Tag: may

Why healthcare data may be more secure with cloud computing

In the last few years, cloud computing has moved from an option for healthcare providers to, increasingly, a business necessity. By outsourcing data management to a cloud services company, hospitals can free up their own technical staff to do more work closer to their core competencies. “Microsoft coming along with a public cloud infrastructure, once

Healthy aging: Gut bacteria may prevent disease

In the ancient myth of Tithonus, the eponymous protagonist asks the gods to live forever but forgets to demand eternal youth. Although he gained immortality, the diseases of old age eventually defeat Tithonus, and he bitterly regrets his immortality. While achieving longevity is a goal worth pursuing and an ambition that humankind has harbored since

Heart attack: New finding may change the face of treatment

Antibodies, or immunoglobulins (Ig), are a type of protein produced by plasma cells (a kind of blood cell). The immune system often co-opts these to fight potentially harmful foreign bodies. Now, researchers from the Karolinska Institutet in Solna, Sweden, have discovered that certain antibodies — once associated with rheumatic diseases — are also present in

Young children with heart disease and their families may have poorer quality of life than the general population

A study by medical researchers from UNSW Sydney and the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network has shown that young children with heart disease and their families may have poorer quality of life than the general population, leading to calls for routine screening to enable early intervention and better outcomes. The paper – the largest Australian study

Test Strips for Fentanyl May Help Prevent ODs

THURSDAY, Oct. 18, 2018 — Fast-acting test strips for fentanyl could reduce drug overdose deaths, a new study suggests. “Test strips could be a lifesaving intervention for many young adults who use drugs,” said study leader Brandon Marshall, of Brown University in Rhode Island. Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid often used to lace other

Environmental factors may trigger onset of multiple sclerosis

A new Tel Aviv University study finds that certain environmental conditions may precipitate structural changes that take place in myelin sheaths in the onset of multiple sclerosis (MS). Myelin sheaths are the “insulating tape” surrounding axons; axons carry electrical impulses in neurons. The research demonstrates that myelin sheaths undergo structural transitions when triggered by changes

Genes, Not Diet, May Be Key to Gout Flare-Ups

THURSDAY, Oct. 11, 2018 — Although many people suffering from painful gout flare-ups point to diet as the culprit, new research suggests DNA plays a much bigger role. The findings challenge the long-held belief that diet is the major factor in gout, a joint disease that causes extreme pain and swelling. Gout is caused by

Air pollution may be linked to heightened mouth cancer risk

High levels of air pollutants, especially fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and to a lesser extent, ozone, may be linked to a heightened risk of developing mouth cancer, suggests the first study of its kind, published online in the Journal of Investigative Medicine. The number of new cases, and deaths from, mouth cancer is increasing in

Alternative medicines may aid in the treatment of psoriasis

(HealthDay)—Some complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs) may be helpful in the treatment of psoriasis, according to a review published online Sept. 5 in JAMA Dermatology. A. Caresse Gamret, from the University of Miami, and colleagues conducted a systematic literature review to identify studies evaluating all documented CAM psoriasis interventions. Included interventions had more than one

Ovarian cancer: Newer birth control pills may lower risk

In the United States, ovarian cancer has the highest mortality rate of all gynecologic cancers, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In 2014, for instance, over 21,000 new cases of ovarian cancer occurred, at least 14,000 of which resulted in death. Previous research has suggested that combined oral contraceptives — that

Olfactory cells may act as ‘Trojan horse,’ carry anticancer therapy to deadly brain tumors

A special type of cell essential to the ability of olfactory neurons to regenerate may be genetically engineered to deliver anticancer therapy to the dangerous brain tumors called glioblastomas. In their report published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers describe using olfactory ensheathing cells to deliver an anticancer

Ovary removal may increase risk of chronic kidney disease

Premenopausal women who have their ovaries surgically removed face an increased risk of developing chronic kidney disease, according to a Mayo Clinic study published on Wednesday, Sept. 19, in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. “This is the first study that has shown an important link between estrogen deprivation in younger women

Caffeine consumption may extend life expectancy for people with kidney disease

A new study in Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation indicates that consuming more caffeine may help reduce the risk of death for people with chronic kidney disease. An inverse relationship between coffee consumption and mortality has been reported in the general population. However, the association between caffeine consumption and mortality for people with chronic kidney disease remains