Oral contraceptives safe in lupus patients
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Women with lupus can safely take oral contraceptives without fear that the pill will worsen their condition, two studies released on Wednesday showed.
The studies in this week’s issue of The New England Journal of Medicine shake up the conventional wisdom that discouraged doctors from prescribing the pill and forced many female lupus patients to opt for less convenient contraceptives or even abortion.
Cancer Scientists Call for a Large-Scale Human Epigenome Project
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A vast code, invisible to the DNA sequencing effort that constituted the Human Genome Project, is rapidly being shown to play a direct role in human health. This “epigenome” - from the Greek epi, meaning “in addition to” - consists of chemical “amendments” that dangle like charms on a bracelet from the linear string of letters that spell out the genetic code.
Now, an international group of 40 leading cancer scientists says the time is ripe to undertake a large-scale international “Human Epigenome Project” designed to map the chemical modifications to DNA that comprise the epigenetic code. Their proposal, “A Blueprint for a Human Epigenome Project”—published in the December 15, 2005 issue of Cancer Research—summarizes the findings of an AACR-sponsored workshop held June 15-18, 2005, in Lansdowne, Va.
Depression and Anxiety Improve After Epilepsy Surgery
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Depression and anxiety are common problems for people whose epilepsy cannot be controlled by medication. A new study found that depression and anxiety improve significantly after epilepsy surgery.
The study, which is published in the December 13, 2005, issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology, found that the rate of depression and anxiety disorders decreased by more than 50 percent up to two years after the surgery. People who no longer experienced any seizures after surgery were even more likely to be free of depression and anxiety.
UVa Health System Opens Clinical Trial of Emphysema Treatment
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Doctors at the University of Virginia Health System have opened a new clinical trial to try and help people with emphysema breathe better. The study will test the safety and effectiveness of a bronchoscopic valve, an experimental device designed to channel air to healthier portions of the lung. The idea is to improve a patient’s physical functioning, tolerance for exercise and general quality of life.
The study device works by limiting airflow to a selected portion of the lung in patients with emphysema. The bronchoscopic valve is implanted without an incision, hopefully providing an alternative to lung volume reduction surgery. The device is a small valve shaped like an umbrella. It’s placed in the bronchial tree to prevent air from entering targeted sections of the lung. Doctors successfully implanted the device in UVa’s first patient Dec. 2, the first time the device has been used in a clinical trial in the Southeast.
Some Leukemia Patients May Improve by Taking a Green Tea Extract
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A new case study by Mayo Clinic researchers provides preliminary evidence to suggest a component of green tea may lead to clinical improvement in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Findings are published online in Leukemia Research.
In the small case study, the researchers report on four patients who appeared to have an improvement in the clinical state of their disease after starting over-the-counter products containing epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), an extract of green tea. Three of the four patients met the standard criteria used to define a response treatment for clinical trials. These same investigators had previously shown that EGCG kills leukemia cells from patients with CLL in the test tube by interrupting the communication signals they need to survive. That study was published in Blood in 2004.
Surprising autism finding
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New brain imaging research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill indicates that when people with autism look at a face, activity in the brain area that responds is similar to that of people without autism.
The finding is surprising, as it is widely known that autistic individuals tend to avoid looking directly at faces. The research also counters previous published reports that the face-processing area at the back of the brain is under-responsive in people with autism, and it suggests that specific behavioral interventions may help people with autism improve their ability to interact socially.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Not Caused by Workplace Computer Use
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A new Special Health Report from Harvard Medical School refutes the common assumption that computer use causes carpal tunnel syndrome. Instead, says this report edited by Harvard-based hand experts, carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by the compression of the median nerve in the wrist. This compression may occur because of heredity, body weight, fracture, or even pregnancy—but not computer use.
This 40-page report, “Hands: Strategies for strong, pain-free hands,” also explains the many causes of hand pain and describes the exercises, therapies, and medications used to treat them.
Evidence Links Cocaine Abuse and Parkinson’s Disease
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Adults who abuse cocaine might increase their risk of developing Parkinson’s disease (PD), and pregnant women who abuse cocaine could increase the risk of their children developing PD later in life, according to results of laboratory studies performed by investigators at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
The study’s findings are important because there are currently more than 2 million cocaine abusers in the US today, the researchers said. Many individuals who abused the drug during the height of the cocaine abuse epidemic of the 1970s and 1980s are now entering their older years, when symptoms of PD are likely to emerge.
Testosterone Therapy May Help Elderly Men with Mild Alzheimer Disease
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Testosterone replacement therapy may help improve the quality of life for elderly men with mild cases of Alzheimer’s disease, according to a study posted online today that will appear in the February 2006 print issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
“There is a compelling need for therapies that prevent, defer the onset, slow the progression, or improve the symptoms of Alzheimer disease (AD),” the authors provide as background information in the article. They note that hormonal therapies have been the focus of research attention in recent years since male aging is associated with a gradual progressive decline in testosterone levels. “The gradual decline in testosterone level is associated with decreased muscle mass and strength, osteoporosis, decreased libido, mood alterations, and changes in cognition, conditions that may be reversed with testosterone replacement.” The authors add that the age-related decline in testosterone is potentially relevant to AD as previous studies have found significantly lower concentrations of the hormone in middle-aged and elderly men who developed AD.
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.”
