New anti-cholesterol drug appears safe, effective

CHICAGO—An experimental Merck drug safely boosted good cholesterol to record highs while dropping bad cholesterol to unprecedented lows in a study that stunned researchers and renewed hopes for an entirely new way of lowering heart risks.

We are the most excited we have been in decades” about a novel drug, said the study’s leader, Dr. Christopher Cannon, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

This could really be the next big thing.

The drug, anacetrapib, won’t be on the market anytime soon. It needs more testing to see if its dramatic effects on cholesterol will translate into fewer heart attacks, strokes and deaths. Merck & Co. announced a 30,000-patient study to answer that question and it will take several years.

No consensus on who gets care

Hospitals in Britain each seem to have their own ways of deciding who get access to the limited resources within the health care system, a new study in the Journal of Medical Ethics has found.

In surveying 22 people responsible for deciding who gets care at their local hospitals, the researchers found 14 different factors being used to decide which patients to treat, and which not. The top factors were cost effectiveness, clinical effectiveness, equality and total cost.

"No one reason was considered dominant," the report found.

Past Canadian Medical Association president Brian Day has identified access to health as one of the top emerging issues facing health care in this country, a point the study reiterates.

Bone Tumor– Treating Bone Tumor - Diseases Treatment - Symptoms, Causes and Cure for Diseases on A to Z

Bone Tumor - How to Cope up with Bone Tumor?

What do doctors call this condition?

Sarcoma of the bone, bone cancer, primary malignant bone tumor

What is this condition?

Most bone tumors are caused by the spread of cancer from another part of the body (secondary tumors).

Tumors that originate in the bones themselves (primary tumors) are rare, accounting for less than 1 % of all malignant tumors. Primary tumors are more common in young males, but may affect individuals between ages 35 and 60 as well.

What causes it?

The causes of a primary malignant bone tumor are unknown. Some researchers suspect that the tumor arises in areas of rapid body growth because children and young adults with such tumors seem to be much taller than average. Additional theories point to heredity, trauma, and excessive radiation therapy.

Heart Disease Is Still Country's No. 1 Killer

We all know that heart attacks are the worst possible outcome for heart disease patients. But there are many things related to coronary heart disease that people don't know. One is that coronary heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death in the United States. It accounted for about 1.2 million coronary attacks in 2009. Another is that women are just as likely to be heart attack victims as men. And too many people also don't know the symptoms of heart disease or how to prevent a heart attack.

The good news is, Americans can fight back by taking control of their lifestyles with exercise, healthier eating and by avoiding tobacco.

Wellcome Trust Announces Medical Humanities Funding

Across the pond, Giskin Day brings word of funding specifically targeted for the medical humanities via the fabulous Wellcome Trust. Here is some basic information:

The Medical Humanities can be described as the 'exploration and explanation of human experience with respect to medicine and health' and involves the application to medical education and medical practice of a multidisciplinary field of humanities.

The Wellcome Trust is keen to support research in the field of medical humanities to explore the human experience of medicine, offering perceptions on medicine from beyond the world of science. The Wellcome Trust expects applications to be multidisciplinary drawing on the disciplines from the humanities such as philosophy, literature studies, history, religion, social sciences, law and the arts (theatre, film and visual arts).

What Does 'Sugarless' Really Mean?

A survey done in the mid-1990s found that the average American consumes 20 teaspoons of sugar a day - nearly half a cup! You may think you can protect your teeth by eating more "sugarless" foods, but not all "sugarless" foods are really sugarless. Currently, with more awareness about obesity and emphasis on nutrition and fitness, almost 80% of adults consume some "sugarless" products.

Are Sugarless Or Sugar-Free Foods And Beverages Always Safe For Your Teeth?

No, they're not. The label "sugarless" food sometimes means that no sugar was added during processing, but these foods may not be sugar free. They may contain natural sweeteners, such as honey, molasses, evaporated cane sugar, fructose, barley malt or rice syrup. Natural sweeteners have the same number of calories per serving as sugar does, and they all are harmful to the teeth.

Sweden Bans All Mercury Fillings

Sites Environmental Reasons For Eliminating Dental Amalgam Use

The Swedish government said it has decided for environmental reasons to ban use of all mercury fillings in the country effective June 1, 2009. The ban includes dental amalgam. The Swedish government statement says that alternative techniques will have to be used in dental care as well as chemical analysis and the chloralkali industry. The statement from Sweden does not list what those alternatives are.

Such a ban is not necessary in the United States, said the American Dental Association in a statement issued January 16, 2009. The ADA statement notes that U.S. dentists already capture nearly 80 percent of waste amalgam with standard equipment in their practices, and an increasing number of dentists have added the use of amalgam separators, which can increase the capture rate up to 99 percent.