On 11 January 1922 insulin was first used successfully in the treatment of diabetes.

Insulin was discovered by Sir Frederick G Banting (pictured), Charles H Best and JJR Macleod at the University of Toronto in 1921 and it was subsequently purified by James B Collip.

Before 1921, it was exceptional for people with Type 1 diabetes to live more than a year or two. One of the twentieth century's greatest medical discoveries, it remains the only effective treatment for people with Type 1 diabetes today.

First successful use

On 11 January 1922, Leonard Thompson, a 14-year-old boy with diabetes, who lay dying at the Toronto General Hospital, was given the first injection of insulin. However, the extract was so impure that Thompson suffered a severe allergic reaction, and further injections were cancelled.

Over the next 12 days, James Collip worked day and night to improve the ox-pancreas extract, and a second dose was injected on the 23 Janua ... Read more »

Expert Panel Releases 2010 Adult Immunization Schedule, Stresses Importance of Vaccination

Each year, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) reviews the recommended Adult Immunization Schedule to ensure that the schedule reflects the most current scientific knowledge of vaccines and vaccine preventable disease. Vaccines have been demonstrated to be among the most effective strategies for preventing illness in individuals as well as for protecting the health of the public. The ACIP recommends several important changes to the adult immunization schedule:

• HPV - ACIP recommends the bivalent vaccine that protects against the two strains of HPV associated with 70 percent of cervical cancer cases. The ACIP also includes a permissive recommendation for HPV vaccine in men, as the quadrivalent vaccine has been demonstrated to reduce HPV-associated genital warts in this population.
  
  
•  Influenza - APIC added the term "seasonal" to diff ... Read more »

Pfizer Inc. announced that the European Commission has approved Revatio® (sildenafil) solution for injection for patients who are currently prescribed oral Revatio and who are temporarily unable to take oral medicine, but are otherwise clinically and haemodynamically stable.

Revatio is the only phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5) inhibitor with both oral and I.V. formulations approved in the European Union for the treatment of PAH.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a rare, progressive disease that affects an estimated 100,000 men and women worldwide. This incurable disease is characterized by continuous high blood pressure in the pulmonary arteries, leading to heart failure and premature death. Pulmonary arterial hypertension can occur with no known underlying cause, or it can be found in association with other disorders such as connective tissue disease.

"Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a life-threatening disease, and medical treatment can help delay damage c ... Read more »

Life is full of hassles, deadlines, frustrations and demands. Stress can take its toll on a woman's health and spill into the home during the holiday season. In these economic times, tightening budgets during the 'season to be jolly' brings additional stress. There is hope on the horizon, as the New Year provides a fresh opportunity for women to resolve to get a handle on stress.

"If time or finances prohibit you from going to the gym, find other ways to stay active such as taking a walk, running and even yard work or gardening."

"It is very important to set fitness goals and incorporate physical activity into your daily routine to manage stress levels," says NYC physical therapist Megan Barclay. "If time or finances prohibit you from going to the gym, find other ways to stay active such as taking a walk, running and even yard work or gardening."

Chronic stress can lead to serious health problems including elevated blood pressure, a suppressed immune system, ... Read more »

The UK has dropped to bottom of the official league table comparing the price of medicines across Europe, a Government report has revealed.

For the first time, the UK lags behind Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Spain and Sweden.

The figures are published in an annual report to Parliament from the Department of Health, which sets the price paid for medicines by the NHS. The report compares the 2008 prices of the leading 150 branded medicines in 11 European countries, the USA and Australia.

The UK ranks 12 out of 13, behind the USA and all of its counterparts in Europe, with only Australia, a new addition to the list in 2007, coming out lower.

Since 2008, prices have dropped further relative to Europe as there was a cut in January 2009 and Sterling has fallen against the Euro.

Recent analysis by the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) puts the UK behind even Australia in the ... Read more »

1) It's Easy Being Green Whether you are a vegetarian, vegan, carnivore or pescetarian, vegetables should be a central part of your diet. Often referred to as a "protective food," dark green foods provide essential vitamins and nutrients to your body that protect you from many of life's worst diseases.

The Food and Drug Administration recommends three to five servings a day for pristine health. This is not as hard to accomplish as it sounds. Examples of one serving include: two broccoli spears, three tablespoons of green beans or three sticks of celery.

2) Get on Your Feet

If you're a biker or a swimmer, you may need to add an additional element to your workout regime. Dr. Warren Levy, Ph. D., of Unigene Laboratories reminds people that, "when it comes to the risk of thinning bones, it's the weight bearing nature of exercise that signals bones to create more mass. Without such stress, bones do not get stronger, and become more prone to injury."

There is ... Read more »

As the healthcare reform debate continues, legislators and businesspeople alike might be surprised to learn that Americans are looking not only to government but also to business to improve our nation's health, even beyond employee wellness efforts. People are more likely to purchase from, recommend, and invest in companies that act on health issues-creating a compelling case for businesses to step up their efforts.

The Edelman Health Engagement Pulse-a new survey of 1,000 American adults-reveals a stark gap between how Americans want businesses to engage in health and what they believe is actually being done. Eight in 10 respondents believe it is important for business to share knowledge and innovations that improve health, and seven in 10 believe business should invest in creating healthy communities, yet only about one in 10 say business is doing an excellent or very good job of meeting these expectations. The study also showed that seven in 10 people believe it is importan ... Read more »

Although growing numbers of people check their symptoms with "Dr. Google" or seek other medical advice online, many still lack the access and skills to take advantage of the Web's wealth of health information.

But a community-based coalition in Washington, D.C., is working to close that information gap through outreach and education programs, with some success, according to a report in the journal Health Promotion Practice.

In hands-on workshops provided by the Health Information Partners coalition, researchers measured a 26 percent improvement in the workshop participants' ability to use the Internet, evaluate the content on health Web sites, and find credible health information online.

Since slightly less than half of the 91 participants had used the Internet before the workshops, the gains were encouraging, according to Karyn Pomerantz, lead study author and instructor at The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services, and ... Read more »

After the Senate approved a House-passed spending package worth almost $450 billion on Sunday, the legislation, which "includes annual foreign aid packages," will go to President Barack Obama, Agence France-Presse reports. Obama is expected to sign the legislation.

"The measure passed 57 to 35, largely along party lines, although three Democrats - Sens. Evan Bayh (Ind.), Russ Feingold (Wis.) and Claire McCaskill (Mo.) - voted with Republicans against the bill," according to Roll Call.

The Washington Post's "Capitol Briefing" blog writes: "The measure also carries thousands of earmarks and double-digit spending increases for many programs, prompting Republicans to attack Democrats' priorities. 'If you really want to reduce wasteful spending, vote against this bill,' Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said just before the vote Sunday, complaining that the package had been thrown together with precious little scrutiny or transparency. But Democrats said Republicans were largel ... Read more »

On behalf of the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health, Mr. Greg Kerr, Member of Parliament for West Nova, announced today an important investment that will help Francophone students at the Université Sainte-Anne pursue opportunities in the health care field. This initiative is expected to increase the number of health care professionals who can serve French-speaking communities.

"The Université Sainte-Anne is the only French-speaking post-secondary institution in the province," said Mr. Kerr. "It also plays an important role in the socioeconomic development of the Acadian society in Nova Scotia. With this announcement of nearly $2 million in funding, the Government of Canada is demonstrating its commitment to improving access to health care for our official language minority communities."

The Université Sainte-Anne, one of the members of the Consortium national de formation en santé (CNFS) will work with the CNFS to recruit and tra ... Read more »