Pain is a universal human experience. The International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) defines pain as “an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage or described in terms of such damage.” Pain may be a symptom of an underlying disease or disorder, or a disorder in its own right.
‘Mini’ stem cell transplantation may reverse severe sickle cell disease – Results of a preliminary study by scientists at the National Institutes of Health and Johns Hopkins show that “mini” stem cell transplantation may safely reverse severe sickle cell disease in adults.
Treatment of patients with cluster headache at symptom onset using inhaled high-flow oxygen compared with placebo was more likely to result in being pain-free at 15 minutes. – Patients with a cluster headache, which is characterized by bouts of excruciating pain usually near the eye or temple, were more likely to report being pain-free within 15 minutes of treatment with high-flow oxygen than patients who received a placebo treatment.
Multiple myeloma patients experience high response rate with new 3-drug combination – A new three-drug combination has shown in a phase 1/2 clinical trial that it is a “highly effective regimen” in the treatment of patients newly diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a cancer of white blood cells in bone marrow, say researchers from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
FDA Approves Kalbitor for Treating Potentially Life-Threatening Attacks of Hereditary Angioedema – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Kalbitor (ecallantide) to treat sudden and potentially life-threatening fluid buildup that can occur in people with a rare genetic condition known as hereditary angioedema (HAE).
Childhood lead exposure causes permanent brain damage – A study using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to evaluate brain function revealed that adults who were exposed to lead as children incur permanent brain injury. The results were presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
Targeted breast ultrasound can reduce biopsies for women under 40 – Targeted breast ultrasound of suspicious areas of the breast, including lumps, is a safe, reliable and cost-effective alternative to invasive biopsies for women under age 40.
Too much physical activity may lead to arthritis — knee osteoarthritis. – Middle-aged men and women who engage in high levels of physical activity may be unknowingly causing damage to their knees and increasing their risk for osteoarthritis.
New figures on cancer in Europe show a steady decline in mortality but big variations — Large variations in mortality exist between countries and between men and women – New figures on deaths from cancer in Europe show a steady decline in mortality between the periods 1990-1994 and 2000-2004. Deaths from all cancers in the European Union (EU) between these two periods fell by nine percent in men and eight percent in women, with a large drop among the middle-aged population.
New study finds men and women may respond differently to danger – Men and women respond differently to positive and negative stimuli, revealed by researchers in a study presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
FDA Approves Agriflu Seasonal Influenza Vaccine — Another option to prevent illnesses caused by subtypes A and B influenza virus – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Agriflu for people ages 18 years and older to prevent disease caused by influenza virus subtypes A and B.
Older adults who reported chronic musculoskeletal pain in two or more locations, higher levels of severe pain, or pain that interfered with daily activities were more likely to experience a fall than adults who did not reports these types of pain. – A new study finds that pain may be more hazardous than previously thought, contributing to an increased risk of falls in adults over age 70. Chronic pain is experienced by as many as two out of three older adults.
Measuring and modeling blood flow in malaria — Fluid Dynamics Conference in Minneapolis highlights – When people have malaria, they are infected with Plasmodium parasites, which enter the body from the saliva of a mosquito, infect cells in the liver, and then spread to red blood cells.
