Welcome to the '96 Batch Medical College Trivandrum Blog Page!
"In patients with chronic hypertension, left ventricular hypertrophy is correlated with cerebral microbleeds, according to a study in the July 13th issue of Neurology. Researchers from Seoul write that cerebral microbleeds, which are detected by MRI as small areas of signal loss, are known to be associated with both hemorrhage-prone microangiopathy and chronic hypertension."
"The use of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) is associated with regression of cervical squamous intraepithelial lesions (SIL) in HIV-infected women, according to a report in the July 21st Journal of the National Cancer Institute."
"Spinal anesthesia was better than general anesthesia for radical retropubic prostatectomy, according to the results of a prospective randomized trial published in the July issue of Urology."
"Pain following open inguinal hernia repair with sutureless apposition of a polypropylene mesh is not affected by whether the ilioinguinal nerve is cut, according to the results of a double-blind, randomized trial published in the July issue of the Archives of Surgery. However, cutting the nerve significantly increases sensory disturbances."
"The meningococcal C vaccine program introduced in the UK in 1999 has been successful in controlling the incidence of serogroup C disease. Now, new research indicates that vaccine effectiveness remains high 4 years later, provided that the vaccine was administered at the appropriate age."
"Results of a phase III trial of memantine hydrochloride monotherapy in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease suggest that the drug is effective at all stages of the disease. Lead investigator Nunzio Pomara, MD, a research professor at the Nathan S. Kline Institute at New York University School of Medicine, said, 'This is now our drug of choice in patients who begin to show any mental deterioration.' Dr. Pomara presented the findings at the 9th International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders."
"Cetuximab is effective for irinotecan-resistant colon cancer alone or in combination with irinotecan, according to the results of a randomized trial published in the July 22 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. 'The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), which participates in signaling pathways that are deregulated in cancer cells, commonly appears on colorectal-cancer cells,' write David Cunningham, MD, from Royal Marsden Hospital in London and Surrey, U.K., and colleagues. 'Cetuximab is a monoclonal antibody that specifically blocks the EGFR. We compared the efficacy of cetuximab in combination with irinotecan with that of cetuximab alone in metastatic colorectal cancer that was refractory to treatment with irinotecan.'"
"High levels of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) are not better than low levels of PEEP for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), according to the results of a randomized trial published in the July 22 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine."
"Valacyclovir did not add to the benefit of methylprednisolone for the treatment of vestibular neuritis, according to the results of a randomized trial published in the July 22 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. 'Vestibular neuritis is the second most common cause of peripheral vestibular vertigo. Its assumed cause is a reactivation of herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 1 infection,' write Michael Strupp, MD, from the University of Munich in Germany, and colleagues."
Advanced glycation end product (AGE) formation may contribute to the progression of atherosclerosis, particularly in diabetes. The present study explored atherosclerosis in streptozotocin-induced diabetic apolipoprotein E-deficient (apoE-/-) mice that were randomized (n = 20) to receive for 20 weeks no treatment, the AGE cross-link breaker ALT-711, or the inhibitor of AGE formation aminoguanidine (AG). A sixfold increase in plaque area with diabetes was attenuated by 30% with ALT-711 and by 40% in AG-treated mice. Regional distribution of plaque demonstrated no reduction in plaque area or complexity within the aortic arch with treatment, in contrast to the thoracic and abdominal aortas, where significant attenuation was seen. Diabetes-associated accumulation of AGEs in aortas and plasma and decreases in skin collagen solubility were ameliorated by both treatments, in addition to reductions in the vascular receptor for AGE. Collagen-associated reductions in the AGEs carboxymethyllysine and carboxyethyllysine were identified with both treatments. Diabetes was also accompanied by aortic accumulation of total collagen, specifically collagens I, III, and IV, as well as increases in the profibrotic cytokines transforming growth factor-? and connective tissue growth factor and in cellular ?-smooth muscle actin. Attenuation of these changes was seen in both treated diabetic groups. ALT-711 and AG demonstrated the ability to reduce vascular AGE accumulation in addition to attenuating atherosclerosis in these diabetic mice.
"Our study supports the hypothesis that increased adiponectin levels might be associated with better glycemic control, better lipid profile, and reduced inflammation in diabetic subjects. Measures that increase adiponectin levels might be valuable targets for decreasing the atherosclerotic risk present in diabetes."
This is a aggregate of all the latest research/findings in the treatment of clinical hypertension. Physicians, make full use of it.
"There are multiple epidemiologic studies that address the chances of spontaneous remission of childhood asthma. An important study from the University of Arizona at Tucson that began in 1980 followed 1246 subjects for 24 years with a 78% retention rate.[1] At the beginning of the study, approximately 50% of the children had wheezing. Approximately 20% had transient wheezing, 15% had late-onset wheezing after 3 years of age, and approximately 14% had persistent wheezing. An asthma predictive index was used to predict the risk of children who are wheezing at 2-3 years of age of experiencing persistent wheezing in the school-age years. The study found that children who had 1 major criteria, eczema or a family history of asthma, or 2 of 3 minor criteria, wheezing other than with colds, persistent rhinitis, or eosinophilia, had a 75% chance of having active asthma between 6 and 13 years of age, whereas 68% of the patients with negative index did not have asthmatic symptoms during the school-age years."
"Magnesium sulfate has been shown to inhibit smooth muscle contraction, decrease histamine release from mast cells, and inhibit acetylcholine release. Studies both in children and adults have shown variable improvement in patients with severe airflow limitation who are unresponsive to standard treatment with beta agonist, anticholinergic, and corticosteroid medications. Ciarallo has shown in 2 studies of children that the optimum dose is 40 mg/kg given as an intravenous bolus with a maximum dose of 2 g.[1] In 1 study, improvement in forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) was seen within 20 minutes and continued for up to 110 minutes. Up to a 20% improvement in FEV1 may be seen. In adults, a study by Silverman has shown that patients with an initial FEV1 lower than 25% of what was predicted benefited the most from magnesium sulfate therapy.[2]"
"Vitamin K2 decreases the risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma in women with viral cirrhosis of the liver, possibly by delaying the onset of carcinogenesis, according to the results of a preliminary study published in the July 21 issue of JAMA."
"These results indicate that differentiated cells have more plasticity than expected, at least in mice and fruit flies: ?-cells can reproduce themselves as if they were stem cells, and spermatogonia can revert to stem cells. The authors argue that it is plausible, although unproven, that the same is true in humans. Results from the first study indicate that adult stem cells are unlikely to be an answer for treating diabetes, but finding chemical triggers that stimulate existing ?-cells to divide might be useful therapeutically. The second study suggests a future therapy for male-factor infertility and, more broadly, suggests that differentiated adult cells could be used to recreate and propagate stem cells."
"Allergan's Botox won its fourth U.S. approval on Tuesday, this time to treat axillary hyperhydrosis, the company said."
Cool! I wonder how it is administered.
"Left atrial (LA) volume is a useful prognostic indicator in patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI), Israeli researchers report in the July 21st issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. The measure appears more informative than those based on left ventricular (LV) volume."
"Statins are safe and effective for children with familial hypercholesterolemia, according to the results of a double-blind, randomized trial published in the July 21 issue of JAMA. This disorder is characterized by markedly elevated levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) beginning at birth."
"High-dose chemotherapy produces no better survival outcomes than does conventional adjuvant chemotherapy after surgery for multiple node-positive breast cancer, according to a report in the July 21st Journal of the National Cancer Institute. This contrasts with results from uncontrolled studies that have shown much better results with high-dose chemotherapy."
"Risk for febrile seizure from measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccination is only slightly increased, mostly in the first two weeks, according to the results of a large, population-based cohort study published in the July 21 issue of JAMA."
"Current World Health Organization guidelines suggest a bone-mineral density (BMD) threshold of 2.5 standard deviations below the mean for a young adult (i.e., T score, -2.5) to diagnose osteoporosis; it is unclear whether using this level as a treatment threshold will prevent most osteoporotic fractures. In a longitudinal observational study, sponsored by the manufacturer of an osteoporosis treatment, researchers examined fracture risk among 149,524 white women (mean age, 65). The women's peripheral (heel, forearm, or finger) BMD was measured using one of several types of absorptiometry or ultrasound equipment; they reported any new fractures at 12-month follow-up."
This is to Abhilash (Professor): What is the recommendations that you use in clinical practice? To the rest of the batch in India: Don't we use some score in % here? Please comment.
"Current World Health Organization guidelines suggest a bone-mineral density (BMD) threshold of 2.5 standard deviations below the mean for a young adult (i.e., T score, -2.5) to diagnose osteoporosis; it is unclear whether using this level as a treatment threshold will prevent most osteoporotic fractures. In a longitudinal observational study, sponsored by the manufacturer of an osteoporosis treatment, researchers examined fracture risk among 149,524 white women (mean age, 65). The women's peripheral (heel, forearm, or finger) BMD was measured using one of several types of absorptiometry or ultrasound equipment; they reported any new fractures at 12-month follow-up."
This is to Abhilash (Professor): What is the recommendations that you use in clinical practice? To the rest of the batch in India: Don't we use some score in % here? Please comment.
"Current World Health Organization guidelines suggest a bone-mineral density (BMD) threshold of 2.5 standard deviations below the mean for a young adult (i.e., T score, -2.5) to diagnose osteoporosis; it is unclear whether using this level as a treatment threshold will prevent most osteoporotic fractures. In a longitudinal observational study, sponsored by the manufacturer of an osteoporosis treatment, researchers examined fracture risk among 149,524 white women (mean age, 65). The women's peripheral (heel, forearm, or finger) BMD was measured using one of several types of absorptiometry or ultrasound equipment; they reported any new fractures at 12-month follow-up."
This is to Abhilash (Professor): What is the recommendations that you use in clinical practice? To the rest of the batch in India: Don't we use some score in % here? Please comment.
"The hand you favour as a 10-week-old fetus is the hand you will favour for the rest of your life, suggests a new study. The finding comes as a surprise because it had been thought that lifelong hand preferences did not develop until a child was three or four years old."
Cool!
"A popular Alzheimer's drug appears to delay the onset of the disease among patients with memory loss although it does not prevent it, researchers announced on Sunday."
Maybe, I ought to let my parents have this!
"A four-year clinical trial comparing pramipexole and levodopa as initial dopaminergic therapy in Parkinson's disease found different adverse effect and efficacy profiles for the two drugs, but concludes both are 'reasonable options' for early treatment of the disease."
What kind of agonist is Pramipexole?
"Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection appears to almost double the risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), US researchers report in the August 10th issue of the International Journal of Cancer."
"Sexual adverse effects from the use of 1 mg of finasteride for the treatment of alopecia are not common, according to the results of a multicenter study published in the July issue of the Archives of Dermatology."
I'm relieved. I'm supposed to be bald by 30. I'm starting to worry less after I've read this. An already my scalp hair feels stronger!
"The cannabinoid dronabinol has a modest effect on central pain associated with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to the results of a randomized study published in the July 16 Online First issue of the British Medical Journal."
"Intake of fish containing N-3 fatty acids reduces the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF), but fish sandwiches or fried fish are not protective, according to the results of a prospective, population-based cohort study published in the July 27 issue of Circulation."
See, I told ya! Fish is always better and more beneficial! ;) By the way, what is 2-D ECG?
"Linezolid is at least as effective as vancomycin in children with resistant gram-positive infections, according to the results of a phase III randomized trial published in the August issue of Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal."
"The amount of television watched during childhood and adolescence is directly related to the risk of high cholesterol levels, smoking, poor fitness, and being overweight in adulthood, according to a report published in the July 17th issue of The Lancet."
Introduction: eMedicine is pleased to offer this interactive series of free CME courses based on presentations recently given at cutting-edge national seminars and meetings by experts in the fields of Alzheimer's disease and dementia in general. These exciting new courses include multimedia slides, audio, video, and animations and provide up-to-date information on the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of Alzheimer's disease. All courses are accredited for up to 2 hours of AMA PRA category 1 credit.
Raghu, maybe you could go through this for your thesis.
I'm a resident in Orthopaedics and am interested in computers, movies, music and books. I'm in a rock band and am an aspiring songwriter as well.
