Medical News

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Solving a long-standing problem in vaccine development, scientists have crafted a new way to deliver foreign proteins into the body such that the immune system is primed to attack virus-infected cells and cancer cells. Because this kind of an immune response is key to vaccine development, the findings have profound implications for developing safe vaccines to immunize against AIDS and other infectious diseases, and for creating new cancer therapies.

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A high-fat meal can spark a dramatic rise in a blood coagulation factor, which may increase the risk of death from heart disease and stroke, researchers report in this month's Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, a journal of the American Heart Association

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Two means of assessing a woman's risk of developing breast cancer Ø one for the general population and one for women with a family history of the disease Ø are being offered through a new program in the UT Southwestern Center for Breast Care.

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A massage can be like medicine. That's according to Dr. Tiffany Field, Dean of the Mailman Family and School Center at Nova Southeastern University. She also oversees the university's newly established Touch Research Institute and Wellness Center.

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Travelers need to be aware of the limitiations of cruise-ship health care just as they would be aware of health-care problems in foreign countries.

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Knowing someone who is gay or lesbian and having knowledge about homosexuality can improve medical students' attitudes toward gay men and lesbians, reports a study published in the current issue of the Journal of the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association.

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"Butter is not better than margarine." That is the assertion of Tim Byers, MD, MPH, of the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in an editorial accompanying a study published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine. The study links trans unsaturated fats to increased risk of heart disease.

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The Society of Gynecologic Oncologists (SGO) is a non-profit, international organization of obstetricians-gynecologists who specialize in treating women with cancers of the ovary, uterus, cervix, vagina, vulva and fallopian tubes. These women's healthcare specialists have extensive training in providing gynecologic cancer care to women, including surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy and other innovative approaches that enhance patient care.

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By manipulating people's facial features on computer images, doctors can help patients envision the results of cosmetic surgery. But what if the surgical results differ from those on the screen? Does computer imaging tend to raise false hopes and invite malpractice suits?

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Doctors on NBC Television's hit medical drama ER solve a mysterious diagnosis using an Internet search on the Nov. 20 episode. But using the Internet to research health topics and diseases isn't just a story line on a television show. In fact, one out of three Internet users is seeking health and medical information online.

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Researchers, led by a team from the University of Michigan Medical Center, have isolated a pair of substances in grapefruit juice that cause greater absorption of certain drugs in the human body. The key lies in the interaction between the grapefruit juice and an enzyme found in the small intestine.

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The Cleveland Clinic will lead a multicenter study examining a controversial surgical procedure for stroke patients with severe brain swelling -- removing a portion of the skull to relieve the buildup of pressure.

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Surgical students soon will be able hone their skills with simulators that for the first time present a realistic feel of performing surgery thanks to a research project under way at the University of Washington. The project also could improve patient care by leading to the development of instruments that enhance surgeons' sense of touch.

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1997 Danone International Prize Survey. Insight into the future of nutrition research. Citing examples of the critical link between human health and nutrition, 92% of leading researchers worldwide identified prevention as the priority for nutrition research into the 21st century. The prevention of chronic disease, cancer and obesity accounted for half of all responses.researchers worldwide identified prevention as the priority for nutrition research into the 21st century, according to a survey for the 1997 Danone International Prize for Nutrition. The prevention of chronic disease, cancer and obesity accounted for half of all responses in favor of prevention.

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The first Danone International Prize for Nutrition has been awarded to Vernon R. Young, PhD, professor of nutritional biochemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, whose research on proteins and amino acids has become the basis for evaluating the nutritional status and needs of populations worldwide.

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Researchers report a breakthrough in helping patients tolerate the medication used in treating a common type of pneumonia. In the longest running trial of its kind, doctors found that 86 percent of their HIV study patients were able to tolerate trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (also called Bactrim) after a previous allergic reaction.

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Different walking speeds get different health effects in post-menopausal women. Slow walkers burn more fat and increase sensitivity to insulin. Fast walkers secrete more growth hormone for strong bones and lean body mass, says University of Michigan pilot study.

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Can cholesterol levels considered "normal" still cause damage to blood vessels and thus be potentially harmful to your health? Scientists reporting today in the American Heart Association journal Circulation say the answer is "yes."

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A painful and sometimes dibilitating injury to the ankle can be repaired by transplanting bone and cartilage from the knee to the ankle.

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Topics: 1) Herpes may show up long after infection; 2) Airplanes offer special challenges for avoiding infections; 3) Arthritis, muscle pain call for different remedies; 4) Donating blood is safe and satisfying, especially if you observe simple guidelines; 5) Don't stop medication just because of a missed dose

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A substance called pTpT enhances a skin cell's natural ability to repair DNA damage from ultraviolet (UV) radiation, according to researchers from the Boston University School of Medicine. The finding suggests the possibility that topical agents could eventually be created which not only induce tanning, but also lower the risk of skin cancer.

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Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center have found that a drug used to normalize blood ammonia levels also holds promise for cystic fibrosis.

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University of Maryland Medical Center neurologists are part of a national study on how to prevent recurrent strokes in African Americans by determining which of two medications is more effective -- aspirin or ticlopidine.

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Scientists at Johns Hopkins have used brain scans to show that intravenous doses of cocaine increase the availability of dopamine, the brain's "feel-good" chemical.

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Two recent studies show that the drug zolmitriptan (brand name Zomig) begins to relieve severe or moderate migraine headache in as little as 30 minutes. EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL NOVEMBER 21, 1997

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When convicted sex offenders finish serving jail time, many of them might not be released back into society. Instead, those who fit the U.S. Supreme Court's profile of "sexually violent predators" could be immediately committed to hospitals for psychiatric care. Howard V. Zonana, M.D., professor of psychiatry at Yale University School of Medicine and clinical lecturer at Yale Law School, believes this legislation will drain a psychiatric system that is already strapped for funds.

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After a heart attack, drugs called ìACE inhibitorsî can improve survival in people with heart muscle damage, but the same drugs make the outcome worse for people with normal heart function. Those are the findings of a new study by researchers at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore. The results were presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions in Orlando, on November 12.

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The American Epilepsy Soceity (AES) will hold its annual meeting at the Westin Copley Place in Boston, MA. Dec. 5-10, 1997. Leading epilepsy physicians and scientists will discuss the latest news on epilepsy and 21st Century Therapy Advances, including predicting seizures, electrical stimulation, new medications and the treatment of women with epilepsy.

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1) Interferon cost-effective in treating Hepatitis C. 2) What price is reasonable for a zero-risk blood supply? 3) Drastic changes have been made to the annual physical examination over the years, as a result of a variety of factors.

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A University of Iowa rheumatologist reports that the drug alendronate (marketed as Fosamax) may help prevent steroid-induced osteoporosis, the second most common cause of osteoporosis in post-menopausal women.

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Therapeutic applications of cytokines and interferons are an emerging industry. This approach utilizes the body's own defense mechanisms to combat disease. Cytimmune Sciences, Inc. has developed a patent pending method to reduce and eliminate toxic side effects of these new drugs in development.

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People suffering with migraine headaches may now find quick relief - as fast as 15 minutes - with a simple-to-use nasal spray of the drug sumatriptan, an effective migraine treatment also prescribed in oral or injection form. EMBAROGED FOR RELEASE UNTIL NOVEMBER 21, 1997

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The physician who heads Marylandís effort to diagnose the effects of the Pfiesteria outbreak on humans has been named ìAdmiral of the Chesapeakeî by Gov. Parris N. Glendening in recognition of the work done by his team of disease-detecting scientists.

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After four years of study, UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas researchers have concluded that the drug Prozac is just as effective for treating depression in children and teens as it is in adults.

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The national impact of the partnership between the American Cancer Society and SmithKline Beecham Consumer Healthcare has been demonstrated by the success of the American Cancer Society's 1996 Great American Smokeout, as noted in the September 19, 1997 issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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A Columbia-Presbyterian study has demonstrated that patients under general anesthesia are capable of processing certain types of auditory information such as word-pair associations. The findings, presented at the annual meeting of the AHA, raise the possibility that words or music played during surgery can be used to condition patients to respond better during recovery.

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A novel technique for repairing leaky mitral valves, involving the placement of a single suture, is undergoing clinical trials at Columbia-Presbyterian. It may be possible to perform the repair with minimally invasive techniques, eliminating the need for open-heart surgery. Two studies of the new procedure were presented at the annual meeting of the AHA.

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Enhanced external counterpulsation, a noninvasive, outpatient therapy for chronic angina, is safe and effective, according to a multicenter trial led by Columbia-Presbyterian. Results of the trial, the first randomized study of EECP, were presented at the annual meeting of the AHA in Orlando.

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Debi Mazar has teamed up with the American Cancer Society to join millions of Americans across the country on Thursday, November 20, as they give up cigarettes for the 21st annual Great American Smokeout.

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Older people living in poverty are more likely than their middle or upper class peers to experience declining health as they age, according to a new study in the November issue of the "Journal of Gerontology. This more rapid decline in health not only threatens the quality of life of thse older persons, but also increases significantly their risk of entering a nursing home.

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A new method of gene delivery has been developed by University of Minnesota researchers. Working with mobile pieces of DNA known as transposons, the team has found a way to insert any desired DNA sequence into the chromosomes of vertebrate cells with a higher frequency of success than achieved by conventional techniques.

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Researchers from Johns Hopkins, the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center (New York, N.Y.) and the University of California, San Diego, have shown that drug "cocktail" therapy for AIDS does not completely clear the body of HIV. Rather, small amounts of the virus remain "hidden" in immune system cells, unable to cause disease or develop resistance to anti-AIDS drugs.

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Concerned that named HIV reporting is a dangerous medical path that would be detrimental to testing and treatment efforts, the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association, a San Francisco-based national medical organization, today announced its strong opposition to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's plan to urge states to begin requiring physicians to report the names of people infected with HIV.

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Sandia scientist arranges for Russian nuclear weapons scientists to learn peacetime trade as testers and developers of artificial feet for vicitms of landmine,accident, and disease. The foot, patented at Tufts University, is licensed to an Ohio company for production.

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Giving patients extra doses of a protein that occurs naturally in the body may effectively treat meningoccemia, a frequently fatal childhood disease, researchers at Ut southwestern Medical Center at Dallas report in the Nov. 15 issue of The Lancet.

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WINSTON-SALEM -- Omega 3 fatty acids, the kind found in fish oil, may offer better protection against atherosclerosis than monounsaturated fats, the kind found in olive oil, according to research at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center

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ORLANDO, Nov. 12 -- Robots are being tested as a new way to help surgeons perform heart operations, according to researchers who spoke here today at the American Heart Association's 70th Annual Sessions.

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SS97 Wednesday Tips 11-14 11. Gene therapy prevent smooth muscle cell growth 12. Obstructive speel apnea syndrome 13. Banning of popular weight loss drugs 14. Pioneering drug used to break up coronary clots

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SS97 Wednesday Tips 6-10 6. Right-hert catherization 7. Hepatitis C and inflammatory heart disease 8. New treatment for angioplasty 9. Short stature equals higher risk of death from stroke 10. Folic acid and birth defects

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SS97 Wednesday Tips Morning 1-5 1. AED 2. Automation comes to the diagnostic lab 3. Balloon angioplasty 4. Doctor, watch what you say during surgery 5. Managed care and acute stroke