Health News

Activating aging in tumor cells may help lymphoma treatment

Date: Oct-15-2013
Perhaps the key to fighting some cancers is to reactivate a process that normally prevents cell proliferation. Now in the case of large B-cell lymphoma, scientists have found such a mechanism. They reactivated a gene that controls the normal aging program in tumor cells so they can no longer divide. The researchers believe the discovery may lead to new drug targets for treating the cancer...

Self-concern affects attitudes on euthanasia

Date: Oct-15-2013
Physicians and nursing staff show relatively high support for euthanasia when asked abstractly whether they would wish it for themselves if they had a lethal illness. However, only a small percentage can imagine being involved in euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide for their own patients. These were the findings of a German study presented at the EFIC Congress in Florence. A study from Spain arrived at the finding that training for health care professionals must prepare people better for dealing with death...

Pay for nonprofit hospital CEOs varies around U.S.; Average more than $500K

Date: Oct-15-2013
Compensation for chief executive officers at nonprofit hospitals varies around the country but averaged almost $600,000 in a study of top executives at nearly 2,700 hospitals, according to a study published by JAMA Internal Medicine, a JAMA Network publication.  Little information is known about how hospital CEOs are paid and the factors that affect their compensation, according to the study background.  Karen E. Joynt, M.D., M.P.H...

Multiple vs. single courses of prenatal corticosteroids not associated with increased death, disability of children at age 5

Date: Oct-15-2013
Multiple courses of prenatal corticosteroids, compared with a single course, taken by pregnant women to help prevent preterm birth was associated with no increase or decrease in the risk of death or disability for their children at age 5, according to a study published by JAMA Pediatrics, a JAMA Network publication.  Preterm birth (between 24 and 33 weeks) is a significant health problem and a single course of prenatal (also known as antenatal) corticosteroid therapy is recommended for women at risk of preterm birth...

Smoking might influence pain tolerance

Date: Oct-15-2013
Smokers and former smokers are more sensitive to pain than non-smokers, according to conclusions drawn from the Norwegian Tromsø Study and presented at the Congress of the European Pain Federation EFIC in Florence, Italy. "Until now, research into nicotine and pain has produced conflicting results. Some experimental studies have shown that smoking cigarettes and nicotine lessened sensitivity to pain, while observational studies have revealed that smokers were at higher risk of acute and chronic pain...

High voltage, short pulsed electric fields hold promise to reveal the enigma of scars and to induce scarless tissue regeneration

Date: Oct-15-2013
High voltage, short pulsed electric fields, used for disinfection and solid tumor destruction, selectively damage cell membranes, while preserving overall tissue structure, a phenomenon that may be a key factor in scarless tissue regeneration. The enigma of scars has puzzled human mind for thousands of years. Any organ or tissue after serious injury forms a scar. The mechanism by which scars form are not known, and there are very limited therapies available to block scar formation...

Technology to ease the pain of arthritis

Date: Oct-15-2013
A new injection device aims to reduce the fear and pain of injecting modern medicines in the home - by incorporating warming technology that quickly and reliably heats drugs to body temperature. Its cutting-edge design also makes it easy to use - transforming the patient experience.  Rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and a host of other conditions affecting millions of people are increasingly being treated by self-injection of biologic drugs. These are genetically engineered proteins derived from human genes, which are designed to inhibit the parts of the immune system that fuel inflammation...

Partners of pain sufferers shoulder a heavy burden

Date: Oct-15-2013
Women whose spouses are being treated for musculoskeletal pain have a tendency to develop such conditions themselves, according to research carried out at Keele University in Stoke-on-Trent, UK. The findings were presented at the Congress of the European Pain Federation EFIC. "Possible explanations for this include the fact that married couples are exposed to similar environments, and they might also develop shared illness beliefs. Social factors and the role of partners should be taken into account when treating sufferers of musculoskeletal pain," commented study author Dr Paul Campbell...

Researchers demonstrate technological breakthrough for skin regeneration

Date: Oct-15-2013
A team of researchers from the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have demonstrated new multimodal optical microscopy technology that when coupled with advanced image co-registration algorithms, can account for soft-tissue deformations that may occur over the time-course of weeks and months. This technology can visualize cellular-level structural, functional, and biomechanical data and provide new insights into complex processes in living tissue, such as skin...

New study reveals huge lack of awareness and understanding of OCD across the UK

Date: Oct-15-2013
Almost half of the adult population believe themselves to be suffering from mild to severe traits of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) according to a new study released October 14th 2013 to mark the start of OCD Awareness Week by Benenden Health in partnership with OCD UK. While official estimates are that just 1.2% of the population is affected by the mental illness, the survey released by the mutual healthcare provider saw large numbers admit to behaviours that are associated with OCD...