Dental medicine is on the brink of profound change due, in large measure, to unprecedented advances in science and technology. Advances in stem cell biology will improve our understanding of degenerative diseases and assist in developing therapies for replacing damaged or diseased parts/tissues.
During the 83rd General Session of the International Association for Dental Research, convening today at the Baltimore Convention Center, several research groups are reporting on dramatic progress
Two papers published in tandem in the New England Journal of Medicine
A large international study conducted by the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute of Canada(NCIC) Clinical Trials Group demonstrated that the addition of a novel chemotherapy agent, Temozolomide (brand name: Temodal®) to radiation therapy increases survival in patients suffering from glioblastoma, a very aggressive form of a brain tu
A Northwestern University researcher has developed the first truly reliable measure of neurobehavioral functioning during coma from severe brain injury that predicts recovery of consciousness up to one year after injury, with up to 86 percent certainty. Theresa Louise-Bender Pape, assistant research professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, and her colleagues described the measure, called Disorders of Consciousness Scale© (DOCS) in
About a year before her surgery, the symptoms of stress incontinence started to control Ellen Jay’s life (not her real name). She was constantly worrying that her bladder might empty again without warning and wore pads all the time to avoid embarrassment.
She tried special exercises to strengthen her pelvic muscles and several medications but nothing seemed to help. Then, Jay’s gynecologist referred her to the Center for Women’s Continence and Pelvic Health at Cedars-Sinai M
Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia are not inevitable with aging.
In recent years, researchers have identified many factors that may slow or prevent the development of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. The March issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter outlines some.
* Control diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and obesity. There’s increasing evidence that these major risk factors for heart disease and stroke may also predispose people to dementia
Important information that could optimise the diagnosis and management of chest pain patients is often lacking on referral between primary and secondary care, according to an influential multidisciplinary working group of the Angina Forum. In a bid to tackle the situation, the group has developed a template for use by both general practices and rapid access chest pain clinics (RACPCs).
The move follows a meeting of the Forum’s expert working group, which highlighted the major prob
Findings presented at ACC Scientific Sessions show improving serum sodium levels may improve outcomes
Research presented on Monday at the American College of Cardiology’s Scientific Sessions in Orlando pinpoints a major marker of a poor prognosis for heart failure, hyponatremia, or a lower than normal concentration of serum or blood sodium. Researchers found that hyponatremia, which is found in almost a quarter of patients with severe heart failure, doubled death rates withi
Researchers find drugs boost survival in those with congestive heart failure and mitral regurgitation with normal ejection fraction
Beta-blockers, medications that block the action of certain hormones on the heart, can benefit patients with certain serious heart problems such as diastolic heart failure, according to cardiologists at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California and Loma Linda University Medical Center.
Researchers presented two rep
Pioneering research with combined positron emission tomography (PET) and computed tomography (CT) scans provides accurate detection and localization of foot infection in diabetic patients, according to an article in the March issue of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine. PET/CT scans could potentially offer a single-step, noninvasive technique for the diagnosis of infection, said Society of Nuclear Medicine member Zohar Keidar, M.D., Ph.D., the article’s lead author.
Keidar expl
The use of herbal supplements in women is increasing. Many mothers may also be giving herbal supplements to their children to treat or prevent various illnesses, including asthma, hyperactivity, colds, and respiratory infections. A study in the March issue of The Journal of Pediatrics reviews the medical literature to provide information about the effectiveness of some of the most common herbal supplements in children, including Andrographis paniculata, evening primrose oil, ivy leaf, and va
Study of U.S. Travelers to Mexico and Guatemala Found 65 Percent Prevalence Rate
A majority of traveler’s diarrhea cases among U.S. travelers to Mexico and Guatemala were attributed to Norovirus, a common cause of nonbacterial gastroenteritis outbreaks usually associated with developed countries, according to a new study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and other institutions. The researchers also found that the longer travelers stayed at
Using Positron Emission Tomography in addition to Computed Tomography can reduce the amount of radiation exposure to normal tissue in some lung cancer patients, according to a new study published in the March 1, 2005, issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics, the official journal of ASTRO, the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology.
The study, conducted on 21 patients with non-small cell lung cancer, created two three-dimensional
Duke University Medical Center researchers have found a strong association between depression and a higher long-term risk of death for patients with chronic heart failure.
Additionally, and just as importantly, the researchers said even a psychological status previously considered to be sub-depressive puts these patients at higher risk of death. While it has been known that depression is associated with higher short-term mortality rates, this is the first study to measure the lon
Volunteers were shown funny and disturbing movies to test the effect of emotions on blood vessels
Using laughter-provoking movies to gauge the effect of emotions on cardiovascular health, researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore have shown for the first time that laughter is linked to healthy function of blood vessels. Laughter appears to cause the tissue that forms the inner lining of blood vessels, the endothelium, to dilate or expand in orde
Warning signs of an ischemic stroke may be evident as early as seven days before an attack and require urgent treatment to prevent serious damage to the brain, according to a study of stroke patients published in the March 8, 2005 issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Eighty percent of strokes are ischemic, caused by the narrowing of the large or small arteries of the brain, or by clots that block blood flow to the brain. They are oft
Implanted devices intended to optimize the cardiac function of patients with heart failure have provided new insights into which patients might be at higher risk of dying suddenly from their disease, according to researchers at Duke University Medical Center.
Besides maintaining optimal electrical stimulation to the heart, these CRT-D (cardiac resynchronization therapy with defibrillation) devices are giving cardiologists a new view of subtle changes in a key measurement of hear
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