31-01-2012 08:03 The drug Kalydeco has been approved to treat patients with one of the mutations that cause cystic fibrosis. FDA's Stephen Spielberg, MD, Ph.D, tells how this targeted treatment represents how personalized medicine will revolutionize health care. See the article here: Cystic Fibrosis Drug is Personalized Medicine - Video … Continue reading →

Scientists have identified a genetic mutation in one of the 23,000 human genes that can double the risk of a stroke, which kills more than six million people worldwide each year and is the second top cause of death in developed countries. Click here to see the 'Strokes: How they happen' graphic A study of thousands of stroke patients in Britain and Germany found a link between the most common type of stroke – a blocked blood vessel leading to the brain – and a genetic variation in a gene known as HDAC9. Although strokes are known to run in families, this is one of the first studies to identify a precise DNA variant in the human genetic code that doubles a person's risk of developing a blocked artery supplying vital oxygen to the brain. The HDAC9 gene was already known to be involved in the formation of muscle tissue and the development of the heart, but the latest research suggests it is also implicated in a particular kind of illness called large-artery ischaemic stroke. Scientists said the DNA variation occurs on about 10 per cent of the chromosomes carrying the HDAC9 gene. People who inherit two copies of the … Continue reading →

Former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega was taken from his prison cell to a public hospital for treatment following a possible stroke, officials said. The 77-year-old Noriega was taken to the Hospital Santo Tomas after suffering "hypertension with a possibility of a stroke," national police said in a statement that did not elaborate on his condition. "He had symptoms that indicated a stroke," Health Minister Franklin Vergara said later, adding that Noriega would be kept under observation in the intensive care unit for 24 hours and would undergo further tests. The ex-military ruler spent 22 years behind bars in the United States and France on drug trafficking and money laundering charges before being extradited to Panama on December 11. He returned home in a wheelchair, having difficulty walking and speaking due to strokes suffered in the past. A military dictator from 1983 to 1989, Noriega is serving three separate sentences after being convicted in absentia for crimes committed in Panama, including the murder of critics. He also faces a series of other complaints for human rights abuses. News of his hospitalization spread quickly in the Central American nation and the rumor mill was turning fast. "I'm glad he is getting the … Continue reading →

A proposal to use new diagnostic criteria for autism has roiled the US medical community, with many experts concerned that the move could exclude children affected by some forms of the disorder. The American Psychiatric Association recommended last month that a new category called "autism spectrum disorder" be established to incorporate several forms of autism which were previously considered separately. These include autistic disorder, Asperger’s disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder and pervasive developmental disorder. Under this new approach, all four would be considered a variation of autism. But critics are concerned that this may deprive patients of access to welfare, educational and health services that are based on the old definition set by the APA. The APA defended its decision, saying that the new criteria establishes degrees of severity for the disorder and would help provide more targetted treatment for patients. "The proposed criteria will lead to more accurate diagnosis and will help physicians and therapists design better treatment interventions for children who suffer from autism spectrum disorder," argued Doctor James Scully, medical director of the association. But Fred Volkmar, head of the Children's Psychiatry Department at Yale University, believes this revision would exclude up to 60 percent of children now … Continue reading →