College Drinking May Aggravate PTSD Symptoms

College students with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are likely to drink more alcohol than other students, potentially worsening their symptoms and leading them to drink even more, new research suggests. It's estimated that 9 percent of all college students suffer from PTSD, an anxiety disorder that can develop after seeing or living through a frightening event. People with PTSD may experience flashbacks, nightmares and angry outbursts. "College ...

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Trick identified that aids viral infection Date: January 30, 2014 Source: Washington University in St. Louis Summary: Scientists have identified a way some viruses protect themselves from the immune system’s efforts to stop infections, a finding that may make new approaches to treating viral infections possible.         Scientists have discovered a defense system — built into some viruses — that may...

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FDA to Investigate Testosterone Risk

The FDA will investigate the risk of cardiovascular disease and death with testosterone therapy, a move prompted by two studies that raised questions about the risk of the highly-promoted hormone. The agency said it had been monitoring the potential risks and decided to advance its investigation after the studies reported an increased risk of stroke, heart attack, and death among men taking testosterone. One study of U.S. Veterans Affairs data published in JAMA last November concluded that veterans taking the drug had a significantly increased...

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The human gut has the highest concentration of HIV target immune cells,

One of the first things HIV does when it first enters the body is mess up the gut. Now, the open access journal PLOS Pathogens reports the first 3D ultra-structural study of the human immunodeficiency virus in a live host. The human gut has the highest concentration of HIV target immune cells, most of which the virus destroys within days of infection. This happens even before a measurable drop of immune CD4 T cells occurs in the bloodstream. Studies...

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Vodka confirmed as major factor in early death of Russian men

A large study shows that alcohol - and, in particular, vodka - is responsible for Russia's high and sharply fluctuating death rates. Russia currently has an abnormally high early death rate in men - 25% of all Russian men will die before the age of 55. One of the authors of the new study, Prof. Sir Richard Peto, explains: "Russian death rates have fluctuated wildly over the past 30 years as alcohol restrictions and social stability...

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Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) - update

27 January 2014 - WHO has been notified of two additional laboratory-confirmed cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). Details of the cases are as follows: WHO was notified of one case by the Ministry of Health of Saudi Arabia. The case is a 54 year old man from Riyadh who developed respiratory illness symptoms on 29 December, 2013 and was hospitalized on 4 January, 2014. The patient received medical treatment in an intensive care unit. He died on 14 January 2014. Samples tested positive for...

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Want to get the flu? Volunteers sneeze for science

. Signing Up to Get the Flu in Rare Gov't Study BETHESDA, Md. (AP) — Forget being sneezed on: Government scientists are deliberately giving dozens of volunteers the flu by squirting the live virus straight up their noses. It may sound bizarre, but the rare type of research is a step in the quest for better flu vaccines. It turns out that how the...

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A new inhaled drug to treat a serious lung condition called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

GlaxoSmithKline's Anoro Ellipta drug has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat a serious lung condition called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). GlaxoSmithKline's Anoro Ellipta is meant to be used once a day for long-term maintenance of airflow in patients with COPD. The lung disease makes breathing difficult and worsens over time. "Anoro Ellipta works by helping the muscles around the airways of the lungs...

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Tangazo la ajira kada ya afya 2013/2014

Katibu Mkuu, Wizara ya Afya na Ustawi wa Jamii anapenda kuwatangazia nafasi za kazi kwa wote wenye taaluma za Kada za Afya ambao wako tayari kufanya kazi katika Utumishi wa Umma Kwa melezo zaidi tembelea:  www.moh.go.tz ...

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CPR of Unresponsive Adult (Age > 8 Y): Witnessed Collapse

If a patient becomes unresponsive (no response to verbal or tactile stimuli, ie, "shake and shout"), call for help (CODE, 911). Do not move the patient unless in immediate danger. 1. Get a defibrillator or AED to the bedside stat. 2. Stand or kneel at the patient's shoulder. Position patient on back as a unit, protecting the neck. 3. Airway. Open the patient's airway. If there are signs of airway compromise (apnea, stridor, coughing, use...

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Caution on Transporting Critically Ill Patients

"Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong" is especially true during the transport of critically ill patients. Adherence to common sense guidelines helps to minimize the risk of adverse events: 1. Maintain the patient's airway; if the airway is tenuous, intubate the patient before transport. 2. Transport only stable patients (unless the role of transport is to provide a life-saving intervention). 3. Pay attention to IV catheters and pumps and...

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Practicing with a partner improves performance, study shows

We all know the saying, "practice makes perfect." But new research suggests that a skill can benefit from even greater improvement if a person is practicing it with a partner. This is according to a study recently published in the journal Scientific Reports. The research team from Imperial College London in the UK, alongside two institutions in Japan, says their findings may be able to help patients in rehabilitation after suffering a...

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Bad version of 'good' cholesterol causes disease

Studies have suggested that a form of so-called good cholesterol, or high-density lipoprotein, can become dysfunctional and instead of protecting against heart disease becomes a promoter of it, actively clogging up and hardening arteries. Now, new research led by the Cleveland Clinic in the US has discovered the molecular process that makes "good" cholesterol start behaving badly. They found that Apolipoprotein A1 (apoA1), an important...

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Hearing loss in older adults linked to faster brain shrinkage

Scientists have long known that as we age, our brain becomes smaller. But new research from the Johns Hopkins University in Maryland suggests that older adults who suffer from hearing loss are more likely to experience a higher level of brain shrinkage at a faster rate. To reach their findings, recently published online in the journal NeuroImage, the research team analyzed 126 participants aged between 56 and 86 years for up to a 10-year period. During...

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Cancer survivors who exercise live longer

Earlier diagnosis and medical improvements means many cancer survivors are living longer. Now, a new study of over 1,000 male cancer survivors suggests being physically active may add even more years to their lives. The study investigators, including researchers from Harvard Medical School and the Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, report their findings in the January issue of the Journal of Physical Activity &...

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Why flu medication could make you more infectious

Employees who take anti-fever medication so they can soldier on through the flu may be putting their colleagues at risk because it makes them more infectious, scientists have found.  "No-one likes to feel miserable, but it turns out that our comfort might be at the cost of infecting others. "Because fever can actually help lower the amount of virus in a sick person's body and reduce the chance of transmitting disease to...

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Children of older fathers more likely to have mental health disorders

Men warned - 'biological' clock means children of older fathers are more likely to suffer mental disorders  Professor McGrath said further research was needed before public health experts advised older men against having children but “we need to worry about it”. “The father’s age may have implications for the health of the offspring,” he said. “There are many benefits for having an older father – sometimes they have ...

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Stethoscopes on their way out

  Stethoscopes are on their way out, after 200 years - experts say - as they are replaced by "smartphone-style" devices  They add: “Many experts have argued that ultrasound has become the stethoscope of the 21st century.” There have been concerns that the smaller modern devices offer inferior image quality compared with larger ultrasounds. But the article suggests that these are outweighed by the speed with which some...

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Amazing Medical Facts of the Body

In one square inch of our hand we have nine feet of blood vessels, 600 pain sensors, 9000 nerve endings, 36 heat sensors and 75 pressure sensors. ...

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Fish Oil Might Guard Against Loss of Brain Cells

 By Mary Brophy MarcusHealthDay Reporter WEDNESDAY, Jan. 22, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The more you consume the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oils, the less likely you are to lose as many precious brain cells as you age, a new study suggests. More research is needed, however, to understand both why this happens and how much of the nutrient brings about the most benefit, the researchers said. "Our findings support the idea that a...

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Scientists Develop New Test to Help Detect Pancreatic Cancer Early

MicroRNAs regulate gene expression and play important roles in the development of tumors and tumor metastasis. MicroRNA panels are a combination of several microRNAs. Nicolai A. Schultz, M.D., Ph.D., of Herlev Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark, and colleagues examined differences in microRNA in whole blood between patients with pancreatic cancer (n = 409) and healthy participants (n = 312) and patients with chronic...

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Researchers find genetic mutations that may cause schizophrenia

  According to the World Health Organization, schizophrenia affects around 24 million people globally. It is unknown as to exactly what causes the condition, but an international team of researchers, led by Cardiff University in the UK, has discovered new genetic mutations that may provide further insight into the disorder. This is according to a study recently published in the journal Nature. Schizophrenia is a severe disabling...

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