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Biomedical subjects

M A Hamburg

Publications and source records attributed to M A Hamburg.

17 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Bioterrorism: a challenge to public health and medicine.

Only a few years ago, an attack with a biological agent would have been considered almost unthinkable. Today, however, the threat of bioterrorism is real and growing. This article will provide a brief overview of the threat of bioterrorism, the special role of public health and medicine, and some of the critical issues that need to be addressed as this nation prepares for this disturbing and potentially catastrophic threat.

Biological Warfare↗
PubMed1999

Declining HIV/AIDS mortality in New York City.

BACKGROUND: New York City has only 3% of the U.S. population but has reported nearly 16% of all AIDS cases. METHODS: This is an observational study using the New York City vital events and AIDS case surveillance registries to describe trends in HIV/AIDS mortality from 1983 through June 30, 1998. RESULTS: Annual HIV/AIDS deaths increased steadily until stabilizing at 7046 in 1995, declined 29% to 4998 in 1996, and declined 47% to 2625 in 1997. Comparing data from 1997 with those from 1995, declines occurred in all demographic groups and in all major HIV transmission categories: 74% in men who have sex with men, 68% in injecting drug users, and 64% in heterosexuals. In the first 6 months of 1998, declines were smaller than they had been in previous 6-month intervals in all demographic groups except Hispanic males and those between 35 and 44 years of age. From 1995 to the first 6 months of 1998, the number of people living with AIDS in New York City increased 22% (from 32,692 to 39,976). CONCLUSIONS: The precipitous 63% decline in HIV/AIDS deaths from 1995 to 1997 occurred at the same time that more effective antiretroviral therapies became widely available. The slowing in the mortality decline observed in 1998, however, suggests that although these new therapies may have a profound effect at the population level, deaths due to AIDS will continue.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1995

Tuberculosis in New York City--turning the tide.

BACKGROUND: From 1978 through 1992, the number of patients with tuberculosis in New York City nearly tripled, and the proportion of such patients who had drug-resistant isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis more than doubled. METHODS: We reviewed, confirmed, and analyzed data obtained during the surveillance of patients with tuberculosis. RESULTS: From 1992 through 1994, there was a 21 percent decrease in reported cases of tuberculosis in New York City. An evaluation of the surveillance system revealed very few unreported cases. The number of cases decreased by more than 20 percent among blacks and Hispanics, persons with documented human immunodeficiency virus infection, homeless persons, and patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis; in all these groups, tuberculosis is likely to result from recent transmission. In contrast, the number of cases of tuberculosis increased among elderly and foreign-born persons, in whom the disease is likely to result from the reactivation of an infection acquired many years earlier. Enrollment in a program of directly observed therapy, in which health workers watch patients take their medications, increased from fewer than 100 patients to nearly 1300, with more than 32,000 patient-months of observation from 1992 through 1994. CONCLUSIONS: Epidemiologic patterns strongly suggest that the decrease in cases resulted from an interruption in the ongoing spread of M. tuberculosis infection, primarily because of better rates of completion of treatment and expanded use of directly observed therapy. Another contributing factor may have been efforts to reduce the spread of tuberculosis in institutional settings, such as hospitals, shelters, and jails. Expansion of measures to prevent and control tuberculosis and support of international control efforts are needed to ensure continued progress.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Tuberculosis clinics.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Community Health Centers↗
PubMed1991

The AIDS research agenda at the National Institutes of Health.

The foundation, goals, and components of the research strategy developed by the National Institutes of Health to combat AIDS and HIV infection are discussed. The AIDS research agenda, based on systems originally designed to coordinate cancer research, involves a national effort to study various aspects of the disease, disseminate information, and rapidly develop and test drugs and vaccines to treat and prevent AIDS and HIV disease. AIDS research makes up approximately 10% of the total NIH budget of $7.6 billion, and the largest portion of that allocation goes to improving current treatments and developing new agents. Drug discovery efforts are supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) through the Division of Intramural Research, in which biomedical and clinical research is conducted, and the Division of AIDS, which coordinates extramural research in university-based centers and community programs. By providing educational materials and sponsoring conferences, NIAID also helps to disseminate the results of the research it coordinates. Pharmacists support AIDS research through their involvement with study drug products and their role in protocol development, regulatory affairs, product development, and accumulation and distribution of drug information. Research initiatives sponsored by the federal government combine resources of investigators from government, academia, and the pharmaceutical and biotechnological industries to meet the challenges posed by the AIDS epidemic.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1990

The epidemiology of human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome in the United States.

As of October 1989, there were more than 112,000 documented cases of AIDS and more than 1 million Americans were thought to be infected with HIV. Three primary routes of HIV transmission have been defined: sexual contact, parenteral exposure, and perinatal transmission. Epidemiologic surveillance studies provide important information about trends in HIV infection and AIDS among groups recognized to be at increased risk, various demographic subgroups, and the general population. As of this writing, the majority of reported cases have occurred among homosexual or bisexual men. However, a growing risk category involves intravenous drug users, as well as their sexual partners and their children.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1988

Opportunities for health promotion and disease prevention in the clinical setting.

Advances in medicine offer unprecedented opportunities to improve health. New diagnostic, care, and treatment approaches are having a tremendous impact; yet, the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the United States are intimately linked to preventable factors such as smoking, improper nutrition, alcohol misuse, lack of exercise, and maladaptive behaviors. Compelling evidence indicates that reducing risk factors yields substantial overall health benefits and saves lives. Prevention efforts can be applied effectively at many points in a disease process, and clinical medicine has a significant role. Nonetheless, a number of barriers may interfere. These include physician education and attitudes; patient education, expectations, and motivations; and aspects of the health care delivery system itself, such as access and reimbursement. The situation has been complicated by the apparent lack of consensus on the appropriate frequency and scope of such activities.

Health Promotion↗
PubMed1985

Electrophysiological and receptor studies in rat brain: effects of clorgyline.

Acute high doses of clorgyline produce a rapid inhibition of monoamine oxidase type A (MAO A) in the rat brain, together with an increase in norepinephrine and a decrease in the firing rate of locus coeruleus (LC) neurones: this decrease is reversed by piperoxane, an alpha 2 antagonist. In control animals, piperoxane increases LC neuronal firing showing that these noradrenergic neurones are under alpha 2-adrenoceptor-mediated tonic inhibition. Chronic administration of clorgyline, like acute doses of this MAO A inhibitor, significantly decreases cell firing in the LC and the effect is partially reversed by piperoxane. Chronic clorgyline treatment also produces significant decreases in [3H]clonidine and [3H]dihydroalprenolol binding in cerebral cortex, receptor changes which are slightly greater in animals showing greater inhibition of LC neuronal firing: such receptor changes do not occur following a single exposure to clorgyline. Electrophysiological studies in hippocampal pyramidal cells show that the chronic clorgyline treatment does not significantly induced subsensitivity to NE in these adrenoreceptive cells.

Animals↗