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ApoE
— thanks for the lost memories
ALBUQUERQUE —
Genes can be time bombs just waiting to go off. For
instance, people who have two copies of the e4 allele
of the ApoE gene are eight times more likely
to suffer from Alzheimer's disease than the rest of
the population. New research published in the January
issue of Neuropsychology says that even if these
otherwise healthy people don't develop Alzheimer's,
they may have memory problems that kick in later in
life. Of a group of 32 dementia-free 60-87 year-olds,
those with the e4 genotype were less likely to remember
certain words they were given than control subjects.
Why
they called Louise Jefferson 'Wheezy'
DENVER —
A new study finds black patients respond differently
to asthma medication and may need higher doses than
white patients. The study, published in February's CHEST,
looked at 597 black and white patients and their responses
to glucocorticoid. Researchers found that, all other
things being equal, black patients required more medication
to restore airflow. The study authors hope the finding
will lead to more sensible dosage guidelines and maybe
prevent needless asthma morbidity and death in the black
community.
Expert
slams UK govt's research meddling
LONDON —
A commentary by researcher Dr Jangu Banatvala and colleagues
appearing in an upcoming Lancet castigates Britain's
method of assessing which studies get government cash.
The authors feel the scheme, called the Research Assessment
Exercise (RAE), run by the National Health Service,
discourages a great deal of research that could be beneficial
to patients and skews its funding to favour basic science.
They feel that there are plenty of safeguards against
asinine dead-end research (like peer review and research
councils) and that the RAE must be abolished.
Puberty
starts with a KiSS
PITTSBURGH —
US scientists believe to have located the genetic spark
that turns on puberty. The gene, KiSS-1, stimulates
the brain's hypothalamus to make the protein that then
jump-starts the production of reproductive hormones.
Until now, scientists were unable to locate the trigger
that sets off the hormonal cascade that drives puberty.
The findings are published in the February 1 online
edition of PNAS.
MDs
remember profession's darkest days
CHICAGO —
A meeting of the American Medical Association
(AMA) paid tribute to the victims of Nazi medical science
on January 24 at DePaul University in Chicago. AMA ethicist
Dr Matthew Wynia addressed the audience, reminding them
that Germany was the world's medical research giant
at the time of Adolf Hitler's ascension to power. But
within months the research community had been transformed
into a cesspool all but devoid of ethics. It was in
this environment that monsters like Dr Joseph Mengele
emerged. Dr Wynia told the crowd "we need to never forget
that within one year, a public medical profession transformed
from a positive public health program to a killing program."
Prenatal
pollution culpable for cancer
PERSHORE, UK —
A child's chance of developing cancer may be determined
even before he or she is born, according to a study
published in the February issue of the Journal of
Epidemiology and Community Health. The study compared
the birth addresses of children who died of cancer in
the UK between 1966 and 1980 to emissions maps, and
found a significant correlation between a birth address
within 1km of an emission 'hotspot' and death from childhood
cancer. The authors point their fingers at prenatal
exposure to industrial and environmental pollutants
as the probable culprit in these cancer cases.
Baby
steps toward higher infant mortality
ATLANTA —
In 2002, infant mortality rose for the first time in
44 years in the US. A Center for Disease Control and
Prevention report released January 24 says that an increase
in the abnormally low birth rates may be behind this.
Interestingly, this increase is primarily among mothers
aged 20-34, contradicting speculation that the trend
to delay motherhood may explain the mortality rates.
The report suggested that maternal health factors such
as anemia and diabetes might lie at the root of the
problem.
Brit
GP patient load all over the map
LONDON —
Oh to be a general practitioner in Scotand's
remote Western Isles — or at least that's what
the docs in Derby must be thinking. There are only 680
citizens for every GP on those islands while in Derby
the ratio is 3,428:1. The Westminster area of London
had the second lowest citizen to GP ratio at 717. The
data was collected by GMAP, a market research firm.
In response to the data, the Chair of the British Medical
Association's GP committee told the BBC "...we have
encouraged the government to look at ways to help incentivize
recruitment of GPs to under-doctored areas."
Annoying
younger siblings redeemed
HOBART, AUSTRALIA
— People who were exposed to infant siblings
during the first six years of life have a lower chance
of getting MS, according to a study published in the
January 26 JAMA. Researchers found that the longer
someone was in contact with a younger sibling the more
the risk dropped — one to three years of contact
with an infant equalled a 43% reduced risk; three to
five years meant a 60% reduced risk; and more than five
years meant an 88% reduced risk. The authors link their
findings to the 'hygiene hypothesis,' and believe that
the added exposure to infection during early life can
boost the immune system. Finally, parents everywhere
who are plagued by "Mum, he's touching me" from the
kids in the back seat can safely reply "It's good for
you."
Phobia-ridden
die from heart disease
BOSTON —
A study published in the February Circulation
finds that women who suffer from anxiety disorders are
at a higher risk of dying from heart disease. Women
with high levels of anxiety from phobias had a 59% higher
risk of sudden cardiac death and 31% increased risk
of suffering other kinds of heart-related deaths. The
risk remained significant for these subjects even after
factoring in risk like hypertension, diabetes and high
cholesterol. The study looked at more than 72,000 women
over a 12-year period.
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