Hollywood Stars Joined in a Celebration of Babies
November 20, 2009
March of Dimes hosted the Fourth Annual Celebration of Babies luncheon to recognize prominent individuals who are celebrating the birth of their children and who are role models for March of Dimes commitment to improve the health of babies. As part of the March of Dimes November Prematurity Awareness Month campaign, celebrities and special guests were urged to join the fight for preemies!
Held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, the Celebration of Babies luncheon honored Dr. Robert Katz M.D., obstetrician to the stars, with the Golden Rattle Award for his commitment to the March of Dimes mission. Halle Berry presented Dr. Katz with this award. The March of Dimes Community Award was presented to Donna Holloran, MSW; Allison LaTona, MFT; and Shelley Reicher-Lawrence, CPE of BABYGROUP. To view video clips from this event go to http://public.me.com/endusermod.
Promise of a New Lupus Treatment Is a Groundbreaking Achievement
November 18, 2009
Human Genome Sciences (HGS) and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) today announced positive results from BLISS-76, the second of two large-scale phase III clinical trials of BENLYSTA(TM) (belimumab) for treating systemic lupus. A full presentation of results from BLISS-52 was recently shared at the 73rd Annual Scientific meeting of the American College of Rheumatology. Both trials succeeded in meeting their primary endpoints, which should make BENLYSTA eligible for approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Both trials demonstrate that treatment with BENLYSTA plus standard of care was superior to that of placebo (inactive agent) plus standard of care. BENLYSTA significantly reduced disease activity. If approved by the FDA, BENLYSTA would be the first drug ever developed and approved specifically for the treatment of lupus.
Race is Strong Predictor for Restless Legs Syndrome
November 15, 2009
New research shows that Caucasian women may suffer from restless legs syndrome (RLS), a sleep disorder characterized by the strong urge to move the legs, up to four times more than African-American women. The study, presented at CHEST 2009, the 75th annual international scientific assembly of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), found that, overall, non-African-American (NAA) patients experienced RLS four times more often than African-Americans (AA). Furthermore, 2 out of 5 Caucasian women were found to have RLS, nearly four times the incidence of RLS in African-American women and the highest incidence among all groups.
“There are significant ethnic differences in the prevalence of restless legs syndrome, but the exact causes of higher prevalence among Caucasians are unknown,” said Ammar Alkhazna, MD, University of Missouri, Kansas City, MO. “This likely reflects a combination of factors, including a genetic predisposition to RLS, diet — including iron intake — medications, and possibly culture.” Read more
African Americans Fare Worse After Undergoing Liver Transplantation Due to Hepatitis C
November 15, 2009
Previous studies have shown that hepatitis C virus (HCV) progresses slower prior to liver transplantation in African Americans than in whites. However, researchers demonstrate in this study, which will be presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, that the opposite is true after transplantation, in that recurrent HCV in the transplanted liver progresses faster in African Americans than in whites. “I believe this study highlights the need, in all patients, for early close clinical monitoring, including the use of early protocol biopsies, to identify these patients that have early disease progression post-transplantation,” said Jennifer Layden, MD, PhD, principal investigator on this study.
African American Office of Gay Concerns To Launch ‘Status Is Everything’ HIV Testing Campaign
November 15, 2009
Beginning January 2010 in Newark, African American men who have sex with men will be targeted by an HIV Testing social marketing campaign titled “Status Is Everything” organized by the African American Office of Gay Concerns (AAOGC) of Newark. “Status Is Everything” aims to encourage African American men, particularly young men who have sex with men, to get HIV tested and reduce risky behaviors. AAOGC will unveil the “Status Is Everything” brand and outreach components on World AIDS Day, December 1, 2009. Funding for “Status Is Everything” is provided by the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services as part of the department’s HIV prevention efforts aimed at high-risk African American men.
Laila Ali and Anthem Blue cross Fighting to Prevent Childhood Obesity
November 15, 2009
World Champion athlete Laila Ali joined the Anthem Blue Cross and California Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports Live Like a Champion Tour at Kentwood Elementary to combat the growing epidemic of childhood obesity. Ali stepped into the ring for a round with a speed bag and to teach kids the importance of conditioning activities such as push-ups, sit-ups and jumping rope.
Black AIDS Institute Receives Long-Term Funding from CDC for African American HIV University
November 15, 2009
Leaders from the Black AIDS Institute and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) met recently to finalize the details of a four and one-half year grant to fund the Institute’s African American HIV University (AAHU) Community Mobilization College.
The AAHU Community Mobilization College is a comprehensive training and internship fellowship program aimed at strengthening organizational and individual capacity to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Black communities. The program is designed to decrease stigma and misperception and increase the engagement of the Black community in HIV prevention and treatment services. This is achieved through leadership development and information transfer among key stakeholders.
Black AIDS Institute Receives Long-Term Funding from CDC for African American HIV University
November 15, 2009
Leaders from the Black AIDS Institute and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) met recently to finalize the details of a four and one-half year grant to fund the Institute’s African American HIV University (AAHU) Community Mobilization College.
The AAHU Community Mobilization College is a comprehensive training and internship fellowship program aimed at strengthening organizational and individual capacity to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Black communities. The program is designed to decrease stigma and misperception and increase the engagement of the Black community in HIV prevention and treatment services. This is achieved through leadership development and information transfer among key stakeholders.
African-Americans have twice the risk of proximal cancer
November 15, 2009
Compared to other racial and ethnic groups, African-Americans have a significantly increased risk of developing colorectal cancer and receiving a diagnosis of late-stage disease, according to a paper presented at the American College of Gastroenterology Annual Scientific Meeting, held from Oct. 23 to 28 in San Diego.
Robert John Wong, M.D., of the California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco, performed a retrospective cohort study of a large population-based cancer registry from 1973 to 2004.
African American Kids May Need More Vitamin D
November 15, 2009
Millions of children in the U.S. may not get enough vitamin D, and African-American and Hispanic kids are especially at risk, a new study suggests.
Researchers concluded that more than 6 million U.S. children have lower vitamin D levels than the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends. And more than two out of three children, or 24 million, have lower levels than may be optimal for good health, the researchers reported this week in Pediatrics.
“We think kids would probably benefit from getting more vitamin D than most are getting right now,” study researcher Jonathan M. Mansbach, MD, of Children’s Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School, tells WebMD.
