Health & Medicine Week articles from November 2001

Health & Medicine Week archives from November 2001

Public Health Executive Explores Making Vaccines Available To Public.(American Public Health Association's Mohammad N. Akhter)(making smallpox and anthrax vaccines available)
November 5, 2001... 2001 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The executive director of the American Public Health Association, Mohammad N. Akhter, MD, MPH, has told a Senate committee that a national group of experts should be formed immediately to study the...

Widely Used Food Additive Under Scrutiny.(carrageenan may need to regulated)
November 5, 2001... 2001 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A food additive found in everyday supermarket items is under scrutiny by a University of Iowa Health Care physician. Carrageenan is a water-soluble polymer, also known as gum, that thickens and...

Psychologists Offer Successful Strategies For Reducing School Violence.
November 5, 2001... 2001 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- In one of the first studies ever to compare existing school-based aggression prevention programs across the nation, researchers from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, found that...

Experts Say Accurate Testing Can Be Difficult.(in anthrax diagnosis)
November 5, 2001... 2001 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- It takes special testing and time to prove if anthrax or its harmless cousins are really in suspicious letters cropping up from Nevada to Capitol Hill - and frustrated anthrax experts say it's no wonder...

Children, Teenagers Continue To Be Hospitalized For Misusing Drugs.
November 5, 2001... 2001 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A significant number of teenagers continue to be admitted to hospitals for poisoning from inappropriate use of medications, or, for children younger than 12, for the ingestion of nonmedications,...

Survey Finds Women Have Many Misconceptions About Breast Cancer.
November 5, 2001... 2001 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- In a recent nationwide survey, the American Cancer Society found that many women are misinformed when it comes to understanding breast cancer risk. According to the survey, nearly half of the...

Sometimes The Cure Is As Bad As The Symptoms.(treatment for nasal allergy in children)
November 5, 2001... 2001 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Even though school performance is impacted by some nasal allergy medications, a survey of school nurses shows that 88% agree that untreated nasal allergy symptoms interfere with school performance. ...

Cure For Late Stage Anthrax Still Years Off.
November 5, 2001... 2001 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The search for novel treatments to cure gravely ill victims of inhaled anthrax has taken on new urgency, but experts caution they are still probably years away from useful new medicines. The...

Drug-Resistant Pheumococcal Bacteria Increases With Overuse Of Drugs.(overuse of macrolide antibiotics causes drug resistance)
November 5, 2001... 2001 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- As the use of antibiotics known as macrolides increases in the United States, drug resistant strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae (a bacteria that commonly causes pneumonia) have become more common,...

Evidence Of Cancer Risks From Ritalin Use.
November 5, 2001... 2001 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The following statement is from Samuel S. Epstein, MD, chairman of the Cancer Prevention Coalition. Based on an industry-funded multi-university trial on 282 pre-teen children treated with Ritalin...

International Prohibition Of Biological Weapons Sought.
November 5, 2001... 2001 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The American Medical Association (AMA) introduced a declaration at the October 2001, annual meeting of the World Medical Association (WMA) that condemns the research, development, production or use of...

America's Hospitals Are Ill Prepared To Meet Threat, Survey Says.(ill-prepared to meet biological threat)
November 5, 2001... 2001 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A survey of 30 hospitals in four states and Washington, DC, found them ill-equipped to handle a widespread biological disaster, researchers report. Emergency room workers at just one of the...

Bayer Triples Production Of Cipro Amid Anthrax Fear.
November 5, 2001... 2001 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- After anthrax was found at NBC, Tom Brokaw held up a prescription bottle during a newscast and declared: "In Cipro we trust." On Capitol Hill, politicians lined up for the small white pills after a...

Little Evidence Fluoridation Reduces Tooth Decay.
November 5, 2001... 2001 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Consuming fluoridated water doesn't prevent cavities, according to a new U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report, because fluoride is claimed to reduce tooth decay after, not...

Swallowed Dental Objects Can Cause Serious Problems.
November 5, 2001... 2001 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Despite reports that date back to 1890, swallowing dental foreign objects is still common with x-rays often revealing dentures, toothbrushes, and toothpicks lodged in patients' throats and stomachs,...

Taking Vitamin C? Tell Your Dentist.
November 5, 2001... 2001 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Alternative medicine isn't so alternative anymore. Once dismissed as a fad, alternative medicine has become an increasingly popular component of mainstream health care, including dentistry. But...

Latest Research On Ethnic Hair And Skin Presented.("Ethnic Hair and Skin: What is the State of the Science?")
November 5, 2001... 2001 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- International scientific and academic leaders in dermatology and cosmetics convened earlier in October 2001, to present breaking research on ethnic hair and skin care issues. This research was...

Newborn Screening Device Combines OAE And ABR.(Everest Biomedical Instruments Co. introduces the AUDIOscreener which uses otoacoustic emissions and auditory brainstem response for hearing assessment in newborns)
November 5, 2001... 2001 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Everest Biomedical Instruments Co. has introduced the AUDIOscreener, a portable computer-independent device that combines evoked otoacoustic emissions (OAE) and auditory brainstem response (ABR) tests...

Time-Starved Fathers Make Every Second Count.(when parenting their children)
November 5, 2001... 2001 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Men are investing more and more of their free time in their children despite working longer hours than ever before, according to a survey for the new men's fragrance Chrome by Azzaro. And the survey...

AbioCor Transplantation Patients Doing Well.(artificial heart transplant patients)
November 5, 2001... 2001 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The University of Louisville, Kentucky, surgeons who implanted the first and second AbioCor implantable hearts on July 2 and September 13, 2001, at Jewish Hospital issued a statement October 5, 2001,...

Campaign Seeks To Remove Barriers To Diagnosis, Treatment Of Depression.(National Depression Screening Day)
November 5, 2001... 2001 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Afflicting more than 19 million people, clinical depression ranks among the most serious health concerns in the United States. Sadly, many people suffering from the symptoms of depression are hindered...

Nutribar Sponsors Satiety Roundtable With Leading Experts.(Stella Pharmaceutical introduces meal replacement bar and weight loss plan)
November 5, 2001... 2001 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- On October 10, 2001, Stella Pharmaceutical announced the U.S. launch of Nutribar, Canada's #1 meal replacement bar and weight loss plan. To kick off the U.S. launch, Nutribar sponsored "Why We Eat...

Modafinil Significantly Improves Wakefulness In Patients.(with excessive daytime sleepiness associated with sleep apnea)
November 5, 2001... 2001 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Cephalon, Inc. has announced results from a 327-patient, multicenter clinical study that indicate Provigil (modafinil) Tablets [C-IV] increased daytime wakefulness in patients suffering from excessive...

Growing Pains in Healthy Children No Cause for Alarm.
November 5, 2001... 2001 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- It is common for healthy children to experience nighttime aches and pains. These so-called growing pains, which may or may not be a result of growth, should not concern parents, said Dr. Lefkothea...

Health Tips For Kids Coping With Asthma And Allergies.
November 5, 2001... 2001 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- For millions of children with asthma and allergies, fall can mean that uncomfortable symptoms like wheezing and sneezing may interfere with their daily lives at school and play. Asthma, one of the most...

Treadmill Machines Can Injure Small Children.
November 5, 2001... 2001 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Add treadmill machines to the list of home exercise equipment that can pose dangers to small children. Plastic surgeons at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, reported on 12...

Energy Consumption Improves Memory Performance In Elderly.(consumption of pure protein, fat, and carbohydrates enhances memory)
November 12, 2001... 2001 NOV 12 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Current evidence confirms that consumption of mixed meals containing carbohydrates can improve memory in the elderly in certain situations; for instance, eating breakfast improves cognitive performance...

Stress May Increase The Chances That Skin Wound Will Become Infected.
November 12, 2001... 2001 NOV 12 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Stress may increase the chances that a skin wound will become infected, new research suggests. Researchers found that wounds on mice that were psychologically stressed were more than three times...

CDC Releases Anthrax Guidelines.
November 12, 2001... 2001 NOV 12 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The government has issued specific guidelines for treating anthrax, providing doctors a list of drugs beyond the sought-after antibiotic Cipro to help fight the infection. But the U.S. Centers for...

Gene Target For Drugs To Treat Heart Disease, Obesity, Discovered.(LG-314 from Lexicon Genetics Inc.)
November 12, 2001... 2001 NOV 12 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Lexicon Genetics, Incorporated, announced that they have discovered and validated in vivo a new target for the development of potential treatments for heart disease, obesity, and related diseases, such...

Dark Chocolate Can Reduce LDL Levels.
November 12, 2001... 2001 NOV 12 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A Penn State-led study has found that a diet high in flavonoid-rich cocoa powder and dark chocolate had favorable effects on LDL ("bad" cholesterol) when compared with a diet that limited or excluded...

Flu Shots Important For People With Asthma.
November 12, 2001... 2001 NOV 12 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Influenza can exacerbate asthma in children and adults, and now is the time for the nation's 17 million people with asthma to protect themselves with flu shots. The American Academy of Allergy,...

Treating Flat Feet Early Avoids Complications Later.
November 12, 2001... 2001 NOV 12 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- There is good news for children suffering from severely collapsed arches, or flat feet, according to a recent study. An improved surgical technique known as the Smith subtalar arthroereisis...

American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology: Red Eye Relief.
November 12, 2001... 2001 NOV 12 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The arrival of fall brings crisp air and an explosion of colors. People enjoy looking at the yellow leaves and orange pumpkins, but unfortunately some will see them through red eyes. About 22 million...

Tips For Reducing Indoor Mold And Allergens.
November 12, 2001... 2001 NOV 12 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- In support of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Children's Health Month, the Carpet and Rug Institute offers tips for parents, teachers, and child care providers for reducing common allergens...

Research Bares Secrets Of Anthrax's Killer Toxin.
November 12, 2001... 2001 NOV 12 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Two groups of researchers have discovered key features of how anthrax toxin destroys cells. In back-to-back papers in the journal Nature, investigators identify how one part of the toxin gets into...

Diversys Names Pamela Hay Chief Commercial Officer.
November 12, 2001... 2001 NOV 12 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Diversys Ltd., a protein engineering company, has hired business development executive Pamela Hay as chief commercial officer. Ms. Hay is considered an expert in the developing business opportunities...

Bio-Terrorism.Info Database and Weekly Report Launch Powered by NewsRx Artificial Intelligence Technology.
November 12, 2001... 2001 NOV 12 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- NewsRx has leveraged its technology platform to create Bio-Terrorism.Info, a new database and weekly report. NewsRx is the leading provider of life science databases and daily and weekly health news....

Printed Page Transmits Information, Not Anthrax.
November 12, 2001... 2001 NOV 12 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- An industry expert discredits the myth that anthrax can be transmitted by the printed page. In response to news stories that have chronicled fears that anthrax may be transmitted by any form of...

Boys Town Hospital Receives Grants To Study Irreversible Hearing Disorders.(Boys Town National Research Hospital)
November 12, 2001... 2001 NOV 12 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The Boys Town National Research Hospital, a division of Girls and Boys Town, the original Father Flanagan's Boys' Home, has received $3.5 million in grants to study irreversible deafness disorders. ...

Fifty Years Of Treatment Options.(for erectile dysfunction)
November 12, 2001... 2001 NOV 12 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michelle Marble, senior medical writer - In the 1950s, if a man approached his doctor about erectile dysfunction (ED), he was likely told it was all in his head and referred to a psychotherapist....

Injectable Therapy Useful For Men Failing Oral Therapy.(for treatment of erectile dysfunction)
November 12, 2001... 2001 NOV 12 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Results from a clinical trial of men with erectile dysfunction (ED) found a reoccurrence of spontaneous erections reported by 85% of 54 men treated with Caverject (alprostadil for injection) over a...

New Botox Therapy Data Demonstrates Quality of Life Benefits.(for the treatment of hyperhidrosis)
November 12, 2001... 2001 NOV 12 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Patients who suffer from hyperhidrosis (a disorder characterized by excessive sweating) will now be able to experience significant improvements in their quality of life with Botox treatments (Botulinum...

Link Unearthed Between Lefties In Family And Memory.
November 12, 2001... 2001 NOV 12 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Does coming from a family full of lefties tend to make a person better at remembering events? The data from two recent experiments answer in the affirmative. What's more, psychologists may finally...

Dr. Atkins' Diet Undergoes Major Revision.
November 12, 2001... 2001 NOV 12 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- In response to an urgent need for a nutritional approach to stem the tide of the ever-growing obesity and diabetes epidemics, an updated edition of Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution is soon to be...

High-Protein Fad Diets: Knowledge Does Not Always Alter Behavior.
November 12, 2001... 2001 NOV 12 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michelle Marble, senior medical writer - Americans, ever on the look-out for quick and convenient ways to lose weight, often mistake new, popular, or well-advertised diets as the 'right way,'...

FDA Approves LaserSight's LSX For LASIK Treatment of Myopic Astigmatism.
November 12, 2001... 2001 NOV 12 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The FDA has approved LaserSight Inc.'s LaserScan LSX precision microspot scanning excimer laser system for the LASIK treatment of myopia (nearsightedness) with and without astigmatism. The approval is...

New Data Protection Laws Could Prevent Sharing Of Research Findings.
November 12, 2001... 2001 NOV 12 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- New laws governing medical confidentiality and ethics will prevent revolutionary discoveries about the causes and treatment of cancer and other fatal diseases, a professor warned at the ECCO 11 - the...

Preventative Effects Of Hormone Replacement Therapy Challenged.(estrogen therapy does not reduce stroke risk in postmenopausal women who have had one)
November 12, 2001... 2001 NOV 12 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Estrogen hormone replacement therapy does not reduce the risk of stroke or death in postmenopausal women who have already had a stroke or a transient ischemic attack (TIA), according to a report from...

A New Problem For A New Age.(monitoring the safety of herbal remedies)
November 12, 2001... 2001 NOV 12 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michelle Marble, senior medical writer - Alternative therapies and herbal remedies have been around for thousands of years, but only recently have they become embroiled in bitter controversy. ...

Nutrients May Prevent Age-Related Eye Diseases.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 26, 2001... 2001 NOV 19 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Vitamins C and E and two carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin, may play a role in preventing cataracts, according to recent research. Researchers found that individuals with the highest intakes of...

Moderate Drinkers Healthier Than Abstainers and Ex-Drinkers.(Brief Article)
November 26, 2001... 2001 NOV 19 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Moderate drinkers appear to be healthier than both former drinkers and lifelong abstainers, according to a new study. Previous studies have shown that light-to-moderate drinkers have certain...

Drug Companies Offer Skills To Combat Chemical, Germ Warfare.(Brief Article)
November 26, 2001... 2001 NOV 19 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- From their brightest minds to their cutting edge labs, drug companies across America are offering the federal government technical resources in the fight against bioterrorism. "I have never...

Anxiety Over Breast Self-Examination May Lead To Low Compliance.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 26, 2001... 2001 NOV 19 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Women who are more afraid of what they might find during a self-examination for breast lumps are less likely to perform them, possibly due to a fear of being alone when they find a lump, according to a...

New Audio Device May Help Reduce Mistakes.(Brief Article)
November 26, 2001... 2001 NOV 19 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- People with visual impairment are often not able to read standard U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved prescription labels, which could lead to life-threatening problems, according to Bruce I....

Home Decor Assistance Helps Allergy And Asthma Sufferers.(Brief Article)
November 26, 2001... 2001 NOV 19 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Itchy eyes, a runny nose, sneezing, coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath may be built into the design and decoration of your home. From the foundation to the knick-knacks lining your...

Kaiser Permanente Practice Guidelines Available To Health Care Organizations.(Brief Article)
November 26, 2001... 2001 NOV 19 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The physicians in the Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group (MAPMG) who care for members of Kaiser Permanente have learned a great deal about caring for patients with anthrax exposures in the nation's...

10 Solutions For The Nursing Shortage.(Brief Article)
November 26, 2001... 2001 NOV 19 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Everyone is talking about the nursing shortage, but few have closely examined the viability of the many solutions that have been proposed. Nursing Spectrum recently asked RNs and interviewed...

Risedronate Sodium Reduces Vertebral Fracture Risk.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 26, 2001... 2001 NOV 19 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Vertebral fracture risk in men and women who take oral glucocorticoid treatment (greater than or equal to7.5 mg/day prednisone or equivalent) for chronic diseases is significantly reduced with Actonel...

Transdermal Oxybutynin Significantly Reduces Symptoms.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 26, 2001... 2001 NOV 19 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- In a large-scale, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial, patients treated with transdermal oxybutynin (Oxytrol) achieved statistically significant reductions in symptoms of overactive bladder...

Volunteers For Research Project Sought.(Brief Article)
November 26, 2001... 2001 NOV 19 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Do panic attacks interfere with your life? If they do, you may be interested in an important research study. This nationwide study will evaluate the safety and effectiveness of an investigational...

Health Care Not Moving Fast Enough to Reduce Medical Errors.(Brief Article)
November 26, 2001... 2001 NOV 19 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Although most of the nation is focused on public safety at the moment, patient safety is still a hot topic in health care. Despite countless new programs and systems, 92% responders to a poll taken at...

As Make-Up Wears Off Sun Protection Fades.(Brief Article)
November 26, 2001... 2001 NOV 19 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Everyday, women across the country use facial foundation to even out their skin tone, cover-up small blemishes, and protect their faces from the sun. However, according to a new study, even if a...

Dental Sealants For Children On Medicaid Can Reduce Costs.(Brief Article)
November 26, 2001... 2001 NOV 19 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Dental sealants - the plastic coatings applied to children's teeth to reduce cavities - cut the number of fillings and extractions children from poorer North Carolina families needed by about...

NIH To Encourage Kids To Get More Sleep.(Brief Article)
November 26, 2001... 2001 NOV 19 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Those parental pleas for children to go to bed can now be delivered with a little extra heft. Beginning with elementary schools in Duluth, Minnesota, the National Institutes of Health is...

Nurses Advise Patients To Quit Smoking Only Half The Time.
November 26, 2001... 2001 NOV 19 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Despite increased efforts to encourage health care professionals to counsel their patients on smoking cessation, many nurses feel ill-equipped to broach the subject, according to new research. ...

WHO Says Member States Need To Act Against Tobacco Advertising.(Brief Article)
November 26, 2001... 2001 NOV 19 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The World Health Organization (WHO), the world's leading international public health agency, is calling on law-makers around the world to take action against advertising of tobacco and tobacco products...