_ A More Effective Form Of Chemotherapy By Jane Farrell articleResearchers have developed a drug that can manipulate the body’s signaling systems, triggering an attack and shutdown of deadly cancer cells. The finding was published in the journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition. The drug, called ZL105, is a compound based on the metal iridium. The study, by researchers from the University of Warwick in the UK, has found ZL105 could potentially replace currently used anticancer drugs. Those drugs become less effective over time, have a number of side effects and damage both healthy and cancerous cells.
_ Money MattersIs It Smart To Buy A Condo? By Jane Farrell articleEditor’s Note: As we get older, many of us think about downsizing from a house to a condo, because it’s easier to manage our lives in a simpler place. And we’d like to save as much money on home repairs as possible, because fixed incomes and Medicare don’t cover all essential expenses. Sometimes, though, the decision to buy or lease a condo isn’t as clear-cut as you’d like. Here, from a top expert, are some smart questions to ask yourself before making a move.
_ Brain Cell Malfunctions Could Be Stopped By Jane Farrell articleScientists have discovered a way to possibly halt the progression of dementia that’s caused by the malfunctioning of the protein tau. In many forms of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s, tau goes awry. Instead of performing its normal cellular functions, it begins accumulating and interfering with cell-to-cell communications.
_ Breast CancerHope For Treating A Deadly Breast-Cancer Gene By Jane Farrell articleResearchers have discovered that a gene, previously not linked to breast cancer, plays a central role in the growth of triple negative breast cancer. Targeting that gene, the research indicates, could lead to a new approach for treating that form of the disease. Triple negative breast cancer, which accounts for 20 percent of all breast cancer cases, often has few treatment options.
_ Keeping Your Feet Fit By Jane Farrell articleHealthy feet are among the most basic elements of being physically active. Whether you’re just getting started or your feet have been through years of wear from physical activities including running, biking, tennis or dancing, they need to be in good shape for you to continue your fitness routine and gain myriad health benefit. The experts at the Go4Life program of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have some suggestions on smart strategies to treat your feet well:
Breast CancerBreast Reconstruction: Making the Decision By Jane Farrell articleEvery woman who has a mastectomy is then faced with another choice: whether to have breast reconstruction – surgery to rebuild the shape of the breast. There are other choices, according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI): to wear a breast form, or padding, or to do nothing.
_ Heart HealthPost-Stroke Surgery Increases Survival Rate By Jane Farrell articleStroke patients over the age of 60 benefit from a post-stroke surgical procedure that temporarily removes part of the skull, researchers have found. The findings involve people who have suffered a major stroke because of blockage to the middle cerebral artery. The procedure that benefits them is called hemicraniectomy – removal of part of the skull located above the affected brain tissue. It relieves increased pressure on the brain in the 48 hours after the stroke.
_ Depression and Lifestyle Changes By Jane Farrell articleDiscussing healthy eating habits with a nutrition coach was as effective as talk therapy in preventing major depression among older adults with mild symptoms of mood disorder, according to researchers at the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Maryland. The findings, published in the journal Psychiatric Services, examined both black and white adults.
_ Sleep HealthGet Back to Sleep - Without Drugs By Jane Farrell articleFrom the Cleveland Clinic We’ve all been there. You are wide awake at 3 a.m., your mind racing with a rising sense of panic about the difficult day ahead if you don’t fall back to sleep. What you’re experiencing is a type of insomnia, says sleep disorders specialist Harneet Walia, MD, DABSM, of Cleveland Clinic’s Sleep Disorders Center.
_ Heart HealthMillions More Adults Could Start Using Statins By Jane Farrell articleUp to 12.8 million Americans may begin taking statins thanks to new guidelines for using the drugs, according to a research team led by scientists from Duke University. The finding is the first to make specific predictions based on the American Heart Association’s new guidelines, which were issued in November. The investigators, whose findings were published in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that most of the additional users would be people over 60.
_ Many Women Don't Know Stroke Symptoms By Jane Farrell articleAlthough stroke affects millions of American women, many in that group are unaware of the warning signs, according to research conducted by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.
Marriage9 Tips for Emotional Intimacy By Jane Farrell articleBy Paul Dunion When I ask a couple in couples counseling, "So, tell me about the current status of your intimacy,” they inevitably start talking about their sex life. When I proceed to explain I am interested in their emotional intimacy, the male quickly turns his gaze toward his wife and the female typically speaks of the loneliness and isolation she experiences in the marriage. She may not know exactly what, but she does know something is missing in the marriage.
_ A Discovery That Could Help Control Blood Sugar By Jane Farrell articleResearchers have found that a molecule may help control high blood sugar, and the discovery could lead to new targeted therapies for 25 million Americans who have type 2 diabetes. Scientists from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center showed that lipid molecules called phosphatidic acids enhance glucose production in the liver. So inhibiting the production of phosphatidic acids could do the opposite, helping to control blood sugar.
_ Video-Game Technique May Help Avoid Patients' Falls By Jane Farrell articleA device using technology similar to that found in video games may eventually help health care practitioners monitor and even prevent falls among hospital patients. Between 700,000 and 1 million people each year fall in U.S. hospitals, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. All patients are at higher risk of falls because they are sick or injured. Falls are especially serious for older patients.
_ ExerciseGet Fit For Free By Jane Farrell articleGetting and staying fit can be intimidating, especially if you don’t want to go to gyms that might make you self-conscious and cost a lot of money. Even at-home equipment can be costly. But you can have an enjoyable fitness routine without spending anything. Experts from the Go4Life fitness program of the National Institutes of Health have some great suggestions:
Five Questions to Ask Your Surgeon Before An Operation By Jane Farrell articleFrom the Mayo Clinic The news that you will need surgery can prompt many questions and a lot of anxiety. Beyond details about your medical condition and treatment options, what should you ask your surgeon before the operation? Whatever you need to ask to be comfortable with the decisions you make about your care, says Robert Cima, M.D., a colon and rectal surgeon and chair of Mayo’s surgical quality subcommittee.
_ Too Many Unnecessary Brain Scans By Jane Farrell articleThe cost of brain scans for headache patients has reached $1 billion annually, a study has found. But many of the scans are unnecessary. Research from the University of Michigan Medical School found that 12 percent of doctor visits in the U.S. for headache resulted in a brain scan. Several national guidelines for physician advise against scanning the brains of patients who complain of headache and migraine. Still, the rate of brain scans is rising, not falling, since the guidelines were issued.
_ Androgen Deprivation Therapy Ineffective For Early-Stage Prostate Cancer By Jane Farrell articleMen who got androgen deprivation therapy as the primary treatment in the early stages of prostate cancer didn’t live any longer than those who got no treatment at all, a study shows. The researchers say that this conclusion, along with the risk of serious side effects such as heart disease and diabetes, “mitigates against any clinical or policy rationale for use of primary androgen deprivation therapy [PADT] in these men.”