Health News articles from December 2006

Health News archives from December 2006

Move it or lose it: it's never too late to start: exercise prescriptions could be tailored to the individual.(INTERNAL MEDICINE)
December 1, 2006... The numbers are sobering: Sixty-three percent of U.S. adults were overweight or obese in 2005 compared to 58 percent in 2001. A recent survey of 981 people conducted for Indiana University found that the heavier a person is, the more at risk he...

Cancer drug effective in RA.(Imatinib mesylate, rheumatoid arthritis)(Brief article)(Clinical report)
December 1, 2006... Gleevec (imatinib), a new targeted pill used to treat leukemia and certain types of stomach cancer, may also be effective against autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), according to new research in the Journal of Clinical...

TNF/cancer risk challenged.(tumor necrosis factor)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... New research should ease the fears of people taking tumor necrosis factor (TNF)--alpha blockers to treat their rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Some studies have linked these medications to an increased incidence of certain cancers, but new research...

Bypass surgery after age 80 beneficial.(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... If you're over 80 and need treatment for coronary artery disease, bypass surgery may be the best choice for a longer, more productive life. Canadian researchers periodically interviewed more than 21,500 Canadian patients who had undergone...

A vaccine for Alzheimer's disease?(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Researchers are developing a vaccine for the brain disorder Alzheimer's disease, it was announced at the 10th International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders held in Madrid last summer. Research is ongoing, particularly in...

Is your osteoporosis medication killing your jaw? Research links bisphosphonates to rare, but serious, jaw osteonecrosis; prevention seen as best "cure.".(BONES & JOINTS)
December 1, 2006... The drugs you are taking to prevent or treat your osteoporosis may be linked to an uncommon jaw disease called osteonecrosis. The reports first surfaced in 2003 when oral surgeons noticed that people taking these drugs--called...

New biomarkers for spondyloarthritis.(BONES & JOINTS NEWSBRIEFS)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Changes in synovial tissue may be good biomarkers of treatment effectiveness for spondyloarthritis (SpA). New research shows that specific changes in the cells of the tissue from the thin membrane lining the joint space (synovial tissue)...

Obesity-related frailty is preventable.(BONES & JOINTS NEWSBRIEFS)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... It's known that obesity aggravates age-related decline in physical function and can cause frailty, but little has been known about whether weight loss and exercise could improve frailty. New findings indicate that diet and exercise training can...

Exercise, massage beat steroids for tennis elbow.(BONES & JOINTS NEWSBRIEFS)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... New findings show that physiotherapy with exercise and massage may be better than steroid injections to relieve tennis elbow, according to a recent article in the British Medical Journal. Australian researchers report that 78 percent of...

Heart failure--BMI link: do obese patients with HF live longer? The finding that heavier is better is subject to debate. Eight recent studies differ in methodology and results.(CARDIOVASCULAR MEDICINE)(body mass index, heart failure)(Clinical report)
December 1, 2006... Obesity is an accepted risk factor for the development of heart failure (HF). So it is logical to conclude that heavier patients who have HF should fare less well than thinner patients with HF. But eight recent studies found that obese patients...

Eating cured meats can damage your lungs.(CARDIOVASCULAR NEWSBRIEF)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Deli lovers take note: Bacon, salami and other deli meats can affect your lung function. In a presentation at the European Respiratory Society this fall, researchers from Columbia University explained that cured meats contain nitrites, and...

Bacteria suspected of causing heart disease.(CARDIOVASCULAR NEWSBRIEF)(Helicobacter pylori)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Helicobacter pylori, a pervasive bacteria responsible for peptic ulcers and gastric cancer, may increase the risk of heart disease. In a recent article in American Heart Journal, Italian researchers looked at 17 studies of H pylori and heart or...

Breakthrough test for lung cancer therapy: new test can predict whether patient will benefit from post-surgery chemotherapy.(CANCER)
December 1, 2006... Scientists at Duke University have developed a breakthrough test which would help determine treatment decisions for early stage non-small-cell-lung cancer (NSCLC) using tumor genetics and molecular structure, rather than the current method of...

Chemo or radiation for high-risk endometrial cancers?(CANCER NEWSBRIEF)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Although patients with high-risk endometrial cancers routinely receive additional therapy after surgery to remove their tumor, whether chemotherapy or radiation is more effective in preventing progression of their disease has not been clear. To...

Computer-aided detection should be used for all mammograms.(CANCER NEWSBRIEF)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Using computer-aided detection (CAD) software to pinpoint suspicious findings on mammograms detects significantly more cancers in routine screening and diagnostic mammograms than those evaluated only by a radiologist's eye, according to a...

Tai Chi may help breast cancer patients.(CANCER NEWSBRIEF)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Getting back to normal in terms of flexibility, muscular strength and aerobic capacity (all measures of functional capacity) after breast cancer treatment can seem daunting. New research reported in a recent issue of the Journal of Supportive...

HRT revisited.(CANCER NEWSBRIEF)(hormone replacement therapy)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Menopausal symptoms like lowered libido and moodiness appear tied to decreasing levels of the hormone testosterone, which occurs naturally with age. But what happens to breast cancer risk when symptoms are treated with estrogen/ testosterone?...

Noninvasive test may detect presence of dementia: new application for BIS, brain monitoring technology.(MIND & MEMORY)(bispectral index technology)
December 1, 2006... A machine that can interpret electrical brain activity via a sensor placed on the patient's forehead, a monitoring technique known as BIS (bispectral index technology), commonly used to measure patient reaction to anesthesia during surgery, has...

Apples against aging.(MIND & MEMORY NEWSBRIEFS)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Does "An apple a day keeps the doctor away?" Apparently so, and more than ever for senior citizens, according to a study published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. Apple juice, popularly considered a child's drink, has been shown to...

Effects of meditation on cognitive function.(MIND & MEMORY NEWSBRIEFS)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... A study is underway at the Center for Spirituality and the Mind at the University of Pennsylvania to examine the effectiveness of mediation on early cognitive decline. The study hopes to examine how spirituality affects the human brain....

Q & A.
December 1, 2006... Q I've read that injections of hyaluronic acid can relieve pain and postpone knee replacement surgery in people with osteoarthritis. Would taking hyaluronic acid in pill form provide the same pain relief? A Hyaluronic acid is actually...

Coming up.
December 1, 2006... Nutrition & Fitness--Eating fish--Benefits outweight the risks Cancer--Vitamin D supplements cut pancreatic cancer risk in half Bones & Joints--Potassium supplements may fight osteoporosis Internal Medicine--Peripheral vascular...