In experiments with laboratory mice that bear aggressive human breast cancers, UC Davis researchers have used hot nanoprobes to slow the growth of tumors -- without damage to surrounding healthy tissue. The researchers describe their work in the March issue of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.
"We have demonstrated that the system is feasible in laboratory mice. The next step will be clinical testing in patients," said Sally DeNardo, a professor of internal medicine and radiology at UC Davis and lead author of the study.
Many researchers have studied heat as a potential treatment for cancer, but the difficulty of confining heat within the tumor and predicting an effective heat dose has limited its use. The UC Davis research, carried out in collaboration with scientists from Triton BioSystems in Boston, seeks to solve this problem.
The experimental system uses bioprobes created by wedding magnetized iron-oxide nanospheres to radiolabeled monoclonal antibodies. The bioprobes are cloaked in polymers and sugars that render them nearly invisible to the body's immune system.
DeNardo and her colleagues infused trillions of the probes -- more than 10,000 can fit on the end of a straight pin -- into the bloodstreams of laboratory mice bearing human breast tumors. Once in the bloodstream, the probes began to seek out and latch onto receptors on the surface of malignant cells.
Three days later, the team applied an alternating magnetic field to the tumor region, causing the magnetic nanospheres latched onto the tumor cells to change polarity thousands of times per second, instantaneously generating heat. As soon as the AMF stopped, the bioprobes cooled down.
Mice in the study received a series of AMF bursts in a single 20-minute treatment. Dosing was calculated using an equation that included tumor concentration of bioprobes, heating rate of particles at different amplitudes, and the spacing of AMF bursts.
Tumor growth rate slowed in the treated animals, a response that correlated closely with heat dose. No toxicity related to the bioprobes was observed.
"Using heat to kill cancer cells isn't a new concept," DeNardo said. "The biggest problems have been how to apply it to the tumor alone, how to predict the amount needed and how to determine its effectiveness. By combining nanotechnology, focused AMF therapy and quantitative molecular imaging techniques, we have developed a safer technique that could join other modalities as a treatment for breast and other cancers."
DeNardo, co-director of the Radiodiagnosis and Therapy Program at UC Davis, was the first investigator to use monoclonal antibodies in the delivery of radioimmunotherapy when she generated monoclonal antibodies against mouse melanoma in 1979. She was also the first to demonstrate that radioimmunotherapy can be effective in the treatment of non-Hodgkin's B-cell lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and the first to describe the clinical use of radioimmunotherapy coupled with a biologically active antibody to treat breast cancer.
UC Davis Cancer Center is the nation's 61st National Cancer Institute center. Its research program unites more than 275 scientists from more than a dozen disciplines on three campuses: the University of California, Davis, the UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, Calif.
Public Affairs
UC Davis Health System
4900 Broadway, Suite 1200
Sacramento, CA 95820
Contact: Claudia Morain
University of California, Davis - Health System
воскресенье, 29 января 2012 г.
воскресенье, 22 января 2012 г.
Adolescent Female Users Of Facebook More Prone To Eating Disorders
The more time adolescent girls spend in front of Facebook, the more their chances of developing a negative body image and various eating disorders, such as anorexia, bulimia and exaggerated dieting. This has been shown in a new study from the University of Haifa.
Eating disorders include a wide spectrum of abnormal mental and behavioral conducts related to food and body weight, such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. This study, conducted by Prof. Yael Latzer, Prof. Ruth Katz and Zohar Spivak of the Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences at the University of Haifa, set out to examine the effects of two factors on the development of eating disorders in young girls: exposure to the media and self-empowerment.
A group of 248 girls aged 12-19 (average age: 14.8) took part in the survey. These girls were asked to provide information on their Internet and television viewing habits. Regarding the latter, they were asked to give the number of popular shows related to extreme standards of physical image (the "Barbie" model) that they watched. The girls also filled out questionnaires that examined their approach to slimming, bulimia, physical satisfaction or dissatisfaction, their general outlook on eating, and their sense of personal empowerment.
The results showed that the more time girls spend on Facebook, the more they suffered conditions of bulimia, anorexia, physical dissatisfaction, negative physical self-image, negative approach to eating and more of an urge to be on a weight-loss diet. Extensive online exposure to fashion and music content showed similar tendencies, but manifested in fewer types of eating disorders. As such, the more the exposure to fashion content on the Internet, the higher a girl's chances of developing anorexia. A similar direct link was found between viewing gossip- and leisure-related television programs (the likes of "Gossip Girl") and eating disorders in adolescent girls. The study also revealed that the level of personal empowerment in these girls is negatively linked to eating disorders, such that the higher the level of empowerment, the more positive the physical self-image and the lower the chances of developing an eating disorder.
In this study, exposure to the media and the consequential sense of personal empowerment was found to be associated to parenting practices. Girls whose parents were involved in their media usage; who knew what they were viewing and reading and where they were surfing on the web; who watched, surfed or read along with them; and who conducted cooperative and critical discussions with their daughters about the content of their surfing habits, showed more personal empowerment, forming a protective shield against eating disorders.
On the other hand, parents who were not involved in their media exposure, were not aware of the content that their daughters were consuming, and instead of sharing and becoming familiar with that content chose to limit or prohibit exposure, led to lower self-empowerment in their daughters. This, in turn, has a positive link to various eating problems and negative body image.
"Significant potential for future research and application of eating disorder prevention lies in an understanding of how parenting decisions can have effect on an adolescent girl's sense of empowerment and that enforcing a girl's sense of empowerment is a means to strengthening body image. This study has shown that a parent has potential ability to prevent dangerous behavioral disorders and negative eating behavior in particular," the researchers stated.
Source:
Rachel Feldman
University of Haifa
Eating disorders include a wide spectrum of abnormal mental and behavioral conducts related to food and body weight, such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. This study, conducted by Prof. Yael Latzer, Prof. Ruth Katz and Zohar Spivak of the Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences at the University of Haifa, set out to examine the effects of two factors on the development of eating disorders in young girls: exposure to the media and self-empowerment.
A group of 248 girls aged 12-19 (average age: 14.8) took part in the survey. These girls were asked to provide information on their Internet and television viewing habits. Regarding the latter, they were asked to give the number of popular shows related to extreme standards of physical image (the "Barbie" model) that they watched. The girls also filled out questionnaires that examined their approach to slimming, bulimia, physical satisfaction or dissatisfaction, their general outlook on eating, and their sense of personal empowerment.
The results showed that the more time girls spend on Facebook, the more they suffered conditions of bulimia, anorexia, physical dissatisfaction, negative physical self-image, negative approach to eating and more of an urge to be on a weight-loss diet. Extensive online exposure to fashion and music content showed similar tendencies, but manifested in fewer types of eating disorders. As such, the more the exposure to fashion content on the Internet, the higher a girl's chances of developing anorexia. A similar direct link was found between viewing gossip- and leisure-related television programs (the likes of "Gossip Girl") and eating disorders in adolescent girls. The study also revealed that the level of personal empowerment in these girls is negatively linked to eating disorders, such that the higher the level of empowerment, the more positive the physical self-image and the lower the chances of developing an eating disorder.
In this study, exposure to the media and the consequential sense of personal empowerment was found to be associated to parenting practices. Girls whose parents were involved in their media usage; who knew what they were viewing and reading and where they were surfing on the web; who watched, surfed or read along with them; and who conducted cooperative and critical discussions with their daughters about the content of their surfing habits, showed more personal empowerment, forming a protective shield against eating disorders.
On the other hand, parents who were not involved in their media exposure, were not aware of the content that their daughters were consuming, and instead of sharing and becoming familiar with that content chose to limit or prohibit exposure, led to lower self-empowerment in their daughters. This, in turn, has a positive link to various eating problems and negative body image.
"Significant potential for future research and application of eating disorder prevention lies in an understanding of how parenting decisions can have effect on an adolescent girl's sense of empowerment and that enforcing a girl's sense of empowerment is a means to strengthening body image. This study has shown that a parent has potential ability to prevent dangerous behavioral disorders and negative eating behavior in particular," the researchers stated.
Source:
Rachel Feldman
University of Haifa
воскресенье, 15 января 2012 г.
Northern Kentucky Catholic Bishop Tells Priests Not To Associate With Antiabortion Group; Bars Group From Diocese Churches
The bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Covington, Ky., last week wrote a letter to priests saying they should have "no involvement" with the antiabortion group Right to Life of Northern Kentucky, and "[n]o one is saying exactly what caused the split," the AP/Lexington Herald-Leader reports. In addition, the antiabortion group has been barred from the diocese churches, according to the AP/Herald-Leader. NKRTL -- which "has been known" for criticizing political candidates who do not share its views on emergency contraception, abortion and stem cell research -- recently distributed its literature along with other antiabortion groups at the diocese's annual "Pro-Life Mass," held at the St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption, the AP/Herald-Leader reports. "There are many good people involved in NKRTL who are being misled," Bishop Roger Foys wrote to the priests of the diocese, adding, "We cannot give any semblance that the diocese approves of the tactics of some of the leadership of NKRTL." Diocese spokesperson Tim Fitzgerald declined a request for an interview with Foys but said the diocese has concerns about "inaccuracies" in NKRTL's newsletters and "tactics" the group used. NKRTL Vice President Fred Summe said Foys had not spoken to the group about issues the diocese has with the group, adding, "You'd think the diocese would encourage us. They need to be specific in what they think we're doing wrong" (Barrouquere, AP/Lexington Herald-Leader, 10/26).
"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
воскресенье, 8 января 2012 г.
Experts Confirm Favorable Benefit-risk Profile Of Combined Oral Contraceptives
Leading experts in the fields of gynecology, reproductive endocrinology, hematology and epidemiology have affirmed that for most women the low absolute risks of combined oral contraceptives (COCs) are outweighed by the well-established benefits of hormonal contraception.
Their consensus opinion has just been published in the Journal for Family Planning and Reproductive Health (J Fam Plann Reprod Health Care 2010; 36(3): 117 - 122)(1).
For most healthy women the benefits of COCs will outweigh the risks, but it is important to identify the individual risk factors for venous thromboembolism (VTE) the consensus opinion states.
Two publications(2,3) of 2007 dealing with venous thromboembolism in women using an ethinylestradiol / drospirenone-based COC (Yasmin®) were followed in 2009 by others(4,5) with conflicting findings about the risk of VTE with this product. This led Bayer Schering Pharma as the leading company in the field of oral contraception to convene a workshop in December 2009 in Berlin and invite experts in gynecology, reproductive endocrinology, hematology and epidemiology to critically review all recent publications in order to understand the reasons for divergent results.
Following the two-day symposium the experts issued the consensus paper now published by the Journal of Family Planning and Reproductive Health. The paper states that:
-- Modern COCs are reliable, well tolerated contraceptives which also offer a variety of non-contraceptive benefits ranging from regulation and reduction of both menstrual bleeding and dysmenorrhoea to treatment of premenstrual syndrome, acne and hirsutism. Long-term benefits include reduced rates of endometrial and ovarian cancer.
-- Modern COCs are well tolerated and serious side effects are rare in COC users.
-- VTE remains a rare but potentially serious complication of COC use. It is similar for all modern low dosed COCs.
-- The absolute risk of venous thromboembolism is low. The incidence of venous thromboembolism among women who do not take the COCs is about 4 to 5 per 10,000 women per annum. Among women who take COCs, this risk doubles to 9 to 10 cases of venous thromboembolism per 10,000 women per annum. By contrast, during pregnancy the risk rises to about 20 to 30 cases of venous thromboembolism per 10,000 women per annum and after childbirth to about 300 to 400 cases of venous thromboembolism per 10,000 women per annum.
-- As one of the most widely used and effective contraceptive methods, COCs reduce rates of unplanned pregnancies and actually decrease the overall rate of VTE for women in comparison to populations without access to effective contraception.
Controversial findings about VTE risk in different studies
Two studies published in the British Medical Journal in August 2009(4,5) suggested that COCs containing the progestogen drospirenone may have an increased risk of VTE compared to COCs containing levenorgestrel.
Participants of the workshop however found the results of both the Danish study by Lidegaard et al.(4) and the Dutch study by van Hylckama Vlieg et al.(5) could have resulted from methodological flaws and or misinterpretation of the findings.
According to the authors of the consensus paper the Dutch Mega Study showed hazard ratios for various COCs with wide and overlapping 95% confidence intervals indicating no statistically significant difference in the VTE risk between drospirenone-containing COCs and COCs with different progestogens. In recent revisions to the Yasmin product label in the USA, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has concluded: "The number of Yasmin cases [in the Dutch Mega Study] was very small (1.2% of all cases) making the risk estimates unreliable."
The authors of the consensus paper also identified several significant methodological weaknesses in the Danish National Cohort Study. Confounders such as obesity, surgery or a family history for VTE were not taken into consideration.
The experts also looked at the two studies published in 2007(3,4). Bayer sponsored as part of its post-approval commitments to EU regulatory authorities and the FDA for drospirenone-containing COCs, two large observational studies (EURAS(3) and Ingenix(4)) in Europe and the United States which were carried out by independent investigators. Both studies were specifically designed after extensive discussion with European and US health regulators to be sufficiently powered to assess differences between COCs with different progestogens with regard to the risk of VTE. EURAS controlled for confounding factors (e.g. Body Mass Index and personal or family history of VTE); Ingenix used recognized epidemiological methods (propensity score matching) to achieve balance between the cohorts. These studies encompassing more than 120,000 COC users confirm that users of low-dose COCs have a similarly low risk of VTE regardless of the progestogen used. The results of the EURAS and Ingenix trials, which were published in 2007, offer important information about the safety of COCs in a real-life setting.
Personal consultation is essential
The experts participating at the workshop emphasized the importance of the consultation which must precede any oral contraceptive prescription. Particularly when it comes to a patient's initial prescription, it is essential that healthcare professionals compile a thorough past medical history to establish a woman's risk profile. The decision on prescription of hormonal contraceptives has to be made based on an individual benefit-risk evaluation. Contraindications and precautions for use as indicated in the package insert also have to be taken into consideration. Known risk factors for VTE include individual or family history for VTE, coagulation disorders, advanced age, cigarette smoking, surgical procedures, long haul flights, obesity, pregnancy and time after child birth.
Studies mentioned in this release
References
1. Reid RL, Westhoff C, Mansour D, de Vries C, Verhaeghe J, Boschitsch E, Gompel A, Birkh?¤user M, Krepelka P, Dulicek P, Iversen O-E, Khamoshina M, Dezman LV, Fruzzetti F, Szarewski A, Wilken-Jensen C, Seidman D, Kaaja R, Shapiro S. Oral Contraceptives and Venous Thromboembolism. Consensus Opinion from an International Workshop held in Berlin, Germany in December 2009. J Fam Plann Reprod Health Care 2010: 36(3), 117 - 122
2. Dinger JC, Heinemann LAJ, K??hl-Habich D. The safety of a drospirenone-containing oral contraceptive: final results from the European Active Surveillance study on Oral Contraceptives based on 142,475 women-years of observation, , Contraception 75 (2007) 344 - 354
3. Seeger JD, Loughlin J, Eng M, Clifford R, Cutone J, Walker AM, Risk of Thromboembolism in Women Taking Ethinylestradiol/Drospirenone and Other Oral Contraceptives, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Vol. 110, No. 3, September 2007, 587-593
4. Lidegaard O, L??kkegaard E, Svendsen AL, Agger C. Hormonal contraception and risk of venous thromboembolism: national follow-up study. BMJ 2009:339:b2890.
5. van Hylckama Vlieg A, Helmerhorst FM, Vandenbroucke JP , Doggen CJM, Rosendaal FR. The venous thrombotic risk of oral contraceptives, effects of oestrogen dose and progestogen type: results of the MEGA case- control study. BMJ 2009; 339: b2921
About Bayer HealthCare
The Bayer Group is a global enterprise with core competencies in the fields of healthcare, nutrition and high-tech materials. Bayer HealthCare, a subsidiary of Bayer AG, is one of the world's leading, innovative companies in the healthcare and medical products industry and is based in Leverkusen, Germany. The company combines the global activities of the Animal Health, Bayer Schering Pharma, Consumer Care and Medical Care divisions. Bayer HealthCare's aim is to discover, manufacture and market products that will improve human and animal health worldwide.
About Bayer Schering Pharma
Bayer Schering Pharma is a worldwide leading specialty pharmaceutical company. Its research and business activities are focused on the following areas: Diagnostic Imaging, General Medicine, Specialty Medicine and Women's Healthcare. With innovative products, Bayer Schering Pharma aims for leading positions in specialized markets worldwide. Using new ideas, Bayer Schering Pharma aims to make a contribution to medical progress and strives to improve the quality of life.
Forward-Looking Statements
This release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer Group or subgroup management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Bayer's public reports which are available on the Bayer website at www.bayer. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.
Source: Bayer Schering Pharma
Their consensus opinion has just been published in the Journal for Family Planning and Reproductive Health (J Fam Plann Reprod Health Care 2010; 36(3): 117 - 122)(1).
For most healthy women the benefits of COCs will outweigh the risks, but it is important to identify the individual risk factors for venous thromboembolism (VTE) the consensus opinion states.
Two publications(2,3) of 2007 dealing with venous thromboembolism in women using an ethinylestradiol / drospirenone-based COC (Yasmin®) were followed in 2009 by others(4,5) with conflicting findings about the risk of VTE with this product. This led Bayer Schering Pharma as the leading company in the field of oral contraception to convene a workshop in December 2009 in Berlin and invite experts in gynecology, reproductive endocrinology, hematology and epidemiology to critically review all recent publications in order to understand the reasons for divergent results.
Following the two-day symposium the experts issued the consensus paper now published by the Journal of Family Planning and Reproductive Health. The paper states that:
-- Modern COCs are reliable, well tolerated contraceptives which also offer a variety of non-contraceptive benefits ranging from regulation and reduction of both menstrual bleeding and dysmenorrhoea to treatment of premenstrual syndrome, acne and hirsutism. Long-term benefits include reduced rates of endometrial and ovarian cancer.
-- Modern COCs are well tolerated and serious side effects are rare in COC users.
-- VTE remains a rare but potentially serious complication of COC use. It is similar for all modern low dosed COCs.
-- The absolute risk of venous thromboembolism is low. The incidence of venous thromboembolism among women who do not take the COCs is about 4 to 5 per 10,000 women per annum. Among women who take COCs, this risk doubles to 9 to 10 cases of venous thromboembolism per 10,000 women per annum. By contrast, during pregnancy the risk rises to about 20 to 30 cases of venous thromboembolism per 10,000 women per annum and after childbirth to about 300 to 400 cases of venous thromboembolism per 10,000 women per annum.
-- As one of the most widely used and effective contraceptive methods, COCs reduce rates of unplanned pregnancies and actually decrease the overall rate of VTE for women in comparison to populations without access to effective contraception.
Controversial findings about VTE risk in different studies
Two studies published in the British Medical Journal in August 2009(4,5) suggested that COCs containing the progestogen drospirenone may have an increased risk of VTE compared to COCs containing levenorgestrel.
Participants of the workshop however found the results of both the Danish study by Lidegaard et al.(4) and the Dutch study by van Hylckama Vlieg et al.(5) could have resulted from methodological flaws and or misinterpretation of the findings.
According to the authors of the consensus paper the Dutch Mega Study showed hazard ratios for various COCs with wide and overlapping 95% confidence intervals indicating no statistically significant difference in the VTE risk between drospirenone-containing COCs and COCs with different progestogens. In recent revisions to the Yasmin product label in the USA, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has concluded: "The number of Yasmin cases [in the Dutch Mega Study] was very small (1.2% of all cases) making the risk estimates unreliable."
The authors of the consensus paper also identified several significant methodological weaknesses in the Danish National Cohort Study. Confounders such as obesity, surgery or a family history for VTE were not taken into consideration.
The experts also looked at the two studies published in 2007(3,4). Bayer sponsored as part of its post-approval commitments to EU regulatory authorities and the FDA for drospirenone-containing COCs, two large observational studies (EURAS(3) and Ingenix(4)) in Europe and the United States which were carried out by independent investigators. Both studies were specifically designed after extensive discussion with European and US health regulators to be sufficiently powered to assess differences between COCs with different progestogens with regard to the risk of VTE. EURAS controlled for confounding factors (e.g. Body Mass Index and personal or family history of VTE); Ingenix used recognized epidemiological methods (propensity score matching) to achieve balance between the cohorts. These studies encompassing more than 120,000 COC users confirm that users of low-dose COCs have a similarly low risk of VTE regardless of the progestogen used. The results of the EURAS and Ingenix trials, which were published in 2007, offer important information about the safety of COCs in a real-life setting.
Personal consultation is essential
The experts participating at the workshop emphasized the importance of the consultation which must precede any oral contraceptive prescription. Particularly when it comes to a patient's initial prescription, it is essential that healthcare professionals compile a thorough past medical history to establish a woman's risk profile. The decision on prescription of hormonal contraceptives has to be made based on an individual benefit-risk evaluation. Contraindications and precautions for use as indicated in the package insert also have to be taken into consideration. Known risk factors for VTE include individual or family history for VTE, coagulation disorders, advanced age, cigarette smoking, surgical procedures, long haul flights, obesity, pregnancy and time after child birth.
Studies mentioned in this release
References
1. Reid RL, Westhoff C, Mansour D, de Vries C, Verhaeghe J, Boschitsch E, Gompel A, Birkh?¤user M, Krepelka P, Dulicek P, Iversen O-E, Khamoshina M, Dezman LV, Fruzzetti F, Szarewski A, Wilken-Jensen C, Seidman D, Kaaja R, Shapiro S. Oral Contraceptives and Venous Thromboembolism. Consensus Opinion from an International Workshop held in Berlin, Germany in December 2009. J Fam Plann Reprod Health Care 2010: 36(3), 117 - 122
2. Dinger JC, Heinemann LAJ, K??hl-Habich D. The safety of a drospirenone-containing oral contraceptive: final results from the European Active Surveillance study on Oral Contraceptives based on 142,475 women-years of observation, , Contraception 75 (2007) 344 - 354
3. Seeger JD, Loughlin J, Eng M, Clifford R, Cutone J, Walker AM, Risk of Thromboembolism in Women Taking Ethinylestradiol/Drospirenone and Other Oral Contraceptives, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Vol. 110, No. 3, September 2007, 587-593
4. Lidegaard O, L??kkegaard E, Svendsen AL, Agger C. Hormonal contraception and risk of venous thromboembolism: national follow-up study. BMJ 2009:339:b2890.
5. van Hylckama Vlieg A, Helmerhorst FM, Vandenbroucke JP , Doggen CJM, Rosendaal FR. The venous thrombotic risk of oral contraceptives, effects of oestrogen dose and progestogen type: results of the MEGA case- control study. BMJ 2009; 339: b2921
About Bayer HealthCare
The Bayer Group is a global enterprise with core competencies in the fields of healthcare, nutrition and high-tech materials. Bayer HealthCare, a subsidiary of Bayer AG, is one of the world's leading, innovative companies in the healthcare and medical products industry and is based in Leverkusen, Germany. The company combines the global activities of the Animal Health, Bayer Schering Pharma, Consumer Care and Medical Care divisions. Bayer HealthCare's aim is to discover, manufacture and market products that will improve human and animal health worldwide.
About Bayer Schering Pharma
Bayer Schering Pharma is a worldwide leading specialty pharmaceutical company. Its research and business activities are focused on the following areas: Diagnostic Imaging, General Medicine, Specialty Medicine and Women's Healthcare. With innovative products, Bayer Schering Pharma aims for leading positions in specialized markets worldwide. Using new ideas, Bayer Schering Pharma aims to make a contribution to medical progress and strives to improve the quality of life.
Forward-Looking Statements
This release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer Group or subgroup management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Bayer's public reports which are available on the Bayer website at www.bayer. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.
Source: Bayer Schering Pharma
воскресенье, 1 января 2012 г.
Cheerleading Is Leading Cause Of Catastrophic Injury In Young Women
As a bright, young cheerleader trying out for the high school varsity squad, 14-year-old Laura Jackson had everything going for her.
But when a back flip went wrong during a try-out without a trained spotter on hand, Laura landed on her head fracturing her neck and damaging her spinal cord. Laura is now paralyzed and breathes with the help of a ventilator.
Cheerleading has become the leading cause of catastrophic injury in young female athletes, says Amy Miller Bohn, a physician at the UMHS department of family medicine.
Data from the Consumer Product Safety Commission shows that rates of injuries from cheerleading accidents have gone from nearly 5,000 in 1980 to close to 26,000 to 28,000 in the past few years, Miller Bohn says.
In addition, the leading cause of catastrophic injuries in female athletes is cheerleading, according to The National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research. They account for approximately 65 to 66 percent of all female catastrophic injuries in either high school or college.
"If you look at cheerleading injuries, most of them are still more the common types of things that we should think about - muscle strains or pulls, ligament injuries, tendon injuries," Miller Bohn says. "The concern is that there are certainly a fair number of increasingly severe injuries."
Because of the increase in degree of difficulty in cheerleading skills, increased acrobatics and stunt activities may be increasing the risk of severity of injury.
Catastrophic injuries seen in cheerleading involve either death, injuries that results in disability that are often related to head trauma or spine trauma. Doctors are also seeing more injuries that a person may not be able to recover from completely - such as concussions or severe fractures.
Cheerleading injuries appear to be on the rise partly because of an increase in participants, but the sport has also changed significantly in the last 25 years. Cheerleading no longer consists of athletes standing on the sidelines, rooting for a team.
"Cheerleading has become an actual competitive sport," she says.
If participants want to be one of the better teams, compete at high levels and be invited to competitions, athletes must include a higher degree of difficulty and risk in routines. This means fewer traditional pyramids and more tossing people in the air, jumping off pyramids and trying risky stunts," Miller Bohn says.
Miller Bohn believes there aren't enough safety measures in place in schools. Many athletes will practice in places such as a back yard, a hard gym floor or a parking lot. There are often no supportive surfaces to shield them from falls.
Participants also lack adequate supervision. If an adequately trained coach is not present to ensure participants are using proper techniques and make sure spotters are placed where they should, injuries may occur.
In addition, there is no uniformity in training of cheerleading coaches. They can range from a child's parent, a former cheerleader, to someone with a high level of training in gymnastics.
What can parents and school officials do to help prevent injuries?
An area to focus in is coaching staff. It's recommended that a coach have experience in first aid and CPR training. It's also preferred that they have good training in how to coach athletes in regard to their development, strength, conditioning, and flexibility. They should also have experience in coaching and how they perform these activities, technique and how they are supported and monitored, ensuring there's always someone around to be at practices and to be present to make changes if something looks unsafe.
Another area of concern is equipment. A spring loaded floor is a good idea to prevent injuries and to cushion a fall. Mats are also important.
Parents whose children are interested in cheerleading should ask questions about the coach's experience, what type of athletes the coach has worked with and if they have experience with gymnastics stunt work. They also need to know what the plan is for that cheerleading squad, what types of activities they will perform, who is supervising and where activities will be performed.
Resources and safety recommendations can also be found through foundations such as the National Cheer Safety foundation.
Source: University of Michigan Health System
But when a back flip went wrong during a try-out without a trained spotter on hand, Laura landed on her head fracturing her neck and damaging her spinal cord. Laura is now paralyzed and breathes with the help of a ventilator.
Cheerleading has become the leading cause of catastrophic injury in young female athletes, says Amy Miller Bohn, a physician at the UMHS department of family medicine.
Data from the Consumer Product Safety Commission shows that rates of injuries from cheerleading accidents have gone from nearly 5,000 in 1980 to close to 26,000 to 28,000 in the past few years, Miller Bohn says.
In addition, the leading cause of catastrophic injuries in female athletes is cheerleading, according to The National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research. They account for approximately 65 to 66 percent of all female catastrophic injuries in either high school or college.
"If you look at cheerleading injuries, most of them are still more the common types of things that we should think about - muscle strains or pulls, ligament injuries, tendon injuries," Miller Bohn says. "The concern is that there are certainly a fair number of increasingly severe injuries."
Because of the increase in degree of difficulty in cheerleading skills, increased acrobatics and stunt activities may be increasing the risk of severity of injury.
Catastrophic injuries seen in cheerleading involve either death, injuries that results in disability that are often related to head trauma or spine trauma. Doctors are also seeing more injuries that a person may not be able to recover from completely - such as concussions or severe fractures.
Cheerleading injuries appear to be on the rise partly because of an increase in participants, but the sport has also changed significantly in the last 25 years. Cheerleading no longer consists of athletes standing on the sidelines, rooting for a team.
"Cheerleading has become an actual competitive sport," she says.
If participants want to be one of the better teams, compete at high levels and be invited to competitions, athletes must include a higher degree of difficulty and risk in routines. This means fewer traditional pyramids and more tossing people in the air, jumping off pyramids and trying risky stunts," Miller Bohn says.
Miller Bohn believes there aren't enough safety measures in place in schools. Many athletes will practice in places such as a back yard, a hard gym floor or a parking lot. There are often no supportive surfaces to shield them from falls.
Participants also lack adequate supervision. If an adequately trained coach is not present to ensure participants are using proper techniques and make sure spotters are placed where they should, injuries may occur.
In addition, there is no uniformity in training of cheerleading coaches. They can range from a child's parent, a former cheerleader, to someone with a high level of training in gymnastics.
What can parents and school officials do to help prevent injuries?
An area to focus in is coaching staff. It's recommended that a coach have experience in first aid and CPR training. It's also preferred that they have good training in how to coach athletes in regard to their development, strength, conditioning, and flexibility. They should also have experience in coaching and how they perform these activities, technique and how they are supported and monitored, ensuring there's always someone around to be at practices and to be present to make changes if something looks unsafe.
Another area of concern is equipment. A spring loaded floor is a good idea to prevent injuries and to cushion a fall. Mats are also important.
Parents whose children are interested in cheerleading should ask questions about the coach's experience, what type of athletes the coach has worked with and if they have experience with gymnastics stunt work. They also need to know what the plan is for that cheerleading squad, what types of activities they will perform, who is supervising and where activities will be performed.
Resources and safety recommendations can also be found through foundations such as the National Cheer Safety foundation.
Source: University of Michigan Health System
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