Categories
Cardiovascular
Diagnostics
Endocrinology
Health Insurance
Medical Devices
Mental Health
Nutrition
Oncology
Public Health
Sexual Health
Popular Articles

Young Leaders Head For Junior 8/G8 Summit In Rome
What
generic viagra online
Terrence Higgins Trust's One-hour 'Fastest' Service Aims To Reduce Undiagnosed HIV In Tower Hamlets
In a bid to reduce levels of undiagnosed HIV, HIV and sexual health charity Terrence Higgins Trust (THT), Positive East and NHS Tower Hamlets are encouraging people who may have been at risk to attend a local service offering fast HIV testing. A "Fastest" clinic runs at Mile End Road every Tuesday from 6pm-9pm and there is also a monthly mobile clinic at venues across the borough.
News of the day
Singer Elton John Calls For Increased HIV/AIDS Education, Care
Singer Elton John on Tuesday at the 2009 Bio International Convention in Atlanta called for renewed efforts to fight HIV/AIDS, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. John, founder of the Elton John AIDS Foundation, addressed an audience that included CEOs of organizations working to develop HIV/AIDS therapies and vaccines. He called on governments and institutions to increase their focus on education, especially among young people; access to medical treatment; and needle-exchange programs (Poole, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 5/19)."There are long-standing stereotypes and prejudices that inhibit our efforts to combat AIDS," John said, adding, "I am asking for your leadership." According to John, CDC estimates that one in every three new HIV cases occurs among people younger than age 30, a statistic that he said has not received adequate attention. "It is unfathomable and unconscionable that we are not making a bigger effort to educate this demographic about HIV/AIDS with creative materials and up-to-date information," John said, adding, "Our failure to do so is costing lives" (Turner, AP/PennLive.com, 5/19). John also noted a recent report by the Kaiser Family Foundation, which found that the number of Americans who believe HIV/AIDS is an urgent health problem has declined to 6% currently from 44% in 1995. Bob McNally, CEO of GeoVax Labs, said John"s message is that "just not enough is being done" and that "people continue to die from the disease." He added that John "spurred the audience towards being advocates" (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 5/20).
Health Insurance

'Provocative' New Evidence Links Vitamin D And Other Nutrients To Heart Disease

Emerging research suggests that nutritional factors including vitamin D, magnesium, and others may influence the risk and progression of cardiovascular disease. The new data on nutrition and heart disease were the topic of a recent symposium and are summarized in the July issue of The American Journal of the Medical Sciences (AJMS), official journal of the Southern Society for Clinical Investigation (SSCI). The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading provider of information and biomedical intelligence for students, professionals, and institutions in medicine, nursing, allied health, pharmacy and the pharmaceutical industry. "The prospect that macro- and micronutrients may play an important role in the appearance of diseases of the cardiovasculature and their progressive nature is both intriguing and provocative," according to the article"s preface by Dr. Karl T. Weber. The article highlights key findings presented at the SSCI"s Annual Scientific Session in New Orleans earlier this year. The symposium was presented in conjunction with the SSCI"s Cardiovascular Club and the International Academy of Cardiovascular Sciences/North America. New Evidence Links Vitamin D to Cardiovascular Disease Several recent studies have identified low vitamin D levels as a common problem with many adverse health effects, including increased rates of cardiovascular disease. People with vitamin D deficiency are at increased risk of high blood pressure, heart failure, and ischemic heart disease, according to Suzanne Judd, MPH, PhD, of University of Alabama at Birmingham and Dr. Vin Tangpricha of Emory University. In patients who already have heart disease, low vitamin D may increase the risk of high blood pressure or sudden death. Vitamin D deficiency may also help to explain the apparent relationship between osteoporosis-related fractures and heart failure, according to Dr. Syed H. Raza and colleagues. Osteoporosis and heart failure are both common conditions in older adults and share several risk factors including low vitamin D. Pending further research to clarify this relationship, patients with heart failure need attention to their risks of osteoporosis and fractures. So far, however, there is very little information on whether taking vitamin D supplements can avoid or reduce these risks. Rebecca B. Costello, PhD, of the National Institutes of Health"s Office of Dietary Supplements outlines federal research initiatives to understand the effects of vitamin D on health. She urges rigorous scientific studies to clarify the relationship between vitamin D and cardiovascular disease, as well as other chronic diseases. Other Nutrients May Also Affect Cardiovascular Risk Could folic acid help prevent heart disease? Folic acid (vitamin B9) reduces levels of the amino acid homocysteine, which affects cardiovascular risk, according to Dr. Lydia A. Bazzano of Tulane University. However, studies have found that taking folic acid to reduce homocysteine does not lower cardiovascular risk in adults. Taking folic acid during pregnancy does appear to reduce the risk of congenital heart defects, however. Low levels of nutrient magnesium may lead to a "cascade" of harmful inflammation-promoting events, according to Dr. Jay H. Kramer of George Washington University and colleagues. This may lead to disease of the heart muscle (cardiomyopathy), increasing vulnerability to injury from other forms of stress. Especially with the high rate of magnesium deficiency in the population, antioxidants and other medications in addition to magnesium supplements might help in reducing cardiovascular disease. Patients with heart failure especially African Americans are prone to an imbalance of several nutrients, according to a presentation by Dr. German Kamalov and colleagues. The imbalance is accompanied by activation of certain hormones, leading to inflammation and wasting of soft tissues and bone. The authors discuss approaches to recognizing this nutritional imbalance, and suggest that a "polynutrient supplement" including calcium, magnesium, zinc, selenium, and vitamins D, B12, and B1 might play a role in heart failure management. Despite the tantalizing new evidence, "The role of nutrition in the causation, prevention, and treatment of cardiovascular diseases is largely unexplored," Dr. Weber concludes. "Investigator-initiated, hypothesis-driven research conducted in a mode of discovery by a multidisciplinary team of basic and clinical scientists will undoubtedly open new frontiers and pave the way by identifying simple remedies that could advance the practice of medicine." About The American Journal of the Medical Sciences Founded in 1820, The American Journal of the Medical Sciences (AJMS) is the official journal of the Southern Society for Clinical Investigation. Regular features include Clinical and Basic Investigation studies, Reviews, Historical Articles, Case Reports, Images in the Medical Sciences. Other special features include contributions from the Southwestern Internal Medicine Conference, Cardiology Grand Rounds from the University of North Carolina and Emory University, Case Records of the VA Maryland Healthcare System/University of Maryland Medicine, and Clinical Pathological Correlation from Texas A&M Health Science/Scott & White Memorial Hospital, Images in the Medical Sciences. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins


Add your comment:
Name:
Site address: http://
Your message:
Enter today\\\\'s date, 2 digits
(spam protection):

© Copyright 2009