FDA Approves Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccine

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved four vaccines against the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus.

Based on preliminary data from adults participating in multiple clinical studies, the 2009 H1N1 vaccines induce a robust immune response in most healthy adults eight to 10 days after a single dose, as occurs with the seasonal influenza vaccine.

Clinical studies under way will provide additional information about the optimal dose in children. The recommendations for dosing will be updated if indicated by findings from those studies. The findings are expected in the near future.

As with the seasonal influenza vaccines, the 2009 H1N1 vaccines are being produced in formulations that contain thimerosal, a mercury-containing preservative, and in formulations that do not contain thimerosal.

People with severe or life-threatening allergies to chicken eggs, or to any other substance in the vaccine, should not be vaccinated.

In the ongoing clinical studies, the vaccines have been well tolerated. Potential side effects of the H1N1 vaccines are expected to be similar to those of seasonal flu vaccines.

For the injected vaccine, the most common side effect is soreness at the injection site. Other side effects may include mild fever, body aches, and fatigue for a few days after the inoculation. For the nasal spray vaccine, the most common side effects include runny nose or nasal congestion for all ages, sore throats in adults, and -- in children 2 to 6 years old -- fever.
What is Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccine?

Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccine is an inactivated influenza virus vaccine indicated for active immunization of persons ages 18 years of age and older against influenza disease caused by pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus.
How will I receive Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccine?

Based on currently available information, the vaccination regimen is as follows:

Adults 18 years of age and older:

* A single 0.5 mL intramuscular injection.

Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccine is an inactivated vaccine that cannot cause influenza but rather stimulates the immune system to produce antibodies.


Dosage Forms and Strengths

Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccine, a sterile suspension for intramuscular injection, is supplied in two presentations:

* 0.5 mL preservative-free, single-dose, pre-filled syringe.
* 5 mL multi-dose vial containing ten doses. Thimerosal, a mercury derivative, is added as a preservative; each 0.5 mL dose contains 24.5 micrograms (mcg) of mercury.

Important information about Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccine

Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccine should not be used in patients who have hypersensitivity to eggs or chicken protein, neomycin, or polymyxin, or life-threatening reaction to previous influenza vaccination.

If Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) has occurred within 6 weeks of previous influenza vaccination, the decision to give Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccine should be based on careful consideration of the potential benefits and risks.

Immunocompromised persons may have a diminished immune response to Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccine.
What other drugs will affect Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccine?

Do not mix Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccine with any other vaccine in the same syringe or vial.

Immunosuppressive therapies may diminish the immune response to Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccine.
Before receiving Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccine

Safety and effectiveness of Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccine have not been established in pregnant women, nursing mothers or in persons less than 18 years of age.
Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccine Side Effects

The most common (= 10%) local (injection-site) adverse reactions were tenderness, pain, redness, and swelling. The most common (= 10%) systemic adverse reactions were headache, malaise, and muscle aches.

Any severe or unusual adverse reactions should be reported to the healthcare provider.

To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact VAERS at 1-800-822-7967 and www.vaers.hhs.gov.

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Kenali Perilaku Seks Wanita Dari Gigi

Senyuman ternyata tak hanya membuat diri seseorang jauh lebih menarik, tetapi juga memiliki pesan tertentu bagi lawan jenis. Konon, hasrat seksual kaum wanita bisa diprediksi dari bentuk gigi yang tampak saat mereka tertawa maupun senyum. Jadi, jika Anda seorang wanita yang suka tertawa, Anda perlu hati-hati karena orang di hadapan Anda bisa jadi sedang membaca rahasia Anda.

Gigi kecil dan jarang-jarang
Kualitas seks yang dimiliki wanita ini cenderung biasa-biasa saja, bahkan cenderung pasrah jika diajak berhubungan oleh pasangannya. Perangai yang tak mau mengalah membuatnya 'semau gue' dalam bercinta.

Gigi sedang dan rata

Wanita pemilik jenis gigi seperti ini selalu berorientasi pada kepuasan pasangannya. Ia sangat 'lihai' untuk urusan ranjang dan tahan lama dalam bercinta. Bagi kaum lelaki yang memiliki pasangan seperti ini harus pandai mengimbangi permainannya dan memiliki power lebih agar bisa saling memuaskan.

Gigi besar dan jarang-jarang

Tipe wanita ini seringkali mendominasi atau agresif dalam permainan ranjang. Sikap manja yang berlebihan dan terkadang dibuat-buat bisa jadi membuat pasangannya merasa kesal. Bahkan, jika hasrat seksualnya tak terpenuhi, ia seringkali marah-marah dan berusaha keras agar keinginannya terpenuhi. Pria yang memiliki pasangan bertipe ini hendaknya sabar menyikapi segala kelakuannya.

Gigi maju ke depan

Dalam urusan ranjang, wanita bertipe gigi seperti ini termasuk golongan wanita yang agresif, namun sangat penuntut dan mudah mengeluh. Kalau giginya kecil, biasanya masih bisa ditoleransi, artinya tidak terlalu 'memeras' suami. Namun, jika bentuk giginya besar-besar, ia mudah mengeluh bahkan mencaci-maki jika pasangannya tak mampu memuaskannya.

Gigi gingsul

Dalam urusan seks, wanita ini sangat pintar membahagiakan pasangannya dan sangat mengetahui apa yang diinginkan oleh pasangannya. Pada dasarnya, wanita yang memiliki gigi gingsul ini enak diajak bicara dan pengetahuannya luas, sehingga menjadi nilai plus tersendiri dalam berhubungan seks. Sikapnya yang agak kekanak-kanakan menambah rasa 'gemes' bagi pasangannya.

Gigi tampak masuk ke dalam

Sikap pendiam dan pemalu dari wanita bertipe ini membuat banyak kaum pria makin penasaran untuk 'membuka' dan memancing gairahnya. Sayangnya, wanita bertipe gigi seperti ini agak pasif, termasuk untuk urusan ranjang. Sehingga bagi si pasangan prianya harus memiliki kesabaran ekstra dan juga kemampuan untuk merangsang agar wanita ini menjadi aktif.

Gigi kecil dan rancak

Sifat wanita bertipe ini sangat menyenangkan dan mengutamakan keindahan, sehingga ia berusaha memberikan perhatian penuh terhadap pasangannya. Apalagi didukung dengan tipe wajah yang imut alias 'babyface' membuat pasangannya mabuk kepayang. Untuk urusan ranjang, wanita ini selalu dapat mengimbangi keinginan pasangannya.

Nah, semoga uraian di atas bisa membantu Anda para pria untuk bisa mengenali perilaku seks pasangan Anda. Perlu diingat bahwa apa yang telah disampaikan di atas bukanlah suatu dalil atau teori yang paten, namun merupakan gambaran umum yang sering terjadi. Hal yang paling utama dalam pencapaian hubungan pasutri yang harmonis adalah perasaan kasih dan sayang, yang diimbangi dengan pengertian, keterbukaan dan kedewasaan.

Sumber : Kapanlagi.com

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Hypnotherapy

Hypnotherapy adalah terapi yang dilakukan pada subjek dalam hypnosis.

Kata "hypnosis" adalah kependekan dari istilah James Braid's (1843) "neuro-hypnotism", yang berarti "tidurnya sistem syaraf". Orang yang terhipnotis menunjukan karakteristik tertentu yang berbeda dengan yang tidak, yang paling jelas adalah mudah disugesti. Hypnotherapy sering digunakan untuk memodifikasi perilaku subjek, isi perasaan, sikap, juga keadaan seperti kebiasaan disfungsional, kecemasan, sakit sehubungan stress, manajemen rasa sakit, dan perkembangan pribadi.

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Diet, Exercise Thwart Diabetes: Study

Diet and exercise can keep diabetes at bay for a decade, cutting the risk for the disease by more than a third in the most susceptible people, a new study finds.

About 11 percent of U.S. adults (24 million) have diabetes, mostly type 2, which is linked to poor diet and sedentary lifestyle. In addition, 57 million overweight adults have higher-than-normal blood sugar levels, which raise the risk of a heart attack or stroke and the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes, researchers say.

But new research, published in the Oct. 29 online edition of The Lancet, shows that losing weight and exercising can delay or prevent the onset of diabetes more effectively than the prescription drug metformin or a placebo.

Interventions that result in weight loss lower the risk of diabetes, and that lower risk appears to persist for a long period of time," said study author Dr. William C. Knowler of the U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

For people who are at high risk of getting diabetes, losing weight "is clearly to be recommended," he said. In addition, using a drug like metformin may also benefit people unable to lose weight through exercise and diet alone, he said.

For the diabetes prevention study, 3,234 overweight or obese adults with elevated blood sugar levels were randomly assigned to either lifestyle changes or metformin to control their blood sugar, or a placebo.

After 10 years, 2,766 remained in the trial, and those taking metformin saw an 18 percent reduction in their rate of developing diabetes, compared with those on placebo.

But those who had made lifestyle changes -- reducing caloric and fat intake and exercising at least 150 minutes a week -- reduced their risk of getting diabetes by 34 percent compared with those on placebo, the researchers found.

In the first year of the trial, people in the lifestyle group lost an average of 15 pounds, regaining all but about five pounds over 10 years. People on metformin maintained a five-pound weight loss, and those on placebo lost less than two pounds over 10 years, the researchers note.

Over 10 years, after all the participants made lifestyle changes, the yearly diabetes incidence rates for the drug and placebo groups had dropped to about 5 to 6 percent, the same rate as the lifestyle group.

Lifestyle intervention, even when provided later, also seemed to lower diabetes incidence rate," Knowler said.

But losing weight is difficult, and simply telling someone to slim down won't work, he acknowledges.

To make things like this happen on a large scale, we have to do more than simply tell people to lose weight," he said. People need access to weight loss clinics that can teach them about diet and exercise, he added.

Dr. Anoop Misra, director of the department of diabetes and metabolic diseases at Fortis Hospitals in India, and author of an accompanying journal editorial, said that "prevention of diabetes is important to curb epidemic of diabetes globally. Diet and exercise remain the most important modalities to prevent diabetes, and any drugs are less important.

At-risk groups of diabetes need to be identified, especially certain ethnic groups, and taught proper lifestyle management strategies, Misra said. "Young adults with family history of diabetes should be carefully managed along the same lines," he said.

Diabetes prevention makes economic sense as well, by decreasing costly, lifelong expenditures on management of the disease and its complications, Misra said.

All nations, particularly developing countries, seeing a rapid rise in diabetes should devise or strengthen a national diabetes-control program to help curb the epidemic, he said.

In particular, regulations should apply for advertisement and sale of energy-dense junk food to children, and regular physical activity should be encouraged starting at a young age. Spreading awareness about proper lifestyle and adverse consequences of obesity and diabetes should be at the top of health agenda of all nations," Misra said.

Regarding the study findings, other experts are optimistic. Dr. Ronald Goldberg, a professor of medicine at the Diabetes Research Institute of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, whose institution participated in the study, said that "seeing quite significant effects lasting this long really bodes well for the utility of these interventions for diabetes prevention.

Cutting calories and increasing physical activity clearly slow the progression to diabetes, Goldberg said. "Lifestyle works, and every effort needs to be made to begin and maintain a lifestyle program in the long-term.

For more information on diabetes, visit the U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

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Gen Berkaitan Dengan Penyakit Paru-Paru Mematikan Diidentifikasi

Beberapa peneliti dari University of Texas telah menetapkan mutasi gen yang dikenal karena perannya dalam mempertahankan paru-paru terhadap serbuan patogen justru bertanggung jawab atas beberapa kasus warisan penyakit paru-paru mematikan yang mempengaruhi orang yang berusia lanjut.

Suatu mutasi mungkin juga berhubungan dengan kanker paru-paru, kata para peneliti tersebut di dalam American Journal of Human Genetics, terbitan Januari 2009.

Itu adalah gen ketiga yang telah dihubungkan dengan idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, atau IPF. Di Amerika Serikat, sebanyak 200.000 pasien terserang IPF, dan sebanyak 40.000 pasien meninggal akibat penyakit itu setiap tahun, kata Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation.

IPF, yang juga dikenal sebagai cryptogenic fibrosing alveolitis, adalah penyakit paru-paru interstitial progresif yang kronis dengan sebab yang tak diketahui.

IPF juga adalah salah satu dari dua penyakit paru-paru interstitial, yang lain adalah sarcoidosis.

Penyakit itu secara khusus menyerang orang yang berusia 50-an tahun dan lebih tua lagi, dan mengakibatkan luka parah di paru-paru. Kematian biasanya terjadi dalam waktu tiga tahun setelah pasien didiagnosis menderita penyakit tersebut.

Kita tidak mempunyai obat untuk mengobati penyakit ini," kata Christine Garcia, penulis senior studi itu.

Jika seorang pasien lebih muda dari 65 tahun, pencangkokan paru-paru adalah satu pilihan, tapi kebanyakan orang yang terserang IPF berusia lebih tua dari itu," katanya.

Sasaran akhir penelitian ini , kata Garcia, ialah menemukan atau mengembangkan obat yang dapat menghambat kemajuan kondisi paru-paru.

Sebanyak satu dari 50 pasien IPF memiliki satu bentuk warisan penyakit itu.

Kami telah berusaha mengidentifikasi semua gen dan varian genetika yang mendasari bentuk umum penyakit ini," kata Garcia.
"Sekarang, kami mengetahui bahwa ada banyak gen yang terlibat," katanya .

Pada 2007, tim penelitian Garcia mendapati bahwa mutasi gen TERC atau TERT dapat mengakibatkan IPF. Dalam studi saat ini, mereka memusatkan perhatian pada keluarga yang tak memiliki mutasi TERC atau TERT.

Dengan memeriksa seluruh gen manusia, mereka menuju ke mutasi dalam satu gen yang disebut SETPA2. Protein yang dihasilkan oleh gen itu, surfactant protein A2, ditemukan di dalam cairan paru-paru dan membantu melindungi organ tersebut dan patogen yang menyerang.

Banyak orang di dalam banyak keluarga yang membawa mutasi itu tak hanya memiliki IPF tapi juga kanker paru-paru. Sudah diketahui banyak pihak bahwa orang yang memiliki IPF juga menghadapi resiko lebih besar untuk terserang kanker paru-paru, dan Garcia menduga bahwa mutasi pada gen SETPA2 berkaitan dengan IPF dan kanker paru-paru.

Sumber : KapanLagi.com

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Negara Maju Kembali ke Obat-obatan Alami

Negara maju mulai menyukai pengobatan tradisional menggunakan bahan tumbuh-tumbuhan untuk menghindari efek samping obat. Demikian diungkapkan Ketua Program Studi Kesehatan Ayurweda pada Fakultas Ilmu Agama Universitas Hindu (UNHI), Denpasar, Bali, I Gusti Ngurah Nala.

"Kecenderungan itu telah terjadi dalam beberapa tahun terakhir yang sebelumnya mengunakan obat-obat sintetik," kata Ngurah Nala, Ahad (11/10), seperti dilansir ANTARA.

Ia mengatakan, kecenderungan penggunaan obat-obat tradisional atau "gelombang hijau baru" (new green wave) ini membawa peluang sekaligus tantangan kembali ke alam. Kondisi itu dipicu adanya efek samping dari obat-obatan sintetik dan antibiotika, serta perkembangan pendapat umum baik di negara Barat maupun Timur, bahwa pemanfaatan bahan alami lebih aman dibandingkan bahan kimia.

Guru besar Fakultas Kedokteran Universitas Udayana itu menilai, meningkatnya kekhawatiran masyarakat dunia terhadap dampak negatif obat-obatan sintetik membuat dunia mencanangkan gerakan kembali ke alam (back to nature) dengan memanfaatkan bahan ramuan alami yang terdapat di sekitar lingkungan mukim.

Kondisi ini membuat ilmuwan dituntut untuk mampu mengembangkan pengobatan tradisional yang lahir dari bakat kearifan para leluhur. Indonesia diharapkan bisa memanfaatkan momentum itu untuk mengintensifkan usaha pengobatan tradisional.

Sedikitnya ada 130 jenis tumbuh-tumbuhan yang mengandung khasiat obat-obatan untuk menyembuhkan berbagai jenis penyakit pada umat manusia. "Nama jenis tumbuh-tumbuhan dan khasiat penyakit yang mampu disembuhkan dimuat secara terinci dalam lontar Tarupramana," kata Ngurah Nala.

Sumber Liputan6.com, Denpasar

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Hormone Therapy

By: Ruchi Mathur, MD

What is menopause?

Menopause is the stage in a woman's life when menstruation stops and she can no longer bear children. During menopause, the body produces less of the female hormones, estrogen and progesterone. After menopause, the lower hormone levels cause the monthly menstrual periods to stop and gradually eliminate the possibility of becoming pregnant.
These fluctuations in hormone levels can also cause troublesome symptoms, such as hot flashes (a sudden sensation of warmth, sometimes associated with flushing, and often followed by sweating) and sleep disturbance. Sometimes women experience other symptoms, such as vaginal dryness.

While many women encounter little or no trouble during menopause, others endure moderate to severe discomfort.

Does menopause cause bone loss?

The lower estrogen levels of menopause can lead to progressive bone loss that is especially rapid in the first five years after menopause. Some bone loss in both men and women is normal as people age. Lack of estrogen after menopause adds another strain on the bones in addition to the usual age-related bone loss. When bone loss is severe, a condition called osteoporosis weakens bones and renders them susceptible to breaking. For more, please read the osteoporosis article.

What are estrogen therapy and hormone therapy (HT)?

Estrogen, in pill, patch, or gel form, is the single most effective therapy for suppressing hot flashes.

The term estrogen therapy, or ET, refers to estrogen administered alone. Because ET alone can cause uterine cancer (endometrial cancer) (see below), a progestin is administered together with estrogen in women who have a uterus to eliminate the increased risk. Thus, the term estrogen/progestin therapy, or EPT, refers to a combination of estrogen and progestin therapy, as is given to a woman who still has a uterus. This method of prescribing hormones is also known as combination hormone therapy.

The term hormone therapy (HT) is a more general term that is used to refer to either administration of estrogen alone (women who have had a hysterectomy), or combined estrogen/progestin therapy (women with a uterus).

All forms of hormone therapy (HT) that are FDA-approved for therapy of hot flashes are similarly effective in suppressing hot flashes.

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