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South African Health Minister To Launch PMTCT Plan
South African Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi within the next two weeks is expected to launch a plan to address mother-to-child HIV transmission in an effort to reduce infant mortality in the country, The Times reports. The MTCT plan is part of a new health program adopted by President Jacob Zuma"s administration, according to The Times."This is one of the most urgent things I want to (deal with) as the new minister," Motsoaledi said. According to Motsoaledi, a child dies every eight minutes in South Africa, and about 40% of child deaths are related to HIV/AIDS. The plan was developed by the Development Bank of Southern Africa at a July meeting of government and health sector stakeholders. Participants at the meeting also examined maternal deaths and the decrease in life expectancy among young adults because of HIV/AIDS. According to Motsoaledi, these and other issues have been identified as priorities for the Zuma administration if South Africa is to meet targets in the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. They also have been consolidated into a 10-point plan to help the Department of Health focus on urgent issues through 2015."Health and education are the biggest challenges for (the government) and we ought to be doing something drastic," Motsoaledi said, adding, "These are very serious issues in society." The health department"s plan also calls for the revival of the National AIDS Council and says that the government should improve regulation of the private health sector. It also calls for the establishment of a national tuberculosis reference laboratory, a focus on infection rates among women ages 17 to 21 and the improvement of HIV prevention among commercial sex workers (Molele, The Times, 5/25). Don't forget to buy zoloft online no prescription.

Individuals Genetically At Risk Of Developing Psychological Disorders Also Benefit The Most From Positive Environments
Certain individuals have long been regarded as particularly susceptible to developing behavioural and emotional problems when they experience negative environmental conditions, due to the fact that they carry so-called "vulnerability genes". Existing research suggests, for instance, that such "genetically vulnerable" individuals are most likely to become impulsive and hyperactive if their mothers smoked while pregnant, to behave anti-socially if subjected to child abuse, and to become depressed if exposed to many negative life events (e.g., divorce, unemployment). But a new evaluation of existing gene-by-environment interaction (GXE) research highlighting such genetic vulnerability to adversity challenges this traditional interpretation of existing evidence. Research published in Molecular Psychiatry suggests that those carrying "vulnerability genes" are not only more likely than others to be adversely affected by negative experiences but to also benefit more than others from positive environments, making them more malleable or plastic, not just vulnerable. This novel interpretation of old and new findings suggests that "vulnerability genes" might be better conceptualised as "plasticity or malleability genes" because carriers are more affected, for better and for worse, by positive and negative environmental conditions.

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Statement By Merck & Co., Inc. Regarding FOSAMAX® (alendronate Sodium) And Rare Cases Of Osteonecrosis Of The Jaw
Merck is committed to putting patients first and providing accurate information regarding the efficacy, safety and tolerability of our medicines. Merck offers the following statement concerning the osteoporosis medication FOSAMAX® (alendronate sodium) and reports of jaw problems associated with delayed healing and infection of the jaw often following tooth extraction. The condition is known as osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ).
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Can New Surgery Revolutionize Diabetes Treatment?

Metabolic surgery, a new surgical approach to metabolic disease, may provide the key to curing diabetes in some patients. This data was presented at the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) 18th Annual Meeting & Clinical Congress. "This goes beyond just weight-loss surgery," Chief of Gastrointestinal Metabolic Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College Francesco Rubino, MD, said. "For its clinical potential, and maybe even more for its implications for the understanding of diabetes, metabolic surgery is one of the most important research opportunities for the next decade in medicine." According to Dr. Rubino, a growing body of evidence suggests that the mechanisms of diabetes resolution after surgery involve intestinal signals: "I am confident that we may see important discoveries occur as we direct our attention to the role of the bowel in diabetes." Recent studies have indicated that bariatric surgery, an approach typically used to treat severe obesity, often results in normalization of blood sugar levels and other metabolic abnormalities. This results in a reduction of the overall risk of mortality associated with diabetes in severely obese patients. Dr Rubino"s personal research showed for the first time that the effects of bariatric surgery on diabetes cannot be entirely explained by weight loss, and are intrinsic with the change of intestinal anatomy characteristic of these procedures. As a result, experts have been studying the biological impacts of the surgery on mechanisms of glycemic control, and are exploring the possibility to use gastrointestinal surgery to treat diabetes per se. "It would be premature at this point to argue every diabetes patient is a candidate for gastrointestinal surgery," Dr. Rubino said. "However, there is enough evidence that surgery should be considered as an option to endocrinologists in the treatment of type 2 diabetes." Metabolic surgery is the result of a collaborative effort between endocrinologists and surgeons working to optimize the surgery for diabetes patients. Together they can formulate a "tailored intervention," designing procedures that allow them to gain a greater understanding of how the disease works. "Recognizing the need to work as a team across disciplines that includes endocrinologists and surgeons is the first critical step to address the issues and opportunities that surgery offers to diabetes care and research," Dr. Rubino said. Thus far the results are intriguing: "This collaborative effort is helping us gain a broader, more comprehensive understanding of diabetes," Rubino said. "In the end it will pay dividends for patients." For more information about diabetes, download the American College of Endocrinology"s (ACE) "Power of Prevention(R)" Magazine here. The magazine features medical information on prediabetes, type 1 and type 2 diabetes, diabetes complications, and tips on how diabetes patients can best prepare for disaster. About AACE AACE is a professional medical organization with more than 6,200 members in the United States and 92 other countries. Founded in 1991, AACE is dedicated to the optimal care of patients with endocrine problems. AACE initiatives inform the public about endocrine disorders. AACE also conducts continuing education programs for clinical endocrinologists, physicians whose advanced, specialized training enables them to be experts in the care of endocrine diseases such as diabetes, thyroid disorders, growth hormone deficiency, osteoporosis, cholesterol disorders, hypertension and obesity. American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists


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