Archive for November, 2009
« Previous Entries Next Entries »Worryingly high number of Type 2 diabetics are morbidly obese
Tuesday, November 24th, 2009By Helen Albert
One in five adults with Type 2 diabetes is now morbidly obese, report researchers.
“The rate of morbid obesity among people with diabetes is increasing at a very alarming rate, and this has substantial public health implications,” said Holly Kramer (Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, Illinois, USA) lead author of the study published in [...]
Low bone mineral density common in HIV-positive men
Thursday, November 19th, 2009Source: AIDSMap.com
A large proportion of HIV-positive men have low bone mineral density, Australian researchers report in the December 1st edition of the Journal of Infectious Diseases. Treatment with a boosted protease inhibitor was identified as a risk factor, and the investigators suggest that their results point to tenofovir also causing changes in the bone metabolism. The [...]
Genital Herpes May Never Go Dormant
Thursday, November 19th, 2009Source: Health Day News
Study finds low level shedding may be continuous, infection state unclear
Herpes, the sexually transmitted disease that causes genital lesions, never truly goes into a dormant state, new research suggests.
As a matter of fact, even when it’s not causing an outbreak, the virus is shedding tiny bits of itself in the genital tract.
While the [...]
Easy ways to cut down cholesterol
Thursday, November 19th, 2009Source: WalesOnline.co.uk
We all know that high cholesterol is bad news but, in actual fact, cholesterol is vital in order for our body to function properly.
Cholesterol forms part of every cell membrane and is also essential for the insulation of nerve fibres, and for the manufacture of hormones in the body.
However, if cholesterol levels are excessively [...]
H1N1 Especially Worrisome For Kids With Asthma
Thursday, November 19th, 2009By Megan Moore
Children with asthma are on local doctors’ radar because they are at such a high risk for developing the H1N1 flu.
One doctor estimates 20 to 30 percent of children in our area have asthma…making the concern for their health during this extra long flu season especially high.
Seven year old Logan Skidmore has asthma, and [...]
‘Bad’ Cholesterol Drops in U.S. Adults By One-Third
Wednesday, November 18th, 2009Source: Bloomberg
Levels of “bad” cholesterol in the U.S. fell by one-third from 1999 to 2006 as more people took cholesterol-lowering drugs, U.S. researchers reported.
The number of adults who had high levels of low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, cholesterol dropped to 21 percent in 2005 to 2006 from 32 percent in 1999 to 2000, according to a [...]
PPIs and Plavix — Confusion Reigns Supreme
Wednesday, November 18th, 2009By Burt Cohen
Patients taking Plavix (a.k.a. clopidogrel) — and that would be all stent patients — sometimes experience a side effect of gastric upset, heartburn or even bleeding. So they are given a Proton Pump Inhibitor (PPI) with a brand name of Prilosec, Nexium, Prevacid or Protonix to alleviate these symptoms.
In the past a number of [...]
Prescription drug prices to go up between 5% and 9%
Tuesday, November 17th, 2009As Washington mulls over its health care bill, prescription drug companies are increasing the price of brand-name medicines between 5% and 9% from a year ago.
Some question whether the companies are trying to minimize profit losses in case the health care bill passes, but pharmacists we spoke with say this is a practice that has [...]
Bipolar Medication Doesn’t Impact Cognitive Performance
Monday, November 16th, 2009A new study has found no significant performance differences between patients who are taking medication for bipolar disorder and those who aren’t on a range of neurocognitive tests.
Previous research has shown that cognitive deficits can exist in patients with bipolar disorder, even while experiencing a manic phase. But how medication might play a role in those deficits wasn’t known.
To [...]
Do severe herpes outbreaks increase my cancer risk?
Monday, November 16th, 2009By Dr. Jennifer Shu
Q: I have HSV-1 and HSV-2. I found out that my outbreaks are now forming from the inside lining of my genital area, which is all the way in the vagina. My question is — does this mean my outbreaks are becoming severe, and am I more susceptible to cancer? And what’s the [...]
