Health News

Earlier surgical correction of heart valve disorder associated with greater long-term survival, lower risk of heart failure risk

Date: Aug-13-2013
In a study that included patients with mitral valve regurgitation due to a condition known as flail mitral valve leaflets, performance of early surgical correction compared with initial medical management was associated with greater long-term survival and lower risk of heart failure, according to a study in the August 14 issue of JAMA...

Study examines incidence of sports-related sudden death in France

Date: Aug-13-2013
"Although screening programs prior to participation in sports have been used for many years for young competitive athletes, it has been suggested that screening programs might also be worthwhile in the general population. Description of the incidence of sports-related sudden death by specific sports as well as by sex and age may help inform the debate," write Eloi Marijon, M.D., of the Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, and colleagues...

Study identifies characteristics of heart failure patients more likely to benefit from implantation of cardiac resynchronization device

Date: Aug-13-2013
In a large population of Medicare beneficiaries with heart failure who underwent implantation of a cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator, patients who had the cardiac characteristics of left bundle-branch block and longer QRS duration had the lowest risks of death and all-cause, cardiovascular, and heart failure readmission, according to a study in the August 14 issue of JAMA...

Early-onset dementia linked to adolescent risk factors

Date: Aug-13-2013
A Swedish study involving military men identifies nine risk factors, many of which may be preventable for adolescents, that are associated with young-onset dementia - dementia diagnosed before the age of 65. The study, which was published online by JAMA Internal Medicine, followed 488,484 Swedish men who enlisted in mandatory military service between 1969 and 1979. The men had an average age of 18 at the time of enlistment. After a 37-year follow-up, researchers found that 487 men had young-onset dementia (YOD) at an average age of 54...

Breast cancer drugs may be used to treat lung cancer

Date: Aug-13-2013
Scientists have discovered that experimental drugs developed as treatments of ovarian and breast cancer could be used to treat lung cancer, according to a study published in the journal Oncogene. Researchers from The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) in London have revealed that drugs called PARP (poly ADP ribose polymerase) inhibitors could help treat around 50% of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tumors. PARP inhibitors are already used as a treatment for women suffering from breast or ovarian cancer caused by faulty BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes...

Mental disorders linked by genetic traits

Date: Aug-13-2013
Researchers have discovered that five major mental disorders may be linked to the same common inherited genetic variations, according to a study published in the journal Nature Genetics. Scientists from the Cross Disorders Group of the Psychiatric Genomic Consortium (PGC) used genome-wide genotype data in an analysis of people with five psychiatric disorders, alongside controls. The mental health conditions monitored were: Schizophrenia Bipolar disorder Major depressive disorder Autism spectrum disorders Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)...

Parkinson's disease breakthrough may lie in gene mutations

Date: Aug-13-2013
A new study from the UK shows how genetic mutations linked to Parkinson's disease may play an important role in the death of brain cells by interfering with their natural process for getting rid of faulty mitochondria, the tiny powerhouses inside cells that are vital for effective cell functioning. The finding may offer new targets for effective drug treatments. The researchers - from University College London, the University of Cambridge and the University of Sheffield - write about their findings in an August 11th online issue of Nature Neuroscience...

Potential probiotic effects beyond gut: psoriasis, CFS

Date: Aug-13-2013
A new study shows that a probiotic available commercially in the US for fortifying the digestive system, has effects beyond the gastrointestinal tract: it may also have effects against non-gut inflammation such as in psoriasis and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). The study, published in the latest issue of the journal Gut Microbes is thought to be important because it is the first to show a single probiotic can influence not only the mucosal immune system but also the systemic immune system in humans...

First-of-a-kind once daily pill given regulatory green light for patients with rare type of skin cancer, UK

Date: Aug-13-2013
Patients with advanced basal cell carcinoma who are not suitable for surgery or radiotherapy, could benefit from Erivedge (vismodegib) which is available following conditional EMA authorisation for use in the UK and listing on the national Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF).*[1],[2]  Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common form of skin cancer in the UK[3],[4] and is often found on the head and neck...

New treatment may work with folic acid to boost prevention of neural tube defects like spina bifida

Date: Aug-13-2013
Researchers at the UCL Institute of Child Health (ICH) are investigating a new treatment that could work alongside folic acid to boost its effectiveness and prevent a greater proportion of neural tube defects - such as spina bifida - in early pregnancy.  A new study published on Friday 9 August in the journal Brain shows that the new treatment, when tested in mice, reduced the incidence of neural tube defects (NTDs) by 85 per cent. This new approach was also successful in preventing some kinds of NTDs that are currently unresponsive to folic acid...