Statins before carotid surgery may be beneficial
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Patients with symptoms of low blood flow to the brain who take statins before undergoing carotid endarterectomy, a type of surgery that may help prevent strokes, may fare better early after the surgery than those who do not, Canadian researchers have found.
The carotid arteries, which lie on each side of the neck, are the major vessels that supply blood to the brain. Strokes can occur when plaques that have formed in the carotids break off or otherwise obstruct blood flow to the brain. Carotid endarterectomy involves making a small incision in the affected artery and inserting an instrument to remove the plaque.
South Africa rushes to register bird flu drug
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South Africa will fast-track registration of the antiviral avian flu drug Tamiflu to prepare for any outbreak of the potentially fatal virus, the Health Department said on Friday.
“We are in the process of registering the drug… we have some stocks but we cannot stockpile it until it has been registered,” department spokesman Solly Mabotha said.
Study links depression, suicide and seizures
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Results of a study hint that the brain dysfunction that underlies epilepsy may also determine whether people are at risk for suicide. In a large study conducted in Iceland, researchers found that attempted suicide and depression are each independently associated with an increased risk of seizures.
Although a link between Depression and suicide and seizures has been previously documented, most studies did not address the time order of the association. Up until now it was assumed that suicide attempts occurred more often in patients with epilepsy because the disease increases the risk for Depression.
Drug-resistant avian flu virus isolated
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A strain of H5N1 avian influenza virus resistant to the antiviral Tamiflu has been isolated from a patient in Vietnam, according to a brief communication to be published on October 20 in the journal Nature.
However, the Tamiflu-resistant virus remained sensitive to a second antiviral agent, Relenza, suggesting that this drug should be stockpiled along with Tamiflu to prepare for a possible avian flu pandemic.
Bird flu in Europe is “call to arms”
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The spread of the deadly bird flu virus to poultry in areas on the fringes of Europe has increased the chances of human cases and should serve as a “call to arms”, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Friday.
The United Nations agency urged tighter surveillance of both flocks and humans to detect quickly any further outbreaks after avian viruses were identified in Turkey and Romania.
Back exercises not the answer to low back pain
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Exercise may help ease lower back pain—just as long as the exercise is not specifically targeting the back, a new study suggests.
Researchers found that of the nearly 700 patients with low back pain they followed for 18 months, those who walked and got other forms of “recreational” exercise had a lower risk of pain over time. In contrast, those who performed exercises specifically for their backs appeared to make matters worse.
Marijuana May Grow Neurons in the Brain
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Advocates for medical marijuana can take heart over the findings of two Canadian research teams.
A synthetic cannabinoid—similar to the compounds found in marijuana, but substantially stronger—causes the growth of new neurons and reduces anxiety and depression, investigators at the University of Saskatchewan here reported.
Surgeons lack training in palliative surgical options
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A survey of general surgeons suggests that the amount of education and training they receive in palliative care is limited, according to a study in the September issue of Archives of Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Previous studies have indicated that surgeons receive little training in palliative surgical intervention, the objective of which is to relieve symptoms and improve quality of life rather than cure disease or extend survival, according to background information in the article.
Turkey tests nine for bird flu, EU experts meet
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Turkish medical staff on Friday tested nine people for possible bird flu a day after European health officials confirmed what many had long feared—the arrival of the deadly H5N1 strain on Europe’s doorstep.
European Union experts held crisis talks on the spread of the bird flu to examine the risk that migratory birds might pose for the 25-nation bloc.
Mad cow disease may spread in urine: animal study
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The agent that causes mad cow disease, scrapie and chronic wasting disease in deer and elk may sometimes be spread through urine, Swiss researchers reported on Thursday.
They found that, under certain conditions in mice, the brain proteins known as prions that transmit the disease could be found in urine.
Deadly Asian bird flu reaches fringes of Europe
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A strain of bird flu that can be deadly for humans has spread from Asia to the fringes of Europe and countries should prepare for a potential pandemic, Europe’s health chief said on Thursday.
EU Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner Markos Kyprianou said a strain of the disease found in Turkey had been identified as the same virus that killed more than 60 people in Asia since 2003 and forced the slaughter of millions of birds.
Experts call for creating US bird flu czar
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The United States needs a top official, backed by authority and cash, to prepare for a possible bird flu pandemic, experts said on Wednesday.
But the United States, and most other countries, are so badly behind in preparing for disease outbreaks in general that it will take years to catch up, they told a briefing of Congressional staffers.
After a heart attack, many continue to smoke
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Fewer than half of cigarette smokers quit after experiencing a first cardiac event, according to a survey of Europeans. One in five continue to light up despite personal advice from their doctor to stop smoking, the survey shows.
It is “unbelievable” that so many people continue to smoke after a life-threatening event for which smoking is a major risk factor, Dr. Wilma Scholte op Reimer said in a statement. She wonders whether they are “truly aware of the risk that they are taking.”
Infants admitted to ICU may later develop migraine
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Admission to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at birth is associated with the development of migraine later on in childhood, according to investigators from the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, New Jersey.
Previous studies have suggested that early painful or stressful events can sensitize an individual to later pain or stress, Dr. Anuradha Venkatasubramanian and Seetha B. Maneyapanda report in the medical journal Pediatrics.
Topiramate for migraine improves quality of life
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The anti-epileptic drug topiramate (Topamax) improves health-related quality of life when used to prevent migraine headache, according to a new study.
Topiramate has previously been shown to be an effective and generally well-tolerated migraine preventive, lead author Dr. Merle Diamond noted in an interview with Reuters Health. However, she pointed out that the question remains as to whether it improved “a patient’s ability to function at home, at work, (and) overall to accomplish what they need to.”
