Chemotherapy and New Developments

One of the biggest problems we have with chemotherapy to treat cancer is the fact that there can be devastating side-effects.  The simplest way I can explain chemo is the drugs can be given to kill the cancer cells, but in doing so, the drugs actually harm the healthy cells.  In other words, we are sending invaders into the body to kill cancer cells, but there are casualties everywhere else.  Now, a new report in the journal Nature Biotechnology suggests there could be some new developments.  It all has to do with tumor-targeted antibodies.  They're highly efficient at recognizing cancer cells while ignoring normal cells.  This feature has been exploited for targeted drug therapy.  There are drugs like this out there being used right now, but the next generation, that's the next generation to be tested, they are much more effective and there is a lot more optimism.

Breast Feeding and Development: A Connection??

Could being breast-fed as a baby have a long-term impact on behavior as an adult? According to a new report in the Archives of Disease in Childhood it just might. The new report finds that babies who are breast-fed for at least four months are less likely to have behavioral problems as five year olds. We know that breast-feeding has other advantages including help with fighting infections because of antibodies transferred in mother's milk and with bonding between mother and child. Obviously this is excellent news for breast-feeding mothers. However I'm always concerned about studies like this. Many women have difficulty breast-feeding and it is important they don't feel guilty if they can't. Today we have infant formula that closely matches breastmilk. Mothers who spend quality time feeding their baby with the bottle certainly can bond with the child as well. Nevertheless this is a very interesting study and one that no doubt will be followed up with further studies in time

Build Muscle--it is good for you

High blood pressure is a very common condition in men over 40. There is no doubt that regular exercise, watching your weight and trying to reduce  stress are all good ideas when you are trying to lower your blood pressure. But , according to a new study out of the University of South Carolina there may be one way to reduce your risk by as much as 34%… It is a way many people have not really thought about. Their study finds that men who build muscle strength can reduce their risk dramatically. According to the findings reported in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, men over age 40 with high blood pressure were followed for about 18 years. Those with the highest muscular strength had the greatest life expectancy. If you think about it makes a lot of sense. Regular exercise is necessary to build strength and once muscle mass is developed it can  help burn calories even when people are at rest.

A major step in the fight against pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most difficult cancers to treat. It is extremely aggressive and very difficult to control. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania believe they have made a major stride in the battle against pancreatic cancer. They studied 21 patients with surgically incurable pancreatic cancer. They gave them what is called an immune activating treatment in addition to their chemotherapy. Although they did not cure the cancer they were able to cause substantial shrinkage of the tumor. What they found is that their experimental drug stimulated immune system to produce cells that act the supporting tissue of the tumor. According to leading experts this type of attack on tumors has not been reported before. Adding many of these major breakthroughs we are not seeing immediate results but these critical steps are necessary to win the overall battle. Clearly this is a major step in the fight against pancreatic cancer

NFL and Domestic Violence: A Startling Study

There is a disturbing new report that says some sports fans can take winning and losing too far. Fans of the Carolina Panthers, Detroit Lions, New England Patriots, Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, and Tennessee Titans were studied. According to scientists at the University of California at Berkeley there was a 10% increase in the rate of domestic abuse by men against their wives and girlfriends when their own football team lost a game they were expected to win. However when teams were expected to lose the violence was not as great. The researchers discovered this by cross checking the time of police calls with game times. Quite alarmingly increasing domestic violence occurred in the final hour of the game till two hours thereafter. The NFL cannot be blamed for this but the study shows how those who are prone to violence are more likely to act out after a negative experience in their life

The Case For Iodine

You might be wondering why people in Japan are taking iodine after the tsunami. Damage to the nuclear power plant has led to the release of radioactive iodine. Radioactive iodine can lead to thyroid cancer. Taking iodine pills saturates the thyroid gland and  can prevent the radioactive iodine from entering the body. Certainly no one can argue that taking iodine tablets in such a potentially dangerous situation is not a good idea. But people many miles away in places like Toronto and San Diego are buying iodine tablets as well with the thought that radiation might travel to them. As radiation travels the concentration decreases and experts say there is little chance of problems so far away. But does taking iodine cause any risks. If iodine is taken in extremely high amounts --- a dosage of many grams-- it can cause acute iodine poisoning with burning in the mouth throat and stomach diarrhea weak pulse and ultimately coma. But these are extremely high amounts. People who abuse iodine can impair the production of thyroid hormone but once again were talking about abuse. So in reasonable doses iodine does not present a significant risk but without a real chance for exposure to radioactive iodine people should save their money and not rush to the store to buy it.

Devastating Statistics Surrounding A Devastating Condition

The Alzheimer's Association has just released 2011 statistics surrounding the disease. Much like the American Heart Association and the American Cancer Society does with their results, the Alzheimer's Association provides a snapshot into this devastating illness. Alzheimer's is now the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. Perhaps most concerning is that it is the only one in the top 10 diseases that cannot be prevented or cured. 5.4 million Americans are living with the disease but by the year 2050 is estimated that number will reach 16 million. To try and put those numbers in perspective, every 69 seconds one person develops Alzheimer's in this country. Of course the greatest toll both physical and mental is often on the caregivers. 15 million Alzheimer's and dementia caregivers provide unpaid care valued at over $200 billion dollars

Time For Routine EKGs in High School Athletes??

The deaths of teenage basketball Star West Leonard closely followed by 17-year-old rugby player Matthew Hammerdorfer have raised a very reasonable question, "just how often do tragedies like this strike". According to the journal Circulation, the Journal of the American Heart Association, the rate of sudden cardiac deaths in young athletes was similar to that of deaths from lightning. But even though they are rare they are hard-hitting and have tremendous impact. The two primary causes of sudden death from heart conditions in which there were no previous symptoms are hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and a genetic condition called long  QT syndrome. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a thickening of the heart muscle and  can cause cardiac arrest during exertion.  The QT syndrome is a problem with electrical regulation of the heart. It is very difficult to detect these underlying heart conditions but a physical examination. EKGs can help but in the United States they are not recommended because testing is costly and can lead to false positive results which would mean unnecessary additional testing. There are many cardiologists who believe the EKGs should be standard. The European Society of cardiology recommends routine EKGs. One of the best ways to screen is through pointed questions for instance does the child have heart palpitations, a racing heart or passes out. Sadly the first warning in many of these cases is the sudden cardiac event while participating in a sports related activity.

A Blood Test To Detect Down Syndrome

Down syndrome is a chromosomal disorder that results in cognitive delays. It is caused by having an extra copy of chromosome. Down syndrome can be diagnosed with a procedure called an amniocentesis where amniotic fluid is taken from the pregnant mother. This procedure does carry a small risk of miscarriage. Now there is news out of the journal nature medicine that a simple blood test could help detect a baby with down syndrome. The study which was performed in Greece involved 40 cases. The scientists were successful in detecting down syndrome however the authors believe that more cases are necessary and more studies need to be completed before the test can be approved for use. According to the article the scientists believe they can spot down syndrome through fetal DNA that has been shed into the mother's bloodstream. Once again this is not approved for use in United States