September 2008
Monthly Archive
Seniors in Poor Areas More Likely to Die After Surgery
Posted by admin on 30 Sep 2008 | Tagged as: Uncategorized
Elderly Americans who live in low-income ZIP codes are more likely to die after surgery than those who live in higher-income ZIP codes, according to new research.
The study analyzed death rates among more than one million older adults who had one of six common high-risk heart or cancer surgeries between 1999 and 2003. Continue Reading »
Scams and Shams That Prey on Cancer Patients
Posted by admin on 29 Sep 2008 | Tagged as: Uncategorized
Cancer patients often turn to the Internet as a source of information and hope. But all too often, those hopes are betrayed by purveyors of so-called cancer “cures” that are anything but, experts say.Earlier this month, five companies were charged with making false and misleading claims for cancer cures, and settlements were reached with six other companies, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission announced. Products marketed by the companies included essiac teas and other herbal mixtures, laetrile, black salve (a corrosive ointment), and mushroom extracts. Continue Reading »
Researchers Report Stem Cell Advance
Posted by admin on 27 Sep 2008 | Tagged as: Uncategorized
Researchers report that they have sidestepped a major technical hurdle in the generation of pluripotent stem cells from adult cells.
A team of Boston scientists developed a way to generate induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) — which are functionally similar to embryonic stem cells, but which can be produced from adult cells, rather than via the creation or destruction of an embryo — more safely than ever. Continue Reading »
Scientists ID Compounds That Prevent Brain Nerve Damage
Posted by admin on 25 Sep 2008 | Tagged as: Uncategorized
Duke University Medical Center scientists say they have found compounds that prevented brain injury and greatly improved survival in fruit flies with a Huntington’s-like disease.
The compounds block the action of tissue transglutaminase (TGM2), an enzyme that may cause damage by forming strong bonds between proteins within cells. Continue Reading »
Statins Can Hinder Muscle Repair
Posted by admin on 25 Sep 2008 | Tagged as: Uncategorized
Statins, taken by millions to lower cholesterol, may hinder the body’s ability to repair muscles, University of Alabama researchers report.
The most frequently reported side effect of statin therapy is fatigue, with about 9 percent of patients reporting muscle pain. As doses of the medication are increased, and physical activity is added, these effects can be more pronounced. These side effects are found in all commonly used statins. Continue Reading »
Shorter-Course Radiation for Breast Cancer Safe, Effective
Posted by admin on 24 Sep 2008 | Tagged as: Uncategorized
A more intense but briefer course of radiation therapy is equally effective as the traditional longer course for certain breast cancer patients, Canadian researchers report.
The new findings reflect a longer term follow-up than those presented five years ago, noted Dr. Timothy Whelan, lead author and a radiation oncologist at the Juravinski Cancer Centre, McMaster University, in Hamilton, Ontario. Continue Reading »
To Sleep, Perchance to Smell?
Posted by admin on 23 Sep 2008 | Tagged as: Uncategorized
Can the smell of rotten eggs or roses change the type of dream you have? Quite possibly, new research suggests.
German researchers are reporting that when people smelled the scent of rotten eggs while sleeping, the nature of their dreams turned decidedly negative, while those who got a whiff of the scent of roses had more positive dreams. Continue Reading »
Vitamin D Receptor Gene Variant Tied to Melanoma
Posted by admin on 22 Sep 2008 | Tagged as: Uncategorized
A possible link between melanoma and a gene involved in vitamin D metabolism has been identified by Italian researchers.
They examined existing scientific literature on the association between melanoma (the most serious type of skin cancer) and common variants of the vitamin D receptor gene Bsml, and concluded that people with certain variants of the gene may be at increased risk for melanoma. Continue Reading »
Vitamin C Might Help Lower Hypertension
Posted by admin on 20 Sep 2008 | Tagged as: Uncategorized
Vitamin C may help lower high blood pressure by calming an overactive central nervous system, new Italian research suggests.
Using intravenously delivered vitamin C, “our study demonstrated for the first time in humans that we can reduce sympathetic nervous system overactivity, and consequently blood pressure, (by) targeting oxidative stress,” said study lead author Dr. Rosa Maria Bruno from the University of Pisa. Continue Reading »
Many Doctors Don’t Know Blood Pressure Guidelines
Posted by admin on 19 Sep 2008 | Tagged as: Uncategorized
Too many family doctors don’t start treatment of middle-aged men with high blood pressure when they should, a new study indicates.The men in the study happened to be black, but the same is probably true for men in general, said Dr. Joseph Ravenell, who was expected to report the findings Friday at the American Heart Association’s Council for High Blood Pressure Research annual meeting, in Atlanta. Continue Reading »