Insidermedicine in 60 - October 29, 2007

From Arizona - Deep brain stimulation, a type of brain pacemaker used to stop unwanted body movements in some with Parkinson's disease, may have unwanted side effects. Those who underwent deep brain stimulation showed poor impulse control when compared to those on regular medications.

From New York - Medicines used to treat blood pressure may one day be used to prevent the development of Alzheimer's. Researchers examining the effect of 55 anti-hypertensive medicines on tissue cultures of mice cells were able to identify 7 that significantly affected the production of beta-amyloid. In addition, the drug Diovan lessened cognitive deterioration.

From Boston - Add psoriasis to the growing list of conditions linked to smoking. Data from the Nurses Health Study II, an ongoing study of over 100,000 nurses, estimates that smokers are 78% more likely to develop the condition. The good news is that those who had not smoked for over 20 years had a similar risk to those who never smoked.

And finally from Los Angeles - Lay patient navigators - or LPNs - a group of volunteers that can act a guide for patients through the medical maze, can help patients receive better care. Research on nearly 500 low-income women showed that using LPNs helped patients overcome significant medical barriers, and resulted in more people agreeing to participate in clinical trials.

For Insidermedicine in 60, I'm Dr. Susan Sharma.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• parkinsons
• disease
• brain
• stimulation
• pacemaker
• alzheimers
• diovan
• beta
• amyloid
• psoriasis
• cigarette
• lpn
• hospital
• medical

[oblio1000]

Could you please speak a little faster?

I can still understand a word here and there.