Health News

Marine Compound Discovery Shows Promise Of Improved Drug Treatment For COPD Patients

Date: Mar-01-2013
Pharmacy researchers at the University of Florida have isolated a new marine compound they believe may lead to improved drug therapies for pulmonary diseases by inhibiting their progression rather than managing their symptoms. Known as symplostatin 5, the compound was extracted from blue-green algae collected in Cetti Bay, Guam, by Hendrik Luesch, Ph.D., the Frank A. Duckworth eminent scholar chair in drug research and development...

Gut Microbiota And The Development Of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Date: Mar-01-2013
Although considerable progress has been made in determining the impact of the gut microbiota on the development of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and other gastrointestinal (GI) diseases, the detailed study and understanding of the composition and effects of this intestinal community still faces numerous methodological and empirical challenges...

New Study Confirms Potential Of Low-Dose CT To Prevent Lung Cancer Deaths In High-Risk Populations

Date: Mar-01-2013
MITA Urges Coverage of LDCT to Further Reduce Lung Cancer Deaths The Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance (MITA) have commended a new study published in Cancer, the journal of the American Cancer Society, that concludes that low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) imaging of high-risk individuals has the potential to prevent 12,000 lung cancer deaths each year in the United States. "This new study adds to mounting evidence that the use of LDCT in high-risk individuals has the potential to prevent thousands of lung cancer deaths each year," said Gail Rodriguez, Executive Director of MITA...

1 Year After Initial Infection Patients May Still Harbor Superbug CRE

Date: Mar-01-2013
Patients who tested positive for carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) took an average of 387 days following hospital discharge to be clear of the organism, according to a new study published in the March issue of the American Journal of Infection Control, the official publication of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC). The study was conducted in the Shaare Zedek Medical Center, a 700-bed university-affiliated general hospital in Jerusalem, Israel...

What Is The Cost Of Rare Diseases Such As Friedreich's Ataxia?

Date: Mar-01-2013
What is the cost of rare diseases such as Friedreich's Ataxia? By analyzing direct and indirect costs of care research in BioMed Central's open access journal Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases calculated that conservatively this rare disease costs between £11,000 and £19,000 per person per year. Proper understanding resource allocation is important in minimizing the effect of Friedreich's Ataxia on people's lives while maximizing their quality of life. Diseases are classified as "rare" if they affect less than 1 in 2000 people...

A New Role For Microglia

Date: Mar-01-2013
In a surprise breakthrough, researchers at the UC Davis MIND Institute and their colleagues have found that microglia remove healthy neural progenitor cells (NPCs) through phagocytosis to control neuron production during brain development. This newly discovered mechanism keeps neuron numbers in check, preventing brain overgrowth. The discovery could open up new avenues for brain research and lead to therapies for a variety of neurological conditions. The study was published online this week in the The Journal of Neuroscience...

Researchers Solve The 3D Crystal Structure Of One Of The Most Important�Human Proteins

Date: Mar-01-2013
Discovery of the Atomic Structure of a Ligand-Free G Protein-Coupled Receptor (GPCR) Will Help Design More Effective Drugs A research team at Weill Cornell Medical College has solved the 3D crystal structure of a member protein in one of the most important classes of human proteins -- the G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). These types of proteins latch on to and transmit chemical signals from outside the cell to the inside, and half of all drugs on the market today work by ether inhibiting or activating GPCRs...

Medtronic Gains First FDA Approval To Conduct Early Feasibility Medical Device Study

Date: Mar-01-2013
Shared Commitment to Innovation Enables Early Study of Novel Native Outflow Tract Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve in Patients with Pulmonary Valve Failure Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT) today announced that it has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval to conduct an early feasibility study using the Medtronic Native Outflow Tract Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve (TPV). This approval represents the first-ever FDA approval of an investigational device exemption (IDE) following the new draft FDA guidance for early feasibility studies...

Reduced Rate Of Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events (MACE) Observed In COPD Patients Treated With Daxas® (Roflumilast)

Date: Mar-01-2013
New data analysis published in CHEST journal indicates the lack of a cardiovascular safety signal when treating patients with COPD and suggests potential cardiovascular benefits of roflumilast when used as an add-on therapy Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients treated with bronchodilator with or without inhaled corticosteroids, may experience significantly fewer major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) when roflumilast is used as an add-on therapy...

Why Snoring In Kids Isn't Cute

Date: Mar-01-2013
New Sleep Center Focuses on Evaluation and Treatment for Range of Sleep Problems in Children Sleep-related problems are among the most common issues seen by a pediatrician, and for good reason -- poor sleep habits can lead to behavioral, educational, social and health problems. Fortunately for parents, many childhood sleep problems can be recognized early and treated successfully. "Many behavioral problems we see in children are the result of sleep problems. Once you address sleep, these problems, be it moodiness or depression or even ADHD, may disappear," says Dr...