Erectile Dysfunction And The Prostate

Nearly of 300 of the worlds leading researchers focused on the problem of prostate cancer will begin a threeday meeting today to discuss the latest scientific data and breakthroughs in prostate cancer. The meeting, held in Incline Village at Lake Tahoe in Nevada, is the 16th Scientific Retreat sponsored by the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF).

This year, it is projected that prostate cancer will take the lives of 27,000 U.S. men while 192,000 new cases are diagnosed. While the death rate from prostate cancer has been reduced by nearly 40 percent from what was once projected, the number of new cases diagnosed each year continues to rise. By 2015, the annual number of new cases may grow to 300,000.

“This meeting takes on additional urgency as it has been more than two years since there has been a governmentsponsored meeting of this kind,” said Dr. Howard Soule, executive vice president and chief scientist for the PCF. “This annual meeting is a catalyst for scientific exchange and has helped accelerate scientific discovery for prostate cancer during the past decade. Some of the most promising developments on the field have come out of this meeting and the work of PCFfunded scientists.”

Scientists who are funded by the PCF are required to share updates on their project and share data at the PCFs annual scientific retreat. This years meeting will include presentations on the progress of several new medications, therapies and biomarkers that hold promise for patients. A total of 81 scientific presentations on new research on treatment and prevention of early and advanced prostate cancers from 98 cancer research centers will be featured. The new data to be discussed originate from research programs in nine countries Australia, Belgium, Canada, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Since its founding, the PCF has raised more than $370 million to fund prostate cancer research that otherwise would have been left unfunded.

“An outcome of this international conference for accelerating better treatment for prostate cancer will be a new gamechanging research projects blueprint,” says Dr. Jonathan W. Simons, president and CEO of the PCF. “The PCF will be rapidly presenting the blueprint to our funding partners in prostate cancer research at the NIH, National Cancer Institute, Department of Defense, and leaders in the biotech and pharmaceutical industry. We want to remember this meeting as changing the course of prostate cancer research history for patients.”

Source

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) expressed its deep disappointment at a decision by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) to uphold a complaint about its Asbestos The hidden killer awareness campaign.

The ASA has upheld one complaint from a single source challenging HSE on the numbers of workers it quoted as dying as a result of exposure to asbestos fibres.

The ASA agreed that the use of numbers of asbestosrelated deaths was an effective and appropriate tactic to bring home to tradesmen the serious risks they face in disturbing asbestos, but decided that HSE should have made clear in its radio advertisements that the figures were based partly on estimates.

The ASA also said that the numbers of deaths per week quoted in relation to certain trades should be revised as it considered that they had been overestimated according to the raw data

Asbestos The hidden killer is one of HSEs most effective and successful campaigns. Almost threequarters of tradesmen who saw or heard the campaign said that they had already taken more safety precautions or plan to take them.

Said Steve Coldrick, HSEs asbestos programme director

“We are obviously very disappointed with the decision by the ASA to uphold this sole complaint made against our awardwinning campaign, but we do consider it to be only on a technicality.

“This campaign is clearly in the public interest and we are now looking to seek an independent review of the adjudication.

“HSE has made no deliberate attempt to mislead the public. Our advertising is based on the same robust statistical evidence and scientific understanding that underpins government policy on asbestos. Whatever the slight differences on interpretation of the figures, there are facts about risk from asbestos that workers should not be denied.

“We do recognise, however, that there been no criticism of our general approach to the Asbestos The hidden killer campaign and the changes suggested in the adjudication do nothing to affect the key message we want to get out there, namely that asbestos can kill tradesmen if precautions arent taken.

“Asbestos is Britains biggest work related killer and significant exposure to asbestos fibres leads to illnesses that currently kill an estimated 4000 people every year more than die in road accidents.

“Asbestos can be present in buildings built or refurbished up to the year 2000. There is no dispute that asbestos is dangerous to those workers, who are repeatedly exposed to airborne asbestos fibres from deliberate or accidental disturbance without taking proper precautions.

HSE will shortly be leading the next phase of a national campaign to raise awareness amongst tradesmen of the dangers of asbestos and to inform buildingrelated trades about the precautions they should be taking.

Print advertisements which formed part of last years £1.48 million campaign won an ANNA ad of the week award (Awards for National Newspaper Advertising) and were nominated for ad of the year under the same scheme.

The campaign has also been shortlisted for a PR Week award.

For more information on the campaign visit hse.gov.uk/hiddenkiller[1]

Notes

1. The Hidden Killer campaign was launched in October 2008 and is aimed at raising awareness of the risks posed by asbestos to high risk groups of tradesmen, including plumbers, joiners and electricians.

2. The complaint to the ASA was made under RASC section 2 rule 3 which says that “advertisements must not contain any…claims… which might directly or by implication mislead… “and” advertisements must clarify any important limitations or qualifications, without which a misleading impression of a product or service might be given.”

Cardiogenesis Corporation (Pink Sheets CGCP), a market leader in laser transmyocardial revascularization (TMR), announced that it sponsored an educational symposium yesterday in conjunction with the 21st Annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) meeting in San Francisco.

The symposium, titled “Opportunities in Refractory Angina” was attended by over 80 cardiologists. The Program Chairman was Christopher J. White MD, Chairman, Department of Cardiovascular Disease Ochsner Clinic, and the faculty included Timothy D. Henry MD Director of Research Minneapolis Heart Institute, Marvin J. Slepian MD, Clinical Professor of Medicine University of Arizona and Michael J. Bates, Cardiothoracic Surgeon Ochsner Clinic.

“The challenge of effectively treating patients with refractory angina is that these patients may be followed by any one of thousands of cardiologists, internists, general practitioners, and at times heart failure specialists. The TCT program was designed to update the cardiology community on clinical options and in the case of Dr. Henrys presentation, effective strategies for cardiologists to build a refractory angina practice” stated Paul J. McCormick Executive Chairman Cardiogenesis. He continued “we believe we have a solid opportunity for our current technology by working with the cardiology community to develop patient referrals. Considering the early clinical results achieved, we believe that opportunity can significantly increase with the addition of various biologics. We have a meeting scheduled with the FDA on October 21 in Rockville, MD to discuss our IDE submission for our PHOENIX(R) Combination Delivery System.”

About Cardiogenesis Corporation

Cardiogenesis is a medical device company specializing in the therapies for the treatment of chronic cardiac ischemia. The companys market leading FDA approved HolmiumYAG laser system and disposable fiberoptic accessories are used to perform a surgical procedure known as Transmyocardial Revascularization (TMR) to treat patients suffering from angina. Surgical products and accessories for the Cardiogenesis TMR procedure, which are marketed in the U.S. and around the world, have been shown to reduce angina and improve the quality of life in patients with coronary artery disease.

With the exception of historical information, the statements set forth above include forwardlooking statements. Any forwardlooking statements in this news release related to the possible effectiveness of the companys PHOENIX delivery system or other technologies and the planned clinical trials, are based on current expectations and beliefs and are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, which are discussed in the “Risk Factors” section of the companys Annual Report on Form 10K for the year ended December 31, 2008 and the companys other recent SEC filings. The company disclaims any obligation to update any forwardlooking statements as a result of developments occurring after the date of this press release.

UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibe in New York on Monday signed a partnership agreement with several nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) pledging to work towards eliminating mothertochild transmission of HIV in Africa, Agence FrancePresse reports. Presidents Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal and Yoweri Museveni of Uganda attended the signing ceremony.

“Signatories include Columbia Universitys Earth Institute led by leading U.S. economist Jeffrey Sachs and the Millennium Promise Alliance, an advocacy group pushing for implementation of the” Millennium Development Goals in Africa, the news service writes. The agreement, “signed as world leaders gathered here for this weeks U.N. General Assembly session, aims to accelerate action on HIV/AIDS and correct the glaring inequality faced by children in the face of the scourge … Sidibe told a press conference.” According to Sidibe, each year more than 300,000 babies are born HIV positive, “most of them in Africa and 30 percent of them died before their first birthday, he added.”

The agreement aims to prevent women from acquiring HIV, prevent unintended pregnancies, prevent the mothertochild transmission of the virus and offer services to women and children affected by the disease (9/21). A UNAIDS press release provides additional information on the specifics of programs working to achieve the goals of the agreement (9/21).

This information was reprinted from globalhealth.kff.org with kind permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Global Health Policy Report, search the archives and sign up for email delivery at globalhealth.kff.org.

© Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

After an indepth selection process, Diabetes UK has chosen three project partners for the User Involvement in Local Diabetes Care Project NHS Lincolnshire, NHS Hammersmith & Fulham, and North Mersey Diabetes Network (consisting of Liverpool PCT, NHS Sefton and NHS Knowsley).

These organisations were selected for the diverse challenges they face as well as their commitment to user involvement in the decisionmaking process.

About the project

The project is a partnership with NHS Diabetes and will support the chosen partners to develop systematic, structured and sustainable approaches to allow people with diabetes to influence the decisions taken about the services the NHS provides.

The charity had an amazing response to the project, 60 expressions of interest followed by 31 full applications. Six organisations were shortlisted Derbyshire County PCT, NHS Luton, NHS Oldham and the three final project partners.

Fantastic opportunity to develop learning

Anna Morton, Director of NHS Diabetes, said “We are delighted at the choice of the three project partners for the User Involvement in Local Diabetes Care Project.

“User involvement is central to the work of NHS Diabetes. This project is a fantastic opportunity to develop learning in the area of local user involvement, not only in the three project areas but more broadly through the lessons we learn.”

Sharing knowledge

Diabetes UK will also keep in touch with all of the organisations who expressed an interest, and will share the knowledge gained from the models developed in the project of user involvement in diabetes care.

You can keep up to date with the project by visiting diabetes.org.uk/localinvolvement or by emailing the project manager at corinne.mccrum@diabetes.org.uk.

Support for user involvement

Bayer Diabetes Care today announced U.S. Food & Drug Administration clearance to market the CONTOUR(R) USB blood glucose meter. Bayers CONTOUR USB meter is the first and only blood glucose monitor that plugs directly into a computer providing users with instant access to information that can help optimize diabetes management. The CONTOUR USB meter is integrated with Glucofacts(TM) DELUXE software for easy retrieval of data as well as longerterm tracking and analysis of blood glucose test results.

Bayers CONTOUR USB meter is a cutting edge, premium meter that connects directly to a PC or MAC and the meter can store up to 2,000 test results. The builtin USB technology allows patients to simply plug in to gain knowledge about trends and patterns in their blood glucose levels.

Ongoing data tracking and accurate information sharing are key to good diabetes management. The CONTOUR USB meter facilitates data organization and management transforming results into meaningful insights that healthcare professionals and their patients can readily discuss.

“This is an ideal blood glucose monitor for patients who are highly engaged in managing their diabetes, particularly those on insulin who must test frequently,” said David Simmons, MD, chief medical officer for Bayer Diabetes Care. “With the CONTOUR USB meter, patients are able to review their results with their healthcare professional during an office visit, over the phone, or via email, giving them the opportunity to make treatment adjustments, such as taking action to reduce their A1C levels, if necessary.”

Measurement of A1C provides an average assessment of blood sugar levels over the past three months and is an indicator of how well diabetes is being controlled over the longer term. Studies have shown that routine tracking of blood glucose can help patients better manage their blood sugar and may result in a lower A1C level, which is important for consistent diabetes management. In fact, even a onepercent reduction in A1C reduces the risk of serious complications by 40 percent(1).

Bayers CONTOUR USB meter features

A bright color display screen visible in any light that shows average, high and low readings with

Customizable features such as intuitive pre and postmeal marking

500MB extra memory for storage of personal diabetes information

Rechargeable battery that can charge from any USB port or via the CONTOUR USB wall charger provided

Glucofacts(TM) DELUXE diabetes management software (use of Bayers diabetes management software has been shown to significantly lower A1C(2) and a sustained A1C reduction could lead to potential cost savings.)

The CONTOUR USB meter is based on Bayers trusted CONTOUR system, providing the same easy accuracy, No Coding(TM) technology, no interference with maltose, galactose, and oxygen and automatic correction for hematocrit and common interfering substances (e.g. acetaminophen, ascorbic acid), as well as a 5second test time and small (0.6 microlitre) sample size all helping to simplify life with diabetes. The CONTOUR USB meter uses CONTOUR blood glucose test strips currently available for other CONTOUR meters.

Nick Jonas of The Jonas Brothers, who has diabetes and is a diabetes ambassador for Bayer, said, “I already use Bayers CONTOUR meter to monitor my blood glucose and my doctor always talks about how important it is to track my results. I am excited to try out the new CONTOUR USB meter, because I can plug it in to a computer from wherever I am to get the information I need to manage my diabetes.”

About Diabetes

Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin. Approximately 23.6 million children and adults in the United States have diabetes, which puts them at risk for developing serious health complications over time, such as heart disease, kidney disease, blindness, and stroke.(3) Type 1 diabetes, also called juvenile diabetes, is usually diagnosed in children and young adults. In persons with type 1 diabetes, the body makes little or no insulin, which may result in many complications if glucose levels are not controlled.(4) Type 2 diabetes is usually diagnosed in adults, although increasingly, children are being diagnosed with this disease. Type 2 is associated with obesity, family history of diabetes, history of gestational diabetes, impaired glucose metabolism, physical inactivity, and race/ethnicity.(5)

Bayer Diabetes Care

Bayer Diabetes Care is a worldwide leader in diabetes, supporting customers in 100 countries, and, for more than 40 years, has led the way in diabetes care product innovation. Bayer introduced the first portable blood glucose meter and test strips, innovated the measurement of A1C (glycated hemoglobin) with A1CNow+(R) and A1CNow(R) SELFCHECK and was the first to offer a suite of blood glucose monitors (CONTOUR(R) and BREEZE(R)2). Certain features of Bayers blood glucose monitors such as No Coding technology and no interference from maltose and galactose make diabetes management easier. Today, Bayer Diabetes Care offers an unparalleled choice in diabetes management systems and comprehensive support including education, tools and resources designed to simplify life with diabetes.

Bayer HealthCare

The Bayer Group is a global enterprise with core competencies in the fields of health care, nutrition and hightech materials. Bayer HealthCare, a subsidiary of Bayer AG, is one of the worlds 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, Consumer Care, Medical Care and Pharmaceuticals divisions. The pharmaceuticals business operates under the name Bayer Schering Pharma. Bayer HealthCares aim is to discover and manufacture products that will improve human and animal health worldwide.

References

(1) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National diabetes fact sheet general information and national estimates on diabetes in the United States, 2003. cdc.gov/diabetes/pubs/pdf/ndfs_2003.pdf. Last accessed May 11, 2009

(2) Janssen M. Portalalin M, Wallace J, et al. Ascensia WinGLUCOFACTS(TM) Professional Software Improves

Diabetes Health Outcomes. J Diabetes Sci Technol 2007 14753.

(3) diabetes.org/diabetesstatistics/prevalence.jsp Last accessed May 11, 2009

(4) cdc.gov/diabetes/pubs/pdf/search.pdf. Last accessed May 4, 2009

(5) cdc.gov/diabetes/pubs/general.htm Last accessed May 4, 2009

The Obama administration “has yet to announce a candidate to head” USAID, despite the talk “about how superimportant foreign assistance is these days,” columnist Al Kamen writes in a Washington Post opinion piece examining the vacant USAID administrator position.

According to Kamen, “theres an increasing feeling in the foreign aid community that the leadership required to rescue a longsinking ship is not going to be easy to find.” He points out that “unless a nomination goes to the Hill in the next few weeks,” the agency could “be without an administrator at the end of the first year of Obamas presidency.”

Kamen writes that the “international aid community is so desperate for someone to run USAID that top aid groups are holding their own poll … listing 20 possibilities. A week into the poll, Nancy Birdsall, president of the Center for Global Development and formerly at the World Bank, is leading with 15 percent of the vote.” Many of the aid groups proposed candidates “tend toward the wonky long on aid expertise but short on the political heft and stature to lift AID to some modicum of functionality. But desperate times require creative solutions,” he writes before making some tongueincheek candidate suggestions (Kamen, 9/16).

This information was reprinted from globalhealth.kff.org with kind permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Global Health Policy Report, search the archives and sign up for email delivery at globalhealth.kff.org.

© Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

Alzheimers Society and Bupa have joined together to launch the first ever Dementia Champions programme in 130 Bupa care homes across the UK.

The new programme aims to develop inhouse leaders to champion good dementia care in their place of work and was successfully piloted in six Bupa care homes before the launch. By changing the culture of the workplace, the Dementia Champions programme aims to further improve quality of care and quality of life for people with dementia.

The quality of care for people living in residential care can vary widely and depend on the culture and leadership within the environment. The Dementia Champions programme is aimed at key staff who will be encouraged to harness their own charisma and drive to challenge the whole organisation to deliver highquality dementia care.

Neil Hunt, Chief Executive, Alzheimers Society says,

Alzheimers Society is delighted that Bupa Care Services will be rolling out the Dementia Champions programme across the UK. Delivering good dementia care is a skilled task and staff need access to continuous development. It is not enough simply to tick a box and say someone has been trained. The drive to improve care needs to be ongoing and the whole culture of the workplace needs to change. Thats what Bupa and Alzheimers Society are seeking to achieve with this programme.

Graham Stokes, Head of Mental Health, Bupa Care Services says,

Bupa is committed to providing highlypersonalised care for people living with dementia. We believe that specialist training of care home staff is a key factor in ensuring our residents enjoy the highest possible quality of life.

The Dementia Champions programme aims to improve quality of care and quality of life for people living with dementia. As a healthcare leader, its a goal we at Bupa share and we hope that we can also set a new standard for the dementia care sector.

There are 16 initial groups made up of approximately 180 staff from all Bupas dementia specialist care homes. Alzheimers Society and Bupa hope that, ultimately, the programme can offer benefits in any setting where dementia care is delivered.

After three years of negotiations, the United Nations General Assembly on Monday voted unanimously to authorize the creation of a new, more powerful agency for womens issues, Reuters reports. The new agency will consolidate four existing U.N. agencies that deal with womens issues and be led by an undersecretary general. The resolution calls for U.N. SecretaryGeneral Ban Kimoon to develop a comprehensive proposal that identifies the new agencys mission statement, organizational arrangements, funding and executive board.

British International Development Minister Gareth Thomas called creation of the agency “a landmark moment for gender equality and womens rights across the world.” He said the new agency “will have a far more powerful voice to help fight for the rights of women, including in many countries where they are still treated as second class citizens,” adding, “But for this new agency to make a difference, it has to be formed quickly, deliver results and have a strong leader.” Swedish Development Minister Gunilla Carlsson, speaking on behalf of the European Union, said that the move would strengthen womens rights, an area where she said the U.N. has “long been too weak.”

However, officials from the advocacy group Oxfam said that the failure to specify a mandate for the new agency at this time was “deplorable” and blamed “some member states” for the decision not to set the new agencys agenda. Daniela Rosche, head of Oxfams gender campaign, said that the creation of a new agency is “potentially exciting” but would “mean absolutely nothing if member states fail to give it a clear mission” (Worsnip, Reuters, 9/14).

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

© 2009 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.

Zits, pimples, bumps and blemishes are a young persons worst nightmare. Collectively they are known as acne, a very common skin condition that affects millions of adolescents. Now a Norwegian study published in the open access journal BMC Public Health has investigated the links between acne, diet and mental health issues in both males and females.

University of Oslo researcher Jon Anders Halvorsen together with coauthors from Lhasa (Tibet) and Boston (US) studied 3775 adolescents to explore the possible causes of acne. The 18 and 19year olds were given questionnaires to monitor their diets, lifestyle variables, and mental conditions. Participants reported on their own acne. Lastly, researchers acquired the sociodemographic status of the young people from Statistics Norway.

The study identified crude associations between acne and high intake of chocolate and chips and low intake of vegetables. In girls, there was a significant link between acne and diet low in raw and fresh vegetables. This may indicate that a lowglycemic index could have a protective role in the development of acne.

Dr. Halvorsen said “Our study shows a possible link between diet and acne. However, when we introduced symptoms of depression and anxiety in our statistical model, the role of diet became less clear. On the other hand the association between acne and mental health problems was still strong when diet was introduced. This underscores mental health problems as an important aspect of young peoples acne”.

He concluded, “It is too early to give evidence based diet advice to teenagers with acne. Further studies are needed. Luckily, acne is rarely associated with serious morbidity. However, it does cause problems for a high number of young people. I hope that this study will encourage doctors to help adolescents to treat their acne and researchers to find preventive factors. Young people deserve better!”

Notes
Is the association between acne and mental distress influenced by diet? Results from a crosssectional population study among 3775 late adolescents in Oslo, Norway.
Jon A Halvorsen, Florence Dalgard, Magne Thoresen, Espen Bjertness and Lars Lien
BMC Public Health (in press)
biomedcentral.com/bmcpublichealth/

Source
Graeme Baldwin