Volume 2 Issue 3 – January 2006
Promises and Perils for Patients and Physicians – An NEJM Back Pages Article
R. L. Kravitz and S. Chang, NEJM, December 29 2005, Vol 353(26)
On January 1st, 41 million Medicare beneficiaries will receive prescription-drug benefits through the Medicare Perscription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act, the biggest change to Medicare since its creation in 1965. However, due to the complicated nature of the drug plans offered, physicians will have to take a very active role as advisors and advocates in helping patients navigate the choices.
Politically–Correct Human Embryonic Stem Cells? – An NEJM Perspective Article
D. Solter, NEJM, December 1 2005, Vol 353(22)
For many scientists and physicians, human embryonic stem cells represent a promising future for the treatment of degenerative diseases. However, the current criteria set by the Bush administration for U.S. federal funding restrict researchers to limited experimentation with only a few lines derived before August 2001. Responding to this limitation, researchers have devised two methods of creating “politically correct” stem cells which can be derived without destruction of a viable embryo.
Antiretroviral Therapy for the AIDS in Haiti: Experience with One Thousand Patients – An NEJM Original Article
P. Severe et al., NEJM, December 1 2005, Vol 353 (22)
Despite malnutrition and high rates of coinfection with tropical diseases, large-scale antiretroviral therapy has drastically increased the one-year survival rates of adults and children with AIDS in Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. This study demonstrates the possibility of delivering ARTs to a large number of patients in a developing country with limited resources, thus providing compelling evidence for international support.
Stem Cells: Progress and Controversy
A NextGen Perspectives Article
Facing political pressures and restricted access to government grants, scientists studying stem cells have been forced to jump over hurdles to pursue their lines of research. We spoke with Professor Douglas Melton, co-director of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, to see where the field is headed and how researchers are coping with the restrictions.
Focus on Your Health: Emergency Contraception
The Third Installment of NextGen’s “Focus on Your Health” Series
The FDA recently turned down a proposal to implement over-the-counter status for Plan B (“the morning after pill”), a form of emergency contraception. Critics of OTC status for Plan B claim that this policy would encourage promiscuity, unprotected sex, and other risky behaviors. Some even mistake Plan B for an “abortion pill.” Dr. Carolyn Westhoff, a physician and a professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Public Health at Columbia University, notes that there is a lack of evidence supporting these claims and asserts that it is possible that the FDA’s decision may eliminate the potential public health benefits of Plan B, such as reducing the number of unintended pregnancies and the resultant abortions.
Focus on Your Health: College Students and Health
The Second Installment of Nextgen’s “Focus on Your Health” Series
Though college students sometimes imagine they are invincible, maintaining good health during the college years is very important in preventing the development of chronic illnesses later in life. University health centers such as the Harvard University Health Services aim to make health care easily accessible to students while also educating them in preventive medicine techniques.
