Pre-eclampsia

PFAS ‘forever chemicals’: Why EPA set federal drinking water limits for these health-harming contaminants

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, April 10, 2024
Research, GxP, Toxicity, Health, Obesity, PFNA, Liver, Gore-Tex, 3M, PFAS, PFOS, Environment, Name, Risk, Food packaging, Fertility, PFOA, Pregnancy, Life, Diet, Thyroid disease, EPA, Agency, National academy, Water, Kidney, Breast cancer, Scotchgard, Inflammatory bowel disease, Birth weight, Cosmetics, Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid, Vaccine, Soil, Family, Map, Drinking water, Pre-eclampsia, Poison

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency now believes there is no safe level for two common PFAS – PFOA and PFOS – in drinking water, and it acknowledges that very low concentrations of other PFAS present human health risks.

Key Points: 
  • The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency now believes there is no safe level for two common PFAS – PFOA and PFOS – in drinking water, and it acknowledges that very low concentrations of other PFAS present human health risks.
  • The agency issued the first legally enforceable national drinking water standards for five common types of PFAS chemicals, as well as PFAS mixtures, on April 10, 2024.

What exactly are PFAS?

  • This is a large group of human-made chemicals – currently estimated to be nearly 15,000 individual chemical compounds – that are used widely in consumer products and industry.
  • They can make products resistant to water, grease and stains and protect against fire.
  • The short answer is that PFAS are harmful to human health and the environment.
  • Some of the very same chemical properties that make PFAS attractive in products also mean these chemicals will persist in the environment for generations.
  • The U.S. Geological Survey estimates common types of PFAS are now in at least 45% of the country’s tap water.

What are the health risks from PFAS exposure?

  • Research consistently demonstrates that PFAS are associated with a variety of adverse health effects.
  • A review by a panel of experts looking at research on PFAS toxicity concluded with a high degree of certainty that PFAS contribute to thyroid disease, elevated cholesterol, liver damage, and kidney and testicular cancer.
  • Additionally, current research suggests that babies exposed prenatally are at higher risk of experiencing obesity, early-onset puberty and reduced fertility later in life.
  • Collectively, this is a formidable list of diseases and disorders.

Who’s regulating PFAS?

  • DuPont called it Teflon, which eventually became a household name for its use on nonstick pans.
  • Decades later, in 1998, Scotchgard maker 3M notified the Environmental Protection Agency that a PFAS chemical was showing up in human blood samples.
  • At the time, 3M said low levels of the manufactured chemical had been detected in people’s blood as early as the 1970s.
  • The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry has a toxicological profile for PFAS.

How can you reduce your PFAS exposure?

  • The best ways to protect yourself and your family from risks associated with PFAS are to educate yourself about potential sources of exposure.
  • Products labeled as water- or stain-resistant have a good chance of containing PFAS.
  • Strategies for monitoring and reporting PFAS contamination vary by location and PFAS source, so the absence of readily available information does not necessarily mean the region is free of PFAS problems.


Kathryn Crawford receives funding from National Institutes of Health and US Geological Survey.

New Research Continues to Support Massage Therapy for Improving Sleep Quality

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, March 19, 2024
EEG, Pregnancy, Health, Brain, Hormone, Facial muscles, Blood, Insomnia, Research, Sleep, Menopause, Therapeutic touch, Anxiety, Massage, Woman, CDC, System, Heart, Pre-eclampsia, AMTA, Fatigue, Swelling, Pharmaceutical industry

EVANSTON, Ill., March 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- It's National Sleep Awareness Month, and the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) is sharing the latest research on how massage can improve sleep quality.

Key Points: 
  • EVANSTON, Ill., March 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- It's National Sleep Awareness Month, and the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) is sharing the latest research on how massage can improve sleep quality.
  • AMTA is sharing the latest research on how massage therapy can help improve sleep quality for women and infants.
  • Results revealed that therapeutic touch significantly improved sleep quality compared to the control group, as indicated by lower post-test total sleep quality scores.4
    "The evidence continues to grow on the efficacy of massage therapy for improving sleep quality," said Kim Kane-Santos, AMTA National President.
  • 5 For millions of restless Americans, massage therapy may lead to a better night's sleep.

HER Foundation's Dr. Marlena Fejzo Was Named to TIME's Annual Women of the Year List, Recognizing Extraordinary Leaders Fighting for a More Equal World

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, March 12, 2024
HER, Mother, HG, Preterm birth, Mutation, BJOG, TIME, Entrepreneurship, Woman, Partnership, Hyperemesis gravidarum, Risk, Genetic epidemiology, Hospital, University, Pregnancy, Nausea, Morning sickness, HER Foundation, Water, Placenta, Chief, Vomiting, PTSD, Nature Communications, Pre-eclampsia, Nursing

PORTLAND, Ore., March 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- TIME named Dr. Marlena Fejzo to its annual TIME Women of the Year list, recognizing extraordinary leaders fighting for a more equal world.

Key Points: 
  • PORTLAND, Ore., March 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- TIME named Dr. Marlena Fejzo to its annual TIME Women of the Year list, recognizing extraordinary leaders fighting for a more equal world.
  • "I am truly honored to be recognized for my research on hyperemesis gravidarum (HG).
  • Dr. Fejzo will be presenting her research at the International Colloquium on Hyperemesis Gravidarum in Ventura (LA), California on November 6-7, 2024.
  • HER Foundation offers innovative clinical resources that improve the care and outcomes of those suffering from HG.

NGM Bio Provides Recent Business Highlights and Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2023 Financial Results

Retrieved on: 
Monday, March 11, 2024
Research, GDF15, PSC, Part, Vomiting, Pregnancy, MSS, Liver, Atlas, Preterm birth, NGM, LAIR1, Nausea, Hospital, ILT3, GFRAL, Food and Drug Administration, NASH, Therapy, Woman, Toxicology, Liver disease, CRC, Cirrhosis, Biomarker, Place of birth, Colorectal cancer, Agreement, Acquisition, Plan, FGF19, AASLD, FDA, Food, Weight loss, Primary sclerosing cholangitis, Pembrolizumab, Dehydration, Bile, Hyperemesis gravidarum, HG, Patient, Pre-eclampsia, Malnutrition, Pharmaceutical industry

--On February 26, 2024, announced that it had entered into the Agreement and Plan of Merger with Atlas Neon Parent, Inc., and Atlas Neon Merger Sub, Inc.--

Key Points: 
  • The combination of NGM707 and pembrolizumab was generally well-tolerated at all four doses (200, 600, 1200, 1800 mg) of NGM707.
  • Additional details can be found in NGM Bio’s recent filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
  • NGM Bio anticipates that the Offer and the Merger contemplated under the Merger Agreement will be consummated in the second quarter of 2024.
  • If the Merger is effected, NGM Bio’s common stock will be delisted from The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC and NGM Bio will be privately held.

QuidelOrtho Receives Health Canada Approval for Quidel® Triage® PLGF Test for Laboratory Use in Canada

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, March 6, 2024
Data Management, Biotechnology, Baby, Maternity, Technology, Other Health, Health, Women, Health Technology, Medical Devices, Consumer, Clinical Trials, Pre-eclampsia, Eclampsia, Woman, Transfusion medicine, QuidelOrtho, Health Canada, Quality, Premature, Pregnancy, Risk, Diagnosis, Quality control, Safety, Prognosis, Biomarker, Lancet, Triage, Stillbirth, Guideline, HELLP, Placenta, Plasma, HELLP syndrome, Placentation, Medical device

QuidelOrtho Corporation (Nasdaq:QDEL) (“QuidelOrtho”), a global provider of innovative in vitro diagnostic technologies designed for point-of-care settings, clinical labs and transfusion medicine, has received approval from Health Canada for its Triage PLGF test for laboratory use in Canada.

Key Points: 
  • QuidelOrtho Corporation (Nasdaq:QDEL) (“QuidelOrtho”), a global provider of innovative in vitro diagnostic technologies designed for point-of-care settings, clinical labs and transfusion medicine, has received approval from Health Canada for its Triage PLGF test for laboratory use in Canada.
  • The Triage PLGF test is a fluorescence immunoassay to be used with the small footprint Triage MeterPro® Instrument for the quantitative determination of placental growth factor (“PLGF”) in maternal plasma specimens.
  • With the Triage PLGF test, clinicians can be positioned to better detect angiogenic imbalance and assess the risk for these complications.
  • The Triage PLGF test is available to customers in Canada for use with the Triage MeterPro instrument.

Dr. Jose Villar Wins 2024 March of Dimes Agnes Higgins Award in Maternal-Fetal Nutrition

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, February 20, 2024
Woman, Body composition, Microcephaly, Diet, Randomized controlled trial, Pregnancy, Obesity, Growth, Fetus, PAS, Life, Stanford University, Health, University, Mother, World Health Organization, Hypertension, Medicine, Infant, Pre-eclampsia, University of Oxford, Breast milk, CDC, Preterm birth, WHO, Research, Dietary supplement

ARLINGTON, Va., Feb. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Jose Villar, a University of Oxford Professor has been named the 2024 recipient of the March of Dimes Agnes Higgins Award in Maternal-Fetal Nutrition. Dr. Villar, a Professor of Perinatal Medicine at Oxford's Nuffield Department of Women's and Reproductive Health and the former Coordinator of Maternal and Perinatal Health at the World Health Organization (WHO) has spent more than a half century researching the effect of maternal nutrition on the health, growth, and development of babies. The award will be presented to Dr. Villar at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) on May 4 in Toronto, Canada.

Key Points: 
  • Prominent Oxford scientist led studies on fetal growth, newborn size, and preterm postnatal growth
    ARLINGTON, Va., Feb. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Jose Villar, a University of Oxford Professor has been named the 2024 recipient of the March of Dimes Agnes Higgins Award in Maternal-Fetal Nutrition.
  • The award will be presented to Dr. Villar at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) on May 4 in Toronto, Canada.
  • They present a universal blueprint for healthy growth and development from early gestation to two years of age.
  • That is the challenge ahead, and I couldn't be prouder to continue it alongside March of Dimes."

NIH grants $2.3M to evaluate the impact of ViTrack® on maternal and child health during pregnancy

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, February 20, 2024
BP, Liver, Blood pressure, Incidence, Eclampsia, Woman, Lincoln, HDP, Hypertension, Prenatal care, Intelligence, MD, Pregnancy, NYC Health + Hospitals, Risk, Safety, Lung, COVID-19, Hydrostatics, Death, Health, Disease, Patient, Black, Pre-eclampsia, Women's health, Heart, Diagnosis, Child, Movement, Mortality, Coronavirus, NHLBI, Research

NEW YORK, Feb. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Dynocardia, developer of ViTrack, the first-of-its-kind non-invasive, wearable blood pressure (BP) and heart monitor, and NYC Health + Hospitals, the nation's largest safety net health system, are partnering on a study of hypertensive diseases of pregnancy (HDP). The study will include at least 150 women who are pregnant or have recently given birth. The perinatal study addresses a long-standing unmet need for accurate and continuous BP for reliable diagnosis of HDP and for prediction and early detection of preeclampsia. The research is being funded by a $2.3M grant from the National Institute of Health's National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI).

Key Points: 
  • The research is being funded by a $2.3M grant from the National Institute of Health's National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI).
  • HDP, a constellation of high BP disorders that may occur during pregnancy, affects both the mother and the child and is a leading cause of pregnancy-related complications and death globally.
  • While the risks posed by HDP have doubled over the past decade in the United States, the effects on the maternal population are not evenly distributed.
  • Moreover, pregnant women are even more vulnerable to these errors due to hemodynamic and vascular changes that occur during pregnancy.

The Foundation for the National Institutes of Health Launches First Public-Private Partnership for Early Detection of Preeclampsia

Retrieved on: 
Monday, February 12, 2024
Health, Family, Consumer, Other Health, Surgery, Other Science, Research, Parenting, Managed Care, General Health, Hospitals, Baby, Maternity, Science, Women, Master of Science, Bangladesh Technical Education Board, FNIH, Merck, Woman, Doctor of Philosophy, NICHD, NIH, Pregnancy, FDA, Partnership, Food, Pre-eclampsia, Mother, Ohio State University, Pappalysin-1, Letter, Risk, Human development, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Biomarker, Disorder, Organization, Task force, MPH, Thermo Fisher Scientific, PIGF, Child, Bill, DSM-IV codes, Mortality, George Washington University, Dietary supplement

The Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) today announces the launch of a new public-private partnership to develop tools to identify pregnant women at high risk of early-onset preeclampsia.

Key Points: 
  • The Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) today announces the launch of a new public-private partnership to develop tools to identify pregnant women at high risk of early-onset preeclampsia.
  • Preeclampsia is a serious pregnancy-related hypertensive disorder that can lead to maternal and neonatal deaths and long-term negative health outcomes.
  • The disorder is becoming more prevalent in the United States, with women of color more likely to be affected and experience poor outcomes.
  • Currently, preeclampsia risk is determined early in pregnancy using a combination of maternal medical history and clinical risk factors.

First PFAS "Forever Chemicals" Consumer-Initiated Blood Test with Physician Consult Launches on questhealth.com

Retrieved on: 
Monday, February 12, 2024
Water supply, Physician, Orthostatic hypertension, B2B, Poison, Doctor of Pharmacy, Agency, Vaccine, Risk, Health, National academy, Firefighter, History, Quest Diagnostics, Organization, PFAS, Pre-eclampsia, Patient, Toxicology, Kidney, Science, CDC, DGX, Birth weight, Environment, Cosmetics

"Our PFAS blood test is based on the latest science and aligns with several facets of new CDC guidance as well as recommendations from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

Key Points: 
  • "Our PFAS blood test is based on the latest science and aligns with several facets of new CDC guidance as well as recommendations from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
  • Not everyone needs a PFAS test, but people at high risk of elevated exposure may benefit from greater access to the insights provided by this novel test."
  • It is the first PFAS blood test available as a consumer-initiated test with physician consult to report a sum of PFAS chemicals based on level of health risks identified by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM).
  • The Quest test aligns with several recommendations from NASEM on PFAS testing, including:
    Quantifying levels of several specific PFAS chemicals identified for potential health risks.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2023 Results

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, January 31, 2024
Oncology, Health, Research, Pharmaceutical, Science, Biotechnology, Multiple myeloma, EPS, COVID-19, Table, CSR, GAAP, STEM, Risk assessment, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Binding site, S/TEM, TMO, FDA, Laboratory, COVID-19 testing, Proteomics, Pre-eclampsia, Health equity, Electricity, Video game

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE: TMO), the world leader in serving science, today reported its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2023.

Key Points: 
  • Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE: TMO), the world leader in serving science, today reported its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2023.
  • GAAP operating income for the fourth quarter of 2023 was $1.85 billion, compared with $1.86 billion in the year-ago quarter.
  • Adjusted EPS in the fourth quarter of 2023 was $5.67, versus $5.40 in the fourth quarter of 2022.
  • Adjusted operating income for the fourth quarter of 2023 was $2.55 billion, compared with $2.56 billion in the year-ago quarter.