BEN

India to benefit from pharma companies' move

The decision by 39 pharmaceutical companies to drop a historic case in South Africa has far-reaching consequences for India and other developing countries, according to leading non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The 39 companies had challenged a South African government order that legalized use and import of generic medicines free from patents. The pharmaceutical companies, which inc...

Hypertensives could benefit regular alcohol consumption

A recent study reported by researchers in the Journal of Hypertension indicates that hypertensive patients could reduce their cardiovascular morbidity and improve their atherosclerotic risk profile by consuming alcohol on a regular basis. The researchers indicated that serum lipoprotein(a), a powerful predictor of organ damage, was reduced with regular alcohol consumption. The researchers...

The Benefits Of Chemotherapy For Women With Ovarian Cancer

Researchers have found that chemotherapy improves survival and reduces the risk of recurrence in women with stage I ovarian cancer // (cancer that has not spread beyond the ovary). About one quarter of all ovarian cancers are caught while confined to the ovaries, when five-year survival is 85 percent. Most doctors may prefer not to offer chemotherapy for their patients, since eight in 10...

The Benefits Of Soy

New research in monkeys shows a diet high in soy could be good for the hearts and bones of premenopausal women.// The results from two separate studies suggest the natural plant estrogens in soy may be most effective in conjunction with the body's own estrogen, therefore making soy especially beneficial for women who haven't reached menopause. In one study researchers say they...

Another Treatment Option for Benign Tumors

A recent study shows treating benign tumors outside the brain using the CyberKnife frameless radiosurgery can successfully // control their growth and progression with minimal toxicity. CyberKnife is a non-invasive robotic radiosurgical device that can remove tumors and other lesions without open surgery. It uses a robotic arm, controlled by a computer, that sends multiple beams of high-d...

Benzene Slick In China Highlights Water Pollution

The plight of an estimated 190 million Chinese, who regularly drink polluted water, is now in sharp focus due to the benzene slick moving down the Songhua river, causing the suspension of drinking water supply to 3.8 million people in Harbin city.// "In China, freshwater is being threatened from population pressure and rapid economic development," the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) s...

Emphysema surgery - unbeneficial

Lung reduction surgery for emphysema does not help the sickest patients, according to the latest report.In emphysema, the air sacs of the lungs - the alveoli - are progressively destroyed, leaving the patient so short of breath that they cannot do everyday activities like climbing stairs or carrying their shopping. In the mid-1990s, studies seemed to suggest that lung reduction surgery wa...

Blood transfusions beneficial after heart attacks

Doctors can save the lives of many elderly heart attack victims by quickly giving blood transfusions to those who have even mild anemia, a U.S. study found. Researchers said this advice, if widely adopted, could save thousands of people each year. Taking care of anemia is probably as important as giving aspirin, beta blockers or clot-dissolving drugs, which are already standard care for h...

Benefit of colonoscopy

According to American doctors, there is no upper age limit to the effectiveness of colon cancer screening.Colorectal cancer screening tests are valuable for detecting bowel cancer and polyps before any symptoms develop. In the US, it's recommended that screening - either with a faecal occult blood test (FOBT), sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy - should start at age 50 and earlier in those with...

How do patients benefit of clinical trials

Many patients undergoing trials of new cancer treatments do not realise that future patients are more likely to benefit than themselves.There can be no progress in treating cancer - or any other disease - unless there are clinical trials. Henceforth what do patients expect from a trial. Doctors in California gathered views from more than 200 patients involved in trials of new cancer treat...

The earlier the treatment, the more the benefit

Speeding up delivery of anti-clotting drugs to stroke victims could greatly improve their chances of recovery. Medicines that break up clots are the only effective treatment in the hours after a stroke. To do any good,// however, they must be administered before brain cells die. The current standard requires that treatment begin within three hours of the onset of the stroke, and most pati...

Women benefit from consuming fish

Women can significantly lower their risk of heart disease by eating fish at least twice a week, researchers say in a study that found benefits similar to those previously// seen in men. It is one of five studies bolstering evidence that fish oil is good for the heart. The study of almost 98,000 women found those who ate fish two to three times a week cut their risk of heart disease by...

Surgery beneficial in Meniere's disease

According to a new research, surgery improves the quality of life for people with Meniere's disease. Meniere's disease is a disorder of the ear which leads to progressive deafness, dizziness, vomiting and tinnitus.The problem lies with a swelling of the endolymphatic duct in the ear// and this area can be the target of corrective surgery. Researchers at the Michigan Ear Institute in t...

Possible benefits of Hormone Replacement Therapy

According to a study, estrogen replacement therapy does not reduce post-menopausal women's risk of having a second stroke. The Women's Estrogen for Stroke Trial (WEST) is the recent study to counter long-held notions// about the benefits of hormone replacement therapy, or HRT, on the heart and blood vessels. Catherine Viscoli, a research scientist University of Yale, said that a lot of p...

Approaching through Telemedicine benefits patients

According to researchers, a new study shows that getting primary care physicians and their patients together with specialists through videoconferencing technology is an excellent way to extend the communication between doctors and patients.// Doctors from the Royal University College Medical School in London tested the "virtual outreach" method in a group of more than 2,000 patients se...

Hormone therapy provides no heart benefit

According to a new study, it shows that hormone replacement does not improve the outcome for postmenopausal women with existing heart problems. It has long been assumed that replacing female sex hormones after menopause will protect// a woman from heart disease. For women have far lower rates of heart problems than men - until after menopause. But a new report from the Heart and Estrogen/...

Benefits in fertility procedures

Fertility procedures are generally being fleased from patients who are in for these tests. Researchers in Irvine of California, observed a study at present which will help spare some couples the cost of unnecessary fertility procedures.// Lawrence Werlin, M.D., and researchers from the Genesis Network for Reproductive Health are involved in a study looking at the benefits of preimplant...

Benign eye tumors being treated

Researchers at the University of Texas feel that they may have found an effective treatment for a type of non-cancerous eye tumor that threatens clear vision.// Using photodynamic therapy, researchers successfully restored vision in three patients who were suffering from intraocular choroidal hemangiomas, which involved serious retinal detachments. Intraocular choroidal hemangiomas are...

Magnesium no benefit of survival after heart attack

According to researchers at the Hospital of Boston, a large clinical trial presents that giving intravenous magnesium after a heart attack does not improve survival after all. It has been assumed by some doctors that there could be benefit to patients// if they are given magnesium by infusion after a heart attack. The improvement in survival is thought to be especially significant for th...

Drinking wine beneficial in dementia

According to a major medical study by researchers it is observed that drinking wine may have some health benefits. The latest from researchers in Denmark, observe that people who drink wine// now and again may have a lesser risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer's disease. People who drank wine weekly or monthly had the most benefit. The researchers are realistic about their researc...

Cholesterol-lowering therapy benefits older people also

According to a new study it is observed that statins reduce the risk of heart attack in older people. Long-term treatment with statins lowers cholesterol// levels and so lowers the risk of heart disease. This has been shown to be the case in middle-aged people, but the benefits for the elderly have not been so clear. Researchers at the University of Glasgow have assessed the benefit o...

Geriatric heart patients benefit from extra weight

Innumerable previous studies have concluded that people who have a high Body Mass Index (BMI) or simply stated, those who are overweight, are associated with a larger risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. However a recent study by a team of Columbia researchers indicates, suprisingly, that senior patients// (i.e. patients who are 75 and over), with a BMI of 25 and above run a lower...

Women with diabetes could benefit from HRT

A recent study called 'HERS' conducted by researchers of the University of California, which looked at more than 2700 menopausal women, has found that Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) may be able to reduce the risk that women with heart disease// go on to develop diabetes as well. The study involved some women who already had diabetes and others who did not or had "impaired fasting g...

Lowering blood pressure beneficial for PAD patients

Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD), a risk factor for heart attacks, is characterized by atherosclerosis, a condition in which blood vessels of the legs are narrowed by fatty deposits. PAD is a risk factor for heart attacks because the atherosclerosis// probably also occurs in the coronary arteries. Researchers at the University of Colorado studied a group of 955 people with diabetes....

Immune function could benefit from exercise

Several studies in the past have shown that exercise could benefit both the young and the old in more ways than one. A new study has now shown that exercise not only helps the elderly in protecting their bones, it also helps boost the immune function, thus reducing the risk of Upper Respiratory Infections(URI). URIs, which could be caused by virus, bacteria// or other organisms, are the m...

COPD patients can benefit through intense training

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD) is a lung disease characterized by difficultly in breathing and the respiratory muscle strength and endurance is often reduced in these patients. Earlier research has shown that high-intensity training is effective in increasing the strength and endurance of respiratory muscles of COPD patients, thereby treating their breathing problems. However...

Lymphedema patients can benefit form exercise

Lymphedema, which is a common problem for breast cancer patients, is an abnormal buildup of fluid that causes swelling, most often in the arms or legs, and develops when lymph vessels or lymph nodes are missing, impaired, damaged, or removed. Secondary lymphedema can develop from infection, malignancy, surgery, scar tissue formation, trauma,// deep vein thrombosis (blood clot in a vein),...

Green tea beneficial in preventing osteoarthritis

Green tea, first discovered in China nearly 5000 years ago, has been linked to many health benefits including preventing coronary heart disease, stroke and certain types of cancer. Researchers in the University of Sheffield have now discovered that two compounds found in green tea, EGCG (epigallocatchin gallate) and ECG (epicatechin gallate) can help prevent osteoarthritis by blocking the...

Music training and Ginkgo biloba benefit memory

Studies shows that early music training and the popular herb Ginkgo biloba have benefits for human memory. Ginkgo biloba, derived from a tree, has been used in Chinese medicine for 5,000 years and has become a best selling herbal supplement in the United States and abroad during the past half decade. Researchers gave a series of tests on verbal memory to 30 females who had had at least s...

Women Benefit More from Quitting Smoking than Men

New findings indicate that, in general, women's lung function improves significantly more than men's after sustained smoking cessation. Researchers previously published results showing that both men and women benefit from smoking cessation; this new analysis indicates that the benefits to the lungs are greater in women than in men. Supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institu...

Benefits of Vitamin Supplements Unclear

New research shows there is not enough evidence to confirm vitamin supplements can prevent cancer, heart disease or stroke. In fact, researchers found consuming too much of a particular vitamin may increase a person’s risk of developing disease. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force reviewed the results of four clinical studies, which show consuming certain vitamins decreases a person’s...

Antidepressants May Benefit Heart Patients

A class of antidepressant drugs could make heart patients less likely to have a heart attack, U.S. researchers said on Monday. Drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as sertraline (Zoloft), make the blood less sticky and less likely to clot, they found. The study, published in the American Heart Association (news - web sites)'s journal Circulation, suggests th...

Benefits of Eating Whole Grains, Fruits and Vegetables

Here's another reason to eat healthier. A new study finds whole grains, fruits and vegetables will decrease your risk of heart disease and your overall risk of dying. However, the study also reports these foods do not decrease //your chance of having a stroke. The U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans include choosing a variety of fruits and vegetables daily and choosing a variety of gra...

Self-Management Program Beneficial for Back Pain

Acute low back pain is when symptoms have lasted for less than three months. A new study finds a self-management program that includes group classes, exercise sheet// handouts, and telephone follow-up calls may help patients improve and manage their back pain. Researchers from Indiana University developed a self-management program for poor, urban patients with low back pain. The progr...

Benefits of Nitric Oxide in the Treatment of Premature Infants

Chronic lung disease is a primary long-term complication among premature infants suffering from respiratory distress syndrome.// These infants are at greater risk for pulmonary hypertension and impaired growth, and they also have a sharply increased risk of developing neurological problems. A new study finds premature infants who have trouble breathing can benefit from treatment with i...

Self-Management Program Beneficial for Back Pain

Acute low back pain is when symptoms have lasted for less than three months. // A new study finds a self-management program that includes group classes, exercise sheet handouts, and telephone follow-up calls may help patients improve and manage their back pain. Researchers from Indiana University developed a self-management program for poor, urban patients with low back pain....

Vitamin- B Supplements Beneficial in Depression Treatment

New research reports, patients who were treated for depression responded better if they had a higher level of vitamin B12 in their blood.// An increasing amount of research is looking at the association between vitamin B and depression, but the specifics have not been understood. Researchers conducted a study to look at the relationship of vitamin B12 and the treatment of depression....

Benefits and Risks of Asthma Treatment Questioned

Government guidelines on the treatment of asthma have long recommended inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) therapy as the best treatment for people with persistent forms of the condition.But reports about side effects //of these drugs have led many people -- including parents of asthmatic children -- to question their use. Specifically, ICS has been linked to growth retardation in children, weak...

PET Scan May Be Beneficial After Cancer Treatment

Researchers found a PET scan done six weeks after completing a combined treatment of radiation and chemotherapy //reliably identified residual cancer and distant metastases or secondary tumors in patients with advanced-stage head and neck cancer. This result, researchers say, has a direct influence on health management decisions. Twenty-six patients with stage III or stage IV head and n...

Stroke Patients May Benefit By Wearing Cooling Helmets

Strokes can be caused by blood clots in blood vessels of the brain. At a recent meeting of 29th International Stroke Conference of the American Heart Association’s two studies were presented using //Cooling Helmets in patients who had developed stroke. Interestingly both study show that cooling of the brain reduces the damage caused by stroke. Vinay Nadkarni, M.D., from the American...