HEALTH FROM TRUSTED SOURCES: May 2012

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Bipolar Disorders

Author: Eduard Vieta et al; Bipolar Disorders Programme, Hospital Clínic, University of Barcelona; Spain 2011-04-11 BMC Psychiatry

Bipolar disorder (BD) is not just a single disorder, but a category of lifelong mood disorders characterised by the presence of one or more recurrent manic, hypomanic and depressive episodes. Individuals who experience manic episodes also commonly experience depressive episodes or symptoms, or mixed episodes in which features of both mania and depression are present. While these episodes are usually separated by periods of normal mood, in some patients depression and mania may rapidly alternate [1].

Acoustic Neuroma (in short)

Tomas Dvorak, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center Orlando, FL, USA

MRI. T Dvorak MD Orlando FL

Vestibular schwannomas (VS), or acoustic neuromas, are benign neoplasms of the myelin-forming Schwann cells of the vestibulocochlear nerve. They arise commonly within the internal auditory meatus, and may extend into the cerebellopontine angle (region of the brain near the cerebellum). Reported incidence is 1 per 100,000 person-years and typical presentation occurs in the 5th or 6th decade of life. Symptoms are related to dysfunction of the vestibulocochlear nerve or anatomically related structures. Of patients diagnosed with VS,95% have ipsilateral (same side) hearing loss. A significant fraction will also experience tinnitus (ringing or buzzing in the ears), vertigo, or disequilibrium; facial or trigeminal neuropathy may occur with larger tumour. The indicated treatment for VS may depend on the patient's symptoms, tumour size, growth rate, age, and life expectancy. Management choices include conservative observation or treatment with stereotactic radiosurgery, fractionated radiotherapy, and microsurgery. Therapeutic success may be measured by tumour control, commonly referred to as cessation of growth or a reduction in tumour size.
source: Benjamin J Arthurs et al. University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle 2009-12-18 World Journal of Surgical Oncology

Saturday, May 19, 2012

jaw fractures

Friday, May 18, 2012

Breast Cancer Prevention

Mammography. Radiopaedia

Authors: Hank Dart, MS Washington University School of Medicine, Graham Colditz, MD, DrPH Washington University School of Medicine .
Source: Prevention Papers

Breast cancer is a major public health challenge facing women across the world. Changing reproductive patterns, increasing obesity and use of postmenopausal hormone therapy are largely responsible for risk. Strategies to reduce risk from physical activity to weight loss after menopause and limiting exposure to hormones can significantly reduce risk.

Quiz: Ten Questions on Tobacco Addiction

Author: Gavin Yamey Global Health Group University of California San francisco 2005-09

Question 1. Roughly how many tobacco-related deaths are there each year worldwide?
-About 1 million
-About 5 million
-About 10 million

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Introduction

Every year about 10,000 children develop cancer in the US. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), a rapidly progressing blood cancer, accounts for a quarter of these childhood cancers. Normally, cells in the bone marrow (the spongy material inside bones) develop into lymphocytes (white blood cells that fight infections), red blood cells (which carry oxygen round the body), platelets (which prevent excessive bleeding), and granulocytes (another type of white blood cell). However, in ALL, genetic changes in immature lymphocytes (lymphoblasts) mean that these cells divide uncontrollably and fail to mature.

Eczema

Definition:

Eczema is a skin condition characterized by dry, red, and itchy patches on the skin. Eczema is associated with asthma and allergy, though allergy rarely plays a role in development or severity of eczema. Eczema usually begins during infancy, typically on the face, scalp, neck, extensor sides of the forearms, and legs. Up to one in five infants develops eczema, but in more than half of them, the condition improves or disappears completely before they are 15 years old.

High-fat diet and gut flora

Why do the different people’s bodies react differently to a high-fat diet?

A diet rich in greasy foods causes an imbalance in our gut flora. The composition of the gut flora seems to determine the way in which the body develops certain metabolic disorders such as diabetes, regardless of any genetic modification, gender, age or specific diet. This has recently been demonstrated by Rémy Burcelin and Matteo Serino, researchers from the Inserm unit 1048 “Institute of Metabolic and cardiovascular diseases (I2MC)”. It is believed that nutritional additives such as gluco-oligosaccharides and dietary fibers that target the gut microbiota could prevent the development of metabolic disorders. These results have been published in the review Gut of April 2012
Source: INSERM
04-05-2012

Ovarian Cancer (risk factors)

serous cystadenocarcinoma. Radiopaedia

Authors: Cancer Epidemiology Unit, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom PLos Medicine 2012-04-03

Cancer of the ovaries, usually referred to as ovarian cancer, is the fifth leading cause of cancer death in women, and, unfortunately, symptoms (such as abdominal pain and swelling) usually occur late in the disease process; fewer than one-third of ovarian cancers are detected before they have spread outside of the ovaries. There is no definitive evidence that screening reduces mortality from ovarian cancer, and given the poor prognosis of advanced ovarian cancer, there has been much research over recent years to increase understanding of this serious condition. There are recognized risk factors that increase the chance of developing ovarian cancer, such as increasing age, having fewer children, not having used oral contraceptives, and use of menopausal hormone therapy. Age and oral contraceptive use have by far the biggest impact on ovarian cancer risk. Ovarian cancer is also associated with height (increase) and, among never-users of hormone therapy, with body mass index (increase).

Diabetes type 2

Authors: Rémy Boussageon and al. Department of General Medicine, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France PLos Medicine 2012-04-10

Worldwide, more than 350 million people have diabetes, and this number is increasing rapidly. Diabetes is characterized by dangerous amounts of sugar (glucose) in the blood. Blood sugar levels are normally controlled by insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas. In people with type 2 diabetes (the most common form of diabetes), blood sugar control fails because the fat and muscle cells that usually respond to insulin by removing excess sugar from the blood become less responsive to insulin. Type 2 diabetes can be controlled with diet and exercise and with antidiabetic pills, each of which works in a different way to maintain a healthy blood sugar level. Metformin, for example, stops the liver making glucose and increases the body's response to insulin, whereas sulfonylureas help the pancreas make more insulin. The long-term complications of diabetes, which include an increased risk of cardiovascular problems such as heart disease and stroke, reduce the life expectancy of people with diabetes by about ten years compared to people without diabetes.

Coronary Heart Disease

anterior myocardial infarct. Radiopaedia

Authors: Børge G. Nordestgaard and al. Herlev Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark PLos Medicine 2012-05-01

Ischemic heart disease (IHD; also known as coronary heart disease) is the leading cause of death among adults in developed countries. In the US alone, IHD kills nearly half a million people every year. With age, fatty deposits (atherosclerotic plaques) build up in the walls of the coronary arteries, the blood vessels that supply the heart with oxygen and nutrients. The resultant reduction in the heart's blood supply causes shortness of breath, angina (chest pains that are usually relieved by rest), and potentially fatal heart attacks (myocardial infarctions). Risk factors for IHD include smoking, high blood pressure (hypertension), abnormal amounts of cholesterol and other fat in the blood (dyslipidemia), type 2 diabetes, and being overweight or obese (having excess body fat). Treatments for IHD include lifestyle changes (for example, losing weight) and medications that lower blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels. The narrowed arteries can also be widened using a device called a stent or surgically bypassed.

HEALTH FROM TRUSTED SOURCES

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