Health News

Study finds evidence of nerve damage in around half of fibromyalgia patients

Date: Aug-01-2013
About half of a small group of patients with fibromyalgia - a common syndrome that causes chronic pain and other symptoms - was found to have damage to nerve fibers in their skin and other evidence of a disease called small-fiber polyneuropathy (SFPN). Unlike fibromyalgia, which has had no known causes and few effective treatments, SFPN has a clear pathology and is known to be caused by specific medical conditions, some of which can be treated and sometimes cured. The study from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers will appear in the journal Pain and has been released online...

Lung transplant patients may fare better with larger organs - using a predicted total lung capacity ratio may help improve matching process

Date: Aug-01-2013
A higher predicted total lung capacity ratio, suggestive of oversized donor lungs, is associated with improved survival following lung transplantation, primarily among patients who undergo double-lung (bilateral) transplants, according to a new study in the August 2013 issue of The Annals of Thoracic Surgery. "An unresolved question in the field of lung transplantation is how the size of the donor lungs relative to the recipient affects transplant success," said lead author Michael Eberlein, MD, PhD, from the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City...

Taxing sugary beverages may not reduce obesity - it's likely consumers would substitute other unhealthy foods study finds

Date: Aug-01-2013
Taxing sugary beverages may help reduce calories, but the health benefits may be offset as consumers substitute other unhealthy foods, according to a joint study by researchers at RTI International, Duke University, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The study, published in the American Journal of Agricultural Economics, found that the reduction in sugary beverages due to a soda tax would likely lead consumers to substitute those calories by increasing their calorie, salt and fat intake from untaxed foods and beverages...

How cells regulate the human cytomegalovirus: the mechanism by which genetic information is packaged and stored

Date: Aug-01-2013
An international collaboration of researchers including Felicia Goodrum of the University of Arizona's immunobiology department has studied how a human herpes virus carried by the majority of the population packages its genetic information during infection. The discoveries improve the chances of developing more targeted therapies in place of existing drugs, which do not always work or come with side effects. Experts estimate that 60 to 90 percent of the world's population carry the human cytomegalovirus, or CMV, which is one of the eight herpes viruses that infect humans...

Study shows combination stroke therapy safe and effective

Date: Aug-01-2013
The combination of the clot-busting drug tPA with an infusion of the antiplatelet drug eptifibatide dissolves blood clots safely and more quickly than tPA alone, a study led by University of Cincinnati (UC) researchers has found. Results from the study, known as the CLEAR-ER Stroke Trial, are published online in the journal Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association. UC was the coordinating center for the trial, which included nine medical centers comprising 21 hospitals...

'Powerful effect of exercise' against Alzheimer's

Date: Aug-01-2013
Exercising for 150 minutes each week may be the best treatment for Alzheimer's, according to a study published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. Researchers from the University of Maryland School of Public Health conducted the study, which reveals that exercise could improve cognitive function in people at risk of Alzheimer's by improving the efficiency of brain activity. The study analyzed 17 participants with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) - early memory loss associated with Alzheimer's disease - alongside 18 controls...

Peripheral artery disease: dramatically higher rates worldwide

Date: Aug-01-2013
The number of people with peripheral artery disease (PAD) is on the rise, according to a study published in The Lancet. PAD refers to diseases of the blood vessels outside of the heart and brain. Peripheral artery disease causes the blood vessels to narrow, restricting blood flow in the arms, legs, stomach and kidneys. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, around 8 million people in the US suffer from PAD, with between 12-20% of these aged 60 and over...

Reprogramming patients' cells offers powerful new tool for studying, treating blood diseases

Date: Aug-01-2013
CHOP researchers advance stem cell studies in a childhood leukemia and diamond blackfan anemia First produced only in the past decade, human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are capable of developing into many or even all human cell types. In new research, scientists reprogrammed skin cells from patients with rare blood disorders into iPSCs, highlighting the great promise of these cells in advancing understanding of those challenging diseases - and eventually in treating them. "The technology for generating these cells has been moving very quickly," said hematologist Mitchell J...

Fat digestibility in pigs study looks at oils in soybeans, corn co-products to maximize pork fat quality

Date: Aug-01-2013
Pork producers need accurate information on the energy value of fat in feed ingredients to ensure that diets are formulated economically and in a way that maximizes pork fat quality. Researchers at the University of Illinois have determined the true ileal and total tract digestibility of fat in four corn co-products, as well as in full fat soybeans and corn oil. Hans H...

Breast reduction surgery found to improve physical, mental well-being

Date: Aug-01-2013
Breast reduction surgery produces measurable improvements in several important areas of health and quality of life, reports a study in the August issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). The study used the BREAST-Q© questionnaire, a well-validated survey instrument, to document the physical and psychosocial health benefits of breast reduction surgery. "The improvement in physical well-being is important for justification of insurance coverage," according to the paper by Dr...