Health News articles from March 2007

Health News archives from March 2007

Mental training in the golden years: boot camp for your brain: exercising your mind has long-term benefits.
March 1, 2007... Mental training conducted late in life can keep older minds functioning better and longer, according to a study conducted at the University of Florida and eight other institutions. The results were published in a recent issue of the Journal of...

From the editor-in-chief ...
March 1, 2007... Dear Reader: A recent study reports that a new class of stem cells has been discovered in amniotic fluid, the fluid that surrounds the fetus before birth in the mother's uterus. These cells, upon initial examination, appear to have...

Safety of drug-eluting stents (DES) under attack.(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Drug-coated stents (DES) may be better than bare-metal stents (BMS) at preventing arteries from reclogging (see page 3), but studies now suggest DES may increase the risk of a potentially fatal blood clot. Physicians are unsure if the slight...

Post-surgery infection prevention.(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Brazilian researchers recently found that giving patients a single dose of the antibiotic cephazolin when anesthesia is induced before surgery is as effective at preventing post-surgical site infections as the standard 24-hour regimen of...

In-stent restenosis: 3 novel solutions show promise for heart patients: stopping regrowth of plaque inside stents is a priority in reducing the need for repeat revascularizations.(CARDIOVASCULAR MEDICINE)
March 1, 2007... If your coronary artery disease is limited to one or two distinct lesions, you may be a candidate for balloon angioplasty with stenting. This procedure, which is far less traumatic than coronary bypass surgery, has soared in popularity thanks...

Vitamins fail to prevent heart disease.(CARDIOVASCULAR MEDICINE NEWSBRIEFS)(Brief article)(Clinical report)
March 1, 2007... A meta-analysis of randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials showed that vitamin-mineral supplements fail to protect patients from heart attack or heart-related death. The paper, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,...

How fast you walk may predict how long you live.(CARDIOVASCULAR MEDICINE NEWSBRIEFS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Frailty is a general state of diminished reserves noted in many older adults to varying degrees. Geriatricians and cardiologists at Duke University Medical Center wondered if a measure of frailty would be useful in predicting mortality in...

Heart risks of RA drugs compared: biologics confer same risk as old-fashioned methotrexate; cytotoxic drugs increase cardiac risk.(BONES & JOINTS)(rheumatoid arthritis)(Clinical report)
March 1, 2007... The new biologic drugs including Enbrel (etanercept), Humira (adalimumab), Remicade (infliximab) and Kineret (anakinra) are no better or worse for the heart than methotrexate (MTX) among people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). SYSTEMIC...

Yes, fibromyalgia is real.(BONES & JOINTS NEWSBRIEFS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... There now is "overwhelming" scientific evidence that fibromyalgia (FM) is "real," according to a recent report in the journal Current Pain and Headache Reports. For many years, people with fibromyalgia have been told the illness is "all in...

Reduced knee function after meniscus surgery.(BONES & JOINTS NEWSBRIEFS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Knee function and muscle strength are actually lower among people who undergo a common operation to remove all or part of the meniscus in the knee, according to a new study in Arthritis Care & Research. The study shows that muscle strength and...

Does RA discriminate?(BONES & JOINTS NEWSBRIEFS)(rheumatoid arthritis)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Women with the autoimmune disorder rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have significantly less chance of achieving achieving remission than men, even though both sexes were equally sick initially, according to recent findings in the Annals of the...

New breast cancer treatment options: old treatments--tamoxifen, radiation, HRT--repurposed into new combinations that extend survival.(CANCER)
March 1, 2007... One of the most important recent cancer treatment findings has resulted from a follow-up to the International Breast Cancer Intervention Study (IBIS-1), the global breast cancer prevention study. TAMOXIFEN BENEFITS. When initial results...

Prostate surgery OK for elders.(CANCER NEWSBRIEFS)(Brief article)(Clinical report)
March 1, 2007... A recent study of 13,154 patients receiving radical prostatectomy (RP), including 19 octogenarians, has demonstrated that select patients of advanced age can also benefit. Their 10-year survival rate was similar to that of younger men aged 60...

Weight affects post-colon surgery recovery.(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... A recent study examined the outcomes after surgery for colon cancer and chemotherapy in 4,288 patients from two randomized trials. Researchers discovered that very obese patients with a BMI greater than 35 were at higher risk of a recurrence or...

Strength training may slow knee arthritis: lower body exercises can reduce the rate of space narrowing in the knee joint.(NUTRITION & FITNESS)
March 1, 2007... Weakness in the quadriceps muscles (front side of the upper legs) is one of the many risk factors for knee osteoarthritis (OA). Narrowing of the spaces between bones in the knee joint is a sign that the arthritic condition actually exists....

Step speed and step length training versus Tai Chi.(NUTRITION & FITNESS NEWSBRIEFS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... A study conducted at the university of Michigan and published in a recent issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found that a training program to increase the length and speed of steps is more valuable than tai chi at improving...

Yogurt could help manage diabetes.(NUTRITION & FITNESS NEWSBRIEFS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Yogurt enriched with fruit or made from soy could play an important dietary role for people with type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure, according to a recent study published in the Journal of Food Biochemistry. Scientists at the University of...

Physical activity may reduce risk of breast cancer.(NUTRITION & FITNESS NEWSBRIEFS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Women who exercise more often and with greater intensity than those who do not may have a reduced risk of breast cancer after menopause. The authors of the study, reporting in a recent issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, speculate that...

Coping with allergy season: improved allergy vaccine is coming; meanwhile, other treatments may help.(INTERNAL MEDICINE)
March 1, 2007... Allergy season, dreaded by about 35 million Americans, is fast approaching, with its concomitant sneezing; sniffling; red, itchy, watery eyes; coughing; and postnasal drip. The prime source of seasonal allergens--the ones that cause...

Folate-Alzheimer's link.(MIND & MEMORY NEWSBRIEFS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Increased consumption of folate through diet and supplements may reduce risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. Researchers at Columbia university Medical Center examined, interviewed, and assessed the diets of 965 individuals with an average...

High uric acid * associated with mental decline.(MIND & MEMORY NEWSBRIEFS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Elevated levels of uric acid may be an indicator of mild cognitive impairment among older adults, say researchers at Yale and Johns Hopkins universities. The team studied 96 adults between the ages of 60 and 92 and discovered that those with...

Q & A.
March 1, 2007... Q I have end-stage osteoarthritis in my right knee and am facing the prospects of a total knee replacement. I'm not anxious to undergo surgery. How long can I postpone the operation without compromising its success? A Total knee...