Global Health News

The United States is poised to begin an ambitious program aimed at accelerating the adoption of computerized patient records in doctors’ offices and hospitals. With $19 billion in government incentives, the conversion is geared at bringing better care and lower costs to save the American healthcare system up to $100 billion annually. Studies indicate that there is not yet a notable difference in the cost and quality of care.

The Duke University Health System has begun utilizing everyday data from patients’ electronic medical records and an analytics tool to personalize their approach to treating the patient. Using IBM Cognos, Duke is able to sift through the information for more than 20 million patients in its Oracle-based clinical data repository and identify risk factors for given conditions such as the H1N1 virus.

Scientists at Johns Hopkins have developed sugar-coated polymer strands that are able to kill off cells involved in triggering allergy and asthma attacks. The research team has studied a unique protein known as Siglec-8, present in the surfaces of some immune cells, for more than a decade. Findings suggest that the newly discovered sugar can selectively attach to and activate Siglec-8 to control the immune response.

An Indian eye hospital has begun using new software that will allow doctors to view retinal images collected from patients in remote locations on their iPhones. Individuals in rural areas who have been trained to take the eye images send them to physicians who return their diagnosis and recommendations. The hospital plans to use this technology to test infants for Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) and ocular cancers.

In an effort to provide artificial light in regions of the world where electricity and light bulbs may not be available, Danish researcher Frederik Krebs has created an LED lamp embedded within a flexible solar panel. The printable photovoltaic panels can be rolled up to mimic a lamp, and could potentially provide light to the 1.5 billion people worldwide living without electricity.

A new study by Dr. Donald Stein of Emory University indicates that the pregnancy hormone progesterone may help to speed up the rate of healing following traumatic brain injuries. Dr. Stein told NPR's Guy Raz that new treatments using progesterone may lead to a dramatic reduction in mortality in moderate to severely brain injured patients and improvements in functional outcomes.

A paper published recently in Nursing Times addressed concerns about the increasing use of telemedicine technologies and lack of discussion regarding legal and ethical issues tied to its use. The author, Firas Sarhan MSc, PGDip, BA, addresses anecdotal evidence that points to a number of shortcomings in existing medical and healthcare related law.

The University of Utah has introduced an innovative interactive visualizer tool, the Cell Size and Scale. By moving a slider back and forth, one is able to get a clear visual representation of the difference in size between the parts of a cell and the comparison between these and more familiar items.

The AARP Magazine recently discussed biologic medicines and their effectiveness in improving patients’ health. Unlike conventional chemical drugs, biologics are produced by living organisms and specifically target human proteins that are involved in disease. These new medications have been genetically engineered to target specific the cells of cancers, including brain, lunch, breast, colon, and rectal, and help to stop their growth.
  

World Health Organization statistics indicate that malaria kills about one million people annually, primarily children in Africa under the age of five. Scientists in this region have begun trials of a new malaria vaccine, Mosquirix, involving nearly 16,000 children. The vaccine was developed through a partnership between GlaxoSmithKline and the U.S.-based Path Malaria Vaccine Initiative, with a portion of funding provided by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Two new studies show that low blood cholesterol levels reduce not only the risk of heart diseases but also of cancer. Cholesterol levels below the recommended 200 milligrams per deciliter were found to be associated with an 18 percent higher overall risk of cancer, but this risk was applied only to cases diagnosed early in an 18-year study of Finnish men.

Following an analysis of 211 breast cancer tumors that had spread to the lymph nodes of the armpit, UK researchers have found that nearly 40 percent change form when they spread. This new finding could mean required changes to treatment regimes as cancer cells which spread are more difficult to treat than those in the breast. Roughly 46,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year in the UK.

USA Today reports that young people are worrying more about school and their family’s finances. Data from the American Psychological Association indicates that 44 percent of young people say that doing well in school is their top source of stress, and 30 percent cite worries about their family having enough money. The annual Stress in America survey, conduced by Harris Interactive, included 1,206 young people and 1,568 adults.

Survivors of childhood brain tumors may suffer lasting problems with memory and other brain functions, according to data from a new study. Lower levels of education, employment, and income than siblings and survivors of other types of cancer were also seen. Researchers studied 802 survivors of malignant brain tumors, 5,937 survivors of non-CNS cancers, and 382 siblings of CNS cancer survivors.

Earlier this year, bisphenol A, a chemical used in the production of hard plastics, raised concerns due to its potential to cause reproductive abnormalities, breast and prostate cancers, diabetes, and heart disease. The chemical has now been in detected in some canned foods, causing concern though the Food and Drug Administration and Center for Disease Control and Prevention maintain that low levels are safe for humans.