Health News

Identification Of Molecular Trigger For Alzheimer's Disease

Date: May-22-2013
Researchers have pinpointed a catalytic trigger for the onset of Alzheimer's disease - when the fundamental structure of a protein molecule changes to cause a chain reaction that leads to the death of neurons in the brain. For the first time, scientists at Cambridge's Department of Chemistry have been able to map in detail the pathway that generates "aberrant" forms of proteins which are at the root of neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's...

Novel Medicine For The Treatment Of Chronic Wounds

Date: May-22-2013
Every 20 seconds, a limb is lost as a consequence of diabetic foot ulcer that does not heal. To date, medical solutions that can change this situation are very limited. In his doctoral thesis Yue Shen from the Industrial Doctoral School and the Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics at Umea University presented a novel medicine for chronic wound treatment that may completely change the lives of millions of patients...

Coronary Heart Disease Risk Revealed By Genetic Screening

Date: May-22-2013
The study comprised over 24,000 Finnish subjects and was led by Professor Samuli Ripatti. The results revealed that a panel of 28 genetic markers improved detection of individuals with high risk for coronary heart disease (CHD) (10-year risk 20% or more) over traditional risk factors. Identification of high-risk individuals is an important preventive strategy for CHD, because the current guidelines recommend statin treatment for the high-risk group...

Good Long-Term Outcomes After Surgery In Most Infants With Posterior Fossa Subdural Hematoma

Date: May-22-2013
Posterior fossa subdural hematoma (PFSDH) is a serious and rare condition in newborns, generally occurring after difficult deliveries. But with appropriate treatment, there's an excellent chance of good long-term outcomes even in severe cases of PFSDH, reports a study in the May issue of Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health...

Advance Made In Nanotech Gene Sequencing Technique

Date: May-22-2013
The allure of personalized medicine has made new, more efficient ways of sequencing genes a top research priority. One promising technique involves reading DNA bases using changes in electrical current as they are threaded through a nanoscopic hole. Now, a team led by University of Pennsylvania physicists has used solid-state nanopores to differentiate single-stranded DNA molecules containing sequences of a single repeating base...

Identifying Risk Factors For Depression Among COPD Patients

Date: May-22-2013
Patients suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) typically suffer from depression more frequently than those without COPD, resulting in higher levels of disability and illness and increasing the overall healthcare burden for the COPD population. Now, a study from researchers in Argentina indicates female COPD patients and patients who experience significant shortness of breath may have the greatest risk for developing depression. The results of the study were presented at the ATS 2013 International Conference...

Why Toothpaste Makes Orange Juice Bitter

Date: May-22-2013
What is it about toothpaste that transforms the sweet flavor of orange juice into something so bitter? For the solution to that mysterious sensory phenomenon - in colorful, animated detail - check the latest episode of the American Chemical Society's award-winning Bytesize Science video series at http://www.bytesizescience.com/ The video, from the world's largest scientific society, explains that the mainstay ingredients in toothpaste include a detergent called sodium lauryl sulfate, or SLS for short...

Patients With Low Back Pain Can Be Accurately Assessed Via Telerehabilitation

Date: May-22-2013
A new "telerehabilitation" approach lets physical therapists assess patients with low back pain (LBP) over the Internet, with good accuracy compared with face-to-face examinations, reports a study in the journal Spine. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health. Taking advantage of Skype and other widely-used services may make telerehabilitation a more feasible alternative to in-person clinic visits, according to the new research by Prof. Manuel Arroyo-Morales and colleagues of University of Granada, Spain...

Constipation And Other Bowel Problems Afflict 72 Percent Of Pregnant Women

Date: May-22-2013
Nearly 3 out of 4 pregnant women experience constipation, diarrhea or other bowel disorders during their pregnancies, a Loyola University Medical Center study has found. But such bowel disorders only minimally affect a pregnant woman's quality of life, the study found. The study by senior author Scott Graziano, MD, and Payton Johnson was presented during the 61st Annual Clinical Meeting of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists in New Orleans...

Hope For Emphysema Patients Offered By Tiny, Implantable Coil

Date: May-22-2013
A small, easily implantable device called the Lung Volume Reduction Coil (LVRC) may play a key role in the treatment of two types of emphysema, according to a study conducted in Europe. Results of the study indicate the beneficial effects of the device persist more than a year after initial treatment. The study was presented at the ATS 2013 International Conference...