Health News

Are Schizophrenia And Autism Related?

Date: Oct-24-2012
At first glance, it seems like schizophrenia and autism are completely different diseases, but a new discovery shows us that they have similar roots, linked with other mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder. Comparable traits are seen in both illnesses, including a limited ability to lead a normal life and function in the real world, as well as social and cognitive dysfunction. New research by Dr...

In Rat Model, Ex-Smokers Remain Quitters

Date: Oct-24-2012
A new inhibitor helps previously nicotine-addicted rats stay on the wagon, according to a study published on October 22nd in the Journal of Experimental Medicine. Kicking the cigarette habit is difficult enough, but resisting the urge to light up in situations previously associated with smoking can be a quitter's downfall. But help may be at hand. A new inhibitor developed by Fang Liu and colleagues at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto helped ex-smoker rats resist that urge...

New Depression Treatment Avoids Cognitive Side-Effects

Date: Oct-24-2012
Magnetic Seizure Therapy (MST) may be an effective treatment for the 30% of depression patients who do not receive benefits from conventional treatment. The treatment was analyzed by a team of experts from the Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre�(MAPrc). Their research was published in two leading journals: Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging�and�Depression and Anxiety. Depressive disorders are very common and potentially disabling, said MAPrc Deputy Director Professor Paul Fitzgerald, study leader...

New Antidote For Smoke-related Cyanide Toxicity Shows Promise

Date: Oct-24-2012
Smoke inhalation is the major cause of death in fire victims due to cyanide poisoning. However, new research presented at CHEST 2012, the annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians, shows that a new antidote, cobinamide, may help reverse the effects of cyanide toxicity. Researchers from multiple institutions, including the University of California Irvine Medical Center, exposed six ventilator-supported New Zealand white rabbits to cold smoke breaths until toxic carbon monoxide levels were achieved, concurrent with intravenous cyanide infusion...

Chronic Cough May Be Relieved By A Chest Band

Date: Oct-24-2012
A soft, extendible band fitted around the chest may help to relieve cough in patients with persistent dry cough. Over the course of 1 year, Japanese researchers evaluated the antitussive effect of the chest band worn for 8 hours a day in 56 patients with chronic cough due to a variety of conditions. Results showed that 88% (n=49) of patients improved their cough scores, and 59% (n=33) were able to reduce the cough. Researchers conclude that soft chest band therapy for intractable, prolonged, and chronic cough is a safe and effective therapy...

For Lung Cancer, Flu, And Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, Chinese Herbs Show Promise

Date: Oct-24-2012
Chinese herbs, including JHQG, BFXL, and BFHX, may show significant benefits for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), and influenza. In three separate studies, researchers from China Academy of Chinese Medical Science in Beijing analyzed the health benefits of Chinese herbs on patients with NSCLC, IPF, and seasonal influenza...

Discoveries Hold Promise For Treatment Of Hepatitis B Virus

Date: Oct-24-2012
A University of Colorado Boulder-led team has discovered two prime targets of the Hepatitis B virus in liver cells, findings that could lead to treatment of liver disease in some of the 400 million people worldwide currently infected with the virus. CU-Boulder Professor Ding Xue, who led the studies, said scientists have been looking for cellular targets of the Hepatitis B virus, or HBV, for more than three decades...

Brachytherapy Leads To More Complications In Older Breast Cancer Patients

Date: Oct-24-2012
The breast cancer treatment brachytherapy - heralded for its low complication rates - actually results in more complications than whole-breast radiation one year after treatment, Yale School of Medicine researchers report in the October issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology. The standard treatment for older women with early stage breast cancer includes breast-conserving surgery, typically followed by radiation therapy to reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence...

New Approach Improves The Safety Of Angioplasty In Patients With Coronary Bypass Graft Disease

Date: Oct-24-2012
Researchers at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital have shown that combining distal protection devices with the prophylactic use of the drug nicardipine is more effective at preventing life-threatening complications following a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) (angioplasty, stenting) on patients who have undergone previous bypass surgery than distal protection devices alone. Their findings were presented at the Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) conference, at the Miami Beach Convention Center by Michael P...

Racial Disparities In IBD Symptoms And Therapy

Date: Oct-24-2012
Three separate studies presented at the American College of Gastroenterology's (ACG) 77th Annual Scientific meeting in Las Vegas help to advance understanding of the differences between African American and Caucasian patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and provide clinicians with new insight on how racial disparities involving disease characteristics, infliximab use, and fistulizing Crohn's disease may impact their patients - and their decisions on how best to manage the disease...