Health News articles from December 2007

Health News archives from December 2007

New drug combo lowers blood pressure: all diabetics benefit: two drugs offer lifesaving benefits, even in diabetics with normal blood pressure.(CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Diabetes can wreak havoc on the cardiovascular system, causing heart attack, stroke, kidney failure and blindness. These complications can severely affect quality of life, and for many, are fatal. But giving...

Rub away your joint pain.(IN THE NEWS ...)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first-ever prescription skin gel to treat osteoarthritis (OA) pain in the knees and hands. Voltaren Gel contains diclofenac sodium, a nonsteroidal...

Moderate statin doses benefit older patients.(IN THE NEWS ...)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] For frail seniors, moderate doses of statins may be as effective as high doses in preventing major cardiovascular events following a heart attack. This is good news for older patients, who often experience...

Headache medication linked to arrhythmias.(IN THE NEWS ...)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Cluster headaches are a particularly severe form of headache that usually affects men. They are caused by dilated arteries pressing on the trigeminal nerve, creating excruciating pain near the eye or temple on one...

Caregivers' stress can reduce life expectancy.(IN THE NEWS ...)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Spouses and children who care for patients with Alzheimer's disease may shorten their own lives by four to eight years, according to a study published in the September 2007 issue of the Journal of Immunology....

Good patient-doctor communication is vital: the healing process can be viewed as a doctor-patient partnership, facilitated and enhanced by good interaction.(CANCER)
December 1, 2007... Receiving a diagnosis of cancer and making an informed decision about treatment options is a staggering task. How you interact with your doctor can greatly improve your confidence, satisfaction, treatment adherence, and even help avoid medical...

Diagnosing thyroid cancer in the office.(CANCER: NEWSBRIEFS)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A thyroid biopsy to diagnose thyroid cancer can now be done in a surgeon's office, eliminating a trip to the hospital, according to a new study presented at the annual American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck...

Two alcohol drinks may double endometrial cancer risk.(CANCER NEWSBRIEFS)
December 1, 2007... Researchers have found another link between alcohol and an increase in cancer risk: drinking two or more of any type of alcohol (wine, hard liquor or even beer) daily may double the risk of developing endometrial cancer, the most common cancer...

Diagnosing and treating H. Pylori: there is significant new information on this common intestinal infection's diagnosis and treatment.(INTERNAL MEDICINE)(Disease/Disorder overview)
December 1, 2007... One of the most common chronic human infections in the world, Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is estimated to infect 30 to 40 percent of Americans. In the U. S. the probability of infection is greater for persons older than 50 years,...

Vitamin D deficit linked to chronic pain.(INTERNAL MEDICINE NEWSBRIEFS)
December 1, 2007... One out of four people who suffer from chronic pain have insufficient blood levels of vitamin D, according to a study presented at the 2007 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists. W Michael Hooten, MD, medical director at...

Combat loneliness to slow the aging process: feeling isolated could accelerate aging, affecting inflammation and infection at the cellular level.(MIND & MEMORY)
December 1, 2007... Two scientists at the University of Chicago have found that loneliness--not solitude--appears to play an important role in the health problems that accompany aging. Loneliness is social isolation; solitude is simply being alone, which may be a...

Treating depression can improve overall health.(MIND & MEMORY NEWSBRIEFS)
December 1, 2007... Depression can be more disabling than four chronic conditions: asthma, arthritis, angina, and diabetes, according to a recent issue of The Lancet. Researchers used data collected by the World Health Organization to examine the health of more...

Cancer patients want fact-based support groups, not psychotherapy.(MIND & MEMORY NEWSBRIEFS)
December 1, 2007... Although cancer support groups have become increasingly available to improve patients' emotional, coping and physical functioning skills, only a small percentage of patients actually attend. That's because the format and the focus don't suit...

Mind-body techniques effective against chronic pain.(MIND & MEMORY NEWSBRIEFS)
December 1, 2007... Drug-free treatments such as relaxation, meditation, hypnosis, tai chi, and yoga are especially beneficial to older adults who suffer from chronic pain. A study in the September 12, 2007 issue of Pain Medicine examined the effectiveness of...

New annual osteoporosis drug reduces risk of death, future fractures: infused dose is more convenient for patients enhances overall quality of life.(BONES & JOINTS)
December 1, 2007... Reclast (zoledronic acid), a once-yearly osteoporosis drug administered via infusion, reduces risk of subsequent fractures and death from fracture complications in elderly people with broken hips, Duke researchers report. "These data show that...

Biologics slightly increase risk of skin cancer; TNF-blockers don't increase risk of other cancers.(BONES & JOINTS NEWSBRIEFS)
December 1, 2007... Use of biologic drugs known as tumor necrosis factor-alpha blockers including Enbrel (etanercept), Remicade (infliximab) and Humira (adalimumab) have revolutionized the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). But these drugs do have side...

Is knee pain an early sign of lung cancer? Maybe ...(BONES & JOINTS NEWSBRIEFS)
December 1, 2007... Mild-to-moderate knee pain maybe an early warning sign of lung cancer in heavy smokers, suggests a new study in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. The new study linked knee osteoarthritis (OA) to non-small cell lung cancer, a form of lung...

New genes linked to risk of RA, lupus.(BONES & JOINT NEWSBRIEFS)
December 1, 2007... Two newly identified genes may carry an increased risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA); one of them also increases a person's chances of developing lupus, according to two studies published in the New England journal of Medicine. In one...

Lung disease ups hospitalization risk during holidays.(CARDIOVASCULAR MEDICINE NEWSBRIEFS)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Much more than good cheer may be shared at holiday gatherings. For someone with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), kissing and shaking hands with others who have a cold or upper respiratory...

CAD--colorectal cancer link.(CARDIOVASCULAR MEDICINE NEWSBRIEFS)
December 1, 2007... Patients newly diagnosed with coronary artery disease (CAD) had twice the prevalence of colorectal tumors and precancerous-lesions than people without CAD, a study reported in the September 26 issue of the Journal of the American Medical...

Q & A.
December 1, 2007... Q Does the advice about lowering high blood pressure (e.g., eat a low-salt diet, control your weight) apply to people whose high blood pressure is already controlled by medication? A Lifestyle changes such as lowering your salt intake and...