Many African pregnant women affected by preventable diseases
By jeremyc | May 20, 2012
Pregnant women in sub-Saharan Africa suffer from many preventable infectious diseases such as sexually transmitted infections (STIs), malaria and reproductive tract infections (RTIs), according to a new study. The study was conducted by a group of researchers headed by Matthew Chico from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK. The results of the study were published in the magazine “JAMA”.
The aim of the study was to understand the prevalence of preventable diseases in pregnant women. The researchers analyzed the results of 171 studies conducted on the topic between 1990 and 2011. The studies were conducted on 340,904 women. The women were from West and Central Africa and East and Southern Africa.
The researchers found that the most common infection among the pregnant women was bacterial vaginosis. While 50.8 per cent women from East and Southern Africa got affected by the infection, 37.6 per cent of women from the West and Central Africa became the victims of the infection.
The researchers further found that the occurrence of placental and peripheral malaria is also very high among the African women. The prevalence ranging from 32.0 is found among 38.2 per cent women in Central and West Africa and the prevalence ranging from 25.8 is found among 39.9 per cent women in Southern and East Africa.
Another common infection found among the pregnant women was trichomononiasis as 17.8 per cent women from West and Central Africa were affected by the infection and 29.1 per cent women from Southern and East Africa were affected by the disease.
The least common infections found in the women were Chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis.
“We are now conducting trials of azithromycin-based combination treatment to give all pregnant women preventative medication that will clear placental malaria infection, protect against re-infection in between antenatal visits, and cure syphilis, gonorrhoea, chlamydia and, to a lesser extent, trichomononiasis, the most common STI in the world,” said the researchers.
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Asthma on a rise in the US
By jeremyc | May 19, 2012
The latest report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that asthma is on a rise in the United States as more than 19 million adults suffered from the disease in 2010. The data was obtained after analyzing the presence of asthma in the people using the CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.
The report states that more than 29 million adults in the country suffered from the disease at some point of time in the life. The report further found that more than 10 million children in the country are diagnosed with asthma I their life and more than seven million are affected by the disease in 2010.
The report found that the occurrence of asthma has increased by 15 per cent from 2000 to 2010. The number of deaths due to asthma in 2009 was 3,400. The number of hospitalizations was 480,000 and the number of emergency department visits was 1.9 million.
“It is the most common reason for children to miss school, and an important cause of missed work in adults. Although the mortality from the disease has been decreasing, [asthma] still causes over 3,000 deaths in this country a year, and the costs for medical care, lost work and school, and premature deaths are staggering”, said Dr. Jonathan Ilowite, associate chief of pulmonary and critical care at Winthrop University Hospital in Mineola, N.Y.
According to another study conducted in 2008, the employees who suffered from asthma missed 14.2 million days in 12 months. The number of days missed by the children in the US due to asthma was 10.5 million in 12 months.
The total estimated amount of expense for asthma in 2007 was $56 billion dollars. This includes the medical expenses of the patients, missed school days of the children who had asthma and the premature deaths due to the disease.
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Acne drug causes pink eye
By jeremyc | May 18, 2012
The people who take oral medications for acne are at high risk of developing pink eye, says a new study. The study was conducted by a group of researchers from the Department of Ophthalmology at Tel Aviv Medical Center in Israel, headed by Meira Neudorfer, MD. The results of the study were published in the magazine “Archives of Dermatology”.
The aim of the study was to understand the role of isotretinoin (Accutane) that is used to treat acne in causing pink eye. The researchers conducted the study on 14,682 people who took the drug to treat acne between 2000 and 2007. The researchers got the database from the electronic medical databases of a large Israeli health maintenance organization.
The researchers compared the results of one person taking isotretinoin with two people- one with acne and do not take isotretinoin and the other without acne.
The results of the study showed that 14 per cent of people who took isotretinoin to treat acne experienced the symptoms of pink eye as compared to 10 per cent of people who did not use isotretinoin to treat acne and 7 per cent who did not have acne.
The common symptoms experienced by the people who took the drug were inflammation in the eyes, dry eyes, and discharge from the eyes.
The researchers concluded the study stating that isotretinoin results in causing short-term effects on eyes. The researchers however could not establish the effects of isotretinoin in long term.
It has been estimated that more than 50 million people in the United States are affected by acne.
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Depressive episodes frequent in BD I patients
By jeremyc | May 17, 2012
Major depressive episodes (MDEs) are higher in people who suffer from bipolar disease I (BD I) as compared to the people who have bipolar disease II (BD II), says a new study. The study also found that the people who have BD II experience severe MDEs as compared to the people who suffer from major depressive disorder (MDD). The study was conducted by a group of researchers headed by Carmen Moreno from the Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, Madrid, Spain.
The aim of the study was to understand the frequency of MDD in patients who are suffering from bipolar diseases. The researchers conducted the study on 935 patients who were suffering from BD I, 494 patients with BD II and 5695 patients who had MDD. All the patients were the part of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions, which was conducted in the United States from 2001 to 2002.
The researchers analyzed the frequency of the occurrence of MDEs in the patients in all the groups along with the presence of sociodemographic characteristics and psychiatric comorbidities.
The results of the study showed that the BD I patients experienced MDEs very frequently as the mean score was 8.9. It was followed by the patients who had BD II with the score 5.9 and third came the patients with MDD- the score was 4.7.
The study also found that the depressive symptoms during the MDE were high in patients with BD I (8.1). The BD II patients got the score of 7.6 and it was followed by the MDD patients (7.4).
The researchers also found that the symptoms such as anxiety, personality disorders, drug abuse and alcoholism are also high in people who suffer from BD I. The results of the study further found that the people who suffer from BD I experience the symptoms of MDD during an early age (usually before the age of 40 years).
“Our results support the existence of a spectrum of severity of MDE, with highest severity for BD I, followed by BD II and MDD, suggesting the utility of dimensional assessments in current categorical classifications”, said the researchers.
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Hormonal contraceptives increase risk of vein thrombosis in women
By jeremyc | May 16, 2012
The women who use hormonal contraceptives to avoid pregnancy are at greater risk of developing venous thrombosis as compared to those who use pills, says a new study. The study was conducted by a group of researchers headed by Dr. Ojvind Lidegaard from the University of Copenhagen. The results of the study were published in the May 08 edition of the online magazine “BMJ”.
The aim of the study was to understand the rate of risk of venous thrombosis in women who use hormonal contraceptives. The most commonly used hormonal contraceptives are implants, vaginal rings and skin patches. The researchers conducted the study on a group of women who had venous thrombosis from 2000 to 2010. The age of the women varied from 15 to 49 years. None of the women were pregnant at the time of study.
The researchers found that there were 3,400 women who were diagnosed with venous thrombosis. It was also found that there were at least two women in every 10,000 population who had used hormonal contraceptives and diagnosed with venous thrombosis.
The researchers also found that the women who used the implants that contained higher amounts of progestogen were at very less risk of getting venous thrombosis. The women who use the drug that contained the hormone named levonorgestrel were at 6.5 times more high risk of developing the disease.
The women who used the skin patches to avoid pregnancy were at 9.7 times more high risk of getting venous thrombosis.
The common implants used by women are Implanon and Nexplanon. The most common brand of vaginal ring is NuvaRing.
The researchers concluded the study stating that the women should switch to pills rather than using hormonal contraceptives in order to avoid venous thrombosis.
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Rheumatoid arthritis children at risk of developing infections
By jeremyc | May 15, 2012
A new study has found that the children who suffer from juvenile rheumatoid arthritis are at high risk of getting bacterial infection as compared to other children. The study was conducted by a group of researchers headed by Timothy Beukelman, M.D., M.S.C.E. from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. the researchers further found that the risk of infections are high in children who take steroids and pain killers such as Trexall (methotrexate) Rheumatrex (methotrexate) and TNF inhibitors. The study was supported by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). The results of the study were published in the magazine “Arthritis & Rheumatism”.
The researchers conducted the study on 8,479 children who suffered from juvenile rheumatoid arthritis between 2000 and 2005. They compared the results of the children with 360,500 children who had been suffering from attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD).
Among the children with arthritis, 42 per cent used methotrexate for treatment and 17 per cent patients used TNF inhibitors. The results of the study found that these children are at two times more risk of getting hospitalized.
The latest estimates from the American College of Rheumatology say that 300,000 children in the United States suffer from juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.
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Response to schizophrenia varies from region to region
By jeremyc | May 14, 2012
The response to the treatment for schizophrenia varies from region to region, suggests a new study. The study was conducted by a group of researchers headed by Diego Novick from the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Spain. The results of the study were published in the magazine “Journal of Psychiatric Research”.
The researchers conducted the study on around 17,000 patients who suffer from schizophrenia from 37 different countries. They obtained the database from the Worldwide-Schizophrenia Outpatient Health Outcomes (W-SOHO) study. The data was collected for over three years.
The researchers analyzed the treatment response and clinical remission in the patients. The researchers defined treatment response as “decrease of at least 2 points from baseline in the Clinical Global Impressions Severity Scale - Schizophrenia version (CGI-SCH) over the 3-year follow-up period”. The clinical remission was defined as “achieving overall, positive, negative, and cognitive symptom scores lower than or equal to 3 on the CGI-SCH scale (1-7) for at least 6 months, plus no inpatient admission during the same period”.
While analyzing the results, the researchers found that the patients in countries like East Asia, Latin America, Middle East and North Africa tend to respond more to the treatment pattern as compared to the people in Europe.
The results of the study found that treatment response was very high in countries like Middle East and North Africa (84.6 per cent), followed by Latin America (78.6 per cent). The Northern Europe had the treatment response of 64.2 per cent, followed by Eastern and Central Europe (63.7 per cent), followed by Southern Europe (62.1 per cent), and East Asia (60.9 per cent).
The clinical remission rate in the patients also differed from region to region where the patients from Middle East and North Africa achieved the remission rate of 67.4 per cent as compared to 45.7 per cent from Southern and Northern Europe.
“The W-SOHO study has added to prevailing evidence that there exist cross-national differences in outcomes among outpatients with schizophrenia, with higher rates of response and a more favorable disease course among patients from Africa, Asia and Latin America than patients from Europe”, said the researchers.
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Health centers in schools boost vaccination
By jeremyc | May 13, 2012
A new study has found that the health centers in the schools help in increasing the rates of vaccination in children. The study was conducted by a group of researchers headed by Allison Kempe from the University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, USA. The results of the study were published in the magazine “Pediatrics”.
The researchers conducted the study on 265 girls and 264 who were aged between 11 and 12 years. Both the group needed vaccination. The researchers conducted the study from October 2008 and August 2009.
The researchers conducted the study for human papillomavirus vaccine, quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine and a combination of reduced diphtheria toxoid, tetanus toxoid and acellular pertussis vaccine.
During the analysis the researchers found that 77 per cent of girls got at least one vaccination from the list and 45 per cent got all of them. The researchers also found that 59 per cent of girls got human papillomavirus vaccine, 57 per cent received quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine and 68 per cent received a combination of reduced diphtheria toxoid, tetanus toxoid and acellular pertussis vaccine.
While conducting the study on boys, the researchers sent reminder messages and letters to half of them. The other half was given usual care without any kind of reminder. They were asked to go to the centers with the consent form for the vaccination.
The results found that 68 per cent of boys got at least one type of vaccination and 59 per cent received all the vaccination in the first group. In the second group, 45 per cent received at least one vaccination and 36 per cent got all the vaccinations.
“These data reinforce the notion that school-based health centers are very valuable in providing health care to kids who are uninsured, come from poor backgrounds, or are adolescents,” said the researchers.
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Fish intake reduces risk of rectal and colon cancers
By jeremyc | May 12, 2012
A fresh study has found that the people who eat lots of fish are at less risk of getting rectal and colon cancers. The study was conducted by a group of researchers headed by Dr. Michael Gochfeld from the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School , University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. The results of the study were published in the magazine “American Journal of Medicine”. The study was supported and funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China.
The aim of the research was to understand the role of fish in reducing the risk of rectal and colon cancers. The researchers analyzed the literatures of 41 studies conducted on the topic in the past between 1990 and 2001. The studies were from different countries such as Finland, the US, Japan and Norway.
The researchers analyzed the amount of fish consumption in the people in these areas. The researchers came to the conclusion after considering various factors such as the age of the people, family history of various cancers and habits such as the intake of red meat and alcohol. They found that the people who ate the highest amount of fish were at 21 per cent less risk of getting rectal cancer.
However, the researchers found that the intake of fish results in only four per cent less risk of getting colon cancer. The researchers also pointed out that the cooking temperature of the fish also determines the colon cancer risk.
“It doesn’t tell us whether the benefit you get from fish has to do with specific nutrients in the fish, or with the fact that people who tend to eat fish tend to adopt other healthful lifestyles, such as avoiding red meat or processed meats,” concluded Gochfeld.
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Memphis worst city for asthma patients
By jeremyc | May 11, 2012
Memphis is the worst city for the asthma patients to live in, a new study founds. The study was conducted by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA). It has conducted the study on 100 cities in the United States to find out the toughest cities for asthma patients.
The study team took into consideration the following factors to rank the cities:
a) The quality of the air
b) Amount of pollen in the air
c) Asthma death rate in the city
d) Number of people who have asthma in the city
e) Number of self-reported people who have asthma in the city
f) The laws on public smoking
g) Rate of uninsured people
h) Rate of poverty
i) The law on the access of school inhaler
j) Usage of medication rescue
k) The use of controlled medication
The researchers took all the 12 points from each and every city and gave them scores. The city that obtained fewer score was considered as the worst place for the asthma patients to live in.
The research team found that the air quality in Memphis was very bad and the pollen levels were very high.
The other cities that are bad for asthma patients are New Haven, Pittsburgh, PA, Hartford, CT, St. Louis MO, Oklahoma City, OK and , McAllen, TX.
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