HIV Drug May Prevent Bone Marrow Transplant Complication

HealthDay – 1 hr 3 mins ago WEDNESDAY, July 11 (HealthDay News) -- An HIV drug significantly reduced the risk of graft-versus-host disease, an all-too-common complication in blood cancer patients following bone marrow transplants, new research finds.

Bone marrow is the spongy tissue inside the bones that contains immature cells, or stem cells. In an "allogeneic" bone marrow transplantation, also called a stem cell transplant, a patient's own stem cells and immune system are wiped out by chemotherapy and radiation. Then, the patient receives the transplant, or bone marrow, from a closely matched donor.

The treatment is used for several types of blood cancers, including lymphoma and leukemia.

But a common complication of a bone marrow transplant is graft-versus-host disease. It occurs when transplanted immune cells attack patients' healthy tissue, a complication that can be minor or life-threatening.

"Graft-versus-host disease affecting the skin, liver, gut and other organs is a dreaded complication of allogeneic stem cell transplantation either from a related or unrelated donor," said one expert, Dr. Jasmine Zain of NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City. "The rates are 35 percent with related donors and up to 57 percent by day 100, even in reduced-intensity transplants," added Zain, who is director of the Bone Marrow Transplant Program and assistant professor in the division of hematologic malignancies and medical oncology at the center.

The study was conducted by a team at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine and included 38 patients with several types of blood cancers. The cancers included acute myeloid leukemia, myelodysplastic syndrome, lymphoma and myelofibrosis. All of the patients were given the drugs tacrolimus and methotrexate, which suppress the immune system and are a standard treatment to prevent graft-versus-host disease.

The patients were also given a 33-day course of the HIV drug, maraviroc, beginning two days before their transplant.

None of the patients treated with maraviroc developed graft-versus-host disease in the gut or liver within the first 100 days after their transplant. The liver and gut are the most serious locations for the complication, the researchers noted.

After six months, 6 percent of these transplant patients developed severe graft-versus-host disease compared to 22 percent of a group of similar patients who weren't treated with the HIV drug.

In addition, fewer in the group given the HIV drug developed graft-versus-host disease in their liver or gut compared to those given the standard treatment.

One year following transplant, about 15 percent of patients given the HIV drug developed severe graft-versus-host disease compared to 29 percent of patients who received standard therapy.

The study was published in the July 11 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Researchers explained that the HIV drug redirects these immune cells without having to suppress patients' immune systems. Because their immune systems aren't compromised by the drug, patients should be less vulnerable to infections and to a relapse of their cancer.

"It appears that our new approach allows us to prevent some patients from developing

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U.S. cracks down on "world's largest" medical marijuana dispensary

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'Toe-besity': Rise in Surgery for Fat Toes

E.R. recently went in for surgery to reshape his big toe. (Courtesy Dr. Oliver Zong)

When patients seek out cosmetic surgery from New York-based Dr. Oliver Zong, they're often looking to remove fat, but not from their bellies or thighs.

Zong is a podiatrist, and one of his specialties is slimming down people's fat toes -- "toe-besity," he calls it.

He's been in practice for about a decade, and when he started, toe reshaping was unheard of.

"When people first started asking, I said 'What?'" said Zong, who is surgical director at NYC FootCare. "We were mostly doing toe shortenings in the begining."

Now, he said, more and more people are zoning in on the smaller details of their feet, like the width of their toes.

For many patients, an odd-looking toe is a source of great embarrassment.

E.R., a patient of Zong's, said he hid his fat right big toe for years.

"I always had issues with it," said E.R., who asked to remain anonymous. "It was one of those things that you're just not comfortable with and try to hide it."

On top of being unattractive, the toe also caused discomfort.

"The bone was pushing the nail up, and the nail curved up a little bit, so it was hitting the shoe," he said.

Three weeks ago, the 37-year-old New Yorker had surgery to shave off some fat and bone. His second toe was also a hammertoe, so Zong shaved down the bone of that toe as well.

There's still a lot of swelling, but E.R. said he already feels better about his foot.

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Watch: Rare Form Of Alzheimer's Sheds Light On Disease

Naked Woman Walks California FreewayMore Popular VideoSuperbug Tied to 8 Million At-Risk WomenStrange Sex: Erotic Breast MilkGator Attack Victim: 'I'm Glad It Chose Me'Obama Needles Boston Supporters Over Red Sox...Facebook Page for Accused Killer Porn Actor...In The NewsU.S.PoliticsEntertainmentWeird and WackyRare Form Of Alzheimer's Sheds Light On DiseaseDr. Steven Arnold says we can learn a lot from genetic Alzheimer's.01:27

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Moderate Drinking May Cut Women's Odds for Rheumatoid Arthritis: Study

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Health Highlights: July 11, 2012

HealthDay – 1 hr 2 mins ago Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:

Billions Pledged for Family Planning in Developing Countries

Pledges made at an international summit Wednesday will direct more than $2.6 billion toward family planning in developing nations.

The goal of the summit in London was to secure new funding promises to provide an additional 120 million women and girls worldwide with access to birth control by 2020, Agence France-Presse reported.

The money was pledged by rich nations and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The summit included more than 150 representatives from donor and developing countries, international agencies and the private sector.

"Enabling an additional 120 million women in the world's poorest countries to access and use contraception, something women in the developed world take for granted, will save millions of lives and enable girls and women to determine their own futures," said British International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell, AFP reported.

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Climate Change Boosts Risk of Weather Extremes: Study

Human-created climate change makes major heat waves and other weather extremes around the world more likely, according to a new study.

For example, climate change made the severe heat wave that struck Texas last year 20 times as likely to happen as it would have been in the 1960s and made the extremely warm temperatures in Britain last November 62 times as likely, The New York Times reported.

For this study, researchers analyzed six weather events from 2011. The findings are to be published in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society.

The research represents an increased effort by scientists to respond to public demand for information about what is happening to the world's climate, according to The Times.

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Republicans Continue Attack on Health Reform Law

They have no chance of succeeding, but House Republicans voted Wednesday to repeal the U.S. health care reform law.

It's the latest of more than 30 House Republican efforts to scrap the 2010 Affordable Care Act. But any House attempt to repeal the law is certain to be blocked in the Democrat-led Senate, and the White House told House leaders that President Barack Obama would veto such a measure, CNN reported.

Democrats say the issue was settled when the U.S. Supreme Court last month upheld the law's constitutionality, and that the House repeal vote is a waste of time and tax dollars. Republicans say the repeal vote is part of their effort to turn voters against the law and to defeat Obama in the November presidential election.

On Monday, the White House said repeal of the health care reform law "would cost millions of hard-working middle-class families the security of affordable health coverage and care they deserve," CNN reported.

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Deadly Illness in Cambodia Caused by Mix of Pathogens

A combination of pathogens caused the mysterious illness that killed more than 60 children in Cambodia over the past four months.

That's the conclusion to be announced by the World Health Organization and the Cambodian Ministry of Health, doctors familiar with the investigation told CNN on Wednesday.

The pathogens responsible for the outbreak include enterovirus 71, streptococcus suis and dengue, according to the doctors. They also said that inappropriate use of steroids, which can suppress the immune system, worsened the illness in many of the patients.

No new cases of the illness have been confirmed since last Saturday, Dr. Beat Richner, head of Kantha Bopha Children's Hospitals in Phnom Penh, told CNN.

The illness kills children so fast that nearly all of those infected with it die within a day or two of being admitted to hospital. Of the 66 patients cared for at Kantha Bopha, 64 died, CNN reported.

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Bird Flu Outbreak Hits Mexican Poultry Farms

More than 2.5 million birds have been killed at poultry farms in western Mexico over the past three weeks in an effort to contain an outbreak of the H7N3 bird flu virus, according to the agriculture ministry.

The United Nations says the virus has occasionally caused human disease in some parts of the world but is not easily transmissible between people, Agence France-Presse reported.

The virus has been confirmed at 31 of 148 poultry farms visited by officials, while tests at 34 farms have been negative and the results for the rest of the farms were not yet available.

The outbreak was first detected on June 20 in Jalisco state and a national animal health emergency was declared by the Mexican government on July 2. Officials say they have developed a vaccine and that four laboratories will produce more than 80 million doses initially, AFP reported.

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Dutch Euthanasia Rates Unchanged After Legalization

HealthDay – 1 hr 2 mins ago TUESDAY, July 10 (HealthDay News) -- The rates of euthanasia and assisted suicide in the Netherlands in 2010 were comparable to the rates before the practices became legal in 2002, a new study finds.

In euthanasia, a doctor administers lethal drugs to a patient who has requested that his or her life be ended. In assisted suicide, a patient self-administers lethal drugs provided by a doctor.

Researchers analyzed the Netherlands' death-registry data and found that the total number of euthanasia and assisted-suicide deaths in 2010 was 4,050, slightly less than 3 percent of all deaths.

The rates of euthanasia and assisted suicide in the Netherlands decreased between 2002 and 2005, but increased between 2005 and 2010. The increase was due largely to a rise in the number of patients requesting to end their lives, the researchers said.

The study was published online July 10 in the journal The Lancet.

Contrary to concerns expressed by critics, these findings show that "the frequency of physicians ending a patient's life in the absence of an explicit request does not seem to be increased in countries where euthanasia is legalized," lead author Bregje Onwuteaka-Philipsen, a professor at the VU University Medical Centre in Amsterdam, said in a journal news release. "In the Netherlands, it decreased significantly."

Euthanasia is legal in three countries: the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. Assisted suicide is legal in the aforementioned countries, as well as in Switzerland and the U.S. states of Montana, Oregon and Washington.

Dr. Bernard Lo, director of the program in medical ethics at the University of California, San Francisco, said in an accompanying editorial that the researchers should be commended "for their careful, rigorous study."

"But additional information from in-depth interviews in cases that raise ethical concerns is needed," said Lo, who also is president of the Greenwall Foundation, a bioethics research-funding foundation in New York City.

"How do physicians think through these difficult cases? What key ethical or clinical concepts are uncertain, misunderstood or might need modification? How do doctors talk with patients and families about these cases, and are there missed opportunities to improve such discussions?" Lo said. "By answering these questions, physicians can improve the quality of care for dying patients and their families irrespective of their views on euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide."

More information

The U.S. National Institute on Aging offers a guide on comfort and care for people nearing death.

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Health Tip: Help Prevent Drowning

HealthDay – 1 hr 2 mins ago (HealthDay News) -- Drowning is the fifth-leading cause of unintentional death in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC offers these suggestions to help reduce the risk of drowning:

Adults should always carefully supervise children around any body of water -- including a bathtub. Avoid any distractions, such as reading or talking on the phone.Everyone should always swim with a buddy.Everyone should take formal swimming lessons, especially young children.Anyone with a seizure disorder should be carefully supervised around water.Always wear a life jacket when on a boat.Always build a barrier around pools to protect children, even if they know how to swim.Don't substitute water toys for life jackets.Never drink alcohol while boating, swimming or supervising children in the water.Never let children hold their breath for an extended period under water.

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Health Tip: Poor Air Quality Affects Kids With Asthma

HealthDay – 1 hr 2 mins ago (HealthDay News) -- When the weather heats up and ozone infiltrates the air, kids with asthma should limit their time outside, experts say.

The Nemours Foundation offers these suggestions for the parents of asthmatic children when the air quality is poor:

Run the air conditioner, and don't let your child spend too much time outside.If your kids participate in outdoor activities, limit them to the early morning hours and away from high-traffic areas.Talk to your child's sports coach about practicing in an indoor, air conditioned environment on very hot days. Send your child to practice with a rescue inhaler, just in case.Ensure that your home is well-ventilated, use an air purifier and avoid wood-burning fires inside the home.Discuss your child's asthma action plan with the pediatrician.

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Does Stress Management Slow MS?

HealthDay – 1 hr 2 mins ago WEDNESDAY, July 11 (HealthDay News) -- When researcher David Mohr began working with people with multiple sclerosis about 20 years ago, patients would tell him that stress made their disease worse. At the time, most physicians didn't believe there was a connection, he said.

But a study published online July 11 in Neurology adds to growing evidence that suggests a link between stress and flare-ups of the neurological disease. The research shows that participating in weekly stress management therapy prevented the development of new brain lesions, indicators of the impact of the disease in the brain. But not long after the treatment stopped, new brain lesions appeared.

"It's clear that stress plays an important role in multiple sclerosis, and therapy may be a useful additional treatment, along with drug therapy," said Mohr, author of the study and professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago.

Multiple sclerosis (MS), an autoimmune disease that affects the brain and spinal cord, is caused by damage to the protective covering that surrounds nerve cells. According to the U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, 250,000 to 350,000 people in the United States have the disease.

The research involved 121 people with MS who were randomly assigned to either receive stress management therapy or no such therapy. Those in the treatment group participated in 16 sessions of 50 minutes each over 24 weeks, with follow-up six months later.

More than three-quarters of the participants were women, who have a higher incidence of MS, and their average age was 43.

Those in the therapy group were taught by licensed psychologists in private sessions how to better anticipate stressful events that could come up in the course of daily life, such as hectic times at work, or a visit from an unwelcome family member, said Mohr.

The participants also learned that for an event or a situation to be stressful, it must present two factors: it has to feel like a threat to something they highly value, and they must believe they don't have any control over the situation, Mohr noted.

Mohr explained that the therapy helped people better estimate the potential impact of a perceived threat and gave them ways to better manage the stress. "Most people overestimate the threat and underestimate their ability to manage it," he said.

For those situations when stress couldn't be avoided, participants were taught meditation and relaxation strategies to calm their physical responses.

To assess the potential impact of the therapy on the individuals' physiological response to MS, the researchers performed a series of MRI scans of the brains of both groups of participants (those receiving therapy and those who didn't), using two types of scanning. Assessments were done before the therapy and at regular intervals during and after the treatment period.

Some patients were injected with gadolinium, which helps detect a type of brain lesion that allows the immune system to attack and damage brain cells. Others were scanned to find what is known as T2 brain lesions, commonly assessed when drugs for MS are evaluated for their effectiveness in controlling the disease.

Overall, MRIs showed that the stress management therapy reduced both kinds of new brain lesions common in people with MS. For instance, 77 percent of the therapy group was free of new gadolinium-enhancing lesions during treatment compared to 55 percent of the "no-therapy" group. In addition, 70 percent of the therapy group remained free of new T2 lesions during treatment versus 43 percent of the other group.

However, new brain lesions were detected after the therapy stopped.

Nicholas La Rocca, vice president for health care delivery and policy research for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society in New York City, said therapy often has only a short-term impact on patients.

"As psychologists, we always hope that when people are in treatment they are learning life skills that they'll continue to use for their benefit. Maybe that's a little naive," he said. He pointed out that some people may need to carry on with the treatment for a longer period of time, or may benefit from ongoing intervention.

"Therapy isn't too different from taking disease-modifying drugs. You may not be able to just drop the treatment," La Rocca said.

Was stress shown to cause the brain lesions directly? Mohr said he didn't think so. "Stress is one factor among many," Mohr said. "But stress makes it more difficult for the body to regulate inflammatory processes."

While the study didn't find that stress management treatment helps control MS-related symptoms, Mohr said he believes stress management is beneficial for MS patients and improves their quality of life. "But it's premature to say it improves the disease itself," he said.

More information

For more about multiple sclerosis, visit the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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Drive-Through Flu Shot a Safe Bet: Study

HealthDay – 1 hr 2 mins ago WEDNESDAY, July 11 (HealthDay News) -- Using a drive-through flu clinic won't increase your risk of fainting or being in a traffic crash after receiving a flu shot, according to a new study.

The findings counter claims by critics that people who use drive-through flu clinics could faint and lose control of their vehicle, according to researchers from the University of Louisville School of Medicine, in Kentucky.

The researchers looked at data from a drive-through flu clinic at the university that has administered more than 50,000 doses of flu vaccine since it began in 1995. There have been no reports of fainting or related traffic crashes among the people who have used the drive-through clinic.

"We found a person's chance of fainting during a drive-through vaccination is less than the probability of being struck by lightning," Ruth Carrico, associate professor in the infectious diseases division, said in a university news release.

The study was published in a recent issue of the Journal of Emergency Management.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention mentions fainting as a possible risk of flu vaccination, but the agency's information does not account for a drive-through setting where people remain seated and are already in a familiar setting, the researchers said.

This summer, Carrico plans to release a tool kit outlining how communities can establish drive-through immunization clinics. It will explain how to organize and set up a clinic, how to train staff and how to evaluate the clinics' success.

The researchers hope the tool kit "will increase the capacity and infrastructure of the nation to administer immunization or other emergency countermeasures quickly, efficiently and safely," Carrico said.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about seasonal flu vaccination.

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'Abuse-Resistant' Oxycontin May Be Driving Addicts to Heroin

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