sixtwitch.com: aggregated: blogdigger
links for 2005-05-27...
iHealthBeat podcast, DHHS Secretary Mike Leavitt discussed the "humanitarian and economic imperative" to establish a national interoperable health information network to improve health care in the United States. Speaking this week to medical student ... (more) (06/01/2005)
Healthcare? More like perpetuation of laziness!...
Change or Die “A relatively small percentage of the population consumes the vast majority of the health-care budget for diseases that are very well known and by and large behavioral.” … “Even as far back as when I was in medi ... (more) (06/01/2005)
Effect of hypnotic sedation during percutaneous transluminal...
Am J Cardiol. 2004 Apr; 93(8): 1035-8Baglini R, Sesana M, Capuano C, Gnecchi-Ruscone T, Ugo L, Danzi GBForty-six patients were randomized to receive drug (group 1) or hypnotic sedation (group 2) during percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty ... (more) (06/01/2005)
Don't Judge Me (Wherein I Declare Decisive Victory Over a Sp...
So, you may have noticed I haven’t been updating the site much. I have been busy at work, but that isn’t what has been stopping me. We all know the cliche of the tortured artist, where great art comes from pain. I have had enough pain ov ... (more) (06/01/2005)
The Doctor Will Be With You Shortly?...
One of the most frequent complaints about our medical system is the lack of availability to doctors and facilities, commonly referred to as ?access to care.? Several factors have converged to create this problem, not least among them a decreasing nu ... (more) (06/01/2005)
IHT Get Steamed About IP...
I'm doing my thing at the WSIS Conference in St Petersburg on Wednesday Apparently I'm co-chairing, looks like a busy day tomorrow. Anyhoo, I picked up the IHT in the plane on Friday and immediately found more amo for the presentation in these two o ... (more) (06/01/2005)
Through the 5 Boroughs A marathon post about my marathon...
Today, my body is tied in knots. Some ligament or tendon on the outside of my left knee is throbbing, and my legs are so sore and my hips so stiff that I have trouble walking up and down stairs. My back is stiffening, and I've been on Advil non-stop ... (more) (06/01/2005)
Vioxx, Celebrex Safety Concerns...
Vioxx, Celebrex and Bextra Alternatives Sought When Vioxx was recalled from the market in September of 2004 many patients throughout the U.S.A. and worldwide went looking for a new painkiller. Some of them were advised by their doctors to return to ... (more) (06/01/2005)
the smartest dumb girl...
…well, that’s how I feel sometimes. ADD is a bitch of a stumbling block. Some people believe that ADD or ADHD sufferers are just fidgety or flighty. It’s common to brand those with the ailment as being disruptive or difficult. It c ... (more) (06/01/2005)
Medication Recall Boost Alternative Therapies...
Ever since the health alerts regarding Vioxx, Celebrex, Bextra and the over the counter drug Aleve, more doctors are suggesting alternative therapies for pain management. Techniques such as acupuncture, guided imagery and biofeedback have little neg ... (more) (06/01/2005)
Doctors Need Drug Data...
In an article for the New York Times News Service, writer Barry Meier reports that doctors are having a difficult time assessing pain relievers with the recent Vioxx recall and the problems now associated with Celebrex, Bextra and Aleve. "We are des ... (more) (06/01/2005)
disappearing act...
yup, I disappeared again.Friday -- I went up to MOCA to pick up a packet during the opening -- no packet for me at the entry desk or the main desk, extremely loud DJ for the opening, anyway. xhollydayx calls me, she is on her way to the Beachl ... (more) (06/01/2005)
Expert Predicts Big Future for Pfizer's Lyrica Drug...
An industry analyst is predicting that the newly approved Pfizer drug Lyrica could generate annual sales of more than $1 billion, which would offset the expected erosion of sales of Pfizer's Celebrex and Bextra ...(06/01/2005)
Correction: Pfizer-Pain-Drug Story...
In a Dec. 31 story about a new pain drug, The Associated Press erroneously reported that Pfizer Inc.'s Lyrica was the first approved for treatment of pain associated with diabetes. Eli Lilly & Co.'s drug, Cymbalta, was approved Sept. 3 to treat diab ... (more) (06/01/2005)
More College Students Abusing Prescription Drug Stimulants...
A study released by the University of Michigan found that 7 percent of college students used prescription drugs as stimulants for non-medical purposes during their lifetimes, and 4 percent have done it in the past month. The national study included ... (more) (06/01/2005)
The Prep...
Three weeks before I left for Peru, I was running around frantically clearing out my condo to get it ready to go on the market. Thanks to Rebecca's kind soul, a fat check to a miracle cleaner (windows, bathrooms, kitchen, fridge, moss on balcony, yo ... (more) (06/01/2005)
More Bitter Pills For Big Pharma...
Last year, Merck & Co. made pharmaceutical history as the company that suffered the greatest agony due to a pain remedy. In September, Merck withdrew Vioxx, its $2.5 billion pain medication, after a study confirmed fears that the drug raised the ris ... (more) (06/01/2005)
Seeking insurance, individuals face many obstacles...
Tuesday, May 31, 2005 By Sarah Lueck, The Wall Street Journal John Craig, a 46-year-old software consultant in Orem, Utah, plays racquetball twice a week, doesn't smoke or drink and isn't overweight. But when he tried to get an individual health-ins ... (more) (06/01/2005)
Hello Again...
A little more than a month ago, I came to the conclusion that politics just didn't get my blood boiling: it was time for a blogging haitus. I'm glad to tell you all that I'm back, and will be posting a little more each week til I'm back in the game. ... (more) (06/01/2005)
Its been quite a while......
...since my last entry. All systems are go on the new shiny meds front, I got a call from the hospital last friday to say my prescription was in the post. It's all slightly confusing - the chemist has to order the stuff in, and once I get it I've go ... (more) (06/01/2005)
Excellent Listing of Trials and other Information for Ewing'...
http://195.228.254.34/kkk/kernel/ewing.php?FrmPart=FT Table of contents History, classsical clinics and pathology History Ewing Sarcoma Family of Tumors Origin of Ewing sarcoma General pathology Molecular pathology General considerations Specific tr ... (more) (06/01/2005)
Coronary Artery Aneurysms: Another reason to avoid cocaine...
Link: Increased Prevalence of Coronary Artery Aneurysms Among Cocaine Users -- Satran et al. 111 (19): 2424 -- Circulation.These investigators say they had noticed an unusual number of coronary artery aneurysms among cocaine users. (Aneurysm, a weak ... (more) (06/01/2005)
Aspirin may improve recovery after heart bypass...
People who are taking aspirin regularly to thin their blood and are about to undergo coronary artery bypass surgery are usually told to stop the aspirin a week before the operation -- but they could be better off if they keep taking it. Taking aspir ... (more) (06/01/2005)
Ready System allows Mini-Bypass...
NovoSci is sponsoring a symposium at an upcoming conference to discuss their Ready System for reduced blood diversion during CABG procedures. "About 35 percent of CABG (coronary artery bypass grafting) procedures report complications, and the morbid ... (more) (06/01/2005)
Impact of Coronary Artery Stents on Mortality and Nonfatal M...
Although a strategy of routine stenting has been shown to reduce the need for TVR compared with a strategy of balloon angioplasty alone, what is the impact on mortality and frequency of nonfatal MI?American Heart JournalLaurie Barclay(06/01/2005)
Early and Late Clinical Outcomes After Rotational Atherectom...
Study seeks to expand upon the limited data available on the effect of rotational atherectomy plus stenting vs rotational atherectomy plus balloon angioplasty for complex coronary lesions.Journal of Invasive Cardiology(06/01/2005)
New Linear (tm) 7.5 Fr. Intra-Aortic Balloon...
Datascope is releasing a brand new intra-arterial baloon that is both smaller and stronger: The Linear 7.5 is a 40cc IAB with the smallest diameter of any IAB available in the U.S. market. This reduced size enables clinicians to deliver counterpulsa ... (more) (06/01/2005)
Why Byron Borger is a neocalvinist pacifist Ther......
Why Byron Borger is a neocalvinist pacifist There are often wonderful discussions that take place in the comments to my postings in this blog. Thank you to all of you who participate in these discussions. Thank you, also, to those of you who interac ... (more) (06/01/2005)
Wednesday: Still Got a Watergate Buzz...
Washington Post: Sucks that the Post didn't get to break the Deep Throat story (pdf file), but I'm sure a lot of people didn't believe it until they confirm it anyway. The Post calls the clandestine meetings Woodward and Deep Throat "the most potent ... (more) (06/01/2005)
Drug-Fueled Creativity...
If the U.S. weren’t such an anti-intellectual society, perhaps instead of having a problem of high school athletes taking steroids (ostensibly to become like their favorite stars in the MLB or the NFL), we would have a serious drug problem amo ... (more) (06/01/2005)
How to deal with ADHD?...
U.S. household income losses due to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) total nearly $77 billion each year, according to a new analysis of the national large-scale survey, "Capturing America's Attention," presented at the American Psychi ... (more) (06/01/2005)
Pfizer Drug Helped Reduce Seizures in Trial...
Pfizer Inc. said on Monday that its Lyrica epilepsy drug reduced the frequency of partial seizures by as much as 53 percent when given as an add-on therapy to other anti-epileptic(06/01/2005)
Hormones Influence Sexual Orientation?...
The use of Thyroxine, a synthethic hormone, as well as amphetamine-based diet pills has been linked to influencing a higher rate of homosexuality among child-bearing women and their offspring -- prominently females -- according to a new study.Mother ... (more) (06/01/2005)
Silver discs (May 1980)[A monthly look back at the......
Silver discs (May 1980) [A monthly look back at the top singles of 25 years ago]The three best records from the Top 10 (7th May 1980) Dexy's Midnight Runners - Geno: Before Eileen (and well before dustman chic gave way to dungarees) there ... (more) (06/01/2005)
Virginity or Death...
Stolen from a message board I frequentThis column was written by Katha Pollitt. Imagine a vaccine that would protect women from a serious gynecological cancer. Wouldn't that be great? Well, both Merck and GlaxoSmithKline recently announced that they ... (more) (06/01/2005)
Following the Herd: Media mindlessly echo Clinton foes' clai...
In "Following the Herd," Media Matters for America will periodically examine the ideas, preconceptions, and assumptions underlying the news media's conventional wisdom. In this first installment, we investigate the rapidly spreading idea that Sen. H ... (more) (06/01/2005)
Dear Poodles....
Poodles, by the way, are in reference to something that I think mackiemesser came up with: they're the awful fangirls that everyone loves to hate, but doesn't want to surrender the word fangirl to. It's like saying Republican when you mean theocon. ... (more) (06/01/2005)
Oh, No! Has the Wall Street Journal Become Impervi......
Oh, No! Has the Wall Street Journal Become Impervious to Reason? By Gail Heriot Loyal readers may recall a three-part series I wrote a few months ago entitled "Don?t Blame Pete Wilson for Making California a Blue State." (If not, you can read it her ... (more) (06/01/2005)
New Abortion Rate Data: Rate Did Not Increase Nationally Und...
Good news and good newer numbers to work with on the abortion issue. "A new analysis from The Alan Guttmacher Institute shows that U.S. abortion rates continued to decline in 2001 and 2002, although the rate of decline has slowed since the early 199 ... (more) (06/01/2005)
It's Okay, I Ate It...
Play the podcast (mp3 file).I discovered today that customs officials don?t like ?humor? -- I had just checked the announcement board for flights from Dallas to Oklahoma City and had discovered, to my delight, that I might have just enough time to c ... (more) (06/01/2005)
New Effective, Non-Drug Treatments For ADHD...
Seems the incidence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has grown way beyond children to adults, particularly since the advent of Strattera, the newest and only FDA-approved drug available to cure it. But only at the expense of your l ... (more) (06/01/2005)
Stratis ST ACL Reconstruction System...
A press release by Scandius BioMedical, Inc. informs: ... the Stratis ST ACL Reconstruction System and Femoral Fixation Implant have been launched and successfully used in its initial surgeries since its recent FDA market clearance. The Stratis ST s ... (more) (06/01/2005)
[Original Articles] Auricular Acupuncture for Pain Relief af...
Auricular acupuncture (AA) is effective in treating various pain conditions, but there have been no analyses of AA for the treatment of pain after ambulatory knee surgery. We assessed the range of analgesic requirements under AA after ambulatory kne ... (more) (06/01/2005)
Modern Medicine Hurrah!...
By PLS Note: Pix follow the order of the narrative. Acupuncture. Homeopathy. Ayerveda. Such beautiful polysyllabics! Standing alone, they sound like mantras, and they?re intoned with reverence, in Santa Fe, where I live. In fact, any cure that?s non ... (more) (06/01/2005)
Longevity Meme Newsletter, January 24 2005...
LONGEVITY MEME NEWSLETTERJanuary 24 2005The Longevity Meme Newsletter is a weekly e-mail containing news, opinions and happenings for people interested in healthy life extension: making use of diet, lifestyle choices, technology and proven medical a ... (more) (06/01/2005)
Judging age with bone scans...
i-mature claims to have some new technology that can identify the age group of the user by a quick, cheap, painless bone density/composition scan. http://www.i-mature.net/index.php http://www.rsasecurity.com/press_release.asp?doc_id=5497 They have t ... (more) (06/01/2005)
UltraMom's Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day...
I hope you enjoyed the sweet, sentimental story of UltraMom and UltraDad’s first date. Unfortunately, however, we live in the real world, not the fairyland of first dates and storybook weddings. UDad and I have celebrated our anniversary/first ... (more) (06/01/2005)
Using bone density scans to protect car passangers...
MWest writes:Engineers in a consortium that includes Nissan’s European technical centre and the Cranfield Impact Centre, have begun the Bone Scanning for Occupant Safety (BOSCOS) project. The project uses ultrasound finger scanners to read the bone ... (more) (06/01/2005)
The Diagnostic ?Bugbot?...
Posted by samzenpus (42% noise) View Roland Piquepaille writes “The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that a robot combined with a swallowable camera could give doctors a better look inside the small intestine. This medical robot, dubbed ‘ ... (more) (06/01/2005)
Guillame's birth story...
Guillame 37 weeks of pregnancy is an uncertain time since the baby could decide to come in a week or a month. Does one do all the housecleaning? Unpack the shower gifts? Do you brace yourself and give yourself things to do to occupy yourself in anti ... (more) (06/01/2005)
Today's Headlines...
Bloomberg:- The government of Afghanistan plans to build its first international railway, linking the former Taliban stronghold city of Kandahar in the south, to Pakistan.- DaimlerChrysler AG said April sales of Chrysler and Mercedes-Benz vehicles r ... (more) (06/01/2005)
links for 2005-05-05...
Xtreme TB320DKO 320-Disc CD/DVD Case Price After Rebates: $9.99 (tags: CD DVD case) Dr. Henochowicz of Medviews: Scan Me an allergist who's ticked off that folks will go clamoring for CTs of their cardiac vessels even if they're low risk, increasing ... (more) (06/01/2005)
Funny as a......
This past week I've been somewhat distracted. My dad was scheduled for a cardiac catheterization this coming Wednesday, since he was suffering from Angina. This was the first I had heard of this. I knew he had other medical problems, being nearly ei ... (more) (06/01/2005)
Wrist best spot for angioplasty in elderly...
The wrist is a better access spot than the groin for performing angioplasty in very elderly patients with heart disease, new research shows. Although both sites provide good results, the wrist is associated with fewer complications. The goal of angi ... (more) (06/01/2005)
Prevention of distal embolization and no-reflow in patients ...
Catheter Cardiovasc Interv. 2004 Dec 23; 64(1): 67-74Dahm JB, Ebersole D, Das T, Madyhoon H, Vora K, Baker J, Hilton D, Topaz OTo overcome the adverse complications of percutaneous coronary interventions in thrombus laden lesions (i.e., distal embol ... (more) (06/01/2005)
Class of 1956 Update...
Last fall Ann and Tag Chapman and Trish and Ed Ross provided the setting and overwhelming hospitality for a great 70th birthday party in Santa Fe! Jack Crowley and Beth report it all started with a desert diesel train ride, a tour of Taos’s pueblo, ... (more) (06/01/2005)
How Many Cortisone Injections Can I Have?...
Cortisone injections are used in the treatment of many common orthopedic conditions. A cortisone injection works by decreasing inflammation of irritated tissues. By limiting the inflammation, pain from these conditions is often relieved. Cortisone i ... (more) (06/01/2005)
Me being neurotic again....
Watching New Love as It Sears the BrainBy BENEDICT CAREYNew love can look for all the world like mental illness, a blend of mania, dementia and obsession that cuts people off from friends and family and prompts out-of-character behavior - compulsive ... (more) (06/01/2005)
Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection...
In 1992, a new reproductive technique was developed that was considered a breakthrough for helping many infertile men have children. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) uses micromanipulation technology to help men who have low sperm counts, a c ... (more) (06/01/2005)
Katha Pollitt post on WOMPO: I would like to k......
Katha Pollitt post on WOMPO: > >I would like to know where they come into> > reproductive sexuality themselves. At this point, many women on this > >list have shared very intimate details of their lives but we don't > >know a ... (more) (06/01/2005)