regional medical center

Senin, 30 April 2012

Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic Cancer

Featured Article
Academic Journal
Main Category: Pancreatic Cancer
Also Included In: Cancer / Oncology
Article Date: 30 Apr 2012 - 10:00 PDT

email to a friend Â printer friendly Â opinions Â <!-- rate article

Patient / Public: 3 stars

3 (2 votes)

Healthcare Prof: 4 stars

4 (1 votes)

A new class of cancer drug which targets a faulty gene might be effective in treating some aggressive pancreatic cancers, researchers from Cancer Research UK's Cambridge Research Institute and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute reported in the journal Nature.

Pancreatic cancer kills approximately 37,000 people in the USA and 8,000 in the UK every year. Even though survival rates have been steadily getting better, fewer than 20% of patients survive for at least 12 months after diagnosis, the authors explained.

In this study, the researchers demonstrated that in human cancer cells and mice, USP9x - a gene - switches off through chemical tags located on the surface of DNA.

Professor David Tuveson believes that 15% of all patients with pancreatic cancer may have this faulty gene, and that medications might be created which strip away the chemical tags. Put simply, it might be possible to create drugs to treat 15% of pancreatic cancer cases.

The gene has not been identified in traditional gene-hunting approaches, Tuveson explains, which only look at DNA sequence changes.

Prof. Tuveson said:

"The genetics of pancreatic cancer has already been studied in some detail, so we were surprised to find that this gene hadn't been picked up before. We suspected that the fault wasn't in the genetic code at all, but in the chemical tags on the surface of the DNA that switch genes on and off, and by running more lab tests we were able to confirm this.
Drugs which strip away these tags are already showing promise in lung cancer and this study suggests they could also be effective in treating up to 15 per cent of pancreatic cancers."

In this study, scientists used a technique known as "sleeping beauty transposon system" to screen for genes that accelerate the growth of pancreatic tumors.

A transposable element (TE) is a piece of DNA (DNA sequence) that can self-transpose (change its relative position) within the genome of a single cell - i.e. it can hop about the cell's DNA from one location to another, sometimes landing in the middle of the gene. If it lands in the middle, the gene can stop working.

They were able to screen for tumor suppressor genes that would usually protect against cancer, by introducing the sleeping beauty transposon into mice with cancer of the pancreas.

When the genes are working properly, they act as brakes, when they are faulty they start multiplying out of control.

The scientists have already discovered several genes association with pancreatic cancer with this approach. Surprisingly, the most common genetic fault was one with no prior association to any type of cancer.

Co-lead author Dr David Adams, said:

"The human genome sequence has delivered many new promising leads and transformed our understanding of cancer. Without it, we would have only a small, shattered glimpse into the causes of this disease. This study strengthens our emerging understanding that we must also look into the biology of cells to identify all the genes that play a role in cancer."

Senior Science Information Manager at Cancer Research UK, Dr Julie Sharp, said:

"These results raise the posility that a class of promising new cancer drugs may be effective at treating some pancreatic cancers.
Fewer than 20 per cent of people survive pancreatic cancer for a year after diagnosis - a situation that has improved little in the last 20 years. Studies like this one are part of Cancer Research UK's commitment to invest more in hard-to-treat cancers like pancreatic cancer, hopefully improving treatment to save more lives in the future."

Written by Christian Nordqvist
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

Additional

References

Citations

"The deubiquitinase USP9X suppresses pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma"
Pedro A. PÃ©rez-Mancera, Alistair G. Rust, Louise van der Weyden, Glen Kristiansen, Allen Li, Aaron L. Sarver, Kevin A. T. Silverstein, Robert GrÃ¼tzmann, Daniela Aust, Petra RÃ¼mmele, Thomas KnÃ¶sel, Colin Herd, Derek L. Stemple, Ross Kettleborough, Jacqueline A. Brosnan, Ang Li, Richard Morgan, Spencer Knight, Jun Yu, Shane Stegeman, Lara S. Collier, Jelle J. ten Hoeve, Jeroen de Ridder, Alison P. Klein, Michael Goggins et al.
Nature April (2012) doi:10.1038/nature11114 Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:

MLA

APA

Please note: If no author information is provided, the source is cited instead.

Add Your Opinion On This Article

'Pancreatic Cancer - Drug May Target Faulty Gene In 15% Of Patients'

Please note that we publish your name, but we do not publish your email address. It is only used to let you know when your message is published. We do not use it for any other purpose. Please see our privacy policy for more information.

If you write about specific medications or operations, please do not name health care professionals by name.

All opinions are moderated before being included (to stop spam)

Contact Our News Editors

For any corrections of factual information, or to contact the editors please use our feedback form.

Please send any medical news or health news press releases to:

Note: Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. For more information, please read our terms and conditions.

MediLexicon International Ltd
Bexhill-on-Sea, United Kingdom
MediLexicon International Ltd Â© 2004-2012 All rights reserved.

Altering Attitude To An Ailment May Result In Less Day-To-Day Pain

Altering Attitude To An Ailment May Result In Less Day-To-Day Pain

Editor's Choice
Main Category: Pain / Anesthetics
Also Included In: Sleep / Sleep Disorders / Insomnia
Article Date: 30 Apr 2012 - 10:00 PDT

email to a friend Â printer friendly Â opinions Â <!-- rate article

Patient / Public: not yet rated

Healthcare Prof: not yet rated

Evidence of a study published in the journal Pain reveals that people with chronic pain who learn to divert the focus away from their ailments may sleep better and experience less day-to-day pain.

Research leader, Luis F. Buenaver, Ph.D., an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine says:

"We have found that people who ruminate about their pain and have more negative thoughts about their pain don't sleep as well, and the result is they feel more pain. If cognitive behavioral therapy can help people change the way they think about their pain, they might end that vicious cycle and feel better without sleeping pills or pain medicine."

Buenaver, and his team point out that the function of a major neurological pathway is to associate negative thoughts of pain with higher pain through disturbed sleep. Around 80% of people suffering from chronic pain experience sleep disturbances. Earlier studies have demonstrated that people whose sleep patterns are changed have a higher pain sensitivity, says Buenaver.

He continues saying that it is also known that those who frequently focus and think negatively of their pain report they experience more debilitating pain, a phenomenon known as "pain catastrophizing". It has been discovered that pain catastrophizing is a more reliable predictor of worse pain and pain-related disability in comparison with depression, neuroticism or anxiety.

Buenaver and his team enrolled 214 people who were, on average, 34 years old with TMD or myofascial temporomandibular disorder, a serious facial and jaw pain, which is often thought to be stress-related. Most participants were white and female. All participants first had a dental exam to confirm TMD before they were asked to fill out questionnaires, which included questions about their quality of sleep, depression, pain levels and emotional responses to pain, as well as whether they ponder on their pain or tend to exaggerate it.

The findings revealed TMD patients had a direct link between negative thoughts about pain, poor sleep and worse pain. Even though sleeping pills and painkillers may be effective, according to Buenaver, these patients could achieve the same benefits or even succeed them by having cognitive behavioral therapy. He continues saying that the same may apply to people suffering from other stress-related ailments that have no clear underlying pathology, for instance fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, as well as neck and back pain and some forms of headaches, and states:

"It may sound simple, but you can change the way you feel by changing the way you think."

Buenaver and his team are currently investigating whether older adults with arthritis and insomnia can benefit from cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia.

Written By Petra Rattue
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

Additional

References

Citations

"Evidence for indirect effects of pain catastrophizing on clinical pain among myofascial temporomandibular disorder participants: The mediating role of sleep disturbance"
Luis F. Buenavera, , , Phillip J. Quartanab, Edward G. Gracec, Eleni Sarlanid, Mpepera Simangoa, Robert R. Edwardse, Jennifer A. Haythornthwaitea and Michael T. Smitha
Pain, April 2012, doi:10.1016/j.pain.2012.01.023 Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:

MLA

APA

Please note: If no author information is provided, the source is cited instead.

Add Your Opinion On This Article

'Altering Attitude To An Ailment May Result In Less Day-To-Day Pain'

If you write about specific medications or operations, please do not name health care professionals by name.

All opinions are moderated before being included (to stop spam)

Contact Our News Editors

For any corrections of factual information, or to contact the editors please use our feedback form.

Please send any medical news or health news press releases to:

MediLexicon International Ltd
Bexhill-on-Sea, United Kingdom
MediLexicon International Ltd Â© 2004-2012 All rights reserved.

Childhood Dental Problems Linked To General Health Problems Later On? Australian Researchers Investigate

Childhood Dental Problems Linked To General Health Problems Later On? Australian Researchers Investigate

Editor's Choice
Main Category: Dentistry
Also Included In: Pediatrics / Children's Health
Article Date: 30 Apr 2012 - 10:00 PDT

email to a friend Â printer friendly Â opinions Â <!-- rate article

Patient / Public: not yet rated

Healthcare Prof: not yet rated

The University of Queensland Children's Nutrition Research Center at the School of Medicine and the School of Dentistry are looking for volunteers aged two, six and ten years for a new study, which aims to establish whether children may be changing their diets to eat unhealthy food because of dental problems and therefore submitting themselves to a higher risk of obesity and chronic disease in later life.

The researchers are particularly interested in recruiting children that were born prematurely, given that research has provided evidence that pre-term children are more likely to experience feeding and dental problems compared with children born at full term. Pre-term children also tend to have a higher risk of chronic diseases, like type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease in later life.

Research leader, Sarah Officer explained that a recent study on oral health in Australia demonstrated that 17% of adults do not eat certain foods because of dental problems.

Ms Officer said:

"The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report on oral health and dental care suggests that dental problems do affect diet - but this question has never been addressed in studies of children born pre-term, and never in conjunction with another measure of chronic disease risk such as body composition. We are keen to find out if children with dental problems such as decay and teeth misalignment are choosing foods that are easier to chew, how this modified diet is affecting their body composition, and whether these dietary choices raise their risk of chronic disease. Easy-to-chew foods tend to be highly processed, while healthier choices, such as fresh fruit, grains, lean meat, and vegetables are much harder for children with dental problems to manage. If the study demonstrates that dental problems do lead to poor diet and high body fat in children, this could lead to the development of health screening and prevention programs to protect those children at highest risk."

The Children's Nutrition Research Center wants to recruit children aged two, six and ten years old for the study in order to measure the children's growth, body fat percentage, diet and dental characteristics. Volunteers must live in South East Queensland and be willing to answer some brief questionnaires, as well as traveling to Brisbane for a dental check and body composition testing.

Written By Petra Rattue
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

Additional

References

Citations

Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:

MLA

APA

Please note: If no author information is provided, the source is cited instead.

Add Your Opinion On This Article

'Childhood Dental Problems Linked To General Health Problems Later On? Australian Researchers Investigate'

If you write about specific medications or operations, please do not name health care professionals by name.

All opinions are moderated before being included (to stop spam)

Contact Our News Editors

For any corrections of factual information, or to contact the editors please use our feedback form.

Please send any medical news or health news press releases to:

MediLexicon International Ltd
Bexhill-on-Sea, United Kingdom
MediLexicon International Ltd Â© 2004-2012 All rights reserved.

Schoolchildren On Free School Meals More Likely To Abuse Alcohol Or Drugs

Schoolchildren On Free School Meals More Likely To Abuse Alcohol Or Drugs

Editor's Choice
Main Category: Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs
Also Included In: Pediatrics / Children's Health
Article Date: 30 Apr 2012 - 10:00 PDT

email to a friend Â printer friendly Â opinions Â <!-- rate article

Patient / Public: not yet rated

Healthcare Prof: not yet rated

Although the short and long-term health risks of alcohol, tobacco and illegal drug use is well known, they still remain a public health concern in the UK amongst young people, with risks ranging from accidental injuries, to violence, sexual ill-health and elevated rates of chronic conditions as well as premature death.

Regardless of directing various policies at reducing substance use amongst children in the UK, the number of those who take substances is still considerable. For instance, in 2009 in the UK, 180,000 children between the ages of 11 to 15 years regularly smoked tobacco, whilst 540,000 had consumed alcohol in the previous week, and 250,000 had taken drugs in the previous month.

A new study in the Journal of Public Health reveals that receiving free school meals and a feeling of wellbeing is linked to substance use in children and young people. Youngsters who report being happy or are able to communicate with their family instead of their friends are less likely to use substances, whilst children of older age and those who receive free school meals are linked to a higher chance of substance use.

Siobhan Farmer and Dr. Barbara Hanratty from the University of Liverpool, examined the association between substance use, subjective wellbeing and socioeconomic status in schoolchildren aged from 10 to 15 years, who attended schools in two local authorities in the North West of England. The study was entitled 'The relationship between subjective wellbeing, low income and substance use among schoolchildren in the north west of England: a cross-sectional study'.

The researchers analyzed the Tellus4 dataset, which is a national, anonymous, school-based cross sectional survey for children in year 6, 8 and 10, i.e. children aged between 10 and 15 years, which included responses of 3,903 children from two local authorities, representing 1.2% of the national sample, with about equal distribution across all year groups.

One of the study's key findings was that age was the most important predictor of substance use, with children aged 12 and 13 years being between two and six times more likely to misuse substances compared with 10 to 11 year olds and 14 to 15 year olds being eleven and twenty-nine times more likely. They found that smoking was linked to using other substances. They also observed that the number of children who smoked more than one cigarette per week was much higher amongst those who regularly used drugs and alcohol, as compared with those who had no experience of either. Smoking more than one cigarette was, furthermore, negatively related to the children's level of happiness and being able to communicate with their parents. Children who reported feeling unhappy had a 18.4% higher chance of having tried cigarettes, 44.8% higher chance of having drunk alcohol and 6.4% more likely to have tried drugs, compared with those who felt happy.

Whilst three-quarters of happy students reported they communicated with their parents, only half of those who said they felt unhappy could do so. The researchers highlighted the fact that children who reported having a better relationship with their friends had a 40% higher risk of using substances compared with those who reported poor relationships.

About one in five children, or 18.2% were eligible for free school meals in the study. Those eligible had a higher likelihood of reporting they were unhappy, as compared with those who were not eligible. They also felt less able to talk to their friends or parents, and had a lower chance of stating to have one or more good friends. About 31.6% or one-third of children eligible for free school meals reported to smoke at least once, compared with one-fifth of non-eligible children. Slightly more than one in four or 25.9% who reported to consume alcohol admitted they were drunk once or more often within the last 4 weeks, compared to one in five or 19.5% who was not eligible for school meals. The findings furthermore revealed that children between the ages of 12 to 15 years who were eligible for free school meals tended to have a more than two-times higher likelihood of having tried drugs than those who did not.

The gender variation in substance use was 23.5% of girls who reporting trying a cigarette as compared with 20.5% of boys, with no considerable difference noted in those smoking more than one cigarette per week.

Considerably more boys than girls reported to have tried both alcohol and drugs, with 4% stating they had an alcoholic beverage and almost double the amount of boys stating they had experimented with drugs. This trend was observed to be consistent across all age groups with the exception of alcohol use in year 10, where girls were 3% more likely than boys to have tried alcohol. Girls also had a higher tendency of having been drunk in the previous four weeks, with almost twice as many girls in year 10, i.e. 19.5% compared to 11.5% having reported that they were drunk at least three times. 3% of girls felt less able to communicate with their parents and 7% stated they felt unhappy as compared with boys.

Siobhan Farmer concludes:

"Our findings show that a sense of wellbeing and the use of drugs, alcohol and cigarettes are associated with each other. The connection between substance use and free school meals also suggests that policies need to address income inequality and environmental factors that affect children's use of drugs. Our research suggests that addressing income inequality and environmental factors may be an essential adjunct to intervention in children to reduce inequalities associated with substance use and enhance the health and wellbeing of young people in the UK."

Written By Grace Rattue
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

Additional

References

Citations

Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:

MLA

APA

Please note: If no author information is provided, the source is cited instead.

Add Your Opinion On This Article

'Schoolchildren On Free School Meals More Likely To Abuse Alcohol Or Drugs'

If you write about specific medications or operations, please do not name health care professionals by name.

All opinions are moderated before being included (to stop spam)

Contact Our News Editors

For any corrections of factual information, or to contact the editors please use our feedback form.

Please send any medical news or health news press releases to:

MediLexicon International Ltd
Bexhill-on-Sea, United Kingdom
MediLexicon International Ltd Â© 2004-2012 All rights reserved.

Arthritis

Arthritis

Editor's Choice
Academic Journal
Main Category: Arthritis / Rheumatology
Also Included In: Anxiety / Stress;Â Â Depression
Article Date: 30 Apr 2012 - 12:00 PDT

email to a friend Â printer friendly Â opinions Â <!-- rate article

Patient / Public: 3 and a half stars

3.5 (4 votes)

Healthcare Prof: 3 and a half stars

3.5 (2 votes)

Approximately one third of adults with arthritis in the USA aged 45+ years suffer from anxiety or depression, researchers from the CDC reported in the journal Arthritis Care Research. The authors added that the prevalence of anxiety in adults with arthritis is almost twice as high as depression, in spite of more studies focusing on the arthritis-depression link.

27 million patients aged 25+ years have been diagnosed with osteoarthritis, and another 1.3 million with rheumatoid arthritis, according to data US health authorities. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) estimates that approximately 50 million people are affected by arthritis in the USA. The illness is the leading cause of disability in the country.

According to prior research, depression is common among patients with arthritis and other chronic illnesses and conditions. However, researchers and health care professionals have long been saying that anxiety among people with arthritis is common, under-treated and under-recognized. Until recently, anxiety was not taken into consideration as a depression risk-factor.

Team leader, Dr. Louise Murphy, who works at the Arthritis Program at the CDC, Atlanta, Georgia, and colleagues gathered data on participants of the CDC's Arthritis Conditions and Health Effects Survey. The researchers say the sample is representative of people around the USA with arthritis symptoms who are aged at least 45 years. They identified 1,793 patients who had been diagnosed with arthritis or some other rheumatic condition.

They used the Arthritis Impact Measurement Scales to assess anxiety and depression in the participants.

They found that:

31% of arthritis patients suffered from anxiety

18% of arthritis patients suffered from depression

One third of the participants suffered from at least one of the two conditions - anxiety and/or depression

84% of arthritis patients who had depression said they also had anxiety

Only half of those with depression or anxiety got medical help for their anxiety or depression during the previous twelve months.

Dr. Murphy said:

"Given their high prevalence and the effective treatment options that are available, we suggest that all people with arthritis be screened for anxiety and depression. With so many arthritis patients not seeking mental health treatment, health care providers are missing an intervention opportunity that could improve the quality of life for those with arthritis."

Written by Christian Nordqvist
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

Additional

References

Citations

Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:

MLA

APA

Please note: If no author information is provided, the source is cited instead.

Add Your Opinion On This Article

'Arthritis - Anxiety Twice As Common As Depression'

If you write about specific medications or operations, please do not name health care professionals by name.

All opinions are moderated before being included (to stop spam)

Contact Our News Editors

For any corrections of factual information, or to contact the editors please use our feedback form.

Please send any medical news or health news press releases to:

A Global Outlook For The Generics Industry: From Commodity To Value Added Generics, 14-15 May 2012, London

A Global Outlook For The Generics Industry: From Commodity To Value Added Generics, 14-15 May 2012, London

Add Your Opinion On This Article

'A Global Outlook For The Generics Industry: From Commodity To Value Added Generics, 14-15 May 2012, London'

If you write about specific medications or operations, please do not name health care professionals by name.

All opinions are moderated before being included (to stop spam)

Health Buzz: Type 2 Diabetes Harder to Treat in Teens

Health Buzz: Type 2 Diabetes Harder to Treat in Teens

Obesity-Linked Diabetes Difficult to Treat in Teens

Overweight teens who develop diabetes have a tougher time managing the condition than do adults. Not only does it progress more rapidly, but it's also harder to treat, according to a study published Sunday in the New England Journal of Medicine. Researchers analyzed 700 overweight teens under 17 who were recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and found that 46 percent of those treated with the drug metformin were not able to maintain healthy blood sugar levels. They needed to begin stronger insulin injections within slightly less than a year. Among all the study participants, 1 in 5 had a serious complication such as very high blood sugar, typically leading to hospitalization. "It's frightening how severe this metabolic disease is in children," study author David M. Nathan, director of the diabetes center at Massachusetts General Hospital , told the New York Times. "It's really got a hold on them, and it's hard to turn around."

How to Conquer Food Cravings

No matter where he's traveled or what the adventure, the flight home ends exactly the same way for David Kessler. Once the plane lands in San Francisco, he starts dreaming of dumplings. In particular, he wants the ones in the airport food courtâ€"pouches of steamed shrimp joined by sweet, caloric sauce. However, Kessler knows that if he can steer past the food court and on to baggage claim, he will forget all about the dumplings and thus, trounce the craving.

In the universal battle between want and willpower, Kessler has an advantage he wants to share. The former Food and Drug Administration commissioner and author of The End of Overeating says that understanding cravings enables us to better combat them. Combat them, because most of us aren't exactly craving kale. It's probably not a surprise that the worst foods for your health are also the ones we're most likely to want.

Let's start with a quick science lesson. Remember Pavlov's dogs? They drooled in anticipation of food at the sight of people in lab coats because lab-coated people also fed them. Well, Pavlov's dogs aren't the only animals conditioned to respond to association.

The plane lands; Kessler dreams of dumplings. It's 7:30 a.m.; millions of Americans crave coffee. You smell Cinnabon; good luck with that.

Every craving begins with a cue, says Kessler, who defines craving as "cue-induced wanting." The trick is to know your cues. And to know yourself. [Read more: How to Conquer Food Cravings]

You May Be Fat and Not Even Know It

There's more to fat than meets the eye. Literally. While most of the population obsesses over that which wiggles and jiggles, research suggests it's the fat we can't see that's of greater concern. And it's not just about how much fat you have, but where you tend to store it that worries most doctors.

There are two types of fat: subcutaneous and visceral. Subcutaneous fat is located beneath the skin in places like the abdomen, thighs, hips, and buttocks. You know it, you see it, you hate it. Visceral fat, better known as belly fat, is located deep within the midsection, surrounding the liver, heart, lungs, and digestive tract. And it's invisible to the naked eye. "People are self-conscious about the fat they can see," says Heather Hausenblas, associate professor of exercise and health psychology at the University of Florida's College of Health and Human Performance, but "hidden fat, in people of any size, poses the bigger threat." Why? Visceral fat churns out inflammatory substances called cytokines that can wreak havoc on the body's organs.

Subcutaneous fatâ€"that roll of fat you can pinch between your fingersâ€"patiently sits beneath the outermost layer of skin, and while unsightly, it's not as dangerous as visceral fat. A 2004 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that the removal of subcutaneous fat through liposuction â€"nearly 23 pounds of itâ€"in obese women had no effect on their blood sugar, blood pressure, or cholesterol levels after three months. Visceral fat, on the other hand, is very active metabolically. It constantly releases substances that travel to the liver and influence the production of blood fats. "[It] supplies a feeding tube to your vital internal organs, messing up the blood that is sent to those organs," says Hausenblas. That's why the subcutaneous fat on your thighs, she explains, doesn't matter as much to your health as the visceral fat in your belly. [Read more: You May Be Fat and Not Even Know It]

Follow U.S. News Health on Twitter and find us on Facebook.