Scientists from Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, DC found that wound healing after lower extremity bypass (LEB) or endovascular revascularization (EV) demonstrated a more complete and faster rate of healing for larger wounds of more than 2 cm after open bypass. Findings will be presented at the 64th Vascular Annual Meeting presented by the Society for Vascular Surgery, June 10 in Boston.

Their study reviewed the records of 142 LEB patients and 148 EV patients between January 2004 and December 2008. “When comparing EV to LEB there was no difference in average initial wound size (EV 14.1mm, LEB 14.6mm) and there was equivalent healing between the two groups with 76 percent of wounds healed after LEB and 41 percent after EV,” said Richard F. Neville, MD, chief of the hospital’s Division of Vascular Surgery. “However,” said Dr. Neville, “there was a difference in the healing rate for larger wounds, with complete healing in 70 percent of LEB patients and 27 percent of EV patients.”

Researchers added that overall there also was a shorter median time to healing after bypass of 98 days for LEB patients and 132 days for EV patients. In addition, the LEB had 10 amputations (7 percent of the total, of which 2.8 percent were major); while the EV group had 30amputations (20 percent of the total, of which 8 percent were major).

“Our patients had a similar average age (EV, 70 years and LEB, 71 years),” said Dr. Neville. “with similar rates of diabetes mellitus (EV 58 percent, LEB 41 percent) and chronic renal failure (EV 24 percent, LEB 21 percent).”

Researchers added that the EV procedures included 20 balloon angioplasties, 82 stent deployments, 30 atherectomies and 10 cryoplasties. Lesions treated in the lower extremity were found in the superficial femoral arteries (30 percent), and popliteal (19 percent) and tibial (51 percent) arteries with 2.8 lesions treated per patient. The LEB patients included 98 vein grafts and 44 using polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) with a distal vein patch. Target arteries included 14 below knee popliteal, 46 anterior tibial, 41 posterior tibial and 41 peroneal.

“We are trying to determine the most appropriate scenarios for bypass and endovascular therapy, and our study demonstrated that initial wound size may be a consideration in choosing the method of revascularization for ischemic wounds,” noted Dr. Neville.

Source: Society for Vascular Surgery

A new poll of teenagers across the US finds that many of them are losing out on quality of life because of a lack of sleep. The results, announced today by the National Sleep Foundation (NSF), cite sleeping in class, lack of energy to exercise, feelings of depression, and driving while drowsy as only some of the consequences for insufficient sleep.

The poll data support previous work by three Rhode Island researchers who are at the forefront of sleep research. Previous studies from Brown Medical School, and Lifespan affiliates Bradley Hospital and Hasbro Children’s Hospital, have found that adolescents are not getting enough sleep, and suggest that this can lead to a number of physical and emotional impairments.

Mary A. Carskadon, PhD, with Bradley Hospital and Brown Medical School, chaired the National Sleep Foundation poll taskforce and has been a leading authority on teen sleep for more than a decade. Her research on adolescent circadian rhythms indicates that the internal clocks of adolescents undergo maturational changes making them different from those of children or adults. Nevertheless, teens must adhere to increasingly earlier school start times that make it nearly impossible for them to get enough sleep.

“Our results show that the adage ‘early to bed, early to rise’ presents a real challenge for adolescents,” says Carskadon, who directs the Bradley Hospital Sleep and Chronobiology Sleep Laboratory and is a professor of psychiatry and human behavior at Brown Medical School.

Carskadon’s work has been instrumental in influencing school start times across the country. Regionally, the North Kingstown School Department in Rhode Island, North Reading Public Schools in Massachusetts, and West Hartford Public Schools in Connecticut are considering school start time changes due, in part, to research on teens and sleep.

In a study published in the November 2005 issue of the journal Sleep, Carskadon found that the “sleep pressure” rate – the biological trigger that causes sleepiness – slows down in adolescence and is one more explanation for why teens can’t fall asleep until later at night. Carskadon’s newest finding indicates that, in addition to the changes in their internal clocks, adolescents experience slower sleep pressure, which may contribute to an overall shift in teen sleep cycles to later hours.

Judy Owens, MD, a national authority on children and sleep, is the director of the pediatric sleep disorders center at Hasbro Children’s Hospital and an associate professor of pediatrics at Brown Medical School. Her latest book, “Take Charge of Your Child’s Sleep: The All-in-One Resource for Solving Sleep Problems in Children and Teens,” is especially important in light of the fact that 90% of the parents polled believed that their adolescents were getting enough sleep during the week.

“This poll sends a clear message to parents: Teens are tired,” says Owens. “Parents can help get a handle on the problem by eliminating sleep stealers such as caffeinated drinks in the fridge or a TV or computer in the teen’s bedroom as well as enforcing reasonable bed times.”

Last June, a major report in the journal Pediatrics merged a review of more than two decades of basic research with clinical advice for physicians. Rhode Island authors included Carskadon, Owens, and lead author, Richard Millman, MD, professor of medicine at Brown Medical School and director of the Sleep Disorders Center of Lifespan Hospitals, a Rhode Island sleep research and treatment center that is one of the largest in the country.

The report indicated that adolescents aged 13 to 22 need nine to 10 hours of sleep each night. It also discussed the hormonal changes that conspire against them. When puberty hits, the body’s production of sleep-inducing melatonin is delayed, making an early bedtime biologically impossible for most teens. At the same time, the report notes, external forces such as after-school sports and jobs and early school start times put the squeeze on a full night’s sleep.

The result: A “profound negative effect” on mood, school performance and cognitive function. Studies also show that young people between 16 and 29 years of age were the most likely to be involved in crashes caused by the driver falling asleep.

“Some of our kids are literally sleep-walking through life, with some potentially serious consequences,” Millman said. “As clinicians and researchers, we know more now than ever about the biological and behavioral issues that prevent kids from getting enough sleep. But the National Sleep Foundation did something powerful: They asked teens themselves about their sleep. The results are startling and should be a wake-up call to any parent or pediatrician.”

###

Media contacts:
Carol L. Vieira (BH) 401-432-1328, cvieira1lifespan;
Nancy Cawley (HCH) 401-444-4039, ncawleylifespan;
Wendy Lawton (BMS), 401-863-1862, Wendy_Lawtonbrown.edu

Brown Medical School is Rhode Island’s only school of medicine and the hub of the state’s academic medical enterprise. As part of an Ivy League university, the medical school attracts leaders in teaching and clinical care and, with its seven affiliated hospitals, brings in more than $120 million in external research funding each year. Brown Medical School’s Department of Community Health, ranked 6th in the nation by US News and World Report, offers comprehensive graduate programs in epidemiology, biostatistics as well as a master of public health degree.

Founded in 1931, Bradley Hospital (bradleyhospital/) was the nation’s first psychiatric hospital operating exclusively for children. Today, it remains a premier medical institution devoted to the research and treatment of childhood psychiatric illnesses. Bradley Hospital, located in East Providence, is a teaching hospital for Brown Medical School and ranks in the top third of private hospitals receiving funding from the National Institutes of Health. Its research arm, the Bradley Hasbro Children’s Research Center (BHCRC), brings together leading researchers in such topics as: autism, colic, childhood sleep patterns, HIV prevention, infant development, obesity, eating disorders, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and juvenile firesetting. Bradley is a private, not-for-profit hospital and operates the Bradley School, a fully certified special education school. Bradley is a member of the Lifespan health system.

Hasbro Children’s Hospital (hasbrochildrenshospital/) in Providence, RI, is the pediatric division of Rhode Island Hospital, the largest teaching hospital of Brown Medical School. A private, not-for-profit hospital, Hasbro has been named as a top children’s hospital by Child magazine, ranking 9th in orthopedics. It is nationally recognized for its child protection program and Draw-A-Breath asthma and allergy initiative. It is also the home of the Injury Prevention Center, which aims to reduce accidental injuries in children. The hospital has pioneered numerous procedures and is at the forefront of fetal surgery, orthopedics and pediatric neurosurgery. Hasbro Children’s Hospital is a member of the Lifespan health system.

Contact: Carol Lin Vieira
cvieira1lifespan
Lifespan

If you are over seventy years old, your chances of dying in a fire at home are four times as high as they are for the rest of the population. It is also a fact that half of all women who die in house fires are 70 or older.

These are among the results of a report from SINTEF Norwegian Fire Laboratories, which also identifies measures that could reduce the number of fires, particularly those of electrical origin or that are due to the inappropriate use of electrical equipment. Taken together, these are the most frequent causes of fires in Norway.

The report also tells us how we and society as a whole can improve fire safety for our old people who live at home; measures repeated here by Gemini in this report.

This is a topic of great relevance in Norway, where the Ministry of Justice is currently drawing up a report on fire prevention.

“Something must be done!”

For the past seven years, between 44 and 58 people have died every year in house fires in Norway.

“Without extra fire prevention measures, these figures will increase drastically as the number of elderly people rises”, says senior scientist Bodil Aamnes Mostue of SINTEF NBL.

The warning is being issued now because elderly people are heavily over-represented in lethal house fires, and because they will be more likely to live in their own homes in the future. At an average rate of population growth, the number of people aged 67 or more will more than double between now and 2050.

“On average, 18 persons more than 70 years old die in house fires every year in Norway. Unless we launch a fire protection campaign, the average number of deaths a year will rise to about 38 by 2050″, says Aamnes Mostue.

Measures for everyone including risk groups

In its report, SINTEF NBL has estimated the economic benefit to society of more fire protection measures; in other words, this means that the institute has calculated whether the financial savings in terms of lives saved, fewer personal injuries and reduced material damage, are greater than the costs of the measures involved.

The report shows that there are measures that could be put into effect in all households and that are cost-beneficial for society such as more frequent inspections of electrical installations. It also identifies measures that are close to being of benefit to society as a whole if they are directed specially at houses with old people.

For instance, it would be beneficial in social terms to let all households invest in a kitchen stove alarm, which is set off when the electric cooker becomes overheated, such as when a pan boils dry. Such alarms are already on the market. If they were installed in all homes, they would save three to six lives a year, the report shows.

According to Aamnes Mostue, a requirement to install such alarms is scarcely realistic, since it is likely that safety devices to prevent pots from boiling dry will probably be built into electric cookers within a few years.

“However, until devices of this type arrive, the alarm is a sensible fire prevention measure, especially for elderly people. For those who do not understand alarm signals, an automatic “stove guard” would be better. These cut the power supply to the stove when a pan boils dry. If you have elderly or confused family members, stove guards are an inexpensive form of life insurance, even though they are still so expensive that it does not pay in
social terms to require them in all homes”, she says.

Worst members of the electrical products family

Kitchen stoves, cooking plates and so on are the types of electrical apparatus that cause most house fires in Norway, with almost 20 percent of fires of known origin starting in such equipment. According to Aamnes Mostue, most such fires are caused by pots boiling dry.

“So far, we have no evidence to suggest that old people are responsible for more “boil dry” fires than younger people. But if we can prevent fires from starting with the aid of stove alarms and stove guards, this would be particularly valuable for older people, because they may not be able to save themselves once a fire has started”, she says.

Fire extinguishers in houses with old people

The fire researcher points out that the social-economic results of many fire prevention measures are improved if the measures are focused on high-risk groups such as elderly people.

The report demonstrates that automatic extinguishing systems are close to being socially worthwhile if they are installed in houses where old people and people with reduced functional abilities live.

According to Aamnes Mostue, easily installed portable automatic extinguishing systems could be one solution in ordinary homes in which old people live. At the same time, she emphasises that it is difficult in practice to link such measures with age.

Need for integrated package of measures

The report points out that the rise in the number of elderly people will make it necessary to coordinate all requirements that regulate building design, technical aids, home care and organisational measures, including assistance from the fire brigade.

“Current emergency services are not adequate for rescue operations in housing blocks in which 80 percent of the residents may be more than 70 years old. In many cases, the fire brigade would face major problems if they needed to rescue more than one or two persons with reduced mobility by ladder”, says fire researcher Bodil Aamnes Mostue.

SINTEF NBL drew up its report on behalf of the fire authorities, a number of insurance companies and the industrial organisations of the finance and electrical installation sectors.

SINTEF
Strindveien 4, Trondheim
sintef.no/Home

Wholesale prices for brand-name prescription drugs between 2004 and 2005 increased by an average of 6.6% — more than twice the inflation rate — according to a study released on Tuesday by the… Public Policy Institute at AARP, the New York Times reports (Freudenheim, New York Times, 8/16). For the study, Stephen Schondelmeyer, director of PRIME Institute at the University of Minnesota, and colleagues analyzed wholesale prices of 195 popular brand-name medications over a 12-month period that ended in March (Wolfe, Minneapolis Star Tribune, 8/16). The study found that prices for 110 of the 195 brand-name medications increased between 2004 and 2005. According to the study, an average older patient who takes three brand-name medications daily would have experienced a $144.15 increase in prescription drug costs between 2004 and 2005 (Schmid, AP/Las Vegas Sun, 8/15). Between 2003 and 2004, prices for brand-name medications increased by an average of 7.1%, compared with the inflation rate of 2.7% (Minneapolis Star Tribune, 8/16). The study also found that prices for 75 generic medications increased by an average of 0.7% between 2004 and 2005 (Reuters/Arizona Daily Star, 8/16). Prices for three of the 75 generic medications increased in the first three months of 2005, according to the study.

Criticism
The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America said that the study used “fuzzy math” (AP/Las Vegas Sun, 8/15). PhRMA Senior Vice President Ken Johnson said that the study analyzed only wholesale prices, which do “not reflect the true amounts paid by seniors for their medicines.” According to Johnson, after rebates and discounts from health insurers are taken into account, prices for brand-name medications did not increase at a rate higher than inflation between 2004 and 2005. Joseph Antos of the American Enterprise Institute added, “With the new Medicare benefit, no senior will have to pay the full retail price for prescription drugs.”

Other Reaction
However, Dee Mahan, a health policy specialist with Families USA, said that analysis of the wholesale prices of brand-name medications is “valid” because most increases in those prices are passed to consumers after discounts are deducted. In addition, Ann Smith, a spokesperson for pharmacy benefit manager Medco Health Solutions, said that the average 6.6% increase in prices for brand-name medications between 2004 and 2005 is “generally what we are also seeing” (New York Times, 8/16). Schondelmeyer said, “They certainly do give rebates to some buyers, but the companies keep raising the base price on which the rebates are given so they’re continuing to collect a lot more money” (Minneapolis Star Tribune, 8/16). AARP CEO William Novelli said, “We are very disappointed that brand-name manufacturers have failed to keep their price increases in line with inflation, and we will continue to educate our members and the public about how best to find the most affordable prescription drugs to suit their needs” (AP/Las Vegas Sun, 8/15).

The AARP research is available online.

“Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

Responding to the publication of the report ‘Undiagnosed, untreated, at risk’, into older people and depression, published by Age Concern England, Elizabeth McLennan, Senior Policy Officer at Help the Aged comments:-

“This report is a welcome means of raising awareness of older people and mental health – an issue which is all too often mis-diagnosed and left untreated.

“General Practitioners have a key role to play in more effectively pinpointing possible depression as patients present themselves. Care home staff and managers must also ensure their own knowledge of symptoms associated with depression is improved. It is all too easy for older care home residents people suffering depression to be without the right levels of support and treatment.

“Help the Aged continues to be concerned at the worryingly high levels of age discrimination within health services – something which the Charity’s ‘Just Equal Treatment’ campaign has highlighted. The Government’s upcoming Equality Bill should address some of these issues, but a timetable for action is vital to ensure this unfairness is tackled as a priority.

“Mental health issues should not be taboo subjects. More understanding of the treatable nature of conditions such as depression is urgently needed. No older person should ever lack support or help with mental health issues.”

Notes

Information on the Help the Aged ‘Just Equal Treatment’ campaign can be found by visiting helptheaged/campaigns

Help the Aged is the charity fighting to free disadvantaged older people in the UK and overseas from poverty, isolation, neglect and ageism. It campaigns to raise public awareness of the issues affecting older people and to bring about policy change. The Charity delivers a range of services: information and advice, home support and community living, including international development work. These are supported by its paid-for services and fundraising activities – which aim to increase funding in the future to respond to the growing unmet needs of disadvantaged older people. Help the Aged also funds vital research into the health issues and experiences of older people to improve the quality of later life.

Help the Aged urgently needs donations and support to help it in the increasingly challenging fight to free disadvantaged older people from poverty, isolation and neglect.

Help the Aged

All but 18 of the 81 affected hospitals and nursing homes in New York state have met the June 30 deadline to close, merge or downsize in accordance with the recommendations made in 2006 by the Commission on Health Care Facilities in the 21st Century, state Health Commissioner Richard Daines announced Wednesday, the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports. The recommendations became law on Jan. 1, 2007, after the state Legislature did not vote to reject them. The New York Health Department amended the operating certificates of the 18 facilities that were not in compliance with the mandates or had not made significant progress as of June 27.

The commission projects that have been or are in the process of being completed include the closure of nine hospitals by the end of 2008, which will eliminate nearly 1,700 beds; the elimination of an additional 1,700 hospital beds by the end of 2010 through mergers, downsizing and affiliations between health care facilities; the closure of seven nursing homes by the end of 2008, which will eliminate about 1,100 beds; and the elimination of an additional 1,600 nursing home beds by the end of 2011 (Matthews, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, 7/3).

Reprinted with kind permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.

© 2008 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

Progressively increasing practice time and intensity and ensuring that football players are replacing lost fluids during training are two ways to significantly reduce the risk of heat stress and injury during preseason practice, a recent expert panel convened by the American College of Sports Medicine found.

Coaches also should allow enough recovery between practices and gradually introduce parts of the uniform, experts say.

Most high school and younger players are already fighting a losing battle when they show up to practice, says Dr. Michael F. Bergeron, panel co-chair and assistant professor of physical therapy at the Medical College of Georgia. The panel’s full statement and recommendations are published in the August issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.

“What we’ve found is that most players typically begin practice dehydrated – pretty significantly dehydrated,” Dr. Bergeron says. “Young players generally just don’t drink enough, especially following extensive exercise or training in the heat.”

Surprisingly, though, hydration isn’t the most important aspect of preventing heat-related injuries. Players are often simply not acclimated to the environment, the intensity of practice and the uniform, he says.

“What coaches and staff need to recognize and appreciate is that the athletes are not coming into the preseason as well-conditioned as they might hope,” Dr. Bergeron says. “High school kids are going to be less fit and not only are they not accustomed to the physical exertion that workouts require, they’re not really acclimatized to the heat and working out in that environment, especially while wearing a uniform and protective gear.”

To help protect ill-prepared players, coaches should introduce a training schedule that progresses slowly – waiting until week two to introduce twice-daily conditioning and training sessions, experts say. They also should realize that adding a heavy uniform adds to the heat and strain players are already experiencing when weather conditions are unbearable. That can significantly add to the risk of heat injury.

“Most heat-related injuries and deaths occur within the first four days of practice, particularly on days one and two,” Dr. Bergeron says. “The primary factors for driving body temperature during practice and clinical risk related to overheating are the environment and the intensity/duration of the workouts and the uniform.”

During the first week of practice, protective equipment should be introduced in stages, starting with the helmet, progressing to shoulder pads and helmet and, finally, to the full uniform, the authors write.

Other suggestions include requiring a preseason exam to determine what medications and dietary supplements athletes are using and to rule out undiagnosed heart problems and other genetic risk factors. Also, twice-daily practice sessions, once introduced, should be staggered throughout the week to allow for at least a one-day break between multiple-session days.

And even if the temperature outside hasn’t reached the boiling point, players and coaches should still take precautions.

“What we are beginning to appreciate more and more is that it doesn’t have to be unbearably hot to have problems,” Dr. Bergeron says. “The focus of this is prevention.”

Contact: Jennifer Hilliard
jhilliardmcg.edu
706-721-8604
Medical College of Georgia
mcg.edu

In response to the growing cholera epidemic in Haiti, the American Red Cross announced it is donating $1.5 million to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to purchase, ship, store and distribute IV fluids and other essential supplies.

This action comes as the number of cholera cases in Haiti has now exceeded 100,000. Funds will provide 250,000 liters of Ringer’s Lactate solution, an IV fluid that helps to keep cholera patients hydrated; 15,000 units of erythromycin, an antibiotic; as well as catheters and gloves to help nurses and physicians provide lifesaving medical care.

“The American Red Cross is ensuring that essential medical supplies for the cholera response continue to arrive in Haiti,” says PAHO Director Mirta Roses Periago. “This cholera epidemic is expected to reach hundreds of thousands of people in coming months, and we need the coordinated and generous support of organizations like the Red Cross to meet these demands.”

Once they arrive in Port-au-Prince, these supplies will be available for immediate distribution in coordination with Haiti’s Ministry of Public Health and Population.

The American Red Cross has already purchased nearly 900,000 sachets of oral rehydration solution, in addition to millions of chlorine tablets to treat water making it safe to drink, soap to ensure basic hygiene, and other health and hygiene-related items.

“We have spent millions of dollars in an aggressive response to the spread of cholera,” says Ricardo Caivano, country representative for the American Red Cross in Haiti. “Now, we are further scaling up our response to cholera prevention and treatment, including expanding the geographical scope of our activities.”

The American Red Cross has been actively working to educate Haitians about proper preventive measures, reaching more than 100,000 Haitians in Port-au-Prince by going tent-to-tent with cholera prevention tips. The global Red Cross network is also supplying clean drinkable water to more than three hundred thousand people every day.

Meanwhile, PAHO/WHO continues to ensure the availability of intravenous solutions, oral rehydration salts and antibiotics.

PAHO/WHO has been coordinating with a number of on-the-ground organizations including the global Red Cross network, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and Doctors without Borders (MSF) to revise estimates and ensure enough supplies are available.

Thanks to the generosity of the American people following the January earthquake, the American Red Cross anticipates having the funds necessary to respond to unexpected emergencies in Haiti including this cholera epidemic.

Source: American Red Cross

Dr. Joseph Glavy at Stevens Institute of Technology studies the smallest and most basic elements of life. The Assistant Professor of Chemical Biology runs the Glavy Lab, where advanced student scientists study the nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) in cells, observing the minutest mechanisms of life as they unfold during mitosis. The Glavy Lab’s formal purpose is to study the NPC at the molecular level in the pursuit of the unknown or unexpected in the well-studied but not always well-understood nuclei of living cells.

His team has uncovered a disease-related protein outside of its known range and published the results in the August 2010 issue of Cell Cycle. The article’s co-authors, Dr. Simarna Kaur, Tommy White, and Amanda DiGuilio are current or recent students of Stevens Institute of Technology.

The NPC is a supramolecular assembly that provides gateways for molecular trafficking between DNA with a cell’s nucleus and the cytoplasm within the cell membrane walls in eukaryotic cells. Protein, RNA, ions, and other small molecules are transported through the NPC on their way into the nucleus. The composition of the NPC is about thirty proteins, called nucleoporins (Nups), which are arranged quasi-symmetrically and in subcomplexes that break apart during mitosis in some cells.

Dr. Glavy investigated interactions within the NPC of mammalian cells while a post-doctoral researcher at Rockefeller University in New York City. Unlike other living cells, the mammalian cell NPC breaks down around DNA during mitosis, allowing specific Nup subcomplexes to be isolated and studied in the lab, but also leaving room for something to go wrong in the reorganization of the nucleus . Focused on the very specific Nup 107-160 subcomplex, the Glavy Lab had been looking for what might go wrong during mitosis.

But rather than genetic mutations, the lab discovered something far more important within Nup 107-160: the Werner Helicase Interacting Protein 1 (WHIP). WHIP’s moniker derives from its interaction with Werner protein, which maintains genome stability and conversely is responsible for the progeria disease Werner’s Syndrome. This adult-onset disease causes premature aging and increased susceptibility to other old-age diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.

The initial discovery of WHIP within the NPC, when it had been associated with the Werner protein, prompted further exploration to deduce the role of WHIP during mitosis. The scientists isolated the NPC subcomplex and used immunofluorescence and immunoblotting to detect the presence and movement of WHIP during mitosis. They discovered WHIP interacting within the NPC autonomous of Werner protein, demonstrating a novel relation.

In addition to its connection with gene-stabilizing Werner protein, WHIP may play an independent, unique role in the cell cycle. Beyond supporting DNA replication, WHIP may also function to detect genetic damage. The authors look forward to future work that will further understanding of this protein’s role in maintaining genome stability, and in completing some of that important work themselves.

It may be years before the Glavy Lab’s insights into WHIP can be turned into therapies for sufferers of Werner Syndrome and other progeria diseases, but this new look into the workings of the body creates hope for future treatments and other advances in biology and medicine.

“Cell biology is a growing, multi-disciplinary field that is establishing a foundation of knowledge for the future,” says Dr. Glavy. “We are beginning to establish tangible relations between biology and disease and advancing towards an understanding of gene repair and expression that might help with drug development in the future.”

Source:
Dr. Joseph Glavy
Stevens Institute of Technology

Covidien (NYSE: COV, BSX: COV), a leading global healthcare products company, announced the latest advance in its “Unite to Treat Sleep Apnea” initiative, an integrated program connecting physicians, sleep labs, treatment providers and patients to improve the diagnosis and treatment of those afflicted with obstructive sleep apnea. The Company is now partnering with Sleep Pointe, an organization dedicated to providing sleep apnea management and wellness programs within the transportation industry.

Covidien created the “Unite to Treat Sleep Apnea” initiative in response to the increased demand for sleep apnea treatment. According to the National Institutes of Health, approximately 12 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea, and an additional 10 million remain undiagnosed.

“Undiagnosed and untreated sleep apnea is an urgent issue, as it reduces productivity and shortens life spans. This partnership is designed to help keep drivers in the transportation industry safe by increasing the availability of diagnostic and therapeutic resources,” said Scott Drake, President, Respiratory and Monitoring Solutions, Covidien. “Initiatives like ‘Unite to Treat Sleep Apnea’ are valuable because they further the diagnosis, treatment and compliance of this life-threatening disease.”

The transportation industry is directly impacted by the serious potential consequences of drivers affected by untreated or undiagnosed sleep apnea. Approximately 28% of commercial truck drivers are affected by sleep apnea1, and without treatment, they are up to seven times more likely to be involved in an accident2. Proper treatment of sleep apnea may help reduce the risk of many other associated diseases, including hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

“Professional drivers are a difficult group of patients to reach,” said Dr. Neale Lange, MD, FCCP, FASM, director of Sleep Services at St. Anthony Central Hospital, Denver. “Any intervention that removes or reduces barriers to diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea in anyone operating a vehicle should be strongly supported. It’s not only about sleep quantity but also about sleep quality. Focusing on sleep as it relates to health should become a priority of our healthcare system.”

Using Covidien’s broad range of sleep products, Sleep Pointe has developed a comprehensive sleep management program dedicated exclusively to the health and safety of those in the transportation industry. Sleep Pointe’s Mobile Sleep Solution Centers are built on 53-foot trailers, feature private bedrooms, bathrooms and a fully functional sleep technician room and will be available at many easily accessible locations across the country.

“Untreated sleep apnea in the transportation industry is known to contribute to serious accidents and severe health consequences,” said Duke Naipohn, President and CEO, Sleep Pointe. “This alliance will help Sleep Pointe accomplish our mission of keeping drivers on the road, improving their health and wellness and reducing the incidence of fatigue-related accidents.”

An inaugural event was held today at Covidien’s Boulder, Colorado, campus to formally announce this partnership.

Covidien plans to expand its “Unite to Treat Sleep Apnea” initiative globally to support comprehensive solutions that better enhance diagnosis, treatment and compliance in the rapidly growing sleep care industry. For more information about the “Unite to Treat Sleep Apnea” program, please visit wwwvidien/sleepapnea.

About Covidien

Covidien is a leading global healthcare products company that creates innovative medical solutions for better patient outcomes and delivers value through clinical leadership and excellence. Covidien manufactures, distributes and services a diverse range of industry-leading product lines in four segments: Medical Devices, Imaging Solutions, Pharmaceutical Products and Medical Supplies. With 2007 revenue of nearly $9 billion, Covidien has more than 42,000 employees worldwide in 57 countries, and its products are sold in over 130 countries. Please visit wwwvidien to learn more about our business.

About Sleep Pointe

Sleep Pointe is a sister company of Somnograph Inc., a privately-held sleep diagnostic company headquartered in Wichita, KS. Somnograph has performed well over 100,000 sleep studies in its ten years of existence. Sleep Pointe intends to use this experience and expertise to provide obstructive sleep apnea education, screening, testing, and treatment for transportation companies throughout the U.S. To learn more, please visit sleeppointe.

Covidien Contacts

1 Pack, Allen I; Dinges, David F.; Maislin, Greg. A Study of Prevalence of Sleep Apnea Among Commercial Truck Drivers, FMCSA, Publication No. DOT-RT-02-030, Washington, DC, 20002.

2 Horstmann, S.; Hess, C.; Bassett, C.; Gusser, M.; and Mathis, J. (2000). Sleepiness-Related Accidents in Sleep Apnea Patients. Sleep, 23 (3), 383-389.

covidien