An investigational drug that inhibits serotonin synthesis in the gut, administered orally once daily, effectively cured osteoporosis in mice and rats reports an international team led by researchers from Columbia University Medical Center, in the Feb. 7 issue of Nature Medicine. Serotonin in the gut has been shown in recent research to stall bone formation. The finding could lead to new therapies that build new bone; most current drugs for osteoporosis can only prevent the breakdown of old bone.

“New therapies that inhibit the production of serotonin in the gut have the potential to become a novel class of drugs to be added to the therapeutic arsenal against osteoporosis” said Gerard Karsenty, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Genetics and Development at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, lead author of the paper. “With tens of millions of people worldwide affected by this devastating and debilitating bone loss, there is an urgent need for new treatments that not only stop bone loss, but also build new bone. Using these findings, we are working hard to develop this type of treatment for human patients”

The Nature Medicine paper follows on a major discovery: http://www.cumc.columbia.edu/news/press_releases/Karsenty-cell-serotonin-lrp5.html, also made by Dr. Gerard Karsenty’s group (published in the Nov. 26, 2008 issue of Cell), that serotonin released by the gut inhibits bone formation, and that regulating the production of serotonin within the gut affects the formation of bone. Prior to this discovery, serotonin was primarily known as a neurotransmitter acting in the brain. Yet, 95 percent of the body’s serotonin is found in the gut, where its major function is to inhibit bone formation (the remaining five percent is in the brain, where it regulates mood, among other critical functions). By turning off the intestine’s release of serotonin, the team was able, in this new study, to cure osteoporosis in mice that had undergone menopause.

Based on their findings reported in the Cell paper, Dr. Karsenty and his team postulated that an inhibitor of serotonin synthesis should be an effective treatment for osteoporosis. Shortly thereafter, they read about an investigational drug, known as LP533401, which is able to inhibit serotonin in the gut. “When we learned of this compound, we thought that it was important to test it as proof of principle that there could be novel ways to treat osteoporosis with therapies that can be taken orally and regulate the formation of serotonin” said Dr. Karsenty.

Dr. Karsenty and his team developed a research protocol to test their theory, where they administered the compound orally, once daily, at a small dose, for up to six weeks to rodents experiencing post-menopausal osteoporosis. Results demonstrated that osteoporosis was prevented from developing, or when already present, could be fully cured. Of critical importance, levels of serotonin were normal in the brain, which indicated that the compound did not enter the general circulation and was unable to cross the blood-brain barrier, thereby avoiding many potential side effects.

Implications for the Treatment of Osteoporosis:

Most osteoporosis drugs, including those currently under clinical investigation, do not generate new bone but rather, prevent the breakdown of old bone. Only one drug currently on the market can generate new bone – but it must be taken by injection once a day, and because it may increase the risk of bone cancer, at least in rats, its use is restricted for short-term use in women with severe osteoporosis.

“There is an urgent need to identify new, safe therapies that can increase bone formation on a long term basis and to such an extent that they compensate for the increase in bone resorption caused by menopause” said Dr. Karsenty. “Furthermore, it is important to note that since this study was conducted in rodents, it will need further confirmation in human subjects”

Osteoporosis: A Disease of Bone Mass Decline…

Osteoporosis is a growing public health concern, with the aging population and the incidence of post-menopausal osteoporosis on the rise. It is a disease of low bone mass, most often caused by an increase in bone resorption not compensated by a similar increase in bone formation.

Far from being inert, bone constantly undergoes renovation, with some cells responsible for removing old material and other cells responsible for creating new bone. In humans, after age 20, the balance between bone formation and breakdown tips toward breakdown, and bone mass starts to decline. In women, the rate of decline increases after menopause, when estrogen levels drop and cells that tear down old bone become overactive. Osteoporosis is a disease in which bones become fragile and porous, increasing the risk of breaks. It is diagnosed when bone mass drops below a certain level.

Researchers at the University of Leeds have demonstrated a link between using the Internet and moderate depression. People should not, however, jump to the conclusion that the Internet causes depressive illness. Indeed, the reverse may well be the case, with the Internet contributing to an improvement in mental health. Regular use of the Internet may even be therapeutic.

There is much hype over the alleged link between Internet usage and mental health. However, according to Internet Psychologist Graham Jones, even the experts disagree. He said: “As yet psychologists have yet to agree on the definitions of things like ‘internet addiction’ or ‘excessive use’. Studies also find conflicting results with some showing the web is good for you and others suggesting it is harmful.”

He added that this latest research has produced results which were entirely predictable. “People who are suffering from depression tend to withdraw from the world around them,” he said. “Finding that they spend more time online in solitary pursuits is no surprise to anyone who knows anything about depression.”

He continued: “To be fair to the Leeds psychologists they only established a link. Their research paper does not say the Internet caused the depression they found. What is most likely is that depressed people gravitate towards the Internet as they withdraw from social contact.”

According to Graham Jones, internet usage appears to be making people better off in terms of mental health. “Social networking sites are encouraging more ‘real world’ meetings than ever before. Far from people being isolated in their bedrooms chatting using keyboards, they are actually getting together more and more,” said Graham Jones. “As the Leeds researchers clearly point out there is a relationship between mental health issues and the internet and that is an area which needs much greater exploration. We may well find that the internet is more helpful to our mental health than we might think based on this study.”

He added that this research is the first of its size and represents an important step in understanding our relationship between mental health and internet usage. “However,” he said, “we should not jump to conclusions; there is much more to learn. But with millions of people using the internet safely every day, it is most likely that the link between depression and internet use is symptomatic, rather than causative.”

www.grahamjones.co.uk

Given the relative infancy of Executive Coaching intervention programs for “disruptive physicians”, few hospitals are aware of “Best Practices”, as well as the availability of resources nationwide for physicians in need of this service. The Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) has determined that all hospitals in the nation are required to have standards in place that deal with the “disruptive physician”. Physicians who exhibit disruptive behavior in the medical environment are required to attend and complete an intensive “Disruptive Physician” intervention aimed at addressing these deficits and determining whether or not the physician would be fit to return to work (based on satisfactory completion of the coaching program and ability to maintain appropriate conduct thereafter). However, many medical personnel and members of medical boards do not have a clear understanding of what a “Disruptive Physician” intervention (or Executive Coaching Program) is and how it addresses the problem.

Anderson & Anderson has established presentations for Medical Chiefs and Administrators responsible for referring physicians to Executive Coaching/Disruptive Physician programs. These presentations can range from one to four hours, and they include a detailed description of the three major resources designed exclusively for “disruptive physicians”. These programs include the PACE Program (University of California at San Diego), the Distressed Physician Program (Vanderbilt School of Medicine), and the Anderson & Anderson Executive Coaching/Anger Management Program for “disruptive physicians”. Participants in these seminars/presentations will also learn how to present the details of this program/intervention to their Medical Boards or Physician Wellness Committees.

To request a proposal or schedule training at your Hospital or Health Care Organization, please contact Anderson & Anderson at 310-207-3591. Anderson & Anderson will work with your schedule and is able to provide this service anywhere in the nation. Participants will receive information packets about the Anderson & Anderson Executive Coaching/Anger Management program for “disruptive physicians”.

Author: George Anderson, LCSW
Company: Anderson & Anderson, A.P.C.

About Anderson & Anderson, A.P.C.

Anderson & Anderson, A.P.C. is a provider of anger management certification training, anger management classes (for groups) and executive coaching for Physicians and individual clients. Our anger management model is the most recognized anger management curriculum in the world. For more information, please contact us at 310-207-3591.

Almost one year to the date after announcing the receipt of a $138,000 National Institutes of Health grant that will have a major impact on the health and science literacy of listeners of Latino radio, researchers took to the airwaves on January 26 to introduce their program and to test their theories.

Maureen Phipps, MD, MPH, director of the Division of Research at Women & Infants and associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology and community health at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, and Pablo Rodriguez, MD, associate chair of Community Relationships in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Women & Infants, clinical associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the Alpert Medical School, and president of Latino Public Radio, are co-principal investigators on the study, entitled “ESCUCHE – Evaluating the Spanish Radio Community’s Understanding of Clinical Research and Health Topics.”

ESCUCHE (which in Spanish means “listen”) is now a 10-week radio program airing on Latino Public Radio designed to improve health and literacy in the Latino community. Each week, Dr. Rodriguez will be discussing different health topics and answering listeners’ questions. The program will air on 10 consecutive Wednesdays from January 27 through March 31, 9 to 10 am on Latino Public Radio (WELH 88.1FM, lprri.org).

“Our inaugural broadcast gave us an opportunity to introduce ESCUCHE to the community,” said Dr. Rodriguez. “I was joined by Women & Infants’ health educator Lizbeth Graham and the hospital’s new chief operating officer, Mark Marcantano. We had a lively and informative discussion about the importance of health and science literacy in improving the health of the Latino residents of our community. Our hope is that we will be able to gain even further support from the community for this most important initiative.”

During the first phase of the study, Drs. Phipps and Rodriguez held a series of community forums to determine which health topics would be most relevant to the Latino community. The topics that were decided upon are health screenings, immunizations and HPV (human papilloma virus), cardiovascular disease, diet and exercise, diabetes, breast cancer, contraception, HIV/AIDS, smoking, and asthma.

The evaluation phase of the ESCUCHE program includes 50 listeners who:

Consented to participate in the radio program;
Completed a health and science literacy assessment, a “pre-test;”
Will listen to the 10 radio programs;
Will complete a brief survey after each program to offer feedback about their interest in the show;
Will complete a final health and science literacy assessment after the tenth program airs, a “post-test.”

“The pre- and post-tests will enable us to assess changes in the participants’ health and science knowledge over the 10-week period,” explained Dr. Phipps. “The surveys after each program will give us vital information about how many shows the participants actually listened to and will provide the opportunity to give feedback on the quality of the shows, the relevance of the topics, and the success of our guests.”

ESCUCHE will involve interactive radio sessions including phone-in questions from the radio audience. The opportunity to listen to past programs will also be made available through the radio station’s website and by request to the radio station.

For more information about ESCUCHE, contact Crystal Jocelyn at (401) 274-1122, extension 2855 or cjocelyn@wihri.org.

Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, a Care New England hospital, is one of the nation’s leading specialty hospitals for women and newborns. The primary teaching affiliate of The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University for obstetrics, gynecology and newborn pediatrics, Women & Infants is the seventh largest obstetrical service in the country with more than 9,000 deliveries per year. In 2009, Women & Infants opened the country’s largest, single-family room neonatal intensive care unit.

Women & Infants has been designated as a Breast Center of Excellence from the American College of Radiography; a Center for In Vitro Maturation Excellence by SAGE In Vitro Fertilization; and a Neonatal Resource Services Center of Excellence. It is one of the largest and most prestigious research facilities in high risk and normal obstetrics, gynecology and newborn pediatrics in the nation, and is a member of the National Cancer Institute’s Gynecologic Oncology Group. The hospital was named Rhode Island’s Best Place to Work by Providence Business News and a National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health by the federal government. For information about Women & Infants, log on to womenandinfants.org, and for the name of a physician on the Women & Infants’ staff, call the Health Line at 1-800-921-9299.

One in three women dies from cardiovascular disease, according to the American Heart Association (AHA), but there are steps women of all ages can take to safeguard their heart. That’s why Rite Aid is again supporting AHA’s “Go Red For Women” movement by providing free heart health guides in all of its stores nationwide now through March and online atwww.riteaid.com/health/.
More than 4,800 Rite Aid stores also will help raise funds for AHA by collecting customer donations of $1 or more for red dress paper pinups from Jan. 31 to March 6. Pinups include six detachable money-saving coupons.
While Rite Aid’s efforts emphasize women’s heart health in an attempt to debunk heart disease’s myth as being a “man’s disease,” the national dialogue on heart health benefits both men and women by increasing awareness of a disease responsible for more deaths ineithersex than any other cause.
The 16-page heart health guide includes information about heart health at different ages, the dangers of heart disease and specific advice including:
* Recognizing the tell-tale signs of heart attack or stroke that can help a victim get life-saving medical
attention within a critical time window
* Controlling high cholesterol – especially of the artery-clogging LDL kind – by reducing dietary fat
intake, raising the HDL cholesterol levels and getting regular cholesterol checks
* Reducing high blood pressure and the damage it can cause to internal organs and arteries by
increasing fruit and vegetable intake while avoiding alcohol and tobacco products
* Managing diabetes and the increased risk it brings for stroke or heart disease through consistent
checkups and personalized diabetes wellness tips from a Rite Aid pharmacist
Also atwww.riteaid.com/health/, there are links and additional information as well as interactive resources including:
* Support groups for heart wellness – and the related topic of weight management
* Personalized health info including fat intake limits, what type and how much cholesterol is healthy,
and a full heart profile from the AHA
* Tips for eating heart healthy when dining out
* How caregivers can focus on heart health for seniors
To encourage patients to take charge of their heart health, Rite Aid is offering a rebate now through March 27. Purchases of $25 or more of select heart and overall health products earn customers Rite Aid gift cards of $10 to $25. More information is available atwww.riteaid.com/health/.
“Rite Aid’s most important goal as a network of neighborhood pharmacies is to empower its patients to take charge of their overall health and wellness. This entails more than just remembering regular checkups and taking medications appropriately as prescribed,” said Robert Thompson, Rite Aid Executive Vice President, Pharmacy. “The research behind our heart awareness initiatives with the American Heart Association clearly shows how a little bit of lifestyle change literally can add years to a patient’s life.”
As some of the most accessible health care providers, Rite Aid pharmacists are available to counsel patients on heart health, their medications and heart healthy products.
Rite Aid’s focus on heart health is part of its yearlong commitment to patient health and wellness. Each year Rite Aid offers free information, answers and guidance on health and wellness topics including diabetes, allergy awareness, skin care, oral health and weight management.
Rite Aid (NYSE: RAD) is one of the nation’s leading drugstore chains with more than 4,800 stores in 31 states and the District of Columbia with fiscal 2009 annual sales of more than $26.3 billion. Information about Rite Aid, including corporate background and press releases, is available through Rite Aid’s Web site atwww.riteaid.com

Behavioral Health Management, P.C., has recently released a whitepaper entitled ‘Mental Health Parity Preparedness,’ touting the new Mental Health Parity Bill as an opportunity for managed care as well as provider organizations. The paper is an informative overview of The Wellstone-Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, also known a bit more simply as the Mental Health Parity Act was passed as an attachment to TARP (Troubled Asset Relief Program) in October of 2008. The new federal parity law requires group health plans to cover treatment for mental illness on the same terms and conditions as all other illnesses. This new parity act provides for equity with respect to numerical limits on inpatient and outpatient services, and will also provide equity in respect to financial limitations.
The release of the BHM Parity Paper comes at a critical time as the new parity law took effect on Oct. 3, 2009. The details will be released shortly and should have both payers and providers gearing up to fully implement changes and take stock of what impact it will have on their business going into the new year. Parity will continue to be one of the most impactful issues in healthcare managementwell into the future.
Among things to consider in relation to parity are the ramifications which parity will cause for payers. These issues are addressed in our whitepaper which gives concrete advice on what can be done in preparation for parity change. As one BHM insider stated “it will be more important than ever to meet the goals of providing optimal care and treatment while keeping costs comparatively low.”
To view the complete BHM Mental Health Parity Whitepaper, please visit our website and signup for a free copy.

www.bhmpc.com

The Melanoma Research Foundation (MRF), the largest independent, national organization devoted to melanoma in the United States, released the following statement thanking the many organizations that help to support innovative research into this dreaded disease.

The Melanoma Research Foundation expresses its deepest gratitude to the numerous foundations that give so generously to melanoma research each year. Through annual events and tireless fundraising efforts, these organizations raise thousands of dollars to find new pathways to a cure. Many of these contributions are generated and given in honor of someone who lost their battle with melanoma – and these gifts are critical to supporting the innovative melanoma research that remains woefully underfunded.

“The research community is poised to make unprecedented strides in melanoma,” said Tim Turnham, executive director of the MRF. “Thanks to the organizations that continue to make these essential contributions, we have an opportunity to change the face of melanoma for future generations. It is my hope that collectively, these gifts will help save the lives of others fighting this disease.”

There are many different ways foundations raise money for melanoma research. For example, recently the Brenda MacDonald Melanoma Research Foundation – created in May 2005 by Brenda’s husband and sons – hosted the First Annual Wings of Hope Gala in Washington, D.C. The sold-out event raised more than $400,000 and featured a live auction with glamorous prizes such as a week in Tuscany, a trip to Turks and Caicos, and a Super Bowl package. In Chicago, Ill., we saw Teb’s Troops, which honors Tricia E. Black (or “Teb” as she was known to family and friends) rally her “troops” throughout the year to raise funds for the fight against melanoma. And other organizations, including the Bill Walter III Melanoma Research Fund (established for Bill Walter III) and the Susan Fazio Foundation for Melanoma Research (honoring Susan Theresa Fazio) have funded research grants and clinical trials in their names.

The MRF is working to bridge the gap to ensure patients of tomorrow have the help and hope they deserve. Thanks to the efforts of these foundations and other individuals, the MRF is able to provide emerging and established scientific investigators with highly sought-after grants that will allow them to explore new avenues in melanoma biology and treatments, ultimately leading to a cure.

About Melanoma
Melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer, is one of the fastest growing cancers in the United States and can strike men and women of all ages, all races and skin types. In fact, with a one in 50 lifetime risk of developing melanoma, nearly 69,000 Americans are expected to be diagnosed with the disease in 2009, resulting in 8,650 deaths or one person every hour. Melanoma is the most common form of cancer for young adults 25- to 29-years-old and the second most common cancer in adolescents and young adults 15- to 29-years-old.

About Melanoma Research Foundation
The Melanoma Research Foundation (MRF) is the largest independent, national organization devoted to melanoma in the United States. Committed to the support of medical research in finding effective treatments and eventually a cure for melanoma, the MRF also educates patients and physicians about prevention, diagnosis and the treatment of melanoma. The MRF is an active advocate for the melanoma community, helping to raise awareness of this disease and the need for a cure. The MRF’s Web site is the premier source for melanoma information seekers. More information is available at http://www.melanoma.org

About Jones Public Affairs

Jones Public Affairs is a boutique healthcare public affairs agency dedicated to making a difference by developing advocacy/public relations plans that get results. Through meaningful communication and solid relationships between industry and stakeholders, Jones Public Affairs is able to design and implement fresh and innovative programs with an impact.