Sibling with Heart Disease Increases Your Risk as
Much as Diseased Parent
Dec. 28, 2005 – The same researchers that told us
last year having a parent with a cardiovascular disease history doubles
personal risk of the disease is closing out this year with the news that
having a sibling with cardiovascular disease carries the same or greater
risk than having a parent with the disease.
Read more...
Cancer Trends 2005
New Cancer Report Sees Declining Deaths,
Stable Incident Rates
Dec. 23, 2005 – The nation is making progress
toward major cancer-related Healthy People 2010 targets, according to
the new Cancer Trends Progress Report 2005. The death rates continue to
decline for the four most common cancers - prostate, breast, lung, and
colorectal, as well as for all cancers combined. And, the rate of cancer
occurrences has been relatively stable since the mid 1990s.
Read more...
Senior Citizens Should Heed Side Effects of Statin
Drugs, Says Author
Former scientist astronaut, doctor says war on
cholesterol is misguided
Dec.
21, 2005 – Dr. Duane Graveline is a former scientist astronaut, retired
family doctor and a senior citizen who has focused his attention in
recent years on statin drugs. As a results of his search of the medical and
scientific literature for an explanation for his own statin associated
transient global amnesia, Dr. Graveline has written a new book, "Statin Drugs
Side Effects and the Misguided War on Cholesterol." He reveals the
critical importance of cholesterol for proper brain function and memory
and the reasons for the damage statin drugs do to muscles, nerves and
heart and even personalities.
Read more...
Behavior Change Helps Boomers, Seniors Sleep without
Drugs
Dec. 20, 2005 - Behavioral interventions for
insomnia offer “a very powerful strategy” in baby boomers and senior
citizens over 55, said Michael Irwin, M.D., of UCLA, the lead author of
a systematic evidence review. “Their benefits may be greater than
pharmacologic treatments, because they can persist for a longer period
of time.” The study hopes to lay to rest the notion that sleepless
seniors might respond poorly to treatments that emphasize behavioral
therapy over drugs.
Read more...
FDA Panel Says Shingles Vaccine Zostavax Okay for
Senior Citizens
Data does not support use for Baby Boomers
Dec. 18, 2005 – A panel of the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration has determined the vaccine Zostavax, made by Merck & Co.,
is safe for senior citizens 60 and over to use for preventing shingles.
The extremely painful condition is estimated to strike about half of all
seniors by the time they reach age 85.
Read more...
Lipitor Free from Generic Competition Until 2011
World's most popular drug wins U.S. suit against
generic drug maker
Dec. 18, 2005 – The most prescribed
cholesterol-lowering medication in the U.S., Lipitor, is now protected
from competition by a generic version until June 2011, according to an
announcement by Pfizer Inc, the company that holds the U.S. patents
covering atorvastatin, the active ingredient in Lipitor. Pfizer filed
suit against Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited that has developed a generic
version. Ranbaxy said it plans to begin the appeals process immediately.
Read more...
Senior Health Feature Story
Moving Toward the Future of Cancer Prevention
M.D. Anderson leading the way in research to fight
cancer
By Renee Twombly
Dec. 17, 2005 - Can most types of cancers be
prevented? It's a question that has emerged in the past 20 years, given
advances in screening and early diagnosis, rapid developments in
genetics and molecular biology, and progress in the treatment of early
disease and in next-generation targeted therapies.
Read more...
New Sleeping Pills Are Effective, But None Stands
Out as the Best
Study of Lunesta, Ambien, Imovane and Sonata and
found no winner
By Becky Ham, Science Writer
Health Behavior News Service
Dec. 16, 2005 - The spate of new sleeping pills on
the market are effective treatments for insomnia, but they have
different effects and no one drug stands out as the best, according to a
new review of studies on drugs including Sonata, Ambien and Lunesta.
Read more...
One-Third Women Not Detected for Heart Risk by
Traditional Scoring
Cardiac CT scans recommended for some groups of women
Dec. 16, 2005 – Previous studies showing heart
disease is not as quickly found or treated in women received more
evidence today with the release of two studies showing traditional
risk-factor scoring fails to identify approximately one-third of women
likely to develop coronary heart disease (CHD). This is the leading
cause of death of women in the United States.
Read more...
Comparative Report on Treating GERD Gets Praise from
CMS
Drugs as good as surgery says first report of new
program by Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
Dec. 15, 2005 – A new government program of
comparing alternative treatments for health conditions released its
first report yesterday, which found that drugs can be as effective as
surgery for management of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Mark
McClellan, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
Services praised the new work by the Agency for Healthcare Research and
Quality and said it would help those on Medicare and Medicaid to make
better healthcare decisions.
Read more...
Seniors with Emphysema May Breath Easier with New
Bronchoscopic Valve
Clinical trials at UV Health System could lead to new
treatment
Dec. 13, 2005 – More than three million Americans,
including 1.7 million senior citizens, with emphysema may be breathing a
little easier in the future, thanks to a new clinical trial of the
bronchoscopic valve that is underway at the University of Virginia
Health System. The study will test the safety and effectiveness of the
experimental device designed to channel air to healthier portions of the
lung.
Read more...
Chronic Disability in Senior Citizens Greatly
Overestimated
Dec. 13, 2005 - The rates of chronic disability in
older Americans has been substantially overestimated by about forty
percent, researchers at Yale School of Medicine report in the December
12 Archives of Internal Medicine.
Read more...
Cancer Cells Self-Destruct from Aspirin with TRAIL
Therapy
Dec. 12, 2005 - For years, we have heard about the
health benefits of taking low doses of aspirin – preventing everything
from Alzheimer's disease to heart attacks and stroke. The news about
aspirin just keeps getting better. In a study published in the Dec. 9
issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh
researchers report that aspirin, combined with a promising new cancer
therapy known as tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand
(TRAIL), can induce cancer cells previously resistant to TRAIL therapy
to self-destruct.
Read more...
Will Optometrist Soon Be Checking for Heart Disease?
Dec. 12, 2005 – Can cardiovascular disease be
predicted by looking in your eyes? An award winning scientist at the
Centre for Eye Research in Australia says a routine visit to an
Optometrist may soon provide us not only a diagnosis of vision
complications but also a screening for possible heart disease.
Read more...
Herceptin with Chemotherapy Improves Survival in
Early Stage Breast Cancer
Dec. 9, 2005 - Pairing the targeted therapy Herceptin with chemotherapy in patients with early stage breast cancer
significantly increases disease-free survival time in women who test
positive for a genetic mutation that results in a particularly
aggressive form of the disease, according to large, international study.
Read more...
Pneumonia in Elderly Increasing Rapidly Says
Hospital Study
Rates for seniors age 65 to 84 show 20 percent
increase over 15 years
Dec. 8, 2005 - Hospitalization rates for pneumonia
have increased substantially for U.S. adults 65 to 84 years of age,
according to a study in the December 7 issue of JAMA. And, an in an
editorial, the authors say new strategies for preventive vaccines are
necessary. (See editorial below story). This reports seems to challenge
an earlier study in the magazine that found that the incidence of
invasive pneumococcal disease among adults aged 50 years or older
declined 28 percent, from 40.8 cases/100,000 in 1998-1999 to 29.4 in
2002-2003 (see sidebar link).
Read more...
Breast Cancer Survivors Have 25 Percent Chance of
Cancer Somewhere Else
International study examines second cancers and
possible causes
Dec. 8, 2005 – Women who have suffered from breast
cancer have a 25 percent greater risk than other women of developing a
new cancer somewhere else in their bodies. Researchers who conducted an
international study of over a half-million women with breast cancer also
analyzed the second cancers and possible causes.
Read more...
Heart Attack Survivors Often Fear a Second Attack
More that Death
Mended Hearts organization releases survey of
survivors, new plan for help.
Dec.
8, 2005 – Most heart attack survivors say the experience was a
life-altering "wake-up call," that gave them renewed priorities and a
second chance at life. But many respondents to a new survey said the
heart attack left them suffering depression, hopelessness or fear. The
biggest surprises – survivors are more likely to fear another attack
than death, and 40 percent admit they are not doing all they can to
avoid another attack, despite their increased risk. Mended Hearts, the
survey sponsor, today responded with a new effort educational effort
targeting these survivors and their families.
Read more...
Drug Danger for Seniors
Weakness in Drug Safety System Highlighted by
Consumer Reports
Millions of people may have been exposed to serious
side effects by 12 drugs
Dec. 6, 2005 – Tens of millions of people may have
been unknowingly exposed to the rare but serious side effects of 12
relatively common prescription drug types – several used regularly by
many senior citizens. Consumer Reports says in its investigative report
that the risk include an increased likelihood of heart attack, stroke,
cancer, or suicidal tendencies but were undetected or underestimated
when the drugs were approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Read more...
High Blood Pressure Hinders Memory in Old Age
Many senior citizens with hypertension will
experience significant cognitive declines
Dec. 5, 2005 - People with high blood pressure and
their doctors have a new reason to work at controlling this common but
high-risk condition: As patients get older, they might otherwise have
worse-than-normal problems with short-term memory and verbal ability.
Read more...
Top Advances in Cancer Treatment for 2005 Chosen by
Oncologists
Eleven study areas identified as major advances in
care
Dec. 2, 2005 – A report released today by the
American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) highlights the most
significant clinical cancer research of the past year and names the 11
study areas of "major advances" in patient care, and highlights 45 other
notable advances across 10 cancer types and in three cross-cutting
areas: prevention, access to high-quality cancer care, and cancer
survivorship.
Read
more...
Breast CT More Comfortable, May Detect Tumors Better
Than Mammography
Testing moves forward to find better way to detect
breast cancer
Dec. 2, 2005 - Breast CT, an investigational
technology for early breast cancer detection, may be better than
mammography at detecting breast lesions and is much more comfortable for
women, researchers from the University of California, Davis reported
today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America
in Chicago. It is hoped a less stressful method for early detection of
breast cancer will encourage more women to have regular testing.
Read more...
Toughness of Women With Heart Disease Results in
Less Care
New study adds to evidence that lack of complaint by
women may explain differences in heart care between genders
Nov. 29, 2005 - Women with heart problems may be
"tougher" about their disease than their male counterparts. That
difference may help explain why women are less likely to get aggressive
care for the No. 1 killer of both women and men, says a new University
of Michigan study. Another study released in September says women who
suffer heart attacks wait longer to be assessed, admitted and receive
treatment than men with the same condition. Both studies suggest serious
problems in the diagnosis of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in women and
others indicate the same problems exists with strokes.
Read more...
Cancer Treatment Market for VEGF Inhibitors to Reach
$5.3 Billion by 2009
Avastin (bevacizumab), introduction of novel agents
to drive growth; VEGF inhibitors also used for AMD
Nov. 29, 2005 – A leading research and advisory
firm on health care said today that the market for vascular endothelial
growth factor (VEGF) inhibitors for the treatment of cancer will grow
from $550 million in 2004 to almost $5.3 billion in 2009. The news is
sure to catch the attention of senior citizens - the most frequent
cancer victims, because it is the VEGF inhibiting process that is also being used
successfully against age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading
cause of blindness in older people.
Read more...
Internet to the Rescue in Mammography Crisis
Nov.
29, 2005 – Once again, the Internet comes to the rescue. This time it
will be saving the lives of women with breast cancer by enhancing faster
and more accurate screening of mammography. A report today at the
Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) says research has proven
that digital mammography images can be accurately transmitted over
broadband Internet.
Read
more...
Virtual Colonoscopy Performance Enhanced by
Computer-Aided Detection
Nov. 28, 2005 – Those who support virtual
colonoscopy, primarily in hope of getting more senior citizens screened
for colon cancer, got a boost today from research presented at the
Radiological Society of America (RSNA). Computed tomography (CT)
colonography (virtual colonoscopy) with computer-aided detection (CAD)
is highly effective for finding colon polyps, according to a
large-scale, multi-center study conducted by the National Institutes of
Health (NIH).
Read more...
Injections in Buttocks Not Helping Many Obese Women
Nov. 28, 2005 - Women may not be getting the most
out of vaccines and other injections, according to a study presented at
the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
Obesity is the cause, say researchers, who studied men and women up to
87 years old.
Read more...
Fewer in Great Britain Dying of Cancer, Incidence
Rate Stable for 10 Years
Nov. 28, 2005 – The rate of cancers occurring in
Great Britain among those age 35 to 69 years old has remained stable but
death rates have fallen by about 2.4 percent each of the past ten years.
The trend is similar to the U.S., where earlier detection and new
treatments are saving the lives of more cancer victims.
Read more...
Medicare Decides Obesity Stomach Surgery too Risky
for Senior Citizens
Nov. 23, 2005 - Medicare proposes dropping coverage
of baratric surgery for senior citizens age 65 and older in light of
recent studies indicating significant surgical risks particularly in
seniors who have used the stomach surgery paid for by Medicare to treat obesity. The Centers
for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced today its proposal to
modify Medicare coverage of bariatric surgery, but they still will cover those
under 65.
Read
more...
Older Women Who Receive Pelvic Radiation at Risk for
Pelvic Fracture
Nov. 22, 2005 - Older women who received radiation
therapy for cervical, rectal or anal cancer have a substantially
increased risk for pelvic fractures, including hip fractures, which lead
to death for women almost as often as breast cancer.
Read more...
Rise in Hospital Noise Poses Problems for Patients
and Staff
A second new study says noise can raise blood
pressure levels
Nov. 21, 2005 - Announcements blare from overhead
speakers. Electronic devices beep. Heating and cooling systems rumble.
Employees and visitors speak loudly. This sound snapshot, researchers
say, comes not from a factory or a sports stadium but from a typical
hospital. In a new study, Johns Hopkins University acoustical engineers
found that hospital noise levels have grown steadily over the past five
decades, disturbing patients and staff members, raising the risk of
medical errors and hindering efforts to modernize hospitals with speech
recognition systems. Another new study released today says loud places
can raise blood pressure levels, too.
Read more...
Study Indicates Inhaler May Replace Needle for
Diabetes Patients?
Nov. 21, 2005 - There is clear evidence from
clinical trials that a new inhaled formulation of insulin, Exubera, is
as effective as traditional subcutaneous injections in controlling blood
glucose in patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. The new formulation,
which is likely to be the first non-injectable insulin on the market,
was preferred by a majority of patients due to ease of use and is sure
to be welcomed news for the nearly one in five of seniors over age 60
who suffer with diabetes.
Read more...
Warning Labels on High-Risk Drugs Inconsistently
Heeded by Doctors
Better means of communicating risks needed say
researchers
Nov. 18, 2005 – A new study has found 42 percent of
ambulatory care patients received prescriptions for drugs with Black Box
Warnings (BBW), the Food and Drug Administration's strongest label for
high-risk medication. The authors suggest that better methods are needed
for ensuring the safe use of medications that carry serious risks.
Read more...
Diet, Exercise, Therapy, Medication and Daily
Weigh-in Equals Weight Loss...whew!
Nov. 17, 2005 - Two new studies have advice for
losing weight. One says diet, exercise and behavioral therapy used with
a weight loss medication produced much greater weight loss by obese
adults than just taking the medicine. And, another study says it helps
to lose weight if you get on the scale everyday. So there you have it –
exercise, diet, therapy, diet pill and a daily weigh-in. Certainly all
that burns enough calories for anyone to shed pounds.
Read more...
Drug May Fight Lupus and Atherosclerosis at Same
Time
One of several drugs for Lupus highlighted at meeting
Nov. 16, 2005 - People with lupus are prone to
premature accelerated atherosclerosis (hardening of arteries). Now
scientists at Wake Forest University School of Medicine think they have
a way to prevent or decrease this atherosclerosis and prevent heart
attacks.
Read more...
Statins May Simulate Stem Cells for Heart Repair
Nov. 16, 2005 - The drug pravastatin, which is used
widely to decrease high cholesterol, may provide a previously unknown
cardiovascular benefit in addition to lowering lipids. Researchers have
found the statin also increases
the concentration of endogenous stem cells that may participate in
cardiac repair.
Read more...
70 Percent of Diabetes Patients Have High Blood
Pressure but Focus on Glucose Levels
Nov. 14, 2005 – Seniors citizens and others with
diabetes may be focusing on the wrong thing. A new survey says 70
percent have potentially deadly high blood pressure but their primary
concern is on glucose levels.
Read more...
Contracts Awarded to Design Nationwide Health
Information Network
HHS says call it major step toward secure and
portable health information for American consumers
Nov. 10, 2005 – The U.S. moved a step closer to a
Nationwide Health Information Network (NHIN) today with the awarding of
contracts to four technology groups for a total of $18.6 million to
design prototype architecture. President Bush's proposal to create a
"model" national health information network would cost more than $156
billion in initial capital investment and $48 billion in annual
operating costs over the next five years, according to a study published
in the Aug. 2 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Read more...
Diabetes Epidemic Could Claim 622,000 Lives Annually
by 2025
Changing diabetes program to stimulate system-wide
change to combat disease
Nov. 9, 2005 - A new report released today by the
Yale Schools of Public Health and Medicine in conjunction with the
Institute for Alternative Futures reveals that if the healthcare system
in the United States continues to fail in adequately preventing and
treating diabetes, by the year 2025 the number of people dying and
suffering from diabetes and its complications will roughly triple.
Read more...
Chronic Pain Market Driven by New Drugs and
Reformulations
Sales to grow to $24 billion in 2014 but NSAIDS,
COX-2 decline
Nov. 9, 2005 – Senior citizens, who have faced a
dilemma in finding safe ways to treat their chronic pain, will be
turning to reformulations of existing drugs and some new drugs in the
years ahead, as the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) and
COX-2 inhibitors lose market share, according to a new report.
Read more...
New Study Says Inflammation May Cause AMD
Bacterium present in eyes with 'wet' age-related
macular degeneration
Nov. 7, 2005 – Chlamydia pneumoniae, a bacterium
linked to heart disease and capable of causing chronic inflammation, was
present in the diseased eye tissue of five out of nine people with neovascular, or "wet," age-related macular degeneration (AMD), in a
recent study. It was not, however, found in the eyes of more than 20
individuals without AMD, providing more evidence that this disease may
be caused by inflammation. AMD is the leading cause of blindness in baby
boomers and senior citizens over age 55.
Read more...
Study Finds Nine Risk Indictors for Tooth Loss
60 percent of older patents that had
tooth extraction never brushed regularly - aging doesn't help either
Nov. 7, 2005 – If senior citizens want to keep
their teeth, they better brush them regularly. That’s one indicator from
a new study that says the severe periodontal disease that causes tooth
loss
tends to affect a certain group of people that exhibit increased
susceptibility to periodontal destruction.
Read more...
Red Wine Reduces Alzheimer’s Disease-Causing
Peptides
It’s the resveratrol from grapes that also protect
our hearts, prevent cancer
Nov.
3, 2005 – The good news for red wine continues to mount. A new study
says resveratrol, a compound found in grapes and red wine, lowers the
levels of the amyloid-beta peptides, which cause the tell-telltale
senile plaques of Alzheimer’s disease. A study earlier this year found
it is the polyphenols, like resveratrol, that also lower the risk of
heart problems when we drink two to three glasses of red wine a day.
Polyphenols have also been identified in helping prevent cancer.
Read more...
Brand Drug Prices Continue to Climb Twice as Fast as
Inflation
Generic drugs go unchanged for second quarter 2005
Nov. 2, 2005 – The latest update on drug prices by
AARP’s Public Policy Institute found prices for nearly 200 of the most
commonly used brand name medications rose 6.1 percent during the 12
month period from July 2004–June 2005. At the same time, the rate of
general inflation was 3 percent.
Read more...
Diabetes Month 2005 Finds Disease Continues to
Increase
Centers for Disease Control issues Diabetes Fact
Sheet
Nov. 2, 2005- Diabetes now affects nearly 21
million Americans – or 7 percent of the U.S. population – and more than
6 million of those people do not know they have diabetes, according to
the latest prevalence data released by the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC). The 2005 National Diabetes Fact Sheet has been
issued to coincide with National Diabetes Month in November.
Read more...
Dialysis Patients Often Have Close Family Members
Also On Dialysis
New research indicates need for early screening of
relatives
Nov. 1, 2005 - Nearly one-fourth of all dialysis
patients, which are primarily senior citizens, have a close relative on
dialysis, researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center,
and others, report in the current online edition of the American Journal
of Nephrology. The researchers suggest screening other relatives for
undetected kidney disease.
Read more...
Restless Legs Syndrome Causes Depression, Anxiety
Seniors and baby boomers have most severe cases, have
pain more often
Oct. 31, 2005 – Senior citizens and baby boomers
with restless legs syndrome (RLS), a common debilitating condition, may
be affected physically, mentally, and socially by their disease.
Depression and anxiety are cited in this new study, which also found
those at risk of RLS were more likely to be overweight, unemployed,
daily smokers, and to have issues with work attendance and performance.
Read more...
Aspirin Taken with Another NSAID May Triple Risk for
Ulcers, Bleeding
Study shows risk of serious GI problems intensified
by common OTC pain medications
Oct. 31, 2005 – Senior citizens, who often take a
daily aspirin for cardiovascular protection and an occasional ibuprofen
or naproxen for pain relief, need to take heed of a study released today
that says combining the two significantly increases the risk of
gastrointestinal complications including ulcers, perforations and
bleeding.
Read
more...
Seniors
Beware: Diabetes and Depression Can Be a Fatal Mix
Oct. 27, 2005 - Diabetics (type 2) suffering even minor
depression are more likely to die than those not experiencing depression, a
new study reports. The researchers also say a sedentary lifestyle is an
important, independent predictor of mortality from diabetes. Senior citizens
and baby boomers should be particularly aware of the depression-diabetes
mix, since they are the most likely to have both type 2 diabetes and
depression.
Read more...
Senior Citizens Not Getting Pneumonia Due to Vaccine
– for Children
Oct. 25, 2005 - The incidence of pneumonia among
senior citizens – age 65 and older, as well as all adults 50 and up, has
decreased substantially. One may assume its due to the pneumonia
vaccine, and this would be correct. But not the vaccine for older
adults. This decrease is linked to the introduction of a pneumonia
vaccine for children in 2000, according to a study in the October 26
issue of JAMA.
Read
more...
Prescription Drug Price Complainers Not Buying
Generic? $20 Billion Untapped Savings
Oct. 25, 2005 – Americans, and especially senior
citizens, spend a good bit of their conversations discussing the high
cost of prescription drugs. But, for some reason, even in states with
large elderly populations, like Florida, most people are not buying the
equal but less expensive generic drugs. U.S. consumers could have saved
$20 billion in 2004 and even more during 2005 and future years by using
more generic drugs, according to a new report by Express Scripts, Inc.
Read more...
Cholesterol Levels, Statins are Not Associated with
Breast Cancer Risk
Oct. 24, 2005 - Cholesterol levels and use of
statins, or other lipid-lowering drugs, has no association with breast
cancer risk, according to a large study published in the October 24
issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives
journals.
Read
more...
Heart Attack Death Rates Higher in Hospitals
Treating More African Americans
Quality of care, not racial differences determined
outcomes
African Americans tend to go to hospitals where everyone gets lower
quality care
Oct. 24, 2005 - Ninety days after a heart attack,
death rates for
African Americans and white Medicare patients were found
to be significantly higher in hospitals that disproportionately serve
African-Americans than in hospitals that serve mainly white patients,
according to a major new study led by researchers at Dartmouth Medical
School. The researchers suggest that quality of care, more than racial
differences per se, determines AMI outcomes.
Read more...
Anemia Associated with Higher Risk of Death in the
Elderly
Earlier study found anemia in senior citizens doubled
risk of physical decline
Oct. 24, 2005 – A study in today’s
Archives of Internal
Medicine says elderly people with anemia are
at an increased risk of death. Another study, reported in
SeniorJournal.com in July of 2003, said anemia doubles the risk that an
older person will develop serious physical decline. Clearly, anemia is a
condition that needs treatment for the healthy survival of many senior
citizens. Read more...
Diabetes Medication Awaiting FDA Approval May
Increase Deaths, Cardiovascular Risk
FDA encouraged to delay muraglitazar for additional
safety studies
Oct. 20, 2005 - A new medication under review by
the Food and Drug Administration that may regulate blood glucose levels
and have a beneficial effect on blood cholesterol and lipid levels for
patients with Type 2 diabetes appears to increase the risk for major
adverse cardiovascular events and death, according to a new study in
JAMA. The study and an accompanying editorial were released early
online today at
www.JAMA.com because of their timeliness and potential importance
for public health. Editor's note: This story has been updated on
Oct. 27 to include a statement from the manufacturer.
Read
more...
Campaign Begins Empowering Older Adults to Manage
Their Diabetes
Revitalized campaign shows older adults that the power to control is in
their hands.
Oct. 20 – A new campaign kicked off today the newly
updated “The Power to Control Diabetes Is in Your Hands” awareness
campaign for older adults with diabetes. The goal of the campaign is to
help the 18.3 percent of adults age 60 and older senior citizens with
diabetes manage their disease. The highlights include a community action
kit and a brochure designed to reach older adults with diabetes and
their loved ones.
Read
more...
Recurrence of Aggressive Breast Cancer Cut in Half
by Herceptin
Drug attacks HER2-positive breast cancer seen in
one-fourth of cases
Oct. 20, 2005 – The risk of the reoccurrence of
early-state HER2-positive breast cancer – an aggressive form of the
disease found in about one-fourth of cases - can be reduced almost in
half by taking the drug Herceptin (trastuzumab) after standard
chemotherapy treatment. It is certainly good news to older women, who
are the most likely to develop breast cancers - about 3.83% of women 60
to 70.
Read more...
Senior Citizen Deaths Higher than Expected from
Obesity Stomach Surgery
Increasing numbers turning to Medicare-paid bariatric
surgery
Oct. 19, 2005 – Senior citizens are increasingly
turning to surgery of the stomach or intestines (bariatic surgery) as a
way to prevent death from obesity. Three studies reported today in the
Journal of the American Medical Association have found death rates
higher than previously estimated, increased hospitalization rates after
the surgery and a substantial increase in the number of these
procedures.
Read
more...
New Breast Implant Claims More Natural Look, Fewer
Complications but Waits FDA Hearing
Oct. 17, 2005 – A researcher testing a new type of
silicon breast implant is enthusiastic with his results. “The implants
simply look and feel much more natural than saline implants,” says
Mitchell Brown, M.D. “My patients are thrilled with their looks.”
Although not yet approved by the FDA, the implants are also being
described as having a “low complication rate.”
Read more...
Senior Citizens Can Lower Chance of Dying by 65%
with Right Hospital Choice
Overall mortality rates improved 12 percent in latest
annual study by HealthGrades
Oct. 17, 2005 – Senior citizens choosing a hospital
for coronary bypass surgery can lower their risk of death by over 70
percent, if they choose the right hospital. In fact, a patient has a 65
percent lower chance of dying from treatment of 18 common diagnoses by
choosing one of the nation’s highest rated hospitals over the lowest
rated, according a large study of Medicare records released today by
HealthGrades.
Read
more...
Hodgkin’s Disease Survivors Face Greater Risk of
Stroke, Breast Cancer
Radiation used on chest is suspected cause
Oct. 13, 2005 - Patients surviving childhood
Hodgkin’s disease suffer strokes later in life at rates about four times
that of the general population, UT Southwestern Medical Center
researchers have found. They suspect the radiation used in treating this
cancer as a cause. Another recent study pointed to radiation causing
women survivors of HD to be at as much as 40 percent greater risk for
breast cancer.
Read
more...
Thirty Thousand Now Have Continuous Vision Lens
Implants
Maker of FDA, Medicare approved crystalens says 500
physicians certified, company targets boomers, seniors
Oct.
12, 2005 – In an announcement today the makers of the crystalens, an
intraocular lens replacement that provides continuous vision focus at
all distances, announced there have been 30,000 implants of their lens
and there are now 500 certified physicians. The news comes just before
the American Academy of Ophthalmology's 109th Annual Meeting, Oct. 15 to
18, in Chicago. “Fortunately, for the 90 million baby boomers and
seniors struggling with presbyopia and cataracts, that future is here
today with the crystalens,” the news release said.
Read more...
Older Adults Not Being Given Recommended Colorectal
Screening
Doctors don't recommend colorectal screening enough,
report says
By David Crosson, Contributing Writer
Health Behavior News Service
Oct. 12, 2005 - Since 1996, federal health
officials have recommended that people 50 years and older be screened
for colorectal cancer with a fecal occult blood test. However, a new
analysis of data shows that only 17.2 percent actually received such
screening in the previous year.
Read more...
Average Bad Cholesterol Levels Decreased 10 Percent
in Four Years
Cholesterol levels decreased less in women than men
from 2001 through 2004
Oct. 11, 2005 – A significant and steady decline of
approximately 10 percent in average LDL (low-density lipoprotein)
cholesterol levels has been found over a four-year period in blood tests
ordered on behalf of patients under a physician's care in the U.S.,
according to Quest Diagnostics, Inc. However, the decline was slower in
women than in men.
Read more...
Latest Statistics Show 30 Percent of Seniors Using
Statins in 2002
Oct. 11, 2005 - The proportion of Medicare patients
over age 65 using statins -- prescription drugs that help reduce
cholesterol and other fatty substances in the blood -- more than doubled
between 1997 and 2002 to over 30 percent, according to the latest
statistics from the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
AHRQ is a federal health agency, part of the Department of Health and
Human Services.
Read
more, including more from American Heart Association on Statin use...
Kidney Failure Rates Dip, Numbers Growing With
Older Population
Age 75 up group now 26% of total, troubling racial
disparities persist
Oct. 11, 2005 - After 20 years of annual increases
from 5 to 10 percent, rates for new cases of kidney failure have
stabilized, according to new research from the National Institute of
Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) of the National
Institutes of Health. The numbers of the oldest population, however,
continue to climb and dramatic racial disparities persist.
Read more...
New Stroke Treatment Reduced Brain Damage
IL-1ra protein, given early, protects brain cells in
U.K. tests
Oct. 10, 2005 – When senior citizens take the time
to consider the ailments they may face, certainly a stroke is one of the
most dreaded, because of its mental and physical destruction. It is too
early to get too excited but a potential new treatment for stroke has
taken a major step forward with promising results from the first
clinical trial.
Read more...
Oral Cancer Risk Cut in Half, Heart Risk Doubled by
Most NSAIDs
Aspirin was only exception to increased heart risk in
20-year study
Oct. 7, 2005 - An analysis of 20 years of data on
the health of over 900 adults has found that long-term use of
traditional nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as
aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen, cuts the risk for oral cancer in
smokers by half. However, use of these pain relievers - with the
exception of aspirin - for 6 months or more also doubled users' risks
for cardiovascular death, according to collaborative research published
online today by The Lancet.
Read more...
Having Dry Mouth Most of the Time is Not Normal
National Institutes of Health adds information to
senior site
Oct. 7, 2005 - Occasional dry mouth - the feeling
that there is not enough saliva in the mouth - is normal. But for senior
citizens to experience dry mouth all or most of the time is not, says a
new addition to the National Institutes of Health’s Website for seniors.
Read more...
Vaccine 100 Percent Successful in Stopping Cervical
Cancer
Most cervical cancers found in baby boomers and
senior citizens
Oct. 7, 2005 – Gardasil, an investigational vaccine
from Merck & Co., Inc., prevented 100 percent of high-grade cervical
pre-cancers and non-invasive cervical cancers associated with human
papillomavirus (HPV) types 16 and 18 in a new phase III study, according
to a report presented today. The American Cancer Society estimates that
in 2005, about 10,370 cases of invasive cervical cancer will be
diagnosed in the United States. More than 20 percent of these cases will
be women over 65 and almost half will be ages 35 to 55.
Read more, information
for older women...
Cancer Death Rates Continue to Decline in U.S.
Progress in Cancer Treatment Varies by Disease
Oct. 5, 2005 – The risk of dying from cancer
continues to decline and the rate of new cancers is holding steady, says
a report by America’s leading cancer organizations. (See chart below)
Read more...
New Cancer Patient Information about Radiation
Treatment Now Online
Oct. 4, 2005 – The fear and confusion that follows
a diagnosis of cancer can usually be calmed, many oncologist say, by
information that educates the patient on the treatment ahead. One of
those treatments faced by many is radiation therapy and the American
Society of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology has launched a new Website
dedicated to providing more knowledge about radiation therapy.
Read more...
FDA Consumer Magazine
Treatment Options for Urinary Incontinence
Understanding the affliction and its options can cure
up to 80%
Sept. 29, 2005 - Leslie Behanna can describe every
rest stop, gas station, and even a few bushes in the greater Pittsburgh
area where she lives. "I got to know all the bathrooms," says Behanna,
adding that by the time she got the bathroom door open, it was often too
late. "I've peed in every bush too."
Read more...
Senior Citizens Now Fastest Growing Group to Develop
Epilepsy
FDA Magazine feature explores the current information
on the disease
Sept. 28, 2005 - Epilepsy is often considered a
disorder of the young, or a disease that people are born with. But
according to the National Council on the Aging (NCOA), people can
develop epilepsy as they age, and the greatest number of newly diagnosed
cases each year occurs in older people. Senior citizens, those older
than 65, are now the fastest-growing group in America to develop epilepsy.
Read more...
Beauty Queens Urge Girls Not to Sacrifice Their
Bones
Osteoporosis strikes one-third of women over 50, one
in five men
Sept. 27, 2005 - Seven beauty queens from four
continents today appealed to girls and young women to realize that
modern ideas of "beauty" can damage their bones and lead to osteoporosis
later in life. It strikes one in three women over 50 worldwide (more
than breast cancer) and one in five men (more than prostate cancer).
Read more...
Immune System Boost May Lead to Cancer Vaccines
Mayo Clinic says boosting output of immune cells also
protects elderly
Sept. 26, 2005 - Mayo Clinic researchers have
discovered a way to dramatically boost the output of immune system cells
from the thymus, which may lead to improved cancer vaccines, as well as
to ways to otherwise strengthen immune responses. Older people, too,
experienced the increased disease fighting ability.
Read more...
Women Need Fast Family History Review to ID Breast,
Ovarian Cancer Risk
Automated system easier way of gathering this
critical data
Sept. 26, 2005 – A new study of 14,000 women adds
stronger evidence that there is a need to identify women with a family
history of breast and ovarian cancers and consider them at high risk.
One out of five of these women with a genetic family link to these
cancers were found to have a ten percent or greater risk of developing
the cancer.
Read
more...
Prostate Cancer Could Be Discovered Earlier with New
Blood Test
Researchers discover protein signatures the may
improve early diagnosis
Sept. 23, 2005 - A new study shows that testing
blood samples for antibodies that target prostate cancer cells may help
identify patients with early stages of the disease, which primarily is
found in senior citizens. In the September 22, issue of New England
Journal of Medicine, researchers report the findings may lead to a new
test that could complement the prostate specific antigen (PSA) test in
detecting early stage prostate cancer.
Read more...
New Strategies for Seniors to Raise Levels of Good HDL Cholesterol
Sept. 22, 2005 - Cardiology experts at Johns
Hopkins, who say there is too much focus on lowering bad cholesterol (LDL)
and not enough on increasing good cholesterol (HDL), have issued
guidelines for physicians and consumers on improving levels of this
artery clearing HDL.
Read
more...
Heart Patients at Greatest Death Risk Least Likely
to Get Needed Medicine
Sept. 14, 2005 – In study results that seem too
strange to be true, researchers have found that even though certain
medications such as ACE inhibitors reduce the risk of death for patients
with heart failure, patients at greatest risk often are not prescribed
these medications, and are less likely to get them than lower risk
patients. It is reported today in the Journal of the American Medical
Association (JAMA).
Read more...
Options for Parkinson’s Patients Abundant, Says
Specialist
There are a lot of reasons to be optimistic, he says
Sept. 14, 2005 - Some people call it "the dark
time," the period between when a person is diagnosed with Parkinson's
disease, which is most common in senior citizens, and when treatment
with medication begins.
Read more...
Heavy Drinking Linked to Atrial Fibrillation, Stroke
Follows earlier research of worse problem for senior
citizens
Sept. 13, 2005 - A large-scale study has found that
heavy alcohol consumption – 35 or more drinks per week -- can
significantly increase men’s risk of developing atrial fibrillation, a
dangerous type of arrhythmia and one of the leading risk factors for
stroke. A study released earlier this year by the same researchers said
older men who drink only three or four drinks per day are much more likely to
have a stroke than nondrinkers.
Read more...
Seniors & Diabetes
High Blood Sugar Levels a Risk Factor for Heart
Disease
Diabetics and Non-Diabetics at Increased Risk
Sept. 13, 2005 – Even people without diabetes can
reduce their risk of coronary heart disease by lowering blood sugar
levels, according to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School
of Public Health and other institutions.
(Read
more of the story and more about senior citizens and diabetes below this news story.)
Women in your life
Campaign Begins to Educate Women on Stroke Symptoms
More women die from stokes than men but many don’t
know symptoms
Sept. 12, 2005 – Alarmed that more women die from
strokes than men and 30 percent do not recognize the symptoms of stroke,
the National Stroke Association (NSA) has launched an educational
campaign – “Women In Your Life” - hoping to increase the awareness in
women of
stroke symptoms.
Read more...
Women with Heart Attacks Not Treated As Quickly as
Men
Mounting evidence women with cardiovascular problems
not treated equally with men
Sept. 12, 2005 – A new study says women who suffer
heart attacks wait longer to be assessed, admitted and receive treatment
than men with the same condition. This study adds to the evidence of a
serious problem in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease
(CVD) in women, which is the number one killer of American women.
Read more...
Researchers Find Drug that Blocks Spread of Lung
Cancer in Mice
Possible progress against leading cause of cancer
deaths
Sept. 9, 2005 - Researchers at UT Southwestern
Medical Center have found a compound that shows promise as a way to
block the spread, or metastasis, of lung cancer. The compound blocks an
enzyme that is known to keep cells immortal and that is implicated in
almost all human cancers.
Read more...
Only Half of Men with Prostate Cancer Consider
Chemotherapy
Nearly 65% believe impact on quality of life
outweighs benefit
Sept. 8, 2005 - A new survey released today showed
only half (50 percent) of men who suffer from late-stage prostate cancer
would consider chemotherapy as a treatment option, the only available
treatment to delay progression of prostate cancer for these patients.
Read more...
Depression May Hasten Heart Failure
Sept. 8, 2005 - New research suggests that
depression, a common problem for senior citizens and the elderly, may hasten the progression of heart disease by increasing the
levels of a key protein that causes inflammation.
Read more...
Another New Study Says Positive Thinking Can
Overcome Pain
Sept. 7, 2005 – The second study in just over a
week says we really can make pain go away by truly thinking it will. The
first study involved subjects who were given placebos they thought would
relieve their pain – and it did. The new study says that when it comes
to controlling pain, positive thinking can be as powerful as a shot of
morphine. Lowering participants’ expectations about pain levels reduced
both pain-related brain activity and how much pain they felt.
Read more...
Vitamin B May Be Dangerous for Heart Attack Patients
Sept. 6, 2005 - Researchers from Norway have found
that treating patients who have had a heart attack with high doses of B
vitamins does not lower the risk of getting another heart attack or
stroke. Contrary to their expectations, B vitamins may do more harm than
good. Read more...
Prostate Cancer Growth Slowed Dramatically by
Vitamin D with Pain Killers
Sept. 1, 2005 – There is new hope in the battle
against prostate cancer, which primarily strikes male senior citizens
and is the second leading cancer killer of men. It was announced today,
however, that researchers have stopped up to 70 percent of the cancer
cell growth by combining a form of vitamin D with low doses of
non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
Read more...
Heart Attack Deaths in Hospitals Reduced 50 Percent
by Early Statin Treatment
Aug. 29, 2005 – Statin drugs administered to
patients within the first 24 hours after a heart attack reduced hospital
deaths by over 50 percent, according to UCLA researchers who say this is
the largest clinical study of its kind.
Read more...
Ballooning Crystallized Cholesterol May Start Artery Clotting
Process
Cardiologist says focus on expansion process may help
research
Aug.
29, 2005 – It may be crystallized cholesterol expanding and bursting or puncturing holes in the
membrane covering the cholesterol deposit in an artery that triggers the
clotting action resulting in a heart attack, according to research
released today by a Michigan State University cardiologist.
Read more...
Placebo Effect
Pain Really Does Go Away When We Think It Will
At least it did in test of young men; no senior
citizens were tested
Aug. 26, 2005 – Mind over matter – it has long been
a subject of wonder and debate. The “placebo effect” – where persons
given a placebo, particularly for pain relief, but think it is real and
their pain goes away - has been a part of this debate. Now scientists
say it works. Just thinking that a medicine will relieve pain is enough
to make it happen. It is, however, no answer to the mind-over-matter
debate, because in this case it is actually “matter” that is making the
difference.
Read more...
Aspirin Reduces Risk of Colon Cancer for Women but
Takes 10 Years
Taking two regular aspirin a week “significantly
reduced risk,” study says
Aug. 23, 2005 - Women who took two or more aspirin
or NSAIDs per week for more than 10 years significantly reduced their
risk of colorectal cancer, according to an article in the August 24/31
issue of JAMA. Women who took even more aspirin – 14 per week – reduced
their risk by half but greatly increased the risk for major
gastrointestinal bleeding.
Read more...
More Stroke Information Added to NIH Senior Health
Website
Aug. 23, 2005 – The latest edition to the senior
health Website created by the National Institutes of Health is more
information about strokes – there are more than 700,000 a year in the
U.S. and almost three-fourths of them occur in senior citizens over age
65. The risk of a stroke doubles each decade after the age of 55.
Read more...
New Type of Hypertension Drug Shows Promise
Aug. 22, 2005 - Data emerging from early studies of
aliskiren, a new type of treatment for hypertension, indicate that the
new drug is effective as a single treatment for patients with
mild-to-moderate uncomplicated essential high blood pressure.
Read more...
Hospice, Palliative Care Group Likes New Heart
Failure Guidelines
Early information on end-of-life care important in
heart treatment
Aug. 22, 2005 - Recommendations concerning advance
care planning, palliative care, hospice care education, and the
importance of physicians providing patients with information about
end-of-life care early in the course of an illness are important
suggestions within the new guidelines about heart failure treatment,
according to the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization.
Read more...
Seniors Like Dentures But Don’t Change Eating Habits
Teeth loss a shrinking problem for U.S. senior
citizens
Aug. 22, 2005 – A small study in
Ireland has found that senior citizens equipped with new dentures did
not change their food choices back to what they had been before becoming
toothless. They did report, however, that they liked their dentures.
Read more...
Antioxidants May Protect Pathway That Stops
Cataracts
Aug. 22, 2005 - When damaged proteins gather within
the eye’s lens, cloudiness occurs. These opacities are called cataracts.
The protein buildup could also lead to age-related macular degeneration.
Efficient removal of denatured proteins within the eye lens—or their
repair by other proteins—is crucial for maintenance of lens
transparency.
Read
more...
Lifestyle Change Most Effective in Preventing Death
Before Heart Disease Begins
Aug. 17, 2005 – Discouraging smoking and
encouraging people to eat better is four times more effective in
reducing deaths from heart disease that programs that focus on improving
the health of patients who already have heart problems, according to a
new study.
Read more...
Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Get Relief from New
Drug Combination
By Bruce Sylvester, Contributing Writer
Health Behavior News Service
Aug. 17, 2005 - For people with long-standing rheumatoid arthritis,
combined treatment with the new “biologic” drug adalimumab and
methotrexate is about five times more effective than methotrexate alone,
according to a new systematic review of studies.
Read more...
New Heart Failure Guidelines Stress Early Diagnosis,
New Treatments
Aug. 16, 2005 – New guidelines for treating heart
patients were issued today that put greater emphasis on early diagnosis
and new treatments. The American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the
American Heart Association (AHA) say their new guide will help battle
the growing problem of heart disease, which causes about a million
hospital admissions per year.
Read more...
Brand Name Drug Prices Make Another Dramatic Jump
AARP survey shows average drug price increase almost
double inflation rate; generic drugs up slightly
Aug. 16, 2005 - The average increase in the price
manufacturers charge for brand name prescription drugs widely used by
older Americans continued to substantially exceed the rate of general
inflation through March 2005, according to the new AARP "Rx Watchdog
Report" study released today. The prices for generic drugs, however,
increased only slightly.
Read more...
FDA Approves Actonel With Calcium For Osteoporosis
in Older Women
Aug. 15, 2005 – Late Friday, the Food and Drug
Administration approved a new treatment that is targeted at preventing
and treating osteoporosis in older women. “Actonel with Calcium is a
product that provides the fracture protection of Actonel tablets
conveniently packaged with calcium tablets. It is the first prescription
osteoporosis therapy to include calcium,” according to a news release
from The Alliance for Better Bone Health, marketer of the prescription
therapy.
Read
more...
Diet and Exercise Work in Slowing Prostate Cancer
Two thirds of prostate cancers found in senior
citizens
Aug. 11, 2005 - Men with early stage prostate
cancer – the second leading cause of cancer death in men - who make
intensive changes in diet and lifestyle may stop or perhaps even reverse
the progression of their illness, according to a new study. The chance
of having prostate cancer increases rapidly after age 50. About two
thirds of all prostate cancers are diagnosed in senior men over the age
of 65. It is still unclear why this increase with age occurs, according
to the American Cancer Society.
Read more...
Government’s Senior Health Site Adds Smell and Taste
Information
Aug. 10, 2005 – The latest additions to the health
Website maintained by the National Institutes of Health for senior
citizens are pages about smell and taste. Two out of three Americans
over age 80 and three of ten between 70 and 80 have problems with the
sense of smell. Problems with taste are less common but the sense of
taste does also decline with age.
Read more...
Seniors With Multiple Illnesses Endangered by Lack
of Clinical Guidelines
Aug. 10, 2005 – The lack of clinical practice
guidelines written for the treatment of the growing population of senior
citizens with multiple illnesses can lead to excessive medications and
adverse interactions between drugs and diseases. This is the opinion
reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association today. In
1999, 48 percent of Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 years or older had at
least 3 chronic medical conditions and 21 percent had 5 or more. Yet,
CPGs are written only for single illness treatment.
Read more...
Cancer Risk Does Not Increase with Depression,
Fatigue
Aug. 8, 2005 - Feeling depressed and fatigued does
not increase a person's risk for cancer, according to a new study.
Severely exhausted people, however, do engage in behavior that is
associated with a higher cancer risk.
Read more...
Breast Cancer Survival Gains Due to Smaller Tumors
Aug. 8, 2005 – A big part of the progress made in
treating breast cancer has occurred because the tumors found in women
are getting smaller. The shift to smaller early-age tumors accounted for
almost all of the improvement in survival for senior citizens over 64
years of age.
Read
more...
Great-Grandmother Undergoes Brain Surgery From
Outside Skull
She is 5000th patient treated by Lars Leksell Gamma
Knife at University of Virginia
Aug.
6, 2005 – A 75-year-old woman with 24 great-grandchildren, Macel Morris
of Charleston, W. Va., became the 5000th patient to undergo Gamma Knife
treatment at the Lars Leksell Gamma Knife center at the University of
Virginia Health System. The Gamma Knife allows neurosurgeons to operate
on the brain without actually entering the skull, preserving brain
function and allowing for a faster recovery without pain or trauma, say
the surgeons.
Read more...
Age-Related Macular Degeneration Researchers Focused
on Factor H Gene
By Tucker Sutherland, editor
Aug. 5, 2005 – In March, we reported in
SeniorJournal.com that researchers had discovered a variant of the
Factor H gene is involved in the development of age-related macular
degeneration (AMD), which is the leading cause of blindness in senior
citizens. A month later, another research group found that AMD does
occur when Factor H is triggered, possibly by an infection.
Read more...
Skin Cancer Increasing Rapidly Among Seniors: Study
Says It’s Over-Diagnosed
Aug. 4, 2005 – Melanoma of the skin is the fastest
growing major cancer among senior citizens – persons 65 and older. Well,
maybe not. New research published today online by BMJ suggests it is
just being over-diagnosed in the U.S.
Read more...
Lucentis Improves Vision In Patients with Wet
Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Other successful treatments have focused on slowing
vision loss
Aug. 1, 2005 – Lucentis (ranibizumab) has improved
vision in people with wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which
is a significant advance, since other drug treatments of AMD have
focused on slowing vision loss, rather than restoring sight. AMD is the
leading cause of blindness for people over the age of 60 in the United
States and Canada. The National Eye Institute estimates that there are
1.6 million people with AMD in the United States alone and that this
prevalence will grow to 2.95 million by 2020.
Read more...
Pancreatic Cancer Risk Higher In Newly Diagnosed
Diabetes Patients 50 And Older
Aug. 1, 2005 – The onset of hyperglycemic diabetes
in adults age 50 or older may be a signal of underlying pancreatic
cancer. The risk of developing the deadly cancer within three years
after a new diagnosis of diabetes is eight times higher than for the
average same-age individual (1 in 120), according to researchers at the
May Clinic Cancer Center. For years, there has been controversy over
whether type 2 diabetes predisposes people to pancreatic cancer or if
diabetes is an indicator of underlying pancreatic cancer. This is the
first study to evaluate the importance of using age at diabetes
diagnosis as an indicator for pancreatic cancer.
Read more...
Medical Errors
Bush Signs Patient Bill to Protect Medical
Professionals Who Report Errors
July 29, 2005 – President Bush this morning signed
the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005 which features
protection for medical professionals who voluntarily report medical
errors by keeping their names private.
Read more...
House Passage of Medical Error Reporting Bill
Applauded by Pharmacists
July 28, 2005 - The American Society of
Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) praised legislation passed Tuesday by
the U.S. House of Representatives that establishes a non-punitive system
enabling health care providers to voluntarily report medical errors or
near misses. The Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act (S. 544)
creates a legal framework to log errors, catalog reports, and identify
trends, essential elements in creating a culture of safety to improve
the quality of medical care.
Read more...
Optimism Protects Health When Faced with Severe
Family Crisis
July 27, 2005 – There is new evidence that optimism
may reduce the risk of health problems and help recover from a serious
life-changing event- such a family death or serious illness.
Read more...
Rozerem: New Sleep Drug for Long-Term Use Expected
in September
FDA gives its approval as treatment for difficulty
with sleep onset
July 27, 2005 – There is a new opportunity coming
on the market in September for senior citizens desperate for a good
nights sleep. The Food and Drug Administration has approved Rozerem (ramelteon)
for the treatment of insomnia. Specifically approved for insomnia characterized by
difficulty with sleep onset, the 8-mg Rozerem tablets can be prescribed
by physicians for long-term use in adults.
Read more...
