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Sunday, August 31, 2008

Postpartum Smoking Relapse

Postpartum Smoking Relapse May Be Prevented By Newly-Defined Factors28 Aug 2008 Although many women quit smoking during pregnancy to protect their unborn children from the effects of cigarettes, half of them resume the habit within a few months of giving birth. By shedding light on the factors that enable the other half to put down that cigarette for good, a study by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill could lead to programs designed to help women quit and stay quit. According to the study, women with a live-in partner who shared some of the burden of child-rearing were more likely to remain smoke free, while women who were single mothers or who lacked the social and financial resources to deal with being a new parent were more likely to relapse. "In the future we can look at these and other factors in women who quit smoking during pregnancy to assess who is at low or high risk of relapse," said Carol E. Ripley-Moffitt, MDiv, research associate in UNC's department of family medicine and the study's lead author. "We can then offer more intensive interventions for those at higher risk to address the physical, behavioral and social issues related to relapse." /.../

Closing the gap in a generation: Health equity through action on the social determinants of health

Closing the gap in a generation: Health equity through action on the social determinants of health
Final Report of the Commission on Social Determinants of HealthCSDH August 2008 - Geneva, World Health Organization
“…..The Final Report of the Commission on Social Determinants of Health sets out key areas of daily living conditions and of the underlying structural drivers that influence them in which action is needed. It provides analysis of social determinants of health and concrete examples of types of action that have proven effective in improving health and health equity in countries at all levels of socioeconomic development.

http://www.who.int/entity/social_determinants/final_report/csdh_finalreport_2008.pdf

Executive summaryEnglish [pdf 5.34Mb]
http://www.who.int/entity/social_determinants/final_report/csdh_finalreport_2008_execsumm.pdf

SEM FILTRO

Prezados amigos
Gostaria de convida-los para lançamento do meu livro SEM FILTRO , durante congresso SBCSerá dia 9 de setembro, no horário das 10:30h às 11:30h durante na Livraria Manole - stand de lançamentos livros da SBC
Agradeço se puderem divulgar
Abraços
Jaqueline

Friday, August 29, 2008

angiography: Appropriateness criteria

InCirculation.net - cardiovascular medicine resources, cardiology information, news, guidelines:
"Appropriateness criteria could identify patients who will benefit from angiography
29 August 2008
MedWire News: Experts have developed a set of patient-specific appropriateness criteria which they say can be used to identify angina patients likely to benefit from coronary angiography. "Appropriateness scores help pinpoint areas where judgments diverge and are a promising tool for making guidelines more effective," says the team, led by Harry Hemingway (University College London, UK).
In the study, two independent panels of experts scored 2400 patient-specific indications for coronary angiography as inappropriate, uncertain, or appropriate. The physicians judged appropriateness of angiography on a 9-point scale, on which scores 1-3 denoted inappropriate use, 4-6 uncertainty about use, and 7-9 appropriate use. /.../

Analyzing Health Equity Using Household Survey Data

by Owen O'Donnell, Eddy van Doorslaer, Adam Wagstaff, and Magnus Lindelow
Health equity has become an increasingly popular research topic during the course of the past 25 years. Many factors explain this trend, including a growing demand from policymakers, better and more plentiful household data, and increased computer power. But progress in quantifying and understanding health equities would not have been possible without appropriate analytic techniques. These techniques are the subject of this book.
The book includes chapters dealing with data issues and the measurement of the key variables in health equity analysis

(Part i), quantitative techniques for interpreting and presenting health equity data (Part ii), and the application of these techniques in the analysis of equity in health care utilization and health care spending (Part iii). The aim of the book is to provide researchers and analysts with a step-by-step practical guide to the measurement of a variety of aspects of health equity, with worked examples and computer code, mostly for the computer program Stata. It is hoped that these step-by-step guides, and the easy-to-implement computer routines contained in them, will help stimulate yet more research in the field, especially policy-oriented health equity research that enables researchers to help policymakers develop and evaluate programs to reduce health inequities./.../

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

2008 World Population Data Sheet

2008 World Population Data Sheet

Download the 2008 World Population Data Sheet (PDF: 711KB)
Download the Population Bulletin: "World Population Highlights: Key Findings from the 2008 World Population Data Sheet" (PDF: 854KB)
Download the 2008 World Population Clock
Download the PowerPoint presentations from the press briefing (PPT: 702KB)
View the Webcast of the 55-minute press briefing introducing the 2008 Data Sheet, on Aug. 19, 2008
(Aug. 19, 2008) The demographic divide—the inequality in the population and health profiles of rich and poor countries—is widening. Two sharply different patterns of population growth are evident: Little growth or even decline in most wealthy countries and continued rapid population growth in the world’s poorest countries.
The Population Reference Bureau's 2008 World Population Data Sheet and its summary report offer detailed information about country, regional, and global population patterns.
"Nearly all of world population growth is now concentrated in the world's poorer countries," said Bill Butz, PRB's president. "Even the small amount of overall growth in the wealthier nations will largely result from immigration."/.../

Monday, August 25, 2008

Cesar Victora, mais um prêmio!

O Prof. César G. Victora, da Universidade Federal de Pelotas (UFPel), foi apresentado pela Associação Brasileira de Pós Graduação em Saúde Coletiva (ABRASCO), por intermédio da sua Comissão de Epidemiologia, como candidato ao cargo de Presidente da Associação Internacional de Epidemiologia (IEA) para o período de 2011-2013. A indicação foi respaldada por um número expressivo de sócios da IEA, não apenas brasileiros em vista do prestígio internacional do candidato apresentado. O processo eleitoral será concluído na Assembléia da IEA, durante o XVIII Congresso Mundial de Epidemiologia (IEA) e VII Congresso Brasileiro de Epidemiologia (ABRASCO), de 21 a 24 de setembro de 2008, em Porto Alegre. Poderão votar todos os associados à IEA, presentes e com sua taxa de anuidade devidamente quitada. Conclamamos a comunidade científica a manifestar, através do voto, a energia e a qualidade da Epidemiologia Brasileira votando no Prof. César Victora para a presidência da IEA.

Link strengthened between sleep apnea and mortality risk ... American Medical News

AMNews: Sept. 1, 2008. Link strengthened between sleep apnea and mortality risk ... American Medical News: "Washington -- Evidence is building that sleep apnea poses an independent risk for dying, particularly from cardiovascular disease. Two studies in the Aug. 1 issue of the journal Sleep came to the same conclusion: Untreated obstructive sleep apnea can be lethal.
In addition, a joint statement from the American Heart Assn. and the American College of Cardiology, in recognition of this apparent connection between heart disease and sleep apnea, called for large-scale studies to determine possible mechanisms for this link."/.../

Friday, August 22, 2008

NCI Report: The Role of the Media in Promoting and Reducing Tobacco Use - achutti@gmail.com


MAJOR GOVERNMENT REPORT CONCLUDES THAT TOBACCO MARKETING AND SMOKING IN MOVIES PROMOTE YOUTH SMOKING NCI Report Recommends Strategies to Win the War Against Nation’s Leading Cause of Preventable Death Washington, D.C. – Leaders from the federal government and the nation’s public health community today announced the release of an authoritative National Cancer Institute report that reaches the government’s strongest conclusion to date that tobacco marketing and depictions of smoking in movies promote youth smoking. The 684-page report, The Role of the Media in Promoting and Reducing Tobacco Use, presents definitive conclusions that a) tobacco advertising and promotion are causally related to increased tobacco use, and b) exposure to depictions of smoking in movies is causally related to youth smoking initiation.The report also concludes that mass media campaigns can reduce smoking, especially when combined with other tobacco control strategies. However, youth smoking prevention campaigns sponsored by the tobacco industry have been generally ineffective and may actually have increased youth smoking.This report provides the most current and comprehensive analysis of more than 1000 scientific studies on the role of the media in encouraging and discouraging tobacco use. The report is Monograph 19 in the National Cancer Institute’s Tobacco Control Monograph series examining critical issues in tobacco prevention and control. Research included in the review comes from the disciplines of marketing, psychology, communications, statistics, epidemiology, and public health. The release of the report was announced today at the National Press Club.

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Report Of SEAS Trial Of A Possible Association Between The Use Of Vytorin And A Potential Increased Incidence Of Cancer

Ezetimibe/Simvastatin (marketed as Vytorin) Simvastatin (marketed as Zocor) Ezetimibe (marketed as Zetia)
Audience: Endocrinologists, cardiologists, other healthcare professionals, patients[Posted 08/21/2008] FDA informed healthcare professionals that the Agency is investigating a report from the Simvastatin and Ezetimibe in Aortic Stenosis (SEAS) trial of a possible association between the use of Vytorin and a potentially increased incidence of cancer. Vytorin is a combination product of simvastatin and ezetimibe used to decrease the production of cholesterol by the liver and inhibit the absorption of cholesterol in the intestine to reduce LDL-cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of cardiovascular events. Recently, FDA obtained preliminary results from the SEAS trial. The clinical trial tested whether lowering LDL-cholesterol with Vytorin would reduce the risk of cardiovascular events in individuals with aortic stenosis. A lower overall cardiovascular risk was not found with Vytorin. However, there was an additional observation that a larger percentage of subjects treated with Vytorin were diagnosed with and died from all types of cancer combined when compared to placebo during the 5-year study. /.../

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Arsenic in Drinking Water Linked to Type 2 Diabetes

BALTIMORE, Aug. 19 -- Millions of Americans may be at an increased risk for type 2 diabetes because of arsenic in their drinking water, researchers here said. Data from nearly 800 participants in the CDC's National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) indicated that urine levels of arsenic -- a measure of environmental exposure to the chemical -- were significantly associated with the prevalence of type 2 diabetes, found Ana Navas-Acien, M.D., Ph.D., of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and colleagues. The researchers calculated an adjusted odds ratio of 3.58 (95% CI 1.18 to 10.83) for type 2 diabetes for participants in the top versus bottom quintile of urinary arsenic levels, they reported in the Aug. 20 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. The strength of the association was comparable to that of major well-known risk factors such as obesity, said Dr. Navas-Acien. Adjustments included major diabetes risk factors as well as markers of seafood intake. Seafood contains organic arsenic compounds that contribute to total urinary arsenic but are believed to be harmless. Only inorganic arsenic is considered a risk factor for diabetes, the researchers said. "Inorganic arsenic may have a role in diabetes development," they wrote. /.../

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Population Aging and Economic Growth - achutti@gmail.com

fromRuggiero, Mrs. Ana Lucia (WDC) <ruglucia@paho.org>reply-to"Equity, Health & Human Development" <EQUIDAD@listserv.paho.org>
Population Aging and Economic Growth David Bloom, Clarence James Gamble Professor of Economics & Demography and Chair, Department of Global Health & Population, Harvard School of Public Health.David Canning, Professor of Economics and International Health, Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard School of Public Health. Günther Fink, Assistant Professor of International Health Economics, Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard School of Public Health.Commission on Growth and Development, 2008 Available online as PDF file [48p.] at: http://www.growthcommission.org/storage/cgdev/documents/gcwp032web.pdf

Monday, August 18, 2008

UNDP Human Development Report 2007 2008 - Encyclopedia of Earth

UNDP Human Development Report 2007 2008 - Encyclopedia of Earth: "Introduction Cover of the UNDP Human Development Report 2007/2008. (Source: UNDP)The United Nations Development Programme Human Development Report 2007/2008 was released on November 27, 2007.
The report's title 'Fighting climate change: Human solidarity in a divided world' reflects the consensus of its authors who conclude that the greatest threat to the future of human development lies in the potential consequences of oncoming climate change.
Findings The Report documents that that climate change is not just a future scenario. Increased exposure to droughts, floods and storms is already destroying opportunity and reinforcing inequality. Meanwhile, there is now overwhelming scientific evidence that the world is moving towards the point at which irreversible ecological catastrophe becomes unavoidable. Business-as-usual climate change points in a clear direction: unprecedented reversal in human development in our lifetime, and acute risks for our children and their grandchildren."/.../

WHO | Volume 86, Number 8, August 2008, 577-656

WHO Volume 86, Number 8, August 2008, 577-656:
"Volume 86, Number 8, August 2008, 577-656
IN THIS MONTH’S BULLETIN
WHO 60th anniversary commemorative volume; Primary health care; Religion and science; Positive policy change; Denaturalizing scarcity; Migrant health; Many barriers to treatment; Ethics versus economics; A human rights approach; Ethics and technology; Ethical oversight needed; A personalist approach; Guidelines for herbal medicine research; Emerging epidemics; Time to revisit surgery; Health sector needs to support abused women

Full article text [HTML] Full article text [pdf 251kb]
EDITORIALS
The contribution of ethics to public health- Carl H Coleman et al.doi: 10.2471/BLT.08.055954Full article text [HTML] Full article text [pdf 131kb]
and more/.../

Unexpected connections (book excerpt: The Light Within) ... American Medical News

AMNews: Aug. 25, 2008. Unexpected connections (book excerpt: The Light Within) ... American Medical News: "Unexpected connections (book excerpt: The Light Within)
Texas physician Lois M. Ramondetta, MD, writes about the bond she formed with a cancer patient, the book's co-author.
By AMNews staff. Aug. 25, 2008.

In this excerpt, Dr. Ramondetta, an associate professor of gynecologic oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, grapples with Deborah Rose Sill's grim diagnosis.
The results of Deb's biopsy came in within twenty-four hours, and our worst fears were confirmed: The cancer had returned. I knew the results before Deb did, but it wasn't my job to share the findings with her. That was up to her principal physicians, Dr. Bouquet or Dr. Darling. By the time I saw her the following day, they'd already broken the news.
'How long do you think I have?' she asked me."/.../

Survey captures snapshot of nation's health ... American Medical News

AMNews: Aug. 25, 2008. Survey captures snapshot of nation's health ... American Medical News

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes.htm

What's NewNHANES Tutorials
Data Sets and Related Documentation
Introduction to NHANES and Mobile Examination Center
Links to Survey Results and Products
Information for Survey Participants or Health Professionals
Spanish Version
Access to Public and Non-Public NHANES Data Sets
Proposal Guidelines for New
Survey Content

¿Investigadores en obesidad deben pensar como capitalistas?

(Referência enviada pela Dra. Rosa Maria Vilanova)
Para detener el avance de la obesidad, tenemos que estudiar el entramado de intereses y estrategias comerciales que la promueven, plantea Jonathan Wells.
Pelotas es una ciudad del sur brasileño de pronunciados contrastes desde el punto de vista económico: al costado de la vía pública, delgados ponis tiran de carros desvencijados y algunas bicicletas; por la misma calle, motos y elegantes autos modernos pasan a mayor velocidad. Algunas personas viven en chozas construidas con bolsas de plástico; otras, en mansiones con yates amarrados a la vera del jardín. Lejos del centro de la ciudad, pequeños comercios aún venden alimentos de primera necesidad y verduras a bajo precio. Pero en las inmediaciones del centro sobresale un gran supermercado al que se accede desde el estacionamiento mediante una escalera automática.
La ciudad, en la que colaboro realizando investigación epidemiológica sobre obesidad, también vive una pronunciada transición nutricional. En Brasil, entre 1973 y 1996, la obesidad aumentó del 2,4 al 6,9 por ciento en los hombres y del 7 al 12,5 por ciento en las mujeres./.../

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Data by Geography > Brazil > Summary - Population Reference Bureau

Data by Geography > Brazil > Summary - Population Reference Bureau: "Data by Geography > Brazil > Summary"
PRB 2008 WORLD POPULATION DATA SHEET: Global Demographic Divide Widens The demographic divide—the inequality in the population and health profiles of rich and poor countries—is widening. Two sharply different patterns of population growth are evident: Little growth or even decline in most wealthy countries and continued rapid population growth in the world's poorest countries. The Population Reference Bureau will release its 2008 World Population Data Sheet at a press briefing in Washington, DC. The Data Sheet and its summary report provide up-to-date demographic, health, and environment data for all countries and major world regions. New on the Data Sheet this year are data on maternal mortality and percent of population undernourished. The Data Sheet and related material will be online at www.prb.org, on Aug. 19 at 10 a.m. (EDT).

Friday, August 15, 2008

Gmail - [EQ] This is Public Health Toolkit - achutti@gmail.com

From: Ruggiero, Mrs. Ana Lucia (WDC) to EQUIDAD
[ASPH] - 2008Toolkit: http://www.thisispublichealth.org/toolkit/ “….Most people don't understand what public health is, much less how it impacts their daily lives. The “This Is Public Health” campaign was designed to let people know that public health affects them on a daily basis and that we are only as healthy as the world we live in. The campaign utilizes stickers with the slogan “This is Public Health” placed in strategic locations around communities to build awareness of the many ways in which public health impacts our well being. …”“……As part of the “This is Public Health”campaign, ASPH has developed the This is Public Health toolkit to which will serve as a resource for anyone who is interested in educating others about public health issues or the field of public health. The materials in the toolkit are suggestions or templates, which can either be used as is, or tailored to suit your specific audiences. The toolkit also includes links for other sources that can increase knowledge of public health both inside and outside of the classroom. Through the toolkit, we hope to provide a hub containing more information on both the “This is Public Health ” campaign and the field as a whole. Materials will be provided that target a range of individuals, accommodating varying age groups and differing levels of familiarity with the field of public health. …”Website: http://www.whatispublichealth.org/

association between adult socioeconomic status (SES) and adult levels of inflammatory risk marker

Objective: To examine the association between cumulative life course and adult socioeconomic status (SES) and adult levels of inflammatory risk markers (fibrinogen, white blood cell count (WBC), C-reactive protein (CRP), von Willebrand factor (vWF) and an overall inflammatory score).
Design: Retrospective cohort study.
Setting: 12 681 white and African-American participants in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study and two ancillary studies.
Methods: Participants provided information on SES and place of residence in childhood and young (30–40 years) and mature (45+) adulthood. Residences were linked to census data for neighbourhood SES information. Multiple imputation (MI) was used for missing data. Linear regression and adjusted geometric means were used to estimate the effects of SES on inflammatory risk marker levels.
Results: Graded, statistically significant associations were observed between greater cumulative life-course exposure to low education and social class and elevated levels of fibrinogen and WBC among white participants. Stronger graded, statistically significant associations were observed between low adult education, social class and neighbourhood SES and elevated inflammatory levels. Associations were weaker and less consistent in African-Americans. Covariate adjustment attenuated results but many associations remained strong.
Conclusions: Our results suggest that cumulative exposure to adverse SES conditions across the life course and low adult SES are associated with an elevated systemic inflammatory burden in adulthood. Chronic systemic inflammation may be one pathway linking low life-course SES and elevated cardiovascular disease risk./.../

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Premiado Dr. Cesar Gomes Victora

(Prêmio para o AMICOR Cesar Victora, notícia apontada por Dra. Maria Inês Reinert Azambuja)
Dr. Cesar Gomes Victora Profesor Emérito, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Brasil.Premio Carso a la Trayectoria Personal en Investigación en Salud El Dr. Cesar Gomes Victora es médico graduado de la Universidad Federal de Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil y epidemiólogo con Doctorado en Epidemiología del Centro de Evaluación y Planeación de la London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine del Reino Unido. El Dr. Victora ha contribuido en forma importante a la salud y nutrición materna e infantil. Destacando sus investigaciones en cuanto a la importancia de la alimentación con leche materna en la epidemiología y control de la diarrea, enfermedades respiratorias agudas y otras causas de mortalidad infantil.Su trabajo en la promoción de la alimentación a pecho materno estableció el rol de “salvador de vidas infantiles” y ha sido un líder en el proceso que llevó a la lactancia materna exclusiva en los primeros seis meses de vida como recomendación mundial.
El Dr. Victora actualmente lidera la colaboración de los cinco mayores y más prolongados estudios de cohortes de países de bajos y medianos recursos. Estos estudios ofrecerán información fundamental de cómo la desnutrición temprana, seguida por la adopción de dietas y estilos de vida occidentales durante la adolescencia y vida adulta pueden constituirse en factores de riesgo extremadamente importantes para el desarrollo de enfermedades crónicas.

Sunday, August 10, 2008

Mário Fernando de Camargo Maranhão: Prêmio Mérito SBC – Personalidade da Cardiologia

A Diretoria da Sociedade Brasileira de Cardiologia escolheu o AMICOR Mário de Camargo Maranhão para receber o Prêmio Mérito SBC – Personalidade da Cardiologia – prêmio criado para homenagear um cardiologista, membro da SBC, que tenha contribuído significativamente nas áreas de ciência e/ou docência e/ou assistência.

A premiação será realizada na Cerimônia de Abertura do 63º Congresso Brasileiro de Cardiologia, no dia 7 de setembro de 2008 (domingo). O prêmio será entregue por seu padrinho, Prof. Dr. Ayrton Pires Brandão, Ex-Presidente da SBC.

Epidemiologia e Saúde Pública em Curitiba

  • O Grupo de Trabalho sobre Epidemiologia e Cardiologia Baseada em Evidência (GEECAB) do Departamento de Cardiologia Clínica da Sociedade Brasileira de Cardiologia, juntamente com o Ministério da Saúde estão organizando um Painel/Oficina no dia 06 de setembro próximo (sábado, das 14 às 18 horas), em Curitiba, como atividade pré-congresso do 63º. Congresso Brasileiro de Cardiologia.
    O encontro - num clima de informalidade - pretende oportunizar uma visão compartilhada (de especialistas em cardiologia e de saúde pública) sobre saúde cardiovascular da população brasileira, seus problemas e possíveis soluções.
    Alguns tópicos já delineados compreendem:
  • 1o. Bloco (14h – 16h)
1.1-Motivação: breve apresentação de justificativa e motivação do encontro.
1.2-Visão de cardiologista: problemas, prioridades e recursos
1.3-Visão de Saúde Pública: DCV no contexto da Saúde Pública e recursos do SUS
1.4-Estimativa de custos globais das DCV no Brasil
1.5-Determinantes Sociais de Saúde e Doença, e Saúde Cardiovascular no Brasil
1.6-Política de medicamentos
1.7-Política de Procedimentos de Alta Complexidade
  • 2o. Bloco (16h15min – 18h)
2.1-O que a SBC espera do MS e proporia como linha de colaboração
2.2-Linhas prioritárias de investigação e de vigilância epidemiológica
2.3-O que o MS espera da SBC e proporia como linha de colaboração
2.4-Possíveis considerações de observadores externos
2.5-Questionamentos e sugestões da assistência
2.6-Esboço de agenda mínima de colaboração objetiva, de curto e médio prazo

A Presidente do GT (Dra. Gláucia Martins de Oliveira) e eu convidamos a todos que queiram e possam colaborar para comparecer ao encontro e, se não der, podem enviar sugestões ou temas a serem elaborados nesta ocasião ou em ocasiões fruturas. Se souber de alguém que também tenha idéias para apresentar ou discutir, sintam-se a vontade para estender o convite.

Saturday, August 09, 2008

Simvastatin Used With Amiodarone - Risk of rhabdomyolysis when simvastatin is used with amiodarone

http://mail.google.com/mail/#inbox/11ba801b7e9ff163
FDA notified healthcare professionals of the risk of muscle injury, rhabdomyolysis, which can lead to kidney failure or death, when simvastatin is used with amiodarone. This risk is dose-related and increases when a dose of simvastatin greater than 20 mg per day is given with amiodarone. Although a revision of the simvastatin labeling in 2002 described an increased risk of rhabdomyolysis when amiodarone is taken with simvastatin doses greater than 20 mg daily, FDA continues to receive reports of rhabdomyolysis in patients treated concurrently with amiodarone and simvastatin. Prescribers should be aware of the increased risk of rhabdomyolysis when simvastatin is prescribed with amiodarone, and they should avoid doses of simvastatin greater than 20 mg per day in patients taking amiodarone. Read the complete MedWatch safety summary, including links to the FDA Drug Information page, Information for Healthcare Professionals sheet, and labels (Prescribing Information) for simvastatin and amiodarone products, at http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/safety/2008/safety08.htm#Simvastatin

Thursday, August 07, 2008

Latin America: old and new challenges -- Ebrahim 37 (4): 689 -- International Journal of Epidemiology

Latin America: old and new challenges -- Ebrahim 37 (4): 689 -- International Journal of Epidemiology: "This issue is devoted to Latin America, and is intended to provide a link with the World Congress of Epidemiology, Porto Alegre, Brazil in September 2008. We expect this congress to exceed attendance at previous International Epidemiology Association world meetings by about 5-fold. A large epidemiology following in Latin America reflects a sense of solidarity among epidemiologists in the region, a willingness to participate and a thirst for knowledge. Perhaps, most importantly, in Latin American countries epidemiology is seen more as an . . ."/.../

IV antihypertensive clevidipine approved in the US

IV antihypertensive clevidipine approved in the US: "Parsippany, NJ - The Medicines Company has announced that the US FDA has approved its intravenous antihypertensive clevidipine (Cleviprex), which is the first new IV drug for high blood pressure in 10 years [1].
Clevidipine is a new calcium-channel blocker, which has shown promise in several studies, including in severe acute hypertension in the emergency department and in the setting of perioperative blood-pressure management. Doctors presenting these trials, as previously reported by heartwire, said the advantages of clevidipine over current drugs used for acute hypertension—such as sodium nitroprusside, labetalol, and nicardipine—are that it is easy to titrate and has an ultrashort half-life of less than one minute."/.../

More Americans Seek Medical Care and Most Walk Away with a Prescription

ATLANTA, Aug. 6 -- On average, each American seeks medical care at a doctor's office, a clinic, or a hospital emergency department about four times a year, according to data released by the CDC.
And that number is an increase of 26% over the decade from 1996 to 2006, the latest CDC/National Center for Health Statistics National Health Care Survey showed.
The increase outpaced the growth in population, which rose by 11% during the same decade, wrote Susan M. Schappert, M.A., of the National Center for Health Statistics, and colleagues.
The CDC said the observed increase in medical visits "can be linked to both the aging of the population, as older persons have higher visit rates than younger persons in general, and an increase in utilization by older persons."
The overall visit rate was not significantly different for white and black persons. /.../

Wednesday, August 06, 2008

Brain Pathway Yields Clues to Cigarette Addiction

Brain Pathway Yields Clues to Cigarette Addiction - healthfinder.gov:
"TUESDAY, Aug. 5 (HealthDay News) -- New insight into how the brain processes the rewarding and addictive properties of nicotine sheds light on why some people seem to become addicted once they have their first cigarette, say Canadian researchers.
'Nicotine interacts with a variety of neurochemical pathways within the brain to produce its rewarding and addictive effects. However, during the early phase of tobacco exposure, many individuals find nicotine highly unpleasant and aversive, whereas others may become rapidly dependent on nicotine and find it highly rewarding. We wanted to explore that difference,' study leader Steven Laviolette, of the department of anatomy and cell biology at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, said in a university news release."/.../

Tuesday, August 05, 2008

2008 State of the Future

Nine of the eleven annual State of the Future reports were selected by Future Survey as among the year’s best books on the future.
This “Report Card on the Future” distills the collective intelligence of over 2,500 leading scientists, futurists, scholars, and policy advisors who work for governments, corporations, non-governmental organizations, universities, and international organizations. The 2008 State of the Future comes in two parts: a 100-page print executive summary and an attached CD containing about 6,000 pages of research behind the print edition and the Millennium Project’s 12 years of cumulative research and methods. Some unique features not available in other global assessments include:
15 Global Challenges – Prospects, Strategies, Insights
State of the Future Index for the world and nations
Government Future Strategy Units and some potentials for international strategic coordination
Global Energy Collective Intelligence – system design options
Environmental Security – overview
Real-Time Delphi technique
700 Annotated Scenario Sets
and much more futures intelligence on technology, environment, governance, and the human condition
It is produced by the Millennium Project, which collects, feeds back, and assesses insights from creative and knowledgeable people on emerging crises, opportunities, strategic priorities, and the feasibility of actions. /.../

Monday, August 04, 2008

Translating Research Into Practice for Healthcare Providers: The American Heart Association's Strategy for Building Healthier Lives, Free of Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke -- Jones et al. 118 (6): 687 -- Circulation

Translating Research Into Practice for Healthcare Providers: The American Heart Association's Strategy for Building Healthier Lives, Free of Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke -- Jones et al. 118 (6): 687 -- Circulation

Daniel W. Jones, MD, FAHA; Eric D. Peterson, MD, MPH, FAHA; Robert O. Bonow, MD, FAHA; Frederick A. Masoudi, MD, MSPH; Gregg C. Fonarow, MD, FAHA; Sidney C. Smith, Jr, MD, FAHA; Penelope Solis, JD; Meighan Girgus, MBA; Patricia C. Hinton, MA, MS; Anne Leonard, MPH, RN, FAHA; Raymond J. Gibbons, MD, FAHA
Abstract—The American Heart Association’s (AHA’s) mission is “to build healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke.” This first article in a 2-part series will serve to present an overview of the work the AHA has undertaken to translate evidence into practice for healthcare professionals. It describes the extensive work of the AHA to support and further the delivery of evidence-based medicine, which includes the following: (1) supporting scientific discovery and the next generation of healthcare professionals and researchers; (2) disseminating scientific information; (3) developing evidence-based guidelines and statements; (4) creating and advocating for the implementation of performance indicators/measures; (5) developing clinical decision support and quality improvement tools; and (6) developing directed-cause campaigns, all of which can lead to improved patient care. This article also discusses the need for novel approaches and some of the AHA’s evolving strategies to help address gaps in care. The second article, which will be published shortly after this one, will examine the AHA’s efforts to engage and empower healthcare consumers to become more involved with their own health and health care. (Circulation. 2008;118:687-696.)
Key Words: cardiovascular diseases  research  stroke

Hospitals shine light on mistakes by publicly saying: 'We're sorry' ... American Medical News

AMNews: Aug. 11, 2008. Hospitals shine light on mistakes by publicly saying: 'We're sorry' ... American Medical News: "These public mea culpas come on the heels of intense pressure on physicians and hospitals to improve patient safety and transparency, admit mistakes to patients and apologize when things go wrong. While apology and disclosure is still far from the norm, experts say, it is becoming more common as a majority of states now protect expressions of empathy, regret and apology from admissibility in court."/.../

Sunday, August 03, 2008

Amedeo Prize 2008

The voters of the Amedeo Medical Literature Service have awarded the 2008 Amedeo Prize to the Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium (WTCCC), United Kingdom, for its article "Genome-wide association study of 14,000 cases of seven common diseases and 3,000 shared controls", published in Nature on June 6th, 2007 (447:661-78; free full-text).

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Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium - Genome-wide association study of 14,000 cases of seven common diseases and 3,000 shared controls. Nature - Free full-text
359
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Baker, Jennifer L - Childhood body-mass index and the risk of coronary heart disease in adulthood. N Engl J Med - Free full-text
291
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Takahashi K - Induction of Pluripotent Stem Cells from Adult Human Fibroblasts by Defined Factors. Cell - Free full-text
282
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Yu J - Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Lines Derived from Human Somatic Cells. Science - Free full-text
245
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Zhang, David D - Global climate change, war, and population decline in recent human history. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A - Free full-text
241
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Menzies, Dick - Meta-analysis: new tests for the diagnosis of latent tuberculosis infection: areas of uncertainty and recommendations for research. Ann Intern Med - Free full-text
215
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Dubois, Bruno - Research criteria for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease: revising the NINCDS-ADRDA criteria. Lancet Neurol - Free full-text
213
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Amanna, Ian J - Duration of humoral immunity to common viral and vaccine antigens. N Engl J Med - Free full-text
203
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Reddy, Madhuri - Oral drug therapy for multiple neglected tropical diseases: a systematic review. JAMA - Free full-text
190
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Vernooij, Meike W - Incidental findings on brain MRI in the general population. N Engl J Med - Free full-text

Saturday, August 02, 2008

Smoke-free Legislation and Hospitalizations for Acute Coronary Syndrome

Jill P. Pell, M.D et all
Background Previous studies have suggested a reduction in the total number of hospital admissions for acute coronary syndrome after the enactment of legislation banning smoking in public places. However, it is unknown whether the reduction in admissions involved nonsmokers, smokers, or both.
Methods Since the end of March 2006, smoking has been prohibited by law in all enclosed public places throughout Scotland. We collected information prospectively on smoking status and exposure to secondhand smoke based on questionnaires and biochemical findings from all patients admitted with acute coronary syndrome to nine Scottish hospitals during the 10-month period preceding the passage of the legislation and during the same period the next year. These hospitals accounted for 64% of admissions for acute coronary syndrome in Scotland, which has a population of 5.1 million.
Results Overall, the number of admissions for acute coronary syndrome decreased from 3235 to 2684 — a 17% reduction (95% confidence interval, 16 to 18) — as compared with a 4% reduction in England (which has no such legislation) during the same period and a mean annual decrease of 3% (maximum decrease, 9%) in Scotland during the decade preceding the study. The reduction in the number of admissions was not due to an increase in the number of deaths of patients with acute coronary syndrome who were not admitted to the hospital; this latter number decreased by 6%. There was a 14% reduction in the number of admissions for acute coronary syndrome among smokers, a 19% reduction among former smokers, and a 21% reduction among persons who had never smoked. Persons who had never smoked reported a decrease in the weekly duration of exposure to secondhand smoke (P<0.001 by the chi-square test for trend) that was confirmed by a decrease in their geometric mean concentration of serum cotinine from 0.68 to 0.56 ng per milliliter (P<0.001 by the t-test).
Conclusions The number of admissions for acute coronary syndrome decreased after the implementation of smoke-free legislation. A total of 67% of the decrease involved nonsmokers. However, fewer admissions among smokers also contributed to the overall reduction.

Friday, August 01, 2008

Tobacco Smoking by physicians

Derek R Smith1, and Peter A Leggat
Tobacco smoking by physicians represents a contentious issue in public health, and regardless of what country it originates from, the need for accurate, historical data is paramount. As such, this article provides an international comparison of all modern literature describing the tobacco smoking habits of contemporary physicians.
Methods
A keyword search of appropriate MeSH terms was initially undertaken to identify relevant material, after which the reference lists of manuscripts were also examined to locate further publications.
Results
A total of 81 English-language studies published in the past 30 years met the inclusion criteria. Two distinct trends were evident. Firstly, most developed countries have shown a steady decline in physicians' smoking rates during recent years. On the other hand, physicians in some developed countries and newly-developing regions still appear to be smoking at high rates. The lowest smoking prevalence rates were consistently documented in the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom. Comparison with other health professionals suggests that fewer physicians smoke when compared to nurses, and sometimes less often than dentists.