Feb 15, 2010
Wikimedia Commons / Ragesoss Tablets of the antiviral drug aciclovir. A study published in The Lancet has found that aciclovir, a drug frequently used to treat genital herpes, could “help people with HIV infection stay healthy for longer,” according to Dr. Jairam Lingappa, leader of the research team out of the University of Washington in Seattle. —KA
BBC:
Gus Cairns, editor of HIV Treatment Update, said: “It’s nice to see a positive result in this field.
“There are biological reasons to believe that treating people’s herpes could make them less likely to acquire HIV, or less likely to transmit it if they already have it, but results of trials testing the idea have been disappointing.
“Now at least we find that aciclovir, a very cheap, non-toxic and widely-available drug, can prolong the time some patients may be able to stay off the more expensive, and sometimes toxic, HIV drugs.”
Pacific Health Online
Because ya gotta be proactive about Health: Issues and News
February 16, 2010
Old drug new uses against HIV
February 14, 2010
Virulent Food-Borne Bacteria Induces Infected Immune Cells to Sabotage Their Own Defensive Response
ScienceDaily (Feb. 2, 2010) — Researchers at National Jewish Health have discovered how the virulent food-borne bacteria Listeria monocytogenes induces infected immune cells to sabotage their own defensive response. The studies offer insight into host-pathogen interactions and suggest potential therapeutic targets for food poisoning, tuberculosis and autoimmune diseases.
December 29, 2009
French healthcare costs
European Tribune – French healthcare costs
…….The article, quoting Jean-Pierre Davant, the head of the association of health mutuals non-profit supplementary health insurance providers, links to an article in Le Parisien which I read with interest and started translating before realizing that the Le Monde article should have linked to another article in Le Parisien in which Mr. Davant is interviewed. Googling around turned up another interview with Mr. Davant from January 2009, which is interesting as it describes the trend in retrospect. ……One thing that is striking to me is that the cost figures that are described as ‘pharanoic’ in these articles seem relatively small in comparison to numbers I’ve read/heard in the U.S. media about healthcare in that country (e.g. 1727 euros per year / $207 per month for a couple with two children for a “collective” policy, or 3336 euros per year / $400 a month if they have “individual” policies; or 18 euros per night in the hospital after the first 24 hours). It reminds me of how the Japanese media fret and howl about the unemployment rate soaring to 5.5%.
December 17, 2009
Skin and Lung Cancers’ Genetic Codes Now Uncovered
Scientists Crack Skin and Lung Cancers’ Genetic Codes – Truthdig
Scientists are now able to map the complete genetic codes of lung and skin cancer, and now an international effort is in motion to do the same for more varieties, including breast, stomach, liver, brain, mouth and pancreatic cancer. —KA
December 13, 2009
You can’t handle the truth ?
You can’t handle the truth – The Boston Globe
The list, printed as a chart with the unassuming title “Mean Harm Scores for 20 Substances,” ranked a set of common drugs, both legal and illegal, in order of their harmfulness – how addictive they were, how physically damaging, and how much they threatened society. Many drug specialists now consider it one of the most objective sources available on the actual harmfulness of different substances.
November 27, 2009
Have the Germans Have Managed to Cure HIV?
Those Sneaky Germans Have Managed to Cure HIV?
Yes, it seems they actually did. However, the cure, if it is that, is not pratical for widespread use. However, in time, it may be.It is not clear whether the patient in question who, for the moment, wishes to remain anonymous is truly cured. However, after 300 days and biopsies of every major organ, his viral load is undetectable. Even if it isn’t a cure, it may point to a new way to manage the disease without medication.
October 3, 2009
Awareness campaign – Fiji Times Online
Awareness campaign – Fiji Times Online
THE Department of Mineral Resources carries out community awareness programs on natural disasters and evacuation procedures every year.Department seismologist Sefanaia Seru said slide presentations and discussions with community on evacuation routes are some of the activities carried out during the awareness program.
August 14, 2009
Drug Compound That Kills Cancer Stem Cells Identified (Update2)
Drug Compound That Kills Cancer Stem Cells Identified (Update2) – Bloomberg.com
Aug. 13 (Bloomberg) — A drug that can selectively target and kill the stem cells that drive the growth of tumors has been identified for the first time by scientists who searched more than 16,000 compounds to find it.Researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Broad Institute looked for compounds that could destroy the stem cells, which often resist conventional cancer treatment. One, salinomycin, cut the number of stem cells at least 100 times more than did Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.’s Taxol, a common chemotherapy medicine, according to a report on the findings published today in the journal Cell.
July 21, 2009
You Can’t Fix Healthcare Without Fixing Obesity
Full Story Herer: You Can’t Fix Healthcare Without Fixing Obesity
Trying to fix our rising health care costs without fixing our food system is like trying to fix our defense budget without ending our two wars in the Middle East. In fact, it would be like trying to get a grip on defense spending while invading Pakistan. Or something like that. Here’s what I mean:
July 14, 2009
Hannah Clark’s Heart Heals Itself After Transplant
Hannah Clark’s Heart Heals Itself After Transplant
Hannah Clark’s Heart Heals Itself After Transplant
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