Breast cancer survivors might one day avoid the prospect of invasive breast reconstruction surgery, opting instead for an approach that would involve using stem cells derived from their own fat, suggest University of Pittsburgh researchers who are studying the potential these cells may have for regenerating new breast tissue.
A consortium of American and Canadian researchers report in Science Express, a rapid online publication by the journal Science, the discovery of a new genetic link to Crohn’s disease. While most of the mutations in the gene, which codes for a receptor in a major inflammatory pathway, are strongly associated with Crohn?s, surprisingly, one type of mutation appears to confer significant protection. The finding, say the researchers, points to a crucial target for drugs that might better manage Crohn?s disease and ulcerative colitis.
Schering-Plough reported data from EPIC3, a large ongoing clinical study, showing that retreatment with PEG-INTRON(R) (peginterferon alfa-2b) and REBETOL(R) (ribavirin, USP) combination therapy can result in sustained virologic response(1) (SVR) in patients with chronic hepatitis C who failed previous treatment with any alpha interferon-based combination therapy, including peginterferon regimens. In this study, 56 percent of patients who had undetectable virus (HCV-RNA) after 12 weeks went on to achieve SVR with a 48-week course of therapy. Of the first 1,354 patients retreated, approximately 38 percent had undetectable virus at week 12. Importantly, patients who did not have undetectable virus at 12 weeks had little chance of achieving SVR. Overall, 23 percent of patients achieved SVR.
New data suggest that Strattera? (atomoxetine HCl) improved ADHD symptoms in children and adolescents who had both ADHD and a reading disorder, like dyslexia. Results were announced at a meeting of child and adolescent psychiatrists.
Parents should listen to their instincts and pick up their newborn babies when they cry, Queensland University of Technology researcher Professor Karen Thorpe said. A joint study with QUT and the Riverton Early Parenting Centre has found many parents of infants up to 12 weeks, were uncertain about how best to settle their crying baby and whether or not it was “right” to pick them up.
More than 28 percent schoolchildren in Delhi have been found to be overweight or obese with one-fourth of them at a risk of getting diabetes. Thirty schools in three cities – Delhi, Jaipur and Agra – are participating in a major intervention programme by the Diabetes Foundation of India to teach students healthy dietary and lifestyle practices to prevent diseases such as diabetes, obesity and heart disorders.
There may be as many as 70 million Americans with prehypertension. If these people can be treated pharmacologically to avoid or delay progression to clinical hypertension, there would be significant benefits to them and the overall health of the population. The recent TROPHY study seems to lead to that conclusion. However, two editorials published in the November issue of the American Journal of Hypertension emphatically argue that the study is flawed and the conclusions reached are misleading.
Pre-school care, combining basic education with health and nutrition programmes, remains the missing link for millions of children in developing countries, and early childhood programmes can make for strong foundations and pay high dividends.
In the wake of growing number of mumps cases in the US, the American medical authorities have updated their vaccination recommendations & asked for utilizing every opportunity to provide immunization to high-risk populations.
Strains of tuberculosis (TB) that are resistant to both first-line and second-line drugs could threaten the success of not only tuberculosis programs, but also HIV treatment programs worldwide, according to an article published online this week in The Lancet. The report details a study by a team of investigators from the United States and South Africa, who found that highly resistant strains of TB were more common than previously thought in a rural area of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, and were associated with high death rates in patients with HIV infection. TB accounts for approximately 1.7 million deaths worldwide, each year, and is the leading cause of death in HIV-infected patients in low-income countries.