Health Madera CA
The following articles contain information about health, healthy living practices, and health trends. Learn about a variety of topics and issues, including but not limited to symptoms of illness or disease, treatments for disorders, new trends in the medical world, health care plans and more.
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Yoga for the Back Madera CA
As we boomers age, back issues may be more common. Back pain is the primary cause of great suffering and disability. It is said that there are yearly 70,000 visits to the doctor due to back pain. Yoga can reduce back pain and even heal it. Read on for more detailed information in the following article.
Winter Exercise Madera CA
Sticking to your exercise program throughout the colder months is beneficial for multiple reasons, experts say. Not only can physical activity lift your spirits during days of limited sunlight, it can help make sure you're in good shape when it's time to pull out those shorts and bathing suits again.
Wider Use for Statins Madera CA
Statins could be as beneficial for people with acceptable cholesterol readings but high levels of inflammation as they are for those with high cholesterol levels, a new analysis finds. An earlier study of more than 17,000 participants, known as the JUPITER trial, found that rosuvastatin (Crestor) cut the risk for serious vascular problems in people whose cholesterol levels were not high while high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels were.
Two Genes Work Together in Deadliest Cancer Madera CA
Two genes working in concert seem to spur the deadliest form of brain tumor, glioblastoma, the disease that took Sen. Ted Kennedy's life last August. Scientists reporting in the Dec. 23 online edition of Nature said that the dynamic duo of genes are turned on in about 60 percent of patients with glioblastoma, and that those patients have an especially bad prognosis.
Treatment for Respiratory Virus Madera CA
A lipid found in the lungs appears to have the ability to prevent infection with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which is a major cause of infection in babies and can also be dangerous for adults with chronic lung diseases and conditions such as HIV, researchers report.
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Airbags for Pregnant Women Madera CA
Air bags save lives in car crashes; that's been established. But now researchers report that the lifesaving quality makes no exception for pregnant women and the babies they're carrying. Because air bag deployment has been shown to injure children and infants, there's been a lingering question whether the devices might also injure unborn children, noted the researchers, from the University of Washington.
Allergens Worsen Sinusitis Madera CA
A new Dutch study provides solid proof that allergies can trigger the sinus problems that afflict millions of Americans. When allergy-causing substances were dripped into the noses of people with chronic sinusitis, almost all of them developed significant sinus responses, such as inflammation, evident on X-ray and ultrasound images, according to a report in the December issue of the Archives of Otolaryngology--Head & Neck Surgery by physicians at the Allergy Research Foundation in Breda, the Netherlands.
Alzheimer's Disease Madera CA
Researchers have uncovered a bittersweet relationship between two major illnesses: cancer and Alzheimer's disease. People who have had cancer are less likely to get Alzheimer's disease, just as having Alzheimer's disease reduces the risk for cancer, their study found.
Amino Acid for Strong Teeth Madera CA
Scientists have identified the way a simple amino acid makes human teeth strong and resilient. Proline is repeated in the center of proteins found in tooth enamel. When the repeats are long, such as in humans, they contract groups of molecules that help enamel crystals grow. When the repeats are short, such as in frogs, teeth don't have the enamel prisms that provide strength, the researchers explained.
Aspirin during Pregnancy Madera CA
Obstetricians sometimes give low-dose aspirin to pregnant women who are apt to have such complications as fetal growth restriction (when a fetus doesn't grow properly in the womb) or preeclampsia (high blood pressure that's dangerous to both mother and the fetus), said Dr. Ashley Roman, a clinical assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at NYU Langone Medical Center. Roman was not involved in the research.
Breast Cancer Madera CA
An analysis of breast cancer genomes has provided insight into how the human genome is rearranged when the disease strikes, researchers report. "We have looked at the level of the DNA sequence at just how splintered and reorganized the genome is in many breast cancers. We were, frankly, astounded at the number and complexity of rearrangements in some cancers," Mike Stratton of the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in Cambridge, U.K., said in a news release from the institute.
Breast MRI for Women Madera CA
For women at high risk of breast cancer, an MRI can help detect malignancies early and is often suggested in addition to annual mammograms. Yet, 42 percent of such women in a new study said no to the test.
Breast-Feeding May Protect a Woman's Heart Madera CA
Although many women choose to breast-feed because of the numerous health benefits it offers their offspring, new research suggests that breast-feeding may also help the health of the mothers' hearts later in life.
Cardiac Disease Study Madera CA
Cardiac rehabilitation sessions for elderly people with heart disease can lower their risk of heart attack and help them live longer, new research finds, but fewer than one in five eligible patients bothers to go. Researchers looked at medical records of more than 30,000 Medicare patients aged 65 and older who attended at least one cardiac rehabilitation session from 2000 to 2005. The findings: More sessions are better.
Causes of Birth Defects Madera CA
Among working women in the United States, teachers seem to have the lowest risk of having babies with birth defects, while those who work as janitors, scientists and electronic-equipment operators appear most at risk, researchers say.
Cervarix Proving Effective against HPV Madera CA
The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine Cervarix protects women from infection for longer than six years, new research has found. The vaccine guards against the two types of HPV (HPV-16 and HPV-18) most commonly associated with cervical cancer.
Chicken Pox Shot Protecting against Shingles Madera CA
Children who are vaccinated against chicken pox may also have increased protection against shingles, new findings suggest. U.S. researchers looked at the health records of 172,163 children in southern California who were vaccinated with the varicella (chicken pox) vaccine between 2002 and 2008.
Child Food Allergies Madera CA
Pediatric food allergies, which can sometimes be life-threatening, are increasing at a dramatic rate in the United States, new research shows. But the study authors aren't sure if the rise in reports of food allergies reflects an increase in actual prevalence or if better awareness has led more people to seek treatment for their symptoms.
Childhood Lead Exposure Causing Permanent Damage Madera CA
Childhood exposure to lead can cause permanent brain damage, a new study has found. The study included 33 adults, mean age 21, who were enrolled as infants in the long-term Cincinnati Lead Study, which looked at prenatal and early childhood exposure in 376 infants from high-risk areas of Cincinnati between 1979 and 1987.
Clues to Cancer That Could Wipe Out Tasmanian Devils Madera CA
Researchers are gaining a better understanding of an outbreak of cancerous tumors that is killing many of Australia's Tasmanian devils, according to a new report.
Diabetes Insight Could Lead to Better Treatments Madera CA
Scientists have identified a protein that may be involved in the development of type 2 diabetes, a finding that could lead to new drugs to fight this growing worldwide scourge. This same group of researchers recently showed that inhibiting this pathway worked to block pain associated with gout, an inflammatory condition affecting the joints.
Disinfectant Misuse Helping Germs Resist Antibiotics Madera CA
The incorrect use of a disinfectant could cause some germs to develop resistance to antibiotics, new research suggests. However, the findings haven't been proven outside of the laboratory and they don't suggest that there's anything wrong with disinfectants that are used properly.
Elderly Treated Less Aggressively for Heart Attack Madera CA
While overall care of heart attack patients in the United States is good, gaps remain in the treatment of patients 80 and older, a new study suggests. Researchers analyzed 2000-2009 data on 156,677 heart attack patients treated at 416 centers enrolled in the American Heart Association's "Get With the Guidelines -- Coronary Artery Disease" program.
Emphysema in Nonsmoking Adults Madera CA
Children who are around smokers face a higher risk of early emphysema when they become nonsmoking adults, perhaps because their lungs never totally recovered from secondhand smoke exposure, new research suggests.
Exercise Guarding White Blood Cells against Aging Madera CA
Studies have shown that exercise can help ward off heart disease and cancer, and now new research shows that the reason why may be found within cells themselves. Endurance athletes had longer telomeres -- DNA at the tips of chromosomes that protect the cell -- in their white blood cells than healthy, nonsmoking adults who did not exercise regularly.
Experimental Treatment and Muscular Dystrophy Madera CA
Injecting a therapeutic molecule into muscle appears to jump-start the production of a crucial protein that's missing in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, British researchers report. The treatment so far is only applicable to about 13 percent of people with the debilitating and ultimately fatal disease, but scientists are hopeful that similar molecules might expand the treatment to a wider range of patients.
Flu Vaccine for Seniors Approved Madera CA
Seniors are at highest risk for complications of seasonal flu, including hospitalization and death. The Fluzone High-Dose vaccine, designed to prevent infection with influenza subtypes A and B, was given accelerated approval as a product designed to prevent serious or life-threatening disease.
Gene 'Signature' and Lung Cancer Madera CA
In a finding that could lead to a simple blood test to screen for lung cancer, U.S. researchers have identified immune system markers that indicate early-stage lung tumors in people at high risk for lung cancer.
Gene Mutations Behind Brain Reduction Madera CA
Scientists who identified gene mutations that influence human brain size say their findings may help explain differences in brain size in healthy people and those with neurological and psychiatric disorders.
Gene Tests in Sudden Cardiac Death Victims Madera CA
Genetic testing of people who've suffered sudden unexplained death is an effective and cost-efficient way of identifying genetic mutations that may put surviving relatives at increased risk for potentially deadly heart rhythm disturbances, a new study suggests.
Gene Therapy and Emphysema Madera CA
A single treatment with a new method of gene therapy may offer lifetime protection against the progression of the lung disease emphysema, according to the results of a study in mice. The most common form of emphysema in young people is Alpha-1 Anti-trypsin Deficiency, caused by a mutation in the alpha-1 anti-trypsin gene, the authors of the study pointed out.
Heart Risk Tied to Inflammatory Protein Madera CA
Researchers are linking levels of a protein that indicates tissue inflammation in the body to future risk of heart attack, stroke, cancer and chronic lung disease. But the association may be the result of other risk factors related to heart disease, such as smoking, rather than the protein itself, researchers said.
High Lipoprotein Levels and Heart Disease Madera CA
A genetic study proves that high blood levels of the fat-carrying molecule called lipoprotein(a) can cause heart disease. "The case for lipoprotein(a) as a direct cause of coronary artery disease is now firm," said Martin Farrall, a professor of cardiovascular genetics at the University of Oxford in England and senior author of a report in the Dec. 24 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
HIV Drugs for Breast-Fed Babies Madera CA
Antiretroviral drugs appear safe and effective in helping prevent the transmission of HIV from mother to child through breast milk.
Huntington's Disease Madera CA
Researchers are reporting that they've discovered a molecular switch that appears to play a role in whether Huntington's disease develops in mice. An estimated one out of every 10,000 Americans suffer from Huntington's disease, which is hereditary and disrupts a person's ability to walk, talk, think clearly and even swallow. There's currently no way to prevent the disease, which typically leads to death within 10 years of diagnosis, or to keep it from worsening, the study authors noted.
Indoor Allergies Common in Winter Madera CA
Colder temperatures can bring some relief to those allergic to mold and pollen. But winter doesn't mean the end of runny noses, itchy eyes and wheezing for asthma and allergy sufferers.
Ingredient in Botanicals Tied to Urinary Cancer Madera CA
New research links a carcinogen known as aristolochic acid, which is found in some Chinese herbal products, including guan mu-tong, to a higher risk of urinary tract cancer. The findings were reported online Dec. 21 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Kids Can Pass Pneumonia Bug to Older Relatives During Holidays Madera CA
A new study suggests that family get-togethers during the holidays can have a dark side, with asymptomatic children passing potentially deadly pneumonia germs to older relatives. "Kids get colonized by strep and pneumococcus, and they are carrying it -- they may not get sick from it, but the elderly are more susceptible to it," noted Dr. Marc Siegel, an associate professor of medicine at New York University School of Medicine in New York City.
Laser Treatment for Diabetic Retinopathy Madera CA
Steroid injections into the eye slowed diabetes-related eye disease, though lasers remain the treatment of choice because of side effects related to the steroids, new research shows.
Long-Term Bipolar Therapy Madera CA
People with bipolar I disorder will do best over the long term with lithium treatment alone or a combination of lithium and valproate compared to valproate alone, new research suggests. Patients who underwent the lithium or lithium/valproate treatments were less likely to relapse regardless of how severe their conditions were at the beginning of treatment, the study authors reported in the Dec. 22 online edition of The Lancet.
Molecule Helps Leukemia Cells Hide from Immune System Madera CA
The cells co-opt a protective molecular badge that is used by normal blood stem cells, and this badge helps them travel throughout the body undetected, the investigators found.
Multi-Detector CT Scans Madera CA
A type of computed tomography scan used to detect coronary artery disease can be affected by factors such as a patient's ethnicity, height/weight ratio and heart rate, researchers have found. The scanning technology at issue is known as multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT). In the new international study, researchers looked at scans of 291 patients with clogged arteries and found that images from black patients had poorer quality than those from white patients.
Myrrh May Lower High Cholesterol Madera CA
The resin of trees in the Middle East -- known as myrrh -- may help lower "bad" cholesterol, new research suggests. The study author explained that myrrh resin could be used in conjunction with other plant materials to boost heart health, although it's not clear yet how people might consume it, and more research is needed.
Natural Heart Drugs and Colon Cancer Madera CA
A family of naturally derived heart drugs called cardiac glycosides shows promise in fighting colon cancer, new research has found.
Pneumonia Risk for Seniors Madera CA
Seniors who are exposed to significant levels of air pollution for more than a year face double the risk of pneumonia, Canadian researchers report. "We postulate that long-term exposure to air pollution may have increased individuals' susceptibility to pneumonia by interfering with innate immune defenses designed to protect the lung from pathogens," lead investigator Dr. Mark Loeb, of McMaster University in Ontario, said in a news release from the American Thoracic Society.