Anti-AIDS pill makes cash sense for some gays: study

Anti-AIDS pill makes cash sense …

Gay men who have five or more sex partners per year are part of a high-risk group that could benefit from a daily pill to ward off HIV, said a cost-benefit analysis by US researchers on Monday.

The study by experts at Stanford University, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, looked at the costs involved with prescribing a $26 a day pill to men who have sex with men.

The pill, Truvada (tenofovir-emtricitabine), was shown in a landmark 2010 trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine to prevent HIV infections in as many as 73 percent of gay men who took it regularly.

Gay men account for the more than half of the 56,000 new cases yearly of human immunodeficiency virus in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

However, questions have been raised about whether it would make financial sense to recommend that large populations of gay men take a daily pill as prevention, or a technique known as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).

"Promoting PrEP to all men who have sex with men could be prohibitively expensive," said Jessie Juusola, a PhD candidate in management science and engineering in the Stanford School of Engineering and first author of the study.

"Adopting it for men who have sex with men at high risk of acquiring HIV, however, is an investment with good value that does not break the bank."

Prescribing the pill generally to men who have sex with men in the United States would cost $495 billion over 20 years, but targeting those at highest risk only would bring costs down to $85 billion, said the study.

Looking out over the next two decades, researchers calculated a total of 490,000 new infections if PrEP is not used.

But if 20 percent of gay men take the pill daily, there would be nearly 63,000 fewer infections.

And if just 20 percent of high-risk men took the drug, 41,000 new infections would be prevented over 20 years at a cost of about $16.6 billion.

Researchers used a measure of how long people live and their quality of life, valued at $50,000 per year, versus the average costs of the pill and doctor visits totaling about $10,000 per year.

"However, even though it provides good value, it is still very expensive," added Juusola.

"In the current health-care climate, PrEP's costs may become prohibitive, especially given the other competing priorities for HIV resources, such as providing treatment for infected individuals."

Previous research has found the pill as prevention would not make financial sense if taken for life, but the Stanford team said its formula differed because it presumed just a 20-year period of pill-taking.

Truvada is currently available as a treatment for people with HIV in combination with other anti-retroviral drugs.

Drug maker Gilead Sciences Inc. of California has filed a supplemental new drug application to market it for prevention purposes.

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UCSD studies HIV prevention drug

The new one will enroll only men who have sex with men and transgender women who are at higher risk for HIV because they have multiple partners.

The study will use Truvada, a two-drug pill made by Gilead Sciences and approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2004 to treat people with HIV. The company, which has applied for FDA approval to market it for HIV prevention, is providing the drug for free.

Study participants also will get counseling on reducing their risk for HIV.

Each of the three study teams will investigate slightly different areas.

UC San Diego will partner with San Diego County, Los Angeles County, the University of Southern California and the Long Beach health department to enroll 400 high-risk participants to get daily doses of Truvada.

All 400 will get regular counseling and health assessments; half also will get a daily text message reminder to take the pill.

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Haitian president condemns storming of Parliament

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China study finds mine workers at higher risk of cancer, heart disease

Reuters – 40 mins ago HONG KONG (Reuters) - Chinese workers who are exposed to silica dust in mines, and pottery and gemstone factories suffer not only from respiratory illnesses, but are at higher risk of contracting heart and infectious diseases and cancer, researchers in China have found.

Silica is a compound found in sand and rock. When rocks are drilled or broken, fine silica dust particles are produced that lodge deep in the lungs and can lead to scarring, severe respiratory problems and death.

Researchers monitoring the health of 74,040 mine and pottery workers over an average of 33 years found that they suffered a far higher risk of contracting a range of diseases compared with people who were not exposed.

"In addition to a higher risk of respiratory disease, we see a heightened risk of cardiovascular disease in exposed workers. This is a new discovery," said Professor Weihong Chen at the School of Public Health, Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, Hubei province.

"Before we were mostly concerned about respiratory diseases ... as to whether it raises the risk of cancer, we can give a definite answer: We see a heightened risk of lung cancer in workers exposed to silica."

Compared with people operating in cleaner environments, workers exposed to silica were nearly seven times more likely to contract infectious diseases, nearly five times more susceptible to respiratory tuberculosis and nearly twice as vulnerable to cardiovascular disease, Chen and colleagues said in a paper published this week in the Public Library of Science journal PLoS Medicine.

Exposed workers who have spent at least a year in either metal mines or pottery factories were found to be nearly twice as susceptible to cancers of the nose and throat.

More than 23 million workers in China and more than 10 million in India are exposed to silica dust. This occupational health hazard is also present in the developed world, with 1.7 million people in the United States and 3 million in Europe similarly exposed.

According to the World Health Organisation, more than 24,000 workers in China die each year from silicosis - a disease caused by silica penetrating deep into the lungs, causing inflammation and scarring. Many victims die relatively young, in their mid-40s, according to social workers.

Medical research has also estimated that one in two former gold miners has silicosis in South Africa, where gold mines employed as many as 500,000 people in the 1980s.

Chen said she hoped the study would help lead to work place interventions.

"We recommend that worksites control levels of such pollutants; it's a public health problem. Through changes in the work environment, we can reduce the risk of disease and (early) death," she said. "Factories can use stronger ventilators, and more effective masks for workers will reduce silica exposure."

The full paper is available at: http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pmed.1001206

(Editing by Chris Lewis)

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Optimism Might Cut Your Risk for Heart Attack

HealthDay – 30 mins ago WEDNESDAY, April 18 (HealthDay News) -- Being upbeat is good for your heart, a new study suggests.

Many previous studies have shown that negative mental states -- such as depression, anger, anxiety and hostility -- can harm the heart.

This Harvard School of Public Health review of more than 200 studies found that positive feelings appear to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and events such as heart attack and stroke.

"The absence of the negative is not the same thing as the presence of the positive," lead author Julia Boehm, a research fellow in the department of society, human development, and health, said in a university news release. "We found that factors such as optimism, life satisfaction and happiness are associated with reduced risk of

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More Smog Might Mean More Hospitalizations

HealthDay – 30 mins ago WEDNESDAY, April 18 (HealthDay News) -- Long-term exposure to fine-particle air pollution may increase older adults' risk of being hospitalized for lung and heart disease, stroke and diabetes, a new study says.

Harvard School of Public Health researchers compared air-quality data with hospital admission records on all Medicare patients aged 65 and older admitted to 3,000 New England hospitals between 2000 and 2006.

The researchers focused on fine air particles known as PM2.5, which have a diameter of 2.5 microns or less and are narrower than the width of a human hair. These particles -- emitted by vehicles, power plants, wood-burning devices and some industrial processes -- can lodge in the lungs and cause inflammation throughout the body.

"Our study found that long-term rates of admissions for pneumonia, heart attacks, strokes and diabetes are higher in locations with higher long-term average particle concentrations," lead author Itai Kloog, a research fellow in the department of environmental health, said in a university news release.

For example, every increase of 10 micrograms per cubic meter of long-term PM2.5 exposure was associated with a roughly 4 percent increase in hospital admissions for respiratory issues, a 3 percent increase in cardiovascular disease admissions, a 3.5 percent increase in stroke admissions and a 6 percent increase in diabetes admissions.

The study appeared online April 17 in the journal PLoS One.

"Particulate air pollution is one of the largest avoidable causes of death and illness in the United States, and, unlike diet and exercise, does not require behavioral change," senior author Joel Schwartz, a professor of environmental epidemiology and director of the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis, said in the news release.

"Off-the-shelf technology can be retrofitted onto sources of pollution at modest cost, with a large health benefit," Schwartz said. "This study shows that in addition to avoiding deaths, such measures will reduce chronic disease and medical care costs."

More information

The World Health Organization has more about air quality and health.

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Health Tip: Help Prevent Foot and Ankle Injuries

HealthDay – 30 mins ago (HealthDay News) -- The feet and ankles, supporting the weight of the rest of your body, are prime targets for painful injuries. But many can be prevented.

The American Podiatric Medical Association suggests how to help prevent injuries of the foot or ankle:

Wear shoes designed for your activity.When you're on rough or uneven ground, wear hiking boots or shoes.Throw out sports shoes that aren't worn evenly.If wearing steel-toe shoes, make sure the toe box is wide enough to be comfortable.Wear shoes with hard tops when you are using a lawn mower or other yard equipment.Always wear shoes when walking on paved surfaces.Avoid slippery floors.Don't walk around in the dark.

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Health Tip: Seniors Need Their Nutrients

HealthDay – 30 mins ago (HealthDay News) -- Everyone should eat a healthy, balanced and nutrient-rich diet, especially seniors, who have special nutritional needs.

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says these nutrients are especially important as we get older:

Vitamin D and calcium, through fortified foods, low-fat dairy products, leafy green vegetables and fish.Vitamin B12, through fish, seafood, lean meats and vitamin B12-fortified cereals.Fiber, through fruits, vegetables and whole grains.Potassium, through fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products.Polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fats, rather than saturated or trans fats.

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Experimental Gel May Help Those With Advanced Parkinson's

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Many Call Center Workers Plagued by Voice Woes

HealthDay – 30 mins ago WEDNESDAY, April 18 (HealthDay News) -- Voice problems affect one in four call center workers, a new study finds.

Researchers surveyed nearly 600 workers at 14 call centers in the United Kingdom and Ireland, and found that 25 percent had problems such as voice loss, sore throats and breathlessness.

The study also found that call center workers receive regular, comprehensive job training, but few of those training programs deal with voice issues.

The findings were released April 16, which is World Voice Day.

"The voice is a primary work tool for one in three jobs in the U.K., not only in call centers, but also in broadcast journalism, teaching, government, IT, telesales, retailing, marketing, customer care, the hospitality sector and more," study leader Diane Hazlett, head of the School of Communication at the University of Ulster in the United Kingdom, said in a university news release. "Not helping workers look after their voices is an increasingly serious business risk."

Hazlett urged employers to take steps to address voice issues.

"Policies on voice care should exist in all call center environments, and should be reviewed regularly," Hazlett said. "Going forward, there needs to be an emphasis on the prevention of voice problems within the industry -- to maintain optimal vocal health. Employers in this sector need to show they better recognize just how important the voice is to having a healthy, well-supported workforce and a thriving business."

She noted that new call center workers -- especially women -- are most at risk as they adjust to the heavy vocal demands of the job.

Ways to reduce the risk of voice problems among call center workers include: information and training; regular breaks; and keeping the throat lubricated.

More information

The U.S. National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders has more about taking care of your voice.

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Women With Older Partners More Often Admitted to Nursing Homes

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Warren Buffett Has Early Stage Prostate Cancer

HealthDay – 30 mins ago WEDNESDAY, April 18 (HealthDay News) -- U.S. billionaire investor Warren Buffett says he has prostate cancer and will undergo radiation treatment in the coming months.

The 81-year-old chairman and chief executive of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. said in a letter to investors on Tuesday that he has stage 1 cancer, an early form of the disease that is treatable.

"The good news is that I've been told by my doctors that my condition is not remotely life-threatening or even debilitating in any meaningful way," Buffett said.

After receiving the diagnosis last Wednesday, Buffett said he had other tests that "showed no incidence of cancer elsewhere in my body."

In his letter, Buffett said he expects to begin two months of daily radiation treatment in mid-July. It will restrict his travel, "but will not otherwise change my daily routine."

He added that, "I discovered the cancer because my PSA level

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