International group urges prompt HIV treatment for all

"A technician shows packs of Nevirapine 200mg tablets of antiretroviral drugs on July 21 at the Sociedade Mocambicana de Medicamentos, Africa's first public factory for anti-HIV drugs. An international group of scientists on Sunday called for all adults who test positive for HIV to be treated with antiretroviral drugs right away rather than waiting for their immune systems to weaken. (AFP Photo/Benoit Marquet)" title

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Group marches in DC ahead of AIDS conference

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Bavarian says U.S. expands group eligible for Imvamune

Reuters – 22 hrs ago COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Danish biopharmaceutical company Bavarian Nordic said on Wednesday the U.S. government had expanded the population eligible to receive its attenuated smallpox vaccine, Imvamune, during an emergency.

The company said on Wednesday that in the event of a public health emergency involving smallpox, the government may now authorize the use of Imvamune to protect individuals of all ages with HIV infection or atopic dermatitis (AD), a type of eczema.

Children, pregnant women, and nursing mothers with HIV or AD are eligible to receive Imvamune, despite limited clinical data in these specific populations, the company said.

Previously, only certain people with HIV were eligible.

(Reporting by Mette Fraende; Editing by Dan Lalor)

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U.S. advisers back Edwards valve for wider group

Reuters – 4 hrs ago GAITHERSBURG, Maryland (Reuters) - An artificial heart valve from Edwards Lifesciences Corp that can be inserted without cracking open the chest for surgery won the support of U.S. advisers on Wednesday for use in a wider group of patients.

A panel of outside advisers to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration voted unanimously, with one abstention, that the benefits of the Sapien device outweigh its risks for people who need a new heart valve but face a higher risk of dying from open-heart surgery.

The FDA usually follows panel recommendations, although it is not required to, and will make a final decision in the future.

Shares of Edwards edged up 0.5 percent to $91 in post-market trading, as analysts said a positive recommendation had largely been factored into the share price before the meeting.

The valve is widely considered to be Edwards' most important new product, and was already approved last year for those deemed too sick to have the open-heart surgery.

Devices like Sapien, as well as sophisticated non-surgical techniques, are seen as the next frontier in the battle against heart disease as drugmakers produce fewer new medicines to fight the world's leading cause of death.

The Sapien device is meant for people with aortic stenosis, when the aortic valve that allows blood to leave the heart does not fully open, decreasing blood flow and potentially preventing it from reaching the brain and the rest of the body.

About 250,000 Americans have severe symptoms of the disease, and about two-thirds of them undergo surgery to treat it.

A bad aortic valve commonly requires open-heart surgery, during which the ribs are sawed open, the heart is stopped and a new valve is sewn in place. But thousands of people each year are considered too sick to get the surgery, or have other health conditions that make it risky.

With an Edwards' Sapien transcatheter heart valve -- the first such device in the United States -- a catheter guides the new valve to the heart through the femoral artery in the groin or a small incision between the ribs. The valve costs about $30,000 and is made of cow tissue and polyester supported with a stainless steel mesh frame.

Doctors say this and a similar device being developed by Medtronic Inc will eventually become the standard of care.

In pivotal clinical trials, Edwards said the Sapien led to a slightly lower death rate and dramatically shorter recovery times and hospital stays than chest-cracking open-heart surgery.

However, FDA advisers were concerned about higher stroke risk with the device compared to the traditional surgery, as well as an issue known as aortic leakage, when the valve does not seal properly and can send blood back into the heart.

"I think we are in belief that the totality of the data demonstrate a reasonable assurance of safety and efficacy," said Dr. Warren Laskey, the panel chair and a cardiologist at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine.

"There are questions that remain unaddressed, but they don't seem to impede our acceptance of the totality of the data."

The panelists were also worried about clinical trial data that showed people who had the device inserted through the ribs -- known as a transapical procedure -- had a higher mortality rate after one year compared to an insertion through an artery in the leg.

The advisory panel voted 10 to 2 that the device was safe, and 12 to 0 that it was effective.

Sapien is considered to be one of the most important growth drivers for Edwards, especially if the company gets approval for the broader use, potentially doubling the number of eligible patients, analysts say.

Analysts have pegged the worldwide market for transcatheter aortic valves at more than $2 billion a year.

"A broader indication for high-risk patients would enable multi-disciplinary heart teams to choose the approach best suited to their patients' needs, including for the first time a transapical delivery option," Edwards' chairman and chief executive Michael Mussallem said in a statement.

(Reporting by Anna Yukhananov; Editing by Bernard Orr)

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Group Takes Aim at Controversial 'Disorder'

PJ James' Extreme Weight LossMore Health HeadlinesBaby Saved by Smallest Artificial Heart'Idol' Winner to Get Kidney Surgery'Ridiculously Photogenic Surgery Girl' Goes...Hospitalized Man Learns He's IntersexIn The NewsArthritisAllergiesDr. Richard BesserCold & Flu Home> Health'Sensory Integration Therapies' Lack Evidence, AAP SaysBy DAN CHILDS (

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Relay Fitness Group Partners with Ironman Jack Nunn for Evo Fitness Bike Training Programs

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Apr
2012The Relay Fitness Group has partnered with Ironman and Powerhouse Fitness Gym owner Jack Nunn to develop a series of training programs for the Evo Fitness Bike. The Evo Fitness Bike is a new type of indoor cycle that utilizes a patent pending gear drive and a unique sway frame to enhance workouts.

Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA (1888PressRelease) April 24, 2012 - Jack Nunn partnering with Relay Fitness Group to develop a training program for the Evo Fitness Bike.April 18, 2012 (Costa Mesa, CA) - Jack Nunn is a two time Ironman and the owner of Powerhouse Fitness, a unique indoor rowing and cycling gym in Long Beach, California. His innovative training techniques have helped him complete a myriad of competitive events, and he's now applying his knowledge to create an effective training system for the Evo Fitness Bike.

"We're very excited to see what Jack Nunn can do with the Evo Fitness Bike," stated Marko Vujicic, CEO of the Relay Fitness Group. "We believe that an effective training program combined with the innovative features of our new indoor cycle will help people achieve the best results possible."

Jack Nunn created Powerhouse Fitness after winning numerous medals in various events on the international stage. He was a gold medalist in 2007 at the first ever Concept 2 Team Indoor Rowing challenge, held in Essen, Germany. In 2006, he took silver at the Masters Nationals Open Single Event. As a member of the US Rowing National Team from 2001-2004 he placed second at the 2003 Pan American Trials in double sculls and had an outstanding 2002 that saw him claim a gold medal in Senior 8 and a silver medal in the Elite Double at the US Nationals. He was also a silver medalist in 2001 in the Nations Cup (now the U23 World Championships) 8 in Ottenshiem, Austria. In 2008 and 2009, Jack competed in two international Ironman competitions in Nice, France and Florianopolis, Brazil.

The Relay Fitness Group recognized Jack's skills and ability to create innovative programs that generated results for himself and his clients. Seeing that Jack was able to enhance the performance of both professional athletes and average fitness enthusiasts alike, the company saw the makings of a productive partnership and contacted him to see if he would test the Evo Fitness Bike.

Jack recognized how several of the features of the Evo Fitness Bike aided in more efficient, real world training for Ironman Triathlon competitors, cyclists, and athletes. Those features included the patent pending Orb

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Think carrots, not candy as school snack, group suggests

Reuters – 16 mins ago WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Junk food may soon be hard to buy at American public schools as the U.S. government readies new rules requiring healthier foods to be sold beyond the cafeteria - a move most parents support, according to a poll released on Thursday.

With childhood obesity rising, the survey found most people agreed the chips, soda and candy bars students buy from vending machines or school stores in addition to breakfast and lunch are not nutritious, and they support a national standard for foods sold at schools.

The findings from the advocacy group Kids' Safe and Healthful Foods Project came as the federal government prepares to roll out a nationwide standard that may set up another battle among health experts, schools and the food industry.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is expected to issue its guidelines by June, according to some experts. These could limit the amount of sugar, salt and fat foods sold at schools could contain.

Agriculture Department Under Secretary Kevin Concannon said an important step in addressing childhood obesity is to help make the "right choice an easy choice" while at school.

"We look forward to working with parents, teachers, school food service professionals and the food industry to craft workable guidelines so that healthier options are available for our students," he said.

Many states have already enacted their own laws mandating healthier non-cafeteria food options.

Jessica Donze Black, a dietician who leads the Kids' Safe and Healthful Foods Project, said the results show growing support for updating standards that surfaced in 1979.

"What has changed in the last 30 years is that the childhood obesity epidemic has more than tripled," she said. "The school environment has also changed. ... Today, there are a lot of other places throughout the day that compete with kids eating a healthy school meal."

SUPPORT FOR HIGHER STANDARDS

Eighty percent of the 1,010 adults polled said they would support nutritional standards limiting the calories, fat and sodium in such foods. Seventeen percent would oppose it.

Most also agreed there are now few healthy options. Just 5 percent of adults said vending machines offered totally or mostly healthy choices compared with 10 percent for school stores and 21 percent for a la carte lunch lines.

Changes to school foods may be controversial. New standards for more fruits, vegetables and whole grains in traditional school meals announced in January drew scrutiny when lawmakers blocked limits to french fries and counted pizza as a vegetable because it contains tomato sauce.

Efforts to give students more healthy options to help fight childhood obesity have historically faced pressure from food and beverage companies and even from schools themselves, who rely on such food sales for extra cash.

But health experts, pediatricians and other advocates say that is changing as more companies and school districts come on board at a time when more than one-third of U.S. children are overweight or obese.

"Most people accept that soda, candy bars and other unhealthy foods just don't deserve a place in school on a regular basis," said Margo Wootan, head of nutrition policy at the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

She said there are still concerns that members of Congress and industry lobbyists could water down the proposal.

The American Academy of Pediatrics' Laura Jana said new rules are imperative now that kids consume more than half of their daily calories in school. More students are getting most of their calories from snacks and drinks, not meals, she said.

"To me, it's a no-brainer. ... They can't make that healthy choice when we stick all those temptations under their noses," said Jana, a pediatrician based in Omaha, Nebraska and co-author of "Food Fights: Winning the Nutritional Challenges of Parenthood Armed with Insight, Humor and a Bottle of Ketchup."

JUICE, GRANOLA BARS

Food and beverage makers have expanded their portfolios to include juice, granola bars and other healthier products. Vending machine companies focused on nutritious offerings have also sprung up.

U.S. drink companies have already taken voluntary steps to keep sodas out of some schools and their trade group says this has cut calories consumed from beverages in schools by 88 percent.

Christopher Gindlesperger, spokesman for the American Beverage Association, said its voluntary guidelines are a good model for the government to follow.

"It's a standard that's already in place that is working. It strikes a balance," he said.

ABA's guidelines eliminate soda in elementary and middle schools but allow diet sodas and low-calorie sports drinks in high school.

Companies such as The Coca-Cola Co, PepsiCo Inc, and Nestle SA either had no immediate comment or referred questions to industry trade groups.

Mars Inc, maker of the iconic M&M's chocolate candies, said it has already agreed to withdraw branded vending machines from schools and does not offer traditional candy in those settings. Mars said it has instead developed other, lower-calorie products.

As for schools, most now realize vending machines can help teach students about healthy habits and boost learning even though money does loom large, said Whitney Meagher, project director for the National Association of State Boards of Education.

"If you have a choice between a cookie and an apple and the cookie is going to sell better, it's hard not to make that decision as a business decision," she said.

The Kids' Safe and Healthful Foods Project is a joint venture by the nonprofit policy group The Pew Charitable Trusts and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a private organization that aims to improve Americans' health.

Its poll surveyed 1,010 registered voters by telephone in mid-January and has a margin-of-error of plus-or-minus 3.1 percentage points.

(Editing by Marilyn W. Thompson and Cynthia Osterman)

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Family planning group sues over exclusion from Texas program

Reuters – Wed, Apr 11, 2012 AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - Planned Parenthood filed a federal lawsuit on Wednesday seeking to stop enforcement of a new Texas rule that excludes the family planning organization from a program that provides cancer screenings, birth control and other health services to low-income women in the state.

The lawsuit filed by a group of Planned Parenthood clinics that do not provide abortions says the rule is unconstitutional and that it will lead to tens of thousands of women being unable to get preventive healthcare from their chosen provider.

"Worst of all my fears is that these women will forgo life-saving screenings, comprehensive exams, reliable birth control and other vital preventive healthcare services," Patricio Gonzales, CEO of Planned Parenthood Association of Hidalgo County in South Texas, told reporters on Wednesday.

Since the Texas Women's Health Program began in 2007, state law has technically banned its money from going to abortion providers or affiliates of abortion providers, but the state did not enforce the ban on affiliates.

In 2011, Texas notified the federal government of its intent to begin enforcing that ban, effectively excluding Planned Parenthood from the program.

Obama administration officials responded by saying they would not renew funding for the program because Texas was violating federal law by restricting freedom of choice of providers. The state is suing over that decision, and Texas Governor Rick Perry has accused the Obama administration of abandoning "these Texas women to advance its political agenda."

State officials say they want to continue the program - which is part of the Medicaid health program for the poor and disabled - and will work to extend federal funding or find a way to pay for it with state dollars. The federal government pays 90 percent of the $33-million-a-year program.

"Federal law gives states the right and responsibility to establish criteria for Medicaid providers so we're on firm legal ground," Stephanie Goodman, a spokeswoman for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, said on Wednesday.

Goodman said "this is not about allowing women to choose their provider." She pointed out that federal officials have waived the freedom of choice provision in all other Medicaid services in Texas.

Starting in May, providers who don't comply with the new rule will be removed from the program, Goodman said.

Gonzales said some of the Planned Parenthood centers would be forced to close.

Rene Resendez, 24, a college student in West Texas who is in the program, said that Planned Parenthood is important to her family because her mother was diagnosed with cervical cancer at Planned Parenthood when she was pregnant.

"Without the Women's Health Program and Planned Parenthood, I don't know what I would do, or where I would go for the cancer screenings and other services that I need," Resendez said.

(Reporting By Corrie MacLaggan; Editing by Paul Simao)

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