By admin | Published:
July 26, 2007

Chris Curtis
Malaria Nets Should be Mass Distributed
CHRIS CURTIS, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
The current method of distributing insecticidal nets for malaria isn’t working well enough. Chris Curtis explains what needs to be done.

Jean Jannin
Renewed Battle Against Chagas Disease
JEAN JANNIN, World Health Organisation
MICHAEL MILES, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Jean Jannin of the WHO discusses the organisation’s new push to eliminate Chagas Disease; and Michael Mills explains how London School research will contribute.

Harold Margolis
Quiet Progress for the Dengue Vaccine
REFERENCE: www.pdvi.org
HAROLD MARGOLIS, Pediatric Dengue Vaccine Initiative, Seoul
Harold Margolis, director of the Pediatric Dengue Vaccine Initiative, describes current progress in the development of a vaccine for dengue fever.
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Posted in Global Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine | Tagged audio news, chagas disease, chris curtis, global health, harold margolis, jean jannin, london school of hygiene, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, malaria, michael miles |
By admin | Published:
July 15, 2007

Stuart Pocock
REFERENCE: ABSTRACT N Engl J Med 2007; 357: 28-381
STUART POCOCK, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Reassuring findings about the safety of the anti-diabetic drug rosiglitazone have been published in the New England Journal of Medicine following an interim analysis of the Rosiglitazone Evaluated for Cardiac Outcomes and Regulation of Glycaemia in Diabetes (RECORD) study. This latest publication follows a meta-analysis in June 2007 by Nissen and Wolski which raised doubt about the safety of the drug. Nicola Solomon spoke with the RECORD trial’s statistician, Stuart Pocock, to get the latest data from this largest study specifically designed to look at cardiovascular outcomes.
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By admin | Published:
July 9, 2007

Rupert Pearse
REFERENCE: ABSTRACT Lancet 2007;369:1083-89 Editorial page 1061
RUPERT PEARSE, Barts and The London School of Medicine
A big step forwards in the management of patients in the emergency room who need artificial ventilation has been reported in the Lancet. A study carried out by Bruno François of the Dupuytren Teaching Hospital in Limoges at 15 intensive-care units of the Association des Réanimateurs du Centre-Ouest, has found that giving patients prednisolone therapy 24hrs before a planned extubation can substantially reduce the incidence of laryngeal oedema and the need for reintubation. Karen Regester spoke to Rupert Pearse who wrote the commentary on the article in the Lancet.
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By admin | Published:
July 4, 2007

Sjoerd Repping
REFERENCE: ABSTRACT Oral 278, also: N Engl J Med 2007;357:9-17
SJOERD REPPING, University of Amsterdam
Genetic screening of embryos before implantation for in-vitro fertilisation caused a big reduction in the number of live births as compared with no screening, contrary to expectations. That’s the finding of a study announced at the fertility conference in Lyon and simultaneously published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Sjoerd Repping of the investigating team from the University of Amsterdam discussed the study findings and its clinical implications with Peter Goodwin.
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By admin | Published:
July 3, 2007

Ariel Revel
Eggs From Young Patients Before Chemotherapy: New Hope for Future Fertility
REFERENCE: ABSTRACT Oral 107, ESHRE Annual Meeting Lyon July 1-4, 2007
ARIEL REVEL, Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem
Harvesting eggs from young girls before they undergo aggressive chemotherapy can now be done to give the hope of pregnancy in the future, according to fertility experts from Jerusalem reporting to the European conference on fertility being held in Lyon. The investigators have obtained oocytes from girls as young as five years. Lead author Ariel Revel talked about his group’s findings with Sarah Maxwell.

Hananel Holzer
First Baby Born From Thawed, Frozen, In-Vitro Matured Oocytes
REFERENCE: ABSTRACT Oral 018, ESHRE Annual Meeting Lyon July 1-4, 2007
HANANEL HOLZER, McGill University, Montreal
The results of a study that has produced the first live birth by maturing oocytes in vitro which have been collected from unstimulated ovaries, freezing them, and subsequently thawing them for fertilization were presented to the ESHRE meeting in Lyon. This is the first time oocytes collected without hormonal stimulation have resulted in pregnancies. For some women potentially facing sterility, such as those with breast cancer who do not have time for hormonal stimulation, this technique provides the hope of pregnancy which could otherwise be denied. Sarah Maxwell interviewed Hananel Holzer about the findings.

Masoud Afnan
Ovarian Stimulation: Menotrophin Gives More Live Births than Follicle-Stimulating Hormone for Assisted Reproduction
REFERENCE: ABSTRACT Oral 098, ESHRE Annual Meeting Lyon July 1-4, 2007
MASOUD AFNAN, Birmingham Women’s Hospital
Of two types of gonadotrophins currently used for ovarian stimulation in assisted reproduction one has now clearly demonstrated superiority in a meta-analysis presenteted to the fertility conference in Lyon. Human menotrophin (hGH) gave more live births than recombinant follicle-stimulating hormone (rFSH) whether reproduction was by in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Peter Goodwin talked with Masoud Afnan from Birmingham after his presentation of the study which he co-authored with Madelon van Wely and Julko van der Veen.

Viveca Söderström-Anttila
Single Embryo Transfer Recommended For Most Patients Receiving Donated Oocytes
REFERENCE: ABSTRACT Oral 007, ESHRE Annual Meeting Lyon July 1-4, 2007
VIVECA SÖDERSTRÖM-ANTTILA, Väestoliitto Fertility Clinics, Helsinki
When oocytes are donated to achieve a pregnancy, single embryo transfer should generally be recommended over double transfer, according to the findings of a study from Helsinki. Sarah Maxwell discussed the data with Viveka Söderström.
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By admin | Published:
July 2, 2007

Per-Olof Karlström

Richard Kennedy
REFERENCE: ABSTRACT Oral 005, ESHRE Annual Meeting Lyon July 1-4, 2007
PER-OLOF KARLSTRÖM, Academic Hospital Uppsala
COMMENT: RICHARD KENNEDY, University Hospital, Coventry
Elective single embryo transfer, now the norm in Sweden for in-vitro fertilisation, has greatly reduced rates of multiple pregnancy and the risks that go with it. And there are other benefits, according to Per-Olof Karlström from Uppsala who talked with Peter Goodwin during the ESHRE conference on fertility held in Lyon.
The evidence from Sweden was put in perspective during the conference by Richard Kennedy from Coventry.
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By admin | Published:
July 1, 2007

Martin McKee
The Threat of Oral Tobacco
MARTIN MCKEE, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Martin McKee on the smoking ban – and how the tobacco industry is now looking to promote oral tobacco. Is it an effort to keep people addicted?

Virginia Berridge
Health Politics Must Involve History
REFERENCE: The Guardian, 20th June
VIRGINIA BERRIDGE, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Virginia Berridge on how the past holds important lessons for public health in the present.

Martin McKee
Alcohol Consumption in Russian Men
REFERENCE: The Lancet 2007; 369:2001-2009
MARTIN MCKEE, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Martin McKee also discusses the new study on alcohol and mortality in working-age Russian men, and evidence that non-beverage alcohol is a major cause of early death.
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