In wake of pill-mill regulation fight, Beshear has chance to craft a medical licensing board more to his liking

Gov. Steve Beshear

Gov. Steve Beshear is in a position to reshape a state medical board that has played a central and controversial role in recent efforts to crack down on prescription drug abuse. Mike Wynn of The Courier-Journal  reports that the terms of three members of the Kentucky Medical Licensure Board expired Aug. 31, and two other members’ terms await action after ending last year.

The licensure board drew criticism in 2011 "for not taking more aggressive action against so-called pill mills and corrupt doctors who supply Kentucky’s drug epidemic," Wynn writes. "The medical industry also has criticized the board in recent months for writing what doctors view as overly complex and excessive prescription regulations under HB 1, a landmark bill from the 2012 General Assembly that takes aim at abuse of drugs."

Beshear spokeswoman Kerri Richardson said the appointments are under review but did not indicate how the governor might proceed other than noting that he will consider qualifications and recommendations. Current board members serve until Beshear makes any new appointments. (Read more)

Gov. Steve Beshear

Gov. Steve Beshear is in a position to reshape a state medical board that has played a central and controversial role in recent efforts to crack down on prescription drug abuse. Mike Wynn of The Courier-Journal  reports that the terms of three members of the Kentucky Medical Licensure Board expired Aug. 31, and two other members’ terms await action after ending last year.

The licensure board drew criticism in 2011 "for not taking more aggressive action against so-called pill mills and corrupt doctors who supply Kentucky’s drug epidemic," Wynn writes. "The medical industry also has criticized the board in recent months for writing what doctors view as overly complex and excessive prescription regulations under HB 1, a landmark bill from the 2012 General Assembly that takes aim at abuse of drugs."

Beshear spokeswoman Kerri Richardson said the appointments are under review but did not indicate how the governor might proceed other than noting that he will consider qualifications and recommendations. Current board members serve until Beshear makes any new appointments. (Read more)

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Investigating new drugs for feline diabetes mellitus

Final report, Winn grant W10-020
Pharmacokinetics of pioglitazone in lean and obese cats
Investigators: Levent Dirikolu, Margarethe Hoenig, Duncan Ferguson; University of Illinois
 
Diabetes mellitus and hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver disease) are common problems in feline medicine. Both diseases are associated with obesity and may be prevented by maintaining an ideal body weight. However, weight control is difficult in many cats and once these diseases develop, specific treatment is needed. Current treatment for diabetes mellitus in cats is either insulin or drug therapy with glipizide, along with dietary modification. The only treatment available for hepatic lipidosis is aggressive nutritional support, often with a feeding tube. In human medicine, new anti-diabetic drugs called thiazolidinediones such as pioglitazone improve insulin sensitivity and reverse fatty changes in the liver. The purpose of this project was to begin investigation of pioglitazone in cats so that it may be evaluated in clinical trials in the future.

The investigators’ objectives in this study were to evaluate the pharmacokinetics of this drug in lean and obese cats in an effort to provide a foundation for assessment of its effects on insulin sensitivity and lipid metabolism. Pioglitazone was administered intravenously (median dose 0.2 mg/kg) or orally (3 mg/kg) to six healthy lean cats and six obese cats. There were no statistically significant differences in pharmacokinetic parameters between lean and obese cats subsequent to either oral or intravenous administration. No adverse effects were noted with oral dosing in any of the cats. It appears that achieving therapeutic concentrations of pioglitazone, potentially at a dose of 3 mg/kg, appears feasible. [VT]

Clark MH, Hoenig M, Ferguson DC and Dirikolu L. Pharmacokinetics of pioglitazone in lean and obese cats. J Vet Pharmacol Ther. 2012.

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Final report, Winn grant W10-020
Pharmacokinetics of pioglitazone in lean and obese cats
Investigators: Levent Dirikolu, Margarethe Hoenig, Duncan Ferguson; University of Illinois
 
Diabetes mellitus and hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver disease) are common problems in feline medicine. Both diseases are associated with obesity and may be prevented by maintaining an ideal body weight. However, weight control is difficult in many cats and once these diseases develop, specific treatment is needed. Current treatment for diabetes mellitus in cats is either insulin or drug therapy with glipizide, along with dietary modification. The only treatment available for hepatic lipidosis is aggressive nutritional support, often with a feeding tube. In human medicine, new anti-diabetic drugs called thiazolidinediones such as pioglitazone improve insulin sensitivity and reverse fatty changes in the liver. The purpose of this project was to begin investigation of pioglitazone in cats so that it may be evaluated in clinical trials in the future.

The investigators’ objectives in this study were to evaluate the pharmacokinetics of this drug in lean and obese cats in an effort to provide a foundation for assessment of its effects on insulin sensitivity and lipid metabolism. Pioglitazone was administered intravenously (median dose 0.2 mg/kg) or orally (3 mg/kg) to six healthy lean cats and six obese cats. There were no statistically significant differences in pharmacokinetic parameters between lean and obese cats subsequent to either oral or intravenous administration. No adverse effects were noted with oral dosing in any of the cats. It appears that achieving therapeutic concentrations of pioglitazone, potentially at a dose of 3 mg/kg, appears feasible. [VT]

Clark MH, Hoenig M, Ferguson DC and Dirikolu L. Pharmacokinetics of pioglitazone in lean and obese cats. J Vet Pharmacol Ther. 2012.

More on cat health:
Winn Feline Foundation Library
Find us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
Join us on Google+

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Baptist Health, formerly Baptist Healthcare System Inc., acquires Richmond hospital; could become largest health group in Ky.

Pattie A. Clay Regional Medical Center

The nonprofit formerly known as Baptist Healthcare System Inc. is moving closer to becoming the largest health care organization in Kentucky, with last week's acquisition of the Pattie A. Clay Regional Medical Center in Richmond, reports Ed Green of Business First. No money changed hands, notes Green, since Baptist Healthcare assumed ownership of the nonprofit medical center.

The company also announced a system-wide rebranding effort designed to bring all of its facilities under a new brand name: Baptist Health. The goal, said Andy Sears, vice president of planning and system development for the nonprofit organization, is to broaden its reach across the state. System-wide, Baptist Health has more than 1,900 licensed acute-care beds and served 93,892 inpatients and 1.8 million outpatients in 2011.

Pattie A. Clay Regional Medical Center

The nonprofit formerly known as Baptist Healthcare System Inc. is moving closer to becoming the largest health care organization in Kentucky, with last week's acquisition of the Pattie A. Clay Regional Medical Center in Richmond, reports Ed Green of Business First. No money changed hands, notes Green, since Baptist Healthcare assumed ownership of the nonprofit medical center.

The company also announced a system-wide rebranding effort designed to bring all of its facilities under a new brand name: Baptist Health. The goal, said Andy Sears, vice president of planning and system development for the nonprofit organization, is to broaden its reach across the state. System-wide, Baptist Health has more than 1,900 licensed acute-care beds and served 93,892 inpatients and 1.8 million outpatients in 2011.

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More bad news about childhood obesity: Study finds it can change some kids' brains and damage their mental 'flexibility'

It's not news that Kentucky is lagging in child fitness. In fact, the Truth for America's Health "F as in Fat" report found that the state has the third highest childhood obesity rate in the country. This is bad news, alright, and it's about to get worse. Dr. Claire McCarthy writes in The Boston Globe that a new study in the current issue of Pediatrics and shows that obesity can hurt kids' brains.

"Researchers looked at 49 adolescents with metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome, a consequence of obesity, is the triad of insulin resistance (pre-diabetes or diabetes), high blood pressure and high blood lipids," McCarthy writes. "The researchers compared the adolescents with 62 adolescents who had the same socioeconomic background but didn't have metabolic syndrome. The kids with metabolic syndrome had more trouble with arithmetic, spelling, attention and mental 'flexibility' than the ones who didn't have metabolic syndrome. Even more frightening, the researchers saw actual changes in their brains, in the hippocampus (which plays a crucial role in memory) and the white matter (which passes messages through the brain). It was only a small study, and not all kids with obesity have metabolic syndrome. But this study is alarming -- especially since we don't know if losing weight can make the brain go back to normal."

In her column tagged "MD Mama," McCarthy goes on: "Given that brains are still developing in adolescence, it's very possible that the changes could be permanent. What else do we need before we take the problem of childhood obesity really seriously?" (Read more) To read the study in Pedatrics, go here.

It's not news that Kentucky is lagging in child fitness. In fact, the Truth for America's Health "F as in Fat" report found that the state has the third highest childhood obesity rate in the country. This is bad news, alright, and it's about to get worse. Dr. Claire McCarthy writes in The Boston Globe that a new study in the current issue of Pediatrics and shows that obesity can hurt kids' brains.

"Researchers looked at 49 adolescents with metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome, a consequence of obesity, is the triad of insulin resistance (pre-diabetes or diabetes), high blood pressure and high blood lipids," McCarthy writes. "The researchers compared the adolescents with 62 adolescents who had the same socioeconomic background but didn't have metabolic syndrome. The kids with metabolic syndrome had more trouble with arithmetic, spelling, attention and mental 'flexibility' than the ones who didn't have metabolic syndrome. Even more frightening, the researchers saw actual changes in their brains, in the hippocampus (which plays a crucial role in memory) and the white matter (which passes messages through the brain). It was only a small study, and not all kids with obesity have metabolic syndrome. But this study is alarming -- especially since we don't know if losing weight can make the brain go back to normal."

In her column tagged "MD Mama," McCarthy goes on: "Given that brains are still developing in adolescence, it's very possible that the changes could be permanent. What else do we need before we take the problem of childhood obesity really seriously?" (Read more) To read the study in Pedatrics, go here.

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17 percent of Kentuckians lack food security; beef council to help on local level with donations to food banks

More than 750,000 people in Kentucky, 17 percent of those living in the commonwealth, do not always know where they will find their next meal, according to Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap study. Among Kentucky's children, the number of those experiencing food insecurity is an astonishing 23 percent.

Here's a link to the Map the Meal Gap interactive map. To see Kentucky's hunger index by Congressional district, go here.

The Lane Report notes this has prompted state Agriculture Commissioner James Comer to declare September as Farmers and Food Banks Fighting Hunger Month in Kentucky. “Programs such as Farm to Food Banks are ones that aid Kentucky farmers by furnishing them with another outlet to sell their commodities while at the same time providing food for the hungry," said Comer.

The Farms to Food Banks program allows the Kentucky Association of Food Banks to buy surplus and second-grade produce for distribution free of charge through the food banks' network. In honor of Farmers and Food Banks Fighting Hunger Month, the Kentucky Beef Council announced the launch of  Beef Counts KY, a program that will supply nutrient-rich beef for people facing hunger in Kentucky. Farmers will have the option of donating cash or donating proceeds from the sale of beef animals to the program. Fourteen livestock markets across the state are participating and will forward proceeds from donated beef animals to the program. “Each donated animal or the cash equivalent provides roughly 1,600 servings of high-quality nutrient-rich beef protein. This is a local solution to local hunger," said Chuck Crutcher, chairman of the KBC and Hardin County beef farmer. 

More than 750,000 people in Kentucky, 17 percent of those living in the commonwealth, do not always know where they will find their next meal, according to Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap study. Among Kentucky's children, the number of those experiencing food insecurity is an astonishing 23 percent.

Here's a link to the Map the Meal Gap interactive map. To see Kentucky's hunger index by Congressional district, go here.

The Lane Report notes this has prompted state Agriculture Commissioner James Comer to declare September as Farmers and Food Banks Fighting Hunger Month in Kentucky. “Programs such as Farm to Food Banks are ones that aid Kentucky farmers by furnishing them with another outlet to sell their commodities while at the same time providing food for the hungry," said Comer.

The Farms to Food Banks program allows the Kentucky Association of Food Banks to buy surplus and second-grade produce for distribution free of charge through the food banks' network. In honor of Farmers and Food Banks Fighting Hunger Month, the Kentucky Beef Council announced the launch of  Beef Counts KY, a program that will supply nutrient-rich beef for people facing hunger in Kentucky. Farmers will have the option of donating cash or donating proceeds from the sale of beef animals to the program. Fourteen livestock markets across the state are participating and will forward proceeds from donated beef animals to the program. “Each donated animal or the cash equivalent provides roughly 1,600 servings of high-quality nutrient-rich beef protein. This is a local solution to local hunger," said Chuck Crutcher, chairman of the KBC and Hardin County beef farmer. 

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Eastern Kentucky native wants to alert Appalachian women about their high rate of cervical cancer and how to prevent it

University of Kentucky physician and Pike County native Baretta Casey, right, has spent most of her career providing health care and education throughout the state, with a focus on Appalachian Kentucky. The health disparities between Eastern Kentucky and the rest of the state, especially high rates of cancer, are of "special concern" to Casey, reports Ann Blackford of UKNow.

Cancer is prevalent in her Casey's own family, and this is why she "has taken on the challenge of helping reduce cancer rates in Kentucky, especially cervical cancer and other Human papillomavirus cancers," Blackford reports. Cervical cancer rates are highest in rural and Appalachian Kentucky. According to the Kentucky Cancer Registry from 2005 to 2009, the cervical cancer rate in the region was 9.85 per 100,000 people. The state rate was 8.6. The average of deaths per year in the region from cervical cancer was 258.

"We have the tools to change these high rates and make a real difference in people's lives," Casey said. "I feel the best thing I can do for the people of Eastern Kentucky is to educate about prevention and screening of cervical cancer." Casey became the director of the Cervical Cancer-free Kentucky Initiative at UK's College of Public Health's Rural Cancer Prevention Center in 2010. Through this position, she makes connections with county health departments, community organizations and health advocacy groups that provide education and funding for cervical cancer prevention projects.

"Casey is passionate about educating people on the importance of vaccinating their children against HPV," Blackford writes. She said she wants people to look past the controversy of vaccinating their children and realize the importance of the vaccine. "The vaccine given for the appropriate reason can save a life," Casey said. (Read more)

University of Kentucky physician and Pike County native Baretta Casey, right, has spent most of her career providing health care and education throughout the state, with a focus on Appalachian Kentucky. The health disparities between Eastern Kentucky and the rest of the state, especially high rates of cancer, are of "special concern" to Casey, reports Ann Blackford of UKNow.

Cancer is prevalent in her Casey's own family, and this is why she "has taken on the challenge of helping reduce cancer rates in Kentucky, especially cervical cancer and other Human papillomavirus cancers," Blackford reports. Cervical cancer rates are highest in rural and Appalachian Kentucky. According to the Kentucky Cancer Registry from 2005 to 2009, the cervical cancer rate in the region was 9.85 per 100,000 people. The state rate was 8.6. The average of deaths per year in the region from cervical cancer was 258.

"We have the tools to change these high rates and make a real difference in people's lives," Casey said. "I feel the best thing I can do for the people of Eastern Kentucky is to educate about prevention and screening of cervical cancer." Casey became the director of the Cervical Cancer-free Kentucky Initiative at UK's College of Public Health's Rural Cancer Prevention Center in 2010. Through this position, she makes connections with county health departments, community organizations and health advocacy groups that provide education and funding for cervical cancer prevention projects.

"Casey is passionate about educating people on the importance of vaccinating their children against HPV," Blackford writes. She said she wants people to look past the controversy of vaccinating their children and realize the importance of the vaccine. "The vaccine given for the appropriate reason can save a life," Casey said. (Read more)

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UK nanotechnology study shows promise for more effective cancer treatment compared to chemotherapy

Dr. Peixuan Guo, one of the three top
nanobiotechnology experts in the world

A new study by University of Kentucky researchers shows promise for developing ultrastable RNA nanoparticles that may help treat cancer and viral infections by regulating cell function and binding to cancers without harming surrounding tissue. The study, published in Nano Today, was carried out in the laboratory of Peixuan Guo, the William S. Farish Endowed Chair in Nanobiotechnology at the UK Markey Cancer Center, in collaboration with Dr. Mark Evers, director of the UK Markey Cancer Center.

 "A major problem with cancer treatments is the ability to more directly and specifically deliver anti-cancer drugs to cancer metastases," Evers said. "Using the nanotechnology approach that Peixuan Guo and his group have devised may allow us to more effectively treat cancer metastasis with fewer side effects compared to current chemotherapy." To read more about the study, read the University of Kentucky press release here. To read study in Nano Today, go here.

Dr. Peixuan Guo, one of the three top
nanobiotechnology experts in the world

A new study by University of Kentucky researchers shows promise for developing ultrastable RNA nanoparticles that may help treat cancer and viral infections by regulating cell function and binding to cancers without harming surrounding tissue. The study, published in Nano Today, was carried out in the laboratory of Peixuan Guo, the William S. Farish Endowed Chair in Nanobiotechnology at the UK Markey Cancer Center, in collaboration with Dr. Mark Evers, director of the UK Markey Cancer Center.

 "A major problem with cancer treatments is the ability to more directly and specifically deliver anti-cancer drugs to cancer metastases," Evers said. "Using the nanotechnology approach that Peixuan Guo and his group have devised may allow us to more effectively treat cancer metastasis with fewer side effects compared to current chemotherapy." To read more about the study, read the University of Kentucky press release here. To read study in Nano Today, go here.

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