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Many Breast Cancer Survivors Do Not Have Follow-up Mammograms
December 28, 2005 Many older breast cancer survivors do not undergo annual mammography despite recommendations, found Nancy Keating, an assistant professor of health care policy at Harvard Medical School. National guidelines recommend strongly that all breast cancer survivors undergo annual mammography because they face an increased risk of new or recurrent breast cancer.
Function of "Unicorn" Whale's 8-foot Tooth Discovered
December 13, 2005-Harvard School of Dental Medicine researcher Martin Nweeia, DMD, DDS, has answered a marine science question that has eluded the scientific community for hundreds of years: why does the narwhal, or "unicorn," whale have an 8-foot-long tooth emerging from its head, and what is its function?
Five HMS Faculty Named Scientific American Notables
November, 2005 Five Harvard Medical School researchers have been listed as research leaders in Scientific American 50, the magazine's list of the 50 individuals or organizations who have been influential in science or technology in the past year.
Warning Labels on High-Risk Drugs Inconsistently Heeded by Doctors
November 18, 2005 In a survey of approximately 930,000 ambulatory care patients, researchers from the Department of Ambulatory Care and Prevention found that 42 percent received prescriptions for drugs with Black Box Warnings (BBW), the Food and Drug Administration's strongest label for high-risk medication. Additionally, physicians' compliance with the recommendations of the BBWs was highly variable, which suggests that better methods are needed for ensuring the safe use of medications that carry serious risks.
Study Shows Escalating Climate Change Impacts on Human Health, the Environment, and the Economy
November 1, 2005 The Center for Health and the Global Environment at Harvard Medical School, along with co-sponsors Swiss Re and the United Nations Development Programme, released a study showing that climate change will significantly affect the health of humans and ecosystems and these impacts will have economic consequences. The study, Climate Change Futures: Health, Ecological and Economic Dimensions (CCF), surveys existing and future costs associated with climate change and the growing potential for abrupt, widespread impacts.
Keeping Children Safe & Healthy On Halloween:
Tips From Harvard Health Publications
October 28, 2005 Halloween is an exciting time for kids, and we can all help to make sure that children have a safe and fun holiday with tips from Harvard Health Publications, the publishing group at Harvard Medical School.
Former Vice President Is 2005 Recipient of the Global Environmental Citizen Award
October 21, 2005 Former Vice President Al Gore has been chosen as the recipient of the 2005 Global Environmental Citizen Award by the Center for Health and the Global Environment at Harvard Medical School. "Al Gore's dedication to the environment has never wavered," says Eric Chivian, MD, director of the Center for Health and the Global Environment and co-recipient of the 1985 Nobel Peace Prize.
Fried Food Eaten Away From Home Creates Fatter Kids
October 3, 2005 New research shows that adolescents who eat large amounts of fried food away from home are heavier and more likely to have a poor-quality diet. Researchers from the Department of Ambulatory Care and Prevention (at Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care) found that 9 to 14 year olds who increased their consumption of fried food away from home over the course of a year gained weight above the normal rate.
Boston Consortium Awarded CDC Grant to Build Medical Record Surveillance Systems
September 27, 2005 The Department of Ambulatory Care and Prevention (of Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care) and Children's Hospital Boston have been awarded a $4.5 million grant to allow teams from each institution -- along with researchers at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates, and other Massachusetts health care organizations -- to build a private, secure, electronic medical records search system that gives public health officials real-time illness prevalence data.
Racial Disparities Narrowing in Medicare Managed Care
August 18, 2005 Researchers and clinicians recognize that blacks often receive lower quality health care than whites. In an effort to better understand this troubling finding and guide efforts to eliminate these disparities, researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) and Harvard Medical School (HMS) have examined seven years of data from Medicare managed care health plans to
determine whether quality has improved and racial disparities have changed from
1997 to 2003. "Despite improvements in disparate care, the quality of care remains less than optimal for black patients on several key measures," said senior researcher John Ayanian, associate professor at BWH and HMS and a practicing internist.
A Step Toward The $1,000 Personal Genome Using Readily Available Lab Equipment
August 4, 2005 The theoretical price of having one's personal genome sequenced just fell from the prohibitive $20 million dollars to about $2.2 million, and the goal is to reduce the amount further--to about $1,000--to make individualized prevention and treatment realistic. The sharp drop is due to a new DNA sequencing technology developed by Harvard Medical School (HMS) researchers Jay Shendure, Gregory Porreca, George Church, and their colleagues. The team sequenced the E. coli bacterial genome at a fraction of the cost of conventional sequencing using off-the-shelf instruments and chemical reagents.
Critical Step Traced In Anthrax Infection: Pore Protein Plays Active Role In Toxins' Entry Into Cells
July 28, 2005 Scientists at Harvard Medical School have revealed details of a key step in the entry of anthrax toxin into human cells. The work, which grew out of an ongoing effort to produce a better anthrax therapeutic, shows that the protective antigen component of the bacterial toxin plays an active role in transferring the other two components of the toxin through the cell membrane. The research, led by R. John Collier, professor of microbiology and molecular genetics, provides insight into the broader question of how proteins cross cell membranes.
Depression Linked To Previously Unknown Dopamine Regulator
July 28, 2005 Researchers from Harvard Medical School have found a molecule that is unexpectedly involved in dopamine signaling, and in a manner that supports the potential of dopamine as an alternative target for treating depression. The results provide evidence that there is a molecular link between impaired dopamine signaling and depression, which affects 16 percent of the adult population in the United States. The brain's mood, reward, and motivation circuits are mainly governed by dopamine and have been regarded as potential alternative targets for treating depression.
Four Harvard Medical School Researchers Part Of $300 Million HIV Research Consortium
July 14, 2005 Four HMS faculty, Raphael Dolin, Stephen Harrison, Norman Letvin, and Joseph Sodroski, will serve in leadership roles within the Center for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Immunology, a consortium of universities and academic medical centers established on July 14 by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The potential $300 million initiative will seek solutions for major problems in HIV vaccine development and design and address major obstacles to HIV vaccine development.
Cancer Researcher Susan Band Horwitz, PhD Wins Warren Alpert Foundation Prize For Work Developing Taxol
June 21, 2005 Susan Band Horwitz, PhD, the Falkenstein Professor of Cancer Research and Co-Chair of the Department of Molecular Pharmacology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, will today be awarded the 17th annual Warren Alpert Foundation Prize. The foundation recognizes Dr. Horwitz, a molecular pharmacologist, for her seminal contributions to the understanding of how the antitumor agent Taxol inhibits the growth of cancer cells. Her research helped pave the way for studies leading to approval of the plant compound for the treatment of ovarian, breast and lung cancers.
The Latest U.S. Mental Health Tracking Survey Shows Mixed Results Of Progress
June 6, 2005 The conclusions of the latest U.S. mental health tracking survey show that most Americans will experience one or more mental health disorders at some time in their life, according to Harvard Medical School professor Ron Kessler, who directed the national survey. The study by researchers from Harvard, the University of Michigan, and the National Institute of Mental Health showed that mental disorders gain the strongest foothold by attacking youth, with risk substantially lower among people who have matured out of the high-risk age range.
Study Supports Whooping Cough Booster Shot for Adolescents
June 6, 2005 Despite childhood vaccination rates at all-time highs, pertussis (whooping cough) has re-emerged over the past two decades, especially among adolescents, adults, and young infants. Because of this resurgence, federal health policymakers are considering a national booster vaccination program. An analysis by Harvard Medical School researchers in the June issue of Pediatrics offers support for the adolescent booster, concluding that one-time vaccination at 11 years of age may potentially be cost-effective. The researchers compared six vaccination strategies, ranging from no vaccination after age 6 to adolescent and adult vaccination with 10-year boosters.
"Watch and Wait" -- A Shift In Approach to Kids' Ear Infections
June 6, 2005 The most frequent reason pediatricians prescribe antibiotics to young children is for an ear infection (acute otitis media). With increased concerns about high rates of antibiotic use and resistance, recent guidelines suggest consideration of "watchful waiting" for some ear infections to see if they resolve without antibiotics. Previous studies have shown that many ear infections do resolve on their own. A recent study by Harvard Medical School researchers indicates a wide range of attitudes among parents and physicians about the watchful waiting method.
Witnessing Gun Violence Significantly Increases The
Likelihood That A Child Will Also Commit Violent Crime
May 26, 2005 In a study designed to isolate the root causes of violent behavior, Harvard Medical School (HMS) researchers found that young teens who witnessed gun violence were more than twice as likely as non-witnesses to commit violent crime themselves in the following years. "Based on this study's results, showing the importance of personal contact with violence, the best model for violence may be that of a socially infectious disease," says Felton Earls, MD, HMS professor of social medicine and principal investigator of the study and of the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods.
Harvard Medical School and Project A.L.S. Join Forces to Target ALS Research
May 25, 2005 Harvard Medical School (HMS) and Project A.L.S., a non-profit organization that funds research seeking effective treatments and a cure for ALS, have agreed to join forces to advance ALS research. Across Harvard, they will identify and pursue unique research opportunities for understanding and treating ALS, and will fundraise toward a projected two-year, multi-million dollar goal in support of that research. Guiding the new initiative is longtime ALS researcher Dr. Robert Brown, HMS professor of neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital. The Harvard Center for Neurodegeneration and Repair will manage the new initiative.
Spread Of Common Day Care Illnesses Caused By Misconceptions About Illness Transmission
April 4, 2005 Viral upper respiratory and gastrointestinal infections are the two most common illnesses that occur in children enrolled in day care, and secondary attack rates within families can be as high as 27 percent for respiratory illnesses and 70 percent for gastroenteritis. New research shows that in homes with children enrolled in day care, several misconceptions regarding illness transmission may be contributing to the spread of these diseases. The study found that only two thirds of parents believed that contact transmission was important for the spread of colds, and fewer than half believed it was important in the spread of stomach flus. Perhaps more surprising, fewer than half stated that changing a diaper and eating food prepared by a person with gastroenteritis were important in spreading stomach flus.
MassCURE (Massachusetts Citizens United For Research Excellence), A Broad-Based Coalition, Will Advocate For Regenerative Medicine Including Adult & Embryonic Stem Cell Research and Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer
March 16, 2005 A broad-based coalition announced the formation of MassCURE -- Massachusetts Citizens United for Research Excellence -- at a press conference at the Massachusetts State House today. The group also released a new poll that shows broad support for embryonic stem cell research as well as nuclear transfer. MassCURE currently represents 23 institutions and expects to grow significantly as it gears up its advocacy efforts on behalf of stem cell research.
Harvard Student's Down Syndrome Study Fosters Bipartisan Legislation by Sens. Kennedy and Brownback
March 15, 2005 Two weeks after medical student Brian Skotko published a paper about problems in physician delivery of a Down syndrome diagnosis, he has been invited to the nation's Capitol for a joint press conference on the topic with Sens. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Sam Brownback (R-Kan.). Both senators plan to jointly introduce a new bill motivated by Skotko's study. The bill (S.609) is titled the "Prenatally Diagnosed Condition Awareness Act" and proposes $25 million in federal funding so that women who receive prenatal test results for conditions like Down syndrome receive accurate, up-to-date information and referrals to support groups.
Preventive Removal Of Both Breasts Reduces Chance
Of Breast Cancer In Women At Elevated Risk
March 14, 2005 Women with a moderately elevated risk of breast cancer who underwent surgery to have both breasts removed reduced their risk of getting the disease by about 95 percent. The study, conducted by scientists at six health plans, is published in the March 14, 2005, edition of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
Weight Status of Children ages 8 to 15 Predicts Obesity and High Blood Pressure in Adulthood
March 14, 2005 New research shows that children between 8 and 15 years old who are in the upper half of the normal weight range are more likely than their leaner peers to become obese or overweight as young adults. This research was conducted over nearly a decade at the Harvard Medical School (HMS) and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Department of Ambulatory Care and Prevention and Children's Hospital Boston.
Philanthropist Paul F. Glenn Launches Labs for Aging Research at Harvard Medical School
March 11, 2005 Seeking to accelerate the pace of research into the molecular mechanisms that govern aging, philanthropist Paul F. Glenn, an alumnus of Harvard Law School and founder of the Glenn Foundation for Medical Research in Santa Barbara, California, has committed $5 million to Harvard Medical School over five years to launch the Paul F. Glenn Laboratories for the Biological Mechanisms of Aging. The new resources will serve as a magnet to attract additional support for the potential creation of a larger Institute for Aging Research at Harvard Medical School. David Sinclair, associate professor of pathology, will direct the lab.
Older Doctors Less Likely to Follow Current Standards of Care
February 14, 2005 Harvard Medical School (HMS) researchers report that older physicians may be less likely to deliver currently accepted standards care. The study's findings show that the number of years a doctor has been in practice may decrease the likelihood of the doctor providing technically appropriate care. The study indicates that older doctors may need quality improvement interventions that are generally applicable to all physicians.
Illness and Medical Bills Cause Half of All Bankruptcies
2 Million Americans Financially Ruined Each Year
February 2, 2005 Medical problems contributed to about half of all bankruptcies, involving 700,000 households in 2001, according to a story published today as a Web Exclusive by the journal Health Affairs. Families with children were especially hard hit -- about 700,000 children lived in families that declared bankruptcy in the aftermath of serious medical problems. Another 600,000 spouses, elderly parents and other dependents brought the total number of people directly affected by medical bankruptcies to more than two million annually. Surprisingly, most of those bankrupted by medical problems had health insurance.
First View Of Many Neurons Processing Information In Living Brain
January 19, 2005 Harvard Medical School researchers have applied a new microscopy technique in a living animal brain that for the first time reveals highly sophisticated time-lapse images of many neurons coordinating to produce complex patterns of activity. The approach will open up new avenues for analyzing neurodegenerative diseases and other aspects of the brain. "Put simply, this technique allows us to see the brain seeing," said R. Clay Reid, HMS professor of neurobiology, a member of the HMS Systems Neuroscience initiative, and principal investigator on the project. "It's an entirely new way of looking at brain function." Video interview (1:50 minutes); image of neurons in action.
Complementary & Alternative Medicine Used
Widely By One Third Of U.S. Adults Remains Unchanged From 1997
January 12, 2005 In a comparison of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use by adults in 1997 and 2002, researchers from Harvard Medical School found more than one in three U.S. adults (36.5 and 35.0 percent, respectively) used at least one form of CAM. The continued widespread use of individual and multiple CAM therapies underscores the need to rigorously evaluate the safety, efficacy, and cost-effectiveness of these approaches, according to the study's lead author Hilary Tindle, Harvard Medical School (HMS) research fellow, and co-author David Eisenberg, director of the Division for Research and Education in Complementary and Integrative Medical Therapies and the Osher Institute at HMS.
Cambridge Health Alliance Granted Harvard Medical School Affiliation
January 12, 2005 Effective today, Cambridge Health Alliance (the Alliance) is included as one of Harvard Medical School's (HMS) 18 affiliated Hospitals and Institutes. Cambridge Health Alliance was formed in 1996 when The Cambridge Hospital (Cambridge, MA) merged with Somerville Hospital (Somerville, MA). The Alliance's founding hospital, The Cambridge Hospital has been affiliated with HMS for more than 30 years. Cambridge Health Alliance now operates hospitals, ambulatory practices, the Cambridge Public Health Department, the Institute for Community Health, and numerous educational programs in a regional academic health system.
Long Shifts for Interns Increase Risk of Motor Vehicle Incidents
January 12, 2005 Researchers in the Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital Divisions of Sleep Medicine report on a nation wide study that by working 24-hour or longer shifts, medical interns increase their risk of motor vehicle crashes, near-miss incidents, and involuntary sleeping while driving home from work.