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Popular Articles

Meda: Positive Study Supporting A Potential Once-Daily Nasal Antihistamine
In October 2008, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) accepted the New Drug Application (NDA) for the newly formulated higher strength azelastine nasal spray as complete for substantive review after initial evaluation.

Michigan Report Shows Decline In Teen Pregnancy, Improvement In Prenatal Care
Michigan from 1992 to 2007 experienced improvements in rates of teenage pregnancies, smoking among pregnant women, and six other indicators of maternal and infant health, though there was an increase in out-of-wedlock births and low-birthweight infants, according to a Michigan League for Human Services report issued Tuesday, the Detroit News reports. The report, titled "Right Start in Michigan," examined statistics in eight categories that affect the health of newborns. The findings track trends for the state as a whole and for its 83 counties and 69 communities with populations greater than 25,000 (Jun, Detroit News, 6/30). According to the report, teen births and repeat births decreased by more than 25% statewide (AP/9and10news.com, 6/30). The decline in teen births was more pronounced in urban areas (Lavey, Lansing State Journal, 6/30). The report also found that the rate of women who received no or late prenatal care dropped by 15%, while the rate of premature births declined by 9%. In addition, smoking by pregnant women decreased by more than one-third. However, out-of-wedlock births increased by 10%, and the percentage of low-birthweight infants rose by 10% (AP/9and10news.com, 6/30).State budget cuts are expected to affect assistance programs for teen and low-income women with children, according to the Lansing State Journal. Marcus Cheatham, assistant deputy health officer for Ingham County, Mich., said, "I"m really worried that we"re going to lose the gains we"ve made in this state" (Lansing State Journal, 6/30).
News of the day
Melatonin - The Fountain Of Youth?
Melatonin can slow down the effects of aging. A team at laboratoire Arago in Banyuls sur Mer (CNRS / Universitç© Pierre et Marie Curie) has found that a treatment based on melatonin can delay the first signs of aging in a small mammal. These results appeared in the journal PLoS ONE on 15 June 2009.
Cardiovascular

A New Plug For The Hole In The Heart: New Procedure May Help Save Lives Of Those Affected By Common Congenital Heart Defect

Heart specialists at St. Joseph Hospital in Orange, Calif. have performed a new procedure in which they repaired a hole in the patient"s heart through a tiny incision, offering the patient a much safer alternative verses open heart surgery. The condition, called ventricular septal defect (VSD), is a common heart birth defect, accounting for about 30% of all heart defects according to the Adult Congenital Heart Association. The condition leaves a hole in the heart, affecting blood flow and can be potentially life threatening. "Before the surgery, I was experiencing more fatigue than before and my cardiologist knew that something had to be done, and fast ," said Yvonne Domingos, a San Diego resident who recently underwent the VSD closure procedure at St. Joseph Hospital. Domingos has long suffered from Tetralogy of Fallot, a congenital heart defect of VSD that leaves a hole between the two bottom chambers of the heart. She had the condition at birth and at 18, she had the defect repaired. After many years, the patch that was used to correct the defect began to tear and needed to be repaired. Domingos was referred to the Adult Congenital Heart Program at St. Joseph Hospital in Orange, CA. Dr. Farhouch Berdjis M.D., Medical Director of the Adult Congenital Program, was able to repair the hole and perform the first procedure in Orange County using an Amplatzer device. The Amplatzer Muscular VSD Occluder uses a minimally-invasive catheter inserted through a tiny incision, instead of surgery, which cuts recovery time and the need for open heart surgery. Dr. Berdjis has performed this type of procedure in Germany before, but this was the first time that the procedure was done in Orange County, California. "I am pleased that her procedure was successful in repairing the defect in her heart," said Dr. Berdjis. "This procedure showcases a minimally invasive procedure that is available to congenital heart defect patients throughout the community that has phenomenal results. We will be able to do even more once we open the Hybrid Operating Room." St. Joseph Hospital will be opening a Hybrid Operation Suite later this year that features advanced technology, robotic capabilities, and by combining minimally invasive and interventional surgical technologies, which will allow flexibility when surgeries require multiple types of procedures for a patient. St. Joseph Hospital


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