Biomedical Laboratory Science

Saturday, July 16, 2016

Does Going to the Hospital Make You Sicker?

During a hospital stay, people usually hope to have a medical condition treated effectively so they can recover fully, go home and stay home. But it's not uncommon for a hospitalization to lead to a new health problem that's serious enough to require hospital readmission within 30 days.

The phenomenon, dubbed "post-hospital syndrome" by Dr. Harlan Krumholz, a cardiologist and professor of medicine at the Yale School of Medicine, is roughly defined as an acquired, transient period of increased risk for illness after a hospital stay, one that leads to re-hospitalization.

You could find yourself back in the hospital – because of the hospital (Getty Images).

Source: msn/health&fitness

Funny Picture 15: "Your Cholesterol is Off by a Wide Margarine."

Source: medicalnewstoday

See more funny pics!

Red Meat Consumption Linked to Kidney Failure

A new study, published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, investigated the long-term impact of red meat consumption on kidney health. Their findings justify the current caution suggested in regard to red meat and organ health.

Red meat, such as beef, lamb, and pork, can be included as part of a healthy diet.

But, as with many dietary components, it is best to limit the amount consumed.

For instance, the American Institute for Cancer Research recommend eating no more than 18 ounces of red meat per month because of its links with certain cancers, including stomach cancer.

Research investigates the effects of red meat on kidney health.

Source: medicalnewstoday

Heart Transplantation Recipients Unaffected by Donor Troponin Levels

Many transplant centers routinely reject hearts if the donor’s blood test reveals elevated levels of troponin I, a protein found in heart muscle that enters the bloodstream when there is a heart attack or other heart muscle damage. Donors with previous heart disease are automatically excluded.

Heart transplantation is one of the greatest achievements in modern medicine and patients with advanced heart failure in whom survival is measured in weeks and months are offered the potential for survival of equal to or greater than 10 years with excellent quality of life.

According to new research, a blood test that leads to donor hearts being rejected may not effectively
predict whether a heart transplant will succeed or fail (Photo courtesy of the AMA).

Source: labmedica

Colon Cancer Susceptibility May Vary With Gut Microbes

There is mounting evidence that interactions between our genes and environment can give rise to cancer. Plus, more recently, it has become clear that the environment is not just around us, but also within us, in the form of the trillions of microbes that inhabit our bodies and outnumber our own cells. Now, a new study of rats supports a growing body of evidence that the microbes in our gut do more than help us digest food, they may also affect our susceptibility to colon cancer.

The study, from the University of Missouri in Columbia, features at The Allied Genetic Conference 2016 (TAGC) in Orlando, FL, July 13-17, 2016.

Increasingly, researchers are discovering that cancer is linked to changes in the gut microbes living in our intestines - what is known as the gut microbiota, and commonly referred to as gut bacteria.

For instance, a study published recently suggests gut bacteria may have a role in bile duct cancer.

The study, which was done in rats, suggests the type of microbiota in the gut may
influence susceptibility to colon cancer.

Source: medicalnewstoday

What If No One Believed You Were Sick?

What’s worse than feeling ill? Having no one believe that your condition exists. That’s the reality for many Canadian women living with a slew of diseases that the medical community is slow to recognize as legitimate. Could you be suffering from something serious that your physician has dismissed as 'all in your head'? Read on for information that could change your life and your health.

Noelle Harris has learned to listen to her body, even when it means making sacrifices like canceling coveted vacation plans. For an upbeat, self-confessed Type A person, it’s been a challenging realization that’s come after a long, hard battle with two chronic conditions that affect hundreds of thousands of Canadians: chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and fibromyalgia.

Harris’s story begins in 1986, when she developed mononucleosis, followed by bronchitis three months later, then pneumonia and a bad flu several months later. When Harris initially became sick, her doctor was suspicious. 'There’s something wrong with you, but I don’t know what it is,' she told Harris.

Source: msn/health&fitness

Friday, July 15, 2016

H. Pylori: Know the Facts

Helicobacter pylori, commonly called H. pylori, is a type of bacteria that can infect the stomach and small bowel. It was discovered in 1982 by two Australian researchers who found that it causes peptic ulcer disease.

Peptic ulcers are open sores in the lining of the stomach or the upper part of the small intestine. Peptic ulcers are often called "ulcers" or "stomach ulcers."

For years, medical experts believed that peptic ulcers were caused by stress or certain foods. After the discovery of H. pylori, however, this belief was put to rest. A study in Digestive and Liver Disease suggests that 60 to nearly 100 percent of peptic ulcers are associated with H. pylori.

Tuesday, July 12, 2016

Dopamine Neuron Discovery Might Revolutionize Parkinson’s Treatments

Northwestern University researchers say they have identified the neurochemical signal likely missing in Parkinson’s disease. They reportedly discovered two distinctly different kinds of neurons that deliver dopamine to an important brain region responsible for both movement and learning/reward behavior.

“It has been dogma for decades that all dopamine neurons are somehow involved in both movement and reward, but this didn’t really make sense,” said Daniel A. Dombeck, Ph.D., the study’s senior author. “Now, it is so obvious in our recordings that there are different kinds of neurons. We can literally see this in behaving animals. Our findings will likely help answer many questions about Parkinson’s disease and other neurological mysteries.”

Source: genengnews

Could Magnesium Regulate Blood Pressure?

A round one third of adults in the United States have high blood pressure, only half of whom have their high blood pressure under control. New research, published in the American Heart Association's journal Hypertension, identifies magnesium as a potential remedy.

With high blood pressure affecting around 70 million people in the U.S. and increasing the risk of two of the leading causes of death for Americans - heart disease and stroke - preventing or controlling blood pressure is an essential healthcare objective.

Labeled the "silent killer," due to often having no warning signs or symptoms, high blood pressure is a common and often dangerous condition.

A meta-analysis, funded by the Indiana University School of Medicine Strategic Research Initiative, details positive results that show an association between a daily intake of magnesium and a reduction in blood pressure.

Magnesium is already recognized as essential for over 300 biochemical reactions in the body.

A healthy diet rich in green leafy vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains could lower
blood pressure.

Source: medicalnewstoday

Are Vitamin Supplements for Pregnant Women a Waste of Money?

It is essential that an expectant mother receives adequate nutrition to promote the healthy development of her unborn child. To this end, the market is awash with maternal vitamin supplements. A new review asks whether these pills are as necessary as they claim to be.

Maternal deficiency of certain nutrients has been linked to a number of negative health consequences for mother and child.

Risks include restricted fetal growth, low birth weight, skeletal deformities, and pre-eclampsia.

These well-known dangers support a huge vitamin, mineral, and micronutrient industry aimed at pregnant women.

Typically, these tablets will contain 20 or more vitamins and minerals, often including a range of B vitamins, C, D, E, K, iodine, folic acid, magnesium, zinc, selenium, and copper.

Are pregnancy supplements as essential to maternal health as they claim to be?

Source: medicalnewstoday

Biomedical Laboratory Science