Health | Page 1097 of 1374 | SpiritIndia.com

Child Care :: Needs of families with disabled children remain largely unmet

The social and economic needs of families with a disabled child are high, but remain largely unmet, argue researchers in this week’s BMJ.More disabled children and young people live in the UK than ever before (about 770,000 according to criteria defined in the Disability Discrimination Act) and the number of children with the most severe or complex needs is also increasing, write social policy experts from the University of York.

Health :: Doctors working overseas face having licenses removed

UK doctors working for charities overseas are being removed from the lists of approved practitioners in the UK because they are unable to attend face to face appraisal, warns a GP in this week’s BMJ.This means that they cannot work as soon as they return to the UK.

Hypertension :: Strong link between uric acid and hypertension in blacks

New research shows that higher levels of uric acid are strongly associated with high blood pressure in blacks, suggesting that a simple blood test could predict risk and that treatments to lower uric acid may be a novel way to reduce hypertension-related complications in this population.

Liver Transplant :: Predicting survival after liver transplant

A new model based on specific characteristics of the donor and the recipient may help predict survival after liver transplantation, according to a new study. Published in the November 2006 issue of Liver Transplantation, the official journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) and the International Liver Transplantation Society (ILTS), the author writes, “This model could be used to inform liver transplant candidates and their doctors what post-transplant survival would be expected when a given donor is offered and may be particularly helpful in marginal or high risk donors.”

Colorectal Cancer :: Low folate diets found to increase risk of colorectal cancer

A new study by scientists at the MUHC has revealed that a diet low in folate may increase the risk of developing colorectal cancer. Published in the scientific journal Cancer Research today, the study not only illustrates a way to prevent the disease but also provides further insight into the mechanisms of the disease, which could lead to novel therapies. Using animal models, the MUHC study is the first to demonstrate directly that diets low in folate cause colorectal cancer, and follows on the heels of earlier research by the same team that revealed how high folate diets can protect against heart disease.

Menopause :: Pituitary hormone in menopause under study

An interdisciplinary research team led by Dr. Joe Cannon (third from right) will examine the effects of follicle stimulating hormone on white blood cells. Future studies may lead to alternatives… Click here for more information. Regulating a hormone abundant in women approaching menopause could offer alternatives for hormone replacement therapy, Medical College of Georgia researchers say.

Health :: Dopamine used to prompt nerve tissue to regrow

Georgia Tech/Emory researchers have integrated dopamine, a type of neurotransmitter, into a polymer to stimulate nerve tissues to send out new connections. The discovery, published in PNAS, is the first step toward the eventual goal of implanting the polymer into patients suffering from neurological disorders to help repair damaged nerves.

Health :: Chemists make tiny molecular rings with big potential

Ohio State University chemists have devised a new way to create tiny molecular rings that could one day function as drug delivery devices or antibiotics. The rings are made from polymers — large molecules that are made up of many smaller molecules — and the chemical reaction that creates them is similar to others that create polymer chains. But this new reaction solely makes rings, ones tailored to perform specific functions.

Health :: Computer with brain connections changing quality of life of paralyzed

Fundamental theories regarding consciousness, emotion and quality of life in sufferers of paralysis from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, also known as “Lou Gerhig’s disease”) are being challenged based on new research on brain-computer interaction. ALS is a progressive disease that destroys neurons affecting movement. The study appears in the latest issue of Psychophysiology. The article reviews the usefulness of currently available brain-computer-interfaces (BCI), which use brain activity to communicate through external devices, such as computers.

Stroke :: Doctors launch new effort to treat stroke more effectively

Just a small fraction of patients who have a stroke receive the only drug — TPA — available to treat the condition. Now doctors and scientists at the University of Rochester Medical Center have developed a potential new treatment that will reach a milestone in the next few months, when the experimental treatment is tested for the first time in people who have suffered a stroke or “brain attack.”