MedNews — All News
Pregnant Women Should Take Greater Care of Novel H1N1 ("Swine Flu") Virus
A recent study indicates that pregnant women are more severely impacted by a new H1N1 flu virus and should seek immediate treatment with antivirals.
Pregnant women infected with 2009 novel H1N1 had a higher rate of hospitalization and greater risk of death than the general population due to the H1N1 flu.
The data collected and analyzed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are the most comprehensive available to date on the impact of this novel H1N1 flu virus among pregnant women. More »
Onglyza, a New Type 2 Diabetes Drug Approved by FDA
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today approved Onglyza (saxagliptin), a once-daily tablet to treat Type 2 diabetes in adults. The medication is intended to be used with diet and exercise to control high blood sugar levels.
The hormone insulin keeps blood sugar (glucose) levels within a narrow range in people who don’t have diabetes. People with Type 2 diabetes are either resistant to insulin or do not produce enough insulin to maintain normal blood sugar levels. More »
HIV May Be Transmitted via Pre-Chewed Food
Researchers have uncovered the first cases in which HIV almost certainly was transmitted from mothers or other caregivers to children through pre-chewed food. The source of HIV in the pre-chewed food was most likely the infected blood in the saliva of the people who pre-chewed the food before giving it to the children. The researchers said their findings suggest that HIV-infected mothers or other caregivers should be warned against giving infants pre-chewed food and directed toward safer feeding options. More »
New Technique Shows Which Patients Will Benefit from Avastin for Brain Tumor Treatment
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the use of Avastin last month for the treatment of brain cancer. The powerful drug shrinks tumors by choking off their blood supply. However, about fifty percent of patients don’t respond to the therapy, exposing them to unnecessary side effects and medication costing up to $10,000 per month. More »
Targeted Therapy Delivers Chemo Directly to Ovarian Cancer Cells
With a novel therapeutic delivery system, a research team led by scientists at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center has successfully targeted a protein that is over-expressed in ovarian cancer cells. Using the EphA2 protein as a molecular homing mechanism, chemotherapy was delivered in a highly selective manner in preclinical models of ovarian cancer, the researchers report in the July 29 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. More »
40% of Emergency Room Visits Billed to Public Insurance, Says Report
More than 40 percent of the 120 million visits that Americans made to hospital emergency departments in 2006 were billed to public insurance, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. More »
Sun Exposure May Trigger Auto Immune Disease in Women
Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from sunlight may be associated with the development of certain autoimmune diseases, particularly in women, according to a study by researchers at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), part of the National Institutes of Health. More »
Tuberculosis (TB) Drug Doses Too Low for Today's Obese Populations, Says Study
The typical dose of a medication considered pivotal in treating tuberculosis effectively is much too low to account for modern-day physiques, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers said.
The finding, reported online and in the August edition of Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, is particularly important for those living in societies plagued by obesity, said Dr. Tawanda Gumbo, associate professor of internal medicine at UT Southwestern and the study’s lead author. More »
Hair Loss Treatment for Women
For many women, hair loss can be very difficult to deal with. More »
Alternative Therapies for Eczema Treatments, With a Caveat
Despite having access to some of the best health care in the world, many Americans with the most common form of eczema, known as atopic dermatitis, have sought relief from “alternative medicines.” However, dermatologists caution that patients seeking alternative treatments to alleviate symptoms of this common, chronic, inflammatory skin disease marked by red, itchy rashes, risk developing more severe symptoms by delaying treatment. More »
