Care | Page 209 of 309 | SpiritIndia.com

HPV :: Leading Women’s Health Nursing Association Endorses HPV Testing

The National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health (NPWH) announced its endorsement of routine HPV testing of women age 30 and over as part of cervical cancer prevention, along with an initiative to educate the medical community and patients, said Digene Corp. (Nasdaq: DIGE). HPV is the cause of cervical cancer, and Digene markets the only FDA-approved HPV test, The Digene(R) HPV Test, which detects high-risk types of the virus.

Health Care :: More aid required for chronic conditions in low income countries

Chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease and cancer result in more deaths and account for more years of healthy life lost than most communicable diseases, and yet little international aid is focused on preventing or treating these conditions. Cardiovascular disease causes 30 percent of all deaths globally and 27 percent of deaths in low income countries. By comparison, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, combined, account for 10 percent of all deaths globally and 11 percent of death in developing countries.

Healthcare :: Health providers could save billions without compromising healthcare

Switching patients to more cost-effective drugs for cholesterol and blood pressure problems could reduce health budgets by billions without compromising clinical care, according to a study in the January issue of IJCP, the International Journal of Clinical Practice. No adverse events were reported after patients were switched — the new cholesterol drugs delivered the same results as the previous drug and the new blood pressure drugs delivered improved performance.

Prostate Cancer :: Sunshine pill for prostate cancer in 2009

A drug based on vitamin D and is given to patients in the advanced stages of prostate cancer along with chemotherapy drugs could be availiable by 2009. Vitamin D from sunlight improves the prognosis of certain cancers, but taking natural levels of the vitamin has no effect. Novacea, the company that makes Asentar, produced a novel formulation that reproduces the healing effect without the dangerous side-effects of a vitamin D overdose.

Heart Attack :: Emotional recovery helpful to heart attack patients

After a heart attack, fear, anger and depression are common reactions. According to the January issue of Mayo Clinic Women’s HealthSource, recovering emotionally from a heart attack is vitally important to your physical health and well-being.

Aging :: No proof that growth hormone therapy makes you live longer

Surveyors of anti-aging elixirs tout human growth hormone as a remedy for all things sagging-from skin to libidos — and claim it can even prevent or reverse aging. But researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine say there’s no evidence to suggest that this purported fountain of youth has any more effect than a trickle of tap water when it comes to fending off Father Time.

Hearing Loss :: Outcomes comparable for younger and older children with surgically implanted hearing aids

Outcomes following surgically implanted hearing aids that are anchored to bone appear comparable for children younger than five years and those older than five years, according to a report in the January issue of Archives of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Skin Cancer :: Learning with a partner improves skin cancer self-examination practices

Individuals who received instruction on skin self-examination with their partners may be more likely to engage in this cancer prevention behavior, according to a report in the January issue of Archives of Dermatology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Fracture :: Hip fractures not caused by benzodiazepine use

Benzodiazepine use was not shown to be associated with hip fractures after all, according to a new study from the Department of Ambulatory Care and Prevention (of Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care). Previous epidemiological studies suggesting an association have been used to support legislation and policy decisions that limit access to these drugs among the elderly. These policies may need to be reexamined based on these new findings, which are being published in the Jan. 16 Annals of Internal Medicine.

Breastfeeding :: Should HIV-positive mothers breastfeed?

A new study conducted by Renaud Becquet and colleagues in Abidjan, C?te d’Ivoire, and reported in PLoS Medicine shows that if HIV-positive mothers are well supported, either of the two feeding options currently recommended (formula-only feed, or short-term breastfeeding) are likely to be equivalent in terms of the baby’s chances for survival and health.