Medical News

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Annals of Internal Medicine Tip Sheet 1) Delayed Hospital Presentation in Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction; 2) Causes of Death in Homeless Adults

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Physicians reporting at the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) annual meeting describe how the Voxel Digital Holography System is helping them plan and perform complex neurosurgeries.

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Media representatives are invited to attend the AAN Annual Meeting April 12-19 in Boston. Following are some of the studies that will be presented: 1) Smoking Increases Risk of Dementia 2) Estrogen Replacement Therapy Tied to Reduced Risk of Alzheimer's Disease 3) Pallidotomy Improves Verbal Memory for Parkinson's Patients

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News from AAN Annual Meeting April 12-19: 1) Drug Improves Productivity by 50 Percent for Migraine Sufferers. Embargoed until April 15, 1996; 2) For Immediate Release: AAN Participates in Second Annual Brain Awareness Week, March 17-23

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Zapping a cancer patient's tumor with ultrasound increases the tumor's vulnerability to chemotherapy, according to Dr. Mark Bednarski, a visiting professor/scholar at Stanford University School of Medicine,

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The aroma of brewed coffee could have some of the same beneficial health effects that you get from eating fruits and vegetables, according to Dr. Takayuki Shibamoto of the University of California, Davis.

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The familiar RDA (recommended dietary allowance) numbers that are the basis for nutrition labels are under review and may be revised.

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Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Oncology Center and the Department of Urology have confirmed successful activation of patients' immune systems in one of the first human trials of a genetically engineered cancer vaccine. Their findings, reported in the April 15, 1997, issue of Cancer Research, are the result of more than eight years of laboratory, animal and preclinical human studies.

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Using a specially prepared chemical "key," University of Delaware researchers have set the stage to unlock the secrets of five unique compounds derived from red sea algae, according to an April 14 presentation at the American Chemical Society meeting. EMBARGOED: 9:00 a.m. PT, Monday, April 14, 1997

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Dr. Jeffrey L. Cleland and his colleagues at Genentech in San Francisco say they are the first to develop an alternative to current vaccination practices by providing all the needed immunizations in a single shot.

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APA Annual Meeting 5/17-22 in San Diego: Media Briefing Topics - 1) Barriers to Getting Psychiatric Care,2) Are We Pushing Our Kids Too Hard?,3) Managed Mental Health Care seminar - each featuring panels of expert psychiatrists as presenters.

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ARS News Service Tip Sheet for April 12, 1997: 1- Biocontrol Duo Gang up on Armyworms; 2- Snap Beans Fingered as Calcium Source for Youths; 3- Dieters' Responses Slowed in Study; 4- Berry Good Food for the Brain; 5- Too Little Magnesium Makes One Work Harder.

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Parents might want to think twice before letting their children swing on a single rope or vine in their backyards, according to a study published in the April issue of Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

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American girls are showing signs of puberty sooner than expected, according to a new study published in Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

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To protect children from the dangers of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) calls for stricter government regulation of tobacco advertising and recommends measures aimed at creating smoke-free environments for our children.

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Women who drink moderate amounts of alcohol during their first trimester of pregnancy may increase their risk of giving birth to an infant with rare kidney defects, according to a recent study published on Pediatrics electronic pages, the electronic journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

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In the past 20 years, more 4- and 5-year-olds have become overweight, especially girls, says the first national study of overweight preschoolers.

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Most young athletes with high blood pressure shouldnt be restricted from competitive sports, but they need to be monitored closely, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

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Breastfeeding has increased dramatically, with a sharp rise among women enrolled in the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) supplemental food program, according to a study published on Pediatrics electronic pages, the electronic journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

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Individuals who sleep more than eight hours a night or take daytime naps are 50 percent more likely to suffer a stroke or develop heart disease, according to a study published in the April issue of the American Academy of Neurology's scientific journal, Neurology.

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Cladribine, a chemotherapy drug, drastically lowered counts of a kind of white blood cell (known as a lymphocyte) in patients with chronic progressive multiple sclerosis, according to a study presented during the American Academy of Neurology's 49th Annual Meeting April 12-19 in Boston. EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 7:30 AM, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16, 1997

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An independent Government Accounting Office report condemning the Department of Defense program to train psychologists to prescribe medication reinforces the American Psychiatric Association's long-standing opposition to the program.

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Two LSU professors have helped find a way for individuals to be able to exercise for longer periods of time, according to a study released today (April 9) at the Experimental Biology '97 conference in New Orleans.

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People with questions about vaccinations can now call the National Immunization Information Hotline, a new toll-free service providing information about vaccine-preventable diseases and immunizations to protect against them. Hotline callers are preparing for increased calls during National Infant Immunization Week, April 20-26.

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A new look at a famous Chicago study on nutrition and heart disease further documents that men who ate a moderate amount of fish had a lower risk for dying of a heart attack than men who did not eat fish. Embargoed: 4/9/97

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Parkinson's disease may be reversible if a drug that has worked in animal tests is as successful in humans.

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Keeping surgery patients warm is a simple and inexpensive way to significantly reduce the risk of heart complications, the leading cause of post-operative death, a Johns Hopkins study suggests.

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The chance of having a stroke after a heart attack is highest within five days of the attack, thus reducing a personís short-term and long-term survival, Swedish scientists report today in the current issue of the American Heart Association journal Stroke. Embargoed: Monday, April 7, 1997 4 p.m. EST

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Key nutrients in the diet during infancy and adolescence--especially sodium, calcium, fiber and fat--have an early impact on blood pressure and could influence whether high blood pressure develops later in life, two new reports suggest.

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Low concentrations of the popular skin care ingredients called alpha-hydroxy acids appear to be modestly effective in reducing symptoms of skin aging brought on by sun exposure and other environmental factors.

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Sunscreens are being customized to meet a variety of needs. The industry is continually coming out with new products, 'improved' versions of old favorites and product extensions. Significant improvements include less irritation and improved substantivity. Selecting a sunscreen has become a complicated decision.

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Botox, is a purified form of one of the most potent toxins known to man. In high doses it can cause the clinical disease botulism. However, in carefully administered low doses, it is very useful for treating hyperkinetic facial lines (wrinkles).

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Even in areas where hepatitis A is common, Americans tend to underestimate its risks, according to a Gallup survey. The survey was commissioned by Merck & Co., Inc. The company makes a vaccine indicated for hepatitis A. Prescribing information is available upon request.

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Hepatitis A is a highly contagious virus that attacks the liver. It is the seventh most commonly reported infectious disease in the United States.

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The following stories appear in the American Thoracic Society (ATS) April Journals: 1- Some adults "outgrow" asthma; 2- A leukotriene antagonist effectively controls moderate-to-severe asthma; 3- Female asthma patients on oral contraceptives have less exacerbated asthma during the menstrual cycle. Embargoed: April 17, 1997, 6:00 p.m.

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Biomedical researchers at Purdue University are using a one-of-a-kind test apparatus to obtain information that will enable developers of Magnetic Resonance Imaging to produce faster, more precise MRI scans. Findings from the study wil be reported April 16 at the annual meeting of the International Society of Magnetic Resonance Medicine in Vancouver, British Columbia. Color photo available

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Tip sheet April 1997 Journals of the American Society for Microbiology: April 1997 Donated Organs Should Be Tested for Amebae Which Came First: The Chicken or the Mouse? New Intranasal Vaccine for Influenza A Engineering on the (Cell) Surface

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Vitamin E supplements are safe, effective in preventing degenerative diseases and should be part of a healthy lifestyle, a leading supplier of natural vitamin E said today in response to confusing media reports on a new, but small laboratory study.

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Researchers have identified certain T cells that suppress the reproduction of HIV carried within them. AIDS

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Researchers at Johns Hopkins and Guilford Pharmaceuticals Inc., have successfully modified a group of established drugs to stimulate nerve growth without suppressing the immune system.

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The first strain of mouse genetically engineered to model major symptoms of Huntington's disease -- an inherited, degenerative brain disorder that affects an estimated 30,000 Americans -- is now undergoing processing at The Jackson Laboratory for distribution to researchers worldwide.

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Physicians from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and the University of Rochester's Cancer Center have created a promising compound that recruits the body's immune system to target and wipe out cancer cells in the liver. In a study with laboratory rats, the majority of animals injected with the vaccine were cancer-free, while similar animals that did not receive the vaccine typically had dozens of tumors. The work was reported in a recent issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

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Vitamin E, in all forms, is one of the safest of all vitamins. No adverse effects have been demonstrated with alpha-tocopherol at intakes of 1,200 international units (IU) or more.

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Three selected story ideas from the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center -- "Reconnecting After Spinal Cord Damage" (Michael E. Selzer, MD, PhD); "Serendipitously, HIV-Related Antibody In Hand" (James A. Hoxie, MD); and "Magnetic Attraction -- Towards a New Era in Treating Rh-Factor Incompatibility" (Donald L. Siegel, MD, PhD).

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Annals of Internal Medicine TipSheet: ) Dietary Calcium Decreases Risk for Kidney Stones in Women; 2) Risk Stratification After Myocardial Infarction

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In recent years, one of the most talked about nutrients has been the B-complex vitamin, folic acid, which helps the body build red blood cells and is essential for normal metabolism. Although folic acid has been mostly recognized for its ability to help prevent neural tube birth defects, recent studies now suggest folic acid may have a range of other potential health benefits, including reducing the risk of heart disease and some types of cancer.

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Despite efforts by government agencies and public education initiatives to raise awareness about folic acid and its role in helping to prevent certain birth defects, a national survey of American adults finds that 62% of men and women -- and 58% of women of childbearing age (18-39) -- have never seen, read nor heard about this important B-vitamin. The Centrum Center for Nutrition Science (CCNS)Folic Acid Awareness Survey also finds that 3 out of 4 Americans cannot name a single dietary source of folic acid.

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Many "mom and pop" merchants continue to advertise and sell cigarettes to minors in low-income city neighborhoods despite laws and public health campaigns to stop teen-age smoking, a Johns Hopkins study suggests.

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A common antifungal drug may buy precious time for people with three chronic kidney diseases, delaying their need for dialysis or transplantation, a Johns Hopkins study shows.

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Researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center have found a lack of conclusive evidence to support previously published studies confirming the safety of pregnancy following breast-cancer treatment. After conducting a critical review of the literature, investigators found limited information regarding the safety of pregnancy and other childbearing issues of concern to young breast-cancer survivors. Embargoed: April 1, 1997 6:00 a.m.