- Author: Health Informer
- Filed under: Health News
- Date: May 20,2011
Test with enhanced reliability for monitoring HIV patients now CE marked
Roche announced that it has received CE mark for the expanded use of its novel HIV test(1). This allows the test to be used in smaller laboratory settings. In the face of the rapidly growing genetic diversity of HIV-1(2,3) and its implications for the efficacy of antiretroviral therapy, Roche’s new dual target approach ensures enhanced reliability of test results and more confidence in assessing viral loads. Since Roche introduced this innovative strategy in 2008, over 3.2 million tests have been performed using the dual target approach for monitoring HIV patients on antiretroviral therapy.
“This dual target approach improves the ability of physicians and laboratories to obtain reliable information about HIV-infected patients,” said Paul Brown, PhD, Head of Roche Molecular Systems. “Roche is committed to developing and providing new diagnostic tools such as this dual target approach that will better serve all laboratories performing viral load tests for HIV patients, including laboratories performing clinical trial and research-related studies that have specific needs.” Read the rest of this entry »
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- Author: Health Informer
- Filed under: Health News
- Date: May 19,2011
Majority of parents reticent about bariatric surgery for adolescents; prefer longer pre-surgery weight-loss program
Minority and low-income groups are more receptive
Just as cases of childhood obesity have skyrocketed in number over the last 40 years, so has children’s risk for obesity-related illness such as diabetes, high blood pressure, liver disease and other illnesses. Research shows a multitude of issues that contribute to the problem, but no single solution is clear.
Today, the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health reveals that for most parents, one highly controversial fix – bariatric surgery for teens – should not be available to kids under age 18.
Despite its benefits, bariatric surgery carries potential risks, which are not fully defined for adolescent patients. There is no standard age at which bariatric surgery is presented as an option for severely obese adolescents. Read the rest of this entry »
- Author: Health Informer
- Filed under: Health News
- Date: May 18,2011
A new survey from the nonprofit Gout & Uric Acid Education Society (GUAES) highlights an alarming awareness gap among Americans regarding the risk factors for gout, a chronic, potentially disabling form of arthritis which now affects an estimated 8.3 million Americans.
Among the survey findings are that only one in 10 Americans correctly cited cardiovascular disease as a risk factor for gout, while only one in three Americans correctly reported that obesity is a risk factor, and less than one in five reported that diabetes and kidney disease are risk factors. GUAES released the survey findings in advance of its annual Gout Awareness Day on May 22.
Gout is a form of arthritis caused by an accumulation of uric acid crystals in the joints. The crystals form when there are abnormally high levels of uric acid in the body. Gout is one of the most painful forms of arthritis and the most common form of inflammatory arthritis. While gout affects more men than women, post-menopausal women and those with a family history of the disease are also are at risk. Gout can affect any joint in the body and is among the fastest-growing diseases in the United States. Read the rest of this entry »
Checkdent, the dental video platform launched in 2006, announced the relaunch of its site with the addition of a social network for dentists and patients.
The newly launched social network offers a combination of features not available on any other dental health site, including:
- a dental health forum where patients can get answers from dentists and other users on popular topics like teeth bleaching, braces, wisdom teeth and root canal treatments
- an extensive collection of over 200 educational dental video clips and 300 articles continuously updated and added by a team of experts
- an interactive dentist directory with profile pages linked to the Checkdent social network
- the option for verified patients to write detailed reviews and rate dentists in key areas such as chairside manner, patient information and average wait time
- an easy way for dentists to reach out to new and existing patients Read the rest of this entry »