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Genetic Test for Heart Disease Risk in the Works

admin — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 03:01:51 +0000

SUNDAY, Feb. 8 (HealthDay News) — Perhaps five years from now, you might actually hear your doctor casually say, “While we’re at it, let’s do a blood test to see if your genetic makeup puts you at high risk of having a heart attack.”
So says Dr. Sekar Kathiresan, an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and director of preventive cardiology at Massachusetts General Hospital. He is the leader of a group that has identified three new genetic variants associated with an increased risk of heart attack.
That finding, which brings the total of such risk-associated variants to nine, is reported in the Feb. 8 online issue of
. The journal highlights a total of five papers from groups around the world looking at the genetics of heart disease.
The study led by Kathiresan, done by a group of six organizations called the Myocardial Infarction Genetics Consortium, is the largest of the five. It compared the genomes of about 3,000 people who had suffered heart attacks relatively early in life — under 50 in men, under 60 in women — with those of 3,000 people who hadn’t had a heart attack.
It’s known that heart disease tends to cluster in families, Kathiresan said, in part because family members tend to share bad habits, such as smoking. The aim of the study was to single out the role of genes in increased familial risk.
“We looked at about 1 million different spots in the genomes, the frequency of the letters in the genomes in cases and controls,” Kathiresan said. “The genome-wide study identified nine spots associated with an increased risk of heart attack, six of which had been previously described. We showed that when you combined the information from the nine different spots, the 20 percent of the people who had the most unfavorable profile had a 2.25-fold greater risk of having a heart attack, compared to the 20 percent with the best genetic profile.”
Work needs to be done before this information can be put to medical use, he said. “We must test this panel in other studies,” he said. “If the results hold up, it will be worth doing tests in clinical situations.”
Such a genetic test would not be a big deal compared to tests now done routinely, Kathiresan noted. “It would be no more expensive than the standard tests that are done to measure blood cholesterol levels,” he said.
Such a test “could be useful in guiding treatments, such as who should get statins at an early age to lessen LDL cholesterol levels,” Kathiresan said. Meanwhile, research is being done to learn how these genetic variants increase heart attack risk.
“Of the nine, three seem to be acting through LDL cholesterol,” Kathiresan said. “One gene region seems to directly increase the risk of build-up of atherosclerotic plaque in heart arteries.”
The four other studies in the journal indicated that a heart attack risk test would not be limited to those nine genes. A report from France described an association with clusters of variants of three genes on chromosome 6. A Japanese study found an association with a gene, designated BRAP, that may be involved in inflammation. Researchers in Iceland identified five genetic variations governing the blood cells called eosinophils, which also play a role in inflammation. A German study described a gene that is highly expressed in the cardiovascular system and might be involved in the adhesion of cells to one another.
“We know that this is not the end,” said Jeanette Erdmann, a professor of genetics at the University of Lubeck, and lead author of the German report. “It is hard to predict how many loci you might find.”
Such tests probably wouldn’t be used in childhood, Erdmann said. “But I can imagine a 30-year-old man with a family history of heart disease having one,” she said. “It would be good for him to get a test of these genetic variants and find out if it is important to modify the other factors that lead to heart disease, such as obesity and high blood pressure.”
A next step for the German group, which collaborates with the French researchers, is to do “some kind of meta-analysis of the genome,” Erdmann said. “It will be an analysis of 15,000 cases and 15,000 controls,” she said. “We have started doing it.”

FDA Clears Medical Test

admin — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 03:50:39 +0000

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Teen Test Day screens health of 1000

admin — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 07:33:09 +0000

The HIV test required a saliva swab and was completed in 20 minutes. Teens walked away with a T-shirt, candy or a pen. Many said they weren’t sexually active, but thought it wise to get a free screening.
“It’s good to get them in the habit even if they haven’t been sexually active,” said Regina Hampton, a case manager for Circle Family HealthCare Network, which administered the screenings. “You can get it from blood transfusions or a freak accident.”
The screenings were part of the second annual Teen Test Day, which drew hundreds of teenagers and health experts to the South Shore Cultural Center. Last year, 650 teenagers were tested for HIV.
In recent years, about half of new HIV patients have been younger than 25, according to organizers. And the rate is highest among black teenagers.
Teen Test Day is sponsored by the Metropolitan Area Group for Igniting Civilizations, a Chicago youth group.
Bryan Echols, the group’s executive director, said HIV screening is a priority, but there are other “silent killers” such as hypertension, high blood pressure and diabetes.
Jasmeen Wellere, 15, a freshman at Hirsch Metro High School, said that her father has diabetes, but that she has never had her glucose tested.
“I wouldn’t have done it if I didn’t come here,” she said. “I just wonder if I have diabetes, or may get it.”
A nurse told Johnnie Butler, 17, an athlete at Robeson High School, that his blood pressure is normal, but that he needs to stay active.
Butler, who hasn’t been to the doctor in a year, said he is trying to keep his weight down and eat healthy. But he said most teenagers usually don’t think about health.
“It’s not taught to them,” he said. “At my school, health is not something we learn.”

Should you test your kids for drugs?

admin — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 14:42:39 +0000

MASON CITY — Kits are readily available for parents to test their children at home for illegal drug use — but should they be used? Under what conditions is it worth raising serious issues about trust?
“I think they have their place,” said Tim Leibrand, pharmacy manager at Hy-Vee Drugstore in Mason City. “But like everything, they can probably be abused.”
Hy-Vee Drugstore has carried the kits for at least five years, Leibrand said. “We have an array of them on the shelf.”
The TestMedica 5-Drug Multi Screen kits check for cocaine, marijuana, heroin/opiates, methamphetamine and ecstasy in urine. Each kit tests for a specific drug. Results can be analyzed by the user.
The kits are being offered at Hy-Vee Drugstore for $4.99. Two tests are included in each kit.
TestMedica claims the test results are fast and easy to read. The user places a test strip in a sample of urine. Directions indicate how to read the results according to allowable levels as specified by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Readings are available in 5 minutes, according to the company.
“We see parents and individuals buying them,” Leibrand said. “People ask if we have them.”
The kits are also available at stores such as Shopko, Kmart, Houck Pharmacy and Wal-Mart.
Dave Jacobson, a counselor at Mason City High School, said he would question how reliable the results are.
And assuming they are reliable, “What do you do if the result comes out positive?” he asked.
In-home testing could be helpful if it helps to alleviate a parent’s worry that a child is using drugs, Jacobson said. “I’m sure the home kit would be cheaper” than having a test done by a lab.
“Parents do have to trust their kids,” he said. “But parents may sometimes have to resort to testing. Denial is big among people who are addicted to drugs.”
Jacobson said he would recommend parents concerned about their son or daughter’s possible use of illegal drugs go to a treatment facility, such as Prairie Ridge Addiction Treatment Services, to be tested.
Professionals there know how to administer the tests, and if a positive result is obtained, can make recommendations for treatment.
Jay Hansen, executive director of Prairie Ridge, said he believes the home drug test kits can be effective for monitoring drug use and that he has no problem with people using them.
“It means a parent is interested enough in their child to make it a concern,” he said. “It’s better than for a parent to say, ‘I don’t want to know.’ ”
Drug urine tests are also used at Prairie Ridge to obtain a baseline number that may be used to determine a client’s progress and reinforce success, Hansen said. “More often than not, it’s a way for us to reinforce people’s abstinence.”
Parents should make it clear they are administering the tests out of care and concern, Hansen said. Before getting to the point of using a drug-testing kit, parents should have made clear to their children their expectations about substance abuse.
Hansen said the kits are generally pretty accurate. “Most are by federally approved labs. They go through a considerable amount of testing.”
If the result is positive, Hansen suggested parents see a professional at Prairie Ridge or someone else they trust, such as a minister, for help.
Sharon Somers, of Clear Lake, mother of a teenage son, said she, for one, has no objection to parents using drug-testing kits, assuming the results are reliable.
The kits are not appropriate for schools to administer, Somers said.
“Just as I think it’s a parent’s right to be able to look in their teenager’s bedrooms at any time, they should be able to use the drug tests,” she said.
Parents should think through what they’ll tell their children if the result is positive, Somers said.
“You need to be willing to follow through with more than just a ‘don’t do drugs anymore’ speech. Just as adults can get addicted and need professional help, sometimes so do teenagers. They may not be able to stop just because they’re told to.”

Soccer-Napoli's Mannini banned for year for missed drugs test

admin — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 09:22:41 +0000

MILAN, Jan 29 (Reuters) – Napoli winger Daniele Mannini and
striker Davide Possanzini have been banned for a year after
arriving late for a drugs test when playing for Serie B side
Brescia, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) said on
Thursday.
The pair, who were late for a doping test at a match against
Chievo in Dec. 2007, were banned for 15 days in March by an
Italian Olympic Committee judge but the World Anti-Doping Agency
(WADA) appealed to CAS and asked for tougher sentences.
Mannini, 25, signed for Serie A side Napoli in January last
year and has contributed to their impressive recent form.
The severity of the punishments prompted criticism from the
Italian Footballers’ Association (AIC) and Mannini’s lawyer was
stunned by the decision.
“It is a shocking and unbelievable sentence,” Mattia
Grassani told the ANSA news agency. “Mannini and Possanzini have
been treated…like full-blown doping athletes. They never took
doping substances. CAS knows this.”
Italian soccer federation chief Giancarlo Abete told
reporters he was perplexed by a sentence that seemed excessive
to him and the AIC expressed indignation.
“The AIC Management Board will be immediately called to
decide on what initiatives can be taken as a sign of protest at
a sentence that is unacceptable, disproportionate with respect
to the length of a footballer’s career, unjustified from all
points of view,” said a statement on the association’s website
(www.assocalciatori.it).
(Reporting by Mark Meadows, additional reporting by Paul Virgo;
Editing by John Mehaffey)

Prison officers argue over fitness test

admin — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 17:08:33 +0000

Tuesday, February 17, 2009
The Prison Officers’ Association (POA) is so not impressed with proposals for existing staff to take annual fitness checks which involve running several times between bollards 20 metres apart that it is expected to vote against the idea, leading the Ministry of Justice to lose the £50m it had been given to ‘modernise’ the workforce in prisons.
Currently, new recruits have to take the test and only 10 out of 8000 have failed. And even if they fail that test, they can still be classified as fit enough if they get through a control and restraint exercise.
However, the row over the physical tests is thought to be masking the real issue, which is the plan to create a two tier workforce with existing officers stepping up to take on a new role designed to reduce prisoners’ offending behaviour (and being paid up to £29,500) and new ‘operational officers’ doing what existing prison officers do now for up to £25,000. According to Justice Secretary Jack Straw, this arrangement could save up to £100m over five years.
On the fitness test, Straw said: “We have to have a minimum level of fitness so officers can operate safely and protect other staff. Just as with the army or the police when you are dealing with the necessity to hold people with force you have to have people who are fit. It almost goes without saying.”
But POA general secretary Brian Caton said: “What we want to do, the same as the police, the same as the fire service, is to have an occupational health strategy that allows for prison officers to be tested to see if they are healthy enough to do the job, rather than whether they can run between two points x amount of times in a minute.”

Parents may test own children for drugs

admin — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 08:03:13 +0000

FARGO (AP) â Parents of Fargo middle school students can soon test their children for drugs.
Project 7th Grade, a Phoenix, Ariz.-based group, provides the kits to school systems, police and other organizations at no charge. The tests rely on urine samples.
Sullivan Middle school is the only school in North Dakota participating in the project, officials said.
âNo family, no schools are exempt,â Fargo police officer Mike Clower said. âThis is an opportunity to empower parents.â
Clower, the school resource officer at Sullivan Middle School and Shanley High School, is hosting a parents meeting Wednesday to educate parents about drug use among teens.
âThereâs a need everywhere,â Clower said. âThese are happening in Fargo. Iâve seen it.â
Clower will provide parents with drug use statistics and symptoms, and show them drug paraphernalia so they can recognize what can sometimes be hidden signs. Clower said kids who use drugs typically do so for two years before a parent finds out.
âYou think itâs normal adolescent behavior for a while,â parent Marsha Nygaard said. âYou ride it out for a while in hopes things get better.â
Clower will give out 50 free drug testing kits to parents Wednesday.
The program and materials are provided by a national organization called Not My Kid, which sponsors a drug prevention course called Project 7th Grade.
âIf you get them in middle school, you actually still have a chance to make an impact on a few,â Clower said. Drug use triples between sixth and eighth grade, he said. âItâs a lot harder at the high school level.â
A 2008 Fargo Cass Public Health survey found that about 18 percent of Fargo ninth- through 12th-graders used marijuana last year.

Fitness test obstacle for non-BAM shuttlers

admin — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 23:43:06 +0000

THE World Championships door remains, only just, open for shuttlers not in the BA of Malaysia’s (BAM) stable.
All the players have to do, should their rankings be higher than that of those from BAM at the end of the qualifying period in April, is pass a fitness test.
Several former national singles and doubles players, now playing under the banner of clubs and sponsors, are in a position to qualify while the rankings of BAM’s back-up shuttlers is too low and unlikely to improve sufficiently by the April 30 cut-off date.
BAM general manager Kenny Goh said the association will not restrict non-national players from competing in the World Championships as long as they meet the criteria.
“The non-national shuttlers are subject to a fitness test by the National Sports Institute. They also need the endorsement of BAM’s coaching and training committee,” said Kenny.
“We will give our players the priority if they have made the cut but as of now, we only have the elite players in good positions to qualify. If they (non-national players) qualify, they will be considered.”
So far, World No 1 Lee Chong Wei has virtually confirmed his place in the men’s singles while former national shuttlers Wong Choon Hann, ranked World No 14, and KLRC Bhd’s Sairul Amar Ayub (24) or Lee Tsuen Seng (26) could claim the other two spots.
This is because BAM’s Kuan Beng Hong (51), Chong Wei Feng (52), Arif Latif (59), Tan Chun Seang (78) and Liew Daren (80) face an uphill task as they probably have only four tournaments — German Open (Feb 23-Mar 1), All England (Mar 3-8), Swiss Open (Mar 10-15) and the Asian Championships (Apr 7-12) — to improve their ranking.
Hafiz Hashim, who is with club Nusa Mahsuri, is ranked 35 but he too is unlikely to qualify as he will not be playing in the All England and Swiss Open.
In the doubles, Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong (World No 4) and Zakry Latif-Fairuzizuan Tazari (World No 5) should make the cut while the third slot will be a tussle between former national pairs Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah (World No 7) and Chan Chong Ming-Chew Choon Eng (World No 14).
In the women’s singles, BAM’s Wong Mew Choo, Julia Wong and Lydia Cheah are likely to confirm their places while World No 2 Wong Pei Tty-Chin Eei Hui are the only women’s doubles pair to have confirmed their berth.

Meridian Bioscience Receives FDA Clearance for New Campylobacter Test

admin — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 15:34:10 +0000

Meridian Bioscience, Inc. (NASDAQ: VIVO) today announced that it has
received FDA clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
for a new test for Campylobacter. Launched as PREMIER CAMPY, the rapid
EIA test provides for optimized detection of Campylobacter infection,
the most commonly diagnosed bacteria for food borne illness in the U.S.
Approximately 20 million tests are conducted each year in the U.S. to
detect the illness, which is usually caused by poorly cooked poultry.
There is a significant need for the PREMIER CAMPY test because it
provides a solution to several concerns associated with culture testing,
currently the most commonly practiced lab technique for detecting the
campylobacter bacteria. With culture, there is a potential for reduction
in sensitivity due to variable culturing procedures, specimen viability,
and inhibitory antibiotics in culture media. PREMIER CAMPY dramatically
reduces these concerns with a consistent EIA method that measures the
antigen instead of the fragile bacteria in an environment that is less
inhibitory than current culturing procedures.
John A. Kraeutler, Chief Executive Officer, stated, “PREMIER CAMPY is
an important addition to our product portfolio given the prevalence of
the disease. This new assay solidifies our position as a leader in
rapid, accurate testing methods in food borne testing. PREMIER CAMPY,
as well as our PREMIER and Immuno
STAT!
E. coli
, provide acute care labs with highly
accurate tools that can speed the detection of important pathogens and
enable more rapid treatment of the patient. PREMIER CAMPY is already in
distribution via Meridian Bioscience Europe for the Companys European
markets and was also recently approved for sale in Canada.
The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a safe
harbor from civil litigation for forward-looking statements accompanied
by meaningful cautionary statements. Except for historical information,
this report contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of
Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, which may be identified by words
such as “estimates, “anticipates, “projects, “plans, “seeks, “may,
“will, “expects, “intends, “believes, “should and similar
expressions or the negative versions thereof and which also may be
identified by their context. Such statements, whether expressed or
implied, are based upon current expectations of the Company and speak
only as of the date made. The Company assumes no obligation to publicly
update any forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to
various risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual
results to differ materially, including, without limitation, the
following: Meridians continued growth depends, in part, on its ability
to introduce into the marketplace enhancements of existing products or
new products that incorporate technological advances, meet customer
requirements and respond to products developed by Meridians
competition. While Meridian has introduced a number of internally
developed products, there can be no assurance that it will be successful
in the future in introducing such products on a timely basis. Ongoing
consolidations of reference laboratories and formation of multi-hospital
alliances may cause adverse changes to pricing and distribution. Costs
and difficulties in complying with laws and regulations administered by
the United States Food and Drug Administration can result in
unanticipated expenses and delays and interruptions to the sale of new
and existing products. Changes in the relative strength or weakness of
the U.S. dollar can change expected results. One of Meridians main
growth strategies is the acquisition of companies and product lines.
There can be no assurance that additional acquisitions will be
consummated or that, if consummated, will be successful and the acquired
businesses successfully integrated into Meridians operations. In
addition to the factors described in this paragraph, Part I, Item 1A
Risk Factors of our Form 10-K contains a list and description of
uncertainties, risks and other matters that may affect the Company.
Meridian is a fully integrated life science company that manufactures,
markets and distributes a broad range of innovative diagnostic test
kits, purified reagents and related products and offers
biopharmaceutical enabling technologies. Utilizing a variety of methods,
these products and diagnostic tests provide accuracy, simplicity and
speed in the early diagnosis and treatment of common medical conditions,
such as gastrointestinal, viral and respiratory infections. Meridians
diagnostic products are used outside of the human body and require
little or no special equipment. The Company’s products are designed to
enhance patient well-being while reducing the total outcome costs of
healthcare. Meridian has strong market positions in the areas of
gastrointestinal and upper respiratory infections, serology,
parasitology and fungal disease diagnosis. In addition, Meridian is a
supplier of rare reagents, specialty biologicals and related
technologies used by biopharmaceutical companies engaged in research for
new drugs and vaccines. The Company markets its products and
technologies to hospitals, reference laboratories, research centers,
veterinary testing centers, physician offices, diagnostics manufacturers
and biotech companies in more than 60 countries around the world. The
Companys shares are traded through NASDAQs Global Select Market,
symbol VIVO. Meridian’s website address is
.
erschienen am 04.02.2009 um 16:00 Uhr

Acute hospitals fail hygiene test

admin — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 17:15:46 +0000

Only five out of 51 acute hospital trusts in England passed a hygiene spot check carried out by the NHS watchdog.
The Healthcare Commission found the majority failed to meet standards introduced to fight hospital infections such as MRSA and Clostridium difficile.
While most of the failures did not pose an immediate risk to patients, it said nearly all the trusts had to do more to control the spread of infections.
The Patients’ Association said it was dismayed at the failures.
The spot checks were part of the biggest inspection programme ever carried out in NHS acute trusts, who deal with a wide range of emergency medical conditions.
Only five adhered to the government’s hygiene code, which came into force as part of the Health Act 2006.
Just over half failed to keep all areas clean and well-maintained, the watchdog said.
However, inspectors found most had improved in relation to leadership and ensuring uniforms were clean and fit for purpose.
In areas where breaches did cause a serious risk, managers were told to take immediate action.
Three trusts were given improvement notices to tackle failures in decontamination processes.
They were Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust, Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust, and Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Trust.
Chief executive Anna Walker said it was clear the NHS was paying close attention to infection prevention but there were still “gaps that need closing”.
“Trusts have made real progress with many getting good systems in place and demonstrating clear board leadership on this important issue.
“Now the challenge for trusts is to ensure they drive further sustained improvements by getting the right systems in place all of the time.
“In particular, trusts need to ensure their wards are consistently clean and well maintained, and they have good decontamination and isolation arrangements.”
Katherine Murphy, director of the Patients’ Association, said patient safety should be the primary concern of every trust board in the country.
“It is wrong the additional costs generated by having to deal with healthcare-acquired infections has a detrimental affect on the funding of other areas of healthcare,” she added.
Liberal Democrat health spokesman Norman Lamb said the mindset of the NHS should be one of “zero tolerance” when it came to hygiene.
“Considering the horrifying death toll from superbugs, it is very disturbing that adequate systems are still not in place in very many of our acute hospitals,” he said.
Health Minister Ann Keen said progress had been made in controlling the spread of infections in the past few years.
“The Healthcare Commission is very clear that the vast majority of breaches were minor and did not pose a threat to the safety of patients.
“It is encouraging to see that most lapses in cleanliness were isolated incidents. Several of these were minor issues, such as cluttered rooms.
“Nonetheless, the NHS should take any breach – no matter how minor – extremely seriously.”
From April, the new Care Quality Commission will have the authority to impose fines on trusts that do not meet hygiene standards.
The Healthcare Commission’s annual report on NHS performance, published in October, showed 114 out of all 391 NHS trusts in England had failed to meet one of the three core standards that make up the hygiene code.
Latest figures covering April to June show there were 836 cases of MRSA infections in England, a 36% drop on the same period last year.
There were 8,683 cases of hospital bug C. difficile recorded in patients aged 65 years plus – an 38% fall compared to the same 2007 period.