What is a free PSA test and what is it for?

Free PSA Test

"The free prostate-specific antigen test, known as the free PSA test, is used to help detect signs of prostate cancer. The test measures the level of unbound prostate-specific antigen in the blood, which can help doctors to diagnose issues like inflammation of the prostate or cancer."

Free PSA tests are often used alongside other PSA tests to confirm a diagnosis or test results. Free PSA tests can also be used instead of a biopsy if the doctor suspects prostate cancer, but a biopsy may still be needed.

This article examines when a free PSA test is used, how it differs from a total PSA test, and what the results mean.

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Hormone Therapy for Prostate Cancer Increases Cardiac Risk!

Androgen-deprivation therapy, which is a common treatment for prostate cancer, has been tentatively linked with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. A new study solidifies these concerns.

Prostate cancer needs testosterone to grow and thrive, so androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) is designed to reduce the amount of testosterone in the body to close to zero, thereby helping to slow cancer's growth.

Although the findings are controversial, some studies have shown that ADT combined with radiation therapy is more successful at treating prostate cancer than just radiation alone.

Currently, ADT is recommended for advanced prostate cancer. But it is increasingly being used to treat localized prostate cancer, despite minimal evidence for its efficacy.

At the same time, the number of localized prostate cancer cases has increased dramatically over recent years, due in part to the more widespread use of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing.

Side effects of ADT — including erectile dysfunction, diabetes, bone loss, and swollen breast tissue, or gynecomastia — can be fairly substantial. Added to this, there is growing evidence to suggest that low testosterone levels might increase the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD).

A common prostate cancer treatment comes under scrutiny in a new study.

Read more: Hormone Therapy for Prostate Cancer Increases Cardiac Risk!

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Source: MedicalNewsToday

Differences between Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes.

Diabetes, or diabetes mellitus (DM), is a metabolic disorder in which the body cannot properly store and use sugar.

It affects the body's ability to use glucose, a type of sugar found in the blood, as fuel. This happens because the body does not produce enough insulin, or the cells do not correctly respond to insulin to use glucose as energy.

Insulin is a type of hormone produced by the pancreas to regulate how blood sugar becomes energy. An imbalance of insulin or resistance to insulin causes diabetes.

Diabetes is linked to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, vision loss, neurological conditions, and damage to blood vessels and organs.

There is type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes. They have different causes and risk factors, and different lines of treatment.

This article will compare the similarities and differences of types 1 and 2 diabetes.

People with type 1 diabetes will require supplemental insulin on an

ongoing basis. People with type 2 will likely only need this for the later

stages of the condition. A healthcare specialist will be able to test

a patient for diabetes, even if type 2 diabetes shows no symptoms.

Read more: Differences between Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes.

Source: MedicalNewsToday

Serum Level Measurements Improve Disease Risk Prediction.

Results obtained by using a commercially available uromodulin ELISA kit to analyze serum samples from individuals at risk for heart and circulatory system diseases indicated that this kidney-specific protein is a biomarker not only for kidney disease but also for cardiovascular diseases.

The glycoprotein uromodulin, also known as Tamm-Horsfall protein (THP), is synthesized exclusively in the kidneys and subsequently secreted. Low uromodulin concentrations in serum are a sensitive indicator for a loss of kidney function and thus play a role in the diagnosis of various renal diseases (nephropathies). When renal function is impaired, the uromodulin concentration in the serum sinks rapidly. Therefore, renal functional disorders can be identified at a very early stage of kidney damage, even in cases with few symptoms.

Uromodulin -a biomarker not only for kidney disease but also for cardiovascular diseases.

Read more: Serum Level Measurements Improve Disease Risk Prediction.

Source: LabMedica

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Breast Cancer: The Body of Knowledge Grows

Scientists’ understanding of the genetics/genomics of breast cancer continues to grow; a revolution is underway both in terms of categorizing breast cancers and targeting treatment that will be effective in individual cases. New perspectives are being offered on the interpretation of biopsies, too. Here is a round-up of some very recent studies.

Genetic variants alter cells’ response to estrogen

An international study of almost 120,000 women has newly identified five genetic variants affecting risk of breast cancer, all of which are believed to influence how breast cells respond to the female sex hormone estrogen.

Estrogen acts as a trigger, binding to a molecule known as an estrogen receptor in most breast cells and triggering a cascade of signals that cause the cell to behave normally. However, the estrogen receptor is switched off in some cells and these do not respond to the hormone.

Read more: Breast Cancer: The Body of Knowledge Grows

Source: MedicalLaboratoryObserver

What Does Breast Cancer Feel Like? Lumps and Pain Explained

In breast cancer, abnormal genes cause breast cells to grow uncontrollably and not die off as they normally would.

If these cells grow slowly and don't invade other tissues, they cause benign tumors. These are lumps that are not usually considered dangerous to health.

When abnormal cells grow at a more rapid rate and begin to invade surrounding tissues, they form cancerous tumors. These lumps pose a serious risk and can spread, creating new tumors throughout the body.

Read more: What Does Breast Cancer Feel Like? Lumps and Pain Explained

When breast cancer first appears, it can cause a wide range of different symptoms. Always seek
medical attention if in doubt about possible breast symptoms. Breast cancer can also affect men.

Source: MedicalNewsToday

This Type Of Vitamin E Could Predict Your Risk For Alzheimer's—And You're Probably Not Getting Enough Of It

Vitamin E is essential for normal neurological function, according to a 2013 Journal of Internal Medicine study, which found that low levels of some types of the vitamin could help predict your risk for Alzheimer's disease. Looking to take back control of your health? 

Some types? That's right: There are different types of vitamin E. In fact, there are 8 varieties or "isoforms" of E, and research suggests your brain needs all of them for optimal health and function.

Read more: This Type Of Vitamin E Could Predict Your Risk For Alzheimer's—And You're Probably Not Getting Enough Of It

Source: msn.com/en-us/health/nutrition

Watch Slides Video: 9 Ways To Control Your Risk Of Alzheimer's

How Does Alcohol Affect My Blood Sugar Levels?

It is not uncommon to enjoy a glass of wine with dinner or to have drinks after work with friends. Alcohol consumption is very prevalent in the United States.

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, in 2014:

• 87.6 percent of people age 18 and older reported drinking alcohol at some point in their lifetime
• 71 percent reported drinking in the past year
• 56.9 percent reported drinking in the past month

For many people, a glass of alcohol here and there does not pose a problem. For those with certain health conditions such as diabetes, however, alcohol can affect blood sugar levels and pose a health risk. It is important for them to understand what alcohol is and how it affects blood sugar levels.

Read more: How Does Alcohol Affect My Blood Sugar Levels?

The way that alcohol affects the body differs from person to person. People with diabetes and other
blood sugar-related illnesses must be extremely careful when consuming alcohol. Cocktails and
mixed drinks are full of sugar, so should be avoided by people with blood sugar problems.

Source: MedicalNewsToday

The Common Cold and That Dreaded Flu Virus

Here it is again, the cold and flu season when we all head indoors to share our sneezes and viruses. It’s time to get serious about preventing illness, and that means caring for our personal air filter: the nose.

Viruses are the worst seasonal offenders, and colds are the most common virus we pass around. But the influenza virus is so much worse than a cold. Most folks do not really understand the difference between these two illnesses, yet the difference can be deadly.

Influenza, commonly called “the flu,” is caused by the influenza virus. This is a specific respiratory virus quite different than the cold virus. The entire respiratory tract—including the nose, throat, and lungs—becomes infected. The illness is severe and can be life-threatening; children, the elderly, and those who have underlying medical conditions are at greatest risk for complications.

Read more: The Common Cold and That Dreaded Flu Virus

Source: naturalsolutionsmag

New gene testing method can identify mutations, prioritize variants in breast and ovarian cancer genes

A research team led by an award-winning genomicist at Western University has developed a new method for identifying mutations and prioritizing variants in breast and ovarian cancer genes, which will not only reduce the number of possible variants for doctors to investigate, but also increase the number of patients that are properly diagnosed.

These potentially game-changing technologies, developed by Peter Rogan, PhD, students and his collaborators from Western's Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, reveal gene variants that were missed by conventional genetic testing.

Their method, described in BMC Medical Genomics, was first applied to 102 individuals at risk or with a diagnosis of inherited breast cancer. The team also studied 287 women with no known mutations for an article published in Human Mutation.

Rogan, Canada Research Chair in Genome Bioinformatics, says that 16 to 20 per cent of women in southwestern Ontario, who have their BRCA genes tested for breast and/or ovarian cancer risk, carry disease-causing gene variants that are well-understood by clinicians and genetic counselors. If a patient tests positive for an abnormal BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene and have never had breast cancer, there is a much higher-than-average risk of developing the deadly disease.

Read more: New gene testing method can identify mutations, prioritize variants in breast and ovarian cancer genes

Source: azonano