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OTC medical device receives CE Mark approval to treat pain linked to fibromyalgia

AVACEN Medical announced its AVACEN 100, Class-IIa, OTC medical device has received the CE Mark approval to treat widespread pain associated with fibromyalgia.

23 Dec 2016

Linking human genome sequences to EHR information could influence clinical medicine, says expert

The value of intersecting the sequencing of individuals' exomes or full genomes to find rare genetic variants -- on a large scale -- with their detailed electronic health record information has "myriad benefits, including the illumination of basic human biology, the early identification of preventable and treatable illnesses, and the identification and validation of new therapeutic targets," wrote Daniel J. Rader, MD, chair of the Department of Genetics, in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, in Science this week, with Scott M. Damrauer, MD, an assistant professor of Surgery at Penn and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Philadelphia.

23 Dec 2016

Vitamin D supplementation improves metabolic syndrome in mice

It is well known that a diet high in fat can trigger a metabolic syndrome, a group of symptoms that pose as risk factors for diabetes and heart disease.

22 Dec 2016

Hormone receptor could be potential biomarker for gastric cancer, research shows

Scientists at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Miami, and Shantou University Medical College in China, have shown that the hormone receptor GHRH-R could be a potential biomarker for gastric cancer, enabling earlier diagnoses and better staging.

21 Dec 2016

VA’s final rule leads to underutilization of CRNAs in VHA facilities

Despite documented evidence confirming that veterans are experiencing delays for essential healthcare services due to lack of anesthesia support in Veterans Health Administration facilities, the Department of Veterans Affairs has published its final rule granting full practice authority to all advanced practice registered nurses except Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists.

15 Dec 2016

Western diet during pregnancy may increase obesity risk in offspring

Diet composition around the time of pregnancy may influence whether offspring become obese, according to a new study using animal models at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI).

15 Dec 2016

BUSM researchers discover role of hippocampus in future thinking

Over the past decade, researchers have learned that the hippocampus--historically known for its role in forming memories--is involved in much more than just remembering the past; it plays an important role in imagining events in the future.

5 Dec 2016

OHSU scientists identify potential target for preventing and treating Alzheimer's disease

A new scientific discovery may provide a future avenue for treatment and prevention of Alzheimer's disease.

1 Dec 2016

Use of Frailty Screening Initiative linked to reduced risk of postoperative mortality and illness

In a study published online by JAMA Surgery, Daniel E. Hall, M.D., M.Div., M.H.Sc., of the Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Healthcare System and University of Pittsburgh, and colleagues examined the effect of a Frailty Screening Initiative on death and complications by comparing the surgical outcomes of patients treated before and after implementation of the FSI.

30 Nov 2016

Research provides new insight into how diseases that disconnect brain and body occur

A huge colony of receptors must be optimally positioned and functioning on our muscle cells for our brains to talk with our bodies so we can walk and breathe.

29 Nov 2016

Home-based telemental health provides improved quality of life for depressed elderly veterans

Home-based telemental health for depression is well received by patients and delivers as good a quality of life as in-person visits, according to the results of a clinical trial in 241 depressed elderly veterans reported in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry by investigators at the Medical University of South Carolina and the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center.

23 Nov 2016

New combinatination therapy shows promise in treating patients with traumatic brain injury

A combination of the stimulant drug methylphenidate with a process known as cognitive-behavioral rehabilitation is a promising option to help people who suffer from persistent cognitive problems following traumatic brain injury, researchers at Indiana University School of Medicine have reported.

22 Nov 2016

Diabetic patients with three major risk factors experience sharp reduction in healthy renal function

Patients with diabetes and suffering from acute kidney injury (AKI), proteinuria and uncontrolled blood sugar experience a sharp reduction in the number of years they have healthy renal function before being forced onto dialysis, according to researchers at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.

21 Nov 2016

Maintaining healthy weight may be key to prevent MGUS progression to multiple myeloma

New research shows that excess weight increases the risk that a benign blood disorder will progress into multiple myeloma, a cancer of the blood.

18 Nov 2016

Drugs used to treat acid reflux and ulcers may increase risk of developing kidney stones and CKD

Certain medications commonly used to treat heartburn, acid reflux, and ulcers can have damaging effects on the kidneys.

18 Nov 2016

Veterans Affairs researchers discover alleles of certain genes that offer protection from GWI

Veterans Affairs researchers have found that certain forms, or alleles, of a gene known to play a key role in the immune system appear to offer protection from Gulf War illness (GWI). Further, they discovered how such protection is manifested in the brain.

17 Nov 2016

Research shows CRAC channel inhibitors decrease lesion size, brain hemorrhage, and neurological deficits in TBI model

Researchers from the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center and UCSF, and CalciMedica, Inc., are presenting a poster at the 46th annual Society for Neuroscience meeting in San Diego describing the use of calcium release-activated calcium (CRAC) channel inhibitors in traumatic brain injury (TBI).

16 Nov 2016

Study shows how Zika virus infection leads to production of smaller disease-causing RNAs

Researchers, led by scientists at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, have found basic molecular processes used by the Zika virus to "hijack" the cells that it infects and potentially how it makes molecules that are directly linked to disease.

11 Nov 2016

Diagnosis and management of constipation may help protect kidney health

Researchers have discovered a link between constipation and poor kidney health. The findings, which appear in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, suggest that the diagnosis and management of constipation might be helpful for preventing or treating kidney disease.