台灣1/4比例醫師投入醫美!!

生活保健－整形醫師滿天下2012-03-04中國時報馮惠宜　微整形和醫美好夯，根據調查台灣有4分之1的醫師投入醫美行列，台中地區過去1年所成立的新醫美診所就高達20家，平均每2個月就有2間新診所開業，競爭之烈幾乎是進入戰國時代。　放眼時下，無論是皮膚科、眼科、婦產科、耳鼻喉都有醫師跨跑道做起醫美治療，但無論先來後到，在從事美容手術與微整形，因各科別的養成過程，會不會影響到結果？中國醫藥大學整形外科主任張家寧解釋，這和天賦以及醫師的養成過程有相當大關係。　張家寧說，根據衛生署、台灣整形外科醫學會規定，需要接受3年外科及3年整形外科住院醫師訓練，再經過考試　合格才能取得「台灣整形外科醫學會」專科醫師的資格。　也因為在養成過程中經常執行許多困難的重建手術，如燙傷、顏面骨折、外傷、先天及後天畸形等，因而整形外科專科醫師對人體整體生理結構、皮膚、骨骼乃至血管、神經的相關位置相當熟稔。所以注射肉毒桿菌或玻尿酸時，較能輕易打到最佳位置，並避免併發症的發生。　開業整形外科醫師陳紹良指出，台灣的醫療法規並未規範那一個科別才能從事醫美、微整形治療，只有規範具外科專科醫師資格者可在診所內設手術室；他建議消費者在選擇進行美容手術或微整形時，仍應了解醫師養成歷程、打聽醫師口碑，多做功課，才能得到安全、有效、滿意的治療成果。

黑白切 可能含高量萊克多巴胺??

林杰樑：萊克多巴胺會殘留豬內臟【2012/03/03聯合晚報】行政院第三次美牛技術諮詢小組今展開，農委會全程公開、直播會議內容。會議重點在討論近期各界「反對的聲音」，由農委會、衛生署、動科所進行專案報告，釐清瘦肉精風險。長庚醫院毒物科主任林杰樑表示，他會在會議中提出反對使用萊克多巴胺的理由，希望公開留下記錄，至於決策者要不要採納，不是專家學者可以決定。下午的會議被認為屬「反對派」的學者林杰樑、台大獸醫專業學院院長周晉澄，都會到場表達意見。周晉澄表示，萊克多巴胺問題他沒「贊成」或「反對」立場，但他一定會發聲。他表示，就動物福利而言，將萊克多巴胺添加入飼料中餵食，對動物「是一種折磨」。動物連續飼養28日加藥後，會出現攻擊性、衝動、站不起、跛腳等症狀，當消費者吃這塊肉前，豬隻受到這樣對待，「對牠好嗎」？周晉澄也說，他近日審視幾筆美國21萬頭豬吃了萊克多巴胺飼料病死的資料，裡面有些報告資料很完整、有些簡略，但從動物流行病學角度，當幾個不良通報事件存在，專家們應該更注意這些資料透露的訊息與意義。林杰樑說，歐盟的食品安全局評估，食用添加萊克多巴胺肉品，對心臟血管疾病有風險；與台灣同文同種的大陸曾做過相關研究給世界食品法典委員會參考，大陸的研究指出，萊克多巴胺會殘留在豬內臟中。他強調，台灣人喜好吃豬肝、豬肺、豬腰等內臟，包括產婦都會吃「腰子」坐月子，他曾多次走訪了路邊「黑白切」攤商，發現「都有在賣豬內臟啊」，會議中講出這些意見，希望政府能將這些風險考量進去。下午的會議討論共4項議題，由農委會防檢局動物檢疫組組長傅學理，報告美國媒體報導21萬頭美國豬隻因食用萊克多巴胺飼料病死相關資料；財團法人台灣動物科技研究所副研究員劉昌宇報告動物食用添加於飼料的萊克多巴胺後行為上的改變；衛生署食品藥物管理局局長康照洲針對歐盟為何反對使用瘦肉精，及食用含有萊克多巴胺的肉品，對有心血管疾病或是孕婦、幼兒等高危險族群是否帶來風險等進行報告。

Des cellules souches pour traiter la surdité

 Agence QMI   03/03/2012  ©Shutterstock     HOUSTON, Texas – Des chercheurs américains vont réaliser une étude clinique visant à guérir la surdité congénitale grâce à des cellules souches provenant du sang du cordon ombilical.  La Food & Drug américaine a donné le feu vert pour effectuer un essai clinique pour évaluer l'innocuité d'une greffe de cellules souches ombilicales sur 10 bébés âgés de six semaines à 18 mois. Ces nourrissons sont sourds depuis leur naissance. Le sang de cordon ombilical de chaque enfant a été conservé dans une banque de sang spécialisée, après l'accouchement.  «Les enfants n'ont que 18 mois pour acquérir le langage. Si un bébé n'entend pas correctement, il ne pourra pas développer les habiletés nécessaires pour parler normalement plus tard», explique l'auteur principal de l'étude, le Dr James Baumgartner.  Les résultats obtenus sur des souris sont très encourageants, et les greffes de cellules souches ont permis de reconstituer la structure de l'oreille interne chez ces rongeurs.  De plus, un tel traitement a déjà été utilisé pour traiter d'autres pathologies, et a restauré dans certains cas l'ouïe d'enfants souffrant de surdité de perception.  «Cette thérapie a le potentiel de restaurer l'audition des enfants nés avec une surdité congénitale», précise le Dr Baumgartner, qui estime que cette nouvelle thérapie ouvre des perspectives prometteuses.

Cree un absurdo prohíban células

3 Marzo 2012, 12:38 PM   Escrito por: Shira Abreu (shiraabreu@hotmail.com)  Una especialista en medicina regenerativa calificó como un absurdo que en el país se prohíban ciertos tipos de tratamientos con células madre.  La cirujana Ana Delia Castro consideró que son maravillosos los avances en el uso de las células madre en el mundo, por lo que entiende que  República Dominica no debe quedarse atrás.  Castro expuso sus consideraciones durante su exposición en la  conferencia Células Madre: Mitos y Realidades, organizada por la consultoría de Cooperación, Educación, ciencia y Tecnología y la Academia de Ciencias de la República Dominicana.   La cirujana aseguró que en gran parte del mundo se realizan investigaciones y tratamientos experimentales sobre células madre y que ya se tratan con éxito linfomas, leucemias, mielomas múltiples, anemias aplásticas y otras enfermedades.  Consideró que en vez de prohibir los tratamientos con células madre lo que procede es establecer las normas éticas y de buena práctica médica a seguir en ese campo de la medicina.  Agregó que es necesario también capacitar el personal médico y paramédico apropiado, y facilitar el uso de la nueva tecnología.  Destacó que en el país se han realizado terapias exitosas como el tratamiento de Harvest, que emplea células de la médula ósea que incluyen células madre.   Este tratamiento es efectivo en las inflamaciones agudas y crónicas y en el deterioro de articulaciones, explicó la especialista. "Según parece fue el tratamiento que se aplicó en Santiago de los Caballeros al famoso pelotero", refiriéndose al que le dieron al lanzador de las Águilas Cibaeñas y los Atléticos de Oakland  Bartolo Colón, el cual generó controversia en el país.  La especialista denunció que las vacunas, cremas y sueros que se ofrecen en el mercado como células madre en realidad no lo son y que la mayoría de esos tratamientos están en fase experimental.  Castro explicó que las células madre tienen el potencial de cambiar el tratamiento de muchas enfermedades, entre ellas algunas consideradas incurables. Vaticinó que en la próxima década la medicina sufrirá una metamorfosis por la incursión curativa de las referidas células.  Las células madre tienen la capacidad de originar múltiples tejidos (pliripotenciales) y autorrenovarse, pudiendo reproducirse indefinidamente, puntualizó.  Dijo que se realizan tratamientos experimentales genéticos con células madre, haciendo que el sistema inmune destruya tumores sólidos que actualmente son incurables como los cánceres de páncreas, hígado, pulmón, próstata y riñón.  Además se ha demostrado que su uso podría ser efectivo en un futuro no lejano en el tratamiento de pacientes con el mal de Parkinson, Alzhéimer y otras dolencias.  

Yaung warns Ma against drastic action on beef issue

The China Post news staff--It would be an inappropriate and unwise practice if President Ma Ying-jeou takes drastic action to allow imports of beef products containing ractopamine from the U.S. regardless of strong domestic opposition and as there is no public consensus on whether the leanness-enhancing drug is harmful to human health, Yaung Chi-liang (楊志良), former minister of the Department of Health, warned yesterday.    Yaung, who in his capacity as Department of Health minister announced the imports of ractopamine-free beef products from the U.S. in October 2009, issued the warning when asked by reporters to comment on the controversial ractopamine issue during a break of the third technical consultative conference on the issue.   The former health minister said that the complicated ractopamine issue has become a political issue that should be dealt with carefully.   At the moment, relevant experts have shared polarized views concerning whether consuming beef from cattle fed with ractopamine would undermine human health. Some experts have maintained that the drug is detrimental to human health, and stress that they might agree to lift the ban on imports of ractopamine-fed beef and other meat products from abroad if there is a study proving that ractopamine is not harmful to human health.   On another front, some experts said that hundreds of millions of American people have eaten beef products over the long term, but there haven't been any cases reported that eating meat products containing a small amount of ractopamine would threaten human health. Accordingly, such experts asked those who take opposite views to offer evidence showing the leanness-enhancing drug may be harmful to humans.   Accordingly, Yaung said that the ractopamine issue can hardly be settled based on professionalism, as it's difficult to tell which one of the said camps is right and which is wrong.   "The ractopamine issue has become a political one and the government should deal with it cautiously. If President Ma bows to the pressure from the U.S. and drastically drops the ban on imports of ractopamine-containing beef products, the government will surely pay the price for the inappropriate practice," Yaung told reporters. Local livestock farmers and lawmakers are strongly against easing the ractopamine ban, citing potential health risks to people and animals. The opposition has been fueled by the fact that health officials in Kaohsiung, Taipei and other cities have already found cases of beef containing ractopamine for sale and consumption.   But the government is eager to resolve a dispute that is seen as a stumbling block to reopening talks with the U.S. with the signing of a trade and investment framework agreement (TIFA).   

Lawmakers Raise 7 Amendments to Food Sanitation Regulations   On another front, lawmakers of the ruling and opposition parties have come up with seven amendments regarding food sanitation, requesting the legislating of clear-cut regulations to control imports of ractopamine and other similar drugs, as well as meat from animals fed with these drugs.   Among them, the draft amendment raised by the legislative caucus of the People First Party calls for allowable levels of pesticide or drugs not to be higher than figures set by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, a body set up by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization. Other draft amendments devised by opposition Democratic Progressive Party lawmaker Wu Ping-jui and ruling Kuomintang lawmakers Huang Chao-hsun and Chen Ju-fen ask for zero-tolerance for such materials in imported meat products.   In response, Lin Yi-shih, secretary-general of the Executive Yuan, said that the Cabinet fully respects the right of lawmakers to raise draft amendments and that he will ask related Cabinet ministries to communicate with lawmakers to find optimal solutions to the controversial issue.  

Ractopamine-containing Steak Products Sold on TV Channel   Also yesterday, the Taipei City Government's Department of Health noted that large-sized steak products sold by MoMo Shopping TV were found to have contained ractopamine. The beef was sourced from Shuh Sen Co., a local importer, processor and distributor of various beef, pork, chicken and mutton products.   Health officials said that Shuh Sen imported 249 kilograms of U.S. beef products in early October last year, and then sold 240 kg to Mei Chi Food Co., and 7.48 kg to the offices of the American Institute in Taiwan. Chi Mei, in turn, sold 80 kg to MoMo Shopping TV for sale to consumers, and another 106 kg to shopping malls and restaurants in New Taipei City, with the remaining 54 kg stored at a warehouse in Keelung.   The Taipei health department reported it has already informed its Keelung counterpart to make spot examinations on the beef products stored at the warehouse to see if the importer has violated food sanitation rules and regulations.