Health News

3rd International Innovative Drug R&D In Russia Forum, 21-23 November 2012, Moscow

Date: Jul-23-2012
What is happening in the innovative drug R&D sector in Russia? Find out at the Adam Smith Conferences' 3rd International INNOVATIVE DRUG R&D IN RUSSIA FORUM which will be taking place on 21 - 23 November 2012 at the Marriott Grand Hotel in Moscow. This Forum is the only event dedicated to the research and development of innovative drugs in Russia's biopharmaceutical sector. Visit the event website: http://www.adamsmithconferences...

Dr Google And The Unwise Practice Of Self-Diagnosis

Date: Jul-23-2012
Am I having a heart attack? My self-diagnosis concludes I must be, because the symptoms match what I found on Google. However, a more objective reflection that also takes into account the risk of having a particular condition, might lead someone else, like a doctor, to suggest I have the hiccups.  This somewhat exaggerated example, highlights the findings of a new study, published recently in the Journal of Consumer Research, that propose using the internet to self-diagnose can be unwise because we tend to focus on symptoms rather than the risk of having the illness...

Localized Prostate Cancer: Removal No Better Than Observation, Study

Date: Jul-23-2012
A large study that followed men across the US diagnosed with localized prostate cancer for over 10 years found they lived just as long whether they had surgery to remove the prostate or underwent observation. The researchers say their findings support observation over surgery for men with localized prostate cancer, especially if it is low-risk...

Afinitor (Everolimus) Combo For Breast Cancer Approved By FDA

Date: Jul-23-2012
The FDA has approved Afinitor (everolimus) in combination with Aromasin (exemestane) for the treatment of some postmenopausal females with advanced hormone-receptor positive, HER2-negative breast cancer. The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) says the two-drug combo is indicated for patients with progression or recurrence of breast cancer after receiving Arimidex (anastrozole) or Femara (letrozole). Breast cancer is the second major female cancer killer in the USA. 226,870 patients are expected to be diagnosed with the disease this year, and 39,510 will die from breast cancer...

Opening New Avenues In Combating Neurodegenerative Diseases

Date: Jul-23-2012
Scientists at the University of Manchester have uncovered how the internal mechanisms in nerve cells wire the brain. The findings open up new avenues in the investigation of neurodegenerative diseases by analysing the cellular processes underlying these conditions. Dr Andreas Prokop and his team at the Faculty of Life Sciences have been studying the growth of axons, the thin cable-like extensions of nerve cells that wire the brain. If axons don't develop properly this can lead to birth disorders, mental and physical impairments and the gradual decay of brain capacity during aging...

Recommendations For New Lipid Screening Guidelines For Children May Be Overly Aggressive

Date: Jul-23-2012
Recent guidelines recommending cholesterol tests for children fail to weigh health benefits against potential harms and costs, according to a new commentary authored by three physician-researchers at UCSF. Moreover, the recommendations are based on expert opinion, rather than solid evidence, the researchers said, which is especially problematic since the guidelines' authors disclosed extensive potential conflicts of interest. The guidelines were written by a panel assembled by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and published in Pediatrics, in November 2011...

Genetic Mutations Identified That Cause Common Childhood Brain Tumors

Date: Jul-23-2012
Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital have identified several gene mutations responsible for the most common childhood brain tumor, called medulloblastoma, adding evidence to the theory that the diagnosis is a group of genetically distinct cancers with different prognoses. These and accompanying findings are likely to lead to less-toxic, better-targeted treatment approaches over the next two years, the researchers said...

News From Annals Of Internal Medicine: July 22, 2012

Date: Jul-23-2012
1. FDA Panel Members Express Opposing Views on Truvanda Approval  In May, the FDA Antiviral Advisory Committee met to review evidence for the approval of two antiretroviral drugs, tenofovir and emtricitabine for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) against HIV infection. Two members of the Committee explain why they voted for or against the approval. Judith Feinberg, MD, Professor of Medicine at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and director of the University of Cincinnati AIDS Clinical Trials Unit, serves as chairperson of the FDA Antiviral Advisory Committee...

2-Level Axial Lumbar Interbody Fusion May Lead To Complications

Date: Jul-23-2012
Surgeons from the Instituto de Patologia da Coluna in Sao Paulo, Brazil have found that an innovative minimally invasive surgical procedure performed to achieve two-level axial lumbar interbody fusion produced immediate successful results, but within 2 years complications set in, making the procedure far less desirable. Findings of this study are reported in the article "Results and complications after 2-level axial lumbar interbody fusion with a minimum 2-year follow-up. Clinical article," by Luis Marchi, Leonardo Oliveira, Etevaldo Coutinho, M.D., and Luiz Pimenta, M.D., Ph.D...

Paramedic Administration Of ECGs Can Speed Treatment For Severe Heart Attacks

Date: Jul-23-2012
A new program that trains emergency medical service technicians (EMS) to read electrocardiograms so that they can evaluate patients with chest pain, and expedite treatment for the severe heart condition known as ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), a serious form of heart attack, has excellent results and should become the standard of care, according to two studies published in the current issue of the Canadian Journal of Cardiology...