Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Coming Out as a LGBT Teenager: When and How
Coming out is a difficult decision for a teen. WebMD provides advice for letting others know your sexual orientation.
Scientists Invent New Way To Disarm Malaria Parasite
A novel technique to "tame" the malaria parasite, by forcing it to depend on an external supply of a vital chemical, has been developed by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine and the University of California-San Francisco. The scientists have, in effect, created a domesticated strain of Plasmodium - the one-celled parasite that causes malaria - that would no longer cause this dreaded disease...
11 Tips to Cut Your Cholesterol Fast
WebMD provides tips for things you can do now to help lower your bad cholesterol levels. From diet to medications, find the first steps here.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Pre-chewed food may pose HIV threat to infants
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A new study from South Africa found that more than two-thirds of mothers and other caregivers pre-chew food for their infants -- possibly putting those babies at risk of HIV if the caregiver is HIV-positive.
U.S. researchers broke rules in Guatemala syphilis study
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. government researchers must have known they were violating ethical standards by deliberately infecting Guatemalan prison inmates and mental patients with syphilis for an experiment in the 1940s, according to a presidential commission.
Snuff Use During Pregnancy Is Harmful to Newborns
The use of smokeless tobacco during pregnancy increases the risk that newborns will have breathing pauses (apnea) in their sleep, a study shows.
Ala. Girl Gets New Heart After Misdiagnosis
What looked like pneumonia turned out to be a rare, life-threatening heart condition for Greer Underwood of Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Thanks to her parents' persistance in getting a second opinion, Greer now has a new heart that has given her a new life.
Dr Oz Hot List: Tuffy Tea, Dr Breus Bed, Trader Joe?s Organic Popcorn
Dr Oz’s Hot List
Dr Oz’s show on August 18, 2011 presented his Hot List of products that he loves.� Four of the items that made Doctor Oz’s Hot List were the Breville Juice Fountain Plus, Vital Choice Wild Alaskan Salmon, the Tuffy Tea Steeper and Merrell Encore Breeze Slip-On Shoes. � Dr Oz also did [...]
Dr Oz’s show on August 18, 2011 presented his Hot List of products that he loves.� Four of the items that made Doctor Oz’s Hot List were the Breville Juice Fountain Plus, Vital Choice Wild Alaskan Salmon, the Tuffy Tea Steeper and Merrell Encore Breeze Slip-On Shoes. � Dr Oz also did [...]
Monday, August 29, 2011
Dr Oz: Omega Fats, Kegel Exercise & Pet Allergies
Dr Oz: Omega 3 Fatty Acids
Dr Oz’s Show on August 15, 2011 is called The Big O: Know Your Omegas.� Do you know the difference between Omega 3 Fats and Omega 6 Fats?� Doctor Oz spoke about the importance of both Omega 3’s and Omega 6’s, but if you get too many Omega 6’s, it [...]
Dr Oz’s Show on August 15, 2011 is called The Big O: Know Your Omegas.� Do you know the difference between Omega 3 Fats and Omega 6 Fats?� Doctor Oz spoke about the importance of both Omega 3’s and Omega 6’s, but if you get too many Omega 6’s, it [...]
Staying on the job with early Alzheimer's
There is no typical job scenario for people with early-onset Alzheimer's, like Coach Pat Summitt's. Some patients, with support from colleagues, can continue working.
Moms' smoking linked to psychiatric meds in kids
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Kids whose moms smoked while pregnant were more likely to end up on medications such as antidepressants, stimulants and drugs for addiction in a new study from Finland that hints at maternal smoking's effect on a baby's developing brain.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
ShoulderFlex Massager Has Life Threatening Risks, Says FDA
After receiving a report of one death and one near strangulation, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is advising people to stop using the ShoulderFlex Massager, a home-use massager which massages the back, shoulder and neck while the patient is lying down on a flat surface. The ShoulderFlex Massager, which is distributed by King International, consists of a portable massager that is placed below the neck, a memory foam pillow, a controller, and a sleeve (machine washable)...
Germ-Infected Mosquitoes Can't Spread Dengue
Scientists released 300,000 mosquitoes they had infected with an insect germ that makes the bugs unable to spread dengue virus. The germ spread to nearly all mosquitoes in a remote region of Australia.
Change To Heart Services For Children In UK Receives Strong Support
The public's top priority when it comes to shaping the future of children's congenital heart services is quality, an independent study discovered. The report, compiled by independent experts, Ipsos MORI, on behalf of NHS Safe and Sustainable, provides a detailed evaluation of over 75,000 responses to a national consultation, one of the biggest every carried out by the NHS. A large number of responses included in the consultation were from the BME community (20% of total formal responses) and from children and young people (10% of total formal responses)...
New Children's Book Labeled "Dangerous" By Diet Guru
The founder of Britain's top weight loss organization has called a book about the story of a short overweight girl who diets and becomes the school soccer star "an outrage". The book, Maggie Goes on a Diet, written and self-published by Paul Kramer, is aimed at pre-teens with 'Maggie', the character, portrayed as a chubby, round jumper-wearing cartoon figure with orange pigtails holding up a tiny pink dress and looking wistfully at a skinny version of herself in the mirror. The book has just been unveiled on Amazon and is soon to be made available from other booksellers...
Saturday, August 27, 2011
New mothers choose "tied tubes" over IUDs: study
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Very few women choose to get an intrauterine device (IUD) inserted soon after giving birth, even though it's one of the most effective methods of long-term contraception, according to a new study.
Don?t Let a Cold Get You Down
There are about 200 cold viruses, which is why Americans get, on average, three to four colds a year. But you can protect yourself with these tips from cold experts.
Dr Oz: Solta Dual Laser & Plastic Surgery Treatments
Solta Dual Laser Review
Dr Oz’s Show on August 22, 2011 covered a variety of Plastic Surgery Procedures, including a laser treatment for sun damaged skin called the Solta Dual Laser.� Dr Matthew Avram joined Doctor Oz to show how he uses the Solta Dual Laser to remove potentially pre-cancerous skin problems from an overexposure to [...]
Dr Oz’s Show on August 22, 2011 covered a variety of Plastic Surgery Procedures, including a laser treatment for sun damaged skin called the Solta Dual Laser.� Dr Matthew Avram joined Doctor Oz to show how he uses the Solta Dual Laser to remove potentially pre-cancerous skin problems from an overexposure to [...]
12-Year-Old Delivers Baby Brother
Gaelan Edwards already knows more about how babies are born than most other 12-year-olds. He actually delivered his baby brother because his mother couldn't make it to the hospital.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Death By Violence Remains In Top 10 Causes Of Mortality
Suicide, child abuse, playground fights, gang violence, sexual assault, and domestic violence are just a few examples of violence that touch people in all walks of life and communities everywhere. Homicide and suicide remain in the top ten leading causes of death for people from birth to age 64...
Concluding The Historical Investigation By The President's Bioethics Commission
At its public meeting on August 29 in Washington, the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues will publicly discuss several key findings as it refines the conclusions of its historical investigation into the U.S. Public Health Service (U.S. PHS) studies done in Guatemala in the 1940s. The U.S. PHS research involved intentionally exposing and infecting vulnerable populations to sexually transmitted diseases. The Commission's historical investigation is due to President Obama in September. Following the revelation last fall that the U.S...
Change To Heart Services For Children In UK Receives Strong Support
The public's top priority when it comes to shaping the future of children's congenital heart services is quality, an independent study discovered. The report, compiled by independent experts, Ipsos MORI, on behalf of NHS Safe and Sustainable, provides a detailed evaluation of over 75,000 responses to a national consultation, one of the biggest every carried out by the NHS. A large number of responses included in the consultation were from the BME community (20% of total formal responses) and from children and young people (10% of total formal responses)...
Could A Tumor Suppressor Also Fight Obesity?
The hormone receptor guanylyl cyclase C (GCC) has been established as a suppressor of colorectal cancer tumors, but new evidence from Thomas Jefferson University suggests it may also help fight one of the country's biggest pandemics: obesity. Reporting in the August 25 online issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Scott Waldman, M.D., Ph.D., chairman of the Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics at Jefferson, and colleagues found that silencing GCC affected appetite in mice, disrupting satiation and inducing obesity...
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Piecing together details of Jobs' health history
Steve Jobs has been notoriously private about his health, but as he steps down as CEO of the company he helped invent and re-invent, speculation abounds that he has gotten very sick.
Chopped: Jury Backs Doc in Penis Amputation
A unanimous jury ruled in favor of the Kentucky doctor who amputated a portion of Phillip Seaton's penis during an October 2007 circumcision procedure to treat inflammation.
Cholera Spread Originated In Bay Of Bengal
To trace the source and explain the spread of the latest (seventh) cholera pandemic, next generation sequencing has been used by investigators. They also highlighted the impact of the acquisition of resistance to antibiotics on shaping outbreaks and show resistance was first obtained around the year 1982. The particular cholera type responsible for the present pandemic can be traced back to an ancestor that first appeared in the Bay of Bengal 40 years ago, whole genome sequencing revealed...
Mr. Mom: Recession Shifting Men's Roles
The economy is forcing families to reorganize resources and rethink roles. And men who were once breadwinners are reinventing themselves as caregivers.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Dr Oz: Omega Fats, Kegel Exercise & Pet Allergies
Dr Oz: Omega 3 Fatty Acids
Dr Oz’s Show on August 15, 2011 is called The Big O: Know Your Omegas.� Do you know the difference between Omega 3 Fats and Omega 6 Fats?� Doctor Oz spoke about the importance of both Omega 3’s and Omega 6’s, but if you get too many Omega 6’s, it [...]
Dr Oz’s Show on August 15, 2011 is called The Big O: Know Your Omegas.� Do you know the difference between Omega 3 Fats and Omega 6 Fats?� Doctor Oz spoke about the importance of both Omega 3’s and Omega 6’s, but if you get too many Omega 6’s, it [...]
Drop in Mammograms Due to Hormone Therapy Fears
An unprecedented decline in the number of women getting mammograms was due to women going off hormone therapy and thus having less contact with a doctor who urged regular breast cancer screening.
Many Health Care Workers Don't Get Flu Vaccines
A new report from the CDC suggests that not enough health care workers are being vaccinated against the flu.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Risk for Mental Illness Varies by Gender
Women are more likely to be diagnosed with depression and anxiety, while men are at greater risk for substance abuse and antisocial disorders, according to a new study.
4 Keys to a Long Life
A CDC survey shows there are four keys to a long life: not smoking, exercise, a healthy diet, and moderate alcohol drinking.
Fat Signals Lipid Cleaving Enzyme Produces Signaling Molecule Essential In Lipid Metabolism
Obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases are daunting modern-day epidemics. In Western Europe more than 50% of the population is overweight and approximately 15 million people die from cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and stroke every year. These conditions are often caused by disorders of fat metabolism, resulting in a massive accumulation of fat in various tissues and of cholesterol in the walls of arteries. Fats are known to perform long-term storage of energy, but they also act as signaling molecules in the body...
New Study Examines Window Fall-Related Injuries Among Youth
Windows are a part of everyday life for children in the United States. While many parents know that windows can be a hazard for their child, they may not be aware just how often things can take a turn for the worse. A new study conducted by researchers at the Center for Injury Research and Policy of The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital found that approximately 5,200 children and adolescents 17years of age and younger were treated in U.S. emergency departments each year from 1990 through 2008 for injuries sustained due to falls from windows...
Screening Newborns For Congenital Heart Disease
About 1 in every 120 babies are born with congenital heart disease (CHD), of which about 25 percent is critical, requiring special care early in life. CHD is responsible for more deaths in the first year of life than any other birth defect, but often outcomes can be improved with early detection. Now a group of physicians and scientists has published an important paper that recommends strategies for national screening for critical CHD, using a simple, noninvasive test called pulse oximetry that measures oxygen in blood. Low oxygen levels would trigger further investigation...
Monday, August 22, 2011
Breakthrough Discovery Takes Significant Step Towards Improving Health For Millions
A scientist at the Gladstone Institutes has discovered how a gene known as SIRT3 contributes to a suite of health problems sweeping across America, offering new insight into how to combat these potentially fatal conditions. In a paper published in Molecular Cell, Gladstone Senior Investigator Eric Verdin, MD, describes how SIRT3, when switched off, accelerates the build-up of fats throughout the body. This can lead to obesity, high blood pressure and a decreased ability to process sugar - the combination of which is known as the "metabolic syndrome...
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Malaria Eradication Threatened By Insecticide Resistance
Findings, published Online First in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, indicate an urgent need for new strategies to mitigate the potentially devastating effects of insecticide resistance on malaria control in Africa. Research in Senegal discovered, that growing resistance to a common class of insecticide by Anopheles gambiae (African mosquito that transmits malaria) in connection with increasing susceptibility of older children and adults has resulted in a resurgence of malaria...
FDA approves Seattle Genetics cancer drug
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Drug regulators gave the go ahead on Friday for a blood cancer medicine by Seattle Genetics Inc, making it the first drug for Hodgkin's lymphoma approved in more than 30 years.
Virus outbreak kills 81 children in Vietnam
HANOI (Reuters) - Hand, foot and mouth disease, a dangerous intestinal virus, has killed 81 children in Vietnam this year, prompting the prime minister to order ministries and agencies to redouble efforts to stop its spread.
Scientists find how "sticky" egg captures sperm
LONDON (Reuters) - Scientists have uncovered exactly how a human egg captures an incoming sperm to begin the process of fertilization and say their discovery could in future help couples who suffer from infertility.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Melanoma Drug, Vemurafenib, Approved By US FDA
The drug vemurafenib (Zelboraf) for metastatic melanoma in patients who test positive for the BRAF mutation, has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Vemurafenib, a BRAF-inhibitor, is a personalized investigational drug designed to specifically inhibit the activity of the mutant BRAF protein that is present in almost half of all melanoma cases, the most lethal and aggressive form of skin cancer. Jeffrey Weber, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Donald A. Adam Comprehensive Melanoma Research Center at Moffitt said: "This is a great success story...
FDA approves Seattle Genetics cancer drug
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Drug regulators gave the go ahead on Friday for a blood cancer medicine by Seattle Genetics Inc, making it the first drug for Hodgkin's lymphoma approved in more than 30 years.
Mother's BMI Linked To Fatter Babies
Babies of mothers with a higher pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) are fatter and have more fat in their liver, a study published in September's issue of the journal Pediatric Research has found. The researchers from Imperial College London say that the effect of a mother's BMI on her child's development in the womb might put them on a trajectory towards lifelong metabolic health problems. The research team used magnetic resonance scanning to assess 105 babies born at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital...
How to Damage Your Skin
WebMD discuss 12 ways you might be wrecking your skin including indoor tanning, smoking, under-applying sunscreen, and other skin-damaging mistakes.
Motivating the Overweight Child
Encouraging an overweight child to exercise can be a tricky situation.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Whey Protein May Beat Casein After Workouts
Eating or drinking protein after exercise, experts agree, can help muscle recovery and growth.
Obsessed: Woman Sees Her 500 Dolls as Kids
Marilyn Mansfield spends three hours a day caring for 500 dolls; 16-year-old buys two to three vacuum cleaners a day.
Mosquito resistance to bednets fuels malaria worries
LONDON (Reuters) - Mosquitoes can quickly develop resistance to insecticide-treated nets, a study from Senegal shows, raising fears that a leading method of preventing the disease may be less effective than previously thought.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Toddlers Shielded By Any Prime-Boost Mix Of Injected Or Spray Flu Vaccine
Children younger than 3 years old receive the same protective antibody response from the recommended two doses of licensed seasonal influenza vaccines regardless of whether the two doses are injected by needle, inhaled through a nasal spray or provided through one dose of each in any order, according to researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health. Doctors usually give young children two matching vaccines, and one goal of the study was to determine whether giving two different types of vaccines works just as well...
Mom, Daughter Reunite After Adoption Scam
Sara Hudson was taken from her mother's arms at birth, but she now discovered four full siblings. She is the latest of the "Seymour Fenichel adoptees," a black market baby ring in the 1970s and 1980s, to find their biological mother.
Promising New Prostate Cancer Screening Test
A new prostate screening test developed by AnalizaDx, Inc., a Cleveland-based biotech company, and studied by researchers at the Seidman Cancer Center at University Hospitals (UH) Case Medical Center along with colleagues at the Cleveland Clinic, the Veterans Administration Boston Healthcare and the National Cancer Institute, may prove to be a promising new tool in the diagnosis of prostate cancer...
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Drug Industry May Pay for Overseas Inspections
When the head of Mylan Pharmaceuticals discovered that the company's foreign-based plants weren't held to the same safety standards as its U.S.-based facilities, she took action and pushed for the generic drug industry to start paying for FDA inspections overseas.
New Research Links Obesity With Heart Rhythm Disorder
University of Adelaide research has shown for the first time that obesity directly causes electrical abnormalities of the heart. Cardiologist and PhD candidate Dr Hany Abed says there is growing evidence that obesity changes the structure and size of the heart muscle and the way it works and contracts, as well as its electrical function. The latter leads to atrial fibrillation, the most common heart rhythm disorder in the world, affecting 10% of people over 75 years of age...
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Dr Oz: Dangerous Doctors: Is Your MD Hazardous To Your Health?
Dr Oz: August 9 2011
Dr Oz’s show on August 9, 2011 is about Dangerous Doctors who can be hazardous to your health.� Do you know the three questions that you absolutely must ask the next time you go to visit your doctor?� Betty Long, founder of Guardian Nurses Healthcare, goes with patients to their doctor’s [...]
Dr Oz’s show on August 9, 2011 is about Dangerous Doctors who can be hazardous to your health.� Do you know the three questions that you absolutely must ask the next time you go to visit your doctor?� Betty Long, founder of Guardian Nurses Healthcare, goes with patients to their doctor’s [...]
Genes Play Role in How Alcohol Affects Men and Women
New genetic research may help explain some of the different ways that alcoholism affects men and women.
Why You Should Take a Vacation
You need a vacation. It's not just good for your health, it helps you perform on the job. So why don't most Americans collect all the vacation days they are owed?
Dr Oz: DUI From Medicine & Osteoporosis Bone Booster Plan
Dr Oz: New DUI August 4 2011
Dr Oz’s Show on August 4, 2011 is about The New DUI, which is caused by taking Medication rather than by drinking too much alcohol.� If you or anyone you know takes Diabetes Medication, Cold Medication, Anti-Depressant / Anti-Anxiety Medication, or Allergy Medication, then you must read the full [...]
Dr Oz’s Show on August 4, 2011 is about The New DUI, which is caused by taking Medication rather than by drinking too much alcohol.� If you or anyone you know takes Diabetes Medication, Cold Medication, Anti-Depressant / Anti-Anxiety Medication, or Allergy Medication, then you must read the full [...]
Spicy Food May Boost Metabolism
Spicing up dinner may have metabolic benefits, particularly when it comes to insulin and triglyceride levels, a small study showed.
Monday, August 15, 2011
New Leukemia Research Has Docs Buzzing
In preliminary cancer research that's been called "remarkable," "dramatic" and "sensational," doctors made the most common type of leukemia disappear in two patients, and reduced cancer cells by 70 percent in a third.
Pharmacist-Directed Anticoagulation Service Improves Care Coordination
A pharmacist-directed anticoagulation service improves the coordination of care from the hospital to an outpatient clinic for patients treated with the anticoagulant drug warfarin, according to a Henry Ford Hospital study. The study, published online today in the July/August issue of the Journal of Hospital Medicine, found that the transition of care directed by the anticoagulation service was seamless in more than 70 percent of patients treated and risk of bleeding and thrombosis declined by nearly 5 percent compared to patients not treated by the anticoagulation service...
How Fatty Diets Cause Diabetes
Newly diagnosed type 2 diabetics tend to have one thing in common: obesity. Exactly how diet and obesity trigger diabetes has long been the subject of intense scientific research. A new study led by Jamey D. Marth, Ph.D., director of the Center for Nanomedicine, a collaboration between the University of California, Santa Barbara and Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute (Sanford-Burnham), has revealed a pathway that links high-fat diets to a sequence of molecular events responsible for the onset and severity of diabetes. These findings were published online August 14 in Nature Medicine...
Dr Oz 7 Day Energy Surge Plan: August 3 2011
Dr Oz: Energy Surge Plan
Dr Oz’s Show on August 3, 2011 presented a 7 Day Energy Surge Plan, along with Jim Karas (author of the 7 Day Energy Surge).� Karas has worked with famous people, including women like Diane Sawyer, to boost their energy naturally – he does not believe in chemical energy boosters.� Here [...]
Dr Oz’s Show on August 3, 2011 presented a 7 Day Energy Surge Plan, along with Jim Karas (author of the 7 Day Energy Surge).� Karas has worked with famous people, including women like Diane Sawyer, to boost their energy naturally – he does not believe in chemical energy boosters.� Here [...]
Gut Coils With Help From Its Elastic Neighbor
Between conception and birth, the human gut grows more than two meters long, looping and coiling within the tiny abdomen. Within a given species, the developing vertebrate gut always loops into the same formation - however, until now, it has not been clear why. Using a combination of experimental observations, biological and biophysical manipulations, theory, and computation, researchers at Harvard have shown that a "simple" balance of forces determines the form of the gut. The finding may shed light on how the gut has been able to evolve to accommodate changes in diet...
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Flatworms Provide New Insight Into Organ Regeneration And The Evolution Of Mammalian Kidneys
Our bodies are perfectly capable of renewing billions of cells every day but fail miserably when it comes to replacing damaged organs such as kidneys. Using the flatworm Schmidtea mediterranea-famous for its capacity to regrow complete animals from minuscule flecks of tissue-as an eloquent example, researchers at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research demonstrated how our distant evolutionary cousins regenerate their excretory systems from scratch. In the process, the Stowers team led by Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Stowers investigator Alejandro Sanchéz Alvarado, Ph.D...
Student Brings Home New Expertise To Answer Question In Antibiotic Resistance
Working out the structure of a complex formed when a protein binds to DNA has proved to be key in understanding how an antibiotic-producing organism controls resistance to its own antibiotic, and may be an example of how other antibiotic producers regulate export to prevent self-toxicity. The natural production of antibiotics by certain microorganisms is a complex and highly regulated process, not least because the organism making these compounds must protect itself from their toxic effects...
Ridding Brain Of Dead Cells And Creating New Ones, How It's Done Discovered
Although thousands of new brain cells called neurons are produced each day in adults brains, only a small percentage of them survive. The cells that die are consumed by scavenger cells called phagocytes. Researchers have not completely understood how this process works, which phagocytes are unique to the brain and how the removal of dead neurons influences the creation of new neurons, until now. During adulthood neurogenesis, or the development of new neurons, largely ceases in most areas of the brain...
Mystery powder sends 10 cell phone employees to hospital
ATLANTA (Reuters) - Ten employees of a cellular phone company in suburban Atlanta were hospitalized on Friday after a powdery substance was released from a package containing two phone batteries.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Appeals court rules against Obama healthcare law
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's signature healthcare law suffered a setback on Friday when an appeals court ruled that it was unconstitutional to require all Americans to buy insurance or face a penalty.
Rapid Blood Test Identifies Infection Type
A rapid blood test that distinguishes between viral and bacterial infection in less than two hours could prove to be a useful weapon in the battle against antibiotic resistance.
Glenmark Initiates Phase IIb Human Trials Globally For Its Novel Molecule 'Revamilast'
Glenmark Pharmaceuticals announced that its Novel Chemical Entity "Revamilast" (GRC 4039) has initiated Phase IIb human dose range finding trials globally. Revamilast is an orally active, potent and selective inhibitor of phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE 4) that is currently being developed by Glenmark for the treatment of chronic inflammatory disorders such as Asthma, Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and other inflammatory diseases. The Phase IIb studies that will be carried out will help establish the efficacy and safety of the molecule and will also provide dose range finding data for Revamilast. Dr...
Use Of CT Scans In Emergency Rooms Increased 330 Percent In 12 Years
A review of national data from 1996 through 2007 reveals a sharp uptick in the use of computed tomography, or CT, scans to diagnose illnesses in emergency departments, a University of Michigan Health System study finds. The rate of CT use grew 11 times faster than the rate of ED visits during the study period. The study also showed that the use of CT scans was less common early in the study period, but rose significantly over time. Just 3.2 percent of emergency patients received CT scans in 1996, while 13.9 percent of emergency patients seen in 2007 received them...
Friday, August 12, 2011
Mother buries her child
It violates a natural order of life to bury your own child, and I am not sure the grief ever goes away, writes Dr. Sanjay Gupta. More than 30,000 Somali parents have had to bury their kids.
Glenmark Initiates Phase IIb Human Trials Globally For Its Novel Molecule 'Revamilast'
Glenmark Pharmaceuticals announced that its Novel Chemical Entity "Revamilast" (GRC 4039) has initiated Phase IIb human dose range finding trials globally. Revamilast is an orally active, potent and selective inhibitor of phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE 4) that is currently being developed by Glenmark for the treatment of chronic inflammatory disorders such as Asthma, Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and other inflammatory diseases. The Phase IIb studies that will be carried out will help establish the efficacy and safety of the molecule and will also provide dose range finding data for Revamilast. Dr...
Drug May Help Relieve Chronic Constipation
Two studies show that a new kind of experimental medication relieves the pain and bloating of persistent constipation better than a placebo.
Malaria Hope: Breed Bugs that Shoot Blanks
European scientists have figured out how to sterilize a breed of mosquito that often carries malaria, with hopes of lowering populations of the bug and reducing the infection rate of the disease.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Music Therapy May Ease Anxiety of Cancer Patients
Listening to recorded music or working with a music therapist may reduce anxiety levels of cancer patients and have other positive effects as well, a new study shows.
The Secrets Of MS Unravel; Stunning 29 New Gene Variants Discovered
A groundbreaking, massive genetic study was released this week that has identified more than 50 gene variants that may contribute to the autoimmune disease, 29 of which are new discoveries. The study controlled in the United Kingdom included nearly 10,000 MS patients from 15 countries and more than 17,000 healthy controls. The research, a genome-wide analysis, was conducted by the International Multiple Sclerosis Genetics Consortium, a group made up of researchers from 129 institutions studying the genetics of MS...
ER crowding may not slow heart attack care
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - An overcrowded ER does not seem to delay patients in getting an emergency procedure to stop a heart attack in progress -- at least at one U.S. hospital, a new study finds.
Blocking Receptor In Key Hormone Fires Up Enzyme To Kill Pancreatic Cancer Cells
Pancreatic cancer researchers at Thomas Jefferson University have shown, for the first time, that blocking a receptor of a key hormone in the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) reduces cancer cell growth by activating the enzyme AMPK to inhibit fatty acid synthase, the ingredients to support cell division. With that, a new chemopreventive agent that inhibits the angiotensin II type 2 receptor never before thought to play a role in tumor growth could be developed to help treat one of the fastest-moving cancers that has a 5-year survival rate of only 5 percent. Hwyda Arafat, M.D., Ph.D...
Dr Oz: MST Miracle Skin Transformer, Hair Color Marker & Best Shortcuts
Dr Oz’s Best Shortcuts Ever
Dr Oz’s Show on August 8, 2011 gave a list of his Best Shortcuts Ever.� Doctor Oz spoke about some of his Best Shortcuts to Lose Weight, such as eating an apple before lunch to help prevent overeating.� Or how about refrigerating your canned goods so that you can scrape off [...]
Dr Oz’s Show on August 8, 2011 gave a list of his Best Shortcuts Ever.� Doctor Oz spoke about some of his Best Shortcuts to Lose Weight, such as eating an apple before lunch to help prevent overeating.� Or how about refrigerating your canned goods so that you can scrape off [...]
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
How Fast Is Your Biological Clock Ticking?
A survey of healthy women has revealed the normal range of levels of a hormone considered vital to a woman's fertility.
57 Genes Now Linked to MS
The number of genes linked to multiple sclerosis or MS is now up to 57, following a large international study of more than 9,000 people with the disease.
NFL to Test for Human Growth Hormone
When football season kicks off in September, the National Football League will become the nation's first professional sports league to blood-test players for human growth hormone (hGH).
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Man With Breast Cancer Fights for Coverage
A 26-year-old man diagnosed with breast cancer has been denied Medicaid for his treatment because he's a man.
Number Of Laparoscopic Bariatric Procedures Continued To Rise Between 2003-2008
According to a study published in the August issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons (Vol 213(2): 261-266), there was an increase in the number of laparoscopic bariatric procedures, an increase in the number of bariatric surgeons and a decrease of inhospital mortality rates between 2003 and 2008. During the past decade, the field of bariatric surgery has changed dramatically and the authors concluded that these trends are due, in part, to an increase in the use of laparoscopic techniques and a greater acceptance of bariatric surgery by patients...
Neuroscientists Identify How The Brain Remembers What Happens And When
New York University neuroscientists have identified the parts of the brain we use to remember the timing of events within an episode. The study, which appears in the latest issue of the journal Science, enhances our understanding of how memories are processed and provides a potential roadmap for addressing memory-related afflictions. Previous research has shown the brain's medial temporal lobe (MTL) has a significant role in declarative memory - that is, memory of facts and events or episodes...
Monday, August 8, 2011
Sensor Spots Date Rape Drugs in Drinks
A quick stir of your drink could soon reveal whether it's been spiked with date rape drugs, researchers say. Israeli scientists say they've developed a sensor that looks like a straw or a stirrer that can detect two of the most commonly used date rape drugs with 100 percent accuracy.
Mammograms: Who, and when?
While breast care experts acknowledge that mammography is imprecise, they say the benefits far outweigh any potential harms.
South Florida Radiation Oncology On The Forefront Of Cancer Treatment With The TrueBeam? Radiotherapy System From Varian Medical Systems
In a promising development for cancer patients in The Palm Beach area, South Florida Radiation Oncology announced today that it has acquired the TrueBeam system, an innovative system that enables a radically different approach to treating cancer with image-guided radiotherapy. The TrueBeam system, from Varian Medical Systems, was engineered from the ground up to deliver more powerful cancer treatments with pinpoint accuracy and precision...
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Britons find getting to sleep is monkey business
LONDON (Reuters Life!) - Forget counting sheep -- Britons now prefer listening to lions roaring and monkeys calling to help them nod off, according to a new survey.
Converting Human Skin Cells Into Functional Neurons Without Using Stem Cells
Scientists have managed to convert human skin cells into functional neurons without having to use any kind of stem cells, researchers from Columbia University Medical Center reported in the journal Cell. This breakthrough could offer effective treatments to replace the cells of patients with Alzheimer's disease, and other neurodegenerative illnesses. The method, known as direct reprogramming, generated neurons from the skin cells of individuals with early-onset (familial) Alzheimer's disease...
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Eating Disorders Affect Fertility, Pregnancy
Women with anorexia or bulimia or a history of eating disorders have more fertility problems, unplanned pregnancies, and negative feelings about having a child than women with no such history, a new study from the United Kingdom finds.
What Is The Difference Between Sex And Gender?
The words sex and gender are commonly used interchangeably, but many linguists would argue that their usage is quite distinct. Sex refers to the biological and physiological characteristics, while gender refers to behaviors, roles, expectations, and activities in society. Sex refers to male or female, while gender refers to masculine or feminine. The differences in the sexes do not vary throughout the world, but differences in gender do...
FDA Tentatively Approves Intelliject's Lead Product, E-cue?
Intelliject, Inc. announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted tentative approval for the company's New Drug Application (NDA) for a novel epinephrine auto-injector, e-cue?, for emergency treatment of allergic reactions including anaphylaxis. The tentative approval of e-cue? following a first cycle, 10-month review by the FDA provides validation of Intelliject's vision of developing patient-centric products and of the company's ability to execute...
Very Old Don't Always Have Healthy Habits
Men and women who live to age 95 and beyond, it seems, are overall no better than the general population when it comes to health habits such as watching their weight, eating well, and exercising, according to a new study.
Friday, August 5, 2011
Shocking; Indians Look To Railroad "Electric Therapy" For Cures
Pseudo medical or alternative treatments are commonly used in Asia and in particular the large and impoverished nation of India. Now in shocking developments, Indians are looking to railroad tracks to help cure themselves via the electric currents the system sends through their bodies to cure ailments not remotely related to internal electric currents, such as diabetes. Medical experts say there is no evidence lying on the rails does any good...
Increases Asthma Risk Following Mold Exposure During Infancy
Infants who live in "moldy" homes are three times more likely to develop asthma by age 7 - an age that children can be accurately diagnosed with the condition. Study results are published in the August issue of Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, the scientific journal of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI). "Early life exposure to mold seems to play a critical role in childhood asthma development," says Tiina Reponen, PhD, lead study author and University of Cincinnati (UC) professor of environmental health...
Study: Healthy Eating Costs More
A new analysis shows healthy eating can really run up a grocery bill, making it tough for Americans on tight budgets to meet nutritional guidelines.
Nearly 4 Times More Spent On Health Insurance Costs By US Physicians Compared To Their Canadian Counterparts
U.S. physicians spend nearly $61,000 more than their Canadian counterparts each year on administrative expenses related to health insurance, according to a new study by researchers at Cornell University and the University of Toronto. The study, published in the August issue of the journal Health Affairs, found that per-physician costs in the U.S. averaged $82,975 annually, while Ontario-based physicians averaged $22,205 - primarily because Canada's single-payer health care system is simpler. Canadian physicians follow a single set of rules, but U.S...
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Researchers Find New Bacterium Causing Tick-Borne Illness Ehrlichiosis In Wis., Minn.
A new tick-borne bacterium infecting humans with ehrlichiosis has been discovered in Wisconsin and Minnesota. It was identified as a new strain of bacteria through DNA testing conducted at Mayo Clinic. The findings appear in the Aug. 4 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine. Doctors at Mayo Clinic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the University of Minnesota, the University of Wisconsin, and state and local health departments say the new species from the Ehrlichia genus can cause a feverish illness in humans...
Kids from drug-making homes mostly healthy: study
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Most children raised in homes where illegal drugs are produced appear to be in good health, according to a small Canadian study.
The Use Of FRAX� In Clinical Practice Clarified By New IOF-ISCD Review
FRAX� is a computer-based algorithm developed by the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Metabolic Bone Diseases to help predict the 10-year risk of fragility fracture. Now with 34 specific country models, FRAX is being used increasingly by physicians around the world to help assess their patients' fracture risk in the course of a clinical assessment...
Dr Oz: Prevention Power Hour: Brain Cubes & Sitz Bath
Dr Oz: Prevention Products
Dr Oz’s Prevention Power Hour show on� July 25, 2011 was packed with information on how to prevent a whole array of health problems from Diabetes to Cancer to Heart Disease to Bone Loss. �� I love Doctor Oz’s Brain Cubes Recipe that helps to fight off memory loss.� You simply blend [...]
Dr Oz’s Prevention Power Hour show on� July 25, 2011 was packed with information on how to prevent a whole array of health problems from Diabetes to Cancer to Heart Disease to Bone Loss. �� I love Doctor Oz’s Brain Cubes Recipe that helps to fight off memory loss.� You simply blend [...]
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
HIV infections in U.S. stable but disparities exist
CHICAGO (Reuters) - The number of Americans newly infected with HIV remained stable between 2006 and 2009, but infections rose nearly 50 percent among young black gay and bisexual men, U.S. experts said on Wednesday.
Human Heart Evolution Seen Through Sea Squirt Pacemaker
A discovery has been made by a team of international molecular scientists that star ascidians, also known as sea squirts, have pacemaker cells similar to that of the human heart. The studies, published in the Journal of Experimental Zoology, Ecological Genetics and Physiology, may reveal new insights into the early evolution of the heart, as star ascidians are one of the closest related invertebrates to mammals...
Report questions "offshoring" in U.S. heart studies
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Major U.S.-sponsored clinical trials on heart disease often turn to other countries to recruit patients and a new report questions whether that undermines the evidence they generate and the health of the American clinical trial system.
Two-Drug Combination Produced Strong Results In Late Stage Ovarian Cancer Phase II Trial
Researchers were surprised that late stage ovarian cancer patients responded well to an experimental carboplatin-decitabine combination therapy, given that they had become resistant to carboplatin. Indiana University researchers are eager to conduct a larger human study to test the two-drug combination with existing treatment for ovarian cancer. The carboplatin-decitabine combo had a positive effect on 70% of the trial participants. The researchers added that they believe they have discovered biomarkers which could help better identify patients who are most likely to respond to this therapy...
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Only 4% Of US Hospitals Fully Support Breastfeeding, CDC Finds
A mere 4% of hospitals in America provide mothers with the full range of support they need to be able to breastfeed, says a new Vital Signs report issued by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). The authors stressed that providing full hospital support to mothers and their newborns is a crucial part of improving children's health. Breastfeeding has many benefits, including reducing a baby's chances of becoming obese later on in life. The USA has one of the highest childhood obesity rates in the world. CDC Director Thomas R. Frieden, M.D., M.P.H...
New Study Identifies Emergence Of Multidrug-Resistant Strain Of Salmonella
A new study has identified the recent emergence of a multidrug-resistant strain of Salmonella that has a high level resistance to ciprofloxacin, a common treatment for severe Salmonella infections. The study, led by François-Xavier Weill, MD, and Simon Le Hello, PharmD, at the Pasteur Institute in France, is published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases and is now available online. Salmonella infection represents a major public health problem worldwide. An estimated 1.7 million such infections occur in North America each year. More than 1...
Exposure To Magnetic Fields During Pregnancy Increases Asthma Risk For Offspring
Women with high exposure to magnetic fields during pregnancy may have a higher risk of asthma in their children, according to a Kaiser Permanente study appearing online in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. In this prospective study, researchers compared the daily magnetic field exposure of 801 pregnant women in Kaiser Permanente Northern California and used electronic medical records to follow their children for 13 years to see which children developed asthma...
New Asthma Genes Found in Africans, Japanese
Four newly identified genetic mutations may raise the risk of asthma in different ethnic groups, according to two new studies.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Motorcycle Helmets Safer For Riders But Hard On Hearing
Motorcycle helmets, while protecting bikers' brains, may also be contributing to hearing loss. Scientists mapped the airflow and noise patterns to find out why. The distinctive roar of a Harley's engine is loud, but studies have revealed the biggest source of noise for motorcyclists is actually generated by air whooshing over the riders' helmets. Even at legal speeds, the sound can exceed safe levels. Now, scientists have identified a key source of the rushing din...
Dogs Help Researchers To Improve Their Understanding Of Bone Cancer
A team led by Dr. Jaime Modiano, a College of Veterinary Medicine and Masonic Cancer center expert in comparative medicine, discovered a gene pattern that distinguishes the more severe form of bone cancer from a less aggressive form in dogs. Dogs are the only other species besides humans that develops this disease spontaneously with any frequency. Quotes "Our findings pave the way to develop laboratory tests that can predict the behavior of this tumor in dogs and children at the time of diagnosis," said Dr...
Dr Oz Cancer Show: Anti-Inflammatory Spice Mix & Gurmar Extract
Ask Dr Oz Cancer Edition
Dr Oz’s Show on July 20, 2011 was focused on the topic of Cancer.� Doctor Oz spoke about an Anti-Inflammatory Spice Mix, an At Home Radon Test to help prevent Lung Cancer,� and how Vitamin D Fights Cancer.� Rachel Beller joined Dr Oz for his Cancer Fighting Foods segment and gave [...]
Dr Oz’s Show on July 20, 2011 was focused on the topic of Cancer.� Doctor Oz spoke about an Anti-Inflammatory Spice Mix, an At Home Radon Test to help prevent Lung Cancer,� and how Vitamin D Fights Cancer.� Rachel Beller joined Dr Oz for his Cancer Fighting Foods segment and gave [...]
Dying Dementia Patients And Their Families Benefit From Hospice Care
Hospice services substantially improved the provision of care and support for nursing home patients dying of dementia and their families, according to an analysis of survey responses from hundreds of bereaved family members. The research comes as hospice funding has received particular scrutiny in the debate over Medicare spending. "People whose loved ones received hospice care reported an improved quality of care, and had a perception that the quality of dying was improved as well," said Dr...
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