Cell Wall of Pneumonia Bacteria Can Cause Brain and Heart Damage
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Investigators at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital have discovered in mouse models how cell walls from certain pneumonia-causing bacteria can cause fatal heart damage; researchers have also shown how antibiotic therapy can contribute to this damage by increasing the number of cell wall pieces shed by dying bacteria. The team also demonstrated in a mouse model how to prevent this from happening.
The study shows that pieces of cell walls from Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria “hijack” a protein on the lining of the blood vessel wall and use it to slip out of the bloodstream and into the brain and heart. A report on this study appears in the November 1 issue of the Journal of Immunology.
These findings explain why blood stream infection with S. pneumoniae commonly leads to temporary impairment of heart function, and they suggest a way to prevent that from occurring, according to Elaine Tuomanen, M.D., chair of the St. Jude Department of Infectious Diseases. S. pneumoniae is a leading cause of pneumonia, sepsis (a potentially life-threatening bloodstream infection) and meningitis (inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord).
Statins can significantly reduce the incidence of stroke, myocardial infarction
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New research suggests that statins can significantly reduce the incidence of stroke, myocardial infarction (MI), or all-cause death in patients with severe carotid arterial disease not revascularized.
The study, presented at CHEST 2006, the 72nd annual international scientific assembly of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), showed that statins notably reduced such incidences in these nonrevascularized patients with chronic high cholesterol, as well.
Combination therapy of salmeterol and fluticasone improves survival in patients with COPD
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A combination of two common medications may help patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) live longer.
New research presented at CHEST 2006, the 72nd annual international scientific assembly of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), shows that when used in combination, inhaled salmeterol (SAL) and fluticasone propionate (FP) reduced the risk of dying by up to 17.5 percent in patients with COPD. Currently, FP, an inhaled corticosteroid, and SAL, a long-acting B2-agonist bronchodilator, are used alone and in combination to treat both asthma and COPD.
Statins show promise in slowing smoking-induced lung damage
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Statins, the widely used class of drugs for cholesterol management, are now showing promising results in slowing smoking-induced lung damage.
In a new study presented at CHEST 2006, the 72nd annual international scientific assembly of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), current and former smokers who used statins had lower lung function decline than those not using statins, regardless of whether patients continued or stopped smoking.
“Until now, no medication has shown to slow smoking-induced lung damage,” said Walid G. Younis, MD, University of Oklahoma Medical Center, Oklahoma City, OK. “Our study is the first to show that statins may decrease the decline in lung function in smokers and former smokers, and, therefore, prevent millions from developing debilitating diseases that could eventually lead to death.”
Vegetables may help keep the brain young
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People who eat their vegetables may help keep their minds sharp into old age, a study published Monday suggests. Fruit, on the other hand, seems to have less of a benefit.
Researchers found that among more than 3,700 older adults they followed for six years, those who ate plenty of vegetables showed a significantly slower rate of decline in memory and other mental abilities.
New Study Links Bad Breath to Heartburn, GERD
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A common prescription medicine class used to treat chronic heartburn and acid reflux disease (GERD) was linked to halitosis, or bad breath, in a study presented at the 71st Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology.
Doctors at UNIFESP in Sao Paulo, Brazil, examined 23 adult patients with GERD (mean age 54 years) and 17 adult patients with dyspepsia (mean age 56 years) in May 2006 to ascertain the relationship between halitosis and GERD. The results showed that 39 percent of the GERD patients suffered from halitosis and that treatment with a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) was deemed a factor in at least 75 percent of the cases. Dyspepsia did not seem to be a leading cause of halitosis, with just 18 percent of the dyspepsia patients suffering from bad breath. No gender differences were observed in the GERD group.
Mother’s stress may slow baby’s growth in the womb
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Pregnant women under heavy stress have smaller fetuses in mid-pregnancy than expectant mothers who are not distressed, a new study shows.
Cortisol—the hormone released by the adrenal gland in times of stress—appears to be the responsible factor, Dr. Miguel A. Diego of the University of Miami School of Medicine and colleagues conclude in their report in medical journal Psychosomatic Medicine.
“Women that have clinical depression or diagnosed anxiety disorder or are under some extreme level of stress should be looking for some sort of medical treatment,” Diego told Reuters Health in an interview. “There is an effect of the mother’s psychological state on the development of the fetus.”
Should patients undergoing surgery get ASA?
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Canadian surgeons say they would welcome a randomized controlled trial
- A national survey of Canadian surgeons by researchers at McMaster University found little consistency in their use of the blood thinner ASA in patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery.
To resolve the issue, Canadian surgeons say they would welcome a randomized controlled trial, and allow their patients to participate in it, said Dr. Rajesh Hiralal, who led the survey and is presenting its results today in Vancouver at the annual meeting of the Canadian Society of Cardiac Surgeons.
Connection Differences in Brains of People With Autism
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Carnegie Mellon Researchers Use New Imaging Technique To Discover Connection Differences in Brains of People With Autism
Using a new form of brain imaging known as diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), researchers in the Center for Cognitive Brain Imaging at Carnegie Mellon University have discovered that the so-called white matter in the brains of people with autism has lower structural integrity than in the brains of normal individuals. This provides further evidence that the anatomical differences characterizing the brains of people with autism are related to the way those brains process information.
New Study Finds Low 5 Year Colon Cancer Recurrence Rates
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Five years after a colonoscopy which detected no precancerous growths or polyps, the risk of having a potential cancer is very low according to findings of a study by researchers from Indiana University presented at the 71st Annual Scientific meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG). The risk of advanced adenomas, a type of colon polyp more likely to become cancerous, while still low, was higher in men than in women. These findings suggest a longer interval for follow-up screening may be safe, and support recommendations by the ACG and other groups to re-screen average risk patients after ten years.
Thomas Imperiale, M.D., FACG of Indiana University presented data from patients in a corporate-sponsored screening program supported by Eli Lilly in which employees are screened for colorectal cancer. Among the 2,436 patients who had no precancerous growths upon initial screening, 1,256 returned for screening approximately five years later. No cancers were found upon re-screening, and tests revealed polyps larger than 1 centimeter in 16 percent of the patients. Researchers identified advanced adenomas in 15 patients, or 1.2 percent. Men in the study were more likely to have polyps at all, and to have advanced adenomas.
AMITIZA™ (lubiprostone) Phase III Constipation Trial Results
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In recent studies, AMITIZA™ (lubiprostone) demonstrated improvements in relief of symptoms associated with irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C), such as abdominal bloating and discomfort. Results of sub-analyses from two Phase III chronic constipation studies of AMITIZA, the first selective chloride channel activator approved by the FDA for the treatment of chronic idiopathic constipation in adults, were presented today at the 71st American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) Annual Scientific Meeting.
“The results suggest that AMITIZA may have the potential to improve the symptoms associated with IBS-C, a functional bowel disorder that causes abdominal pain or discomfort, bloating and constipation,” said Anthony Lembo, M.D., assistant professor of medicine and director of the Motility Center, Harvard Medical School. “Additional studies are needed to evaluate the potential for AMITIZA with these patients; however, it would benefit patients to have additional treatment options.”
Depression tied to poor asthma therapy adherence
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Depressive symptoms are common among inner-city adults hospitalized for asthma flare-ups, according to a new study in the medical journal Chest.
Furthermore, such symptoms identify individuals who are unlikely to stick to their asthma medication regimen when they go home.
“Typically, when someone comes into the hospital and we treat their asthma, we don’t necessarily look at whether they are depressed,” Dr. Susan J. Bartlett commented. “But maybe we need to, because these individuals are really at very high risk of being poorly adherent to their asthma therapy once they get out of the hospital.”
Decaf coffee may still pack a mini-caffeine punch
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Decaf coffee is often not totally caffeine-free, a new study shows. In fact, while these beverages have far less caffeine than a cup of regular coffee, they still may have enough of the stimulant to cause physical dependence on them.
As Dr. Bruce A. Goldberger of the University of Florida College of Medicine in Gainesville told Reuters Health, “The concentration of caffeine in these brewed decaf coffees does have physiological and behavioral effects on a person.”
Goldberger and his colleagues tested the caffeine content of decaf from 10 different coffee establishments. Only one—Folger’s Instant—contained no caffeine. The rest contained anywhere from 8.6 milligrams (mg) to 13.9 mg for a 16-ounce cup, the team reports in the Journal of Analytical Toxicology.
Strength training won’t harm older arteries
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Despite some concerns to the contrary, strengthening exercises appear to help, not harm, older adults’ artery function, a small study suggests.
In general, experts advise that young and old alike include both aerobic activities and strength training in their exercise routines. For older adults, the benefits may include stronger muscles and bones, fewer physical limitations and a lower risk of falls and fractures.
However, research in young adults has found that strength-building resistance exercises seem to increase “stiffness” in the arteries—effects that would be concerning in older adults, whose risk of heart disease and stroke is already elevated.
Personalized Cancer Vaccine Improves Disease Free Survival
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The search for effective anti-cancer therapies increasingly leads medical scientists to immune-based agents like anti-vaccines, or a “personalized” approach based on a patient’s unique disease status. A new study reported by Tampa-based Accentia Biopharmaceuticals, achieves promising treatment objectives by exploiting both therapeutic approaches simultaneously.
Results from an ongoing clinical trial suggest that patients with non-Hodgkins lymphoma (NHL), a cancer of the lymphatic system, can benefit from treatment with a novel anti-cancer vaccine based on the patient’s specific tumor. The study results, published September 20 in the prestigious Journal of the National Cancer Institute, demonstrated that administration of the BiovaxID™ anti-cancer vaccine formulation resulted in long-lasting remission in NHL patients.
