Depression impairs asthma-related quality of life
Depression and anxiety disorders are both associated with worse quality of life because of asthma, but only depressive disorders are associated with worse asthma control, the results of a study in the journal Chest indicate.
Dr. Kim L. Lavoie, of the University of Quebec at Montreal, Canada, and colleagues examined the relative impact of having a depressive disorder or an anxiety disorder in 504 adults with asthma.
The participants completed a psychiatric interview using the Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders. The Asthma Control Questionnaire and the Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire were also used. Standard lung function tests were performed in all subjects.
Antipsychotic deemed effective for anxiety disorder
The anti-psychotic drug trifluoperazine is well-tolerated and superior to inactive “placebo” in the short-term treatment of generalized anxiety disorder, a chronic disorder associated with exaggerated worry and tension, according to a study in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. However, the value of other antipsychotics for treating anxiety is less clear because of the lack of large, well-designed studies.
Dr. Keming Gao, of University Hospitals of Cleveland/Case Western Reserve University, Ohio, and colleagues conducted a review to examine the benefits of antipsychotic drugs for anxiety disorders. The researchers also reviewed studies on bipolar disorder or major depressive disorder that included data regarding changes in anxiety.
Experimental drug might help treat bowel cancer
An experimental drug that is effective in reducing the size and number of pre-cancerous growths in mice could help treat or prevent bowel cancer in humans, scientists said on Friday.
Most cases of the cancer develop from polyps, extra tissue that grows on the wall of the bowel. Not all polyps are dangerous but about 5 to 10 percent develop into cancer.
Scientists at the British charity Cancer Research UK found that AZD2171, an experimental drug made by AstraZeneca, stopped polyps in mice from progressing to cancer by blocking their blood supply.
Allergies, bottles may misalign baby teeth
Nasal allergies, bottle-feeding and thumb sucking may all contribute to certain types of tooth misalignments in young children, a study shows.
In a study of nearly 1,200 children between the ages of 4 and 5, Mexican researchers found that those who were bottle-fed, used pacifiers or sucked their thumb before the age of 1 were more likely to have a posterior crossbite—where the upper teeth in the back of the mouth bite down behind, rather than in front of, the lower teeth.
Similarly, children with nasal allergies were more likely to develop an open bite, in which the top and bottom teeth in the front of the mouth do not connect when the jaw closes.
Joined at the head, Canadian twins doing well
Twin girls, joined at the head, are doing well a day after their birth, but Canadian doctors said on Thursday it could be three or four months before they will know if they can be separated.
The British Columbia Women’s Hospital in Vancouver said it was not a foregone conclusion that a separation of the babies, named Krista and Tatiana, will be attempted even if medically possible as the family weighs decisions on their future.
Doctors said they do not know yet how much of their brains the babies share, but they said it was clear from the girls’ physical responses that their bodies interact closely.
