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"Nature" And "Nurture" Variables Early Predictors Of AMD
Like many diseases, causes for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) can be categorized as either "nature" or "nurture". Researchers think these factors, when used in the proper model, can be strong predictors of the disease.

RCN Statement On Lord Ara Darzi
Commenting on news that Lord Ara Darzi will stand down as a government minister, Dr Peter Carter, Chief Executive of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), paid tribute to his contribution to the health service. He said:
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Teens Need To Hear About 'More Than Abstinence,' Philadelphia Inquirer Editorial Says
Although it is "important for other young people to hear" Bristol Palin"s message "about how hard it is to be a teenage mother," her "lesson falls short by suggesting that any teen can successfully avoid premarital sex," a Philadelphia Inquirer editorial says. Palin, who gave birth in December 2008 after an unintended pregnancy and is the daughter of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R), has "changed her tune" since she said in a February interview that teen abstinence is ""not realistic at all,"" the editorial states. It adds that Bristol Palin -- now an "abstinence ambassador" for the Candie"s Foundation -- recently said that abstinence is "realistic" and that it is the "harder choice, but it"s the safer choice."The editorial continues that Palin is correct that "[a]bstinence is the only foolproof way to avoid pregnancy" and sexually transmitted infections. However, "any viable lesson about avoiding teen pregnancy should include methods besides avoiding sex, including the use of condoms," the editorial says. Recent studies have shown that abstinence-only sex education programs have had "no measurable impact on delaying teens from having sex for the first time," according to the editorial, which adds that teen pregnancy rates rose 5% between 2005 and 2007 after years of declines. Additionally, three out of 10 U.S. girls will get pregnant by age 20, a figure that increases to more than 50% for Hispanics and blacks. The editorial concludes that teens "need frank talk about premarital sex that includes all of the viable options to avoid pregnancy" (Philadelphia Inquirer, 5/15).
Medical Devices

Landmark Data Presented At The British Society For Allergy And Clinical Immunology Shows Hay Fever Vaccine Could Be A Reality

New data presented at the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology (BSACI) annual meeting demonstrate that Grazax® is the first tablet treatment to provide sustained disease control in patients with grass pollen rhinoconjunctivitis (hay fever) after the treatment period ended. This is the first time disease modification by sublingual allergy immunotherapy tablets has been achieved; effectively re-setting the immune system to reduce future allergic reactions to grass pollen. The pivotal Grazax GT08 study is an international randomised, parallel-group, double-blind, placebo-controlled multicentre study. Patients were randomised to receive either three years of Grazax or placebo, followed by a two year treatment-free follow up period. Throughout the study all patients had free access to symptomatic medications such as antihistamines and nasal sprays. Sneezing, watery eyes and a blocked nose are amongst the most common symptoms reported by patients with severe hay fever. All of these symptoms improved during the three years of continued treatment. Importantly, one year following discontinuation of treatment, these symptoms remained significantly reduced by 31% (sneezing), 60% (watery eyes) and 51% (blocked nose) compared to the patients who had previously received placebo tablets.1 Furthermore, the need for symptomatic medications was sustained during three years continued treatment and remained significantly reduced in the season one year after stopping treatment, thereby confirming a disease-modifying effect (pReferences 1. Durham S, et al. Sustained, disease-modifying effect of grass allergen tablet immunotherapy 1 year after completion of treatment. XXVIII Congress of the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology; poster # 333 About Grazax Grazax is a once daily fast-melting tablet which is placed under the tongue (sublingual) and is the first immunotherapy tablet to address the underlying cause of grass pollen allergy. Grazax became available for adults in January 2007 and for children aged 5 to 17 years in February 2009. Grazax is generally well tolerated, with the majority of side effects being transient, local allergic reactions, such as oral pruritus (irritation in the mouth), which was classified as mild to moderate. About the Grazax GT08 study The pivotal Grazax GT08 study is a randomised, parallel-group, double-blind, placebo-controlled multicentre study. Patients were randomised to receive either 3 years of Grazax or placebo, followed by a 2 year follow up period. Throughout the study all patients had free access to symptomatic medications. The data from the 4th year of the GT08 study is based upon a full analysis set that included 283 participants, with a history of grass pollen rhinoconjunctivitis uncontrolled by symptomatic medications The main clinical study end points were: - Rhinoconjunctivitis symptom score - Rhinoconjunctivitis medication score - Quality of Life (QoL) ALK-AbellÃö


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