Health News

Our immune defenses are paralyzed by golden staph

Date: Nov-27-2013
When golden staph enters our skin it can identify the key immune cells and 'nuke' our body's immune response.Now we know how, thanks to an international research group led by dermatologists from the Centenary Institute and the University of Sydney.Using state-of-the art microscopy techniques, the team identified the key immune cells that orchestrate the body's defenders against invading golden staph, and also how the bacteria can target and destroy these cells, circumventing the body's immune response.

Oncology nurse navigators help cancer patients cope early in care

Date: Nov-27-2013
When Group Health patients received support from a nurse navigator, or advocate, soon after a cancer diagnosis, they had better experiences and fewer problems with their care - particularly in health information, care coordination, and psychological and social care - according to a randomized controlled trial in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.Patients with a nurse navigator reported feeling better supported emotionally and more involved in their care. They also said they were better informed and more prepared for the future.

Understanding how blood vessels develop may provide new way to fight cancer in the future

Date: Nov-27-2013
A new mechanism that regulates the way blood vessels grow and connect to each other has been discovered by an international team of researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, and Heinrich Heine University Dusseldorf, Germany. The knowledge might open up new opportunities for future cancer therapy. The study is published in the scientific journal PNAS.If stretched out, the blood vessels in a human body would reach more than twice around the earth.

Controlling our circadian rhythms

Date: Nov-27-2013
Most people have experienced the effects of circadian-rhythm disruption, after traveling across time zones or adjusting to a new schedule. To have any hope of modulating our biological "clocks," to combat jet lag or cope with alternating shifts, we need to first understand the physiology at play. A new study in The Journal of General Physiology helps explain some of the biophysical processes underlying regulation of circadian rhythms.BK ("Big Potassium") channels, which are activated during nerve impulses and can reduce neuronal excitability, affect a variety of physiological functions.

Reference values determined for children's heart rate variability

Date: Nov-27-2013
Measurement of heart rate variability (HRV) is a useful method when assessing the role of the nervous system for heart function. Standard reference values for heart rate variability in adults have existed for a long time already, but similar values have not been available for children until now. Children's HRV reference values have not been determined earlier, because heart rate variability from rest electrocardiogram (ECG) recordings has not been studied in sufficiently large population samples before.

Chemical banned by the US 3 decades ago still affecting seniors' cognitive performance

Date: Nov-27-2013
Although PCBs have been banned in the United States since 1979, University of Montreal and CHU Sainte-Justine researcher Maryse Bouchard has found that higher levels of the toxin was associated with lower cognitive performance in seniors. There is a significant association between PCB levels and cognitive abilities among individuals aged 70 to 84 years; the correlation was also detected to a lesser extent among people aged 60-69 years. This analysis also showed that the association differed by sex. Women in the older age group had the largest diminution in cognition in relation to exposure.

Rhinitis exacerbates migraine

Date: Nov-27-2013
People with migraine who also battle allergies and hay fever (rhinitis) endure a more severe form of headaches than their peers who struggle with migraine, but aren't affected by the seasonal or year-round sniffles, according to researchers from the University of Cincinnati (UC), Montefiore Medical Center and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University and Vedanta Research.About 12 percent of the U.S. population experiences migraine, which is three times more common in women than men.

Maintaining immune homeostasis

Date: Nov-27-2013
Depending on the signals received, naive T cells are able to differentiate into mature T cell populations, which play different roles in the immune system. For example, regulatory T cells (Tregs) are important for tamping down the immune response and preventing development of autoimmune disease, while effector T cells promote inflammation. Maintaining the proper balance between Tregs and effector T cells prevents immune dysfunction.

CTX treatment improves recovery from ischaemia through promotion of the growth of new vessels

Date: Nov-27-2013
New research has shown human neural stem cells could improve blood flow in critical limb ischemia through the growth of new vessels. Critical limb ischemia (CLI) is a disease that severely obstructs arteries and reduces the blood flow to legs and feet. CLI remains an unmet clinical problem and with an ageing population and the rise in type II diabetes, the incidence of CLI is expected to increase.

Transcatheter therapies for mitral regurgitation: key guidance document released

Date: Nov-27-2013
Four cardiovascular professional societies have released an overview of transcatheter therapies for mitral regurgitation. Intended to "help frame subsequent discussions" among the field's various stakeholders, the document highlights critical issues that should be considered as the technologies are integrated into clinical practice.