Health News

Technique using patient's own fat improves appearance and function in patients with difficult-to-treat scars

Date: Sep-28-2013
Millions of people with scars suffer from pain, discomfort, and inability to perform regular activities. Some may have to revert to addicting pain medicine to get rid of their ailments. Now, and with a new methodology, such problems can be treated successfully. A technique using injection of the patient's own fat cells is an effective treatment for hard, contracted scars resulting from burns or other causes, reports a study in the September issue of The Journal of Craniofacial Surgery, edited by Mutaz B...

Warnings in drug ads may encourage purchasing

Date: Sep-28-2013
Drug commercials that warn consumers about serious side effects may actually encourage them to make a purchase after a period of time rather than scare them away. This is according to a study published in the journal Psychological Science. The study was conducted by researchers from the INSEAD Business School in Singapore, Tel Aviv University in Israel, and New York University in the US. The team performed four experiments on participants to explore how adding warnings of potential drug side effects may influence consumer decision making...

Low testosterone in men linked to CVD risk

Date: Sep-28-2013
Men with low testosterone levels may be at higher risk of cardiovascular disease, according to a study review published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. Testosterone is a male sex hormone, important for maintaining sperm production, sex drive and bone health. Low testosterone levels have been found to cause increases in body fat, as well as loss of muscle bulk and body hair...

Ballet dancers' brains suppress signals to stop dizziness

Date: Sep-28-2013
Watching a ballerina perform pirouettes is an awe-inspiring experience that can make your head spin. But new research suggests that differences in their brain structure enables ballet dancers to avoid feeling dizzy by suppressing signals from balance organs located in the inner ear. The researchers, from Imperial College London, published their results in Cerebral Cortex, and they hope their findings may help with treatment for patients who suffer from chronic dizziness...

What is seborrheic keratosis?

Date: Sep-28-2013
Seborrheic keratosis is a very common harmless, usually pigmented, noncancerous growth on the skin. It usually appears as a pale, black or brown growth on the back, shoulders chest or face, but can appear anywhere on the skin. The plural of keratosis is keratoses. Seborrheic keratoses are also known as basal cell papillomas or seborrheic warts. The American Academy of Dermatology says that although seborrheic keratosis may look worrisome, it is benign - not a cancer. They tend to appear from middle-age onwards...

Preferred method identified to assess patient reactions to radiation therapy

Date: Sep-28-2013
The North Shore-LIJ Health System Department of Radiation Medicine presented a novel study to evaluate the reliability of different systems used by caregivers to assess toxicity for patients receiving radiation therapy. The study presented at the 55th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Therapeutic Radiation Oncology in Atlanta, GA. During the course of radiation therapy, patients may experience reactions to their treatments. Typically, the severity of reactions is assessed by a radiation oncologist and nurse using a formal grading scheme...

Flu vaccine coverage on the rise in US

Date: Sep-27-2013
US health officials say that vaccination coverage to protect against influenza is on the rise, particularly for children, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Health officials say the data, announced at a news conference held by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NIFD), is reassuring but still falls short of public goals. When looking at vaccinations given during the 2012-13 season for children aged 6 months to 17 years, coverage was at 56.6% - an increase of 5.1%, compared with the 2011-12 season...

HIV in cells eradicated with antifungal drug

Date: Sep-27-2013
New research by an international team finds that Ciclopirox, an antifungal cream used all over the world, completely eradicates HIV - the virus that leads to AIDS - in cultured cells, and the virus does not return when the treatment stops. The study also found Deferiprone, a systemic drug used to remove excess iron from the body in people who have beta-thalassaemia major, has the same effect. The researchers, including a team from Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, write about their findings in a paper published online this week in the journal PLOS ONE...

Flame retardant ban reduces levels in pregnant women

Date: Sep-27-2013
A new study has suggested that phasing out the use of potentially harmful flame retardants in furniture foam, electronics and plastics may be having a positive impact on pregnant women and newborns' exposure to the chemicals. From the 1970s, manufacturers commonly used flame retardants called polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in electrics, furniture and plastics. But these retardants were found to pose potentially serious health issues to pregnant women and their infants...

European and Brazilian cardiology societies team up to tackle cardiovascular disease

Date: Sep-27-2013
As the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and the Brazilian Society of Cardiology (BSC) team up to deliver key cardio messages at the 68th BSC Congress in Rio de Janeiro (28 September to 1 October 2013), new research underscores the essential role of cardiology specialists in Brazil. Cerebrovascular disease (CBVD) remains the leading cause of death in Rio de Janeiro, with poverty, poor fitness and education levels, and increasing rates of obesity contributing to these deaths annually, said Dr. Regina Fonseca from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro...