…ng the stories that matter most in many peoples’ lives. Data, please? The story quoted a Mayo physician: “As prostate cancer cells multiply, they absorb a lot of choline. Lowe said that makes the compound a good biomarker for detecting tumors. “If a cancer is growing and producing more cells, then the hypothesis is that it’s going to need more choline than other tissues around it,” he said. Are biomarkers foolproof…
…gainst that critical first event. The skin contains 11 per cent of the body’s cholesterol, by weight. The ability to now conveniently measure a person’s skin cholesterol level with the PreVu POC Test introduces a valuable new biomarker for risk of CAD. When followed by the formal evaluation of traditional risk factors (for patients deemed to be at increased risk due to their skin cholesterol levels) such as a family history of cardiovascular dis…
… regular part of the diagnostic workup. A recent online story in the Wall Street Journal provided a good overview of the development process. It also noted the difficulties in the development of technologies that can identify biomarkers of disease using the patient’s breath rather than their blood stream. But the opening sentence caught my eye, “It’s the ultimate noninvasive medical test: A growing number of health problems can be diagnosed…
…ic health and nutrition are based on observational studies, as are those about the environment, climate change and psychology.” The article addresses the “hot area of medical research” – the search for biomarkers. “The presence or absence of the biomarkers in a patient’s blood, some theorized, could indicate a higher or lower risk for heart disease—the biggest killer in the Western world. Yet these biomarkers &…
…after the supplement’s publication in 2009, 2010 and 2011. In fact, in that same problematic 2011 issue with the controversial article on fibrates, McCullough also coauthored an article about galectin-3, a diagnostic biomarker for which Alere (previously known as Inverness Medical ) is currently developing a commercial test. The paper also mentions assays that Alere is currently marketing for natriurietic peptides and says they “greatly …
…n is by looking at who holds the patent on the CRP test and who benefits from its use. Goozner wrote several years ago: “What if I told you Dr. Paul Ridker of Harvard owns the patent to using C-reactive protein as a biomarker of heart disease and it’s licensed to companies making the test. And what if I told you his research has been funded by drug companies that make statins, which lower cholesterol and may be used to combat high…
…e should have during their yearly physical. For men, the following tests are recommended by many physicians:” Included in the list were: “High-sensitive C-reactive protein – High levels of this inflammatory biomarker are predictive for future heart problems.” - But the US Preventive Services Task Force, by comparison, states that “the evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of using hig…
…ted to cancers that might never have caused harm. Our study found that aggressive local therapy was provided to most patients diagnosed as having prostate cancer. These results underscore the fact that PSA level, the current biomarker, is not a sufficient basis for treatment decisions. Without the ability to distinguish indolent from aggressive cancers, lowering the biopsy threshold might increase the risk of overdiagnosis and overtreatment. Her…
There are multiple ways to search our reviews. You may search by keyword, news source or review rating.
We will not display your name or e-mail address on the site, nor will we share youre-mail address with any third parties.
For site updates and news from Gary, find us on Twitter:
HealthNewsReview: @HealthNewsRevu
Gary Schwitzer: @garyschwitzer
Copyright © 2013 Health News Review
