Ulcer News and Research

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Twenty-five million Americans suffer from ulcers. An ulcer is a sore or hole in the lining of the stomach or duodenum (the first part of the small intestine). People of any age can get an ulcer and women are affected just as often as men.

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a bacterium that lives on the lining of the stomach. Although we used to think that spicy food, acid, and stress were the major causes of ulcers, we now know that nine out of ten ulcers are caused by H. pylori. Medicines that reduce stomach acid may make you feel better, but your ulcer may come back. Here's the good news: Since most ulcers are caused by this bacterial infection, they can be cured with the right antibiotics.

Discovery on manipulating skin tone and color

In the timeless quest for healthier, younger looking skin, scientists from the University of Cincinnati and Tokyo Medical University have made an important discovery toward manipulating skin tone and color.

24 Aug 2007

Insulin pens may offer diabetics substantial savings

Diabetics who need to switch from oral medications to insulin could reduce their annual healthcare costs up to $17,000 by using an insulin pen instead of a syringe to deliver their daily dose of medication.

22 Aug 2007

Cranberries, chemo and ovarian cancer

Compounds in cranberries may help improve the effectiveness of platinum drugs that are used in chemotherapy to fight ovarian cancer, researchers have found in a laboratory study that will be reported at the 234 th national meeting of the American Chemical Society.

22 Aug 2007

New model to predict the spread of a 'super-bug' in L.A. county jail

Researchers at UCLA have developed a mathematical model that mimics a particularly nasty and ongoing outbreak in the Los Angeles County Jail (LACJ) of the flesh eating bacteria Staphylococcus Aureus.

17 Aug 2007

Have you ever experienced pain in your abdomen?

Of course, all of us have experienced a “belly ache” sometime in our lives, but how can you decide when abdominal pain is serious? While most stomach pain isn't serious, persistent or severe pain should not be ignored.

16 Aug 2007

FDA taking no chances when it comes to drug safety

These days the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is taking no chances when it comes to the safety of new drugs.

13 Aug 2007

Steep rises in cancers linked to excessive sun exposure, alcohol, smoking and obesity

Rates of melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer, have risen by over 40 per cent in the past decade, making it the fastest rising cancer in the UK. Incidence of mouth, womb, and kidney cancers has also shown rapid increases in the last 10 years.

8 Aug 2007

Cognitive impairment link found in popular acid blockers

Long-term use of histamine2 receptor antagonists (H2A), one class of drugs that blocks stomach acid, may be associated with cognitive impairment in older African-American adults.

3 Aug 2007

VAC therapy for wound healing questioned

The effectiveness and value of an increasingly popular treatment used in the treatment of long term wounds are questioned in this month's Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin (DTB)

1 Aug 2007

Coated aspirin doesn't guarantee problem-free use

Some people take aspirin without ever having a problem with their stomach. Others develop low-grade stomach pain or get an ulcer.

31 Jul 2007

Long-term herpes treatment may reduce HIV infectivity

Long-term anti-herpes treatment of women infected with both HIV and HSV2, the virus that causes genital herpes, may reduce the proportion of women with detectable HIV virus in their genital secretions according to the results of a trial in Tanzania presented the International AIDS Society Conference in Sydney.

26 Jul 2007

The future of Alzheimer's disease research

Imagine the day when a routine visit to the family doctor includes a simple blood test to predict the risk for developing Alzheimer's disease (AD).

26 Jul 2007

Flesh-eating bacteria on Texas beach leaves man fighting for his life

Steve Gilpatrick went swimming while on holiday in early July at Crystal Beach, when the ulcer had apparently almost healed; his leg became infected three days later and he developed a high fever and was taken to hospital.

21 Jul 2007

Giving patients question checklists helps patients ask right questions

Asking more questions during a visit to the doctor might help patients get care that is more satisfactory, but many patients are not sure where to start.

20 Jul 2007

Preventive techniques greatly reduce pressure ulcers

Working together to reduce the occurrence of pressure ulcers in patients throughout various care settings, members of the New Jersey Hospital Association's Pressure Ulcer Collaborative have reported a 70 percent reduction in the incidence of new pressure ulcers after nearly two years of applying shared best practices and preventive techniques.

18 Jul 2007

Why NSAIDs damage the tissue that lines the gastrointestinal tract

New versions of drugs like buffered aspirin and Vioxx could produce fewer harmful side effects thanks to research being done at Kansas State University's College of Veterinary Medicine.

23 Jun 2007

Hospitals that have better working conditions for nurses are safer for elderly intensive care unit patients

Hospital associated infections are the number six cause of death in the United States (CDC March 2007). Nurses, as the largest workforce in the nation's hospitals, are in a unique position to positively impact the safety of ICUs if systematic improvements to their working conditions can be made.

28 May 2007

Diets high in salt may increase stomach ulcers

Scientists from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) have discovered that diets high in salt may increase the virulence of the pathogen Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), which is the most common cause of ulcers in the stomach and duodenum.

24 May 2007

High salt intake increases gene activity in the ulcer-causing bacterium Helicobacter pylori

Scientists have identified yet another risk from a high-salt diet. High concentrations of salt in the stomach appear to induce gene activity in the ulcer-causing bacterium Helicobacter pylori, making it more virulent and increasing the likelihood of an infected person developing a severe gastric disease.

24 May 2007

Vitamin A Retinol lotion helps reduce wrinkles associated with aging

Applying vitamin A to the skin appears to improve the wrinkles associated with natural aging and may help to promote the production of skin-building compounds, according to a report in the May issue of Archives of Dermatology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

23 May 2007