WHSC News and Information
 

WHSC News Releases for October 1998


Oct 21 '98 DON'T LET THE FLU GET YOU: Emory Expert Gives Advice on Fighting the Flu The flu...it's as predictable as the changing of seasons. And, as the leaves burst into color and a chill fills the autumn air, the influenza virus is gearing up for its annual appearance including all of its miserable, achy symptoms. However, now is the time for people to "arm" themselves with a simple flu shot for added protection against this debilitating illness. FULL STORY
Oct 20 '98 NEWLY FOUND TARGET IN BRAIN MAY LEAD TO NOVEL PARKINSON'S DISEASE THERAPIES Neuroscientists at the Yerkes Primate Research Center of Emory University are developing a potential new approach for alleviating the debilitating motor deficits in patients with Parkinson's disease. FULL STORY 
Oct 20 '98 DYSTONIA AT EMORY: Writer's Cramp, Precious Poison, Surgical Pallidotomy, Deep Brain Stimulation and Genetic Tests Raising awareness for the little known yet fairly common movement disorder known as dystonia is the intent of DYSTONIA AWARENESS WEEK, Oct. 11-17, spearheaded by the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation and supported by neurologists at the Emory University School of Medicine, among others. FULL STORY 
Oct 20 '98 NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE RELEASES NEW RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PREVENTING PERINATAL TRANSMISSION OF HIV FULL STORY
Oct 20 '98 EMORY EXTENDS AIDS RESEARCH INTERNATIONALLY THROUGH NIH TRAINING PROGRAM GRANT Emory University will extend its expertise in AIDS research and education to scientists in other countries through a new National Institutes of Health (NIH) designation as an AIDS International Training and Research Program (AITRP). The AITRP program is part of the programs supported through the NIH Fogarty International Center, which was established in 1968 to advance health through international scientific cooperation. FULL STORY 
Oct 20 '98 EMORY ENTREPRENEURS WIN CONTEST TO HELP COMMERCIALIZE RESEARCH Four Emory University School of Medicine faculty members recently received a boost in their entrepreneurial ambitions when they won awards from the Faculty Research Commercialization Program (FRCP), a six-year-old program that helps faculty members develop commercialized products based on their university research. FULL STORY 
Oct 13 '98 EMORY NEUROSCIENTISTS USE COMPUTER CHIP TO HELP SPEECH-IMPAIRED PATIENTS COMMUNICATE For patients left paralyzed and unable to speak from a spinal cord injury or stroke, communication is a constant challenge that threatens independence, emotional well being and health. FULL STORY
Oct 8 '98 EMORY SIGNS JOINT AGREEMENT WITH PEACE CORPS FOR NEW MASTER'S IN PUBLIC HEALTH The Peace Corps and Emory University announced today a Master's International Program in Public Health at Emory, which will link academic study to overseas field work. FULL STORY
Oct 6 '98 PREVENTING CHILDREN'S INDOOR ALLERGIES With fall arriving, many families begin to prepare for the cooler weather by breaking out soft down comforters, fuzzy flannel sheets and wool blankets from summer storage. While this sounds like a perfectly normal activity, Keith Phillips, M.D., pediatric allergist at The Emory Children's Center, cautions parents to keep some common sense tips in mind for a healthier fall allergy season. FULL STORY 
Oct 6 '98 DECREASE OF IODINE INTAKE FOUND IN AMERICANS The iodine status of Americans has changed significantly over the past 20 years, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study published in October's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. While there were concerns in the 1970's and 1980's about possible high iodine intake, a laboratory indicator of iodine intake more recently shows that median urinary iodine concentrations have decreased by more than half, from 32 to 14.5 micrograms per deciliter. FULL STORY 
Oct 6 '98 FIREARMS KEPT IN THE HOME LESS LIKELY TO BE FACTOR IN SELF-DEFENSE THAN IN ACCIDENTS, SUICIDE, CRIME, STUDY FINDS A study evaluating 626 shootings that occurred in or around residences in three U.S. cities indicates that "Guns kept in homes are more likely to be involved in a fatal or nonfatal residential shooting, criminal assault, or suicide attempt than to be used to injure or kill in self-defense The number of unintentional shootings, criminal assaults and suicide attempts involving a gun kept in the home exceeded the number of self-defense and legally justifiable shootings by a ratio of 22 to 1." FULL STORY 
Oct 6 '98 EMORY OFFERS NON-INVASIVE PROCEDURE TO IMPROVE QUALITY-OF-LIFE FOR URINARY INCONTINENCE SUFFERERS A new non-invasive, painless procedure that uses electromagnetic technology is offering the chance for a major improvement in quality of life for the millions of Americans who suffer from urinary incontinence, or loss of bladder control. By creating a pulsating magnetic field, the new procedure induces strong contractions in the pelvic floor to build strength and endurance in muscles that often are weakened by childbirth, surgery, injury or hormonal changes. FULL STORY
Oct 6 '98 EXERCISE & HEART DISEASE: Understanding Exercise/Cholesterol Paradox Underscores Importance of Workout Consistency Theoretically, exercise should trigger coronary heart disease, says lead researcher Sampath Parthasarathy, Ph.D. Exercise puts oxidative stress on the body, spurring the production of dangerous free radicals that oxidize low-density lipoprotein (LDL or the "bad" cholesterol) and contribute to vessel-clogging atherosclerosis. Yet research, and even anecdotal evidence, suggests regular exercise lowers the risk for heart disease. FULL STORY 
Oct 6 '98 THYROID & DEPRESSION: An Unclear yet Definite Relation is Evaluated by Emory Researchers Thyroid function should be checked ­ either by a psychiatrist or primary care physician -- in persons with major depression, says Emory psychiatrist Philip Ninan, M.D., who is studying the relation between the thyroid gland and depression. FULL STORY
Oct 4 '98 EMORY VITAMIN EXPERT LEADS THE WAY IN DEVELOPING NEW NUTRITIONAL GUIDELINES A group of leading nutrition-related scientists, physicians and public health officials from around the world met recently in Bangkok to clear any muddy waters that may exist concerning current recommendations for human intake of vitamins and minerals. FULL STORY
Oct 1 '98 OPEN-HEART SURGERY RISKS REDUCED BY USE OF BLOOD FILTERS--Annals of Thoracic Surgery Study Shows Leukocyte Reduction Improves Patient Outcomes While Decreasing Costs and Length of Hospital Stay A new study of open-heart surgery patients found that filtering leukocytes (white blood cells) from blood reduces the risks associated with this life-saving surgery and improves patient outcomes. The results of a prospective randomized study of 400 open-heart surgery patients, published in the current, (September), issue of the Annals of Thoracic Surgery, found that filtering blood also significantly decreases the length of hospital stay and costs. FULL STORY

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