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According to a recent study of clinical characteristics of teens who underwent laparoscopic RouxenY gastric bypass surgery from 2002 until 2007, doctors may have a much narrower window of opportunity to reverse morbid obesity in teens than previously thought.

The study, conducted at Cincinnati Childrens Hospital Medical Center, appears in the current online edition of the Journal of Pediatrics.

The study focused on 61 teens who underwent laparoscopic RouxenY gastric bypass at Cincinnati Childrens. The results of the study showed that one year after the study, BMI in the overall group of teens presurgery decreased by 37 percent, however because of their starting weights, the teens were still considered to be morbidly obese. This means that doctors can predict what a patients weight will be oneyear post weight loss surgery.

Lead author of the study, Thomas Inge, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Surgery and Pediatrics, explains that “Current guidelines for adolescent weight loss surgery suggest that we begin to consider surgery only after a teen is 80100 percent overweight. Our new data show that when we intervene when a patient is between 100 and 150 percent over ideal weight, we can expect successfully resolution of obesity. But by the time the teen is 200 percent over their ideal weight for age, the surgery will reduce their weight substantially, but many of the patients will still remain morbidly obese.

This is the first study in adolescents to specifically show that the postoperative weight is strongly influenced by the patients starting weight. This finding raises a concern that waiting until children are super obese to begin to think of surgery may result in major weight loss, but not resolution of obesity and certain medical problems than intervening at an early stage of the disease. For instance, in those who remain significantly obese following surgery, this excess weight can have negative effects on joints and mobility; the longterm risks of remaining seriously overweight are unknown.

Coauthor Dr. Stavra Xanthakos, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and pediatric gastroenterologist feels that, “We [doctors] have to do a better job of identifying teens who are gaining enormous amounts of weight quickly and get help for them earlier.” Dr. Xanthakos says that when doctors or parents notice that a teen is beginning to gain weight rapidly, there should be a staged approach to managing the weight problem. “If the weight gain is not effectively stopped with initial nutritional or exercise measures, then even more intensive treatments or programs are indicated, and ultimately some very serious thought has to be given to surgery,” said Dr. Xanthakos.

Mary L. Brandt, MD, Professor and Vice Chair of the Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery and a pediatric surgeon at Texas Childrens Hospital worries about these results as well. “We are trying to help teenagers who are at high risk for preventable but lifethreatening diseases such as diabetes or obesity induced liver disease. Bariatric surgery will improve the medical condition of obese teenagers regardless of the starting weight of the patient. But our ability to help these children prevent or reverse their lifethreatening diseases will be even greater if our patients are able to approach a normal weight.”

According to Brandt, “The other major implication of this new data is that many insurance companies will delay surgery for years, usually by requiring documentation of multiple attempts at weight loss. Severely obese teenagers only rarely respond to these kinds of treatments and, despite intense efforts to lose weight, often will gain weight during these efforts. Although it is ethically important for these children to have a least one well supervised attempt to lose weight without surgery, this report shows us that delaying the surgery while trying multiple times may not be in their best interest.”

This study, like others, found that after surgery, patients generally show significant improvement or resolution of cardiovascular risk factors such as blood pressure, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels.

Dr. Inge said that the study indicates that families and communities need to take childhood weight problems seriously and aggressively pursue the best treatment options available for them before the weight problem gets out of hand. “As doctors who take care of kids, we have an obligation to identify those patients who are at highest risk and start explaining treatment options to families earlier before the child or teen gets to be two or three times his or her ideal weight, ” said Dr. Inge.

About Cincinnati Childrens

Cincinnati Childrens Hospital Medical Center is one of 10 childrens hospitals in the United States to make the Honor Roll in U.S. News and World Reports 200910 Americas Best Childrens Hospitals issue. It is #1 ranked for digestive disorders and is also highly ranked for its expertise in respiratory diseases, cancer, neonatal care, heart care, neurosurgery, diabetes, orthopedics, kidney disorders and urology. One of the three largest childrens hospitals in the U.S., Cincinnati Childrens is affiliated with the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and is one of the top two recipients of pediatric research grants from the National Institutes of Health.

President Barack Obama in June 2009 cited Cincinnati Childrens as an “island of excellence” in health care. For its achievements in transforming health care, Cincinnati Childrens is one of six U.S. hospitals since 2002 to be awarded the American Hospital AssociationMcKesson Quest for Quality Prize for leadership and innovation in quality, safety and commitment to patient care. The hospital is a national and international referral center for complex cases.

A growing global movement to apologize and make restitution to victims of human rights abuses is now gathering steam in the United States, but it wont be a first for the country, says the president of The Western History Association.

“In reviewing the history of reconciliation in the American West, Ive found three examples of government restitution where we acknowledge weve participated in human rights abuses and offered either an apology, restitution, reparation or all three,” says Sherry Smith, associate director of the Clements Center for Southwest Studies at SMU and an SMU history professor.

The state of Montana granted posthumous pardons to Germans and Austrians convicted and imprisoned under repressive sedition laws during World War I; the U.S. government paid reparations to the heirs of Japanese Americans relocated to incarceration camps during World War II; and in a landmark nativelands case, Arizona returned 6,000 acres to the Hualapai tribe in the 1940s and the U.S. government set up the Indian Claims Commission.

“These are tiny steps considering the magnitude of the problem. But they helped turn the corner of deep injustice,” Smith says. “Its never too late to do the right thing.”

The global move toward reparations and restitution has largely evolved since World War II, beginning with Germany after the Holocaust, Smith says. Since then other nations and some private corporations have apologized or offered reparations to reconcile the past.

Increasingly, governments are responding to victims rights groups that are demanding reconciliation and restitution for slavery, war crimes and other institutionalized abuse. Most recently, the U.S. Senate in June passed a resolution apologizing for slavery although it didnt offer any monetary reparation.

“The United States is in the beginning stages of this movement,” says Smith, noting that historians have been a critical part of the process as they collect victims testimony and verify abuses through documentation.

“To the extent reconciliation includes chronicling and teaching the sometimes troubled past, historians are central to that,” says Smith.

While Smith isnt drawing moral or ethical conclusions, she did say “the work that historians do can have social justice implications. We need to tell the stories of abuse and keep retelling them as part of the reconciliation process. But victims also need more than words. They want acts, too.”

Smith will address “Reconciliation and Restitution in the American West” at the Western History Associations annual conference in October in Denver. More than 900 association members from museums, universities and government agencies attend the conference.

Source
Kim Cobb
Southern Methodist University

The latest research from Family Relations shows that parents in lowincome environments are more prone to depression when there is a lack of social support.

This is especially prevalent in rural regions, where mental health and social resources can be deficient.

Social support mechanisms such as community groups, churches, and school or sportsrelated activities, can act as a barrier against negative thinking and allow parents who are prone to depression, in order to make better, more positive choices and engage in healthy parental practices.

The findings support a holistic care plan for families in need, combining skillbased interventions with social recommendations.

These measures may help to decrease the detrimental effects of economic stress on individual and family functioning.

Cancer Research UK scientists have discovered a molecular flag that predicts survival from prostate cancer at diagnosis, reveals a study published in the British Journal of Cancer.

The research led by pathologists based at the University of Liverpool measured the levels of a protein called heat shock protein27 (Hsp27) in prostate tissue samples taken from 553 men at the time they were diagnosed with prostate cancer. During a 15year followup, the research showed that those men who tested positive for Hsp27 at diagnosis were almost twice as likely to die from prostate cancer, than men who did not have the protein.

These findings suggest that Hsp27 could be used as a potential test to distinguish men with the aggressive forms of the cancer that need immediate treatment from men with slowgrowing forms of prostate cancer, and with which they can live with for many years. At the moment, there are no reliable tests to make this distinction.

Lead author, Professor Chris Foster, a Cancer Research UKfunded scientist at the University of Liverpools School of Cancer Studies, said “We have identified a link between the presence of Hsp27 at diagnosis and a lower survival rate for prostate cancer. Our study shows that this protein marker currently found in tissue samples can give us a reliable and accurate indication of whether individual cancers will become aggressive. Currently, we are working on developing this finding into a blood test to monitor men with prostate cancer in order to determine when their individual disease needs treatment.”

Hsp27 is a key component of signalling pathways that control the movement of cells around the body. The study also suggests that new drugs could be developed to block these signals and halt the spread of prostate cancer cells.

Professor Foster added “If further research shows that blocking these cell message systems is successful, it could provide a new treatment for aggressive forms of prostate cancer.”

Dr Lesley Walker, director of cancer information at Cancer Research UK, said “These results are an important step towards tackling the longstanding question of how to treat men with prostate cancer once it has been diagnosed. The need for treatment varies greatly between patients men with nonaggressive cancer can live with it for many years without needing therapy, while aggressive cancers require prompt treatment with combinations of surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. But it is very difficult to distinguish who has which type of cancer.

“A marker molecule which identifies aggressive prostate cancer would help us target active treatment to patients who need it avoiding unnecessary therapy, which can have side effects, to those who dont.” She added “The next stage would be to test this protein in large clinical trials to decide if how useful it could be for diagnosis or treatment.”

Notes

*Hsp27 expression at diagnosis predicts poor clinical outcome in prostate cancer independent of ETSgene rearrangement. British Journal of Cancer. CS Foster et al.

Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK, with around 34,000 new cases diagnosed every year. Around 10,000 men die from the disease each year in the UK.

Urban Institute Estimating the Cost of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities In this brief, researchers analyze the cost burden associated with excess rates of diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, stroke and renal disease among Hispanics and African Americans relative to nonHispanic whites. The study predicts that in 2009, “Medicare alone will spend an extra $15.6 billion while private insurers will incur $5.1 billion in additional costs due to elevated rates of chronic illness among African Americans and Hispanics.” The researchers also estimate that “[o]ver the 10year period from 2009 through 2018 … the total cost of these disparities [will be] approximately $337 billion, including $220 billion for Medicare” (Waidmann, 9/22).

Annals of Internal Medicine Ambulatory Care Among Young Adults in the United States Using crosssectional data from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey and National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, researchers examined ambulatory care utilization among adults, ages 20 to 29 years. Despite young adults being “the most likely age group to be uninsured and have the highest prevalence of substance abuse, motor vehicle accidents, and sexually transmitted diseases,” the researchers conclude, “Young adults use less ambulatory medical care relative to other groups and infrequently receive preventive care directed at the greatest threats to their health” (Fortuna, Robbins and Halterman, 9/15).

Health Affairs Containing Costs And Improving Care For Children In Medicaid And CHIP This study examines the overall distribution of spending for children in Medicaid/CHIP as measured by the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. The study found “Ten percent of enrollees (twothirds of whom have a chronic condition) account for 72 percent of the spending” whereas “30 percent of enrolled children,” who are disproportionately African American, “receive little or no care” over a twelvemonth period. “These results highlight the importance of cost containment strategies that reduce avoidable hospitalizations among children with chronic problems and policies that increase preventive care, particularly among African American children,” the authors write (Kenney, Ruhter, and Selden, 9/17).

Kaiser Family Foundation Medicaid and Childrens Health Insurance Program Provisions Americas Affordable Health Choices Act & Americas Healthy Future Act This brief examines provisions related to Medicaid and the Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP) in the House TriCommittee bill and Senate Finance Committee bill compared to current law (9/22).

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Cost Savings and CostEffectiveness of Clinical Preventive Care This report evaluates the economic evidence for investing in preventative care as indicated in costeffectiveness literature. The authors conclude “Based on the literature synthesized in this report, there are relatively few clinical preventive interventions for which there is strong evidence of cost savings. Moreover, many preventive interventions that do save money are already in widespread use (e.g., childhood immunizations), thus limiting the potential for additional savings. For these reasons, it is unlikely that substantial cost savings can be achieved by increasing the level of investment in clinical preventive measures. On the other hand, this review has shown that many preventive measures deliver substantial health benefits given their costs” (Cohen and Neumann, Sept. 2009)

Childrens National Medical Center In a policy statement scheduled to appear in the October issue of the journal Pediatrics, a team of pediatric emergency medicine specialists and other health experts point to a IOM report that found only 6 percent of U.S. hospital emergency departments are fully equipped to properly care for children even though children account for more than 20 percent of all emergency room visits. The authors make “recommendations for appropriate equipment, training, medications, and policies for pediatric emergency care,” according to a Childrens National Medical Center description of the policy statement (9/21).

This information was reprinted from kaiserhealthnews.org with kind permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives and sign up for email delivery at kaiserhealthnews.org.

© Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

Oncolytics Biotech Inc. (”Oncolytics”) (TSXONC, NASDAQONCY) announced that the Cancer Therapy Research Center at the University of Texas Health Science Center (CTRC) has started patient enrolment in a U.S. Phase 2 clinical trial using intravenous administration of REOLYSIN(R) in combination with paclitaxel and carboplatin in patients with metastatic melanoma. The Principal Investigator is Dr. Devalingam Mahalingam, M.D., Ph.D., MRCP(UK), MRCP(I), clinical investigator in GI/thoracic oncology and drug development at the CTRC.

“We have seen some very encouraging results in our clinical trials using REOLYSIN in combination with other therapies in metastatic melanoma patients,” said Dr. Brad Thompson, President and CEO of Oncolytics. “For example, of nine evaluable melanoma patients treated intravenously in our combination REOLYSIN and chemotherapy trials, five had stable disease or better (two partial responses and three stable disease).

“In our local administration REOLYSIN and radiation studies, all of the evaluable melanoma patients (10) had stable disease or better in the target lesion, (three partial responses, one significant minor response and six stable disease). These results, combined with preclinical work demonstrating that in vivo combination treatment resulted in markedly reduced tumour growth compared to single agent treatments, provided the rationale for our collaborators to explore a Phase 2 combination study for patients with metastatic melanoma.”

“Today, few effective treatment options exist for patients with advanced malignant melanoma,” said Dr. Mahalingam. “We welcome this collaboration with Oncolytics, and are excited to have started patient enrolment for this Phase II investigatorinitiated study at the CTRC. We are hopeful this novel agent will continue to show promising results.”

The trial (REO 020) is a single arm, openlabel, Phase 2 study of REOLYSIN given intravenously with paclitaxel and carboplatin every three weeks. It is anticipated that up to 43 patients will be treated in the study.

Eligible patients include those with metastatic, malignant melanoma who have failed one or more prior therapies, or those who are not considered to be a candidate for standard, firstline treatment.

The primary objective of the Phase 2 trial is to measure the objective response rate (partial response (PR) and complete response (CR)) to the treatment combination. The secondary objectives are to assess progressionfree survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) for the treatment regimen in the study population, to assess disease control rate (CR + PR + stable disease (SD)) and duration in the study population, and to assess the safety and tolerability of the combination treatment.

This trial is part of a broad preclinical and clinical collaboration with the CTRC that will involve up to five, openlabel, Phase 2 studies exploring the use of REOLYSIN in combination with chemotherapy for various cancer indications.

About Melanoma

Cancer of the skin is the most common of cancers, probably accounting for at least half of all cancers. Melanoma accounts for less than 5% of skin cancer cases but causes a large majority of skin cancer deaths. The American Cancer Society estimates that about 68,720 new melanomas will be diagnosed in the United States during 2009, and 8,650 people will die from the condition. Unlike many other common cancers, melanoma widely occurs in younger as well as older people. Occurrence rates continue to increase with age and are highest among those in their 80s, but melanoma is not uncommon in those younger than 30, and in fact is one of the more common cancers in adolescents and young adults.

About Oncolytics Biotech Inc.

Oncolytics is a Calgarybased biotechnology company focused on the development of oncolytic viruses as potential cancer therapeutics. Oncolytics clinical program includes a variety of Phase 1/2 and Phase 2 human trials using REOLYSIN, its proprietary formulation of the human reovirus, alone and in combination with radiation or chemotherapy.

The Cancer Therapy Research Center (CTRC) at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio is one of the nations leading academic research and treatment centers, serving more than 4.4 million people in the highgrowth corridor of Central and South Texas including Austin, San Antonio, Laredo and the Rio Grande Valley. CTRC is one of a few elite cancer centers in the country to be named a National Cancer Institute (NCI) Designated Cancer Center, and is one of only three in Texas. A world leader in developing new drugs to treat cancer, The CTRC Institute for Drug Development (IDD) is internationally recognized for conducting the largest oncology Phase I clinical drug trials program in the world, and participates in the clinical and/or preclinical development of many of the cancer drugs approved by the U.S. Food Drug Administration.

This press release contains forwardlooking statements, within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forwardlooking statements, including the Companys expectations related to the U.S. Phase 2 combination REOLYSIN/paclitaxel and carboplatin clinical trial for patients with metastatic melanoma, and the Companys belief as to the potential of REOLYSIN as a cancer therapeutic, involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which could cause the Companys actual results to differ materially from those in the forwardlooking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, the availability of funds and resources to pursue research and development projects, the efficacy of REOLYSIN as a cancer treatment, the tolerability of REOLYSIN outside a controlled test, the success and timely completion of clinical studies and trials, the Companys ability to successfully commercialize REOLYSIN, uncertainties related to the research and development of pharmaceuticals and uncertainties related to the regulatory process. Investors should consult the Companys quarterly and annual filings with the Canadian and U.S. securities commissions for additional information on risks and uncertainties relating to the forwardlooking statements. Investors are cautioned against placing undue reliance on forwardlooking statements. The Company does not undertake to update these forwardlooking statements, except as required by applicable laws.

Diabetes UK Care Events team is expanding its programme with a new event for young adults with Type 1 diabetes.

The first Young Adult Support Weekend (13 to 15 November 2009) offers a chance for young people aged 18 to 25 to meet others, join in discussion groups, talk to healthcare professionals and find out more about issues such as going away to university, discrimination at work, travelling, alcohol, driving, sex and relationships.

A chance to meet and share experiences

“The new weekends will be a great opportunity for young people to meet others and share their experiences,” said Susie Reilly, Head of Care Events at Diabetes UK.

Peer support

“Just as with our existing support holidays and weekends, peer support has proven to be invaluable to attendees.

Informal education sessions

“The informal education sessions by specialist healthcare professionals will also provide a safe environment for people to learn more about diabetes, diabetes management and the care they are entitled to.”

Where and when?

The first weekend will be from 13 to 15 November 2009 at the Sachas Hotel, Manchester, and costs £130 per person.

Accommodation, meals, snacks, seminars, professional healthcare support and the comedy club trip and casino themed night are all included in the price. A bursary is available.

Find out more

While most women experience minor pain during menstruation, for others, the pain can be severe enough to interfere with everyday activities and require medication. New research to be presented at the 2009 American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) Annual Meeting and Exposition will reveal initial findings of safety surrounding a new device that may more effectively treat menstrual pain.

“The goal of our study was to find a better way to treat menstrual cramps,” said Giovanni M. Pauletti, Ph.D., associate professor at the University of Cincinnati and the studys presenter as well as past chair of AAPS National Biotechnology Conference Planning Committee. “Existing oral medications cause significant gastrointestinal side effects for women, creating additional discomfort while alleviating menstrual pain. Results from our Phase I clinical trials show that this new vaginal device safely delivers at least 10times more drug to the uterus as a tablet of equivalent dose.”

The study, which was sponsored by UMD, Inc., a Cincinnati drug delivery company, and conducted at Womens Health Research, Inc. involved 18 study participants, aged 1845 years with menstrual cycles between 2530 days. During the midfollicular phase of the first menstrual cycle (days 711), nine study participants received an oral dose of 10 mg of ketorolac (Toradol®), a nonsteroidal antiinflammatory medication; while nine women received a tampon coated with 10 mg of ketorolac. During the second menstrual cycle, each subject received the opposite treatment. The results of the study demonstrated that the medication administered vaginally does not cause significant side effects but accumulates more efficiently in the desired uterine tissue than using the oral medication.

“While still early in our research, this study shows promising results which may help pave the way for new treatment options for women,” said Pauletti. “Phase II clinical trials will study efficacy of the treatment to assess whether the drug concentration is effective in reducing pain.”

Over 8,500 individuals from the field of pharmaceutical research are expected to attend the 2009 AAPS Annual Meeting and Exposition, which will be held Nov. 812 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. During the meeting, scientists from around the world will have the opportunity to present new research, methods and technologies as they relate to the field of pharmaceutical sciences.

Source
Jennifer Bender

The standard explanation for what causes Alzheimers is known as the amyloid hypothesis, which posits that the disease results from of an accumulation of the peptide amyloid beta, the toxic protein fragments that deposit in the brain and become the sticky plaques that have defined Alzheimers for more than 100 years.

Billions of dollars are spent yearly targeting this toxic peptide but what if this is the wrong target? What if the disease begins much earlier, fueled by a natural process? Reporting in the current edition of the journal Neurobiology of Aging, UCLA professor of psychiatry George Bartzokis argues just that and says that a better working hypothesis is the “myelin model.”

“The greatest promise of the myelin model of the human brain is its application to the development of new therapeutic approaches,” Bartzokis said.

Like insulation around wires, myelin is a fatty sheath that coats our nerve axons, allowing for efficient conduction of nerve impulses. It is key to the fast processing speeds that underlie our higher cognitive functions and encoding of memories.

But the lifelong, extensive myelination of the human brain also makes it uniquely vulnerable to damage. The myelin models central premise is that it is the normal, routine maintenance and repair of myelin throughout life that ultimately initiates the mechanisms that produce degenerative diseases like Alzheimers. That is, the amyloidbeta peptide and the tau peptide, which is also implicated in Alzheimers, as well as the signature clinical signs of the disease, such as memory loss and, ultimately, dementia, are all byproducts of the myelin breakdown and repair processes.

“The pervasive myelination of our brain is the single most unique aspect in which the human brain differs from other species,” said Bartzokis, who is a member of the Laboratory of Neuro Imaging in the UCLA Department of Neurology and a member of UCLAs Brain Research Institute. Myelin is produced by oligodendrocytes, specialized glial cells that themselves become more vulnerable with age.

Bartzokis notes that myelination of the brain follows an inverted Ushaped trajectory, growing strongly until our 50s, when it very slowly begins to unravel as we age. The myelin that is deposited in adulthood ensheaths increasing numbers of axons with smaller axon diameters and so spreads itself thinner and thinner, Bartzokis said. As a result, it becomes more susceptible to the ravages of age in the form of environmental and genetic insults and slowly begins to break down faster than it can be repaired.

The exclusive targeting of the amyloidbeta peptide for many years is understandable because the same genes and enzymes involved in controlling myelination and myelin repair are, ironically, also involved in the production of amyloidbeta proteins. Bartzokis point is that the amyloid beta may actually develop as a result of the natural process of the repair and maintenance of myelin.

“So the breakdown that leads to Alzheimers and other agerelated brain diseases, such as Parkinsons, may begin much earlier, before the formation of the protein deposits that are used to define these diseases,” Bartzokis said.

Most drugs being developed for Alzheimers are targeting amyloid beta, but little if any clinical improvement is being seen. This is, according to Bartzokis, “similar to cleaning up a house thats been flooded by water but never repairing the actual pipe that created the flood.

“For drug development then, the targets should be much further upstream, earlier in the process before the AB plaques even develop,” he said.

Instead of focusing on reducing amyloid beta, Bartzokis argues, the myelin model suggests entirely different approaches to treatment and prevention of Alzheimers disease that precede plaque formation. With modern brain imaging technology, clinicians could track the dynamic changes taking place in the brain and intercede well before any signs of Alzheimers are seen.

“With earlier intervention,” Bartzokis said, “we could reduce and potentially eliminate the increasingly catastrophic burden of dementia on the individual and their family, the health care system, and our society.”

The research was supported by the National Institutes of Health, the RCS Alzheimers Foundation and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The author reports no conflicts of interest.

The UCLA Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences is part of the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA, an interdisciplinary research and education institute devoted to the understanding of complex human behavior, including the genetic, biological, behavioral and sociocultural underpinnings of normal behavior, and the causes and consequences of neuropsychiatric disorders. In addition to conducting fundamental research, the institute faculty seeks to develop effective treatments for neurological and psychiatric disorders, improve access to mental health services, and shape national health policy regarding neuropsychiatric disorders.

Source University of California, Los Angeles

In a speech at a private event on Friday, first lady Michelle Obama urged women to push for health reform, saying that President Obamas plan would help achieve “true equality” for women, the Washington Post reports. Speaking to about 140 health care industry and womens group representatives, Obama called the current health system “a status quo that is just unacceptable” and tied efforts to change it with the battle for womens rights, according to the Post.

Obama, a former vice president in the University of Chicago hospital system, said, “In many states, insurance companies can still discriminate because of gender. And this is still shocking to me.” She added, “These are the kind of facts that still wake me up at night, that women in this country have been denied coverage because of preexisting conditions like having a [caesarean] section or having had a baby” or being a domestic violence survivor (Gerhart, Washington Post, 9/19). “For two years on the campaign trail, this was what I heard from women, that they were being crushed, crushed by the current structure of our health care,” she said (Babington, AP/Atlanta JournalConstitution, 9/18).

Women often pay more than men of the same age for the same level of insurance coverage under individual policy plans. One study found the disparity can be as high as 48%, the Post reports. A similar study in 2008 by the National Womens Law Center found that only 10 states prohibit gender rating (Washington Post, 9/19).

Using personal stories to illustrate her point, Obama said that women are “disproportionately affected by this issue because of the roles we play in our families.” She said, “Women are affected because of the jobs we do in this economy. … Women are more likely to work parttime, or work in small businesses, jobs that dont always provide health insurance,” adding, “Women are affected because in many states, insurance companies can still discriminate because of gender.”

She pledged that under the Obama administrations health plan, “insurance companies will no longer be able to drop your coverage when you get too sick, or refuse to pay for the care you need, or set a cap on the amount of coverage you can get.” She continued, “And it will limit how much they can charge you for outofpocket expenses. Because getting sick in this country shouldnt mean that you go bankrupt.” She also noted that because of the higher premiums that women often are charged, “more than half of women report putting off needed medical care because they cant afford it” (Henderson, Politico, 9/18).

Obama called on the events attendees to “mobilize like youve never mobilized before” to help educate others about the presidents health reform plan. “No longer can we sit by and watch the debate take on a life of its own,” the first lady said, adding, “It is up to us to get involved, because what we have to remember is that now more than ever, we have to channel our passions into change” (Rhee, Boston Globe, 9/19).

Marcia Greenberger, founder and copresident of NWLC, said, “Putting this effort into the long context of struggles that womens organizations have made was very moving and very true.” She added, “She made the case, I have to say, in a way that I thought was more compelling than I ever had heard it made before” (Washington Post, 9/19).

Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership.org. You can view the entire Daily Womens Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Womens Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.

© 2009 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.