Health News

Researchers Studying How Exercise Affects The Brain

Date: May-21-2012
Exercise clears the mind. It gets the blood pumping and more oxygen is delivered to the brain. This is familiar territory, but Dartmouth's David Bucci thinks there is much more going on. "In the last several years there have been data suggesting that neurobiological changes are happening - [there are] very brain-specific mechanisms at work here," says Bucci, an associate professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences. From his studies, Bucci and his collaborators have revealed important new findings:  The effects of exercise are different on memory as well as on the brain,...

Minimally Invasive "Parachute" Device Could Transform Treatment Options For Heart Failure Patients

Date: May-21-2012
University Hospitals (UH) Case Medical Center and CardioKinetix Inc., a medical device company pioneering a catheter-based treatment for heart failure, has announced promising results for the first-of-its-kind catheter-based Parachute™ Ventricular Partitioning Device, a Percutaneous Ventricular Restoration Therapy (PVRT) technology for patients with ischemic heart failure. The two-year clinical results were presented during a Trials, Registries and Late Breaking Science Hot Line session at the 2012 EuroPCR Conference in Paris by UH Case Medical Center's Marco Costa, MD, Director of the...

Clinical Trials Needed To Test Non-Skeletal Benefits Of Vitamin D

Date: May-21-2012
The Endocrine Society's new scientific statement published online represents the first comprehensive evaluation of both the basic and clinical evidence related to the non-skeletal effects of vitamin D. The statement addresses current research regarding the associations of vitamin D with immune function, hypertension, stroke, skin conditions and maternal/fetal health. Vitamin D is a steroid hormone that regulates calcium and phosphate levels in the bloodstream and promotes healthy bone growth. Vitamin D deficiency is common throughout the world and results in abnormalities of calcium,...

Certain Types Of Fat Associated With Worse Memory And Overall Cognitive Function

Date: May-21-2012
It has been known for years that eating too many foods containing "bad" fats, such as saturated fats or trans fats, isn't healthy for your heart. However, according to new research from Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH), one "bad" fat - saturated fat - was found to be associated with worse overall cognitive function and memory in women over time. By contrast, a "good" fat - mono-unsaturated fat was associated with better overall cognitive function and memory. This study is published online by Annals of Neurology, a journal of the American Neurological Association and Child Neurology Society....

Aggressive Characteristics In Prostate, Bladder And Skin Cancers, And The Protein RAL

Date: May-21-2012
We have known for years that when the proteins RalA and RalB are present, cells in dishes copy toward aggressive forms of cancer. However, until now, no study had explored the effects of RAL proteins in human cancers - an essential step on the path to developing drugs to target these proteins. From metastasis in bladder cancer, to seminal vessel involvement in prostate cancer, to shortened survival in squamous cell carcinoma, a study published in the journal Cancer Research shows that proteins RalA and RalB are associated with aggressive cancer characteristics in human tumors. "But here's the...

Advances Highlight Progress Being Made In The Treatment And Research Of GI Disorders

Date: May-21-2012
Clinicians, researchers and scientists from around the world have gathered for Digestive Disease Week® (DDW) 2012, the largest and most prestigious gastroenterology meeting, from May 19-22, 2012, at the San Diego Convention Center, CA. DDW, the annual meeting of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute, is jointly sponsored by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, the AGA, the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract. AGA researchers are presenting exciting, cutting-edge data during the...

World's First Stem Cell Drug From Osiris : Approved!

Date: May-20-2012
There is great news for parents suffering the harrowing ordeal of their child needing a bone marrow transplant. The announcement came from Osiris Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: OSIR) on Friday that Health Canada has approved its groundbreaking stem cell therapy Prochymal® (remestemcel-L). The drug can be used to treat children with acute graft-vs-host disease. (GvHD). The decision is a historic one, as it's both the first stem cell drug going into formal use, as well as the first treatment for GvHD. The disease is a devastating breakdown occurring after a bone marrow transplant and kills...

Generic Versions Of Blood Thinning Plavix Approved By FDA

Date: May-20-2012
Generic Versions Of Blood Thinning Plavix Approved By FDA Editor's Choice Main Category: Cardiovascular / Cardiology Also Included In: Blood / Hematology;  Regulatory Affairs / Drug Approvals Article Date: 20 May 2012 - 8:00 PDT  email to a friend   printer friendly   opinions    rate article  Current ratings for: 'Generic Versions Of Blood Thinning Plavix Approved By FDA' Patient / Public: 3.75 (4 votes) Healthcare Prof: 3 (2 votes) Generic versions of blood-thinning medication - Plavix (clopidogrel bisulfate) - have been approved by the FDA (Food and Drug...

PA32540 Cuts Gastric Acid Faster Than Enteric-Coated Aspirin

Date: May-20-2012
SAN DIEGO - The investigational compound PA32540 provides faster gastric protection than enteric-coated omeprazole 40 mg, researchers announced at Digestive Disease Week 2012. PA32540 is an investigational coordinated-delivery tablet of immediate-release (IR) omeprazole (40 mg), a proton pump inhibitor (PPI), layered around enteric-coated aspirin (325 mg). The product was developed to provide the cardiovascular benefits of aspirin in patients at risk for aspirin-associated ulcers. The data, from a phase I study, showed a significantly shorter mean time to first gastric pH >4 in subjects...

Some "Good" Cholesterol May Be Bad For Heart

Date: May-20-2012
It appears that in some cases, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, the so-called "good" cholesterol, does not protect against heart disease, and may even be harmful. A new study suggests a subclass of HDL that carries a particular protein is bad for the heart. Previous studies have shown that high levels of HDL cholesterol are strongly linked to low risk of heart disease. But trials where people have been given drugs to increase their levels of HDL cholesterol have yielded inconsistent results: leading to the idea that HDL cholesterol may actually have protective and non-protective...