more info.

Government Officials In Mexico Often Deny Legal Abortions For Rape Survivors, HRW Report Says
State officials throughout Mexico regularly deny rape survivors access to abortion even though the procedure in such cases is legal, according to a Human Rights Watch report released on Tuesday, the ... click link for more info.

NICE Issues Guidance On Drug Treatments For ADHD, UK
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) today issued guidance to the NHS in England and Wales on the use of methylphenidate, atomoxetine and dexamfetamine for treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children and adolescents. This updates previous guidance (TA no... click link for more info.

Reduced Insulin In The Brain Triggers Alzheimer's Degeneration
Providence, RI - By depleting insulin and its related proteins in the brain, researchers at Rhode Island Hospital and Brown Medical School have replicated the progression of Alzheimer's disease - including plaque deposits, neurofibrillary tangles, impaired cognitive functioning, cell loss and overall brain deterioration - in an experimental animal model... click link for more info.

HIV In Injecting Drug Users Reaches Highest Levels For A Decade, UK
Figures released today by the Health Protection Agency show that the number of injecting drug users (IDUs) infected with HIV has reached its highest level since 1992. The figures from the Unlinked Anonymous Prevalence Monitoring Programme (UAPMP) show that in England and Wales, one in 62 (1... click link for more info.

Young adults with ADHD - ADDERALL XR significantly improves driving performance, study
ADDERALL XR (mixed salts of a single-entity amphetamine product) significantly improved driving performance, cognitive function and attention in young adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in a controlled driving simulator study conducted by the Washington Neuropsychological Institute and presented today at the 18th Annual U... click link for more info.

Caring Emotions May Overcome Drug Addictions In New Parent Therapy Program
An article published in the latest issue of Family Relations describes a new therapy program for women with young children and substance abuse problems. The Mothers' and Toddlers' Program (MTP) broadens the focus of substance abuse treatment to encompass parent-child relationships. The MTP aids mothers to recognize their own, and subsequently their child's, emotional cues aiming to improve the emotional quality of the mother-child relationship and decrease the mother's preoccupation with d... click link for more info.

Influenza - GSK Submits Biologics License Application For FDA Approval Of Flulaval
GlaxoSmithKline [NYSE: GSK] today announced it has submitted a Biologics License Application (BLA) for FluLavalTM (Influenza Virus Vaccine) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). If licensed, FluLaval will be used for the active immunization of adults 18 years of age and older against influenza disease caused by influenza virus types A and B, which are contained in the vaccine... click link for more info.

Possible Alzheimer's Link To Brain Organ Revealed By Purdue Findings
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Researchers have discovered that an organ in the brain called the choroid plexus apparently plays a critical role in preventing the accumulation of a protein associated with Alzheimer's disease.The researchers found that the choroid plexus acts as a sort of "fishnet" that captures the protein, called beta-amyloid, and prevents it from building up in the cerebrospinal fluid, which surrounds and bathes the brain and spinal cord... click link for more info.

Planned Parenthood Attorney Asks Florida Supreme Court To Allow Juvenile Courts Statewide To Issue Parental Notification Waivers
Planned Parenthood Federation of America attorney Galen Sherwin on Thursday asked Florida Supreme Court justices to allow juvenile courts statewide, not just courts in the jurisdiction of a minor seeking the waiver, to issue parental notification waivers, the ... click link for more info.

Comment Of Boehringer Ingelheim To The Clinical Trial Of TeGenero In The UK
TeGenero and Boehringer Ingelheim had entered into an agreement in November 2003 for the production of GMP-material of TeGenero`s compound CD28-SuperMAB (monoclonal antibody). Boehringer Ingelheim Biopharmaceutical division produced the substance according to TeGenero`s specifications as a contract manufacturer... click link for more info.

Caring For Your Eyes In The Digital World
Studies have found that the majority of people who work at a computer experience some eye or vision problems, and that the level of discomfort appears to increase with the amount of computer use. But, increased use of smaller, portable work and recreational gadgets such as Personal Digital Assistants, laptops and cell phones used for text messaging and Web access may also be contributing factors to the visual fatigue and discomfort experienced by millions, according to a leading expert... click link for more info.

Conference Examines Latest Research On Drug-induced Liver Injury
A recent conference examined issues relating to drug-induced liver injury (DILI), the primary cause of acute liver failure in the U.S. The proceedings of the conference are summarized in a paper appearing in the March 2006 issue of Hepatology, the official journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD)... click link for more info.

ADHD - Positive study results for methylphenidate transdermal system
Shire announced at a major medical meeting in Toronto, Canada, that its investigational methylphenidate transdermal system (MTS) demonstrated statistically significant reductions in the symptoms of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and was generally well tolerated in patients aged 6 to 12 in two clinical trials... click link for more info.

How many mental illnesses are there?
The DSM-IV, the U.S. standard reference for psychiatry, includes over 300 different manifestations of mental illness. Psychiatrists themselves are in dispute over how common some of these conditions are, or whether they should be listed as 'mental illnesses', and each version of the DSM is slightly different to the previous ones... click link for more info.

National Roll Out Of Health Trainers, UK
NHS health trainers will begin work to help people improve theirhealth as the government initiative to tackle health inequalitiesstarts to roll out nationally. The initiative is targeted first at the most disadvantaged areas tomake it easier for individuals in these communities to make healthierchoices... click link for more info.

Health Care - Karen Duff Receives Prestigious Prize For Alzheimer's Research Karen E.K.

2006-03-26T14:42:00.003-08:00

Karen Duff Receives Prestigious Prize For Alzheimer's Research
Karen E.K. Duff, Ph.D., a research scientist at the Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research in Orangeburg, New York, and an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at New York University School of Medicine, will receive the 2006 Potamkin Prize from the American Academy of Neurology. The prize recognizes outstanding research in Alzheimer's and related neurodegenerative brain diseases, and is considered one of the most prestigious in the field of Alzheimer's research... click link for more info.

Documents Show FDA Considered Issues Cited In Delay Of Plan B Application Before Announcement, Rep. Waxman Letter Says
Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) on Thursday sent a letter to FDA acting Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach saying agency documents show that FDA for at least a year had considered issues it cited in its August 2005 decision to delay ... click link for more info.

Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report Highlights Issues In Various US States
The following highlights recent news of state actions on women's health issues. Abortion Regulations Louisiana: State Rep. Tim Burns (R) on Thursday introduced a bill (HB 132) that would ban abortion in the state except in cases of rape or incest or to save the life of the pregnant woman, the ... click link for more info.

Conference Urges Black Churches To Improve Efforts To End Abortion Among Black Women
Black churches need to improve efforts to end abortion in the black community, according to speakers at the 2006 Pro-Life Conference held at Mount Gilead Full Gospel Church in Chesterfield County, Va., on Friday, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reports (Smith, Richmond Times-Dispatch... click link for more info.

Extended release stimulant effective for long-term ADHD treatment
A new study has found that an all-day, extended-release stimulant for treating attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) remains effective for up to two years without significant side effects. In the October issue of the Journal of the American Association of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, a multi-institutional research team reports finding that treatment with Concerta, a once-daily form of the drug methylphenidate, successfully controlled ADHD symptoms in more than 200 children with A... click link for more info.

Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report Summarizes Editorials, Opinion Pieces About South Dakota Law Banning Abortion
Several newspapers recently published editorials and opinion pieces about a South Dakota law (HB 1215) that bans all abortions in the state except to save a pregnant woman's life... click link for more info.

Relief of Child Pain & Anxiety Critical Component of Emegency Medical Treatment
Relief of pain and stress for children receiving emergency medical treatment is a vital, and readily available, component of care. According to the new AAP clinical report, "Relief of Pain and Anxiety of Pediatric Patients in Emergency Medical Systems," advances in the recognition and treatment of pain in children over the past 20 years have led to improved pain management for acutely ill and injured children... click link for more info.

New Dosages Of RISPERDAL (Risperidone) Now Available
Physicians treating people with schizophrenia or bipolar mania now have expanded treatment options: Two additional dosages (3 mg and 4 mg) of RISPERDAL M-TAB , the fast-dissolving form of one of the most prescribed antipsychotic medications, RISPERDAL (risperidone), are now available by prescription... click link for more info.

Smoking Interferes With Brain's Recovery From Alcoholism
Smoking appears to interfere with the brain's ability to recover from the effects of chronic alcohol abuse, according to a study conducted by researchers at the San Francisco VA Medical Center.After one month of sobriety, recovering alcoholics who smoked showed significantly less improvement than those who did not smoke in both brain function and neurochemical markers of brain cell health... click link for more info.

Researcher Puts Attention on ADHD Drug Treatment
The use of drugs to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder has grown in the last decade, but it's those who live in the most affluent areas of the United States who are most likely to get medication for the disorder. Florida State University Economics Professor Farasat Bokhari was the co-author of a study published in the journal Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety that found wide variations in the distribution of pyschostimulant drugs to treat ADHD... click link for more info.

SAMHSA Issues Consensus Statement On Mental Health Recovery, USA
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration today unveiled a consensus statement outlining principles necessary to achieve mental health recovery. The consensus statement was developed through deliberations by over 110 expert panelists representing mental health consumers, families, providers, advocates, researchers, managed care organizations, state and local public officials and others... click link for more info.

Electrical Stimulation Boosts Stroke Recovery
Sending tiny electric pulses to a part of the brain controlling motor function helps ischemic stroke survivors regain partial use of a weakened hand, new Oregon Health & Science University research shows.But coupling the technique known as cortical stimulation with aggressive rehabilitation is key to reversing the impairment, doctors say... click link for more info.

FDA Will Extend Regulatory Review Period For The Reintroduction Of Tysabri For Multiple Sclerosis
Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: BIIB) and Elan Corporation, plc. (NYSE: ELN) announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) informed the companies that the Agency will extend its regulatory review of TYSABRI (natalizumab) as a treatment for multiple sclerosis by up to 90 days. The companies have been informed by the FDA that the Agency requires additional time to review information regarding the TYSABRI risk management plan... click link for more info.

New Survey Indicates Majority Of Americans Suffer From 'Sleep Slump'
When clocks "spring forward" at 2:00 a.m. on the first Sunday in April, most Americans lose an hour of sleep. And for those who are already in a sleep slump, losing an extra hour can add to the negative consequences of lack of sleep. According to nationally renowned sleep expert, Dr. James B. Maas, past chairman of the Department of Psychology at Cornell University and author of best-selling book "Power Sleep," this is not surprising... click link for more info.

Memory, Speed Of Thinking Get Worse Over Time With Marijuana Use
Memory, speed of thinking and other cognitive abilities get worse over time with marijuana use, according to a new study published in the March, 2006, issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.The study found that frequent marijuana users performed worse than non-users on tests of cognitive abilities, including divided attention (ability to pay attention to more than one stimulus at a time) and verbal fluency (number of words generated with... click link for more info.

FDA Asks Advisory Committee To Examine Cardiovascular Risks Of ADHD Medications
FDA has asked the agency Drug Safety and Risk Management advisory committee to examine the potential cardiovascular risks of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder medications in response to reports of deaths and other serious adverse events in individuals who have taken the treatments, the ... click link for more info.

Scientists Making Advances In Cancer To Receive International Awards, American Association For Cancer Research
Leading scientists whose work in research laboratories, universities and medical centers is helping to understand and eradicate cancer will be recognized April 1-5, 2006, by the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) at its 97th Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. A series of awards is given annually by the AACR - the world's oldest and largest professional society representing cancer scientists from the United States and more than 60 other countries - to honor world-class accomplishments in basic research, clinical care, therapeutics and prevention... click link for more info.

Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report Summarizes Opinion Pieces About South Dakota Law Banning Abortion
Several newspapers recently published opinion pieces about a South Dakota law (HB 1215) that bans abortion in the state except to save a pregnant woman's life... click link for more info.

Wis.-Based Group Drops Petition For Referendum On South Dakota Abortion Ban; Majority Of State Residents Oppose Ban, Poll Says
The Basic-Abortion-Rights Network on Wednesday dropped its plans to sponsor a petition drive that would have put a South Dakota law (HB 1215) that bans abortion in the state except to save a woman's life on a statewide ballot in November, the ... click link for more info.

Asthma - FDA Approves Flovent HFA(fluticasone Propionate Hfa) Inhalation Aerosol For Children Four To Eleven
GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: GSK) announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of Flovent HFA in children four to eleven years of age with asthma. Flovent HFA, an important medicine in the treatment of asthma, is an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) which helps prevent airway inflammation associated with asthma... click link for more info.

Bills Allowing Access To EC Not Linked To Political Boundaries, Post Letter To The Editor Says
Bills seeking to prevent unplanned pregnancies by increasing access to emergency contraception -- which can prevent pregnancy if taken up to 72 hours after sexual intercourse -- are not linked solely to politically and/or ideologically "red" and "blue" states, Belle Taylor-McGhee, executive director of ... click link for more info.

Influenza - GSK Submits Biologics License Application For FDA Approval Of Flulaval
GlaxoSmithKline [NYSE: GSK] today announced it has submitted a Biologics License Application (BLA) for FluLavalTM (Influenza Virus Vaccine) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). If licensed, FluLaval will be used for the active immunization of adults 18 years of age and older against influenza disease caused by influenza virus types A and B, which are contained in the vaccine... click link for more info.

Cell Therapy Slows Progression Of An Inherited Neurological Disease; Improves Motor Skills In Mice
In an important discovery, scientists have demonstrated that the progression of a type of genetic brain disease is slowed and symptoms are improved in mice that received cell transplants.The new study, published in the March issue of The Journal of Neuroscience, may have implications for developing new therapies for metachromatic leukodystrophy, or MLD, a fatal, relatively rare inherited disorder that in humans usually begins early in life... click link for more info.

Teens' Herbal Product Use Associated With Illicit Substance Use
Adolescents who have ever used herbal products are six times more likely to have tried cocaine and almost 15 times more likely to have used anabolic steroids than teens who have never used herbal products, according to a University of Rochester Medical Center study published in March in the Journal of Adolescent Health... click link for more info.

Children with ADHD benefited from 15-week course of fish oil and primrose oil
Researchers in Adelaide, Australia have found that a commercially available dietary supplement can improve the attention and behaviour of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). "The parents of children who spent 15 weeks on a course of capsules containing a combination of fish oil and primrose oil reported increased attention and reduced hyperactivity, restlessness and impulsivity," says Natalie Sinn from the University of South Australia and CSIRO Nutr... click link for more info.

ADHD - Important Strattera(R) Label Update Regarding Uncommon Reports of Suicidal Thoughts Among Children and Adolescents
Eli Lilly and Company announced that it will update the product label globally forits attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medication, Strattera, tocommunicate new information regarding uncommon reports of suicidal thoughtsamong children and adolescents. In conjunction with a request from the U... click link for more info.

Prescription Sleep Aids Not Always Best For Insomniacs
Studies show that many Americans are struggling to get a good night's sleep, and an increasing number of those people are turning to fast-acting prescription sleep aids. Seeing a doctor for an instant insomnia "cure," however, shouldn't be the first course of action, says a Purdue University expert... click link for more info.

Keeping Patients From Falling Through The Medical-imaging Cracks
Every day in hospitals around the country, thousands of patients undergo CT, MRI, X-ray and other kinds of scans, producing detailed images of their bodies. Specially trained doctors "read" those images to look for problems, and then send a report of what they've found to each patient's own doctor... click link for more info.

ADHD improves with sensory intervention, Study finds
Preliminary findings from a study of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) show that sensory intervention -- for example, deep pressure and strenuous exercise -- can significantly improve problem behaviors such as restlessness, impulsivity and hyperactivity. Of the children receiving occupational therapy, 95 percent improved... click link for more info.

Men's Rights Group Files Federal Lawsuit Claiming Michigan Child-Support Law Violates Reproductive Rights For Men
The men's rights advocacy group National Center for Men on Thursday filed a lawsuit with the U.S. District Court in Detroit claiming that a Michigan child-support law is unconstitutional because it violates reproductive rights established in Roe v... click link for more info.

Loud Music Prolongs The Effects Of Taking Ecstasy For Up To Five Days
Loud music prolongs the effects of taking ecstasy for up to five days. A study published today in the open access journal BMC Neuroscience shows that the reduction in rats' brain activity induced by 3,4 -Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA or ecstasy) lasts long after administration of the drug - up to five days - if loud music is played to them simultaneously... click link for more info.

ADHD Drugs Should Have Black Box Warning, Says FDA Advisory Panel
According to the FDA advisory panel, ADHD drugs, including Ritalin, Concerta, Methylin and Metadate should have a 'black box' warning. The FDA usually does what the advisory panel recommends. This is after data revealed that ADHD drugs may have caused 25 deaths and 54 serious medical problems among patients during 1999-2003... click link for more info.

Study Shows Methylphenidate Linked to Chromosomal Changes
In a small but startling preliminary new study, Texas researchers have found that after just three months, every one of a dozen children treated for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with the drug methylphenidate experienced a threefold increase in levels of chromosome abnormalities-occurrences associated with increased risks of cancer and other adverse health effects... click link for more info.

Leading International Osteoporosis Experts To Present At World's Largest Osteoporosis Congress, June 2 - 6 2006 Toronto
Eleven of the world's leading osteoporosis experts will present plenary lectures at the 2006 IOF World Congress on Osteoporosis (IOF WCO) in Toronto, Canada, June 2-6 2006."We have selected these speakers for their ability to present the latest science in a format that will be useful for the thousands of health care professionals who will attend the IOF WCO," noted Professor Ren Rizzoli, Chairman, IOF Committee of Scientific Advisors and Chairman, IOF World Congress on Osteoporosis 2006 Scientific Committee... click link for more info.

Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report Summarizes Editorials, Opinion Pieces About South Dakota Law Banning Abortion
Several newspapers recently published editorials and opinion pieces about a South Dakota law (HB 1215) that bans abortion in the state except to save a pregnant woman's life... click link for more info.

Major Biomarker Candidates For Alzheimer's Disease Explored
Alzheimer's disease--specific biomarkers clearly are needed for the differential diagnosis of cognitive impairment in the elderly. What sets age-related disorders like hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and diabetes mellitus apart from Alzheimer's disease is that each has biomarkers that can be followed easily and repeatedly, not simply to diagnose, but also to monitor response and optimize treatment... click link for more info.

Extreme Personality Poses Risk Of ADHD, Conduct Disorder
Children with personalities marked by aggressiveness, mood swings, a sense of alienation and a need for excitement may be at greater risk for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or conduct disorder, according to a new Florida State University study.FSU psychology professors Jeanette Taylor and Chris Schatschneider, FSU doctoral student Kelly Cukrowicz and University of Minnesota Professor William Iacono found that children with ADHD or conduct disorder had more negative em... click link for more info.

'Shuttling' Protein Possibly Key To Resilience Of Cancer Cells
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Researchers at Purdue University have discovered a molecular mechanism that may play a crucial role in cancer's ability to resist chemotherapy and radiation treatment and that also may be involved in Alzheimer's and heart disease.The scientists, using an innovative imaging technique invented at Purdue, have learned that a protein previously believed to be confined to the nucleus of healthy cells actually shuttles between the nucleus and cytoplasm, the reg... click link for more info.

Anchorage Daily News Examines Abortion Rights Policy Outlook In Alaska If Roe Were Overturned
The Anchorage Daily News on Monday examined what might happen in Alaska if Roe v. Wade -- the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court case that effectively barred state abortion bans -- were overturned... click link for more info.

Age Is An Independent Risk Factor In Young Women With Breast Cancer
A 30 year old woman diagnosed with breast cancer has the same chance of survival as a 60 year old woman with breast cancer according to the latest findings presented today at the European Breast Cancer Conference (EBCC-5).Scientists have known for a while that young women with breast cancer have a poor prognosis... click link for more info.

Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report Highlights Issues In Various US States
The following highlights recent news of state actions on women's health issues. Abortion Regulations Indiana: The state Senate on Tuesday before its midnight adjournment deadline did not vote on a bill (HB 1172) that would have required physicians to tell women seeking abortion that life begins at conception and that ... click link for more info.

Majority Of California Residents Support State's Abortion-Related Laws, Field Poll Finds
About two-thirds of California adults support the state's current abortion-related laws or think the laws should allow for increased access to abortion services, according to a Field Poll, the ... click link for more info.

A genome wide search for genes underlying anxiety disorders turned up unexpected candidates
Increasing the activity of two enzymes better known for their role in oxidative stress metabolism turns normally relaxed mice into "Nervous Nellies," according to research conducted at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and reported in the early online edition of Nature. Locally overexpressing either glyoxalase 1 or glutathione reductase 1 in mouse brains significantly increased anxiety in usually relaxed mice and made already jittery mice even more anxiety-ridden... click link for more info.

APA Urges FDA To Rely On Science, Not Anecdote Alone, For Regulating ADHD Drugs
In testimony today, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) told the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that more research is needed in the area of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and rare adverse events. Research has already shown ADHD to be highly prevalent and treatments for it to be indisputably effective... click link for more info.

Doubts Raised About Illegal Drug Use Surveys
A scientific study reported in two related articles in the Journal of Drug Issues raises serious doubts about the nation's illegal drug use surveillance programs. Scientists, policy makers, and the media depend on surveys to identify the extent of drug use nationwide. The study documented how drug use surveys may not accurately reflect changes in drug use, but be more related to how willing a respondent is to disclose the extent and type of drug use... click link for more info.

Pregnancy Research Leads To Progress On Premature Delivery
The University of Rochester has filed a patent on several ideas to help prevent early labor and the premature delivery of low-birth-weight babies. The discovery is an incremental step in an area of obstetrics that has seen little improvement in 20 years.Mark Plessinger, Ph.D., assistant professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Rochester Medical Center, discovered that certain proteins known as toll-like receptors (TLRs), located in the amniotic membranes of pregnant women, sometimes fuel a harmful inflammatory response... click link for more info.

TorreyPines Therapeutics Initiates Second Phase I Study For NGX267, A Selective M1 Agonist For Treatment Of Alzheimer's Disease
TorreyPines Therapeutics, Inc. todayannounced that it has initiated a Phase I single and multiple dose study inhealthy elderly volunteers for NGX267, a novel treatment for Alzheimer'sdisease. This study follows successful completion of the company's firstPhase I study with this compound... click link for more info.

Alcoholism, Smoking And Genetics Among Plains American Indians
Alcoholism and smoking have a high rate of co-occurrence in the general population. Yet little is known about the co-morbidity of alcoholism and smoking among American Indians. In the March issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, researchers examine patterns of alcohol and tobacco use among Plains American Indians, as well as the influence that a catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) functional polymorphism called Val158Met may have on these behaviors... click link for more info.

ADHD Conference to be held in Seattle
Learn what you need to know about ADHD, how it impacts a person with this disorder, and what can be done about it. Attend the 3rd annual conference on October 8-9,2005 that is sponsored by ADD Resources, a national non-profit organization This exciting 2-day conference will jumpstart your understanding of AD/HD and, for those with AD/HD, it will help them to live more happily and productively... click link for more info.

A Clue To Core Problem Of Neurodegenerative Disease And Cell Death
Misfolded and damaged proteins are common to all human neurodegenerative diseases. Clumps of these aggregated proteins destroy neurons within the brain and cause disease. But explanations for the mechanism that actually causes cell death have varied widely, puzzling scientists and leading them to ask whether Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's and Creutzfeldt-Jakob diseases and familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are related diseases or very different diseases... click link for more info.

NICE Issues Guidance On Drug Treatments For ADHD, UK
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) today issued guidance to the NHS in England and Wales on the use of methylphenidate, atomoxetine and dexamfetamine for treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children and adolescents. This updates previous guidance (TA no... click link for more info.

FDA Reports Two Women Who Took Mifeprex Have Died; Planned Parenthood Stops Recommending Vaginal Use Of Misoprostol
FDA on Friday reported that two women who took Danco Laboratories' Mifeprex, known generically as mifepristone, which when taken with misoprostol can cause a medical abortion, have died and issued a ... click link for more info.

MTBE Contamination: A Microbial Approach For Groundwater
Max Haggblom's Rutgers laboratory has taken an important step on the path to using microbes to rid the environment of methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE), a toxic gasoline additive now classified as a potential human carcinogen.In a February 2006 paper in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, the researchers bring to light a tool that will help them find the key bacteria capable of breaking down MTBE... click link for more info.

Focalin XR(TM) Approved for Treatment of ADHD in Adults, Adolescents and Children
The FDA has just approved focalin XR(TM), a new long-acting medication foradults, adolescents and children who struggle with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder also known as ADHD. In adults, adolescents andChildren, the core symptoms of adhd are inattention, impulsivity andHyperactivity... click link for more info.

Health Care - Government Officials In Mexico Often Deny Legal Abortions For Rape

2006-03-26T14:41:00.003-08:00

Government Officials In Mexico Often Deny Legal Abortions For Rape Survivors, HRW Report Says
State officials throughout Mexico regularly deny rape survivors access to abortion even though the procedure in such cases is legal, according to a Human Rights Watch report released on Tuesday, the ... click link for more info.

ADHD - Newly Published Canadian Study Demonstrates Long-Acting Methylphenidate Effective In Achieving Symptom Remission In Children
According to an open-label, Canadian study published by The Canadian Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, long-acting, once-daily CONCERTA XL* (OROS* methylphenidate hydrochloride) is significantly more effective than usual care with immediate release methylphenidate (IR-MPH) in achieving symptom remission in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)... click link for more info.

South Dakota Abortion Ban
NPR Series Examines Internal Debates Among Abortion-Rights Opponents, Supporters in Reaction to A South Dakota law (HB 1215), which is scheduled to take effect July 1, that bans abortion in the state except to save a pregnant woman's life is "exposing a serious internal divide" among abortion-rights opponents... click link for more info.

Talking Treatments 'Cut Alcohol Intake By A Quarter'
Simple advice and brief interventions - 'talking treatments' - could reduce the amount of alcohol individuals consume to low risk levels, the British Society of Gastroenterology's Annual Scientific Meeting heard today. The effect could be to cut consumption by up to a quarter. But most areas of the NHS are currently failing to offer these simple, cheap treatments, and they are particularly scarce where they can do most good - in GP surgeries and health centres... click link for more info.

AP/CNN Examines Threats By Abortion Rights Groups To Boycott South Dakota
The AP/CNN on Friday examined threats by abortion-rights groups to boycott South Dakota attractions, such as Mount Rushmore and the Badlands, in protest of a recently passed ... click link for more info.

Fruit Fly Reveals A Potential Connection Between Dementia And Cancer
By expressing a protein associated with Alzheimer's disease in the brain of the fruit fly, researchers have demonstrated an intriguing link between neuronal death and proteins previously associated with cancer.The findings are reported by Vik Khurana, Mel Feany, and colleagues from Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and the Burnham Institute... click link for more info.

Link Discovered Between Depression And Changes In The Brain In Alzheimer's Disease
A lifetime history of depression is associated with increased plaques and tangles in the brains of those with Alzheimer's disease and more rapid cognitive decline, according to a study by researchers at the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. The study is published in the February issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals... click link for more info.

Researchers Discover A Natural Defense Mechanism For Alzheimer's Disease
A team from the Faculty of Medicine at Universit Laval and the research center at CHUQ (Centre hospitalier universitaire de Qu bec) has discovered a natural defense mechanism that the body deploys to combat nerve cell degeneration observed in people with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Scientists Alain R... click link for more info.

Pre-existing anxiety disorder raises risk of a subsequent onset of suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts
A pre-existing anxiety disorder significantly increases the risk of a subsequent onset of suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts, according to a study in the November issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. Suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts are strong risk factors for completed suicides, according to background information in the article... click link for more info.

Comment Of Boehringer Ingelheim To The Clinical Trial Of TeGenero In The UK
TeGenero and Boehringer Ingelheim had entered into an agreement in November 2003 for the production of GMP-material of TeGenero`s compound CD28-SuperMAB (monoclonal antibody). Boehringer Ingelheim Biopharmaceutical division produced the substance according to TeGenero`s specifications as a contract manufacturer... click link for more info.

Pathological Gambling Runs In Families, Study Finds
Problem gambling runs in families according to a University of Iowa study published online in the journal Psychiatry Research. The study also found an excess of alcoholism, drug disorders and antisocial personality disorder in families with pathological gamblers.This is the first study of its kind to include detailed family interviews of relatives of persons with pathological gambling, said Donald W... click link for more info.

Memory, Speed Of Thinking Get Worse Over Time With Marijuana Use
Memory, speed of thinking and other cognitive abilities get worse over time with marijuana use, according to a new study published in the March, 2006, issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.The study found that frequent marijuana users performed worse than non-users on tests of cognitive abilities, including divided attention (ability to pay attention to more than one stimulus at a time) and verbal fluency (number of words generated with... click link for more info.

Scientists Making Advances In Cancer To Receive International Awards, American Association For Cancer Research
Leading scientists whose work in research laboratories, universities and medical centers is helping to understand and eradicate cancer will be recognized April 1-5, 2006, by the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) at its 97th Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. A series of awards is given annually by the AACR - the world's oldest and largest professional society representing cancer scientists from the United States and more than 60 other countries - to honor world-class accomplishments in basic research, clinical care, therapeutics and prevention... click link for more info.

New Light On Muscle Efficiency: It Is Not The Power-plant
A recent study from Scandinavia shows that the well-known differences between individuals in the efficiency of converting energy stored in food to work done by muscles are related to muscle fibre type composition and to the content of specific molecules in muscle.When muscles contract they use energy that is derived from food... click link for more info.

Major Biomarker Candidates For Alzheimer's Disease Explored
Alzheimer's disease--specific biomarkers clearly are needed for the differential diagnosis of cognitive impairment in the elderly. What sets age-related disorders like hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and diabetes mellitus apart from Alzheimer's disease is that each has biomarkers that can be followed easily and repeatedly, not simply to diagnose, but also to monitor response and optimize treatment... click link for more info.

Electrical Stimulation Boosts Stroke Recovery
Sending tiny electric pulses to a part of the brain controlling motor function helps ischemic stroke survivors regain partial use of a weakened hand, new Oregon Health & Science University research shows.But coupling the technique known as cortical stimulation with aggressive rehabilitation is key to reversing the impairment, doctors say... click link for more info.

AP/Centre Daily Times Examines Discontent Among Pa. Abortion-Rights Advocates Over Casey's Senate Candidacy; Michelman Will Not Run
The AP/Centre Daily Times on Monday examined the "[s]immering unhappiness" among some Democrats in Pennsylvania who support abortion rights over the U.S. Senate candidacy of state Treasurer ... click link for more info.

Caring For Your Eyes In The Digital World
Studies have found that the majority of people who work at a computer experience some eye or vision problems, and that the level of discomfort appears to increase with the amount of computer use. But, increased use of smaller, portable work and recreational gadgets such as Personal Digital Assistants, laptops and cell phones used for text messaging and Web access may also be contributing factors to the visual fatigue and discomfort experienced by millions, according to a leading expert... click link for more info.

Patients Want To Know Results Of Their Clinical Trials
Although an overwhelming 98% of cancer patients wanted to know the results of the clinical trial they took part in, there is currently no standard way of conveying the information. The onus is usually placed on the patient to find out the results from their doctor. Over 1,400 people with cancer took part in a new study to determine the best way of telling patients about their clinical trial results, the findings of which were announced today at the 5th European Breast Cancer Conference (EBCC-5)... click link for more info.

Receptor Critical In Neurodegeneration Reduces Alzheimer's Plaque
New Haven, Conn.--Increasing the level of a protein that plays a key role in traumatic spinal cord injuries and multiple sclerosis reduces the concentration of disease-causing plaque in Alzheimer's disease, Yale School of Medicine researchers report in the Journal of Neuroscience."Our new findings indicate that pharmacological methods to increase the protein, NogoReceptor, may be a way to treat the deficits associated with Alzheimer's disease," said Stephen Strittmatter, M... click link for more info.

Synthetic hormone used in contraceptives and HRT produces negative effects in monkey studies
Medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA), a synthetic form of the naturally occurring steroid hormone progesterone widely used in contraceptives and hormone replacement therapy (HRT), increases aggression and anxiety and reduces sexual activity in female monkeys, according to a study published in the June edition of The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism... click link for more info.

Innovative Technology For Production Of New Pharmaceuticals Forms Basis Of New Company
Ghent, Belgium and Espoo, Finland - Plants produce a lot of valuable pharmaceuticals - but rather slowly and in small quantities. So, scientists from the Flanders Interuniversity Institute for Biotechnology (VIB) have together with Ghent University and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland developed a technology to increase the production of pharmaceuticals in plant cells... click link for more info.

Majority Of California Residents Support State's Abortion-Related Laws, Field Poll Finds
About two-thirds of California adults support the state's current abortion-related laws or think the laws should allow for increased access to abortion services, according to a Field Poll, the ... click link for more info.

New Lipid Molecule Holds Promise For Gene Therapy
Scientists at the University of California, Santa Barbara have created a new molecule that holds promise in fighting disease via gene therapy. Inherited diseases, as well as many cancers and cardiovascular diseases, may eventually be helped by this approach, which delivers therapeutic genes directly to cells... click link for more info.

MTBE Contamination: A Microbial Approach For Groundwater
Max Haggblom's Rutgers laboratory has taken an important step on the path to using microbes to rid the environment of methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE), a toxic gasoline additive now classified as a potential human carcinogen.In a February 2006 paper in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, the researchers bring to light a tool that will help them find the key bacteria capable of breaking down MTBE... click link for more info.

Wis.-Based Group Drops Petition For Referendum On South Dakota Abortion Ban; Majority Of State Residents Oppose Ban, Poll Says
The Basic-Abortion-Rights Network on Wednesday dropped its plans to sponsor a petition drive that would have put a South Dakota law (HB 1215) that bans abortion in the state except to save a woman's life on a statewide ballot in November, the ... click link for more info.

New Dosages Of RISPERDAL (Risperidone) Now Available
Physicians treating people with schizophrenia or bipolar mania now have expanded treatment options: Two additional dosages (3 mg and 4 mg) of RISPERDAL M-TAB , the fast-dissolving form of one of the most prescribed antipsychotic medications, RISPERDAL (risperidone), are now available by prescription... click link for more info.

What is agoraphobia? What are the characteristics of agoraphobia?
Agoraphobia is a Greek word that literally means "fear of the marketplace." This anxiety disorder involves the fear of experiencing a panic attack in a place or situation from which escape may be difficult or embarrassing. The anxiety associated with agoraphobia is so severe that panic attacks are not unusual, and individuals with agoraphobia typically try to avoid the location or cause of their fear... click link for more info.

Purdue Findings Reveal Possible Alzheimer's Link To Brain Organ
Researchers have discovered that an organ in the brain called the choroid plexus apparently plays a critical role in preventing the accumulation of a protein associated with Alzheimer's disease. The researchers found that the choroid plexus acts as a sort of "fishnet" that captures the protein, called beta-amyloid, and prevents it from building up in the cerebrospinal fluid, which surrounds and bathes the brain and spinal cord... click link for more info.

$77 billion in lost income is attributed to ADHD annually in USA
US household income losses due to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) total nearly $77 billion each year, according to a new analysis of the national large-scale survey, "Capturing America's Attention," presented today at the American Psychiatric Association (APA) annual meeting in Atlanta... click link for more info.

What Makes An Addict Seek Treatment?
No matter their socioeconomic status, people are more likely to obtain treatment for addiction if they perceive major consequences from their illness, according to a study involving UAB researchers and published in the March 2006 issue of Medical Care. Over a two-year period they studied 274 housed and homeless poor in the Boston area addicted to cocaine, alcohol or heroin... click link for more info.

Extreme Personality Poses Risk Of ADHD, Conduct Disorder
Children with personalities marked by aggressiveness, mood swings, a sense of alienation and a need for excitement may be at greater risk for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or conduct disorder, according to a new Florida State University study.FSU psychology professors Jeanette Taylor and Chris Schatschneider, FSU doctoral student Kelly Cukrowicz and University of Minnesota Professor William Iacono found that children with ADHD or conduct disorder had more negative em... click link for more info.

Young adults with ADHD - ADDERALL XR significantly improves driving performance, study
ADDERALL XR (mixed salts of a single-entity amphetamine product) significantly improved driving performance, cognitive function and attention in young adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in a controlled driving simulator study conducted by the Washington Neuropsychological Institute and presented today at the 18th Annual U... click link for more info.

Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report Highlights Issues In Various US States
The following highlights recent news of state actions on women's health issues. Abortion Regulations Hawaii: The state House voted 51-13 to approve a bill (HB 1242) that would repeal a current law requiring women seeking abortion to be state residents, and would allow women to undergo the procedure in clinics and physicians offices outside of hospitals, th... click link for more info.

Concerta (methylphenidate HCl) Approved for the Treatment of ADHD in Adolescents, Canada
Health Canada has approved CONCERTA (methylphenidate HCl) Extended-release Tablets for use in adolescents (aged 13 to 18) with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).1 Until now CONCERTA was approved for the treatment of ADHD in children aged six to 12 years. In a clinical study of adolescents aged 13 to 18 years, CONCERTA at doses up to 72 mg significantly reduced ADHD symptoms, such as difficulty paying attention to schoolwork... click link for more info.

Key New Tool For Identifying Problem Badger Setts Harbouring Bovine TB
New research led by biologists at the University of Warwick has revealed a new technique that could become a valuable way of identifying badger setts that harbour TB diseased and infectious badgers in regions where TB in cattle, caused by Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis), is problematic.The research paper published in March 2006, in the Royal Society's scientific journal Biology Letters entitled "Is Mycobacterium bovis in the environment important for the persistence of bovine tuberculosis?", describes the research group's use of molecular methods (a technique called PCR) to examine the prevalence of M... click link for more info.

Anchorage Daily News Examines Abortion Rights Policy Outlook In Alaska If Roe Were Overturned
The Anchorage Daily News on Monday examined what might happen in Alaska if Roe v. Wade -- the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court case that effectively barred state abortion bans -- were overturned... click link for more info.

ADHD - Positive study results for methylphenidate transdermal system
Shire announced at a major medical meeting in Toronto, Canada, that its investigational methylphenidate transdermal system (MTS) demonstrated statistically significant reductions in the symptoms of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and was generally well tolerated in patients aged 6 to 12 in two clinical trials... click link for more info.

Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report Summarizes Opinion Pieces About South Dakota Law Banning Abortion
Several newspapers recently published editorials and opinion pieces about a South Dakota law (HB 1215), which is scheduled to take effect July 1, that bans abortion in the state except to save a pregnant woman's life... click link for more info.

New Drug Shown To Reduce Gastric Ulcers In At-risk Patients Using Long-term NSAIDS
March 2006, Wilmington, DE. Results from two clinical trials, to be published in the April 2006 edition of the American Journal of Gastroenterology, indicate that NEXIUM® (esomeprazole magnesium) can reduce the incidence of gastric (stomach) ulcers in patients at risk of developing gastric ulcers and who regularly take either non-selective nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or COX-2-selective NSAIDs... click link for more info.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome May Be Prevented By Commonly Used Drug
Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is often called the number one preventable birth defect. Despite counselling of pregnant women to avoid alcohol, large numbers of babies are born with FAS. At present, no effective treatments exist that can prevent or reverse FAS after fetal exposure to alcohol. However, Alessandro Ieraci and Daniel Herrera now report encouraging results in mice that might one day change this situation... click link for more info.

NICE Issues Guidance On Drug Treatments For ADHD, UK
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) today issued guidance to the NHS in England and Wales on the use of methylphenidate, atomoxetine and dexamfetamine for treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children and adolescents. This updates previous guidance (TA no... click link for more info.

Alzheimer's Study First To Explain Death Of Brain Cells
Researchers at Children's Hospital & Research Center at Oakland (CHRCO) have published a new study that is the first to explain how brain cells die in patients with Alzheimer's Disease. This discovery is an important first step to helping researchers devise ways to slow, prevent and eventually cure a disease that affects an estimated 4... click link for more info.

WHYY's "Fresh Air" Discusses Legal, Moral, Ethical Issues Surrounding Prenatal Testing For Genetic Defects
WHYY's "Fresh Air," an NPR-syndicated program, on Thursday included an interview with Elizabeth Weil, author of a recent story in the New York Times Magazine examining the legal, moral and ethical issues surrounding pregnancy termination because of detected genetic defects... click link for more info.

Bayer Makes Move To Buy Schering AG
Bayer intends to make a public takeover offer to the stockholders of Schering AG. In a transaction with a total value of EUR 16.3 billion, the company is willing to pay EUR 86 in cash for each Schering share or ADS (American Depositary Share). The offer price is 39 percent above the Schering share price before the announcement of the hostile bid by Merck KGaA and 12 percent above this competing offer... click link for more info.

Fitness For Your Feet
The limousines are in the garage, the red carpets are rolled up - and your feet are suffering the stiletto sting. Now that awards season has drawn to a close in Los Angeles, there are a number of glamorous gams in town suffering a painful let-down after dancing 'til dawn in strappy Jimmy Choos or Christian Louboutins... click link for more info.

Portable Cocaine Sensor Developed At UC Santa Barbara
(Santa Barbara, Calif.) " A real-time sensor for detecting cocaine " " made with inexpensive, off-the-shelf electronics " " has been developed by a team of researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Two local high school students and a Nobel laureate participated in the discovery... click link for more info.

Inconsistent Effort May Be Sign of Attention Disorder in Adults and Children
The adult or child who only concentrates when performing an activity in which they have a deep interest, such as playing a sport or drawing, may have "impotence of the mind," according to a new book by Thomas E. Brown, clinical professor of psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine. "Impotence of the mind is a chronic inability to mobilize focus and effort unless the task is personally interesting," said Brown, who specializes in treating adults and children with attention deficit di... click link for more info.

Study Finds Emotional Benefits From Participation In Computer Support Groups
Women with breast cancer who participate in computer support groups can obtain emotional benefits when they openly express themselves in ways that help them make sense of their cancer experience, according to a new study conducted by the University of Wisconsin-Madison Center of Excellence in Cancer Communications Research (CECCR)... click link for more info.

Newsweek Examines Anxiety Among Some Republicans About Abortion-Rights Restrictions
Newsweek in its March 20 issue examines how the approval of a South Dakota law that bans abortion in the state except to save a pregnant woman's life, the recent "flurry of activity" on abortion-related restrictions in state legislatures and the recent changes on the Supreme Cour... click link for more info.

New molecule may be basis for drugs that battle overeating and drug dependency
UCI study identifies how new anandamide inhibitor can regulate brain's natural 'bliss' system.Irvine, Calif. , May 14, 2004 A new synthetic chemical may provide the framework for future drugs that can treat a variety of brain-based ailments, ranging from overeating and drug dependency to neuropathic pain... click link for more info.

APA Urges FDA To Rely On Science, Not Anecdote Alone, For Regulating ADHD Drugs
In testimony today, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) told the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that more research is needed in the area of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and rare adverse events. Research has already shown ADHD to be highly prevalent and treatments for it to be indisputably effective... click link for more info.

Same Genes May Underlie Alcohol And Nicotine Co-Abuse
Vulnerability to both alcohol and nicotine abuse may be influenced by the same genetic factor, according to a recent study supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).In the study, two genetically distinct kinds of rat " one an innately heavy-drinking strain bred to prefer alcohol ("P" rats), the other strain bred to not prefer alcohol ("NP" rats) -- learned to give themselves nicotine injections... click link for more info.

Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report Summarizes Editorials, Opinion Pieces About South Dakota Law Banning Abortion
Several newspapers recently published editorials and opinion pieces about a South Dakota law (HB 1215) that bans abortion in the state except to save a pregnant woman's life... click link for more info.

Evolution Of Hyperactivity, Impulsivity, And Cognitive Diversity
The evolutionary status of ADHD is central to assessments of whether modern society created it, and is important in understanding its neurobiology and treatment. ADHD's association with a positively selected gene raises the possibility that ADHD itself is selected for. But previous suggestions of evolutionary benefits of ADHD have either been factually incorrect, or have not explained why, if it is useful, it remains confined to a minority... click link for more info.

Genetic And Environmental Influences On Alcohol Consumption
There is little doubt that alcohol-related disorders in humans are genetically based. The influence of environmental factors, however, remains unclear. Given that studies of humans are complicated by a multitude of cultural and day-to-day-living factors, researchers in the March issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research use rhesus monkeys to examine genetic and environmental influences on alcohol consumption... click link for more info.

ADHD improves with sensory intervention, Study finds
Preliminary findings from a study of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) show that sensory intervention -- for example, deep pressure and strenuous exercise -- can significantly improve problem behaviors such as restlessness, impulsivity and hyperactivity. Of the children receiving occupational therapy, 95 percent improved... click link for more info.

New Research Shows Pin1 Enzyme Is Key In Preventing Onset Of Alzheimer's Disease
A new discovery has found that Pin1, an enzyme previously shown to prevent the formation of the tangle-like lesions found in the brains of Alzheimer's disease patients, also plays a pivotal role in guarding against the development of amyloid peptide plaques, the second brain lesion that characterizes Alzheimer's... click link for more info.

A Clue To Core Problem Of Neurodegenerative Disease And Cell Death
Misfolded and damaged proteins are common to all human neurodegenerative diseases. Clumps of these aggregated proteins destroy neurons within the brain and cause disease. But explanations for the mechanism that actually causes cell death have varied widely, puzzling scientists and leading them to ask whether Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's and Creutzfeldt-Jakob diseases and familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are related diseases or very different diseases... click link for more info.

Karen Duff Receives Prestigious Prize For Alzheimer's Research
Karen E.K. Duff, Ph.D., a research scientist at the Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research in Orangeburg, New York, and an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at New York University School of Medicine, will receive the 2006 Potamkin Prize from the American Academy of Neurology. The prize recognizes outstanding research in Alzheimer's and related neurodegenerative brain diseases, and is considered one of the most prestigious in the field of Alzheimer's research... click link for more info.

Study Shows Methylphenidate Linked to Chromosomal Changes
In a small but startling preliminary new study, Texas researchers have found that after just three months, every one of a dozen children treated for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with the drug methylphenidate experienced a threefold increase in levels of chromosome abnormalities-occurrences associated with increased risks of cancer and other adverse health effects... click link for more info.

Experimental Drug Reverses Key Cognitive Deficits, Pathology In Alzheimer's
A new drug that enhances the activity of a key brain cell receptor involved in Alzheimer's disease (AD) reverses learning and memory deficits in mice engineered to have pathological hallmarks of the disease. What's more, the drug, called AF267B, reduces both of the pathologies--the brain-clogging buildup of protein "amyloid plaque" outside brain cells and the protein "neurofibrillary tangles" inside the cells... click link for more info.

Sens. Murray, Rodham Clinton Place Hold On Bush Nomination Of Von Eschenbach For FDA Commissioner Over Plan B Application
President Bush on Wednesday nominated acting FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach to permanently head the agency, the Los Angeles Times reports (Alonso-Zaldivar, Los Angeles Times, 3/16)... click link for more info.

Bills Allowing Access To EC Not Linked To Political Boundaries, Post Letter To The Editor Says
Bills seeking to prevent unplanned pregnancies by increasing access to emergency contraception -- which can prevent pregnancy if taken up to 72 hours after sexual intercourse -- are not linked solely to politically and/or ideologically "red" and "blue" states, Belle Taylor-McGhee, executive director of ... click link for more info.

Strength Of Cocaine Cravings Linked To Brain Response
DALLAS March 2006, Rats that have a strong craving for cocaine have a different biochemical response to the drug than their less-addicted counterparts, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found.The difference lies in the pleasure-seeking area of the brain, according to a study available online and appearing in a future issue of the journal Neuropsychopharmacology... click link for more info.

Moderate Drinkers Who Occasionally Drink Heavily Are More Likely To Suffer An Alcohol-related Injury Than Chronic Heavy Drinkers
Moderate drinkers who occasionally drink heavily are more likely to suffer an alcohol-related injury than chronic heavy drinkers, a Swiss study has found, and the risk is greatest during a bout of binge drinking."It's not only the amount of alcohol consumed that shapes the risk for injury, but also the usual consumption pattern," said lead researcher Gerhard Gmel... click link for more info.

Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report Summarizes Opinion Pieces About South Dakota Law Banning Abortion
Several newspapers recently published opinion pieces about a South Dakota law (HB 1215), which is scheduled to take effect July 1, that bans abortion in the state except to save a pregnant woman's life... click link for more info.

Drug Effective For Severe Alzheimer's Disease
The drug donepezil can reverse some aspects of cognitive and functional deterioration seen in patients with severe Alzheimer's disease, according to a randomised trial published online (March, 2006) by The Lancet.About 20% of Alzheimer's patients have severe dementia. As their health deteriorates they become less able to communicate, less mobile, and increasingly reliant on nursing care... click link for more info.

Response to ADHD Medication May Be in The Genes
Testable genetic differences might be used to predict the effectiveness of a medication commonly prescribed to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, a new study suggests. "This is an exciting finding because ADHD is such a common disorder and it's often difficult to know how patients will respond to ADHD medications," said Dr... click link for more info.

Researcher Puts Attention on ADHD Drug Treatment
The use of drugs to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder has grown in the last decade, but it's those who live in the most affluent areas of the United States who are most likely to get medication for the disorder. Florida State University Economics Professor Farasat Bokhari was the co-author of a study published in the journal Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety that found wide variations in the distribution of pyschostimulant drugs to treat ADHD... click link for more info.

Positive study results for methylphenidate transdermal system
Shire announced at the US Psychiatric and Mental Health Congress in Las Vegas, Nevada, that its investigational methylphenidate transdermal system (MTS) demonstrated statistically significant reductions in the symptoms of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and was generally well tolerated in patients aged 6 to 12 in two clinical trials... click link for more info.

FDA Reports Two Women Who Took Mifeprex Have Died; Planned Parenthood Stops Recommending Vaginal Use Of Misoprostol
FDA on Friday reported that two women who took Danco Laboratories' Mifeprex, known generically as mifepristone, which when taken with misoprostol can cause a medical abortion, have died and issued a ... click link for more info.

Diabetes Risk Raised By Too Much Or Too Little Sleep
Men who sleep too much or too little are at an increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, according to a study by the New England Research Institutes in collaboration with Yale School of Medicine researchers. The data published in the March issue of Diabetes Care were obtained from 1,709 men, 40 to 70 years old... click link for more info.

Health Care - Government Officials In Mexico Often Deny Legal Abortions For Rape

2006-03-26T14:41:00.002-08:00

Health Care - Diabetes Risk Raised By Too Much Or Too Little Sleep

2006-03-26T14:41:00.001-08:00

Diabetes Risk Raised By Too Much Or Too Little Sleep
Men who sleep too much or too little are at an increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, according to a study by the New England Research Institutes in collaboration with Yale School of Medicine researchers. The data published in the March issue of Diabetes Care were obtained from 1,709 men, 40 to 70 years old... click link for more info.

New molecule may be basis for drugs that battle overeating and drug dependency
UCI study identifies how new anandamide inhibitor can regulate brain's natural 'bliss' system.Irvine, Calif. , May 14, 2004 A new synthetic chemical may provide the framework for future drugs that can treat a variety of brain-based ailments, ranging from overeating and drug dependency to neuropathic pain... click link for more info.

Evanston Northwestern Healthcare First To Use Latest Robotic Surgical System
Evanston Northwestern Healthcare (ENH) today announced that Evanston Hospital will be the first facility in Illinois to perform surgery using Intuitive Surgical's da Vinci&reg; Surgical System.The da Vinci® Surgical System is an addition to Intuitive Surgical's da Vinci product line. da Vinci is a state-of-the-art robotic-system designed to expand the surgeon's capabilities, providing patients with a minimally invasive option for many complex procedures " for the very first time... click link for more info.

Conference Urges Black Churches To Improve Efforts To End Abortion Among Black Women
Black churches need to improve efforts to end abortion in the black community, according to speakers at the 2006 Pro-Life Conference held at Mount Gilead Full Gospel Church in Chesterfield County, Va., on Friday, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reports (Smith, Richmond Times-Dispatch... click link for more info.

Patients Want To Know Results Of Their Clinical Trials
Although an overwhelming 98% of cancer patients wanted to know the results of the clinical trial they took part in, there is currently no standard way of conveying the information. The onus is usually placed on the patient to find out the results from their doctor. Over 1,400 people with cancer took part in a new study to determine the best way of telling patients about their clinical trial results, the findings of which were announced today at the 5th European Breast Cancer Conference (EBCC-5)... click link for more info.

'Shuttling' Protein Possibly Key To Resilience Of Cancer Cells
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Researchers at Purdue University have discovered a molecular mechanism that may play a crucial role in cancer's ability to resist chemotherapy and radiation treatment and that also may be involved in Alzheimer's and heart disease.The scientists, using an innovative imaging technique invented at Purdue, have learned that a protein previously believed to be confined to the nucleus of healthy cells actually shuttles between the nucleus and cytoplasm, the reg... click link for more info.

Drug Effective For Severe Alzheimer's Disease
The drug donepezil can reverse some aspects of cognitive and functional deterioration seen in patients with severe Alzheimer's disease, according to a randomised trial published online (March, 2006) by The Lancet.About 20% of Alzheimer's patients have severe dementia. As their health deteriorates they become less able to communicate, less mobile, and increasingly reliant on nursing care... click link for more info.

Electrical Stimulation Boosts Stroke Recovery
Sending tiny electric pulses to a part of the brain controlling motor function helps ischemic stroke survivors regain partial use of a weakened hand, new Oregon Health & Science University research shows.But coupling the technique known as cortical stimulation with aggressive rehabilitation is key to reversing the impairment, doctors say... click link for more info.

FDA Panel Made 'Brave Effort' To Urge Risk Warning On ADHD Medications, New York Times Editorial States
An FDA advisory panel's recommendation last week that black box labels for some attention deficit hyperactivity disorder drugs should warn about potential cardiovascular risks "is best understood as a response to an alarming upsurge in use of stimulants that many have deemed unwarranted," a ... click link for more info.

Alzheimer's Disease Progresses In Highly Educated People More Rapidly
High levels of education may help ward off Alzheimer's disease, but they also speed up its progression once developed, reveals research in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.The findings are based on 312 New Yorkers aged 65 and older, who were diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and monitored for over 5 years... click link for more info.

New studies quantify effects of ADHD medication on children's emotional expression
Common reasons behind a reluctance to employ drug therapy for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are that children will be subjected to a 'chemical cosh' and 'turned into zombies' on one hand, or made more excitable on the other. There are also concerns that therapy might depress mood and provoke suicidal ideation... click link for more info.

A Clue To Core Problem Of Neurodegenerative Disease And Cell Death
Misfolded and damaged proteins are common to all human neurodegenerative diseases. Clumps of these aggregated proteins destroy neurons within the brain and cause disease. But explanations for the mechanism that actually causes cell death have varied widely, puzzling scientists and leading them to ask whether Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's and Creutzfeldt-Jakob diseases and familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are related diseases or very different diseases... click link for more info.

Ocean Virus Identified In Human Blood Samples
A virus of ocean origin that can cause a range of diseases in several animal species has been found in human blood samples. The virus, or antibodies to it, was found most often in the blood of individuals with liver damage, or hepatitis of unknown cause related to blood exposure.A study on these findings was published Wednesday in the online edition of the Journal of Medical Virology, by scientists from Oregon State University, the Center for Pediatric Research at Eastern Virginia Medical School, and AVI BioPharma... click link for more info.

ADHD - Important Strattera(R) Label Update Regarding Uncommon Reports of Suicidal Thoughts Among Children and Adolescents
Eli Lilly and Company announced that it will update the product label globally forits attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medication, Strattera, tocommunicate new information regarding uncommon reports of suicidal thoughtsamong children and adolescents. In conjunction with a request from the U... click link for more info.

U.S. Has 'Consistent' But 'Conflicted' Beliefs On Abortion Rights, Survey Finds
An AP-Ipsos poll shows how U.S. residents have remained "extremely consistent" and "extremely conflicted in their beliefs" on the issue of abortion rights, the AP/Contra Costa Times reports... click link for more info.

AP / Philadelphia Inquirer Examines Abortion Issues Worldwide
The AP/Philadelphia Inquirer on Friday examined trends in abortion rights worldwide, which "contras[t] sharply" with those in the U.S., including the passage of a South Dakota ... click link for more info.

Pitt Researchers Find "switch" For Brain's Pleasure Pathway
Amid reports that a drug used to treat Parkinson's disease has caused some patients to become addicted to gambling and sex, University of Pittsburgh researchers have published a study that sheds light on what may have gone wrong.In the current issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Pitt professor of neuroscience, psychiatry, and psychology Anthony Grace and Pitt neuroscience research associate Daniel Lodge suggest a new mechanism for how the brain's reward system works... click link for more info.

Alcohol Branded Merchandise Associated With Early Teen Drinking
HANOVER, NH. Young adolescents who own t shirts, hats and other merchandise with an alcohol brand name on it are more likely to begin drinking than kids who do not own these items, according to a study by Dartmouth Medical School researchers published in the April issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine... click link for more info.

Genetic And Environmental Influences On Alcohol Consumption
There is little doubt that alcohol-related disorders in humans are genetically based. The influence of environmental factors, however, remains unclear. Given that studies of humans are complicated by a multitude of cultural and day-to-day-living factors, researchers in the March issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research use rhesus monkeys to examine genetic and environmental influences on alcohol consumption... click link for more info.

Concerta (methylphenidate HCl) Approved for the Treatment of ADHD in Adolescents, Canada
Health Canada has approved CONCERTA (methylphenidate HCl) Extended-release Tablets for use in adolescents (aged 13 to 18) with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).1 Until now CONCERTA was approved for the treatment of ADHD in children aged six to 12 years. In a clinical study of adolescents aged 13 to 18 years, CONCERTA at doses up to 72 mg significantly reduced ADHD symptoms, such as difficulty paying attention to schoolwork... click link for more info.

Chernobyl Children More Hyperactive?
In an extensive study of children exposed to varying levels of fallout from the 1986 Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident, Israeli researchers have found that Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) scores are higher among those who were in-utero at the time of the accident - regardless of their actual level of radiation exposure... click link for more info.

Keeping Patients From Falling Through The Medical-imaging Cracks
Every day in hospitals around the country, thousands of patients undergo CT, MRI, X-ray and other kinds of scans, producing detailed images of their bodies. Specially trained doctors "read" those images to look for problems, and then send a report of what they've found to each patient's own doctor... click link for more info.

Caring For Your Eyes In The Digital World
Studies have found that the majority of people who work at a computer experience some eye or vision problems, and that the level of discomfort appears to increase with the amount of computer use. But, increased use of smaller, portable work and recreational gadgets such as Personal Digital Assistants, laptops and cell phones used for text messaging and Web access may also be contributing factors to the visual fatigue and discomfort experienced by millions, according to a leading expert... click link for more info.

Researcher Puts Attention on ADHD Drug Treatment
The use of drugs to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder has grown in the last decade, but it's those who live in the most affluent areas of the United States who are most likely to get medication for the disorder. Florida State University Economics Professor Farasat Bokhari was the co-author of a study published in the journal Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety that found wide variations in the distribution of pyschostimulant drugs to treat ADHD... click link for more info.

Why 42% of Clinic Appointments are No-Shows: An Issue of Respect
Interviews with patients revealed three reasons why 42 percent of appointments are no-shows: 1) patients feel anxiety or fear about the cause of the symptoms and anticipated diagnostic tests, 2) they feel disrespected by the health care system, and 3) they do not understand the scheduling system... click link for more info.

Natural Defence Mechanism For Alzheimer's Disease Discovered By Canadian Researchers
A team from the Faculty of Medicine at Universit Laval and the research centre at CHUQ (Centre hospitalier universitaire de Qu bec) has discovered a natural defence mechanism that the body deploys to combat nerve cell degeneration observed in persons with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Investigators Alain R... click link for more info.

Latin America's Abortion Restrictions Should Serve As Warning For South Dakota Gov. Rounds, Opinion Piece Says
"It's been a long time since the days of back-alley abortions in the U.S.," which is why South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds (R) might not "remember what it was like" before Roe v. Wade - the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that effectively barred state abortion bans - when "women had no right to a safe, legal abortion," Marianne Mollmann, who researches women's issues at ... click link for more info.

Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report Summarizes Opinion Pieces About South Dakota Law Banning Abortion
Several newspapers recently published editorials and opinion pieces about a South Dakota law (HB 1215), which is scheduled to take effect July 1, that bans abortion in the state except to save a pregnant woman's life... click link for more info.

Experimental Drug Reverses Key Cognitive Deficits, Pathology In Alzheimer's
A new drug that enhances the activity of a key brain cell receptor involved in Alzheimer's disease (AD) reverses learning and memory deficits in mice engineered to have pathological hallmarks of the disease. What's more, the drug, called AF267B, reduces both of the pathologies--the brain-clogging buildup of protein "amyloid plaque" outside brain cells and the protein "neurofibrillary tangles" inside the cells... click link for more info.

New Dosages Of RISPERDAL (Risperidone) Now Available
Physicians treating people with schizophrenia or bipolar mania now have expanded treatment options: Two additional dosages (3 mg and 4 mg) of RISPERDAL M-TAB , the fast-dissolving form of one of the most prescribed antipsychotic medications, RISPERDAL (risperidone), are now available by prescription... click link for more info.

Pregnancy Research Leads To Progress On Premature Delivery
The University of Rochester has filed a patent on several ideas to help prevent early labor and the premature delivery of low-birth-weight babies. The discovery is an incremental step in an area of obstetrics that has seen little improvement in 20 years.Mark Plessinger, Ph.D., assistant professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Rochester Medical Center, discovered that certain proteins known as toll-like receptors (TLRs), located in the amniotic membranes of pregnant women, sometimes fuel a harmful inflammatory response... click link for more info.

Medications and imaginations help reduce post-operative pain in children, new study says
A new study by a nurse researcher shows that imagery - a simple method of distraction - can be used with pain medications to significantly reduce post-operative pain in children. In the study, which was led by a nurse researcher at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, children who had their tonsils or adenoids removed were given an audio tape that enabled them to imagine they were going to "a favorite place... click link for more info.

Planned Parenthood Attorney Asks Florida Supreme Court To Allow Juvenile Courts Statewide To Issue Parental Notification Waivers
Planned Parenthood Federation of America attorney Galen Sherwin on Thursday asked Florida Supreme Court justices to allow juvenile courts statewide, not just courts in the jurisdiction of a minor seeking the waiver, to issue parental notification waivers, the ... click link for more info.

Tips On How Elderly Can Stay Home From NJIT Environmental Psychologist
Environmental psychologist Richard Olsen, PhD, and research architect Lynn Hutchings are people on a mission. The researchers, based in the architecture school at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), would like to see older people and people with dementia live better, safer and more comfortable lives staying in their homes... click link for more info.

Leading International Osteoporosis Experts To Present At World's Largest Osteoporosis Congress, June 2 - 6 2006 Toronto
Eleven of the world's leading osteoporosis experts will present plenary lectures at the 2006 IOF World Congress on Osteoporosis (IOF WCO) in Toronto, Canada, June 2-6 2006."We have selected these speakers for their ability to present the latest science in a format that will be useful for the thousands of health care professionals who will attend the IOF WCO," noted Professor Ren Rizzoli, Chairman, IOF Committee of Scientific Advisors and Chairman, IOF World Congress on Osteoporosis 2006 Scientific Committee... click link for more info.

Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report Highlights Issues In Various US States
The following highlights recent news of state actions on women's health issues. Abortion Regulations Hawaii: The state House voted 51-13 to approve a bill (HB 1242) that would repeal a current law requiring women seeking abortion to be state residents, and would allow women to undergo the procedure in clinics and physicians offices outside of hospitals, th... click link for more info.

FDA Will Extend Regulatory Review Period For The Reintroduction Of Tysabri For Multiple Sclerosis
Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: BIIB) and Elan Corporation, plc. (NYSE: ELN) announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) informed the companies that the Agency will extend its regulatory review of TYSABRI (natalizumab) as a treatment for multiple sclerosis by up to 90 days. The companies have been informed by the FDA that the Agency requires additional time to review information regarding the TYSABRI risk management plan... click link for more info.

Determining Prevalence Of ADHD Adverse Medication Events, AACAP And APA Pledge To Work With FDA
The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) and the American Psychiatric Association (APA) pledged to work with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee on determining the prevalence of rare, unexpected, and serious adverse events that occasionally occur in clinical trials for medications used in the treatment of children and adolescents with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)... click link for more info.

Novel Process Reduces Toxic Chemical Use
A chemical engineer at The University of Auckland has used environmentally-friendly vegetable oils to replace toxic chemical solvents like kerosene in the extraction of a range of biomolecules, such as antibiotics and organic acids.Dr Monwar Hossain in the Faculty of Engineering's Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering is conducting research into leading-edge extraction and separation processes which will lead to higher productivity in a wide range of sectors, including the pharmaceutical, food, dairy, biochemical and metals industries... click link for more info.

Teens' Herbal Product Use Associated With Illicit Substance Use
Adolescents who have ever used herbal products are six times more likely to have tried cocaine and almost 15 times more likely to have used anabolic steroids than teens who have never used herbal products, according to a University of Rochester Medical Center study published in March in the Journal of Adolescent Health... click link for more info.

New Lipid Molecule Holds Promise For Gene Therapy
Scientists at the University of California, Santa Barbara have created a new molecule that holds promise in fighting disease via gene therapy. Inherited diseases, as well as many cancers and cardiovascular diseases, may eventually be helped by this approach, which delivers therapeutic genes directly to cells... click link for more info.

HIV In Injecting Drug Users Reaches Highest Levels For A Decade, UK
Figures released today by the Health Protection Agency show that the number of injecting drug users (IDUs) infected with HIV has reached its highest level since 1992. The figures from the Unlinked Anonymous Prevalence Monitoring Programme (UAPMP) show that in England and Wales, one in 62 (1... click link for more info.

How many mental illnesses are there?
The DSM-IV, the U.S. standard reference for psychiatry, includes over 300 different manifestations of mental illness. Psychiatrists themselves are in dispute over how common some of these conditions are, or whether they should be listed as 'mental illnesses', and each version of the DSM is slightly different to the previous ones... click link for more info.

Sanofi-aventis And BMS Announce Agreement To Settle U.S. Plavix Litigation With Apotex Subject To Certain Conditions
Sanofi-aventis (Paris Bourse: EURONEXT: SAN; and New York: NYSE: SNY) and Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE: BMY) announced today that they have reached an agreement subject to certain conditions with Apotex Inc. and Apotex Corp. to settle the patent infringement lawsuit pending between the parties in the U... click link for more info.

Cell Therapy Slows Progression Of An Inherited Neurological Disease; Improves Motor Skills In Mice
In an important discovery, scientists have demonstrated that the progression of a type of genetic brain disease is slowed and symptoms are improved in mice that received cell transplants.The new study, published in the March issue of The Journal of Neuroscience, may have implications for developing new therapies for metachromatic leukodystrophy, or MLD, a fatal, relatively rare inherited disorder that in humans usually begins early in life... click link for more info.

Brain Imaging Designs ADHD Treatment With Lower Risk Of Abuse
An article by Thomas J. Spencer, M.D, on a new study in the March 2006 issue of The American Journal of Psychiatry (AJP), the official journal of the American Psychiatric Association (APA), shows how brain imaging is used to identify a form of methylphenidate, a stimulant drug used to treat patients with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), that is less likely to be abused during treatment... click link for more info.

New Data In Lancet Confirm Potential To Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis
Clear evidence that Lymphatic Filariasis (LF, commonly known as elephantiasis) can be eliminated is reported in the March 25 issue of The Lancet. LF is one of the world's most disfiguring and disabling parasitic diseases, and the target of one of the largest global public health programmes using mass drug administration (MDA)... click link for more info.

NICE Issues Guidance On Drug Treatments For ADHD, UK
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) today issued guidance to the NHS in England and Wales on the use of methylphenidate, atomoxetine and dexamfetamine for treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children and adolescents. This updates previous guidance (TA no... click link for more info.

FDA Asks Advisory Committee To Examine Cardiovascular Risks Of ADHD Medications
FDA has asked the agency Drug Safety and Risk Management advisory committee to examine the potential cardiovascular risks of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder medications in response to reports of deaths and other serious adverse events in individuals who have taken the treatments, the ... click link for more info.

Mental attitude crucial for marathon running
Your mental attitude is crucial for marathon running, if you can cope with the stress of HITTING THE WALL, this is the fatigue that you feel during the second half of the race, you are more likely to endure the race and run to your full potential. You may be very fit, but if you are not psychologically prepared you may find the race overwhelming, say a researcher... click link for more info.

New Light On Muscle Efficiency: It Is Not The Power-plant
A recent study from Scandinavia shows that the well-known differences between individuals in the efficiency of converting energy stored in food to work done by muscles are related to muscle fibre type composition and to the content of specific molecules in muscle.When muscles contract they use energy that is derived from food... click link for more info.

AP/Centre Daily Times Examines Discontent Among Pa. Abortion-Rights Advocates Over Casey's Senate Candidacy; Michelman Will Not Run
The AP/Centre Daily Times on Monday examined the "[s]immering unhappiness" among some Democrats in Pennsylvania who support abortion rights over the U.S. Senate candidacy of state Treasurer ... click link for more info.

Moderate Drinkers Who Occasionally Drink Heavily Are More Likely To Suffer An Alcohol-related Injury Than Chronic Heavy Drinkers
Moderate drinkers who occasionally drink heavily are more likely to suffer an alcohol-related injury than chronic heavy drinkers, a Swiss study has found, and the risk is greatest during a bout of binge drinking."It's not only the amount of alcohol consumed that shapes the risk for injury, but also the usual consumption pattern," said lead researcher Gerhard Gmel... click link for more info.

TorreyPines Therapeutics Initiates Second Phase I Study For NGX267, A Selective M1 Agonist For Treatment Of Alzheimer's Disease
TorreyPines Therapeutics, Inc. todayannounced that it has initiated a Phase I single and multiple dose study inhealthy elderly volunteers for NGX267, a novel treatment for Alzheimer'sdisease. This study follows successful completion of the company's firstPhase I study with this compound... click link for more info.

Government Officials In Mexico Often Deny Legal Abortions For Rape Survivors, HRW Report Says
State officials throughout Mexico regularly deny rape survivors access to abortion even though the procedure in such cases is legal, according to a Human Rights Watch report released on Tuesday, the ... click link for more info.

Anchorage Daily News Examines Abortion Rights Policy Outlook In Alaska If Roe Were Overturned
The Anchorage Daily News on Monday examined what might happen in Alaska if Roe v. Wade -- the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court case that effectively barred state abortion bans -- were overturned... click link for more info.

Relief of Child Pain & Anxiety Critical Component of Emegency Medical Treatment
Relief of pain and stress for children receiving emergency medical treatment is a vital, and readily available, component of care. According to the new AAP clinical report, "Relief of Pain and Anxiety of Pediatric Patients in Emergency Medical Systems," advances in the recognition and treatment of pain in children over the past 20 years have led to improved pain management for acutely ill and injured children... click link for more info.

Advisers Reject 'black Box' Warning For ADHD Drugs
A Food and Drug Administration Pediatric Advisory Committee has rejected having 'black box' warnings regarding psychiatric and cardiovascular risks associated with ADHD drugs. This advice goes against a recommendation issued one month ago by the Drug Safety And Risk Management Advisory Committee, which supported the idea of a black box warning... click link for more info.

Prescription Sleep Aids Not Always Best For Insomniacs
Studies show that many Americans are struggling to get a good night's sleep, and an increasing number of those people are turning to fast-acting prescription sleep aids. Seeing a doctor for an instant insomnia "cure," however, shouldn't be the first course of action, says a Purdue University expert... click link for more info.

What Makes An Addict Seek Treatment?
No matter their socioeconomic status, people are more likely to obtain treatment for addiction if they perceive major consequences from their illness, according to a study involving UAB researchers and published in the March 2006 issue of Medical Care. Over a two-year period they studied 274 housed and homeless poor in the Boston area addicted to cocaine, alcohol or heroin... click link for more info.

Innovative Technology For Production Of New Pharmaceuticals Forms Basis Of New Company
Ghent, Belgium and Espoo, Finland - Plants produce a lot of valuable pharmaceuticals - but rather slowly and in small quantities. So, scientists from the Flanders Interuniversity Institute for Biotechnology (VIB) have together with Ghent University and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland developed a technology to increase the production of pharmaceuticals in plant cells... click link for more info.

What is Anxiety? What causes Anxiety? What to do about it.
What is Anxiety?Anxiety affects our whole being. It affects how we feel, how we behave and has very real physical symptoms. It feels a bit like fear but whereas we know what we are frightened of, we often don't know what we are anxious about. Mild anxiety is vague and unsettling - severe anxiety can be extremely debilitating... click link for more info.

Scientists Making Advances In Cancer To Receive International Awards, American Association For Cancer Research
Leading scientists whose work in research laboratories, universities and medical centers is helping to understand and eradicate cancer will be recognized April 1-5, 2006, by the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) at its 97th Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. A series of awards is given annually by the AACR - the world's oldest and largest professional society representing cancer scientists from the United States and more than 60 other countries - to honor world-class accomplishments in basic research, clinical care, therapeutics and prevention... click link for more info.

Director Of South Dakota Planned Parenthood Affiliate To Decide On Possible Legal Challenge To State Abortion Ban
Kate Looby, director of Planned Parenthood of Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota, on Thursday said she will make a decision by March 20 whether to challenge a South Dakota law (... click link for more info.

Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report Summarizes Opinion Pieces About South Dakota Law Banning Abortion
Several newspapers recently published opinion pieces about a South Dakota law (HB 1215) that bans abortion in the state except to save a pregnant woman's life... click link for more info.

Extended release stimulant effective for long-term ADHD treatment
A new study has found that an all-day, extended-release stimulant for treating attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) remains effective for up to two years without significant side effects. In the October issue of the Journal of the American Association of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, a multi-institutional research team reports finding that treatment with Concerta, a once-daily form of the drug methylphenidate, successfully controlled ADHD symptoms in more than 200 children with A... click link for more info.

Sens. Murray, Rodham Clinton Place Hold On Bush Nomination Of Von Eschenbach For FDA Commissioner Over Plan B Application
President Bush on Wednesday nominated acting FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach to permanently head the agency, the Los Angeles Times reports (Alonso-Zaldivar, Los Angeles Times, 3/16)... click link for more info.

Infused Spleen Cells Found Not To Impact Islet Recovery And Reversal Of Type 1 Diabetes In Mice
BOSTON. Researchers from Joslin Diabetes Center have published in the March, 2006, issue of the journal Science a significant study about islet cell recovery and reversal of type 1 diabetes in mice.It is generally believed that an effective cure for type 1 diabetes will require two substantial scientific advances... click link for more info.

Gastroenterologists Disappointed In Level Of Rise In Alcohol Duty, UK
Statement From The British Society of Gastroenterology Following The Chancellor's Budget Announcement: "The British Society of Gastroenterology is disappointed and concerned that the level of increase in the duty on alcohol is not higher. It should have been increased at a level far higher than inflation to limit drinking... click link for more info.

Comment Of Boehringer Ingelheim To The Clinical Trial Of TeGenero In The UK
TeGenero and Boehringer Ingelheim had entered into an agreement in November 2003 for the production of GMP-material of TeGenero`s compound CD28-SuperMAB (monoclonal antibody). Boehringer Ingelheim Biopharmaceutical division produced the substance according to TeGenero`s specifications as a contract manufacturer... click link for more info.

Health Care - Topical Antiseptic Reduces Umbilical Cord Infection And Mortality Risk A

2006-03-26T14:41:00.000-08:00

Topical Antiseptic Reduces Umbilical Cord Infection And Mortality Risk
A topical antiseptic reduces umbilical cord infections and infant mortality risk, according to a study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. In a study conducted in southern Nepal, babies who received umbilical cord cleanings after their cords were cut with chlorhexidine, a topical antiseptic, were 75 percent less likely to experience severe infections of their umbilical cord and were 24 percent less likely to die, as compared to a group of babies who received dry-cord care... click link for more info.

Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report Summarizes Editorials, Opinion Pieces About South Dakota Law Banning Abortion
Several newspapers recently published editorials and opinion pieces about a South Dakota law (HB 1215) that bans all abortions in the state except to save a pregnant woman's life... click link for more info.

Phobias and sudden cardiac death link
Women who have high levels of phobic anxiety have a higher chance of developing fatal coronary heart disease and sudden cardiac death. This is according to one of the speakers at the American Heart Association's 44th Annual Conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention conference, San Francisco, USA... click link for more info.

Novel Process Reduces Toxic Chemical Use
A chemical engineer at The University of Auckland has used environmentally-friendly vegetable oils to replace toxic chemical solvents like kerosene in the extraction of a range of biomolecules, such as antibiotics and organic acids.Dr Monwar Hossain in the Faculty of Engineering's Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering is conducting research into leading-edge extraction and separation processes which will lead to higher productivity in a wide range of sectors, including the pharmaceutical, food, dairy, biochemical and metals industries... click link for more info.

Karen Duff Receives Prestigious Prize For Alzheimer's Research
Karen E.K. Duff, Ph.D., a research scientist at the Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research in Orangeburg, New York, and an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at New York University School of Medicine, will receive the 2006 Potamkin Prize from the American Academy of Neurology. The prize recognizes outstanding research in Alzheimer's and related neurodegenerative brain diseases, and is considered one of the most prestigious in the field of Alzheimer's research... click link for more info.

New brain protein regulates sleep and anxiety, UCI study finds
UC Irvine pharmacology researchers have found how a recently discovered brain protein plays a major role regulating sleep and stress - a discovery that can lead to a new class of drugs for treating ailments ranging from sleep and anxiety disorders to attention deficit disorder. The UCI team conducted tests to see how neuropeptide S (NPS) affected behavioral responses in rodents... click link for more info.

Brain Imaging Designs ADHD Treatment With Lower Risk Of Abuse
An article by Thomas J. Spencer, M.D, on a new study in the March 2006 issue of The American Journal of Psychiatry (AJP), the official journal of the American Psychiatric Association (APA), shows how brain imaging is used to identify a form of methylphenidate, a stimulant drug used to treat patients with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), that is less likely to be abused during treatment... click link for more info.

ADHD improves with sensory intervention, Study finds
Preliminary findings from a study of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) show that sensory intervention -- for example, deep pressure and strenuous exercise -- can significantly improve problem behaviors such as restlessness, impulsivity and hyperactivity. Of the children receiving occupational therapy, 95 percent improved... click link for more info.

New Dosages Of RISPERDAL (Risperidone) Now Available
Physicians treating people with schizophrenia or bipolar mania now have expanded treatment options: Two additional dosages (3 mg and 4 mg) of RISPERDAL M-TAB , the fast-dissolving form of one of the most prescribed antipsychotic medications, RISPERDAL (risperidone), are now available by prescription... click link for more info.

Electrical Stimulation Boosts Stroke Recovery
Sending tiny electric pulses to a part of the brain controlling motor function helps ischemic stroke survivors regain partial use of a weakened hand, new Oregon Health & Science University research shows.But coupling the technique known as cortical stimulation with aggressive rehabilitation is key to reversing the impairment, doctors say... click link for more info.

Bills Allowing Access To EC Not Linked To Political Boundaries, Post Letter To The Editor Says
Bills seeking to prevent unplanned pregnancies by increasing access to emergency contraception -- which can prevent pregnancy if taken up to 72 hours after sexual intercourse -- are not linked solely to politically and/or ideologically "red" and "blue" states, Belle Taylor-McGhee, executive director of ... click link for more info.

Comment Of Boehringer Ingelheim To The Clinical Trial Of TeGenero In The UK
TeGenero and Boehringer Ingelheim had entered into an agreement in November 2003 for the production of GMP-material of TeGenero`s compound CD28-SuperMAB (monoclonal antibody). Boehringer Ingelheim Biopharmaceutical division produced the substance according to TeGenero`s specifications as a contract manufacturer... click link for more info.

Oregon Health & Science University Study Aims To Halt Alzheimer's By Blocking Enzyme
PORTLAND, Ore. - Oregon Health & Science University is participating in a national study of a drug that may prevent Alzheimer's disease by blocking an enzyme that produces plaques believed to trigger the disorder.OHSU is one of six sites around the country taking part in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the agent known as LY450139, a gamma secretase inhibitor manufactured by Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly and Co... click link for more info.

FDA Panel Suggests Adding Black Box Warning To ADHD Medications About Risk Of Sudden Death, Heart Problems
An FDA advisory panel on Thursday voted 8-7 with one abstention that attention deficit hyperactivity disorder drugs should carry "black box" warnings about an increased risk of sudden death and serious cardiovascular problems, the ... click link for more info.

Major Biomarker Candidates For Alzheimer's Disease Explored
Alzheimer's disease--specific biomarkers clearly are needed for the differential diagnosis of cognitive impairment in the elderly. What sets age-related disorders like hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and diabetes mellitus apart from Alzheimer's disease is that each has biomarkers that can be followed easily and repeatedly, not simply to diagnose, but also to monitor response and optimize treatment... click link for more info.

South Dakota Abortion Ban
NPR Series Examines Internal Debates Among Abortion-Rights Opponents, Supporters in Reaction to A South Dakota law (HB 1215), which is scheduled to take effect July 1, that bans abortion in the state except to save a pregnant woman's life is "exposing a serious internal divide" among abortion-rights opponents... click link for more info.

WHYY's "Fresh Air" Discusses Legal, Moral, Ethical Issues Surrounding Prenatal Testing For Genetic Defects
WHYY's "Fresh Air," an NPR-syndicated program, on Thursday included an interview with Elizabeth Weil, author of a recent story in the New York Times Magazine examining the legal, moral and ethical issues surrounding pregnancy termination because of detected genetic defects... click link for more info.

ADHD - Positive study results for methylphenidate transdermal system
Shire announced at a major medical meeting in Toronto, Canada, that its investigational methylphenidate transdermal system (MTS) demonstrated statistically significant reductions in the symptoms of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and was generally well tolerated in patients aged 6 to 12 in two clinical trials... click link for more info.

Fitness For Your Feet
The limousines are in the garage, the red carpets are rolled up - and your feet are suffering the stiletto sting. Now that awards season has drawn to a close in Los Angeles, there are a number of glamorous gams in town suffering a painful let-down after dancing 'til dawn in strappy Jimmy Choos or Christian Louboutins... click link for more info.

Same Genes May Underlie Alcohol And Nicotine Co-Abuse
Vulnerability to both alcohol and nicotine abuse may be influenced by the same genetic factor, according to a recent study supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).In the study, two genetically distinct kinds of rat " one an innately heavy-drinking strain bred to prefer alcohol ("P" rats), the other strain bred to not prefer alcohol ("NP" rats) -- learned to give themselves nicotine injections... click link for more info.

Patients Want To Know Results Of Their Clinical Trials
Although an overwhelming 98% of cancer patients wanted to know the results of the clinical trial they took part in, there is currently no standard way of conveying the information. The onus is usually placed on the patient to find out the results from their doctor. Over 1,400 people with cancer took part in a new study to determine the best way of telling patients about their clinical trial results, the findings of which were announced today at the 5th European Breast Cancer Conference (EBCC-5)... click link for more info.

ADHD - Important Strattera(R) Label Update Regarding Uncommon Reports of Suicidal Thoughts Among Children and Adolescents
Eli Lilly and Company announced that it will update the product label globally forits attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medication, Strattera, tocommunicate new information regarding uncommon reports of suicidal thoughtsamong children and adolescents. In conjunction with a request from the U... click link for more info.

AACAP Urges FDA To Expand Research On ADHD Medications
Today, at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Pediatric Advisory Committee meeting, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) pledged to work with the FDA in communicating to parents and providers any potential risks that may be associated with taking medications for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)... click link for more info.

NICE Issues Guidance On Drug Treatments For ADHD, UK
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) today issued guidance to the NHS in England and Wales on the use of methylphenidate, atomoxetine and dexamfetamine for treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children and adolescents. This updates previous guidance (TA no... click link for more info.

Wisconsin-Based Group Files For Petition Drive For Referendum On South Dakota Abortion Ban
A representative of the Waukesha, Wis.-based group Basic Abortion-Rights Network on Tuesday filed paperwork to sponsor a referendum to put a South Dakota law (HB 1215) that bans abortion in the state except to save a woman's life on a statewide ballot in November, the ... click link for more info.

Teens' Herbal Product Use Associated With Illicit Substance Use
Adolescents who have ever used herbal products are six times more likely to have tried cocaine and almost 15 times more likely to have used anabolic steroids than teens who have never used herbal products, according to a University of Rochester Medical Center study published in March in the Journal of Adolescent Health... click link for more info.

Keeping Patients From Falling Through The Medical-imaging Cracks
Every day in hospitals around the country, thousands of patients undergo CT, MRI, X-ray and other kinds of scans, producing detailed images of their bodies. Specially trained doctors "read" those images to look for problems, and then send a report of what they've found to each patient's own doctor... click link for more info.

Moderate Drinkers Who Occasionally Drink Heavily Are More Likely To Suffer An Alcohol-related Injury Than Chronic Heavy Drinkers
Moderate drinkers who occasionally drink heavily are more likely to suffer an alcohol-related injury than chronic heavy drinkers, a Swiss study has found, and the risk is greatest during a bout of binge drinking."It's not only the amount of alcohol consumed that shapes the risk for injury, but also the usual consumption pattern," said lead researcher Gerhard Gmel... click link for more info.

New Data In Lancet Confirm Potential To Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis
Clear evidence that Lymphatic Filariasis (LF, commonly known as elephantiasis) can be eliminated is reported in the March 25 issue of The Lancet. LF is one of the world's most disfiguring and disabling parasitic diseases, and the target of one of the largest global public health programmes using mass drug administration (MDA)... click link for more info.

Sanofi-aventis And BMS Announce Agreement To Settle U.S. Plavix Litigation With Apotex Subject To Certain Conditions
Sanofi-aventis (Paris Bourse: EURONEXT: SAN; and New York: NYSE: SNY) and Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE: BMY) announced today that they have reached an agreement subject to certain conditions with Apotex Inc. and Apotex Corp. to settle the patent infringement lawsuit pending between the parties in the U... click link for more info.

ADHD - Newly Published Canadian Study Demonstrates Long-Acting Methylphenidate Effective In Achieving Symptom Remission In Children
According to an open-label, Canadian study published by The Canadian Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, long-acting, once-daily CONCERTA XL* (OROS* methylphenidate hydrochloride) is significantly more effective than usual care with immediate release methylphenidate (IR-MPH) in achieving symptom remission in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)... click link for more info.

Memory, Speed Of Thinking Get Worse Over Time With Marijuana Use
Memory, speed of thinking and other cognitive abilities get worse over time with marijuana use, according to a new study published in the March, 2006, issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.The study found that frequent marijuana users performed worse than non-users on tests of cognitive abilities, including divided attention (ability to pay attention to more than one stimulus at a time) and verbal fluency (number of words generated with... click link for more info.

FDA Will Extend Regulatory Review Period For The Reintroduction Of Tysabri For Multiple Sclerosis
Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: BIIB) and Elan Corporation, plc. (NYSE: ELN) announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) informed the companies that the Agency will extend its regulatory review of TYSABRI (natalizumab) as a treatment for multiple sclerosis by up to 90 days. The companies have been informed by the FDA that the Agency requires additional time to review information regarding the TYSABRI risk management plan... click link for more info.

Ocean Virus Identified In Human Blood Samples
A virus of ocean origin that can cause a range of diseases in several animal species has been found in human blood samples. The virus, or antibodies to it, was found most often in the blood of individuals with liver damage, or hepatitis of unknown cause related to blood exposure.A study on these findings was published Wednesday in the online edition of the Journal of Medical Virology, by scientists from Oregon State University, the Center for Pediatric Research at Eastern Virginia Medical School, and AVI BioPharma... click link for more info.

Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report Highlights Issues In Various US States
The following highlights recent news of state actions on women's health issues. Abortion Regulations Hawaii: The state House voted 51-13 to approve a bill (HB 1242) that would repeal a current law requiring women seeking abortion to be state residents, and would allow women to undergo the procedure in clinics and physicians offices outside of hospitals, th... click link for more info.

New York Times Magazine Examines Legal, Moral, Ethical Issues Surrounding Prenatal Testing For Genetic Defects
The New York Times Magazine on Sunday examined the legal, moral and ethical issues surrounding pregnancy termination because of detected genetic defects. Sonograms, genetic tests and a new test called preimplantation genetic diagnosis -- which is a genetic test conducted on embryos for people attempting pregnancy through in vitro fertilization -- allow wome... click link for more info.

$77 billion in lost income is attributed to ADHD annually in USA
US household income losses due to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) total nearly $77 billion each year, according to a new analysis of the national large-scale survey, "Capturing America's Attention," presented today at the American Psychiatric Association (APA) annual meeting in Atlanta... click link for more info.

Genetic Link To Alzheimer's Disease Explored: Affected Siblings Sought
Indiana University School of Medicine researchers are looking for the tie that binds families with Alzheimer's disease together. The long-term research is seeking the gene or genes that make Alzheimer's a family disease. Medical geneticist at IU and five other institutions are seeking genetic information from 1,000 families who have two or more living siblings with Alzheimer's disease... click link for more info.

MTBE Contamination: A Microbial Approach For Groundwater
Max Haggblom's Rutgers laboratory has taken an important step on the path to using microbes to rid the environment of methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE), a toxic gasoline additive now classified as a potential human carcinogen.In a February 2006 paper in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, the researchers bring to light a tool that will help them find the key bacteria capable of breaking down MTBE... click link for more info.

Newsweek Examines Anxiety Among Some Republicans About Abortion-Rights Restrictions
Newsweek in its March 20 issue examines how the approval of a South Dakota law that bans abortion in the state except to save a pregnant woman's life, the recent "flurry of activity" on abortion-related restrictions in state legislatures and the recent changes on the Supreme Cour... click link for more info.

Diabetes Risk Raised By Too Much Or Too Little Sleep
Men who sleep too much or too little are at an increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, according to a study by the New England Research Institutes in collaboration with Yale School of Medicine researchers. The data published in the March issue of Diabetes Care were obtained from 1,709 men, 40 to 70 years old... click link for more info.

Government Officials In Mexico Often Deny Legal Abortions For Rape Survivors, HRW Report Says
State officials throughout Mexico regularly deny rape survivors access to abortion even though the procedure in such cases is legal, according to a Human Rights Watch report released on Tuesday, the ... click link for more info.

Documents Show FDA Considered Issues Cited In Delay Of Plan B Application Before Announcement, Rep. Waxman Letter Says
Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) on Thursday sent a letter to FDA acting Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach saying agency documents show that FDA for at least a year had considered issues it cited in its August 2005 decision to delay ... click link for more info.

Training may increase nurses' anxiety about death in the short term
Educational programs on death and dying are available to help nurses learn how to care for dying patients and their families. But according to a recent study by Jane M. Kurz, Ph.D., R.N., initially, such programs can actually increase nurses' anxiety about death. Kurz, associate professor of nursing at Temple's College of Health Professions, is presenting this study, which evaluated an "End-of-Life" (EOL) educational nursing program, at the Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Research Cong... click link for more info.

FDA Panel Made 'Brave Effort' To Urge Risk Warning On ADHD Medications, New York Times Editorial States
An FDA advisory panel's recommendation last week that black box labels for some attention deficit hyperactivity disorder drugs should warn about potential cardiovascular risks "is best understood as a response to an alarming upsurge in use of stimulants that many have deemed unwarranted," a ... click link for more info.

Federal Appeals Court Panel Upholds Tennessee Statute Allowing "Choose Life" License Plates
A three-judge panel of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati on Friday voted 2-1 to uphold a Tennessee statute that authorizes the production and sale of "Choose Life" specialty license plates, the AP/San Diego Union-Tribune reports (Johnson, AP/San Diego Union-Tribune, 3/17)... click link for more info.

Conference Urges Black Churches To Improve Efforts To End Abortion Among Black Women
Black churches need to improve efforts to end abortion in the black community, according to speakers at the 2006 Pro-Life Conference held at Mount Gilead Full Gospel Church in Chesterfield County, Va., on Friday, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reports (Smith, Richmond Times-Dispatch... click link for more info.

Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report Highlights Issues In Various US States
The following highlights recent news of state actions on women's health issues. Abortion Regulations Louisiana: State Rep. Tim Burns (R) on Thursday introduced a bill (HB 132) that would ban abortion in the state except in cases of rape or incest or to save the life of the pregnant woman, the ... click link for more info.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome May Be Prevented By Commonly Used Drug
Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is often called the number one preventable birth defect. Despite counselling of pregnant women to avoid alcohol, large numbers of babies are born with FAS. At present, no effective treatments exist that can prevent or reverse FAS after fetal exposure to alcohol. However, Alessandro Ieraci and Daniel Herrera now report encouraging results in mice that might one day change this situation... click link for more info.

New Lipid Molecule Holds Promise For Gene Therapy
Scientists at the University of California, Santa Barbara have created a new molecule that holds promise in fighting disease via gene therapy. Inherited diseases, as well as many cancers and cardiovascular diseases, may eventually be helped by this approach, which delivers therapeutic genes directly to cells... click link for more info.

Age Is An Independent Risk Factor In Young Women With Breast Cancer
A 30 year old woman diagnosed with breast cancer has the same chance of survival as a 60 year old woman with breast cancer according to the latest findings presented today at the European Breast Cancer Conference (EBCC-5).Scientists have known for a while that young women with breast cancer have a poor prognosis... click link for more info.

AP / Philadelphia Inquirer Examines Abortion Issues Worldwide
The AP/Philadelphia Inquirer on Friday examined trends in abortion rights worldwide, which "contras[t] sharply" with those in the U.S., including the passage of a South Dakota ... click link for more info.

New Research Shows Pin1 Enzyme Is Key In Preventing Onset Of Alzheimer's Disease
A new discovery has found that Pin1, an enzyme previously shown to prevent the formation of the tangle-like lesions found in the brains of Alzheimer's disease patients, also plays a pivotal role in guarding against the development of amyloid peptide plaques, the second brain lesion that characterizes Alzheimer's... click link for more info.

Anxiety disorder recovery accelerated by yohimbe tree bark
New findings at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute demonstrate the potential of a substance found in yohimbe tree bark to accelerate recovery from anxiety disorders suffered by millions of Americans. In the latest in a series of studies of how mice acquire, express and extinguish conditioned fear, the UCLA team finds yohimbine helps mice learn to overcome the fear faster by enhancing the effects of the natural release of adrenaline... click link for more info.

Key New Tool For Identifying Problem Badger Setts Harbouring Bovine TB
New research led by biologists at the University of Warwick has revealed a new technique that could become a valuable way of identifying badger setts that harbour TB diseased and infectious badgers in regions where TB in cattle, caused by Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis), is problematic.The research paper published in March 2006, in the Royal Society's scientific journal Biology Letters entitled "Is Mycobacterium bovis in the environment important for the persistence of bovine tuberculosis?", describes the research group's use of molecular methods (a technique called PCR) to examine the prevalence of M... click link for more info.

Bayer Makes Move To Buy Schering AG
Bayer intends to make a public takeover offer to the stockholders of Schering AG. In a transaction with a total value of EUR 16.3 billion, the company is willing to pay EUR 86 in cash for each Schering share or ADS (American Depositary Share). The offer price is 39 percent above the Schering share price before the announcement of the hostile bid by Merck KGaA and 12 percent above this competing offer... click link for more info.

ADHD Conference to be held in Seattle
Learn what you need to know about ADHD, how it impacts a person with this disorder, and what can be done about it. Attend the 3rd annual conference on October 8-9,2005 that is sponsored by ADD Resources, a national non-profit organization This exciting 2-day conference will jumpstart your understanding of AD/HD and, for those with AD/HD, it will help them to live more happily and productively... click link for more info.

Receptor Critical In Neurodegeneration Reduces Alzheimer's Plaque
New Haven, Conn.--Increasing the level of a protein that plays a key role in traumatic spinal cord injuries and multiple sclerosis reduces the concentration of disease-causing plaque in Alzheimer's disease, Yale School of Medicine researchers report in the Journal of Neuroscience."Our new findings indicate that pharmacological methods to increase the protein, NogoReceptor, may be a way to treat the deficits associated with Alzheimer's disease," said Stephen Strittmatter, M... click link for more info.

Fleeting Images of Fearful Faces Reveal Neurocircuitry of Unconscious Anxiety
Researchers at Columbia University Medical Center have found that fleeting images of fearful faces - images that appear and disappear so quickly that they escape conscious awareness - produce unconscious anxiety that can be detected in the brain with the latest neuroimaging machines. It's one of the first times that neuroimaging has captured the brain's processing of unconscious emotion... click link for more info.

Shire's Patch For ADHD, Daytrana, Recommended For Approval To FDA
Shire plc confirmed today that a Psychopharmacologic Drugs Advisory Committee recommended to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that DAYTRANA (methylphenidate transdermal system) is safe and effective. DAYTRANA is an investigational transdermal patch formulation for methylphenidate designed for once-daily use to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children aged 6 to 12 years... click link for more info.

APA Urges FDA To Rely On Science, Not Anecdote Alone, For Regulating ADHD Drugs
In testimony today, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) told the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that more research is needed in the area of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and rare adverse events. Research has already shown ADHD to be highly prevalent and treatments for it to be indisputably effective... click link for more info.

New Survey Indicates Majority Of Americans Suffer From 'Sleep Slump'
When clocks "spring forward" at 2:00 a.m. on the first Sunday in April, most Americans lose an hour of sleep. And for those who are already in a sleep slump, losing an extra hour can add to the negative consequences of lack of sleep. According to nationally renowned sleep expert, Dr. James B. Maas, past chairman of the Department of Psychology at Cornell University and author of best-selling book "Power Sleep," this is not surprising... click link for more info.

Drug Effective For Severe Alzheimer's Disease
The drug donepezil can reverse some aspects of cognitive and functional deterioration seen in patients with severe Alzheimer's disease, according to a randomised trial published online (March, 2006) by The Lancet.About 20% of Alzheimer's patients have severe dementia. As their health deteriorates they become less able to communicate, less mobile, and increasingly reliant on nursing care... click link for more info.

Men's Rights Group Files Federal Lawsuit Claiming Michigan Child-Support Law Violates Reproductive Rights For Men
The men's rights advocacy group National Center for Men on Thursday filed a lawsuit with the U.S. District Court in Detroit claiming that a Michigan child-support law is unconstitutional because it violates reproductive rights established in Roe v... click link for more info.

Doubts Raised About Illegal Drug Use Surveys
A scientific study reported in two related articles in the Journal of Drug Issues raises serious doubts about the nation's illegal drug use surveillance programs. Scientists, policy makers, and the media depend on surveys to identify the extent of drug use nationwide. The study documented how drug use surveys may not accurately reflect changes in drug use, but be more related to how willing a respondent is to disclose the extent and type of drug use... click link for more info.

Tips On How Elderly Can Stay Home From NJIT Environmental Psychologist
Environmental psychologist Richard Olsen, PhD, and research architect Lynn Hutchings are people on a mission. The researchers, based in the architecture school at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), would like to see older people and people with dementia live better, safer and more comfortable lives staying in their homes... click link for more info.

MetLife Award For Alzheimer's Research Awarded To UCI Researcher
UC Irvine neurobiologist Frank LaFerla today was recognized as a "Promising Work" recipient of the 2005 MetLife Foundation Award for Medical Research in Alzheimer's disease. He is one of three researchers to receive the award this year for his significant contributions to the understanding of Alzheimer's disease... click link for more info.

Concerta (methylphenidate HCl) Approved for the Treatment of ADHD in Adolescents, Canada
Health Canada has approved CONCERTA (methylphenidate HCl) Extended-release Tablets for use in adolescents (aged 13 to 18) with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).1 Until now CONCERTA was approved for the treatment of ADHD in children aged six to 12 years. In a clinical study of adolescents aged 13 to 18 years, CONCERTA at doses up to 72 mg significantly reduced ADHD symptoms, such as difficulty paying attention to schoolwork... click link for more info.

TorreyPines Therapeutics Initiates Second Phase I Study For NGX267, A Selective M1 Agonist For Treatment Of Alzheimer's Disease
TorreyPines Therapeutics, Inc. todayannounced that it has initiated a Phase I single and multiple dose study inhealthy elderly volunteers for NGX267, a novel treatment for Alzheimer'sdisease. This study follows successful completion of the company's firstPhase I study with this compound... click link for more info.

Pathological Gambling Runs In Families, Study Finds
Problem gambling runs in families according to a University of Iowa study published online in the journal Psychiatry Research. The study also found an excess of alcoholism, drug disorders and antisocial personality disorder in families with pathological gamblers.This is the first study of its kind to include detailed family interviews of relatives of persons with pathological gambling, said Donald W... click link for more info.

Pregnancy Research Leads To Progress On Premature Delivery
The University of Rochester has filed a patent on several ideas to help prevent early labor and the premature delivery of low-birth-weight babies. The discovery is an incremental step in an area of obstetrics that has seen little improvement in 20 years.Mark Plessinger, Ph.D., assistant professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Rochester Medical Center, discovered that certain proteins known as toll-like receptors (TLRs), located in the amniotic membranes of pregnant women, sometimes fuel a harmful inflammatory response... click link for more info.

FDA Accepts Eisai's SNDA Application For ARICEPT In The Treatment Of Severe Alzheimer's Disease
Eisai Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Tokyo, President and CEO Haruo Naito) and Eisai Inc. (Headquarters: Teaneck, NJ, Chairman and CEO Hajime Shimizu) announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted a supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) for ARICEPT (donepezil HCl tablets) for treatment of severe Alzheimer's Disease... click link for more info.

Cell Therapy Slows Progression Of An Inherited Neurological Disease; Improves Motor Skills In Mice
In an important discovery, scientists have demonstrated that the progression of a type of genetic brain disease is slowed and symptoms are improved in mice that received cell transplants.The new study, published in the March issue of The Journal of Neuroscience, may have implications for developing new therapies for metachromatic leukodystrophy, or MLD, a fatal, relatively rare inherited disorder that in humans usually begins early in life... click link for more info.

Innovative Technology For Production Of New Pharmaceuticals Forms Basis Of New Company
Ghent, Belgium and Espoo, Finland - Plants produce a lot of valuable pharmaceuticals - but rather slowly and in small quantities. So, scientists from the Flanders Interuniversity Institute for Biotechnology (VIB) have together with Ghent University and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland developed a technology to increase the production of pharmaceuticals in plant cells... click link for more info.

Study Finds Emotional Benefits From Participation In Computer Support Groups
Women with breast cancer who participate in computer support groups can obtain emotional benefits when they openly express themselves in ways that help them make sense of their cancer experience, according to a new study conducted by the University of Wisconsin-Madison Center of Excellence in Cancer Communications Research (CECCR)... click link for more info.

Extended release stimulant effective for long-term ADHD treatment
A new study has found that an all-day, extended-release stimulant for treating attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) remains effective for up to two years without significant side effects. In the October issue of the Journal of the American Association of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, a multi-institutional research team reports finding that treatment with Concerta, a once-daily form of the drug methylphenidate, successfully controlled ADHD symptoms in more than 200 children with A... click link for more info.

Alzheimer's Study First To Explain Death Of Brain Cells
Researchers at Children's Hospital & Research Center at Oakland (CHRCO) have published a new study that is the first to explain how brain cells die in patients with Alzheimer's Disease. This discovery is an important first step to helping researchers devise ways to slow, prevent and eventually cure a disease that affects an estimated 4... click link for more info.