Insidermedicine Daily News (Video)

Retinoblastoma Gene Found; Elevated HIV Blood Levels Affect Risk of Sexually Transmitting the Disease; Nicotine Replacement May Not Work Long Term (Week in Review)

(January 15, 2012 - Insidermedicine) From Tennessee - A new ...

(January 15, 2012 - Insidermedicine) From Tennessee - A new report published in Nature identifies a major genetic cause of retinoblastoma. Scientists sequenced the cancer genomes of patients with retinoblastoma and identified the mechanism that causes the eye tumour to be aggressive. These results provide a potential new target for treating the childhood tumour. From Seattle - Elevated levels of HIV-1 in the blood greatly increases risk of sexual HIV transmission, according to a report published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases. Studying over 3200 couples in which one partner had HIV and the other did not, researchers found that the higher the levels of HIV-1 in the blood of the infected partner, the more likely the virus was to be transmitted to the uninfected partner. And finally, from Boston - Research published in Tobacco Control finds that nicotine replacement therapies may not be effective long term. Researchers followed nearly 800 former smokers for nearly 5 years, finding that nicotine patches and gum were not effective at preventing individuals from relapsing when compared to individuals who quit smoking on their own

Grief Spikes Heart Attack Risk; Surgeons Best Between 35-50 Years Old; Children May Be More Likely to Have Asthma If Born Via C-Section (Week in Review)

(January 14 - Insidermedicine) From Boston - Grief raises risk ...

(January 14 - Insidermedicine) From Boston - Grief raises risk of heart attack, according to a report published in Circulation. Studying nearly 2000 heart attack survivors, researchers found that heart attack risk increased by 21x within the first day of losing a loved one, and nearly 6x within the first week. From France - Surgeons are at their best between the ages 35 and 50, according to a report published in British Medical Journal. Studying over 3500 thyroidectomies by nearly 30 different surgeons, researchers found that patients were at highest risk of complications if their surgeon was inexperienced or had been in practice for over 20 years. And finally, from Norway - Children may be more likely to develop asthma if they are delivered via cesarean section, according to a report published in the American Journal of Epidemiology. Studying over 37,000 individuals, researchers found that children delivered by c-section had a slightly increased risk of developing asthma by age 3, even if their mother had no allergy history

Possible Blood Test for Early Atherosclerosis; Gene Linked to Hereditary Prostate Cancer; Dietary Fibre Reduces Risk of Several Diseases (Video)

(January 13, 2012 - Insidermedicine) From Virginia - Scientists may ...

(January 13, 2012 - Insidermedicine) From Virginia - Scientists may have developed a blood test for early atherosclerosis, according to a report published in BMC Medical Genomics. Researchers collected blood samples from patients at high risk for atherosclerosis and from healthy controls, examining the samples for a set of 56 biomarkers believed to indicate early atherosclerosis. Results showed that the test was very accurate in identifying which individuals were at high risk. From Michigan - Research published in the New England Journal of Medicine identifies a gene mutation associated with hereditary prostate cancer. Studying over 5100 prostate cancer patients and 1400 controls, researchers found that individuals who inherited the HOXB13 genetic mutation had up to 20x increased risk of developing prostate cancer. And finally, from India - Increased fibre in the diet reduces risk of several diseases, according to a report published in the International Journal of Food Safety, Nutrition and Public Health. Results of a meta-analysis found that adequate consumption of dietary fibre greatly improves gastrointestinal health, reducing risk of diseases such as diverticular disease, heart disease and colon cancer.

HIV Video: Blood Levels of HIV Greatly Affect Risk of Sexual Transmission; Most Low Fat Muffins Not Healthy; C-Section May Raise Asthma Risk in the Child

(January 12, 2012 - Insidermedicine) From Seattle - Elevated levels ...

(January 12, 2012 - Insidermedicine) From Seattle - Elevated levels of HIV-1 in the blood greatly increases risk of sexual HIV transmission, according to a report published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases. Studying over 3200 couples in which one partner had HIV and the other did not, researchers found that the higher the levels of HIV-1 in the blood of the infected partner, the more likely the virus was to be transmitted to the uninfected partner. From Boston - A new report released by the Harvard School of Public Health finds that low fat muffins are not particularly healthy. Researchers found that low fat muffins typically have the same amount of calories as regular muffins, but with even more carbohydrates, sugar and 60% more sodium. The study authors emphasize that truly healthy muffins are those made with healthy fats, whole grains and much less sugar and salt. And finally, from Norway - Children may be more likely to develop asthma if they are delivered via cesarean section, according to a report published in the American Journal of Epidemiology. Studying over 37,000 individuals, researchers found that children delivered by c-section had a slightly increased risk of developing asthma by age 3, even if their mother had no allergy history

Marathon Runners Are Not At Raised Risk of Cardiac Arrest (Video)

(January 11, 2012 - Insidermedicine) While male marathoners with cardiovascular ...

(January 11, 2012 - Insidermedicine) While male marathoners with cardiovascular disease are at highest risk of experiencing a cardiac arrest during a long-distance run, the overall likelihood of such an occurrence is quite low, according to research published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Here are some tips to help you prepare for a marathon: •    Make sure you’re getting plenty of sleep •    Stay hydrated •    Eat a diet rich in complex carbohydrates prior to the race Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School calculated the incidence of cardiac arrest during marathons and half-marathons that took place in the United States between January 2000 and May 2010. They also assessed the clinical characteristics of the cardiac arrests that did occur by interviewing survivors and the next of kin of nonsurvivors and studying medical records and postmortem data. Among 10.9 million runners, 59 experienced a cardiac arrest, and 71% of these runners died. That translates to an overall incidence of cardiac arrest of 0.54 for every 100,000 runners. Cardiac arrest was more likely to occur during marathons than half-marathons and in men than women. Most of those who experienced cardiac arrest had underlying cardiovascular disease, and one of the greatest predictors of survival was the presence of someone who quickly initiated CPR. Among those at highest risk for cardiac arrest, that is, male marathoners, the incidence of cardiac arrest increased during the study period. Today’s research suggests that most long-distance runners do not need to worry about experiencing a sudden cardiac arrest, although men with underlying cardiovascular disease should be the most cautious.

Retinoblastoma Video: Major Genetic Cause of Childhood Tumor Discovered; Surgeons Are At Their Best Between 35 and 50 Years Old; Hospitalization Rates for Dementia Patients

(January 11, 2011 - Insidermedicine) From Tennessee - A new ...

(January 11, 2011 - Insidermedicine) From Tennessee - A new report published in Nature identifies a major genetic cause of retinoblastoma. Scientists sequenced the cancer genomes of patients with retinoblastoma and identified the mechanism that causes the eye tumour to be aggressive. These results provide a potential new target for treating the childhood tumour. From France - Surgeons are at their best between the ages 35 and 50, according to a report published in British Medical Journal. Studying over 3500 thyroidectomies by nearly 30 different surgeons, researchers found that patients were at highest risk of complications if their surgeon was inexperienced or had been in practice for over 20 years. And finally, from Washington - Dementia patients have very high hospitalization rates, according to a report published in Journal of the American Medical Association. Researchers examined over 3000 hospitalizations over a 13 year period, finding patients who had dementia were 2x more likely to be hospitalized than those without the condition.

Marijuana Smoke Not as Damaging As Cigarette Smoke; New Resuscitation Guidelines Ask 911 Dispatchers to Teach CPR Over Phone; Novel Drug Combo for Lung Cancer (Video)

(January 10, 2012 - Insidermedicine) From Alabama - Marijuana smoke ...

(January 10, 2012 - Insidermedicine) From Alabama - Marijuana smoke may not be as harmful as cigarette smoke, according to a report published in JAMA. Researchers reviewed data from a 21 year study following over 5,000 men and women. They found that long term cigarette smokers had significant decreases in air flow and lung volume, while occasional marijuana smokers did not suffer these same deficits. From Wisconsin - 911 dispatchers can save lives by coaching CPR to bystanders over the phone, according to new resuscitation guidelines published in Circulation. The new guidelines recommend that dispatchers can greatly increase the 'chain of survival' among heart attack patients by assessing whether or not an individual has suffered a cardiac arrest, and then provide hand-only CPR coaching to callers. And finally, from Pittsburgh - A novel drug combination may help prevent lung cancer, according to a study presented at the Molecular Origins of Lung Cancer: Biology, Therapy and Personalized Medicine conference. Researchers found that a combination of estrogen targeting drugs was able reduce lung cancer tumours in a mouse model with precancerous cells

Stem Cells May Be Able to Reverse Diabetes; Grief Greatly Raises Risk of Heart Attack; Nicotine Patch May Not Be Effective, Long Term (Video)

(January 9, 2012 - Insidermedicine) From Chicago - Scientists may ...

(January 9, 2012 - Insidermedicine) From Chicago - Scientists may have reversed diabetes using stem cell therapy, according to a report published in BMC Medicine. Researchers used stem cells taken from diabetic patients' cord blood and re-educated the T-cells to improve pancreatic function. After 40 weeks of treatment, researchers saw improvements in patient's autoimmune control--suggesting that daily insulin dosage could be safely reduced. From Boston - Grief raises risk of heart attack, according to a report published in Circulation. Studying nearly 2000 heart attack survivors, researchers found that heart attack risk increased by 21x within the first day of losing a loved one, and nearly 6x within the first week. And finally, from Boston - Research published in Tobacco Control finds that nicotine replacement therapies may not be effective long term. Researchers followed nearly 800 former smokers for nearly 5 years, finding that nicotine patches and gum were not effective at preventing individuals from relapsing when compared to individuals who quit smoking on their own

Cancer Death Rates Falling; Global Drug Related Burden of Disease; Stem Cells Keep Aging Mice Alive Longer than Expected (Week in Review)

From Georgia - A new report released by the American ...

From Georgia - A new report released by the American Cancer Society finds that cancer death rates in the US continue to fall. Researchers noted a 1% decrease per year in cancer death rates from 1999 to 2008, particularly among the most common cancers--breast, prostate, lung and colon. From Australia - A new report published in the Lancet examines the global burden of disease due to drug use. Researchers estimate that around 200 million people worldwide are using illicit drugs every year, with use being highest in developed countries. These results make the drug-related burden of disease equivalent to that caused by alcohol. From Pittsburgh - Stem cells given to aging mice significantly extended the rodent's lifespan, according to a report published in Nature Communications. Researchers injected stem cells derived from young, healthy mice into a mouse model that was engineered to age rapidly. They found that the stem cells dramatically improved the health of the mice and the rodent's lived 2-3x longer than expected.

Mental Deterioration May Begin at 45; PSA Screening Has No Impact on Prostate Cancer Mortality, Calories, not Protein, Lead to Increase in Body Fat (Week in Review)