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HEALTH TIPS - Monday, February 5, 2007
"News That Keeps You Healthy"
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New method created for testing DNA
ST. LOUIS, -- U.S. scientists have successfully tested a
technique for identifying newly recognized DNA variations
that may influence disease risk. The researchers at the
Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and
the biotech firm NimbleGen Systems Inc. of Madison, Wis.,
said the technique highlights variations in the number of
copies of a particular gene, rather than focus on errors
and alterations in a DNA sequence. Additional copies of
a gene may lead to overproduction of that gene's protein,
possibly affecting both easily identifiable traits, such
as body size, and more difficult-to-discern traits such
as cancer risk, the researchers said. "Right now, our
results and other early assessments of human and other
mammalian genomes are suggesting about 10 percent of the
genome features copy number variations," said the study's
lead author, Dr. Timothy Graubert, an assistant professor
of medicine. "That's a huge number," he added. "As a per-
centage of the genome, variations in gene copy number
could explain more person-to-person variability than the
single-letter changes in the genetic code known as SNPs
(single nucleotide polymorphisms)." The research appears
in the journal Public Library of Science Genetics.
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Juvenile arthritis economic impact studied
MONTREAL, -- A Canadian study shows juvenile idiopathic
arthritis, the most common rheumatic disease in childhood,
inflicts a substantial negative economic impact. Led by
Drs. Ann Clarke, Ciaran Duffy, and Sasha Bernatsky of the
McGill University Health Center in Montreal, the study
involved 155 children with JIA and 181 controls from two
Canadian hospitals. The researchers said their study is
the first to quantify an association between JIA disease
activity and healthcare costs, finding the difference in
annualized average direct medical costs for the JIA group
versus a control group was $1,686. The JIA group also had
higher costs related to specialists, healthcare
professionals, and diagnostic tests. Scientists say the
findings are important in helping to quantify the magni-
tude of healthcare cost savings that could result in
better disease control, especially given the development
of costly new medications. "Ultimately, decisions regard-
ing access to therapies should be considered in terms of
overall cost-benefit ratios," they said. "More effective
interventions, even if associated with higher initial
healthcare costs, may well have significant long-term
cost savings to society." The study appears in the cur-
rent issue of the journal Arthritis Care & Research.
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Antipsychotic may control autism disorder
BRISTOL, England, -- A British study suggests risperidone,
a drug used to control schizophrenic symptoms, might help
treat problems found in autism spectrum disorder. The re-
searchers reviewed three randomized, placebo-controlled
studies of risperidone (Risperdal) involving 211 partici-
pants, including 31 adults. "(We found) risperidone may
be beneficial for various aspects of autism, including
irritability, repetition and hyperactivity," said Dr. Ora
Jesner of the University of Bristol, the study's leader.
However, Jesner noted, the drug's benefits might be off-
set by its side effects, among which weight gain is most
prominent. Often diagnosed within the first three years
of life, autism spectrum disorder leads to difficulties
with social relationships, language and communication
skills. Symptoms include withdrawal from social inter-
actions, irritability, problems communicating and
repetitive behaviors. The U.S. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention says as many as 1.5 million people
in the United States might have some form of the disorder.
The review by Jesner and co-author Mehrnoosh Aref-Adib
appears in the latest issue of The Cochrane Library.
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