Categories
Cardiovascular
Diagnostics
Endocrinology
Health Insurance
Medical Devices
Mental Health
Nutrition
Oncology
Public Health
Sexual Health
Popular Articles
Revitol Cellulite Cream

Comfrey Root Extract Ointment Relieves Back Pain Fast
[Efficacy and safety of comfrey root extract ointment in the treatment of acute upper or lower back pain: results of a double blind randomised placebo controlled multicentre trial Online First Br J Sports Med 2009; doi: 10.1136/bjsm.2009.058677] Don't forget to buy zoloft online no prescription.

Merck's Gardasil Effective At Preventing HPV, Cervical Disease In Older Women, Study Finds
Merck"s human papillomavirus vaccine, Gardasil, was 90% effective in preventing infection with the virus and cervical disease in women ages 24 to 45, according to a study published Monday in the medical journal Lancet, Reuters reports (Fox, Reuters, 6/1). In the U.S., the vaccine currently is FDA-approved for girls and women ages nine to 26. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines recommend routine three-dose vaccination of girls ages 11 and 12 and for girls and women ages 13 to 26 who have not yet been vaccinated (CDC fact sheet, June 2008). It is designed to protect against HPV types 16 and 18, which cause about 70% of all cervical cancer cases, and HPV types 6 and 11, which cause genital warts.The new study, led by Nubia Munoz of the National Institute of Cancer in Bogota, Colombia, and funded by Merck, involved women ages 24 to 45 with no history of cervical disease or genital warts who either received the vaccine or a placebo injection. The study found that women who received the vaccine were significantly less likely to be infected with certain strains of HPV than those who received placebo shots. According to the researchers, four women out of 1,900 who received the vaccine developed HPV or cervical disease after two years, compared with 41 women out of 1,900 in the placebo group.Reuters reports that the results of the study could help Merck as it seeks approval for marketing Gardasil for use in older women. The researchers said in the study that older women might be at risk for HPV infection as "[c]hanges in sexual behavior during the past 30 years ... have led to more widespread premarital sexual intercourse and acquisition of new sexual partners around middle age." They added, "As the potential for HPV infection and disease exists in women in their third, fourth and fifth decades of life, these women could benefit from prophylactic HPV vaccination." According to Reuters, a mathematical model published in October 2005 showed that vaccinating older women could cut rates of cervical cancer in women through age 45 by half. Merck also has released data showing the effectiveness of the vaccine in preventing genital lesions in men.According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection worldwide, and about 20 million U.S. residents are infected with it. The virus is the leading cause of cervical cancer, which causes about 3,870 deaths in the U.S. and 300,000 deaths globally every year, and it also can cause anal, penile, mouth and neck cancer (Reuters, 6/1).

generic viagra online


News of the day
Drug Combination Improves Outcome For Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
A new, international study found that the combination of two drugs delays disease progression for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Results from the Phase III "ATLAS" trial were presented today by Dr. Vincent Miller of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting.
Nutrition

Long Term Care Insurance Receives Attention

Congress is turning its" attention to long-term care insurance producing information about how such insurance may help consumers make informed decisions for their long-term care needs. U.S. News & World Report reports on LTCI, which "is not health insurance but protection against progressive deterioration that renders people incapable of caring for themselves physically or mentally." The magazine notes that "the cost of dealing with these conditions can be staggering, depleting life savings and forcing people into poverty" and describes this type of insurance as "an expensive and complicated product... sold by a shrinking number of financially challenged insurers and subject to differing state rules that aren"t always effectively enforced." The magazine reports that while this insurance is perhaps "only a footnote in the national debate about health-care reform, rising concerns about the quality and affordability of elder care aren"t going away, even with major health reforms." It also reported on recent Congressional activity on LTCI, noting that: "Last week, Wisconsin Democratic Senator Herb Kohl introduced a bill to strengthen consumer safeguards for LTCI and standardize state rules. Other proposals include tax breaks to make LTCI policies more affordable and a measure introduced by Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy to create a publicly administered LTCI program that offered private policies to employees in a fashion similar to a 401(k) plan." U.S. News & World Report described people"s motivations for buying this insurance, including the fear of outliving financial assets, dramatic gains in life expectancies haven"t been matched by comparable improvements in retirement finances, a fear of Alzheimer"s Disease and the desire not to become financial and emotional burdens on one"s children. The magazine breaks down who needs it, what it covers and how much it costs (Moeller, 6/10). McKnight"s Long Term Care News & Assisted Living reports on the Senate HELP committee health plan released Tuesday by Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass, noting that it "includes, among other things, a long-term care insurance proposal that would help fund nursing home stays for the disabled, supplementing Medicaid as the reimbursement " (6/11). The New York Daily News also reports on the provision for long-term care in Kennedy"s plan: "Addressing an increasing area of concern as the baby boom generation ages, Americans will be able to buy long-term care insurance from the government for about $65 per month. The program is designed to help disabled and elderly individuals pay for at-home care, avoiding a costly move to a nursing home. People would need to pay into the program for at least five years to receive coverage. The benefit, not less than $50 per day, would be modest, but it could be used to cover a wide range of services that would help keep people in their homes" (Nocera, 6/10). This information was reprinted from kaiserhealthnews.org with kind permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives and sign up for email delivery at kaiserhealthnews.org. © Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.


Add your comment:
Name:
Site address: http://
Your message:
Enter today\\\\'s date, 2 digits
(spam protection):

© Copyright 2009