Depression common in young women after heart attack
Compared with men and older patients, women under the age of 60 who have had a heart attack have an increased risk of developing depression, according to a new report in this week’s issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
In the community setting, depression is known to be especially prevalent among younger women - it is also known that symptoms of depression often occur after a heart attack. However, it was unclear if younger women who are hospitalized for a heart attack have higher risk of depression.
To investigate, Dr. Susmita Mallik, from Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, and colleagues analyzed information for a total of 2,498 heart attack patients who were treated at 1 of 19 centers in the United States between January 2003 and June 2004. Depression, which was assessed during hospitalization, was defined as a score of at least 10 on the Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders Brief Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ).
Aspirin + Cholesterol Drugs + Blood Pressure Drugs = Less Severe Strokes
Taking the “triple therapy” of aspirin, cholesterol drugs, and blood pressure drugs to prevent stroke also reduces stroke severity if one occurs, according to a new study published in the April 25, 2006, issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
People who were taking all three drugs had less severe strokes, had shorter hospital stays, and were better able to function when leaving the hospital than those who were taking one, two, or none of the three drugs.
The study examined 179 people who came to the hospital within 24 hours after having a stroke. Researchers looked at how severe the strokes were, how much brain cell damage was caused by the stroke, and other factors. The participants were divided into five groups: 69 people were taking none of the three drugs; 47 people were taking aspirin only; 29 were taking aspirin and ACE inhibitors, or blood pressure drugs; 14 were taking aspirin and statins, or cholesterol-lowering drugs; and 20 people were taking all three drugs.
New method allows heart beat triggers to be viewed and better understood
Being able to witness the precise events that form the heart’s orchestral rhythm or the rat-a-tat-tat of irregular heartbeats could enable researchers to better understand the underlying causes of arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death.
Indeed, a team from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Carnegie Mellon University report they have developed unique chemical dyes that have made it possible to see what the naked eye has never seen before: action potentials, or voltage changes, of cardiac cells - including those deep inside the heart, which trigger and determine the pace of heartbeats.
The researchers describe seven of these “Pittsburgh” dyes - PGH I to IV and VI to VIII, for short - in the current issue of the Journal of Membrane Biology. Importantly, the PGH dyes are able to follow the electrical activity of cells several layers below the surface of the heart where the cardiac contractions are initiated and propagated.
Beams of light used to move, select and trap protein molecules
A paper that outlines a new method to use a beam of light to trap protein molecules and make them dance in space has earned a place in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Early Edition.
The technique, developed by a team from the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, California Institute of Technology and Protein Discovery, is more than just a novelty, however, as it is useful for separating, concentrating and analyzing proteins quickly with high sensitivity and selectivity.
“With this technique, we can steer DNA or other biomolecules for transport in three dimensions and also separate them according to size and their isoelectric point,” said Chuck Witkowski, a co-author and president and chief executive officer of Protein Discovery, a Knoxville startup company. The ability to perform these functions with high efficiency and precision has applications for medical diagnostics and as a discovery tool.
Study shows drugs work differently in the brains of men and women
Results from a government-funded study at Johns Hopkins provide what is believed to be the first evidence in people that amphetamines have a greater effect on men’s brains than women’s - a discovery that could lead to tailored treatments for drug abuse and neurological diseases.
The study, led by Gary S. Wand, M.D., a professor of endocrinology in the Department of Medicine at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, found that men’s brains showed evidence of up to three times the amount of chemical dopamine as women’s when exposed to amphetamines.
The study will be published July 1 in The Journal of Biological Psychiatry.
Enzyme research points to better drugs and improved industrial processes
Groundbreaking research on enzymes could revolutionise the way drugs are made and have major implications for the industrial sector, say its authors.
The University of Manchester team, working with colleagues in Bristol, has provided a unique insight into the working of enzymes - biological molecules that speed up chemical reactions in the body.
When these chemical reactions go wrong they can lead to disease, so modern drugs are designed to target enzymes and ‘switch them off’.
Chernobyl veterans ask Putin for treatment help
Veterans of the desperate efforts to contain the Chernobyl nuclear disaster two decades ago pleaded with President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday for help treating the lingering effects of the accident.
Thanks to their heroic efforts to contain the disaster at the power station on April 26, 1986, the Soviet Union managed to build a concrete “sarcophagus” over its devastated fourth reactor, but not before it sent radiation across Europe.
Some of those sent to tackle the disaster died of acute radiation sickness, and many developed cancer and other long-term illnesses. Psychological problems have also been recorded in those involved.
Even the Least Dangerous Skin Cancer Is No Trivial Matter
Basal cell carcinoma is the most common skin cancer and the least dangerous - but it’s far from a trivial matter, reports the May issue of the Harvard Women’s Health Watch. The good news is that basal cell carcinoma rarely spreads (metastasizes), and it can easily be treated and cured when discovered early.
Basal cell skin cancers almost always occur in areas exposed to the sun: 80% show up on the head and neck. The face is particularly vulnerable. The most common form - nodular - usually shows up as a shiny bump and may bleed easily. It often ulcerates and crusts over. Superficial basal cell carcinoma forms a red, scaly, sometimes itchy spot and may have flecks of dark pigment. It’s often mistaken for a patch of dermatitis. Morpheaform, a rarer and more aggressive type, has a waxy white or yellow scarlike appearance and poorly defined borders.
Basal cell carcinoma grows slowly and occurs mostly in people over age 55. Sun exposure is the biggest risk factor. Treatment options include freezing, surgical removal, radiation, and topical creams. Each has a cure rate of 90% or more for first-time cancers.
Guidebook useful for irritable bowel patients
Patients with irritable bowel syndrome can use a self-help guidebook to reduce the number of office visits, improve symptoms and lower health care costs, a new report suggests.
The findings suggest that primary care physicians should offer patients with functional abdominal symptoms information on what they can do to manage their condition, lead author Dr. Andrew Robinson, from Hope Hospital in Manchester, UK, and colleagues report.
The researchers assessed the outcomes of 420 patients, treated at 54 primary care centers, who were randomly assigned to receive a self-help guidebook, a guidebook plus a self-help meeting, or no extra care (control group).
Alcoholism more common in risk-taking men
Previous research has shown that individuals with a family history of alcoholism have an increased risk of developing the condition themselves. Now, a new study has found that risk-taking behavior and male sex further increases this risk.
“There are some well-known risk factors for alcoholism that can help individuals recognize that they are at higher risk than others,” study author Dr. William R. Lovallo, of the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Oklahoma City, told Reuters Health.
“In this case, that knowledge can be used wisely by parents and teachers to try to insulate young persons and help them get through their early adult years without developing an alcohol or drug problem,” he added.
Low Folate Levels May Cut Bowel Cancer Risk
Low folate levels may protect against colorectal cancer Online First Gut 2006; doi 10.1136/gut.2005.085480
Low levels of folate, a B vitamin found in fruits and leafy green vegetables, may cut the risk of bowel cancer, suggests research published ahead of print in the journal Gut.
The accepted wisdom is that high levels of folate protect against the disease, and there are currently moves in Europe to fortify foodstuffs with folate, primarily to prevent birth defects, but also to boost the health of populations.
