Something is wrong with this prescription

The words "Clomipramine" and "Clomiphene"  might look similar, but if you work in a pharmacy, you should know that they stand for very different things. Clomiphene is the generic version of the fertility drug Clomid. Clomipramine is a tricyclic antidepressant. A woman in Pittsburgh says that the pharmacy at a Giant Eagle grocery store gave her the antidepressant when she was prescribed the fertility drug. She had a severe allergic reaction and ended up in the emergency room.

I called Giant Eagle immediately and said 'Something is wrong with this prescription,' and they said 'Give me your name,' and they placed me on hold. And when they returned back on the phone they said 'Ma'am, you're right, we gave you the wrong medication,'(the woman) said.

    She said her mother rushed her to the emergency room where doctors gave her five additional medications to keep her from going into anaphylactic shock.


The grocery chain, of course, told a local news station that they are "taking the incident very seriously and are working to rectify the situation."

It appears that the incorrect medication name appears on a pamphlet the customer received. Always carefully check the printed information with your prescriptions, which should include a list of possible side effects and counterindications, a description of what the medication is used for, and sometimes a physical description of what your pills should look like.

Allergists should also review each patient's symptoms before every injection

Allergists should also review each patient's symptoms before every injection, Nelson said. "Patients shouldn't be actively wheezing, they shouldn't be waking up at night due to asthma symptoms and their pulmonary function should be relatively normal." If symptoms are flaring up, doctors should postpone the injection.

Professional guidelines recommend that patients remain under observation for 30 to 45 minutes after an injection, so that clinicians can recognize any serious reactions and treat them immediately.

The review appears in the current issue of The Cochrane Library, a publication of The Cochrane Collaboration, an international organization that evaluates research in all aspects of health care. Systematic reviews draw evidence-based conclusions about medical practice after considering both the content and quality of existing trials on a topic.

The meta-analysis encompasses 88 studies, with 13 published since 2001, and about 3,800 participants. All studies were randomized controlled trials. Most of the studies focus on house mite or pollen allergies, while a few looked at animal dander, mold, latex or a combination of allergens.

"Among allergists there's no question that asthma caused by allergies is responsive to immunotherapy," Nelson said. "The advantage of immunotherapy is that it causes long-lasting, if not permanent, improvement."

Furthermore, most people who have allergy-induced asthma also have nasal symptoms, Nelson said. "They have to inhale steroids into their lungs and spray them into their nose, and a lot of people don't like to do that forever. Immunotherapy treats both the nasal and chest symptoms."

Self-Testing Method For “Laser-Accurate” Results

The 7 Step Self-Testing Method For "Laser-Accurate" Results
One way to greatly increase your accuracy is to be ruthlessly consistent in your
pinching technique by using an "anatomical landmark." This means that before
grabbing a skinfold, you must carefully LOCATE the precise spot to pinch by finding
a reference point such as a bony protrusion (like where the top of your hip bone
pokes out). That reminds me, one of my clients once had her husband mark "the
pinching spot" with a permanent marker to improve her testing accuracy. Kind of
funny, but I'm sure she got a very accurate reading each week! (Although she'd
probably get some odd stares if she showed up at the beach with lines drawn all
over her!)
Anyway, the purpose of the "anatomical landmark" is to help you pinch exactly the
same spot each time to increase your accuracy. If you pinch one inch to the left,
right, above or below the usual spot, this will decrease your accuracy. Locating the
anatomical landmark will help you pinch the exact same spot every time.

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What Is Skeletal Muscle?

Skeletal Muscle Allows Movement
What Is Skeletal Muscle?
Skeletal muscle is made up of very specialized cells that have the ability to
shorten when they are stimulated. With the exception of reflex mechan-
isms, such as the knee tap by a physician, movement of our skeletal
muscle is under the command of our brain, as mentioned earlier. Because
muscle cells are very long they are often referred to as muscle fibers.
 The fibers are bundled up like a box of dry spaghetti or
straight wires in a cable. The muscle fiber bundles are themselves bundled
up and are part of larger collection of similar bundles which make up a
particular muscle. Skeletal muscle is so named because it is generally
anchored at both ends to different bones of our skeleton by tendons.
When muscle contracts, it pulls on a specific bone, which moves the bone,
thus moving a body part.
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What Is the Design of Molecules?

What Is the Design of Molecules?
One limitation of an ink-and-paper representation of molecules is that it
often fails to truly capture the three-dimensional beauty of molecules. For
example, DNA molecules exist in a spiral staircase design, while many
protein molecules appear to be all bunched (or "globbed") up. The three-
dimensional design of a molecule helps determine what that molecule can
do (its properties). Furthermore, we will see that many of the important
molecules in our body are actually combinations of smaller molecules.
For instance, proteins are made from amino acids, and fat molecules are
made from fatty acids and glycerol.
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Like everyone else

Like everyone else, I started off by trying to apply the usual weight-loss rules and, like everyone else, I became thoroughly disillusioned with the lack of positive results.

But soon afterwards, as luck would have it, I came across a general practitioner with a keen interest in nutritional problems. He gave me some advice, and the guidelines he suggested to me seemed to call into question the fundamental basis of traditional dietetics.

It was not long before I was achieving very promising results. So I then decided to delve further into the theory. This I was quite well placed to do, as I worked for a pharmaceutical company and found it relatively easy to come by the scientific information I needed.

Within a few weeks I had gathered together most of the French and American papers which existed on the subject. I already knew that certain rules brought results, but I wanted to get to the root of the scientific explanations, to know how and in what circumstances the rules would work and what limits there might be to their effectiveness.

You can move your workouts to another form of activity.

Trade the treadmill for the elliptical trainer
If you are currently suffering from back pain, or have in the past, it might be a very smart choice to move your cardio workouts from the treadmill to the elliptical trainer. While running certainly is a good cardiovascular exercise and great for fat burning, it does contribute to a lot of impact on your vertebra.

If you really do have a great love of running and hate to give it up, at least consider cutting back on the volume you are doing. You really only need a couple of runs each week to keep yourself physically fit, and from there you can move your workouts to another form of activity.

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Ginseng tested in humans and animals

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These uses have been tested in humans or animals. Safety and effectiveness have not always been proven. Some of these conditions are potentially serious, and should be evaluated by a qualified healthcare provider.

Uses based on scientific evidence	Grade*
Heart conditions Ginseng appears to have antioxidant effects that may benefit patients with heart disorders. Some studies suggest that ginseng also reduces oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL or "bad") cholesterol and brain tissue. Better studies are needed to make a firm recommendation.	B
High blood sugar/glucose intolerance Several studies suggest ginseng may lower blood sugar levels in patients with type 2 diabetes before and after meals. These results are promising, especially because ginseng does not seem to lower blood sugar to dangerous levels. Future research should focus on the long-term effects of ginseng in managing blood sugar levels.	B
Immune system enhancement Several studies report that ginseng may boost the immune system, improve the effectiveness of antibiotics in people with acute bronchitis, and enhance the body's response to flu vaccines. Additional studies are needed before a clear conclusion can be reached.	B
Type 2 diabetes (adult-onset) Several human studies report that ginseng may lower blood sugar levels in patients with type 2 diabetes. Long-term effects are not clear, and it is not known what doses are safe or effective. People with diabetes should seek the care of a qualified healthcare practitioner and should not use ginseng instead of more proven therapies. Effects of ginseng in type 1 diabetes ("insulin dependent") are not well studied.	B
Aplastic anemia Weak studies suggest that ginseng in combination with other herbs may improve cell activity, immune function, and red and white blood cell counts in patients with aplastic anemia. Other studies have found decreases in blood cell counts. High-quality studies of ginseng alone are needed.	C
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) Early small studies suggest that American ginseng may help treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children. However, there is currently not enough evidence to support this use of ginseng.	C
Birth outcomes (anoxemic encephalopathy) There is currently not enough evidence to support the use of ginseng for this condition. High-quality studies are needed to understand this relationship.	C
Bronchodilator Limited research suggests that ginseng has positive effects on breathing. Further studies are needed in this area.	C
Cancer chemotherapy Early studies suggest that ginseng injections may help patients undergoing chemotherapy for various types of cancer. Ginseng may improve body weight, quality of life, and the immune response. Although this evidence is promising, the effect of ginseng alone is not clear. More research using ginseng alone is needed.	C
Cancer prevention A few studies report that ginseng taken by mouth may lower the risk of developing some cancers, especially if ginseng powder or extract is used. Study results are controversial, and more research is needed before a clear conclusion can be reached.	C
Cardiovascular risk reduction Current evidence does not support the use of ginseng to reduce the risk of heart disease. Some evidence suggests that ginseng may improve blood pressure, blood sugar levels, and cholesterol. High-quality studies are needed.	C
Chronic hepatitis B Early studies show that ginseng may improve some aspects of liver function but not others. More research is needed in this area.	C
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) Ginseng was reported to improve lung function and exercise capacity in patients with COPD. Further research is needed to confirm these results.	C
Congestive heart failure Based on limited research, it is unclear if ginseng improves congestive heart failure. High-quality studies looking at the effect of ginseng alone are needed.	C
Coronary artery disease Several studies from China report that ginseng in combination with various other herbs may reduce symptoms of coronary artery disease. Without further evidence on the effects of ginseng specifically, a firm conclusion cannot be reached.	C
Dementia Early small studies report that Fuyuan mixture, an herbal combination that contains ginseng, may improve symptoms of multi-infarct dementia. The effects of ginseng alone are not clear, and no firm conclusion can be drawn.	C
Diabetic complications (kidney damage) Early evidence suggests that a form of ginseng not commonly available in the United States may improve kidney damage in patients with diabetes. Some research suggests that  Panax notoginseng  may be as effective as the prescription drug Ticlid®. However, more research is needed.	C
Erectile dysfunction Early studies suggest that ginseng may help treat erectile dysfunction. Additional high-quality studies are needed.	C
Exercise performance Athletes commonly use ginseng as a potential way to improve stamina. However, it remains unclear if ginseng taken by mouth significantly affects exercise performance. Many studies have been published in this area, with mixed results. Better studies are necessary before a clear conclusion can be reached.	C
Fatigue A few studies using ginseng extract G115® (with or without multivitamins) report improvements in patients with fatigue of various causes. However, these results are early, and studies have not been high quality.	C
Fistula (anal) Early evidence in infants with peri-anal abscesses or anal fistulas suggests that GTTC (Ginseng and Tang-kuei Ten Combination) may speed up recovery. Further research is needed to confirm these results.	C
Heart damage (cardiac bypass complications) Early studies suggest that ginseng may have a positive effect on complications of cardiac bypass surgery, including decreasing damage to the lining of the digestive tract. Well-designed studies are needed before a strong recommendation can be made.	C
High blood pressure Early research suggests that ginseng may lower blood pressure (systolic and diastolic). It is not clear what doses may be safe or effective. Well-conducted studies are needed to confirm these early results.	C
High cholesterol Several low-quality studies have examined the effects of  Panax ginseng  on cholesterol levels. Results are mixed. More studies are needed to understand the effects of ginseng on cholesterol levels.	C
Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (refractory) Combination herbal products containing ginseng may help treat refractory idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, a blood disorder that does not respond well to treatment. Studies that use ginseng alone are needed.	C
Intracranial pressure (ICP) Early research reports that Xuesaitong injection (XSTI), a preparation of  Panax notoginseng , may help decrease pressure inside the skull and benefit coma patients. Further study is needed to confirm these results.	C
Kidney dysfunction (hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome) A combination of herbs that included ginseng was not better than treatment with a conventional medicine plus traditional Chinese medicine. More research is needed in this area because the effects of ginseng alone are unknown.	C
Liver protection Early studies suggest that ginseng may have protective effects on the liver. Additional human study is warranted in this area.	C
Lung conditions Several studies have looked at the effects of ginseng in a variety of lung conditions. Early results are promising, but many studies have used combination products, making it difficult to evaluate the effect of ginseng. More research using ginseng alone is needed in this area.	C
Male infertility Early evidence suggests that ginseng may improve male fertility by increasing the number and movement of sperm. Further studies are needed to determine what dose may be safe and effective.	C
Menopausal symptoms Based on limited research, it is unclear if ginseng may help treat menopausal symptoms. Some studies report improvements in depression and sense of well-being, without changes in hormone levels.	C
Mental performance Several studies report that ginseng may modestly improve thinking or learning. Benefits have been seen both in healthy young people and in older ill patients. Effects have also been reported with a combination of ginseng and  Ginkgo biloba . However, some mixed results have also been reported. Therefore, even though most available evidence supports this use of ginseng, better research is needed before a strong recommendation can be made.	C
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) In patients treated with Hochu-ekki-to, which contains ginseng and several other herbs, urinary MRSA has been reported to decrease after 10 weeks. Further study of ginseng alone is necessary in order to draw firm conclusions.	C
Mood and cognition in post-menopausal women A review of several studies suggested that ginseng may improve mood and anxiety in postmenopausal women. Additional studies are needed before a firm conclusion may be drawn.	C
Neurological disorders Early studies suggest that ginseng may have beneficial effects on neurological disorders. High-quality studies are needed in this area.	C
Postoperative recovery (breast cancer) Early studies have tested the effect of a combination product containing ginseng on recovery after surgery among breast cancer patients. Results suggest no benefits in cell counts, but a slightly faster recovery of the iron-carrying component of red blood cells (called hemoglobin). Studies using ginseng alone are needed.	C
Pregnancy problems (intrauterine growth retardation) Early studies have found that components of  Panax ginseng  might be useful in treating intrauterine growth retardation. Larger, well-designed studies are needed in this area.	C
Premature ejaculation Early studies suggest that applying an herbal combination containing  Panax ginseng  on the penis may help treat premature ejaculation. However, because ginseng was tested with other herbs, its individual effects are unclear.	C
Quality of life There is early evidence that  Panax ginseng  or American ginseng may help improve quality of life in both healthy and ill patients, although effects may not be long-lasting unless ginseng is taken continually. More research is needed in this area before a firm conclusion can be reached.	C
Radiation therapy side effects Early studies suggest that ginseng may improve fatigue and measures of well-being among patients receiving radiation therapy. However, there is not enough evidence to recommend the use of  Panax ginseng  or American ginseng for this use.	C
Respiratory infections Ginseng (CVT-E002) may be safe, well tolerated, and potentially effective for preventing acute respiratory illnesses caused by the flu or the respiratory syncytial virus. More study is needed in this area.	C
Sexual arousal (in women) Early studies suggest that a product containing  Panax ginseng , L-arginine,  Ginkgo biloba , damiana, and multivitamin/minerals may improve sexual function in menopausal women and women with decreased sex drives. Studies with  Panax ginseng  alone are needed before strong recommendations can be made.	C
Viral myocarditis Poorly described research in patients treated with Shenmai and Shengmai injection (a ginseng preparation) report that there may be some improvement in heart function. More studies are needed before a clear conclusion can be drawn.	C
Well-being Several studies have examined the effects of ginseng (with or without multivitamins) on overall well-being in healthy and ill patients, for up to 12 weeks. Most studies are not high quality, and results are mixed. It remains unclear if ginseng is beneficial for well-being in any patient.	C

Cigarettes and their smoke contain more than 4,000 chemicals

The Food and Drug Administration is working to lift the smokescreen clouding the ingredients used in cigarettes and other tobacco products.

In June, tobacco companies must tell the FDA their formulas for the first time, just as drugmakers have for decades. Manufacturers also will have to turn over any studies they've done on the effects of the ingredients.

It's an early step for an agency just starting to flex muscles granted by a new law that took effect last June that gives it broad power to regulate tobacco far beyond the warnings now on packs, short of banning it outright.

Companies have long acknowledged using cocoa, coffee, menthol and other additives to make tobacco taste better. The new information will help the FDA determine which ingredients might also make tobacco more harmful or addictive. It will also use the data to develop standards for tobacco products and could ban some ingredients or combinations.

"Tobacco products today are really the only human-consumed product that we don't know what's in them," Lawrence R. Deyton, the director of the Food and Drug Administration's new Center for Tobacco Products and a physician, told The Associated Press in a recent interview.


While the FDA must keep much of the data confidential under trade-secret laws, it will publish a list of harmful and potentially harmful ingredients by June 2011. Under the law, it must be listed by quantity in each brand.

Some tobacco companies have voluntarily listed product ingredients online in recent years but never with the specificity they must give the FDA, said Matt Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.

For example, Altria Group Inc., based in Richmond and the parent company of the nation's largest tobacco maker, Philip Morris USA, has posted general ingredients on its Web site since at least 1999.

Cigarette makers say their products include contain tobacco, water, sugar and flavorings, along with chemicals like diammonium phosphate, a chemical used to improve burn rate and taste, and ammonium hydroxide, used to improve the taste.

Scientific studies suggest those chemicals also could make the body more easily absorb nicotine, the active and addictive component of tobacco.

"Until now, the tobacco companies were free to manipulate their product in ways to maximize sales, no matter the impact on the number of people who died or became addicted," Myers said. "The manner of disclosure previously made it impossible for the government to make any meaningful assessments."

About 46 million people, or 20.6 percent of U.S. adult smoke cigarettes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, down from about 24 percent 10 years ago. It also estimates that about 443,000 people in the U.S. die each year from diseases linked to smoking.

Tax increases, health concerns, smoking bans and social stigma continue to cut into the number of cigarettes sold, which were estimated to be down about 12.6 percent in the third quarter compared with the same period last year.

Cigarettes and their smoke contain more than 4,000 chemicals; among them are more than 60 known carcinogens, according to the American Cancer Society. But scientists say they can't yet tell all they'll learn from the new data because so little is known about how the chemicals combine to affect people.

"The reality is that we have known so little over time that it's difficult to know with much accuracy what getting a good look is going to tell us about what we could do in the future," said Dr. David Burns of the University of California-San Diego, scientific editor of several surgeon general reports on tobacco.

The real test is whether the FDA acts on the information it receives, said David Sweanor, a Canadian law professor and tobacco expert. Canadian authorities are collecting similar data, but they haven't taken much action based on it, which is critical, he said. The European Union also has similar submission requirements.

Myers warned that a list of ingredients or an unexplained product label is "just as likely to mislead as it is to inform" if consumers don't know about the relative effects of ingredients.

Altria has supported what it is has called "tough but fair regulation."

But its chief rivals — No. 2 Reynolds American Inc., parent company of R.J. Reynolds, and No. 3 Lorillard, both based in North Carolina — opposed the law. They said it would lock in Altria's share of the market because its size gives it more resources to comply with regulations and future limits on marketing under the law. Altria's brands include Marlboro, which held a 41.9 percent share of the U.S. cigarette market in the third quarter, according to Information Resources Inc.

Sexuality and Chronic Pain

Helping yourself at home
Express your limitations and desires to your partner, says Sueann Mark, PhD, a clinical sexologist with a private practice in San Francisco. "The person in pain needs to take an inventory about what touch is pleasurable and what's not," she says.

While communication is important, it has to be done at the right time: "Talking about these issues is best done when not in bed," she says. Instead, set aside a separate time of day. And remember to think beyond intercourse: "You can find ways to maintain some sexual relationship," she says, including massage, bubble bath, cuddling, and masturbation.

Couples find what works
Through trial and error, couples have found creative ways to maintain intimacy. Jennifer, who lives with chronic migraines, says that she takes advantage of her pain-free days: "We make the best of the times that I feel better than usual," she says. "Even if we have plans, we decide that the most important thing is going to bed together."

Smyres says that she tries to initiate sex once a week and at times other than the evening, when her head often hurts. She's found that talking about sex more with her husband also helps.

Smyres is proof that by communicating and staying in touch with your partner, you can have a rich and loving relationship in spite of chronic pain: "In general, I'm very happy," says Smyres. "My husband is great and my life is wonderful, I'm in the healthiest emotional place that I've ever been."



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The prevention and treatment of high blood pressure

Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University's School of Dentistry (www.ohsu.edu/sod) have discovered that nitric oxide is a powerful regulator of a molecule that plays a critical role in the development and function of the nervous system. The finding could someday play a significant role in the prevention and treatment of high blood pressure, which affects about one in three adults in the United States.


Changes in blood pressure are signaled to the brain by nerve cells called baroreceptors. The OHSU dental school team previously found that baroreceptors make a molecule called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which belongs to the family of neurotrophins that play a critical role in the development and plasticity of other nerve cells.

The OHSU dental school team found that nitric oxide is a potent regulator of BDNF in baroreceptor neurons. Nitric oxide is known for its ability to improve the elasticity of blood vessels and to lower blood pressure. It is the active metabolite of nitroglycerin, which has been used to treat coronary artery disease for more than 100 years. Nitric oxide widens small arteries and counteracts artery stiffening, and several lines of evidence also indicate that its deficiency leads to hypertension.

"This is the first study to show the role of nitric oxide in inhibiting BDNF release from peripheral nerve cells," said Agnieszka Balkowiec, M.D., Ph.D., principal investigator, associate professor of integrative biosciences in the OHSU School of Dentistry, and adjunct assistant professor of physiology and pharmacology in the OHSU School of Medicine. "This finding supports our hypothesis that BDNF is involved in establishing connections in the blood pressure control system and could someday play a significant role in the prevention of high blood pressure."


The study was supported by grants from the American Heart Association and the National Institutes of Health's National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, including the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds.

Dr. Balkowiec teaches physiology and neuroscience to first-year dental students and is often an invited lecturer in dental school courses on orofacial pain. Since 2004 the dental school has received more than $16.4 million in research funding.

About OHSU

Oregon Health & Science University is the state's only health and research university and Oregon's only academic health center. OHSU is Portland's largest employer and the fourth largest in Oregon (excluding government), with 12,700 employees. OHSU's size contributes to its ability to provide many services and community support activities not found anywhere else in the state. It serves patients from every corner of the state, and is a conduit for learning for more than 3,400 students and trainees. OHSU is the source of more than 200 community outreach programs that bring health and education services to every county in the state.

http://www.eurekalert.org/bysubject/index.php?kw=104

An analysis of monkeys living

An analysis of monkeys living in Tanzania's Udzungwa Mountains suggests that the impact of external factors, such as human activity, on species numbers is felt in forests as large as 40 square kilometres.

Researchers also found that the health of monkey populations is closely related to the type of habitat found between forest fragments, rather than the distance that separates them.

The findings have broader implications for conservationists as the number of monkeys and the variety of species is a visible indicator of the underlying health of their habitat.

The research was conducted by Dr Andrew Marshall, from the Environment Department at the University of York and Director of Conservation at Flamingo Land Theme Park and Zoo, in collaboration with colleagues from the University of York, the University of Copenhagen, the Tremto Museum of Natural History (Italy) and the Udzungwa Ecological Monitoring Centre (Tanzania).

Dr Marshall said: "This study suggests that while small forest fragments need protecting we should intervene at an earlier stage to protect larger forest areas that are under threat.

"It also supports the case for working with local communities on practical steps that will help forest species. These could include reducing dependence on bush meat and encouraging the planting of habitat that can form corridors between forest fragments."

The research investigated the distribution of seven species living in an area covering 10,000 km² and has led to a wider conservation and education project in the area led by Dr Marshall, through Flamingo Land Theme Park and Zoo. The discovery of a new species of chameleon in this area was announced last year.

Cigarette smoking

For people who carry common gene variants, cigarette smoking greatly increases the risk that a blood vessel in the brain will weaken and balloon out – called an aneurysm – which could be life-threatening if it ruptures, according to research presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2010. Researchers reported on two new studies from the Familial Intracranial Aneurysm (FIA) project, a multinational collaboration funded by the National Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke to study genetic and other risk factors in families with at least two members affected by intracranial aneurysm.

In one study (Broderick, abstract 156), researchers found that the chance of an intracranial aneurysm increased between 37 percent and 48 percent for people who carried one copy of an identified risky gene variation. However, when the gene variant was combined with smoking the equivalent of one pack a day for 20 years, the risk increased more than five-fold. People with two copies of the gene variant were at even higher risk.

"Like putting a match to kindling, smoking greatly increases the likelihood of a ruptured aneurysm in people with a genetic susceptibility," said Joseph P. Broderick, M.D., study author and professor and chair of the neurology department at the University of Cincinnati Neuroscience Institute.

Cigarette smoking is the leading environmental cause of intracranial aneurysm. An estimated 70 percent to 80 percent of people who experience aneurysms are current or former smokers, he said. In the study, 82.5 percent of participants were smokers at some point. Intracranial aneurysms also occur in multiple members of certain susceptible families.

A ruptured intracranial aneurysm can create a subarachnoid hemorrhage. When that occurs, 40 percent of patients die, and most others experience major disability from the brain injury caused by the rapid bleeding.

By comparing the frequency in 406 patients from the FIA families with that of 392 control subjects without aneurysm in the Cincinnati area, researchers confirmed that certain gene variants on chromosomes 8 and 9 raise the risk of intracranial aneurysm. Other variants on chromosome 2, suggested as genetic risks in a prior study on other populations, were not found to be risk factors in this study.

In the study about 22 percent of controls had a least one copy of the gene variant on chromosome 8 and 73 percent had at least one copy of the variant for chromosome 9. Broderick noted that this percentage is about what is expected in the general population – at least among whites in this region.

"These results tell us the approximate location of the risk-inducing gene on the chromosomes but does not identify the exact gene or how its functioning contributes to the risk of aneurysm," said Broderick, principal investigator of the FIA project.

"This is a powerful message to family members of people who have had ruptured aneurysms. Even if you have the gene, you can dramatically affect your risk by not smoking. If you smoke, you are multiplying the effect of the gene," he said.

Broderick noted that since it is too early to recommend genetic testing, all family members of people who have had an intracranial aneurysm should stop smoking.

In a second presentation from the FIA study, (Sauerbeck, abstract 156), researchers reported that the primary causes of death in FIA families are cancer and cardiac problems other than aneurysm. In an average 3.27 years follow-up of 1,073 people with a diagnosis of intracranial aneurysm and 1,721 family members undiagnosed with an intracranial aneurysm at enrollment in the study, none of those without aneurysm at study onset died from a ruptured intracranial aneurysm. In addition, most deaths in those with aneurysm were unrelated to their aneurysms.

"Especially for those diagnosed with an unruptured aneurysm, if the condition is treated or medically monitored to make sure it's not growing, you can modify your risk factors — by not smoking and keeping blood pressure under control — and not worry as much about the risk of rupture," said Laura