Chronic News and Research

RSS

Stem cells given in minimally invasive procedure improve heart function

Patients with severe congestive heart failure who had exhausted all other treatment options showed markedly improved heart function following a procedure in which their own stem cells were deployed directly into the heart by way of four tiny incisions in the chest, according to results of a trial presented today at the 41st Annual Meeting of the Society for Thoracic Surgery.

26 Jan 2005

Younr black people experience the most pain

Adults under the age of 50 who have chronic pain may be less able to cope with their condition and more prone to associated depression than their elders, a new study suggests.

25 Jan 2005

Organon’s compound, Org 24448, selected to test efficacy of cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) sponsored network called Treatment Units for Research on Neurocognition in Schizophrenia (TURNS) has selected Organon’s compound, Org 24448, to undergo testing as part of its effort to facilitate the development of medications to enhance cognition in patients with schizophrenia.

24 Jan 2005

Early seizures after surgery for epilepsy predict more seizures

Current understanding of seizures in the weeks just after epilepsy surgery is that they are likely to be temporary, probably due to swelling or minor trauma suffered by the brain during the operation.

24 Jan 2005

Obesity is linked to lower levels of prostate specific antigen (PSA) in men

A study reported in the current issue of Cancer, the journal of the American Cancer Society, shows that obesity is linked to lower levels of prostate specific antigen (PSA) in men, making early detection tests unreliable.

24 Jan 2005

Are NSAIDS enough for cancer pain?

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are effective in managing cancer pain with few side effects, according to a new review of a number of studies.

24 Jan 2005

Counseling and support can boost physical activity among adults

Professional counseling and support can boost physical activity among adults, a new review finds, but researchers aren’t sure what kind of professional advice work best to encourage exercise or whether counseling increases physical activity over the long run.

24 Jan 2005

Severity of liver disease not a reliable indicator of quality of life

A new study on the determination of how livers are allocated for transplants examined the relationship between liver disease severity and quality of life, and found that the commonly used model for liver allocation is not a reliable indicator of general quality of life.

24 Jan 2005

Many of George Bush's health policies likely to be controversial in second term

Many health policies under George Bush's second term in office are likely to be controversial, warns a leading British doctor and an American colleague in this week's BMJ.

20 Jan 2005

BMA report shows how rural healthcare is being neglected

A new BMA report, released today (Friday, 21 January 2005) shows how rural healthcare is being neglected. A key message from the report, Healthcare in a rural setting, is that many health policies developed for urban areas do not work in rural ones.

20 Jan 2005

Cord blood transplantation now a viable option for adult leukemia patients

Stem cell transplantation using umbilical cord blood is a standard treatment option for blood disorders in children, but not for adults, due to the difficulty of obtaining a sufficiently large dose of cells.

20 Jan 2005

Consumption of alcohol the risk of several common cancers

An article appearing in the Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis presents definite evidence of these findings amongst other papers as part of an open forum discussion on wine, alcohol, and cardiovascular risk.

19 Jan 2005

Role of ethnicity in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

The first study to examine nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) among different ethnic and racial groups in the United States finds that Hispanics may be at a higher risk of developing the condition. The study is published in Hepatology, the official journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD). Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hepatology is available online via Wiley InterScience.

19 Jan 2005

Sildenafil restores cognitive function in rats after liver failure

A study involving rats reveals the mechanism responsible for learning impairment due to liver failure and shows that sildenafil restores cognitive function.

19 Jan 2005

Kraft Asia Pacific has missed a golden opportunity to show leadership in the battle against childhood obesity

Australian Medical Association President, Dr Bill Glasson, said today that Kraft Asia Pacific has missed a golden opportunity to show leadership in the battle against the epidemic of childhood obesity by not following its US counterpart and modifying advertising of its products to children under the age of 12.

19 Jan 2005