People with varus (outward-facing), but not valgus (inward), knee alignment have an increased risk for the development of osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee, according to a study published online May 28 in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. Existing arthritis worsens when both varus-aligned and valgus-aligned joints bear increased stress, report Leena Sharma, MD, from [...]
Meningococcal disease, commonly called meningitis, is a serious bacterial infection that can cause swelling of the lining around the brain and spinal cord (meningitis) or blood infection (meningococcemia). Each year, up to 2,800 people get the disease1, which strikes quickly and can lead to death and other devastating complications, such as deafness, brain damage, and [...]
A new prospective cohort study suggests younger people will pay for high cholesterol in the present with coronary calcium in the future, according to results of a study published in the August 3, 2010 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine [1]. In the latest study from the ongoing Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young [...]
Tree Pollen Allergoid Eases Allergy Symptoms Patients with rhinoconjunctivitis due to tree pollen allergy suffer fewer symptoms after 18 months’ treatment with a depigmented-polymerized pollen extract, according to a European study. Conventional subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) carries a risk of systemic side effects. To get around that, allergoids have been developed by polymerizing allergen extracts with [...]
Recent evidence and management principles concerning the use of acupuncture for chronic low back pain are reviewed in an article published in the July 29 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. “Acupuncture is a therapeutic intervention characterized by the insertion of fine, solid metallic needles into or through the skin at specific sites,” [...]
Multiple genetic and environmental risk factors can trigger autoimmune thyroid disease in humans, according to experts here at the American Thyroid Association (ATA) Spring 2010 Meeting. Gregory A. Brent, MD, professor of medicine and physiology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California at Los Angeles, presented the findings. He reported [...]
ATYPICAL ANTIPSYCHOTICS IN ELDERLY PATIENTS WITH DEMENTIA The Medicines Control Council wishes to inform prescribers of increased risks of cerebrovascular adverse events (including strokes and transient ischaemic attacks) and mortality associated with the use of atypical antipsychotics in elderly patients with dementia. The atypical antipsychotics to which this medicine safety alert refers include clozapine, risperidone, [...]
Antipsychotic Drugs May Boost Pneumonia Risk in Elderly Outpatients Older individuals residing in the community who are taking antipsychotic drugs appear to be at increased risk for community-acquired pneumonia, new research suggests. The data are drawn from a nested case-control study of elderly outpatients who were new users of antipsychotic drugs and under the care [...]
About Sinus Infections (Sinusitis) You know the feeling: runny nose, headache, sinus congestion. Is it just a cold? Or something more serious? If it’s a sinus infection, that’s a much more serious condition. And that’s why Medtronic works hard to develop more effective treatment methods for chronic sinus infections. Definition Your sinuses are bony, air-filled [...]
Gastroparesis This tough looking word, pronounced gas-tro-par-EES-is, is simple enough in its meaning. Gastro means stomach. Paresis means weakness. Gastroparesis is a weak stomach. This condition is very common. How the Stomach Works To understand gastroparesis, you first must understand how the stomach functions. The stomach has two parts. The upper portion is called the [...]
The Autism News WHO news