The British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH) today expressed disappointment that the Government has missed the opportunity to eradicate a common STI, genital warts, from the medical map, as today's announcement by the Department of Health on the human papillomavirus vaccine (HPV), "Department of Health awards contract for HPV vaccine", saw GlaxoSmithKline's vaccine Ceravix awarded the Government contract.
Two vaccines, Cervarix and Gardasil®, were competing for the contract. Both vaccines demonstrate highly effective protection against HPV 16 and 18, which are responsible for the majority of cases of cervical cancer.
However only one of the vaccines, Gardasil®, protects against HPV types 6 and 11 as well as 16 and 18. HPV types 6 and 11 are responsible for both abnormal smear results and external genital lesions e.g. genital warts.
Imtyaz Ahmed, President of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH) commented: "Approximately 80,000 patients attend Genito Urinary Medicine (GUM) clinics and other sexual health Departments in the UK each year with genital warts. Although warts are a localised skin condition they often cause psychological and relationship problems, especially regarding concerns about transmission. The treatment of genital warts is cost effective but can be slow to work and is often associated with appreciable discomfort. We are concerned that the government have missed an opportunity to eradicate this condition from the medical map. "
HPV is the most common sexually transmitted viral infection in the UK and causes a range of genital disease including genital warts and pre-cancer, as well as cancer of the cervix, vulva, vagina, penis and anus.
British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH)
www.bashh
View drug information on Cervarix [Human Papillomavirus Bivalent; Gardasil.
вторник, 28 июня 2011 г.
воскресенье, 26 июня 2011 г.
Recently Released Journal Articles Report On Adolescent Pregnancy, EC Access, Breast Cancer
The following highlights recently released journal articles on women's health issues.
Pregnancy & Childbirth
"Explaining Recent Declines in Adolescent Pregnancy in the United States: The Contribution of Abstinence and Improved Contraceptive Use," American Journal of Public Health: John Santelli of Columbia University and colleagues from the Guttmacher Institute used data from the National Survey of Family Growth to examine sexual behavior and contraceptive use among girls and women ages 15 to 19. The researchers found that pregnancy rates among the girls and women declined by 38% from 1995 through 2002 and that 86% of the decrease was because of increased contraception use. The study also found that reduced sexual activity contributed to 14% of the decrease in pregnancy rates. According to the researchers, use of condoms and hormonal contraceptives increased during the study period, and more young people are using more than one contraceptive method. The study's findings call into question federal funding for abstinence-only education programs, the researchers said (Moritz, New York Daily News, 12/1).
NPR's "Day to Day" on Friday reported on the study. The segment includes comments from Sarah Brown, director of the National Campaign To Prevent Teen Pregnancy; Wade Horn, assistant secretary for children and families at HHS' Administration for Children and Families; and Santelli (Trudeau, "Day to Day," NPR, 12/1). Audio of the segment is available online.
"Impact of Increased Access to Emergency Contraceptive Pills: A Randomized Controlled Trial," Obstetrics and Gynecology: Elizabeth Raymond of Family Health International and colleagues randomly assigned 749 women and girls ages 14 to 24 to receive two packages of Barr Laboratories' emergency contraceptive Plan B -- which can prevent pregnancy if taken within 72 hours of sexual intercourse -- and randomly assigned 744 women of the same age to only receive information on where they could obtain EC. The women who received the packages of Plan B, called the "easy access" group, after one year had a pregnancy incidence of 9.9 per 100-person years, compared with an incidence of 10.5 for the other women, called the "standard access" group. The difference in pregnancy incidence was not statistically significant, according to the study. Women in the easy access group used more EC and were slightly less likely to have contracted a sexually transmitted infection than the standard access group, although the STI difference was not statistically significant. The researchers recommend targeting easy access to plan B at women with the highest risk of pregnancy (Reuters Health, 11/23).
Bioethics & Science
"Prevention of BRCA1-Mediated Mammary Tumorigenesis in Mice by a Progesterone Antagonist," Science: Eva Lee of the University of California-Irvine and colleagues surgically implanted pellets of the medical abortion drug mifepristone in 14 mice with the BRCA1 genetic mutation to determine if a sustained dose of the drug would prevent the development of breast cancer tumors, the Los Angeles Times reports (Kaplan, Los Angeles Times, 12/1). BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations are believed to increase the chance of developing breast and ovarian cancers (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 11/3). The pellets released the drug over a two-month period. The study was funded by the National Cancer Institute, the Department of Defense and the Breast Cancer Research Fund (Los Angeles Times, 12/1). According to the study, mice treated with the drug survived without developing tumors for more than one year. The untreated mice with the BRCA1 mutation all developed tumors within eight months, the study found (Neergaard, AP/Washington Post, 11/30). "It is a greater effect than I would have expected," Eliot Rosen, a cancer researcher at Georgetown University, said, adding, "It is a little surprising that it completely prevented the tumors." Lee said the drug would not be the best candidate for a human treatment because in addition to blocking progesterone, the drug binds with receptors that are associated with immunity and other important functions (Los Angeles Times, 12/1).
Pregnancy & Childbirth
"Explaining Recent Declines in Adolescent Pregnancy in the United States: The Contribution of Abstinence and Improved Contraceptive Use," American Journal of Public Health: John Santelli of Columbia University and colleagues from the Guttmacher Institute used data from the National Survey of Family Growth to examine sexual behavior and contraceptive use among girls and women ages 15 to 19. The researchers found that pregnancy rates among the girls and women declined by 38% from 1995 through 2002 and that 86% of the decrease was because of increased contraception use. The study also found that reduced sexual activity contributed to 14% of the decrease in pregnancy rates. According to the researchers, use of condoms and hormonal contraceptives increased during the study period, and more young people are using more than one contraceptive method. The study's findings call into question federal funding for abstinence-only education programs, the researchers said (Moritz, New York Daily News, 12/1).
NPR's "Day to Day" on Friday reported on the study. The segment includes comments from Sarah Brown, director of the National Campaign To Prevent Teen Pregnancy; Wade Horn, assistant secretary for children and families at HHS' Administration for Children and Families; and Santelli (Trudeau, "Day to Day," NPR, 12/1). Audio of the segment is available online.
"Impact of Increased Access to Emergency Contraceptive Pills: A Randomized Controlled Trial," Obstetrics and Gynecology: Elizabeth Raymond of Family Health International and colleagues randomly assigned 749 women and girls ages 14 to 24 to receive two packages of Barr Laboratories' emergency contraceptive Plan B -- which can prevent pregnancy if taken within 72 hours of sexual intercourse -- and randomly assigned 744 women of the same age to only receive information on where they could obtain EC. The women who received the packages of Plan B, called the "easy access" group, after one year had a pregnancy incidence of 9.9 per 100-person years, compared with an incidence of 10.5 for the other women, called the "standard access" group. The difference in pregnancy incidence was not statistically significant, according to the study. Women in the easy access group used more EC and were slightly less likely to have contracted a sexually transmitted infection than the standard access group, although the STI difference was not statistically significant. The researchers recommend targeting easy access to plan B at women with the highest risk of pregnancy (Reuters Health, 11/23).
Bioethics & Science
"Prevention of BRCA1-Mediated Mammary Tumorigenesis in Mice by a Progesterone Antagonist," Science: Eva Lee of the University of California-Irvine and colleagues surgically implanted pellets of the medical abortion drug mifepristone in 14 mice with the BRCA1 genetic mutation to determine if a sustained dose of the drug would prevent the development of breast cancer tumors, the Los Angeles Times reports (Kaplan, Los Angeles Times, 12/1). BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations are believed to increase the chance of developing breast and ovarian cancers (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 11/3). The pellets released the drug over a two-month period. The study was funded by the National Cancer Institute, the Department of Defense and the Breast Cancer Research Fund (Los Angeles Times, 12/1). According to the study, mice treated with the drug survived without developing tumors for more than one year. The untreated mice with the BRCA1 mutation all developed tumors within eight months, the study found (Neergaard, AP/Washington Post, 11/30). "It is a greater effect than I would have expected," Eliot Rosen, a cancer researcher at Georgetown University, said, adding, "It is a little surprising that it completely prevented the tumors." Lee said the drug would not be the best candidate for a human treatment because in addition to blocking progesterone, the drug binds with receptors that are associated with immunity and other important functions (Los Angeles Times, 12/1).
суббота, 25 июня 2011 г.
High-Risk HPV Infections Preventable by Vaccine May Vary by Region
Vaccines currently being developed against two types of virus that cause cervical cancer- HPV16 or HPV18-may prevent a larger proportion of high-risk HPV infections in Europe than sub-Saharan Africa, suggests a study being published online by The Lancet.
Population-based data of HPV-type distribution is a prerequisite to the development of new HPV screening tests and to the assessment of the effect of future vaccination on HPV infection, but these data have been limited or missing for many world regions.
Gary Clifford (International Agency for Research on Cancer, France) and colleagues compared the HPV-type distribution in representative samples of women without cervical abnormalities from 11 countries in Asia, South America, sub-Saharan Africa, and Europe. They found that, although both overall HPV prevalence and HPV16 prevalence were highest in sub-Saharan Africa, HPV-positive women from Europe and South America were significantly more likely to be infected with HPV16 than were their counterparts in subSaharan Africa. HPV16 was twice as frequent as any other high-risk type in all regions except sub-Saharan Africa, where HPV35 was equally common.
Dr Clifford states: "The proportion of high-risk HPV infections preventable by a vaccine for HPV16 or HPV18 might vary by region, being highest in Europe (and perhaps North America) and lowest in sub-Saharan Africa . . . Heterogeneity in HPV type distribution among women from different populations should be taken into account when developing screening tests for the virus and predicting the effect of vaccines on the incidence of infection."
Lancet
42 Bedford Sq.
London WC1B 3SL
United Kingdom
thelancet
Population-based data of HPV-type distribution is a prerequisite to the development of new HPV screening tests and to the assessment of the effect of future vaccination on HPV infection, but these data have been limited or missing for many world regions.
Gary Clifford (International Agency for Research on Cancer, France) and colleagues compared the HPV-type distribution in representative samples of women without cervical abnormalities from 11 countries in Asia, South America, sub-Saharan Africa, and Europe. They found that, although both overall HPV prevalence and HPV16 prevalence were highest in sub-Saharan Africa, HPV-positive women from Europe and South America were significantly more likely to be infected with HPV16 than were their counterparts in subSaharan Africa. HPV16 was twice as frequent as any other high-risk type in all regions except sub-Saharan Africa, where HPV35 was equally common.
Dr Clifford states: "The proportion of high-risk HPV infections preventable by a vaccine for HPV16 or HPV18 might vary by region, being highest in Europe (and perhaps North America) and lowest in sub-Saharan Africa . . . Heterogeneity in HPV type distribution among women from different populations should be taken into account when developing screening tests for the virus and predicting the effect of vaccines on the incidence of infection."
Lancet
42 Bedford Sq.
London WC1B 3SL
United Kingdom
thelancet
Judiciary Committee Republicans Critical Of Obama Judicial, Justice Dept. Nominees
Many Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday boycotted a hearing for U.S. District Court Judge David Hamilton of Indiana, President Obama's nominee for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Chicago-based Seventh Circuit, the AP/Miami Herald reports. According to the AP/Herald, although the committee will not vote on the nomination for several weeks, the hearing "signaled a rocky beginning to Obama's attempt to remake the federal judiciary." Republicans said they were not given adequate time to prepare for the hearing. According to the AP/Herald, Hamilton during his 15 years as a judge has issued some "controversial" rulings, including striking down a state law that required women seeking abortion services to undergo counseling with a physician. The decision later was reversed by the Seventh Circuit Court, where Hamilton would serve if confirmed. With most Republicans absent from Wednesday's hearing, Democrats on the judiciary committee were able to "pitch softballs" in their questioning of Hamilton, the AP/Herald reports. Hamilton said his decision on the abortion law was consistent with other court rulings, adding that the "federal judiciary is not a place for anyone to exercise their personal opinions" (Margasak, AP/Miami Herald, 4/1).
Republicans Weigh Filibuster To Hold Up Nominees
Facing a Democratic majority, Senate Republicans continue to consider using a filibuster to delay the confirmation of some Obama nominees, including Hamilton and Indiana University law professor Dawn Johnsen, whom Obama selected to head the Office of Legal Counsel at the Department of Justice, the New York Times reports. Although many Republicans have expressed concern over Hamilton's nomination, they have been "more severe" in their criticism of Johnsen, the Times reports. Some conservative commentators have expressed concern about a brief Johnsen filed 20 years ago while working as a lawyer with NARAL Pro-Choice America. In a footnote in the brief, Johnsen wrote that compelling a woman to bear a child when she had no desire to do so was "disturbingly suggestive of involuntary servitude." The critics claimed that Johnsen had equated pregnancy with slavery, an argument which some Republicans used during her committee hearing in February. Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) during that hearing suggested Johnsen had meant abortion rights should be protected under the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery. Johnsen replied that the footnote had mentioned the amendment as an analogy and that she had never "believed the 13th Amendment had any role" in abortion issues.
Some Republican senators and aides, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that before deciding whether to start a filibuster over Johnsen's nomination, they will assess if they have enough support from conservative Democrats to defeat any motions to cut off debate. Currently, Democrats control 56 Senate seats and independents, who often support Democrats, control two. Sixty votes are needed to end debate. According to the Times, the current debate over Obama's nominations is "widely viewed as spring training for confirmation battles to come," including if vacancies arise on the Supreme Court (Lewis, New York Times, 4/1).
Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.
© 2009 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.
Republicans Weigh Filibuster To Hold Up Nominees
Facing a Democratic majority, Senate Republicans continue to consider using a filibuster to delay the confirmation of some Obama nominees, including Hamilton and Indiana University law professor Dawn Johnsen, whom Obama selected to head the Office of Legal Counsel at the Department of Justice, the New York Times reports. Although many Republicans have expressed concern over Hamilton's nomination, they have been "more severe" in their criticism of Johnsen, the Times reports. Some conservative commentators have expressed concern about a brief Johnsen filed 20 years ago while working as a lawyer with NARAL Pro-Choice America. In a footnote in the brief, Johnsen wrote that compelling a woman to bear a child when she had no desire to do so was "disturbingly suggestive of involuntary servitude." The critics claimed that Johnsen had equated pregnancy with slavery, an argument which some Republicans used during her committee hearing in February. Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) during that hearing suggested Johnsen had meant abortion rights should be protected under the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery. Johnsen replied that the footnote had mentioned the amendment as an analogy and that she had never "believed the 13th Amendment had any role" in abortion issues.
Some Republican senators and aides, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that before deciding whether to start a filibuster over Johnsen's nomination, they will assess if they have enough support from conservative Democrats to defeat any motions to cut off debate. Currently, Democrats control 56 Senate seats and independents, who often support Democrats, control two. Sixty votes are needed to end debate. According to the Times, the current debate over Obama's nominations is "widely viewed as spring training for confirmation battles to come," including if vacancies arise on the Supreme Court (Lewis, New York Times, 4/1).
Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.
© 2009 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.
Women's Sexual Health Foundation Announces Inaugural Media Award To Recognize An Outstanding Journalist
Recognizing the challenges of covering women's sexual health and education
in consumer media, The Women's Sexual Health Foundation (TWSHF) has
announced its first ever Media Award. To be presented annually, the award
will recognize an outstanding media professional whose work has broadened
the knowledge and understanding of women's sexual health disorders and
related women's health concerns. Media professionals eligible for
nomination may work in any consumer media - print, television, radio or
internet. The award recipient will be formally announced at the Foundation's
conference, Women's Education: Reclaiming Healthy Intimacy, Passion and
Pleasure, on April 4, 2009, in New York City, which is also hosted by the
Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.
TWSHF listens to thousands of women each year who want and need factual
information to help them make important decisions related to their sexual
health. Healthcare professionals also want to be informed about the latest
research based information so they can facilitate productive dialogue with
their patients. The media plays an important role having the power to help
or hinder these valuable exchanges.
"We rely on the media to help us reach women and healthcare professionals,"
comments Lisa Martinez, TWSHF's founder and director. "While we have seen
the topic sullied with sensationalism and the facts distorted with
innuendos, there are outstanding reporters who write about women's sexual
health in an accurate, balanced and sensitive way. Those are the
journalists we seek to honor."
Nominations will be accepted until November 15, 2008, and may be submitted
to infotwshf with Media Award in the subject line. Include the
following information with each submission:
- Nominee's name & contact information - day and evening phone
numbers, email address
- Nominator's name & contact information - day and evening phone
numbers, email address
- Five hundred (500) words, or less, essay explaining what the
nominee has done professionally to broaden the knowledge and understanding
of women's sexual health disorders and related women's health concerns.
The journalist to be honored will be chosen by a panel of TWSHF board
members. The recipient will be notified by February 1, 2009.
TWSHF, an international non-profit organization, has numerous resources for
the public and healthcare professionals at TWSHF, including
educational brochures and The Women's Sexual Health Journal.
The Women's Sexual Health Foundation
in consumer media, The Women's Sexual Health Foundation (TWSHF) has
announced its first ever Media Award. To be presented annually, the award
will recognize an outstanding media professional whose work has broadened
the knowledge and understanding of women's sexual health disorders and
related women's health concerns. Media professionals eligible for
nomination may work in any consumer media - print, television, radio or
internet. The award recipient will be formally announced at the Foundation's
conference, Women's Education: Reclaiming Healthy Intimacy, Passion and
Pleasure, on April 4, 2009, in New York City, which is also hosted by the
Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.
TWSHF listens to thousands of women each year who want and need factual
information to help them make important decisions related to their sexual
health. Healthcare professionals also want to be informed about the latest
research based information so they can facilitate productive dialogue with
their patients. The media plays an important role having the power to help
or hinder these valuable exchanges.
"We rely on the media to help us reach women and healthcare professionals,"
comments Lisa Martinez, TWSHF's founder and director. "While we have seen
the topic sullied with sensationalism and the facts distorted with
innuendos, there are outstanding reporters who write about women's sexual
health in an accurate, balanced and sensitive way. Those are the
journalists we seek to honor."
Nominations will be accepted until November 15, 2008, and may be submitted
to infotwshf with Media Award in the subject line. Include the
following information with each submission:
- Nominee's name & contact information - day and evening phone
numbers, email address
- Nominator's name & contact information - day and evening phone
numbers, email address
- Five hundred (500) words, or less, essay explaining what the
nominee has done professionally to broaden the knowledge and understanding
of women's sexual health disorders and related women's health concerns.
The journalist to be honored will be chosen by a panel of TWSHF board
members. The recipient will be notified by February 1, 2009.
TWSHF, an international non-profit organization, has numerous resources for
the public and healthcare professionals at TWSHF, including
educational brochures and The Women's Sexual Health Journal.
The Women's Sexual Health Foundation
FDA Denies Approval Of Gardasil For Use In Older Women
FDA on Friday denied approval of Merck's application for use of the human papillomavirus vaccine Gardasil in women ages 27 to 45, Dow Jones/MarketWatch reports. The vaccine currently is approved for the prevention of genital warts and cervical, vulvar and vaginal cancers. The vaccine is approved for use in women ages nine to 26. Gardasil protects against four strains of HPV that cause the majority of cervical cancer and genital warts cases. According to Dow Jones/MarketWatch, this latest delay "further clouds the outlook for Gardasil, whose sales growth hit a wall last year after brisk growth following its introduction in 2006."
FDA said it wants to wait until the completion of an ongoing, four-year trial of the vaccine before it will consider approval for older women. Merck said the data likely would be available by the end of the year, which means approval would be unlikely before 2010. Peter Kim, research chief at Merck, said the company is "committed to continuing to pursue the use of Gardsil in this important group of women -- many of whom remain at risk for HPV-related disease throughout their lifetimes."
Dow Jones/MarketWatch reports that the rejection marks the second delay in efforts by Merck to gain approval for the use of Gardasil in older women. FDA in June 2008 said that there were issues with Merck's application that would prevent approval from occurring within the expected review period. Dow Jones/MarketWatch reports that one possible issue is that Gardasil is most effective in younger women who have not yet been exposed to HPV. Tim Anderson, a Sanford Bernstein analyst, said that the efficacy of Gardasil "drops sharply" after women have been exposed to HPV and that "this is probably the genesis of the problem with the older female population that [Merck] has been pushing for in this new application." He added, "While the vaccine's efficacy is markedly lower in sexually experienced females, it is still better than nothing, but this does not have the effect of tilting the usual risk-benefit calculation."
According to Merck, the delay will not affect its recent application for approval of Gardasil use in men ages nine to 26 for prevention of external lesions caused by HPV strains. Action on that application could come later this year, according to Dow Jones/MarketWatch (Loftus, Dow Jones/MarketWatch, 1/9).
Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.
© 2008 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.
View drug information on Gardasil.
FDA said it wants to wait until the completion of an ongoing, four-year trial of the vaccine before it will consider approval for older women. Merck said the data likely would be available by the end of the year, which means approval would be unlikely before 2010. Peter Kim, research chief at Merck, said the company is "committed to continuing to pursue the use of Gardsil in this important group of women -- many of whom remain at risk for HPV-related disease throughout their lifetimes."
Dow Jones/MarketWatch reports that the rejection marks the second delay in efforts by Merck to gain approval for the use of Gardasil in older women. FDA in June 2008 said that there were issues with Merck's application that would prevent approval from occurring within the expected review period. Dow Jones/MarketWatch reports that one possible issue is that Gardasil is most effective in younger women who have not yet been exposed to HPV. Tim Anderson, a Sanford Bernstein analyst, said that the efficacy of Gardasil "drops sharply" after women have been exposed to HPV and that "this is probably the genesis of the problem with the older female population that [Merck] has been pushing for in this new application." He added, "While the vaccine's efficacy is markedly lower in sexually experienced females, it is still better than nothing, but this does not have the effect of tilting the usual risk-benefit calculation."
According to Merck, the delay will not affect its recent application for approval of Gardasil use in men ages nine to 26 for prevention of external lesions caused by HPV strains. Action on that application could come later this year, according to Dow Jones/MarketWatch (Loftus, Dow Jones/MarketWatch, 1/9).
Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.
© 2008 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.
View drug information on Gardasil.
Neurocrine Biosciences Announces Successful Completion Of Daisy PETAL Study
Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: NBIX) today announced results from the open-label portion of the six month Phase II Daisy PETAL study (901 study) using its proprietary, orally-active nonpeptide Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone (GnRH) receptor antagonist, elagolix, in patients with endometriosis.
"The previously announced improvements across all endometriosis-associated pain domains, during the eight week placebo controlled portion of this Daisy PETAL study, continued to show sustained effect through the open-label, single-arm portion of the 901 Study up to twenty-four weeks of treatment," said Chris O'Brien, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at Neurocrine. "We are pleased with the persistence of effect and the safety profile that elagolix continues to display. It is encouraging to see further improvement in dysmenorrhea, non-menstrual pelvic pain and dyspareunia with continued treatment."
Non-Menstrual Pelvic Pain
The previously reported eight week top-line data demonstrated that elagolix is associated with a statistically significant reduction in Non-Menstrual Pelvic Pain daily scores when compared to placebo (ITT population, ANCOVA). This latest week twenty-four data show a further decrease in non-menstrual pelvic pain scores for those subjects who were initially randomized to the 150mg elagolix arm. Additionally, for those subjects who received elagolix 150mg after spending the initial eight weeks in the placebo group, the non-menstrual pelvic pain scores were reduced at Week 24.
Dysmenorrhea
The previously reported eight week top-line data demonstrated that elagolix is associated with a statistically significant reduction in dysmenorrhea daily pain scores when compared to placebo (ITT population, ANCOVA). The new week twenty-four data show a further decrease in dysmenorrhea pain scores for those subjects who were initially randomized to the 150mg elagolix arm. Additionally, for those subjects who received elagolix 150mg after spending the initial eight weeks in the placebo group, the dysmenorrhea pain scores were reduced at Week 24.
Dyspareunia
The previously reported eight week top-line data demonstrated that elagolix is associated with a statistically significant reduction in dyspareunia daily pain scores when compared to placebo (ITT population, ANCOVA). This week twenty-four data show a further decrease in dyspareunia pain scores for those subjects who were initially randomized to the 150mg elagolix arm. Additionally, for subjects who received elagolix 150mg after spending the initial eight weeks in the placebo group, the dyspareunia pain scores were reduced at Week 24.
Additional Endpoints
Utilizing the Patient Global Impression of Change (PGIC); a 1-7 scale where a score of 4 is "no change," 3 is "minimally improved," 2 is "much improved," and 1 is "very much improved;" elagolix showed improvement. At Week 24 the PGIC percentage of subjects scoring "much improved" or "very much improved" was 86% for those subjects on 150mg elagolix for all 24 weeks, and 74% for those subjects who received elagolix 150mg after spending eight weeks in the placebo group.
The Endometriosis Health Profile 5 (EHP-5) assesses the impact of endometriosis symptoms on five domains utilizing a 0-100 scale. The baseline mean score, for the EHP-5 core pain domain, across all subjects was 54. The EHP-5 core pain domain score showed improvement for subjects randomized to elagolix. At Week 24, the EHP-5 pain score decreased by 36 for those subjects on 150mg of elagolix for the entire 24 weeks of treatment, and by 30 for those subjects who received elagolix 150mg after spending eight weeks in the placebo group.
The Composite Pelvic Signs and Symptoms Scale (CPSSS), a 0-15 scale, was assessed at screening, Week 8, and Week 24 (Baseline score of 9.5). At Week 24 the reduction in the overall CPSSS score was a mean reduction of -5.5. During the placebo controlled portion of the study, the reduction from the Baseline score in the CPSSS showed a statistically significant improvement with 150mg of elagolix, -4.5; vs. placebo, -2.2; (p
"The previously announced improvements across all endometriosis-associated pain domains, during the eight week placebo controlled portion of this Daisy PETAL study, continued to show sustained effect through the open-label, single-arm portion of the 901 Study up to twenty-four weeks of treatment," said Chris O'Brien, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at Neurocrine. "We are pleased with the persistence of effect and the safety profile that elagolix continues to display. It is encouraging to see further improvement in dysmenorrhea, non-menstrual pelvic pain and dyspareunia with continued treatment."
Non-Menstrual Pelvic Pain
The previously reported eight week top-line data demonstrated that elagolix is associated with a statistically significant reduction in Non-Menstrual Pelvic Pain daily scores when compared to placebo (ITT population, ANCOVA). This latest week twenty-four data show a further decrease in non-menstrual pelvic pain scores for those subjects who were initially randomized to the 150mg elagolix arm. Additionally, for those subjects who received elagolix 150mg after spending the initial eight weeks in the placebo group, the non-menstrual pelvic pain scores were reduced at Week 24.
Dysmenorrhea
The previously reported eight week top-line data demonstrated that elagolix is associated with a statistically significant reduction in dysmenorrhea daily pain scores when compared to placebo (ITT population, ANCOVA). The new week twenty-four data show a further decrease in dysmenorrhea pain scores for those subjects who were initially randomized to the 150mg elagolix arm. Additionally, for those subjects who received elagolix 150mg after spending the initial eight weeks in the placebo group, the dysmenorrhea pain scores were reduced at Week 24.
Dyspareunia
The previously reported eight week top-line data demonstrated that elagolix is associated with a statistically significant reduction in dyspareunia daily pain scores when compared to placebo (ITT population, ANCOVA). This week twenty-four data show a further decrease in dyspareunia pain scores for those subjects who were initially randomized to the 150mg elagolix arm. Additionally, for subjects who received elagolix 150mg after spending the initial eight weeks in the placebo group, the dyspareunia pain scores were reduced at Week 24.
Additional Endpoints
Utilizing the Patient Global Impression of Change (PGIC); a 1-7 scale where a score of 4 is "no change," 3 is "minimally improved," 2 is "much improved," and 1 is "very much improved;" elagolix showed improvement. At Week 24 the PGIC percentage of subjects scoring "much improved" or "very much improved" was 86% for those subjects on 150mg elagolix for all 24 weeks, and 74% for those subjects who received elagolix 150mg after spending eight weeks in the placebo group.
The Endometriosis Health Profile 5 (EHP-5) assesses the impact of endometriosis symptoms on five domains utilizing a 0-100 scale. The baseline mean score, for the EHP-5 core pain domain, across all subjects was 54. The EHP-5 core pain domain score showed improvement for subjects randomized to elagolix. At Week 24, the EHP-5 pain score decreased by 36 for those subjects on 150mg of elagolix for the entire 24 weeks of treatment, and by 30 for those subjects who received elagolix 150mg after spending eight weeks in the placebo group.
The Composite Pelvic Signs and Symptoms Scale (CPSSS), a 0-15 scale, was assessed at screening, Week 8, and Week 24 (Baseline score of 9.5). At Week 24 the reduction in the overall CPSSS score was a mean reduction of -5.5. During the placebo controlled portion of the study, the reduction from the Baseline score in the CPSSS showed a statistically significant improvement with 150mg of elagolix, -4.5; vs. placebo, -2.2; (p
"Quality Of Life And Self-Esteem After Breast Asymmetry Surgery"
Many women suffer from uneven breasts, also known as breast asymmetry - a relatively common condition that is often not discussed. The embarrassment can affect their daily lives, sexuality and confidence, but for those with significant asymmetry, breast surgery can considerably elevate quality of life and self-esteem, according to a study presented at the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) Plastic Surgery 2006 conference in San Francisco.
"All women have some degree of breast asymmetry, but for those with a noticeable difference, the embarrassment often keeps them from seeking help," said Walter Erhardt, MD, ASPS Member Surgeon and Public Education Committee chair. "Even if breasts differ by less than a half-cup size it can be very noticeable. The condition is talked about so infrequently that many are unaware there are surgeries that can correct the problem."
Breast asymmetry occurs when a woman's breasts differ in size or shape. For example, a woman's left breast may be a B-cup and the right, a D-cup. On the other hand, a woman may have one breast that significantly droops, and the other does not, making the woman's breasts appear unbalanced.
Breast augmentation, breast lift, and breast reduction are commonly used to correct breast asymmetry and create balance between the breasts. Depending upon the type and degree of asymmetry, plastic surgeons may utilize one or all of these procedures.
In the study, the authors measured how breast asymmetry surgery impacted quality of life and self-esteem in 35 patients. Six months after undergoing surgery, all patients had statistically significant improvement in vitality, mental health and self-esteem.
"Breast asymmetry can be emotionally devastating for women," said Dr. Erhardt. "Women need to know this condition is extremely common, and there is nothing to be ashamed of in getting help that will improve their quality of life and self-esteem."
For referrals to ASPS Member Surgeons certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery visit plasticsurgery/ where you can also learn more about cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery.
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons is the largest organization of board-certified plastic surgeons in the world. With more than 6,000 members, the society is recognized as a leading authority and information source on cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery. ASPS comprises 94 percent of all board-certified plastic surgeons in the United States. Founded in 1931, the society represents physicians certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery or The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.
Note: The study "Quality of Life and Self-Esteem after Breast Asymmetry Surgery" is being presented in electronic format, Sunday, Oct. 8 - Tuesday, Oct. 10, at the Moscone Convention Center, San Francisco.
Contact: LaSandra Cooper
American Society of Plastic Surgeons
"All women have some degree of breast asymmetry, but for those with a noticeable difference, the embarrassment often keeps them from seeking help," said Walter Erhardt, MD, ASPS Member Surgeon and Public Education Committee chair. "Even if breasts differ by less than a half-cup size it can be very noticeable. The condition is talked about so infrequently that many are unaware there are surgeries that can correct the problem."
Breast asymmetry occurs when a woman's breasts differ in size or shape. For example, a woman's left breast may be a B-cup and the right, a D-cup. On the other hand, a woman may have one breast that significantly droops, and the other does not, making the woman's breasts appear unbalanced.
Breast augmentation, breast lift, and breast reduction are commonly used to correct breast asymmetry and create balance between the breasts. Depending upon the type and degree of asymmetry, plastic surgeons may utilize one or all of these procedures.
In the study, the authors measured how breast asymmetry surgery impacted quality of life and self-esteem in 35 patients. Six months after undergoing surgery, all patients had statistically significant improvement in vitality, mental health and self-esteem.
"Breast asymmetry can be emotionally devastating for women," said Dr. Erhardt. "Women need to know this condition is extremely common, and there is nothing to be ashamed of in getting help that will improve their quality of life and self-esteem."
For referrals to ASPS Member Surgeons certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery visit plasticsurgery/ where you can also learn more about cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery.
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons is the largest organization of board-certified plastic surgeons in the world. With more than 6,000 members, the society is recognized as a leading authority and information source on cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery. ASPS comprises 94 percent of all board-certified plastic surgeons in the United States. Founded in 1931, the society represents physicians certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery or The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.
Note: The study "Quality of Life and Self-Esteem after Breast Asymmetry Surgery" is being presented in electronic format, Sunday, Oct. 8 - Tuesday, Oct. 10, at the Moscone Convention Center, San Francisco.
Contact: LaSandra Cooper
American Society of Plastic Surgeons
NYT Examines Effects Of Illegal Abortion On Maternal Mortality In Tanzania
The New York Times on Tuesday examined how botched abortion procedures contribute to maternal mortality in Tanzania, in the second of a three-part series on pregnancy- and childbirth-related deaths in the country. The Times reports that the lack of abortion rights in Tanzania -- where the procedure is illegal except in cases where the woman's life or health is at risk -- has prompted pregnant women and girls to seek the procedure from people who have not been trained to perform such procedures. In some cases, these untrained providers give the pregnant women herbs before performing abortions by punching the pregnant women's stomachs or inserting objects into the vagina and uterus. Local hospitals in Tanzania often have to correct mistakes made by the untrained abortion providers. For example, during the month of January, 17 of the 31 minor surgical procedures performed at one Tanzanian hospital were to correct the results of "incomplete abortions."
Africa has the world's highest maternal mortality rate -- at least 100 times that of developed countries -- making pregnancy and childbirth among the most serious health dangers that African women face, according to the Times. Abortion accounts for a significant portion of those deaths. Tanzania has a maternal mortality rate of 950 deaths for every 100,000 births, a figure that is "neither the best nor the worst in Africa," the Times reports.
Because most abortions in Tanzania are performed illegally, there are no reliable abortion figures for the country. However, the World Health Organization estimates that Eastern Africa, where Tanzania is located, has the world's second-highest rate of unsafe abortions. Abortion rates typically decrease with increased contraceptive use, the Times reports. Only about one-quarter of Tanzanians use contraception in part because of misinformation that girls receive about the safety of condoms and hormonal contraceptives. By comparison, Kenya and South Africa both have higher contraception use and lower maternal mortality. However, in countries such as Sierra Leone and Nigeria, where abortion is not available on request, contraception use is lower than in Tanzania, and maternal mortality is much higher (Grady, New York Times, 6/2).
Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.
© 2009 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.
Africa has the world's highest maternal mortality rate -- at least 100 times that of developed countries -- making pregnancy and childbirth among the most serious health dangers that African women face, according to the Times. Abortion accounts for a significant portion of those deaths. Tanzania has a maternal mortality rate of 950 deaths for every 100,000 births, a figure that is "neither the best nor the worst in Africa," the Times reports.
Because most abortions in Tanzania are performed illegally, there are no reliable abortion figures for the country. However, the World Health Organization estimates that Eastern Africa, where Tanzania is located, has the world's second-highest rate of unsafe abortions. Abortion rates typically decrease with increased contraceptive use, the Times reports. Only about one-quarter of Tanzanians use contraception in part because of misinformation that girls receive about the safety of condoms and hormonal contraceptives. By comparison, Kenya and South Africa both have higher contraception use and lower maternal mortality. However, in countries such as Sierra Leone and Nigeria, where abortion is not available on request, contraception use is lower than in Tanzania, and maternal mortality is much higher (Grady, New York Times, 6/2).
Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.
© 2009 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.
Superwoman: A Hard Act To Follow
Exposure to attractive, aggressive, female leads in films affects how men and women think about how women ought to be in the real world. Women in particular have high standards for other women, and expect them to be both stereotypically feminine and masculine i.e. beautiful and aggressive rather than beautiful and passive. That's according to new research by Laramie Taylor and Tiffany Setters, from the University of California, Davis in the US, published online in Springer's Sex Roles journal.
Taylor and Setters' work looks at the impact of media representations of film stars on gender role expectations for women - or those behaviors and attitudes expected of, or held as standard for, women in general. In their experiment, 122 male and female college undergraduates, from a large university on the US West Coast, were shown a film clip of a major Hollywood motion picture, featuring a female protagonist who was either stereotypically attractive or not; and physically aggressive or not.
The results showed that students perceived the more attractive film leads as better role models than the less attractive leads. Students who watched the violent, attractive protagonist endorsed feminine gender role expectations significantly more than those who viewed the violent, less stereotypically attractive lead. In addition, participants who viewed the attractive, aggressive lead also endorsed more stereotypically masculine gender role expectations for women. This suggests that both men and women expect women to fulfill both feminine and masculine roles, that women generally tend to have higher expectations of women than men, and that watching attractive, aggressive heroines exaggerates these expectations.
Angelina Jolie in Tomb Raider was the stereotypically attractive, aggressive protagonist and Kathy Bates in Primary Colors was less attractive but also aggressive. The non-violent clips where the protagonist was passive and submissive were from Changeling (Jolie) and Fried Green Tomatoes (Bates).The students then completed a questionnaire to assess their gender role expectations for women. For example, they were asked whether the female character portrayed in the clip was a good role model for women.
According to Taylor and Setters, "Exposure to attractive, aggressive, female characters actually increases expectations on women, including potentially inconsistent roles - after viewing, women are expected to be both more independent and ambitious and more socially connected and nurturing. These increased expectations for women occur not only among men, but among women as well, suggesting that women's expectations for themselves are affected."
Reference:
Taylor LD & Setters T (2011). Watching aggressive, attractive, female protagonists shapes gender roles for women among male and female undergraduate viewers. Sex Roles; DOI 10.1007/s11199-011-9960-1
Source:
Renate Bayaz
Springer
Taylor and Setters' work looks at the impact of media representations of film stars on gender role expectations for women - or those behaviors and attitudes expected of, or held as standard for, women in general. In their experiment, 122 male and female college undergraduates, from a large university on the US West Coast, were shown a film clip of a major Hollywood motion picture, featuring a female protagonist who was either stereotypically attractive or not; and physically aggressive or not.
The results showed that students perceived the more attractive film leads as better role models than the less attractive leads. Students who watched the violent, attractive protagonist endorsed feminine gender role expectations significantly more than those who viewed the violent, less stereotypically attractive lead. In addition, participants who viewed the attractive, aggressive lead also endorsed more stereotypically masculine gender role expectations for women. This suggests that both men and women expect women to fulfill both feminine and masculine roles, that women generally tend to have higher expectations of women than men, and that watching attractive, aggressive heroines exaggerates these expectations.
Angelina Jolie in Tomb Raider was the stereotypically attractive, aggressive protagonist and Kathy Bates in Primary Colors was less attractive but also aggressive. The non-violent clips where the protagonist was passive and submissive were from Changeling (Jolie) and Fried Green Tomatoes (Bates).The students then completed a questionnaire to assess their gender role expectations for women. For example, they were asked whether the female character portrayed in the clip was a good role model for women.
According to Taylor and Setters, "Exposure to attractive, aggressive, female characters actually increases expectations on women, including potentially inconsistent roles - after viewing, women are expected to be both more independent and ambitious and more socially connected and nurturing. These increased expectations for women occur not only among men, but among women as well, suggesting that women's expectations for themselves are affected."
Reference:
Taylor LD & Setters T (2011). Watching aggressive, attractive, female protagonists shapes gender roles for women among male and female undergraduate viewers. Sex Roles; DOI 10.1007/s11199-011-9960-1
Source:
Renate Bayaz
Springer
ExonHit Announces Successful Completion Of The First Phase Of EHT Dx14 Ongoing Clinical Validation
ExonHit Therapeutics (Paris:ALEHT) today announced successful completion of the first phase of the validation study of EHT Dx14, a new transcriptomic signature allowing to differentiate, at molecular level, benign breast tumors from malignant ones.
"These very promising first results confirm EHT Dx14 capability to reliably classify breast tumor type in benign and malignant fine-needle aspiration (FNA) samples. Hence, they confirm the initial performances of the test obtained in a previous study. Our goal is now to evaluate EHT Dx14 performances in making the molecular diagnosis of breast tumors in indeterminate FNA samples," said Lo??c Maurel, M.D., President of the Management Board of ExonHit Therapeutics.
"If these good results are confirmed, this new molecular diagnostic test could potentially become, in association with cytopathological analysis, a credible alternative to the systematic use of the more traumatic breast biopsies. It could also contribute to strengthen the role and confirm the interest of cytology use in the diagnostic process of breast tumors. At IGR, we organize once a week a diagnostic day for breast nodules during which we use FNA," added Philippe Vielh, M.D., Head of the Cytopathological Unit in the Department of Biopathology at the Institut Gustave Roussy in Villejuif (France).
EHT Dx14 was developed using ExonHit's Genome-Wide SpliceArray™ platform and was licensed from the Institut Gustave Roussy in May 2009. This molecular biology test is intended when assessing a suspicious tumor discovered during mammography to allow the accurate reading of samples obtained by FNA especially in cases where the standard analysis returns an indeterminate result. EHT Dx14 was able during the initial study to differentiate benign breast tumors from malignant ones in 96% of the cases (1).
EHT Dx14 clinical validation is a two-step process. The first step consisted in confirming the initial performances of the test, as published earlier in Lancet Oncology (1), in an independent set of malignant and benign FNA samples coming from the Institut Gustave Roussy biobank. In a second step, it will be necessary to demonstrate the added value of the test in the discrimination of indeterminate cytological samples. The first part of the validation which was just completed showed a 91.5% specificity and a 97.9% sensitivity in a panel of 94 cytological samples (47 benign and 47 malignant ones).
On the basis of these excellent results, ExonHit will be starting the second phase of the validation study and the results are expected in July 2011. At the end of this second step, ExonHit plans to offer EHT Dx14, as an Investigational Use Only product, to major cancer centers in France, in the second half of 2011.
The use of EHT Dx14 in association with FNA could contribute to improve and standardize FNA performances at a level equivalent to those of a biopsy while offering the following advantages:
- Replace the use of a more invasive procedure
- Reduce the time to results for the patients.
This could eventually contribute to expand FNA use.
About fine-needle aspiration (also called needle biopsy)
A fine needle aspiration (FNA) is a non traumatic and quick procedure which is performed in the outpatient clinic. Using a very thin needle and a syringe, the physician removes the biological material from the breast lesion (cells, fluid, ...) which is then spread on a layer for a cytopathological analysis under the microscope. This analysis allows to identify the possible presence of malignant cells. If the results of the cytopathological study do not allow to conclude, a biopsy or an exploratory surgery are necessary to make a precise diagnosis.
Each year, an estimated 370,000 FNA procedures are performed in Europe (2).
About breast cancer
Breast cancer is the leading cause of death by cancer in women with 465,000 estimated deaths worldwide in 2007 (3). Early detection of breast cancer thanks to national screening practice significantly increases survival.
If a breast abnormality is detected with mammography or physical exam, the patient undergoes a diagnostic procedure with standard exams. The benign or malignant nature of the tumor is determined by a morphological examination of the breast tissue. Depending on the results of the tests, of the profile of the patient and of the centers expertise, the analysis of the lesion is performed using an FNA and/or a breast biopsy.
References
(1) Andr?© F, Michiels S, Dessen P, Scott V, Suciu V, Uzan C, Lazar V, Lacroix L, Vassal G, Spielmann M, Vielh P, Delaloge S. Exonic expression profiling of breast cancer and benign lesions: a retrospective analysis. Lancet Oncology 2009; 10:381-90
(2) Breast Disease Diagnosis and Therapy Markets 2007 ??" Life Science Intelligence
(3) Global Cancer Facts & Figures 2007: See here.
Source:
ExonHit Therapeutics
Institut Gustave Roussy
"These very promising first results confirm EHT Dx14 capability to reliably classify breast tumor type in benign and malignant fine-needle aspiration (FNA) samples. Hence, they confirm the initial performances of the test obtained in a previous study. Our goal is now to evaluate EHT Dx14 performances in making the molecular diagnosis of breast tumors in indeterminate FNA samples," said Lo??c Maurel, M.D., President of the Management Board of ExonHit Therapeutics.
"If these good results are confirmed, this new molecular diagnostic test could potentially become, in association with cytopathological analysis, a credible alternative to the systematic use of the more traumatic breast biopsies. It could also contribute to strengthen the role and confirm the interest of cytology use in the diagnostic process of breast tumors. At IGR, we organize once a week a diagnostic day for breast nodules during which we use FNA," added Philippe Vielh, M.D., Head of the Cytopathological Unit in the Department of Biopathology at the Institut Gustave Roussy in Villejuif (France).
EHT Dx14 was developed using ExonHit's Genome-Wide SpliceArray™ platform and was licensed from the Institut Gustave Roussy in May 2009. This molecular biology test is intended when assessing a suspicious tumor discovered during mammography to allow the accurate reading of samples obtained by FNA especially in cases where the standard analysis returns an indeterminate result. EHT Dx14 was able during the initial study to differentiate benign breast tumors from malignant ones in 96% of the cases (1).
EHT Dx14 clinical validation is a two-step process. The first step consisted in confirming the initial performances of the test, as published earlier in Lancet Oncology (1), in an independent set of malignant and benign FNA samples coming from the Institut Gustave Roussy biobank. In a second step, it will be necessary to demonstrate the added value of the test in the discrimination of indeterminate cytological samples. The first part of the validation which was just completed showed a 91.5% specificity and a 97.9% sensitivity in a panel of 94 cytological samples (47 benign and 47 malignant ones).
On the basis of these excellent results, ExonHit will be starting the second phase of the validation study and the results are expected in July 2011. At the end of this second step, ExonHit plans to offer EHT Dx14, as an Investigational Use Only product, to major cancer centers in France, in the second half of 2011.
The use of EHT Dx14 in association with FNA could contribute to improve and standardize FNA performances at a level equivalent to those of a biopsy while offering the following advantages:
- Replace the use of a more invasive procedure
- Reduce the time to results for the patients.
This could eventually contribute to expand FNA use.
About fine-needle aspiration (also called needle biopsy)
A fine needle aspiration (FNA) is a non traumatic and quick procedure which is performed in the outpatient clinic. Using a very thin needle and a syringe, the physician removes the biological material from the breast lesion (cells, fluid, ...) which is then spread on a layer for a cytopathological analysis under the microscope. This analysis allows to identify the possible presence of malignant cells. If the results of the cytopathological study do not allow to conclude, a biopsy or an exploratory surgery are necessary to make a precise diagnosis.
Each year, an estimated 370,000 FNA procedures are performed in Europe (2).
About breast cancer
Breast cancer is the leading cause of death by cancer in women with 465,000 estimated deaths worldwide in 2007 (3). Early detection of breast cancer thanks to national screening practice significantly increases survival.
If a breast abnormality is detected with mammography or physical exam, the patient undergoes a diagnostic procedure with standard exams. The benign or malignant nature of the tumor is determined by a morphological examination of the breast tissue. Depending on the results of the tests, of the profile of the patient and of the centers expertise, the analysis of the lesion is performed using an FNA and/or a breast biopsy.
References
(1) Andr?© F, Michiels S, Dessen P, Scott V, Suciu V, Uzan C, Lazar V, Lacroix L, Vassal G, Spielmann M, Vielh P, Delaloge S. Exonic expression profiling of breast cancer and benign lesions: a retrospective analysis. Lancet Oncology 2009; 10:381-90
(2) Breast Disease Diagnosis and Therapy Markets 2007 ??" Life Science Intelligence
(3) Global Cancer Facts & Figures 2007: See here.
Source:
ExonHit Therapeutics
Institut Gustave Roussy
South Dakota Circuit Court Judge Says Identity Of Abortion Ban Campaign Donor Not Required To Be Revealed
A South Dakota judge on Monday ruled that state Rep. Roger Hunt (R) should not be required to identify the person who gave $750,000 to Hunt's corporation, Promising Future, which contributed to a campaign to uphold a state law (HB 1215) that would have banned abortion in the state except to save a woman's life, the AP/Sioux City Journal reports (Kafka, AP/Sioux City Journal, 8/14).
The South Dakota Campaign for Healthy Families successfully blocked the July 1, 2006, enactment of the law by gathering enough signatures to put the issue on the November 2006 ballot, and state voters last November rejected the measure by a 55% to 45% margin. Hunt in September 2006 established Promising Future, and the corporation later made three separate contributions of $250,000 each to VoteYesForLife, which campaigned to uphold the ban.
South Dakota Attorney General Larry Long (R) earlier this year filed a civil complaint that asked a judge to decide whether Hunt should be required to disclose the name of the donor. Under South Dakota law, a ballot question committee consists of two or more people who raise money to influence a ballot issue, and Long asked a judge to decide whether Promising Future meets the definition of such a committee (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 1/3).
The South Dakota Campaign for Healthy Families successfully blocked the July 1, 2006, enactment of the law by gathering enough signatures to put the issue on the November 2006 ballot, and state voters last November rejected the measure by a 55% to 45% margin. Hunt in September 2006 established Promising Future, and the corporation later made three separate contributions of $250,000 each to VoteYesForLife, which campaigned to uphold the ban.
South Dakota Attorney General Larry Long (R) earlier this year filed a civil complaint that asked a judge to decide whether Hunt should be required to disclose the name of the donor. Under South Dakota law, a ballot question committee consists of two or more people who raise money to influence a ballot issue, and Long asked a judge to decide whether Promising Future meets the definition of such a committee (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 1/3).
Ruling, Reaction
Minnehaha County, S.D., Circuit Court Judge Kathleen Caldwell on Monday said Hunt and Promising Future were not a ballot question committee and were not obliged to disclose the identity of the donor. "Giving a contribution does not make a corporation a ballot question committee," she wrote. She also wrote that even if Hunt created Promising Future to protect the identity of the anonymous donor, it does not mean he violated state campaign finance laws at the time. "The ballot committee, in this case VoteYesForLife, disclosed the corporate contributor in its finance report," Caldwell said. "However, the corporation making the contribution was not required to disclose every shareholder of the corporation under the laws in place in 2006," she added.
Secretary of State Chris Nelson (R) said he was "surprised" by the ruling, adding that he hoped to talk with Long on Tuesday about the possibility of an appeal. Hunt said he felt vindicated by the decision. "Last year we were operating under a certain set of rules, and those rules have now been repealed," he said, adding, "I feel that I had every right to operate under whatever the current law was and that's what I was doing in 2006."
Revised Campaign Finance Law
The state Legislature earlier this year passed a law that prohibits anonymous political contributions by individuals, organizations, candidates, political committees and political parties, according to the AP/Journal. The law requires that such contributions be donated to not-for-profit organizations. It also bars future anonymous donations and aims to eliminate any loopholes by clearly defining a ballot question committee. In addition, Nelson said the law requires a ballot question committee that receives a contribution from organizations with up to 20 members or shareholders to disclose donors if those donors own more than 10% of the organization. Hunt voted for the new legislation, the AP/Journal reports (AP/Sioux City Journal, 8/14).
"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
National Right To Life Committee Defends Brownback's Talks With Giuliani On Abortion Views
The National Right to Life Committee recently defended Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) after he was criticized for meeting with former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who is running for the Republican presidential nomination, to discuss Giuliani's views on abortion, The Hill reports (Bolton, The Hill, 10/26).
Brownback last week said he is "much more comfortable" with Giuliani's position on abortion after meeting with him in Washington, D.C. Brownback withdrew from the presidential race earlier this month, and some of the Republican candidates have been seeking his endorsement (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 10/30).
Brownback last week said he is "much more comfortable" with Giuliani's position on abortion after meeting with him in Washington, D.C. Brownback withdrew from the presidential race earlier this month, and some of the Republican candidates have been seeking his endorsement (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 10/30).
Criticism Against Brownback, NRLC Letter
NRLC in a letter sent to Brownback on Friday pledged to continue supporting him as a leading antiabortion-rights advocate whether he decides to endorse Giuliani for the Republican presidential nomination, The Hill reports. The letter was sent after James Bopp -- general counsel for NRLC and a prominent legal advocate for conservative antiabortion groups -- criticized Brownback over the meeting. Bopp is a volunteer for the presidential campaign of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R).
"Brownback is angling for some personal political benefit by cozying up to Giuliani," Bopp told the blog "Talking Points Memo." Bopp also suggested that Brownback was being partial by meeting with Giuliani and not Romney, adding that his meeting with Giuliani was "surprising in light of his unwillingness to accept Romney's conversion" on abortion issues, "which happened several years ago. Now he's willing to accept Giuliani's statements of the last day or so."
NRLC said that Bopp's remarks, "if accurately reported, do not represent National Right to Life, and we disagree with them." In comments directed toward Brownback, the group said, "All of us who know you personally recognize that your commitment to the pro-life cause is deep and heartfelt. We know this because we have worked shoulder to shoulder with you on such important pro-life issues," including so-called "partial-birth abortion, fetal pain, ultrasound and human cloning." The letter added, "We reject emphatically anyone's suggestion that you have sacrificed or would sacrifice the interests of the unborn in order to garner some 'personal political benefit.'"
Reaction
David O'Steen, executive director of NRLC, said that the purpose of the letter was to clarify that the group does not endorse Bopp's comments. "We wanted to clarify that we have utmost confidence in Mr. Brownback's integrity," he said. O'Steen added that Brownback is a "leader of the pro-life movement because he's taken a leadership role in promoting pro-life policies and leadership positions" and that there is no reason why a meeting or an endorsement would undermine that role. If Brownback supports Giuliani, he "can still support pro-life legislation," O'Steen said. Despite his remarks, O'Steen said he could not see NRLC endorsing Giuliani for president. A senior campaign aide to Brownback said that Brownback meant "nothing more and nothing less" when he offered to meet with all of the Republican presidential candidates (The Hill, 10/30).
Reprinted with kind permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation© 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
Anorexics Found To Have Excess Fat -- In Their Bone Marrow
People with anorexia nervosa, paradoxically, have strikingly high levels of fat within their bone marrow, report researchers at Children's Hospital Boston. Their findings, based on MRI imaging of the knees of 20 girls with anorexia and 20 healthy girls of the same age, appear in the February issue of the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research.
"It's counter-intuitive that an emaciated young woman with almost no subcutaneous fat would be storing fat in her marrow," says endocrinologist Catherine Gordon, MD, MSc, director of the Bone Health Program at Children's and the study's senior investigator.
In the study, the knee MRI images were read by radiologists who were unaware of the patient's clinical status. Compared with controls, the patients with anorexia had markedly increased fat content-- visualized as "yellow marrow"-- and less than half as much healthy red marrow in their knees; this was seen both in the lower thigh bone (femur) and upper shinbone (tibia). The findings in these girls and young women, averaging 16 years of age, confirm previous observations in mice with clinical signs similar to anorexia nervosa, reported by study co-author Clifford Rosen, MD, of the Maine Medical Center.
Previous work has shown that hormonal alterations, which are common in states of malnutrition, trigger the bone marrow's mesenchymal stem cells to differentiate into fat cells (adipocytes) rather than bone-forming cells (osteoblasts). Together, the mouse and human studies may explain why people with anorexia nervosa lose bone mass, sometimes to the point of developing osteoporosis and fractures.
"Bone formation is very low in girls with anorexia, and that's a particular problem because they are growing adolescents who should be maximally forming bones," says Gordon. "But because of the hormonal alterations induced by malnutrition, the bone marrow stops yielding the needed cells to form bone. Instead the stem cells are pushed toward fat formation."
Gordon is planning follow-up studies to find out why this happens. One speculation is that it's the body's attempt to store energy and preserve warmth. Anorexics often develop hypothermia because of a lack of insulating fat, and are often hospitalized with extremely low body temperatures.
Gordon also wants see how closely fat in the bone marrow correlates with bone density, and whether measuring fat with noninvasive MRI scans might serve as one way of testing the efficacy of hormonal therapies aimed at improving bone mass. Gordon has several studies testing such therapies in anorexia and other conditions that lead to bone loss, such as inflammatory bowel disease.
Kirsten Ecklund, MD, of Children's Department of Radiology, was the study's first author. The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Children's Hospital Radiology Foundation, Inc.
Citation: Ecklund K et al. "Bone marrow changes in adolescent girls with anorexia nervosa." J Bone Min Res Feb 2010.
Source:
James Newton
Children's Hospital Boston
"It's counter-intuitive that an emaciated young woman with almost no subcutaneous fat would be storing fat in her marrow," says endocrinologist Catherine Gordon, MD, MSc, director of the Bone Health Program at Children's and the study's senior investigator.
In the study, the knee MRI images were read by radiologists who were unaware of the patient's clinical status. Compared with controls, the patients with anorexia had markedly increased fat content-- visualized as "yellow marrow"-- and less than half as much healthy red marrow in their knees; this was seen both in the lower thigh bone (femur) and upper shinbone (tibia). The findings in these girls and young women, averaging 16 years of age, confirm previous observations in mice with clinical signs similar to anorexia nervosa, reported by study co-author Clifford Rosen, MD, of the Maine Medical Center.
Previous work has shown that hormonal alterations, which are common in states of malnutrition, trigger the bone marrow's mesenchymal stem cells to differentiate into fat cells (adipocytes) rather than bone-forming cells (osteoblasts). Together, the mouse and human studies may explain why people with anorexia nervosa lose bone mass, sometimes to the point of developing osteoporosis and fractures.
"Bone formation is very low in girls with anorexia, and that's a particular problem because they are growing adolescents who should be maximally forming bones," says Gordon. "But because of the hormonal alterations induced by malnutrition, the bone marrow stops yielding the needed cells to form bone. Instead the stem cells are pushed toward fat formation."
Gordon is planning follow-up studies to find out why this happens. One speculation is that it's the body's attempt to store energy and preserve warmth. Anorexics often develop hypothermia because of a lack of insulating fat, and are often hospitalized with extremely low body temperatures.
Gordon also wants see how closely fat in the bone marrow correlates with bone density, and whether measuring fat with noninvasive MRI scans might serve as one way of testing the efficacy of hormonal therapies aimed at improving bone mass. Gordon has several studies testing such therapies in anorexia and other conditions that lead to bone loss, such as inflammatory bowel disease.
Kirsten Ecklund, MD, of Children's Department of Radiology, was the study's first author. The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Children's Hospital Radiology Foundation, Inc.
Citation: Ecklund K et al. "Bone marrow changes in adolescent girls with anorexia nervosa." J Bone Min Res Feb 2010.
Source:
James Newton
Children's Hospital Boston
Royal College To Discuss Implications Of Obesity On Reproductive Health, UK
Obesity is a major public health issue of our time and the influence on maternal and fetal wellbeing is wide-ranging, currently 56% of women in the UK are classed as obese.
This Monday the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) will hold a follow up meeting to its 53rd Study Group - Obesity and Reproduction.
Almost every aspect of female reproductive health is affected by obesity, including increased chances of infertility, miscarriage, pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, fetal abnormalities and long term health problems. Obesity also creates difficulties regarding ultrasound scanning and surgery and is present in 35% of maternal deaths in the United Kingdom.
The RCOG event will give a comprehensive review of the effects of obesity on reproductive health and how the risks can be best managed. It will also look at managing surgical and anaesthetic risks, influences on PCOS and the long and short-term effects of maternal obesity on future risks for offspring.
The programme includes sessions on:
- Ethnic and social variations
Professor Naveed Sattar, Professor of Metabolic Medicine, University of Glasgow
- Menstrual disturbance
Miss Si??n Jones, Consultant Gynaecologist, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Bradford Royal Infirmary
- Contraception
Dr Diana Mansour, Consultant Community Gynaecologist, Graingerville Clinic, Newcastle General Hospital
- PCO and Infertility
Professor Adam Balen, IVF Unit, Leeds General Infirmary
- Obesity and pregnancy conflicts
- Dr Jane Ramsay, Consultant Obstetrician, Ayrshire Maternity Unit, Crosshouse Hospital, Kilmarnock
- Influence of exercise and diet in pregnancy
Dr Lisa Bodnar, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health and School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, USA
For further information, including a full programme please click here.
rcog
This Monday the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) will hold a follow up meeting to its 53rd Study Group - Obesity and Reproduction.
Almost every aspect of female reproductive health is affected by obesity, including increased chances of infertility, miscarriage, pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, fetal abnormalities and long term health problems. Obesity also creates difficulties regarding ultrasound scanning and surgery and is present in 35% of maternal deaths in the United Kingdom.
The RCOG event will give a comprehensive review of the effects of obesity on reproductive health and how the risks can be best managed. It will also look at managing surgical and anaesthetic risks, influences on PCOS and the long and short-term effects of maternal obesity on future risks for offspring.
The programme includes sessions on:
- Ethnic and social variations
Professor Naveed Sattar, Professor of Metabolic Medicine, University of Glasgow
- Menstrual disturbance
Miss Si??n Jones, Consultant Gynaecologist, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Bradford Royal Infirmary
- Contraception
Dr Diana Mansour, Consultant Community Gynaecologist, Graingerville Clinic, Newcastle General Hospital
- PCO and Infertility
Professor Adam Balen, IVF Unit, Leeds General Infirmary
- Obesity and pregnancy conflicts
- Dr Jane Ramsay, Consultant Obstetrician, Ayrshire Maternity Unit, Crosshouse Hospital, Kilmarnock
- Influence of exercise and diet in pregnancy
Dr Lisa Bodnar, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health and School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, USA
For further information, including a full programme please click here.
rcog
Hormone Replacement Therapy Linked To Brain Shrinkage In Older Women, Study Finds
Hormone replacement therapy may accelerate brain tissue loss in women older than age 64, increasing the risk for dementia and mental decline, according to a study published Tuesday in Neurology, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Researchers conducted MRI scans of the brains of 1,400 women ages 71 to 89 who participated in the Women's Health Initiative, a landmark government study in which postmenopausal women were randomly assigned to take HRT or a placebo. Participants in the new study, who were at least 65 when they joined the WHI, had taken either HRT or a placebo for four to six years.
In the new study, researchers had hypothesized that supplemental estrogen, with or without supplemental progestin, caused memory and thinking deficiencies by triggering small, symptomless strokes. However, the brain scans revealed no differences in the amount of brain scarring, a sign of strokes, in women who had taken HRT and those who had not. Instead, the brain scans showed small but significant losses in volume in the frontal lobe and hippocampus -- two critical areas for thinking and memory -- in women who had taken hormones. Women with the greatest shrinkage of the hippocampus had scored poorly on an initial mental-function test at the time of enrollment in the WHI (McCullough, Philadelphia Inquirer, 1/13). Study author Susan Resnick of the National Institute of Aging said that this finding suggests that HRT "may have accelerated a neurodegenerative disease process that had already begun." Resnick said the study suggests that "hormone therapy in older post-menopausal women has a negative effect on brain structures important in maintaining normal memory functioning" (Reuters, 1/13). Resnick said it is unclear how HRT worsened the process, adding that HRT formulas contain so many chemical components that pinpointing a potentially toxic one is difficult.
James Pickar -- assistant vice president for clinical research at Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, which provided the HRT used in the WHI -- said that the new findings do not change the current advice for menopausal women, which is to take HRT only to relieve transitory symptoms, such as hot flashes, in the lowest effective dose for the shortest amount of time needed. Pickar also noted that a 2007 analysis of WHI data found that participants who took HRT before age 65 were 50% less likely than those who did not to develop Alzheimer's disease or dementia. Laura Coker of Wake Forest University -- who was an author of the new research -- plans to conduct mental tests on women who were about age 50 when they enrolled in the WHI to determine how the timing of HRT might affect cognitive function (Philadelphia Inquirer, 1/13).
Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.
© 2008 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.
In the new study, researchers had hypothesized that supplemental estrogen, with or without supplemental progestin, caused memory and thinking deficiencies by triggering small, symptomless strokes. However, the brain scans revealed no differences in the amount of brain scarring, a sign of strokes, in women who had taken HRT and those who had not. Instead, the brain scans showed small but significant losses in volume in the frontal lobe and hippocampus -- two critical areas for thinking and memory -- in women who had taken hormones. Women with the greatest shrinkage of the hippocampus had scored poorly on an initial mental-function test at the time of enrollment in the WHI (McCullough, Philadelphia Inquirer, 1/13). Study author Susan Resnick of the National Institute of Aging said that this finding suggests that HRT "may have accelerated a neurodegenerative disease process that had already begun." Resnick said the study suggests that "hormone therapy in older post-menopausal women has a negative effect on brain structures important in maintaining normal memory functioning" (Reuters, 1/13). Resnick said it is unclear how HRT worsened the process, adding that HRT formulas contain so many chemical components that pinpointing a potentially toxic one is difficult.
James Pickar -- assistant vice president for clinical research at Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, which provided the HRT used in the WHI -- said that the new findings do not change the current advice for menopausal women, which is to take HRT only to relieve transitory symptoms, such as hot flashes, in the lowest effective dose for the shortest amount of time needed. Pickar also noted that a 2007 analysis of WHI data found that participants who took HRT before age 65 were 50% less likely than those who did not to develop Alzheimer's disease or dementia. Laura Coker of Wake Forest University -- who was an author of the new research -- plans to conduct mental tests on women who were about age 50 when they enrolled in the WHI to determine how the timing of HRT might affect cognitive function (Philadelphia Inquirer, 1/13).
Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.
© 2008 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.
Alaska State Medical Board Proposes Regulation To Require Women To Undergo Exam, Receive Prescription To Obtain EC
The Alaska State Medical Board - which is composed of gubernatorial appointees with the authority to write regulations into law -- has proposed a rewritten regulation that would require women to undergo a physical exam and receive a prescription from a doctor in order to obtain emergency contraception, the... Juneau Empire reports. Currently, women can purchase EC without a prescription after a 10- to 20-minute interview with a pharmacist. The current system operates under a "collaborative practice agreement," in which a woman must meet specific criteria determined by a pharmacist and a local physician. Under the proposed regulation, pharmacists likely would not have cooperative agreements with several physicians, leaving women with little choice of which doctor to see. Currently, EC costs about $40. However, the exam required under the proposed regulation would cost an additional $200. A public comment period on the regulation runs through Monday, according to the state Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development Division of Occupational Licensing. Alaska is one of eight states that allow pharmacists to dispense nonprescription EC, which can prevent pregnancy if taken within 72 hours of sexual intercourse (Petty, Juneau Empire, 7/7).
Alaska State Medical Board
"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
Alaska State Medical Board
"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
Menstrual Blood-Derived Stem Cells Investigated As Potential Stroke Therapy
The potential for stem cells derived from menstrual blood to benefit stroke sufferers will be jointly investigated by researchers at the University of South Florida, Cryo-Cell International, Inc., a global stem cell company based in Oldsmar, FL, and Saneron CCEL Therapeutics, Inc. a Tampa-based biotechnology company. The research team is supported by a $100,000 grant from the Florida-based Technology Transfer/ Commercialization Partnership Grant through the James and Esther King Biomedical Research Program, and a Florida Hi-Tech Corridor Industry Seed Matching Grant from USF Connect for another $52,000.
"Recent laboratory studies using animal models have shown transplanted menstrual blood-derived stem cells produced therapeutic effects following stroke," said Dr. Cesar Borlongan, co-principal investigator and a USF neuroscientist. "We will be testing the possibility that these cells promote the growth of blood vessels and neurons that can aid in brain repair following stroke."
In previous animals studies using transplanted stem cells from menstrual blood, Dr. Borlongan and his research team found that the cells were safe and, unlike embryonic stem cells, did not run the risk of creating tumors. In their next stage of study under the new grant, the researchers will transplant menstrual blood-derived stem cells (alone as well as conditioned and treated in a variety of ways) to determine the molecular and cellular components involved in repairing damage following stroke induced chemically in laboratory mice.
"Our long-term goal is to advance the clinical application of self-donor (autologous) cell therapy for stroke," said Dr. Borlongan, who serves as a consultant to Saneron-CCEL.
Menstrual blood is a novel and plentiful source of stem cells with great potential for differentiation into a variety of cell types, according to the researchers.
"Menstrual blood offers an adult stem cell alternative that circumvents the ethical and logistical limitations of embryonic stem cells and their retrieval offers greater ease, and with a wider window of opportunity for harvest than other adult stem cells," concluded Dr. Borlongan.
"This project is a natural extension of ongoing collaborative research efforts between Saneron, USF, and Cryo-Cell over the last 10 years. The menstrual blood-derived stem cells provide a renewable source of adult stem cells that is easily obtainable," said Nicole Kuzmin-Nichols, co-principal investigator and Saneron president and chief operating officer. "This study was designed as a proof of concept study, that when combined with other ongoing studies may lay the foundation for a future clinical trial using these cells as a potential therapy for stroke patients."
"Menstrual blood-derived stem cells have already demonstrated significant promise in preclinical studies to treat a variety of conditions," said Dr. Julie Allickson, Cryo-Cell's vice president of laboratory operations and research and development. "We look forward to gaining further insights from this exciting research investigation that may possibly lead to future potential therapeutic applications for the treatment of stroke."
Source:
Randolph Fillmore
University of South Florida (USF Health)
"Recent laboratory studies using animal models have shown transplanted menstrual blood-derived stem cells produced therapeutic effects following stroke," said Dr. Cesar Borlongan, co-principal investigator and a USF neuroscientist. "We will be testing the possibility that these cells promote the growth of blood vessels and neurons that can aid in brain repair following stroke."
In previous animals studies using transplanted stem cells from menstrual blood, Dr. Borlongan and his research team found that the cells were safe and, unlike embryonic stem cells, did not run the risk of creating tumors. In their next stage of study under the new grant, the researchers will transplant menstrual blood-derived stem cells (alone as well as conditioned and treated in a variety of ways) to determine the molecular and cellular components involved in repairing damage following stroke induced chemically in laboratory mice.
"Our long-term goal is to advance the clinical application of self-donor (autologous) cell therapy for stroke," said Dr. Borlongan, who serves as a consultant to Saneron-CCEL.
Menstrual blood is a novel and plentiful source of stem cells with great potential for differentiation into a variety of cell types, according to the researchers.
"Menstrual blood offers an adult stem cell alternative that circumvents the ethical and logistical limitations of embryonic stem cells and their retrieval offers greater ease, and with a wider window of opportunity for harvest than other adult stem cells," concluded Dr. Borlongan.
"This project is a natural extension of ongoing collaborative research efforts between Saneron, USF, and Cryo-Cell over the last 10 years. The menstrual blood-derived stem cells provide a renewable source of adult stem cells that is easily obtainable," said Nicole Kuzmin-Nichols, co-principal investigator and Saneron president and chief operating officer. "This study was designed as a proof of concept study, that when combined with other ongoing studies may lay the foundation for a future clinical trial using these cells as a potential therapy for stroke patients."
"Menstrual blood-derived stem cells have already demonstrated significant promise in preclinical studies to treat a variety of conditions," said Dr. Julie Allickson, Cryo-Cell's vice president of laboratory operations and research and development. "We look forward to gaining further insights from this exciting research investigation that may possibly lead to future potential therapeutic applications for the treatment of stroke."
Source:
Randolph Fillmore
University of South Florida (USF Health)
Association Between Oral Contraceptives And Increased Risk Of Lupus
The ratio of women to men with the autoimmune disease systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is nine to one and the incidence increases after puberty. Hormones secreted by the body are therefore believed to play an important role in the origins of the disease. A new large, population-based observational study found that the use of oral contraceptives was associated with an increased risk of SLE, particularly among women who had recently started taking them. The study was published in the April issue of Arthritis Care & Research (www3.interscience.wiley/journal/77005015/home).
Led by Dr. Samy Suissa of the Centre for Clinical Epidemiology at Jewish General Hospital of McGill University in Montreal, researchers obtained data on more than 1.7 million women ages 18-45 from the U.K. General Practice Research Database, which contains more than 6 million people. The women all had prescriptions for combined oral contraceptives (COCs) containing estrogen and progestogen. During an average of eight years of follow-up, 786 women had a first-time diagnosis of SLE. Each case was matched with up to 10 controls among women without SLE at the time of the case's diagnosis.
The results showed that the use of COCs was associated with a significant increased risk of newly diagnosed SLE. This was mostly limited to the first three months of use with first- and second-generation contraceptives containing higher doses of estrogen, suggesting "an acute effect in susceptible women and possibly a dose-response effect of estrogen on SLE onset," according to the authors. They note that estrogen can directly modulate the immune response, which could complete the action of some sex-linked genes and contribute to the genetic predisposition of the disease, and it has also been shown to have an effect on the breakdown of immune tolerance seen in SLE.
Previous studies on the risk of SLE following use of oral contraceptives have had conflicting results, but the results of the current study are consistent and complement those of the NIH-sponsored Nurses' Health Study. "Our findings that longer-term use of contraceptives is associated with an increased risk of incident SLE (albeit of lower magnitude) and that current use of contraceptives with higher doses of ethinyl estradiol is associated with an increased risk of incident SLE, suggest a possible dose-response effect of estrogen on SLE onset, which could be an alternative or additional mechanism to favor occurrence of the disease," the authors state. They note that the absence of significant increased risk in third-generation contraceptives may be related to the lower doses of estrogen compared to earlier generations.
Notes:
Article: "Combined Oral Contraceptive Use and the Risk of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus," Marie-Odile Bernier, Yann Mikaeloff, Marie Hudson, Samy Suissa, Arthritis & Rheumatism (Arthritis Care & Research), April 2009.
Source:
Sean Wagner
Wiley-Blackwell
View drug information on Estradiol Transdermal System.
Led by Dr. Samy Suissa of the Centre for Clinical Epidemiology at Jewish General Hospital of McGill University in Montreal, researchers obtained data on more than 1.7 million women ages 18-45 from the U.K. General Practice Research Database, which contains more than 6 million people. The women all had prescriptions for combined oral contraceptives (COCs) containing estrogen and progestogen. During an average of eight years of follow-up, 786 women had a first-time diagnosis of SLE. Each case was matched with up to 10 controls among women without SLE at the time of the case's diagnosis.
The results showed that the use of COCs was associated with a significant increased risk of newly diagnosed SLE. This was mostly limited to the first three months of use with first- and second-generation contraceptives containing higher doses of estrogen, suggesting "an acute effect in susceptible women and possibly a dose-response effect of estrogen on SLE onset," according to the authors. They note that estrogen can directly modulate the immune response, which could complete the action of some sex-linked genes and contribute to the genetic predisposition of the disease, and it has also been shown to have an effect on the breakdown of immune tolerance seen in SLE.
Previous studies on the risk of SLE following use of oral contraceptives have had conflicting results, but the results of the current study are consistent and complement those of the NIH-sponsored Nurses' Health Study. "Our findings that longer-term use of contraceptives is associated with an increased risk of incident SLE (albeit of lower magnitude) and that current use of contraceptives with higher doses of ethinyl estradiol is associated with an increased risk of incident SLE, suggest a possible dose-response effect of estrogen on SLE onset, which could be an alternative or additional mechanism to favor occurrence of the disease," the authors state. They note that the absence of significant increased risk in third-generation contraceptives may be related to the lower doses of estrogen compared to earlier generations.
Notes:
Article: "Combined Oral Contraceptive Use and the Risk of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus," Marie-Odile Bernier, Yann Mikaeloff, Marie Hudson, Samy Suissa, Arthritis & Rheumatism (Arthritis Care & Research), April 2009.
Source:
Sean Wagner
Wiley-Blackwell
View drug information on Estradiol Transdermal System.
Stopping Post-Birth Bleeding: Misoprostol Tablets Can Be Used As An Alternative To Intravenous Oxytocin
Two articles published Online First and in The Lancet consider the use of misoprostol in tablet form for treatment of post-birth bleeding. They compare it with oxytocin and aim to define the potential roles of both drugs in treating excess bleeding after childbirth in different health care settings. Currently, Oxytocin is the gold-standard treatment for post-birth bleeding, but it requires refrigeration, intravenous infusion, and skilled health-care workers for optimum use.
The two articles are the work of a team of authors at Gynuity Health Projects, New York, USA and their international colleagues. They describe two large randomized controlled trials that compare the efficacy and acceptability of 800 mcg of oral misoprostol to 40 IU intravenous oxytocin to control postpartum bleeding. In both studies primary endpoints were cessation of active bleeding within 20 min and additional blood loss of 300 mL or more after treatment.
Researchers examined whether sublingual misoprostol is non-inferior to intravenous oxytocin for treatment of post-partum haemorrhage in women who had not received any oxytocin to prevent post-partum bleeding (first article, Winikoff, et. al). This situation portrays that of the majority developing world locations where use of oxytocin is not feasible. In the second article (Blum et. al), researchers compared the same two treatments in women who had received prophylactic oxytocin but haemorrhaged despite this prophylaxis. The results of the two trials supply evidence about the possible role of misoprostol in treating haemorrhage in different health service environments.
The first article describes a study that included 9,348 women. They were not exposed to prophylactic oxytocin and had blood loss measured after vaginal delivery at four hospitals in Ecuador, Egypt, and Vietnam. These comprised of one secondary-level and three tertiary-level facilities. A total of 978 (10 percent) women were diagnosed with primary post-partum haemorrhage and were randomly assigned to receive 800 ??g misoprostol (n=488) or 40 IU intravenous oxytocin (n=490).
Results indicated that active bleeding was controlled within 20 min in a similar proportion of women in both groups. It was 90 percent in the misoprostol group versus 96 percent in the oxytocin group. However, additional blood loss of 300 mL or more was considerably more frequent in the misoprostol group (30 percent) than the oxytocin group (17 percent). Shivering (47 percent compared to 17 percent) and fever (44 percent compared to 6 percent) were also significantly more common with misoprostol than with oxytocin. There were no reports of women having hysterectomies or dying.
The second article describes a trial that included 31,055 women. They were exposed to prophylactic oxytocin and had blood loss measured after vaginal delivery at five hospitals in Burkina Faso, Egypt, Turkey, and Vietnam. These comprised of two secondary-level and three tertiary-level facilities. A total of 809 (3 percent) women were diagnosed with post-partum haemorrhage and were randomly assigned to receive 800 ??g misoprostol (n=407) or 40 IU intravenous oxytocin (n=402).
Results indicated that active bleeding was controlled equally well within 20 min after initial treatment for both regimens. It was the case for 89 percent of women given misoprostol and 90 percent of those given oxytocin. Additional blood loss of 300 mL or greater after treatment was similar for the two groups and occurred for 34 percent of women receiving misoprostol and 31 percent receiving oxytocin. Shivering (37 percent compared to 15 percent) and fever (22 percent compared to15 percent) were significantly more common with misoprostol than with oxytocin. There were report of six women having hysterectomies and two women dying.
Researchers note: "Intravenous oxytocin should be used when available, but 800 ??g sublingual misoprostol could be an effective first-line treatment alternative when oxytocin is not available. Since many women in developing countries deliver at home or at low-level facilities, misoprostol provides a potential for immediate treatment of post-partum haemorrhage."
The authors also remark that while there was a lack of evidence to support a particular regimen, "These findings provide evidence that 800 ??g sublingual misoprostol is a viable alternative to 40 IU intravenous oxytocin for treatment of primary post-partum haemorrhage after oxytocin prophylaxis during the third stage of labour. Misoprostol stopped bleeding as rapidly as did oxytocin and with a similar quantity of additional blood loss [among women receiving prophylaxis]."
They comment: "Building on the efficacy and safety shown??¦future research is needed to assess the clinical benefits and cost-effectiveness of introducing misoprostol as an alternative to universal referral for treatment in settings that do not have access to intravenous oxytocin."
They say in conclusion: "Future research should investigate the effectiveness of treatment for post-partum haemorrhage with misoprostol when introduced widely into clinical practice at secondary and primary health-care facilities and, importantly, after misoprostol prophylaxis has been administered. Clinical research examining whether a lower treatment dose shows similar effectiveness with fewer undesirable side-effects would also be useful."
"Treatment of post-partum haemorrhage with sublingual misoprostol versus oxytocin in women not exposed to oxytocin during labour: a double-blind, randomised, non-inferiority trial"
Beverly Winikoff, Rasha Dabash, Jill Durocher, Emad Darwish, Nguyen Thi Nhu Ngoc, Wilfrido Le??n, Sheila Raghavan, Ibrahim Medhat, Huynh Thi Kim Chi, Gustavo Barrera, Jennifer Blum
DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(09)61924-3
The Lancet
Stephanie Brunner (B.A.)
The two articles are the work of a team of authors at Gynuity Health Projects, New York, USA and their international colleagues. They describe two large randomized controlled trials that compare the efficacy and acceptability of 800 mcg of oral misoprostol to 40 IU intravenous oxytocin to control postpartum bleeding. In both studies primary endpoints were cessation of active bleeding within 20 min and additional blood loss of 300 mL or more after treatment.
Researchers examined whether sublingual misoprostol is non-inferior to intravenous oxytocin for treatment of post-partum haemorrhage in women who had not received any oxytocin to prevent post-partum bleeding (first article, Winikoff, et. al). This situation portrays that of the majority developing world locations where use of oxytocin is not feasible. In the second article (Blum et. al), researchers compared the same two treatments in women who had received prophylactic oxytocin but haemorrhaged despite this prophylaxis. The results of the two trials supply evidence about the possible role of misoprostol in treating haemorrhage in different health service environments.
The first article describes a study that included 9,348 women. They were not exposed to prophylactic oxytocin and had blood loss measured after vaginal delivery at four hospitals in Ecuador, Egypt, and Vietnam. These comprised of one secondary-level and three tertiary-level facilities. A total of 978 (10 percent) women were diagnosed with primary post-partum haemorrhage and were randomly assigned to receive 800 ??g misoprostol (n=488) or 40 IU intravenous oxytocin (n=490).
Results indicated that active bleeding was controlled within 20 min in a similar proportion of women in both groups. It was 90 percent in the misoprostol group versus 96 percent in the oxytocin group. However, additional blood loss of 300 mL or more was considerably more frequent in the misoprostol group (30 percent) than the oxytocin group (17 percent). Shivering (47 percent compared to 17 percent) and fever (44 percent compared to 6 percent) were also significantly more common with misoprostol than with oxytocin. There were no reports of women having hysterectomies or dying.
The second article describes a trial that included 31,055 women. They were exposed to prophylactic oxytocin and had blood loss measured after vaginal delivery at five hospitals in Burkina Faso, Egypt, Turkey, and Vietnam. These comprised of two secondary-level and three tertiary-level facilities. A total of 809 (3 percent) women were diagnosed with post-partum haemorrhage and were randomly assigned to receive 800 ??g misoprostol (n=407) or 40 IU intravenous oxytocin (n=402).
Results indicated that active bleeding was controlled equally well within 20 min after initial treatment for both regimens. It was the case for 89 percent of women given misoprostol and 90 percent of those given oxytocin. Additional blood loss of 300 mL or greater after treatment was similar for the two groups and occurred for 34 percent of women receiving misoprostol and 31 percent receiving oxytocin. Shivering (37 percent compared to 15 percent) and fever (22 percent compared to15 percent) were significantly more common with misoprostol than with oxytocin. There were report of six women having hysterectomies and two women dying.
Researchers note: "Intravenous oxytocin should be used when available, but 800 ??g sublingual misoprostol could be an effective first-line treatment alternative when oxytocin is not available. Since many women in developing countries deliver at home or at low-level facilities, misoprostol provides a potential for immediate treatment of post-partum haemorrhage."
The authors also remark that while there was a lack of evidence to support a particular regimen, "These findings provide evidence that 800 ??g sublingual misoprostol is a viable alternative to 40 IU intravenous oxytocin for treatment of primary post-partum haemorrhage after oxytocin prophylaxis during the third stage of labour. Misoprostol stopped bleeding as rapidly as did oxytocin and with a similar quantity of additional blood loss [among women receiving prophylaxis]."
They comment: "Building on the efficacy and safety shown??¦future research is needed to assess the clinical benefits and cost-effectiveness of introducing misoprostol as an alternative to universal referral for treatment in settings that do not have access to intravenous oxytocin."
They say in conclusion: "Future research should investigate the effectiveness of treatment for post-partum haemorrhage with misoprostol when introduced widely into clinical practice at secondary and primary health-care facilities and, importantly, after misoprostol prophylaxis has been administered. Clinical research examining whether a lower treatment dose shows similar effectiveness with fewer undesirable side-effects would also be useful."
"Treatment of post-partum haemorrhage with sublingual misoprostol versus oxytocin in women not exposed to oxytocin during labour: a double-blind, randomised, non-inferiority trial"
Beverly Winikoff, Rasha Dabash, Jill Durocher, Emad Darwish, Nguyen Thi Nhu Ngoc, Wilfrido Le??n, Sheila Raghavan, Ibrahim Medhat, Huynh Thi Kim Chi, Gustavo Barrera, Jennifer Blum
DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(09)61924-3
The Lancet
Stephanie Brunner (B.A.)
Blogs Comment On Abortion Coverage In Health Reform, International Women's Day, Other Topics
The following summarizes selected women's health-related blog entries.
~ "Stupak's Abortion Argument: Still More About Class Than Choice": Washington Post's "Ezra Klein": The "practical effect" of Rep. Bart Stupak's (D-Mich.) position on abortion-related language in health reform legislation "is not that the federal government will not subsidize abortion by subsidizing health care insurance" but that "it will not subsidize abortion by subsidizing health care insurance for poor women," Klein writes. Klein includes an excerpt from Post colleague Matt Miller's recent blog post on the subject. Miller wrote, "This entire debate is ridiculous, because the feds already subsidize abortions massively, via the giant tax subsidy for employer-provided care. Today the feds devote at least $250 billion a year to subsidizing employer-based coverage, a subsidy that skews incentives horribly (but which big business and big labor wouldn't let the politicians touch this year)." Miller also noted that data from the Guttmacher Institute show that 87% of typical employer plans cover abortion services. According to Klein, Stupak's amendment -- which would bar all insurance plans that receive federal subsidies from covering abortion -- "is as much about class as it is choice." Klein writes that "the poorer women who will be using subsidies on [health insurance exchanges] are a much easier target" than wealthier women with employer-provided coverage (Klein, "Ezra Klein," Washington Post, 3/5).
~ "International Women's Day: The Enormous Benefits of Investing in Family Planning and Pregnancy Related Care," Sharon Camp, Huffington Post blogs: International Women's Day this year "coincides with the 15th anniversary of the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, a historic pledge to make the recognition and fulfillment of women's rights a global priority," Camp, president and CEO of the Guttmacher Institute, writes. She adds, "The declaration makes clear that reproductive health is critical to the well-being of women and men, asserts all people's right to have access to family planning information and services, and underscores the importance of maternal and newborn health care." According to Camp, "Approximately 215 million women who want to avoid pregnancy are not using an effective method of contraception, and only about half of the 123 million women who give birth each year receive the antenatal, delivery and newborn care they need." She adds, "Millions of those women who experience major complications get no treatment and either die or suffer from severe and debilitating conditions, such as obstetric fistula." She continues, "It is clear that investing in women has vast benefits, not just for individuals and families, but for societies as a whole," concluding, "It can truly transform the future of developing nations" (Camp, Huffington Post blogs, 3/9).
~ "This International Women's Day, Let's Aim To End Maternal Deaths," Tamar Abrams, Huffington Post blogs: A December 2009 report from the Guttmacher Institute and the United Nations Population Fund shows that "[m]aternal deaths in developing countries could be slashed by 70% and newborn deaths cut nearly in half if the world doubled investment in family planning and pregnancy-related care," Abrams writes. She adds that the report "found that investments in family planning boost the overall effectiveness of every dollar spent on the provision of pregnancy-related and newborn health care." According to Abrams, delegates who plan to attend June's Women Deliver conference in Washington, D.C., "are determined to put maternal health high up on the agendas of leaders of nations large and small, developed and getting there." The delegates plan to ask for "$10 billion in additional funding for global maternal health annually, increasing to an additional $20 billion by 2015," Abrams says. She concludes, "We mustn't let this critical discussion get bogged down in ideology about abortion or contraceptives or politics" (Abrams, Huffington Post blogs, 3/5).
~ "Dirty Dozen: Does Stupak Really Have the Votes Needed To Sink Health Care?": Brian Beutler, Talking Points Memo's "TPMDC": Stupak is currently "holding health care reform hostage over the issue of abortion" and says "he can flip about a dozen 'yes' votes on health care (including his own) to 'no' votes if nothing is done about" abortion language in the Senate bill (HR 3590), Beutler writes. It is difficult to definitively identify these lawmakers, "[b]ut it is possible to whittle down a list of likely suspects," according to Beutler. He concludes that with Democratic leaders and "the White House teaming up to twist arm[s], it's hard to imagine all of Stupak['s] supporters will stick together" (Beutler, "TPMDC," Talking Points Memo, 3/8).
~ "Wreckonciliation": Rebecca Sive, RH Reality Check: Sive writes, "We, the women of America, are being told by those on-high, starting with those who might have been at the White House on International Women's Day, including Nancy Pelosi -- the most important woman in America right about now -- that American women's most fundamental right, our right to control our reproductive destiny, should be of no consequence in the effort to reform health care." Sive criticizes Pelosi for insisting that the health reform debate is "'not about abortion,' ... when even the most politically untrained, outside-the-Beltway bystander knows otherwise." Sive writes, "The future of ... health care reform has come down to this: can [Pelosi] and the White House come to a winning plan on how to deal with access to abortion?" Sive adds that regardless of how much ground Pelosi concedes to antiabortion-rights forces today, "they'll just ask for more tomorrow. That's how Washington works; that's how men in power work; that's how women in power who don't care about women work." Sive concludes, "That's wreckonciliation" (Sive, RH Reality Check, 3/9).
~ "Trouble for Mitt Romney? Mass. Health Plan Covers Abortion": Brian Montopoli, CBS News' "Political Hotsheet": "Mitt Romney's role in overseeing passage of a universal health care plan in Massachusetts appears likely to cause headaches for the former Republican governor should he make his widely expected run for the White House in 2012," Montopoli writes. He notes that other commentators are drawing attention to the fact that "all of the government-subsidized health care plans offered to low-income Massachusetts residents, under a program called Commonwealth Care, cover abortion." David Axelrod, a White House senior adviser, has called the Massachusetts health insurance law the "template" for Obama's reform plans. Montopoli writes, "All this appears to leave Romney on the wrong side of the issue." In response to criticism over the abortion issue, Romney spokesperson Eric Fehrnstrom said, "Court rulings in Massachusetts require state-subsidized health plans to offer abortion services. It's not something that Gov. Romney agrees with, but it's longstanding court precedent that predates his administration" (Montopoli, "Political Hotsheet," CBS News, 3/8).
~ "Abortion Will NOT Be a Deal Breaker," Linda Bergthold, Huffington Post blogs: Health policy consultant Bergthold writes, "If you only watched TV or surfed the net, you would think health reform hangs by a thread over abortion," when in fact it "does not." Bergthold says this misrepresentation occurs because abortion is "controversial" and abortion-rights opponents -- such as Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) -- "are the loudest voices" in the debate. Bergthold writes, "I do not believe that in the final analysis Stupak will have the votes to destroy health reform over the abortion issue. At least I want to believe that. " She adds, "But the media likes to play it up because it attracts an audience" (Bergthold, Huffington Post blogs, 3/6).
Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.
© 2010 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.
Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome Linked To Irregular Menstrual Cycles, Premenstrual Symptoms In Women
Women with delayed sleep phase syndrome are more likely to report irregular menstrual cycles and premenstrual symptoms, according to a research abstract presented on Tuesday at SLEEP 2008, the 22nd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS).
The study, authored by Kari Sveum, of Northwestern University in Chicago, Ill., focused on 13 females with delayed sleep phase syndrome and 13 healthy controls. The subjects responded to a questionnaire regarding their reproductive health, including irregularity of their cycle and premenstrual symptoms, either in the past or present.
According to the results, twice as many subjects with delayed sleep phase syndrome reported an irregular menstrual cycle compared to controls. For those not using birth control, three times as many subjects with delayed sleep phase syndrome reported irregular menstruation, compared to controls. Pre-menstrual problems, such as cramps and mood swings, were reported by 69 percent of those with delayed sleep phase syndrome, compared to 16.67 percent of controls.
"While the data is preliminary, these results suggest that women with delayed sleep phase syndrome may be at increased risk for menstrual irregularity associated with circadian misalignment," said Sveum. "Further investigation with a larger group of subjects using prospective diary data would be useful to further establish the effects of circadian disruption on reproductive cycles in women with delayed sleep phase syndrome."
Sleep plays a vital role in promoting a woman's health and well being. Getting the required amount of sleep is likely to enhance a woman's overall quality of life. Yet, women face many potential barriers - such as life events, depression, illness, and medication use - that can disrupt and disturb her sleep.
The hormonal and physical changes that occur during and after menopause can also affect a woman's sleep. Sleep disturbances are more common, and sleep quality can decline. Insomnia related to menopause often occurs.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is much more common in postmenopausal women. This increase may be due in part to menopause-related weight gain. But it also appears to be hormone-related. Estrogen seems to help protect women against OSA.
It is recommended that women get between seven and eight hours of nightly sleep.
The following tips are provided by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) to help women get the most out of their sleep:
Make your bedroom a comfortable and safe place. Reduce noises and extreme temperatures that might disturb you.
Use light and comfortable bed linens and garments.
Go to bed only when you are sleepy and use the bed only for sleeping and sex.
Begin rituals to help you relax at bedtime, such as taking a soothing bath or enjoying a light snack.
Go to bed and get up at the same time every day, including weekends and holidays.
If you need to take a nap, keep it to less than one hour and take it before 3 p.m.
Only drink caffeine in the morning, and avoid alcohol and cigarettes late in the day.
Stay away from fatty, spicy foods that are likely to upset your stomach or cause heartburn.
Set aside time during the day to get all of your worries out of your system.
Increase vitamin E in your diet, or take a vitamin E supplement.
Hormone replacement therapy may help you sleep better by relieving severe hot flashes related to menopause. Ask your doctor for advice about this kind of treatment.
Only use sleeping pills when supervised by a doctor.
Those who suspect that they might be suffering from a sleep disorder are encouraged to consult with their primary care physician or a sleep specialist.
More information on "women and sleep" is available from the AASM at sleepeducation/Topic.aspx?id=67.
The annual SLEEP meeting (9-12 June, 2008) brings together an international body of 5,000 leading researchers and clinicians in the field of sleep medicine to present and discuss new findings and medical developments related to sleep and sleep disorders.
More than 1,000 research abstracts will be presented at the SLEEP meeting, a joint venture of the AASM and the Sleep Research Society. The three-and-a-half-day scientific meeting will bring to light new findings that enhance the understanding of the processes of sleep and aid the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders such as insomnia, narcolepsy and sleep apnea.
SleepEducation, a patient education Web site created by the AASM, provides information about various sleep disorders, the forms of treatment available, recent news on the topic of sleep, sleep studies that have been conducted and a listing of sleep facilities.
Source: Kathleen McCann
American Academy of Sleep Medicine
The study, authored by Kari Sveum, of Northwestern University in Chicago, Ill., focused on 13 females with delayed sleep phase syndrome and 13 healthy controls. The subjects responded to a questionnaire regarding their reproductive health, including irregularity of their cycle and premenstrual symptoms, either in the past or present.
According to the results, twice as many subjects with delayed sleep phase syndrome reported an irregular menstrual cycle compared to controls. For those not using birth control, three times as many subjects with delayed sleep phase syndrome reported irregular menstruation, compared to controls. Pre-menstrual problems, such as cramps and mood swings, were reported by 69 percent of those with delayed sleep phase syndrome, compared to 16.67 percent of controls.
"While the data is preliminary, these results suggest that women with delayed sleep phase syndrome may be at increased risk for menstrual irregularity associated with circadian misalignment," said Sveum. "Further investigation with a larger group of subjects using prospective diary data would be useful to further establish the effects of circadian disruption on reproductive cycles in women with delayed sleep phase syndrome."
Sleep plays a vital role in promoting a woman's health and well being. Getting the required amount of sleep is likely to enhance a woman's overall quality of life. Yet, women face many potential barriers - such as life events, depression, illness, and medication use - that can disrupt and disturb her sleep.
The hormonal and physical changes that occur during and after menopause can also affect a woman's sleep. Sleep disturbances are more common, and sleep quality can decline. Insomnia related to menopause often occurs.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is much more common in postmenopausal women. This increase may be due in part to menopause-related weight gain. But it also appears to be hormone-related. Estrogen seems to help protect women against OSA.
It is recommended that women get between seven and eight hours of nightly sleep.
The following tips are provided by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) to help women get the most out of their sleep:
Make your bedroom a comfortable and safe place. Reduce noises and extreme temperatures that might disturb you.
Use light and comfortable bed linens and garments.
Go to bed only when you are sleepy and use the bed only for sleeping and sex.
Begin rituals to help you relax at bedtime, such as taking a soothing bath or enjoying a light snack.
Go to bed and get up at the same time every day, including weekends and holidays.
If you need to take a nap, keep it to less than one hour and take it before 3 p.m.
Only drink caffeine in the morning, and avoid alcohol and cigarettes late in the day.
Stay away from fatty, spicy foods that are likely to upset your stomach or cause heartburn.
Set aside time during the day to get all of your worries out of your system.
Increase vitamin E in your diet, or take a vitamin E supplement.
Hormone replacement therapy may help you sleep better by relieving severe hot flashes related to menopause. Ask your doctor for advice about this kind of treatment.
Only use sleeping pills when supervised by a doctor.
Those who suspect that they might be suffering from a sleep disorder are encouraged to consult with their primary care physician or a sleep specialist.
More information on "women and sleep" is available from the AASM at sleepeducation/Topic.aspx?id=67.
The annual SLEEP meeting (9-12 June, 2008) brings together an international body of 5,000 leading researchers and clinicians in the field of sleep medicine to present and discuss new findings and medical developments related to sleep and sleep disorders.
More than 1,000 research abstracts will be presented at the SLEEP meeting, a joint venture of the AASM and the Sleep Research Society. The three-and-a-half-day scientific meeting will bring to light new findings that enhance the understanding of the processes of sleep and aid the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders such as insomnia, narcolepsy and sleep apnea.
SleepEducation, a patient education Web site created by the AASM, provides information about various sleep disorders, the forms of treatment available, recent news on the topic of sleep, sleep studies that have been conducted and a listing of sleep facilities.
Source: Kathleen McCann
American Academy of Sleep Medicine
HIV/AIDS Awareness Efforts Face Difficulties In Northern Kenya, Health Workers, Advocates Say
Some health workers and advocates in Kenya's North Eastern Province recently said that HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns face difficulties in the region because of its remote location and culture, IRIN/PlusNews reports. Ijara, a district in Kenya's North Eastern Province, has recorded the lowest number of people living with HIV in the province at 130. However, the "stigma associated with HIV/AIDS is very, very strong here," Mohamed Abdikadir Sheikh, Ijara's medical officer, said. According to Sheikh, HIV/AIDS still is associated with magic, witchcraft and evil spirits by many people in the region, leading them to seek ritualistic instead of medical treatment. The voluntary HIV counseling and testing center in Ijara "remains idle because the local community believe they cannot contract the disease," Sheikh said, adding, "We need an aggressive awareness campaign in these remote areas."
According to IRIN/PlusNews, the remoteness of the area, cultural taboos and the transient nature of the population create difficulties for groups already working to create HIV/AIDS awareness. The group Isiolo Youths Against AIDS and Poverty said it is limited in its abilities to spread awareness in the region because of a lack of resources and ethnic conflicts. Ali Boru, an IYAP official, said open discussions of sex and sexuality are discouraged by the largely Muslim population, adding, "We have no picture or poster of a condom here -- we cannot take the risk." According to IYAP official Amina Abdullahi, the young age of the group's educators also hinders awareness efforts because the "culture does not allow me to advise or discuss any sexual matter with a woman who is older than me" (IRIN/PlusNews, 8/21).
Reprinted with kind permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.
© 2008 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
According to IRIN/PlusNews, the remoteness of the area, cultural taboos and the transient nature of the population create difficulties for groups already working to create HIV/AIDS awareness. The group Isiolo Youths Against AIDS and Poverty said it is limited in its abilities to spread awareness in the region because of a lack of resources and ethnic conflicts. Ali Boru, an IYAP official, said open discussions of sex and sexuality are discouraged by the largely Muslim population, adding, "We have no picture or poster of a condom here -- we cannot take the risk." According to IYAP official Amina Abdullahi, the young age of the group's educators also hinders awareness efforts because the "culture does not allow me to advise or discuss any sexual matter with a woman who is older than me" (IRIN/PlusNews, 8/21).
Reprinted with kind permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.
© 2008 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
$6.8 Million In Funding To MSU For Women's Health And Reproduction Research
West Michigan and Michigan State University have become the new home for a $6.8 million Center for Women's Health and Reproduction Research, thanks to the collaborative efforts of MSU, Spectrum Health and the Van Andel Institute.
Leading infertility researcher and new recruit Asgi T. Fazleabas has been director of a Specialized Cooperative Centers Program in Reproduction and Infertility Research at the University of Illinois, now in its eighth year of funding. Supported by a $6.8 million award by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the center and its funding moved this month to MSU, where Fazleabas is now a professor and an associate chairperson in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology.
MSU's new Center for Women's Health and Reproduction Research is one of 15 nationwide and is housed in the Van Andel Institute, also home of the college's $6.8 million Udall Center for Parkinson's Disease Research.
"Dr. Fazleabas brings an extensive international research portfolio in the area of women's reproductive health to the region," said Marsha D. Rappley, dean of MSU's College of Human Medicine. "The collective recruitment efforts of the Spectrum Health-Michigan State University Alliance along with the Van Andel Institute have once again resulted in an internationally renowned center of excellence in Grand Rapids."
Fazleabas, funded by the National Institutes of Health continuously since 1986, is a leading authority in the fields of uterine biology, fertility and endometriosis, a debilitating gynecological medical condition that affects one in 10 women with health care costs of $22 billion a year.
His recruitment was made possible by the MSU-Spectrum alliance, a formal agreement between the two institutions to collaborate on medical school faculty recruitment, research initiatives and facility development.
"Spectrum Health looks forward to the expertise and depth of knowledge that Dr. Fazleabas brings to the women's health area," said Matt Van Vranken, executive vice president of Spectrum Health and president of the Spectrum Health Hospital Group. "A researcher and professor of his caliber is an asset to MSU College of Human Medicine as well as to Spectrum Health and the patients we serve.
"The combination of clinical care, research and academics being established here are significant for our physicians and patients of today and tomorrow."
Fazleabas will continue to serve as the director of the specialized cooperative centers program. Richard Leach, professor and chairperson of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology in the College of Human Medicine, also is a principal investigator on the project. Other investigators include Serdar Bulun of Northwestern University and Romana Nowak at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Source:
Jason Cody
Michigan State University
Leading infertility researcher and new recruit Asgi T. Fazleabas has been director of a Specialized Cooperative Centers Program in Reproduction and Infertility Research at the University of Illinois, now in its eighth year of funding. Supported by a $6.8 million award by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the center and its funding moved this month to MSU, where Fazleabas is now a professor and an associate chairperson in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology.
MSU's new Center for Women's Health and Reproduction Research is one of 15 nationwide and is housed in the Van Andel Institute, also home of the college's $6.8 million Udall Center for Parkinson's Disease Research.
"Dr. Fazleabas brings an extensive international research portfolio in the area of women's reproductive health to the region," said Marsha D. Rappley, dean of MSU's College of Human Medicine. "The collective recruitment efforts of the Spectrum Health-Michigan State University Alliance along with the Van Andel Institute have once again resulted in an internationally renowned center of excellence in Grand Rapids."
Fazleabas, funded by the National Institutes of Health continuously since 1986, is a leading authority in the fields of uterine biology, fertility and endometriosis, a debilitating gynecological medical condition that affects one in 10 women with health care costs of $22 billion a year.
His recruitment was made possible by the MSU-Spectrum alliance, a formal agreement between the two institutions to collaborate on medical school faculty recruitment, research initiatives and facility development.
"Spectrum Health looks forward to the expertise and depth of knowledge that Dr. Fazleabas brings to the women's health area," said Matt Van Vranken, executive vice president of Spectrum Health and president of the Spectrum Health Hospital Group. "A researcher and professor of his caliber is an asset to MSU College of Human Medicine as well as to Spectrum Health and the patients we serve.
"The combination of clinical care, research and academics being established here are significant for our physicians and patients of today and tomorrow."
Fazleabas will continue to serve as the director of the specialized cooperative centers program. Richard Leach, professor and chairperson of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology in the College of Human Medicine, also is a principal investigator on the project. Other investigators include Serdar Bulun of Northwestern University and Romana Nowak at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Source:
Jason Cody
Michigan State University
Sex Trafficking In U.S. Should Be 'National Scandal,' New York Times' Kristof Writes
Although "Americans tend to associate 'modern slavery' with illiterate girls in India or Cambodia," New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof writes that he recently interviewed a college graduate who emigrated from China and "says she spent three years terrorized by pimps in a brothel in Midtown Manhattan."
According to Kristof, "There's no doubt that while some women come to the United States voluntarily to seek their fortunes in the sex trade, many others are coerced -- and still others start out forced but eventually continue voluntarily." He adds that "it's not just foreign women. The worst cases of forced prostitution, especially of children, often involve home-grown teenage runaways." Although "estimates vary hugely" and "[n]o one has a clear idea of the scale of the problem" of forced prostitution, it is "clear ... that forced prostitution should be a national scandal."
There are "no silver bullets" to solve the problem, though Kristof argues that "the critical step is for the police and prosecutors to focus more on customers (to reduce demand) and, above all, on pimps," who are "far harder" to prosecute than sex workers. Pimping is "hugely profitable and carries less risk than selling drugs or stealing cars," Kristof writes, adding, "But that can change as state and federal authorities target traffickers rather than their victims." He concludes, "Nearly 150 years after the Emancipation Proclamation, it's time to wipe out the remnants of slavery in this country" (Kristof, New York Times, 11/27).
Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families.
© 2010 National Partnership for Women & Families. All rights reserved.
Ortho-McNeil Should Retract Its Decision To Increase Cost Of Contraceptives For Public Family Planning Clinics, Opinion Piece Says
Thousands of family planning clinics nationwide last month "went into a tailspin" in reaction to a significant price increase by manufacturer Ortho-McNeil, which supplies the majority of family planning clinics with its Ortho Evra birth-control patch, columnist Amanda Schaffer writes in a Slate opinion piece (Schaffer, Slate, 8/23). According to WV Family Planning Program Director Denise Smith, West Virginia's cost of a 30-day supply of one type of contraceptive pill made by Ortho last month increased from $0.01 to $21.01, and the cost of the company's Ortho Evra patch increased from $12.15 to $22.46 (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 8/17). It is "anybody's guess as to why the company chose" to increase the cost of its contraceptives for public family planning clinics, but the "episode demonstrates just how strapped -- and politically friendless -- the clinics that serve poor women are," she writes. Schaffer adds, "Chronically underfunded," family planning clinics are in "no shape to absorb this blow" and might have to eliminate some services they offer low-income women, reduce their hours and close some locations. Maybe Ortho will "come to its senses" on the price of the pill or maybe state governments "will step in with an infusion of cash," Schaffer writes, concluding, "Poor women need a full range of birth-control choices and better access to care, not higher prices and cutbacks at the clinics on which they rely" (Schaffer, Slate, 8/23).
NPR's "Day to Day" on Thursday examined the challenges in providing contraceptive pills and patches at no or low cost to low-income women after Ortho's decision (Brand, "Day to Day," NPR, 8/24). The complete segment is available online in RealPlayer.
"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
NPR's "Day to Day" on Thursday examined the challenges in providing contraceptive pills and patches at no or low cost to low-income women after Ortho's decision (Brand, "Day to Day," NPR, 8/24). The complete segment is available online in RealPlayer.
"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
Advanced Cell Technology Researchers Create Embryonic Stem Cells Using Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis, Company Says
Worcester, Mass.-based Advanced Cell Technology on Friday in a statement announced that it has created human embryonic stem cells using preimplantation genetic diagnosis, Reuters reports (Fox, Reuters, 6/22).
Robert Lanza, medical director of ACT, and colleagues in the Aug. 24 edition of the journal Nature described a technique that could derive embryonic stem cells without destroying the embryo. The technique was described as removing a single cell -- known as a blastomere -- from a three-day-old embryo with eight to 10 cells and using a biochemical process to create embryonic stem cells from the blastomere.
Researchers removed 91 blastomeres from 16 thawed embryos donated by fertility clinic patients and found that more than half of the blastomeres began to multiply and that in two cases the blastomeres became embryonic stem cells. The method of removing a cell from the embryo is based on preimplantation genetic diagnosis, or PGD, which usually is used to test the cell for genetic deficiencies. At the time the Nature article was published, Lanza said that the research destroyed some of the embryos used but that single-cell extractions that leave the embryo unharmed should be feasible in the future. Nature in its Nov. 23 edition added itemized changes and an addendum to a study that included a clarification that Lanza and colleagues destroyed the embryos they used in the study (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 11/27/06).
Lanza last week at the fifth annual meeting of the International Society for Stem Cell Research in Cairns, Australia, said that his team had created new embryonic stem cell lines using single cells removed from three separate embryos. "These embryos remain frozen," Lanza said, adding, "They are still alive." He also said, "These are the first human embryonic cell lines in existence that didn't result from the destruction of an embryo" (Reuters, 6/22).
William Caldwell, chair and CEO of ACT, said the company's "single cell blastomere technology directly addresses" the "ethical concerns" cited by President Bush when he vetoed legislation that would have expanded federal funding of embryonic stem cell research. He added that the company is calling on NIH to approve ACT's applications to fund the technology (ACT release, 6/21). Lanza said he plans to publish his recent research in a medical journal (Reuters, 6/22).
Bloomberg Television's "On the Economy," on Wednesday interviewed with Caldwell on Bush's veto and ACT's research. The interview is available online on ACT's Web site (Hays, "On the Economy," Bloomberg Television, 6/20).
"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
Robert Lanza, medical director of ACT, and colleagues in the Aug. 24 edition of the journal Nature described a technique that could derive embryonic stem cells without destroying the embryo. The technique was described as removing a single cell -- known as a blastomere -- from a three-day-old embryo with eight to 10 cells and using a biochemical process to create embryonic stem cells from the blastomere.
Researchers removed 91 blastomeres from 16 thawed embryos donated by fertility clinic patients and found that more than half of the blastomeres began to multiply and that in two cases the blastomeres became embryonic stem cells. The method of removing a cell from the embryo is based on preimplantation genetic diagnosis, or PGD, which usually is used to test the cell for genetic deficiencies. At the time the Nature article was published, Lanza said that the research destroyed some of the embryos used but that single-cell extractions that leave the embryo unharmed should be feasible in the future. Nature in its Nov. 23 edition added itemized changes and an addendum to a study that included a clarification that Lanza and colleagues destroyed the embryos they used in the study (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 11/27/06).
Lanza last week at the fifth annual meeting of the International Society for Stem Cell Research in Cairns, Australia, said that his team had created new embryonic stem cell lines using single cells removed from three separate embryos. "These embryos remain frozen," Lanza said, adding, "They are still alive." He also said, "These are the first human embryonic cell lines in existence that didn't result from the destruction of an embryo" (Reuters, 6/22).
William Caldwell, chair and CEO of ACT, said the company's "single cell blastomere technology directly addresses" the "ethical concerns" cited by President Bush when he vetoed legislation that would have expanded federal funding of embryonic stem cell research. He added that the company is calling on NIH to approve ACT's applications to fund the technology (ACT release, 6/21). Lanza said he plans to publish his recent research in a medical journal (Reuters, 6/22).
Bloomberg Television's "On the Economy," on Wednesday interviewed with Caldwell on Bush's veto and ACT's research. The interview is available online on ACT's Web site (Hays, "On the Economy," Bloomberg Television, 6/20).
"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
Secretary Sebelius To Deliver Remarks On How The Affordable Care Act Benefits Women And Families
Today, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius will speak to the National Partnership for Women and Families about how the Affordable Care Act will benefit women.
"With the Affordable Care Act, we're putting women back in control," said Secretary Sebelius. "When you look at the full range of women's health needs and the full range of reforms in this new law, the Affordable Care Act is the best women's health bill since Medicare."
The Affordable Care Act makes it illegal to charge women extra for health insurance; creates a new, consumer-friendly health insurance market where all new plans will be required to cover essential health benefits like newborn care and maternity care; and eliminates co-pays for key preventive services like pap smears and mammograms.
In addition, the new law protects Americans' choice of doctors, including making sure women can visit their OB-GYNs without a referral and ensuring that co-payments do not rise if a patient gets taken to an emergency room that's not in their insurance network; bans rescissions of coverage when people get sick and have previously made an unintentional mistake on their application; ends lifetime limits on benefits; and phases out annual limits on benefits.
Click here to read more about how the Affordable Care Act gives women greater control over their health care.
Source:
HHS
"With the Affordable Care Act, we're putting women back in control," said Secretary Sebelius. "When you look at the full range of women's health needs and the full range of reforms in this new law, the Affordable Care Act is the best women's health bill since Medicare."
The Affordable Care Act makes it illegal to charge women extra for health insurance; creates a new, consumer-friendly health insurance market where all new plans will be required to cover essential health benefits like newborn care and maternity care; and eliminates co-pays for key preventive services like pap smears and mammograms.
In addition, the new law protects Americans' choice of doctors, including making sure women can visit their OB-GYNs without a referral and ensuring that co-payments do not rise if a patient gets taken to an emergency room that's not in their insurance network; bans rescissions of coverage when people get sick and have previously made an unintentional mistake on their application; ends lifetime limits on benefits; and phases out annual limits on benefits.
Click here to read more about how the Affordable Care Act gives women greater control over their health care.
Source:
HHS
Potential Changes In Federal Sex Education Funding Reignite Debate In Illinois Schools
The Chicago Tribune on Wednesday examined the debate in Illinois over whether schools should teach abstinence-only or comprehensive sex education curricula. Currently, nearly two in five Illinois students are taught abstinence-only, and nine in 10 Illinois health teachers cover abstinence in some form. However, this spring, the Democratically-controlled Congress will consider whether to curtail its support of abstinence-only lessons, having cut $14 million from abstinence education programs last month. That, coupled with President Obama's support for adding other forms of contraception to the lessons as part of an "age-appropriate, medically accurate program" to reduce teen pregnancies, a rise in teen pregnancy rates and research showing that abstinence-only programs are ineffective, "may augur a shift in what schools teach about sex," according to the Tribune.
According to the Tribune, Illinois schools are not required to teach sex education, but state law requires schools that offer it to place an emphasis on abstinence. How this is done is up to local school boards, and polices vary throughout the state, the Tribune reports. According to a report last year in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 60% of health educators in Illinois present abstinence as the best alternative, 39% as the only alternative and 4% as one alternative.
Supporters of comprehensive sex education said teaching only about abstinence does not mesh with the reality of teens' behavior, the Tribune reports. A report last year by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that nearly two-thirds of high school seniors reported they have had sex, and 22% said they had been with at least four partners. Kathleen Burke, CEO of the Robert Crown Center for Health Education -- which teaches comprehensive sex education to about 120,000 students annually in Illinois -- said, "We have junior high school principals calling us because they have five kids who are pregnant. They care deeply about students, but they don't know what to do" (Malone, Chicago Tribune, 4/22).
Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.
© 2009 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.
According to the Tribune, Illinois schools are not required to teach sex education, but state law requires schools that offer it to place an emphasis on abstinence. How this is done is up to local school boards, and polices vary throughout the state, the Tribune reports. According to a report last year in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 60% of health educators in Illinois present abstinence as the best alternative, 39% as the only alternative and 4% as one alternative.
Supporters of comprehensive sex education said teaching only about abstinence does not mesh with the reality of teens' behavior, the Tribune reports. A report last year by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that nearly two-thirds of high school seniors reported they have had sex, and 22% said they had been with at least four partners. Kathleen Burke, CEO of the Robert Crown Center for Health Education -- which teaches comprehensive sex education to about 120,000 students annually in Illinois -- said, "We have junior high school principals calling us because they have five kids who are pregnant. They care deeply about students, but they don't know what to do" (Malone, Chicago Tribune, 4/22).
Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.
© 2009 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.
Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes In Women May Be Increased By Large Fat Cells
Middle-aged women with large abdominal fat cells have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life compared to women with smaller fat cells. Waist circumference divided by body height can also be used to determine which women are at risk. This is shown in a new study from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
The study, which will be published in the next issue of the scientific journal FASEB Journal, is based on the extensive population study of women in Gothenburg Kvinnounders?¶kningen i G?¶teborg.
'The results indicate that large fat cells contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes, and we will now begin investigating the mechanisms behind this finding. Increased knowledge about large fat cells and their effects may lead to new preventive and therapeutic alternativs, says Malin L?¶nn, associate professor in experimental medicine at the Sahlgrenska Academy.
The researchers analysed data on cell size collected from 245 women in 1974-75, and found that the 36 women who developed diabetes over the course of 25 years had larger abdominal fat cells than those who did not develop the disease. The larger the fat cells, the larger the probability of developing type 2 diabetes. Since a person's fat cells vary significantly in size, the researchers used an average for each person.
In addition, the study reveals a simpler and faster way to predict which women are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes: waist circumference divided by body height.
'Our study suggests that this ratio may be even better than fat cell size at estimating who is at risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The higher the waist-to-height ratio, the higher the risk', says L?¶nn.
The study is based on Kvinnounders?¶kningen i G?¶teborg, which was started in 1968 by Professor Emeritus Calle Bengtsson. Since the start, almost 1500 women aged 38-60 have been interviewed about their lives and examined by a physician regularly. New women have been recruited over the years, making it possible to both follow a generation over time and compare different generations.
About type 2 diabetes:
Type 2 diabetes is one of today's main diseases. It is a chronic disease of the metabolism where the body either does not produce enough insulin or does not respond properly to insulin (insulin resistance). The disease is due to both genetic and other factors. A majority of the 300 000 Swedes with diabetes type 2 are overweight.
Source:
Malin L?¶nn
University of Gothenburg
The study, which will be published in the next issue of the scientific journal FASEB Journal, is based on the extensive population study of women in Gothenburg Kvinnounders?¶kningen i G?¶teborg.
'The results indicate that large fat cells contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes, and we will now begin investigating the mechanisms behind this finding. Increased knowledge about large fat cells and their effects may lead to new preventive and therapeutic alternativs, says Malin L?¶nn, associate professor in experimental medicine at the Sahlgrenska Academy.
The researchers analysed data on cell size collected from 245 women in 1974-75, and found that the 36 women who developed diabetes over the course of 25 years had larger abdominal fat cells than those who did not develop the disease. The larger the fat cells, the larger the probability of developing type 2 diabetes. Since a person's fat cells vary significantly in size, the researchers used an average for each person.
In addition, the study reveals a simpler and faster way to predict which women are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes: waist circumference divided by body height.
'Our study suggests that this ratio may be even better than fat cell size at estimating who is at risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The higher the waist-to-height ratio, the higher the risk', says L?¶nn.
The study is based on Kvinnounders?¶kningen i G?¶teborg, which was started in 1968 by Professor Emeritus Calle Bengtsson. Since the start, almost 1500 women aged 38-60 have been interviewed about their lives and examined by a physician regularly. New women have been recruited over the years, making it possible to both follow a generation over time and compare different generations.
About type 2 diabetes:
Type 2 diabetes is one of today's main diseases. It is a chronic disease of the metabolism where the body either does not produce enough insulin or does not respond properly to insulin (insulin resistance). The disease is due to both genetic and other factors. A majority of the 300 000 Swedes with diabetes type 2 are overweight.
Source:
Malin L?¶nn
University of Gothenburg
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