Magnetic By Design

Tattoos and MRIs:
Word Count: 306 – Read Time: 1.5 minutes

Over the past few years, there have been rumors of horrible experiences for tattoo baring recipients of MRIs. Most often, MRIs are perfectly safe for individuals with tattoos. In 2002, a study performed by Drs.Tope and Shellock of 135 patients with tattoos underwent MRI testing. Two of these patients had minor complications of tingling and/or slight burning sensations.

An MRI is a diagnostic test that uses a magnetic field and radio waves to create images of your body. Tattoo inks, specifically black or brown may contain iron oxide, which can potentially conduct low-grade heat in a magnetic field of an MRI. The heat occurs with very dark, thick, circular designed tattoos. The arc of the circle creates the induction loop of heat.

If your doctor recommends an MRI, do tell about your tattoos to both the doctor and the technician before performing the procedure. Likely, the benefits of the MRI will outweigh the risk of problems associated with your tattoos. Applying cool compresses or ice packs over the tattoo for the duration of the MRI may also help should you feel any sensitivity. Additionally, a lower magnetic field MRI machine might be considered for those heavily tattooed. Chances are you have experienced sunburn at the beach more uncomfortable then any sensation the MRI gives you do to your ink.

Modern tattoos contain less metal residue than older (25 years or more) tattoos, homemade or prison tattoos. If you’re going to get a tattoo, first, go to a professional and second, ask the artist if there is iron oxide in the ink he or she is using. Today, many colors of ink contain no metal residue at all.

Information Resources:
Mayo Clinic
Drs.Tope and Shellock
Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Purity Medical Products
Snopes Message Boards

Second Chance

Medical Waste Disposal

Word Count: 447 – Read Time: 2.2 minutes 

Ever wonder what happens to all those medical drugs that haven’t been used? A patient dies or his/her requirements change along with the prescription or what about the drugs that expired on the shelves of the pharmacy or pharmaceutical distributor. Then there are the home healthcare drugs. What happens to those drugs and how are they destroyed? Annual global sales of all pharmaceutical product including controlled substances, dangerous drugs and over-the-counter drugs equal $300 billion.

Many state laws forbid re-distribution of any drugs once a patient has taken them home. These medications are generally flushed away when no longer in use. Returned pills are supposed to be destroyed, primarily for safety and liability reasons. Drug makers pay reverse distributors to collect and incinerate returned and expired drugs. For drug wholesaler, pharmacies and physicians, reverse distributors are utilized in returning pharmaceutical products. The returnee is sometimes credited for the returned items which helps defray cost. The Drug Enforcement Agency also publishes an authorized reverse distributor list to handle controlled substance for disposal.

There are federal and state regulations that govern pharmaceutical waste disposal. For some states such as California, each county is allowed to have additional codes to regulate the waste disposal. Hazardous medical waste disposal can cost up to 15 times more then general waste disposal depending where the facility is located. Distributors, pharmacy administrators and doctors are all aware that millions of doses of perfectly good medications are thrown away every year.

In the United States, we take great pride in recycling human hearts, corneas, livers and kidneys, but we haven’t come up with a way to reuse suitable prescription drugs to help so many people. There is an alternative however. It is illegal to transfer medications between patients in the U.S. but these medicines can be exported to patients abroad. Last year, Aid for AIDS (AFA) shipped over 3 million dollars worth of HIV drugs from New York to Latin America, Africa and the rest of the developing world. The goal of the recycling medicine project is to gather unused medications that have been paid for and deliver them to people overseas who need them and cannot afford them.

Some may oppose the idea of reusing prescription drugs because they fear abuse in the system. In fact, before anyone embarks in such a program, local and federal regulations must be reviewed. From a humanitarian position, there’s got to be some way to get these medications back into the system for people who need them. Environmentally, it is one less thing our waste treatment plants have to deal with.

Information Resources:
Hoover’s Online
Returns Industry Association
Oklahoma State University
Wall Street Journal
Purity Medical Products

Nano Surgery

Nanotechnology Research

Word Count: 448 – Read Time: 2.2 minutes

In May 2003, The House of Representatives allocated $2.36 billion by majority vote over three years to funding research in nanotechnology. Nanotechnology research is the science of manipulating or arranging individual atoms which create new materials or products. We see atom manipulation when farmers turn large regions of the desert floor into thriving orange groves. Or steel which becomes liquid before forming a cross beam in a skyscraper, but these processes are on a large scale and the methods are crude at the molecular level. Technology is becoming smaller, faster and thinking for itself.

Nanotech firms have already introduced wrinkle & stain-resistant fabrics; or food packaging that keeps produce and meat fresh longer. But now the medical nanotechnology research funding is available to build microscopic computers that can fight cancer in a specific area of the human body or preventing gum disease and tooth decay.

In 1959, Richard Feynman was the first scientist to suggest that materials could someday be fabricated to atomic specifications. This was actually 4 years earlier then the commercial invention of the first 36-bit computer developed by Digital Equipment Corporation in about 1963. Who knew that this marriage of technology would hold such great prospects for the future of medicine?

In the near future, mini computers with surgical precision will be capable of travel through the body, functioning as mobile pharmacies, dispensing doses of drugs to damaged cells. DNA repair machines will repair or replace damaged or miscoded sections of chromosomes. Other nano technology robots will be capable of purging accumulated debris and restore cells to their youthful vitality. Nanorobots will make it possible to re-engineer the human body, including improvements to the existing natural biological systems along with additional systems and capabilities not found in nature.

So, how big are these things anyway and how do they work? Three microns is about the maximum size for blood borne nanorobots due to the capillary passage requirements. This is approximately the width of one human hair. It may become possible to inject a fleet of nanorobots into the system at which point they could be capable of self replication or positioned for assisted assembly. Together physician and robot would work at the given task of clean up or repairing cells and tissue. Additionally, products such as tooth paste, deodorant, and shampoo will be implanted with nanorobots to assist in daily clean-up tasks such as removing plaque from teeth or oil from hair.

Finally, no actual working nanorobots have yet been built. Some say it’s the work of dreamers, but then they said that before going to the moon too. Many Nano technology products designs have been proposed, but these preliminary designs which could change significantly after research, development and testing has been completed.

Information Resources:
Purity Medical Products  

Forbes
Foresight Institute
New York University
Science Daily

Growing America

Obesity Statistics

Word Count: 633 – Read Time: 3.2 minutes

Obesity in America rose 6 percent nationally between 1998 and 1999, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This increase affected demographic groups nationwide including all ages, races, ethnic groups, both genders and urban or rural populations.

In 1999, The Surgeon General’s office determines that 61% of all American adults are overweight or obese accounting for 300,000 deaths annually in the U.S. Visually, it would be equal to taking the total population of Salem, Oregon and doubling the count, then wiping it off the map entirely.

In the 2001 report, The Surgeon General’s office identified overweight and obesity as a public health risk, costing the general public as much as $117 billion a year and posing as great a danger as poverty, smoking, or drinking.

The estimated $117 billion public cost of overweight and obesity statistics is composed of $61 billion in direct costs; this includes medical expenditures for preventative, diagnostic, and treatment services. The additional $56 billion is associated with indirect costs; including lost wages, disability, and or premature death. However none of these cost estimates include the price of pain and suffering associated with this disorder.

While current costs of morbid obesity are disturbing, future costs raise a fire alarm. It is projected that the cause of weight related deaths will increase and account for more than tobacco related death as the latter continues to decrease. Obesity in children today can start as early as infancy. Nearly 11 percent of all preschoolers were considered obese in 2000. Researchers who study cause of obesity in both children and adults agree that it is a combination of genetic, environmental and safety factors.

In general, America is living on the fast track. Families are too rushed to practice healthy eating habits. Instead Americans are optioning out for fast food and prepared meals all of which can be higher in sodium, processed sugars, fat and preservatives. Couple this with a lack of exercise, a cocooning lifestyle and complete bombardment of food promotions with gimmicks and its just spells out trouble.

Annually American children see 10,000 advertisements for food items with 95% of those belonging in the junk food category: candy, soft drinks, fast food, and sugared cereals. This leads a path straight to a generation that can not distinguish the difference between proper nutrition and what should be considered an occasional treat food. It also increases the chance of diabetes, blindness, kidney failure, heart disease, disability, and ultimately death.

More than 300 million people worldwide are at risk of developing diabetes. Currently, the estimated annual healthcare costs of diabetes worldwide for people aged 20 to 79 is approximately $153 billion. The Diabetes Atlas Report predicts the number of people with diabetes will rise to 333 million by 2025 from 194 million. Type 2 diabetes accounts for up to 6% of total healthcare expenditure in eight European countries. Diabetes is now one of the most common non-communicable diseases globally.

Complete lifestyles change will have to be made to compensate for the rising costs of healthcare. Direct costs for medical services indicate a redirection of economic activity while giving consumers less disposable income.

In the United States alone there are more than 16 million Americans who have diabetes. This is 1 in every 18 persons. In the last 10 years increases were reported among all adults. A 70% increase has been seen in people aged 30 to 39. Each year 65,000 people diagnosed with diabetes.

November 14 is designated World Diabetes Day as it is the birthday of Frederick Banting, who along with Charles Best, first conceived the idea which led to the discovery of insulin in October 1921.

 Information Resources:

Purity Medical Products
Diabetes Atlas Report
International Diabetes Federation
Nurse Week
Associated Press
Thomas Brinkhoff: City Population
US Department of Agriculture

Genetaceuticals

Genetic Medicine

Word Count: 576 – Read Time: 2.8 minutes

According to Battelle, the technology experts, genetaceuticals will be among the top ten innovative products of the decade. So what are Genetaceuticals and how do they work?

Genetaceuticals is an assortment of pharmaceutical products that have originated from genetic research. All diseases have genetic components, whether inherited or resulting from the body’s response to the environment. Human genetic research will allow detection and prevent many diseases before they occur. The genetaceuticals or genetic-based medical treatments will cure or ease the effects of various diseases including Alzheimer’s, Cancer, Osteoporosis, MS, Cystic Fibrosis, and Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Therapy may range from treatments for life-threatening diseases and psychological disorders to anti-aging issues such as baldness. Some of these genetic medicine treatments will be custom-made to meet the requirements of an individual’s genetic makeup. Others will be widely used to correct environmental encroachments, viruses, and toxins that may have affected certain populations or regions.

For the physician, the care for each patient is tailor-made. A genetic map of each patient in his/her care will provide a blueprint of instruction on what is needed to keep the patient healthy. This map will allow the physician to prescribe medications, diets, or other treatments to fit the needs of the individual. Moreover, physicians will be capable of alerting couples starting a family how to avoid hereditary diseases and malfunctions in their offspring. The physician can use normal genes to replace or supplement defective ones and/or bolster the immune system by adding a gene that suppresses tumor growth.

Today, an increasing number of gene tests are becoming available, but there are numerous debates on what implications they may have in the marketplace. Are humans prepared to know what their genetic history is before they live it? Additionally, because this information is shared, basically kept in a national database, can these maps endanger employment, health insurance and or social status?

The objective of medical science has always been to develop ways to treat or possibly prevent thousands of disease. But many challenges still exist, and new issues continue to occur. The traditional trial-and-error method of drug design itself is being reviewed. Researchers are developing new classes of drugs based on gene sequencing and protein structure. These drugs will target specific disease-causing molecules without attacking healthy cells or simply allow insulin to be inhaled rather than administered by a needle.

By the year 2025, Genetaceuticals will become routine. For now though, the field of genetic mapping is still far from an exact science. There are approximately 30,000 genes in human DNA that need to be identified. Add to that, 3 billion chemical-base pairs which make up human DNA that need to be sequenced. It’s a huge project of molecular size.

Some doctors are warning patients against taking steps toward gene-testing, until more is known about the benefits. The biotechnology industry finds itself on the front lines of some of the great challenges of our time and the greatest rewards. The sale of DNA-based products and technologies is projected to exceed $45 billion by 2009.

UPDATE: 2009-07-24
The UK’s, Department of Health yesterday unveiled a plan to revolutionize healthcare with the aid of gene therapy. It has pledged £50 million ($83 million) over the next 3 years to increase genetic testing technology, to support human gene therapy research, and to bring genetics-based healthcare into the primary care sector.

 

Information Resources:

Purity Medical Products
Battelle Technologies
Human Genome Project
PhRMA Genomics Project
The Scientist
US Newswire
World Future Society

DNA Signatures

Counterfeit Drugs

Word Count: 495 – Read Time: 2.4 minutes

In 1996, the most recent year for which figures have been compiled, losses to U.S. businesses from counterfeiting were estimated at $200 billion, compared with only about $5.5 billion in 1982.

Counterfeiting remains a huge problem in many industries such as those of collectibles and memorabilia. However in the medical field the affects of counterfeit products can be devastating as well as life threatening.

Counterfeit prescription drugs looks like the real thing but is made with cheaper and sometimes hazardous ingredients. Now, there’s mounting evidence that counterfeit drugs have permeated the United States. Counterfeit drugs have long been common in parts of the world. One study found a third of malaria pills sampled in parts of Asia contained no trace of real medication. There’s limited data on how often counterfeits sells in the USA, where pharmaceutical regulation is the world’s strictest. Since 1996, the FDA has investigated 71 counterfeit drug cases, resulting in 43 arrests. Just recently 130,000 bottles containing fake Lipitor, the top-selling cholesterol medicine, were pulled from the marketplace. Many ideas have been approached on how to protect the public from counterfeit medicine, however one idea is a little more unusual then the rest; DNA signatures.

This technology combines DNA gene segments – the genetic material that defines humans and every living organism – and an invisible DNA-laced ink that may then be applied as either a visible or hidden security marker on any solid surface.

The marker is virtually impossible to decode, since the human genome is comprised of roughly three billion base pairs of DNA strands. Its components can be shifted and recombined in a variety of ways to meet your specific companies tracking requirements. Plus the DNA-laced ink is highly resistant to reverse engineering and can be used in conjunction with existing labels as a smart tag.

So this all sounds great, but has it been put to the test? Yes, at the Sydney Olympics, DNA inks were applied to nearly 50 million items at a cost of about five cents each. Prior to each year’s Super Bowl game, the invisible DNA-laced ink is applied to each football. As each ball leaves the field, the DNA scanner verifies its authenticity. Although many times invisible to the naked eye, the DNA mark becomes fluorescent green when illuminated with the special scanner. Now, even bottles of premium wine are being given genetic “fingerprints” in an attempt to foil counterfeiters.

But can sophisticated counterfeiters break the code? A counterfeiter would need to know what living organism was used for coding and figure out which length that organism was used when the DNA was extracted. The counterfeiter would then need to reverse-engineer the inks and guess where the inks were placed on the container the medicine was placed in. This would be a costly undertaking and years to break the actual decoding.

Information Resources:

Purity Medical Products
CBS News
Food & Drug Administration
The Seattle Times
International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition

Anti Bionic

Antibiotic Resistance

Word Count: 494 – Read Time: 2.4 minutes

There is increasing concern that certain bacteria and viruses have become resistant to antibiotics. A major cause of this resistance is believed to be inappropriate use of drugs in preventing or treating infection. Germs constantly change, adapt, or mutate to their environment. They also have the ability to take on the characteristics of other germs. When antibiotic medications are used inappropriately, the meek bacteria are killed, while the defiant ones survive, divide, and multiply. Bacteria are everywhere and in everything. On occasion we have even used bacteria to our advantage. Without bacteria we couldn’t process our favorite cheese.

Until the 1940s, people with infections such as tuberculosis, pneumonia, and sexually transmitted diseases often died because no effective treatments were available. However with the discovery of antibiotic drugs, our ability to fight diseases improved significantly. The problem: Bacteria that has mutated can resist the drugs. This means the bacteria which causes the infection is less effective a second time around. Hence, thousands of people die as a result of drug resistant infections. The cost of treating resistant infections may now reach $30 billion annually. Over 70% of the bacteria that cause hospital-acquired infections are resistant to the drugs used to fight them. Penicillin is ineffective against one-third of all Streptococcus Pneumoniae bacteria, a common cause of pneumonia, meningitis, and ear infections.

The past 35 years only one new class of bacteria-fighting drug has come to market. Currently two new classes of antibiotics are awaiting FDA approval. But these drugs are not going to solve the growing problem of antibiotic resistance because neither fights as many types of antibiotic resistance bacteria then those available to doctors now.

So why not just invent something new? Pharmaceutical companies like any other company only have so many research dollars available. Large pharmaceutical companies are going to take the path with most potential. This leaves smaller companies with fewer resources to take control over the research. Additionally there are many obstacles in getting FDA approval for antibacterial production. The rules for submitting products for market are changing along with the agencies involved in the process. Plus, huge investments of capitol must be available before any registration or approval processes can begin. Is it all worth it? In 2002, Cipro, Zithromax, and Biaxin earned approximately $4.3 billion in sales and all 3 are considered having a 30% resistant rate to the Streptococcus Pneumoniae bug.

In the meantime, we can all help by avoiding the antibacterial products for common chores such as dish detergents and hand soap for everyday use. Be aware that antibiotics are not effective for 90% of colds and flu viruses. Do not flush out-of-date medication down the toilet, the sink, or put it in the garbage. The active ingredients will end up in the water table which can increase our resistance.

Information Resources:
Purity Medical Products

Canadian Antibiotic Resistance Committee
Centers for Disease Control
Forbes Magazine
Global Regulatory Affairs
JP Morgan Chase
University of Pennsylvania

Shared Syringes

Intravenous Drug Use

Word Count: 456 – Read Time: 2.3 minutes

For years researchers believed that sharing syringes among intravenous drug users was by choice. It was all part of the camaraderie, being part of the gang, or a social ritual. Today however, intravenous drug use (IDU) has climbed out of the back alleys and into the middle class neighborhoods, schools, social clubs, and gymnasiums. Shared syringes aren’t a result of solidarity but one of scarcity. It is now believed that one syringe is used by 4 different individuals a total of 7 times. Additionally it is the primary cause for transmission of HIV and the hepatitis viruses.

In the United States half of all new HIV cases are believed to be associated to intravenous drug use (IDU). Of these cases, 50% are heterosexual male, 21% are heterosexual female, 13% are homosexual males, another 13% are partners of the intravenous drug user, and less than 1% are children of mothers who are users or who are sex partners of IDUs.

The sharing and reuse of syringes has become a significant threat to public health in the United States. Over 3 billion injection syringes are used each year outside healthcare facilities. IDU’s perform as many as 1 billion injections of illicit drugs annually. These disposable syringes are deposited of in the general waste stream with the prospect of injuring workers in trash disposal, recycling and related activities.

A new trend in needle policy is on the horizon and began to come together around 2000; deregulation. Deregulation brings the argument between disease prevention and restricted access to the tools of illegal drug use to a head and legislators are now facing this conflict. Of 50 states 46 have applied some approach toward deregulation. The most common are: 1. Lifting restrictions on possession but confining sales to pharmacies. 2. Unrestricted sale and possession of a specified number of syringes. 3. Complete deregulation, lifting all significant restrictions on sale and possession of syringes.

To make the new syringe access policy fully effective, much work is still required for the safe disposal of these syringes. While it may be legal for the IDU to purchase a syringe, the IDU is still subject to prosecution for possession once the syringe has been used and trace residue is found in the barrel. The only way an IDU can dispose of the syringe without fear is immediately, still bypassing traditional methods of medical waste disposal. Additionally, many law enforcement agencies and IDU’s are not aware of the new legislation or understand the changes in syringe access laws. Properly educating these groups is imperative for any legislation to work.

Information Resources;
Purity Medical Products

American Bar Association
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Drug Policy Alliance
Temple University, Beasley School of Law