Breast Self-Exams

 

 It was once widely recommended that women check their own breasts once a month. But studies suggest these breast self-exams play a very small role in finding cancer. The current thinking is that it's

Hormone-Sensitive Breast Cancer

 

 Some types of breast cancer are fueled by the hormones estrogen or progesterone. A biopsy can reveal whether a tumor has receptors for estrogen (ER-positive) and/or progesterone (PR-positive). About two

Helping Alzheimer's Patients

Family members or professional caregivers who do everything for older adults with Alzheimer's disease may just be wanting to help. In spite of this one University of Alberta researcher says that creating excess dependency may rob the patients of their

Ethical Implications of Testing for Alzheimer's Disease Risk

Alzheimer's disease remains untreatable despite diagnostic tests being increasingly capable of identifying plaques and tangles present in the disease. 
Questions remain about how these tests can be used in research studies examining

Discovery Could Lead To New Treatments For Asthma

Reprogramming the immune cells that promotes asthma diminishes airway damage and inflammation in mice, a discovery that could lead to new treatment options for asthm

Infertility Likely To Raise Risk of Mental Disorders in Women

Infertility raises women's risk of being hospitalized for mental health disorders, a study warns. 
They also found a significantly higher risk for substance abuse among these women

Novel Therapies For Liver Cancer In The Offing

Researchers have created the first mouse model demonstrating the role of a cancer promoting gene, Astrocyte elevated gene-1 (AEG-1, in liver cancer. 

The mouse model represents a critical step in understanding the molecular mechanisms of liver cancer

Dietary Supplementation Of An Algae Extract Improves Good Cholesterol Levels

A dietary supplementation of an algae extract can help boost high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels. 

In a study funded by Health Enhancement Products of Bloomfield Hills, Mich., Smiti Gupta, Ph.D., assistant

Can Medicare Help You Quit Smoking?

Free counseling sessions are available for those trying to kick the habit

In the past, Medicare has covered antismoking counseling only for those who have already developed health problems from tobacco use. These sessions require a 20 percent copayment and are subject to the annual Part B deductible.

Intake of Seafood Halves Risk of Heart Attack

Including seafood once a week in your diet may reduce the heart attack risk by 50 percent, reveals a study. 

Prawns, crabs, squid and octopus are just as packed with vitamins, minerals and fish oils as fish like salmon or cod, the Daily Mail reported. 

Aerosol Structures Captured by X-Ray Vision

Most exhaustive images to date of airborne soot particles, a key contributor to global warming and a health risk has been captured by researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. 

The discovery reveals the particles' surprisingly complex nanostructures and could ultimately aid the understanding of atmospheric processes important to climate change, as well as the design of cleaner combustion sources, from car engines to power plants. 

Virus Hitches Ride On Blood Cells To Kill Cancer

Scientists have discovered when a cancer-killing virus is injected in the bloodstream it hitches a ride on blood cells and evades attack from the immune system, allowing it to reach cancer tumors, and start destroying cancer cells. They suggest this means it may be possible to use promising "viral therapy" during routine outpatient sessions, like chemotherapy, to treat a wide range ofcancers.

Certain viruses, like the reovirus, that causes colds and mild stomach upsets, prefer to attack cancer cells. They also stimulate the immune system to attack tumors.

Advises on Skin Cancer Safety In Summer Sun

Exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays can cause freckles and wrinkles, of course, but in more serious cases, sun exposure can lead to skin cancer.

Skin cancer accounts for nearly half of all cancers in the United States, making it the most common type of cancer. Most skin cancers are non-melanomas, which include basal cell and squamous cell skin cancers. Non-melanomas often occur on sun-exposed areas of the body, including the face, neck, and ears. These cancers rarely spread to other parts of the body. In contrast, melanoma is a more serious form of skin cancer that can spread to other body parts in its more advanced stages. It develops in melanocytes—cells that produce the melanin, or pigment, of the skin. While melanoma is much less common than non-melanoma types of skin cancers, it accounts for most skin cancer deaths.

“Overexposure to sunlight is a major preventable risk factor for all types of skin cancer,”
“There’s no reason why you can’t enjoy the outdoors, but it is important to exercise common sense when it comes to sun exposure and your health.”

Having regular skin screenings by your primary care doctor or dermatologist is also recommended as early detection of cancer leads to better treatment outcomes.
During Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month this May, it is a good time to remember these important tips for protecting your skin from the sun:

• Use a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 (and remember to reapply after swimming or perspiring).
• Limit sun exposure between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.; find some shade if you are out in the middle of the day.
• Wear sunglasses with 99-100 percent UV absorption to protect your eyes and the surrounding skin.
• Wear a wide-brimmed hat to help protect your face, ears, and neck. If you’re wearing a baseball cap, remember to apply sunscreen to your ears and neck.
• Wear protective clothing. Clothes made of tightly woven fabrics work well. Do a check by holding a garment up to the light. If you can’t see through the fabric, it’s a good choice.
• Avoid other sources of UV light, such as tanning beds and sun lamps.

Costs associated with hospital stays 'cause stress'

One in three people feel stressed about the extra costs incurred by hospital stays, a survey has found.

Cash plan provider Medicash polled 400 Britons, all of whom had recently been in hospital or attended as an outpatient on a regular basis.

The average patient said they had lost out to the tune of £50, with this money typically going towards hospital car parking charges, TV cards, food, travel expenses and medication.

In addition, those who were employed at the time of their hospitalisation lost £190, on average, during their hospital stay.

The survey also revealed that half of patients who felt stressed about the extra costs while in hospital were concerned that this could hinder their recovery.

Sue Weir, chief executive of Medicash, said: 'The survey demonstrates that the true cost of being ill is far higher than people realise and people are being affected by stress which can severely impact on their recovery.

'When you add up the costs of parking charges, TV cards, food and travel, the financial burden for many people is considerable and people who haven't been able to budget in advance can be hit hard.'

Government drugs policy 'doomed to failure', says think-tank

The coalition government's proposals for treating drug addicts are 'doomed to failure', a think-tank has said.

The Centre for Policy Studies (CPS) says that, despite being well-intentioned, plans to introduce Payment by Results trials are unlikely to succeed.

Under the proposals, treatment providers who succeed in improving the health and employment prospects of patients would be rewarded.

But Kathy Gyngell, leading drugs analyst at the CPS, says the Payment by Results scheme will only work if rehabilitation is based on abstinence.

How to be happier

In 2011, the Office for National Statistics started to measure how happy we are. This follows Prime Minister David Cameron's decision to assess the 'general wellbeing (GWB)' of Britons.

Is this all airy-fairy stuff or could it be important?

Back in 2000, NetDoctor ran a happiness survey. Happiness was not such a 'hot topic' then. But even so, the survey attracted huge amounts of publicity. And I'm convinced that the reason for this was because everyone wants to be happy.

Eleven years later, various scientific studies have emerged to tell us that happy people live longer, are less prone to heart disease, are less stressed and are more likely to form satisfying relationships.

Depression due to the recession

Women are almost twice as likely to developdepressive disorders over a lifetime. But with the recession and changing dynamics at work and home, this is set to change.

With a study in the US claiming that recession depression is rising among males, we talk to the experts about how losing your job can affect your mental health and what to do about it.

While it's a well established fact that women have always been at higher risk for depression, a psychiatrist leading a study on depression at Emory University, US, claims this statistic is changing.

Large numbers of men have come forward with symptoms of depression related to employment or marital conflict – issues that the recession has brought to a head.

Rheumatoid arthritis and inflammation of organs

Since rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic disease, its inflammation can affect organs and areas of the body other than the joints. Examples of other areas that may be affected include:

• Sjogren's syndrome is inflammation of the glands of the eyes and mouth and causes dryness of these areas.
• Rheumatoid inflammation of the lung lining (pleuritis) causes chest pain with deep breathing or coughing.
• Tissue inflammation surrounding the heart, called pericarditis, can cause chest pain that typically changes in intensity when lying down or leaning forward.
• Rheumatoid disease can reduce the number of red blood cells (anemia) and white blood cells.
• Decreased white cells can be associated with an enlarged spleen (Felty's syndrome) and can increase the risk of infections.
• Firm lumps under the skin (rheumatoid nodules) can occur around the elbows and fingers where there is frequent pressure.
• A rare and serious complication is blood-vessel inflammation (vasculitis). Vasculitis can impair blood supply to tissues and lead to tissue death. This is most often initially visible as tiny black areas around the nail beds or as leg ulcers.

What are the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis? (cont.)

In rheumatoid arthritis, multiple joints are usually inflamed in a symmetrical pattern (both sides of the body affected). The small joints of both the hands and wrists are often involved. Simple tasks of daily living, such as turning door knobs and opening jars can become difficult during flares. The small joints of the feet are also commonly involved. Chronic inflammation can cause damage to body tissues, cartilage, and bone. This leads to a loss of cartilage and erosion and weakness of the bones as well as the muscles, resulting in joint deformity, destruction, and loss of function.

Remission, relapse, and flares

The symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis come and go, depending on the degree of tissue inflammation. When body tissues are inflamed, the disease is active. When tissue inflammation subsides, the disease is inactive (in remission). Remissions can occur spontaneously or with treatment and can last weeks, months, or years. During remissions, symptoms of the disease disappear and patients generally feel well. When the disease becomes active again (relapse), symptoms return. The return of disease activity and symptoms is called a flare. The course of rheumatoid arthritis varies from patient to patient, and periods of flares and remissions are typical.