Health News

Radial Approach Leads To Less Bleeding And Improved Survival In Percutaneous Coronary Interventions

Date: Jan-30-2013
The radial approach for percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) was developed 20 years ago and is used for more than 50% of procedures in France, Scandinavian countries, the UK, Spain and Italy. Despite the advantages of radial access some countries in Europe such as Germany use radial access for fewer than 10% of PCI. Evidence has accumulated in the literature showing the benefits of radial over femoral access for PCI including reduced bleeding and improved survival. In addition, the development of smaller and thinner devices has made the radial approach increasingly practical...

New Orphan Drug Kynamro Approved For Inherited Cholesterol Disorder

Date: Jan-30-2013
Kynamro (mipomersen sodium) injection has been approved by the FDA to treat people who are genetically predisposed to have high levels of LDL cholesterol - what lay people refer to as "bad cholesterol". Kynamro was approved to be taken together with lipid-lowering drugs and diet for patients with HoFH (homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia)...

Glial Cells Produce The Protein Neuregulin1 When A Nerve Is Damaged, Promoting The Regeneration Of Nerve Tissue

Date: Jan-30-2013
Unlike the brain and spinal cord, the peripheral nervous system has an astonishing capacity for regeneration following injury. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine in Gottingen have discovered that, following nerve damage, peripheral glial cells produce the growth factor neuregulin1, which makes an important contribution to the regeneration of damaged nerves. From their cell bodies to their terminals in muscle or skin, neuronal extensions or axons in the peripheral nervous system are surrounded along their entire length by glial cells...

Significant Rise In Emergency Department Visits Related To Buprenorphine Use

Date: Jan-30-2013
There has been a significant increase in the number of emergency department visits related to the drug buprenorphine, a medicine used to treat opioid addiction. The number of emergency visits due to buprenorphine jumped from 3,161 in 2005 up to 30,135 in 2010, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).Buprenorphine was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of opioid addiction in 2002, since then there has been an increasing number of doctors prescribing it to their patients...

Knowing The Signs Of A Heart Attack Can Save Your Life

Date: Jan-30-2013
With February being American Heart Month, it is time to remember what the signs of a heart attack are, in order to keep yourself and your family members safe. Not being aware of heart attacks symptoms can be dangerous. Often times people experiencing a heart attack are unsuspecting, and wait many hours before seeking help. By being educated on heart attack signs you can save the life of a friend, family member, or your own. Not all people experiencing a heart attack feel sudden, excruciating pain...

When Teenagers Have Their First Drink Is Influenced By Their Best Friends

Date: Jan-30-2013
Chances are the only thing you remember about your first swig of alcohol is how bad the stuff tasted. What you didn't know is the person who gave you that first drink and when you had it says a lot about your predisposition to imbibe later in life. A national study by a University of Iowa-led team has found that adolescents who get their first drink from a friend are more likely to drink sooner in life, which past studies show makes them more prone to abusing alcohol when they get older...

Deep-Fried Food Associated With An Increased Risk Of Prostate Cancer And Frequent, Regular Consumption Has Strongest Effect

Date: Jan-30-2013
Regular consumption of deep-fried foods such as French fries, fried chicken and doughnuts is associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer, and the effect appears to be slightly stronger with regard to more aggressive forms of the disease, according to a study by investigators at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Corresponding author Janet L. Stanford, Ph.D., and colleagues Marni Stott-Miller, Ph.D., a postdoctoral research fellow and Marian Neuhouser, Ph.D., all of the Hutchinson Center's Public Health Sciences Division, have published their findings online in The Prostate...

Four Distinct Mechanisms Identified That Contribute To Gastric Cancers

Date: Jan-30-2013
Scientists at A*STAR's Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) headed a study that discovered four processes by which gastric cancer is formed. This is extremely important since gastric cancer is the second most common cause of cancer deaths worldwide, claiming almost 750,000 lives annually, 60% of which are Asians.  Using what is known as next-generation sequencing technologies, GIS scientists were able to provide a comprehensive view of the gastric cancer genome, characterizing micro- and macro-scale mutations...

Recommended 2013 Adult Immunization Schedule Released By Annals Of Internal Medicine

Date: Jan-30-2013
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) announced its recommended 2013 adult immunization schedule that includes important updates to the pneumococcal, Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis), and influenza vaccines. Because current vaccination rates are low, ACIP also urges health care providers to regularly assess patient vaccination histories and implement intervention strategies to increase adherence...

Glucose Control In Patients With Type 1 Diabetes Improves With Artificial Pancreas System

Date: Jan-30-2013
For patients with type 1 diabetes, a dual-hormone artificial pancreas system (also known as a closed-loop delivery system) improved the control of glucose levels and reduced the risk of hypoglycemia compared with conventional pump treatment in a trial published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). It is challenging for patients with type 1 diabetes to control their glucose levels because tight glucose control increases the incidence of hypoglycemia (dangerously low glucose levels)...