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Does Size Matter? Study Shows Taller People Earn More Money, Australia
Taller men are able to earn more money than their shorter counterparts simply because taller people are perceived to be more intelligent and powerful, this according to a study published in The Economic Record by Wiley-Blackwell.
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Early Screening Reduces Disparities For Prostate Cancer
Men who have a regular, ongoing relationship with a health care provider are more likely to receive prostate cancer screening and less likely to be diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer, regardless of their race, according to a University of North Carolina study published in the current issue of the journal Cancer.
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Fishing Industry Contributing To Spread Of HIV Around Africa's Lake Victoria
The fishing industry and some cultural practices in communities living around Africa"s Lake Victoria are contributing to the spread of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections in the area, according to a panel of experts at a recent meeting in Kisumu, Kenya, The Citizen reports. According to the panel, cultural practices such as widow inheritance, commercial sex work for fish and the long-distance trucking industry have led to the spread of HIV/AIDS. HIV/AIDS prevalence among women and people who live along the beaches of the lake is particularly high, the meeting participants noted.The four-day meeting was held by the Lake Victoria Basin Commission and involved members of the East African Community and other officials. Meeting delegates were taken to cross-border control posts along the Kenya-Uganda border to interact with people living with HIV/AIDS, commercial sex workers, long-distance truck drivers and district government officials. Doreen Othero, HIV/AIDS technical specialist at the LVBC Secretariat, said that the group "managed to bring together organizations working in HIV/AIDS along transport corridors to share information, improve coordination and build synergy among the various programs so as to have maximum impact on the corridors" most at risk populations."Jean Claude Nsengiyumva, EAC deputy secretary general in charge of productive and social sectors, said that the fight against HIV/AIDS will be successful through a coordinated and collaborative effort among all stakeholders. He said that EAC has introduced a four-year Regional Multisectorial HIV/AIDS Strategic Plan, ending in 2012, that aims to address HIV/AIDS in the region. The region also is undergoing efforts to create more collaboration between regional, international and multisectorial organizations that have projects for HIV/AIDS education, care, treatment and testing. Othero said there are more than four million HIV-positive people and more than 3.5 million orphans and vulnerable children in EAC partner states (The Citizen, 5/27).
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Spiration Presents Results Of Two Analyses Of Methods For Evaluating Effectiveness Of Bronchial Valve Treatment For Severe Emphysema

Spiration, Inc., a developer of novel medical devices designed to benefit patients with severe and chronic conditions of the lung, presented results of two analyses of methods used for evaluating U.S. Pilot Study effectiveness of bronchial valve treatment for severe emphysema at the annual American Thoracic Society (ATS) International conference taking place in San Diego May 15 to 22, 2009. One presentation, titled "Correlation of Two Quality of Life Instruments Assessing Effects of Valves in the Treatment of Severe Emphysema", concludes that valve treatment for upper lobe predominant emphysema significantly improves health-related quality of life as measured by both the disease-specific St. George"s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), a commonly used tool for assessing health of people with emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and the Short Form-36 (SF-36) questionnaire, a more generic (or general) quality of life instrument. Both instruments detected changes produced by bronchial valve therapy. In addition, the poster concluded that the components of these two instruments have strong correlations. A second presentation, titled "Accuracy and Precision of Quantitative Computed Tomography in Patients with Severe Emphysema," concludes that Quantitative Computed Tomography (QCT) measures of lung volumes have significantly less variation than PL (plethysmography), typically considered the best measure of lung volume in severe COPD. Therefore, in clinical research when more accurate and precise measurements of lung and lobar volumes are important, QCT, rather than body plethysmography, may be the best measurement to use. "Commonly used pulmonary endpoints have limitations for bronchial valve treatment. These posters provide additional understanding of the best measurements of effectiveness for this potential new treatment option," said Rick Shea, president and CEO of Spiration. "We are pleased that the studies validate the methods used in the design of our pivotal study, the IBV Valve Trial, which is currently enrolling patients at sites across the United States." About the IBV Valve Trial The pivotal trial to treat patients with emphysema will generate safety and effectiveness data for submission to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This prospective, randomized, blinded clinical trial will enroll up to 500 patients at up to 50 sites in the United States. Study investigators are actively recruiting patients for the IBV Valve Trial. The study is open to men and women age 40 to 74 who have been diagnosed with predominantly upper lobe emphysema and severe dyspnea. Eligible patients must be able to participate in pulmonary function and standardized exercise tests, have not smoked for four months and are willing to not smoke during the trial. Additional criteria must be met for participation in the study. For more information, including trial site locations, please visit http://www.emphysematrial.com or call 877-54-STUDY (877-547-8839). About the IBV Valve System The IBV Valve System is a minimally invasive treatment that has diverse applications in both acute and chronic conditions of the lung. During the minimally invasive procedure, a catheter is passed through a bronchoscope (a flexible tube passed into the bronchial tubes through the mouth or nose) to deploy the small umbrella-shaped valves into the airways of the lungs. The valves are designed to be easily removed via a similar bronchoscopic procedure. The device has received Humanitarian Device Exemption (HDE) approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to control prolonged air leaks of the lung, or significant air leaks that are likely to become prolonged, following lobectomy, segmentectomy, or lung volume reduction surgery. The effectiveness of this device for this use has not been demonstrated. The IBV Valve System is currently under investigation in the U.S. as a new treatment option for the many people with severe emphysema who do not respond well to current medical therapies or are not eligible for or elect not to undergo invasive surgery such as lung volume reduction or lung transplantation. The IBV Valve System is marketed and distributed by Olympus in Europe, where the system has received market clearance through the CE Mark for the treatment of diseased and damaged lung, an indication that includes the treatment of emphysema and the control of prolonged air leaks. Olympus also has development and distribution rights for the IBV Valve System in Japan. Spiration, Inc.


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