Quality of life Archives

Acupuncture improved dyspnea in patients with COPD

Acupuncture appears linked with improvement in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease – Acupuncture appears to be associated with improvement of dyspnea (labored breathing) on exertion, in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) revealed by researchers in a new study. The management of dyspnea is an important target in the treatment of COPD, a common respiratory disease characterized by irreversible airflow limitation. COPD is predicted to be the third leading cause of death worldwide by 2020.

Antibiotic amoxicillin no cure for acute sinusitis

Treating acute sinusitis with antibiotic does not appear helpful – Treatment with the antibiotic amoxicillin for patients with acute uncomplicated rhinosinusitis (inflammation of the nasal cavity and sinuses) did not result in a significant difference in symptoms compared to patients who received placebo.

Bariatric surgery reduces heart attack and stroke in obese

Bariatric surgery associated with reduction in cardiovascular events and death – Among obese individuals, having bariatric surgery was associated with a reduced long-term incidence of cardiovascular deaths and events such as heart attack and stroke, revealed by researchers.

Poor sleep leads to health and behavior problems in young diabetics

Poor sleep linked to increased health and behavior problems in young diabetics – Lighter sleep and breathing problems lead to trouble controlling blood sugar, despite adherence to diabetic health guidelines – Young diabetics may be struggling to get a good night’s sleep, resulting in worse control of their blood sugar, poorer school performance and misbehavior, according to a study appearing in the January edition of the journal Sleep.

Cognitive decline linked to brain volume decreases in parkinson’s disease patients

Cognitive Decline in Patients with Parkinson Disease Associated With Certain Patterns of Brain Volume Decreases – Patients with Parkinson disease-related dementia appear to have increased brain atrophy in the hippocampal, temporal and parietal lobes and decreased prefrontal cortex volume compared to patients with Parkinson disease without dementia.

Avastin bevacizumab approval revoked to treat breast cancer in US

Avastin Loses FDA Approval to Treat Breast Cancer – US health agency FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D. has revoked the approval of the breast cancer indication for Avastin (bevacizumab) after concluding that the drug has not been shown to be safe and effective for that use.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement TAVR shows superiority in heart patients

Quality of life benefits of transcatheter aortic valve replacement, cost effectiveness analysis demonstrates continued superiority over standard therapy – A two-year study of patients in the landmark PARTNER trial, which compared transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in patients who have severe aortic stenosis and are not candidates for open heart surgery, confirm the one-year findings and support the role of TAVR as the standard of care.

Expandable prosthesis resolves advanced aortic valve disease

University Hospitals Case Medical Center physician-scientists participate in new multidisciplinary program and clinical trial – Among individuals 65 years and older, as many as 30 percent have aortic valve sclerosis or stenosis and as a result of their deteriorating health, they cannot enjoy a normal lifestyle.

Vitamin A supplements can save children

Vitamin A supplements for children could save 600,000 lives a year – Researchers have strongly recommended vitamin A supplementation for children under 5 in areas at risk of vitamin A deficiency. Children in low and middle income countries should be given vitamin A supplements to prevent death and illness, concludes a study published on bmj.com today.

65 million more obese in US and 11 million more in UK by 2030

65 million more obese adults in the US and 11 million more in the UK expected by 2030 — Resulting rise in US medical costs estimated to reach up to $66 billion a year – The rising prevalence of obesity around the globe places an increasing burden on the health of populations, on healthcare systems and on overall economies. A major challenge for researchers is to quantify the effect of these burdens to inform public policies.

Allergan’s BOTOX will be available in European Countries for Urinary Incontinence

Allergan’s BOTOX? Receives A Positive Opinion in Fourteen European Countries for Urinary Incontinence in Patients with MS or Spinal Cord Injury – Allergan is pleased to announce that BOTOX (botulinum toxin type A) has received a positive opinion from the Irish Medicines Board for the management of urinary incontinence in adults with neurogenic detrusor overactivity (NDO) resulting from neurogenic bladder due to stable sub-cervical spinal cord injury, or multiple sclerosis.

MS drugs help, but come at high cost

Benefit of MS drugs comes at a very high price for a common man in US – Multiple sclerosis drugs used to slow down the multiple sclerosis progression may help some patients, but at a very high cost. These disease modifying drugs ? come at a very high cost when compared to therapies that address the symptoms of MS and treatments for other chronic diseases.