Investigators are presenting more than 380 abstracts on preliminary findings in the diagnosis and treatment of allergic diseases at the ACAAI Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, Nov. 9-15. Following are highlights of some key investigations on allergic rhinitis and ocular allergies.
Almost everyone suffers from occasional heartburn, even kids. However, if symptoms are persistent and occur two or more days a week, it could signify a condition known as acid reflux disease, commonly known as GERD, which affects roughly two to eight percent of children in the United States. A recent online survey conducted by StrategyOne found that GERD can have a significant impact on kids? lifestyles, and nearly four in ten (38%) parents wished they had more resources about GERD in children.
AstraZeneca announced a new program that provides significant savings to Medicare Part D beneficiaries who may have difficulty affording their medicines. Beginning Nov. 15, people who qualify and enroll will be able to go to their participating local pharmacy and immediately receive savings on AstraZeneca products, including NEXIUM? (esomeprazole), CRESTOR? (rosuvastatin), SEROQUEL? (quetiapine fumarate), TOPROL XL? (metoprolol succinate) and ARIMIDEX? (anastrozole). This is a unique offering in comparison to other patient assistance programs because it gives people convenient savings on their medicines at the pharmacy counter.
As the prevalence of allergic rhinitis appears to be rising, there are increasing concerns about its impact on health, sleep, work and school performance, as well as unmet patient needs regarding its treatment according to experts presenting new data at the Annual Meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI).
Investigators are presenting more than 380 abstracts on preliminary findings in the diagnosis and treatment of allergic diseases at the ACAAI Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, Nov. 9-15. Following are highlights of some key investigations on anaphylaxis, food allergy and insect allergy.
Investigators are presenting more than 380 abstracts on preliminary findings in the diagnosis and treatment of allergic diseases at the ACAAI Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, Nov. 9-15. Following are highlights of some key investigations on allergic asthma.
Remember those kids who wanted to study only what was on the test? They may have cheated themselves. New research reveals that the simple act of taking a test helps you remember everything you learned, even if it isn?t tested. In three experiments, psychologists at Washington University in St. Louis determined that testing enhanced long-term recall for material that was not tested initially. Untested students recalled significantly less of what they?d studied ? even after having extra time to go over the material.
Working with dogs and using the latest in imaging software and machinery, also known as a 64-slice CT scanner, Johns Hopkins heart specialists have developed a fast and accurate means of tracking blood that has been slowed down by narrowing of the coronary arteries. Researchers say it took them less than half the time of exercise stress tests and echocardiograms currently used to find early warning of vessels more likely to become blocked and cause heart attack.
The science of cancer prevention has advanced to the point where researchers now say they can detect ?cancer genes? in the breath of smokers, and can test the presence of two proteins in men they say will predict development of prostate cancer a decade in advance. All of these novel findings need much more examination, of course, but scientists at the American Association for Cancer Research?s Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research meeting, say these examples illustrate how it is becoming increasingly possible to use genes and their protein products to help predict and diagnose cancer, as well as choose therapy that offers the most potential for a good result. These researchers will also discuss a test that can pick out patients who have pancreatic cancer – an advance that offers hope the disease can be treated at earlier stages than it is now – and how several unique genes can predict which prostate cancer or lung cancer patients will develop aggressive tumors that need additional treatment. Cancer is a disease of genes, they say, so genes can be employed as a crystal ball to thwart the disease.
Scientists at Children?s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC have identified a protein that is critical to the development of inflammation during lung infection in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). The identification of this protein, called interleukin-23 (IL-23), is an important finding that gives researchers a specific target for developing new therapies.