Unhappy Camper: Peters Pond Park
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Friday, August 19, 2011
Batt Publishes First Scholarly History of Endometriosis
Published August 9, 2011
More than 150 years have elapsed since endometriosis was discovered and described. Yet, until now, no scholarly history has ever been written about the disease, which affects millions of women worldwide.
This summer Springer Publishing released “A History of Endometriosis” by Ronald E. Batt, MD ’58, PhD, professor in the Department of Gynecology-Obstetrics.
The back cover describes Batt’s task as “daunting” and states that the book “provides a stunning chronological and biographical history of endometriosis.”
An Expert Clinician and Practiced Historian
An expert in infertility and reproductive endocrinology, Batt also is a noted historian of medicine in Buffalo and Western New York.
He is writing a historical essay on the life and research of Kornel Ludwig Terplan, MD, professor of pathology at UB from 1933 to 1960.
In addition, he is researching a new book on the history of endometriosis from World War II to the present.
In the book, Batt provides a detailed account of the progress made in identifying and treating the once enigmatic condition from its discovery in 1860 by Austrian physician Carl Rokitansky through World War II.
http://medicine.buffalo.edu/news_and_events/news.host.html/content/shared/smbs/news/2011/08/batt_book_endometriosis_41.detail.html
New hope for endometriosis sufferers
By Cheah Ui-Hoon
Women who suffer from endometriosis now have another drug to turn to in their struggle to manage the condition. A new pill, Visanne, has been designed to tackle the problem differently from conventional hormonal medicine. Whereas the latter prevents the ovaries from producing estrogen - and gives women menopausal side effects as a result - the new drug does not block the production of estrogen.
'This new medicine takes a completely different approach. It blocks ovulation, thus lowering the chances of endometriosis, but it does not block estrogen,' explains Thomas Strowitzki, director of the Department of Gynaecological Endocrinology and Reproductive Medicine at the University of Heidelberg, Germany.
Conventional GnRH (Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone) analogue drugs put women in a menopausal state for the duration of the treatment. They block the pituitary gland, which stops estrogen production, thus relieving the pain associated with endometriosis. Women are put on this treatment for up to a maximum 12-month course.
Side effects from the resulting low levels of estrogen, however, are common, and most women will experience at least one or two symptoms commonly associated with the menopause. These include insomnia, headaches, mood swings, acne, dizziness, depression, decreased libido and vaginal dryness, although they usually disappear soon after conventional GnRH treatment ends.
Endometriosis is a condition in which the cells of the womb lining (the endometrium) are found outside the womb, usually in the pelvis and around the womb, ovaries and fallopian tubes. Unlike endometrial cells that are normally found in the uterus and which are shed during menstruation, those that grow outside the uterus remain in place and are stimulated during each menstrual cycle. Over the long term, this process gives rise to pain and can also result in scars or lesions on the tubes, ovaries, and surrounding structures in the pelvis.
Left undiagnosed or untreated, endometriosis can be a frustrating condition. Painful periods can cause a woman to miss work or school, strain sexual relationships, and affect the overall quality of her life. Besides irregular bleeding, endometriosis can also be a cause of infertility.
Dr Strowitzki says that doctors don't know why 15 per cent of fertile women develop endometriosis. 'To be honest, we don't know the risk factors and we don't know which group of women is at risk. We also don't know how to avoid the disease as it's not like cancer,' he adds.
Women who suffer from endometriosis now have another drug to turn to in their struggle to manage the condition. A new pill, Visanne, has been designed to tackle the problem differently from conventional hormonal medicine. Whereas the latter prevents the ovaries from producing estrogen - and gives women menopausal side effects as a result - the new drug does not block the production of estrogen.
'This new medicine takes a completely different approach. It blocks ovulation, thus lowering the chances of endometriosis, but it does not block estrogen,' explains Thomas Strowitzki, director of the Department of Gynaecological Endocrinology and Reproductive Medicine at the University of Heidelberg, Germany.
Conventional GnRH (Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone) analogue drugs put women in a menopausal state for the duration of the treatment. They block the pituitary gland, which stops estrogen production, thus relieving the pain associated with endometriosis. Women are put on this treatment for up to a maximum 12-month course.
Side effects from the resulting low levels of estrogen, however, are common, and most women will experience at least one or two symptoms commonly associated with the menopause. These include insomnia, headaches, mood swings, acne, dizziness, depression, decreased libido and vaginal dryness, although they usually disappear soon after conventional GnRH treatment ends.
Endometriosis is a condition in which the cells of the womb lining (the endometrium) are found outside the womb, usually in the pelvis and around the womb, ovaries and fallopian tubes. Unlike endometrial cells that are normally found in the uterus and which are shed during menstruation, those that grow outside the uterus remain in place and are stimulated during each menstrual cycle. Over the long term, this process gives rise to pain and can also result in scars or lesions on the tubes, ovaries, and surrounding structures in the pelvis.
Left undiagnosed or untreated, endometriosis can be a frustrating condition. Painful periods can cause a woman to miss work or school, strain sexual relationships, and affect the overall quality of her life. Besides irregular bleeding, endometriosis can also be a cause of infertility.
Dr Strowitzki says that doctors don't know why 15 per cent of fertile women develop endometriosis. 'To be honest, we don't know the risk factors and we don't know which group of women is at risk. We also don't know how to avoid the disease as it's not like cancer,' he adds.
Friday, July 29, 2011
New medical FICO score sparks controversy, questions
Jeremy M. Simon, On Thursday July 28, 2011, 8:00 am EDT
Within the next 12 months, whether you like it or not, about 10 million Americans are expected to be scored -- much like a credit score -- on how likely they are to fill a prescription and take all the pills the doctor ordered, on schedule.
FICO , creator of the widely used credit score that predicts whether you'll borrow responsibly, is now rolling out its new Medication Adherence Score.
FICO based its score on a formula that predicts whether you will take your prescription drugs. FICO says that since correct use of medication is important for patients, medical providers, insurers and pharmaceutical companies, the Medication Adherence Score will help achieve that goal. They predict it will improve therapy effectiveness and reduce health care costs.
The company says those who score low can be targeted for extra reminders and educational efforts, with the goal of making patients more likely to complete their prescribed regimens.
"It's very important to identify those people who may need that additional education and that additional help," says Dave Shellenberger, senior principal consultant in FICO's health care division.
Critics aren't so sure. Since the score uses information on patients' employment, homeownership and living situations, they say that in the current economic environment, the Medication Adherence Score may unfairly target people who have found themselves in challenging financial situations. It could also, they say, open the door for a new way for insurance companies to charge different prices for different scores. This happened in recent years to consumers buying auto insurance: The cost of those policies are now likely based on an auto insurance credit score .
What's in the score?
FICO launched the Medication Adherence Score on June 23, 2011. To create the scoring algorithm, FICO looked at data from a random sample of several million anonymous patients provided by a large pharmacy benefits manager. FICO observed patients who filled (or refilled) their prescriptions and patients who failed to, with the company then identifying those variables that best predicted medication adherence. For the Medication Adherence Score, those variables include age, gender, family size and asset information -- such as the likelihood of car ownership -- data also used by direct marketing companies. FICO says that with only a patient's name and address, it can pull the remainder of the necessary information from publicly available sources.
The scores range from 1 to 500. "The higher the score, the higher the likelihood a patient will be adherent to a drug regimen," FICO's Shellenberger says. FICO says patients who score 400 or higher are likely to take medication as prescribed, while those who score below 200 are at high risk of not taking medication. According to FICO, patients who earn a low score may receive a medication reminder in the form of an email, letter or phone call from their doctor -- tactics that would be too costly to apply across the board.
FICO says those who wouldn't want to receive notices should contact their health care providers and ask about their opt-out policies. High scorers who appear likely to take all their meds probably won't be contacted.
Click here to read the rest!
Within the next 12 months, whether you like it or not, about 10 million Americans are expected to be scored -- much like a credit score -- on how likely they are to fill a prescription and take all the pills the doctor ordered, on schedule.
FICO , creator of the widely used credit score that predicts whether you'll borrow responsibly, is now rolling out its new Medication Adherence Score.
FICO based its score on a formula that predicts whether you will take your prescription drugs. FICO says that since correct use of medication is important for patients, medical providers, insurers and pharmaceutical companies, the Medication Adherence Score will help achieve that goal. They predict it will improve therapy effectiveness and reduce health care costs.
The company says those who score low can be targeted for extra reminders and educational efforts, with the goal of making patients more likely to complete their prescribed regimens.
"It's very important to identify those people who may need that additional education and that additional help," says Dave Shellenberger, senior principal consultant in FICO's health care division.
Critics aren't so sure. Since the score uses information on patients' employment, homeownership and living situations, they say that in the current economic environment, the Medication Adherence Score may unfairly target people who have found themselves in challenging financial situations. It could also, they say, open the door for a new way for insurance companies to charge different prices for different scores. This happened in recent years to consumers buying auto insurance: The cost of those policies are now likely based on an auto insurance credit score .
What's in the score?
FICO launched the Medication Adherence Score on June 23, 2011. To create the scoring algorithm, FICO looked at data from a random sample of several million anonymous patients provided by a large pharmacy benefits manager. FICO observed patients who filled (or refilled) their prescriptions and patients who failed to, with the company then identifying those variables that best predicted medication adherence. For the Medication Adherence Score, those variables include age, gender, family size and asset information -- such as the likelihood of car ownership -- data also used by direct marketing companies. FICO says that with only a patient's name and address, it can pull the remainder of the necessary information from publicly available sources.
The scores range from 1 to 500. "The higher the score, the higher the likelihood a patient will be adherent to a drug regimen," FICO's Shellenberger says. FICO says patients who score 400 or higher are likely to take medication as prescribed, while those who score below 200 are at high risk of not taking medication. According to FICO, patients who earn a low score may receive a medication reminder in the form of an email, letter or phone call from their doctor -- tactics that would be too costly to apply across the board.
FICO says those who wouldn't want to receive notices should contact their health care providers and ask about their opt-out policies. High scorers who appear likely to take all their meds probably won't be contacted.
Click here to read the rest!
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Rectal endometriosis causing colonic obstruction and concurrent endometriosis of the appendix: a case report
Introduction Endometriosis is a clinical entity which presents with functioning endometrial tissue at sites outside the uterus. Bowel endometriosis is usually asymptomatic, but it may show non-specific symptoms.
Digital examination revealed an empty rectum and bowel obstruction was diagnosed. Our patient underwent exploratory laparotomy and rectum stenosis (almost complete obstruction) was observed.
The bowel stenosis was resected, and temporary colostomy and appendectomy were performed. The pathology report showed endometriosis of the colon and the appendix, and our patient received medical treatment for endometriosis.
Six months after this operation our patient had another surgery for restoration of large bowel continuity. No endometriosis was found.
Our patient was doing well at the one-year follow up.
Conclusion: Endometriosis of the bowel is a disease that may cause large bowel obstruction. In women of reproductive age, the surgeon should consider endometriosis as a differential diagnosis in case of various gastrointestinal symptoms.
Author: N. KatsikogiannisA. TsarouchaK. DimakisE. SivridisC. Simopoulos
Credits/Source: Journal of Medical Case Reports 2011, 5:320Endotimes blogger opinion: Yikes, I would never have an open surgery....if they can't do it laparoscoply then they aint good enough!
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Aromatase inhibitors in post-menopausal endometriosis
Postmenopausal endometriosis is a rare clinical condition. The diagnosis and treatment of an endometriotic lesion in postmenopausal women is complicated.
First line treatment choice should be surgical, given that there is a potential risk of malignancy. Medical treatment may be considered as second line or as an alternate first line treatment whenever surgery is contradicted and aims to alter the hormonal pathway leading to endometriosis progress.
Different hormonal regimens have been administered to these patients, with conflicting however results. Aromatase inhibitors (AIs) represent one of the most recently used drugs for postmenopausal endometriosis.
Clinical data for the use of (AIs) in postmenopausal patients is scarce. Up to date only 5 case reports are available regarding the use of these agents in postmenopausal women.
Although definite conclusions may be premature, AIs appear to considerably improve patients'symptoms and reduce endometriotic lesions size. Nonetheless the subsequent induced reduction in estrogen production, leads to certain short-term and long-term adverse effects.
Despite the limited available data, AIs appear to represent a new promising method which may improve symptoms and treat these patients, either as first line treatment, when surgery is contraindicated or as a second line for recurrences following surgical treatment. However, careful monitoring of patients'risk profile and further research regarding long-term effects and side-effects of these agents is essential prior implementing them in everyday clinical practice.
Author: Nikolaos PolyzosHuman FatemiApostolos ZavosGrigoris GrimbizisDimitra KyrouJuan Garcia VelascoPaul DevroeyBasil TarlatzisEvangelos Papanikolaou
Credits/Source: Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology 2011, 9:90
Published on: 2011-06-21
Copyright by the authors listed above - made available via BioMedCentral (Open Access). Please make sure to read our disclaimer prior to contacting 7thSpace Interactive. To contact our editors, visit our online helpdesk. If you wish submit your own press release, click here.
http://7thspace.com/headlines/386793/aromatase_inhibitors_in_post_menopausal_endometriosis.html
First line treatment choice should be surgical, given that there is a potential risk of malignancy. Medical treatment may be considered as second line or as an alternate first line treatment whenever surgery is contradicted and aims to alter the hormonal pathway leading to endometriosis progress.
Different hormonal regimens have been administered to these patients, with conflicting however results. Aromatase inhibitors (AIs) represent one of the most recently used drugs for postmenopausal endometriosis.
Clinical data for the use of (AIs) in postmenopausal patients is scarce. Up to date only 5 case reports are available regarding the use of these agents in postmenopausal women.
Although definite conclusions may be premature, AIs appear to considerably improve patients'symptoms and reduce endometriotic lesions size. Nonetheless the subsequent induced reduction in estrogen production, leads to certain short-term and long-term adverse effects.
Despite the limited available data, AIs appear to represent a new promising method which may improve symptoms and treat these patients, either as first line treatment, when surgery is contraindicated or as a second line for recurrences following surgical treatment. However, careful monitoring of patients'risk profile and further research regarding long-term effects and side-effects of these agents is essential prior implementing them in everyday clinical practice.
Author: Nikolaos PolyzosHuman FatemiApostolos ZavosGrigoris GrimbizisDimitra KyrouJuan Garcia VelascoPaul DevroeyBasil TarlatzisEvangelos Papanikolaou
Credits/Source: Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology 2011, 9:90
Published on: 2011-06-21
Copyright by the authors listed above - made available via BioMedCentral (Open Access). Please make sure to read our disclaimer prior to contacting 7thSpace Interactive. To contact our editors, visit our online helpdesk. If you wish submit your own press release, click here.
http://7thspace.com/headlines/386793/aromatase_inhibitors_in_post_menopausal_endometriosis.html
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