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Another ray of hope for Arthritis Sufferers

Arthritis causes inflammation of a joint or joints and the surrounding tissues and affects millions of people all over the world. Anti-arthritic drugs can cause side effects and surgery can be expensive, however there is hope from a natural product liquid glucosamine and chondroitin sulfates. Some excellent results with an approach based on a combination of the two supplements have been r...

One in Three Heart Attack Patients Have No Chest Pains

Death Rates Higher for Those Without This Symptom. As many as one-third of patients never have chest pains prior to or during a heart attack, a study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association suggests. And for women, diabetics and others who belong to groups likely to have atypical heart attack symptoms, more than half may never have such pains. The report examined symp...

Naked DNA Vaccination May Conquer Arthritis and Multiple Sclerosis

A novel modification of a new technology born of genetic engineering, and known as naked DNA vaccination, holds the potential of overcoming autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis. The vaccine is currently being successfully tested in animals. In multiple sclerosis (MS) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the body essentially attacks itself, caus...

Nobel Prize for Medicine shared by Three scientists

Arvid Carlsson, Paul Greengard and Eric Kandel won the Nobel Prize in medicine for their discoveries concerning "signal transduction in the nervous system." The three Nobel laureates will share the 9 million kronor ($915,000) prize for their pioneering discoveries "concerning one type of signal transduction between nerve cells, referred to as slow synaptic transmission," according to the...

Sperm washing helps couples – Breakthrough in focu

In many unfortunate instances we see couples who are HIV sero discordant but who would like to have a baby. If the husband is HIV –1 positive and the wife is negative and they are planning to have a child the problem arises because sexual intercourse carries a 1 in 500 risk of transmitting the virus to the female partner and through her to the fetus. Sperm washing is a risk-reduction opti...

Liver donors can thrive after transplant

Contrary to belief that donating liver can injure the donor, it is now established without doubt that a living person can donate a part of his liver to a person needing it. And the good news is that the donor would continue to live well and thrive after donating part of his/her liver. Donation of a piece of the liver's right lobe from one adult to another is a relatively new procedure. I...

Spirituality helps lessen arthritic pain

Dr. Francis J. Keefe of Duke University Medical School in Durham, North Carolina and colleagues have published a paper in April issue of the Journal of pain. Patients who use religion or spirituality to cope with the chronic pain of rheumatoid arthritis can reduce their pain and boost their sense of well being, the researchers say. Dr. Francis says, "One might expect that people coping w...

Fight arthritic pain with acupuncture

Arthritic pain is one of the worst types of chronic pain. Many people are immobilized and crippled because of this painful condition. But now there’s good news for the long-suffering arthritic patients. Acupuncture, which is one of the most popular forms of alternative medicine, is supposed to have magical cures for those suffering from arthritis. A team led by Dr. Jeanette Ezzo...

Vedic vibration technology- the new cure for arthritis

One of the primary disabling ailments in the world has found a new treatment - Vedic vibration technology. A study, titled 'A double-blind randomised controlled trial of Maharishi Vedic Vibration Technology in subjects with arthritis,' revealed that scientists succeeded in achieving 100 per cent relief from painful arthritis in 36 per cent of the patients treated and at least 60 per cent...

Biotechnology industry expected to grow into a three billion dollar industry by 2002

The biotech products market in India is expected to grow into a three billion dollar industry by 2002 according to a Rabo India finance report. The big leap is expected to triple the industry's size from its 1999 value of one billion dollars. Biogenerics, biopharmaceuticals, agriculture, food and nutrition sectors are all poised for the big leap, both nationally and internationally. Th...

ZD1839 Proves Effective - A Breakthrough in fighting Lung Cancer

Lung cancer, the header among all forms of cancer, is avenged now by the new proven effective ZD1839. It has been shown that ZD1839, an epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor, has confirmed, durable responses and safety in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) as monotherapy and in combination with standard chemotherapy agents after segmental scrut...

Heart disease threat starts early in life for Diabetics

Diabetes mellitus type I, is due to autoimmune destruction of the pancreatic islet cells that produce insulin. Result of this the body no longer produces insulin and and there is a raise in the blood sugar levels. Individuals with this type I Diabetes develop are at a higher risk to develop heart disease even at their teens. The team of researchers with the University of Southern Califor...

TELITHROMYCIN - the proven effective new drug for cap

Community acquired pneumonia other wise known as CAP has been a therapeutic challenge to most of the practising physicians. This is mainly due to the growing resistance of the bacteria causing them to the available antibiotics. Telithromycin (Ketek), a new ketolide antibiotic, is highly effective in treating patients with pneumococcal bacteraemia associated with community-acquired pneumo...

Arthroscopy for Ankles

A surgical procedure widely used on knees can also repair damaged ankles claim the researchers. Arthroscopy may be the best known for repairing knee injuries, but it is also a valuable method for treating ankles.// As it is a minimally invasive surgical technique it is being applied in new ways by orthopedic surgeons to relieve different ankle problems, including ligament damage...

B Vitamin protects and lowers toxicity of Arthritis Drug

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that most often affects women in their 30s and 40s, especially women.The illness causes the immune system to attack the joints, which can cause pain, inflammation and joint destruction. Methotrexate is the standard drug used to treat the condition, but one third of the patients discontinue treatment early due to toxicity.//...

Excessive use of antibiotics for sore throat

According to a new survey, it is found that doctors are prescribing unnecessary antibiotics for sore throats. A sore throat is the second most common symptom sending people to their doctor. Generally a sore throat is caused by a virus and will not respond to antibiotics. But researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital and the Stanford Center for Research in Disease Prevention in Palo Al...

Loss Of Dystrophin: Common Thread In Cancer And MS Muscle Wasting

Recent research conducted at the Ohio State University shows that a wasting condition responsible for nearly a third of cancer deaths involves the loss of an essential muscle protein that is also lost in people with muscular // dystrophy. The study findings, which appear in the November issue of the journal Cancer Cell, show that muscle cells lose significant amounts of the protein dy...

Novel Actemra monotherapy in treating patients with early aggressive rheumatoid arthritis

The first Phase III study involving the use of Actemra in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis has revealed that it is superior to conventional treatment modality that uses disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs to inhibit // joint destruction. It has also been found to provide symptomatic relief and improve sensation of pain. Rheumatoid arthritis is a debilitating autoimmune...

Five People Treated For Anthrax In Indonesia

A worrying anthrax outbreak in Makassar, Indonesia, has infected at least five people working in a slaughterhouse, an official stated, reports Jakarta Post // . The human infections came to light after official confirmation that about 30 cows and water buffaloes in Tamangapa subdistrict have died of anthrax recently. The local health office earlier did medical checks on the fi...

Shouting Teachers Developing Dry Throats

Shouting at unruly pupils is taking its toll on Hong Kong teachers, with one in three developing voice problems within four years, a survey has said.// Shouting at students in the class is affecting the voices of teachers in Hong Kong. A survey said dry throats and husky and harsh voices were among the symptoms reported by teachers, with female sufferers claiming they devel...

Delhi Faces Flu Threat Due To Change In Weather

Seasonal illnesses like that of viral flu are spreading across Delhi with the reversal of the cold wave conditions. While Delhi recorded a minimum of 0.2 degrees Celsius (7 degrees below normal) on 8 January, just over a week later the temperature reached 11.6 degrees //(five degree above normal) on 17 January 2006. Doctors have called upon people to be careful about the weather change....

New UK Policy Threatens The Flexible Working Scheme

The British Medical Association (BMA) said that the financial crisis would put an end to the new scheme, which helps the lady doctors wanting to work part-time after childbirth. // This scheme comes under the National Health Center (NHS). But ministers are posing a threat to stop the scheme and transferring the powers to the regional health bosses. This move was taken mainly...

Fraudulent Dentist Jailed For Three Years

A dentist who was accused of defrauding the NHS of more than ￡600,000 has been sentenced to three years in jail. 45-year-old Michael Semeniuk of Willerby, near Hull carried on// this fraud for more than six years during which he filed around 3,500 cases of false claims for payment. The Hull Crown Court was told that the claims were filed for treating dead patients or for work, which was...

Pharma majors gear to supply anti-anthrax drug

The panic that has gripped the U.S with anthrax bacterial infections coming to light has led to an increased demand for the drug used in its treatment - Ciprofloxacin. Already there is news that the German pharma major Bayer is tripling its production of Ciprofloxacin to cater to the burgeoning demand and will supply 200 million tablets in the next three months. In fact, Bayer holds the U...

Anthrax drug doxycycline could stunt fetal growth

The government warned doctors that doxycycline -- an antibiotic being prescribed to people who may have been exposed to anthrax -- can stunt fetal growth when taken by pregnant women. Instead, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urged doctors to prescribe Cipro to pregnant women. The recommendation comes as health officials worry that Cipro is being overprescribed in the genera...

Is Smallpox Threat Real ?

Smallpox, a highly contagious virus that kills at least 30 percent of its victims and disfigures many who survive, was eradicated from the globe more than two decades ago. Scientists retained stocks of the variola virus, which causes the disease, and stored them in secure laboratories in Atlanta, Georgia, and Moscow, Russia. A smallpox attack is just one of many potential bioterrorism thr...

Drugs For Anthrax May Interfere With Oral Contraceptives

Women taking birth control pills should be mindful of the possible interaction between oral contraceptives and the medications recommended by the Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to treat anthrax. The CDC recently recommended that antibiotic and anti-infective medications, such as Cipro, doxycycline, and penicillin, be used to treat those believed to have been expo...

Cipro Has Cheaper Cousins to Treat Anthrax

Cipro, Cipro, Cipro. That's been the mantra of the media as dozens of people exposed to anthrax -- and thousands who weren't -- clamor for the potent antibiotic. But if the supply dwindles, doctors say other cheaper and widely available medications can be used, including a previous generation's wonder drug: penicillin. Although alternatives exist, Cipro is the latest and greatest, so it t...

Altering genes through calories

It's never too late to diet. Cutting calories for only a few weeks late in life causes anti-aging changes in mouse genes.Even those averse to weight watching might have their cake and eat it if researchers can find drugs that mimic dieting’s effects. Cutting calories is known to increase lifespan and reduce age-related disease in experimental mammals. Researchers at the University of C...

Erythromycin and infants’ intestinal disorde

An Indiana University School of Medicine study, in the Journal of Pediatrics, has found a link between erythromycin, and subsequent development of pyloric stenosis, a condition that affects one in 500 newborns. Pyloric stenosis, which usually occurs in the first or second month of life, is a blockage of the outlet of the stomach that causes projectile vomiting//, leading to weight loss...

Tai chi helps arthritis

Researchers in Texas find that a tai chi programme improves pain and daily living activities in people with arthritis. Tai chi is an ancient Chinese system of gentle exercise which has been long held to have a wide range of health benefits. Now researchers at University in Texas report on one of the first studies of the effects of tai chi in osteoarthritis. Seventeen patients, average...

FDA Approves New Arthritis Drug, Bextra

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved a new drug for treating osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is a progressive deterioration in the cartilage of certain joints. Unlike rheumatoid arthritis, which is an inherited autoimmune disease, osteoarthritis results from overuse of joints, and can be a byproduct of strenuous sports, obesity or aging. Pharmacia Corp. makes the drug, Bextr...

Risk Of Developing Arthritis

People starting the New Year with a resolution to get fit are urged to pursue their chosen sport with care. Exercising inappropriately could cause damage that leads to arthritis in later life.// People who severely damage the cartilage in their joints in their 20s and 30s are at greater risk of developing osteoarthritis, particularly in the knee, when they get older. The Arthritis Researc...

Panacea Biotech To Market Anthrax Vaccine

Panacea Biotech has bagged the registration, production and marketing rights of the anti-anthrax vaccine developed by the Centre for Biotechnology in the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). It is expected that the vaccine would be in the market in 3-4 months. The Company has made a milestone payment to JNU for the exclusive rights. In addition, it will pay the university a royalty on sales...

Anthrax vaccine produced

Indian scientists have produced a more effective vaccine for anthrax and they claim that it could be less mephitic and longer lasting than that which is presently available.It has been developed by a team, from the Centre for Biotechnology// at Jawaharlal Nehru University, led by Dr Rakesh Bhatnagar. It is made up of harmless mutant forms of three key proteins that together make the to...

Scios Inc. targets drug giants in arthritis war

Scios Inc. , a small California biotechnology company, is racing giant rivals to bring a pill to market that would displace injectable anti-inflammatory drugs and set a new standard in arthritis treatment. Scios' ambitions are much larger than its market capitalization of a little more than $1 billion. That's because the first company to commercialize an oral version of today's dominant i...

Periodontitis a common problem in patients with arthritis

Arthritis and periodontitis often go hand in hand, according to a new study in the Journal of Periodontology. In the Australian study of 154 people, the 77 people who had// rheumatoid arthritis were more than twice as likely to have periodontal disease with moderate to severe jawbone loss as the control subjects. In addition, they averaged 12 missing teeth, compared to 6.7 in the control...

Prototype Detector detects Anthrax Quickly

A prototype handheld detector under development at Sandia National Laboratories can identify the fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) of anthrax in less than five minutes. //Sandia's Laboratory Directed Research and Development program supported the work. Sandia is a multiprogram laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed Martin company, for the U.S. Department of Energy. Fatty a...

New device for discerning Osteoarthritis

According to researchers, a new technique which images cartilage could lead to earlier detection of Osteoarthritis. An X ray exam is the standard way of detecting Osteoarthritis, a painful disease //where the cartilage between the joints wears away. But an X ray cannot image the cartilage direct it only shows that the gap between the bones is getting narrower. Researchers at the Unive...

Glenmark’s new molecule to go through trial

Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd today said its newly- found andti-diabetic/anti-obesity molecule will be put into clinical trials by later this year. Mr Glenn Saldanha, Executive Director, Glenmark pharmaceuticals, told newspersons that the company’s R&D team has established ‘proof of concept’ in animals for this molecule.// The global diabetes market is estimated to be in the region of...