National Institute of Aging | Page 16 of 17

Memory loss, less common in older Americans

Good news on gray matter: Memory loss and other cognitive impairment becoming less common in older Americans, U-M study finds; Better education, finances & cardiovascular care may be boosting brain health. – It appears that memory loss and thinking problems are becoming less common among older Americans. A new study shows a downward trend in the rate of “cognitive impairment” – the umbrella term for everything from significant memory loss to dementia and Alzheimer’s disease – among people aged 70 and older.

$9 million grant for prostate cancer research

$9 million grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) awarded to Henry Ford to study the effectiveness of gene therapy to treat prostate cancer. – Henry Ford Hospital is embarking on an expanded major clinical trial involving the use of gene therapy in combination with radiation therapy, to determine if the combined treatment is more effective than radiation therapy alone for patients with intermediate risk prostate cancer.

Research suggests why scratching is so relieving

Researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center have uncovered new clues about why scratching may be so relieving ? and why it can be hard to stop. – Researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center have uncovered new clues about why scratching may be so relieving ? and why it can be hard to stop. This is the first study to use imaging technology to see what goes on in the brain when we scratch.

Statins, cholesterol lowering drugs may not prevent Alzheimer’s Disease

A large US study suggests that statin, cholesterol lowering drug use does not lower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). – Taking statins, which are cholesterol-lowering drugs, offers no protection against Alzheimer’s disease, revealed by US researchers at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.

New ultrasound technique sharpens view of liver tumors

A high-energy form of ultrasound imaging developed by researchers at Duke University’s Pratt School of Engineering produces pictures of liver tumors that are better than those made with traditional ultrasound. – A new high-energy form of ultrasound imaging developed by researchers at Duke University’s Pratt School of Engineering produces pictures of liver tumors that are better than those made with traditional ultrasound, according to results of a clinical study.

New strategies work to put cancer on the firing line

Cancer cells are our own cells gone awry. That means our immune system doesn?t always see cancer as a horrific invader. – Dr. Yukai He wants to put cancer in the bull’s eye. “Cancer really comes from us,” the Medical College of Georgia Cancer Center immunologist says of the scary reality that cancer cells are our own cells gone awry. That means our immune system doesn’t always see cancer as a horrific invader.

Older surgical patients at greater risk for developing cognitive problems

Patients over the age of 60 who have elective surgeries such as joint replacements, hysterectomies and other non-emergency, inpatient procedures, are at an increased risk for long-term cognitive problems, according to a new study led by Duke University Medical Center researchers. – Duke University Medical Center researchers reveal that the patients over the age of 60 who have elective surgeries such as joint replacements, hysterectomies and other non-emergency, inpatient procedures, are at an increased risk for long-term cognitive problems.

Mouth rinse gargle test for cancer

A simple mouth rinse may provide a new way to screen for head and neck cancers in people at high risk for these diseases. – A morning gargle could someday be more than a breath freshener ? it could spot head and neck cancer, say scientists at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center. Their new study of a mouth rinse that captures genetic signatures common to the disease holds promise for screening those at high risk, including heavy smokers and alcohol drinkers.

Diesel exhaust fumes affect people with asthma

This is the first study to investigate in a real-life setting, outside of the laboratory, if traffic fumes make symptoms worse for people with asthma. Two thirds of people with asthma believe this to be the case.
– Diesel exhaust fumes on polluted streets have a measurable effect on people with asthma, according to the first study looking at exhausts and asthma in a real-life setting, published on 6 December in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Distorted self image the result of visual brain glitch, UCLA study

Body dysmorphic disorder tends to run in families and is especially common in people with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Thirty percent of people with BDD suffer from eating disorders, which are also linked to a distorted self-image.
– Although they look normal, people suffering from body dysmorphic disorder, or BDD, perceive themselves as ugly and disfigured. New imaging research reveals that the brains of these people look normal but function abnormally when processing visual details.