Young women with diabetes have 6-fold risk of heart attack Women aged 45 years and under with diabetes have a six-fold risk of heart attack, according to new research. The study in more than 7,000 women also found that young women who had a heart attack (myocardial infarction, MI) were more likely to be smokers than older women with MI.
New symptom may help identify sleep apnea in older women Obstructive sleep apnea may be underdiagnosed in postmenopausal women. A new study strongly associates the condition's traditional risk factors with nocturnal enuresis (bedwetting), suggesting that it may be an additional screening factor for doctors to consider.
Exposure to phthalates could be linked to pregnancy loss A new study of more than 300 women suggests that exposure to certain phthalates -- substances commonly used in food packaging, personal-care and other everyday products -- could be associated with miscarriage, mostly between 5 and 13 weeks of pregnancy.
Acupuncture reduces hot flashes in breast cancer survivors Acupuncture may be a viable treatment for women experiencing hot flashes as a result of estrogen-targeting therapies to treat breast cancer, according to a new study. Hot flashes are particularly severe and frequent in breast cancer survivors, but current FDA-approved remedies for these unpleasant episodes, such as hormone replacement therapies are off-limits to breast cancer survivors because they include estrogen.
Slowing down muscle loss in heart failure patients Whenever cardiac insufficiency or serious heart defects worsen, such deterioration is often associated with a loss of muscular mass and muscular strength. Scientists have now succeeded in identifying the mechanism that underlies this disease, also known as cardiac cachexia. On the basis of these latest findings it may now be possible to influence the processes that strengthen and accelerate protein degradation in the body with the help of certain medications
Updated screening policies could detect more abdominal aortic aneurysms Updating national screening policies could help detect more aortic aneurysms in older men and prevent deaths from this potentially life-threatening condition. Screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm in male smokers at age 65 and then all men at age 75 could save more lives with less resources than the current United Kingdom, United States and Europe screening programs.
Hypertensive patients benefit from acupuncture treatments Patients with hypertension treated with acupuncture experienced drops in their blood pressure that lasted up to a month and a half. This work is the first to scientifically confirm that this ancient Chinese practice is beneficial in treating mild to moderate hypertension, and it indicates that regular use could help people control their blood pressure and lessen their risk of stroke and heart disease.
Bust up big kidney stones with tamsulosin Tamsulosin works no better than placebo on small kidney stones, but does improve passage of more large kidney stones than placebo does, a new study concludes. 83.3 percent of patients treated with tamsulosin whose kidney stones measured between 5 and 10 millimeters in length passed their stones, compared to only 61 percent of those who were treated with placebo.
iPSCs show promise for kidney treatment Renal progenitor cells derived from human iPS cells were shown to have therapeutic effects when transplanted into acute kidney injury model mice. The transplants resulted in a significant reduction of fibrosis, suggesting that they may have preventative measures against chronic kidney disease.
New mussel-inspired surgical protein glue: Close wounds, open medical possibilities Inspired by nature's wonders, scientists have developed new light-activated adhesive hydrogel that is mussel protein-based. The innovative surgical protein glue, called LAMBA, not only closes an open wound on a wet bleeding site within less than 60 seconds but also effectively facilitates the healing process without inflammation or a scar.
