Health News

Diverticulosis is much less risky than previously thought, UCLA researchers find

Date: Dec-04-2013
People who have diverticulosis, or pouches in the lining of the colon, often worry that they will eventually develop a painful and sometimes serious condition called diverticulitis, as previous research has shown that one in four, or up to 25 percent, of those with the condition will. Now, in a 15-year study that contradicts the common wisdom on rate of progression from diverticulosis to diverticulitis, UCLA researchers show that the risk is significantly lower than previously thought, about 1 percent over seven years.

Study highlights massive benefits of HIV treatment in South Africa

Date: Dec-04-2013
Antiretroviral therapy (ART) for the treatment of HIV infection has saved 2.8 million years of life in South Africa since 2004 and is projected to save an additional 15.1 million years of life by 2030, according to a new study published online in The Journal of Infectious Diseases. The analysis suggests these dramatic benefits could be even greater if more aggressive HIV testing and treatment strategies are implemented.

New biomechanical study measures the anatomical restoration of vertebrae with the SpineJack® compared to balloon kyphoplasty

Date: Dec-04-2013
VEXIM, a medical device company specializing in the minimally-invasive treatment of vertebral fractures, has announced that the results of a new comparative biomechanical study carried out by Marburg University's Traumatology Department (Germany) have been published in The Spine Journal.As in the first biomechanical study published (results disclosed on September 12th, 2013), the aim of this new study was to evaluate the anatomic restoration of 24 fractured vertebral bodies with osteoporosis by comparing the SpineJack® and balloon kyphoplasty techniques.

New screening method can predict Alzheimer's disease within 2 years

Date: Dec-04-2013
At the first signs of memory loss, most people start worrying and wonder, "What if I have Alzheimer's disease?" And yet, the disease is often diagnosed late in its development and sometimes up to ten years after the first pathological changes have affected the brain. A major goal in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease has been to provide earlier diagnosis so that patients can receive treatment as early as possible.

Assessing autonomic nerve functions in patients with spinal cord injury

Date: Dec-04-2013
Neurological functions following spinal cord injury have generally been assessed using the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) impairment scale. However, the scale primarily evaluates motor function, and little attention has been given to autonomic nerve functions, such as defecation, sweating or skin response. The sympathetic skin response test is a simple, safe, noninvasive electrophysiological detection method, and can objectively assess autonomic nerve functions in patients with spinal cord injury. According to a study published in Neural Regeneration Research (Vol.

Subarachnoid hemorrhage and cognitive dysfunction

Date: Dec-04-2013
Synaptosomal-associated protein-25 is an important factor for synaptic functions and cognition. Prof. Zhong Wang and team from the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, China verified that synaptosomal-associated protein-25 expression in the temporal lobe, hippocampus, and cerebellum significantly lower at days 1 and 3 following subarachnoid hemorrhage using immunohistochemical staining and western blot analysis.

After 2 weeks of NSCs neural differentiation, potassium current density increased sharply

Date: Dec-04-2013
The electrophysiological properties of potassium ion channels are regarded as a basic index for determining the functional differentiation of neural stem cells. A recent study published in Neural Regeneration Research (Vol. 8, No. 28, 2013) showed that the proliferating neural stem cells selected were capable of differentiating into neural cells, and the differentiation process was accompanied by the expression of potassium currents. After 2 weeks of differentiation and development, the potassium current density increased sharply.

Brain circuitry disrupted by prenatal exposure to alcohol

Date: Dec-04-2013
Prenatal exposure to alcohol severely disrupts major features of brain development that potentially lead to increased anxiety and poor motor function, conditions typical in humans with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD), according to neuroscientists at the University of California, Riverside.

Goals affect feelings of pride and shame after success and failure

Date: Dec-04-2013
When the St. Louis Cardinals lost the World Series, just how much shame did the players feel? According to researchers at Penn State and Australia's Central Queensland University, a person's goals at the outset of a competence-based task, such as a sporting event, can influence how much shame or pride he or she feels upon completion of the task.

Radioimmunotherapy shows promise for possible HIV cure

Date: Dec-04-2013
Researchers have used radioimmunotherapy (RIT) to destroy remaining human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected cells in the blood samples of patients treated with antiretroviral therapy, offering the promise of a strategy for curing HIV infection. Results of the study were presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has transformed the outlook for patients infected with HIV by suppressing the replication of the virus in the body.