Health News

Pledging to fight antibiotic resistance does make a difference

Date: Jan-30-2014
NPS MedicineWise is urging all health professionals to take the pledge to fight antibiotic resistance after new research shows that making a public commitment leads to significant improvements in antibiotic prescribing. The study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, reported a 19.7% drop in inappropriate prescribing over three months after doctors displayed a signed poster in their practice explaining their commitment to the judicious use of antibiotics.

Provectus announces PV-10's assessment for drug-drug interaction potential

Date: Jan-30-2014
Provectus Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., a development-stage oncology and dermatology biopharmaceutical company, and XenoTech, a preclinical CRO and pioneer in collaborative research surrounding in vitro drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics (DMPK) services, has announced that an article describing a study to determine the potential of rose bengal disodium to cause drug-drug interactions has been published by Xenobiotica, a peer-reviewed scientific journal that publishes comprehensive research papers on pharmacokinetics (the study of distribution, metabolism, disposition and excretion of drugs).

Classification system for bladder cancer prognosis

Date: Jan-30-2014
Researchers at Lund University have developed a classification system to determine the prognosis for bladder cancer. It is hoped that this will prove useful for future bladder cancer research and drug development."With this new classification system we can better predict which patients have a poor prognosis compared to current methods", said Gottfrid Sjödahl, a doctoral student at the Division of Oncology, Lund University.Bladder cancer is the fifth most common type of cancer in the Western world. The treatment offered to those with bladder cancer has not changed in the past 20 years.

Western researchers find new COPD therapy device makes breathing easier

Date: Jan-30-2014
A new device designed to help people suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other mucus producing lung diseases developed by Trudell Medical International has been clinically tested by researchers at Western University and results show it improves breathlessness and the ability to move mucus, as well as betters a patient's quality of life. The Aerobika* Oscillating Positive Expiratory Pressure (OPEP) Therapy System is a drug-free, easy to use, hand-held device that aims to help people with lung disease breathe easier. The OPEP device was tested by Dr.

Early rehabilitation important for recovery after severe traumatic brain injury

Date: Jan-30-2014
Early rehabilitation interventions seem to be essential for how well a patient recovers after a severe brain injury. It might even increase the chances for long-term survival, according to researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy.In a series of studies, Trandur Ulfarsson, doctoral student at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, has explored the long-term effects of traumatic brain injuries caused for example by accidents or violence.

In death as in life, HM's brain reveals insights into memory

Date: Jan-30-2014
In 1953, Henry Gustav Molaison of Hartford, CT, was 27. After undergoing a brain operation to correct seizures - which involved the removal of his hippocampus and surrounding tissue - he was left unable to form new memories, although his personality, language and intellectual ability remained intact. "Patient H.M.," as he became known worldwide, lived for another 55 years, during which his willingness to undergo test after test contributed enormously to our understanding of human memory and the role of the hippocampus, in particular.H.M.

Waist circumference could be used to improve the detection of children and adolescents with cardiometabolic risk

Date: Jan-30-2014
A study led by researchers from IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute) and published in the journal PlosOne concludes that including waist circumference measurements in clinical practice, together with the traditional height and weight measurements, would make it easier to detect children and adolescents with cardiometabolic risk, i.e. those with a higher predisposition to suffer from arteriosclerosis or type 2 diabetes.

Thyroid hormone levels modified by protein according to body temperature

Date: Jan-30-2014
The thyroid hormone thyroxine, which controls our day-to-day activity and was previously believed to remain at a constant level in the blood, actually fluctuates as a result of a protein which modifies the release of the hormone depending on body temperature, new research reveals. The research was published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.The hormone thyroxine regulates metabolism in all mammals, including humans. If there is too much, it leads to hyperactivity, and if there is too little, it leads to dormancy.

Mouse model demonstrates role for metabolic enzyme in acute myeloid leukemia

Date: Jan-30-2014
In recent years, mutations in two metabolic enzymes, isocitrate dehydrogenase-1 and 2 (IDH1 and IDH2), have been identified in approximately 20 percent of all acute myeloid leukemias (AML). As a result, mutant IDH proteins have been proposed as attractive drug targets for this common form of adult leukemia.

Arsenic, mercury and selenium in asian carp not a health concern to most

Date: Jan-30-2014
Researchers at the Prairie Research Institute's Illinois Natural History Survey have found that overall, concentrations of arsenic, selenium, and mercury in bighead and silver carp from the lower Illinois River do not appear to be a health concern for a majority of human consumers. The full results of the study have been published in the journal Chemosphere.