Health News

Novel feedback mechanism discovered that provides a mechanistic link between chronic inflammation and carcinogenesis

Date: Mar-22-2014
Malignant tumors pose a major threat to survival largely because they shed mobile cells that can form secondary tumors in other tissues. This process requires a fundamental change in the character of cells within the primary tumor, insofar as members of a localized cell mass must be converted into actively migrating cells that invade into the surrounding tissue and blood vessels, and finally settle in distant tissues. A growing body of evidence suggests that inflammatory reactions promote such cellular transformation.

Researchers create smartphone device that performs blood tests

Date: Mar-22-2014
Researchers have created a smartphone device that can perform blood tests - a creation they say could "improve the quality of life" for people undergoing treatment for the prevention of blood clots.The formation of blood clots in the arteries and veins can increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. Individuals at high risk of blood clots are often treated with anticoagulants - drugs that thin the blood and prevent the clotting process.However, anticoagulant therapy requires patients to undergo frequent monitoring of blood flow in the hospital.

Heart risk: 9/11 rescuers more likely to have sleep apnea and PTSD

Date: Mar-21-2014
When the World Trade Center towers collapsed on September 11, 2001, people who rushed to the scene in rescue efforts were probably not thinking about their long-term health risks. But now, nearly 13 years later, research suggests first responders at Ground Zero exposed to inhaled particulates have increased risks of obstructed sleep apnea and post-traumatic stress order.Cardiologist Dr.

Multiple sclerosis: raising awareness of a complex disease

Date: Mar-21-2014
What do you know about multiple sclerosis? Chances are, very little. "Many people aren't aware of the symptoms of multiple sclerosis, or even of the condition itself," says Dr. Emma Gray. Considering that approximately 2.5 million people around the world have multiple sclerosis, it is surprising that there is such lack of awareness, but sadly, this is the case.Dr.

Obese teens with a high salt intake 'at risk of accelerated cellular aging'

Date: Mar-21-2014
Cells may age faster in obese teenagers who have a very salty diet, according to new research presented at the American Heart Association's Epidemiology & Prevention/Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism Scientific Sessions 2014.Experts already know that the protective ends on chromosomes - called telomeres - shorten as we age, and that some physical and lifestyle factors can cause this shortening to become advanced. These factors include smoking, a lack of physical activity and having high body fat.

Audit of NHS Breast Screening Programme reveals significant variations between hospitals in adverse outcomes for treatment of ductal carcinoma in situ

Date: Mar-21-2014
Analysis of data from the UK NHS Breast Screening Programme has shown significant variations in the outcomes of treatment for women with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) between UK hospitals.

Results from NHS Breast Screening Programme study finds a third of women might benefit from more frequent mammograms

Date: Mar-21-2014
A study of over 50,000 women participating in the UK NHS Breast Screening Programme has found that, while three-yearly screening intervals are appropriate for the majority of women, approximately one third of women are at higher risk of developing cancer and might benefit from more frequent mammograms.Professor Gareth Evans, from the University of Manchester (UK), told the 9th European Breast Cancer Conference (EBCC-9) that identifying the degree of risk of developing breast cancer in individual women would enable healthcare professionals to target screening and preventive measures better.

Human sniff range exceeds 1 trillion odors

Date: Mar-21-2014
A new study published in the journal Science finds that the human sense of smell can detect more than 1 trillion odors, far exceeding the number previous studies have indicated.Humans can discriminate several million different colors and nearly half a million sounds or tones, so by showing we can discriminate over 1 trillion odors, the study places the human sense of smell in a different league altogether.

Alarming spread of drug-resistant TB threatens global health

Date: Mar-21-2014
The medical aid organization Medecins Sans Frontieres/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has published a briefing paper about the alarming spread of drug-resistant tuberculosis, which they refer to as the "biggest threat to global health you've never heard of."Tuberculosis (TB), which is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is one of the deadliest diseases in the world, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).Every year, around 8 million people around the world fall ill with TB, and 1.3 million die of it.

New approach makes cancer cells explode

Date: Mar-21-2014
Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have discovered that a substance called Vacquinol-1 makes cells from glioblastoma, the most aggressive type of brain tumour, literally explode. When mice were given the substance, which can be given in tablet form, tumour growth was reversed and survival was prolonged. The findings are published in the journal Cell.The established treatments that are available for glioblastoma include surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. But even if this treatment is given the average survival is just 15 months.