Rare Mutation Kills Off Gene Responsible For Diabetes

Summary:
A new study has found a rare mutation that even protects fat people from developing Type 2 diabetes. This study was based on the genetic testing of 150,000 people in Sweden. Apparently the mutation destroys a gene which is used by the pancreas cells which is where insulin is made. People with the mutation seem to make slightly more insulin while also having slightly lower blood glucose levels for their entire lives. The first time their journal was sent in for review it was denied because this contradicts the evidence of the mutation found in mice. However, the second time it was submitted it was accepted. They are now starting programs that are aiming to develop potential drugs that act like the mutation. However, it can take up to about 10 to 20 years for a new drug to market after a new discovery about human genetics and disease.

Analysis:
A mutation that was found to be harmful in mice has recently been discovered to be beneficial to humans. The mutation apparently protects people from developing Type 2 diabetes. The mutation reduces the risk by two-thirds. They are already aiming to develop new drugs that act like the mutation. However, the new drug could take up to twenty years to market. In my opinion, this is a huge step towards finding a cure for type two diabetes. Type two diabetes alone accounts for a large percentage of deaths and/or large hospital bills in the US and even the world. This potential new drug could help save a lot of people as well as save a lot of money in the long run.

Blog 1: The Fight Against HIV/AIDS 2-7-14 1:53 PM

HIV/AIDS affects over 35 million people across the globe. The fight against AIDS has been going on for over 30 years, and we are now the closest we have ever been to getting this epidemic under control. More and more people are becoming aware and getting treatment for this disease. Ten years ago, only 300,000 people received treatment where 9.7 million people are receiving treatment today. For the first time ever, there are more people getting treatment than there are new infections, meaning we’ve reached the “tipping point” of this disease. We have caught up with AIDS and are beginning to see a downward curve. Sixty nine percent of people with HIV live in sub-Saharan Africa, and 16 of these countries are leading the global trend of decreasing numbers of people infected, having surpassed this “tipping point” and getting ahead of the curve. This is huge in relation to the fact that there is now hope for people with HIV to live a long, healthy life. In previous years, this disease was a death sentence.

Globally, the fight against HIV/AIDS is going strong and here in the United States, we are doing what we can to decrease number of infections as well. Today, February 7, 2014, is National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. Of the 50,000 Americans who are living with HIV, 69% of them are African Americans. Cities around the country are offering free testing for HIV as well as raising awareness in their communities to prevent the spread of this disease. Another way that spreading of HIV can be prevented is through an antiretroviral treatment called PrEP. This is given to people who are not infected and can reduce the risk of getting HIV by 90%.

We are finally beginning to win this fight against HIV/AIDS. Through prevention and treatment globally and locally, soon we will have this disease under control and people will no longer have to live in fear of this epidemic.

http://metro.co.uk/2014/02/05/have-we-reached-the-beginning-of-the-end-of-the-fight-against-hivaids-4291153/

http://www.lasentinel.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=12576:national-black-aids-awareness-day&catid=122:crenshaw-around&Itemid=261

Blog 10: Unanswered Questions Regarding Outbreak of H7N9 Influenza

China's Action's in Flu Cases Draw Critics
By: Keith Bradsher
April 10, 2013
New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/11/world/asia/delay-on-china-avian-flu-announcement-questioned.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

The recent outbreaks of H7N9 avian influenza in China have some questioning whether Chinese officials deliberately concealed their presence and scope or simply overlooked the particular strain in question. Flu surveillance among poultry populations is common in Asia and across the globe. New strains are routinely identified and tracked. The first cases of the H7N9 strain showed up in humans in southern China, in and around Shanghai, February 19, 2013 but were not reported until nearly six weeks later, March 31. It is possible that scientists and government officials purposefully withheld the information. It is also possible that the strain was misidentified as H1N1 or overlooked during routine surveillance testing. Nonetheless, most agree that a six week delay in reporting new, confirmed cases of human infections with a novel avian influenza strain is excessive. In addition, the new strain shows genetic adaptations that help it infect and invade mammalian cells and tissues, including humans. The American Centers for Disease Control have activated preliminary emergency measures for dealing with a global flu pandemic, should it appear to be evolving.

Analysis

This report highlights the crucial roles that disease surveillance systems, public health infrastructure and international cooperation play when dealing with disease outbreaks. Although not confirmed in this instance, political motivations, system inefficiencies, social and economic factors are all integral to the means by which emerging infectious diseases establish themselves in the contemporary world. China's opaque, oligarchical government, along with a history of media censorship and information suppression allow for significant concerns when dealing with infection outbreaks within Chinese territory - pointing out the need for transparency, collaboration and rapid information dissemination when dealing with emergent public health threats. Also, the fact that so many new disease outbreaks seem to occur in China's Guangdong and neighboring provinces is not surprising. The area is the most densely human-populated region on earth. When coupled with the ubiquitous presence of "wet markets" where food animals, poultry and livestock are often traded, the risks of disease emergence and transmission are exponentially compounded.

Antony Lynn Cochran
SOC 202-02
April 12, 2013 20:20

Blog Post 9: U.S./Canadian Research Universities Faulted for Neglecting Global Health Issues

'Report Card' Faults Research Universities' Impact on Global Health

http://chronicle.com/article/Report-Card-Faults-Research/138281
April 4, 2013
By Goldie Blumenstyk

Universities Allied for Essential Medicines (UAEM), a medical and public health advocacy group, has graded 54 major U.S. and Canadian research universities on the percentage and quality of research devoted to dealing with international health issues. The Chronicle of Higher Education summarizes the disappointing findings. On average, only 3% of research efforts target common global health concerns outside of the developed world. Most major North American research universities are devoting little time, effort and money towards developing treatments and cures for common global health issues like Chaga's disease, malaria, sleeping sickness, parasitic infections and pediatric HIV/AIDS. There was wide variation in scores among the universities graded but most ranked poorly. Given that research universities play significant roles in developing new health technologies, along with governmental and non-governmental organizations, the UAEM report identifies multiple areas for funding and focus improvements in the fight against common global diseases.

Analysis

Outside of the developed world, the impacts of neglected diseases on societies and nations are immense. They contribute to lower life expectancies, lower overall productivity and lower quality of life. Neither the Chronicle Report nor the original report by UAEM (http://globalhealthgrades.org/about) attempts to describe why our universities are neglecting these issues.  Is this a case of widespread Western ethnocentrism? Since these diseases do not affect our citizens to any great degree, are they less deserving of attention? Perhaps, the close economic ties between research universities, pharmaceutical companies and government agencies bias efforts towards more profitable end-product endeavors- marketable in wealthy nations? Is profit motive tied to licensing and patents undercutting development of effective treatments for diseases in poorer countries? These are important rhetorical questions that come to mind when reviewing a report like this. It's difficult to find easy answers for them. Most research universities generally espouse philosophies and missions centered on serving global public good. At the least, shouldn't we ask these questions?

Antony L. Cochran
SOC 202-02
April 5, 2013 23:00  

Blog Post 8: Increased Funding Needed to Fight Global TB

World Health Organization and Global Fund Cite Tuberculosis Threat

March 18, 2013
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2013/tuberculosis_threat_20130318/en

The World Health Organization (WHO) has released a news statement citing a critical need for increased funding to fight tuberculosis. The ongoing spread of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is compounding the difficulties in fighting TB around the globe. The amount of additional funding needed is about 1.6 billion U.S. dollars in addition to the average annual budget dedicated to TB programs. One of the greatest concerns is that if screening and treatment programs are not strengthened now, the future costs of treating a global pandemic of MDR-TB could grow exponentially. Major goals of WHO TB initiatives include reducing suffering, transmission and mortality. The number of people living with TB around the globe has been decreasing steadily in recent years but progress has been slow. In 2011, 1.4 million people died from TB and it is estimated that 630,000 people are infected with MDR-TB. Africa is hardest hit by the TB pandemic and has the highest infection rates per capita in the world, accounting for 60% of the increased budget needs. High rates of HIV infection and malaria in Africa contribute to the persistence and severity of tuberculosis.

Analysis

This report highlights the need for wealthier, developed countries to cooperate and donate through global organizations to fight critical diseases in less developed countries. The globe’s poorest countries are those that consistently suffer the highest rates of infectious diseases. These diseases persist, especially in Africa, due to low sanitation standards, lack of health education and limited availability of quality health care. Higher death rates and lower life spans contribute to overall economic and social instability across sub-Saharan Africa. These factors are also part of the phenomena that drive high birth rates in response to high death rates in developing countries categorized in stage I of the demographic transition model.

Antony L Cochran

SOC 202-02

03/24/2013, 19:50

Blog #7: New Coronavirus Outbreak Traced to Middle East

"Mysterious Coronavirus from Middle East Claims Another Victim"
by Ryan Jaslow, March 13. 2013

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-204_162-57574060/mysterious-coronavirus-from-middle-east-claims-another-victim

CBS news online, along with the WHO and Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta have announced the identification of a new coronavirus (CoV) that appears to have originated in the Middle East. Infections have been confirmed in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the United Kingdom. The latter cases occurred in travelers to the Middle East and their families. This virus is distinct from the CoV that caused the deadly outbreak of SARS around the globe ten years ago, causing 800 deaths worldwide. This CoV strain has proven to be deadly also. This coronavirus is similar to rhinoviruses that cause common colds and respiratory ailments. Firm statistics on the virulence, pathogenicity or mortality rates (if available) have not been released, nor has any information of the exact source of the new virus. The CDC and WHO have published guidelines for increased disease surveillance, case reporting and precautionary measures that should be taken if traveling to the Middle East or dealing with a suspected case of infection with the new CoV.

Analysis

Newly emerging infectious diseases are routinely reported in global health news. The full scope of threats from these is often difficult to predict. The SARS CoV outbreak of 2003 took many governments and agencies by surprise. It spread quickly across the globe, causing widespread panic in Asia, Canada and the Middle East and large economic impacts before the causative organism was identified and actions were taken to control the virus. The outbreak highlighted specific weaknesses in governmental and international health organization monitoring and reporting systems. Although news of a novel, deadly virus is never welcome, rapid identification, stricter monitoring/reporting and guideline announcements regarding appearance of the new CoV represent significant improvements from 2003. Increased international, governmental and sociopolitical cooperation, bolstered support, along with improved guidelines from the WHO and CDC and better understandings about how rapidly a new infectious agent can spread may help prevent higher rates of incidence, morbidity and mortality when dealing with this new threat.

Antony Lynn Cochran
SOC 202-02
03/15/2013, 14:50 

Blog #6: Improved Data on Global Health Needs

"Big Data, Better Global Health"
The Council on Foreign Relations, 02/21/2013

http://www.cfr.org/global-health/big-data-better-global-health/p30042

The American Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) reports on a recent Geneva conference involving World Health Organization leaders, Bill Gates and other health experts. The conference was called in response to new data on global health estimates, released as part of a large effort, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, to better understand global disease burdens. The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation gathered data from 187 countries over a 20-year period- the largest project of its kind. The new information represents a significant breakthrough in understanding a fuller picture of global health. In the past, donors (like wealthy, developed nations and philanthropists) often had to rely on spotty data and estimates when deciding where dollars might do the most good. With better knowledge of global disease burdens, funding can be better targeted to the most significant issues. Also, the new data indicate better means for donor organizations, local governments and health organizations to collaborate on the areas of greatest need. Of note, the data reveal that non-communicable diseases like heart disease, lung disease and cancers have surpassed infectious diseases as the primary sources of global disease morbidity and mortality.

Analysis

The benefits of this new information are hard to overstate. For decades, the full scope of global disease burdens has been only partially understood. Several factors have proven barriers to good health information. These include lack of financial resources, "western bias," government corruption, conflicts and to some extent, the lack of broadly effective treatments. Although there is still significant room for improvement, better sanitation, vaccination and infection treatments have greatly reduced the effects of infectious diseases on a global scale. This is huge news. At no time in human history has then been the case, until now. The other side of the proverbial coin tells us that significant health issues remain. Increasing rates of heart disease, lung disease, obesity, diabetes, cancers and other chronic health concerns will prove significant issues for decades to come. At the least, we may now have a starting point for beginning to address these problems.

Antony Lynn Cochran
SOC 202-02, Spring 2013
03/06/2013, 20:05

Blog #5: Health/Disease, Ethics & Disease Intervention

When Mutant Mosquitoes Attack

By Maggie Koerth-Baker

New York Times, 02/19/2013

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/24/magazine/when-mutant-mosquitoes-attack.html?_r=1&

This piece is an opinion editorial. Normally, an opinion piece would not seem appropriate for discussion of the social impacts of global health and disease. However, this article addresses some serious questions about how we, as part of our societies, choose to try and eliminate or mitigate the risks of certain diseases. Malaria and dengue fever have both been potentially lethal infections endemic to tropical countries (usually less developed nations today) for eons. Both are spread my certain types of mosquitoes native to the areas where disease is present. Antimalarial drugs, bed nets and pesticides have all been used to try and control mosquito-borne diseases. Now, geneticists at several universities are investigating ways to genetically modify mosquitoes in order to interrupt some portion of their reproductive or metabolic cycles, aimed at lowering transmission rates of tropical diseases. The author examines the unknown risks we may be presenting with this approach given that we do not fully understand the ecological roles of mosquitoes. Introducing a genetically modified population of mosquitoes may (or may not) lead to unforeseeable consequences once the forces of evolution, namely genetic selection and adaptation, begin to affect these genetically modified organisms. The author highlights the term "risk society", coined by sociologist Ulrich Beck in 1986. It describes how modern, scientific societies in recent decades have handled risk mitigation. Many of our solutions have led to even worse consequences than the issue we were initially trying to mitigate.

Analysis

Any time humankind interferes with the natural history of another organism, the chance of unknowable consequences becomes possible, if not likely. Often, this has occurred accidentally. The introduction of Kudzu from Asia to control roadside erosion without fully examining the consequences has led to the weed that ate the South. The introduction of invasive Asian stink bug species in recent years is another example. It happened accidentally but these pests now present threats to certain food crops. Sometimes, intervening to stop the natural history of a disease works out very well. Global institution of effective smallpox vaccines has eradicated the disease from the planet. Sometimes, our interventions work well for a time but then begin to lose effectiveness or present all new dangers. Consider the rapid development of drug-resistant staphylococcus (MRSA) infections after only a few decades of widespread antibiotic use. Of course, research into means of controlling disease among human populations should continue, and do so vigorously. But, we should not rush to employ a solution or mitigating intervention until we have exhaustively considered the ethical and ecological implications of doing so.

Antony L. Cochran
SOC 202-02, Spring 2013, UNCG
02/27/2013, 20:10

Blog #4: Politics and Global Health

"Politics and Global Health - Are We Missing the Obvious?"
 http://blogs.plos.org/globalhealth/2013/02/11/gpaton1

Last week (02/11/2013) the British medical journal, The Lancet (http://www.thelancet.com) convened a meeting of prominent health leaders in London. The meeting launched the first in a series meant to garner consensus and develop definitive plans of action regarding global non-communicable diseases (NCD's). Primary goals of the initiative include bridging current knowledge gaps and obstacles to implementation of health measures around the globe. Special attention is being paid to social determinants, environmental issues, cultural practices and global food systems as all of these factors affect health differently across the globe. First identified in 2009, primary targets include reducing tobacco use, lowering dietary salt and trans-fat intake, increasing access to healthy foods and promoting exercise.

The model for addressing HIV/AIDS concerns developed by the UN after a summit in 2001 is being used as a format for developing strategies to deal with non-infectious diseases like obesity, cancers, heart and lung disease. Because a myriad of cultural and social issues, along with policy and governmental factors are so intertwined with global health issues, it is easy for these efforts to lose direction and become too diffuse to achieve measurable outcomes. Additionally, most UN and World Health Organization (WHO) goals are generally non-binding, often allowing political leaders to deliver plenty of inspiring rhetoric on improving health without fully implementing programs and achieving real results. If simple and concentrated measures are identified, the hope is that they will become more likely to have positive results.

Analysis

The topics of this meeting highlight the ways that social, cultural, economic and political concerns can have direct influences on individual health. The meeting calls particular attention to the ways that these institutions, conditions and patterns can act as barriers to or stymie the improvement of overall global health.

The resulting recommendations are two-fold in a very general sense. First, better understandings of how multiple influences (many of them social, political and cultural) affect disease and health need to be developed. Second - with these better understandings, effective and simple goals, along with clearer implementation strategies, can be developed and communicated across the globe.

Antony Lynn Cochran
SOC 202-02
02/17/2013, 09:40

Blog #2, Cochran, A New Polio Virus Appears in Egypt

Polio Virus Spreads From Pakistan to Egypt

original story by: Leslie Roberts, 01/24/2013

http://news.sciencemag.org/scienceinsider/2013/01/polio-virus-spreads-from-pakista.html

A recent report from the American Association for the Advancement of Science describes the appearance of a strain of poliovirus endemic to Pakistan in the sewer systems of Cairo. The contamination was discovered in routinely tested sewer samples in December, 2012. These were shipped to the U.S. Centers for Diseases Control (CDC) in Atlanta for genetic analysis and confirmation.

Although Polio has been eradicated from most areas of the globe, it persists in less developed countries, particularly Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria. Egypt has been free of any Polio infections since 2004, due in large part to aggressive vaccination campaigns and intense monitoring. Polio causes paralysis in about 1 out of 100 people it infects. The appearance of a “wild-type” Polio strain from Pakistan presents a potentially serious threat to the health of Egyptians, particularly children.

It is likely that the virus was brought to Egypt by someone (perhaps a family) who had recently visited or immigrated to the country from Pakistan. Egyptian polio vaccine efforts have waned during the upheavals of the recent revolution. Lower general immunity among the population could allow the new strain to gain more widespread entry into Cairo’s populace. As a result, Egyptian officials are preparing a broad campaign to vaccinate young children immediately and the larger population of Cairo in February.

Sociological Analysis

Global health, particularly in the realm of infectious diseases, is greatly impacted by multiple social factors. Although infection with the poliovirus itself does not represent a specific sociological problem, the compounding effects of civil unrest, poverty, government corruption, poor sanitation and limited health infrastructure all contribute to the sociological threats and impacts of a potential poliovirus outbreak. The countries where polio remains an ongoing threat, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria are all affected by one or more of these social factors. Additionally, globalization, specifically in the form of rapid transit, multinational immigration and perhaps the porous national borders that sometimes result during periods of conflict, exacerbate these threats.

As a somewhat more developed country, Egypt seems to possess more resources in the way of disease monitoring, health care provision and vaccination capabilities. However, ongoing social unrest in the country could conceivably lead to large gaps in these services, making the possibility of an epidemic outbreak more possible.

Antony L. Cochran, 02/02/2013, 18:45

Sociology 202-02, Spring 2013

Blog Post 1: World Health Organization 2013 Report on Measles

WHO: Measles deaths decline, but elimination progress stalls in some regions; Improved vaccination rates critical for success (01/17/2013/Geneva)

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/notes/2013/measles_20130117/en/index.html

In its recent report, the World Health Organization (WHO) describes efforts to eradicate measles from the globe by 2015 or 2020 and reports on progress made to date. The Measles & Rubella Initiative is led by a global partnership between American and international health entities.

Although the Americas have been free of measles since 2002, other areas of the globe continue to report measles cases, especially among children. Underdeveloped areas of Africa and central Asia remain dispropotionally affected but even industrialized nations like France, Spain and Italy continued to experience outbreaks as recently as 2011.

The report also points out some recent successes, including increases in global coverage with a first dose of vaccine and in the number of countries providing the second dose through routine services.

WHO indicates that ongoing reductions in measles morbidity and mortality require strengthening of health systems in order to provide effective immunization services and better laboratory surveillance systems.

Sociological Analysis

It is safe to assume that most members of global societies would consider the eradication of childhood infectious diseases to be a good thing for the sake humanity. In that light, this news is somewhat disappointing. However, it is not necessarily surprising when one considers the disparities pointed out between rich and poor nations and population segments in our Sernau text, Chapter 1.

Providing effective medical care and vaccination programs to the entire globe would seem to require significant monetary resources and widespread improvements in health care infrastructure, just as the WHO report indicates to some degree. The report does not detail specific barriers to care where measles continues to persist, but it is easy enough to infer that those nations and regions that are most lacking in money and resources are those that remain affected, with little exception.

Antony Cochran
01/20/2013 20:00

Health/Disease

I am interested in the topic of Health and Disease because I plan on pursuing a career in Sports Medicine or Sports Psychology. I am extremely interested in these two topics and I'm excited to learn more about them.
1/18/13 11:17  Robert Edwards

Health/Disease

Of the many global factors that impact societies and cultures, human health and disease processes are some of the most profound. Although we have made enormous advances in sanitation and medical care in developed countries, poorer nations and regions lag far behind in many cases. I would like to examine these inequalities in more detail. Also, I am particularly interested in the dynamics of human involvement within ecosystems and how these affect global health trends.

Antony Cochran
01/18/2013, 21:50