Treatment

Advances in Treatment of Cataracts

Cataracts occur when the eye's lens becomes cloudy and obstructs the passage of light to the retina. These obstructions can lead to vision loss. //Cataract is a major cause of blindness in India. Modern corrective surgery requires implantation of artificial lenses, however these implants often leave patients dependent on eyeglasses. But now, a recent study at Harvard Medical School has shown...

Recommendations for Treatment of Blood Pressue

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and the National High Blood Pressure Education Program (NHBPEP),USA, have come out with recommendations to treat Hypertension.Control of systolic blood pressure is as important as control of Diastolic blood pressure. This is a crucial message for health care providers, patients, and their families. For many years, the importance of lowerin...

Thyroid hormone treatment hastens recovery after cardiac surgery

Thyroid hormone treatment after surgery requiring heart bypass speeds recovery in children undergoing correction of congenital heart defects, according to a clinical trial published in The Lancet. The effects were greatest in the patients who underwent long and difficult surgeries. Following trauma or surgery or during a critical illness, thyroid hormone concentrations plummet. Ma...

Feeding channel created by malaria parasite - a new target for malaria treatments

Researchers have found pore-like holes in the membranes of red blood cells infected by the deadliest form of the malaria parasite. The parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, apparently uses these holes to supply itself with the nutrients it needs to grow and reproduce. The discovery may lead to the development of new treatments for malaria, a widespread and devastating disease. Mala...

Now umbilical cord helps in stroke treatment.

Though the details are yet to be worked out and the project itself is in a primitive stage, the scientists...

Now AIDS treatment comes dirt-cheap

The war of the pharmaceutical giants has just begun. After waging wars over many drug formulations the pharma majors are now locking horns over AIDS treatment. The ball was set in motion by the dramatic announcement of Indian firm Cipla that a three-drug combination for AIDS treatment would cost less than a U.S. dollar a day. Not to be left far behind rival firm Ranbaxy announced...

Breast cancer treatment to be determined by gene test

Women newly diagnosed with breast cancer, may opt for mastectomy over breast-conserving lumpectomy if they test positive for a breast cancer gene mutation, researchers said California on Monday. About 5% to 10% of all breast cancers are caused by an inherited genetic susceptibility. The majority of these cancers are linked to mutations or alterations in two genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2. It is...

Hemopurifier may revolutionise AIDS treatment

A new purifier, which has performed well during clinical trials, may be the in thing in AIDS treatment. A blood purifier, which separates the HIV from circulating blood, has been developed and if found to be successful, this purifier, might mark the beginning of the end of HIV’s vicious grip on human race. According to researchers at Aethlon Medical, a biotechnology firm in La Jolla, Cal...

New drug helps boost cancer treatment

Researchers at the Sloane Kettering Cancer Center, New York have achieved a breakthrough of sorts in cancer treatment, by designing a new drug, which attaches itself to a key position on cancer cells and gives new potency to failing chemotherapy drugs thereby extending survival of advanced colorectal cancer patients. IMC-C225, the new drug which is actually a monoclonal antibody, is desi...

Antidepressants come in handy for patients on treatment for hepatitis, cancers and multiple sclerosis

The sad part in the treatment of certain cancers, hepatitis and multiple sclerosis with interferon therapy is that while the treatment can extent life, it can seriously spoil its quality. Alpha interferon a drug used to fight these diseases can cause crippling depression. A new research now shows that the use of an antidepressant before starting the treatment can avoid this problem. Al...

Experimental treatment for Ebola Virus Shows promising results in mice

Scientists at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia, have said that an experimental treatment for the deadly Ebola virus has shown promising results in mice. In the study, researchers led by Dr. Manish Gupta took antibodies from the immune systems of mice that had survived infection with the deadly Ebola virus and injected them into other Ebola-free mice...

Radioactive Seeds used in Prostate Cancer treatment can migrate with the body

In a shocking disclosure, Dr. Murali Ankem, a resident in Urology at the Robert Wood Johnnson Medical Centre of the University of New Jersey Medical and Dental School, New Brunswick, has said that radiactive seeds used in prostate cancer treatment can migrate to other parts of the body including the lungs. In a procedure called Brachytherapy, tiny metal pellets are implanted in and aroun...

New dimension in the treatment of female sexual dysfunction

Female sexual dysfunction is associated with loss of libido, low motivation and fatigue, most often occurring in women who have attained their menopause or whose ovaries had been removed surgically for some reason. Dehydroepiandosterone(DHEA), may serve as an effective treatment in such sexual dysfunction, according to a study released at the 96th annual meeting of the American Urologica...

Unravelling the secrets of ‘Huntingtin’ Protein - towards the treatment of ‘Huntingtons’ Disase

Huntingtons disease is an inherited disease of the nervous system due to the progressive gradual deterioration of the same, initially causing symptoms such as involuntary movements and balance problems and later on leading to declination of functions of speech as well. All these days, until now, it was thought that this disease is due to a mutated form of the protein 'huntingtin' which i...

Unravelling the secrets of ‘Huntingtin’ Protein - towards the treatment of Huntingtins’ Disese

Huntingtons disease is an inherited disease of the nervous system due to the progressive gradual deterioration of the same, initially causing symptoms such as involuntary movements and balance problems and later on leading to declination of functions of speech as well. All these days, until now, it was thought that this disease is due to a mutated form of the protein 'huntingtin' which i...

GLEEVEC - An Oral treatment for leukemia

The U.S.Food and Drug Administration (FDA) at a conference in Washington, approves the new leukemia drug-GLEEVEC, first of its kind that directly removes the sign of a protein known to cause cancer. It is given as an oral treatment for chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). Other molecular-targeting drugs previously approved by the FDA interfere with proteins associated with other cancers, but n...

GLEEVEC - An Oral treatment for leukemia

The U.S.Food and Drug Administration (FDA) at a conference in Washington, approves the new leukemia drug-GLEEVEC, first of its kind that directly removes the sign of a protein known to cause cancer. It is given as an oral treatment for chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). Other molecular-targeting drugs previously approved by the FDA interfere with proteins associated with other cancers, but n...

New treatment for Osteoporosis

In a few years, better treatments for osteoporosis could become available. As people age, their bones become weak and their sex hormone levels decrease. The most common treatment is hormone replacement therapy. But this can increase the risk of cancer, especially in women.// At the University of Arkansas in Little Rock, Stavros Manolagas and Starvroula Kousteni have created f...

Ear infection- a new treatment

The study in this week’s British Medical Journal shows that bacteria with the ability to inhibit the growth of the pathogens responsible for ear infections can be used successfully and may help reduce the use of antibiotics. Acute Otitis Media is one of the most common bacterial infections in young children, and is often treated// with large amounts of antibiotics. It is caused by the...

A treatment for blindness

A surgical technique to correct a blinding condition in premature babies appears to have long-term benefits. Children born with retinopathy in prematurity (ROP) have an abnormal growth of blood vessels along the surface of the retina.If this is not treated , the condition can lead to legal blindness in about 60 percent of patients. A surgical procedure Cryotherapy, is emplo...

Treatment for Meniere's disease

According to Italian scientists, Both drugs and surgery may be effective in treating Meniere's disease.Meniere's disease is a condition of the middle ear, affecting the hearing apparatus. A build up of pressure causes vertigo and nausea which can be very disabling. Generally Meniere's disease leads to hearing loss in the affected ear, and the disease may also spread to the other ear....

Treatment for pre-menstrual syndrome is ineffective

The most commonly prescribed pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS) drugs are ineffective, research suggests. The majority of the 1.5 million women who suffer from PMS in the UK are prescribed progesterone or its synthetic equivalent, progestogens. But a team of researchers from the University of Keele have found that taking progesterone no more effective than taking a placebo. The report said...

Snake venom a treatment for digestive disease

Medical researchers from Irvene college,California report that proteins chemically related to snake venom and frog skin secretions may lead to the development of new treatments for a range of stubborn digestive disorders. The findings, mark the discovery of two naturally occurring human proteins, which the researchers have named prokineticins.How the proteins were //discovered is a ta...

Toxic effects common with AIDS treatments

High levels of toxic effects associated with antiretroviral treatment for HIV have been recorded and quantified by a group of Swiss researchers in a study published this week in The Lancet. If efficacy levels of drug combinations are similar, treatment choice will depend on the toxic effects of the drugs. Therefore, the data may be useful as a reference for future analyses of adverse effects of d...

Aggressive blood pressure treatment needed

Those who are most at risk from high blood pressure have the most to gain from treatment - yet they are being neglected. Doctors are often reluctant to treat people with high blood pressure when they have other risk factors, like high cholesterol or diabetes. Maybe they believe little can be done when matters have reached the 'multiple risk factor' stage, or they may worry about lowering blood pr...

Cost-effective antibiotics for sinusitis treatment

here is little benefit in replacing older and cheaper antibiotics by the latest and most expensive drugs when treating acute, uncomplicated sinusitis, according to US researchers. Researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine set out to determine whether the symptoms could be treated with older and less expensive (first-line) antibiotics or newer and more expensive (second-line) ant...

Inadequate epilepsy treatment

The diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy is often handled in a casual “insouciant” manner, with up to 20 per cent of UK epilepsy patients not receiving appropriate drugs, researchers say. Around 30,000 people are diagnosed with epilepsy each year, and of these, about one-third can be expected to continue on long-term medication. But researchers from the Institute of Neurology at University College...

Hormone treatment helps obese people slim down

Treatment with leptin, a natural hormone that helps control body weight, could help many overweight people slim down. Discovered in 1994, leptin is normally produced by fat cells and is believed to provide a signal about the amount of body fat to the body's energy-regulation system. // Leptin treatment has already helped people who completely lack the hormone because of a genetic muta...

Better Treatment for obesity

A little-known fatty compound produced in the small intestine could hold the key to permanent weight loss. Oleylethanolamide (OEA) is a type of fatty acid that is produced in the small intestine in response to food. This compound, oleylethanolamide (OEA), could lead to the development of better treatments for eating disorders and obesity. // The effects of OEA are striking and profoun...

Gene Treatment for Heart Disease

For the first time, there is reason to believe that a gene-based treatment for heart disease may truly work. The treatment -- which triggers growth of new blood vessels in hearts with severe hardening of the arteries -- may provide a viable new option for thousands of patients suffering with heart disease.// Treatment options for people with heart disease range from drugs to surgical...

The best treatment for migraine

A class of drugs known as the triptans are known to help counter the unpleasant symptoms of a migraine headache. Since there are seven different triptan drugs available, it is very diffcult to choose the drug. Researchers at the University of Netherlands have carried out an analysis of all the clinical trials on the triptans, covering over 18,000 patients. They find that in comparis...

Activated charcoal for poisoning treatment

Activated charcoal, a poison antidote used in emergency rooms for decades, can be easily used in children at home and may help prevent a trip to the hospital. The substance is a fine powder form of processed charcoal that binds to many types of poisons and can keep them from being absorbed into the bloodstream. Stocked by some pharmacies, it can be mixed at home with water, juice or soft drinks,...

A new treatment for liver cancer

According to researchers, a new treatment has been effective for inoperable liver cancer. It is a year since TheraSphere was launched at the University of Texas and it is showing a 25 per cent success rate in either reducing tumour size or the number of tumours. Till date, it has many patients have undergone this treatment with advanced liver tumours, who cannot be treated by a...

Low-radiation treatment for brain tumours

A new method of treating childhood brain tumours, aimed at reducing the risk of damage to normal tissue, is to be trialled at hospitals around the US. Researchers will enrol 50 children suffering from medulloblastoma – the most common malignant childhood brain tumour – who will be treated with lower radiation and increased chemotherapy doses than those currently used. // In the US, ab...

New treatment for depression

Doctors have hailed the results of early studies into a new treatment for patients with severe depression. Trials carried out by US doctors on an anti-depression 'pacemaker' found the electrical device can significantly improve the mental health of patients.// The pacemaker, which is implanted in a person's chest, sends intermittent signals to the left vagus nerve in the brain. The...

Target for obesity treatment

Obesity is a disease that affects at least 39 million Americans, and public health experts are increasingly using the term "epidemic" to describe the problem. One in five Americans is obese and more than half are overweight. Being fat raises the risk of many potentially fatal health conditions//, including heart disease and diabetes, it's believed that obesity is linked to at least 300,000 deaths...

More People Seeking Treatment for Depression

Major depression, the leading cause of disability in the United States, affects more than 9 million adults in a given year.Despite advances in treatment options and educational efforts,// depression has been described as underdiagnosed and poorly treated in the US. In fact, a recent study stressed that as many as 8 million Americans with serious mental illness fail to receive adequate treatment....

New treatment for diabetics

A researcher from America has developed a micro capsule coated with silicon, which could save the diabetics from the usual insulin injection.This microchip works by absorbing nutrients from the body //and stimulates the insulin- producing cells.Some diabetics have to inject insulin more than onece a day to maintain their blood sugar levels. The device is being developed by Tejal Desai...

Magnesium sulfate offers no help in migraine treatment

Addition of intravenous magnesium sulfate to standard emergency department migraine therapy with metoclopramide, appears to reduce rather than enhance the effectiveness of treatment.// Dr. Jill Corbo, and colleagues from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, New York, note that there is evidence that magnesium may be helpful in the treatment of migraine headache and that studies i...

Appropriate treatment for breast cancer

According to researchers the appropriate treatment should be recommended for paitents with breast cancer in order to reduce the complications. Women who have// had breast cancer do well years after treatment, although those who have chemotherapy and tamoxifen may have reduced physical functioning. Researchers at the University of Cleavland report on one of the largest studies looking at quality o...