Health News

Pediatric Heart Transplant Patients May Benefit From Noninvasive Imaging Technique

Date: Jul-16-2012
Cardiologists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have developed a noninvasive imaging technique that may help determine whether children who have had heart transplants are showing early signs of rejection. The technique could reduce the need for these patients to undergo invasive imaging tests every one to two years. The new method is described online in the Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation...

Cartilage Damage Treated Safely With Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy

Date: Jul-16-2012
When it comes to treating cartilage tears in athletes, Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy is a safe and effective method of treatment, according to research presented at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's (AOSSM) Annual Meeting in Baltimore...

Propecia (finasteride) Permanent Sexual Dysfunction Risk

Date: Jul-15-2012
Hair loss medication, Propecia (finasteride) may be linked to a side effect of sexual dysfunction, a problem which may not go away after treatment has stopped, researchers from George Washington University reported in the Journal of Sexual Medicine. Propecia is a popular medication taken for male pattern hair loss. Michael S. Irwig MD, who works at the Center for Andrology and Division of Endocrinology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, prospectively monitored 54 adult males, average age 31, who had had three or more months of finasteride-associated sexual side effects...

Some Personal Care Products May Raise Diabetes Risk

Date: Jul-15-2012
Women may be at higher risk of developing diabetes because of phthalates that exist in such personal care products as soaps, hair sprays, moisturizers, nail polish, and even perfume. Researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital published a report in Environmental Health Perspectives explaining that the higher concentrations of phthalate metabolites in the urine of females compared to males might mean that women have a higher risk of developing diabetes. Tamara James-Todd, Ph.D...

Chemical Discovered That Affects Biological Clock May Offer New Way To Treat Diabetes

Date: Jul-15-2012
Biologists at UC San Diego have discovered a chemical that offers a completely new and promising direction for the development of drugs to treat metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes - a major public health concern in the United States due to the current obesity epidemic...

Obesity Not Found To Be A Cause Of Poorer Educational Performance

Date: Jul-15-2012
Obesity is not to blame for poor educational performance, according to early findings from research funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). In a study that combines statistical methods with genetic information, researchers dispel the false idea that being overweight has damaging educational consequences. Previous studies have shown that children who are heavier are less likely to do well at school. However, Dr Stephanie von Hinke Kessler Scholder from University of York argues it's vital to understand what drives this association...

Newly Isolated 'Beige Fat' Cells Could Help Fight Obesity

Date: Jul-15-2012
Scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have isolated a new type of energy-burning fat cell in adult humans which they say may have therapeutic potential for treating obesity. Called "beige fat," the cells are found in scattered pea-sized deposits beneath the skin near the collarbone and along the spine in adult humans. Because this type of fat can burn off calories - rather than store them, as "white fat" cells do - beige fat cells might spawn new therapies for obesity and diabetes, according to researchers led by Bruce Spiegelman, PhD, of Dana-Farber...

Common Shoulder Injury Treated Non-Surgically May Increase Chances Of Return-To-Play

Date: Jul-15-2012
Surgically repairing a painful shoulder injury in baseball players known as a SLAP tear (superior labral) varies widely and often doesn't allow for return to play at the same level as before the injury. However, researchers presenting their findings at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's Annual Meeting in Baltimore, Maryland suggest that nonsurgical treatment may be more beneficial...

Trauma Early In A Girl's Life Linked To Smoking In Adulthood

Date: Jul-15-2012
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can stay with us for life. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy explains how these events can be tied up with adult smoking patterns, especially for women, and suggests that treatment and strategies to stop smoking need to take into account the psychological effects of childhood trauma. ACEs can range from emotional, physical, and sexual abuse to neglect and household dysfunction and affect a large range of people...

Cardiac Evaluation Of Those Waiting For Kidney And Liver Transplants

Date: Jul-15-2012
As thousands of Americans await a life-saving kidney or liver transplant, medical teams are paying close attention to another organ: their hearts. This month the American Heart Association attempts to bring harmony to the varied cardiac evaluation policies created at U.S. hospitals that assess a patient's overall health before transplant surgery. Approximately 85,000 people are on the waiting list for a kidney transplant and 16,000 are waiting for a liver. It's not unusual for these transplant candidates to be well over age 50 and at increased risk for heart disease...