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Making Headlines |
Higher Risks Found for Anemia Drugs
Wall Street Journal February 27, 2008
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120407058194994907.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
An analysis of about 50 studies involving Amgen Inc.’s and Johnson & Johnson’s anti-anemia drugs suggests the products are associated with an increased risk of blood clots and death. The analysis, which is being published in this week’s Journal of the American Medical Association, looked at 51 Phase III clinical studies involving Aranesp, Epogen, and Procrit in patients with cancer and comes amid a continuing safety review of the drugs by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Phase III studies are advanced clinical studies that are typically conducted to support FDA approval of products.
The analysis, led by Charles L. Bennett, an oncologist and professor of medicine at NORTHWESTERN University, looked at 51 clinical trials with 13,611 patients to examine survival. Overall, the analysis showed patients being treated with the drugs had about a 10 percent higher risk of dying than patients not receiving the drugs, a finding Dr. Bennett said was “statistically significant.” The risk of venous thromboembolism, or blood clots, was looked at in 38 studies that included 8,172 patients. Overall, those studies found an increased blood-clot risk of 57 percent among patients receiving the anti-anemia drugs.
This story was also carried on the following news outlets:
The New York Times February 27, 2008
Study finds increased death risk from anemia drugs
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/27/business/27anemia.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=anemia&st=nyt&oref=slogin
Washington Post (Reuters) February 26, 2008
Anemia drugs up death risk in cancer patients: study
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/26/AR2008022603800.html
USA Today February 26, 2008
Anemia drugs may raise death risk for chemo patients
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-02-26-chemo-anemia-drugs_N.htm
CNN MarketWatch February 26, 2008
Drug for anemic cancer patients raises risks: study
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/drug-anemic-cancer-patients-raises/story.aspx?guid=%7B05D905CC-DDA4-4E9E-A499-AADBE3EF2948%7D
CNBC Feb. 26 & 27.
Charles Bennett, MD, professor of medicine, comments on research on the safety of drugs.
Ivanhoe Newswire February 29, 2008
More Bad News for Cancer Treatment
http://www.ivanhoe.com/channels/p_channelstory.cfm?storyid=18213
Taking Sharper Aim at Cancer
Chicago Tribune February 27, 2008
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/northwest/chi-proton-therapyfeb27,0,1792923.story
Northern Illinois University won state permission Tuesday to build a $160 million proton-therapy cancer-treatment center in West Chicago, the first such facility in Illinois, but another is proposed only six miles away. Although NIU does not have a medical school, officials said it has a strong tradition in accelerator particle physics research, so it makes sense for the school to open a cancer- treatment center. NIU said it is negotiating an agreement with physicians from NORTHWESTERN University’s Feinberg School of Medicine to provide clinical services at the center.
This story ws also carried on the following news outlets:
Chicago Sun-Times February 27, 2008
NIU gets OK for proton cancer center
http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/health/814450,CST-NWS-proton27.article
Adult Stem Cells Help Those with Immune Disorders, Heart Disease
HealthDay News February 26, 2008
http://www.ajc.com/health/content/shared-auto/healthnews/cora/612923.html
Treatment with adult stem cells harvested from blood or bone marrow may benefit some patients with certain kinds of cardiovascular disorders and autoimmune diseases, a new U.S. analysis shows. Two types of stem cells exist, according to background information in the study. Embryonic stem cells are harvested from embryos four to five days after fertilization. Adult stem cells are located in tissues throughout the body and provide a reservoir for replacement of damaged or aging cells. Dr. Richard K. Burt, of NORTHWESTERN University Feinberg School of Medicine, and colleagues examined hundreds of studies of blood- or bone-marrow derived stem cells that were conducted between January 1997 and December 2007—323 assessed feasibility and toxicity, and 69 looked at patient outcomes.
This story was also carried on the following news outlets:
WWBT February 27, 2008
Stem cells seeing new application as disease fighter
http://www.nbc12.com/news/healthcast/16022727.html
WBBM-AM Feb. 26.
Reference to research by Richard Burt, MD, associate professor of medicine, on adult stem cell potential for treating diseases.
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Richard Burt, MD, associate professor of medicine, comments on his research on adult stem cell potential for treating diseases.
Ivanhoe Newswire February 29, 2008
Adult stem cells show promise
http://www.ivanhoe.com/channels/p_channelstory.cfm?storyid=18212
The Problem with Jarvik’s Prescription
Time February 26, 2008
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1717350,00.html
For nearly two years, millions of Americans have seen television ads featuring artificial heart inventor Robert Jarvik touting the benefits of the cholesterol-lowering medication Lipitor. No longer. On Monday, Lipitor’s maker, Pfizer, decided to pull the $139 million campaign after a Congressional committee raised questions about Jarvik’s qualifications as pitchman. When products as serious as medications, which can have dangerous side effects, are marketed directly to the public, who should monitor the claims, and how? Bioethicist Katie Watson at NORTHWESTERN University notes that the blame for misleading ads such as Pfizer’s doesn’t always lie with one party. “We have an oil and water situation where we have our drug development and sales done on a free market model in the same way we sell cars and refrigerators,” she says. “But our medical care is done on a fiduciary duty, privacy and trust model. We throw those two together and we act surprised that we have conflicts of interest. We have a cognitive dissonance in America where we want the free market and we also want our physicians and everything involved in our health to be loyal to us as individuals. It’s hard to have both.”
On Television
WMAQ-TV Feb. 26.
Michael Ziffra, MD, instructor in psychiatry and behavioral sciences, comments on research on anti-depressants and their effectiveness.
Mentally Ill Unfairly Portrayed as Violent
Boston Globe February 25, 2008
http://www.boston.com/news/health/articles/2008/02/25/mentally_ill_unfairly_portrayed_as_violent/
[And yet,] in recent weeks, the news has been full of horrendous stories involving killers with known or suspected mental illness. As I write this, the nation is still reeling from the shootings at Northern Illinois University. Press reports now indicate that the shooter had a long history of mental illness and had recently stopped taking antidepressant medication. To make matters worse, three psychotherapists have been assaulted or murdered in the past month. The most brutal attack involved a Manhattan psychologist murdered by a man who also gravely injured a psychiatrist. The New York Times reported that the accused man blamed the psychiatrist for having him institutionalized 17 years ago; apparently, the psychologist was not the intended victim. And only a few weeks ago, a social worker in Andover was killed, allegedly by her 19-year-old patient, during a visit to the man’s home.
The image of the violent mentally ill person must also be tempered by research from Linda A. Teplin, of NORTHWESTERN University. Teplin finds that those with mental illness are much more likely to be victims than perpetrators of a violent crime. Among psychiatric outpatients, about 8 percent reported committing a violent act, whereas about 27 percent reported being the victim of a violent crime.
Young Adults’ Inactivity Puts Them at Risk of Heart Attack
The Times (UK) February 25, 2008
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article3428002.ece
The worsening trend in heart disease despite improving treatments is because of lifestyle factors such as smoking and lack of exercise, experts say. Between 1993 and 2003 the largest relative increase in obesity has been in adults under 45, while cholesterol levels have changed little or even increased among the younger age groups. At the same time the decline in smoking, which is a key risk factor for heart disease, may be leveling off among young adults. A quarter of adults still smoke. Professor Philip Greenland, of NORTHWESTERN University in Chicago, wrote in the journal: “This should be regarded as a wake-up call. The take-home message is that heart disease has not gone away, continues to be a problem, and could become a greater problem.”
U. of I.’s $8 Million Mosaic Mistake
Chicago Sun-Times February 25, 2008
http://www.suntimes.com/business/spirrison/811361,CST-FIN-spirr25.article
[This] was not the case in 1993, when students and researchers at the Urbana-based National Center for Supercomputing Applications conceived of a graphic interface technology that would become the foundation of today’s Internet. This includes opening the $75 million Institute for Genomic Biology on Interstate 57 last year and partnering with NORTHWESTERN University and the University of Chicago to operate the Chicago BioMedical Consortium, a research institution.
Homeland Security grants
The Illinois Homeland Security and Innovation Center at NORTHWESTERN University will be offering grants of up to $12,500 to Illinois-based businesses.
Living in the Shadows: Illiteracy in America
ABC News February 24, 2008
http://www.abcnews.go.com/WN/LegalCenter/story?id=4336421&page=1
A recent study from the Archives of Internal Medicine revealed patients who had difficulty reading prescriptions were 50 percent more likely to die from disease than patients who were literate. “It is a life and death issue,” said study author Dr. David Baker of NORTHWESTERN University. “Literacy affects your health in so many different ways,” he said, from inability to properly follow instructions to not knowing about common conditions or what symptoms to look for. “So when you put all these things together it’s not surprising that people with the lower literacy levels are more likely to die [earlier],” Baker said. Baker said his team has interviewed hundreds of patients about their experiences, and Baxley’s situation was a common theme  hiding illiteracy from those close to them. “It’s very scary for people” when their first contact with the health care system involves filling out detailed medical forms. “That’s not a great start,” Baker said, “and then when they are seeing their doctor they’re given other information they don’t understand” such as prescription information and instructions to take care of themselves. “Many people…are afraid to come in and see the doctor and they continue to not seek care,” said Baker, which results in the worsening of their conditions and an increased likelihood of trips to the emergency room.
Accessories to Help Repel the Ravages of Winter
Chicago Tribune February 24, 2008
http://www.chicagotribune.com/travel/hc-winter-skincare,0,1762675.story
Between outdoor exposure to cold, windy weather, and the dehydrating effects of indoor heating, skin can take a beating. Thanks to advances in skin care technology, though, there are products available in a wide range of prices to help weatherproof our outer layer. Lips are particularly sensitive to cold and blustery weather, says Dr. Charles Zugerman, associate professor of clinical dermatology at NORTHWESTERN University’s medical school. “The lips are especially vulnerable during the winter, because they have an extremely thin protective outer layer,” he says. “As a result, they lose moisture faster than any other part of the face.” For lip protection, Zugerman recommends products that both condition and protect against the sun—since lips are susceptible to sun damage in winter as well as summer.
On Television
CLTV Feb. 22.
Reference to the exhibit celebrating the contributions of African American surgeons to medicine and medical education.
Awareness of Heart Attack Signs Lags in U.S.
HealthDay News February 21, 2008
http://health.usnews.com/usnews/health/healthday/080221/awareness-of-heart-attack-signs-lags-in-us.htm
Too many Americans are not aware of all the warning signs of a heart attack, and the percentage who know what to do when one is suspected is not as high as it could be, a survey by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds. The survey results, released Thursday in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, are part of an ongoing effort to reduce deaths from heart attacks. More than 900,000 Americans have heart attacks each year, and there are more than 150,000 deaths, about half of which occur within one hour of symptom onset, the CDC said, so awareness and quick action are vital.
“It is such a low percentage,” said Dr. Martha Daviglus, a spokeswoman for the American Heart Association and professor of preventive medicine and medicine at NORTHWESTERN University. “Maybe it is because they are unaware or misinformed. Or maybe it has to do with going to the emergency room of a hospital, thinking, ‘We don’t have any money, we’ll have to pay something’.”
Babies Born at 34th to 36th Week of Pregnancy at Risk for Complications, Doctors Say
Chicago Tribune February 20, 2008
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-preemies_20feb20,0,1073774.story
Weeks 34 to 36 key for babies’ growth by Judith Graham
Just let me make it to 36 weeks, Colleen Carroll prayed when she went into premature labor in her 33rd week of pregnancy. If only she could delay childbirth a while longer, she believed, her baby would be fine. On Jan. 8, one day short of 36 weeks, little Caitlin came into the world screaming. Carroll cradled her brown-haired daughter in her arms, thinking “thank God.” Then, she noticed the baby was making odd, grunting noises.
It was respiratory distress. The newborn went alarmingly downhill until doctors stabilized her on a respirator in the neonatal intensive care unit at Northwestern’s Prentice Women’s Hospital. “You think you’re in the clear, and then the baby has trouble, and you wonder why,” said Carroll, a former Prentice nurse. A growing body of recent research points to the answer: Babies born in the 34th through 36th week of a woman’s pregnancy are at a much higher risk of medical complications than infants delivered at full term, or after 37 weeks.
Although most of these so-called “late pre-term” infants are healthy, a significant minority—as many as 17 percent to 34 percent, according to a recent report—have breathing problems, jaundice, feeding difficulties, low blood sugar, unstable body temperatures and other medical issues. This is by far the largest and fastest-growing group of premature infants born in the U.S.: More than 350,000 are born each year. Experts aren’t sure why their numbers are increasing, but they suspect that at least some physicians may be delivering babies early without solid medical justification, thinking the children won’t be in danger.
Until the last few years, “no one paid a whole lot of attention to these babies” because they look big and seem almost fully developed, said Dr. Tonse Raju, neonatal specialist and medical officer at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Yet even at this late stage, a baby’s brain volume is only about 60 percent of what it should be if born at full term, experts explain. The infant is still laying down fatty tissue that will help insulate him or her after birth. The lungs and guts aren’t fully functional, and the liver isn’t able yet to process waste adequately. “The baby is making final preparations to be separated from mom, and these aren’t just niceties: There’s important maturation going on,” said Dr. Robin Steinhorn, head of neonatology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine.
Celgene’s Revlimid Warrants Research in Active-Controlled Clinical Trials for EMEA Approval, Physicians Say
Financial Times (UK) February 19, 2008
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/aa9636f8-df31-11dc-91d4-0000779fd2ac,dwp_uuid=e8477cc4-c820-11db-b0dc-000b5df10621.html
Celgene’s attempt to gain European approval for Revlimid based on a single-arm clinical study is a risky move and should be studied in active-controlled clinical trials, physicians interviewed by Pharmawire said. They noted that the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) prefers that new drugs for conditions where available treatments already exist be tested in an active-controlled study. The study drug can be checked against the current standard of care to make sure it is on par. The physicians also said the EMEA encourages the testing for both medical and ethical reasons.
Still, the debate about how high to raise the bar for drug approval among physicians, biostatisticians and regulatory officials will always continue, said Dr. Seema Singhal, a physician at NORTHWESTERN University in Chicago. Insistence on running clinical trials, which are both lengthy and costly, can delay the approval of drugs for conditions where little if any treatments are available. Singhal mentioned that if a drug is approved based on a single-arm clinical study, post-market clinical studies are vital to measure rare adverse events along with efficacy.
Doctors: Prozac, Violence Rarely Linked
Chicago Tribune February 19, 2008
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-prozac_19feb19,0,6167104.story
In the wake of Steven Kazmierczak’s murderous shooting spree at Northern Illinois University, law-enforcement officials noted he had begun to behave erratically after he recently stopped taking psychiatric medication. Several experts said that because of discontinuation syndrome, they advise patients who stop to do so gradually and to call if they experience worrisome symptoms. With most patients, that’s enough to forestall any serious adverse effects. “Your body has to adjust to being off the medication,” said Dr. Joan Anzia, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at NORTHWESTERN University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. “Some people are more sensitive to it than others.” Patients who take Prozac in low doses—about 25 milligrams per day or less—tend to have the fewest side effects when stopping the drug, said Anzia of NORTHWESTERN. Kazmierczak’s dosage level is unclear.
A New Vein of Treatment
Chicago Sun-Times February 19, 2008
http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/health/800748,CST-NWS-vein19.article
The ClosureFAST catheter gets rid of varicose veins faster and with less pain than earlier treatments, [Ignaciuk’s] doctors say, also cutting recovery time to hours, rather than the weeks it usually takes with traditional vein surgery. Bulging veins also can be zapped with lasers. Some doctors say the catheter causes less bruising and pain. Others, including Dr. William H. Pearce at NORTHWESTERN University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, say there isn’t much difference. “There are small nuances between the devices … [but]the experienced operator knows what those nuances are and uses it properly,” said Pearce, NORTHWESTERN’s chief of vascular surgery. Many insurance companies cover the catheter procedure, as long as there’s a medical need. None of the current treatments prevent future flareups in different veins, Pearce says.
Artery Procedure Raises New Hopes
Chicago Tribune February 19, 2008
http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/chi-0219_health_artery_rfeb19,0,2689672.story
A new procedure launched at the NORTHWESTERN Memorial Hospital in Chicago in January offers hope to patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI), or severely blocked leg arteries. Doctors transplanted a purified form of the patients’ own stem cells into their leg muscles to grow new, small blood vessels and restore circulation in their legs. Two patients underwent the procedure. They are the first subjects in a 20-site national trial. Without successful treatment, CLI patients have diminished blood flow, which causes wounds that don’t heal and gangrene, which can lead to loss of toes, feet or legs. It results in more than 100,000 amputations a year. “This is a dreadful disease, and the profession has failed to offer much in the way of relief for these patients,” said Dr. Douglas Losordo, director of NORTHWESTERN University’s Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute and principal national investigator for the trial. “Amputation rates are the same now as they were 30 years ago. We hope these trials will lead to treatment.”
HOLE-Y MOLE-Y!
Chicago Sun-Times February 18, 2008
http://www.suntimes.com/news/cepeda/782071,CST-NWS-cepeda07.article
Last Thursday, my doc hit me with the biopsy news—the lab report said: “Houston we have a problem.” My suspicious- looking moles had mal-intent, and had they not been kicked to the proverbial curb, I’da been quite the unhappy, unhealthy girl. When I talked to Dr. Roopal V. Kundu, director of the NORTHWESTERN University Center for Ethnic Skin, she said it best: White, brown or black, most people don’t see skin cancer coming.
Mental Health Professionals Rally Behind Colleagues at Northern Illinois U.
Chronicle of Higher Education February 15, 2008
http://chronicle.com/news/article/3977/mental-health-professionals-rally-behind-niu-colleagues
Following the shooting at Northern Illinois University on Thursday, mental health professionals from other colleges were quick to offer emotional and logistical support to their colleagues in DeKalb, Ill. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, NORTHWESTERN University, and other institutions in the area volunteered to send grief counselors to Northern Illinois to help its mental health staff provide counseling services at seven locations on the campus today. Some even arrived on the campus Thursday night to counsel students in dormitories.
Health Officials Keeping Eye on Drug-Resistant Flu Strain
Chicago Tribune February 17, 2008
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-flu_bd17feb17,0,5176194.story
Ten Chicago-area patients have tested positive for an unusual type of drug-resistant influenza, prompting concern and increased surveillance by local and federal health officials. The strain of flu can be treated successfully with some drugs, but it does not respond to Tamiflu, the most common anti-viral medication for flu. The Illinois Department of Public Health issued a health alert to doctors and hospitals Thursday, suggesting that flu patients who are in intensive care receive a combination of drugs until their virus can be analyzed. “If you had two viruses in the same cell, they could recombine and generate a new virus,” said Dr. Steven Wolinsky, chief of infectious diseases at NORTHWESTERN University. “The fact that we’re seeing resistance to first-line medications is worrisome.”
This story was also carried on the following news outlets:
United Press International February 16, 2008
Ten more cases of drug-resistant flu found
http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Health/2008/02/16/ten_more_cases_of_drug-resistant_flu_found/7209/
On Television
“Chicago Tonight” WTTW Feb. 13.
Reference to a study on asthma and city neighborhoods by Ruchi Gupta, MD, assistant professor of pediatrics.
Building Organs Even the Prudish Can Handle
New York Times February 12, 2008
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/12/health/12prof.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
The human breast comes in wondrous varieties. Good luck learning that in medical school. There, students practicing on training dummies mostly encounter the same set of perky 36Bs. Many students become doctors never having learned the nuances of checking for cancerous lumps in larger, smaller, flatter, fuller or droopier breasts. So Dr. Carla Pugh, a surgeon at the NORTHWESTERN University medical school, takes matters into her own hands. She builds fake breasts in her lab from everyday off-the-shelf items. Lima beans, it turns out, are excellent facsimiles for tumor tissue.
Medical schools have a dirty secret: they can be just as puritan as the rest of us. Training is often handicapped by a combination of shame, embarrassment, and hyper-etiquette—even as cancers of the breast, testicles, cervix, colon, and prostate kill tens of thousands of Americans each year. Dr. Pugh, 39, has worked nearly a decade to bridge that gap. Her first creation, in 1998, was a “vaginal vault” made of a cardboard toilet-paper roll, Play-Doh and a badminton shuttlecock (a makeshift cervix). She has also constructed a scrotum using two wood balls linked by a rubber band (vas deferens) and suspended in an extra-large condom filled with oil and peanut butter.
This story was also carried on the following news outlets:
National Public Radio (NPR) February 13, 2008
Making Models for Medical Schools
Learning Disabilities May Presage Later Language Problems
Forbes (HealthDay News) February 12, 2008
http://www.forbes.com/forbeslife/health/feeds/hscout/2008/02/12/hscout612525.html
(HealthDay News)—People with a personal or family history of learning disabilities may be more at risk for a rare type of dementia that causes them to lose language abilities as they age, according to a new report. The condition, known as primary progressive aphasia, causes language abilities to be slowly and progressively impaired, even though the person’s other brain functions appear unaffected for at least the first two years, according to background information for the article in the February issue of Archives of Neurology.
Although risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease have been well studied, much less is known about risk factors for primary progressive aphasia, the authors wrote. Researchers, led by Emily Rogalski, then of NORTHWESTERN University and now of Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, studied 699 people—about half with no dementia and the other half with either primary progressive aphasia, Alzheimer’s disease or a related disorder known as frontotemporal dementia.
Researchers: Faulty Body Clock May Lead to Obesity, Diabetes
Chicago Tribune February 12, 2008
http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/chi-0212_health_clock_rfeb12,0,5208728.story
For some people, packing on unwanted pounds might have more to do with the functioning of their internal body clocks than with willpower. Researchers from NORTHWESTERN University and Evanston NORTHWESTERN Healthcare have been studying how a faulty circadian clock, which regulates different parts of the body, including the mechanisms that control sleep and hunger, can damage the metabolism thus raising the risk for obesity and diabetes. Mice fed a high-fat diet experienced a sudden disturbance in their circadian clocks, which caused them to overeat when they should have been resting or asleep. The mice consumed all of their excess calories at times when they should have been inactive, said Dr. Joseph Bass, assistant professor of medicine and neurobiology and physiology at NORTHWESTERN. Bass is internationally known for his discoveries on the role of circadian rhythms on diet. The eating behavior of mice in the study mimicked that of people who experience munchies non-stop and then, after snacking all day, launch midnight raids on their refrigerators, Bass said.
Drug Combo Treats Severe Acne in Women: Study
Reuters February 11, 2008
http://uk.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUKKUA16304420080211
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—The oral contraceptive Yasmin, plus a low-dose of the diuretic spironolactone, is a safe and effective treatment for women with severe facial acne, according to the findings of a small study. Hormones can play a role in the development of acne. “Several studies have demonstrated that combined oral contraceptives can be an effective treatment for acne in women,” Dr. Aleksandar Krunic from NORTHWESTERN University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, and colleagues point out in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. The researchers therefore examined the safety and efficacy of acne treatment using both spironolactone and Yasmin—a combined contraceptive containing estrogen and a version of progestin called drospirenone—in 27 women with severe facial acne.
Ask Your Doctor If Ads Pay Off
Chicago Tribune February 11, 2008
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-oped0211pharmafeb11,0,630036.story
By Katie Watson, acting associate director of the medical humanities and bioethics program at NORTHWESTERN University’s Feinberg School of Medicine
Robert Jarvik’s ads for Lipitor are an important source of patient education about a terrible disease—physician addiction to drug money. Dr. Jarvik, inventor of the artificial heart, began endorsing the world’s best-selling drug just as the first generic alternative to Lipitor was introduced. Last month, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce announced an investigation into celebrity endorsements of prescription medication, and it asked Pfizer to produce records relating to Jarvik’s Lipitor campaign. The way Jarvik has combined the roles of physician and salesman raises significant ethical questions, but it wouldn’t be fair to make him a scapegoat. Instead, Congress should use his Lipitor endorsement as a catalyst for reviewing the larger issues it raises.
Katie Watson is acting associate director of the medical humanities and bioethics program at NORTHWESTERN University’s Feinberg School of Medicine.
High Carbon Dioxide May Hurt Lung Patients
United Press International February 8, 2008
http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Health/2008/02/08/high_carbon_dioxide_may_hurt_lung_patients/7557/
CHICAGO, Feb. 8 (UPI)—Contrary to conventional wisdom, U.S. scientists found elevated levels of carbon dioxide in the blood may not help patients with acute lung disease. It has been commonly believed that high levels of carbon dioxide or hypercapnia in the blood and lungs of patients with acute lung disease may be beneficial to them. The excessive carbon dioxide impairs the functioning of the lungs and make it harder for the lungs to clear fluid, Dr. Jacob Sznajder of NORTHWESTERN University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago said. The study in rats and human cells, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, found high levels of carbon dioxide may contribute to the high mortality of patients with diseases like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. “This study argues toward therapies to reduce the high carbon dioxide levels of patients toward normal levels, which is not the current practice in the intensive care unit,” Sznajder said.
Chronic Pain Harms Brain’s Wiring
Washington Post February 8, 2008
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/08/AR2008020802285.html
FRIDAY, Feb. 8 (HealthDay News)—Chronic pain can disrupt brain function and cause problems such as disturbed sleep. depression, anxiety and difficulty making simple decisions, a U.S. study finds. Researchers at NORTHWESTERN University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago used functional MRI to scan brain activity in people with chronic low back pain while they tracked a moving bar on a computer screen. They did the same thing with a control group of people with no pain. In those with no pain, the brain regions displayed a state of equilibrium. When one region was active, the other regions calmed down. But in people with chronic pain, the front region of the cortex mostly associated with emotion “never shuts up,” study author Dante Chialvo, an associate research professor of physiology, said in a prepared statement. This region remains highly active, which wears out neurons and alters their connections to each other. This constant firing of neurons could cause permanent damage. “We know when neurons fire too much they may change their connections with other neurons or even die, because they can’t sustain high activity for so long,” Chialvo said.
This story was also carried on the following news outlets:
United Press International February 11, 2008
Pain may be stressing brain
http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Health/2008/02/11/pain_may_be_stressing_brain/5317/
WVLT-TV(Knoxville) Feb. 11.
Reference to research by Dante Chialvo, professor of physiology, on chronic pain and the brain.
KTVE-TV (Monroe) KLFY-TV (Lafayette) Feb. 8.
Reference to research by Dante Chialvo, professor of physiology, on chronic pain and the brain.
“The Tonight Show’ (NBC) Feb. 15.
Reference to research by Dante Chialvo, professor of physiology, on pain and the brain.
Acupuncture Might Help with Fertility
Chicago Tribune February 8, 2008
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-acupuncture_08feb08,0,713244.story
Acupuncture appears to be a useful fertility aid, according to a new report in the British Medical Journal that found pairing acupuncture with in-vitro fertilization can raise a couple’s odds of getting pregnant by 65 percent. In absolute terms, the report found that for every 10 women who supplement IVF with acupuncture, one extra pregnancy will occur. “None of the studies, including this new one, are definitive,” agreed Dr. Ralph Kazer, chief of reproductive endocrinology at NORTHWESTERN University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. Two years ago, NORTHWESTERN launched a study of up to 220 women in which half get “sham” acupuncture, with needles placed in the wrong locations, and half get the real thing.
On Television
KSWO-TV (Wichita Falls), WBRC-TV (Birmingham) Feb. 7. Reference to research by Dante Chialvo, professor of physiology, on chronic pain and the brain.
Collaborative Care Gaining Advocates
Chicago Tribune February 5, 2008
http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/chi-020consult_halffeb05,0,5430709.story
Collaboration between often competing medical specialties is emerging as a trend that may offer patients a chance to be better medical shoppers. At NORTHWESTERN Memorial Hospital, vascular surgeons and interventional radiologists share patients in a collaborative arrangement. “Patients get optimal treatment performed by the specialist who does it best,” said Dr. Robert Vogelzang, chief of vascular and interventional radiology at NORTHWESTERN Memorial. “This is the future of vascular medicine,” said Dr. Joseph Caprini, professor of surgery at NORTHWESTERN University Feinberg School of Medicine and spokesman for the Illinois Medical Society for Venous Disease. “If you go to a Ford salesman, he’ll sell you a Ford. If you go to a Chrysler salesman, he’ll sell you a Chrysler. With this model, both specialists are sitting there together discussing what you need and picking out what’s best for you.”
Antidepressants Are All the Rage But Have a Dark Side
Chicago Tribune February 3, 2008
http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/q/chi-0203_health1_rfeb03,0,1906495.story
SSRIs are now the most commonly prescribed of all medications in this country. The rate at which physicians prescribed SSRIs more than doubled between 1995 and 2004, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. SSRIs are considered the first line of defense in treating depression, an illness that afflicts more than 20 million Americans. Most physicians maintain that SSRIs are safe. “If an individual is able to tolerate and respond positively to the first several months of antidepressant treatment, there’s no reason to suspect that being on an antidepressant long term will have deleterious effects,” said Dr. William Gilmer, associate professor at NORTHWESTERN University and medical director of the Asher Center for the Study and Treatment of Depressive Disorders.
“After several million people have taken these drugs for extended periods of time,” Gilmer continued, “we would have seen evidence of negative long-term effects by now if they existed to any significant degree.”
Can Cranberry Juice Cure Urinary Tract Infections?
Newsweek February 1, 2008
http://www.newsweek.com/id/107229
Calorie-counting women may want to choose sugar-free juice. (Cranberry juice is often sweetened, since it’s tart otherwise.) Linda Van Horn, professor of preventive medicine at NORTHWESTERN University, keeps the light version in her house. “It includes all the benefits of the cranberry without having tons of sugar dumped into it,” she says. Studies have not been consistent regarding what type of cranberry juice women drink, but several used a juice with a 30 percent concentration of cranberries.
NU Scientists Use DNA to Build 3-D Nanostructures
Chicago Tribune January 31. 2008
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-thu_nano_0131jan31,0,427718.story
The long-held dream of building tiny structures from scratch using particles little bigger than molecules has been achieved by chemists at NORTHWESTERN University. Using gold nanoparticles, the scientists designed and built a crystal structure using DNA components as if they were ultratiny bricklayers. The chemists gave their DNA workers first one “blueprint” to follow and then another, constructing two different crystal configurations, both out of gold. “This is the real essence of nanoscience,” said Chad Mirkin, an NU chemist and senior author of a paper on the work featured Thursday on the cover of the journal Nature. “The dream is to learn how to break everything into elemental building blocks and then assemble particles into preconceived architectures. “If you have that kind of control, in principle you can build a material with any property you want.”
This story was also carried on the following news outlets:
Reuters January 30, 2008
DNA does the work: Building new gold crystals
http://www.reuters.com/article/scienceNews/idUSN3022155320080130
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