SUMC in the News (12/01/08)
Press releases
Cell movements totally modular, Stanford study shows
A Stanford study describing how cells within blood vessel walls move en masse overturns an assumption common in the age of genomics.
Stanford/Packard study shows no benefit from drug widely used to prevent premature births
New research shows that nifedipine, a drug often used to prevent premature birth, drug works no better than a placebo at maintaining pregnancy after the initial bout of preterm labor is halted.
Podcast
During this "1-2-1" interview, Abraham Verghese discusses bedside medicine and the need to re-humanize the medical profession. Verghese is senior associate chair and professor of the theory and practice of medicine in the Department of Medicine. 1-2-1 is a podcast on health-care policy and biomedical research; Paul Costello, the school's executive director of communications, is host.
Print media coverage
New York Times, 11/28/08
The minimal impact of a big blood pressure study
A major clinical trial showed in 2002 that diuretics for high blood pressure worked better than newer drugs that were up to 20 times as expensive; despite the findings, the use of these inexpensive pills is still relatively small. This article discusses the after-effects of the study, which show how hard it is to change medical practice, and quotes Randall Stafford, associate professor of medicine at the Stanford Prevention Research Center.
Milwaukee Business Journal, 11/28/08
Study: More MRIs, CT scans don't necessarily improve health
A recent Stanford study outlined the rising use of sophisticated scanning technology and questions whether MRI and CT scans are always worth the cost. Laurence Baker, professor of health research and policy and lead author, provides comment in this article.
Palo Alto Weekly, 11/28/08
Health notes/Sleep tight
Rachel Manber, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, will deliver a lecture on the biological and psychological factors of sleep Thurs. night at the Arrillaga Alumni Center. The talk is being sponsored by Women's Health @ Stanford.
Health notes/Promise and reality
Beverly Mitchell, the George E. Becker Professor in Medicine and deputy director of the Stanford Comprehensive Care Center, will discuss the concept of "personalized" therapies for cancer Dec. 10 at the San Carlos Library. The talk is being presented by the Stanford Health Library.
New York Times, 11/27/08
Even if you can't buy it, happiness is big business
This piece discusses the science of human happiness. A conference called "Happiness and its Causes" was held in San Francisco last week and featured Robert Sapolsky, the John A. and Cynthia Fry Gunn Professor, and David Spiegel, the Jack, Samuel and Lulu Willson Professor in Medicine and director of the Stanford Center on Stress and Health; Sapolsky and Spiegel are quoted here.
San Jose Mercury News, 11/27/08
Husband gains, wife donates kidney at Stanford as part of cross-country swap
A San Jose couple became the first Bay Area patients to participate in a "kidney chain," a novel arrangement in which a cluster of surgeries are performed simultaneously on donors and recipients around the country. Marc Melcher, assistant professor of surgery, helped perform the surgeries and is quoted in this story.
HealthDay News, 11/26/08
Drug to prevent preterm labor shows little benefit
This article discusses the Stanford/Packard study on nifedipine and its effect on premature delivery with prolonged treatment. Deidre Lyell, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology and lead author, provides comment.
Internet/ New media coverage
WashingtonPost.com, 12/01/08
How to mark World AIDS day? How about getting screened
This article on World AIDS Day discusses new guidelines encouraging doctors to do HIV screening for all patients older than 13. Doug Owens, professor of medicine and an investigator at the VA-Palo Alto, provides comment.
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