Health | Page 24 of 1374 | SpiritIndia.com

HIV :: HIV-TB spreads in Africa, undermines control of world’s 2 deadliest infectious diseases

The largely unnoticed collision of the global epidemics of HIV and tuberculosis (TB) has exploded to create a deadly co-epidemic that is rapidly spreading in sub-Saharan Africa. However, health systems cannot adequately diagnose, treat, or contain the co-epidemic due to unanswered scientific and medical questions, according to a report issued today by The Forum for Collaborative HIV Research and amplified by experts from leading global health organizations.

Health Care :: Survey finds one-third of US adults call for completely rebuilding the health care system

At a time when the U.S. spends more than double what other countries spend for medical care—$6,697 per capita in 2005—a new Commonwealth Fund seven-nation survey finds that U.S. patients are more likely to report experiencing medical errors, to go without care because of costs, and to say that the health care system needs to be rebuilt completely.

Diabetes :: Stanford researchers shed light on gestational diabetes

A protein in the pancreas is giving researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine their first chance at cracking the code that determines how diabetes develops during pregnancy, a finding that could lead to new treatments for all forms of diabetes.

Liver Cancer :: Radio waves fire up nanotubes embedded in tumors, destroying liver cancer

Cancer cells treated with carbon nanotubes can be destroyed by non-invasive radio waves that heat up the nanotubes while sparing untreated tissue, a research team led by scientists at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center and Rice University has shown in preclinical experiments.

Prostate Cancer :: Radiation seed implant decreases risk of death over watchful waiting

Prostate cancer patients cut their risk of dying of the disease in half when they receive radiation seed implants (brachytherapy) to treat their cancer, compared to those who don’t receive active treatment (watchful waiting/active surveillance), within six months from being diagnosed with localized prostate cancer, according to a study presented October 31, 2007, at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology’s 49th Annual Meeting in Los Angeles.

Folic Acid :: Scientists question folic acid fortification

Scientists at the Institute of Food Research have highlighted possible consequences of fortifying flour with folic acid due to new evidence of how it is absorbed by the body.

Pregnancy :: Caesarean births pose higher risks for mother and baby

Women having a non-emergency caesarean birth have double the risk of illness or even death compared to a vaginal birth, according to a study from Latin America published today on bmj.com.

Prostate Cancer :: Radiation after surgery keeps high-risk prostate cancer at bay

An analysis of data involving more than 2,000 patients from 17 U.S. institutions demonstrates that men with high-risk prostate cancer who receive radiation therapy after a prostatectomy were less likely to have a recurrence of disease. What’s more, men whose cancer persists after surgery were less likely to see the cancer spread if they receive radiation (salvage therapy). These are the conclusions of a study presented today at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology’s 49th Annual Meeting in Los Angeles.

Healthcare :: Multimedia book helps improve patient care

A new and innovative book for pediatricians is taking a different approach in helping to increase knowledge and understanding in the field of sports medicine. The book applies written information on sports medicine along with video case-based teaching to fully demonstrate the proper ways of diagnosing and treating sports related injuries in young athletes.

Skin :: Stressed-out skin loses its antimicrobial defense mechanism

It is well known that being stressed increases our susceptibility to infections by impairing the function of our immune system, but the molecular links between stress and diminished immune function have not been determined. However, Peter Elias and colleagues at UCSF, have now characterized a mechanistic link in mice between psychological stress and increased susceptibility to skin infections.