MATURE MARKET HEADLINES POSTED 02/20/98
Scientists Rethink Genetic Test for Alzheimer's
A collaboration of scientists at 26 research centers have discovered that the number of false positive diagnoses of Alzheimer's disease can be reduced by 30 percent when physicians administer a new test as part of their initial clinical evaluation.
The test is for a form of an Alzheimer-related gene called ApoE. The researchers, who were supported by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), reported that testing only for the E4 form of the gene, although strongly associated with Alzheimer's disease, is not sufficient to be used as a diagnostic tool by itself. In fact, nearly 40 percent of Alzheimer's patients with a confirmed diagnosis did not have the E4 form of the ApoE gene.
The researchers suggest that, following a thorough evaluation by a trained physician and using diagnostic tests such as MRIs, a test for the E4 form of ApoE might be a helpful supplemental tool for physicians trying to make clinical diagnoses of different types of dementias.
The scientists believe that other factors msut contribute to the risk of developing Alzheimer's. Therefore, other studies are searching for additional genes or environmental factors that may also play a role in determining whether or not a person develops Alzheimer's.
The presence of the E4 form of the ApoE gene, discovered 5 years ago as a risk factor for Alzheimer's, is found most often in people who exhibit signs of the disease after age 65. A full report of this 26 center study appears in yesterday's (February 19, 1998) issue of the "New England Journal of Medicine" and represents the largest cooperative investigation to date among 26 federally-funded U.S. Alzheimer's Disease Centers.
See AgeVenture archives for related article:
Trends in Geriatric Medicine
AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com
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Circumcision Trend Cut Short by Peter Principle
What is that phrase? The path to hell is paved with good intentions? Here's a case in point, so intriguing, I just had to share it. It's a story about a good idea gone bad. And, it starts about one hundred years ago.
Now, before you get all sleepy-eyed and start to nod off on me because history bores you, let me point out that this one hundred year old practice just might hold the key to some of the sexual dysfunctions facing Baby Boomers today. The one hundred year old practice I'm talking about is male circumcision. According to a recent report in a publication of the American Council on Science and Health, author Dr. Robert S. Van Howe, a practicing pediatrician and clinical instructor at the Medical College of Wisconsin, states that the early trauma of circumcision may extend all the way into mid-life and beyond.
Van Howe argues that "the adverse affects of circumcision on self-esteem and body image appear to increase with age, as circumcised men entering their forties and fifties increasingly express dissatisfaction (with sexual performance)." Circumcised men, says Van Howe, report suffering from premature ejaculation, impotence, and painful intercourse. Although he admits that his own evidence is largely anecdotal, Van Howe cites a University of Chicago study that appears to support his contention of significant differences in the health status of circumcised and non-circumcised males. In that study, circumcised men engaged in masturbation and oral sex more often then did noncircumcised men. That could seem like a bit of a stretch to some, so let's look at the total picture that's causing red flags to be raised.
Circumcision, says Van Howe, was introduced as a "routine medical practice a century ago to eradicate (a number of health hazards)". Ironically, many health problems appear to disproportionately affect cultures where the practice of circumcision is pervasive. For example, in the United States, where 80-90 percent of the males are circumcised, there exists one of the highest rates of sexually transmitted diseases (STD) and HIV infection.
It doesn't seem like circumcision is much help with STDs. And, if you consider other health factors like cancer, Van Howe points out that penile cancer is far higher in the United States then in countries where fewer than two percent of the males are circumcised, such as Denmark, Japan, and Norway. The report suggests that circumcision is not the preventive health practice once claimed over a century ago.
In fact, the report estimates that the aftereffects of the practice in the United States may be extracting a long-term medical and psycho-sexual trauma costing the United States between $500 million and $800 million annually. "Until the full range of harm is known," says Van Howe, "prudence demands a moratorium on the surgery".
If you'd like to read the report, which includes a pro and con format, pick up a copy of "Priorities for Long Life and Good Health" (Volume 9, Number 4, 1997), a publication of the American Council on Science and Health, New York, NY.
What would Freud say about this interesting turn of events where a practice intended to reward people with health, actually punishes them with sexual dysfunction? I guess he would agree that it's like the Peter Principle. A well intended penile system for babes, given enough time, will eventually evolve into a penal system for baby boomers.
AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com
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New Snack Targets 6 Million Elder Diabetics
Proper diet and nutrition are important for everyone, especially the 6.3 million senior adults who have diabetes. That means eating healthy foods at regular times to keep blood sugar levels under control.
Experts agree that tight control will reduce the long term complications of diabetes including blindness, kidney disease, and heart disease. In response to this need, Mead Johnson Nutritionals has introduced Choice dm Nutrition Bars, a nutritionally complete bar available specifically for people with diabetes.
The snack bar works to help diabetics meet their meal planning goals and control their disease. In order to do this, the Choice Bar contains resistant starch, a unique controlled-release source of carbohydrate that has been clinically shown to help reduce the rise in blood sugar levels. Currently available in two flavors, Peanutty Chocolate and Fudge Brownie, the nutritional bar can be used as a convenient snack by active seniors with diabetes:
- Between meals or at bedtime
- Before, during or after exercise
- During periods of illness
- During late work nights, traffic jams, or air travel delays.
To help people with diabetes manage these nutritional choices and challenges, Mead Johnson is offering free brochures on taking control while living with diabetes, managing delayed or missed meals, and managing food choices. Among other helpful information, the free brochures offer assistance with:
- Finding a diabetes educator
Call the American Association of Diabetes Educators
toll-free at: 1-800-832-6874
for the names of educators in your zip code.
- Finding a diabetes education program
Call the American Diabetes Association (ADA)
toll-free at: 1-800-342-2383
for names and phone numbers of programs near you.
- Finding a registered dietitian
Call the ADA Consumer Nutrition Hotline
toll-free at: 1-800-366-1655
for names of registered dietitians who offer diabetes counseling.
Free copies of the brochures can be obtained by calling the NutriLINE at 1-800-247-7893.
AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com
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$32 million Bucks Bilked By Bogus Business
In less than three years, approximately 4000 consumers have been bilked out of nearly $32 million by phony "medical billing business" promoters. The victims ... who had hoped to start a high-tech, home-based business ... lost an average of $8,000 each.
The promoters of these bogus business schemes portray a lucrative and wide-open market for processing medical billing and insurance claims for doctors. In truth, most doctors who outsource their billing don't do so with small, start-up companies. In response to these scams, the Federal Trade Commission now offers a consumer alert brochure called "Medical Billing Business Opportunity Schemes: a bitter pill", which describes to potential investors the deceptive and misleading promotions used by these unscrupulous promoters.
Here are a few precautions.
- Check out unresolved complaints about the company
with attorney general, Better Business Bureau, or consumer protection agency.
- Call the Secretary of State
where the company is headquartered to see how long it's been in business.
- Get all claims in writing
and insist on substantiation of successful ventures.
- Be skeptical of past success stories
because bogus companies hire fraudulent references who exaggerate claims.
- Don't sign anything and don't make any payments
until you have consulted with your attorney and your accountant.
Copies of the free brochure are available by writing to: Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Response Center, 6th St and Pennsylvania Ave, N.W., Washington, DC 20580.
AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com
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Government Urges Adults to Get Physical
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has a new campaign called "Physical Activity: It's Everywhere You Go" which promotes moderate physical exercise among adults. The campaign's goal is to help inactive people achieve 30 minutes of moderate physical activity a day, five or more days a week.
Last year's Surgeon General's Report on Physical Activity and Health stated that even a moderate amount of physical activity has significant health benefits, and that 60 percent of Americans were not yet moderately active. Developed for use by health professionals and community leaders nationwide, the CDC promotional materials include a packet of marketing tools for promoting the campaign.
Included in the packet are strategies for working with the media, developing physical activity programs, marketing activities, and public service messages for the print and broadcast media. Also included are physical activities that are fun and social. The CDC hopes the campaign will encourage more people to reduce their risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and colon cancer. Anyone interested in helping promote this campaign should contact the CDC at 1-888-CDC-4NRG, or download the campaign materials at the CDC's Internet Website at www.cdc.gov
AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com
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