Health News

New research points to talking-therapy treatments to manage osteoarthritis pain

Date: Mar-05-2014
Scientists have shown for the first time that the abnormalities in the way the brain experiences pain may be to blame for the chronic pain suffered by osteoarthritis patients.The findings by Arthritis Research UK-funded researchers at The University of Manchester suggest the need for new therapies to target brain mechanisms to enable the brain to cope more effectively with chronic pain, including mindfulness-based talking therapies.Chronic pain can affect up to 30% of the population at any one time - with most complaints relating to arthritis.

Pneumonia risk higher in people with sleep apnea

Date: Mar-05-2014
People who suffer from sleep apnea - a serious condition where the upper airway is obstructed during sleep - appear to have a higher risk of pneumonia, according to a new study from Taiwan and published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.Obstructive sleep apnea - often shortened to sleep apnea, as it is the most common form - is characterized by disturbed sleep caused by soft tissue obstructing the upper airway, cutting off the oxygen supply. This can happen hundreds of times a night. The condition has been linked to heart disease and cognitive impairment.

New indications for prevention of sun damage associated with aging and skin cancer

Date: Mar-05-2014
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology (JDD) has released a clinical study highlighting the efficacy of Triple Protection Factor Broad Spectrum Sunscreen, TPF 50, to prevent skin sun damage and Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer (NMSC). In this head-to-head comparison study, investigators Enzo Emanuele MD, PhD, James M. Spencer MD, MS and Martin Braun MD found that TPF50 was more effective than both the main DNA repair and AO existing products. Continued exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is one of the major risk factors for photo-aging and the development of non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC).

Researchers find link between chronic pain and heart disease

Date: Mar-05-2014
Elderly people who have chronic muscle pain are at a significantly increased risk of having heart disease - researchers at Teesside University have found.Almost half of elderly people who have suffered chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP) go on to suffer cardiovascular disease (CVD), researchers suggest.And people aged over 65-years-old who have chronic musculoskeletal pain are 82% more likely to have cardiovascular problems than those who do not have CMP.

Mind over matter for entrepreneurs

Date: Mar-05-2014
Entrepreneurs who use a lot of their mental powers to obtain as much information as possible, have less success transforming their idea into a new business than those who automatically think implementation. As international competition is becoming increasingly tough, we depend on entrepreneurs who come up with new, ingenious ideas and who succeed in converting their ideas into viable companies.Quite a lot of our young people today will probably find a job in businesses not yet established.

Fighting against HIV in the Central African Republic - the importance of perseverance

Date: Mar-05-2014
Drug stock-outs have made HIV patients wary. According to Pierre-Marie David of the University of Montreal's Faculty of Pharmacy, stock-outs of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs in recent years in the Central African Republic have had a dramatic impact on the health of HIV-infected people. These shortages have also created mistrust among patients toward the political and medical actors responsible for the fight against HIV/AIDS. And their wariness is likely to reduce their chances of getting better.

Scientists identify significant increase in new MRSA strains in non hospital environment

Date: Mar-05-2014
Microbiologists from the Dental School in Trinity College Dublin in collaboration with the National MRSA Reference Laboratory at St. James's Hospital Dublin and Alere Technologies in Germany have identified significant increases in the prevalence, genetic diversity and antimicrobial resistance of PVL-positive MRSA circulating in Ireland in the ten years between 2002-2011. These findings have been published in The Journal of Clinical Microbiology.

How sexual contacts with outsiders contribute to HIV infections within communities

Date: Mar-05-2014
While a number of strategies can prevent and control HIV transmission and spread, their effective use depends on understanding the sexual networks within and between communities. A paper published in PLOS Medicine reports a detailed analysis with surprising results from the Rakai district in Uganda, one of the most studied areas of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa. Mary K.

A lower ratio between index and ring fingers is associated with higher risk of developing severe osteoarthritis in the knee, says study

Date: Mar-05-2014
A new study published online in the journal Rheumatology has found that the lower the ratio between a person's index finger (2D) and their ring finger (4D), the higher their risk of developing severe osteoarthritis in their knees, requiring a total knee replacement. Osteoarthritis (OA) is a major public health problem linked with significant disability in knees and hips. Hormonal factors are thought to play a role, which is thought to account for the well documented difference in prevalence of OA between men and women.

Passive smoking causes irreversible damage to children's arteries

Date: Mar-05-2014
Exposure to passive smoking in childhood causes irreversible damage to the structure of children's arteries, according to a study published online in the European Heart Journal.The thickening of the arteries' walls associated with being exposed to parents' smoke, means that these children will be at greater risk of heart attacks and strokes in later life. The researchers from Tasmania, Australia and Finland say that exposure to both parents smoking in childhood adds an extra 3.3 years to the age of blood vessels when the children reach adulthood.