MedicareCard Replacement

Statement of Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., and Jack Whitescarver, Ph.D., National Institutes of Health, on the 30th anniversary of the first reported cases of AIDS

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On June 5, 1981, an article concerning five previously healthy, young gay men in Los Angeles diagnosed with Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, an infection that usually appears only in individuals with substantial immune system damage, appeared in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, a publication of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Medicare Card, Comparable effectiveness shown for two common sudden deafness treatments

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Direct injection of steroids into the middle ear for the treatment of sudden deafness was shown to be no more or less effective than oral steroids in restoring hearing levels in a large comparison study of patients. The study results appear in the May 25, 2011 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. … Read more

Clinical trial stopped on combination cholesterol treatment

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The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health has stopped a clinical trial studying a blood lipid treatment 18 months earlier than planned. The trial found that adding high dose, extended-release niacin to statin treatment in people with heart and vascular disease, did not reduce the risk of cardiovascular … Read more

NIH Genomic Mapping Study Finds Largest Set of Genes Related to Major Risk Factor for Heart Disease

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Scanning the genomes of more than 100,000 people from all over the world, scientists report the largest set of genes discovered underlying high cholesterol and high triglycerides — the major risk factors for coronary heart disease, the nation’s number one killer. Taken together, the gene variants explain between a quarter and a third of the … Read more

NIH-Funded Researchers Generate Mature Egg Cells From Early Ovarian Follicles

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Researchers supported by the National Institutes of Health have for the first time activated mouse egg cells at the earliest stage of their development and brought them to maturity. In a related experiment, the researchers replicated the finding by also bringing human eggs to maturity in the laboratory.

NIH Seeks to Break New Ground in Reducing Health Disparities

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The National Institutes of Health today launched a multidisciplinary network of experts who will explore new approaches to understanding the origins of health disparities, or differences in the burden of disease among population groups. Using state-of-the-science conceptual and computational models, the network’s goal is to identify important areas where interventions or policy changes could have … Read more

Science News, Experimental Medication Lifts Depression Symptoms in Bipolar Disorder Within an Hour

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People with treatment-resistant bipolar disorder experienced relief from symptoms of depression in as little as 40 minutes after an intravenous dose of the anesthetic medication ketamine in a preliminary study; while the patient group was small, this work adds to evidence that compounds in the class to which ketamine belongs have potential as rapid and … Read more

Harold Varmus Sworn in as National Cancer Institute’s 14th Director

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Nobel Prize winner Harold E. Varmus, M.D., today took the oath of office to become the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) 14th director. NCI is one of the 27 Institutes and Centers that comprise the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

HIV/AIDS Treatment Curbs Spread of HIV Among Drug Users, According to NIH Supported Study

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Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), currently known for its therapeutic benefits against HIV, also reduced the spread of the virus among people with a history of injection drug use, according to a population-based study funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), a component of the National Institutes of Health. The study was published … Read more

Federal Report Details Health and Economic Status of Older Americans

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Today’s older Americans enjoy longer lives and better health than did previous generations. These and other trends are reported in Older Americans 2010: Key Indicators of Well-Being, a unique, comprehensive look at aging in the United States from the Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics.

Five New Members Named to NIH Advisory Committee on Research on Women’s Health

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The National Institutes of Health Advisory Committee on Research on Women’s Health announces the appointment of five new members: Francisco Garcia, M.D., M.P.H., Ronda S. Henry-Tillman, M.D., F.A.C.S., Karen E. Kim, M.D., Claire Pomeroy, M.D., and Paul F. Terranova, Ph.D.

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases National Institutes of Health on Results from the CAPRISA 004 Microbicide HIV Prevention Study

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Today we congratulate the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA) and the people of South Africa on the positive findings from the CAPRISA 004 microbicide study, which marks a significant milestone both for the microbicide research field and HIV prevention as a whole.

NIDA NewsScan #67

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To coincide with the 2010 International AIDS Conference in Vienna, NIDA has written a special issue of NewsScan on HIV/AIDS which features recent articles on the connection between drug abuse and HIV/AIDS and prevention and treatment strategies, authored by researchers supported by NIDA and other leading research organizations.

NIH-Funded Study Finds Early HAART during TB Treatment Boosts Survival Rate in People Co-Infected with HIV and TB

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A clinical trial in Cambodia has found it possible to prolong the survival of untreated HIV-infected adults with very weak immune systems and newly diagnosed tuberculosis (TB) by starting anti-HIV therapy two weeks after beginning TB treatment, rather than waiting eight weeks, as has been standard. This finding by scientists co-funded by the National Institute … Read more

NIH Announces New Awards in Program to Expand Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health

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Almost $6 million has been awarded to investigators and programs to help researchers in the early stages of careers in women’s health research. The funding is from the National Institutes of Health’s Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH) and other co-sponsors. The money will go to 12 new and continuing Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers … Read more

NIHSeniorHealth Site Offers Tips on Creating a Family Health History

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At your next family reunion or gathering, consider discussing a different type of family tree–the family health history. Find out how to collect, organize and use information about your family’s health at Creating a Family Health History, the newest topic on the NIHSeniorHealth website. NIHSeniorHealth is a health and wellness website designed especially for older … Read more