March 2005
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Bipolar disorder in kids often confused with ADHD
March 21,
2005 --
Bipolar disorder is often hard to diagnose in children, and it is easy to mistake the disorder's manic phase for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, warns Joan Luby, a child psychiatrist at the School of Medicine and St. Louis Children's Hospital. Learn more about pediatric bipolar disorder in the following St. Louis Post-Dispatch article.
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Drug found to enhance treatment for some severe asthma patients
March 18,
2005 -- Patients with severe asthma may benefit from adding the drug Xolair to their treatment regimen, according to a new study. Patients taking Xolair injections demonstrated a reduction in severe asthma attacks and a general increase in day-to-day dealings with asthma. Read more about the study from ABC News.
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Passion for running races on in many Americans
March 15,
2005 --
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| Millions of Americans enjoy running. |
Millions of Americans run in competitive races each year, and even more run simply for the enjoyment or health benefits. WUSM physical therapists Tammy Burlis and Marcie Harris Hayes provide pointers for creating an efffective running regimen while avoiding injuries in the following feature from the Wichita Eagle.
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Obesity, Type 2 diabetes rates growing rapidly among children
March 11,
2005 -- The rates of obesity and Type 2 diabetes among children in the U.S. is rapidly rising. Many children with Type 2 diabetes don't even know they have the disease. Neil White, a pediatrician at WUSM and St. Louis Children's Hospital, outlines symptoms and risk factors for diabetes in the following St. Louis Post-Dispatch article.
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Legislation threatens stem cell research, therapies
Feb. 28,
2005 -- Science often opens areas of investigation that rouse intense public debate. Such is the case with the rapidly advancing field of stem cell research. In Missouri, debate over the use of embryonic stem cells for research — and ultimately for treatment of disease — has risen to new heights.
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Scientific knowledge evolves through clinical studies
Feb. 25,
2005 -- Thousands of medical and scientific studies are performed each year in the U.S., resulting in millions of pages of findings. That's a lot of data for Americans to consume. When reading the latest findings, consumers should avoid reactionary attitudes, warns WUSM dietitian Marilyn Tanner in the following Fort Wayne News-Sentinel article. Many criteria regarding the study should be considered before making a lifestyle change based on new medical findings.
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Overweight children are at risk for heart disease, diabetes, cancer
Feb. 24,
2005 -- Overweight children bear a serious risk for developing heart disease, diabetes, and some type of cancer. The Surgeon General reports that "overweight and obesity may soon cause as much preventable disease and death as cigarette smoking." Robinson Welch, clinic director for the Weight Management and Eating Disorders Program at the School of Medicine, gives advice on weight loss in the following Suburban Journals article.
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WUSTL ranks 2nd among universities as best place to work for postdocs
Feb. 23,
2005 -- Washington University in St. Louis ranked second among all academic institutions as best place to work for postdocs in a survey by The Scientist. Government agencies filled out most of the overall top 10, but WUSTL was one of two universities to make that list, as well. Read more in this release from The Scientist.
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$5.5 million gift benefits five WUSM specialty areas
Feb. 21,
2005 -- The School of Medicine will benefit from a $5.5 million gift from the estate of Hilda Niess. The money will specifically benefit five medical specialty areas: Department of Radiology/Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology; Center for the Study of Nervous System Injury; Siteman Cancer Center; Alzheimer's Disease Research Center; and the Division of Rheumatology.
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Children with Down syndrome can greatly benefit from early treatment
Feb. 9,
2005 --
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| Early treatment is key with Down syndrome. |
Down syndrome is caused by an extra copy of chromosome 21, and its occurence is random 95 percent of the time. The condition can be detected during pregnancy, and intervention during infancy can greatly improve outcomes for children with Down syndrome. Learn more about this condition, which affects 350,000 Americans, in the following St. Louis Post-Dispatch article by WUSM pediatrician Kathy Grange.
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Study finds welders 7 to 10 times more likely to suffer from Parkinson's
Feb. 4,
2005 -- A study of more than 1,400 welders showed a marked increase in Parkinson's symptoms within the group. Brad Racette, associate professor of neurology, compared the welders to a general population sample and found significant increases in the rates of defininte Parkinson's and probable Parkinson's among the welders. Read the full story from Reuters.
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Mathematical model shows need for more genome sequencing
Jan. 31,
2005 -- A mathematical model published by WUSM scientist Sean Eddy predicts a need for significantly more genome sequencing than what was previously thought necessary to accurately compare stretches of DNA. The model takes into account factors such as the length of the DNA strand and the number of species sequenced. Read more from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
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Multi-disciplinary center meets needs of families dealing with Down Syndrome
Jan. 27,
2005 -- It's not uncommon for a child with Down Syndrome to receive regular care from as many as six or seven specialists. The new Down Syndrome Center at St. Louis Children's Hospital allows families to coordinate all these doctor visits into one trip.
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Medical malpractice crisis requires major effort from many groups
Jan. 26,
2005 -- On the heels of President Bush's call for medical liability reform during a recent visit to Collinsville, Ill., Washington University hosted a conference on the same topic, "Medical Malpractice and Tort Reform: Finding Truth and Common Ground." Medical and legal experts gathered to discuss the hard road that must be paved toward a solution for this growing national concern. The consensus of the conference seemed to be that cooperation is the key.
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Parent-teacher partnership can play significant role in child's education
Jan. 24,
2005 --
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| Successful students have help at home. |
Many kids dread them, but all parents should embrace them. Parent-teacher conferences can play an integral role in a child's education. In the following St. Louis Post-Dispatch article, Dennis O'Brien, research associate in psychiatry, gives a few tips for successful parent-teacher conferencing.
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Transplanted saliva gland brings tears to man's eyes
Jan. 20,
2005 --
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| Photo by Dawn Majors, St. Louis Post-Dispatch |
| Roger Beck gets a kiss from his son Denton. |
Roger Beck cried for the first time in 22 years thanks to Randal Paniello, associate professor of otolaryngology. Paniello performed the first saliva gland transplant in the United States to restore Beck's ability to produce tears. Learn more about the procedure in this St. Louis Post-Dispatch feature.
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Obesity can lead to liver disease
Jan. 19,
2005 -- Yet another disease has been linked to obesity. Samuel Klein, director of the WUSM Center for Human Nutrition, reports fatty liver disease, usually associated with excess alcohol consumption, is on the rise among those who don't drink too much. One common factor linked to the increase is obesity. Read more in the following Post-Dispatch article.
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Many tsunami survivors need trauma counseling
Jan. 14,
2005 -- Efforts to ease the emotions of those traumatized by the Dec. 26 tsunami are underway. WUSM psychiatrist Carol North comments about the emotional relief efforts in the Jan. 12 airing of All Things Considered on National Public Radio. The free RealPlayer is required to listen to the clip.
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Time is crucial when dealing with strokes
Jan. 10,
2005 -- Time is the most important factor when dealing with stroke, the third leading cause of death in the U.S. But before a person can get a loved one crucial medical treatment in time, he or she must know what signs to heed. WUSM physicians and stroke experts Mark Goldberg and Maurizio Corbetta discuss stroke and its symptoms in the following St. Louis Post-Dispatch article.
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Cigarette smoke worsens respiratory infections in infants
Jan. 7,
2005 -- Infants and young children exposed to cigarette smoke suffer more serious cases of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections than other children, while those with a family history of allergies or asthma show a more positive response to the illness. Read more about the study by Mario Castro, associate professor of medicine and pediatrics, in the following Reuters story.
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