Health News

Researchers Find New Way Of Fighting High Cholesterol

Date: Sep-29-2012
Atherosclerosis - the hardening of arteries that is a primary cause of cardiovascular disease and death - has long been presumed to be the fateful consequence of complicated interactions between overabundant cholesterol and resulting inflammation in the heart and blood vessels. However, researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, with colleagues at institutions across the country, say the relationship is not exactly what it appears, and that a precursor to cholesterol actually suppresses inflammatory response genes...

Association Between Infants' Regulatory Behaviors And Maternal Mental Health May Predict Unexplained Physical Symptoms In Older Children

Date: Sep-29-2012
Functional somatic symptoms (FSS) are physical complaints, such as headaches, pain, fatigue, and dizziness, that cannot be explained medically. These symptoms affect 10-30% of children and adolescents and account for 2-4% of all pediatric doctor visits. A new study scheduled for publication in The Journal of Pediatrics finds that infants with regulatory problems (i.e., feeding, sleeping, and tactile reactivity) and/or maternal psychiatric problems may have an increased risk of FSS in later childhood...

Following Radiation In Prostate Cancer, Risk Markers Discovered For Erectile Dysfunction

Date: Sep-29-2012
In the first study of its kind, a research team led by Mount Sinai School of Medicine and Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University discovered 12 genetic markers associated with the development of erectile dysfunction (ED) in prostate cancer patients who were treated with radiation...

Genetic Researchers Find New, Low-Cost Approach For Ovarian And Breast Cancer Testing

Date: Sep-29-2012
In a new genetic study, researchers said they may have found a way to cut the cost of genetic screening for breast and ovarian cancers from $3000 to $400. Three teams of infertility scientists in New York and Austria collaborated to study gene mutations that increase a woman's likelihood of breast and ovarian cancers. In the process, they made a discovery that could reduce to the cost of breast and ovarian cancer screening, making diagnosis more widely available to women in need...

Multidrug Surveillance Among ICUs Vary Widely, Study Revealed

Date: Sep-29-2012
Intensive Care Units have different screening methods for multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs), as stated by a recent study published in the American Journal of Infection Control and conducted by the P-NICE interdisciplinary team of researchers from the Columbia University School of Nursing. For their study, the experts examined data from survey answers from the infection preventionists (IPs) from 250 different hospitals involved in Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Healthcare Safety Network in 2008...

Research On Attention Sheds Light On Boredom

Date: Sep-29-2012
You're waiting in the reception area of your doctor's office. The magazines are uninteresting. The pictures on the wall are dull. The second hand on the wall clock moves so excruciatingly slowly that you're sure it must be broken. You feel depleted and irritated about being stuck in this seemingly endless moment...

Odds Of Successful Grafts Improved By New Method Of Resurfacing Bone

Date: Sep-29-2012
Coating a bone graft with an inorganic compound found in bones and teeth may significantly increase the likelihood of a successful implant, according to Penn State researchers. Natural bone grafts need to be sterilized and processed with chemicals and radiation before implantation into the body to ensure that disease is not transmitted by the graft. Human bones have a rough surface. However, once a graft is sterilized the surface changes and is not optimal for stimulating bone formation in the body...

How Inflammatory Cells Function Sets Stage For Future Remedies

Date: Sep-29-2012
A research team led by investigators at New York University and NYU School of Medicine has determined how cells that cause inflammatory ailments, such as Crohn's disease, multiple sclerosis, and arthritis, differentiate from stem cells and ultimately affect the clinical outcome of these diseases. "We've found that hundreds of new genes are involved in the function and development of these cells," said co-author Richard Bonneau, an associate professor at New York University's Center for Genomics and Systems Biology and the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences...

Beware Of Fake Online Pharmacies, Says FDA

Date: Sep-28-2012
A national campaign aimed at making Americans more aware of the prevalence of fake online pharmacies has been launched by the FDA. The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) warned that fraudulent online pharmacies pose a danger to patient health. The Agency says it aims to help consumers make safe purchases. BeSafeRx - Know Your Online Pharmacy is a resource for consumers and caregivers who plan to buy medicines online and to better understand who they are buying from. The webpage aims to help purchasers make sure that what they buy really is what is detailed in their doctor's prescription...

Eating Cherries Reduces Gout Attacks

Date: Sep-28-2012
Eating cherries over a two-day period reduced the risk of gout attacks by 35%, according to a new study led by Boston University (BU) in the US that is being published in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism. Lead author Yuqing Zhang, Professor of Medicine and Public Health at BU, says in a press statement: "Our findings indicate that consuming cherries or cherry extract lowers the risk of gout attack." Estimates suggest about 8.3 million adults in the US have gout, an inflammatory arthritis that occurs when uric acid crystals form in the joints, causing great pain and swelling...