Snoring problems? Maybe it’s time to for a risk assessment for stroke. A recent study published in the journal Sleep reported that “heavy snoring is an independent risk factor for early carotid atherosclerosis, which may progress to be associated with stroke.”

The study was the first to use an objective way of measuring snoring intensity. The conduct of the study was described below:

“One-hundred-and-ten participants with ages ranging from 45 to 80 years were examined in a sleep laboratory. Volunteers were categorized as snorers and non-snorers with only mild, nonhypoxic obstructive sleep apnea. Participants underwent polysomnography with quantification of snoring, bilateral carotid and femoral artery ultrasound with quantification of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular risk assessment. A snoring index (the number of snores per hour) and snoring sleep time (the total number of 30-second sleep periods that contained three or more snore sounds expressed in a percentage) were used to categorize participants.”

Results of the study were summarized as follows in the table below:

Loud and regular snoring is a warning symptom of obstructive sleep apnea, a sleeping disorder which has been linked to chronic conditions, including respiratory problems and cardiovascular disorders. In another study, sleep apnea has also been linked to increased risk of death. It seems more prevalent among adult males (40%) than adult females (24%).

The causes of sleep apnea are complex and many. Preexisting respiratory and cardiovascular conditions described above may contribute to this sleeping disorder. It has also been linked to obesity, unhealthy eating habits (e.g. fat-rich diet), lack of exercise in women, and excessive alcohol intake. Another study has identified some risk factors for snoring as follows:

• Exposure to pets such as dogs as a baby
• Being hospitalized respiratory tract infections before the age of 2
• Recurring ear infections as a child
• Growing up in a large family

We cannot change some of these risk factors but there are some lifestyle factors that can be changed.

According to the authors of the currents study

“treatments such as weight loss, decreased alcohol intake, oral appliance therapy and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy have all been shown to successfully reduce snoring. There are no studies on whether reducing snoring will reverse damage to the carotid arteries.”

Remember, the less your snore, the better you (and your partner) can sleep. Let’s hope that this can also lower your risk for atherosclerosis and stroke, and death.

Photo credit: stock.xchng

Advertisement: Raise Capital in 90 Days Online - Now! Learn How This Works .. Bedzzz Inn, Inc Raised $92,867 with this system!

The cold weather is upon us and a cup of something hot is just the thing to drive the chills away. So what is your favorite hot drink?

This report by Greek researchers published in the European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation suggests we should go for green tea.

What’s in a cup of green tea?

Green tea is made from the leaves of Camellia sinensis, a plant that grows in China and other parts of Asia. Whereas “tea” is the Western world usually refers to black tea, “tea” in countries like Japan and Korea actually refers to green tea. Unlike black tea, green tea is practically unprocessed and has therefore undergone very little oxidation. Green tea contains strong antioxidants in the form of flavonoids, similar to what is found in red wine and dark chocolate. However, it is thought that green tea contains more antioxidant compared to other hot beverages because of the minimal oxidation it undergoes during production. The antioxidant content would vary, though, depending on the tea plant variety and cultivation and processing styles.

What are the health benefits of green tea?

“The study found that the consumption of green tea rapidly improves the function of (endothelial) cells lining the circulatory system; endothelial dysfunction is a key event in the progression of atherosclerosis.”

The randomized study of 14 participants involved the measurement of the diameter of the brachial artery 30, 90 and 120 minutes after drinking a cup of green tea, a cup of coffee and a cup of hot water. Results showed that the brachial artery, which a major blood vessel in the upper arm, was significantly more dilated after drinking green tea. The highest measurement was 3.9% increase after 30 minutes of consumption. No significant dilation effect was observed among those who drank coffee or hot water.

According to researcher Dr Nikolaos Alexopoulos

“These findings have important clinical implications. Tea consumption has been associated with reduced cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in several studies. Green tea is consumed less in the Western world than black tea, but it could be more beneficial because of the way it seems to improve endothelial function. In this same context, recent studies have also shown potent anticarcinogenic effects of green tea, attributed to its antioxidant properties.”

However, a study by German researchers indicated that the endothelial function amelioration effect of black tea is comparable to that of green tea.

Besides its cardiovascular benefits, green tea is associated with reduced mortality due to other diseases. Japanese researchers found that regular drinking of green tea can prevent chronic diseases from cardiovascular disorder to cancer and can therefore prolong lifespan.

Photo credit: stock.xchng

Advertisement: Raise Capital in 90 Days Online - Now! Learn How This Works .. Bedzzz Inn, Inc Raised $92,867 with this system!

Cancer vaccines were developed when researchers discovered that some cancer cells produce some unique proteins in excessive amount. These proteins are unique in a way that they can trigger the immune system to attack the cancer cells. The cancer vaccines were developed by targeting these proteins and stimulate the immune system to attack cancer cells but not the normal cells.

The vaccine for prostate cancer is designed to trigger the immune system to attack prostate-specific antigen (PSA). PSA is a protein produced by the prostate and is found in the blood of men with prostate cancer and non-cancerous conditions. An immune booster called interleukin-2 (IL-2) is normally administered with the vaccine to further boost the body’s natural defense. IL-2, however, brings about the side effects previously described.

“Developing an alternative method of administering vaccine therapy that is well tolerated by most patients and produces similar immune responses to standard methods may help further the development of vaccine therapies for prostate cancer,” according to James L. Gulley of National Cancer Institute’s Center for Cancer Research.

In earlier studies using the same prostate cancer vaccines, IL-2 was given daily for 5 days to 19 patients in every 28-day vaccine treatment cycle. The majority of the patients, however, experiences severe fatigue so that IL-2 was reduced or discontinued.

In the new study led by National Cancer Institute (NCI) researchers, a method called “metronomic dosing” was tested. In this method, 18 patients were treated with vaccine and radiation therapy. The patients were also given the same total amount of IL-2 but were administered daily for 14 days in smaller doses of each 28-treatment cycle. The metronomic dosing showed that less than 25% of the patients experienced side effects that required the reduction of their IL-2 doses. The strategy was found to be safe with fewer side effects but produces similar immune response to the standard dosing method.

“Based on safety and feasibility, metronomic dosing appears to be superior to standard dosing and administration,” said Gulley.

However, more research is needed to evaluate the efficacy of this dosing method in the treatment prostate cancer.”

 Photo credit: stock.xchng

In the arena of drug development, cardiovascular medicine is no longer the favorite therapeutic area. This is according to a study published in the August issue of Nature, which analyzed the number of clinical trials registered at ClinicalTrials registery during the last two years, as reported by heartwire. Cardiology, which used to occupy the top priority position in research and development in the pharmaceutical industry, only now ranked 3^rd. The top two places are occupied by cancer oncolgy and neurodegenerative medicine, respectively. This is despite the fact that lipid regulators which brought in US$ 35.2 billion worth of drug sales in 2006. The complete list of the six highest-ranked therapeutic/disease areas is given below:

• Oncology
• CNS disorders
• Cardiology
• Infectious diseases
• Endocrinology
• Respiratory diseases

The Nature review paper which surveyed Phase II to IV interventional studies sponsored by pharmaceutical companies and registered with the clinical-trials registry between October 2005 and September 2007 showed the same trend.

Does this mean that the incidence of cardiovascular diseases has decreased significantly that they are no longer a major health threat? Unfortunately, this is not the case. Many pharmaceutical companies feel that the profitable days of statins and beta-blockers are coming to an end as one drug after another, including the blockblusters Coreg and Lipitor, lost or will soon be losing its patent. With each drug going off patent, generic versions are already waiting at the sidelines to grab the market.

An as example of the lack of enthusiasm for cardiology, I reported in an earlier post about an internal memo from Pfizer which some how leaked which stated

“…an Integrated Strategic Plan (ISP) that focuses and prioritizes our R&D investments. Alzheimer’s Disease, Diabetes, Inflammation/Immunology, Oncology, Pain and Psychoses (Schizophrenia) are confirmed as our higher priority areas.“

Several clinical phase drugs which showed blockbuster potential fell short of expectations and many are facing safety issues. Results from the ENHANCE trial which tested ezetimbe (Zetia) in combination simvastatin were disappointing as well as controversial. More recently, all clinical development programs of rimonabant (Acomplia), earlier thought to be the next bestseller, were halted when the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) announced that “it had asked the company [sanofi-aventis] to suspend marketing of the drug, on the grounds that its benefits no longer seemed to outweigh its risks.” The APPROACH study failed to show that rosiglitazone (Avandia) prevents atherosclerosis progression in diabetes patients, thus probably putting a stop to the drug’s use in cardiovascular medicine. Late last year, the US FDA added a black box warning to Avandia’s label due to increased heart attack risks.

As previously discussed in a previous post, maybe it’s time to look more towards lifestyle change strategies for prevention and treatment of cardiovascular treatment. And I think it’s worth repeating some practical tips here:

• Wellness and fitness in the workplace.
• Better nutrition and fitness in schools.
• Legislation regulating smoking.
• Better access to health care.
• Increased health awareness and education.

Photo credit: stock.xchng

Advertisement: Raise Capital in 90 Days Online - Now! Learn How This Works .. Bedzzz Inn, Inc Raised $92,867 with this system!

Ever since it hit the news late last year, bisphenol A (BPA) is getting more and more notorious. The latest development in the BPA story is this - researchers at the University of Cincinnati reported that exposure to BPA may actually reduce the effectiveness of chemotherapy treatments among cancer patients.

Yet, plastic manufacturers all over are still using it in their polymerization process. And food manufacturers are using plastics with BPA in their packaging.

According to a report of the National Toxicology Program (NTP) of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH)

“BPA is a high production volume chemical used primarily in the production of polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins… The primary source of exposure to BPA for most people is through the diet…BPA in food and beverages accounts for the majority of daily human exposure.”

According to the Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit (PEHSU)

“BPA may cause changes in cells in breasts, the uterus, and the prostate which can increase risk of cancers. In addition, BPA has been associated with increases in developmental disorders of the brain and nervous system in animals. These developmental disorders in animals are like problems such as ADHD (attention deficit hyper-reactivity disorder) in humans.”

Let us back track a bit about what happened since last year.

November 2007
An article in Toxicology Letters (online edition) showed that BPA in polycarbonate bottles are leaching out of the containers into the drinks. The article goes on to say that BPA is an endocrine disrupting chemical (EDC) that mimics the hormone estrogen.

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has detected BPA in infant formulas. 4 out of the top 5 companies questioned acknowledged using BPA in their packaging.

December 2007
Nalgene polycarbonate bottles were taken off the shelves in Canada.

April 2008
Canada announces its plans to ban BPA-containing bottles.

July 2008
European Food Safety Authority’s AFC Panel declared human BPA exposure is too low to cause any real harm. According to the panel’s report, the human body rapidly metabolises and eliminates BPA out of the body.

September 3, 2008
The NTP reported the following concerns about BPA:

• “some concern” for effects on the brain, behavior, and prostate gland in fetuses, babies, and children at the current levels of exposure.
• “minimal concern” for effects on breast development and early onset of puberty in females
• “negligible concern” that exposure of pregnant women to BPA will result in damage to the unborn child.
• “minimal concern” BPA exposure will cause reproductive effects in workers exposed to higher BPA levels in their place of work but “negligible concern” that to adults exposed to BPA during normal daily activities

September 17, 2008
Researchers at the University of Exeter (UK) reported detecting BPA in the urine of a large portion of a test group of 1455 people. In addition, high levels of BPA in the urine were associated with chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disorders, diabetes, and kidney problems.

October 8, 2008
The University of Cincinnati reports about BPA’s effect on chemotherapy. In the study, BPA seems to mimic estrogen’s action on cancer cells - which is the induction of proteins that can protect the cancer cells from the effects of chemotherapy agents.

October 10, 2008
The American states of Connecticut, New Jersey and Delaware, through their attorney generals officially asked in writing 11 manufacturers to eliminate BPA from milk formula packaging as well from baby bottles.

October 2008
This study demonstrated that when pregnant mice were exposed to low-dose BPA, changes in the neurobehavioral development of the offsprings were observed.

Another study in mice should that BPA exposure during pregnancy altered the cellular structure of the breasts.

October 28, 2008
Based on a review by a subcommittee, the US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) stated that

“consumers should know that, based on all available evidence, the present consensus among regulatory agencies in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Japan is that current levels of exposure to BPA through food packaging do not pose an immediate health risk to the general population, including infants and babies.”

In addition, the US FDA thinks the Canadian restrictions on BPA are “out of an abundance of caution.”

Although the US FDA tries to reassure the public’s concerns about BPA, concerns about BPA is increasing and this latest findings on chemotherapy resistance “provide considerable support to the accumulating evidence that BPA is hazardous to human health.”

So how do you protect yourself from the potential hazards of BPA?

For your safety, PEHSU gives the following advice:

• Avoid plastics with symbol # 3 (PVC or polyvinyl), symbol # 6 (PS or polystyrene foam) and symbol #.
• Do not microwave food/beverages in plastic
• Do not microwave or heat plastic cling wraps
• Do not place plastics in the dishwasher
• If using hard polycarbonate plastics (water bottles/baby bottles/sippy cups), do not use for warm/hot liquids
• Use safe alternatives such as glass or polyethylene plastic (symbol #1)
• Avoid canned foods when possible (BPA may be used in can linings)
• Look for labels on products that say “phthalate-free” or “BPA-free”

Photo credits: stock.xchng

Those of us who suffer from them know the symptoms - runny eyes and nose, coughing, and itching. I am talking about allergies. Some of us are allergic to food, some to particles in the air such as dust and pollen, some to certain chemicals.

Well, actually the miseries of allergies may be worthwhile trade offs to cancer prevention. Researchers at Cornell University reported in a recent study that allergic reactions can actually provide protection from certain types of cancer which “involve organs that interface directly with the external environment.” These include skin, colon, bladder, mouth, throat, uterus and cervix, lung and gastrointestinal tract cancers.

According to lead researcher Paul Sherman

“The study revealed a strong relationship between allergies and cancer in environmentally exposed tissues…This relationship seldom exists between allergies and cancers of tissues that are not directly exposed to the environment, such as cancers of the breast and prostate, as well as myelocytic leukemia and myeloma.”

The study results are based on an analysis of a database of 646 studies on allergies and cancers which were published during the last 50 years,

Interestingly, certain allergies are more strongly linked to the above listed cancers than others. Environmental allergies such as eczema, hives, hay fever, and animal and food allergies are the ones most strongly associated with lower rates of the said cancers.

The mechanism behind the cancer preventive properties of allergies may be explained by the fact that allergies help block foreign particles from entering the body, particles which may be carcinogenic or may contain carcinogens and other toxic substances.

There are some exceptions to this allergy-cancer inverse association. Asthma, which is a form of respiratory allergy, is associated with higher rates of lung cancer. Glioma and pancreatic cancer are cancers of internal tissues but are still linked to certain allergies. However, asthma is an exception since unlike other allergies, it reduces the ability to get rid of mucus. Glia (a type of brain cells) and pancreatic cells do get in contact with the environmental indirectly through the olfactory and digestive tracts, respectively.

Allergies have been erroneously thought of as disorders of the immune system. In fact, allergies are the front line of defence against certain invaders in the environment, be they parasites or carcinogens. So next time you feel the allergic reaction coming, maybe you should thank your lucky stars instead of complain.

The next question is, how do medications that we take in order to control allergies affect the cancer prevention strategy? I guess this would be the subject of future studies.

Resource post for November

Background

Statin drugs or HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors play a very important role in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. They are the first line treatment against high cholesterol levels. Statins have anti-inflammatory properties and interfere with the production of cholesterol thus slowing down the formation of plaques on the arterial walls.

According to the US FDA, statin medications

• work in the liver to prevent formation of cholesterol
• are effective in lowering bad cholesterol levels and raising good cholesterol
• are not recommended for pregnant patients or those with active or chronic liver disease
• can cause serious muscle problems

Statins are also said to be the bestselling drugs of all times, raking in billions of dollar in sales every year. Currently available statin drugs are:

• Lovastatin (Mevacor, Altoprev)
• Pravastatin (Pravachol)
• Simvastatin (Zocor)
• Fluvastatin (Lescol)
• Atorvastatin (Lipitor)
• Rosuvastatin (Crestor)

Research studies

Recent studies indicate that statins may play a major role in therapeutic areas outside cardiovascular medicine, thus may earn the title of “the aspirin of the 21st century“. Some of these studies are summarized below.

Statins associated with lower risk of death from pneumonia

Pneumonia is a major cause of mortality worldwide, even in developed countries. It has been reported that the incidence of pneumonia is increasing and hospitalization rates in the US and Europe have increased by 20 to 50% during the last 10 years. About 10 to 15% of pneumonia cases result in death.

Does statin use lower mortality rates due to pneumonia? Danish researchers report in the October 27 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine that “individuals who take cholesterol-lowering statins before being hospitalized with pneumonia appear less likely to die within 90 days afterward.”

The researchers studied data from 29,900 patients hospitalized with pneumonia between 1997 and 2004. 4.6% of these patients (1,371) were taking statins before and during hospitalization as anticholesterol treatment.

Death rates within 30 days among statin users were much lower (10.3%) were much lower than non-statin users (15.7%). The same trend was observed after 90 days, with 16.8% mortality rates among statin users compared to 22.4% among non-users.

The mechanism behind this effect of statins is not clear but the authors theorize that

“Statins change the immune response, beneficially affect processes associated with blood clotting and inflammation and inhibit dysfunction in blood vessels. These effects may especially benefit patients with sepsis and bacteremia, which are associated with early death from pneumonia.”

Statins block 1 cause of pregnancy loss in mice

What does statin have to do with pregnancy? Researchers at Cornell University observed that statins can actually prevent antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), an inflammatory condition that causes serious complications in pregnancy ranging from spontaneous abortion, fetal growth problems and even fetal death. The researchers demonstrated this beneficial effect of statins in laboratory mice.

Statins may protect against memory loss

Statins seem to also have protective properties against dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases. This is according to a study by researchers at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. The researchers observed that “if a person takes statins over a course of about 5-7 years, it reduces the risk of dementia by half.” The study studied tracked 1674 older Mexican-Americans did not have dementia for 5 years. Within the follow up period, 130 study participants developed some form of dementia or cognitive impairment. The incidence of dementia was lower among the 452 participants who took statins at some point in the study. This is an interesting development in view of stories about the popular statin drug Lipitor causing memory losses.

Statins lower blood marker for prostate cancer

Men who are taking statins to lower their cholesterol levels have lower prostate-specific antigen (PSA). PSA is a known biomarker for cancer risk. The PSA reduction seems to be related to statin use in a dose-dependent manner. The study followed up 1214 men who were on statins between 1990 and 2006 and monitored their PSA levels. Whether the effect of statins on the PSA levels translates into anticancer properties is not yet clear.

Are statins beneficial or harmful in multiple sclerosis?

A previous study in animals has shown that some statins may be beneficial against multiple sclerosis when combined with other drugs. This was demonstrated by University of California researchers in mice. In another study, Phoenix researchers showed that simvastatin may have some anti-inflammatory effect that counteracts inflammatory components of multiple sclerosis. However, another study indicates that certain doses of stains combined with beta interferon may actually increase the clinical disease activity in patients with multiple sclerosis. “Caution is [therefore] suggested in administering this combination.” The latter study was based on data of 26 study participants.

Statins lower risk of clots in cancer patients

Researchers at the Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia observed that cancer patients taking statins have lower incidence of blood clots than non-users. Thus, statins “may have a future in preventing blood clots in patients with breast, lung, colon and other solid-organ cancers.”

Caveat

The abovementioned studies show that there are other potential uses of statins aside from lowering cholesterol levels. However, all these results are preliminary. Further and larger studies are needed to further explore these beneficial effects as well as the risks that may be involved. Many people will claim that most of the positive reports about statins are propaganda from the pharmaceutical companies. Conspiracy theories abound. However, if statins can provide health benefits beyond cardiovascular medicine, who are we to say no?

We also have to be aware that like all drugs, statins come with side effects. Most side effects are mild but some can be serious. Myopathy is a potential fatal denegerative disease of the muscles possibly linked to statin use.

Photo credit: stock.xchng

Advertisement: Raise Capital in 90 Days Online - Now! Learn How This Works .. Bedzzz Inn, Inc Raised $92,867 with this system!

Good day, everyone. Here is your heart news round up for this weekend.

CVD socioeconomic watch

Socioeconomic gap in BP management closed
Time was when management of hypertension was distinctly different between lower income and more affluent areas in the UK. It seems that with “the introduction of quality-of -care measures in general practices,” this socioeconomic gap has been successfully bridged and closed. This was partly achieved by “the so-called quality and outcomes framework (QOF), a pay-for-performance system” which give financial incentives to primary health care providers who reach certain outcome targets. The proportion of patients with up-to-date BP monitoring was 1.7% more in the higher income communities in 2005 but this advantage narrowed down to 0.2% in 2007.

CVD patient watch

British Teen Refuses Heart Transplant
“I’ll take my chances,” says 13-year old Hannah Jones after refusing a heart transplant. The British teen has been undergoing chemotherapy and other treatments against leukaemia since she was 4, which also damaged her heart in the process. It seems that Hannah has had enough of hospitals and would rather stay at home with her parents than undergo the rigorous process of heart transplantation.

CVD ethnicity watch

Differences in the incidence of congestive heart failure by ethnicity
Results from analysis of data from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) show that the risk for congestive heart failure is much higher among African Americans compared to other ethnic groups. The increased risk is related to prevalence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, as well as socioeconomic status.

CVD gender watch

Gender matching aids long-term survival after heart transplants
Male and female hearts do differ and when it comes to heart transplants, gender matching is important. Except for size, heart differences are not so evident, yet survival rates in sexually matched transplantation are much higher. However, it boils down to a trade off between longer waiting time and sexual matching for organs.

CVD depression watch

Heart disease patients may not benefit from depression screening
Clinical guidelines by American Heart Association (AHA) and the American Psychiatric Association a few weeks ago recommended screening for depression among cardiac patients as reported in a previous post. This study, however, casts doubts on the necessity of the recommendation. According to Dr. James Coyne of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, “there is no clear evidence that depression screening plays a conclusive role in improving cardiovascular patients’ health.”

CVD healthcare watch

New survey: More than half of US chronically ill adults skip needed care due to costs
The Commonwealth Fund surveyed 7500 chronically ill adults in eight industrialized countries (Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, UK, and the US) with at least one of the following conditions: hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, lung problems, cancer, or depression. The survey results

“finds that those in the U.S. are by far the most likely to forgo care because of the cost, as well as the most likely to experience medical errors, care coordination problems, and high out-of-pocket costs.”

Photo credit: stock.xchng

Advertisement: Raise Capital in 90 Days Online - Now! Learn How This Works .. Bedzzz Inn, Inc Raised $92,867 with this system!

Grow your own prostate
American researchers were able to create a whole prostate organ from stem cells. This has been demonstrated in the lab using mouse stem cells. “The ability to recreate this organ should help researchers better understand how prostate cancer starts and possibly even help them to grow replacement prostate tissue in the laboratory.” The prostate is not the first to be generated this way. Scientists have already successfully created blood, skin, as well as the mammary gland from single mouse stem cells.

News from the therapy side

Antiestrogen treatment does not affect cognitive function
Good news for those undergoing antiestrogen therapy that results in treatment-induced menopause - the treatment strategy does not seem to affect patients’ cognitive function, according to German researchers. “Hormonal changes did not appear to contribute to cognitive compromise in patients with breast cancer during the first year after diagnosis. Antiestrogen treatment with tamoxifen or AIs did not affect cognition, and the effects of induced menopause were more likely to be favorable. However, the possibility that some cognitive decline occurs in individual patients could not be excluded.”

News from the techno side

ACS Teams Up with Microsoft on Lung Cancer Guide
Microsoft and the American Cancer Society (ACS) have joined forces to provide patients and their families a tool that can help them find comprehensive information about lung cancer. With Microsoft’s Live Search Health tool, you now can quickly get access to ACS’ Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Guide.

News from the academic side

Dana-Farber picked as a top place to work in Massachusetts and academia
The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute was recently voted by two prestigious newspapers as one of best 100 places to work. The institute was ranked number 73 in a Massachusetts-wide survey by the Boston Globe. It ranked even higher - 22^nd place in the International Best Places to Work in Academia survey conducted by the Scientist.

News from clinical trials side

HPV vaccine prevents genital warts in men: study
The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine for men has been approved in about 40 countries worldwide but not in the US and Canada because the regulators in these countries are not convinced that “it prevented penile cancer or other cancers associated with the human papillomavirus or HPV in men.” However, results of a recent placebo-controlled clinical trial in France show promise. The study involved 4000 men who were followed up for 36 months. So far, the vaccine proved to be well tolerated and was effective in preventing the development of genital lesions. However, even if proved effective, the cost effectiveness of the vaccine still needs to be checked.

According to a study based on 2006 data from United Network of Organ Sharing in the US, 3,299 American children were on the heart transplant waiting list during an eight-year period up to 2006. Based on their ethnicity, the distribution is as follows:

• 58% white
• 20% black
• 16% Hispanic
• 3% Asian
• 3% others

Does this mean that more white children have heart problems and therefore need more heart transplantation? Actually no. The truth is actually sad and raises concerns about the role of race in health care.

“The most common reasons that children require heart transplants are serious congenital heart defects in children under the age of 1 and cardiomyopathy in those over the age of 10 years. These conditions tend to be equally distributed in children 1 to 10 years old [regardless of ethnicity]. Cardiomyopathy is a serious disease in which the heart muscle becomes inflamed and doesn’t work as well as it should.”

The reason why more white children are on the waiting list is because non-white children have a much higher likelihood of dying while waiting for a heart donor. If we look at the mortality figures, we see a completely different picture:

• Black children had a 60 percent greater chance of dying.
• Hispanics had a 50 percent higher mortality rate.
• Asians and others had a 100 percent to130 percent greater chance of dying.

If split between two ethnic groups white and non-whites, the non-white children clearly have a higher risk of dying before they can have a transplant.

I am mother to two kids who are partly of Asian ethnicity. It is heartbreaking to know that other kids like mine lose their chance for a heart transplant just because of the color of their skin.

However, the reasons for the disparity are many and complex and go beyond just the race issue. They include:

Socioeconomic factors. White children are more likely to belong to higher income families and better health insurance coverage. 58% of black children and 59% of Hispanic children have Medicaid insurance compared to 24% of white children. Those who have Medicaid have 20% higher mortality likelihood.

Cultural factors. Cultural and religious beliefs may play a role in the parents’ attitude towards treatments, including heart transplantation and “bridging therapies” while waiting for a heart donor.

Communication problems. Communications between healthcare providers and the patients (or parents of the patients) may play a big role. Language barriers as well as cultural and socioeconomic barrier can influence the efficiency of communications and therefore can cause delay in decision making.

Other unknown factors may play role and need to be addressed in future studies. However, this disparity due to race is very troubling and should be taken into account by health care providers when treating their young patients.

Photo credit: stock.xchng

Advertisement: Raise Capital in 90 Days Online - Now! Learn How This Works .. Bedzzz Inn, Inc Raised $92,867 with this system!