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When Young Men Are Scarce, They're More Likely To Play The Field Than To Propose
In places where young women outnumber young men, research shows the hemlines rise but the marriage rates don"t because the young men feel less pressure to settle down as more women compete for their affections.

Study Shows Decreased Risk Of Death From Opportunistic Infections With Earlier Antiretroviral Treatment
HIV-positive people with opportunistic infections who receive earlier antiretroviral treatment lower their risk of death compared with people who delay treatment, according to a new study conducted by the Stanford University School of Medicine and published in PLoS One, the San Jose Mercury News reports. The findings could lead to changes in recommendations for antiretroviral treatment protocol, specifically for patients diagnosed with HIV at an advanced stage, the Mercury News reports. The study included 262 HIV-positive participants at 39 health care sites across the U.S., and 20 participants in South Africa. During the yearlong study, the researchers found that among the participants who were treated promptly after developing an opportunistic infection, 14% died or developed another infection. The researchers also found that 24% of participants who deferred treatment for an average of 45 days died or had a decrease in health outcomes. According to the Mercury News, the question of when to start HIV-positive people on antiretroviral treatment remains unclear because of issues such as the high cost of medicines, side effects, and drug interactions or resistance. Andrew Zolopa, head of Stanford University School of Medicine"s division of infectious diseases and lead investigator of the study, said that physicians often treat HIV-positive people for an "acute crisis, then follow up later with treatment for HIV." He continues, "But that answer is wrong. The study shows very clearly that there is no safety downside to doing this -- and the benefit is quite substantial, reducing death by 50%." "Even in San Francisco, one of the first epicenters of HIV in the United States, we still find that many people present late in the course of their illness with an opportunistic infection," Mitch Katz, director of San Francisco"s Department of Health who was not involved in the study, said. He added, "This study shows that it is lifesaving to treat those persons with antiretroviral drugs while they are still in the hospital." Katz said that the results could lead to changes in HIV/AIDS practices worldwide. The International AIDS Society, CDC and the British AIDS Society have developed guidelines recommending that early antiretroviral treatment be considered in patients with opportunistic infections, Zolopa said. In addition, NIH is considering an international study to examine earlier initiation of antiretroviral treatment involving more than 9,000 people from both developed and developing countries (Krieger, San Jose Mercury News, 5/15).
News of the day
Latest Updates From The Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI)
Alzheimer imaging aficionados thronged to back-to-back meetings held recently in Seattle for a preview of the latest data from the Alzheimer"s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). Launched in the fall of 2004 and set to conclude next year, the $64-million ADNI is comparing imaging methods and fluid biomarkers in the same set of people to determine which measures can best predict and track Alzheimer-disease clinical changes over time. The project is approaching the homestretch of data collection. By the fall of 2010, ADNI scientists will have collected three years of longitudinal data from more than 800 participants (about 200 normal, 400 with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and 200 with Alzheimer disease) at 59 U.S. and Canadian sites. The Seattle meetings featured preliminary analysis of the one-year data.
Public Health

Harnessing The Brain's Own Ability For Repair

New findings throw light on how the brain heals itself and may change the way we think about treating chronic neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson"s and Alzheimer"s. Neuroscientists at Sydney"s Garvan Institute of Medical Research have shown that nerve cells in the brain produce an anti-inflammatory molecule that allows the brain to repair itself. These findings, by Drs Bryce Vissel and Andrea Abdipranoto, are published online today in the international journal Stem Cells. Discovery of the brain"s capacity to regenerate is very recent. Neural stem cells were first discovered in the brain in the early 1990s, but it took scientists a further 10 years to show that they can regenerate nerve cells in the brain. "Given that we now know regeneration can occur, we want to understand what drives it and what blocks it, particularly in diseases like Parkinson"s and Alzheimer"s." said Dr Vissel. "We triggered rapid neurodegeneration in the brains of mice, and it was immediately followed by a very rapid regenerative response. We wanted to know why this response could occur so effectively after acute neurodegeneration. "On further investigation, we found high levels of a molecule known as Activin A whenever regeneration occurred. This was especially interesting because Activin A is released from nerve cells. "Clearly Activin A was playing an important part in the regenerative process, so we triggered neurodegeneration and at the same time blocked Activin A. The difference was dramatic. Regeneration all but ground to a halt." "After these initial experiments, we thought that nerve cells may directly drive regeneration by releasing Activin A. We came to realise, however, that the main action of Activin A was to block inflammation in the brain after neurodegeneration or injury." "We confirmed this by introducing another anti-inflammatory molecule, while continuing to block Activin A. As anticipated, the substituted anti-inflammatory allowed regeneration to occur." "Inflammation is the body"s way of trying to clear up a mess. We"ve shown that, if uncontrolled, it seems to be the very thing that can prevent regeneration and prevent healing of the brain." Having done this study in a model of acute degeneration, the group is now doing the same work in chronic degenerative models. It is likely that inflammation aggravates existing damage in the central nervous system of people with Parkinson"s, Alzheimer"s and motor neuron disease. Vissel and colleagues believe that chronic inflammation is probably providing a harmful feedback loop, preventing regeneration and contributing to progressive decline. "Clearly the brain"s anti-inflammatory response is not working well in chronic neurodegenerative diseases," said Vissel. "There are a number of studies showing that people who take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs have a lower risk of Alzheimer"s and Parkinson"s disease." Should the group confirm that inflammation is blocking regeneration in Parkinson"s, Alzheimer"s and motor neuron disease, Activin A and derivatives need to be investigated as potential therapeutics. This research was made possible by a BioFirst Award and a NSW Spinal Cord Injury and Related Neurological Conditions Research Grant from the NSW State Government Office of Science and Medical Research, and, through the support of Amadeus Energy Ltd, an oil and gas producer and explorer based in Perth, Western Australia. The Garvan Institute of Medical Research


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