Medical – Page 19 – Bianca Nogrady

Increased mortality persists in drug-resistant epilepsy

March 4, 2014No Comments

From Clinical Neurology News, 24 February 2014: Drug-resistant epilepsy is associated with a significant increase in mortality that persists for decades after diagnosis, particularly among individuals with a known etiology, according to data from a retrospective, multicenter cohort study. Dr. Brian Callaghan of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and his colleagues identified 433 patients … Continue reading Increased mortality persists in drug-resistant epilepsy

Postsurgical withdrawal of antiepileptic drugs raises only short-term seizure risk

March 4, 2014No Comments

From Clinical Neurology News, 24 February 2014: Withdrawing antiepileptic medication after temporal lobe epilepsy surgery may increase the risk of breakthrough seizures in the short term but does not alter long-term remission rates, a retrospective, observational cohort study found. Two years after surgery, 69% of patients whose medication was discontinued at 1 year were completely … Continue reading Postsurgical withdrawal of antiepileptic drugs raises only short-term seizure risk

Stem cell transplantation effective in aggressive relapsing-remitting MS

March 4, 2014No Comments

From Clinical Neurology News, 27 February 2014: Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation was an effective treatment option for aggressive multiple sclerosis, particularly in patients with inflammatory activity at baseline, in a study of the Swedish experience with the procedure since it was first performed there in 2004. A prospective, observational study of 41 patients with … Continue reading Stem cell transplantation effective in aggressive relapsing-remitting MS

Is weight loss surgery the answer for diabetes?

January 22, 2014No Comments

From ABC Health and Wellbeing, 21 January 2014: Obesity surgery is hardly a new kid on the medical block. The first surgical attempts to help people lose weight were performed more than half a century ago. Bariatric or metabolic surgery, which involves either chopping out or tying off a section of the stomach, is now … Continue reading Is weight loss surgery the answer for diabetes?

Is there a right way to approach death?

January 22, 2014No Comments

From ABC Health and Wellbeing, 17 January 2014: In the 15th century, an unknown Dominican friar penned Ars Moriendi, or The Art of Dying. At the time, it offered an immensely popular guide on the attainment of a ‘good death’ and spawned a rash of translations and copycats across Europe. One wonders what its author … Continue reading Is there a right way to approach death?

Microparticles could reduce heart attack damage

January 16, 2014No Comments

From ABC News in Science, 16 January 2014: Biodegradable microparticles could dramatically reduce the inflammatory damage that occurs during a heart attack, potentially making the difference between life and death. The study, conducted on mice, found that the microparticles significantly reduced the amount of scarring in the heart tissue and promoted repair. The serendipitous discovery … Continue reading Microparticles could reduce heart attack damage

Poop transplants boost gut defences

January 10, 2014No Comments

From ABC Science, 2 December 2013: Faecal microbiota transplantation – also known as ‘faecal transplants’ – restores bacterial diversity and quickly relieves the symptoms of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea, according to a new study. Researchers compared the gut bacteria of 14 individuals who had Clostriduium difficile infection as a consequence of antibiotic treatment, before and after faecal … Continue reading Poop transplants boost gut defences

Only half of at-risk adults being screened for diabetes

January 10, 2014No Comments

From Clinical Endocrinology News, 16 December 2013: MELBOURNE – Approximately half of adults who meet the eligibility for glucose testing according to four different guidelines are not being tested for type 2 diabetes, according to data from a large survey of U.S. adults. Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analyzed data from … Continue reading Only half of at-risk adults being screened for diabetes

Secure messaging viable for diabetes support

January 10, 2014No Comments

From Clinical Endocrinology News, 17 December 2013: MELBOURNE – Secure messaging can achieve similar outcomes in terms of behavioral goal achievement, self-reported health maintenance exam completion, and hemoglobin A1c level testing, compared with telephone and in-person support, new data suggest. A study of different methods of diabetes self-management support found no significant differences in outcomes … Continue reading Secure messaging viable for diabetes support

Corneal nerve fiber loss may predict diabetic neuropathy

January 10, 2014No Comments

From Clinical Endocrinology News, 23 December 2013: MELBOURNE – Corneal nerve fiber length, measured using corneal confocal microscopy, is significantly reduced in individuals with type 1 diabetes who go on to develop diabetic neuropathy at 3 years, according to data from the longitudinal LANDMark study. Researchers found that corneal nerve fibre length was significantly lower … Continue reading Corneal nerve fiber loss may predict diabetic neuropathy