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CHANNING LABORATORY NEWS Alcohol and HRT Wendy Chen, MD, of BWH and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute showed that drinking and HRT don't necessarily mix. Her study, out in the November 19 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine, found that consuming alcohol while taking postmenopausal hormones may significantly increase the risk of breast cancer. Derived from the Nurses' Health Study, the data showed that postmenopausal women who consumed approximately 1.5 drinks daily were at a 30 percent greater risk of breast cancer than those who had little or no intake of alcohol. It was covered by MSNBC, WHDH-TV (Channel 7), WebMD, Reuters Health, and the Orlando Sentinel. Partners in Excellence Award Channing Laboratory extends its congratulations to Channing Faculty Member Deborah Yokoe, M.D. and her fellow members of the BWH ICU Bloodstream Infection Reduction Team and the Needle Safety Team on the receipt of two Partners in Excellence Awards respectively from Brigham and Women's Hospital. Conference Fosters Dialogue on Biosecurity More the 1,100 scientists, medical personnel, first responders, and regular citizens attended the BioSecurity 2002 conference held in Las Vegas on Nov. 18 to 21. Organized by HMS, Harvard Medical International, HSPH, and Key3Media Events, the sessons covered four areas: the science of biosecurity; surveillance, biodetection, and early warning systems; planning and preparedness; and consequences management. A special track on vaccines was organized by the Annenberg Center for Health Sciences. Dennis Kasper, HMS executive dean for academic programs, and Robert Crone, president and CEO of Harvard Medical International, opened the conference, while keynote speakers on the first day were Kenneth Shine, director of the Rand Center for Domestic and International Health Security and former head of the Institute of Medicine, and Ehud Barak, former prime minister of Israel. The first day was devoted to the science of biosecurity and included a presentation on the diagnosis and treatment of major bioterrorist threats by Stephen Calderwood, HMS professor of medicine (microbiology and molecular genetics) and chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital, and David Hooper, HMS associate professor of medicine and chief of the Infection Control Unit at MGH. Click Here for Complete Text of Article. Bottle Before Bed May Lead to Asthma Researchers at Brigham & Women's Hospital (BWH) have found that children with a family history of asthma or allergies may face significantly higher risk of persistent wheezing and asthma later in childhood when bottle-fedin the bed or crib before sleep time. These findings are published in the Dec. 2 issure of the Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. "For infants in a high-risk group, we found that when and how they are fed influence the onset of wheezing and asthma," said Juan Celedon of BWH. "There is a significant relationship between the number of times children are bottle-fed in the crib or bed prior to sleep time and the occurrence of wheezing during their first five years." Click Here for Complete Text of Article. Pain Relievers May Explain Some Hypertension in Women
Though pain relievers are widely available over the counter and commonplace in household medicine cabinets, the effects of long-term exposure are not well understood. In a recent study, HSPH and HMS researchers have discovered a frequency-dependent increased risk for hypertension in women, aged 31 to 50 years, who reported regular use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and acetaminophen, active ingredients in popular medications such as Advil, Motrin, and Tylenol. The findings were not significant for aspirin. "We are not saying that women should stop using pain relievers. Individuals who use these medications regularly should be encouraged to have their blood pressure checked on an annual basis," said lead author Gary Curhan, HMS associate professor of medicine at Brigham & Women's Hospital. He and colleagues reviewed questionnaires of 80,020 women from the The Nurses' Health Study II. Click Here for Complete Text of Article. Diet Guidelines Predict Disease Risk Better
The 1995 U.S. Dietary Guidelines, illustrated in the familiar USDA food guide pyramid, embody the government's advice to people who want to eat healthy, and are used to guide meal planning in schools and food assistance programs. But the guidelines have become "grossly inconsistent with scientific evidence," according to Walter Willett, chair of the Department of Nutrition at HSPH and professor of medicine at HMS. Studies show a minimal relationship between the guidelines suggested by the pyramid and chronic diseases incidence, he said. Click Here for Complete Text of Article Incidence of Hip Fractures Reduced by Walking
Researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) have found that regular physical activity, such as walking, can help reduce the risk of osteoporotic hip fracture in postmenopausal women. This is the latest finding of the landmark Nurses' Health Study and was published in the Nov. 13 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. "This study examined how the type and duration of walking, the most popular form of exercise amouung postmenopausal women, may benefit their bone health," said Diane Feskanich, Sc.D., of BWH. "Our findings are encouraging, providing further evidence that women on the move have a significantly reduced risk of hip fracture. Given the fact that almost 30 percent of American adults engage in little or not exercide, we are hopeful this research will motivate more women to walk away their risk," Feskanich added. In the United States, on in every three adults 65 years old or older falls each year, with hip fractures resulting in the greatest number of deaths and most serious health problems. Women account for 80 percent of the 300,000 hip fractures that occur annually. Click Here for Complete Text of this Article. The Strength of the BWH Research Enterprise
On Tuesday, researchers from across the hospital gathered in the Bornstein Amphitheater for the BWH Research Council Annual Report and Celebration. As in years past, an official "State of the Research Enterprise" was presented by Victor Dzau, MD, chair of the Research Council, who was introduced by BWH President Gary Gottlieb, MD, MBA. The program also included three presentations, which provided an update on "The Scientific Community and the Future of Biodefense". Service awards followed and were presented to three investigators who have conducted 25 years of research at BWH. The program was concluded with a celebratory reception in the Cabot Atrium, where researchers with five, 10, 15 and 20 years of service were also recognized. "Bioterrorism is with us everyday," said Dennis Kasper, MD, who explained the unique threats of bioterrorism and the development of a regional center to research these threats and potential responses. Before introducing the other speakers on bioterrorism, Kasper described that the New England Center for Excellence (NERCE) will be applying for one of four centers launched by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to prepare for such a disaster. Within each center, core laboratories will provide the infrastructure needed for research in the region and will serve as a resource for all laboratories in the New England states. The focus of NERCE is vaccine development and new drugs to combat bioterrorism in case of such a biological disaster. Click Here for Entire Text of Article SPH Hosts Food Fight Harvard School of Public Health (SPH) professors stood conventional dietary wisdom on its head Friday (Oct. 18) by singling out for praise that burger-slapping, french-fry-pushing, soda-sloshing American icon, McDonald's. "McDonald's deserves our applause," said SPH Nutrition Department Chairman Walter Willett, an authority on the American diet and whose book, "Eat, Drink and Be Healthy," attempts to reconstruct the U.S. Department of Agriculture's food pyramid. Willett praised the oft maligned fast-food giant for its decision last month to reformulate the frying oil for its french fries, fish fillets, chicken nuggets, hash browns, and chicken fillets to reduce the amount of trans fatty acids that make their way into the foods. Trans fatty acids have been linked to increases in cardiovascular disease and diabetes, together with saturated fats. "This a a very important kind of change in the food supply because we can have a lot of benefit without needing behavioral change," Willett said. "If you place trans fats with polyunsaturated fats, you replace something bad with something good. You win twice." Click Here for Entire Text of Article. The 50th Anniversary Program for Scholars in Medicine
Channing Laboratory is proud to salute four of our own fellows and associates receiving awards this year. Children's Hospital Faculty Career Development Fellowship, Karen M. Puopolo, M.D., Ph.D., instructor of pediatrics, Children's Hospital. Edward & Amalie Kass Fellowship at the Channing Laboratory, Collette Cywes, Ph.D., instructor in medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Channing Laboratory. Edward & Amalie Kass Fellowship at the Channing Laboratory, Anne L. Fuhlbrigge, M.D., instructor in medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Channing Laboratory. Edward & Amalie Kass Fellowship at the Channing Laboratory, Robin Ross, Ph.D., instructor in medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Channing Laboratory. September 6, 2002 Led by Julia Ying Wang, Ph.D., researchers at BWH and Harvard Medical School have for the first time associated carbohydrates present naturally in the body with rheumatoid arthritis. The study indicates that inflammatory cells that accumulate in arthritic joints attach themselves directly to glycosaminoglycans, leading to painful inflammation and swelling in the affected tissue. Wang also examined human tissue taken from arthritis patients and discovered the same type of glycosaminoglycan-binding cells in the human tissue. Wang presented her findings at the American Chemical Society's national meeting in August. Media outlets covering Wang's study included The New York Times, the Boston Herald, and New England Cable News. June 7, 2002 - Harvard Focus At the final faculty meeting of the year on May 29th, the faculty of the Harvard Medical School awarded the first ever Dean Klaus Peter Teaching Award to Channing Laboratory faculty member Dr. Timothy Brewer, Assistant Professor of Medicine at BWH. The award, presented by Robert Crone, director of Harvard Medical International, and H. Thomas Aretz, associate professor of pathology at Massachusetts General Hospital, honors contributions to international medical education and is named after the dean of Ludwig Maxmillians University in Munich, a partner institution of Harvard Medical International. May 2, 2002 - Harvard University Gazette Channing Laboratory is proud to announce the election of our co-director, Dr. Elliott D. Kieff, Harriet Ryan Albee Professor of Medicine, to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the nation's pre-eminent learned society and research institution. March 14, 2002 - Nurses' Health Study researchers led by Dr. Charles Fuchs published a study in today's issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention. The study shows that women with a family history of colorectal cancer could reduce their risk of developing the disease by taking a daily multivitamin containing at least 400 micrograms of folic acid. The women in the study were able to cut their risk nearly in half, restoring it to the level of risk in the general population: approximately 6%. March 11, 2002 - Today's Archives of Internal Medicine published the findings of Dr. Ravi Thadhani and a team of Nurses' Health Study researchers suggesting an association between alcohol consumption and risk of chronic hypertension in young women. Light drinkers demonstrated a modest decrease in risk of hypertension, while more regular heavy drinkers increased their risk.
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