Immunosuppressive Drug Reduces New Brain Lesions in MS Patients
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A medication that reduces relapse rates in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) appears to be effective in reducing new brain inflammatory lesions and is well tolerated, according to a study in the December issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
The drug is azathioprine, an immunosuppressive agent that is well tolerated, easy to administer and monitor, and has been used for many years in the treatment of transplant rejections and autoimmune diseases. Azathioprine reduces relapse rates in MS patients, but its effects on the frequency and accumulation of new brain inflammatory lesions has not been studied in MS, according to background information in the article. MS is a disease of the central nervous system, marked by numbness, weakness, loss of muscle coordination, and problems with vision, speech, and bladder control.
Infections are a major cause of childhood cancer
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Results from a new study of childhood cancer statistics provide further evidence that common infections affecting mother and baby could play a key role in triggering certain types of the disease.
The research was led by Dr Richard McNally from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne and funded by Cancer Research UK and the Christie Hospital Research Endowment Fund.
MRI Scans Find Larger Brains in Children With Autism
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MRI scans indicate that the brains of children with autism are larger than those of healthy children, suggesting an unusual pattern of brain growth that may have its onset in shortly before a child’s first birthday.
The increased brain volume was detected in the cerebral cortical volumes but not in cerebral volumes, according to Heather Cody Hazlett, Ph.D., of the University of North Carolina here.
The brains of children with autism are about 5% larger than brains of non-autistic children, and the enlargement is due mainly to larger grey matter and white matter volumes in the cerebral cortex, Dr. Hazlett and colleagues reported in the December issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.
Sleep Apnea, Blood Pressure Linked
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Full-night sleep studies and echocardiography may need to be incorporated into routine assessments of patients with difficult-to-treat high blood pressure, suggests UAB researcher Monique Pratt-Ubunama, M.D. “And those who are resistant to treatment and are found to have sleep apnea may benefit from mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists, since levels of aldosterone were high in study patients; and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) should be encouraged,” she said.
Ubunama’s suggestions are based on results of a study funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and presented last month at the American Heart Association annual meeting. “We found a direct relationship between the severity of sleep apnea and cardiovascular changes associated with high blood pressure.”
US FDA issues alert on Abbott antibiotic
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U.S. regulators alerted the public on Friday to a study showing a higher death rate among heart disease patients one year after taking the Abbott Laboratories Inc. antibiotic Biaxin, as part of an effort to release early information about potential safety concerns.
Officials have not reached a final conclusion about the information, the notice on the Food and Drug Administration Web site said. Abbott described the results as “a random finding” that contrasted with decades of other research.
Athlete’s Foot
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Athlete’s foot, the dreaded “fungus among us,” is a common bane of warm locker rooms at schools and fitness centers. UAB dermatologist Sarah M. Boyce, M.D., warns that the condition also occurs in cold weather, when feet may be swaddled in boots and heavy socks for longer hours.
“The treatment is straightforward, and over-the-counter or prescription anti-fungals usually are effective,” she said. “But prevention is better: keep your feet dry and cool, and sprinkle shoes and shocks with anti-fungal powder. Change socks regularly. Some socks are made with materials such as wool blends that wick moisture away. If possible, use a hot blow dryer on your feet after showering, but be careful of burns.”
Mom’s attitude affects teen’s dieting
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Teenagers who think their mothers put a high value on thinness may be more likely to worry about their weight and frequently diet, new research suggests.
The study, of more than 9,200 U.S. teenagers and their mothers, found that those who believed their weight was important to their mothers were more likely than other teens to be preoccupied by their weight and to diet repeatedly.
New Sleeping Pills Are Effective, but None Stands Out as the Best
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The spate of new sleeping pills on the market are effective treatments for insomnia, but they have different effects and no one drug stands out as the best, according to a new review of studies on drugs including Sonata, Ambien and Lunesta.
Reviewers from the Oregon Evidence-based Practice Center at the Oregon Health and Science University concluded that the drugs were better than placebo pills at treating insomnia symptoms such as trouble falling asleep and staying asleep.
Early results suggest Paxil birth defect risk
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Early results of new studies suggest GlaxoSmithKline Plc’s antidepressant Paxil increases the risk of birth defects when women take it during the first three months of pregnancy, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Thursday.
“FDA is advising patients that this drug should usually not be taken during pregnancy, but for some women who have already been taking Paxil, the benefits of continuing may be greater than the potential risk to the fetus,” the FDA said in a statement.
Most Tolerable Antidepressant May Not be Most Efficacious
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When it comes to antidepressants, popularity may translate into tolerability more than efficacy, suggests a systematic review of clinical trials by the Cochrane Collaboration. Consider Prozac (fluoxetine), for instance.
According to the Cochrane analysis, Zoloft (sertraline) and Effexor (venlafaxine) may be somewhat better than more popular Prozac for treating depression, reported Andrea Cipriani, M.D., of the University of Verona, and colleagues. However, patients seemed to tolerate Prozac better than other antidepressants.
Kids exercise to feel good, not lose weight
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Children and young teens may be more likely to exercise if they’re motivated by fun and fitness rather than weight concerns, a new study suggests.
In a study of 200 students (average age, 12-1/2 years) at one Pennsylvania middle school, researchers found that “personal fulfillment” was the only motivation to be active. That meant that kids tended to exercise for the sake of their health and athletic skills, and to simply feel good—and not in order to shed pounds or to emulate their friends or parents.
Some women prone to carry strep in pregnancy
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Black women, health care workers, and overweight women are at increased risk for carrying group B streptococcus (GBS) during pregnancy, new research suggests.
GBS is a microbe that can live in or “colonize” the birth canal and then be passed onto the infant during birth, resulting in a potentially life-threatening infection.
Cancer drug may help short boys be taller
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The drug tamoxifen, usually used to treat or prevent breast cancer, may help short boys attain a normal adult height, researchers report.
Final body height is determined when the skeleton reaches maturity, and tamoxifen decreases the rate of skeletal maturation, according to study findings reported in the medical journal Pediatrics.
U.S. grapples with bird flu preparations
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The White House on Wednesday planned an exercise to see just how poorly prepared the country is to cope with an avian flu pandemic, even as lawmakers in Congress debated how much to spend for U.S. preparations.
The H5N1 avian influenza virus is spreading steadily among poultry, pushing westward out of Asia into Europe.
Sweden to probe years of abuse in children’s homes
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Thousands of Swedes who say they were subjected to physical abuse and cruel treatment in state children’s homes and foster care for decades from the 1950s won the promise of an official inquiry on Thursday.
A cabinet minister said the probe would investigate the cases, which peaked in the 1940s and ‘50s when Sweden’s zeal for social engineering included making children of single women or poor people wards of the state.
