Mens health

A new gene that may confer susceptibility to pulmonary tuberculosis has been identified by Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) researchers and their collaborators in The Netherlands, Indonesia, United Kingdom, and the Russian Federation.

In the current PLoS Genetics, the scientists report that the gene, named Toll-like receptor 8 (TLR8), which had been previously shown to recognize some factors from viruses such as the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), also has a probable role in human susceptibility to Mycobacterium tuberculosis infections.

The study also found that males are more susceptible than females.

“We are really excited about this discovery as it is the first time TLR8 has been implicated in bacteria infections,” said Dr. Sonia Davila, GIS Research Scientist and first author of the article.

“Our analysis of the results from cohort studies in Indonesia and Russia suggested that susceptibility was attributed to genetic variants of TLR8, which is located at the X chromosome.

“Males carrying only one copy of the gene could have a higher chance of suffering from the disease,” Dr. Davia added. “These findings open up a whole new area of research and we hope that it will increase our understanding of the disease process of pulmonary tuberculosis.”

GIS Senior Group Leader and Associate Director of Infectious Diseases, Dr. Martin Hibberd noted, “This project is a great example of international teams coming together to solve a difficult problem, with groups from Indonesia, Singapore, UK, Russia and the Netherlands playing important roles. We hope that this work can initiate further research that will make a difference to people suffering from TB”.

“The team from the Genome Institute led by Drs. Davila, Seielstad and Hibberd has made an important new discovery of an alternative cellular receptor for one of the world’s most important infectious agents, M. tuberculosis, the causative agent of TB,” said Dr. Paul MacAry, Assistant Professor at National University of Singapore Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering.

“The identification of a role for TLR8 in TB infection has the potential to open up new areas of exploration in TB host/pathogen interactions and provide researchers and clinician scientists with novel targets for therapeutic intervention,” Dr. MacAry added. “This is extremely important given the emergence of multi-drug resistant strains of M.tuberculosis that are refractive to current treatment regimes.”

Pulmonary tuberculosis is a contagious lung disease caused by a bacterium known as Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis). Although a third of the world population is infected with M. tuberculosis, only 5 to 10% of them will ever develop tuberculosis, giving rise to a proposition that there may be a difference in genetic variants within the genes involved in host immune response.

Yale University researchers have described a molecular traffic signal in the middle of a busy biological highway that influences such diverse processes as the production of insulin, activation of the immune system, creation of new brain cells and formation of tumors.

The centrality of this traffic signal, known as mTOR, makes it of intense interest to researchers searching for new treatments for a wide variety of diseases, said Michael Simons, M.D., chief of cardiology at Yale School of Medicine.

In a study appearing Friday in the journal Molecular Cell, a team led by Simons showed that a protein called syndecan-4 appears to activate mTORC2, one of two key mTOR protein complexes,. Once mTORC2 is activated, it regulates a critical molecular pathway governed by an enzyme called Akt, which in turn controls the size, proliferation and survival of cells.

When syndecan-4 is disrupted, it decreases mTORC2 activity and increases activity of its cousin, mTOR1, which governs protein synthesis and cells’ response to oxygen deprivation.

Understanding the interaction between mTORC2 and Akt function opens new avenues to potentially regulating blood vessel growth in such conditions as cancer and coronary artery disease, Simons said.

Other authors from Yale contributing to the study are Chohreh Partovian, the lead author on the paper, Rong Ju, as well as Kathleen Martin and Zhen W. Zhuang from Dartmouth Medical School.

The National Institutes of Health funded the work.

For the first time in Europe a study is being conducted among men to gain information about the fit and feel of condoms. The American Center for Sexual Health Promotion of Indiana University, urges men to participate in this survey and answer questions about their experiences using condoms.

The study is supported by Condomerie, the world´s first specialized condom shop, in Amsterdam. On its website http://www.condomerie.com/fitfeel men from all over Europe are asked to complete a brief survey, anonymously and in their own language, about their condom use. For example whether the condom is nice, too small or too large, about condom failure or whether it comes off during or after sex. The results of the study can be used for improving condoms. “By participating in this study men can help developing the perfect fit and feel condom in the future,” Theodoor van Boven of Condomerie states.

Researcher Professor Michael Reece of the Center for Sexual Health Promotion is an expert on his field of research. Earlier, he conducted a study among couples in America. In the US condoms in different sizes are common. In Europe that is hardly the case. “It’s very hard to buy perfect fit and feel condoms here,” Van Boven says.

According to him, this study can initiate new trends in condom development and manufacturing and at the same time help safe sex education. Men are inclined to use condoms more often if the complaints about condom failure are reduced.

Professor Reece is conducting his study in collaboration with a range of health-related organizations, in order to collect as much information from European men as possible regarding their use of condoms, sexual behaviors, and particularly their scores on - and this is completely new - Reece’s Condom Fit and Feel Scale.

“The fit and feel issues that men report may be among those that contribute to their likelihood of using, or not using, condoms consistently and correctly. A better understanding of these factors will be beneficial to both condom manufacturers and sexual health professionals who share a common goal of increasing consistent and correct condom use and reducing the incidence of HIV and other STI,” Reece says.

Children born to older fathers are at increased risk of having an autistic spectrum disorder (ASD), according to new research published in the October issue of the British Journal of Psychiatry.

But the researchers found no link between increased maternal age and the risk of ASD.

The study, which was carried out in Japan, involved 84 participants with ‘high-functioning’ ASD. This meant that they displayed symptoms of autism, such as difficulties with socialising, communication and behaviour, but did not have an intellectual disability (i.e. all the participants had an IQ of more than 70).

This group was compared with 208 healthy controls, who had no intellectual disability and had not been diagnosed with any psychiatric disorder.

The participants were divided into three groups, depending on how old their parents were when they were born. The three age classes were: under 29, 29-32 and over 33.

The researchers found that a one-level advance in the paternal age class corresponded to a 1.8-fold increase in the risk of the child having high-functioning ASD. However, there was no association between an increase in the maternal age at birth and the development of ASD.

Explanations for the effect are unclear, but it is thought that mutations can occur in the paternal germ line as the father gets older. Mutations in sperm can then be passed on to children.

This is the first study to explore the effect of paternal age on the risk of high-functioning ASD. Its findings correspond with previous studies which have shown a link between older fathers and a low IQ in children.

Reference:

Tsuchiya K, Matsumoto K, Miyachi T, Tsujii M, Nakamura K, Takagai S, Kawai M, Yagi A, Iwaki K, Suda S, Sugihara G, Iwata Y, Matsuzaki H, Sekine Y, Suzuki K, Sugiyama T, Mori N and Takei N (2008) Paternal age at birth and high-functioning autistic-spectrum disorder in offspring, British Journal of Psychiatry, 193: 316-321

The Royal College of Psychiatrists is the professional and educational body for psychiatrists in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. We promote mental health by:

- Setting standards and promoting excellence in mental health care
- Improving understanding through research and education
- Leading, representing, training and supporting psychiatrists
- Working with patients, carers and their organisations

As well as running its membership examination (MRCPsych), and visiting and approving hospitals for training purposes, the College organises scientific and clinical conferences and lectures and continuing professional development activities. The College publishes books, reports and educational material for professionals and the general public. It also publishes the British Journal of Psychiatry, Psychiatric Bulletin, Advances in Psychiatric Treatment and International Psychiatry, all of which are now available on-line.

The Royal College of Psychiatrists has been in existence in some form since 1841. First as the “Association of Medical Officers of Asylums and Hospitals for the Insane” (later changed to the Medico Psychological Association) then, in 1926 receiving its Royal Charter to become the “Royal Medico Psychological Association, and finally, in 1971 receiving a Supplemental Charter to become the “Royal College of Psychiatrists” we know today.

Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE: WPI), a leading specialty pharmaceutical company, announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved RAPAFLO(TM) (silodosin), the company’s new alpha blocker for the treatment of the signs and symptoms of BPH.

BPH is the number one reason patients visit urologists and is characterized by urination problems, including decreased urine flow, more frequent urination and nocturia. The U.S. BPH market is growing and currently exceeds $2 billion annually, of which $1.7 billion is attributed to alpha blockers.

“RAPAFLO’s approval is the most important milestone for the Company’s Brand division thus far,” said Paul Bisaro, Chief Executive Officer of Watson. “RAPAFLO is a novel product that provides strong efficacy and an exceptional safety profile for patients managing their BPH. RAPAFLO provides an excellent long term opportunity for Watson and will be the foundation for future growth of our urology franchise.”

Today’s approval is based on data from two Phase 3, 12-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multi-center studies as well as a 40 week open label study. In the two Phase 3 studies, 923 patients (mean age 64.6 years) were randomized to receive either RAPAFLO 8 mg once-daily or placebo. In the two trials, 8 mg once-daily RAPAFLO for 12 weeks resulted in significant and rapid relief of BPH symptoms, compared with placebo, as measured by the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS). IPSS includes irritative (frequency, urgency, and nocturia), and obstructive (hesitancy, incomplete emptying, intermittency, and weak stream) symptoms. RAPAFLO also has been proven to significantly improve Qmax scores (maximum urine flow rates) as early as two hours following first dose and at 12 weeks of treatment.

“We are pleased we received approval for RAPAFLO so quickly which demonstrates, among other things, the high quality of our clinical and regulatory groups,” said Mr. Bisaro. “With our oxybutynin gel NDA under consideration with the FDA and plans to file our Trelstar(R) 6 month application later this year, Watson is in a unique position to introduce products within the next 12 to 18 months that treat the top three conditions in urology.”

About RAPAFLO

RAPAFLO is an effective, selective alpha-1 adrenergic receptor antagonist. RAPAFLO binds with high affinity to the alpha (1A) receptors concentrated in the prostate, causing the smooth muscles in these tissues to relax and resulting in improved urine flow and a reduction in BPH symptoms. The binding affinity for the alpha (1B) receptors that cause smooth muscle relaxation and blood pressure effects is significantly lower, thereby maximizing target organ activity for treating BPH and minimizing the potential for side effects and interactions with other therapies.

In clinical trials, RAPAFLO demonstrated strong efficacy with minimal effects on the cardiovascular system, and clinical studies have shown that RAPAFLO does not cause any meaningful prolongation of the QT interval. The most common drug-related side effect was retrograde ejaculation (orgasm with reduced semen), a direct reflection of the product’s selective binding properties. In targeting the 1A receptors, organ-specific activity is maximized, and cardiovascular effects are minimized. Rates of discontinuing therapy due to retrograde ejaculation were low. The second most commonly- reported adverse event was dizziness. The incidence of treatment-related dizziness was low and only slightly higher among RAPAFLO than placebo-treated patients.

Recently presented data demonstrate that RAPAFLO can also be administrated in combination with medications for erectile dysfunction with no symptomatic effects on blood pressure or heart rate.

RAPAFLO was originally developed by Kissei Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. in Japan and licensed to Watson for the US, Canada and Mexico markets.

About Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc., headquartered in Corona, CA, is a leading specialty pharmaceutical company that develops, manufactures, markets, sells and distributes generic and specialty brand pharmaceutical products. Watson pursues a growth strategy combining internal product development, strategic alliances and collaborations and synergistic acquisitions of products and businesses.

The mission of Watson Urology is to offer products and services that improve the quality of patients’ lives, and satisfy the needs of physicians who specialize in the diagnosis, management, and treatment of urological disorders. By advancing education and support for urological diseases, we are creating the differences that make life more livable.

In the U.S., the Watson Urology portfolio includes: RAPAFLO(TM); Oxytrol(R); TRELSTAR(R) LA; TRELSTAR(R) Depot; Androderm(R); ProQuin(R) XR, under a co-promotion agreement with Depomed, Inc.; and AndroGel(R), under a co-promotion agreement with Solvay Pharmaceuticals, Inc. The Watson portfolio also includes a number of products under development including: a six-month formulation of TRELSTAR(R) (triptorelin pamoate for injectable suspension), for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer; oxybutynin topical gel, for overactive bladder and Uracyst(TM), for cystitis.

For press releases and other company information, visit Watson Pharmaceuticals’ Web site at http://www.watson.com.

Forward Looking Statement

Any statements contained in this press release that refer to future events or other non-historical facts are forward-looking statements that reflect Watson’s current perspective of existing trends and information as of the date of this release. Except as expressly required by law, Watson disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially from Watson’s current expectations depending upon a number of factors affecting Watson’s business. These factors include, among others, the impact of competitive products and pricing; market acceptance of and continued demand for Watson’s products, including RAPAFLO; difficulties or delays in manufacturing; the difficulty of predicting the timing or outcome of FDA or other regulatory agency approvals or actions, if any; patents and other intellectual property rights held by the Company and the ability to successfully enforce such rights against third parties; and other risks and uncertainties detailed in Watson’s periodic public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to Watson’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007.

Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
http://www.watson.com

Moderate physical activity during pregnancy does not contribute to low birth weight, premature birth or miscarriage and may actually reduce the risk of complications, according to a Michigan State University professor who contributed to the U.S. government’s first-ever guidelines on physical activity.

Kinesiology professor James Pivarnik and doctoral students Lanay Mudd and Erin Kuffel wrote the section on pregnancy and postpartum activity as part of the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines unveiled Oct. 7 in Washington, D.C., by the Department of Health and Human Services. Pivarnik, president-elect of the American College of Sports Medicine, attended the event and spoke on behalf of the organization and MSU.

“There has been quite a dramatic change in regards to pregnancy and exercise,” said Pivarnik, who has studied the topic for more than 20 years. “While it used to be thought that avoiding exercise meant avoiding harm to the fetus, research now shows physical activity can not only improve health of the mother but also provide potential long-term benefits for the child.”

Specifically, the guidelines call for women to get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week during pregnancy and the postpartum period, preferably spread throughout the week. In addition to health benefits, moderate physical activity also may reduce the length of labor, evidence suggests. The guidelines call for women to avoid doing activities that involve lying on their back after the first trimester and activities with high risk of falling or abdominal trauma.

During the postpartum period, regular physical activity continues to benefit a woman’s overall health, according to Pivarnik’s research, by increasing her cardiorespiratory fitness and improving her mood. Physical activity after pregnancy also helps women achieve and maintain a healthy weight, and when combined with appropriate caloric restriction, promotes weight loss.

“In the time I have been performing research on exercise during pregnancy, we have shifted from cautious conservatism to the current guidelines, which encourage women to be active throughout gestation,” Pivarnik said.

Also as part of the new guidelines, the government recommends 150 minutes of activity for adults per week. The move toward measuring recommended exercise by overall minutes as opposed to specific time and frequency requirements mirrors research recently published by Mudd, Pivarnik, Mathew Reeves from MSU’s Department of Epidemiology, and Ann Rafferty from the Michigan Department of Community Health.

That study, published this month in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, used a broader approach toward calculating compliance with exercise requirements and found when measured by the amount of energy expended, the number of respondents who met guidelines was significantly higher.

“We found that by following the letter of the law many people who may be getting enough physical activity were not being counted,” Mudd said. “But we still have a majority of people who are inactive or are not active enough.

“The new guidelines can help shape people’s behaviors and get them on the right track to being healthy,” she added. “They allow individuals more flexibility in how and when to perform their activities.”

For more information on the government’s new guidelines, visit http://health.gov/paguidelines.

Michigan State University has been advancing knowledge and transforming lives through innovative teaching, research and outreach for more than 150 years. MSU is known internationally as a major public university with global reach and extraordinary impact. Its 17 degree-granting colleges attract scholars worldwide who are interested in combining education with practical problem solving.

UroToday.com - In the September 10, 2008 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Dr. Matthew Smith and his colleagues reported on the association of diabetes mellitus (DM) and death in men treated for prostate cancer (CaP) with radiotherapy and androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). The authors cited a meta-analysis whereby an inverse relationship between diabetes and CaP diagnosis was noted. This report used the database from RTOG 92-02 in which men with CaP were randomized to radiotherapy with either 4 months of ADT or 24 months of extended ADT. The primary endpoint was cause of death.

In total, 1,551 patients were enrolled in the study: 763 to the short-term ADT and 758 to long-term ADT. Median age was 70 years and patients with DM had significantly greater body weight as well as lower PSA levels. In univariate analysis, DM was significantly associated with greater all-cause and non-CaP mortality, but not CaP mortality. In multivariate analysis, age, race, Gleason score, tumor stage, PSA, treatment arm and weight were controlled for. In this model, DM was significantly associated with both greater all-cause mortality and non-CaP mortality. DM was not associated with greater CaP mortality. Tumor stage and Gleason score, age, greater weight and treatment arm were significantly associated with CaP mortality. In both treatment arms, DM was associated with greater all-cause and non-CaP mortality, but not CaP mortality.

The authors suggested that the association of greater weight, but not DM with increased CaP mortality, indicates that mechanisms other than diabetic metabolic alterations account for death.

Smith MR, Bae K, Efstathiou JA, Hanks GE, Pilepich MV, Sandler HM, Shipley WU
J Clin Oncol. 2008 Sep 10;26(26):4333-9
10.1200/JCO.2008.16.5845

Written by UroToday.com Contributing Editor Christopher P. Evans, MD, FACS

UroToday - the only urology website with original content written by global urology key opinion leaders actively engaged in clinical practice.

Proteins found in sperm are central to understanding male infertility and could be used to determine new diagnostic methods and fertility treatments according to a paper published by the journal Molecular and Cellular Proteomics (MCP). The article demonstrates how proteomics, a relatively new field focusing on the function of proteins in a cell, can be successfully applied to infertility, helping identify which proteins in sperm cells are dysfunctional.

“Up to 50 percent of male-factor infertility cases in the clinic have no known cause, and therefore no direct treatment. In-depth study of the molecular basis of infertility has great potential to inform the development of sensitive diagnostic tools and effective therapies,” write co-authors Diana Chu, assistant professor of biology at San Francisco State University and Tammy Wu, post-doctoral fellow at SF State. The study is included in a special Oct. 10 issue of MCP dedicated to the clinical application of proteomics.

“We suggest how the study of proteins is useful in the clinic, to help people move from infertile to fertile and ultimately to help couples have a baby,” Chu said. “The ultimate goal is that a doctor could be able to say to a patient, ‘this is the protein that is misregulated in your sperm and this is the drug that corrects it or decreases the level of that protein.’ Understanding sperm proteins also means that a doctor could be able to inform patients of the likely success rates of different fertility therapies, an important factor given the high cost of fertility treatments.”

More than 2 million couples in the U.S. are facing infertility. While many scientific studies examine the supply of sperm, its mobility and its ability to fertilize, Chu argues that a wider array of sensitive tests - including studies of cell proteins - are needed to determine the root causes of male infertility.

Proteins found in sperm cells are unique. This means therapies can be developed that target only these proteins and do not produce side effects in the patient or defects in the resulting offspring.

Chu’s paper highlights a selection of recent advances in the study of proteins in sperm cells, citing studies that have identified specific proteins that correlate with infertility.

Chu argues that further large-scale clinical studies are needed to identify patterns in the proteins found in the sperm of infertile patients. This would help scientists to better understand which proteins to focus on, since each sperm cell contains more than 2,000 proteins and each patient’s sperm varies slightly in its protein content.

Understanding the function of individual proteins in sperm cells may not only aid scientists’ understanding of fertility, but can also explain the causes of miscarriages, 50 percent of which have unexplained causes. Chu also suggests that further studies of the proteins found in sperm cells will have a significant impact on our understanding of the paternal protein contribution that can have long lasting effects on future generations.

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Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.
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Diana Chu is assistant professor of biology at San Francisco State University where she uses proteomic approaches to research the function of proteins associated to sperm chromatin. San Francisco State University’s biology department is the largest in the California State University system. SF State ranks second among all U.S. comprehensive universities whose graduates successfully enroll in Ph.D. programs.

Source: Diana Chu

An increasing number of men from tribes in Uganda and other parts of East Africa that traditionally do not practice circumcision have undergone the procedure, prompting the government to begin developing a plan to promote male circumcision as a method of curbing the spread of HIV, AFP/Mail & Guardian reports. Alex Opio of the country’s Ministry of Health said that male circumcision has “overwhelming support in the country” and that the ministry hopes to begin the program by targeting adolescent males, circumcising them before they become sexually active. Kihumuro Apuuli, head of the Uganda AIDS Commission, said the government decided to go forward with the program despite some concerns surrounding male circumcision and HIV/AIDS because “if you get an intervention that can contribute to the reduction of infections, you have to support it.” He also said the government does not plan to advocate methods of circumcision already practiced by some tribes because the “ceremonies associated with that ritual are not safe. Using the same knife on different people. Having sex before the wounds heal. We are talking about safe circumcision.” Geofrey Natubu — vice chair of the Bududa District, where male circumcisions already are practiced — said he would like to see more tribes embrace the procedure. “If it is true that is one of the preventive measures against HIV/AIDS, then it is better for us all to take it, irrespective of the way through which you do it. You can do it the way you want,” he said. Natubu said that the community about 10 years ago recognized the threat of HIV/AIDS and began using one knife per circumcision (Simon, AFP/Mail & Guardian, 10/7).

Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.

Despite research showing circumcision can reduce a man’s risk of HIV during heterosexual intercourse, a study published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that the procedure offers little protection against the virus for men who have sex with men, AFP/Yahoo! News reports. According to the study, there was minimal difference in HIV infections between those MSM who were circumcised and those who were not (AFP/Yahoo! News, 10/7).

For the study, researchers at CDC, led by Gregorio Millett, reviewed 15 previous studies on circumcision that included 53,567 MSM from Australia, Great Britain, Canada, India, the Netherlands, Peru, Taiwan and the U.S. Circumcised MSM were 14% less likely to be HIV-positive than those who were not, a rate that was not statistically significant, according to the researchers. Millett said, “You can’t necessarily say with confidence that we’re seeing a true effect there,” adding, “Overall, we’re not finding a protective effect associated with circumcision” for MSM (Dunham, Reuters, 10/7).

However, when examining studies carried out before the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy in 1996, the researchers found evidence that circumcision in the past had a protective effect for MSM, BBC News reports. The researchers said one explanation for the reduced effectiveness of circumcision among MSM following the introduction of HAART is that the efficacy of drugs diminished the perceived need to practice safer sex to avoid contracting HIV. In addition, the study noted that HAART might help reduce the risk of HIV transmission to a level that circumcision does not provide further benefits. The researchers also said that there may have been a smaller proportion of men in the pre-HAART trials who engaged primarily in receptive anal sex, which carries the greatest risk of HIV among MSM (BBC News, 10/7).

CDC’s Peter Kilmarx, who was not involved in the study, said the agency is set to release a draft of formal recommendations on circumcision early next year. Although Millett said circumcision cannot be recommended as a strategy for HIV prevention among MSM in the U.S., he added that there are signs the procedure could protect certain MSM depending on sexual practices. For example, Millett said that studies in Australia and Peru have shown that men who engaged only in insertive anal sex and were not being penetrated by male sex partners experienced a greater level of protection from circumcision (Reuters, 10/7). However, Millett said, “Even if we find that insertive men are protected, that might be such a small proportion that we wouldn’t get the effect on the overall population that we’d like. As it stands now, circumcision is unlikely to have the same kind of benefit [in the U.S.] that it’s projected to have in Africa” (Lauerman, Bloomberg, 10/7).

According to the authors, more research might be needed to determine the amount of protection provided by circumcision for insertive MSM (AFP/Yahoo! News, 10/7). “These studies weren’t designed to answer this question in the first place, and it’s possible that they’re too varied to show an effect,” Millet said, adding, “The idea makes sense, but there just aren’t enough data out there right now to show whether there’s a benefit” (Bloomberg, 10/7). In a related editorial also published in JAMA, a team of peer reviewers from Vanderbilt University wrote that “circumcision would likely be insufficiently efficient to be universally effective in reducing HIV and will have to be combined with other prevention modalities to have a substantial and sustained prevention effect” (AFP/Yahoo! News, 10/7).

The study is available online. The related editorial also is available online.

Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.