Women more likely than men to have a stroke after heart surgery

By Jim Dryden

Researchers have found that women who have cardiac surgery have a significantly greater risk for stroke than men having the same operation.

Investigators from the School of Medicine and Duke University showed that, even after considering other risk factors such as age, diabetes and hypertension, stroke risk is higher for women. They reported their findings in the May 1 issue of Circulation, the journal of the American Heart Association.

"Being female was independent of any other risk factor," said Charles W. Hogue Jr., M.D., the paper's first author. "There seems to be something about being a woman that predisposes a patient to a higher risk for stroke after heart surgery."

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Pediatric Outreach Program (From left) Second-year medical student Ashley Flynn, her "match," Jada Gibson, and Cortez Rice play volleyball at the spring picnic of the Pediatric Outreach Program (POP) Sunday in Tower Grove Park. A group of medical students started POP five years ago to provide support to children with chronic illnesses and their siblings. Each child in a family is matched with a medical student, and the pairs get together twice a month. POP now has almost 40 matches.

New clue for treating bone, blood disorders uncovered

By Gila Z. Reckess

Researchers have the first evidence that a protein essential to both bone-degrading cells and to platelets that help blood clot plays two distinct roles.

"By taking advantage of this finding, we might be able to develop drugs that selectively influence one system or the other," said Deborah V. Novack, M.D., Ph.D. "Then we'll have a much more specific therapy to treat bone diseases without harming platelets, and vice versa."

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Hazardous waste managed in pilot project

By Anne Enright Shephard

The School of Medicine has joined a voluntary demonstration project to better manage chemical waste generated by laboratory experiments. The University and nine other academic organizations in partnership with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) are testing 14 "best management practices" for handling laboratory chemical waste in an effort to influence consistent enforcement of federal regulations.

"We are doing this to demonstrate that by proactively partnering with our researchers and support staff we can address tough regulatory issues while working toward true excellence in environmental stewardship," said Joseph A. Kanabrocki, Ph.D., assistant director and biological safety officer in environmental health and safety.

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Peck to give address

William A. Peck, M.D., executive vice chancellor for medical affairs and dean of the School of Medicine, will address the faculty on the "State of the Medical School" Monday. The address will take place from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. in the Eric P. Newman Education Center, and light refreshments will be provided.

The talk is sponsored by the Executive Committee of the Faculty Council.

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