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Proteins linked to severe forms of ALS are less stable, suggests new study

A new study by scientists from The Scripps Research Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and other institutions suggests a cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

14 Oct 2014

New guideline makes recommendations about treating, managing distal muscular dystrophy

A new guideline from the American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic Medicine and the American Academy of Neurology recommends guidance on how doctors should evaluate the full picture—from symptoms, family history, and ethnicity, to a physical exam and certain lab test results—in order to determine what genetic tests may best diagnose a person's subtype of limb-girdle or distal muscular dystrophy.

14 Oct 2014

Anesthesia can be administered to patients who chewed gum before surgery

It is well known that patients should avoid eating and drinking before surgery to help prevent complications while under anesthesia.

13 Oct 2014

New surface coating for medical devices prevents blood from clotting

From joint replacements to cardiac implants and dialysis machines, medical devices enhance or save lives on a daily basis. However, any device implanted in the body or in contact with flowing blood faces two critical challenges that can threaten the life of the patient the device is meant to help: blood clotting and bacterial infection.

13 Oct 2014

Synthetic oil triheptanoin improves Rett syndrome, longevity

When young mice with the rodent equivalent of a rare autism spectrum disorder (ASD), called Rett syndrome, were fed a diet supplemented with the synthetic oil triheptanoin, they lived longer than mice on regular diets. Importantly, their physical and behavioral symptoms were also less severe after being on the diet, according to results of new research from The Johns Hopkins University.

10 Oct 2014

Isis Pharmaceuticals provides update on Phase 2 clinical studies of ISIS-SMN Rx in children with SMA

Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today provided an update on its ongoing open-label Phase 2 clinical studies of ISIS-SMN Rx in infants and children with spinal muscular atrophy at the 19th International World Muscle Society (WMS) Congress in Berlin, Germany.

10 Oct 2014

International Biophysics files patent protection for revolutionary AffloVest

International Biophysics Corporation of Austin, Texas announces its filing of U.S. patent protection for its revolutionary AffloVest. The company has also recently confirmed exclusive ownership rights concerning the manufacture, sale and distribution of the AffloVest in its markets.

9 Oct 2014

Minimally invasive valve-repair procedures offer hope for patients who have heart-valve problems

Annie Henderson, 69, suffers from multiple chronic ailments, including kidney failure and mitral valve insufficiency. The later turned her life into a battle for breath, eliminating almost all activities and even making sleep a struggle. She couldn't sleep for more than 20-minutes at a time without waking in a fit of coughing. Thanks to a leading-edge procedure performed at UT Southwestern Medical Center, Mrs. Henderson is now breathing - and sleeping - easy.

9 Oct 2014

Tongue fat, size linked to obstructive sleep apnea in obese adults

Obesity is a risk factor for many health problems, but a new Penn Medicine study published this month in the journal Sleep suggests having a larger tongue with increased levels of fat may be a sign of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in obese adults.

7 Oct 2014

CHLA reports first confirmed case of enterovirus D68 in Los Angeles

In September, Children's Hospital Los Angeles physicians predicted it was a matter of when, and not if, Los Angeles children would become infected with Enterovirus EV-D68, commonly referred to as enterovirus D68. On Oct. 1, that day came. CHLA and public health officials announced that a young patient who had been hospitalized at CHLA with a respiratory illness and later experienced partial limb paralysis had tested positive for enterovirus D68.

7 Oct 2014

Teva Canada recalls Biomedic Acetaminophen with Codeine owing to missing child-resistant packaging

Teva Canada Limited, in consultation with Health Canada, is recalling one lot (#669745) of Biomedic Acetaminophen with Codeine (30 caplets with 300 mg acetaminophen and 8 mg codeine) due to missing child-resistant packaging.

30 Sep 2014

Increasing prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea threatens public health and safety

Public health and safety are threatened by the increasing prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea, which now afflicts at least 25 million adults in the U.S., according to the National Healthy Sleep Awareness Project. Several new studies highlight the destructive nature of obstructive sleep apnea, a chronic disease that increases the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, stroke and depression.

29 Sep 2014

Study demonstrates longer-term benefits of Lung Flute for COPD patients

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) report improved symptoms and health status when they use a hand-held respiratory device called the Lung Flute-, according to a new study by the University at Buffalo. Usually caused by smoking, COPD, which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema, is the third leading cause of death in the U.S.

29 Sep 2014

Researchers examine how telephone-based coaching could help COPD patients

Coaching patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to manage stress, practice relaxation and participate in light exercise can boost a patient's quality of life and can even improve physical symptoms, researchers at Duke Medicine report.

26 Sep 2014

Northwestern scientists develop first animal model for ALS dementia

The first animal model for ALS dementia, a form of ALS that also damages the brain, has been developed by Northwestern Medicine- scientists. The advance will allow researchers to directly see the brains of living mice, under anesthesia, at the microscopic level. This will allow direct monitoring of test drugs to determine if they work.

25 Sep 2014

Screening and treating OSA patients prior to surgery reduce risk of cardiovascular complications

Scheduled for surgery? New research suggests that you may want to get screened and treated for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) before going under the knife. According to a first-of-its-kind study in the October issue of Anesthesiology, the official medical journal of the American Society of Anesthesiologists-, patients with OSA who are diagnosed and treated for the condition prior to surgery are less likely to develop serious cardiovascular complications such as cardiac arrest or shock.

24 Sep 2014

Caltech researcher explores link between variable heart rate, health and fitness

Although the heart beats out a very familiar "lub-dub" pattern that speeds up or slows down as our activity increases or decreases, the pattern itself isn't as regular as you might think. In fact, the amount of time between heartbeats can vary even at a "constant" heart rate-and that variability, doctors have found, is a good thing.

23 Sep 2014

Yale University researchers study potential new treatment to reverse effects of pulmonary fibrosis

Yale University researchers are studying a potential new treatment that reverses the effects of pulmonary fibrosis, a respiratory disease in which scars develop in the lungs and severely hamper breathing.

23 Sep 2014

New study sheds light on longstanding question about role of mitochondria in motor neuron diseases

A new study by researchers at the University of Utah School of Medicine sheds light on a longstanding question about the role of mitochondria in debilitating and fatal motor neuron diseases and resulted in a new mouse model to study such illnesses.

22 Sep 2014

Benefits and risks of hatha yoga for people with bipolar disorder

Right now no one can say whether yoga provides clinical benefits to people with bipolar disorder, but in a new article in the Journal of Psychiatric Practice, researchers report survey responses they gathered from scores of people with the condition who practice yoga. What the collective testimony suggests is that yoga can be a substantial help, but it sometimes carries risks, too.

18 Sep 2014