Heavy elderly not at risk of memory decline
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Older adults who are overweight do not seem to be at any extra risk of memory decline, a new study suggests.
In fact, researchers found, it was underweight men and women who were more likely to see their memory suffer over time. They speculate that this is because poor nutrition and weight loss may be early manifestations of Alzheimer’s disease in some older people.
Pain meds may worsen symptoms of enlarged prostate
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Common painkillers like ibuprofen and naproxen may act as a double-edged sword when it comes to men’s prostate function, according to a report in the Harvard Men’s Health Watch.
Recent evidence suggests that drugs such as these, called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID), may lower the risk of developing an enlarged prostate and worsen urinary symptoms in men who already have the condition.
Europe gives final approval to Pfizer HIV drug
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Pfizer Inc said on Monday the European Commission had approved its AIDS drug called Celsentri, or Selzentry in the United States, the first in a new class of oral HIV medicines.
The drug—which is known generically as maraviroc—is the first designed to keep HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, from entering healthy immune cells. Older AIDS medicines attack the virus itself.
Roche says Avastin effective in colorectal cancer
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New clinical data showed Avastin improved the chances of a removal of metastatic lesions in patients with colorectal cancer, Swiss drug maker Roche Holding said on Monday.
New data from the large international First BEAT trial demonstrated that a high number of patients treated with Avastin plus standard chemotherapy for colorectal cancer had metastatic lesions completely removed, Roche said.
Dramatic Increase in Hospital Admissions for Children with Cancer
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The number of hospital admissions for patients age 18 and under with cancer increased by more than 80 percent between 2000 and 2005—from roughly 54,000 to nearly 100,000 admissions—according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
The increase was driven partly by a dramatic improvement in the survival rate of children with cancer. While children with cancer are increasingly treated in outpatient settings, some types of care still require hospitalization.
Study Reveals Possible Genetic Risk for Fetal Alcohol Disorders
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New research in primates suggests that infants and children who carry a certain gene variant may be more vulnerable to the ill effects of fetal alcohol exposure.
Reported online today (Sept. 21) in Biological Psychiatry, the findings represent the first evidence of a genetic risk for fetal alcohol spectrum disorder - a condition that is characterized by profound mental retardation in its most severe form, but which is also associated with deficits in learning, attention, memory and impulse control.
Cancer Patients, Spouses Report Similar Emotional Distress
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A cancer diagnosis affects more than just the patient. A new study from researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center finds spouses report similar physical and emotional quality of life as the patient.
The study found that what really impacted emotional distress - among both patients and their spouses - was whether the patient was newly diagnosed, facing a recurrence or living with advanced disease.
The best both of worlds—how to have sex and survive
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Researchers have discovered that even the gruesome and brutal lifestyle of the Evarcha culicivora, a blood gorging jumping spider indigenous to East Africa, can’t help but be tempted by that ‘big is beautiful’ mantra no matter what the costs. A study recently published in Ethology found that despite the inherent risk of sexual cannibalism, virgin females were attracted to bigger males when losing their virginity before opting for the safer smaller male as a longer term mate choice.
It is quite common for male spiders to fall victim to female sexual partners once they have mated as the female is more often than not bigger than her mate.
New study shows fish respond quickly to changes in mercury deposition
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Reducing atmospheric mercury emissions should quickly reduce mercury levels in lake fish, according to a three-year study published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. The study showed that an increase in mercury loading at rates relevant to atmospheric deposition resulted in a significant increase in methylmercury production and accumulation in fish in only three years.
“This is good news. It means that a reduction in new mercury loads to many lakes should result in lower mercury in fish within a few years,” said Cynthia Gilmour, scientist at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center and a co-investigator in the study.
Gene Chip Data Improved Therapy in Some Patients with Incurable Cancer
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Like many oncologists, Eric P. Lester, M.D., was faced with a dilemma: seven patients with advanced, incurable cancer, an arsenal of drugs that may or may not help them, and not enough solid proof about treatment efficacy to guide him. So Dr. Lester devised what he called a “simple-minded experiment” that illustrates the promise of personalized medicine. Using DNA microarray “chips,” Dr. Lester analyzed his patients’ tumors for expression of genes associated with good response to various anti-cancer drugs, and based his drug treatment plans on the results. Four out of seven patients with advanced cancer enrolled in the extremely limited study had a better outcome than expected.
The finding, presented today in Atlanta, Ga. at the American Association for Cancer Research’s second International Conference on Molecular Diagnostics in Cancer Therapeutic Development, shows that “a personalized molecular oncology approach, basing chemotherapy on relative gene expression in tumors, holds promise even at the relatively crude level employed here,” said study investigator, Dr. Lester, president of Oncology Care Associates in St. Joseph, Mich.
Young women less attentive to heart risks than men
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Young women with a family history of heart disease may be less careful about following a healthy lifestyle than their male counterparts, a study has found.
It’s well known that people with a parent or sibling who suffered a heart attack at a relatively young age are themselves at higher-than-average risk, so it is especially important for them to maintain a heart-healthy lifestyle—which includes exercising, eating a balanced diet and not smoking.
Sleep apnea therapy may lower heart risks
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For people with the breathing disorder sleep apnea, sticking with therapy may aid not only their breathing but also their hearts, a study suggests.
Greek researchers found that patients who best adhered to their treatment with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) also showed dips in their cholesterol and other blood substances associated with heart disease.
Tooth loss in elderly linked to mental impairment
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Older people who have lost their teeth are at more than three-fold greater risk of memory problems and dementia, UK researchers report.
“This study essentially raises questions rather than answering them,” Dr. Robert Stewart of Kings College London, the study’s lead author, told Reuters Health. “The measurements were taken at the same time, so we are not able to say what caused what.”
Insulin pen a cost-saving alternative to syringes
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For patients with type 2 diabetes who have reached the point where they need to start insulin injections, using a pre-loaded insulin pen could save money overall, according to results of a new study.
People who use the insulin pen rather than traditional vials and syringes make fewer visits to the doctor or hospital, and the reduced use of health care resources translates directly into cost savings, the study’s authors say.
No guarantee Montreal ozone talks will succeed-US
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Although countries back the idea of eliminating ozone-depleting chemicals faster than originally planned, there is no guarantee that they will agree on a new accelerated timetable at a major conference this week, a senior U.S. official said Monday.
Claudia McMurray, U.S. assistant secretary for the environment, said the main problem was working out whether the technical and financial aid available for the developing world would be enough to satisfy countries such as China.
