FYI from the NHLBI Index
December 2000: Vol. 1, Issue 3 In the News
The Congress has not passed an FY 2001 spending bill for the National Institutes
of Health (NIH). The NIH has, therefore, been operating under a series of
congressional resolutions that provide funding on a temporary basis.
At the present time, it is unclear when an FY 2001 spending bill will be agreed
upon, passed by the Congress, and signed into law by the President.
President Clinton recently signed into law three bills of interest to the NIH.
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The Public Health Improvement Act (H.R. 2498, now P. L. 106-505) consists
largely of previously free-standing bills such as
- the Public Health Threats and Emergencies Act
- the Clinical Research Enhancement Act
- the Twenty-First Century Research Laboratories Act
- the Cardiac Arrest Survival Act, the Lupus Research Act
- the Prostate Cancer Research and Protection Act
- the Organ Procurement Organization Certification Act
- the Alzheimer's Clinical Research and Training Awards Act of 2000
as well as a new provision on sexually transmitted disease clinical research and training.
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The Children's Health Act of 2000 (H.R. 4365, now P.L. 106-310) contains
provisions on federal research into |
- asthma
- autism
- autoimmune diseases
- birth defects
- childhood malignancies
- diabetes
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- epilepsy
- Fragile X
- hearing loss in infants
- juvenile arthritis
- muscular dystrophy
- traumatic brain injuries
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It also creates a pediatric research initiative at the NIH, authorizes repayment of educational loans for qualified health professionals conducting pediatric research, and establishes protections for pediatric research subjects.
It requires that federal asthma activities be coordinated through the
Coordinating Committee of the NHLBI National Asthma Education and Prevention
Program.
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The Minority Health and Health Disparities Research Act of 2000
(S. 1880, now P. L. 106-525) establishes in law a National Center for Minority
Health and Health Disparities at the NIH to coordinate health disparities research
performed or supported by NIH. It also will establish
- a grant program through the new Center to enhance biomedical
and behavioral research training
- an endowment program to facilitate minority and other health
disparities research
- a loan repayment program to encourage members of minority or
other health disparities populations to pursue careers as biomedical
research professionals
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People with narcolepsy suffer from excessive sleepiness, vivid hallucinatory dreams,
and in extreme cases, episodes of sudden weakness (cataplexy). Narcolepsy is thought to affect as
many as 1 in 2,000 people in the United States. The disorder is devastating to those affected and
their families. Recent studies have identified a defective gene responsible for narcolepsy in dogs
and discovered a related pathway that helps to maintain wakefulness. This clue led researchers to
conduct clinical studies, which indicate that the same neural pathway is not functioning properly in
most cases of human narcolepsy. Although a cure for narcolepsy is still far off, researchers are
optimistic that these findings will lead to improved treatments for narcolepsy and other sleep disorders.
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Ebola virus is a rare but deadly microbe that kills up to 90 percent of the people whom it infects.
Although outbreaks are not common or widespread, Ebola has received much publicity because of its horrifying
symptoms, which include high fever and massive internal bleeding. To add to the mystery surrounding the
cause and cure of this deadly disease, the virus strikes sporadically, often devastating a whole community
efore disappearing into the jungle, where it hides away in an as-yet-unknown host. Recently, scientists
identified the viral gene thought to be responsible for the massive internal bleeding that leads to most of
those deaths. Based on information about the gene and the protein it produces, researchers developed a
vaccine that is being tested in animals. If the animal studies are successful, vaccine trials can be
initiated in humans.
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Hostility may be hazardous to your health in more ways than you thought. Researchers studying factors
that may place young adults at risk for developing coronary artery disease found that hostility
correlates strongly with the subsequent development of coronary calcification, a precursor to
atherosclerosis. This association persisted even when lifestyle and physiological differences
were considered, leading scientists to wonder whether hormone levels, blood pressure changes, or
other conditions are responsible for the increased susceptibility to heart disease. In addition to
providing insight as to potential causes of heart disease, the study indicates a potential preventive
strategy. Since other studies have shown that behavioral therapies can reduce hostility levels,
researchers hypothesize that interventions
to reduce hostile attitudes and behaviors may also prevent atherosclerosis.
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Inhaled corticosteroids are safe and effective for the long-term treatment of children with
mild to moderate asthma, according to the NHLBI's "Childhood Asthma Management Program (CAMP)." The 5-year
study is the longest and largest controlled study of treatments for childhood asthma. It showed that
inhaled corticosteroids provide superior asthma control. Their only side effect was a temporary one - a
small reduction in the children's rate of growth observed just in the first year of treatment. NHLBI Director
Dr. Claude Lenfant said "CAMP provides scientific evidence regarding the long-term effectiveness and
safety of inhaled corticosteroids for children. Physicians, other health care professionals, and parents
should feel comfortable using them to help children
with mild to moderate asthma participate fully in childhood activities."
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