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Severe flu increases risk of Parkinson's

Posted: Published on July 21st, 2012

ScienceDaily (July 20, 2012) Severe influenza doubles the odds that a person will develop Parkinson's disease later in life, according to University of British Columbia researchers. However, the opposite is true for people who contracted a typical case of red measles as children -- they are 35 per cent less likely to develop Parkinson's, a nervous system disorder marked by slowness of movement, shaking, stiffness, and in the later stages, loss of balance. The findings by researchers at UBC's School of Population and Public Health and the Pacific Parkinson's Research Centre, published online this month in the journal Movement Disorders, are based on interviews with 403 Parkinson's patients and 405 healthy people in British Columbia, Canada. Lead author Anne Harris also examined whether occupational exposure to vibrations -- such as operating construction equipment -- had any effect on the risk of Parkinson's. In another study, published online this month by the American Journal of Epidemiology, she and her collaborators reported that occupational exposure actually decreased the risk of developing the disease by 33 percent, compared to people whose jobs involved no exposure. Meanwhile, Harris found that those exposed to high-intensity vibrations -- for example, by driving snowmobiles, military tanks or … Continue reading →

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Popular MS drug may not prevent disability from progressing in patients

Posted: Published on July 21st, 2012

VANCOUVER -- Researchers in Vancouver suggest a widely used treatment for the most common form of multiple sclerosis may not prevent the progression of disability. Multiple sclerosis attacks the brain and spinal cord, and can cause neurological issues which range from mild problems to serious disability, such as paralysis. The drugs which were studied, known as beta interferons, have been used to treat the relapsing-remitting form of MS since 1995. But a new study from the UBC Hospital MS Clinic and Brain Research Centre published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, suggests the drugs arent preventing the progression of disability. However, the researchers warn that the studys results werent meant to suggest that MS patients stop taking the drugs as the medications are still effective at reducing relapse rates. Dr. Helen Tremlett, one of the studys authors, says the finding is just coming to light because in the past, not enough time had elapsed from when the drugs were approved to treat the disease. A total of 2,656 patients with MS were looked at. Of those, 868 were treated with the beta interferon drugs and were compared with both contemporary and historical cases of patients who went untreated. … Continue reading →

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Sweat glands grown from newly identified stem cells

Posted: Published on July 21st, 2012

ScienceDaily (July 20, 2012) To date, few fundamentals have been known about the most common gland in the body, the sweat glands that are essential to controlling body temperature, allowing humans to live in the worlds diverse climates. Now, in a tour de force, researchers at The Rockefeller University and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute have identified, in mice, the stem cell from which sweat glands initially develop as well as stem cells that regenerate adult sweat glands. In their study, published in Cell, the scientists devised a strategy to purify and molecularly characterize the different kinds of stem cell populations that make up the complex sweat duct and glands of the skin. With this information in hand, they studied how these different populations of stem cells respond to normal tissue homeostasis and to different types of skin injuries, and how the sweat glands differ from their close cousins, the mammary glands. No sweat. Researchers in Elaine Fuchs's lab identified four different types of paw-skin progenitor cells that are responsible for homeostasis and wound repair. This image shows that the sweat ductal and epidermal progenitors (in red) proliferate and repair an epidermal scratch wound; the sweat gland progenitors (in blue … Continue reading →

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BUSM researchers identify genetic markers for testosterone, estrogen level regulation

Posted: Published on July 21st, 2012

Public release date: 20-Jul-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Jenny Eriksen Leary jenny.eriksen@bmc.org 617-638-6841 Boston University Medical Center (Boston) A research study led by Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom, in collaboration with a global consortium, has identified genetic markers that influence a protein involved in regulating estrogen and testosterone levels in the bloodstream. The results, published online in PLoS Genetics, also reveal that some of the genetic markers for this protein are near genes related to liver function, metabolism and type 2 diabetes, demonstrating an important genetic connection between the metabolic and reproductive systems in men and women. Andrea D. Coviello, MD, assistant professor of medicine at BUSM and an endocrinologist at Boston Medical Center, is one of the paper's lead authors. This study was done in collaboration with the Framingham Heart Study and investigators from 15 international epidemiologic studies participating in the Cohorts for Heart and Aging Research in Genetic Epidemiology (CHARGE) consortium. Sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) is the key protein that carries testosterone and estrogen in the bloodstream in both men and women. As the main carrier of these sex hormones, SHBG helps to regulate their … Continue reading →

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Genetic markers for testosterone, estrogen level regulation identified

Posted: Published on July 21st, 2012

ScienceDaily (July 20, 2012) A research study led by Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom, in collaboration with a global consortium, has identified genetic markers that influence a protein involved in regulating estrogen and testosterone levels in the bloodstream. The results, published online in PLoS Genetics, also reveal that some of the genetic markers for this protein are near genes related to liver function, metabolism and type 2 diabetes, demonstrating an important genetic connection between the metabolic and reproductive systems in men and women. Andrea D. Coviello, MD, assistant professor of medicine at BUSM and an endocrinologist at Boston Medical Center, is one of the paper's lead authors. This study was done in collaboration with the Framingham Heart Study and investigators from 15 international epidemiologic studies participating in the Cohorts for Heart and Aging Research in Genetic Epidemiology (CHARGE) consortium. Sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) is the key protein that carries testosterone and estrogen in the bloodstream in both men and women. As the main carrier of these sex hormones, SHBG helps to regulate their effects in different tissues and organs in the body. In addition to effects on reproduction in men … Continue reading →

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Genetic markers for testosterone and estrogen level regulation identified

Posted: Published on July 21st, 2012

Public release date: 20-Jul-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Andrew Gould andrew.gould@pcmd.ac.uk 44-188-438-346 The Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry A research study led by the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Exeter, and Boston University School of Medicine, in collaboration with a global consortium, has identified genetic markers that influence a protein involved in regulating oestrogen and testosterone levels in the bloodstream. The results, published online in PLoS Genetics, also reveal that some of the genetic markers for this protein are near genes related to liver function, metabolism and type 2 diabetes, demonstrating an important genetic connection between the metabolic and reproductive systems in men and women. The study was carried out in collaboration with the Framingham Heart Study and investigators from 15 international epidemiologic studies participating in the Cohorts for Heart and Aging Research in Genetic Epidemiology (CHARGE) consortium. Sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) is the key protein that carries testosterone and oestrogen in the bloodstream in both men and women. As the main carrier of these sex hormones, SHBG helps to regulate their effects in different tissues and organs in the body. In addition to effects on reproduction in men and women through … Continue reading →

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Can Recreational ED Drug Use Lead to ED?

Posted: Published on July 21st, 2012

Recreational Erectile Dysfunction Drug Use in Young Men May Lead to ED, Study Says July 20, 2012 -- Men who use erectile dysfunction (ED) drugs recreationally may be more likely to develop psychogenic ED, the type that originates in the mind, according to new research. "Recreational use of ED medications increased the chance of psychological dependence on ED medicines,'' says researcher Christopher Harte, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow at the VA Boston Healthcare System. "Among young, healthy men who used ED medicines recreationally, the more frequent ED medicine use was associated with lower confidence in achieving and maintaining erections, which in turn was associated with lower erectile function," Harte says. The study is published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine. The researchers found a link but not cause and effect, Harte tells WebMD. However, another expert wonders if some of the men who reported ''recreational'' use actually had ED. ED affects about 34 million men in the U.S., according to Harte. The condition is more common with age. About 9% of men 18 to 39 are affected. Up to 70% of men 60 and older are. However, men aged 18 to 45 are responsible for the largest increase in the use … Continue reading →

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Calls for a dedicated drug abuse rehabilitation centre

Posted: Published on July 21st, 2012

Calls for a dedicated drug abuse rehabilitation centre MARANYANE NGWANAAMOTHO Staff Writer She says that at BOSASNet, they offer only outpatient services to people gripped with substance abuse and dependency because they do not have the capacity to admit patients for detoxification under the supervision of qualified psychologists and therapists. "Drug abuse is when a substance is not used for its intended purpose, which involves over indulgence while drug dependency is when the user cannot or is unable to stop using the drug on his or her own," she says. Mothibatsela is of the view that unless the fight against substance abuse and dependency is given a united approach by the private sector, non-governmental organisations, government and the public at large, the fight against drug use will be fruitless. "We all need to acknowledge there are issues concerning drug use and dependency. We need appropriate funds and resources and we need the public's buy-in to win the fight against drug use and dependency," she said to Mmegi yesterday. Mothibatsela says that the occurrence of drug use and dependency in Botswana cannot be denied, especially since they continue to receive people who admit to using both legal and illegal substances. "We … Continue reading →

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Docs Say 'Wait' on Weight Loss Drugs

Posted: Published on July 21st, 2012

After a 13-year dry spell, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved two new drugs promising weight loss in a pill. But will you be able to get a prescription for them? The answer may depend on which doctor you see. "I'll probably take a wait-and-see attitude myself," said Greg Anderson, an assistant professor of family medicine at the Mayo Clinic. "The track record has not been particularly good for diet medications." By contrast, Dr. Albert Levy, assistant professor of medicine at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, said he has already been prescribing the same combination of drugs in the newest offering off-label for two years, a decision based on data from previous clinical trials. He said almost all of his patients lost weight when they were given the medications. "Once the patient has learned how to control the appetite and has lost a good amount of weight, she or he is stimulated to continue to lose weight without the medications," Levy said. The two medications in question are Belviq and Qsymia. Belviq, which contains a new medication called lorcaserin, was approved June 27. Qsymia, approved earlier this week, is a combination of two medications which had already … Continue reading →

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NABP Stresses Need for International Collaboration to Combat Online Counterfeit Drug Distribution

Posted: Published on July 21st, 2012

MOUNT PROSPECT, Ill., July 20, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy(NABP) today issued a report about the continually increasing online counterfeit drug supply and the urgent need for international collaboration among regulators and other public agencies as well as private sector entities. As described in the Internet Drug Outlet Identification Program Progress Report for State and Federal Regulators: July 2012, counterfeit drugs sold online often make their way to unwary consumers through a complex chain of international transactions by multiple parties, and international, public-private collaborative efforts are needed to combat this illegal activity. NABP continues to review and monitor Web sites selling prescription drugs and its findings are also presented in the report released today of more than 10,000 Web sites analyzed, 97% operate out of compliance with pharmacy laws and practice standards established in the United States, and many other developed countries, to protect public health. Such sites provide an outlet for counterfeit medicines to enter the US drug supply, endangering the health and safety of Americans. The report provides an overview of collaborative strategies from pharmacy experts to stop online counterfeit drug distribution. Public and private sector experts on international health law and global … Continue reading →

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