Tuesday 31 July 2012

The Cost-Effectiveness Of Early Treatment Of HIV Shown In Expanded Analysis Of HPTN 052 Study Results



When the HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN) 052 investigators released their landmark study results last year showing that treatment can reduce HIV transmission by 96% in serodiscordant couples, questions were raised about the cost of early antiretroviral therapy (ART) and if it should be universally implemented. Data presented today at the XIX International AIDS Conference in Washington, D.C. show that treatment as prevention is "very cost-effective"... via Health News from Medical News Today Read More Here..

Blocking Newly Identified Molecule May Improve And Speed Recovery From Stroke



Researchers at UCLA have identified a novel molecule in the brain that, after stroke, blocks the formation of new connections between neurons. As a result, it limits the brain's recovery. In a mouse model, the researchers showed that blocking this molecule - called ephrin-A5 - induces axonal sprouting, that is, the growth of new connections between the brain's neurons, or cells, and as a result promotes functional recovery... via Health News from Medical News Today Read More Here..

Patients With Painful Heel Spurs Get Relief From Standard Radiation Therapy Dose



Patients with plantar fasciitis (painful bone heel spur) experience significantly less pain and improved quality of life following a standard dose of external beam radiation therapy, a common cancer treatment similar to receiving an X-ray, according to a randomized, cooperative group study that was published online in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology � Biology � Physics (Red Journal), the official scientific journal of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO)... via Health News from Medical News Today Read More Here..

Prozac Found To Be Effective As An Anti-Viral



UCLA researchers have come across an unexpected potential use for fluoxetine - commonly known as Prozac - which shows promise as an antiviral agent. The discovery could provide another tool in treating human enteroviruses that sicken and kill people in the U.S. and around the world. Human enteroviruses are members of a genus containing more than 100 distinct RNA viruses responsible for various life threatening infections, such as poliomyelitis and encephalitis... via Health News from Medical News Today Read More Here..

Cancer Progression Predicted By Tumor Cells' Inner Workings



Using a new assay method to study tumor cells, researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center have found evidence of clonal evolution in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). The assay method distinguishes features of leukemia cells that indicate whether the disease will be aggressive or slow-moving, a key factor in when and how patients are treated. The findings are published in the First Edition online issue of Blood... via Health News from Medical News Today Read More Here..

Novel Therapy May Prevent Damage To The Retina In Diabetic Eye Diseases



Researchers at the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center have identified a compound that could interrupt the chain of events that cause damage to the retina in diabetic retinopathy. The finding is significant because it could lead to a novel therapy that targets two mechanisms at the root of the disease: inflammation and the weakening of the blood barrier that protects the retina. To date, treatments for diabetic retinopathy, the leading cause of blindness among working-age Americans, have been aimed largely at one of those mechanisms... via Health News from Medical News Today Read More Here..

Rate Of New Infection Is Beginning To Level Off In The Nation With The World's Highest Prevalence Of HIV



The results from a nationally representative HIV incidence study in Swaziland indicate that the national rate of new HIV infections is 2.38% among adults ages 18-49. This figure, comparable to the 2009 UNAIDS estimate of 2.66% for Swaziland adults ages 15-49, suggests that the HIV epidemic in Swaziland may have begun to stabilize in the past few years. The findings of the Swaziland HIV Incidence Measurement Survey (SHIMS) were presented at the XIX International AIDS Conference in Washington DC. "The country continues to have very high HIV incidence rates... via Health News from Medical News Today Read More Here..

Childhood Abuse And Age At Menarche Linked



Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have found an association between childhood physical and sexual abuse and age at menarche. The findings are published online in the Journal of Adolescent Health. Researchers led by corresponding author, Renée Boynton-Jarrett, MD, assistant professor of pediatrics at BUSM, found a 49 percent increase in risk for early onset menarche (menstrual periods prior to age 11 years) among women who reported childhood sexual abuse compared to those who were not abused... via Health News from Medical News Today Read More Here..

Lack Of Sleep Can Influence The Way You Perform Certain Tasks



Anyone that has ever had trouble sleeping can attest to the difficulties at work the following day. Experts recommend eight hours of sleep per night for ideal health and productivity, but what if five to six hours of sleep is your norm? Is your work still negatively affected? A team of researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) have discovered that regardless of how tired you perceive yourself to be, that lack of sleep can influence the way you perform certain tasks. This finding is published in the online edition of The Journal of Vision... via Health News from Medical News Today Read More Here..

Prevention of Damage To The Retina In Diabetic Eye Diseases Probable With Novel Therapy: Study



A compound that could disrupt the series of events that induce damage to the retina in diabetic retinopathy, been keyed by researchers at the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center. The finding is significant because it could lead to a novel therapy that targets two mechanisms at the root of the disease: inflammation and the weakening of the blood barrier that protects the retina. To date, treatments for diabetic retinopathy, the leading cause of blindness ...

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Need for Transparency In AIDS Funding, Urges by Bill Clinton



Donors will carry on funding in response to the world AIDS crisis even with global financial woes said former US president Bill Clinton. He also urged greater transparency by every one involved. Clinton, who works to provide low-cost HIV medications to foreign nations through his Clinton Foundation, spoke at the closing ceremony of the 19th International AIDS Conference in the US capital. "If we all keep producing results I believe the money will be ...

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TV Addiction Ups Diabetes Risk



Among elderly, addiction to television boosts the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, say researchers. The study, led by Paul Gardiner from The University of Queensland School of Population Health, was one of the first to examine the effects of sedentary behaviour and TV watching on older men and women. "Up until now, most research about sitting and watching TV has been focused on children, while older adults have potentially the most to gain from changing ...

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Nepal harvest rush threatens "Himalayan Viagra"



KATHMANDU (Reuters) - For decades a rare fungus valued as an aphrodisiac and dubbed "Himalayan Viagra" has been a source of income for poor villagers in Nepal's remote Himalayan foothills. Men, women and children stream into high meadows every year to harvest the fungus called Yarsagumba, which grows from dead moth larvae. High quality specimens fetch thousands of dollars a kilo. But experts say the fungus, found only above 3,500 meters (11,480 feet), is under threat and yields are falling, threatening the livelihood of thousands of people who depend on it for up to 70 percent of their income. ... via Health News Headlines - Yahoo! News Read More Here..

Nepal harvest rush threatens "Himalayan Viagra"



KATHMANDU (Reuters) - For decades a rare fungus valued as an aphrodisiac and dubbed "Himalayan Viagra" has been a source of income for poor villagers in Nepal's remote Himalayan foothills.

via Reuters: Health News Read More Here..

Newer Treatments for Baldness



Baldness or hair loss can be of various types such as telogen effluvium, androgenic alopecia (male pattern baldness [MPB]; female pattern hair loss [FPHL]) and alopecia areata. Androgenic alopecia (AGA) is more pronounced in males; it affects nearly 70 percent and 40 percent women in varying degrees. This kind of alopecia manifests itself in males as balding in the crown region of the head and hairline recession, and in females as diffuse thinning over the ...

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