Testosterone Therapy May Help Elderly Men with Mild Alzheimer Disease
Testosterone replacement therapy may help improve the quality of life for elderly men with mild cases of Alzheimer’s disease, according to a study posted online today that will appear in the February 2006 print issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
“There is a compelling need for therapies that prevent, defer the onset, slow the progression, or improve the symptoms of Alzheimer disease (AD),” the authors provide as background information in the article. They note that hormonal therapies have been the focus of research attention in recent years since male aging is associated with a gradual progressive decline in testosterone levels. “The gradual decline in testosterone level is associated with decreased muscle mass and strength, osteoporosis, decreased libido, mood alterations, and changes in cognition, conditions that may be reversed with testosterone replacement.” The authors add that the age-related decline in testosterone is potentially relevant to AD as previous studies have found significantly lower concentrations of the hormone in middle-aged and elderly men who developed AD.
Immunosuppressive Drug Reduces New Brain Lesions in MS Patients
A medication that reduces relapse rates in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) appears to be effective in reducing new brain inflammatory lesions and is well tolerated, according to a study in the December issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
The drug is azathioprine, an immunosuppressive agent that is well tolerated, easy to administer and monitor, and has been used for many years in the treatment of transplant rejections and autoimmune diseases. Azathioprine reduces relapse rates in MS patients, but its effects on the frequency and accumulation of new brain inflammatory lesions has not been studied in MS, according to background information in the article. MS is a disease of the central nervous system, marked by numbness, weakness, loss of muscle coordination, and problems with vision, speech, and bladder control.
Infections are a major cause of childhood cancer
Results from a new study of childhood cancer statistics provide further evidence that common infections affecting mother and baby could play a key role in triggering certain types of the disease.
The research was led by Dr Richard McNally from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne and funded by Cancer Research UK and the Christie Hospital Research Endowment Fund.
MRI Scans Find Larger Brains in Children With Autism
MRI scans indicate that the brains of children with autism are larger than those of healthy children, suggesting an unusual pattern of brain growth that may have its onset in shortly before a child’s first birthday.
The increased brain volume was detected in the cerebral cortical volumes but not in cerebral volumes, according to Heather Cody Hazlett, Ph.D., of the University of North Carolina here.
The brains of children with autism are about 5% larger than brains of non-autistic children, and the enlargement is due mainly to larger grey matter and white matter volumes in the cerebral cortex, Dr. Hazlett and colleagues reported in the December issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.
Sleep Apnea, Blood Pressure Linked
Full-night sleep studies and echocardiography may need to be incorporated into routine assessments of patients with difficult-to-treat high blood pressure, suggests UAB researcher Monique Pratt-Ubunama, M.D. “And those who are resistant to treatment and are found to have sleep apnea may benefit from mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists, since levels of aldosterone were high in study patients; and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) should be encouraged,” she said.
Ubunama’s suggestions are based on results of a study funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and presented last month at the American Heart Association annual meeting. “We found a direct relationship between the severity of sleep apnea and cardiovascular changes associated with high blood pressure.”
US FDA issues alert on Abbott antibiotic
U.S. regulators alerted the public on Friday to a study showing a higher death rate among heart disease patients one year after taking the Abbott Laboratories Inc. antibiotic Biaxin, as part of an effort to release early information about potential safety concerns.
Officials have not reached a final conclusion about the information, the notice on the Food and Drug Administration Web site said. Abbott described the results as “a random finding” that contrasted with decades of other research.
Athlete’s Foot
Athlete’s foot, the dreaded “fungus among us,” is a common bane of warm locker rooms at schools and fitness centers. UAB dermatologist Sarah M. Boyce, M.D., warns that the condition also occurs in cold weather, when feet may be swaddled in boots and heavy socks for longer hours.
“The treatment is straightforward, and over-the-counter or prescription anti-fungals usually are effective,” she said. “But prevention is better: keep your feet dry and cool, and sprinkle shoes and shocks with anti-fungal powder. Change socks regularly. Some socks are made with materials such as wool blends that wick moisture away. If possible, use a hot blow dryer on your feet after showering, but be careful of burns.”
