As authorities aim for 90% coverage for America’s seniors and disabled people, government calculations indicate that those beneficiaries may be facing cost increases of up to 6.68%. The 90% plus target is for May 15.

According to official figures, 30 million seniors and disabled people have enrolled so far. HHS Secretary, Mike Leavitt, said that if the present rate of new enrolees continues, the 90% target should be achieved (seniors and diabled people with prescription coverage).

This would mean another 3 million people signing up between now and May 15. Those who sign up after this date face having to pay penalties. Several lawmakers have suggested that extending this May 15 deadline may get even more people covered.

Calculating ‘this current rate’ of new enrolees can be rather misleading. The 30 million ‘new enrolees’ includes a hefty number of people who had cover already (about two thirds).

The US Government has to issue annual guidelines for cost increases. These must correlate with prescription drug price inflation as well as total medication spending inflation.

In several developed countries senior citizens and disabled people pay nothing for their prescriptions. In the UK, people over 65, disabled people, people under 18, pregnant women, the unemployed and some people on low incomes pay nothing at all for their prescription drugs. Those that have to pay, only pay $11 (Ј6.50) per prescription written out by a doctor or health care professional (a prescription may include a months’ supply of any drug).

Virtually every country that provides universal health care coverage is finding this service more and more expensive to provide. As people live longer and medical breakthroughs make it possible to treat more and more illnesses and conditions, public health services’ demands on the public coffers grow relentlessly. The National Health Service (UK) has a serious financial deficit (spending more than is awarded to it by the government).

The main complaint by people in the USA is the cost of health care and the number of people with no cover at all. In the UK, where everyone has cover, the main complaint are the ‘waiting-lists’ – you often have to wait a long time to have your operation. According to feedback we receive from people all over the world, France seems provide good universal health care, without long waiting lists.

This email by a public health official reflects what many in this sector feel:

(Name withheld – United Kingdom)
“It does not matter how the health care provision is supplied – through the private or public sector. What matters is the public perception of how much it costs, and how much it is going to cost. Good public health costs a lot of money, regardless of whether it comes from the private or public sector. And it is going to cost more”

New evidence may explain why it is that we lose not only our youthful looks, but also our youthful pattern of gene activity with age. A report in the November 26th issue of the journal Cell, a Cell Press publication, reveals that a protein perhaps best known for its role in the life-extending benefits of a low-calorie diet also maintains the stability of the mammalian genome – the complete set of genetic instructions “written” in DNA.

The researchers found in studies of mammalian stem cells that the protein SIRT1 controls the packaging of DNA into chromatin, thereby setting the youthful pattern of gene activity by keeping select genes switched off. In response to DNA damage, those SIRT1 proteins leave their posts to go off and assist in the necessary repairs. That change in SIRT1′s job description leads to shifts in gene activity that parallel those seen in the aging mouse brain, they show. They suspect similar changes would also be found in other body tissues as well.

“The critical protein controls both which genes are off and on as well as DNA repair; it’s used for both processes, and that’s the catch,” said David Sinclair of Harvard Medical School. “As cells accumulate DNA damage, the protein can’t do both jobs sufficiently.” Once SIRT1 loses control, gene activity goes haywire, a state of affairs that leads to symptoms associated with aging.

Sinclair’s team also found what they consider to be good evidence that the aging process can be slowed. Mice with an excess of SIRT1 had an improved ability to repair DNA and prevent those unwanted changes in gene expression. The hope is that those improvements could be reproduced with a drug that stimulates SIRT1, they said.

Indeed, the famous red wine ingredient known as resveratrol offers benefits through its effects on SIRT1, as do several more targeted drugs at some stage of development or testing. The new findings offer an explanation for how those life-promoting chemicals may be working. The ultimate test, Sinclair said, will be whether such drugs can indeed maintain a youthful gene profile.

While scientists had long known that gene activity changes with age, the driving force behind those changes remained mysterious, Sinclair said. Many had also proposed a connection between DNA damage and aging. After all, it’s common knowledge that UV damage to the skin leaves it looking older. But again, he said, no one had really put their finger on just what the relationship is, or at least they hadn’t in mammals.

In fact, scientists had discovered some years ago that Sir2, the yeast equivalent of SIRT1, stabilizes the genome. With age or in response to a DNA break, however, the Sir2 complex takes off for the damaged sites, activating genes that leave the yeast sterile, a characteristic associated with aging.

The new results show that the yeast aging process may be remarkably relevant to mammals. “If you step back and think, it’s pretty striking,” Sinclair said. “Something as simple as yeast can tell us about the mechanism of aging in mammals.”

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The researchers include Philipp Oberdoerffer, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA; Shaday Michan, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA; Michael McVay, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA; Raul Mostoslavsky, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, MA; James Vann, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI; Sang-Kyu Park, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI; Andrea Hartlerode, Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA; Judith Stegmuller, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA; Angela Hafner, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA; Patrick Loerch, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA; Sarah M. Wright, The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME; Kevin D. Mills, The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME; Azad Bonni, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA; Bruce A. Yankner, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA; Ralph Scully, Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA; Tomas A. Prolla, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI; Frederick W. Alt, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Children’s Hospital, Immune Disease Institute, and Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA; and David A. Sinclair, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.

Source: Cathleen Genova

Cell Press

“Over the past five years, nursing homes nationwide have been on a quest to improve quality in their work for America’s most vulnerable citizens. This journey started with the development of Quality First under the guidance of National Commission for Quality Long-term Care and continued with the establishment of the Advancing Excellence in America’s Nursing Homes initiative. CMS’ new scope of work for QIOs is an important next step in helping homes who need help move forward on this important quest to achieve excellence and earn public trust.

We are pleased that CMS sees a potential to improve care in these homes and that the QIOs will have resources needed to help nursing homes reduce pressure ulcers and use of restraints, two important quality indicators. We will work with CMS to provide education programs on the local, state and national level designed to help all nursing homes reduce restraint use and pressure ulcer incidence.

Nursing homes have been working to achieve excellence and earn the public’s trust, and partnering with QIOs in improving will be a big step towards achieving those goals. Working together, we look forward to the day when there are two types of nursing homes in America: the excellent and the non-existent.”

About AAHSA

The members of the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging help millions of individuals and their families every day through mission-driven, not-for-profit organizations dedicated to providing the services that people need, when they need them, in the place they call home. Our 5,800 member organizations, many of which have served their communities for generations, offer the continuum of aging services: adult day services, home health, community services, senior housing, assisted living residences, continuing care retirement communities and nursing homes. AAHSA’s commitment is to create the future of aging services through quality people can trust.

American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging

Don’t feel like exercising this summer? “Hot and humid weather is no excuse.” That’s what fitness manager Luke Knotts of Advocate Good Samaritan Health and Wellness Center in Downers Grove says.

“Even though the extreme heat and humidity, coupled with the 17-year cicadas, can make exercising more difficult,” he said, “my recommendation is to strive for 30 to 60 minutes of aerobic activity most days of the week to maintain or improve current fitness levels.”

Exercising safely requires taking steps to prepare for the heat, according to Dr. Barbara Loeb, president-elect of Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital. “It’s possible to prevent common issues associated with the heat by taking precautions such as drinking water before, during and after a workout and by exercising indoors when possible.”

Some enjoy indoor workouts no matter what the weather is outside.

“I exercise to relieve stress and feel better,” Loeb says. “I like to work out four or five days a week. It’s easier to get an intense workout in air-conditioned comfort.”

Knotts says that air quality is a factor. “In high heat and humidity conditions, for example, perspiration does not evaporate efficiently, and it’s harder to regulate body temperature,” he explains. “To compensate, you may have to ‘go easier’ – slow down or shorten your workout.”

Loeb offers these summer exercise safety tips:

– First and foremost, hydrate. Carry cold water with you; drink often. Consider a sports drink with electrolytes if you are working out for more than an hour.

– Monitor your heart rate. If your heart rate goes above your target, slow down or stop to avoid further distress.

– Acclimate your body to exercising in the heat by starting slowly and allowing time to cool down afterward.

– Avoid exercising outdoors in the high heat and pollution of the day. Instead, try exercising before 10 a.m. or after 7 p.m.

– Exercise indoors in a climate-controlled environment such as a health club or shopping mall.

– Dress in light-colored clothing because it reflects the heat better than darker colors.

– Wear a hat to protect both eyes and face from excess sun exposure.

– Wear poly-cotton fiber blends, which wick perspiration away from the body, allowing it to evaporate easily.

– Use sunscreen, even on a cloudy day, to protect yourself from skin cancer. The sunscreen should be oil-free so as not to interfere with the sweating mechanism, and it should be waterproof so you do not sweat it off.

– Shower and change clothes soon after exercising to avoid skin irritation.

– Always check with your physician or health-care provider before starting any new fitness routine.

For more information about working out safely in the summer heat, visit advocatehealth/goodsam, Fitness and Wellness link.

For a doctor referral, visit advocatehealth and click on Doctors.

The Good Samaritan Health and Wellness Center is a 90,000 square foot fitness center with three indoor pools, a track, an extensive fitness floor and weight room, three group exercise studios (including Yoga and Pilates studios) and a basketball court, located in Downers Grove, Illinois. Serving the western suburbs of Chicago, the Wellness Center is the only advisory member of the Medical Fitness Association in DuPage County. As part of Advocate Health Care, Good Samaritan Health and Wellness Center can be reached by visiting advocatehealth/goodsam.

Article Diane Ahern, Good Samaritan Health and Wellness Center.

Joanne Murphy, Medical research liaison officer at The Stroke Association commented:

“Whilst this is the first time we have seen the direct correlation between fast food outlets and risk of stroke it isn’t surprising. We have known for sometime that food high in saturated fat and salt, which is often the case with fast food, contributes to high blood pressure and obesity which are both risk factors for stroke. The conclusion here is very simple, treat fast foods as an occasional treat and only eat them as part of a balanced diet.”

About stroke and The Stroke Association

The Stroke Association is the only UK-wide charity solely concerned with combating stroke in people of all ages. The charity funds research into prevention, treatment, better methods of rehabilitation and helps stroke patients and their families directly through its community services which include communication support, family and carer support, information services, welfare grants, publications and leaflets. The Stroke Association also campaigns, educates and informs to increase knowledge of stroke at all levels of society acting as a voice for everyone affected by stroke.

A stroke is a brain attack which causes brain damage. A stroke can be diagnosed by using FAST – Facial weakness, Arm weakness, Speech problems, Time to call 999. If any of these symptoms is present call an ambulance straight away.

A stroke happens when the blood supply to part of the brain is disrupted. Most strokes occur when a blood clot blocks the flow of blood to the brain. Some strokes are caused by bleeding in or around the brain from a burst blood vessel. When the blood supply is disrupted, parts of the brain become damaged or destroyed. Some strokes are fatal whist others can cause permanent or temporary disabilities such as paralysis to one side of the body and loss of the ability to speak, read or write. Recovery may be slow and can vary from person to person.

Strokes can be prevented through lifestyle factors such as a healthy diet – particularly reducing salt intake, drinking alcohol in moderation, not smoking and taking regular exercise.

The Stroke Association

The following summarizes selected women’s health related videos.

50 Years of the Pill: In the first of a two-part series on the birth control pill’s 50th anniversary, NBC News’ Nancy Snyderman discussed its significance with Ms. Executive Editor Katherine Spillar, former Planned Parenthood Federation of America President Faye Wattleton, Newsweek religion editor Lisa Miller and Christie Hefner, daughter of Playboy publisher Hugh Hefner. “Rarely in history has something so small been credited with and vilified for so much,” Snyderman said (Snyderman, “Nightly News,” NBC, 5/5). The second segment — which aired Thursday on the “Nightly News” — explored the “next generation” of contraceptives (Snyderman, “Nightly News,” NBC, 5/6).

25 Years of EMILY’s List: In a 25th anniversary tribute to EMILY’s List founder and outgoing president Ellen Malcolm, the group’s supporters reflected on her contributions to the cause of electing pro-choice Democratic women. The video includes comments from President Clinton; Reps. Rosa DeLauro (Conn.) and Gwen Moore (Wis.); Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.), Charles Schumer (N.Y.) and Barbara Mikulski; President Clinton; several EMILY’s List board members; and others (EMILY’s List, 4/30).

Teen Pregnancy: Bristol Palin — daughter of Sarah Palin and a “teen abstinence ambassador” for the Candie’s Foundation’s — visited “The View” on Wednesday to talk about her life as a teen mother. She urged teens to think about “being a single mom” before having sex, adding that she’s “out on her own” and providing for herself financially. Palin also said she hopes her mother will run for office again because she would make an “awesome” president (“The View,” ABC, 5/5).

Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership. You can view the entire Daily Women’s Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women’s Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.

© 2010 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.

The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), the state stem cell agency, issued the following statement regarding the research published in Nature by a team from Harvard that showed it is possible to take a type of adult pancreas cell that doesn’t normally produce insulin and reprogram them to produce insulin.

CIRM applauds the creativity and value in the research reported and shares the excitement in the promise it might hold. However, it emphatically refutes assertions by opponents of embryonic stem cell research that this new study proves embryonic stem cell research is not necessary. In fact, the Harvard study poignantly points out the value of embryonic stem cell research.

Asked if his new findings eliminate the need for work with hESC and iPS cells, the lead Harvard researcher, Doug Melton, said: “This is a point I want to stress: We are continuing to do research using human embryonic stem cells and iPS cells. We would not be where we are today without having worked with human embryonic stem cells. These unique cells provide a window into human development, and disease development, that is needed if we are to make further progress in understanding and treating chronic diseases. They remain the key to long-term progress in regenerative medicine.”

The research reported in Nature is a major advance but it has significant limitations. It can be considered a type of gene therapy and has many of the same limitations and concerns that have been identified in the field of gene therapy. The genes that reprogrammed the cells were carried into the cells by adenoviruses, which have caused severe immune reactions and triggered cancers in gene therapy. The mice in this study were immune compromised mice, so that complication was not seen in this model, but to-date has proven difficult to overcome in humans.

The cells that were reprogrammed in this study were relatively similar to insulin producing cells already; they and insulin producing cells both develop from a common precursor cell. For many diseases for which stem cell therapy holds out hope of major therapeutic advances, such similar neighboring cells may not exist or may not respond in a similar manner.

Melton’s work was clearly fostered by knowledge gained from embryonic stem cell research and from the reprogramming of skin cells to by embryonic-like stem cells, so called induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPS). The paper is an eloquent example of value in, and critical need for, pursuing all avenues of regenerative medicine. The knowledge gained by being able to watch cells mature from the embryonic state to functional neurons, pancreatic cells, or heart muscle will accelerate all efforts to find cures for the Parkinson’s patients, diabetics, and heart failure victims that so desperately need those cells functioning well.

About CIRM

CIRM was established in early 2005 with the passage of Proposition 71, the California Stem Cell Research and Cures Act. The statewide ballot measure, which provided $3 billion in funding for stem cell research at California universities and research institutions, was overwhelmingly approved by voters, and called for the establishment of an entity to make grants and provide loans for stem cell research, research facilities, and other vital research opportunities. To date, the CIRM governing board has approved 229 research and facility grants totaling more than $614 million, making CIRM the largest source of funding for human embryonic stem cell research in the world.

CIRM

Scientists have linked a large gene, called Neuregulin-1, which when abnormal can disrupt brain function and development and significantly raise the risk of schizophrenia.

You can read about this study in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Team leader, Gerald Fischbach, Columbia University, said “This is a very interesting study.” He added that this discovery could pave the way to effective treatment for people with schizophrenia.

Scientists compared autopsy brain samples of 48 people with schizophrenia and 80 without. According to their findings, the brains of people with schizophrenia have 30% more Neurelgulin-1 in parts of the brain that are involved in cognitive function (prefrontal cortex and hippocampus).

It is not currently possible to measure Neurelgulin-1 levels in living people. The researchers said this needs to be achieved so that people can be helped more.

What is Schizophrenia?

Schizophrenia is a chronic, severe, and disabling brain disorder that affects about 1 percent of people all over the world. People with schizophrenia sometimes hear voices others don’t hear, believe that others are broadcasting their thoughts to the world, or become convinced that others are plotting to harm them. These experiences can make them fearful and withdrawn and cause difficulties when they try to have relationships with others. More….

Signs & Symptoms of Schizophrenia

Symptoms usually develop in men in their late teens or early twenties and women in the twenties and thirties, but in rare cases, can appear in childhood. They can include hallucinations, delusions, disordered thinking, movement disorders, flat affect, social withdrawal, and cognitive deficits. More…

Treatment for Schizophrenia

This is a time of hope for people with schizophrenia. Although the causes of the disease have not yet been determined, current treatments can eliminate many of the symptoms and allow people with schizophrenia to live independent and fulfilling lives in the community. More…

The Government of Canada and the Province of Prince Edward Island announced support for the 8th International Conference on Molluscan Shellfish Safety to be held in Charlottetown in June of next year.

“Our Government understands the importance of this iconic industry to Canada’s economy and our local communities,” said Fisheries and Oceans Minister Gail Shea on behalf of Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz. “We are pleased to support this important conference which will gather experts from Canada and around the world to exchange the latest science and technology information and to advance shellfish safety.”

The conference is expected to attract over 200 experts and industry officials to Prince Edward Island. It will feature such topics as:

– risk assessment,

– monitoring of shellfish areas,

– consumer health protection,

– managing production and harvesting, and

– post-harvest processing.

“It is most fitting that this prestigious conference is taking place in Prince Edward Island, because this province is Canada’s leading shellfish producer and exporter,” said Neil LeClair, Minister of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Rural Development. “As a department, we look forward to welcoming leading scientists, government representatives, producers and processors to discuss issues of shellfish safety and management.”

The conference will be held at the University of Prince Edward Island. The last conference took place in Nantes, France in 2009.

Canada has a very productive molluscan shellfish industry, with a landed value of approximately $240 million annually. The Prince Edward Island shellfish industry – which produces mussels, oysters, clams quahogs and scallops has a landed value in excess of $32 million and employs more than 2500 people.

For more information on the 8th International Conference on Molluscan Shellfish Safety, please visit the International Conference Molluscan Shellfish Safety website.

Source:

Canadian Food Inspection Agency

Global public health efforts to reduce smoking are at odds with the interests of the tobacco industry. According to a case study published in the online open access journal Globalization and Health, competing tobacco companies co-operate via a global network of national and regional manufacturing associations to undermine public health measures to counter smoking.

Patricia McDaniel, Gina Intinarelli and Ruth Malone from the University of California, San Francisco dug deep into documentary data from tobacco industry documents archives. Their case study, which maps globally tobacco industry-linked groups known as “issues management organizations,” draws upon previously secret tobacco industry documents and details some of the strategies these bodies used.

The International Committee on Smoking Issues (ICOSI) was formed in 1977 by seven tobacco company chief executives to create common anti-tobacco control strategies and build a global network of regional and national manufacturing associations. Later renamed INFOTAB, multinational companies built the organization rapidly: by 1984, it had 69 members operating in 57 countries.

According to the authors, INFOTAB material, including position papers and “action kits” helped members challenge local tobacco control measures and maintain tobacco-friendly environments. In 1992 INFOTAB was replaced by two smaller organizations: The Tobacco Documentation Centre, which continues to operate, distributes smoking-related information and industry argumentation to members, some produced by cross-company committees. Agro-Tobacco Services, and now Hallmark Marketing Services, assists the INFOTAB-backed and industry supported International Tobacco Growers Association in promoting tobacco’s economic importance in developing nations.

“Policymakers should be aware that although these associations claim to represent only national or regional interests, they are allied to and coordinated with a confederation of trans-national tobacco companies seeking to protect profits by undermining public health,” says Ruth Malone. “Cigarette manufacturers and their attorneys played the biggest role. Under their explicit direction, INFOTAB set policies and crafted strategies that ensured that the global tobacco community spoke and acted as one.”

Tobacco is the second major cause of death worldwide, with 84% of smokers living in developing and transitional economy countries. Litigation against the tobacco industry led to the public release of over 47 million pages of internal industry documents housed in paper depositories and online electronic archives.

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1. Tobacco industry issues management organizations: Creating a global corporate network to undermine public health
Patricia A McDaniel, Gina Intinarelli and Ruth E Malone
Globalization and Health (in press)

Article available at journal website: globalizationandhealth/

All articles are available free of charge, according to BioMed Central’s open access policy.

2. Globalization and Health is an Open Access, peer-reviewed, online journal that provides a platform for research, knowledge sharing and debate on the topic of globalization and its effects on health, both positive and negative. The journal is affiliated with the London School of Economics (LSE Health).

3. BioMed Central (biomedcentral/) is an independent online publishing house committed to providing immediate access without charge to the peer-reviewed biological and medical research it publishes. This commitment is based on the view that open access to research is essential to the rapid and efficient communication of science.

Source: Charlotte Webber

BioMed Central