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Fewer prostate cancer surgery complications found in teaching hospitals with fellowship programs

admin — Wed, 16 May 2012 18:26:34 +0000

A new study by Henry Ford Hospital has revealed patients who undergo radical surgery for prostate cancer may expect better results, on average, if they’re treated in accredited teaching hospitals with residency programs, and better still if the hospitals also have medical fellowships.

The findings will be presented this week at the American Urological Association’s Annual Meeting in Atlanta.

Alzheimer’s gene causes brain’s blood vessels to leak, die

admin — Wed, 16 May 2012 18:12:53 +0000

A team of scientists from the University of Rochester, the University of Southern California reports a well-known genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease triggers a cascade of signaling that ultimately results in leaky blood vessels in the brain, allowing toxic substances to pour into brain tissue in large amounts,

The results come from a team of scientists investigating why a gene called ApoE4 makes people more prone to developing Alzheimer’s. People who carry two copies of the gene have roughly eight to 10 times the risk of getting Alzheimer’s disease than people who do not. Scientists found that ApoE4 works through cyclophilin A, a well-known bad actor in the cardiovascular system, causing inflammation in atherosclerosis and other conditions. The team found that cyclophilin A opens the gates to the brain assault seen in Alzheimer’s.

Quality of care may cause worse results in black prostate cancer surgery patients

admin — Tue, 15 May 2012 20:01:00 +0000

According to a first-of-its-kind study by researchers at Henry Ford Hospital who found racial disparities in the results of surgery to remove diseased prostates, black prostate cancer patients may not be getting the same quality of care as white patients.
While it is possible that anatomical differences or tumor characteristics may explain why the results of radical prostatectomy are not as good for African Americans as for white patients undergoing the same procedure, the study concluded that “surgeons, administrators and policymakers need to implement measures to address these disparities.”
The new research findings, based on population samples from throughout the U.S., will be presented this week at the American Urological Association’s Annual Meeting in Atlanta.

Younger & at-risk men benefit from prostate cancer screening

admin — Tue, 15 May 2012 19:57:18 +0000

The European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer found prostate cancer screening in younger men and men at risk for the disease can be beneficial in reducing metastatic cancer and death.

For elderly men with several medical issues, screening may be more harmful than beneficial, but for younger, healthy men, screening can reduce death from prostate cancer. Healthy younger men also are at lower risk of complications from biopsies and treatments compared with older men.

Mayo Clinic researchers discover biomarkers for prostate cancer detection, recurrence

admin — Mon, 14 May 2012 16:58:15 +0000

A Mayo Clinic study has found alterations to the “on-off” switches of genes occur early in the development of prostate cancer and could be used as biomarkers to detect the disease months or even years earlier than current approaches. These biomarkers - known as DNA methylation profiles - also can predict if the cancer is going to recur and if that recurrence will remain localized to the prostate or, instead, spread to other organs. The study, published in the journal Clinical Cancer Research, is the first to capture the methylation changes that occur across the entire human genome in prostate cancer.
The discovery could someday help physicians diagnose prostate cancer earlier and make more effective treatment decisions to improve cure rates and reduce deaths. It also points to the development of new drugs that reverse the DNA methylation changes, turning the “off” switch back “on” and returning the genetic code to its normal, noncancerous state.

Are testosterone drugs the next Viagra?

admin — Sun, 13 May 2012 19:25:28 +0000

The male sex hormone begins to decline after age 30, and tends to drop about 1 percent each year. Lower-than-normal levels can lead to a loss of libido, a decrease in bone and muscle mass, and depression.

Testosterone replacement has long been prescribed for men who suffer from abnormally low levels of the male sex hormone, but overuse can lead to infertility, can increase the growth of prostate tumors and cause blood clots and liver damage

Despite a lot of really bad things that can happen, prescriptions for testosterone replacement therapies have more than doubled since 2006 to 5.6 million last year

Updated version of book on advanced prostate cancer

admin — Sun, 13 May 2012 19:24:51 +0000

Malecare has just issued an updated version of its free book on recurrent and advanced prostate cancer. Many people have gained great benefit from the first edition of this book, and we are sure that the new version is equally useful. However, you do have to “sign up” to be able to download the new edition, which will clearly mean that readers start to receive a regular stream of e-mails about related Malecare services.

If interested you may sign up here

Vitamin K2 a possible new hope for Parkinson’s patients?

admin — Sat, 12 May 2012 10:06:39 +0000

A recent study done by VIB and KU Leuven neuroscientist Patrik Verstreken in collaboration with colleagues from Northern Illinois University, succeeded in undoing the effect of one of the genetic defects that leads to Parkinson’s using vitamin K2.
It appears from this research that administering vitamin K2 could possibly help patients with Parkinson’s. However, more work needs to be done to understand this better.

Study findings will be published this evening on the website of the authorative journal Science.

Lowly yoghurt could boost male virility too

admin — Sat, 12 May 2012 10:00:40 +0000

Scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) say eating probiotic yoghurt calms upset tummies and does more besides - it could boost your virility as well.

Researchers found male mice fed the vanilla-flavoured dessert had a certain `swagger` when they walked. These mice had testicles that were five percent higher than other mice on a normal diet and 15 percent heavier than junk-eating males.

Besides, in mating experiments yoghurt-eating males inseminated their partners more quickly and produced more young than control mice, not on a yoghurt diet. According to study team, the findings could have implications for human fertility and the team will next look at the association between yoghurt and semen quality in men.

Viagra may help improve cardiac function in young patients with heart defects

admin — Thu, 10 May 2012 04:08:02 +0000

The erectile dysfunction drug Viagra - also known as Sildenafil - may boost function of underdeveloped hearts in children and young adults with congenital heart defects, suggest a new study.
Researchers from The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia has reported that sildenafil significantly improved echocardiographic measures of heart function in children and young adult survivors of single ventricle heart disease palliation.