Health News articles from October 2006

Health News archives from October 2006

Vaccine for Alzheimer's disease?(treating with anti alzheimer agents)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Alzheimer's disease results from damage to nerve cells in the brain from the buildup of plaque from a protein called beta amyloid. John C. Morris, MD, director of the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center of Washington University in St. Louis is...

Abatacept helps people with severe RA.(reactions on patient with rheumatoid arthritis )(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Abatacept (Orencia) can reduce disease activity and slow x-ray progression of the disease in those who have severe rheumatoid arthritis and do not respond to methotrexate, according to a recent study in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Given...

Pain relief with acupuncture.(pain management techniques)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... People who suffer from fibromyalgia may be helped by acupuncture, according to researchers at the Mayo Clinic, who studied 50 patients with the chronic condition. They found that those treated with acupuncture reported relief from symptoms such...

Aggressive statin therapy may save your life.(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Statins, known primarily for their cholesterol-lowering properties, also reduce inflammation in the arteries. This may be why patients admitted to the hospital with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) have a better chance of long-term survival if...

Link between diabetes and Alzheimer's disease reinforced: beta amyloid seen as the culprit-in-common; could lead to better understanding of AD and possible intervention.(MIND & MEMORY)(Alzheimer's disease )
October 1, 2006... The link between Alzheimer's disease and diabetes has long been suspected, but the findings of several new studies presented at the 10th International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders in Madrid, Spain, this past summer...

Defeat dementia with diet and exercise.(MIND & MEMORY NEWSBRIEFS)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... If you take care of yourself by eating a healthy diet and being physically active when you are in your middle years, you might fend off Alzheimer's disease and other related disorders. Two studies presented at the 10th International Conference...

Video game screens for dementia.(MIND & MEMORY NEWSBRIEFS)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Early detection of cognitive decline would permit effective clinical intervention at a time when it is most crucial. For this job, researchers have targeted computer games used by elders. Holly Jimison, PhD, associate professor in medical...

Early signs of AD and dementia.(MIND & MEMORY NEWSBRIEFS)(symptoms of Alzheimer's disease )
October 1, 2006... Subtle cognitive changes might not be the best clue when seeking signs of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other forms of dementia. The first signs of these disorders in the elderly might be lower levels of physical function, suggests a new study...

Lose weight and reduce your cancer risk: for both men and women, losing weight decreases cancer risk and improves outcome.(CANCER)
October 1, 2006... If you are obese, you are at greater risk of developing a range of chronic conditions, including post-menopausal breast cancer. While research has documented the benefits of weight loss to reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes, the...

Ovary removal reduces cancer risk for BRCA1/2 carriers.(CANCER NEWSBRIEFS)(cancer preventions)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Because women with the BRCA1 or 2 mutations are at high (15 to 54 percent) lifetime risk of developing ovarian cancer, they are frequently advised to have a preventive bilateral oophorectomy (removal of the fallopian tubes and ovaries) by age...

UVB rays may decrease some cancer risk.(CANCER NEWSBRIEFS)(risks of ultraviolet rays)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Not all sun rays are bad, although prolonged sun bathing during the hottest times of the day is indisputably linked to skin cancer and premature skin aging. But, controlled daily exposure of 20 to 30 minutes increases the body's vitamin D...

Women smokers more at risk for lung cancer, but less likely to die.(cancer news)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Women are more susceptible to tobacco carcinogens than men, although their lung disease is less likely to be fatal reports a recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Lung cancer is now the major cause of cancer deaths...

Save your life with better melanoma self-examination.(CANCER NEWSBRIEFS)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Examining moles on your body monthly is the best way to catch melanoma early and save your life. Found early, there's a 95 percent survival rate, which plummets to just 16 percent once the melanoma metastasizes. A recent article in the Journal...

Exercise-induced stress not heart-threatening: moderate-intensity exercise has many health benefits, including gains in heart function.(NUTRITION & FITNESS)
October 1, 2006... If you are an older adult with mildly high blood pressure there is no need to be concerned about the strain exercise places on your heart, according to a Johns Hopkins study published in a recent issue of the journal Heart. Research on 104 men...

Fish oil and exercise could lead to weight loss.(NUTRITION & FITNESS NEWSBRIEFS)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Consuming omega-3 fatty acids contained in fish oil combined with a moderate exercise program might suffice to lose weight without other dietary changes, say researchers at the University of South Australia. Participants included 68 overweight...

Curry & onion chemicals may prevent colon cancer.(NUTRITION & FITNESS NEWSBRIEFS)(nutritions)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... A small clinical trial (five patients) conducted at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, showed that a pill combining chemicals found in curries and onions reduced both the size and number of precancerous lesions in the...

Obesity inhibits medical diagnosis.(NUTRITION & FITNESS NEWSBRIEFS)(increased chances of misdiagnosis in obese people)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... People who are obese hinder their chances of getting accurate medical diagnoses, according to a study conducted at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA and published recently in the journal Radiology. Despite advances in technology, the...

Gout: finally, diagnosis and treatment guidelines: a European task force offers the first recommendations on dealing with this painful arthritic condition.(BONES & JOINTS)
October 1, 2006... Typically considered a disease of affluent and rotund middle-aged men such as King Henry VIII, gout causes sudden, severe attacks of pain, redness, warmth, and swelling in some joints. It usually affects one joint at a time often starting in...

Needling away knee pain.(BONES & JOINTS NEWSBRIEFS)(acupuncture therapy)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Traditional Chinese acupuncture may be the way to go when it comes to treating the pain of knee osteoarthritis (OA), according to a study in a recent issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine. In the study, German researchers randomly assigned...

Low estrogen increases hip fracture risk in men.(BONES & JOINTS NEWSBRIEFS)(roles of hormones)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Men with low levels of the hormone estrogen may be more likely to sustain a hip fracture, according to a study in The American Journal of Medicine. What's more, men with both low estrogen and low testosterone levels have the greatest risk for...

Spinal cement no cure-all for back pain.(BONES & JOINTS NEWSBRIEFS)(treating back pain)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... A procedure that fills in fractured vertebrae with injected cement does not improve back pain or quality of life, according to a new review of studies published by ECRI, a nonprofit health services research agency. During the procedure, known...

Heart-healthy "diet" becomes heart-healthy "lifestyle": a host of factors contribute to good health, not just heart-healthy foods. Bottom line: it's up to you.(CARDIOVASCULAR MEDICINE)(reducing risk of cardiovascular diseases)
October 1, 2006... Among their new recommendations for how to reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease published in a recent issue of Circulation, the American Heart Association included some surprises. One of the most salient additions is its focus...

Better stent for leg artery blockages.(CARDIOVASCULAR NEWSBRIEFS)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Patients with coronary artery disease often have atherosclerosis in their femoral (leg) arteries, as well. Simple balloon angioplasty is the preferred treatment for these patients, since neither bare-metal nor drug-coated stents have proven to...

Defibrillators decrease/increase risk of death.(CARDIOVASCULAR NEWSBRIEFS)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... In what appears to be a trade-off, implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) reduce the risk of sudden death from arrhythmia, but increase the risk of death from heart failure. Many patients who receive ICDs are in the early stages of...

New treatments ahead for migraine headaches: prevent the ache and ease the throb: here's what you need to know.(INTERNAL MEDICINE)
October 1, 2006... Characterized by throbbing pain, usually on one side of the head, nausea, and sensitivity to light and sound, migraine headaches can knock you out of commission for anywhere from four to 72 hours. About one third of migraine sufferers also...

Questions & answers.
October 1, 2006... Q I am 76 and in good physical health, but lately I've been suffering from frequent memory lapses. Recently, I read that a vitamin [B.sup.12] deficiency can cause memory problems. Would [B.sup.12] supplements help improve my memory? A An...