Sustained use of anti-depressants increases cell growth and protects cells in the brain
... patients with depression or post traumatic stress syndrome there is a decrease in volume of the hippocampus that is thought to be related to the neuronal atrophy and loss," Duman said. "The results of our study demonstrate that anti-depressants can reverse or block further loss of neurons in the hippocampus ...New definition may make number of heart attack cases soar
...99, to Jan. 1, 2000, with suspected acute coronary syndrome were entered in a database. There were 493 patients included, all of whom had both CKMB and troponin tests performed. CKMB is the creatine phosphokinase that is found in the heart muscle. Troponin is an enzyme found in muscle tissue. Specifically,...Immunisation is not linked to sudden infant death
...ides with the peak age for the sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). However, a study in this week's BMJ finds that immunisation is not linked to sudden unexpected death in infancy and may even protect against it. All sudden unexpected deaths (both explained and unexplained) of infants aged 1 week to 1 year in...NCEP issues major new cholesterol guidelines
...ally increase the risk for coronary events. The syndrome includes factors such as too much abdominal fat (i...vated triglycerides, and low HDL. Therapy for the syndrome emphasizes TLC, especially weight control and physical activity. Insulin controls the body's metabo......nol, benefited infants with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), in which a severely underdeveloped left ventricle is unable to pump enough blood to the body. The research team, reporting in the July 2001 issue of the journal Pediatrics, compared 131 infants with HLHS to 187 infants having lower-risk heart...University of Pittsburgh researcher provides first-ever definition of HIV-associated lipodystrophy
...e first definition of HIV-associated lipodystrophy syndrome (HIV-LS)-- the set of physical and metabolic chang...mal definition of the HIV-associated lipodystrophy syndrome up to this point, the prevalence of reported cases of this condition have varied widely -- from les...Tourettes, other tic disorders far more common than once thought
...blems in school. Researchers have linked Tourette syndrome to an area of the brain known as the basal ganglia, which is involved in controlling movement and plays an important role in attention, concentration, and decision-making. The same part of the brain is affected in people with obsessive-compulsive dis...Vibrating computer games should carry health warnings
Letter: Hand-arm vibration syndrome may be associated with prolonged use of vibrating ... linked to a condition known as hand-arm vibration syndrome and should carry health warnings, suggest researchers in this week's BMJ. They describe a case of a ...Post-combat syndromes are not unique to the Gulf war
...ree clusters of post-combat syndromes - a debility syndrome (related to the Boer war and the first world war),...thors. All modern wars have been associated with a syndrome characterised by unexplained medical syndromes. The ever changing form of these syndromes seems to b...American Thoracic Society Journal news tips for February (second issue)
...e lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) was higher andmortality rates lower than those reported in studies from other countries. The investigators screened 1,977 admissions to the units between October 1 and November 30, 1999. (Lung injury from pneumonia and aspiration were the mo...Stopping statins may cause rebound that triples risk of death
...cluded patients who had suffered an acute coronary syndrome (heart attack or angina) within the preceding three to six months. The drugs appear to do more than lower cholesterol. They reduce artery inflammation, theability of platelets to clump into blood clots, and the proliferation of smooth muscle cells i...Burnout of young doctors affects careers, recruiting and patient care
...ency program found that 76 percent suffered from a syndrome defined as burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a sense of low accomplishment) (Article, p. 358). Of these, half were depressed and nine percent misused alcohol. Residents suffering from burnout were less satisfied with their careers...USC researchers define role of protein, discover cause of chromosome damage
...he cases of human severe combined immunodeficiency syndrome (known colloquially as the "bubble boy" disease) are caused by the mutation of a specific gene and its protein product. In April of 2001, a team of French researchers tracked down that gene, and named it and its product Artemis (after the Greek godde...Yale study shows 25 percent of obese children are at high risk for developing diabetes
...nfertility, as well as cysts on their ovaries. The syndrome also is associated with darkening and thickening of the skin around the neck and under the arms. Possible long term complications from diabetes include premature artherosclerosis, often affecting the legs and leading to ulcers of the feet; early cor...Doubling of life expectancy over past two decades for people with Downs syndrome
...T reports how life expectancy of people with Downs syndrome has doubled since the early 1980s. The study also highlights the unexpected finding that Downs syndrome appears to reduce the risk of many forms of cancer. Downs syndrome (characterised by three copies o...Routine overnight EEG monitoring not warranted in autistic children
...CO -- Though controversial, children with autistic syndrome may be subjected unnecessarily to overnight EEG testing for the identification of Landau-Kleffner syndrome (LKS), the deterioration of language ability associated with clinical or electrical seizure activity...Stem cell transplants may be effective for MS patients
...ks later. Another patient developed Guillain-Barre syndrome and pneumonia 17 months after the transplant. And one patient had a fever with no known cause soon after the transplant and, as a result, worsened by one point on the disability scale....American Thoracic Society Journal news tips for April (second issue)
...nd irritate the lungs. Severe meconium aspiration syndrome produces acute lung disease with rapid onset of persistent pulmonary hypertension. Currentmanagement of persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn includes therapies that are targeted at lowering vascular resistance, with inhaled nitric oxide ...Polycystic ovaries can lead to coronary artery calcification, says University of Pittsburgh
HONOLULU, April 26 Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are at risk for premature calcification in their coronary arteries an early indication of cardiovascular disease according to Evelyn O. Talbott, Dr.P.H., professor of epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Hea...