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Using gene therapy to fight rheumatoid arthritis

Guided by a similar principle, arthritis researchers at the University of Florida and Harvard University hope to use gene therapy to help joint cells pump out a harmless protein that parks in receptor sites, leaving a notorious inflammatory agent “circling the lot” and unable to cause pain, swelling and possible joint damage.

21 May 2004

Genome research sheds light on Bardet-Biedl syndrome

By comparing the genomes of an alga, a weed and humans, a team of researchers has identified a new gene behind Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS), a complex condition marked by learning disabilities, vision loss and obesity.

21 May 2004

Hypertension treatment could reduce hemorrhagic strokes by nearly 30 percent

Treating hypertension could cut the annual number of bleeding strokes in the United States by about one-fourth, according to a report in today’s rapid access issue of Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.

20 May 2004

The worldwide prevalence of glaucoma is increasing

Early diagnosis of glaucoma is essential to prevent irreversible visual impairment, according to a Seminar in this week's issue of The Lancet.

20 May 2004

Zinc may help to accelerate recovery from pneumonia

The addition of zinc to standard antimicrobial treatment may accelerate recovery from pneumonia, say researchers in this week's issue of The Lancet.

20 May 2004

Hospitalisation for angina and chest pain has risen dramatically in the last decade

Researchers analysed hospital discharge records for Scottish residents aged at least 18 years with a first emergency hospitalisation for heart attack, angina, or other chest pain between 1990 and 2000.

20 May 2004

Vocational rehabilitation services helps people with traumatic brain injuries get back to work

More than 2 million people in the United States suffer traumatic brain injuries (TBI) each year, costing the nation nearly $1 billion in lost wages, increased government support and lost tax income in the first year alone. However, a University of Missouri-Columbia researcher has found that persons with TBI have a good chance of successfully returning to work if they receive vocational rehabilitation services.

17 May 2004

Some amnesiacs can maintain their memories for a longer period of time if they spend time sitting in a dark, quiet room

Amnesia sufferers can lose their short-term memories within one minute of the initial thought. While such things as head injuries and strokes are known to cause amnesia, very little is known about why such severe memory loss occurs. However, a University of Missouri-Columbia researcher has discovered that some amnesiacs can maintain their memories for a longer period of time if they spend time sitting in a dark, quiet room.

17 May 2004

Speaking their language aids dementia patients

Elderly dementia patients from non-English speaking backgrounds communicate more with others and take fewer psychiatric medications when living in ethno-specific nursing homes, an Australian study at Monash University has revealed.

17 May 2004

Facts about prevalence of arthritis in the U.S.A

Arthritis is the leading cause of physical disability in the United States. Arthritis comprises over 100 different disease and conditions. The most common are osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, and gout.

15 May 2004

People with pre-diabetes can make changes to prevent serious illness

The Department of Health recently launched a new awareness outreach campaign about pre-diabetes, a condition that raises a person's risk for developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.

14 May 2004

The Stroke Association have found that surgery can halve the risk of a stroke

Scientists funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC) and The Stroke Association have found that surgery can halve the risk of a stroke for people who have significant narrowing of the main artery carrying blood to the brain. Their findings, published in this week’s The Lancet, are the result of a large-scale international clinical trial.

14 May 2004

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is nearly four times as common in veterans of the first Persian Gulf War as in nonveterans

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is nearly four times as common in veterans of the first Persian Gulf War as in nonveterans, according to a new study.

13 May 2004

Cholesterol-lowering drugs could treat multiple sclerosis

Drug treatments for MS are expensive and only partially effective. Recent knowledge that statins promote an anti-inflammatory response from the immune system suggest a potential in the treatment of MS.

13 May 2004

Study to Look at effect of exercise and education on osteoarthritis

Researchers at the Arizona Arthritis Center at the University of Arizona College of Medicine are investigating the effect of early interventions in the treatment of osteoarthritis, a condition currently affecting tens of thousands of Tucsonans.

12 May 2004

Women are three times more likely than men to develop carpal tunnel syndrome

It occurs when a large nerve in the palm of your hand becomes compressed. Though doctors aren’t sure why, women are three times more likely than men to develop carpal tunnel syndrome. Early diagnosis and treatment can relieve the pain and numbness and usually prevent permanent damage.

12 May 2004

Physicians perceive overactive bladder as a normal part of aging when in fact it is a treatable medical condition

Nearly half of people with symptoms of overactive bladder had to initiate multiple conversations with their doctor before receiving a diagnosis or treatment, according to a national survey of more than 500 people with symptoms of overactive bladder. Furthermore, only 15 percent of those surveyed said their doctors had ever initiated a discussion about overactive bladder symptoms.

12 May 2004

Cardiovascular disease in parents is a major predictor of offspring having a heart attack or stroke

A study published in the May 12 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association provides the strongest evidence yet that cardiovascular disease in parents -- particularly at an early age -- is a major predictor of their children having a heart attack or stroke in middle age.

12 May 2004

Thyroid disorders are often misdiagnosed

Thyroid disorders are among the most common medical conditions. However, because their symptoms often appear gradually, the condition is often misdiagnosed, according to Dr. Nila Vora, a board-certified endocrinologist at the Loyola Primary Care Center in Darien.

25 Mar 2004