Environmental Medicine News

The News Review:

- How do you use news about medical research?
- REMINDER: ORLive Presents: Craniotomy Treatment for Meningioma Tumors…
- Exforge(R) Receives Final US Approval as New and Powerful Treatment…
- #5: In Vienna, Mittel-European grandeur meets modernity
- Bush cites ‘moral line’ in second veto of stem cell bill
- Mark Hume on the vanishing eulachon

How do you use news about medical research?
St. Louis Post-Dispatch - Jun 20, 2007
Interesting but not particularly relevant or useful. Since I didn’t conduct the study in question, I have no idea of what controls were in place, what dosages were involved for how long a period, whether other factors were taken into account. Of course, I approach medicine differently than a lot of people do. I don’t go running to the doctor everytime I have a boo-boo. Basically, I tend to let Nature take its course, relying on the medical profession to provide repairs when needed and hoping to have a doctor who’s big on pain management and doesn’t believe in prolonging life just because he can. I’ve had some experiences with doctors and hospitals that just make me leary of trusting their so-called “expertise. ” So I’m not going to be running to my doctor begging for some medicine that I read about in a study… — Cubiclewarrior 7:23 am June 21st, 2007 Oh brother — slamfist 7:26 am June 21st, 2007 There are plenty of magazines, webites, and blogs where the general public can find useful, accurate information about medicine and other sciences. The newspaper is the last place I’d look. The medical and environmental scare story of the day is a template our society would be better off without. Most daily papers, the P-D included, no longer employ editors and reporters with even the most basic understanding of the physical or biological sciences. Just about every story published these days is copied verbatum from wire services. With the wire service’s shallowness of coverage combined with an extreme lack of objectivity and context they give to other subjects, anything they publish about science and medicine should be viewed with skepticism.

REMINDER: ORLive Presents: Craniotomy Treatment for Meningioma Tumors…
Market Wire - Market Wire (press release) - Jun 20, 2007
Such treatments includeendoscopic skull base and pituitary surgery, endovascular treatments ofaneurysms, AVMs, carotid stenosis and vertecrobasilar disease. Heilman, MD, is Tufts-New England Medical Center’s Neurosurgeon-in-Chief and is a Professor of Medicine at Tufts UniversitySchool of Medicine. His clinical specialties include skull base tumorsurgery, endoscopic pituitary surgery, acoustic neuromas, meningiomas,Chiari malformations and pediatric neurosurgery. Simcha Weller, MD, is a Neurosurgeon at Tufts-New England Medical Centerand a Professor at Tufts University School of Medicine. His clinicalspecialties include complex and reconstructive spine surgery, spinalstabilization for trauma and metastatic spinal tumors, cervical sponsylosisand minimally invasive spine surgery.

Exforge(R) Receives Final US Approval as New and Powerful Treatment…
Genetic Engineering News - Jun 20, 2007
Exforge is the first medicine of its kind to combine the activeingredients of an angiotensin receptor blocker — Diovan(R) (valsartan) — anda calcium channel blocker — Norvasc(R)(*) (amlodipine) — with theconvenience of a single, once-daily tablet(1,2,3). “High blood pressure continues to be a major public health issue in theUS. Many patients will require multiple medications to achieve blood pressurecontrol,” said Bertram Pitt, MD, FACC, and a Professor of Medicine Emeritus atthe University of Michigan School of Medicine Division of Cardiology. “Thisnew treatment offers great efficacy and improved convenience with a singletablet that will simplify treatment for patients. The US approval of Exforge was supported by an extensive clinical programinvolving more than 5,000 patients(1)… It hasbeen approved for use in high blood pressure patients who have not beencontrolled through the use of any type of medicine in the angiotensin receptorblocker or calcium channel blocker classes, and for patients who haveexperienced dose-limiting side effects on either valsartan or amlodipine. These include amlodipine-induced edema (swelling), dizziness or flushing(1). In the Exforge clinical trials, adverse events were gen.

#5: In Vienna, Mittel-European grandeur meets modernity
International Herald Tribune - Jun 20, 2007
He moved to Vienna from Paris four years ago. “The quality of life here is better than in France,” he says. “The infrastructure and social security system is much more developed, and access to medicine is easier. The quality of service for our computer systems is among the best in Europe. ” Vienna is also reaching out to its eastern neighbors. Before the Second World War, Vienna and neighboring Bratislava, the Slovak capital, were linked by the same public transport system. A new catamaran service that zips straight down the Danube now links the two and takes just 75 minutes… International media: major international newspapers are widely available and also a news-gathering hub for international news organizations. Green space: almost 50 per cent of greater Vienna is green space. Access to nature: there are 49 forests within the city limits. Environmental initiatives: approved by a UN development programme, the Vienna Eco Business plan, launched in 1998, blends good business practices with environmental concerns. Monocle metrics: FM4 is one of the best radio stations on the planet, the public pools attract handsome locals, it's home to the Loos Bar and our favorite footwear brand Ludwig Reiter. This survey is excerpted from issue five of.

Bush cites ‘moral line’ in second veto of stem cell bill
USA Today - Jun 20, 2007
California and other states have been conducting such research, as have scientists at major universities such as Harvard and Johns Hopkins. Other countries, including the United Kingdom and China, have invested billions in stem cell research. The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, created by voter initiative in 2004, is now the largest source of funding for embryonic stem cell research in the world. It has approved 136 grants to California universities and research institutions totaling more than $208 million. Research is also ongoing using cells that are not from human embryos. Earlier this month, the journals Nature and Cell Stem Cell reported that cells from adult mice have been genetically changed to mimic embryonic stem cells. In recent elections, Democrats have made an issue of Bush’s opposition to embryonic research… It has approved 136 grants to California universities and research institutions totaling more than $208 million. Research is also ongoing using cells that are not from human embryos. Earlier this month, the journals Nature and Cell Stem Cell reported that cells from adult mice have been genetically changed to mimic embryonic stem cells. In recent elections, Democrats have made an issue of Bush’s opposition to embryonic research. Fox, who has Parkinson’s disease, stumped for Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo.

Mark Hume on the vanishing eulachon
Globe and Mail - Jun 20, 2007
Hume’s answers appear at the bottom of this page. Hume has been covering environmental and political issues in British Columbia for more than 20 years. He has written four natural history books about B. Before joining The Globe as a national correspondent in the Vancouver bureau, he worked at The National Post and The Vancouver Sun, where he won a National Newspaper Award for leading a special project that examined the environmental fate of Georgia Straight. Christine Diemert, globeandmail… There are some that can actually manage their lives and lands. But a few pillage their resources, there own people and from legitimate land owners, then when they run out of money and food, they scream at Ottawa for their rights. What gives them the right to over-fish the rivers and whine that they have no fish? What gives them the right to demand to take back lands that were paid (in full) 100 years ago? What gives them the right to take from the earth without giving? I have heard their chants that the white man is evil, but it is the white man that doles out billions of dollars, builds them houses, builds them schools, provides medicine and education. While they do nothing! They have become languid, selfish and corrupt, but that does not stop them from demanding that the white man give, give, give while they never give back Shame on those with such bad behaviour that make it look bad for the ones try to rise above. Mark Hume:David; First of all there is no evidence at all that natives over fished the eulachon runs. Fisheries researches have concluded that the catch in the Bella Coola was too small to have any significant impact on the run. The Bella Coola catch was probably less than one tonne, even during big runs.