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One in Seven Americans Age 71 and Older Has
Some Type of Dementia, NIH-Funded Study Estimates
10/31/2007
A new analysis suggests that about 3.4 million Americans age 71
and older -- one in seven people in that age group -- have
dementia, and 2.4 million of them have Alzheimer's disease (AD).
The study, supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH),
is the latest in a series of analyses attempting to assess the
prevalence of dementia and AD, the most common form of dementia.
Published online this week in 'Neuroepidemiology', the study
is the first to estimate rates of dementia and AD using a nationally
representative sample of older adults across the United States.
Drug-Impaired Driving by Youth Remains Serious Problem
10/31/2007
Large numbers of American adolescents are putting themselves and
others at great risk by driving while under the influence of illicit
drugs or alcohol, according to a study funded by the National Institute
on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health
(NIH). In 2006, 30 percent of high school seniors reported driving
after drinking heavily or using drugs, or riding in a car whose
driver had been drinking heavily or using drugs, at least once
in the prior two weeks. These findings are based on data obtained
from the Monitoring the Future study, in which nationally representative
samples of high school seniors have been surveyed annually since
1975. The data analysis is published in the November issue of the 'Journal
of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs'.
Health Ministers Gather in Washington
10/31/2007
At the invitation of HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt, health ministers are
gathering in Washington, D.C. for the 8th Annual Global Health Security
Initiative (GHSI) Ministerial Meeting. They will review preparedness
initiatives to respond to threats of biological, chemical, radio-nuclear
terrorism, pandemic influenza and other public health emergencies. The
health ministers will also discuss food and product safety. This is the
first time the United States will host the GHSI Ministerial Meeting.
Scientists Use Shared Genome Data To Confirm
SORL1 Gene Linked to Alzheimer's
10/30/2007
Until recently, only one of the approximately 30,000 genes in
the human genome has been linked to risk of late-onset Alzheimer's
disease (AD). Now, a new NIH-supported study in the Nov. 19, 2007,
issue of 'NeuroReport' (now online) used a publicly shared
genome dataset to strongly support findings that variation in the
sequence of the SORL1 gene may be a second risk factor gene for
late-onset disease. Identifying the genes involved in AD ultimately
may help determine who may be at greater risk and enable researchers
to zero in on pathways to develop new treatments.
NCMHD Announces New Acting Director for Scientific
Programs
10/30/2007
Former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health Nathaniel Stinson,
Jr., Ph.D., M.D., has been appointed acting director, Office of
Scientific Programs, National Center on Minority Health and Health
Disparities (NCMHD), National Institutes of Health (NIH). Chief
among his responsibilities will be direct oversight of the NCMHD's
Community Based Participatory Research Initiative and Loan Repayment
Programs.
Scientists Unveil Structure of Molecular Target
of Many Drugs
10/30/2007
More than 40 years after beta blockers were first used clinically,
scientists can finally get a close-up look at the drugs' molecular
target-the b2-adrenergic receptor. The
work is particularly exciting because it offers the first glimpse
into an important, but scientifically elusive family of human proteins
called G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs).
NIH Grants $33 Million in Institutional Development Awards to Three States - October 29, 2007
10/30/2007
The National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), a part of the
National Institutes of Health (NIH), announced today it has provided
nearly $33 million to fund three new Institutional Development
Awards (IDeA). The awards support multidisciplinary centers -- each
concentrating on one general area of research -- that strengthen
institutional biomedical research capability and enhance research
infrastructure. The IDeA program is designed to improve the competitiveness
of investigators in states that historically have not received
significant levels of competitive NIH research funding.
Frontiers in Addiction Research - October 26, 2007
10/27/2007
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National
Institutes of Health, will convene a one-day mini-convention
at the Society for Neuroscience's (SfN) annual meeting
in San Diego, bringing together scientists to explore novel
approaches to addiction and treatment. NIDA scientists
will present recent findings and discuss future directions
in the neurobiology of drug abuse and addiction.
Three NIH Scientists Named 2007 AAAS Fellows - October 25, 2007
10/26/2007
Three scientists from the National Institutes of Health have been
awarded the distinction of AAAS Fellow. Election as a Fellow is
an honor bestowed upon AAAS members by their peers.
NIEHS Awards Outstanding New Environmental Scientists - October 24, 2007
10/26/2007
Five-year grants totaling $3.5 million will go to seven exceptionally
talented and creative investigators in the early stages of their
careers, the National Institute of Environmental Health Science
(NIEHS), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), announced
today. The awards are being made under NIEHS's Outstanding New
Environmental Sciences (ONES) program.
NIEHS Awards Outstanding New Environmental Scientists - October 23, 2007
10/25/2007
Five-year grants totaling $3.5 million will go to seven exceptionally
talented and creative investigators in the early stages of their
careers, the National Institute of Environmental Health Science
(NIEHS), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), announced
today. The awards are being made under NIEHS's Outstanding New
Environmental Sciences (ONES) program.
NIH Launches Campaign to Raise Awareness of Vulvodynia, a Painful Disorder Affecting Many Women - October 23, 2007
10/25/2007
The Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH) at the National
Institute's of Health (NIH), in partnership with other federal
and non-federal partners, announced the launch of the 'Vulvodynia
Awareness Campaign' on October 24, 2007.
The NIH Public Trust Initiative Launches
the 'Partners in Research' Program - October 23, 2007
10/24/2007
The Public Trust Initiative (PTI), an initiative of the National
Institutes of Health (NIH), announces the release of a new Request
for Applications (RFA) for the Partners in Research program. The
purpose of this program is to support studies of innovative programs
designed to improve public understanding of health care research
and promote collaboration between scientists and community organizations.
In turn, these studies should help in the development of strategies
to increase the public awareness and trust in both the role of
NIH and the importance of new directions of research for advancing
the public health.
NIAID Funds $51 Million Contract to Create Comprehensive Model of Immune Responses - October 23, 2007
10/24/2007
A team of scientists is expanding efforts to develop a detailed picture of immune system function with a new $51 million, five-year contract from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health. The research builds on a project originally funded by NIAID in 2003, and will continue to be led by Richard Ulevitch, Ph.D., of The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, Calif. The contract will also involve scientists from the Institute for Systems Biology in Seattle; Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif.; and the Australian National University, Canberra.
Signature of a Letter of Intent between the National Institutes of Health
and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) for the 'Research
Career Transition Award' Program - October 22, 2007
10/23/2007
On October 1st, 2007, Elias Zerhouni, Director of the National
Institutes of Health (NIH), and Arnold Migus, Director General
of CNRS, signed a Letter of Intent for the creation of a program
for young scientists entitled 'NIH-CNRS Research Career Transition
Award' at the NIH in Bethesda, MD.
NIH hosts event to launch Council of Science
Editors' global theme issue - October 22, 2007
10/23/2007
The National Institutes of Health today is hosting the launch
of the Council of Science Editors' global theme issue on poverty
and human development, to coincide with the publication of related
research by more than 230 journals worldwide. Seven of the most
outstanding articles examining interventions and projects to improve
health and reduce health-care inequities among the poor are being
presented at the event. The diverse topics include childbirth safety,
HIV/AIDS, malaria treatment, food insufficiency and sexual behavior,
interventions to improve child survival, physician brain drain
from the developing world, and influenza's impact on children.
NIH Director's Council of Public Representatives Welcomes Six New Members
to the Next Meeting, October 26, 2007 in Bethesda, MD. - October 22, 2007
10/23/2007
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has selected six individuals
to serve as members of the Director's Council of Public Representatives
(COPR), the advisory committee to the NIH Director on issues important
to the public.
Stress: Brain Yields Clues About Why Some Succumb
While Others Prevail - October 18, 2007
10/19/2007
Results of a new study may one day help scientists learn how to
enhance a naturally occurring mechanism in the brain that promotes
resilience to psychological stress. Researchers funded by the National
Institutes of Health's National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
found that, in a mouse model, the ability to adapt to stress is
driven by a distinctly different molecular mechanism than is the
tendency to be overwhelmed by stress. The researchers mapped out
the mechanisms -- components of which also are present in
the human brain -- that govern both kinds of responses.
NIH and India Partner to Develop Low-Cost Medical
Technologies - October 17, 2007
10/19/2007
The National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering
(NIBIB), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the
Department of Biotechnology (DBT) of the Ministry of Science and
Technology of the Republic of India, have entered into a bilateral
agreement to develop low-cost health-care technologies aimed at
the medically underserved. The agreement is based on a shared commitment
to improve the health and well-being of the people of both countries
by encouraging collaborations and cooperation on the development
of diagnostic and therapeutic medical technologies that are inexpensive
and operate at the initial point of physician contact, or point
of care.
NIH Event to Launch Council of Science Editors' Global Theme Issue - October 17, 2007
10/19/2007
NIH is hosting a free, public event to launch the Council of Science Editors’ Global Theme Issue on poverty and human development, to coincide with the publication of related research by more than 230 journals worldwide. Seven of the most outstanding articles examining interventions and projects to improve health and reduce health-care inequities among the poor will be presented at this event. Subject areas include: childbirth safety, HIV/AIDS, malaria treatment, food insufficiency and sexual behavior, interventions to improve child survival, physician brain drain from the developing world, and influenza's impact on children.
Consortium Publishes Phase II Map of Human Genetic Variation - October 17, 2007
10/19/2007
The International HapMap Consortium today published analyses of its second-generation map of human genetic variation, which contains three times more markers than the initial version unveiled in 2005. In two papers in the journal 'Nature', the consortium describes how the higher resolution map offers greater power to detect genetic variants involved in common diseases, explore the structure of human genetic variation and learn how environmental factors, such as infectious agents, have shaped the human genome.
How Schizophrenia Develops: Major Clues Discovered - October 16, 2007
10/19/2007
Schizophrenia may occur, in part, because of a problem in an intermittent
on/off switch for a gene involved in making a key chemical messenger
in the brain, scientists have found in a study of human brain tissue.
The researchers found that the gene is turned on at increasingly
high rates during normal development of the prefrontal cortex,
the part of the brain involved in higher functions like thinking
and decision-making -- but that this normal increase may not
occur in people with schizophrenia.
NIH Office of Research on Women's Health
Launches Vulvodynia Awareness Campaign - October 12, 2007
10/16/2007
Launch of Vulvodynia Awareness Campaign to raise awareness about vulvodynia, a chronic unexplained
pain or discomfort of the vulva. While a number of causes
have been proposed, researchers still don't know why vulvodynia
happens to some women. An estimated 14 million American women
may have vulvodynia at one point in their lives. However,
many health care providers are not aware of the condition,
so they aren't always able to diagnose it. As a result, many
women may go for a long period of time without a diagnosis.
This campaign is designed to raise awareness of the condition
that is frequently not discussed, but can greatly affect
the lives and personal relationships of women of all races,
ethnic groups and ages.
NIH National Neurology Advisory Council Gains
Five New Members - October 12, 2007
10/15/2007
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
welcomes five new members to its National Advisory Neurological
Disorders and Stroke Council. The Council serves as the principal
advisory body to the NINDS, a component of the National Institutes
of Health and the nation's primary supporter of basic, translational,
and clinical research on the brain and nervous system.
NAS Report Offers New Tools to Assess Health Risks from Chemicals - October 9, 2007
10/15/2007
Determining how thousands of chemicals found in the environment
may be interacting with the genes in your body to cause disease
is becoming easier because of a new field of science called toxicogenomics.
A new report issued today by the National Academies of Sciences
(NAS) recognizes the importance of toxicogenomics in predicting
effects on human health and recommends the integration of toxicogenomics
into regulatory decision making. The NAS report was commissioned
by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and a leader in
the development of toxicogenomic technologies.
Statement of Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., Director,
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National
Institutes of Health, on National Latino AIDS Awareness Day,
October 15, 2007 - October 10, 2007
10/11/2007
October 15, 2007, marks the fifth annual National Latino AIDS
Awareness Day. On this day, the National Institute of Allergy and
Infectious Diseases (NIAID) pledges to continue working toward
reducing the burden of HIV/AIDS in the Latino community in the
United States. We commemorate everyone who has been lost to the
disease and recognize those committed individuals who promote HIV/AIDS
education and awareness in all communities.
Folic Acid Lowers Blood Arsenic Levels in Bangladesh - October 10, 2007
10/11/2007
A new study conducted in Bangladesh finds that folic acid supplements
can dramatically lower blood arsenic levels in individuals chronically
exposed to arsenic-contaminated drinking water. Arsenic is a toxic
element that is naturally present in some soils and water. Arsenic-contaminated
drinking water is currently a significant public health problem
in at least 70 countries, including several developing countries
and also parts of the United States. Chronic arsenic exposure is
associated with increased risk for skin, liver and bladder cancers,
skin lesions, cardiovascular disease, and other adverse health
outcomes. The study was funded by the National Institute of Environmental
Health Sciences (NIEHS) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
NHGRI Funds New Centers for Excellence in Ethical, Legal and Social Implications
Research - October 10, 2007
10/11/2007
The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), part of
the National Institutes of Health (NIH), today announced the establishment
of two new centers to address the most critical ethical, legal
and social questions faced by researchers and patients involved
in genetic and genomic research.
Researchers Expand Efforts to Explore Functional
Landscape of the Human Genome - October 9, 2007
10/10/2007
The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), part of
the National Institutes of Health (NIH), today announced grants
totaling more than $80 million over the next four years to expand
the ENCyclopedia Of DNA Elements (ENCODE) project, which in its
pilot phase yielded provocative new insights into the organization
and function of the human genome.
NIH Grantees Win 2007 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
for Developing Techniques to Target Specific Genes in Mice - October 8, 2007
10/10/2007
The 2007 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine is shared by two
long-time NIH grantees, Mario R. Capecchi, Ph.D., of the University
of Utah School of Medicine, and Oliver Smithies, Ph.D., of the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The two researchers
are honored, along with Sir Martin J. Evans, Ph.D., of Cardiff
University, for developing the powerful technology known as 'gene
targeting.'
NCCAM Expands Centers of Excellence in CAM Research
Program - October 5, 2007
10/10/2007
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
(NCCAM) has added three new Centers of Excellence for Research
on Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) to its centers
program. These centers will explore the biological effects of a
number of plant-derived compounds and preparations found in CAM
products, such as dietary supplements, on pancreatic diseases,
autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, and Alzheimer's disease.
NCCAM, a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH),
is the lead Federal agency for research on complementary and alternative
medicine.
Division of Bioengineering and Physical Science
Transferred to the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and
Bioengineering - October 4, 2007
10/5/2007
The National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering
(NIBIB) today announced the integration of the Division of Bioengineering
and Physical Science (DBEPS), formerly part of the NIH Office of
Research Services, into the NIBIB Intramural Research Program.
The expertise of the DBEPS staff supports the mission of the NIBIB
to integrate bioengineering with the life and physical sciences,
and spans cutting-edge technologies operating at scales ranging
from near-atomic resolution to intact organisms.
Researchers Identify Genes That Increase Rheumatoid Arthritis Risk - October 4, 2007
10/5/2007
Researchers in the United States and Sweden have identified a
genetic region associated with increased risk of rheumatoid arthritis
(RA), a chronic and debilitating inflammatory disease of the joints
that affects an estimated 2.1 million Americans. The U.S. arm of
the study involved a long-time collaboration between intramural
researchers of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal
and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) and other organizations. NIAMS is one
of 27 institutes and centers at the National Institutes of Health.
The results appeared in the 'New England Journal of Medicine'.
NIBIB Invests in Quantum Research - October 4, 2007
10/5/2007
The National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering
(NIBIB), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), today
announced the award of more than $12 million in grants to support
research and development of potentially high-impact, innovative
technologies to advance health care.
NIH Announces Addition of 22 New Study Centers
in National Children's Study - October 4, 2007
10/5/2007
The National Children's Study announced today that it awarded
contracts in late September to 22 new study centers to manage participant
recruitment and data collection in 26 additional communities across
the United States. Funding for the new study centers and the study's
initial phase is a result of a $69 million appropriation from Congress
in fiscal year 2007.
Treatment Blocks Pain Without Disrupting Other
Functions - October 3, 2007
10/4/2007
A combination of two drugs can selectively block pain-sensing
neurons in rats without impairing movement or other sensations
such as touch, according to a new study by National Institutes
of Health (NIH)-supported investigators. The finding suggests an
improved way to treat pain from childbirth and surgical procedures.
It may also lead to new treatments to help the millions of Americans
who suffer from chronic pain.
National Cancer Institute Symposium Showcases HIV/AIDS Research and
Introduces a New Center of Excellence in HIV/AIDS and Cancer
Virology - October 2, 2007
10/3/2007
The National Cancer Institute (NCI), part
of the National Institutes of Health, is holding a symposium
to celebrate and showcase several important historic achievements
in HIV/AIDS research made by former and current NCI scientists,
introduce a new Center of Excellence for HIV/AIDS and cancer
virology, and discuss new directions in the continuing effort
to combat HIV infection, the devastating consequences of
AIDS, and AIDS-related cancers.
NIH Launches Extensive Open-Access Dataset of
Genetic and Clinical Data - October 1, 2007
10/3/2007
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) -- the nation's medical
research agency -- is launching one of the most extensive
collections of genetic and clinical data ever made freely available
to researchers worldwide. Called SHARe (SNP Health Association
Resource), the Web-based dataset enables qualified researchers
to access a wealth of data from large population-based studies,
starting with the landmark Framingham Heart Study. Funded by the
NIH's National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), SHARe
will accelerate discoveries linking genes and health, thereby advancing
scientists' understanding of the causes and prevention of cardiovascular
disease and other disorders.
Depressed Adolescents Respond Best to Combination
Treatment - October 1, 2007
10/3/2007
A combination of psychotherapy and antidepressant medication appears
to be the most effective treatment for adolescents with major depressive
disorder -- more than medication alone or psychotherapy alone, according
to results from a major clinical trial funded by the National Institutes
of Health's National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). The study
was published in the October 2007 issue of the 'Archives of
General Psychiatry'.
Significant Advances in Dietary Supplement Research
Highlighted in 2006 Annual Bibliography - October 1, 2007
10/3/2007
Studying the risks and benefits of dietary supplements has always
posed unique challenges to researchers. To potentially support
conclusive recommendations, these studies must enroll thousands
of people and follow them for years. Additionally, as dietary supplements
are regulated as foods, products can be sold without demonstrating
efficacy. These factors can result in exaggerated research findings
and conflicting health messages to consumers. To help advance the
field and better inform the public, the Office of Dietary Supplements
(ODS) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has published
the 2006 Annual Bibliography of Significant Advances in Dietary
Supplement Research, highlighting 25 of the most significant dietary
supplement research advances of the past year.
Breast Milk Associated With Greater Mental Development
in Preterm Infants, Fewer Re-hospitalizations - October 1, 2007
10/3/2007
Extremely low birth weight premature infants who received breast
milk shortly after birth, while still in intensive care units,
had greater mental development scores at 30 months than did infants
who were not fed breast milk, reported researchers in an NIH network.
Moreover, infants fed breast milk were less likely to have been
re-hospitalized after their initial discharge than were the infants
not fed breast milk.
Low Maternal Cholesterol Tied to Premature Birth - October 1, 2007
10/3/2007
Pregnant women who have very low cholesterol may face a greater
risk of delivering their babies prematurely than women with more
moderate cholesterol levels, a team led by the National Human Genome
Research Institute (NHGRI), part of the National Institutes of
Health (NIH), reported today.
Genes Linked to Suicidal Thinking During Antidepressant
Treatment - September 27, 2007
10/3/2007
Specific variations in two genes are linked to suicidal thinking
that sometimes occurs in people taking the most commonly prescribed
class of antidepressants, according to a large study led by scientists
at the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) National Institute
of Mental Health (NIMH). Depending on the particular mix inherited,
these versions increased the likelihood of such thoughts from 2-
to15-fold, the study found. About 1 percent of adult patients were
deemed to be at high genetic risk, 41 percent at elevated risk
and 58 percent at lower risk.
New National Study Links Asthma to Allergies - September 27, 2007
10/3/2007
Researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have found
that more than 50 percent of the current asthma cases in the country
can be attributed to allergies, with approximately 30 percent of
those cases attributed to cat allergy.
Scientists Sequence Genome of Intestinal Parasite
that Afflicts Hikers and Kids in Daycare - September 27, 2007
10/3/2007
Giardia lamblia is a strange-looking parasite that swims in the
gut, spreads through stool, persists in contaminated water, and
is responsible for more than 20,000 reported infections a year
in the United States. Now it has finally spilled its genetic secrets.
NIDA Director Among Featured Speakers
at The Aspen Health Forum Panel: 'The Emerging Science
of Mood -- Understanding Depression and Mania' - September 27, 2007
10/3/2007
Dr. Nora D. Volkow, Director of the National
Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institutes of Health
(NIH), will join more than 125 world-class medical scientists
and innovators in health care and policy at the inaugural
session of The Aspen Health Forum. As a featured panel speaker
for the 'Art of Humanity and Medicine' meeting
track, Dr. Volkow will discuss the brain's reward circuitry
and how it relates to the emerging science of mood. The forum,
organized by the Aspen Institute and 'The Atlantic' magazine,
will explore pressing bioscience issues and shed light on
cutting-edge scientific findings to improve the health of
the Nation.
'Milk Matters' Online Lesson Resources
Available for Teachers - September 26, 2007
10/3/2007
New online resources stressing the importance of calcium for bone
health are now available for middle and high school teachers. The
resources are available through the Milk Matters calcium education
campaign, sponsored by the National Institute of Child Health and
Human Development of the National Institutes of Health.