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Smear
campaign helps HIV+ women
NEW YORK —
There's nothing like the thought of a Pap smear to make
most women put off their gynecological visit. But there
appears to be no way around it, especially for HIV positive
women who are urged to have them annually. A recent
report brings good news for these unfortunate women.
The study, in the March 23 issue of JAMA, concludes
that HIV positive women with normal CD4 cell counts
who test negative for HPV, need only have Pap smears
every three years — like their healthy HIV negative
counterparts. The conclusions were based on a two-year
study of 855 seropositive and 343 seronegative women.
SEER
predicts future for radiation therapy
HOUSTON —
Radiation therapy for breast cancer was once a case
of kill or cure, as the radioactive rays could wreak
havoc on the heart. According to a study in the March
16 edition of the Journal of the National Cancer
Institute, however, the risk of mortality from ischemic
heart disease associated with adjuvant radiation has
consistently declined over time. Researchers came to
this conclusion by examining the records of 27,283 breast
cancer patients treated with adjuvant radiation between
1973 and 2000 in the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance,
Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) dataset.
Early
bloomers dodge the STI bullet
MANCHESTER —
Girls who reach sexual maturity at an early age are
less likely to get an STI, according to a study published
in the April 1 issue of Sexually Transmitted Infections,
possibly due to hormonal protection. Researchers looked
at 127 girls aged 17 or under who started menses within
the last five years. Among study subjects, 64.4% of
them had HPV, 33.9% were positive for bacterial vaginosis
and 26.8% had chlamydia. Strangely, those who reached
puberty earliest were less likely to have any of these
nasty diseases. The authors speculate that the higher
levels of estrogen in these early bloomers triggers
the body's defence mechanism.
Formulaic
approach to waiting times
BRISBANE —
Surgery waiting times plague many countries in the industrialized
world. A team of intrepid Aussie mathematicians from
the Queensland University of Technology believes it's
found the solution to cutting those overgrown queues
down to size. The team has applied mathematical formulas
to elective surgery waiting lists with a goal to make
them more efficient. Lead math whiz Sam McHardy says
that it could be possible to chop waiting times without
bulking resources by mathematically controlling the
way hospitals process and prioritize patients.
Antidepressants
and heart attacks — oh MI!
NOTTINGHAM —
Depressives may not only have to worry about an attack
of the blues, but about heart attacks as well. A study
of 60,000 myocardial infarction patients and 360,000
matched controls revealed that people taking antidepressants
were more likely to have heart attacks. As this association
was general to all antidepressants, rather than to a
particular class, researchers believe that factors underlying
the depression rather than the antidepressants themselves
are responsible for the increased risk. The study appears
in the April issue of Heart.
The
sleep apnea/cardiac arrest connection
ROCHESTER, MN
— Sleep apnea leaves patients vulnerable
to sudden death due to cardiac arrest overnight, according
to a study published in the March 24 NEJM. Researchers
looked at the death certificates of 112 Minnesota residents
who had polysomnography and who died suddenly due to
cardiac causes. They found that sudden death from cardiac
arrest between midnight and 6am occurred in 46% of patients
with sleep apnea, compared to 21% of those without the
affliction.
Asthma
puffer saves the ozone
GREENFORD, UK
— Since the inception of the Montreal Protocol
in 1987, all ozone-depleting propellants are being phased
out and replaced with more environmentally friendly
products. But the initiative doesn't just stop at air
fresheners and hairspray — asthma inhalers look
to be the next to go. In accordance with the Protocol,
UK researchers, writing in the April issue of Respiratory
Medicine, compared the efficacy of a non-ozone-depleting
salmeterol inhaler using hydrofluoroalkane (HFA) to
the traditional metered-dose inhalers using chlorofluorocarbon
(CFC). They concluded that salmeterol HFA was just as
effective as the CFC formulation in children and adults.
The incidence of adverse events was also similar for
both products.
Inhaler
huffs, puffs and blows placebo away
CINCINNATI —
In other puffer news, severe asthma sufferers whose
symptoms aren't controlled with fluticasone may be able
to breathe easier thanks to an inhaled corticosteroid
called ciclesonide. Of 531 patients randomized to receive
ciclesonide, fluticasone, or placebo, the quality of
life scores of the ciclesonide bunch were significantly
higher than those of the placebo group, though the scores
of the fluticasone group were higher still. Nonetheless
these results, presented March 22 at the meeting of
the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology,
provide more treatment options for severe asthma.
Low-dose
aspirin prevents pre-eclampsia
KINGSTON, ON —
Low-dose aspirin therapy may be a way to prevent pre-eclampsia,
according to findings in a study published online March
17 in the International Journal of Clinical Investigation.
Researchers tested the controversial treatment, previously
associated with blood clotting and problems during labour,
on mice. They created a model that mimics low-dose aspirin
therapy and found that both uterine and ovarian environments
were only slightly altered, and they experienced normal
labour. Researchers hope this means that pre-eclampsia
can be effectively treated without putting mother or
baby at risk.
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