Health News

Alzheimer's May Be Result Of Natural Anti-Cancer Mechanism

Date: Oct-04-2012
Scientists have discovered a natural mechanism the body uses to protect against cancer could be the reason brain cells in people with Alzheimer's disease deteriorate so rapidly. They hope their discovery will (for the first time) offer a target for treating the disease. "Aging is the main risk factor for Alzheimer's disease," they write in an article about their work which appeared online in the 12 September issue of the open access journal PLoS ONE...

In Hamster Model, Fluoxetine Increases Aggressive Behavior, Affects Brain Development Among Adolescents

Date: Oct-04-2012
Fluoxetine was the first drug approved by the FDA for major depressive disorder (MDD) in children and adolescents, and to this date, it remains one of only two selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) registered for treatment of MDD in children and adolescents, despite reports that indicate this class of drugs is associated with side effects, such as agitation, hostility and aggression. SSRIs have been amongst the most widely prescribed medications in psychiatry for over a decade...

Muscular Dystrophy Drug Helps Boys Walk Further

Date: Oct-03-2012
An experimental drug, eteplirsen, helped boys with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy walk considerably better half way through a clinical trial, Sarepta Therapeutics Inc. announced today. Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy is a rare degenerative, muscle losing disease. In this Phase IIb Study in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, eteplirsen in two doses - 50mg/kg and 30mg/kg - were compared to placebo followed by eteplirsen. There was a significant improvement during the 6-minute walking test after 48-weeks' treatment among those on the higher dosage, when compared to the children on placebo...

Watermelon Can Improve Heart Health While Controlling Weight Gain

Date: Oct-03-2012
Although apples are the most commonly known fruit to give people great health benefits, a new study has found that eating watermelon can play a significant role in cardiovascular health. According to research from Purdue University and University of Kentucky, mice that were given a diet which included watermelon juice received considerable benefits when compared to the control group. The experts suggest, in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, that citrulline, a compound found in watermelon, was responsible for the mice's lower cholesterol, weight, and arterial plaque...

Judgement From A Manger Hurts More Than From A Patient

Date: Oct-03-2012
When experiencing discrimination from their managers, mental health workers are much more likely to feel depressed or anxious than when criticism comes from a patient. Discrimination from visitors of the patient were also seen to cause more emotional stress than the patient, according to a new study conducted by the University of Leicester's School of Management and published in the Journal of Business Ethics...

Medical Devices Summit Europe, 13-14 November 2012, Dublin

Date: Oct-03-2012
Given the recast of the European Medical Device Directive and the recent changes to the FDA's 510(k), the regulatory climate in the medical device industry is more volatile than ever. Medical Device manufacturers are concerned with staying up-to-date with these regulations, accelerating time to market, reducing cost and improving profit margins...

Tanning Beds Cause 170,000 Skin Cancers In USA Annually

Date: Oct-03-2012
Indoor tanning increases the risk of developing melanoma skin cancer, researchers reported in the BMJ (British Medical Journal) today. Tanning bed users who are exposed before they are twenty-five years old are especially vulnerable to developing basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, the authors added. Tanning salons are very popular in Western Europe and North America. A report published in Archives of Dermatology in December 2010 estimated that 18.1% of women and 6.3% of men in America use tanning beds regularly...

Vitamin D Does Not Help Prevent Colds

Date: Oct-03-2012
Despite past reports that Vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin, helps with upper respiratory tract infections (colds), researchers are now saying it does not help reduce how often or how severely we get colds, according to a new study in JAMA. Background information in the study said that the link between insufficient levels of vitamin D and how likely a person is to catch a cold had previously not been scientifically proven. Many studies that have been carried out on vitamin D and its benefits for respiratory health have produced conflicting results...

SMi's 6th Annual Biomarkers Summit - Innovations In Stratified Medicine, 16-17 January 2013, London

Date: Oct-03-2012
The drive towards personalized medicine is seeing pharma move from patient stratification as a 'nice to have', to an essential feature of product development. Exemplified by the success of Herceptin, biomarkers promise to transform drug discovery, clinical development and diagnostics in the R&D process. This dynamic market, poised to reach a value of $33.3 billion by 2015, will continue to improve decision-making, clinical trial success rates and translational productivity...

'Wet' AMD Treatments Keep Elderly Patients Driving

Date: Oct-03-2012
Elderly struggling with the advanced neovascular, or "wet", form of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) can be treated with ranibizumab, which improves results on eye exams, allowing patients to have a driver's license.  In turn, their driver confidence is stronger and they are able to keep driving longer. The condition often goes untreated, which makes it the most common reason the elderly lose their central vision, and a leading cause of their driver's licenses being taken away...