Health News

Lyme disease in the US is '10-times underreported'

Date: Aug-21-2013
The number of Lyme disease cases diagnosed in the US every year is around 300,000, according to new figures released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This number is about 10 times higher than the number officially reported. CDC officials presented their new preliminary estimates in Boston on Sunday at the 2013 International Conference on Lyme Borreliosis and Other Tick-Borne Diseases. Lyme disease is the most commonly reported tick-borne illness in the US, where every year the CDC receives reports on 30,000 cases...

PHCRI research study gives hope to those with chronic non-healing wounds

Date: Aug-21-2013
New research by the Providence Health Care Research Institute (PHCRI) tackles a major problem plaguing long-term care facilities and hospitals. The study, published in the Nature Publication Group journal Cell Death and Differentiation, gives hope to those with chronic non-healing wounds, a problem affecting as many as 20-25 percent of patients in long-term care facilities.  As we age, the skin becomes thinner and weaker reducing its capacity to heal...

Commonly used drug does not reduce delirium in critically ill patients

Date: Aug-21-2013
Haloperidol, an antipsychotic drug used in many hospitals to treat delirium in critically ill patients, is no more effective than placebo in reducing the number of days that critically ill patients spend either delirious or in a coma, according to new research published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine...

MITA: new study underscores value of medical imaging in treating cancer

Date: Aug-21-2013
The Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance (MITA) has said that a new study published in the journal Nature Medicine on the use of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging to evaluate brain tumors underscores the value of advanced medical imaging in helping physicians evaluate the effectiveness of chemotherapy and readjust a patient's treatment plan as necessary.  "This study demonstrates the tremendous value of advanced medical imaging to guide optimal patient care and deliver more effective treatment," said Gail Rodriguez, Executive Director of MITA...

Smart snacking for back to school

Date: Aug-21-2013
With the start of the school year around the corner, now is the perfect time for parents to ramp up efforts at infusing their kids' lunches with creative, healthy options. "You don't have to completely cut back on snacks and sugars to ensure that your child eats a well-balanced meal," explains Dr. Joel Lavine, chief of pediatric gastroenterology at NewYork-Presbyterian/Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital. "Kids can still get the sugars they crave from low-fat snacks and fruits, while parents are satisfied with the nutritional content...

Norwich 'super broccoli' rejuvenates metabolism

Date: Aug-21-2013
Eating 'super broccoli', developed by Norwich Research Park scientists, three times a week can help to 're-tune' the metabolism and this could protect against age-related diseases such as obesity, Type II diabetes and cancer, according to new research. The super broccoli known as Beneforté, was developed by scientists at John Innes Centre and Institute of Food Research (IFR) using conventional breeding techniques after a wild broccoli variety was discovered with naturally raised levels of a beneficial nutrient called Glucoraphanin...

to-BBB receives ind approval for novel brain cancer drug, 2B3-101

Date: Aug-21-2013
to-BBB, the brain drug delivery company, is pleased to announce the successful completion of its 2B3-101 Phase I part of its clinical trial in brain cancer patients, safely reaching clinically effective dosages. to-BBB is now ready to proceed to the Phase IIa part of this trial, treating patients with brain metastases from breast cancer, small cell lung cancer and melanomas, as well as patients with primary, malignant brain cancers (recurrent gliomas)...

Siemens Healthcare introduces continuous FlowMotion PET-CT

Date: Aug-21-2013
Siemens Healthcare has launched its new BiographTM mCT Flow - a groundbreaking PET-CT system. For the first time ever the system overcomes the limitations of conventional bed-based PET-CT with FlowMotion, an innovative new technology that moves the patient smoothly through the system's gantry, while continuously acquiring PET data.  The Biograph mCT Flow with FlowMotion intends to takes routine image quality to a new level by enabling imaging protocols based on the organ's need...

'Mental-decline brain lesions' found in high-flying military pilots

Date: Aug-21-2013
Aviators piloting aircraft at very high altitudes for the military have "significantly more" brain lesions known as white matter hyperintensities, US Air Force medical researchers have found through MRI scanning.   The study, published in Neurology, compared the MRI images from 102 USAF pilots of the U-2 reconnaissance aircraft with brain scans from 91 controls matched for age, health and education levels...

'Wait and see' for preschoolers who stutter not best approach

Date: Aug-21-2013
The majority of preschool children who stutter will grow out of it, but a wait-and-see approach can harm those who ultimately don't recover and set them back academically and socially, say Purdue University speech experts. "The recovery rate is high, about 50 percent for 4- and 5-year olds who stutter, and so it is often suggested to wait and see, but that is not always the best approach. Early intervention is critical for those children who will not grow out of stuttering," says Bridget Walsh, a research scientist and speech-language pathologist with the Purdue Stuttering Project...