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Study Finds Noninvasive Blood Test For Liver Fibrosis May Alleviate Need For Liver Biopsies For Some Patients With Chronic Hepatitis C
A study in the June issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, published by Elsevier, demonstrates that the Hepascore(TM) liver fibrosis blood-serum test panel may help physicians more accurately diagnose and stage liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C (HCV), potentially alleviating the need for liver biopsy, the standard of care for staging fibrosis, in a particular subset of patients. The Hepascore test panel is provided exclusively by Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE: DGX), the world"s leading provider of diagnostic testing, information and services.

Most Parents Support Using Newborn Screening Data For Research
More than three-quarters of parents would be willing to permit the use of their children"s newborn screening samples for research purposes if their permission were obtained beforehand, a University of Michigan survey shows.
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More Women Seek Nonprescription Remedies For Menopause Symptoms
Over-the-counter remedies for menopause symptoms are growing in popularity among some women who fear potential risks from prescription hormone replacement therapy, the New York Times reports. According to the Times, the market for alternative therapies -- such as natural supplements and topical creams -- jumped in 2002 after initial results from the Women"s Health Initiative suggested that HRT could increase risk for heart disease, cancer, stroke and blood clots. Gynecologists estimate that about one-third of menopausal women are treated with conventional prescription hormones, and about one-third are treated with bio-identical hormones -- plant-derived synthetic hormones that mimic the molecular structure of human hormones. The remaining one-third either do not seek therapy for symptoms, are not bothered by symptoms or use over-the-counter therapies. There are more than 500 over-the-counter products available that claim to alleviate menopause symptoms, the Times reports. The treatments include such products as teas, low-dose progesterone creams, black cohosh capsules and phytoestrogens derived from soy and red clover, according to the Times. According to Nutrition Business Journal, the U.S. dietary supplement market associated with menopause increased from $211 million in 1999 to $337 million in 2007.Some studies have raised doubts about the safety and effectiveness of the over-the-counter remedies. Todd Cooperman -- director of consumerLab.com, a private nutrition product-testing lab -- said that his company"s study of more than one dozen products found that five failed to gain the lab"s approval because of problems such as inaccurate labeling or tainted ingredients. The Center for Botanical Dietary Supplements Research this fall is expected to release the results of a study, sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, that aims to determine the efficacy of the ingredients associated with menopause symptom relief. Some studies have questioned the efficacy of progesterone creams, which some experts contend can gather in fat cells and disrupt the production and synthesis of other hormones. Other experts maintain that the products are safe if properly used. Theresa Ramsey, director of the Center for Natural Healing in Arizona, said, "I think over all these products are generally safe, but must be taken in the right circumstances and in conjunction with a mindfully healthy approach to life if they are going to be effective at all" (Sweeney, New York Times, 7/2).
Sexual Health

Transdermal Drug Delivery For CNS Conditions Expected To Exceed $1 Billion By 2012

While often overshadowed in the public consciousness by cancer and heart disease, recent trends in certain pathologies of the central nervous system are becoming equally challenging for clinicians and researchers. Growth in the incidence of a number of neurological conditions such as Alzheimer"s and Parkinson"s has captured the concerns of healthcare professionals, and reached the public at large through personal experience and the media. While some of the increase in the incidence of non-neoplastic CNS disorders can be traced to population growth and demographic trends, particularly the aging of populations in developed geographic regions, often the specific causes prove to be elusive. And while patient mortality varies widely within this group of conditions, the morbidity and quality-of-life issues for patients and their families with chronic or progressive CNS disorders are typically quite dramatic. "The intractable nature of these diseases dictates the need for continuous drug intervention," explains George Perros, Managing Director at Applied Data Research. "But the treatment picture is complicated by the fact that most of these ailments compromise the cognitive and/or motor skills of patients, making ongoing self-administration unreliable and raising patient safety concerns." Attempting to address this growing need, drug developers are increasingly turning to transdermal formulations of CNS drugs. Because it has the potential to improve drug therapy compliance and safety, transdermal delivery addresses key therapeutic healthcare issues. According to a comprehensive assessment by Applied Data Research, the ability of transdermal CNS therapeutics to respond to the growing unmet need for patient-friendly administration has positioned this segment for healthy double-digit growth through 2012, with the total value of transdermal CNS drug products exceeding $1 billion in 2012. These findings are contained in a comprehensive report prepared and written by Applied Data Research. More information is available at http://www.applieddata.org. Applied Data Research


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