A new study has found that poor strength in the thigh muscles may increase the risk of knee osteoarthritis in women but not men. This relationship was confounded by body mass index (BMI), which itself is known as a risk factor for knee osteoarthritis. The study’s investigators noted that there may be more contractile tissue...
Category: <span>Research Updates</span>
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Studies uncover long-term effects of traumatic brain injury
Doctors are beginning to get answers to the question that every parent whose child has had a traumatic brain injury (TBI) wants to know: What will my child be like 10 years from now? In a study to be presented Friday Feb. 10 at the annual meeting of the Association of Academic Physiatrists in Las...
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The back-up mechanism that could stop you having a HEART ATTACK: Experts reveal a DIY repair process that causes the heart to grow new, healthy blood vessels
Why are some patients with heart disease less likely to die from it than others? Scientists believe the answer may partly lie in the body’s own repair mechanisms When blood flow to the heart is reduced, it starts to grow collateral blood vessels Why is it that some patients with heart disease are less likely...
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Can coloured lights really stop that ringing in your ears? Wearing lenses in different hues could be a new way to banish tinnitus and migraines
Tinnitus is a common condition characterised by a ringing or buzzing in the ears It affects millions worldwide, and is linked to depression, anxiety and insomnia A lamp that gives out light in different colours could help banish it for good A lamp that gives out coloured light is being tested as a new treatment...
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"Mini-suitcases" release drugs or seeds on demand
Researchers at Western University are developing “mini-suitcases” that can deliver drugs to target areas, and only releasing them when triggered How a drug is delivered to the targeted area can make these weapons more effective against disease. Researchers at Western University are developing polymer coatings for medicine, like “mini-suitcases” that can release drugs exactly when...
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Action of "gatekeeper" cells could be ground zero for Alzheimer's
A new pathway in to preventing and treating Alzheimer’s? In the hunt for a cause and cure for Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative ailments, much attention has been focused on sticky proteins called beta-amyloid plaques that build up in the brain and cause nerve damage. A new potential target has been identified by researchers however, in...
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Life-saving breast cancer drug considered as 'the closest thing to a cure' set to be rejected for use on the NHS because of its cost
Breast cancer drug Palbociclib freezes the growth of aggressive tumours This delays the need for chemotherapy, enabling women to lead normal lives Rationing watchdog NICE rejecting the drug due to its £2,950 a month cost Drug will only be viewed as cost-effective if its price can be cut to £590 a month A revolutionary drug considered...
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'Helper cells' can turn toxic in brain injury and diseases
For many years, research on neurodegenerative diseases and spinal cord and brain injury has focused on damage to nerve cells, or neurons. Now, a new study of astrocytes – a type of cell that surrounds and supports neurons – finds that there is a subtype that can turn rogue and kill neurons, instead of helping...
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Genetic defect found to cause disease in multiple organs
New research from Queen Mary University of London has identified a novel syndrome in patients with kidney and adrenal disease New research from Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) has identified a novel syndrome in patients with kidney and adrenal disease. The research, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, identified defects in a novel gene...
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Sickle cell trait may confound blood sugar readings among African-Americans
The test and the traitA new study in JAMA finds that HbA1c tests underreport a key blood sugar measure in African Americans with sickle cell trait. A routine diabetes test produces lower blood sugar readings in African-Americans with sickle cell trait than in those without, potentially leading patients to remain untreated or with a mistaken...