Here are some of the latest health and medical news
developments, compiled by editors of
HealthDay:
Pilot Project Tests Cell Phones in TB Fight
The cell phone is joining the arsenal of technology used to keep
folks healthy.
A student-led group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
in Cambridge has developed a way to use cell phones to let
tuberculosis patients report their adherence to the drug regimen
they must take. If the tests show patients are following doctor's
orders to take all their medication, they get rewarded with free
cell phone minutes, the
Associated Press reports.
Under the MIT pilot plan, patients test their urine using a
strip that reveals a numeric code if it detects TB medicines, which
are usually taken for six months. They then text-message the code
to their health care provider and get credit toward incentives such
as free minutes.
The in-home tests also eliminate the need for health care
workers to make several patient-monitoring visits a week, a routine
that is often impractical in remote places, said Jose
Gomez-Marquez, one of the project's leaders.
Dr. Mario Raviglione, director of a World Health Organization
program to fight TB, called the MIT idea "creative." But he told
the
AP personal visits must continue because systems that depend
on patient self-reporting have often failed in the developing
world.
In 2006, the most recent year statistics are available, 9.2
million people worldwide were diagnosed with tuberculosis, and 1.7
million died, according to
AP. The WHO estimates that up to 10 percent of TB deaths are
patients who stop taking medication properly.
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Care of Female Veterans Lags at Some VA Hospitals: Report
U.S. female veterans aren't receiving the same quality of care
as men at about one-third of Department of Veterans Affairs
facilities, according to a VA review obtained by the
Associated Press.
While the VA has created women's clinics at many hospitals, more
clinicians need to be trained in women's care, and there's a need
for more equipment focused on women's health, the document
states.
The review, mandated by Congress, seems to support criticism by
advocates and some members of Congress that the health care system
needs to do more to help female veterans, the
AP reported.
Any discrepancies in care are unacceptable and the agency is
aggressively tackling the issue, said Dr. William E. Duncan,
associate deputy undersecretary for health for quality and safety
at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
"We're striving to understand the reason for these health
disparities and to eliminate differences in veterans' health care
based on personal characteristics," Duncan told the
AP.
Currently, women account for about five percent of the VA's
population. But that percentage is expected to nearly double in the
next two years as more female veterans return home from Iraq and
Afghanistan, the wire service said.
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Psoriasis Drug Could Raise Risk of Cancer: FDA
While the Johnson & Johnson drug ustekinumab may be
effective in treating moderate-to-severe psoriasis, it also may
raise users' risk of cancer, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
warned Friday.
On its Web site, the agency said it probably needed to evaluate
additional safety data before deciding whether the skin-disease
drug increased the likelihood of cancer, the
Wall Street Journal reported.
"The is a question whether a larger number of subjects, followed
for longer periods might better inform the long-term safety of use
of ustekinumab," the agency said.
An FDA advisory committee of experts on Tuesday is scheduled to
decide whether to recommend whether to approve the drug, the
newspaper said. The full agency isn't bound to follow the
recommendations of its expert panels, but generally does.
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EPA's Proposed Lead Standards May Not Be Adequate: Experts
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's proposed new
standards for lead air pollution may not be adequate to protect
public health, according to some experts who attended a public
meeting in Baltimore.
The meeting is one of a series being held by the EPA to gather
input on its proposal to reduce the current standard of 1.5
micrograms of lead per cubic meter of air to between 0.10
micrograms and 0.30 micrograms per cubic meter of air.
The standard should be set below 0.10 micrograms, Frank
O'Donnell, president of the nonprofit group Clean Air Watch, told
the EPA panel on Thursday,
The Baltimore Sun reported.
"Lead is a very toxic pollutant that steals IQ points from
children," O'Donnell said.
"We're pleased the EPA is tightening the standards, but they
should be set at the higher level," said Gary Ewart, director of
government relations for the American Thoracic Society, the
Sun reported.
The EPA will accept written comments on the proposed standards
until July 21 and is expected to adopt the new standards on Sept.
15, the newspaper said.
