Llama Antibodies Control C. difficile By article Antibodies derived from llamas point the way to the development of new treatments for the deadly opportunistic bacterial pathogen Clostridium difficile (C. difficile).That’s the news from researchers from the Alberta Glycomics Centre at the University of Calgary and the University of Alberta in collaboration with researchers at the National Research Council of Canada in Ottawa. The team has revealed the first molecular views showing how highly specific antibodies derived from llamas may provide a new method for controlling lethal infections from C.
_ Improving Ultrasound for Cancer Detection By Jane Farrell article Researchers have made a breakthrough in the use of ultrasound to detect and monitor cancer, and the discovery could provide a safer method than the ones already in use. Ultrasound has some advantages over other detection and monitoring methods such as X-rays, CT scans and MRIs: It’s less expensive and is radiation-free. But it hasn’t provided as clear an image as have the other methods.
Why the Next Big Frontier in Medicine is Energy Medicine By blog I first heard about Dr. Mehmet Oz in 2000 when I was writing my book The Whole Man Program: Reinvigorating Your Body, Mind, and Spirit After 40. Dr. Oz was one of the top heart surgeons in the world at New York Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia Medical Center. I wanted to find someone with the best scientific credentials to help me better understand heart disease so I could help other men. Dr. Oz was a wonderful resource. He is still one of the best surgeons in the world but he has since expanded his view of what constitutes good medicine.
A New Image for a Facelift By Jane Farrell article Complications from facelifts can be painful and embarrassing, but a new 3-D technique may change that. The technique deals with liquid facelifts, in which people remove wrinkles and soften creases by the injection of a gel-like material. Hundreds of patients suffer redness and swelling after the procedure. Millions of people each year remove wrinkles, soften creases and plump up their lips by injecting a gel-like material into their facial tissue. These cosmetic procedures are sometimes called “liquid facelifts” and are said to be minimally invasive.
_ Calling Obesity a ΓÇ£DiseaseΓÇ¥ Undermines Healthy Behaviors By Jane Farrell article The American Medical Association declared obesity a disease in June 2013 but messages that describe obesity as a disease may undermine healthy behaviors and beliefs among obese people. That’s the finding of a study done at the University of Richmond in Virginia and the University of Minnesotaand published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
Midlife Bloggers Want a Seat at the Table By blog It is that time of year again. Almost daily, I receive an invitation or update in my inbox about upcoming blogging conferences. Since I started blogging three years ago, I’ve attended my share of blog events, from small gatherings with only a handful of attendees to huge conferences with thousands of bloggers from far-flung locations. However, last year I opted out of blogging conferences and this year doing the same.
_ Electronic Health Records = Fewer Unnecessary Tests By Jane Farrell article Electronic health-records systems, in which medical information is securely shared, may be helping avoid unnecessary care, a new study shows. Fewer emergency patients got repeated medical scans when they went to a hospital that takes part in a health information exchange, or HIE, according to researchers published online in the journal Medical Care. Researchers from the University of Michigan said their findings are a good evaluation of the effectiveness of HIEs.
_ Breast Cancer New Way to Image Dense Breasts By article Dartmouth engineers and radiologists are developing new approaches for an emerging technique called MRI with near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to image dense breasts for abnormalities. The study will appear in the February 2014 issue of the journal Academic Radiology.
Home Health Care: Navigating Racial and Cultural Differences By blog Roz, now 95 years old, spent all her life in Westchester County in the company of Jewish people like herself. She was not strictly religious, but she grew up in a time and place when, as she said, "like associated with like." She still recalls one evening, some 70 years ago, when she went on her first and only date with a non-Jewish boy. "I felt like the whole town was watching and judging," she said.
Hearing Loss Hastens Brain Tissue Loss By article Although the brain becomes smaller with age, the shrinkage seems to be fast-tracked in older adults with hearing loss, according to the results of a study by researchers from Johns Hopkins and the National Institute on Aging. The findings add to a growing list of health consequences associated with hearing loss, including increased risk of dementia, falls, hospitalizations, and diminished physical and mental health overall.
_ How Should You Exercise? Three Questions to Ask Your Doctor By Jane Farrell article Anyone who's ever read an article about exercise knows that checking with your doctor is always essential before you start an exercise program. But what exactly should you say to your doctor when you're asking about beginning or resuming physical activity?
_ Brain Training With Neurofeedback By article A new imaging technique lets people to “watch” their own brain activity in real time and control or adjust function in pre-determined brain regions. The study from the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital – The Neuro, McGill University, and the McGill University Health Centre was published in the journal NeuroImage. It’s the first to demonstrate that magnetoencephalography (MEG) can be used as a potential therapeutic tool to control and train specific targeted brain regions.
_ Glaucoma Cases Reduced by Half By Jane Farrell article Glaucoma is a serious issue faced by millions of people, but the likelihood of the condition has been cut in half, probably due to advances in diagnosis and therapy, a new study says Still, researchers also caution that many patients still progress to blindness. Glaucoma affects more than 2.7 million individuals aged 40 and older in the United States and 60.5 million people.
6 Menopause Warning Signs You ShouldnΓÇÖt Ignore (And How to Treat Them) By article By Soriyya Bawa, Executive Content Editor at Agein.com Everyone has heard of menopause and everything that comes with it, like the hot flashes and mood swings. But it seems not many women, or men for that matter, know about perimenopause, the change in hormones that signal the onset of menopause.
A Protein Plays a Role in AD Memory Loss By article Cleveland Clinic researchers have shown that a protein called Neuroligin-1 plays a critical role in the memory loss seen in Alzheimer's patients. The study was posted online in the January 19th 2014 issue of the journal Nature Neuroscience. A release from the clinic notes that amyloid beta proteins accumulate in the brains of Alzheimer's patients and induce inflammation. This inflammation leads to gene modifications that interrupt the functioning of synapses in the brain. This leads to memory loss.
The Growing Crisis of Visual Disorders in Seniors By Jane Farrell article Along with a host of other conditions such as diabetes, obesity and dementia, age-related eye disease is a growing health care issue, especially for older people. Forty million people worldwide are blind or have significant visual impairment. The vast majority of them - 82 percent of those who are blind and 65 percent of those who are visually impaired - are over 50. Researchers worldwide are working on "the aging eye" to address unmet needs of patients and to make scientific findings a reality in the eye doctor's office.
_ FLOTUS Is "50 & Fabulous" By article Michelle Obama turned 50 on January 17th 2014. Happy Birthday to our fabulous First Lady! She’s still radiant and she's got some of the most envied arms on the planet (who can forget that sleeveless official first portrait!), a killer wardrobe, and quite the social life.