Biomedical Laboratory Science

Tuesday, August 9, 2016

Hypertension Prevalence Higher in Lower-Income Countries for the First Time

In an analysis of global health differences in hypertension occurrence, researchers find that high blood pressure is more common in low- and middle-income countries for the first time.

High blood pressure is the leading preventable risk factor responsible for disease burden worldwide. Raised blood pressure - which can result in cardiovascular disease,heart disease, stroke, and chronic kidney disease - was accountable for around 9-12 million deaths globally in 2013.

According to research published in the American Heart Association's journal Circulation, more than 30 percent of the adult population worldwide has high blood pressure, and 75 percent of those people live in low- to middle-income countries.

Previous reports have indicated that the prevalence of hypertension in low- and middle-income countries is on the rise, and is steady or decreasing in high-income countries. However, recent estimates of the differences between high blood pressure worldwide were unknown.

For the first time in history, global hypertension is at an all time high in low- and middle-income
countries.

Source: medicalnewstoday

Most Aggressive Form of Prostate Cancer on the Rise

A new analysis suggests infrequent screening has resulted in an increase in the number of men diagnosed with the metastatic form of the disease.

For decades, experts have said the diagnostic used to screen patients for prostate cancer is too unreliable to use routinely because it produces high rates of false positives and often results in additional unnecessary and invasive tests, as well as overtreatment. However, a new study suggests efforts to limit the use of the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test may be partially responsible for a rise in incidences of the most aggressive form of the disease.

Source: newsweek

Blood Tests You Need After Age 50

Five Blood Tests You Need After Age 50

HCV for hepatitis C virus: The virus that kills more Americans than any other disease will probably surprise you: It's hepatitis C.
Blood glucose test for diabetes: If you're overweight and have high blood pressure and a history of diabetes in your family, you're a prime candidate for a screening test of the sugar in your blood.
Lipid panel for high cholesterol: If your cholesterol numbers are borderline or if you have another health condition like diabetes that would increase your risk of heart problems, you'll want to be tested.
Bloodwork for sexually transmitted infections: If you have a new sexual partner, multiple sexual partners, or don't typically use condoms, mention it to your doc.
TSH test for hypothyroidism: If your thyroid-stimulating hormone blood test reveals that you have high TSH, you have an underactive thyroid, or hypothyroidism.

Source: prevention

Genetic Testing Before Pregnancy Should Be as Common as Taking Folic Acid

Very few pre-pregnancy checklists include carrier screening as an important health item.

The very first time I had to tell a patient that she was at 25 percent risk of having a baby with cystic fibrosis, she was already 16 weeks pregnant. Only a few months prior, I had graduated and passed my board exam for genetic counseling. This was a "textbook case," as the saying goes. I reviewed the numbers with her and her husband: Odds were in their favor that this pregnancy would not be affected with cystic fibrosis. This couple wanted to know – they needed to know – with more certainty about what to expect. They were older first-time parents, and they agreed that they did not have the financial or emotional means to raise a child with a chronic health issue.

Carrier screening should be universally offered in the preconception period, one expert argues.

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

Monday, August 8, 2016

I Want to be a Medical Lab Technologist. What will my Salary be?

The job: Medical laboratory technologist

The role: From throat swabs to cancer screens, blood tests to DNA tests, Canadians generate over 440 million medical test results a year, which are conducted by medical laboratory technologists (MLTs).

“We would have been there the day you were born to test you for certain disorders as a baby, and you would have never known,” says Christine Nielsen, the chief executive officer of the Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science in Hamilton . “As a healthy adult, when your doctor sends you off for lab tests and just wants to see what your glucose [level] is, your specimen goes through our people.”

National Microbiology Lab technician, Lillian Mendoza, processes patient samples for the measles

virus and genotyping in Winnipeg Manitoba, February 19, 2015.

Source: theglobeandmail

Could Regrowing Limbs be a Medical Possibility?

Although the idea of regrowing an amputated limb sounds like science fiction, some experts believe that, one day, it could become science fact. According to recent findings, the answers may be glimpsed in genes that we share with our very distant relatives.

Although humans cannot regrow lost limbs, there is a range of species that can regenerate lost appendages.

These animals include echinoderms, such as starfish and sea cucumbers; amphibians, including the axolotl and newt; and certain fish species.

Although these animals are considered to be far-removed from humanity, because we all evolved from a joint ancestor, we still share large quantities of genetic information.

And, humanity's ability to regenerate has not been completely lost. Although it is now limited to regrowing fingertips and healing wounds, similar genetic mechanisms are thought to be at work.

Limb generation may be a long way down the road, but genetic studies give a glimmer of hope.
Axolotls can regrow entire limbs with ease.

Source: medicalnewstoday

Literature Review: Targeting Mutant Kinases

Small-Molecule Kinase Inhibitors Have Typically Been Designed To Inhibit Wild-Type Kinases Rather Than the Mutant Forms

Kinases have been the target of extensive research to identify drugs to treat a variety of diseases in which the wild-type kinase or a mutant kinase plays a crucial role. Kinase mutations frequently lead to an activated state where the kinase is always active and no longer tightly regulated. Considering resistance mutations are also important for kinase inhibitors. A frequent escape route is a mutation to the gatekeeper amino acid that blocks inhibitor binding. A variety of large screening panels have been developed that range from binding assays to enzyme assays, each with their unique pros and cons.

A variety of large screening panels have been developed that range from binding assays

to enzyme assays, each with their unique pros and cons. [nicolas_/Getty]

Source: genengnews

'Feeling Full' Hormone Increase in Seniors May Explain 'Anorexia of Aging'

Elderly adults often experience loss of appetite, resulting in weight loss and undernutrition. Now, researchers suggest this may be down to increased production of a hormone called peptide YY, which tells humans when they are feeling full.

Termed "anorexia of aging," loss of appetite is common among elderly adults, with around 15-20 percent of seniors experiencing unintentional weight loss as a result.

While loss of appetite in seniors can be driven by emotional issues, such as depression or grief, in many cases, no underlying cause can be found.

Previous research has suggested loss of appetite in the elderly may be down to reduced production of ghrelin - a hormone that tells humans when they are hungry.

However, the new study - conducted by Mary Hickson, professor of dietetics at Plymouth University in the United Kingdom, and colleagues - found the hormone peptide YY may be to blame.

Researchers identified increased production of the "feeling full" hormone PYY in elderly women,
which may explain why older adults often experience loss of appetite.

Source: medicalnewstoday

Next-Generation Sequencing and the Future of IVF

Medical laboratories play a vital role in helping patients achieve success with assisted reproductive technologies (ART) such as in vitro fertilization (IVF). Recent advances in genetic screening such as next generation sequencing (NGS) are revolutionizing how IVF will be performed in the future. NGS can sequence DNA and RNA more quickly than ever before. New applications like these technologies are raising hopes for improved IVF success rates to help patients achieve their dreams of building a family.

Preimplantation genetic screening

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates, one in eight couples have trouble achieving or sustaining a pregnancy, and approximately 7.4 million women in the United States have received help for infertility. The use of ART has doubled over the past decade.