Culture

Ottawa, October 26, 2012 - In Canada alone, almost 2 million people are known to be living with diabetes. And around a million more have the disease but are not aware of that fact, and have not been given the tools they need to control their blood sugar and safeguard their health. The Heart Institute will be presenting the results of an innovative pilot program on October 29, at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress in Toronto, Canada.

Universities not only provide an ideal petri dish for cultivating bioscience with commercial potential, but have a moral obligation to do so, given the opportunity to translate public funding into health and jobs, according to a new case study by UCSF researchers.

MIAMI, FL – OCTOBER 25, 2012 – A clinical trial indicates that using an investigational medical device to close a PFO, or "hole in the heart," may be superior to medical management alone in the prevention of a repeated stroke. Results of the RESPECT trial were presented today at the 24th annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) scientific symposium. Sponsored by the Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF), TCT is the world's premier educational meeting specializing in interventional cardiovascular medicine.

MIAMI, FL – OCTOBER 25, 2012 – A clinical trial that compared catheter-based PFO closure using an investigational device found that there was no significant reduction in ischemic and bleeding events compared to standard medical therapy; stroke risk was non-significantly reduced with device therapy. The PC Trial was presented at the 24th annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) scientific symposium. Sponsored by the Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF), TCT is the world's premier educational meeting specializing in interventional cardiovascular medicine.

MIAMI, FL – OCTOBER 25, 2012 – A hydration regimen tailored to the patient's fluid status was effective in reducing damage to kidneys in patients undergoing cardiac catheterization, according to a study presented at the 24th annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) scientific symposium, sponsored by the Cardiovascular Research Foundation. TCT is the world's premier educational meeting specializing in interventional cardiovascular medicine.

MIAMI, FL – OCTOBER 25, 2012 – Patients who receive a drug-eluting stent (DES) and demonstrate low levels of platelet inhibition are more likely to have blood clots form on the stent and suffer a possible heart attack; conversely, patients with higher levels of platelet inhibition are at greater risk for bleeding complications. One-year results of the ADAPT-DES study were presented today at the 24th annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) scientific symposium.

If an object slams into the glass façade of a high-rise building, the glass must not shatter and fall down, because it could harm pedestrians below. In addition, the window panes must hold if a person were to fall against it from the inside. Architects and builders therefore must use something stronger than laminated safety glass on the façades of high rise buildings. The same applies to the windshields on cars. Safety glass prevents passengers in an accident from getting hurt by glass shards.

WASHINGTON, DC—October 25, 2012—Biomedical and health research and development (R&D) spending from all sources declined by more than $4 billion or 3% between FY10 and FY11 according to Research!America's 2011 U.S. Investment in Health Research report. This represents the first drop in overall spending since Research!America began compiling the data in 2002.

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA (October 25, 2012) – A recent report says illegal hunting of wildlife in South African Development Community (SADC) states can lead to the eradication of many species across extensive areas and even complete ecological collapse.

The Biggest Loser might be a TV ratings winner, but its extreme depiction of exercise is more likely to turn people off exercise than get them off the couch, according to a paper from the University of Alberta .

Researchers in the Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation say that watching a short video clip of the Biggest Loser fueled negative attitudes toward exercise, raising further questions about how physical activity is shown in the popular media.

HOUSTON – (Oct. 25, 2012) – Results of a large-scale, randomized clinical trial called RESPECT revealed that patent foramen ovale (PFO) closure may be superior to medical therapy in preventing recurrent stroke, according to a presentation of findings today at the Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) conference in Miami.

ROCHESTER, Minn. -- A gene linked to the risk of developing Alzheimer's, heart disease and diabetes becomes less important to quality of life once people hit their 90s, a Mayo Clinic study shows. At that point, good friends and a positive attitude have a bigger impact, the researchers say. The findings are published this month in the Journal of American Medical Directors Association.

A joint investigation by the BMJ and Daily Telegraph has exposed the major flaws in the current EU system used for regulating medical devices, such as hip replacements and breast implants.

It reveals that some "notified bodies" (the agencies charged with assessing how safe medical devices are before they are sold) are more interested in attracting business than safeguarding patients.

DETROIT – Patients treated with an epidural steroid injection for back pain relief are at increased risk of bone fractures in the spine, according to a Henry Ford Hospital study.

Researchers say the risk of fracture increased 29 percent with each steroid injection, a finding they believe raises patient safety concerns.

"For a patient population already at risk for bone fractures, steroid injections carry a greater risk that previously thought and actually pose a hazard to the bone," says Shlomo Mandel, M.D., a Henry Ford orthopedic physician and the study's lead author.

On July 20, a neuroscience graduate student in Aurora, Colorado, used an automatic rifle to murder 12 people and wound 58 others. Although this was one of the worst mass shootings in U.S. history, mass shootings account for a small percentage of gun deaths in the U.S. and a negligible fraction of deaths overall. In the 4 months after the Aurora shooting, an estimated 3,000 Americans died as a result of guns, while 65,000 died due to medical error and 4,000 even died due to accidents in swimming pools.