The cannabis-like compound may dampen delusional experiences, despite the links between cannabis and psychosis.

Pediatric | Pediatrics - Virtual Children's Hospital: A digital library of pediatric health information

Virtual Hospital: A digital library of health information

Adding Hormonal Therapy to RT Improves Survival in Prostate...

Imperial College London - Rheumatoid arthritis researchers receive Crafoord Prize from King of Sweden: "Gold medals will be awarded to two researchers from Imperial College by the King of Sweden on Monday for their work leading to new treatment in rheumatoid arthritis.

Professors Ravinder Maini and Marc Feldmann, both of the Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology Division, Imperial College School of Medicine, will receive the Crafoord Prize on 18 September at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences."

Atorvastatin May Be Helpful for Rheumatoid Arthritis

une 21, 2004 — Atorvastatin has a modest but clinically apparent benefit for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), according to the results of a randomized trial published in the June 19 issue of The Lancet. The commentator suggests that these results support its use for this indication.

"HMG-CoA (3-hydroxy-3-methylglutarylcoenzyme A) reductase inhibitors (statins) mediate clinically significant vascular risk reduction in patients without inflammatory disease and might have immunomodulatory function," write Iain B. McInnes, MRCP, PhD, and colleagues from the Glasgow Royal Infirmary, University of Glasgow in the U.K. "Statins therefore have a plausible bioactivity profile in vitro and in vivo that makes them possible therapeutic agents in rheumatoid arthritis to target both vascular risk and synovial inflammation."

In this trial, 116 patients with RA were randomized to receive 40 mg daily of either atorvastatin or placebo in addition to disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) therapy.

At six months, change in Disease Activity Score (DAS28) improved on atorvastatin (-0.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], -0.75 to -0.25) compared with placebo (0.03; 95% CI, -0.23 to 0.28; difference between groups, -0.52; 95% CI, -0.87 to -0.17; P = .004). In the atorvastatin group, 18 (31%) of 58 patients achieved the coprimary endpoint of DAS28-European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) response, as did six (10%) of 58 in the placebo group (odds ratio, 3.9; 95% CI, 1.42-10.72; P = .006).

Compared with placebo, C-reactive protein (CRP) decreased by 50% in the atorvastatin group (P < .001), and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) decreased by 28% (P = .005). Swollen joint count also decreased more in the atorvastatin group (-2.69 vs. -0.53; mean difference, -2.16; 95% CI, -3.67 to -0.64; P = .006). Both groups had similar frequency of adverse events.

Study limitations include the heterogeneous background of DMARD use, which allowed the possibility of statin-DMARD interactions that could confound outcomes, more patients receiving methotrexate in the atorvastatin group, small study group, and direct effects of statins on hepatic CRP synthesis, which could exaggerate the impression of disease modification.

"Although not indicative for first line use, this effect of atorvastatin could prove beneficial in the context of DMARD combination design, in which a statin offers both vascular protective and adjunctive immune modulatory potential," the authors write. "Whereas existing DMARD therapy might partly reverse vascular risk, our findings suggest that statins can work to reduce traditional and novel vascular risk factors."

Some of the authors report various financial arrangements with Pfizer.

In an accompanying commentary, Lars Klareskog, MD, PhD, and Anders Hamsten, MD, PhD, FRCP, from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden note caveats that should be considered before statins can be recommended for RA in clinical practice. The observed efficacy in this study was marginal compared with both conventional DMARDs and novel biological compounds. The effects of statins on the immune and inflammatory systems are still unknown, and there are no long-term safety data on patients with inflammatory diseases.

"Although of limited size and short-term, their findings support the use of atorvastatin, and presumably of other statins, to prevent cardiovascular disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis," the editorialists write. "Needless to say, more work is needed to define the long-term effects on inflammatory diseases and cardiovascular comorbidities, and to expand the basic understanding of how various statins affect the immune system."

Lancet. 2004;363:2011-2012, 2015-2021

Guideline 48: Management of Early Rheumatoid Arthritis

HoustonChronicle.com - Shrimp shells help save soldiers' lives: "Shrimp shells help save soldiers' lives
Pentagon pays millions for new, better bandages made from a carb found in seafood
By JOHN W. GONZALEZ
Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle

FORT SAM HOUSTON -- 'Do not eat,' the package clearly states, even though the contents are usually found in seafood."

Screening Approach Eradicates MRSA in UK Orthopedic Ward: "NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Jul 16 - An infection control strategy referred to as 'ring fencing' has been effective in eradicating MRSA and reducing postoperative infections in an orthopedic ward, according to UK researchers. Moreover, the team believes that its applicability could extend to any elective surgery ward."

MRSA Strains Spreading Outside US Hospitals
WASHINGTON (Reuters) Jul 14 - Community strains of MRSA are affecting athletes, prisoners and small children in growing numbers across the United States, infectious disease experts said on Wednesday.

University of Chicago Hospitals: University of Chicago scientists pinpoint cellular cause of SIDS: "University of Chicago researchers may have found a crucial clue to understanding and ultimately eliminating sudden infant death syndrome, the leading cause of post-neonatal mortality in the United States. Approximately 3,000 infants die each year from the disorder, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention."

Center for the Study of Autism
Asperger's syndrome was first described by a German doctor, Hans Asperger, in 1944 (one year after Leo Kanner's first paper on autism). In his paper, Dr. Asperger discussed individuals who exhibited many idiosyncratic, odd-like behaviors (see description below).

Management of Dyslipidemia in Adults - May 1, 1998 - American Academy of Family Physicians
The importance of treating dyslipidemias based on cardiovascular risk factors is highlighted by the National Cholesterol Education Program guidelines. The first step in evaluation is to exclude secondary causes of hyperlipidemia. Assessment of the patient's risk for coronary heart disease helps determine which treatment should be initiated and how often lipid analysis should be performed

Platelet-Leukocyte Aggregation May Put Migraine Patients at Risk for Stroke
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Jun 22 - Migraine is known to be an independent risk factor for ischemic stroke. In a new study, researchers have discovered a possible link at the cellular level for the two conditions.

Tears could unmask SARS mystery! - News Details, Webindia123.com: "Tears could unmask SARS mystery!
London | June 21, 2004 2:44:37 PM IST

Tears could help provide a breakthrough in finding an effective diagnosis for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).
According to a study in British Journal of Ophthalmology, this highly infectious respiratory virus has been found in tears ,which suggests ,that analysing tears could help researchers unravel many mysteries associated with the virus including the unrecognised source of its spread."

Autism Probably Not Caused by Single Factor

Coverage of Urinary Incontinence Treatment

Fish Oil Inhibits Sustained Ventricular Tachycardia

Short-term Pravastatin Therapy Does Not Reduce Recurrence of AF: "Short-term Pravastatin Therapy Does Not Reduce Recurrence of AF After Electrical Cardioversion"

Lutein Improves Visual Function in Age-Related Macular Degeneration


Laurie Barclay, MD


April 8, 2004 — Lutein improves visual function in patients with age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), according to the results of the randomized, double-masked Lutein Antioxidant Supplementation Trial (LAST), published in the April issue of Optometry.

"Low intake of lutein, the primary dietary carotenoid xanthophyll pigment responsible for macula pigment optical density (MPOD) in primates, is a major risk factor for advanced ARMD," write Stuart Richer, OD, PhD, from the VAMC Eye Clinic in North Chicago, Illinois, and colleagues