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Teaching Families To Manage Asthma Can Reduce E.R. Visits
The key to reducing the leading cause of pediatric emergency room visits could be to educate young patients and their parents about how to manage asthma, according to an updated review of studies. Moreover, such programs could lead to fewer hospitalizations for children.
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Hot Dogs Should Carry Cancer Warning Labels Says US Non Profit Group
A US non-profit organization filed a lawsuit on Wednesday asking a New Jersey county court to force food companies to put labels warning of
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Some Experts Remain Skeptical Of Withdrawal Method, Despite Recent Study On Effectiveness
Reproductive health experts were "taken aback" by a recent study that found that the withdrawal method is nearly as effective as male condoms in preventing pregnancy, the New York Times reports. The paper -- published in the June issue of the journal Contraception -- found that 4% of couples will become pregnant over a one-year period if they consistently use the withdrawal method, compared with about 2% of couples that consistently use condoms. According to the study"s authors, a more significant finding was that the rate of "typical use" for withdrawal leads to pregnancy 18% of the time, compared with 17% of the time for typical use of condoms. They wrote in the study that "it is unfortunate that some couples do not realize they are substantially reducing their risk of pregnancy when using withdrawal, as these misperceptions may cause unnecessary levels of anxiety. More speculatively, if more people realized that correct and consistent use of withdrawal substantially reduced the risk of pregnancy, they might use it more effectively." Although the authors said the goal of the paper was to encourage discussion, some experts are concerned that spreading a message that withdrawal is effective could lead young people to have unprotected sex, potentially exposing themselves to sexually transmitted infections that can be prevented through condom use, the Times reports. Melissa Gilliam, chief of family planning and contraceptive research at the University of Chicago"s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and a board member of the Guttmacher Institute, said the study"s data "don"t necessarily translate to youth today." She added, "In terms of a reliable method used over and over again, the risk of failure is quite high."Rachel Jones, the lead author of the study and a senior research associate at Guttmacher, said that dismissing the withdrawal method as a "legitimate" form of contraception is "counterproductive for the prevention of pregnancy and also discourages academic inquiry into this frequently used and reasonably effective method." She also said that health educators and providers "should discuss withdrawal as a legitimate, if slightly less effective, contraceptive method in the same way they do condoms and diaphragms." She noted that "most women have used withdrawal at some point in their lives."The study"s authors decided to examine the issue after noticing that many researchers and providers "just kind of dismiss withdrawal and don"t seem to realize that it can prevent pregnancy," according to Jones. She added, "Most people seem to be under the impression that you might as well do nothing." Martha Kempner, vice president for information and communications at the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States, said the results of the study have "made some classroom teachers nervous to give out the truth in this instance, but we do have to tell the truth." She added, "People, kids in particular, they"re using it. It is better than nothing, and it is always available" (Belluck, New York Times, 7/21).
Endocrinology

A Phase III Alzheimer's Drug Increases Levels Of Beta Amyloid In The Brain -- But Still Provides Benefits

Surprising new insights into how a Phase III Alzheimer"s drug might work were among the advances in potential therapies targeting two abnormal brain proteins -- beta amyloid and phosphorylated tau -- that were reported today at the Alzheimer"s Association 2009 International Conference on Alzheimer"s Disease (ICAD 2009) in Vienna. Scientists also reported on how clinicians view and treat mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a research category used to define the state between normal aging and Alzheimer"s, that is now being used widely in clinical practice. "There are now more than 26 million people living with Alzheimer"s and dementia around the world. The cost of caring for these people, and those who will get it in the next few years, will bankrupt the world"s healthcare systems," said Ralph Nixon, PhD, MD, vice chair of the Alzheimer"s Association Medical & Scientific Advisory Council. "But, as these studies and many hundreds more reported at ICAD 2009 show, there is hope. There are currently dozens of drugs in clinical trials for Alzheimer"s. This, combined with advancements in diagnostic tools, has the potential to change the landscape of Alzheimer"s in our lifetime. How fast we get there depends completely on the investment in research. We need more government and private dollars for Alzheimer"s research now to capitalize on the progress we"ve made in the last decade," Nixon added. The studies reported at ICAD 2009 were: -- Sam Gandy, et al -- Dimebon(R), A Clinically Promising Drug For Alzheimer Disease, Regulates Amyloid-Beta Metabolism In Cultured Cells, In Isolated Nerve Terminals, And In The Interstitial Fluid Of The Living Rodent Brain. -- Moran Boimel, et al -- Immunotherapy Targeting Pathologically Phosphorylated Tau In A Tauopathy Mouse Model. -- Scott Roberts, et al -- Clinical Practices Regarding Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) Among Neurology Service Providers. The 2009 Alzheimer"s Association International Conference on Alzheimer"s Disease (ICAD 2009) brings together more than 3,000 researchers from 70 countries to share groundbreaking research and information on the cause, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of Alzheimer"s disease and related disorders. ICAD 2009 will be held in Vienna, Austria at Messe Wien Exhibition and Congress Center from July 11-16. The Alzheimer"s Association is the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer care, support and research. Our mission is to eliminate Alzheimer"s disease through the advancement of research, to provide and enhance care and support for all affected, and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. Our vision is a world without Alzheimer"s. For more information, visit http://www.alz.org. Alzheimer"s Association


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