Health News

Wireless fitness monitor 'can help heart surgery recovery'

Date: Aug-29-2013
A simple wireless "off-the-shelf" fitness monitor could help the recovery of patients who have had heart surgery, according to a study to be published in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery. Researchers from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, analyzed a number of patients over the age of 50 who had undergone elective heart surgery. This included coronary artery bypass grafting, valve repair replacement or both. All patients lived at home, were ambulatory before surgery, and were expected to be in hospital for 5-7 days after the procedures...

Mental and substance use disorders 'leading cause of non-fatal illness'

Date: Aug-29-2013
Researchers say that combined, mental and substance use disorders were the leading cause of non-fatal illness worldwide in 2010, according to a study published in the The Lancet. The study, conducted by researchers from Australia and the US, analyzed data from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2010 (GBD 2010). The researchers looked at 20 mental and substance use disorders included in GBD 2010, then systematically reviewed the patterns, causes and effects of the disorders...

Parkinson's severity linked to brain inflammation

Date: Aug-29-2013
A new study found markers of inflammation in the cerebrospinal fluid that protects the brain and spine from injury, linking these markers to symptoms like fatigue, depression and anxiety in patients with Parkinson's disease. Researchers say the findings may lead to new ways of treating the complex riddle of Parkinson's...

Excessive screen time affecting children's well-being - UK report

Date: Aug-29-2013
A sedentary lifestyle with too much time spent sitting in front of screens - such as watching TV, playing video games and surfing the Internet - is harming children's well-being and increasing their anxiety, according to a new briefing paper from Public Health England (PHE). In the paper, titled "How healthy behaviour supports children's well-being," the PHE, a new executive agency of the UK's Department of Health, says too much screen time is having a negative effect on children by reducing self-worth, self-esteem and levels of self-reported happiness...

New report shows improvement for patients with IBD following biological therapy

Date: Aug-29-2013
Over half of patients saw an improvement after being treated with biological therapies for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Data from the first national report of biological therapies shows that 62% of adult patients and 73% of paediatric patients saw the severity of their disease decrease after 12 weeks of treatment with biological therapy. IBD affects approximately 240,000 people in the UK[1] and patients with Ulcerative Colitis (UC) and Crohn's Disease (CD) will often require surgery during their lifetime...

Scientists at Genome Institute of Singapore discover gene that controls the birth of neurons

Date: Aug-29-2013
Scientists at A*STAR's Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) have discovered an unusual gene that controls the generation of neurons[1]. This important finding, which is crucial in understanding serious diseases of the brain such as Alzheimer's disease, was reported in the 8th August 2013 issue of the prestigious scientific journal, Molecular Cell. The central nervous system is composed of numerous cell types that develop into a complex, higher-ordered structure...

African-American women less likely to receive HPV vaccine than whites, even with access to health care, Pitt study finds

Date: Aug-29-2013
Even with access to health care, African-American women are less likely to receive the vaccine for human papillomavirus (HPV), which reduces the risk for cervical cancer, according to a study by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. The findings, published today in the Journal of Adolescent Health, suggest a need for health care providers to both bolster HPV vaccination recommendations and address negative attitudes toward the vaccine among this vulnerable patient population...

Spinal compression fractures - a common cause of back pain

Date: Aug-29-2013
Spinal compression fractures are an often overlooked, but common cause of back pain. These small fractures in the bones that form your spine are frequently caused by osteoporosis. Fortunately, spinal compression fractures can be treated with pain medicine and bed rest. Some patients may wear a back brace or undergo physical therapy. In patients with severe and disabling pain, surgery may be recommended.  Spinal compression fractures, also called vertebral compression fractures, are most common in older women whose bones have become brittle from osteoporosis...

New moms and obese people risk complications from influenza: McMaster study

Date: Aug-29-2013
Although up to 500,000 people world-wide die of severe influenza each year, there has been no clear evidence about who is susceptible for influenza complications and it may not be who people think, says a study from McMaster University.  This is important because issues during past influenza seasons and pandemics have included vaccine shortage; the time needed to develop vaccines for specific influenza strains and which groups are first in line for vaccination...

Boston Children's launches Phase I clinical trial of long-lasting local anesthetic derived from cyanobacteria

Date: Aug-29-2013
Boston Children's Hospital has received Investigational New Drug (IND) approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for neosaxitoxin, a new local anesthetic derived from cyanobacteria being developed in partnership with Proteus SA, of Santiago, Chile. With the IND approval in hand, the hospital has launched a Phase I clinical study in healthy volunteers...