Psoriatic Arthritis - New Drug Offers Relief
Around 7.5 million Americans, which is about 2.2% of the population, suffer from psoriaris, an autoimmune disease causing red, flaky skin. A new review in the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (JAAOS) reveals that patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA), a type of arthritis that affects nearly 48% of patients with the skin disease psoriasis, gain substantial benefits from medications or biologic agents that target T-cells, white blood cells involved in the body's immune system.
Doctors Aim To Dispel Myths About Vaccines
Two Saint Louis University pediatricians are leading a Missouri State Medical Association statewide effort to change the way doctors respond to parents' fears of vaccines, and to raise awareness about the importance of getting children vaccinated. Ken Haller, M.D., associate professor of pediatrics, and Anthony Scalzo, M.D., professor of toxicology and pediatrics, co-authored the article, "I've Heard Some Things That Scare Me: Responding With Empathy to Parents' Fears of Vaccinations, " which was published in the January/February 2012 issue of Missouri Medicine, the Journal of the Missouri State Medical Association and is the centerpiece of the campaign.
PSA Screening Does Not Help Mortality
A study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute reveals that there is no difference in mortality rates between men participating in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian Cancer (PLCO) Screening Trial, and men who receive usual care after 13 years follow-up. In November 1993, the multi-center, two-arm, PLCO Trial, began enrollment with follow-up, through December 2009. The trial assessed the effect of screening on prostate, lung, colorectal, and ovarian cancer. Participants had no previous history of these cancers and were aged between 55 and 74 years of age.
Children With A Genetic Variation Who Are Prescribed Antipsychotics At Increased Risk Of Metabolic Side Effects
Researchers have found a genetic variation predisposing children to six-times greater risk of developing metabolic syndrome when taking second-generation anti-psychotic medications. Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions that are risk factors for cardiovascular disease. The study showed a close association with two conditions in particular: high blood pressure and elevated fasting blood sugar levels, which is a precursor to diabetes. The research is published in the medical research journal Translational Psychiatry.
Dried Licorice Root Fights The Bacteria That Cause Tooth Decay And Gum Disease
Scientists are reporting identification of two substances in licorice - used extensively in Chinese traditional medicine - that kill the major bacteria responsible for tooth decay and gum disease, the leading causes of tooth loss in children and adults. In a study in ACS' Journal of Natural Products, they say that these substances could have a role in treating and preventing tooth decay and gum disease. Stefan Gafner and colleagues explain that the dried root of the licorice plant is a common treatment in Chinese traditional medicine, especially as a way to enhance the activity of other herbal ingredients or as a flavoring.
FDA Approves Drug For Common Skin Cancer
On Monday, the US Food and Drug Administration approved a new type of drug to treat adult patients with advanced basal-cell carcinoma, the most common type of skin cancer. The drug's generic name is vismodegib and was developed by the US part of Roche Holding AG. It will be sold in the US by Roche's South San Francisco-based Genentech under the brand name Erivedge. Basal cell carcinoma is a slow growing, painless cancer that starts in the epidermis, the top layer of skin. It usually starts in places that are regularly exposed to the sun or UV light.
Brown Fat - Keeps You Warm And Keeps You Slim
People with more brown fat seem better able to stay warm when it is cold, Canadian researchers reported in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. They added that the findings of their study could eventually be used to find ways of fighting obesity. Not much has been known about brown fat, a type of good fat, until recently. Brown fat, also known as brown adipose tissue (BAT) is one of two types of fats found in humans, the other two being white or yellow fat. Hibernating mammals and newborns have especially high levels of brown fat.
Dilated Eye Exams For Medicare Beneficiaries Cost Effective, USA
A study published Online First in the Archives of Ophthalmology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals, suggests that it "would be highly cost-effective" to replace visual acuity screenings for new Medicare enrollees with coverage of a dilated eye exam for healthy patients who enter the government insurance program for the elderly. At the age of 65 years, individuals are able to enroll in Medicare. As part of a Welcome to Medicare health evaluation, within 12 months of enrollment, they are supposed to receive a visual acuity screening and other preventive health checks.
Antiretrovirals Raise Birth Defect Risk
HIV-positive mothers can protected their babies from becoming infected with the virus if they take antiretroviral drugs during pregnancy. However, even though these drugs prevent transmitting the disease to the child, they could potentially cause birth defects like cleft lip and palate. A new study, published in the January edition of Cleft Palate- "Craniofacial Journal, has investigated the association between antiretroviral prophylaxis and cleft lip and palate. To establish a potential link between drugs and birth defects using "reporting odds ratios", the researchers examined 5 years of data from the U.