Impotencia

The business office of Science, the worlds leading peerreviewed research journal, is producing a webinar on “Apoptotic Signaling in Normal and Cancer Cell Biology” to be broadcast live online at 12 noon ET (400 GMT) September 22, 2009, sponsored by Promega.

The webinar will feature a discussion on the options available for monitoring apoptotic induction in various model systems. The discussion will be led by a panel of experts including John Abrams from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Joseph T. Opferman, Ph.D., from St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital, and moderated by Sean Sanders, Ph.D., the Commercial Editor for Science.

Apoptosis has been implicated in a broad spectrum of biological processes. As our understanding of the apoptotic process has expanded, it has become clear that it is a fundamental means by which organisms shape an appropriate multicellular architecture and maintain homeostasis and normal function. Researchers have shown that proper regulation of apoptotic pathways is required for normal embryogenesis and development, while dysregulation of cell death can lead to a range of diseases, including cancer.

“The development of technologies for monitoring cell death pathways and tracking apoptotic biomarkers has been a key element in our ability to understand the mechanisms at play.” said Dr. Sanders. “In our discussion we will provide an overview of apoptosis and survey some of the key processes controlled by apoptosis and the assays available to monitor those processes.”

For more information and to register for the webinar, visit sciencemag.org/webinar

Source
Natasha Pinol

The blood thinner warfarin can prevent strokes in most individuals with abnormal heart rhythms, but the drug may have the opposite effect in kidney disease patients on dialysis, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN). The results suggest that warfarin should be prescribed with caution in patients with kidney failure.

People with atrial fibrillation, the most common type of abnormal heart rhythm, have a significantly increased risk of stroke. Blood thinners can mitigate this risk. However, almost no studies have examined whether warfarin can also prevent stroke in atrial fibrillation patients who are also on dialysis.

To investigate, Kevin Chan, MD, Michael Lazarus, MD, Raymond Hakim, MD, PhD (Fresenius Medical Care North America); and Ravi Thadhani, MD (Massachusetts General Hospital), studied 1,671 end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients with a diagnosis of atrial fibrillation who started dialysis in clinics operated by Fresenius Medical Care North America. Patients health was monitored for an average of 1.6 years after dialysis was started.

The researchers found that patients who took warfarin increased their risk of stroke; however, the increase in risk was related to the degree of blood thinning in response to the drug. Dialysis patients whose blood was not monitored for warfarin levels after they received the drug had the highest risk of stroke (almost threefold higher than patients not on warfarin). Notably, clopidogrel and aspirin two other types of blood thinners did not increase dialysis patients risk of stroke.

Additional research is needed to determine why warfain has the opposite effect on stroke risk in kidney disease patients on dialysis compared with other individuals. One possible explanation maybe because bleeding is a well known complication of kidney failure and the concomitant use of blood thinners may exaggerate the risk of stroke from bleeding in the head. Also, this studys findings should be validated through randomized controlled clinical trials. “Until then, physicians should be cognizant of the possible risks associated with warfarin use for atrial fibrillation in ESRD patients with careful evaluation of the risks and benefits of intervention at the individual patient level,” they concluded.

Drs. Chan, Lazarus, and Hakim are employees of Fresenius Medical Care North America.

The American Society of Nephrology (ASN) does not offer medical advice. All content in ASN publications is for informational purposes only, and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, drug interactions, or adverse effects. This content should not be used during a medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health care provider if you have any questions about a medical condition, or before taking any drug, changing your diet or commencing or discontinuing any course of treatment. Do not ignore or delay obtaining professional medical advice because of information accessed through ASN. Call 911 or your doctor for all medical emergencies.

Founded in 1966, the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) is the worlds largest professional society devoted to the study of kidney disease. Comprised of 11,000 physicians and scientists, ASN continues to promote expert patient care, to advance medical research, and to educate the renal community. ASN also informs policymakers about issues of importance to kidney doctors and their patients. ASN funds research, and through its worldrenowned meetings and firstclass publications, disseminates information and educational tools that empower physicians.

The Los Angeles Times on Wednesday examined the relationship between Randall Terry, the founder of the radical antiabortionrights group Operation Rescue, and Troy Newman, the groups current president. Although the two once had a close relationship, an ongoing feud over the ownership of the Operation Rescue name has “locked” them in an “increasingly nasty battle,” the Times reports. According to the Times, Terry founded the group in 1986 and “rose to fame leading clinic blockades.” However, he “faded from the forefront” of the antiabortion movement after a 1998 legal settlement with the National Organization for Women, in which he agreed to a permanent injunction barring him from protesting at abortion clinics. Several of Terrys followers, including Newman, criticized the agreement. Newman, who started as a spokesperson for the group, became president in 1999.

In 2002, Newman relocated the groups headquarters to Wichita, Kan., to focus on activities intended to shut down murdered abortion provider George Tillers practice though “relentless harassment,” the Times reports. Tiller was shot at his church in May, allegedly by a man who claims to have donated money to Operation Rescue. Newman has condemned the murder while attacking Terrys response to the event. Following Tillers death, Terry called Tiller a “mass murderer” who was “every bit as vile as the Nazi war criminals.”

According to the Times, the most recent dispute between the two men involves a trademark petition filed by Newman in 2006 for the rights to the groups name. Terry subsequently filed a petition with the federal Trademark Trial and Appeal Board in 2007 to cancel Newmans registration of the Operation Rescue name. Terry claimed that he is the rightful owner of the name because he received a business certificate for it in 1988 in Binghamton, N.Y. He also alleged that Newman obtained the trademark fraudulently and that Newman uses the name to attract donations that are meant for Terry. In a letter sent to his supporters, Newman charged Terry with attempting “a hostile takeover.” John Welch, a trademark attorney not involved with the situation, said that such disputes usually result in some kind of agreement because the legal process can take several years. However, he added that he “doubt[s] this one will be settled. This one looks like a personal vendetta.”

Although Operation Rescue has an “unquestionable ability to raise money,” other groups in the antiabortionrights movement “question its political relevance today,” the Times reports. For example, a recent conference call with leaders of the movement took place to discuss President Obamas health care reform plan and their fears that a health reform bill will not prohibit federal funding for abortion services. More than 35,000 listeners were invited to participate in the call, but Operation Rescue was not on the participant list, the Times reports.

Marvin Olasky, editor of the conservative Christian magazine World, said that Operation Rescue is “largely a blast from the past, and fairly marginalized in the prolife movement now,” compared with the groups efforts two decades ago. At that time, the groups activities “were probably creating more support for abortion overall, and as the prolife movement recognized that, the emphasis became one of offering compassionate help to women in crisis. The group as a whole, and particularly Randy Terry, never made that leap.”

The Times reports that some advocates in the antiabortion movement have tried unsuccessfully to reconcile Terry and Newman. Missy Smith, an advocate in Washington who has tried to bring the two together, said that it “would take some real humility” because “[t]hese are two strongwilled men, both of them very talented” (Abcarian, Los Angeles Times, 8/26).

Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership.org. You can view the entire Daily Womens Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Womens Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.

© 2009 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.

USANA Health Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ USNA) announced that results of a large, thirdparty clinical study involving USANA products, conducted at the University of Colorado Denver (UCD), have been published in the August 2009 edition of the journal Obesity and Weight Management.

The recently completed study confirms that lifestyle change can significantly improve outcomes in subjects with metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a prediabetic state that involves multiple symptoms including central obesity, insulin resistance, elevated blood lipids, elevated blood glucose, and high blood pressure. The 12weeklong study was conducted with 60 people diagnosed with metabolic syndrome. Subjects followed an Internetbased lifestyle modification program that included USANAs nutritional supplements, moderate exercise and a lowglycemic diet including USANAs nutritional shakes and bars.

Over the 12week program, subjects in the study lost an average of 12 pounds and experienced significant improvements in measures of glycemic control, cardiovascular risk factors, inflammation and antioxidant status. Importantly, by the end of the trial, onethird of the subjects no longer met the criteria for metabolic syndrome.

Holly Wyatt, a physician and faculty member of the University of Colorados Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, oversaw the study. “This is a very promising program that produced some very positive changes in the cardiovascular risk factors associated with the metabolic syndrome,” Dr. Wyatt said. “The shifts in dietary habits to calorically restricted lowglycemic meals and the modest increases in physical activity were not only effective but also are realistic behavioral changes many people can make.”

“We are thrilled with the results of this clinical study and are excited to see it published in Obesity and Weight Management,” said Tim Wood, USANAs Executive Vice President of Research and Development. “It is gratifying to have independent confirmation that our products and approaches to healthy lifestyle management work.”

Source

Cardium Therapeutics (NYSE Amex CXM) announced that all patients enrolled in the Companys MATRIX clinical study have now completed their initial 12week evaluation period and that it plans to provide detailed safety and efficacy data in late September 2009.

The Phase 2b MATRIX clinical trial is a prospective, randomized, doubleblind, placebocontrolled study of Excellarate(TM) for the potential treatment of chronic diabetic foot ulcers. The clinical study is designed to evaluate safety and key efficacy measures including complete wound closure, time to complete wound closure, absolute and percent change in ulcer area, and wound healing trajectories at various time points, as well as a wide range of other safety and comparative healing metrics which will be used to develop a Phase 3 clinical study. In addition, following the initial 12week efficacy evaluation period, patients whose wounds have successfully closed are now being followed for three months to further evaluate wound healing durability.

“With the data set now complete for the initial 12week evaluation period, we look forward to completion of the formal statistical review and analysis and, as previously reported, we expect to announce safety and efficacy data around the end of September,” stated Christopher J. Reinhard, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Cardium Therapeutics. “During the course of this landmark gene therapy trial, we have observed some remarkable healing responses, based on a one or two physicianadministered treatment protocol, instead of current therapies which require multiple treatments by physicians or patients either on a daily or weekly basis for up to 20 weeks. We look forward to reviewing the MATRIX studys complete data set.”

Observational Safety and Efficacy Insights

Based on a continuing review of safety information, the Excellarate product candidate appears to be both safe and welltolerated, with no serious adverse events attributed to use of the study product.

With respect to efficacy, while the study remains blinded until all key data are collected and fully analyzed, the Company and investigators are encouraged by several observations related to wound healing in the enrolled patient population. First, a number of study investigators have observed very rapid reductions in ulcer area after initial treatment (whereas the ulcers had not substantially reduced in size during a prior 2week runin period that was used to screen all patients entering the study). These findings are similar to what had been observed in the Phase 1/2 study.

In addition, the current blinded pooled data set, which includes patients that received the Excellarate product candidate or standardized therapy (placebo or standard of care) is also encouraging. In particular, based on a comparative review of multiple, well documented proteinbased wound healing studies, three key efficacy measures Wound Closure Incidence (percent of patients achieving complete closure over time), Wound Closure Efficiency (percent reduction in wound size), and Wound Closure Rate (wound closure trajectories over time), all appear to be occurring at rates higher than would be expected for patients receiving only standardized therapy.

If substantial differences in these key efficacy measures are confirmed in the final unblinded data set, we would expect the data to form the basis for a Phase 3 study designed to further demonstrate the safety and effectiveness of Excellarate for the potential treatment of patients with nonhealing diabetic ulcers. In addition, as discussed recently, we believe that the Gene Activated Matrix (GAM) technology used for Excellarate has the potential to be applied to other types of wound and tissue repair settings, including not only the potential treatment of other soft tissue injuries such as pressure ulcers, but also hard tissue injuries such as those associated with bone fractures and other orthopedic applications.

Innovative Advanced Care DNABased Therapy

Excellarate is an advanced care DNAbased biologic product candidate that is being developed to provide physicians and patients with a potentially simpler and easy to use treatment as compared to current therapies. Based on the positive data from the Phase 1/2 study, the Company believes that the Excellarate topical gel provides a unique opportunity to (1) improve patient compliance, based on a one or twotreatment regimen, and (2) enhance acceptance by the medical community due to improved ease of use (as a prefilled syringe, requiring only standard refrigeration and a 1518 month shelf life), when compared to other treatment options. With this targeted registration profile, Cardium believes that Excellarate offers the unique potential to become an important new therapeutic class that, in certain cases, may supplant the use of current healing agents and medical devices, and, in other cases, may be used in concert with other agents and current therapies in certain wounds and under various medical conditions within an expanding spectrum of advanced wound care solutions.

About Excellarate and New Formulation Advancements

Excellarate is a collagenbased topical gel employing TRCs Gene Activated Matrix(TM) that is designed to locally stimulate the release of plateletderived growth factorB protein (PDGFB), an important key in the human bodys wound healing process. Sustained, localized microrelease of PDGFB by a patients own cells directly at the wound site is believed to stimulate angiogenesis and granulation tissue formation through the recruitment and proliferation of cells such as monocytes, fibroblasts and endothelial cells. These cell types are critical for the effective stimulation of a variety of wound healing processes.

The Excellarate product candidate is designed to require only one or two physicianadministered treatments, in contrast to most diabetic wound healing agents or devices in use that require repeated administrations over a long term (weeks to months). Based on recently announced advancements, Excellarate will be reformulated as an easytouse single syringe that is premixed and ready to be applied to patients wounds. The reformulation will allow Excellarate to be maintained in a physicians office using a standard refrigerator (at a temperature of about 4 C) and is expected to have a shelf life of 1518 months.

Orthobiologics Initiative

Cardium recently announced its plans to develop a DNAbased orthobiologics product portfolio based on research and development that will initially focus on nonunion bone fractures for medicallycompromised patients, and spinal fusions for patients with degenerative disc disease. Orthobiologics is a rapidly growing segment of the orthopedics market and represents biologicallyactive products designed to enhance musculoskeletal repair and regeneration. The initial orthobiologics focus will be on the development of Osteorate(TM), a DNAbased nonsurgical injectable bone graft gel to repair bone fractures and regenerate tissue in certain medicallycompromised patient populations. Osteorate will be based on a reformulation of Cardiums DNAbased Excellarate wound healing product candidate, which is designed to stimulate localized and sustained cellular production of plateletderived growth factorB (PDGFB) protein, as a treatment for patients with nonhealing diabetic foot ulcers. The Gene Activated Matrix technology allows for a broad spectrum of formulations which would include, but not be limited to, collagen, demineralized bone matrices, allograft and synthetic graft materials.

About Cardium

Cardium is focused on the acquisition and strategic development of new and innovative biomedical product opportunities and businesses that have the potential to address significant unmet medical needs and definable pathways to commercialization, partnering and other economic monetizations. Cardiums investment portfolio includes the Tissue Repair Company and Cardium Biologics, medical technology companies primarily focused on the development of innovative therapeutic products for wound healing, bone repair, and cardiovascular indications. In May 2009, Cardium announced completion of the enrollment for the Matrix Phase 2b clinical study to evaluate the Excellarate product candidate as a treatment for patients with nonhealing diabetic ulcers. In July 2009, Cardium completed the sale of its InnerCool Therapies medical device business to Royal Philips Electronics, the first asset monetization from the Companys biomedical investment portfolio.

ForwardLooking Statements

Except for statements of historical fact, the matters discussed in this press release are forward looking and reflect numerous assumptions and involve a variety of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control and may cause actual results to differ materially from stated expectations. For example, there can be no assurance that the MATRIX study or other human clinical trials can be conducted and completed in an efficient and successful manner, that product formulation enhancements will be successful or will effectively simplify or expand the use of product candidates or technologies, that the GAM technology can be successfully broadened or applied to additional wound healing or tissue repair opportunities, that Excellarate or our other candidates will prove to be sufficiently safe and effective, that results or trends observed in one clinical study or procedure will be reproduced in subsequent studies or procedures, that clinical studies even if successful will lead to product advancement or partnering, that our products or product candidates will not be unfavorably compared to competitive products that may be regarded as safer, more effective, easier to use or less expensive, that FDA or other regulatory clearances or other certifications, or other commercialization efforts will be successful or will effectively enhance our businesses or their market value, that our products or product candidates will prove to be sufficiently safe and effective after introduction into a broader patient population, or that third parties on whom we depend will perform as anticipated.

Actual results may also differ substantially from those described in or contemplated by this press release due to risks and uncertainties that exist in our operations and business environment, including, without limitation, risks and uncertainties that are inherent in the development of complex biologics and in the conduct of human clinical trials, including the timing, costs and outcomes of such trials, our ability to obtain necessary funding, regulatory approvals and expected qualifications, our dependence upon proprietary technology, our history of operating losses and accumulated deficits, our reliance on collaborative relationships and critical personnel, and current and future competition, as well as other risks described from time to time in filings we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We undertake no obligation to release publicly the results of any revisions to these forwardlooking statements to reflect events or circumstances arising after the date hereof.

Copyright 2009 Cardium Therapeutics, Inc. All rights reserved.

Cardium Therapeutics(TM) and Generx((R)) are trademarks of Cardium Therapeutics, Inc.

Tissue Repair(TM), Gene Activated Matrix(TM), GAM(TM), Excellarate(TM) and Osteorate(TM) are trademarks of Tissue Repair Company.

Other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Source Cardium Therapeutics

UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman, in her visit to The Republic of the Congo (Brazzaville), announced $500,000 in additional support for health, nutrition and education programs to help mitigate the effects of the global economic crisis on the most vulnerable.

CongoBrazzaville, which lies in the heart of the African continent, is recovering from two civil wars that resulted in the displacement of over 1 million people. Despite progress made since the peace agreement in 2003, more than half the population now lives below the poverty line.

“Women and children are the most affected by poverty,” said Veneman. “In CongoBrazzaville, one in eight children die before their fifth birthday, largely from preventable causes. The country also has one of the highest rates of maternal mortality in the region.”

The UNICEF Executive Director visited the Life Savers national initiative, which in close cooperation with the Congolese Government, promotes 12 simple, easy to practice household behaviors, such as exclusive breast feeding for 6 months, sleeping under an insecticidetreated mosquito bednet, hand washing with soap, and the use of oral rehydration therapy for diarrhea. She also visited the Life Saving Telephone center, a 24/7 hotline which provides parents and caregivers an emergency number to call when their child is sick.

U.S. District Judge Karen Schreier on Thursday upheld a provision in a 2005 South Dakota law that requires doctors to inform women seeking abortions that the procedure “will terminate the life of a whole, separate, unique, living human being,” the AP/Seattle Times reports. However, Schreier overturned disclosure provisions that abortion increases the likelihood of suicide and that the woman has an existing relationship with the fetus. The judge also ruled that physicians can provide more information than the language in the bill, such as that the phrase “human being” can be used in a biological and not ideological sense, according to the AP/Times.

The decision ends a lawsuit brought against the state by Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota in response to the law. Schreier temporarily prevented the law from taking effect after it passed, but the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit overruled the order in 2008. South Dakota Assistant Attorney General John Guhin, who argued the lawsuit for the state, and Sarah Stoesz, president and CEO of PPMNDSD, said Schreier largely followed the appeals courts decision. Both also said that they will consider whether to appeal the issues they lost (Walker, AP/Seattle Times, 8/20).

After the ruling was handed down, both sides of the lawsuit “claimed victory,” the AP/New York Times reports. Mimi Liu, a lawyer for Planned Parenthood, said, “Were relieved our doctors have the ability to use their best medical judgment to explain and make sure what women understand is biological and factual information, not an ideological mandate from the state.”

Abortionrights opponent Leslee Unruh founder of the Alpha Center pregnancy counseling center in Sioux Falls, S.D., which was one of the intervening parties in the lawsuit called the ruling upholding the “human being” provision “a huge, fatal blow” to abortionrights supporters and the “unraveling” of Roe v. Wade. Unruh said she plans to appeal the decisions on the suicide and relationship provisions (AP/New York Times, 8/21).

Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership.org. You can view the entire Daily Womens Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Womens Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.

© 2009 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.

Exciting research into Brown adipose tissue (BAT) brown fat, which is found in abundance in hibernating animals and newborn babies could lead to new ways of preventing obesity.

Studies have already shown that BAT activity in adults is reduced with obesity. Therefore, promoting BAT function could prevent or reduce obesity in some people.

New research, led by Michael Symonds, Professor of Developmental Physiology in the School of Clincal Sciences at The University of Nottingham, has shown for the first time that daylight is a major factor in controlling BAT activity.

Professor Symonds said “Our research has suggested a previously unknown mechanism for controlling BAT function in humans and this could potentially lead to new treatments for the prevention or reversal of obesity.”

Winter was traditionally a time of the year that was accompanied with increased thermal demands and thus energy expenditure, but the bodys requirements for BAT has been reduced in recent times by central heating plus global warming. BAT is capable of producing up to 300 times more heat per unit mass compared with all other tissues.

The research, published in the journal Diabetes, studied well over 3500 patients. The presence of BAT was documented and correlated with monthly changes in daylight and ambient temperature. Their results showed that BAT was more common in females and that changes in BAT activity were more closely associated with day light than ambient temperature.

BAT is activated by the cold and is unique in being able to produce very large amounts of heat but little is known about the main factors that regulate the amount of BAT in our bodies. Professor Symonds said “Our research demonstrates a very strong seasonal variation in the presence of BAT. The study focused on the impact of daylight and ambient temperature as these are two key factors in determining BAT function in small mammals. Our exciting new findings may help us find novel interventions aimed at promoting BAT activity particularly in the winter.”

Source Nottingham University

The 2009 American Society for Microbiology (ASM) sanofiaventis ICAAC Award will be presented to Nicholas J. White, Professor, University of Oxford, United Kingdom and Mahidol University, Bangkok, and Chair, Wellcome Trust South East Asian Research Units, Bangkok. Supported by sanofiaventis, the award has honored outstanding accomplishment in antimicrobial chemotherapy, development of new agents, investigation of antimicrobial action or resistance to antimicrobial agents, and/or the pharmacology, toxicology or clinical use of those agents since 1982.

Dr. White has spent his career working on the prevention and treatment of malaria. His early research showed that pharmacokinetics can differ between groups and between those with and without malaria. This observation resulted in the guiding of current recommendations for the dosing of antimalarials. His subsequent work with colleagues demonstrated the incredible effectiveness of artemisinin, a traditional Chineseplant derived antimalarial, in uncomplicated and severe falciparum malaria. They showed that adding a new drug was not sufficient and that monotherapy with artemisinin would likely lead to the spread of resistant parasites. Their observation led to the formulation of the artemisininbased combination treatments (ACT) which is endorsed by the World Health Organization as the first line treatment for falciparum malaria worldwide. Furthermore, their research showed that artemisinin derivatives reduce malaria transmissibility. His work has been one of the major drivers of the marked decrease in malaria morbidity seen in over a dozen countries this decade.

Dr. White received his MB, BS, M.D., and D.Sc. Medicine from the University of London.

The sanofiaventis ICAAC Award will be presented during ASMs 49th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, September 1215, 2009 in San Francisco, CA. ASM is the worlds oldest and largest life science organization and has more than 43,000 members worldwide. ASMs mission is to advance the microbiological sciences and promote the use of scientific knowledge for improved health, economic, and environmental wellbeing.

Source
Garth Hogan
American Society for Microbiology

The recommended weight gain of 25 to 35 pounds during pregnancy can increase womens risk for giving birth to infants that are large for gestational age LGA or have excessively high birthweights known as macrosomia according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study published in the July issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Reuters reports. The study also found that prepregnancy body mass index appears to affect the association between LGA and weight gain, but BMI does not affect the link between macrosomia and weight gain.

For the study, Patricia Dietz of CDC and colleagues analyzed data from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System on 104,980 singleton term births from 2000 to 2005. They defined LGA as greater than 90% of birthweight for gestational age and macrosomia as birthweight of at least 4,500 grams.

For women who gained 26 to 35 pounds, the risk for macrosomia increased 1.5 times relative to the risk for women who gained 15 to 25 pounds. A 36 to 45pound weight gain increased the risk 2.1 times, while the risk increased 3.9 times for women who gained 46 pounds or more. In addition, relative to a weight gain of 15 to 25 pounds, lean women had sixfold increased risk of LGA if they gained 46 pounds or more, while obese women had a 2.4fold increased risk for the same weight gain.

The researchers wrote, “Healthy women have been found to gain an average of 27.5 pounds. The results of our study suggest that weight above this amount may not be beneficial for the mother or the fetus, regardless of the mothers prepregnancy body mass index” (Reuters, 8/17).

Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership.org. You can view the entire Daily Womens Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Womens Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.

© 2009 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.