Alternative Health

Structures of human mitochondrial aspartate/glutamate carrier regulatory domains reveal the nature of calcium-dependent conformational changes. Mitochondrial carriers are a family of proteins that play the key role of transporting a chemically diverse range of molecules across the inner mitochondrial membrane. Mitochondrial aspartate/glutamate carriers are part of this family, … [Read more...]

Gastroenterologists often recommend over-the-counter medicines for acid reflux and chronic constipation but doctors may be missing the opportunity to save their patients money. Investigators at the University of Michigan Health System surveyed gastroenterologists about their prescribing tendencies and use of OTC meds for acid reflux and chronic constipation. Survey … [Read more...]

The final step in the production of a biotech medicine is finishing with the correct sugar structure. This step is essential for the efficacy of the medicine, but it also makes the production process very complex and expensive. Leander Meuris, Francis Santens and Nico Callewaert (VIB/UGent) have developed a technology that shortens the sugar structures whilst retaining the … [Read more...]

Viewed as one of the most unfortunate outcomes of breast cancer treatment, lymphedema is characterized by an accumulation of lymph fluid in the interstitial spaces of the affected limb, leading to chronic ipsilateral limb swelling causing psychosocial distress and physical challenges for patients. Even conservative estimates suggest that 3% of women who have had sentinel … [Read more...]

Scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have found that a type of genetic material called "microRNA" plays surprisingly different roles in the formation of memory in animal models. In some cases, these RNAs increase memory, while others decrease it. "Our systematic screen offers an important first step toward the comprehensive … [Read more...]

Uninterrupted treatment with novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs) during catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) is safe, reveals research presented today at EHRA EUROPACE -- CARDIOSTIM 2015 by Dr Carsten Wunderlich, senior consultant in the Department of Invasive Electrophysiology, Heart Centre Dresden, Germany. Continuation of NOAC therapy was not associated with … [Read more...]

Are deficits in attention limited to those with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or is there a spectrum of attention function in the general population? The answer to this question has implications for psychiatric diagnoses and perhaps for society, broadly. A new study published in the current issue of Biological Psychiatry, by researchers at Cardiff … [Read more...]

New research presented during the 2015 annual meeting of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) demonstrates that amyloid positron emission tomography (amyloid PET) scans of the brain provide clearer diagnosis and earlier, more effective treatment for Alzheimer's patients, when results of a more conventional PET scan remain ambiguous. Researchers … [Read more...]

Neuroinflammation caused by a reactive immune system could be tripping off the neurodegeneration seen in certain dementias, multiple sclerosis, and other deadly diseases of the nervous system. A novel molecular imaging technique could be the key to understanding how best to treat these and other devastating diseases, according to a recent study presented at the 2015 Annual … [Read more...]

Brain researchers have been working for years on targeting a cellular process involved in neurodegeneration and cognitive dysfunction. A specialized molecular imaging agent does the job by binding to a transporter of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, a major mediator of the central nervous system, say presenters at the 2015 Annual Meeting of the Society of Nuclear Medicine … [Read more...]

Alzheimer's disease remains a chronic, incurable neurodegenerative disease and a worldwide health concern. Equally as important as developing comprehensive diagnostic tests is finding a means of normalizing all the ensuing data -- and that technology has arrived, say researchers at the 2015 Annual Meeting of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI). The … [Read more...]

Enlarged prostate is a common problem in older males (both humans and non-humans!). Parsemus Foundation sponsored a study by Dr. Raffaella Leoci to investigate a potential new non-invasive treatment in dogs with benign prostatic hyperplasia. The method was very effective at reducing the size of the prostate gland and we expect that it is relevant for human use too. The study … [Read more...]

An interdisciplinary team of researchers under the direction of the University of Bonn Hospital have discovered a gene which is associated with a rare congenital anomaly of the urinary tract called classic bladder exstrophy. It increases the likelihood that the urinary tract will not form properly during embryonic development. The finding is an important step for understanding … [Read more...]

Recent advances in the understanding of cancer have led to more personalized therapies, such as drugs that target particular proteins and tests that analyze gene expression patterns in tumors to predict a patient's response to therapy. Moffitt Cancer Center researchers have contributed to these advances by developing the first test that analyzes the sensitivity of tumors to … [Read more...]

Native American veterans battling Post Traumatic Stress Disorder find relief and healing through an alternative treatment called the Sweat Lodge ceremony offered at the Spokane Veterans Administration Hospital. In the Arizona desert, wounded warriors from the Hopi Nation can join in a ceremony called Wiping Away the Tears. The traditional cleansing ritual helps dispel a … [Read more...]

St. John's wort, the leading complementary and alternative treatment for depression in the United States, can be dangerous when taken with many commonly prescribed drugs, according to a study by researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. The researchers reported that the herbal supplement can reduce the concentration of numerous drugs in the body, including oral … [Read more...]

Strategies to support healthier diets among seniors need to take into account differences between elderly men and women, according to UBC research. The two groups had varying responses to a tactic thought to boost seniors' fruit and vegetable intake, according to a study published in Appetite. The study explored which types of social support encouraged seniors to boost … [Read more...]

Lipid emulsions are crucial for providing essential fatty acids and energy to infants and children who need intravenous feeding. There has been concern that soybean-based emulsions could compromise immune functions and promote liver damage due to its composition. Combination lipid emulsions based on triglyceride oil, fish oil, or olive oil have been developed to address this … [Read more...]

Although some previous studies have suggested an increased risk of bladder cancer with use of the diabetes drug pioglitazone, analyses that included nearly 200,000 patients found no statistically significant increased risk, however a small increased risk could not be excluded, according to a study in the July 21 issue of JAMA. Assiamira Ferrara, M.D., Ph.D., of Kaiser … [Read more...]

Potentially fatal blood clots account for thousands of emergency room visits each year and often those patients are admitted to the hospital, treated with an injectable anticoagulant and monitored for a few days. In companion studies published July 15 in Academic Emergency Medicine, an alternative approach was found to be more effective, less costly and allowed patients to go … [Read more...]

Researchers in the Division of Hematology, Oncology and Blood & Marrow Transplantation at Children's Hospital Los Angeles have shown greatly improved outcomes in using stem cell transplantation to treat patients with a serious but very rare form of chronic blood cancer called juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML). Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation … [Read more...]

Before the advent of Internet search engines, parents obtained much of their medical advice from their child's doctor. Today, with a plethora of information available at their fingertips, parents have more sources to consult than ever before. Yet dermatologists warn parents that not everything they read on blogs and websites about the safety of skin care products is … [Read more...]

Single use, disposable acupuncture needles were introduced in the late 1970s, prompted by concerns about the risk of infection of reusable needles. Since that time, they have gradually been adopted worldwide. In clinical practice it is often difficult for the acupuncturist to insert a long needle into tissue, because long fine needles are prone to buckling. Acupuncturists … [Read more...]

Experts writing in the Cell Press journal Trends in Molecular Medicine on August 20th call for an end to clinical trials of "highly implausible treatments" such as homeopathy and reiki. Over the last two decades, such complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) treatments have been embraced in medical academia despite budget constraints and the fact that they rest on dubious … [Read more...]

Although U.S. military veterans who have returned from Iraq or Afghanistan are more likely to suffer chronic pain than veterans of any other conflict in American history, little headway has been made in helping them manage the often debilitating effects of chronic pain. A new study by researchers from the Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center in Indianapolis, the Regenstrief … [Read more...]

Supplements of the fatty acids omega 3 and 6 can help children and adolescents who have a certain kind of ADHD. These are the findings of a dissertation at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, which also indicates that a special cognitive training program can improve problem behavior in children with ADHD. Between three to six percent of all school age children … [Read more...]