Health & Medicine

Health & Medicine

Combining Drugs to Prevent Atrial Fibrillation Recurrence

The high blood pressure drug irbesartan delayed the recurrence of irregular heartbeats, researchers report for first time in today’s rapid access issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

The drug helped stop irregular heartbeats (arrhythmias) known as atrial fibrillation (AF). AF is a disorder in which the two small, upper chambers of the heart quiver instead of beating effectively. Blood that isn’t pumped out may pool and clot. If a piece of clot leaves th

Health & Medicine

New Breast Imaging Tech Enhances Early Cancer Detection

Scientists at the Research & Education Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center (REI) are developing a new breast imaging diagnostic tool which will afford clinicians greater opportunities for detecting early stage breast cancers with greater certainty and help patients avoid biopsy in some cases. This detection method identifies breast lesions utilizing a radiopharmaceutical diagnostic imaging technology known as Tc-99 Sestamibi (MIBI) scintimammography. The procedure is based on a radioactive isotop

Health & Medicine

Clemson researchers create biosensors to protect nation’s food and water supplies

Unlike nuclear terrorism, bioterrorism won’t begin with a bang. It will begin with a whimper — a child feeling the effects of food poisoning.

E.coli, Listeria, Campylobacter, Salmonella are not weapons of mass destruction, they are weapons of mass disruption. Experts say it’s not a matter of if but when terrorists will attempt a strike at our food or water supply. If they succeed, hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Americans will become sick, and some among the youngest and ol

Health & Medicine

Probiotics in Weaning May Reduce Infant Allergy Symptoms

“Friendly” bacteria (probiotics) given to babies during weaning may help alleviate the symptoms of eczema, suggests research in Gut.

The researchers studied 21 infants who already had evidence of atopic (allergic) eczema, and were at heightened risk for chronic allergic disease.

When the babies were weaned onto hydrolysed whey formula feed, eight of them reacted adversely to it. Among the remaining 13, seven were fed the formula supplemented with probiotic bacteria – Bifidobacte

Health & Medicine

Alcohol’s Impact on Type II Diabetes: New Research Insights

Alcohol is unlikely to protect drinkers from the risk of developing adult onset (type II) diabetes, concludes research in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. Alcohol seems to confer only a slight advantage in moderate drinkers, the research shows.

To date, the effects of light to moderate alcohol consumption on the risk of developing adult onset diabetes remain unclear.

The researchers monitored over 5000 men between the ages of 40 and 59 for almost 17 years. None of t

Health & Medicine

Estrogen, Calcium, and Vitamin D: A Tooth Loss Breakthrough

Researchers have discovered a possible added benefit of hormone replacement therapy: saving teeth.

Postmenopausal women who took a daily dose of estrogen along with calcium, vitamin D and regular dental check-ups improved the condition of their jaw, which could potentially reduce the risk of tooth loss. Women who had regular check-ups but took only calcium and vitamin D also improved jaw mass and density, though to a significantly lesser extent than those who received estrogen.

Health & Medicine

Study Finds Babywalkers Delay Infant Development Milestones

Babywalkers are associated with significant delay in achieving normal locomotor milestones in infants, such as crawling, standing, and walking, and should be discouraged, concludes a study in this week’s BMJ.

Researchers in Ireland surveyed parents of 190 normal healthy infants (83 boys and 107 girls), born at term and attending registered day care centres. They asked parents to record the age at which their child reached various developmental milestones including rolling over, sitting alone

Health & Medicine

Glucose Intolerance After Heart Attack: Key Risk Insight

A Swedish study in this week’s issue of THE LANCET confirms that people admitted to hospital with an acute heart attack are at an increased risk of having undiagnosed diabetes or increased glucose intolerance. Findings of the new study suggest that the fasting glucose of patients or high glucose concentrations immediately after heart attack could be a marker of patients at high risk of subsequent cardiovascular disease.

People with diabetes who have myocardial infarction (heart attack) are

Health & Medicine

Study Reveals Sugar Dependence Similar to Drug Addiction

Denied sugar, bingeing rats suffered withdrawal

It’s a common refrain: “I’m addicted to sugar.” Now a study by Princeton University psychologists suggests that such urges really may be a form of addiction, sharing some of the physiological characteristics of drug dependence.

Although the term “sugar addiction” often appears in magazines and on television, scientists had not demonstrated that such a thing as sugar dependency really exists, said neuroscientist Bart H

Health & Medicine

Testosterone gel (AndroGel®) study demonstrates safety and efficacy up to 42 months

Long-term use of AndroGel®, a transdermal testosterone replacement gel, is safe and effective in men with low testosterone up to 42 months

A Phase 3 study conducted at multiple research centers in the U.S. under the direction of Ronald Swerdloff, MD, Principal Investigator at the Research and Education Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center (REI) shows that long-term use of AndroGel®, a transdermal testosterone replacement gel, is safe and effective in men with low testosterone.

Health & Medicine

High Probability Diagnostics

A lot of diseases are known to the medical science, each of the diseases having its own symptoms. Nevertheless, all diseases have something in common, regardless of the illness cause and the patients` individual reactions. These generalised regularities inherent in all diseases are called general pathology. Physicians can easily recognise anatomical and physiological abnormalities, but some symptoms are not evident. These abnormalities appear to be a presage of a disease, and after the recovery they

Health & Medicine

Androgen Therapy Increases Muscle Strength in Older Men

A short course of hormone therapy appears to increase older men’s strength and may help seniors continue their everyday activities throughout the aging process, according to a study released today at the Endocrine Society’s 84th Annual Meeting.

Men over age 60 who took the androgen oxandrolone daily for 12 weeks had significantly stronger muscles in their upper and lower body than men who took a placebo, according to E. Todd Schroeder, Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow in the Department

Health & Medicine

New Pathway Discovered for Hypertension-Related Kidney Damage

A Medical College of Georgia researcher is tracing the pathway that leads people with hypertension to kidney damage and possible kidney destruction.

He’s found a key vasodilator that is degraded in hypertension and the potential for developing drugs that prevent organ damage in these patients.

“In every form of hypertension, except pulmonary hypertension, which is limited to the lungs, there is a change in kidney function so the kidneys cannot excrete the proper amount of sal

Health & Medicine

Gene Expression Predicts Lymphoma Survival After Chemotherapy

Patterns of genes that are active in tumor cells can predict whether patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) are likely to be cured by chemotherapy, scientists reported today in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Researchers analyzed thousands of genes in lymphoma biopsy samples from patients with DLBCL and determined that the activity of as few as 17 genes could be used to predict patients’ response to treatment. “We’re able to reliably predict the survival of these patients

Health & Medicine

Oestrogen’s Link to HPV Infection and Cervical Cancer Risks

The female hormone oestrogen may have a role in HPV viral infection, strains of which are implicated in cervical cancer, shows research in Sexually Transmitted Infections.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is a common genital infection seen most often in young women and adolescents. There are often no visible signs of infection.

Researchers tested 175 sexually active women for HPV infection during routine examinations at a sexual health clinic. The women were all aged between 14

Health & Medicine

Cranberry Juice: A Natural Ally Against UTI Antibiotic Resistance

Fewer Infections may mean less antibiotic therapy

Public health officials concerned about the rising problem of antibiotic resistance ¾ the immunity that bacteria develop to common prescriptions ¾ may have an ally in a common household beverage. Findings published in a research letter to the editor in the June 19, 2002 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) indicate scientists have discovered that regular consumption of cranberry juice cocktail may offer prote

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