Thursday, September 29, 2011

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder - ADHD

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD or maybe AD/HD or maybe ADD) is usually a developmental issue. It is definitely primarily seen as an "the co-existence linked to attentional complications and hyperactivity, with every single behavior going on infrequently alone" and also symptoms commencing before seven years.

ADHD would be the most normally studied and also diagnosed psychiatric issue in little ones, affecting about 3 to 5 percent linked to children around the globe and discovered in with regards to 2 so as to 16 % involving college old kids. It is usually a chronic issue with twenty five to 50 percent of such individuals discovered in child years continuing to get symptoms way up. Adolescents and also adults as well as ADHD generally develop interacting mechanisms to purchase a number of or their impairments. About 4. 7 % of U . s . adults live with ADHD. Standardized credit score scales by way of example WHO’s Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale can be employed for ADHD assessment and assessment through the disorder’s indicators severity.

ADHD is definitely diagnosed only two to several times often in little ones than within just girls, though analysis suggest this type of discrepancy could possibly be partially as a consequence of subjective bias of referfing to teachers. ADHD supervision usually consists of some mix of medications, execute modifications, adjust in life style, and direction. Its symptoms may be difficult so as to differentiate by way of other troubles, increasing the risk that your diagnosis linked to ADHD will be missed. Additionally, most physicians haven’t gotten formal mastering the examination and solution of ADHD, specially in adult patients.

ADHD in fact it is diagnosis and also treatment are considered controversial for the reason that 1970s. Your controversies own involved medical doctors, teachers, policymakers, parents along with the media. Topics are the actuality through the disorder, it’s will cause, and employing stimulant drugs in it’s cure. Most medical providers get that ADHD is usually a genuine issue with debate from the scientific town centering mostly around precisely how it’s diagnosed and also treated. The us Medical Corporation concluded within just 1998 what sort of diagnostic demands for ADHD present extensive exploration and, in the event applied effectively, lead towards diagnosis as well as high reliability.

What just is ADHD?

Attention debt hyperactivity trouble (ADHD) will be the most recurrent childhood-onset behavioural trouble.

Those affected utilize a greatly reduced capacity to maintain attention without having to be distracted, to take care of what they are often doing or possibly saying (caused by impulsivity) and then to control the amount physical action suitable for the predicament (and that is, they’re sleep deprived and fidgety).

ADHD might be called concern deficit trouble (ENHANCE) or possibly hyperactivity. The disorder ought not to be confused in addition to normal, full of energy childhood actions.

ADHD will cause

The root of ADHD haven’t yet ended up fully mentioned. One rule is that it can be due, in part, to a terrific imbalance with regards to neurotransmitters (substances that transmitted nerves signals inside brain).

Another explanation can be found around numerous problems on the inside ADHD - as their pharmicudical counterpart is obviously unable to filter the a substantial amount activation many of us acquire every single minute of each one day from a world with regards to us. So any individual is snowed under with many information plus cannot select what on earth is applicable along with what should be ignored. In contrast to giving issues inadequate attention they can pay a great deal of attention to so many things, for that reason lack stress.

The major six neural functions troubled are:

Freedom: changing via topic or possibly idea to your new
Organisation with regards to thoughts plus ideas
Planning - thinking ahead, building goals
Using storage effectively -- ingesting, storing plus retrieving facts.
Keeping inside thoughts separate to logical contemplating
Appropriate inhibition: acting soon after thought plus consideration

An troubled child are going to be easily diverted which enable it to not course of action information which has a normal price.

Brain verification declare that will in ADHD the actual frontal lobes while using brain, which commonly perform functions as an illustration inhibition, are a reduced amount of active as compared with normal plus processes as an illustration decision making is usually not carried around so effectively. There may be also turn into imbalances inside brain substances noradrenaline plus dopamine.

Even so, this is usually a generalisation: brain analyze shows a number of different troubles in ADHD, with males and females showing their own pattern with regards to behaviour.

Genetic or possibly hereditary factors are incredibly important -- typically a parent or turn relative even provides problem. Twin plus genetic reports show a lot of genes will usually are involved. Proof mental faculties dysfunction may be found on the inside brain-imaging reports.

However, research has thus far been struggling to demonstrate steady neurobiological disparities between troubled children plus normal manages, so the actual syndrome continues controversial.
Diet could possibly be a component: parents currently have long explained that food additives can readily aggravate hyperactive actions and research through the Food Features Agency plus Southampton University signifies that specific recipes regarding unnatural foods hues, alongside salt benzoate: a preservative seen in ice product or service and confectionary are associated with increases on the inside hyperactivity.

ADHD symptoms

Symptoms incorporate excessively, routinely and involuntarily featuring difficulty:

Outstanding seated at any time required
Waiting submit group examples
Following rules
Playing steadly

Other recurrent symptoms incorporate:

Shifting via incomplete activity to your new
Interrupting other individuals

Engaging on the inside physically unsafe activities without taking into account the implications
Not every individual with ADHD contains the same symptoms or is suffering from each to the same degree or diploma. There are generally three varieties of people in addition to ADHD:

Generally hyperactive-impulsive
Generally inattentive
Put together (a lot of ADHD conditions)

There’s in addition a last sort, which doesn’t match many of the three instructional classes, classified considering that ’ADHD not really otherwise specified’.

These types of problems are generally pervasive plus debilitating, sometimes to the degree through which daily functioning becomes very hard. They may affect training and influence family existing.
While their own intellect may be normal or possibly advanced, over fifty percent of young people with ADHD currently have specific understanding disabilities, as an illustration dyslexia. Handling your symptoms could indicate underachievement plus poor self-esteem.

Children in addition to ADHD can be more at risk of be negative, anxious plus obsessive, and might even incorporate some difficulties using speech, language and coordination.

Some various other major behavioural troubles may get along with ADHD, such as oppositional rebellious disorder (preventing and calculated defying) plus conduct trouble (essential antisocial activity).

Hyperactivity could very well improve using puberty however problems normally persist in a very few variety through person living -- around 50 % of young people show ADHD actions in adulthood.

Who’s influenced with ADHD?

ADHD normally starts using about 1 . 5 years, but will not be diagnosed until finally later, in addition until adulthood.

It’s expected that ADHD applies to five to ten % involving youngsters along with adolescents throughout britain, using around one particular inside 100 drastically affected. Symptoms normally become apparent relating to the ages with regards to three plus seven, with guys more at risk of be troubled than girls. The problem perform in loved ones.

Although young people with ADHD arrive coming via dysfunctional loved ones, it’s not on account of bad taking care of or mistreatment. Instead this can simply reflect simple fact one parent is usually also suffering from ADHD, which in turn inhibits his or her nurturing knowledge.

ADHD therapies

Since it's not at all clear the key reason why children develop ADHD, it’s difficult to halt. There’s additionally no standard screening test to identify those persons carrying genes which can increase susceptibility plus antenatal confirmation isn’t offered.

Although generally there isn’t just about any cure, early treatment and suitable help in your own home can come up with a positive adjust. Diagnosis should be made merely by formal exams by somebody with connection with the trouble, such just as one educational psycho hypnotherapist.

The most up-to-date guidelines received from NICE (the actual National Begin for Health insurance and Clinical Brilliance) advise that this initial measures inside cure include help with behaviour plus stress oversight, and easy-guide support. Parents with regards to children in addition to mild to moderate ADHD should be offered exercise techniques to inform them how to cope with and command their children’s habits. The young people themselves should be offered self-hypnosis or societal skills education and learning.

The substitute is medication to help you children target and continue to be less bothersome, but WONDERFUL advise that will, in school-age young people with regular ADHD, medications need to simply always be approved in case behavior operations techniques alone will never work. Nevertheless, in those people children through an increase involving severe ADHD, which disturbs all parts of their existing, medication works extremely well as a new primary range therapy. NICE additionally says through which medication mustn't be used the slightest bit in young people under age five.

The superior are stimulant prescription drugs, such considering that methylphenidate (organization name Ritalin), which enhance a child’s capacity to focus. Even so, the a a reaction to these prescription drugs is various - numerous children are generally helped in excess of others.

Additionally, research shows that after immediately after some timeframe on stimulants, the prescription drugs may won't have a crucial effect. So next occasion frame, children are frequently offered the endeavor period faraway from their drugs to determine if they may still need them.
Much like any cure, there may be side-effects. As one example, recent analyze has specializing in possible effects on growth in a very few young children.

Modification with regards to diet may help some young people. Support for ones family might be important.

In addition to help, many those that have ADHD discover a way to channel their own energies in addition to dramatic fulfillment.

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Treatment of stress and fatigue lethargy fatigue

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Friday, May 20, 2011

European Parliament approves fake medicine directive

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Thursday, May 19, 2011

Elderly care costs could treble says OECD

The cost of caring for the elderly could treble by 2050, according to a report by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

in reference to:

"The cost of caring for the elderly could treble by 2050, according to a report by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development."
- Elderly care costs could treble says OECD | Eslob Health (view on Google Sidewiki)

Coffee cuts prostate cancer risk

Coffee has been linked to a reduced risk of dying from prostate cancer in a study of nearly 50,000 US men.

in reference to:

"Coffee has been linked to a reduced risk of dying from prostate cancer in a study of nearly 50,000 US men."
- Coffee cuts prostate cancer risk | Eslob Health (view on Google Sidewiki)

Mentally ill have reduced life expectancy

People suffering from serious mental illnesses like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder can have a life expectancy 10 to 15 years lower than the UK average.

in reference to:

"People suffering from serious mental illnesses like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder can have a life expectancy 10 to 15 years lower than the UK average."
- Mentally ill have reduced life expectancy | Eslob Health (view on Google Sidewiki)

Glasgow University researchers decode brainwaves

Scientists believe they are a step closer to being able to read people’s minds after decoding human brainwaves.

in reference to:

"Scientists believe they are a step closer to being able to read people’s minds after decoding human brainwaves."
- Glasgow University researchers decode brainwaves | Eslob Health (view on Google Sidewiki)

A guide to headache remedies

How they work: Simple deep breathing and stretching (neck and shoulder rolls, in particular) relax tense muscles that trigger headaches, says Sheena Aurora, M.D., the director of the Swedish Headache Center, in Seattle.

in reference to:

"How they work: Simple deep breathing and stretching (neck and shoulder rolls, in particular) relax tense muscles that trigger headaches, says Sheena Aurora, M.D., the director of the Swedish Headache Center, in Seattle."
- A guide to headache remedies | Eslob Health (view on Google Sidewiki)

Coffee linked to lower risk of fatal prostate cancer

Men who drink a lot of coffee might feel a bit jittery or high-strung, but those side effects may come with a hidden benefit: prostate health.

in reference to:

"Men who drink a lot of coffee might feel a bit jittery or high-strung, but those side effects may come with a hidden benefit: prostate health."
- Coffee linked to lower risk of fatal prostate cancer | Eslob Health (view on Google Sidewiki)

Circumcising our son - How do we decide?

Knowledge is said to be power. But as parents living in an information-driven age, we feel compelled to grasp all of the facts that bombard us. We are hyperinformed and ultraconscientious. We surf the Web, we read the books, we poll our friends.

in reference to:

"Knowledge is said to be power. But as parents living in an information-driven age, we feel compelled to grasp all of the facts that bombard us. We are hyperinformed and ultraconscientious. We surf the Web, we read the books, we poll our friends."
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Males should get HPV vaccine too

Men also carry the human papillomavirus, the virus that can lead to male cancers and genital warts. And they could spread HPV to their sexual partners, putting those people at risk for cervical cancer.

in reference to:

"Men also carry the human papillomavirus, the virus that can lead to male cancers and genital warts. And they could spread HPV to their sexual partners, putting those people at risk for cervical cancer."
- Males should get HPV vaccine too | Eslob Health (view on Google Sidewiki)

San Francisco to vote on male circumcision in November

San Francisco voters will decide whether to ban male circumcision in the November 8 municipal election.

in reference to:

"San Francisco voters will decide whether to ban male circumcision in the November 8 municipal election."
- San Francisco to vote on male circumcision in November | Eslob Health (view on Google Sidewiki)

On HIV Vaccine Awareness Day

May 18 is HIV Vaccine Awareness Day. It’s a day to remember the thousands of volunteers, health care professionals, advocates, scientists and community members who work tirelessly on a safe, effective vaccine. But 30 years into the epidemic that has claimed the lives of more than half a million Americans, there is still no vaccine. That’s not to say there haven’t been a number of promising clinical trials.

in reference to:

"May 18 is HIV Vaccine Awareness Day. It’s a day to remember the thousands of volunteers, health care professionals, advocates, scientists and community members who work tirelessly on a safe, effective vaccine. But 30 years into the epidemic that has claimed the lives of more than half a million Americans, there is still no vaccine. That’s not to say there haven’t been a number of promising clinical trials."
- On HIV Vaccine Awareness Day | Eslob Health (view on Google Sidewiki)

Fewer screening tests for cancer may soon be doctor’s orders

For men being screened for prostate cancer, the results of a PSA test can become mired in confusing caveats. The test measures the level of a protein called prostate-specific antigen in a man’s blood

in reference to:

"For men being screened for prostate cancer, the results of a PSA test can become mired in confusing caveats. The test measures the level of a protein called prostate-specific antigen in a man’s blood"
- Fewer screening tests for cancer may soon be doctor’s orders | Eslob Health (view on Google Sidewiki)

Stop selling higher dose Alzheimer’s drug

A specific dose of Alzheimer’s drug should be pulled from the market because it poses a risk to patients, according to a consumer group.

in reference to:

"A specific dose of Alzheimer’s drug should be pulled from the market because it poses a risk to patients, according to a consumer group."
- Stop selling higher dose Alzheimer’s drug | Eslob Health (view on Google Sidewiki)

Haiti cholera outbreak causes not clear

The cholera outbreak in central Haiti that so far has killed more than 250 people and infected more than 3,000 is the worst health challenge the country faces since the earthquake in January.

in reference to:

"cholera"
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Dominican Republic’s capital on alert for cholera

Health authorities in the Dominican Republic have issued an alert in parts of the capital, Santo Domingo, amid suspected cholera cases.

in reference to:

"Dominican"
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Egyptian mummy first to have diseased heart

An Egyptian princess who lived 3,500 years ago is thought to be the first known person to have developed heart disease, say researchers.

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Tuesday, May 17, 2011

A little lipo with your facial, madam?

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How speech patterns sway opinions

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Switzerland: Zurich votes on suicide tourism laws

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Poor labelling of chewing tobacco hides risks

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Parental strife affects babies

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Bid to boost blood cancer survival

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UK group hails Swiss assisted suicide vote

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Monday, May 16, 2011

Pregnant with cancer

When she found the lump in her breast, Jessica Denton had known she was pregnant with her first child for just a few days.

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Chinese conjoined twins fight for survival

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Grandpa dropped 58 pounds in Mississippi challenge

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Poetry, film give voice for OCD sufferers

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Skin infestation a delusion

For years, dermatologists have been aware of — and baffled by — people who feel a constant creepy-crawly sensation beneath their skin, which they believe is due to bugs, worms, or eggs below the surface.

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Six big kid sleep problems

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Teach your child to save a life

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Which sleep position is healthiest?

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Dengue fever cases double in UK

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Coffee mooted as a breast cancer preventer

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Selenium does not prevent cancer

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Legal highs created at an unprecedented pace

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Monkey HIV vaccine effective

A new vaccine can protect macaques against the monkey equivalent of HIV and could provide a fresh approach to an HIV vaccine, a study suggests.

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Sickle cell anaemia treatment effective for children

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Twitter vital link to patients

In the aftermath of the earthquake in Japan, Twitter is proving "an excellent system" for communicating with chronically-ill patients, say doctors.

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Anti retroviral drugs help reduce HIV transmission

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Alabama bacteria outbreak linked to laboratory

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Manuka honey could help fight superbugs

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WHO appeals for better baby care

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WHO appeals for better baby care

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Report says 7000 babies stillborn every day worldwide

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Premature birth gene discovered

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Booze: Is it friend or foe?

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Drinking over recommended limit raises cancer risk

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Children can recall early memories

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Face transplant: Dallas Wiens hails regained smell

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Switzerland: Zurich votes to keep assisted suicide

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Malaria blocks super infection

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Schools should teach how to save a life

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Thursday, April 7, 2011

Hospitals Shift Smoking Bans to Smoker Ban

Smokers now face another risk from their habit: it could cost them a shot at a job.

More hospitals and medical businesses in many states are adopting strict policies that make smoking a reason to turn away job applicants, saying they want to increase worker productivity, reduce health care costs and encourage healthier living.

in reference to:

"Smokers now face another risk from their habit: it could cost them a shot at a job. More hospitals and medical businesses in many states are adopting strict policies that make smoking a reason to turn away job applicants, saying they want to increase worker productivity, reduce health care costs and encourage healthier living."
- Hospitals Shift Smoking Bans to Smoker Ban | Eslob Health (view on Google Sidewiki)

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Sexual preference chemical found in mice

A chemical in the brain controls sexual preference in mice, according to scientists in China.

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Genes for pre eclampsia discovered

Scientists say they have identified genetic errors that appear to increase a pregnant woman’s chance of getting the potentially life-threatening condition called pre-eclampsia.

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Women risk cancer returning by stopping Tamoxifen early

Women who cut short their Tamoxifen treatment before the recommended full five years risk their breast cancer returning, experts warn.

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Early warning diabetes test hope

Experts believe a simple blood test could spot diabetes up to 10 years before the first symptoms of the disease occur.

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Breakthrough in delivering drugs to the brain

A new way of delivering drugs to the brain has been developed by scientists at the University of Oxford.

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Protein found in brain cells may be key to autism

Scientists have shown how a single protein may trigger autistic spectrum disorders by stopping effective communication between brain cells.

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Tuberculosis vaccine target found

A protein which could be targeted for a tuberculosis vaccine has been discovered by scientists at Imperial College London.

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"A protein which could be targeted for a tuberculosis vaccine has been discovered by scientists at Imperial College London"
- Tuberculosis vaccine target found | Eslob Health (نظرة على ويكي Google الجانبي)

Life expectancy on the rise despite obesity epidemic

Life expectancy in the UK is on the rise, along with the rest of Europe, despite fears over the impact of obesity, a population expert has said.

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Actos is alternative to banned diabetes drug Avandia

A drug to treat diabetes, Actos, would be a "sensible alternative" to one which was banned last year, researchers have said.

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India doctors suspended over deaths of pregnant women

Authorities in the Indian state of Rajasthan have suspended three senior doctors in connection with the deaths of 18 pregnant women last month.

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Dental hearing aid gets approved in Europe

A new hearing aid that transmits sound through a person’s teeth has been approved for use in Europe.

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"Eslob | Health and Medical ArticlesSearch Search: HomeArchivesSubscribeContact News about Health Dental hearing aid gets approved in Europe by Health ⋅ Saturday 19 March 2011 ⋅ Reply to this article A new hearing aid that transmits sound through a person’s teeth has been approved for use in Europe."
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England healthier than the US

People living in England enjoy better health than Americans, despite less investment in healthcare, research published in the US has revealed.

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Call to vaccinate against possible H2N2 flu pandemic

Governments should launch a vaccination programme now to guard against a possible H2N2 flu pandemic, according to an article in the journal Nature.

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Doubts emerge over heart risk to apple shape

Doubts have been raised over the idea that being overweight and "apple shaped" increases heart attack risk.

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Joseph Maraachli: End-of-life row toddler moved to US

Parents of a terminally ill Canadian boy have transferred him to a US Catholic hospital after an Ontario court ruled doctors could remove a breathing tube keeping him alive.

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Passive smoking increases stillbirth risk

Fathers-to-be should stop smoking to protect their unborn child from the risk of stillbirth or birth defects, scientists say.

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Brain disorder messaging clue

Scientists say they have discovered a "maintenance" protein that helps keep nerve fibres that transmit messages in the brain operating smoothly.

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"maintenance" protein that helps keep nerve fibres that transmit messages in the brain operating smoothly."
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Vital sign guidelines miss sick children

Guidelines for children’s heart and breathing rates are inaccurate and not based on evidence, according to researchers.

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European hospitals asked be on standby for Japan’s ill

Five hundred bone marrow transplant centres across Europe are being asked to be on standby to treat Japanese radiation victims if the need arises.

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Haiti cholera is far worse than expected

The cholera epidemic affecting Haiti looks set to be far worse than officials had thought, experts fear.

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Japan earthquake: Radiation pill sales surge in US

Fears of radiation sickness stemming from the unfolding nuclear crisis in Japan have prompted a surge in US sales of potassium iodide.

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Monday, March 7, 2011

Female lung cancers doubled since 1970 in over 60

Lung cancer rates have more than doubled for women over 60 since the mid-1970s, figures show.

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Saturday, March 5, 2011

Friday, March 4, 2011

Ibuprofen cuts Parkinson’s disease risk

People who take ibuprofen on a regular basis have a lower risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, research suggests.

The drug is commonly used to ease aches and pains but US research, in Neurology journal, found it had an added benefit.

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Cancer rise and sperm quality fall due to chemicals

Sperm quality significantly deteriorated and testicular cancers increased over recent years, a Finnish study says.

The study in the International Journal of Andrology looked at men born between 1979 and 1987.

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Obesity rate lower in Canada than in US

Canada has a significantly lower rate of obesity than does the US, a new US government study has shown.

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Baby loss depression lasts years

The psychological impact of losing an unborn baby can last for several years, a British and US study has found.

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Study - Cannabis use raises psychosis risk

Using cannabis as a teenager or young adult increases the risk of psychosis, a report suggests.

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Passive smoking raises breast cancer risk

Exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke as a child or adult appears to increase a woman’s risk of breast cancer, experts say.

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Exercise cuts risk of developing bowel cancer polyps

People who lead an active lifestyle are up to a third less likely to develop polyps which can develop into bowel cancer, according to a study.

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50st Zac Smith of Rhoose pays for operation in India

A man weighing 50st (317kg) has told how he went to India and paid for a weight loss operation after failing to qualify for the procedure on the NHS.

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Male depression set to increase

Psychiatrists have warned that the number of men with depression could rise because of changes in Western society

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"Male depression set to increase"
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Review reveals thousands wrongly diagnosed diabetic

Around 100,000 people in England may have been incorrectly diagnosed with diabetes, an audit of GP patient records suggests.

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Study Underlines Marijuana Link to Psychosis

People who use cannabis in their youth dramatically increase their risk of psychotic symptoms, and continued use of the drug can raise the risk of developing a psychotic disorder in later life, scientists said on Wednesday.

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"Marijuana Link to Psychosis"
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Weed study goes up in smoke

London - Teenagers and young adults who use cannabis face increased risk of psychosis, research published in the British Medical Journal showed on Wednesday.

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Cannabis linked to psychosis

Using cannabis as a teenager or into young adulthood increases the risk of psychosis, experts have warned.

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"Using cannabis as a teenager or into young adulthood increases the risk of psychosis, experts have warned."
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One in eight women will get breast cancer

A woman’s risk of developing breast cancer has risen to one in eight from one in nine, according to Cancer Research UK.

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Passive smoking kills 600,000 person worldwide

The first global study into the effects of passive smoking has found it causes 600,000 deaths every year.

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Body Mass Index - BMI - misses obesity risks

In this week’s ’Scrubbing Up’, nutrition expert Dr Margaret Ashwell OBE argues that using BMI alone could be missing some patients at risk of the diseases associated with obesity.

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No need to delay pregnancy after miscarriage

Women who have had a miscarriage do not need to wait before trying to get pregnant again, say doctors.

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License cannabis sales

Policymakers should consider allowing the licensed sale of cannabis for recreational use, says one of the UK’s leading researchers of the drug.

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Diabetes and virus link confirmed

Children with Type 1 diabetes are nearly 10 times as likely to also have a viral infection than healthy children, Australian research suggests.

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"confirmed"
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Skunk bigger psychosis risk than other cannabis types

People who smoke potent skunk are more at risk of psychotic illnesses such as schizophrenia than those who use other types of cannabis, scientists suspect.

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"psychosis risk than other cannabis types"
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Scientists seek assurances over planned UK code

Leading scientists have told the government its attempts to safeguard the independence of scientific advice might do more harm than good.

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"Scientists seek assurances over planned UK code"
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Unethical anaesthetics research is retracted

The editors of 16 medical journals have retracted "unethical" studies by an influential German anaesthetist.

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Saturday, February 19, 2011

Oscar stars who’ve had strokes

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Thinking caps and superbrains

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Poetry the creative process and mental illness

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US fight over abortion heats up again

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The man with a plastic heart

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Two year old stroke victim is living with hemiplegia

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Hepatitis C: Every day was painful

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How safe cosmetic (plastic) surgery?

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Study highlights medical split on breast cancer surgery

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Parasites struggle for survival makes malaria deadly

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Mild asthma might not need to be treated daily

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Early medical abortions Bid to change law fails

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Hearing loss may be an early sign of dementia

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ADHD brains may have faulty brakes

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When to test for ADHD

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Whole grain fiber linked to longer life

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Bad breath? Break free and how to tell a friend

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Pediatricians, parents warned on energy drink dangers

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Zinc can be an effective treatment for common colds

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Nigerian fake doctors charged in South Africa court

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Alcohol disrupts women’s sleep

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Sunday, January 23, 2011

Two critical with swine flu in Hong Kong

Two critical with swine flu in Hong Kong

AFP/File – People are pictured wearing masks as they visit a hospital in Hong Kong, in 2009. Two people were in …

HONG KONG (AFP) – Two people were in critical condition in a Hong Kong hospital suffering from swine flu, health officials said Friday, a year and a half after an outbreak killed more than 80 people in the city.
The Chinese financial centre is nervous about infectious diseases, following the outbreak of the SARS virus in 2003, which killed 300 people in the city and a further 500 around the world.

Hong Kong, a city of seven million, has some of the world's most densely populated neighbourhoods, prompting a panicked response from many residents over news of a disease outbreak. Some wear surgical masks to avoid infection.

The city's health department said that the deadly influenza had claimed 83 lives since an outbreak in 2009.
Authorities appeared wary of raising the alarm over the latest cases, with a senior public health official telling RTHK radio there were no plans to shut schools, as the city did in 2009 which drew criticism about an official overreaction.

But there are worries the disease could spread over the next few weeks in the run up to Lunar New Year, when hundreds of millions of Chinese travel across the country to celebrate with families.

On Friday, a spokeswoman for the Queen Elizabeth Hospital told AFP "a 21-year-old female is in critical condition after contracting swine flu".

The student, who had returned to Hong Kong from mainland China after falling ill, was admitted to hospital on January 11 and transferred to intensive care on Tuesday, the spokeswoman told AFP. She later confirmed the woman has leukemia.

Also Tuesday, a two-year-old girl was placed in the hospital's intensive care unit after she contracted the disease, the spokeswoman said, adding that she remains in critical condition.
Authorities in the nearby gambling hub of Macau have confirmed a 47-year-old woman was in critical condition with the disease.

Swine flu has killed more than 18,400 people and affected practically all parts of the world since it was uncovered in Mexico and the United States in April 2009, according to the World Health Organization.
In August last year, the agency said swine flu had "largely run its course", declaring an end to the pandemic.
In May 2009, Hong Kong health authorities quarantined around 300 guests and staff at a hotel where the carrier, a Mexican national, had briefly stayed, while education chiefs ordered all primary schools to be closed for two weeks over fears about the illness spreading.

In July 2009, a Philippine maid became the city's first swine flu fatality.

Last month, Hong Kong lowered its public health warning on influenza, weeks after announcing its first human case of bird flu since 2003.

Hong Kong was the site of the world's first major outbreak of bird flu among humans in 1997, when six people died of a mutation of the virus, which is normally confined to poultry.

by Joyce Woo

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

FDA to consider Alzheimer's test for living patients

FDA to consider Alzheimer's test for living patients

One of the many frustrations of Alzheimer’s disease is the difficulty in pinpointing just who has it. According to published research, as many as one in five people told they have Alzheimer’s are mislabeled. A definitive diagnosis can  be made only after death, by an autopsy that reveals a distinctive buildup – known as amyloid plaques – in the patient’s brain. This week, however, the FDA will consider a new diagnostic test that may be able to identify those plaques through PET scans – a type of brain scan – on living patients.
In a small study run by Avid Radiopharmaceuticals and made public Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association , PET scans identified the telltale plaques in 97 % of patients who actually had them, as determined by a subsequent autopsy. The 35 patients in this part of the study were terminally ill, and agreed to both a brain scan and an autopsy.
The researchers also performed PET scans on presumably healthy people to try to ensure that the test could tell the difference. It could. Of 74 young and healthy people tested, none had scans indicating Alzheimer’s.
Before performing a PET scan, a doctor or technician injects the patient with a radioactive dye that can be detected by the imaging equipment. The particular dye used in this test was developed by Avid and is known as Florbetapir F 18. Chief Executive Officer Dr. Daniel Skovronsky says Florbetapir F 18 binds tightly to the amyloid proteins – making them visible to the scanner – but doesn’t bind to other tissue.
According to Skovronsky, diagnosis of Alzheimer’s still depends on a clinician who can evaluate a patient’s overall condition, but he says the test with Florbetapir could be especially useful as a tool to rule out Alzheimer’s. In that scenario, a patient who shows symptoms of dementia would be given a PET scan; a negative result would push her physician to consider other conditions.
A second paper in JAMA suggests that a simple, low-cost blood test can tell whether a person is at risk for cognitive decline, which is a precursor to Alzheimer’s.
During a span of 10 years, researchers checked the blood of 997 elderly people in Memphis, Tennessee and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, testing for two types of proteins that are associated with Alzheimer’s. They re-tested each person at 1-year, 3-year, 5-year, 8-year and 10-year intervals. Patients with lower levels were significantly more likely to suffer cognitive decline over time.
Researchers also found that patients with more “cognitive reserve” while healthy, are less likely to decline. “Cognitive reserve” is measured in various ways – for example, by years of school attended, or performance on intelligence tests.  The researchers say it may be that people with higher intelligence or more education are able to better compensate for functions lost to early cognitive decline.

Healing touch of family, friends aids recovery

Andrew Shearer, center, says being surrounded by family has helped his recovery from strokes and broken bones.

(CNN) -- A thumbs up. Two opened eyes. A smile. These simple signs of recognition from U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords kept hope alive for her recovery from a bullet to the head January 8. And later this week, her parents have told family members and friends in an e-mail, she'll be moved to Houston, Texas, to begin aggressive rehab with a team of medical specialists.
Giffords opened her eyes for the first time January 12, and one of her doctors, Dr. Michael Lemole, said the "unexpected familiarity" of having close friends visit might have helped her progress. She still has a long journey ahead in recovery, but the support of family, friends and onlookers across the country is evident.
Astronaut Mark Kelly, Giffords' husband, has been by the congresswoman's side since the shooting. He told ABC's Diane Sawyer he will be there holding Giffords' hand as many days as it takes, "whatever it takes."
Patients, their families and health care professionals tell CNN that having loved ones present and actively encouraging recovery can make a profound difference.
Shawna Shearer believes it's true, as she said in her iReport. Her husband Andrew, 31, broke both knees and femurs and suffered several small strokes in May in a head-on car crash. For two months, he remained unconscious, but he was never alone. His wife, mother and father took turns staying with him; his father slept in the waiting room many nights.
"I tried to stay as positive as I could," Shawna Shearer, 28, said. "I remember when Andrew opened his eyes, and it was amazing to us."
Although there are no hard data to suggest that having family and friends around can help a brain trauma victim regain consciousness or brain function, it is true that familiar voices have special access to the brain, says Dr. Lee Schwamm, associate professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School and vice chairman of neurology at the Massachusetts General Hospital.
It's as if there's a little police officer inside your brain deciding which signals are allowed to go through and which are not, Schwamm said. And the officer gives privileged access to familiar voices, even with significant injury to the brain and reduced consciousness.


Gupta: Giffords 'alert' and 'aware'


Giffords' seat at risk under Arizona law
Loughner crazy enough to plead insanity?

Shawna Shearer hoped for signs that she and the rest of the family were getting through to Andrew. But when he first woke up, it was hard to tell what, if anything, he could understand of what others said, Shawna said. Then, he started following family members with his eyes. By August, he could nod his head for "yes."
Andrew Shearer told CNN he doesn't remember anything that happened between the day of the accident and around August or September, but appreciates the "tremendous help" that the mere presence of his family members brought.
Randie Alf, 28, experienced that, too. In December, she had an aortic dissection and fell unconscious for two days. Her large family, spread out across the United States, banded together to visit, pray and post updates on Facebook.
"When I 'awoke' I wasn't sure when it was and I was still not making too much sense, but I knew where I was and who was with me, my mom and dad and my cousin and my aunts and my friends. And day by day I got stronger in both mind and body," Alf wrote in her iReport.
"I had such a wide array of people thinking about me. I definitely believe that those people are a lot of the reason I got better so quickly," she told CNN.
Alf stayed in the hospital for two weeks, mostly in the ICU. She is staying with her parents during her recovery. Her younger sister, some cousins and many friends are also close by.
Kimberly Glassman, chief nursing officer for NYU Langone Medical Center, has witnessed many occasions of unconscious patients waking up amid the support of families, and believes they have an important role to play in recovery.
"When we have been able to speak to patients who have been in that state and woken up, it's very common for them to say that they heard people talking to them, they could feel people touching them," she said.
It's equally helpful for the families to feel as though they are doing something useful and meaningful for their loved one in the ICU, Glassman said. Being at the bedside of the patient may not only transfer familiar signals of touch and sound, but also means a lot to the family members.
Andrew Shearer is still recovering, currently in in-patient rehabilitation. From the strokes, he has complications with mobility, and a lower speed of cognitive processing, but no difficulty speaking. His wife and children are looking into moving somewhere where he can move around easier than in their condo, as he mostly uses a wheelchair.
"If you've got people at your side encouraging you, you have such an advantage over isolated and withdrawn patients who have to do that journey alone," Schwamm said.
Kelly is already prompting his wife to have expectations for a speedy turnaround: "I told her she's going to be walking in two weeks," he told Sawyer. "It's good to have a goal, and she's a very goal-oriented person."
There are perhaps more subtle ways that family support can also facilitate a recovery: A vested interest on the part of the patient's relatives and friends can help the hospital staff feel more connected to the patient also. At Massachusetts General Hospital, families of admitted intensive care unit patients are invited to make posters with photos so that hospital staff members have a better sense of who they are. If the family believes in the patient, the staff may be a little more hopeful than they might have otherwise.
"When families give up on the patient's recovery, I think the health care team may do the same," Schwamm said.
Alf and Andrew Shearer both recommend that family and friends of someone in the hospital try to be there for the patient as much as possible. Even if you can't be there physically, phone calls and cards do help, Alf said.
In fact, nurses such as Glassman will put the phone up to an unconscious patient's ear if a family member can't be there in person. They'll read every card sent to these patients who can't read themselves.
"I would encourage families to be hopeful, to be present, and to really keep hope alive in their heart," Schwamm said. "We do see patients like Ms. Giffords, and we see them often."