News Potpourri [*].

AFRICAN AMERICANS MORE AT RISK THAN AFRICANS FROM ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE 

Source: BMJ 2001; 322:574

Africans living in Africa have lower rates of Alzheimer's disease (AD) than do African Americans. The longitudinal, prospective, population-based study compared the incidence and prevalence of AD in an elderly Nigerian population and in elderly African Americans. The study, conducted by researchers at Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis and the University of Ilbadan in Nigeria, included 2,459 people living in Ilbadan and 2,147 people living in Indianapolis. All participants were aged 65 years or older and none had a previous diagnosis of dementia. The findings also suggested that environmental and cultural factors might have a role in the origin of AD.

FIRST DRUG FOR CERVICAL DYSTONIA 

Source: JAMA 2001; 285:724

The Food and Drug Administration has approved an injectable solution of botulinum toxin type B (Myobloc) for reducing the severity of neck and shoulder muscle contractions and abnormal head position and neck pain associated with cervical dystonia. The drug interrupts cholinergic transmission between the nerve and the affected muscle, causing the muscle to relax. The approval was based on the results of two multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials. Reported adverse affects included dry mouth, difficulty in swallowing, dyspepsia, and injection site pain.

ALCOHOL AND DRUG MISUSE SWEEPING WORLD, SAYS WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION

Source: BMJ 2001; 322:449

One in four deaths among men 15 to 29 years of age in Europe is attributable to binge-drinking alcohol, according to the World Health Organization. The director general of the organization said 140 million people now have alcohol dependency, which damages public and private lives, economies, and family life. The data suggest that a culture of sporadic, heavy, or binge drinking among young people may be increasing in developing countries. While overall rates of adult per capita consumption of alcohol are falling in many countries, young people are often drinking excessive amounts in a single drinking episode. The organization also reported that smoking, alcohol use, and use of illicit drugs has increased significantly over the past few years in most European countries.

MORE THAN A QUARTER OF INDIA'S YOUNGSTERS HAVE PREMARITAL SEX

Source: BMJ2001; 322:575

A quarter to a third of India's young people engage in premarital sex, according to a study conducted by the National Institute of Health and Family Welfare. The study surveyed premarital sexuality and unmet contraceptive needs in school and college students, young working men and women, and people aged 15 to 24 years living in slums in Delhi and Lucknow. The study concluded that premarital sex varies from 17% among school children to 33% among young workers in the North Indian population. The average age for first sexual experiences was 17.4 years for boys and 18.3 years for girls. Sixty percent of the individuals said they had sex rarely or sometimes, while 14% said they had sex frequently.

MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS REPORT RELEASED BY INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE

Source: JAMA 2001; 285:874

The Institute of Medicine recently released a report, Multiple Sclerosis: Current Status and Strategies for the Future, that includes recommendations for future research. The recommendations include the need for intensive exploration of strategies for protecting or repairing neural cells, better understanding of the pathologic changes that precede relapses, more aggressive efforts in human genetics, renewed searches for pathogenic triggers, elucidation of the cascade of immune events that lead to the destruction of the myelin sheath on nerve cells, and development of an organizational structure to promote interdisciplinary research.

NEW DIAGNOSTIC MARKER FOUND FOR GLAUCOMA

Source: BMJ 2001; 322:574

Abnormalities in the genes for ELAM-1 may be a diagnostic marker of glaucoma. Researchers at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston discovered that ELAM-1 is located on the cells that make up the eyes' trabecular meshwork. This meshwork forms part of the outflow pathway for aqueous humor as it drains from the back of the eye. If this outflow is obstructed, the intraocular pressure rises and glaucoma may occur. This molecular marker is present in the eyes of patients with glaucoma but not in healthy eyes. The identification of this marker may lead to early genetic screening tests.

COMPLAINTS AGAINST UNITED KINGDOM DOCTORS RISE 50%

Source: BMJ 2001; 322:448

Complaints against doctors practicing in the United Kingdom rose by 50% last year, according to the General Medical Council (GMC). The council received 4,470 complaints in the year 2000 compared with 3,000 complaints in 1999. The council said the rise might have been due to a greater awareness of the GMC and a tendency in society to become more quality conscious. The council has set new standards for dealing with complaints and has expanded its operation to address some of the criticisms aimed at the council itself in recent years.

FERTILITY TREATMENT STATISTICS

Source: JAMA 2001; 285:874

About one in four attempts at in vitro fertilization results in a successful birth according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Age plays a pivotal role in success for women using their own eggs. Women under 35 years old have a 32% success rate, while women aged 40 and older successfully carry a fertilization attempt to term only 8% of the time. For women who choose a donor egg, the success rate is about 40%, regardless of age. The report included data on procedures in which eggs are removed and implanted in the uterus or fallopian tubes, but did not include statistics on artificial insemination.

EXPOSURE IN UTERO TO MATERNAL SMOKING INCREASES RISK OF ASTHMA

Source: BMJ 2001; 322:450

Children exposed in utero to maternal smoking are more likely to develop asthma than children exposed to environmental smoke only after birth. Researchers from the Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, studied responses from a self-administered questionnaire completed by parents of a group of children whose average age was 10 years and who wheezed or had been diagnosed with asthma. The results showed that exposure in utero to maternal smoking, with or without subsequent exposure to environmental tobacco smoke, occurred in 18.8% of the children and was associated with physician-diagnosed asthma, current asthma, and asthma requiring drug treatment.

(*.) Originally prepared for presentation on Southern Medical Association's Web site (http:/ /www.sma.org) by Elaine McClellan-Holm.