- Author: Health Informer
- Filed under: Health News
- Date: Sep 30,2011
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and other regulatory and international partners have completed the International Internet Week of Action (IIWA), a cooperative effort to curb online sales and distribution of counterfeit and illegal medical products.
This year’s IIWA, which ran between Sept. 20 and Sept. 27 is called OPERATION PANGEA IV, focused on websites supplying illegal and dangerous medicines. The operation is the largest Internet-based action of its kind in support of the International Medical Products Anti-Counterfeiting Taskforce.
The goal of the IIWA is to protect the public health by increasing the public’s awareness about the dangers and risks associated with purchasing medicines and medical devices from websites, to identify the producers and distributors of counterfeit or otherwise illegal pharmaceutical products or medical devices, to target these individuals or businesses with civil or criminal action, and to seize counterfeit and illegal products and remove them from the supply chain.
“The FDA will continue to work closely with our domestic and international law enforcement and regulatory partners to protect consumers from unapproved and potentially harmful products sold over the Internet,” said Dara Corrigan, associate commissioner for regulatory affairs. “We will continue to aggressively pursue those who sell products which may pose a significant risk to consumer health.”
The IIWA also provided an excellent opportunity for the FDA to enhance cooperation with international and domestic regulatory and law enforcement partners to effectively target those involved in the manufacture and distribution of illegal medicines. Read the rest of this entry »
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- Author: Health Informer
- Filed under: Health News
- Date: Sep 30,2011
New study connects the cancer gene Lin28 to glucose metabolism; may shed light on unifying principles in type 2 diabetes
A pathway activated in cancer plays an unexpected key role in metabolic diseases like type 2 diabetes, according to a study by researchers at Children’s Hospital Boston. Evidence that the Lin28/let-7 pathway influences the cellular response to glucose provides a unifying theme to perplexing data that associates human genetic variation with diabetes risk.
The multi-institutional research team led by George Q. Daley, MD, PhD, director of Stem Cell Transplantation and a leader in the Stem Cell Research Program at Children’s Hospital Boston – reported their findings in the September 30 issue of the journal Cell.
Let-7 is a microRNA, a small RNA that dampens the expression of a large set of genes related to cell growth and development. Previously, the Daley lab reported that Lin28, an RNA-binding protein found at high levels in the embryo, blocks let-7 production and is aberrantly expressed in about 15% of all cancers. Read the rest of this entry »
- Author: Health Informer
- Filed under: Health News
- Date: Sep 29,2011
Total Health Dental Care Offers Cost-Savings Membership Program to Make Whole Person Dentistry More Accessible
Created by an East Bay dentist, the Total Health Dental Care Membership Program now makes quality dentistry affordable for those without insurance. Dr. Sepand Hokmabadi, DDS, the directing dentist of Total Health Dental Care, designed the program to give more people access to care that might normally be out of reach financially. Until recently, cost-conscious patients could only choose between clinics, HMO offices or going without care entirely. But this innovative program gives people the opportunity to benefit from a reputable office providing whole person dentistry, an integrative approach that acknowledges the connection between oral and total health.
For under $1.00 per day, patients receive unlimited exams and X-rays, two cleanings per year and a 20% discount on fees reserved for patients with Delta Dental Premium insurance. A one-year commitment is required. Read the rest of this entry »
- Author: Health Informer
- Filed under: Health News
- Date: Sep 28,2011
With more and more New York area hospitals running ad campaigns to tout their latest advancements and awards, Manhattan’s Lenox Hill Hospital is introducing its first new advertising campaign in more than a dozen years by turning back the clock.
The new campaign takes a look back at the myriad accomplishments and breakthroughs introduced by the hospital over the past 154 years, and even shows historic figures who have been successfully treated at the New York institution.
Several TV commercials in the campaign use vintage footage to provide a retrospective of the accomplishments pioneered by the hospital. One memorable spot brings together Sir Winston Churchill, Gen. Douglas MacArthur, James Cagney, Mickey Mantle and Julie Andrews to provide an implied endorsement of their care they received by the doctors at Lenox Hill years ago.
Created by the New York advertising agency DeVito/Verdi, the campaign offers a fascinating look back at the innovation and success of this great American hospital nestled in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, which is now a proud member of the North Shore/LIJ Health System. Utilizing a tagline of “Taking care of New York since 1857,” the ads traverse the history of the hospital and take us up to the present day.
One print ad, entitled “We had cardiologists before the city even had arteries,” tells the story of how doctors at Lenox Hill (then called the German Hospital and Dispensary) were busy developing innovative treatments for a wide range of heart and vascular diseases in 1857. The ad continues to chronicle the success of Lenox Hill’s cardiac care over the succeeding decades.
Another ad points out the many pioneering advancements made by the hospital, including use of one of the first X-ray machines in the U.S. (1897), the first angiocardiography performed in the country (1938), and the nation’s first hospital based center for the study of sports medicine (1973). (See the print ads at: http://i.imgur.com/FuTuF.jpg and http://i.imgur.com/WVAwg.jpg) Read the rest of this entry »