Stomach News and Research

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Bariatric surgery can result in sustained reversal of obesity, type 2 diabetes: Study

Results of a large national study show that nearly three-quarters of obese patients with type 2 diabetes who undergo weight-loss surgery are able to stop insulin and other antidiabetes drugs within six months. In the Johns Hopkins study of insured, obese, diabetic patients, researchers also found that in the third year following surgery, average annual health care costs per patient decreased by more than 70 percent. The study is published in the Archives of Surgery this month.

17 Aug 2010

Australia’s first artificial heart in place

Angelo Tigano, 50 was given only two weeks to live at the start of this month. But last week surgeons at St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney gave him the country's first artificial heart after a five-hour operation to keep him alive.

16 Aug 2010

U.S. increases Pakistan flood aid contribution; Sen. Kerry to visit flood-hit Pakistan

"On assistance to Pakistan, to date, approximately $76 million in assistance has been provided by the U.S. to the flood-affected populations in Pakistan," Mark Toner, acting deputy spokesman for the State Department, said at a press briefing on Thursday, according to a transcript. "As of this morning, the additional money that the U.S. is providing is to Save the Children, and that's 4.1 million that will be used for food vouchers, enabling flood victims to purchase food in their local markets," he said.

16 Aug 2010

SMI/Omega development team receives fund to develop prototype fast multispectral endoscope

Cascade Technologies, Inc., announced today that its wholly-owned subsidiary Spectral Molecular Imaging, Inc. (SMI) will receive NIH research funding through a collaboration with Omega Optical of Brattleboro, Vermont. This effort will accelerate development of a new class of medical endoscopes enhanced with proprietary multispectral imaging technology. The principal investigators on the project are Dr. Gary Carver, Director of Research at Omega Optical, and Dr. Daniel L. Farkas, Chairman and CEO of SMI.

11 Aug 2010

Sleeve gastrectomy for weight loss surgery with no scars

Surgeons at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have achieved what is believed to be the nation's first stomach reduction via the mouth. The novel weight loss procedure, known as a sleeve gastrectomy, reduces the stomach to 20 percent of its original size. The smaller stomach leads to less caloric intake and increased feelings of fullness. This is the first time in the U.S. that the excess stomach has been removed through the mouth rather than a large open incision.

10 Aug 2010

Curis announces preliminary results of GDC-0449 Phase II clinical trial in advanced ovarian cancer

Curis, Inc., a drug development company seeking to develop next generation targeted small molecule drug candidates for cancer treatment, today announced that it has received preliminary results from a Phase II clinical trial of GDC-0449 from Roche and Genentech, Curis' collaborator and a member of the Roche Group.

9 Aug 2010

Health Canada approves first targeted biological therapy to show survival benefit in stomach cancer

Roche announced today that after priority review, Health Canada has approved HERCEPTIN(R) (trastuzumab), in combination with XELODA(R) (capecitabine) or intravenous 5-fluorouracil and cisplatin, for the first-line treatment of patients with HER2-positive metastatic adenocarcinoma of the stomach (gastric cancer) or gastro-esophageal cancer.

9 Aug 2010

Opinions: AIDS 2010; Clean water, sanitation; Russia's HIV/AIDS epidemic; Financial tax; Medical abortion in developing countries

A VOA News editorial by the U.S. government reflects on last month's International AIDS Conference-AIDS 2010, including key advancements such as the vaginal microbicide gel found to offer women some protection against HIV infection as well discussions about funding for the fight against HIV/AIDS and how the "criminalization of drug abuse and persecution of homosexuals" in the world is compromising efforts to prevent the spread of the disease.

4 Aug 2010

Etoricoxib better than opioid drug tramadol for postoperative pain: Study

For patients with moderate pain after foot surgery, the cyclo-oxygenase 2 (COX-2) inhibitor drug etoricoxib provides better pain relief with fewer side effects than the opioid drug tramadol, concludes a study in the August issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

3 Aug 2010

Pakistani officials fear cholera outbreak after massive flooding

After floods in northwest Pakistan have "already killed up to 1,200 people" and forced 2 million from their homes, authorities are now concerned about disease spread, the Associated Press reports.

2 Aug 2010

Researchers discover mechanism linking H. pylori infection and stomach cancer

Researchers have discovered a mechanism by which Helicobacter pylori, the only known cancer-causing bacterium, disables a tumor suppressor protein in host cells.The new study, in the journal Oncogene, reports the discovery of a previously unknown mechanism linking H. pylori infection and stomach cancer, the second leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide.

2 Aug 2010

Study shows increased rate of SIDS in male infant

A study in the Aug. 1 issue of the journal Sleep shows that at 2 to 4 weeks of age male infants are easier to arouse than females during quiet sleep, and by 2 to 3 months of age there are no significant gender differences in arousability. The results suggest that the increased rate of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) in males may not reflect a pre-existing vulnerability involving arousal responses.

2 Aug 2010

Sodium Working Group recommends reducing sodium intake among Canadians

The federally-mandated Sodium Working Group has released the Sodium Reduction Strategy for Canada. The three-pronged strategy contains six over-arching and 27 specific recommendations for a population health strategy for reducing sodium intake among Canadians.

31 Jul 2010

Pancreas surgery specialist performs 1,000th Whipple procedure

Pancreas surgery specialist Charles J. Yeo, M.D., Samuel D. Gross Professor and Chair, Department of Surgery at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, and Co-Director of the Pancreatic, Biliary Tract and Related Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, recently performed his 1,000th Whipple procedure (pancreaticoduodenectomy). Only one other surgeon in the United States has reached this milestone for this procedure. That surgeon is John Cameron, M.D., Professor, Department of Surgery at The Johns Hopkins Hospital.

30 Jul 2010

Mobile phones dirtier than we thought: Study

According to research for a UK consumer group mobile phones can harbor 18 times more living bacteria than a lavatory seat. For the study a hygiene expert swabbed and analysed 30 handsets and found seven had high levels of environmental bacteria.

28 Jul 2010

Cancer survivor to celebrate 100th birthday

Loyola University Hospital cancer patient Mary Cipolla was 89 years old when she underwent one of the most extensive operations in surgery, known as the Whipple procedure.

28 Jul 2010

Common myths around drinking

There are so many stories around alcohol and drinking that it's hard to know what to believe.

26 Jul 2010

Researchers discover potential method for neurodegenerative disease detection

New investigations, initiated by research workers at CIC bioGUNE and led by Dr. Aitor Hierro, have opened possibilities for making progress in the knowledge and prediction of neurodegenerative diseases such as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), according to the journal of The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.This study opens the possibility of research in humans to detect this pathology before the symptoms arise.

26 Jul 2010

British adults support removal of tobacco displays in shops, ban on cigarette vending machines: Survey

Three quarters of British adults support the removal of shop displays of tobacco (73 per cent) and a complete ban on cigarette vending machines (77 per cent) according to a new survey commissioned by Cancer Research UK this weekend.

26 Jul 2010

Three toxins in food identified as triggers to gluten intolerance: study

Coeliac disease cause by intolerance to gluten present in food and drinks like bread, pasta, cereals, biscuits and beer commonly affects many people all over the world. This affects 1 percent of all people in UK, especially women. Patients are advised to stay away from gluten to prevent damage to their intestines. In spite of this in five years most patients develop problems in their intestines. A gluten free diet is also difficult to maintain. Possible symptoms include diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting, recurrent stomach pain, tiredness, headaches, weight loss and mouth ulcers. These may be mild, moderate or severe in different individuals.

22 Jul 2010