Health News

40 Percent Of Low-Income Latino Elders Have Suffered Abuse Or Neglect In Last Year But The Authorities Were Not Advised

Date: Jul-23-2012
A sobering new study by researchers from the University of Southern California Davis School of Gerontology finds that elder abuse in low-income Latino communities goes largely unreported. More than 40 percent of Latino elders told Spanish-speaking interviewers that they had been abused or neglected in the last year - yet only 1.5 percent of victims said they had ever reported the abuse to authorities...

7 Essential Steps Toward An AIDS-Free Generation Described In New Report

Date: Jul-23-2012
The end of AIDS is within our reach. But as the authors of a new special supplement in the August, 2012 Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiencies (JAIDS) point out, new financial investments - and renewed commitments - from countries around the world will be critical to fully implement proven treatment and prevention tools already at hand and to continue essential scientific research. "Only then will an AIDS-free generation be possible," write the supplement's editors - Richard Marlink, Wafaa El-Sadr, Mariangela Simao and Elly Katabira - in their introduction...

Identification Of Novel Anti-Malarial Drug Target

Date: Jul-23-2012
An international team of scientists, led by researchers from the Department of Pediatrics at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, have identified the first reported inhibitors of a key enzyme involved in survival of the parasite responsible for malaria. Their findings, which may provide the basis for anti-malarial drug development, are currently published in the online version of the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. Tropical malaria is responsible for more than 1.2 million deaths annually...

Placenta-Derived ECFCs Offer Great Promise For Stem Cell Therapy

Date: Jul-23-2012
A study comparing whether endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFCs) derived from human placenta or those derived from human umbilical cord blood are more proliferative and better for forming new blood vessels has found that ECFCs derived from human placenta are more vasculogenic. The study, carried out by researchers at the Indiana School of Medicine, is published in a recent issue of Cell Medicine [2(3)] and is freely available on-line...

Expanding Time And Enhancing Well-Being - That's Awesome

Date: Jul-23-2012
It doesn't matter what we've experienced - whether it's the breathtaking scope of the Grand Canyon, the ethereal beauty of the Aurora Borealis, or the exhilarating view from the top of the Eiffel Tower - at some point in our lives we've all had the feeling of being in a complete and overwhelming sense of awe. Awe seems to be a universal emotion, but it has been largely neglected by scientists - until now...

What Is Crestor?

Date: Jul-23-2012
Crestor (Rosuvastatin) belongs to a class of drugs known as "statins" or "HMG CoA reductase inhibitors". Crestor reduces low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and raises high-density lipoprotein (HDL). The medication is also prescribed to lower triglycerides in the blood. LDL (low density lipoprotein) - also known as "bad cholesterol". LDL carries cholesterol from the liver to cells. If too much LDL is carried, more than the cells can use, there can be a harmful accumulation of LDL, which raises the risk of arterial disease. Human blood contains about 70% LDL - although this can vary...

Observational Study Links Sleep Deprivation To Greater Risk Of Nursing Home Placement

Date: Jul-23-2012
Tired? Scientists have discovered another possible benefit of a night of restful and uninterrupted sleep. According to a new study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health fragmented or interrupted sleep could predict future placement in a nursing home or assisted living facility. The study is featured in the July 2012 issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society and outlines the association between objectively measured sleep and subsequent institutionalization among older women...

What Is Lipitor (atorvastatin)?

Date: Jul-22-2012
Lipitor, generic name atorvastatin, is a member of a class of drugs called HMG CoA reductase inhibitors or "statins". It reduces levels of triglycerides and bad cholesterol (LDL cholesterol) in the blood, while at the same time increasing levels of good cholesterol (HDL cholesterol). It is commonly used to treat dyslipidemia and prevent cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) among people who are at high risk. It was first synthesized by Bruce Roth in 1985 and has since become the best-selling pharmaceutical product in history...

Whooping Cough Worst Year Since 1959, Says CDC, USA

Date: Jul-22-2012
The United States is heading for the highest number of reported cases of pertussis (whooping cough) in fifty-three years, according to predictions by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. So far, nearly 18,000 cases have been reported this year; this is over double the total recorded for the same period in 2011. At this rate, 2012 will have the highest number of reported whooping cough cases since 1959. Rear Admiral Anne Schuchat, M.D...

Qsymia For Weight Management Approved By FDA

Date: Jul-22-2012
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Qsymia (phentermine and topiramate extended-release) as an addition to a reduced-calorie diet and exercise for chronic weight management. The drug is approved for use in adults with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or greater (obese), or adults with a BMI of 27 or greater (overweight) who have at least one weight-related condition, such as high blood pressure (hypertension), type 2 diabetes, or high cholesterol (dyslipidemia)...