Health News

From Stem Cells To Mouse Eggs To Baby Mice - No Father Involved

Date: Oct-05-2012
Japanese scientists managed to use eggs created from stem cells, fertilize them, and produce mouse pups, according to an article published in Science. The scientists, from Kyoto University, first produced healthy mouse pups in 2011 using stem cell-derived sperm. They have now achieved the same by using eggs which were created in the same way. Scientists are describing the Kyoto team's feat as a "significant achievement" which will have a profound impact on reproductive cell biology and genetics research...

HIV Helps Explain Rise Of Anal Cancer In US Males

Date: Oct-05-2012
The increase in anal cancer incidence in the U.S. between 1980 and 2005 was greatly influenced by HIV infections in males, but not females, according to a study published October 5 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Anal cancer in the U.S. is rare, with an estimated 6,230 cases in 2012, but incidence has been steadily increasing in the general population since 1940. HIV infection is significantly associated with an increase in anal cancer risk, and anal cancer is the fourth most common cancer found in HIV-infected people...

HIV Drug Shows Efficacy In Treating Mouse Models Of HER2+ Breast Cancer

Date: Oct-05-2012
The HIV protease inhibitor, Nelfinavir, can be used to treat HER2-positive breast cancer in the same capacity and dosage regimen that it is used to treat HIV, according to a study published October 5 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Breast cancer is one of the most common causes of cancer deaths in the U.S. with approximately 39,520 women succumbing to the disease in 2011. HER2-postive breast cancer is known to be more aggressive and less responsive to treatments compared to other types of breast cancer...

Fatty, Sugary Foods May Harm Brain & Encourage Overeating

Date: Oct-05-2012
Diets high in saturated fat and refined sugar lead people on the path to obesity, while also changing their brains, which may provoke overconsumption of those same foods and make losing weight very challenging. "It is a vicious cycle that may explain why obesity is so difficult to overcome," said Terry Davidson, director of American University's Center for Behavioral Neuroscience and a professor of psychology at AU...

FDA Shuts Down Thousands Of Illegal Internet Pharmacies

Date: Oct-05-2012
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has taken charge of a dangerous upturn in illegal online pharmacies that sell dangerous, unapproved medications to consumers. In collaboration with international regulatory and law enforcement agencies, the FDA took legal action against more than 4,100 internet pharmacies via criminal charges, seizure of illegal products, and removal of websites. This noteworthy bulletin comes directly in the midst of the 5th annual International Week of Action (IIWA), a joint venture to tackle the online sale and distribution of phony and illegal drugs...

Heart Failure Pacemaker Could Help Less Severe Cases Too

Date: Oct-05-2012
Patients with milder forms of heart failure may also benefit from having a pacemaker inserted, not only those with severe heart failure, researchers from the Karolinska Institute, Sweden, reported in The European Heart Journal. The medical team explained that QRS prolongation - a change in the ECG wave - is linked to a higher risk of death from heart failure. They found that not only serious cases of heart failure, but also patients with milder forms, might be helped if they had a pacemaker...

Brain Scan Can Predict The Course Of Parkinson's Disease

Date: Oct-05-2012
The DaTscan, a special type of dopamine transporter imaging brain scan, may help doctors predict how a newly diagnosed patient's Parkinson's disease will progress, researchers from the University of Rochester reported in the journal Movement Disorders. The authors explained that this brain scan can identify which Parkinson's patients are at risk of severe disease, thus enabling doctors to better manage and treat their symptoms. Some specialists already use the DaTscan when confirming a Parkinson's diagnosis after a physical examination...

Parkinson's Patients Benefit From Physical Therapy

Date: Oct-05-2012
Physical therapy helps people with Parkinson's disease over the short term, researchers from the University of Birmingham, UK, reported in the BMJ (British Medical Journal). In the USA, the term is Physical Therapy. In the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Australasia people say Physiotherapy. Parkinson's disease management has traditionally been centered on drug therapy. Recently, however, doctors have been progressively embracing rehabilitation therapies, including physical therapy as a supplement to medications and neurosurgical treatment...

Deprivation Linked To Maternal Mental Health

Date: Oct-05-2012
The issue of perinatal mental illness among women in deprived socio-economic groups is highlighted in the October edition of the British Journal of General Practice (BJGP). The BJGP article highlights a UK-wide study in which researchers studied more than 100,000 women with antenatal and postpartum depression and other mental health problems. They found that the poorest patients, particularly those aged over 35 years, were almost three times as likely to develop depression as women from affluent backgrounds...

Survey Of Clinicians: Majority Believe Electronic Exchange Of Health Information Will Have Positive Impact On Health Care

Date: Oct-05-2012
Survey results released today reveal that an overwhelming majority of clinicians believe that the electronic exchange of health information will have a positive impact on improving the quality of patient care, coordinating care, meeting the demands of new care models, and participating in third-party reporting and incentive programs...