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Lancet Studies Examine Aspects Of Global Health Funding
"Global health funding boosted by private donors has quadrupled since 1990, but the extra money has not always gone to the right countries and diseases, according to a pair of studies released Friday," in the journal Lancet, AFP/Google.com reports (Hood, AFP/Google.com, 6/18).

U.S. Decision On Use Of Adjuvants Could Reduce World Supply Of H1N1 Vaccine, Says Lancet Editorial
"A U.S. plan to rely on swine flu vaccines without ingredients to stretch the supply [known as adjuvants] would reduce the number of available shots just when other countries need them most, the British journal Lancet said in an editorial," Bloomberg writes. On July 7, the WHO recommended the use of adjuvants - "mixes of oil and water that trigger a stronger response in the body to antigen, the substance that induces immunity" - to increase the global vaccine supply. Though adjuvants are not approved for flu vaccines in the U.S., HHS" decision to declare the H1N1 flu a public health emergency in April gave the FDA the go-ahead to use "unapproved medical products including adjuvants," according to Bloomberg.
News of the day
H1N1: What You Should Know
As a Dallas-based physician, there has been a recent flurry of panic about the H1N1 (swine influenza). School districts closed down. Intramural sports statewide were cancelled. Some even suggested closing the border with Mexico, where approximately three quarters of a million people routinely cross back and forth every day. The panic certainly was fueled by the media reports. Likewise, the media can serve to educate the public about health issues.
Sexual Health

More Strokes Can - And Should - Be Prevented

The number of people who each year die or are severely disabled by stroke could be substantially reduced through a cheap blood test and simple inexpensive treatment. There is too little attention paid to stroke risk, compared with recognition of symptoms once a stroke has occurred. That is the opinion of Professor Graham Hughes, who discovered antiphospholipid syndrome, the medical condition now known as Hughes Syndrome and more colloquially as sticky blood. Although common, Hughes Syndrome is often unrecognised or misdiagnosed yet it is responsible for 1 in 5 strokes in the under 45s and 1 in 5 heart attacks in young (under 35) women. Every five minutes somebody in the UK has a stroke. It is the third most common cause of death, costing the NHS over ÷£2.8 billion a year. May is also designated Stroke Awareness month and the Hughes Syndrome Foundation is campaigning to increase appreciation that there is a potentially life-saving link. "Anyone experiencing frequent headaches or migraine, visual disturbance or memory loss should be automatically tested for Hughes Syndrome; it should be routine," says Professor Hughes. "We know from patient experience that delay in diagnosis is common, with high costs to the NHS and the patient. The pity of it is that Hughes Syndrome is easily diagnosed and very treatable. "Very many individuals have no history of thrombosis, however the risk is there," emphasised Professor Hughes. "Greater awareness in the medical profession, especially at GP level, as well as the general public, would substantially reduce both financial and emotional cost," added Professor Hughes. "People experiencing symptoms should never hesitate to ask their GP to be tested." A YouGov Omnibus Survey early this year (January 2009) revealed that 68% of respondents agreed with Professor Hughes that following stroke, DVT or heart attack, people should automatically be tested for the condition. For more information about symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of Hughes Syndrome visit http://www.hughes-syndrome.org call the Hughes Syndrome Foundation tel 020 7188 8217 or email hsf@btconnect.com Notes - Also known medically as antiphospholipid syndrome and more colloquially as "sticky blood" Hughes Syndrome is an autoimmune disease which causes the blood to clot excessively and can affect any organ of the body giving rise to potentially fatal conditions. - The Stroke Association estimates the annual cost of stroke to the NHS is ÷£2.8 billion. - Hughes Syndrome was discovered in 1983 by Professor Graham Hughes. Currently he is head of the London Lupus Centre at London Bridge Hospital. - The conservative estimate of people at risk from Hughes Syndrome is 1% of the population - more than suffer from Parkinson"s disease or multiple sclerosis. One study indicated that it could be 2-4%. - In pregnancy clotting of the placenta can cause miscarriage or stillbirth and Hughes Syndrome causes 1 in 5 of all recurrent miscarriages. It is now recognized as the commonest, most treatable form of recurrent miscarriage. - Hughes Syndrome can be detected with two relatively simple blood tests: aCL (anticardiolipin) and LA (lupus anticoagulant). The blood tests are cheap (no more than ÷£10) and available at most laboratories throughout the world. - Some cases are misdiagnosed as multiple sclerosis, and patients with memory loss fear they are developing Alzheimers. If the symptoms are caused by Hughes Syndrome the conditions are potentially treatable. The Hughes Syndrome Foundation


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