| Show Number |
Air Week |
Title |
Program Description |
| SHOW #203 |
June 14, 1998 |
Bogalusa Heart Study |
The Bogalusa Heart Study has been in progress for 25 years now, and is
the longest and most detailed study of children in the world. A multidisciplinary team
studies the hereditary and environmental aspects of coronary artery disease among 14,000
children and young adults in Bogalusa, Louisiana, a small town north of New Orleans. Over
the year, the study has made many significant contributions to our understanding of heart
disease and hypertension, including the fact that early signs of coronary artery disease
can appear in children as young as 5 to 8 years old. The investigators have conducted over
160 substudies of a wide variety of issues related to cardiovascular health, and have
published more than 600 scientific papers. CONTACTS: Kelly Flanagan, Office of Public
Relations, Tulane University Medical Center, (504)584-1620; Gerald Berenson, MD, Tulane
Center for Cardiovascular Health, (504)585-7197, website: www.tmc.tulane.edu/cardiohealth;
American Heart Association, (800)AHA-USA-1, website: www.americanheart.org; American College of
Cardiology, (800)253-4636; American Academy of Pediatrics, website: www.aap.org |
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BREAKTHROUGH PROFILES: Dr. Victor McKusick |
Dr. McKusick is generally considered to be the father of medical
genetics, in which the science of genetics moves from the laboratory into clinical
practice. In 1957, he founded a division of medical genetics at Johns Hopkins, one of the
first in the world. Perhaps his greatest achievement is the three volume book, Mendelian
Inheritance in Man, an indispensable reference work that he describes as "an
encyclopedia of human genes and the genetic disorders that are related to them."
Among his many awards is the 1997 Albert Lasker Award for Special Achievement in Medical
Science. CONTACT: Michael Purdy, Office of Public Affairs, Johns Hopkins Medical
Institutions, (410)955-8725, websites: www.jhu.edu/news_info/news;
hopkins.med.jhu.edu/NewsMedia/press/related_news/
r970922.html; http://www.jhu.edu:80/~gazette/julsep97/sep2997/lasker.html;
www.laskerfoundation.com/library/mckusick/index.html;
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Omim |
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|
Kidney Transplant |
The movement toward minimally invasive surgery has now reached the field
of live donor kidney transplantation, with the development of a laparoscopic procedure for
the removal of the live donor kidney. Thanks to the use of small incisions, the hospital
stay for the donor is reduced to two or three days, recovery time now averages two to four
weeks, and there is less post-operative pain and less scarring. Although the procedure is
still relatively new, preliminary data show that it appears to be as safe as the open
operation. By making the kidney donation process less demanding on the donor, it is hoped
that the supply of available organs will increase. CONTACTS: Karen Infeld, Public Affairs,
Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, (410)955-1534; For information or referrals,
(410)550-0403; National Kidney Foundation website: www.kidney.org
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EVERYDAY BREAKTHROUGH: Texas Science Hotline |
The Texas Science Hotline, started in 1993, is a free service of the
University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. The service provides answers to
science questions from callers. Although it's aimed primarily at K-12 teachers and
students in Texas, it has provided answers to callers from 29 states and several foreign
countries. The service relies on an extensive pool of resource personnel, from university
scientists to industry leaders. Despite their own demanding schedules, these science
professionals make the time to call, fax, or e-mail answers to teachers and students.
CONTACT: Texas Science Hotline, (800)566-5066; fax, (210)567-3708, email: tmsline@uthscsa |
| SHOW #204 |
Week of June 21, 1998 |
Liver Tumor Thermal Ablation |
Liver cancer is one of the deadliest cancers, and often the prognosis is
very poor. Surgical removal of liver tumors is the most effective treatment, but for a
variety of reasons some patients aren't good candidates for that procedure. Now,
researchers are investigating another approach called thermal ablation. In this procedure,
a needle is inserted through the skin directly into the tumor. Radio frequency energy is
transmitted through the needle to the tip, causing it to heat the surrounding tissue,
killing it. Thermal ablation is an outpatient procedure, and can be repeated as often as
necessary. CONTACTS: Myong Covert, Public Affairs, University of Texas Health Science
Center at San Antonio, (210)567-2570, Department of Radiology Clinical Research
Coordinator: Mary Sueltenfuss, RN, BSN, (210)567-5604; American Cancer Society,
(800)ACS-2345, website: www.cancer.org |
| |
|
EVERYDAY BREAKTHROUGHS: Fibronectin |
Preterm delivery is one of the leading causes of infant mortality in the
US, but it is difficult to diagnose and can be difficult to treat. Now, investigators have
discovered a marker that can signal an increased risk for preterm delivery. It's called
fetal fibronectin. Fibronectin is a substance found in high concentrations between the
placenta and the lining of a pregnant woman's uterus. If the placenta is starting to
separate from the uterine wall, the substance will be found in the cervix and vagina.
Presence of fibronectin can be an indicator of labor within 7 to 14 days. If a woman tests
positive, doctors can begin aggressive treatments and activity modification in an effort
to postpone labor, giving the baby more of a chance to develop. CONTACTS: Nancy Kochuk,
UNC Hospitals Marketing & Public Affairs, (919)966-6046; Greg Raybuck, Matria
Healthcare, Inc., (800)456-4060; Adeza Biomedical Corp., (888)PRE-TERM, website: www.adeza.com; American College of Obstetrics &
Gynecology, website: www.acog.com; Interactive Pregnancy
Calendar, website: www.olen.com/baby |
| |
|
Tubal Ligation Reversal/Falloposcope |
Tubal ligation is a form of sterilization typically considered to be
permanent. But now, utilizing the latest in microsurgical techniques and specialized
instruments, a doctor in North Carolina is having success reversing tubal ligations, often
leading to pregnancies. The procedure is performed on an outpatient basis, and can usually
expect to resume normal activities within a week. The falloposcope is a new diagnostic
tool for evaluating a woman's fallopian tubes. Fallopian tube abnormalities reportedly
account for 30 to 50% of female infertility. The falloposcope allows the physician to
directly visualize the interior of the fallopian tubes with a real time, high resolution
video image. CONTACTS: Chapel Hill Fertility Center, Gary S. Berger, MD, Julia Smith, RN,
(919)968-4656, websites: www.citysearch.com/rdu/chfertilityctr,
www.inciid.org/berger.html; InterNational
Council on Infertility Information Dissemination, (520)544-9548, website: www.inciid.org |
| |
|
Questionable Medical Devices |
Another in our continuing series of visits to the Museum of Questionable
Medical Devices in Minneapolis, curated by collector and enthusiast Bob McCoy. We
occasionally feature McCoy showing us some of the more unusual and interesting pieces in
his renowned collection. CONTACT: Bob McCoy, (612)379-4046, website: www.mtn.org/~quack |
| SHOW #205 |
Week of June 28, 1998 |
ALS Drug |
ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's
Disease, is a fatal neurological disorder characterized by progressive degeneration of
motor cells in the spinal cord and brain. As it progresses, voluntary muscular control is
increasingly lost, ultimately affecting even breathing, chewing, and swallowing, while
leaving the mind and senses unimpaired. The cause of ALS is unknown, and there is no cure,
but two new drugs under investigation have shown promise in extending patients' survival.
One of the drugs, myotrophin, slowed the decline in function experienced by patients 26%
in a recently completed study. The other, known at this point by its experimental compound
designation SR57746A, appears to enhance the body's nerve growth factors, thereby
theoretically improving the survival of the remaining motor neurons and promoting nerve
cell regeneration. It is being studied both as single treatment and in combination with an
existing medication for ALS, riluzole. While a cure for this devastating disease seems
distant, the hope is that eventually a combination of drugs will be effective in halting
the progression of the condition. CONTACTS: Kathy Major, Senior Communications Specialist,
Baylor College of Medicine, (713)798-4712, website: www.bcm.tmc.edu/neurol/struct/als/als1.html;
ALS Association, (800)782-4747 (patients only), (818)340-7500, website: www.alsa.org |
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EVERYDAY BREAKTHROUGHS: Endovascular Repair |
A new procedure called an endovascular repair is being tested by surgeons
at fifteen medical centers around the country. It's used to repair dangerously enlarged
blood vessels called aortic aneurysms. One small incision is made in an artery in the
groin, through which a state-of-the-art graft is threaded up to the diseased area, where
it is attached inside the damaged vessel. X-ray guidance is used for precise placement of
the graft. Patients are usually ready to go home within three days. This repair procedure
could replace conventional surgery, which involves making a large incision in the abdomen,
leading to a typical hospital stay of ten days, followed by six to eight weeks of
recovery. CONTACTS: Nancy Kochuk, UNC Hospitals Marketing & Public Affairs,
(919)966-6046; Boston Scientific Corporation (graft manufacturer), website: www.bsci.com |
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|
Fetal Surgery/Spina Bifida |
Astonishing progress has been achieved in recent years in surgeons'
ability to operate on fetuses in urtero. Until recently, these procedures had
only been used to repair life-threatening conditions. Now, fetal surgery has been employed
to correct or reduce the severity of non-life-threatening birth defects, most particularly
spina bifida. Spina bifida is the most common neurologic birth defect in the US. It's a
condition in which one or more of the vertabrae fail to develop completely, leaving a
portion of the spinal cord exposed to damaging amniotic fluid. Although not considered
fatal, it is often severely handicapping. By surgically closing the opening in the spine
while the fetus is still in the womb, it is thought that the severity of the disease can
be reduced. Two types of fetal surgery are currently practiced: endoscopic, in which a
television camera and tiny instruments are inserted directly into the uterine environment,
and open, in which the fetus is partially removed from the womb. CONTACTS: John Howser,
Media Director, Vanderbilt University Medical Center News & Public Affairs Office,
(615)322-4747; Dr. Joseph Bruner, Director of Fetal Diagnosis and Therapy, Vanderbilt
University Hospital, (615)322-0122; email:joe.bruner@mcmail.vanderbilt.edu at
+inet; Spina Bifida Information Contacts: National Information Center for Children and
Youth with Disabilities (NICHCY), (800)695-0285 (Voice/TT), email: nichcy@aed.org, website: www.nichcy.org;
Spina Bifida Association of America (800)621-3141, email: spinabifda@aol.com, website: www.sbaa.org; Spina Bifida Association of Canada,
(800)565-9488, website: www.sbhac.ca; March of Dimes
Birth Defect Foundation, (914)428-7100, email: resourcecenter@modimes.org,
website: www.modimes.org; National Center for
Education in Maternal and Child Health, (703)821-8955, ext. 254 or 265; National Easter
Seal Society, (800)221-6827, email: nessinfo@iseals.com,
website: www.seals.com; National Rehabilitation
Information Center (NARIC), (800)346-2742, website: www.naric.com/naric;
Usenet Newsgroup: alt.support.spina-bifida; Children with Spina Bifida: A Resource Page
for Parents, website: www.waisman.wisc.edu/~rowley/sb_kids.html;
National Hydrocephalus Foundation, (800)431-8093; Guardians of Hydrocephalus Research
Foundation, (800)458-8655 |
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