The amount of time patients with hormone-receptor–positive breast cancer were on treatment without their cancer worsening, which is called "progression-free survival", was effectively doubled in women with advanced breast cancer who took the experimental drug palbociclib. That was the result of the final clinical trials conducted by researchers from the Revlon/UCLA Women's Cancer Research Program at Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center on the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles.
Tag: depressive symptoms
The Role Of Enzymes In Breast Cancer
A major new discovery confirms the role of some virus-fighting enzymes in cancer development.
The research furthers the understanding of the biological processes that cause cancer.
One group of genes, the APOBEC family, controls enzymes that fight off viral infections. But scientists have speculated that these enzymes are also responsible for a distinct signature of mutations that is present in approximately half of all cancer types.
Angry Spouses And Low Blood Sugar
Lower blood-sugar levels may make married people likelier to be angry at their spouse, new research shows.
In a 21-day study, researchers found that blood glucose levels, measured each night, predicted how angry people would be toward their spouse at that time.
After the study ended, people with the lower blood glucose levels were also shown in a lab experiment to be more willing to subject their spouse to unpleasant noises than those with higher glucose levels.
Irrational Health Beliefs & Skipped Cardiac Rehab
Heart patients with beliefs about health that aren’t based on medical evidence are more likely to skip sessions of cardiac rehabilitation, according to a study done at Ohio State Univeristy and available online in April 2014 in the journal Health Psychology and slated to be published in a future print edition.
Among the irrational beliefs assessed were the following:
*Doubting the preventive power of the flu vaccine
Pinpointing Genetic Causes of Diseases
Researchers from North Carolina State University, UNC-Chapel Hill, and other institutions have taken the first steps toward creating a roadmap that may help scientists narrow down the genetic cause of numerous diseases. Their work also sheds new light on how heredity and environment can affect gene expression. The study was published online April 13th 2014 in Nature Genetics.
New Combo Drug Effective for Hep C
Treatment options for the 170 million people worldwide with chronic Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) are evolving rapidly, although the available regimens often come with significant side effects. Two multi-center clinical trials led by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center show promise for a new option that could help lead to both an increase in patients cured with a much more simple and tolerable therapy involving only oral medication.
10 Ways To Resist Tobacco Cravings
For most tobacco users, tobacco cravings or urges to smoke can be powerful. But you're not at the mercy of these tobacco cravings. When an urge to use tobacco strikes, remember that although it may be intense, it will be short-lived, and it probably will pass within a few minutes whether or not you smoke a cigarette or take a dip of chewing tobacco. Each time you resist a tobacco craving, you're one step closer to stopping smoking or other tobacco use for good. But it can be difficult.
GERD: Help For Heartburn And Other Woes
Ugh…heartburn again? If that’s your mantra after meals or as you fall asleep, you may have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
In GERD, the valve between your lower esophagus and stomach weakens. This sometimes lets food and stomach acids back up into your esophagus. The result is usually a burning sensation behind the breastbone, or heartburn. But GERD can also cause other symptoms: hoarseness, chest pain, a dry cough, the sensation that food is caught in your throat.
A Problem For All Ages
Doctors Say Malpractice System Is Better But Needs More Work
In a new assessment of the state of medical malpractice, the American College of Physicians (ACP) said that although the cost of liability insurance has leveled off, doctors still “fear litigation” and “expect lawsuits.”
Molly Cooke, MD, FACP, president of ACO, also said that physicians feel “the psychological burden of navigating the complex medico-legal system.”
Needed: Better Decision Making for the Sickest Patients
A sick, elderly patient who is considering risky surgery needs comprehensive help in the decision process, according to an analytical piece published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Laurent G. Glance, M.D, professor and vice-chair for research in the Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, said that a team approach would lead to better care that’s in accordance with the patient’s values.
5 Exercises for a Firmer Face and Neck
Watch: 6 Health Lies You Probably Believe
Here's another addition to our ThirdAge Video Collection. Press play to start learning!
Our New Secretary of HSS
In the wake of the error-plagued healthcare rollout that left millions of Americans struggling to log on to HealthCare.gov in order to get insurance, Kathleen Sibelius has resigned from the position of United States Secretary of Health and Human Services. On April 11th 2014, President Obama nominated Sylvia Matthews Burwell to be Sibelius’ successor. Burwell, who will turn 49 in June, served as Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget beginning in April 2013 after a stint as president of the Walmart Foundation starting in January 2012.
Long Live the Mitochondria!
Manipulating the metabolic process of mitochondria, the “power plants” of cells, may compensate for defects that are associated with aging and various neurological diseases. That is the finding of scientists at the University of Alberta who published their research on April 10th 2014 in Cell Reports. The study will appear in the print edition of the journal on April 24th.
Medicare’s Flawed Adjustment Methodology
The methodology Medicare uses to adjust the billions of dollars it pays health plans and hospitals to account for how sick their patients are is flawed and should be replaced, according to study by Dartmouth Atlas Project investigators published in the journal BMJ in April 2014.
Silly Putty the Key to Stem Cell Therapies?
Could a component of Silly Putty, the childhood classic from the 1950s that your grandkids probably play with today, help embryonic stem cells turn into working spinal cord cells? Yes, say researchers at the University of Michigan in Ann who published their study online at Nature Materials on April 13th 2014.
Avoid Portion Distortion
Want to try eating smaller? These tips from choosemyplate.gov can get you off to a great start:
We’ve all been guilty of “portion distortion” – of believing that we’re eating a lot less than we actually are. Avoid that trap by figuring out how big your portions really are:
The Dangers of Sleep Disorders
The doctor will then perform a physical examination, looking for signs of illnesses that can affect sleep, including Parkinson’s and heart disease. If your doctor feels more information is needed, he or she may refer you to a sleep center for more testing.