Medical News

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A new flu vaccine given to children via nasal spray or nose drops produced good antibody response. Embargo: Tues. May 6, 9:30 am EDT.

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A vaccine for cytomegalovirus was found to be well tolerated and highly immunogenic in toddlers. CMV can cause mononucleosis-type illness, organ rejection, and birth defects. Embargo: Tues. May 6, 9:30 am EDT.

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Twins die of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome at more than double the rate of single births. If one twin died of SIDS, the other twin had a six- to twelvefold risk of SIDS. Embargo: Tues. May 6, 9 am EDT.

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Children who live in poor areas of Missouri are six times more likely to die in a fire; those who live in rural areas are three times more likely. Embargo: Tues. May 6, 10:15 am EDT.

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A new drug may help prevent respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which hospitalizes over 90,000 infants each year in the United States. Embargo: Tues. May 6, 8:45 am EDT.

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A new flu vaccine given to children via nose drops or a nasal spray was safe and produced good antibody response, according to a multi-center study led by the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore. James C. King, M.D., associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Maryland Medical Center, will present the data on May 6 at the Pediatric Academic Societiesí annual meeting in Washington, D.C. EMBARGOED: 9:30 a.m. May 6, 1997

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Radiologists using a freezing technique guided by ultrasound to treat prostate cancer have had much lower failure and complication rates than radiation therapy or radical surgery, a Michigan study reports.

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A new use for a common test helps emergency room physicians rapidly identify patients in danger of having a heart attack, also saving money in the process, according to a Midwest study.

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The use of vitamin and mineral supplements by active and retired military personnel, coupled with medical therapies to reduce or delay the onset of age-related disease, could save the federal government up to $6.3 billion annually, according to a report released May 1 by the non-profit National Defense Council Foundation.

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Children with attention-deficit disorder have as much functional disability as children with mild mental retardation, and are not merely exhibiting "inconvenient" behavior. Embargo: Mon. May 5, 6 pm EDT.

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Using cauliflower DNA as a marker, researchers have shown that pathogens can spread quickly in a child-care setting, but washing hands helps. Embargo: Mon. May 5, 5:30 pm EDT

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Penicillin-resistant pneumococci exhibit less virulence than penicillin-susceptible pneumococci; animals injected with a resistant strain had more infections and a higher mortality rate. Embargo: Mon. May 5, 5 pm EDT.

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LaCrosse encephalitis is a dangerous and under-recognized disease carried by the "tree hole mosquito". The disease has been found in most states East of the Mississippi, with nearly 13 cases a year in West Virginia. Embargo: Mon. May 5, 4:45 pm EDT.

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A combination of stavudine (d4t), didanosine (ddI), and indinavir was well-tolerated in HIV-positive children and showed powerful anti-viral effects, according to research out of the Baylor College of Medicine. Embargo: Mon. May 5, 4:30 pm EDT.

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Children with severe chronic iron deficiency in infancy lag behind into early adolescence on measures of motor skills, quantitative and numerical concepts, achievement tests, and IQ, according to research out of the University of Michigan. Embargo: Mon. May 5, 10:30 am EDT

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The vast majority of medical and surgical staff at the Baltimore, MD VA Medical Center say that they prefer reading radiologic images on a digital, filmless system compared to standard x-ray film.

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A new technology called virtual colonoscopy, shows great promise in detecting colon cancer, far less invasively than some current testing methods, a South Carolina study concludes.

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Mammography screening every year finds more treatable breast cancers in women 40-49 than does screening every two years, according to a new study.

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Low-income children with moderate or severe asthma who received education about managing asthma and follow-up phone calls were hospitalized less and had shorter hospital stays than children who did not receive educationalintervention. Embargo: Sun. May 4, 3:15 pm EDT

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Mothers who brought their infants to an emergency department within three weeks of childbirth were three times as likely to develop symptoms of depression. Those who made frequent doctor visits for their infants were twice as likely to develop symptoms. Embargo: Sun. May 4, 3:50 pm EDT.

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Researchers at Children's Mercy have found no advantage to including long-chain fatty acids in infant formula, despite their being essential components of brain and retinal tissue. Embargo: Sun. May 4, 3:15 pm EDT.

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Alcoholics can develop severe liver damage after taking acetaminophen, a widely used analgesic, but how alcohol and acetaminophen act together in the liver to cause severe, sometimes fatal, damage is poorly understood.

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Practice guidelines to help physicians and health professionals manage work-related health problems of patients were published in April by the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM).

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An educational symposia and new medical and scientific research findings, all addressing the diagnosis and treatment of sinus and allergy disorders, will be presented at the 1997 Combined Otolaryngological Spring Meetings (COSM). COSM is a gathering of otolaryngologic societies which will be held May 10-16 at the Scottsdale Princess, Scottsdale, AZ. More than 1,500 ear, nose, throat, head and neck surgeons are expected to attend.

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May Health Tips from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center 1) The truth about herbal medicine 2) High altitude living can affect people of all ages 3) There are several warning signs for gum disease

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Drop-in vaccination clinics are most often visited by children who are foreign-born, uninsured, and behind on their vaccination schedule. These clinics have an important role. Embargo: Sat. May 3, 11:30 am EDT.

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A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study of a New York State health insurance plan for children from lower income homes shows that the plan shifted immunization delivery from public health clinics to private primary care provider offices. Embargo: Sat. May 3, 11:05 am EDT.

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Physician estimates of vaccination coverage are higher than measured coverage, and 75% of physicians do not have a system to identify children who are not up-to-date on vaccines, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Embargo: Sat. May 3, 10:45 am EDT.

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A Rush-Presbyterian animal model shows that a combination of pancreatic enzyme therapy and high-dose non-sterioidal anti-inflammatories cause severe intestinal and liver damage, raising concerns for cystic fibrosis patients. Embargo: Sat. May 3, 10:30 am EDT.

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Fetal bone marrow is best source of stem cells for bone marrow transplants, say Georgetown researchers. Embargo: Sat. May 3, 10 am EDT.

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Children born very premature (less than 3.3 lbs) may have long-term consequences stretching into adolescence, including learning disabilities, attention deficit disorder, and feelings of depression and anxiety. Embargo: Sat. May 3, 3:30 pm EDT.

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Researchers at Boston Children's have discovered that artificial fingernail kits that contain methacrylic acid are as dangerous to children as kerosene. These kits have no warning labels or child- resistant packaging. Embargoed: Sat. May 3, 3:20 pm EDT.

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For some ethnic groups, rapid screening is now possible for ataxia-telangiectasia, a neurodegenerative disease that strikes before age two. Those who carry the gene but do not have A-T are at increased risk of cancer. Embargo: Sat. May 3, 3:15 pm EDT.

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A Maryland Medicaid managed care program that provided preventive and primary care to children reduced avoidable hospitalizations and their associated costs. Embargo: Sat. May 3, 11 am EDT.

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A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study showed that a Chicago strategy of linking vaccination status with the WIC program increased childhood vaccination coverage from 56 to 77 percent. (WIC = Special Supplemental Nutrtiion Program for Women, Infants, and Children) Embargo: Sat. May 3, 11:35 am EDT.

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Dartmouth Medical School geneticists decoding the biological clocks that pace the daily activities of plants and animals have discovered new clues to what makes cells tick

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The federal government's Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR) today announced the availability of the first data for 1996 from the household component of its new Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS). This nationally representative survey, cosponsored by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), collects detailed information on the health status, health care use and expenses, and health insurance coverage of individuals and families in the United States, including nursing home residents, at different intervals and over time.

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Faced with terminal illness or a chronic health condition, a majority of older adults would choose to live, but one-third would let someone else decide their fate, according to a Purdue University study of end-of-life decisions.

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When high blood pressure goes untreated, it enlarges the cells of the heart and produces a silent defect in the heart's pumping mechanism, a defect which turns out to be identical to one seen in heart failure. Embargoed: 05/02/97.

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A leading cause of death, hypertenion enlarges the heart, reduces heart muscle function and ultimately produces heart failure. A University of Wisconsin Medical School researcher and his collaborators can now explain a cellular defect that causes enlarged hearts to contract weakly.

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"Anyone with a family history of Alzheimer's disease or heart disease would be foolish NOT to take daily vitamin E supplements," a leading physician said today in response to a study just published in the New England Journal of medicine.

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Johns Hopkins researchers have genetically engineered mice to grow herculean muscles, an achievement that eventually may lead to the development of treatments for muscular dystrophy and other muscle-wasting diseases.

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News Briefs: 1- Risk of Dementia Higher in Adult Diabetics; 2- Surgery for Severe Constipation Highly Effective; 3- The Challenges of doing Physical Exams in Space; 4- Angioplasty, Stenting are Preferred Methods to Open Clogged Arteries

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NEW HAVEN, Conn., April 24, 1997-Pregnant women who are infected with the AIDS-causing virus may dramatically reduce the rate of transmission of the virus to their unborn infants if they receive routine obstetrical care and take the medication zidovudine orally during their pregnancy, according to Yale University School of Medicine researchers.

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Unexpected results from an experiment at The Jackson Laboratory designed to probe the role of a protein implicated in human obesity will help researchers identify the complex thermogenic mechanisms that control regulation of body weight.

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May 1, 1997 Annals of Internal Medicine TipSheet 1) Recently Cloned Cell Activating Molecule Increases Platelet Production in Cancer Patients 2) Treatment Results in Remission of Liver Disease 3) Chronic Nausea Can Be Caused By Reflux Disease

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Many people who suffer from bipolar disorder, or manic-depression, seem to respond best to a two-drug combination treatment. In the current PNAS, researchers at the University of Wisconsin Medical School show that both drugs stimulate release of a chemical that triggers brain cell activity that helps control the wild mood swings of the disease.

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Today's improved drug treatments reduce the frequency of cancer recurrence, allowing more cancer patients to be at home and enjoy a better quality of life with their families due to shorter hospital stays.

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Vegetarian diets can be less-than-perfect, especially for those who have recently become vegetarians and are still learning about this way of eating. Though vegetarian diets often provide more of some nutrients like vitamin C and folic acid than nonvegetarian diets, several recent studies have found that vegetarian diets may be low in many other nutrients, including vitamins B6, B12, D, riboflavin and the minerals calcium and zinc.

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U.S. and Russian institutes are collaborating on a global race to produce isotopes for use in medical diagnostics.