Success rates for organ transplants are increasing, but organ donations are decreasing, study shows – The number of living donor organs available for transplant has progressively declined over the past five years, according to a new study. In addition, the study showed that for the first time, organs from deceased donors decreased in 2008.
Feeling lonely adds to rate of blood pressure increase in people 50 years old and older – Chronic feelings of loneliness take a toll on blood pressure over time, causing a marked increase after four years, according to a new study at the University of Chicago.
University of Michigan scientists discover bone marrow can harbor HIV-infected cells — Targeting these reservoirs of latent cells may open door to new treatments – University of Michigan scientists have identified a new reservoir for hidden HIV-infected cells that can serve as a factory for new infections. This indicate a new target for curing the disease so those infected with the virus may someday no longer rely on AIDS drugs for a lifetime.
Regular exercise reduces patient anxiety by 20 percent, study finds – The anxiety that often accompanies a chronic illness can chip away at quality of life and make patients less likely to follow their treatment plan. But regular exercise can significantly reduce symptoms of anxiety, a new University of Georgia study shows.
Food allergies: The enemy within – The Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in the United Kingdom is forging ahead with a new project which is demonstrating a revolutionary approach to treating patients with food allergies.
Testosterone deficiency affects male cancer survivors’ quality of life – A new study has found that many male cancer survivors who develop testosterone deficiency after receiving chemotherapy or radiation therapy have an impaired quality of life and reduced energy levels.
Landmark heart treatment study — Atrial fibrillation treatment with catheter shows better results than drug therapy – Treating a common heart rhythm disorder by burning heart tissue with a catheter works dramatically better than drug treatments, according to a landmark study published in the Jan. 27 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
Johns Hopkins researchers say vaccine appears to ‘mop up’ leukemia cells Gleevec leaves behind — Team cautions that results are very preliminary and they cannot yet rule out other reasons for success – Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center researchers say preliminary studies show that a vaccine made with leukemia cells may be able to reduce or eliminate the last remaining cancer cells in some chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients taking the drug Imatinib mesylate (Gleevec).
Putting limits on vitamin E — The potent antioxidant may do more harm than good, Tel Aviv University research suggests. – Indiscriminate use of high-dose Vitamin E supplementation does more harm than good, revealed by a research group from Tel Aviv University.
Umbilical stem cells may help recover lost vision for those with corneal disease – New research from the University of Cincinnati (UC) may help in the recovery of lost vision for patients with corneal scarring.
Cooling may benefit children after cardiac arrest — Multicenter study evaluates effectiveness of therapeutic hypothermia in extending survival and reducing brain injury. – When the heart is stopped and restarted, the patient’s life may be saved but their brain is often permanently damaged. Therapeutic hypothermia, a treatment in which the patient’s body temperature is lowered and maintained several degrees below normal for a period of time, has been shown to mitigate these harmful effects and improve survival in adults.
Obesity will snuff out health benefits gained by smoking declines — University of Michigan and Harvard researchers find that the US population won’t live longer because even though they’ve quit smoking, more are overweight – If obesity trends continue, the negative effect on the health of the U.S. population will overtake the benefits gained from declining smoking rates, according to a study by U-M and Harvard researchers published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
