Health News

Diagnostic method can reveal the factors behind conditions thought to have environmental triggers

Date: Nov-26-2013
You may be sensitive to gluten, but you're not sure. Perhaps you can't put your finger on a recurring malaise, and your doctor is at a loss to figure it out. A diagnostic method recently developed by UC Santa Barbara professor Patrick Daugherty can reveal - on a molecular level - the factors behind conditions thought to have environmental triggers. By decoding an individual's immune system, this elegant and accurate method can demystify, diagnose and provide further insight into conditions like celiac disease, multiple sclerosis, preeclampsia and schizophrenia.

'Deformability cytometry' improves accuracy, ease of cancer diagnosis

Date: Nov-26-2013
A team of researchers from UCLA and Harvard University have demonstrated a technique that, by measuring the physical properties of individual cells in body fluids, can diagnose cancer with a high degree of accuracy.The technique, which uses a deformability cytometer to analyze individual cells, could reduce the need for more cumbersome diagnostic procedures and the associated costs, while improving accuracy over current methods.

In a new study, mice who were overweight had fewer taste cells capable of detecting sweetness

Date: Nov-26-2013
Obesity may alter the way we taste at the most fundamental level: by changing how our tongues react to different foods.In a study in the journal PLOS ONE, University at Buffalo biologists report that being severely overweight impaired the ability of mice to detect sweets.Compared with slimmer counterparts, the plump mice had fewer taste cells that responded to sweet stimuli. What's more, the cells that did respond to sweetness reacted relatively weakly.The findings peel back a new layer of the mystery of how obesity alters our relationship to food.

Task Force updates oral cancer screening recommendations

Date: Nov-25-2013
The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) found insufficient evidence to recommend for or against screening for oral cancer by primary care physicians in asymptomatic adults, according to an article published in Annals of Internal Medicine. Oral cancer and pharyngeal cancer include cancer of the lip, oral cavity, and pharynx. Up to 75 percent of oral cancers are attributable to tobacco and alcohol use, but sexually transmitted oral HPV infection has recently been recognized as an increasingly important risk factor for oropharyngeal cancer.

One-third of older adults admitted to ICU deemed "frail"

Date: Nov-25-2013
One-third of older adults admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) were "frail," increasing the risk of death, illness and adverse events, according to a new study in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).Frailty is characterized by the loss of physical and mental strength that can make people more vulnerable to adverse events. People who are frail are at higher risk of falls, illness, unplanned hospital admissions, complications after surgery, disability and death. A major illness in an older person is often the catalyst for decline into frailty, which can prevent recovery.

Canada lags in access to "gold standard" medical abortions

Date: Nov-25-2013
Canada lags in providing access to the internationally recognized gold standard for medical abortion - abortion induced with drugs rather than through surgical means, states a commentary in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).Many countries use mifepristone, combined with misoprostol, which provides a safe, effective nonsurgical method for early abortion. Canada, however, has not approved the drug and instead uses a drug regimen not recommended by the World Health Organization.

ADHD diagnosis increasing in the US, CDC says

Date: Nov-25-2013
A new study reveals that the number of children in 2011-12 diagnosed with ADHD is 2 million higher in the US, compared with 2003-04. Additionally, 1 million more American children are taking medication for the disorder than previously.The study was conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and is published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

Treating flu with antiviral drugs

Date: Nov-25-2013
Researchers from California claim that prompt treatment with antiviral drugs may improve the chances of survival for children who are critically ill with flu. The new study, published in Pediatrics, compares the outcomes of treatment for 784 children aged under 18 who were hospitalized in intensive care units in California with confirmed cases of flu between April 3, 2009, and September 30, 2012. The researchers found that children treated with neuraminidase inhibitors (NAI) drugs - a type of antiviral medication - within 48 hours of the onset of symptoms were less likely to die.

Kidney disease patients 'show gene expression differences'

Date: Nov-25-2013
Scientists have uncovered differences in gene expression of patients with chronic kidney disease compared with healthy individuals, which could explain the development of the condition. This is according to a study published in the journal Genome Biology.Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a disorder in which the kidneys are severely damaged, making them unable to sufficiently filter blood. This damage to the kidneys can lead to other health problems, including cardiovascular disease, bone disease and anemia.

EU Pharmacovigilance & Risk Management, 13th & 14th March 2014, Vienna

Date: Nov-25-2013
The legislation is now supported with comprehensive Pharmacovigilance modules that Affect Pharmacovigilance; Regulatory; Medical Information; QA; Clinical as well affecting the Senior Management view of Pharmacovigilance requirement and expectations. A Good Pharmacovigilance identifies the risks in the shortest possible time of marketing the drug and will help to establish & identify risk factors. You will be provided with a comprehensive, yet practical assessment of the main Regulations required, in producing a compliant reporting Company.