Health

Human

2010-02-04T08:07:00.000-08:00

HHS HealthBeat

(December 29, 2009)

HIV and obesity

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From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

Being obese is bad for people’s health. And a study indicates that being obese is bad for people with HIV in a way that’s related to their disease.

Nancy Crum-Cianflone of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences saw this in 22 years of data on more than 1,100 people. She examined the effect of obesity after therapy became available to fight the AIDS virus on their immune cells – notably their CD4 cells:

[Nancy Crum-Cianflone speaks] "People who had excessive weights had lower CD4 counts than someone who had an appropriate weight."

Crum-Cianflone says it may be another reason to control weight.

The study presented at a meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Learn more at hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: December, 28 2009

http://study-dobi.blogspot.com/human

Cancer

2010-02-04T08:03:00.000-08:00

HHS HealthBeat

(December 28, 2009)

Life, death and mammograms

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From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Jeff Levine with HHS HealthBeat.

The best way to treat breast cancer is to spot it early and remove it. The most effective way to spot it early in most women is the mammogram. And a look at breast cancer deaths has the numbers to back it up.

Blake Cady, an emeritus professor at Harvard Medical School who’s on the staff of Cambridge Breast Center, checked data on the outcomes of almost 7,000 cases of breast cancers that had not spread.

[Blake Cady speaks] ``Seventy-five percent of the deaths occurred in the 20 percent of women who were not in regular screening programs, while only 25 percent of the deaths occurred in women who were getting regularly screened.’’

Cady says it’s another argument for regular screening.

The study presented at the ASCO Breast Cancer Symposium was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Learn more at hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Jeff Levine.

Last revised: December, 28 2009

http://regular screening-dobi.blogspot.com/cancer

2010-02-04T08:00:00.000-08:00

Mcneil Consumer Healthcare Announces A Voluntary Nationwide Recall Of All Lots Of Tylenol® Arthritis Pain 100 Count With Ez-Open Cap

Consumer Questions:
1-888-222-6036
(Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time, and Saturday-Sunday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Time)

Media Contacts:
Marc Boston
215-273-7649 (office)
215-429-7034 (mobile)

Bonnie Jacobs
215-273-8994 (office)
856-912-9965 (mobile)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – December 18, 2009 – Fort Washington, PA – In consultation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), McNeil Consumer Healthcare, Division of McNEIL-PPC, Inc., is expanding its voluntary recall to include all available product lots of TYLENOL® Arthritis Pain Caplet 100 count bottles, with the distinctive red EZ-OPEN CAP (Full list of lot numbers provided below). In November 2009, 5 lots of this product were recalled due to consumer reports of an unusual moldy, musty, or mildew-like odor that was associated with nausea, stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhea. The recall is being expanded, as a precaution, to include all TYLENOL® Arthritis Pain Caplet 100 count bottles with the distinctive red EZ-OPEN CAP.

The uncharacteristic smell is caused by the presence of trace amounts of a chemical called 2,4,6-tribromoanisole. The source of 2,4,6-tribromoanisole is believed to be the breakdown of a chemical used to treat wooden pallets that transport and store packaging materials. The health effects of this compound have not been well studied, and to date all of the observed events reported to McNeil were temporary and non-serious.

Consumers who purchased TYLENOL® Arthritis Pain Caplet 100 count bottles with the distinctive red EZ-OPEN CAP from the lots included in this recall should stop using the product and contact McNeil for instructions on a refund or replacement. For these instructions or information regarding how to return or dispose of the product, consumers should call 1-888-222-6036 (Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time, and Saturday-Sunday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Time) or log on to the internet at www.tylenol.com. Consumers who have medical concerns or questions should contact their healthcare provider. Any adverse reactions may also be reported to the FDA’s MedWatch Program by fax at 1-800-FDA-0178, by mail at MedWatch, FDA, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20852-9787, or on the MedWatch website at www.fda.gov/medwatch.

The affected TYLENOL® Arthritis Pain Caplet 100 count product lot numbers can be found on the side of the bottle label. See the full list of affected product lot numbers below:

Recalled Product- Full List (LINK: http://www.tylenol.com/page2.jhtml?id=tylenol/news/subp_tar_recall.inc

UPC #	NDC Code #	Lot #	Product Description
0045-0838-21	8382100	07CMC011, 07DMC022, 07DMC024, 07FMC032, 07FMC033, 07GMC038, 07GMC039, 07HMC045, 07HMC051, 07HMC053, 07JMC064, 07JMC069, 07JMC070, 07JMC071, 07XMC055, 07XMC058, 07XMC062, 08AMC002, 08AMC005, 08CMC026, 08DMC029, 08EMC037, 08EMC039, 08FMC044, 08FMC045, 08GMC050, 08GMC053, 08GMC063, 08GMC065, 08JMC103, 08JMC109, 08JMC110, 08JMC111, 08KMC124, 08KMC127, 08KMC131, 08KMC132, 08XMC093, 08XMC094, 08XMC095, 09AMC010, 09CMC041, 09EMC075, 09EMC079, 09EMC076, 09GMC096, 09GMC097, 09GMC099, 09JMC118, 09JMC126, 09KMC133, 09KMC134, 09XMC114, 09XMC116	TYLENOL® ARTHRITIS PAIN CAPLET 100 COUNT BOTTLES (with red EZ-OPEN CAP)

UPC #

NDC Code #

Lot #

Product Description

0045-0838-21

8382100

07CMC011, 07DMC022, 07DMC024, 07FMC032, 07FMC033, 07GMC038, 07GMC039, 07HMC045, 07HMC051, 07HMC053, 07JMC064, 07JMC069, 07JMC070, 07JMC071, 07XMC055, 07XMC058, 07XMC062, 08AMC002, 08AMC005, 08CMC026, 08DMC029, 08EMC037, 08EMC039, 08FMC044, 08FMC045, 08GMC050, 08GMC053, 08GMC063, 08GMC065, 08JMC103, 08JMC109, 08JMC110, 08JMC111, 08KMC124, 08KMC127, 08KMC131, 08KMC132, 08XMC093, 08XMC094, 08XMC095, 09AMC010, 09CMC041, 09EMC075, 09EMC079, 09EMC076, 09GMC096, 09GMC097, 09GMC099, 09JMC118, 09JMC126, 09KMC133, 09KMC134, 09XMC114, 09XMC116

TYLENOL® ARTHRITIS PAIN CAPLET 100 COUNT BOTTLES

(with red EZ-OPEN CAP)

Only the TYLENOL® Arthritis Pain Caplet 100’s with the distinctive red EZ-OPEN CAP are affected by this action. All other TYLENOL® Arthritis Pain products remain commercially available. McNeil Consumer Healthcare will reintroduce the TYLENOL® Arthritis Pain Caplet 100 count product by January, 2010 after moving production to a new facility.

McNeil Consumer Healthcare, Division of McNEIL-PPC, Inc. markets a broad range of well-known and trusted over-the-counter (OTC) products around the globe. McNeil Consumer Healthcare is most widely recognized for the complete line of TYLENOL® acetaminophen products, the leading pain reliever brand in the adult and pediatric categories.

http://voluntary recall-dobi.blogspot.com/alert

Alert

2010-02-04T07:58:00.000-08:00

Encompass Group Voluntarily Recalls Thermoflect Product Line

Company Contact:
Victoria Young
214-948-5940

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – December 26, 2009 – McDonough, GA – Jea R. Gackowski, Encompass Group Corporate Compliance Officer announced today the company is voluntarily recalling the Thermoflect product line for relabeling regarding its use in the MR (Magnetic Resonance) environment.

"We are voluntarily recalling the product line from use in the Magnetic Resonance (MR) environment," Gackowski said. "We are requesting that the Thermoflect blankets and other products not be used in MR conditional or MR compatible environments. We are in the process of sending labels to our customers to be attached per instructions to remind the hospitals that the product line should not be used in the MR environment.

"In the past, we have stated that the Thermoflect product may be used in the MR environment. However, after being informed by the FDA, at this time we will not promote the products for use in the Magnetic Resonance Environment. However, the product is still safe and effective for use in treating hypothermia."

We have been advised by the FDA that a report has been filed of an injury to an (MRI) patient. Several items are under consideration, including all of the blankets used in the MRI environment, of which Thermoflect is one. There is no evidence that the Thermoflect blanket caused the injury but as a precautionary measure we are voluntarily recalling the product line for relabeling.

Thermoflect products are distributed nationally and internationally. A complete list of Thermoflect products and additional information can be found at www.thermoflect.com.

We have concluded that there is currently no ASTM International standard to test Thermoflect in the MR environment, although we have conducted multiple laboratory and field tests. "Until an ASTM standard has been developed by ASTM International, we have removed statements on our website and in our product literature that Thermoflect is MR-Conditional or MR-Compatible.

"In addition to issuing this news release to appropriate magazine and trade paper listings, we have sent letters to our customers, hospitals, and doctors in radiology and will follow up with training and verification surveys."

"At Encompass Group, our mission is always to help healthcare and hospitality providers create safe and comfortable environments for patients, staff, residents and guests. This voluntary recall is another example of our ongoing commitment to those objectives"

For More Information, contact
Jea R. Gackowski, C.H.B., C.C.S.
Corporate Compliance Officer
770-626-2044
Monday – Friday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. eastern

http://Thermoflect blankets-dobi.blogspot.com/alert

Health and

2010-02-04T07:44:00.000-08:00

HHS HealthBeat

(December 25, 2009)

Throwing cold water on the waterpipes

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From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

There is no healthy way to use tobacco, only unhealthy ones. And if you think waterpipes are some kind of exception, think again.

At Virginia Commonwealth University, Thomas Eissenberg compared carbon monoxide, nicotine and smoke levels in 31 people after they smoked a cigarette and after they used a waterpipe.

[Thomas Eissenberg speaks] "When they were smoking a waterpipe, we saw three times the carbon monoxide, 1.7 times the nicotine and 48 times the smoke, so there were dramatic differences."

The smoke is worth noting because there are lots of cancer-causing chemicals in it. Eissenberg says the idea that the water somehow filters the smoke is just wrong.

The study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine was supported by the U.S. Public Health Service.

Learn more at hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

http://tobacco-dobi.blogspot.com/health and

Treatment

2010-02-02T12:45:00.000-08:00

Deep Brain Stimulation Curbs Parkinson Symptoms

Scientists reported that a therapy for treating Parkinson’s disease called deep brain stimulation improved quality of life and gave patients more daily hours without troubling movement symptoms than standard medical care. However, brain stimulation also carried a greater risk of serious adverse events.

Deep brain stimulation has been used for more than a decade to treat patients whose Parkinson’s symptoms can no longer be effectively controlled with medication. The procedure involves surgically implanting tiny electrodes into brain regions that control movement. When the electrodes are stimulated, they inhibit the malfunctioning brain signals that cause tremor, walking problems and other movement abnormalities typical of Parkinson’s disease. Despite its long-term use, however, questions remain about the benefits and risks of the procedure and its appropriate use, and few randomized trials have compared its effectiveness to other, less invasive therapies.

In the latest study, the largest clinical trial of its kind to date, 255 patients with advanced Parkinson’s disease were randomly assigned to receive either deep brain stimulation or “best medical therapy,” including medication. The study was funded by NIH’s National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ Office of Research and Development, with additional support from Medtronic, Inc. Unlike most previous studies, this multicenter trial included a large percentage of older patients; about 25% of participants were age 70 or older. The results were published in the January 7, 2009, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

By 6 months after surgery, patients receiving deep brain stimulation had gained an average of 4.6 hours per day of good symptom control without troubling involuntary movements, called dyskinesia. In contrast, patients receiving standard medical care showed no change, on average, in hourly symptom control. In patients age 70 and over, those in the stimulation group gained an average of 3.8 hours of good symptom control per day, whereas those in the standard therapy group lost a half hour per day.

Clinically meaningful improvements to motor function were also seen in 71% of patients who received brain stimulation, compared to 32% in the standard therapy group. In addition, assessments of quality of life improved significantly in the stimulation group compared to the other group.

On the down side, serious adverse events were seen in 49 of 121 patients (40%) who received deep brain stimulation and in 15 of 131 patients (11%) in the best medical therapy group. The most common adverse event in the stimulation group was infection from the surgery. Other negative events included nervous system, psychiatric and cardiovascular disorders.

In the second phase of this ongoing study, the researchers will assess the longer term effects of deep brain stimulation. Until more data are available from carefully controlled clinical trials, the scientists recommend that doctors and patients carefully weigh potential benefits and risks when deciding on appropriate treatment for Parkinson’s disease.

— by Vicki Contie

http://ongoing study-dobi.blogspot.com/treatment

Treatment

2010-02-02T12:32:00.000-08:00

Acupuncture-Like Treatments Improve Low Back Pain

Acupuncture and simulated acupuncture both improved chronic low back pain more than conventional care in a new study. The result highlights central questions about how acupuncture helps people with chronic pain.

Acupuncture is a family of procedures that originated in traditional Chinese medicine. It involves stimulating specific points on the body by a variety of techniques, including the insertion of thin metal needles though the skin. In the United States, acupuncture is considered part of complementary and alternative medicine.

Many patients with back pain who are dissatisfied with their medical care seek treatment from acupuncturists. In fact, back pain is the leading reason for visits to licensed acupuncturists.

Several recent studies have suggested that both real acupuncture and "sham" acupuncture (the shallow needling of points) are equally effective for treating chronic low back pain, and that both are superior to best-practice medical care. A team of researchers led by Dr. Daniel Cherkin of the Group Health Center for Health Studies in Seattle set out to further investigate. Their work was funded by NIH's National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM).

The team enrolled 638 adults with chronic low back pain who never had acupuncture. The participants were randomly assigned to 4 groups. The first received individualized acupuncture, a customized prescription for acupuncture points from a diagnostician. The second received standardized acupuncture, targeting points that acupuncture experts consider generally effective for chronic low back pain. The third group received simulated acupuncture, which mimics needle acupuncture but doesn't involve actual penetration of the skin. The fourth group received standard medical care.

The patients in the 3 acupuncture groups were treated twice weekly for 3 weeks, and then weekly for an additional 4 weeks. At 8, 26 and 52 weeks, the researchers measured back-related dysfunction and asked the participants about their symptoms.

The researchers reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine on May 11, 2009, that dysfunction scores at 8 weeks had improved significantly more for all 3 acupuncture groups than for the standard care group. The benefits persisted for a year, though they diminished over time. There was no significant difference between the groups receiving the needle and simulated forms of acupuncture. Neither tailoring acupuncture needle sites to an individual patient nor actually penetrating the skin appeared to be necessary to get the benefits of acupuncture.

"Because of the lack of highly effective medical treatments for chronic low back pain, we were pleased to find that acupuncture-like treatments were helpful for persons suffering from chronic back pain," Cherkin says. "However, the finding that real acupuncture produced no greater benefit than simulated acupuncture raises important questions about acupuncture's mechanisms of action."

"This adds to the growing body of evidence that there is something meaningful taking place during acupuncture treatments outside of actual needling. Future research is needed to delve deeper into what is evoking these responses," says Dr. Josephine P. Briggs, director of NCCAM.

http://growing body-dobi.blogspot.com/treatment

Treatment

2010-02-02T12:30:00.000-08:00

Gene Therapy Shows Promise for Eye Condition

Three young adults who received gene therapy for a blinding eye condition remained healthy and maintained visual gains one year later, researchers reported. One patient also noticed a visual improvement that helped her perform daily tasks.

Retinal photo of a patient with Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA). Image courtesy of NEI.

Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA) is a currently untreatable hereditary condition that causes severe vision loss and blindness in infants and children. The 3 patients in the study—aged 22, 24 and 25—have been legally blind since birth due to a specific form of LCA caused by mutations in the RPE65 gene. The protein coded by this gene is needed for the production of a retina-specific form of vitamin A that allows light-sensitive photoreceptor cells to function.

The RPE65 form of LCA offers an opportunity for treatment because it leaves some photoreceptors intact. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Florida pinpointed an area of intact photoreceptors in the retina of each patient. They then injected healthy copies of the RPE65 gene under the retina in this area. The ongoing phase I clinical trial is supported by NIH's National Eye Institute (NEI).

Three independent groups previously reported the short-term benefits of this procedure. In a paper published online on August 3, 2009, in Human Gene Therapy, the researchers noted that, one year after the procedure, the therapy had not provoked a detectable immune response, a risk in gene therapy procedures. The patients' ability to read letters on an eye chart remained unchanged, but all 3 patients could detect dim lights that they weren't able to see before treatment. This provides evidence that the newly introduced RPE65 gene is functional and is increasing the light sensitivity of the retina.

The scientists also reported in the August 13, 2009, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine that, at 12 months, one patient noticed that she could read an illuminated clock on the dashboard of a car for the first time in her life. When the researchers performed additional tests, they found that, rather than focusing on objects using the region of the retina where the sharpest central vision normally occurs, this patient had gradually begun to use the area of the retina that had been treated with gene therapy.

"This interesting finding shows that over time, a person visually adapted to gene therapy in a meaningful way," says principal investigator Dr. Samuel G. Jacobson of the University of Pennsylvania. "As we continue our studies, we will look more closely at whether these slow visual gains could be accelerated with visual training."

The researchers will continue to follow these patients over the next several years to monitor safety and to learn whether the visual benefits remain. The ongoing trial also includes additional groups of LCA patients—children as well as adults—who are receiving different doses of the RPE65 gene therapy.

"These results are very significant because they represent one of the first steps toward the clinical use of gene therapy for an inherited form of blindness," says NEI Director Dr. Paul A. Sieving. "I anticipate that it is only a matter of time before similar techniques will be applied to other genetic diseases affecting vision."

http://gene therapy-dobi.blogspot.com/treatment

Treatment

2010-02-02T12:26:00.000-08:00

Cocaine Vaccine Shows Promise for Treating Addiction

Immunization with an experimental anti-cocaine vaccine results in a significant reduction in cocaine use, according to a clinical trial. The result is the first successful demonstration to date of a vaccine against an illegal drug of abuse.

Dr. Thomas Kosten, with a team at the Yale University School of Medicine, developed the cocaine vaccine and previously demonstrated its safety. Like vaccines against infectious diseases, the anti-cocaine vaccine stimulates the immune system to produce antibodies. The antibodies attach themselves to cocaine molecules in the blood and prevent them from passing through the blood-brain barrier. By preventing the drug's entry into the brain, the vaccine inhibits or blocks cocaine-induced euphoria.

A team led by Kosten, now at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, recently carried out a clinical trial to test the vaccine's efficacy, with funding primarily from NIH's National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). The trial included 115 patients from a methadone maintenance program who were randomly assigned to receive the anti-cocaine vaccine or a placebo (inactive) vaccine. The participants received 5 vaccinations over a 12-week period and were followed for an additional 12 weeks. All attended weekly relapse-prevention therapy sessions with a trained substance abuse counselor. The patients had their blood tested for antibodies to cocaine and their urine tested for the presence of opioids and cocaine.

In the October 2009 issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry, the scientists reported that participants who generated the highest antibody levels in response to the vaccination had the greatest reductions in cocaine use. Thirty-eight percent attained blood levels of anti-cocaine antibodies thought to be sufficient to block cocaine's euphoric effects. During weeks 9 to 16 (when antibody levels peaked), these participants had significantly more cocaine-free urine samples (45%) than those who received the placebo or those with active vaccine but low levels of antibodies (35%). The researchers saw no serious adverse effects from the vaccinations.

"In this study, immunization did not achieve complete abstinence from cocaine use," Kosten says. "Previous research has shown, however, that a reduction in use is associated with a significant improvement in cocaine abusers' social functioning and thus is therapeutically meaningful."

"The results of this study represent a promising step toward an effective medical treatment for cocaine addiction," says NIDA Director Dr. Nora Volkow. "Provided that larger follow-up studies confirm its safety and efficacy, this vaccine would offer a valuable new approach to treating cocaine addiction, for which no FDA-approved medication is currently available."

http://cocaine addiction-dobi.blogspot.com/treatment

Weight Loss

2010-02-02T12:20:00.000-08:00

Weight Loss Depends on Less Calories, Not Nutrient Mix

Heart-healthy diets that reduce calorie intake—regardless of differing proportions of fat, protein or carbohydrate—can help overweight and obese adults achieve and maintain weight loss, according to a new study.

You’re considered overweight if your body mass index (BMI)—a ratio of weight to height—is greater than 25 and less than 30. Those with a BMI of 30 or higher are considered to be obese. Sixty-six percent of American adults are overweight and of those, 32% are obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Researchers funded by NIH’s National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) recruited 811 overweight and obese adults, aged 30 to 70, and assigned them to 1 of 4 diets. The participants didn’t have diabetes or severe heart disease but could have had other risk factors, such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol. The research was done at the Harvard University School of Public Health in Boston and at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center of Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. The diets were adapted to the diverse cuisines from these 2 regions of the country.

The 4 diets all had the same calorie reduction goals and were heart-healthy—which means they were low in saturated fat and cholesterol and high in dietary fiber. However, they varied in their levels of fat, protein and carbohydrate. The 4 diets were: 1) low-fat (20% of calories), average protein (15% of calories); 2) low-fat, high-protein (25% of calories); 3) high-fat (40% of calories), average protein; and 4) high-fat, high-protein. Carbohydrates ranged from 35% to 65% of calories.

The participants were asked to record their food intake in a diary or an online tool that showed how intake compared with goals. Group diet counseling sessions were held at least twice per month throughout the 2 years of the study, and individual sessions were held every 8 weeks. The participants were given personalized calorie goals, ranging from 1,200 to 2,400 calories per day, that reduced their overall caloric intake. They were also asked to do moderate-intensity physical activity, such as brisk walking, for at least 90 minutes per week.

The researchers reported on February 26, 2009, in the New England Journal of Medicine that they saw similar weight loss in all 4 diet groups after 6 months and also after 2 years. On average, participants lost 13 pounds at 6 months and maintained a 9 pound loss at 2 years. The participants also reduced their waistlines by 1 to 3 inches by the end of the study. Craving, fullness, hunger and diet satisfaction were similar across the 4 diets.

Previous studies have shown that a loss of 5-10% of body weight will help reduce risk factors for heart disease and other medical conditions. In this study, 15% of patients achieved a 10% weight loss after 2 years. Consistent with previous studies, the diets all improved several known risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

"This new information should focus weight loss approaches on reducing calorie intake rather than any particular proportions of fat, protein or carbohydrate," says principal investigator Dr. Frank M. Sacks of the Harvard School of Public Health.

http://reducing calorie-dobi.blogspot.com/Weight Loss

Treatment

2010-01-31T05:23:00.000-08:00

NIH and D.C. Department of Health Team up to Combat District’s HIV/AIDS Epidemic

Officials from the National Institutes of Health and the city of Washington, D.C. today announced the new D.C. Partnership for HIV/AIDS Progress, a collaborative research initiative between NIH and the D.C. Department of Health designed to decrease the rate of new HIV infections in the city, improve the health of district residents living with HIV infection, and strengthen the city’s response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The partnership is being co-led by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of NIH, and the D.C. Department of Health.

NIH has allocated $26.4 million for the first two years of the partnership through funding from NIAID and the NIH Office of AIDS Research.

“Tragically, our nation’s capital has one of the highest rates of HIV/AIDS, where about 3 percent of adults and adolescents are infected with the virus,” says NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D. “By collaborating with Mayor Fenty’s administration to establish the new D.C. Partnership for HIV/AIDS Progress, NIH will seek to answer critical HIV research questions that could positively affect the district’s HIV/AIDS problem and serve as a model for programs in other U.S. cities as well.”

The D.C. Partnership centers on four research efforts:

Identifying populations at high risk for HIV acquisition and developing effective interventions for reducing their risk
Establishing a D.C.-wide data analysis mechanism to identify and address health issues and outcomes for people receiving HIV care and treatment
Augmenting the city’s HIV-related subspecialty medical care and enhancing access to research studies
Conducting a pilot program to study the voluntary test-and-treat concept aimed at stemming new cases of HIV infection

“As the nation’s capital and a national leader in the fight against HIV, the District of Columbia is excited to launch a new, innovative partnership for HIV/AIDS progress with NIH,” says Washington Mayor Adrian M. Fenty. “This comprehensive collaboration will generate fresh ideas, new services and technical knowledge to enable the city and NIH to prevent new infections and improve health care services for all residents living with HIV/AIDS.”

Identifying, Helping HIV At-risk Populations

African-Americans represent the overwhelming majority—76 percent—of the district’s HIV/AIDS cases. To better understand the risk factors for HIV infection and develop effective interventions for reducing risk, NIAID is conducting two observational studies through its HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN). The first study, HPTN 061, is collecting sexual and social networking information from black men who have sex with men (MSM). Participants receive HIV risk-reduction counseling and condoms; testing for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections; screenings for substance use, mental health issues, partner and/or homophobic violence; and a peer system to help them navigate the health care system and utilize HIV services. Already under way, the two-year study will assess the impact of these services on HIV incidence. HPTN 061 will enroll 2,460 men in six U.S. cities, including about 400 Washington participants.

HPTN 064, also a two-year observational study in six U.S. cities, aims to estimate HIV incidence among African-American women from areas with high rates of both HIV and poverty. The study characterizes their sexual behavior, alcohol and drug use, prevalence of domestic violence, and mental health indicators, and explores issues that facilitate and hamper HIV testing. HPTN 064 will enroll 1,200 women including 200 women from the district.

Both local studies are being conducted through a HPTN clinical site at The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services.

Tracking HIV Care, Measuring Success

The new D.C. Partnership will help track HIV-associated health issues and outcomes by linking information from 13 of the city’s largest health care providers covering roughly 12,000 district residents living with HIV. By establishing this system, the partnership aims to better assess the clinical and treatment status of individual HIV-infected patients, evaluate outcomes of specific clinics and health programs and measure the impact of HIV testing and treatment initiatives within the city. The partnership will benefit providers by helping develop data-driven public health strategies.

“Our collaboration with NIH will allow us to continue our work to make sustainable and measurable improvements in the health and wellness of people living with HIV/AIDS,” says D.C. Department of Health Director Pierre Vigilance, M.D., M.P.H.

According to Shannon L. Hader, M.D., M.P.H, senior deputy director of the DC HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis, STD and TB Administration, the new partnership will both “bring D.C. medical providers together to yield extraordinary knowledge about the district’s HIV epidemic and put D.C. on the map to recruiting new scientists and medical practitioners as the place to fight HIV/AIDS.”

Enhancing Care for HIV-related Medical Issues

Non–AIDS defining illnesses and HIV coinfections, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and hepatitis, are significant causes of illness and death for many HIV-infected patients. In the district, however, few medical providers can provide targeted, specialized medical services that address these issues in underinsured residents. To address this gap, NIH and the D.C. Department of Health are working with Washington medical providers to establish clinics designed to provide HIV-related subspecialty care to underinsured patients in district communities most in need. The three clinics established to date are collaborative efforts with Family & Medical Counseling Service, Inc. in Southeast Washington; Walker Jones Health Center of Unity Health Services in Northeast Washington; and Whitman-Walker Clinic in Northwest Washington.

Led by program director Henry Masur, M.D., chief of the Critical Care Medicine Department in the NIH Clinical Center, and D.C. Partnership Medical Director Dawn Fishbein, M.D., the three clinics will initially focus on treating HIV-infected patients who have hepatitis B or C. Subsequently, HIV-related metabolic disorders, mental health issues and cardiovascular disease will be targeted at future clinical sites.

“The goals of the clinics are to enhance subspecialty medical care for underinsured HIV-infected patients, assess the need for specific clinical trials on given issues, and if clinical trials are deemed necessary, provide those patients with access to the latest treatments available,” Dr. Masur explains. “This program also will focus on mentoring promising young leaders in HIV medicine who could enhance the district’s reputation as a leader in developing new strategies for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of HIV/AIDS.”

Piloting Test-and-Treat

The partnership also will provide a real-world examination of the test-and-treat hypothesis—the model published by World Health Organization scientists in early 2009 that proposed that the HIV epidemic can be significantly curtailed through annual, voluntary HIV testing and immediate antiretroviral treatment for individuals who test positive for HIV infection.

“NIAID already is conducting several studies designed to answer the key research questions that underpin the test-and-treat concept,” says Carl Dieffenbach, Ph.D., director of NIAID’s Division of AIDS. “Through this partnership, NIAID is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to design a study to answer whether implementing a combined strategy of expanding HIV testing, diagnosing infection early and bringing HIV-infected patients to medical care and treatment is feasible.”

Specifically, the test-and-treat pilot study will compare current community standards for HIV testing and treatment with accelerated expansion of routine testing services to identify HIV-infected people and evaluate enhanced methods for rapidly linking those patients to care and successful treatment. The results of the project will be analyzed to determine the cost-effectiveness of the test-and-treat approach.

NIAID and CDC also plan to conduct a pilot study in the Bronx, New York. The overall study plan is being finalized and, once initiated, is expected to last for three years.

http://HIV-infected people -dobi.blogspot.com/treatment

Science

2010-01-31T05:18:00.000-08:00

NIAID MEDIA AVAILABILITY

Identified: Switch that Turns On the

Allergic Response in People

WHAT:		A new study in human cells has singled out a molecule that specifically directs immune cells to develop the capability to produce an allergic response. The signaling molecule, called thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), is key to the development of allergic diseases such as asthma, atopic dermatitis (eczema), and food allergy. The study team, led by Yong-Jun Liu, M.D., Ph.D., at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, focused on dendritic cells, immune cells that initiate the primary immune response. Dendritic cells come into contact with other immune cells known as T cells, causing them to develop into different subsets of T cells, including helper 1 (Th1) and helper 2 (Th2) cells. These T-cell subsets are involved in protective immune responses, but the Th2 cells can also drive an allergic response. Until now, it was not known how dendritic cells induced T cells to become Th2 cells. The investigators used dendritic cells isolated from the blood of healthy donors and found that the binding of TSLP to these cells activates a distinct set of signaling pathways within the cells. As a result, the dendritic cells produce messenger molecules that act on the T cells, causing them to develop into Th2 cells. The study identifies TSLP as a switch that causes the development of the allergic response in people and suggests that this molecule may be a potential therapeutic target to treat and prevent allergic diseases. Dr. Liu and his colleagues are supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health. The investigators are with the Asthma and Allergic Diseases Cooperative Research Centers program, now in its fourth decade of continuous funding as the cornerstone of NIAID’s asthma and allergy research portfolio.
ARTICLE:		K Arima et al. Distinct signal codes generate dendritic cell functional plasticity. Science Signaling. DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.2000567 (2010).
WHO:		Marshall Plaut, M.D., Chief, Allergic Mechanisms Section, Asthma, Allergy and Inflammation Branch, NIAID Division of Allergy, Immunology and Transplantation, is available to comment on this article.
http://humancells-dobi.blogspot.com/science

Science

2010-01-31T05:14:00.000-08:00

New Study Examines Best Ways to Prevent Mother-to-Child HIV Transmission and Preserve Maternal and Infant Health

An estimated 430,000 children worldwide became infected with HIV in 2008, mostly through birth or breastfeeding from an HIV-infected mother. Many regions of the world are gaining increased access to complex antiretroviral drug regimens for preventing HIV transmission from a mother to her child. However, these strategies have not yet been directly compared with simpler antiretroviral drug regimens in terms of their safety, efficacy, feasibility and cost-effectiveness.

On January 15, a large, multinational clinical trial began to determine how best to reduce the risk of HIV transmission from infected pregnant women to their babies during pregnancy and breastfeeding while preserving the health of these children and their mothers.

The PROMISE (“Promoting Maternal-Infant Survival Everywhere”) study aims to enroll 7,950 HIV-infected women who are pregnant or have recently given birth and 5,950 HIV-exposed infants of these women. The participants will come from as many as 18 countries whose levels of resources range from high to low. The International Maternal Pediatric Adolescent AIDS Clinical Trials network is conducting the study with funding from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, both part of the National Institutes of Health. Led by protocol chair Mary Glenn Fowler, M.D., M.P.H., of the Makerere University–Johns Hopkins University Research Collaboration in Kampala, Uganda, the study team expects results in five to six years.

The HIV-infected women eligible to participate in PROMISE do not yet qualify for treatment—that is, their CD4+ T cell count, a measure of immune health, exceeds the level (350 cells per cubic millimeter of blood) at which highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) generally is recommended. HAART consists of a potent combination of three or more antiretroviral drugs.

The study addresses four distinct research questions. Most volunteers will participate in multiple components of the study to answer these questions. The first component will examine which of two proven strategies is safer and more effective at preventing mother-to-child HIV transmission before and during delivery: giving HIV-infected pregnant women a three-antiretroviral-drug regimen beginning as early as 14 weeks of gestation, or giving them the antiretroviral drug zidovudine beginning as early as 14 weeks of pregnancy and a single dose of the antiretroviral drug nevirapine during labor. The regimen of zidovudine and nevirapine is the standard of care in many countries for women who do not yet require treatment for their HIV infection. Some 4,400 women will be assigned at random to receive either one of these two interventions.

The second component of the PROMISE study will compare the safety and efficacy of two methods of preventing mother-to-child HIV transmission during breastfeeding. The study team will assign 4,650 mother-infant pairs at random either to receive a daily dose of infant nevirapine or to have the mothers take a three-antiretroviral-drug regimen throughout breastfeeding.

The third component of the PROMISE study will examine the effects of short-term use of a three-antiretroviral-drug regimen during pregnancy and breastfeeding to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission on the health of HIV-infected mothers who do not yet need treatment. For such women, it remains unclear whether stopping the three-drug regimen after giving birth or ceasing to breastfeed would compromise their health. Although past studies have shown that interrupting treatment with antiretroviral drugs has a negative effect, the conditions in those studies are different enough from the conditions of the PROMISE study to make extrapolating the results difficult, according to the study investigators.

The 4,675 women participating in this third component of PROMISE will be assigned at random either to stop the three-antiretroviral-drug regimen after giving birth or weaning, or to continue the drug regimen indefinitely. The health of these two groups will be compared. In addition, the women who receive the time-limited three-drug regimen will be compared with the women who participated in the first component of PROMISE and did not receive the three-drug regimen, but rather took zidovudine during pregnancy and single-dose nevirapine during labor.

The last component of the PROMISE study involves protecting the health of HIV-exposed but uninfected infants. In resource-limited settings, it is standard to give the antibiotic cotrimoxazole once daily to infants exposed to HIV at birth until the infant has stopped breastfeeding and is known to be HIV-uninfected. While cotrimoxazole prophylaxis improves the survival rate of HIV-infected infants, it is not known whether continuing to administer the drug after weaning similarly would benefit HIV-exposed but uninfected children.

In this fourth component of the PROMISE study, nearly 2,290 HIV-exposed but uninfected, weaned infants under one year old will be assigned at random either to continue receiving cotrimoxazole or to receive a placebo through age 18 months. Neither the mothers of the infants nor the study team will know which infants are in which group. The study will determine whether continuing cotrimoxazole prophylaxis in HIV-exposed, uninfected infants from the time they stop breastfeeding through age 18 months decreases their risk of illness and death without causing side effects or generating bacterial resistance to cotrimoxizole.

http://HIV-exposed-dobi.blogspot.com/science

Drugs

2010-01-31T05:11:00.000-08:00

Virus-Like Particle Vaccine Protects Monkeys from Chikungunya Virus

An experimental vaccine developed using non-infectious virus-like particles (VLP) has protected macaques and mice against chikungunya virus, a mosquito-borne pathogen that has infected millions of people in Africa and Asia and causes debilitating pain, researchers at the National Institutes of Health have found.

Scientists at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) developed the vaccine because there is no vaccine or treatment for chikungunya virus infection. Details about the vaccine were published today in the online version of Nature Medicine.

“Increases in global travel and trade, and possibly climate change, may be contributing to the spread of disease-carrying mosquitoes into new areas,” says NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D. “Finding safe and effective human vaccines for chikungunya virus and other insect-borne pathogens is an important global health priority.”

To develop the vaccine, scientists in NIAID’s Vaccine Research Center (VRC) identified the proteins that give rise to chikungunya VLPs. The VLPs mimic actual virus particles but cannot cause infection, so they can be used safely as a vaccine to elicit immune responses. The researchers immunized rhesus macaques with the VLPs, waited 15 weeks before exposing the animals to chikungunya virus, and observed that the vaccine provided complete protection from infection.

When the group found that antibodies were responsible for immune protection, they transferred antibody-containing serum from the vaccinated macaques to mice with deficient immune systems. The mice then were exposed to a lethal dose of chikungunya virus, but the immune serum protected them from infection.

“This virus-like particle vaccine provides a promising way to protect against an emerging infectious disease threat,” says VRC Director Gary Nabel, M.D., Ph.D. “This same approach could possibly extend to viruses related to chikungunya that cause fatal diseases such as encephalitis.” Dr. Nabel says his group plans to seek approval for clinical trials to further evaluate the safety and efficacy of the vaccine in humans.

There are two VLP vaccines for other diseases approved by the Food and Drug Administration: one for hepatitis B and one for human papillomavirus. This study marks the first time that scientists have used VLPs in a vaccine to protect against chikungunya virus, which is in the genus Alphavirus. The group plans to determine whether VLPs will work against other alphaviruses, such as Western and Eastern equine encephalitis virus found in the United States and o’nyong-nyong virus found in Africa.

Investigators from Purdue University, the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, and Bioqual, Inc., in Rockville, Md., collaborated with NIAID scientists on this study.

http://vaccines-dobi.blogspot.com/drugs

Treatment

2010-01-31T05:08:00.000-08:00

What You Should Know and

Do this Flu Season If You

Are 65 Years and Older:

January 19, 2010 2:30 PM ET

Actions To Take This Flu Season

Get Your Seasonal & 2009 H1N1 Flu Shot
The best way to prevent the flu is with a flu vaccine.
People 65 years and older are recommended for annual seasonal flu vaccination. People 65 and older who have not yet gotten a seasonal flu vaccine should still seek vaccination, although supplies of seasonal flu vaccine are limited because of early availability of, and high interest in, seasonal flu vaccine this year.

People 65 years and older are now encouraged to seek vaccination against 2009 H1N1 vaccine. Supplies of the vaccines to protect against the 2009 H1N1 virus have increased dramatically and most places have opened up vaccination to anyone who wants it. This vaccine is the best way to protect against the 2009 H1N1 pandemic virus. Those who have been patiently waiting to receive the 2009 H1N1 vaccine, including people 65 years and older, are now encouraged to get vaccinated.
Take Everyday Preventive Actions including covering coughs, washing hands often and avoiding people who are sick.
Seek medical advice quickly if you develop flu symptoms to see whether you might need medical evaluation or possibly treatment with antiviral medications. People 65 and older are prioritized to get antiviral drugs if they become sick with the flu according to CDC’s guidance. Flu symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people may also have vomiting and diarrhea. People may be infected with the flu, including 2009 H1N1, and have respiratory symptoms without a fever.

People 65 Years and Older and Seasonal Flu

It has been recognized for many years that older people are at greater risk of serious complications from the flu compared with young, healthy adults. It’s estimated that 90 percent of seasonal flu-related deaths and more than 60 percent of seasonal flu-related hospitalizations in the United States each year occur in people 65 years and older. This is because human immune defenses become weaker with age. So influenza can be a very serious disease for people 65 and older.

People 65 Years and Older and 2009 H1N1 Flu

The new 2009 H1N1 virus does not seem to be affecting people 65 years and older in the same way that seasonal flu usually does. Most people who have gotten sick from this new virus have been younger. People 65 and older are less likely to get infected with this new virus. There have been relatively few infections and even fewer cases of serious illness and death with this new virus in people older than 65. Laboratory tests on blood samples indicate that some older people likely have some pre-existing immunity to the 2009 H1N1 flu virus. But while people 65 and older are less likely to be infected with 2009 H1N1 flu, those that do become infected are at greater risk of having serious complications from their illness and there have been severe infections and deaths in every age group, including older people. Some outbreaks among older people living in long-term care facilities also have been reported. People 65 years and older are now encouraged to seek vaccination against 2009 H1N1. Influenza is unpredictable, but flu is expected to continue for months, caused by either 2009 H1N1 viruses or regular seasonal flu viruses. This vaccine is the best way to protect against the 2009 H1N1 pandemic virus.

Flu Vaccination

Seasonal Flu Vaccine

People 65 and older are recommended to get seasonal flu vaccine this year, as always.

2009 H1N1 Flu Vaccine

The U.S. government has purchased 250 million doses of 2009 H1N1 vaccine, so anyone who wants to get the vaccine will have the opportunity to do so. While people 65 and older were not included in the groups recommended to get the earliest doses of vaccine, they are encouraged to seek vaccination now that vaccine supplies have increased.

People Age 65 Years and Older and Antiviral Drugs

Influenza antiviral drugs are prescription drugs (pills, liquid, or inhaled powder) that can treat flu illness. These drugs decrease the ability of flu viruses to reproduce in the body. While getting a flu vaccine each year is the first and most important step in preventing the flu, antiviral drugs are a second line of defense against the flu for treatment.

It’s very important that antiviral drugs be used early to treat flu illness in people 65 and older who are very sick (for example people who are in the hospital) and people who are sick with flu and who also have a greater chance of getting serious flu complications.

Although they are less likely to be infected with 2009 H1N1 flu, people age 65 and older are at higher risk for influenza related complications. Therefore, they are prioritized for antiviral treatment if they get sick with either seasonal or 2009 H1N1 flu this season.

http://treat flu illness-dobi.blogspot.com/treatment

Alert

2010-01-29T07:53:00.000-08:00

FDA posts press releases and other notices of recalls and market withdrawals from the firms involved as a service to consumers, the media, and other interested parties. FDA does not endorse either the product or the company.

Whole Foods Market® Recalls Bulk Hazelnuts

Company Contact:
Libba Letton
libba.letton@wholefoods.com
512...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE –- December 19, 2009 - AUSTIN, TX – Whole Foods Market is recalling organic raw hazelnuts (filberts) sold in bulk through its stores in California, Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah and Washington because the nuts were part of a batch that was contaminated with salmonella. The company is also recalling non-organic dry roasted hazelnuts (filberts) sold in bulk through its stores in California, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington, and non-organic raw hazelnuts (filberts) sold in bulk through its stores in Oregon and Washington. These hazelnuts should not be consumed. No illnesses have been reported at this time.

The potential for salmonella contamination was discovered during a routine product sampling at the plant where the hazelnuts were shelled. Salmonella is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.

Whole Foods Market customers who have purchased the recalled product since Oct. 12 in the states listed above may return the item for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact the company by calling 512... or by logging on to www.wholefoods.com.

http://organic raw hazelnuts-dobi.blogspot.com/alert

Science

2010-01-29T07:45:00.000-08:00

Soy Infant Formula

Information

On December 18, an independent scientific panel that advises the National Toxicology Program released its evaluation of research on soy infant formula.

Over the next few months, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and the National Toxicology Program will review the outside panel's conclusions which expressed “minimal concern” for adverse development effects in infants fed soy infant formula.

In the meantime we know that some parents may have questions regarding soy infant formula. The best place parents can get advice about their child's specific nutritional needs is by speaking with their child’s health care provider.

General Information

What is soy infant formula?
Soy formula is an infant food made using soy protein and other components. It is fed to infants as a supplement or replacement for human milk or cow milk.

Are infants affected differently than toddlers or adults who eat soy?
An infant’s diet is virtually 100% milk and/or formula. Infants who are fed only soy formula, have a much higher soy exposure level than do toddlers or adults who consume a variety of foods and less soy as a percentage of their diets.

What should concerned parents do?
The best place parents can get advice about their child's specific nutritional needs is by speaking to their doctor.

Are there alternatives to soy formula if infants cannot tolerate animal milk?
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the alternatives are amino acid formulations. Amino acids are the building blocks of pure protein, and these formulas omit all the other ingredients that are components of animal milk.

The AAP promotes the use of human milk as the ideal source of infant nutrition. The 2008 AAP revised clinical report states there are few indications for the use of soy protein-based formula in place of cow milk-based formula in infants. The only real indications for soy formula use are for infants with congenital galactosemia, for use by families who are strict vegans, or infants who are truly lactose intolerant.

For more information, read AAP’s May 2008 statement on the Use of Soy Protein-Based Formulas in Infant Feeding.
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/121/5/1062

What portion of U.S. infants consumes soy formula?
Based on 2009 market data, sales of soy formula in the United States represent about 12 percent of the total dollar sales for infant formula – almost a 50 percent decrease from 1999.

Alternatives

Breastfeeding is not only an alternative, but an important health choice with many benefits for mothers and babies.

For more information on breastfeeding: http://www.womenshealth.gov/breastfeeding/index.cfm and http://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/index.htm

Parents can also get advice from their doctor about alternatives to soy formula.

U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Women, Infant and Children’s Program (WIC)

The USDA’s Women, Infant and Children’s (WIC) Program provides Federal grants to States for supplemental foods, health care referrals, and nutrition education for low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and non-breastfeeding postpartum women, and to infants and children up to age five who are found to be at nutritional risk
WIC promotes and supports breastfeeding as the optimal source of nutrition for infants.
When breastfeeding is not an option for a woman, iron-fortified infant formula is provided as the next best source of nutrition for infants.
For more information on WIC: http://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/

Conclusions of the Independent Panel’s Evaluation of Soy Infant Formula

During December 16 – 18, 2009, a 14-member, independent, scientific panel reviewed and evaluated the available scientific data on the consumption of soy infant formula as a risk to human development and identified research needs and data gaps.
The expert panel, whose role it is to advise the National Toxicology Program, was convened by the Department of Health and Human Services National Toxicology Program (NTP) and the Center for the Evaluation of Risks to Human Reproduction (CERHR) of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS).
The expert panel expressed “minimal concern” for adverse development effects in infants fed soy infant formula.
The National Toxicology Program will review the expert panel’s conclusions and solicit public comment. The NTP will use the expert panel report, public comments, and any new scientific literature deemed relevant to the evaluation to prepare its report. The NTP anticipates issuing its final report by early summer 2010.

http://scientific panel-dobi.blogspot.com/science

Alert

2010-01-29T07:43:00.000-08:00

Evonuk Oregon Hazelnuts Recalls Raw and Dry Roasted Hazelnut Kernels Because of Possible Health Risk

Company Contact:
Shannon Evonuk, Evonuk Oregon Hazelnuts
541-998-1848
Amy Wood, Harvest PR
503-274-0086, ext. 102

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – December 18, 2009 – Evonuk Oregon Hazelnuts of Eugene, OR is recalling 6,712.5 lbs. of raw and dry roasted hazelnut kernels because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.

After product sampling, Salmonella was found on one production lot at Willamette Shelling, of Newberg, OR, the facility where Evonuk Oregon Hazelnut’s hazelnuts kernels were shelled. Evonuk Oregon Hazelnuts has decided to recall all raw and dry roasted hazelnut kernels delivered or shipped by Evonuk Oregon Hazelnuts from November 2nd 2009 through December 4th 2009.

Evonuk Oregon Hazelnuts brand raw hazelnut kernels and dry roasted hazelnut kernels subject to recall include:

• Raw hazelnut kernels packed in 25 pound corrugated boxes with lot code numbers 299091A and

296091A.

• Dry roasted hazelnut kernels packed in 25 pound corrugated boxes with lot code numbers 299091A and

296091A.

• 8 ounce, 2.5 pound, and 5 pound packages of raw hazelnut kernels in clear plastic packages, bearing no

lot code. Shipped in corrugated boxes with lot code numbers 299091A and 296091A.

• 4 ounce, 8 ounce, 2.5 pound, and 5 pound packages of dry roasted, salt free, hazelnut kernels in clear

plastic packages, bearing no lot code. Shipped in corrugated boxes with lot code numbers 299091A and 296091A.

These raw and dry roasted products were distributed in retail and wholesale stores, restaurants and bakeries in Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Oklahoma and New Jersey. No illnesses have been reported to date.

Consumers who bought the recalled raw and dry roasted hazelnut products are urged to return the product to their place of purchase for a refund. Consumers with questions may contact Shannon Evonuk at (541) 998-1848, Monday through Friday, between 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. PST.

Health and

2010-01-29T07:39:00.000-08:00

HHS HealthBeat

(December 21, 2009)

The Slim-Fast recall

Listen to Tip

Interested?
Take the Next Step

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

Consumers are being warned not to use Slim-Fast canned drinks because these weight-loss products might be contaminated by bacteria. The company that makes Slim-Fast, Uniliver, issued the recall.

The bacteria, bacillus cereus, can cause diarrhea and vomiting. People generally get over it in 24 hours. But Food and Drug Administration spokesman George Strait says:

[George Strait speaks] "The FDA recommends that anyone who has consumed the recalled Slim-Fast product should see a healthcare provider if they experience either diarrhea or vomiting."

People who have the products should get rid of them. Unilever is offering a refund to consumers who call a toll-free number, 1-800-896-9479.

Learn more at hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

http://bacillus cereus-dobi.blogspot.com/health and

Health and

2010-01-29T07:35:00.000-08:00

HHS HealthBeat

(December 18, 2009)

How much meat?

Listen to Tip

Interested?
Take the Next Step

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Jeff Levine with HHS HealthBeat.

A big chunk of steak may taste good. But a small chunk may do as much good.

Douglas Paddon-Jones of the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston saw that when he had 17 young people and 17 old people eat 4- or 12-ounce portions of lean beef and then took blood and muscle samples.

For young and old alike, 4 ounces of protein in food was all they needed to build protein in muscle. Paddon-Jones says the rest could be turned into glucose – or ultimately fat.

So he says:

[Douglas Paddon-Jones speaks] "In simplest terms, my recommendation is to eat a moderate amount of protein, three times a day. Choose a variety of protein-rich foods that you enjoy – eggs, dairy, fish, nuts, meat."

The study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Learn more at hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Jeff Levine.

http://protein in food-dobi.blogspot.com/health and

Human

2010-01-27T07:24:00.000-08:00

FEMA Encourages Winter

Weather Preparedness

Release Date: December 18, 2009
Release Number: HQ-09-156

WASHINGTON, D.C. – With the winter season approaching, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reminds individuals to be prepared for winter storms and extreme cold. While the danger of severe winter weather varies across the country, everyone can benefit by taking a few easy steps now to prepare for emergencies. A first step, regardless of where you live, is to visit the Ready.gov Web site to find preparedness ideas you can use all year long.

"Severe winter weather can strike at any time. Even areas that normally experience mild winters can be hit with a major snowstorm or extreme cold," said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. “I encourage everyone to get an emergency supply kit, develop and practice a family emergency plan and stay informed about emergencies that may affect your area. Families can log onto Ready.gov to learn more.”

Severe winter weather can include snow or subfreezing temperatures, strong winds and ice or heavy rain storms. An emergency supply kit both at home and in the car will help prepare you and your family for winter power outages and icy or impassable roads.

Both kits should include a battery-powered or hand-crank radio, extra flashlights and batteries. In addition, your home kit should include a three day supply of food and water. Thoroughly check and update your family’s emergency supply kit and add the following supplies in preparation for winter weather:

Rock salt to melt ice on walkways,
Sand to improve traction on driveways and sidewalks,
Snow shovels and other snow removal equipment,
And adequate clothing and blankets to help keep you warm.

Ensure your family preparedness plan and contacts are up to date and exercise your plan. Learn about emergency plans established in your area by state and local officials and make sure your family plans and contacts are up to date.

Finally, make sure to familiarize yourself with the terms that are used to identify a winter storm hazard and discuss with your family what to do if a winter storm watch or warning is issued. Terms used to describe a winter storm hazard include the following:

Freezing Rain creates a coating of ice on roads and walkways.
Sleet is rain that turns to ice pellets before reaching the ground. Sleet also causes roads to freeze and become slippery.
Winter Weather Advisory means cold, ice and snow are expected.
Winter Storm Watch means severe weather such as heavy snow or ice is possible in the next day or two.
Winter Storm Warning means severe winter conditions have begun or will begin very soon.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

http://winter-dobi.blogspot.com/human

Insurance health

2010-01-27T07:21:00.000-08:00

Sebelius Releases New Report: Protecting Families and Putting More Money in Your Pocket: How Health Insurance Reform Will Lower Costs and Increase Choices

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today released a new report, Protecting Families and Putting More Money in Your Pocket: How Health Insurance Reform Will Lower Costs and Increase Choices.

“Health insurance reform isn’t about politics, it’s about families. Every day, millions of families across the country wonder how they will pay their skyrocketing medical bills or what they will do if their children get sick,” Secretary Sebelius said. “Those families are our priority and we are fighting to give them the affordable, secure, stable coverage they need.”

Under the health care status quo, the average premium for a family plan purchased through an employer is $13,375, more than double the premium in 2000 and premiums have grown more than three times faster than wages. The number of people in working families who spend more than ten percent of their income on health care has more than tripled. Additionally, a recent survey estimated that 72 million non-elderly adults have accumulated medical debt or had difficulty paying medical bills in the past year -- and 61 percent of them had insurance.

Health insurance reform will ensure that every American can find affordable health care coverage, control costs for families and provide Americans with unprecedented stability and security. Reform will also help strengthen the American economy and put more money in the pockets of American families. Lowering health care costs by 1 percent will create 320,000 jobs nationwide and raise median family income by $6,800 by 2030. Reform will also drive down premiums for families and limit out-of-pocket costs that eat into the family budget.

http://medical bills -dobi.blogspot.com/insurance health

Health and

2010-01-27T07:18:00.000-08:00

States Get Bonuses for Boosting Enrollment

in Children's Health Coverage

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced the award of more than $72 million to nine states for making significant progress in enrolling children in health coverage through Medicaid and improving access to children’s coverage through Medicaid and the state children’s health insurance program.

Funding for the “performance bonuses” was included in the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization (CHIPRA) law. CHIPRA also set performance goals that states must meet to qualify for a bonus.

“Today, we’re happy to reward states that have taken important steps to help insure more children and made a real difference in the lives of families across the country,” said Secretary Sebelius. “These awards will provide crucial support and help states continue to serve children and families.”

States receiving funds today include: Alaska, Alabama, Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington. (See below for a complete list of state awards.) Awards vary by state according to a formula set out in CHIPRA but total $72.6 million this fiscal year.

To receive these performance bonuses, states had to meet two types of performance goals set forth in the CHIPRA statute. States had to qualify by adopting at least five of eight listed program features—like providing 12 months of continuous eligibility, using a joint application for both Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and streamlining eligibility renewal processes—that are known to encourage enrollment and retention of eligible children. States also had to document significant increases in Medicaid enrollment among children over the course of the year.

Performance bonuses are not the only federal incentive for states to maintain and expand their Medicaid programs. A short-term boost in Medicaid reimbursement rates authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) also provided relief to states with suffering economies, enabling them to extend care to eligible children.

-more-

“In the midst of the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, decisive action in ARRA and CHIPRA, along with focused state activity, helped ensure that children got the health care they need,” said Cindy Mann, director of the Center for Medicaid and State Operations within the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). “We are pleased to see the success these states have achieved as well as the actions to enroll eligible children taken by other states that we expect may qualify for the bonus next year.”

Today’s announcement closely follows the release of a study by the Kaiser Family Foundation’s Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured which also credited ARRA and CHIPRA with enabling States to expand access to care for low-income, uninsured children. In a 50-state survey, the Commission concluded that 26 states expanded and/or simplified their Medicaid and CHIP programs in 2009. A copy of the complete report can be found at http://www.kff.org.

State award amounts today are:

Alabama $39.1 million

Alaska $789,000

Illinois $9.1 million

Louisiana $1.5 million

Michigan $3.7 million

New Jersey $4.2 million

New Mexico $5.1 million

Oregon $1.6 million

Washington $7.5 million

Total: $72.6 million

CMS today also released a letter to state health officials providing more detailed guidance on the criteria for qualifying for a bonus payment for 2009 and in future years.

http://significant progress-dobi.blogspot.com/health and

Health and

2010-01-27T07:08:00.000-08:00

Willamette Shelling Recalls Shelled Hazelnuts Because of Possible Health Risk

Contact:
Ben Mitchell
503-538-9256
Amy Wood
503-274-0086, ext. 2

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - December 17, 2009 - Willamette Filbert Growers of Newberg, OR is recalling 29,861 lbs of Shelled Hazelnuts and Shelled Organic Hazelnuts, because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.

After product sampling, Salmonella was found on one production lot at the facility where Willamette Filbert Grower's hazelnuts were shelled. To ensure consumer safety, Willamette Filbert Growers has decided to recall all shelled hazelnuts and shelled organic hazelnuts processed from October 12th 2009 through November 25th 2009.

Shelled Hazelnuts and Shelled Organic Hazelnuts were distributed in Oregon and California through wholesale distributors and direct delivery. Unshelled hazelnuts are not subject to this recall.

All products subject to recall were packed in 25 lbs. corrugated boxes bearing Willamette Filbert Growers or Meridian Organic Hazelnuts labeled with lot code numbers 289091A and 311091A.

No illnesses have been reported to date.

Consumers who have purchased Willamette Filbert Growers Shelled Hazelnuts or Meridian Organic Hazelnuts are urged to return the product to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact Ben Mitchell at (503) 538-9256, Monday through Friday, between 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. PST.

http://Salmonella-dobi.blogspot.com/health and

Drugs

2010-01-27T07:05:00.000-08:00

Burning Heart Tissue

Beats Atrial Fibrillation

If drugs don't work, catheter ablation does the job, study finds

By Ed Edelson
HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, Jan. 26 (HealthDay News) -- When drug therapy can't control the dangerous heart rhythm disorder called atrial fibrillation, burning out the cardiac tissue responsible for the abnormality will do the job in most cases, a new study has found.

Called catheter ablation, the burning technique ended episodes of abnormal heartbeat and improved the quality of life over a nine-month period for two-thirds of the people in the study who had the procedure, compared with 16 percent of those who were started on a new drug regimen.

The finding was reported in the Jan. 27 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

In atrial fibrillation, the upper chambers of the heart have episodes in which they quiver rather than beat to circulate blood. The episodes are often uncomfortable, causing chest tightness, pain and other symptoms. In addition, clots can form in the stagnant blood, traveling to block arteries and causing heart attacks or strokes. An estimated 2 million Americans have the condition, which becomes more common with aging.

A variety of drugs are used to treat atrial fibrillation, but initial drug therapy will not satisfy about half the people with the condition, said study author Dr. David J. Wilber, who is director of the Cardiovascular Institute at Loyola University Medical Center in Illinois.

"What has become clear is that once you fail one drug, your chances of responding to another drug are limited," he said. At that point, Wilber said, he might suggest catheter ablation, in which an electrical impulse is transmitted to eliminate the source of the irregular heartbeat.

The study, done at 19 hospitals in the United States and abroad, included 167 people whose atrial fibrillation was not controlled by one or more drugs. Of that group, 106 people had catheter ablation treatment and 61 were given a different drug. The trial was cut short because of the obvious advantages of catheter ablation, the researchers reported.

But that does not mean that catheter ablation is the first choice for treatment of atrial fibrillation, Wilber noted. He said he suggests it only when drug therapy clearly is not working, with the choice largely left up to the person with the condition.

"Some patients may say they want to try anything else first, some say they want the invasive procedure [catheter ablation]," he said. "This study offers the possibility of catheter ablation replacing drug therapy in these cases because the trial shows those patients do better."

Catheter ablation does have its risks, Wilber acknowledged. Previous studies have found a complication rate of 1 percent to 5 percent, he said. No such complications were seen in the new study.

"The amount of heart tissue that is destroyed has a relatively small effect on heart function," Wilber said. "That tissue isn't missed by the heart as much as you might expect."

And though many large medical centers are equipped for catheter ablation, expertise in the technique can differ, he said. "There is a very large range of experience," Wilber said. People considering the procedure should check published reports of clinical trials for evidence of a given medical center's expertise.

"I don't think there is a simple way right now" to do this, Wilber said, adding that "there is considerable interest in a national registry, as for heart surgery."

Dr. Frank Marchlinski, director of the electrophysiology program at the University of Pennsylvania and a member of the research team, said the study "demonstrates convincingly that, with catheter ablation, the outcome is dramatically better."

Like Wilber, Marchlinski said he, too, would suggest the procedure when drug therapy isn't working.

"I give patients that information, describe the opportunity of catheter ablation and the risk of catheter ablation," Marchlinski said. "I tell them that there is only a 20 percent chance of long-term success with other drugs."

But because atrial fibrillation generally is not immediately life-threatening, "it doesn't mean with absolute certainty it has to be done," he said. "This is an elective procedure. It is appropriate to consider it for those who do not want to take drugs."

http://healthcareman-dobi.blogspot.com/search/label/drugs

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Burning Heart Tissue

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