Articles Posted in Wellness studies

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While the fatality rate from cardiac disease is on its way down across the United States, the rates of heart failure are increasing. That information comes from a new report by the American Heart Association, which also finds that cardiac disease is still the leading cause of death in the United States.

According to the report, over a period of just five years, the number of Americans who suffer from heart failure increased by 800,000. In fact, according to the American Heart Association (AMA), over the next few years, that rate is expected to increase further. By 2030, the rate of heart failure in the US is expected to increase by a staggering 46%. Approximately 8,000,000 people by that time will suffer from some degree of heart failure. At special risk are seniors and survivors of heart attacks, who constitute the most at-risk groups for heart failure.

A person who suffers from heart failure will typically encounter a number of complications that severely impact his or her health. For instance, heart failure increases the risk of blood leaking into other organs, including the liver and lungs. Persons, who suffer from heart failure may also experience shortness of breath, frequent swelling of the extremities, accelerated heart rate, confusion, disorientation, severe cough, and accumulation of body fluids. Furthermore, symptoms of heart failure tend to worsen over time.

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Scientists have welcome news for the more than 2.3 million people across the globe who live with multiple sclerosis. According to researchers, a new breakthrough drug can help reduce symptoms, and delay progression of this painful and debilitating disease, even in people who do not respond to any other treatments.

The new drug is expected to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as early as March. The drug called OCREVUS has been found to significantly delay the progression of symptoms of the disease, and limit the extent of physical disability in people who suffer from primary progressive multiple sclerosis. The drug reduces the frequency of attacks in these people.

MS can be a difficult condition to treat, because it affects different people in different ways. The severity of symptoms may differ between two different people, and the rate of progression may also vary. Many people with multiple sclerosis respond to some of the treatment drugs that are available on the market. These drugs are designed to limit symptoms, limit the progression of the disease, and reduce the number of attacks.

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A recent study by leading researchers has found a potential connection between gum disease and rheumatoid arthritis.

Beautiful, healthy gums mean not just a perfect smile, but could also mean healthier joints for you. Those findings came from a study that was published recently in the journal, Science Translational Medicine.  Researchers from some of the best institutions in the United States, including Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, examined the gum fluid of people who suffer from periodontitis or gum disease, and found that the fluid contained high levels of a protein, which can trigger symptoms in people who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis.

The findings of the study are far from conclusive. The researchers have no evidence to confirm that everybody who suffers from gum disease is at a high risk of suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, or that everyone who suffers from arthritis, will have the specific immune response to the protein found in the gum fluid. In spite of this, however, it’s good advice to keep your gums healthy.  Pay attention to oral hygiene, because other studies have also linked gum disease to a number of other conditions, including diabetes and stroke.

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Persons who suffer from fibromyalgia and also have low levels of vitamin D in their bodies could suffer from balance and posture problems.

Those are the findings of a new study published in the journal, Modern Hematology. Patients with fibromyalgia often suffer from an increased risk of falls.  Researchers found in their study that vitamin deficiency is linked to a higher risk of such balance issues in patients.

This is not the first study to show these findings.  Researchers have long believed that lack of vitamin D leads to muscle weakness and deficient mineralization in the bones, which contributes to a high risk of fall accidents. Researchers say that vitamin D deficiency could negatively affect a person’s balance and also the intensity of pain levels that suffer from fibromyalgia.

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A scientific study published three years ago that claimed to have found breakthrough results in the search for a cure for diabetes has now been retracted.

The article titled Betatrophin: A Hormone that Controls Pancreatic Cell Proliferation was widely acclaimed when it was published back in 2013. According to researchers at that time, they had identified a new hormone that could help boost the secretion of insulin in diabetes patients, thereby making it unnecessary for patients to take insulin injections.

However, the group has now admitted that since then, research from another group has failed to replicate the findings of the earlier study. The earlier study had been conducted on rodents.  Now, the researchers have voluntarily retracted their 2013 study, and have confirmed that their earlier conclusion was wrong.

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Bipolar disorder is a mental disorder that is characterized by states of extreme depression and mania. New studies indicate that children who have suffered from physical, sexual or emotional abuse in their childhood are much more likely to suffer from symptoms of bipolar disorder in their adulthood.

The study conducted by researchers at the University of Manchester focused on many years of research into bipolar disorder, and found that people who suffer from the condition are 2.6 times more likely to report having suffered various types of abuse during childhood. The researchers say they also have reason to believe that childhood adversity is linked to a higher potential for bipolar disorder, because of other similar studies that link childhood adversity with a higher risk of schizophrenia. They have concluded that a troubled childhood significantly increases the risk of a person being diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

The extreme depressive and manic states associated with bipolar disorder often make it impossible for a person to continue to be a productive individual. The period of mania may be characterized by rapid speech, extreme excitability, high energy levels and insomnia. The depressive state is characterized by extreme depression, low energy, and poor motivation levels. The person may suffer a loss of interest in any kind of activity. He’s no longer able to go to work without his behavior severely affecting his ability to be productive.  Therefore, the Social Security Administration does consider the limitations that these patients face in performing substantial work before deciding to approve disability benefits claims.

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Several studies have earlier pointed to a possible association between high frequency cell phone use and an enhanced risk of developing cancer. A new study has taken a look at the issue and indicates that there is a connection.

The study was conducted over a two and half year period by the National Toxicology Program, and seems to strongly link frequent cell phone use with certain types of cancer. According the study, male rats that were exposed to radiation were more likely to develop brain cancer as compared to rats that were not exposed to the radiation. They also had a much higher risk of developing a rare tumor of the heart.

The concerning part is that the level of radiation exposure that the rats were given as part of the study is very similar to the level of exposure associated with cell phone use.  While other studies have also pointed to an association between cell phone use and cancer in the past, this study has been taken particularly seriously because the National Toxicology Program has a stellar reputation for accuracy, especially with respect to animal bioassays.  It should be noted that the U.S. Food & Drug Administration says there is “no evidence linking cell phone use with the risk of brain tumors” on its website.

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According to a new study, one of the side effects of medications commonly prescribed for patients with Parkinson’s disease is a problem with impulse control.

Impulse control disorders are characterized by the individual’s inability to resist impulses or temptations to engage in acts that have the potential to cause harm to him or others. Pathological gambling is an example.  Hypersexuality or sexual addiction is another. In other cases, people may shop excessively or binge eat.

The study, which appeared in the journal Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics, found that 14 percent of persons who suffer from Parkinson’s disease experience at least one such side effect. Parkinson’s disease drugs that are specifically linked to such impulse control disorders are pramipexole and ropinirole. These are drugs that are often used to control symptoms of Parkinson’s disease like uncontrollable tremors.

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A combination of physiological and psychological treatment has been found to be very beneficial in the treatment of back pain. According to researchers, Contextual Cognitive Behavioral Therapy releases psychological stress in persons who suffer from chronic back pain, and that helps make their physiological treatment much more effective.

According to the researchers, doctors who use this therapy will be able to help reduce back pain in patients, and also reduce the cost of treatment. Many back pain patients suffer from stress, and also may turn fear-avoidant, a mindset in which they fear taking part in any kind of activity because they are afraid that their back pain will get worse. For such people, finding an effective back pain treatment is very important and also very challenging.

The researchers conducted a pilot study in which they combined physical as well as psychological approaches to treating the problem, and found that chronic back pain could be treated more effectively with a combination of these approaches. Persons who participated in Contextual Cognitive Behavioral Therapy found it was beneficial in treating their back pain.

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Patients who suffer from the debilitating condition multiple sclerosis (MS) may have new hope for treatment. Researchers have announced findings from a small clinical trial, which indicated significant benefits from the use of a patient’s own stem cells.

As part of the trial, patients were given a transplant of hematopoietic stem cells from their own bodies. According to researchers, patients experienced disease remission after the transplant. These particular types of stem cells are involved in the formation of blood, and are sourced from bone marrow. As part of the trial, patients were also given high-dose immunosuppressive medications.

The study’s findings were published recently in JAMA Neurology, and focused on an evaluation of 24 patients who suffered from MS. They suffered from a type of multiple sclerosis called active relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis, in which the patients have certain phases in which the condition is very active, followed by certain phases in which they do not experience any symptoms at all.

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