Odor Alert: Sniffing May Prepare Brain for Smelling
Stanford MedicineSTANFORD - The act of sniffing may be a wake-up call, alerting the brain to the imminent arrival of a smell, Stanford researchers propose.
STANFORD - The act of sniffing may be a wake-up call, alerting the brain to the imminent arrival of a smell, Stanford researchers propose.
In the March 18, 1998 issue of Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers say reduced sodium intake and weight loss constitute a feasible, effective and safe non-drug approach of treating high blood pressure in older persons.
The genetic defect responsible for progressive rod-cone degeneration (prcd), a form of progressive retinal atrophy known to cause blindness in at least five breeds of dogs, appears to be the canine version of the gene defect producing RP17, one of the numerous forms of retinitis pigmentosa that cause blindness in human families, researchers at Cornell University and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center report.
A new study helps determine the risk of developing multiple sclerosis for siblings of MS patients. The study is published in the March issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology
The multiple sclerosis drug glatiramer acetate (previously called copolymer 1) sustains its effect for patients for at least two-and-a-half years, according to a study published in the March issue of Neurology, the American Academy of Neurology's scientific journal.
Winston-Salem, NC -- New findings from a large-scale study of estrogen replacement therapy help show why the treatment may help reduce a woman's risk of a heart attack. Results from the Postmenopausal Estrogen/Progestin Intervention (PEPI) study show estrogen replacement therapy, with or without progestin, "produces consistent and sustained reductions in plasma lipoprotein (a) concentrations," said Mark A. Espeland, Ph.D., professor and head of the Section on Biostatistics at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.
Scientific research shows that Seroquel (R) (quetiapine fumarate) tablets, the newest of the atypical antipsychotics, reduces hostility and aggression in people with psychotic disorders, including schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease.
Mayo Clinic Health O@sis (www.mayohealth.org) has won the 1998 international Webby Award for best Internet health site and has been named a finalist in the Global Information Infrastructure (GII) Awards.
Johns Hopkins researchers have new evidence supporting a controversial theory that asthma is partially caused by the failure of deep breaths to relax constricted lung muscles enough to let in more air.
One in 10 health care workers frequently exposed to rubber surgical and examination gloves is on the cusp of developing allergy symptoms that could seriously affect both their health and their careers, according to a new study from Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions.
DALLAS, March 17 -- The absence of emotional support for elderly women hospitalized for heart failure places them at high risk for additional heart problems, according to a study in today's Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
DALLAS, March 17 -- Hormone replacement therapy may help reduce a woman's risk of heart attack, by lowering blood levels of the most potentially destructive form of cholesterol, according to a study in today's Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
DALLAS, March 17 -- Statins, the newest class of cholesterol-reducing drugs, dramatically lower the risk of dying from coronary heart disease and other causes, according to a study reported in today's Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Pelvic congestive syndrome, a painful disorder in women, which often goes undiagnosed and untreated, can usually be cured by plugging blood vessels in the ovaries, according to a study by a Johns Hopkins radiologist.
Physicians today reviewed the impact of the newest class of asthma medications, antileukotrienes, on the management of asthma symptoms in a scientific symposium funded by an education grant from Zeneca Pharmaceuticals at the 54th annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI).
Low estrogen levels caused more than 50 percent miscarriage in pregnant baboons, primates whose hormones during pregnancy act much like those of humans. The fetuses died before miscarriage.
1) Exposure to passive smoking causes the aorta to lose its elasticity. 2) Over 30 percent of gallstone disease can be prevented by 30 minutes of endurance type exercise five times a week. 3) Low cholesterol is associated with high risk for violent death. 4) Is managed care a "monstrous hybrid?" 5) Thalidomide is effective in treating Behcet syndrome.
After four months in cardiac intensive care, a 56-year-old Baltimore County woman woke up at the University of Maryland Medical Center with a new heart on Valentine's Day. What makes this transplant unusual is that it was a ìdirected donationî ñ a rare occurrence in which an organ donorÃs family may designate the recipient.
1.Smell Loss an Early Indicator of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Diseases; 2.Newly Found Endothelial Receptor Implicated in Both Heart Disease and AIDS; 3. DNA Vaccination Lowers HIV-1 Viral Load in Infected Chimpanzees
Phase I clinical trials of fluasterone, a synthetic steroid with many potential therapeutic and preventive uses, show it is safe at high doses, well tolerated and not metabolized to testosterone or estrogen in men or women.
Researchers at the Johns Hopkins School of Public have found that a simplified regimen of treatment provided protection against tuberculosis in HIV-infected, PPD-positive adults.
As the number of Americans with asthma--and the number of asthma deaths each year--continue to rise, Zeneca Pharmaceuticals released results of their recently sponsored survey which was conducted by Wirthlin Worldwide. The survey assessed asthma patients' attitudes and compliance with their medication.
Marietta, GA ñ March 11, 1998 ñ Solvay Pharmaceuticals, Inc., announced today that it received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to market the lowest oral estrogen dose -- 0.3 mg ESTRATAB (tm) (Esterified Estrogens Tablets, USP) -- for the prevention of osteoporosis.
Most americans get their health insurance through their employer but the availability of employer-sponsored insurance varies greatly from state to state, according to a first-ever Federal survey to produce state estimates.
Whether you are male or female, black or white, old or young, taking out fat in your diet will lower blood cholesterol levels -- and reduce the risk of a heart attack or stroke, according to a study in this month's issue of Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Professors at the University of Connecticut have conducted a study with cyclists to determine if oral or intravenous hydration has a better effect on an athlete's performance once they become dehydrated.
In a decision that highlights why many lesbians do not receive adequate medical care, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has rejected a request by the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association for exhibit space at ACOG's annual conference.
Interferon-alpha is used to treat several kinds of cancers. It is also effective against hepatitis B and C. However, interferon-alpha can cause central nervous system side-effects, includimg depression, slowed thinking and memory impairment. Fortunately, these side-effects can be treated successfully.
The National Cancer Institute has awarded a $13.3 million grant to the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Cancer Center to study how diet might help prevent a recurrence of breast cancer.
1997 State Legislated Actions on Tobacco Issues (SLATI), the only up-to-date, comprehensive guide to state tobacco-control laws enacted in 1997, has been compiled by the American Lung Association. The 216-page 1997 SLATI includes: state-by-state information, tables, maps and matrixes on tobacco-control laws plus a quick-read two-page guide to state tobacco laws.
Atlanta, GA "” Patients undergoing surgery for more than three hours are at risk for developing potentially fatal pressure ulcers, warn leading medical experts gathered here today to present clinical data on this underreported problem.
"If Americans knew the conditions children are subjected to in juvenile justice facilities, they would be horrified and appalled," Michael Faenza, President and CEO of the National Mental Health Association, said at a Congressional Children's Caucus hearing today. "Children with emotional disorders are routinely hog-tied, beaten, put in isolation, forced medication and even denied medication."
Vermont will be the first state in the nation to hold a statewide discussion of concerns regarding genetic breakthroughs. Backed by a federal grant, the effort will use town meetings and other forums.
Researchers at the University of Minnesota have developed an artificial liver using living cells that will temporarily support patients with severe liver failure as they wait for a liver transplant or recover from liver injury. Algenix Inc., a Minnesota-based company, has licensed the technology from the university and is seeking investors to begin clinical trials.
Although scientists have known for several years that the presence of the 4 form of the gene known as apolipoprotein-E (APOE) or APOE- 4 allele (gene variation), is associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease among whites, the risk posed by the gene has not been so clear-cut among African Americans and Hispanics. Now, researchers from Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons have discovered that African Americans and Hispanics have an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease whether or not they carry the APOE- 4 allele. The discovery could lead to a better understanding of other genes or risk factors that may contribute to Alzheimer's disease.
Millions of American children are still uninsured and face barriers to care. The Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR) today released a new sourcebook on data about children's health. The data in Children's Health 1996 highlights findings from AHCPR's 1996 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS).
Scientists using computers to simulate the general circulation of the earth's climate have predicted that rising global temperatures will increase the potential transmission of the dengue fever virus. Dengue fever is now considered the most widespread viral infection transmitted in man by insects, whether measured in terms of the number of human infections or the number of deaths.
The possibility of human cloning and other advancements in assisted reporductive technology have made headlines and introduce new medical ethics issues. In an effort to better organize expertise in this arena, Virginia Tech has established Center for Reproductive Excellence Using Advanced TEchnology and Endocrinology (CREATE).
Northwestern University students have helped design a handy device to help surgeons keep their surgical sites neat and tidy -- a cordless medical vacuum that runs on batteries and can hold a pint of fluid.
These are the lead stories included in the latest issue of AHCPR's Research Activities o Medicare and Private Insurers are Likely to Pay More Than Others for Similar Home Health Services o Elderly Patients May Be Safely Discharged Early From The Hospital Following Bypass Surgery o Use of Hormone Replacement Therapy Among Women Without Symptoms Has Doubled, But Remains Low o More Employers Are Offering Health Insurance, But Fewer Workers are Taking It
A widely used operation to prevent stroke by removing blockages from blood vessels in the neck is safe even for the elderly -- and safest and least expensive when done in hospitals performing the greatest number, a Johns Hopkins study has found.
A new study funded by the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR) shows that people who give up smoking are no more likely to be hospitalized than persons who never smoked. The finding is from the largest and most comprehensive study to date on how people's biomedical risk factors influence their likelihood of someday needing costly inpatient care.
A London conference on Wednesday, 11th March 1998 will hear that the UK's 200,000 heart pacemaker wearers may be at risk from a certain type of anti-theft device used by retailers nation-wide.
Sinai Hospital of Baltimore is the first in Maryland to offer a new minimally invasive thermal treatment for women suffering from menorrhagia, excessive menstrual bleeding. In many cases, the treatment, which removes the endometrium, the tissue lining the uterus, can replace a hysterectomy, the most common form of therapy for this problem.
STANFORD-- Lessons learned early in life can, at least in owls, leave a permanent mark in the brain. The mark allows an adult owl to re-learn a task that it learned early in life, though the same task can never be learned by an adult who has not had such training as a juvenile.
People with Type 2 diabetes and high-blood pressure had a decreased incidence of heart attacks with the use of an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor when compared with a calcium channel blocker to control their hypertension, according to a University of Colorado Health Sciences Center study published in the March 5 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Scientists at Johns Hopkins have developed the first precise, noninvasive means of measuring a chemical in the heart tied to the extent of muscle damage from a heart attack.
High blood pressure is already a primary risk factor for stroke, but Japanese researchers say that hypertensive patients who also exhibit a minimal nighttime dip in blood pressure may be at even higher risk, according to a study published in today's Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.
A Johns Hopkins School of Public Health study of the factors that influence how long a person who needs a liver transplant has to wait has shown that women, Hispanic-Americans, Asian-Americans, and children waited longer than other groups for transplants.
Trying a new approach to controlling the process of inflammation, scientists have forged a new class of synthetic molecules that offer a new strategy for treating pain, swelling and the other hallmarks of injury or illness.