An international team of researchers led by Gerard D. Schellenberg, PhD, a member of the CurePSP Genetics Consortium and professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, has identified three new genes that can increase the risk of people developing Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP).
PSP is a rare neurodegenerative brain disease, similar to Parkinson’s disease, which causes severe disability by destroying parts of cells that allow the brain to function normally. While PSP has underlying biological similarities to Alzheimer’s disease, a disease which primarily affects memory, PSP impacts a person’s physical movement and bodily functions. PSP leads to progressive decline in patients — there is no known cause or cure.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/psp/49958/
Landmark public health campaign DRIVE4COPD announced today that Tim Wright was chosen from more than 150 entries as the winner of the Tune Up for COPD Songwriting Competition. DRIVE4COPD Celebrity Ambassadors Billy Ray Cyrus and Patty Loveless were among the judges for the competition, launched in partnership with the Country Music Association (CMA), which challenged Americans to create a new DRIVE4COPD song to help raise awareness of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/48274-boehringer-ingelheim-tuneupforcopd/
More than 24 million Americans currently have asthma. Every day, 11 people in the United States die from asthma and the disease accounts for one-quarter of all emergency room visits each year. For many people with asthma, their home may be part of the problem.
Any house or apartment can contain a variety of asthma “triggers,” which can include allergens and irritants – such as dust mites, mold, pet dander and strong fumes or odors – that can negatively affect someone with asthma.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/49320-Merck-Asthma-Awareness/
Pregnancy is an exciting time filled with hopeful anticipation, and most pregnancies are uneventful and result in healthy babies. Pregnancy, however, is not entirely without risk, leading some expectant parents to worry about birth defects and whether they’ll give birth to a healthy baby.
Many birth defects are minor and easily treated. But about one in every 33 babies is born with a major birth defect, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Major birth defects may have a serious impact on development, functional ability and overall health. Throughout January, which is Birth Defects Prevention Month, BeSmartBeWell.com highlights pregnancy risks and preventable birth defects. At BeSmartBeWell.com medical experts, and real-life expectant moms, like Sharon, share information to help lower the risk for birth defects.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/birthdefects/50829/
Mimi’s Cafe Goes Red. Starting in February, American Heart Month, Mimi’s Cafe is giving a piece of its heart to the American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women movement. The neighborhood bistro inspired by France is the first-ever restaurant to nationally support the effort. Go Red For Women is dedicated to fighting heart disease, the number one killer of women, and harnessing the energy, passion and power women have to band together and collectively wipe out the disease.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/54331-mimi-s-cafe-american-heart-association-go-red-for-women-heart-month
The fight against youth tobacco use was accelerated today by Surgeon General Dr. Regina Benjamin, with the release of the Surgeon General’s Report, Preventing Tobacco Use Among Youth and Young Adults. This report details the scope, health consequences and influences that lead to youth tobacco use and proven strategies that prevent its use.
In addition, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Office on Smoking and Health will launch the Surgeon General’s Video Challenge to engage youth and young adults in developing original videos that feature one or more of the report’s findings. More information can be found at www.Challenge.gov.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/54916-surgeon-general-releases-new-report-on-teen-smoking-tobacco-prevention
National health initiative DRIVE4COPD today announced the launch of its new Ambassador Program, which gives fans the opportunity to join their favorite celebrity in a common cause: raising awareness of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The Ambassador Program marks the beginning of the Great American Screen Off, a nationwide push this fall to screen Americans for their risk of COPD at DRIVE4COPD.COM. Fans can now enter the DRIVE4COPD Celebrity Race Team’s ongoing competition to see who can screen the most people.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/46007-boehringer-ingelheim-great-american-screen-off/
New data revealed that nearly 100 percent (99%) of 200 U.S. primary care physicians surveyed agree that heart disease and stroke are the number one cause of death and disability among type 2 diabetes patients; however, almost 40 percent (36%) of these physicians underestimate the number of patients who die from cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, while people with diabetes are two to four times more likely to have heart disease than people without diabetes, the survey, conducted by Harris Interactive and supported by Merck, found only one out of five (21%) patients (n=664) listed heart attack or heart failure as their biggest worry regarding diabetes complications, and even fewer patients (7%) listed stroke.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/merck/50638/
Jewelry Television® (JTV) is showing its support for the American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women® movement by launching “Love Your Heart,” a comprehensive, multimedia initiative aimed at raising awareness and educating viewers about the risks of heart disease.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/jewelrytelevision/46001/
The Sounds of Pertussis Campaign moves into action with the second annual Pertussis Awareness Day in New York City featuring a range of educational activities, including the launch of the Sound Off About Pertussis song contest and a new public service announcement (PSA) featuring four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon. The national public awareness campaign encourages parents to help protect themselves and their babies from pertussis—commonly known as whooping cough—by getting vaccinated with an adult Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis) booster, which may reduce their risk of getting the disease and spreading it to their babies.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/soundsofpertussis/45203/
Optimer Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: OPTR) announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the company’s antibacterial drug DIFICID™ (fidaxomicin) tablets for the treatment of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD) in adults 18 years of age and older. CDAD is a significant medical problem in hospitals and long-term care facilities, and is beginning to emerge in the community among people previously at low risk for the disease. In the largest Phase 3 clinical studies ever conducted in CDAD, DIFICID had clinical response rates at the end of treatment that were non-inferior to oral vancomycin. DIFICID was superior to vancomycin in sustaining clinical response through 25 days beyond the end of treatment. DIFICID is the only FDA-approved antibacterial drug proven to be superior to vancomycin in sustained clinical response for CDAD.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/optimerpharma/50177/
Ridgefield, CT, September 14, 2011 – Landmark public health campaign DRIVE4COPD today announced the unveiling of 24M: The DRIVE4COPD Monument, a visual representation of the impact of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in the United States. Reaching 14 feet at its highest peak and spanning half a football field, this first-of-its-kind monument comprised of 24 large-scale pinwheels to represent the 24 million Americans who may be living with COPD, was designed by internationally renowned artist and sculptor Michael Kalish.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/51245-24m-the-drive4copd-monument/
