Canadian researchers have discovered that the neglected diabetes drug – AC253 has a potential to restore the memory in brain cells affected by Alzheimer’s. The study on laboratory rodents published this year in the Journal of Neuroscience shines a spark of hope upon those who fight against the disease. Perhaps the new treatment will not only be able to stop the progress but also to reverse the damage caused by it. Read full text »

Obesity is linked with excessive accumulation of fat tissue and with adverse effects on health. Type 2 diabetes has become one of the main lifestyle diseases and is one of the most common problems in everyday medical practice. Worldwide, in every 10 seconds it is diagnosed in two individuals and one person dies because of its complications. Depression is linked with chronic and sustained despondence, low self-esteem and loss of ability to feel pleasure. Osteoporosis is a chronic metabolic disease, which is characterized with decrease of bone mass and changes in the bone microarchitecture, leading to increased risk of fractures.

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The sense of taste is the main sense used by the human body to determine the quality of food. Its correct functioning influences our well-being, health and the feeling of pleasure resulting from eating or drinking. Owing to this sense we recognize food we are eating. Taste also warns us against eating spoilt food or toxic substances. Moreover, it has been noticed that it has an influence on creating taste preferences and it is connected with the calorie count of eaten food [2,3]. Read full text »

The latest study from the United States of America and Polish studies confirm that the villagers are more at risk of obesity than city dwellers. The newest report published in the National Rural Health Association’s Fall 2012 Journal of Rural Health proved that Americans inhabiting rural areas are more obese than inhabiting the city. Place of residence can play an important role in the obesity epidemic. Read full text »

Since the introduction of recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO) to clinical practice it seemed that the problem of anaemia in patients with chronic kidney disease has been brought under control. Further years have produced modifications of particles of rhEPO and led to the synthesis of new medicines – erythropoiesis stimulating agents. These drugs are characterized by longer half-life and the stability of action. However, the results of recent clinical trials carry dangerous conclusions. Despite the improvement of morphological parameters, the reduction of mortality in these patients was not observed.

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Neuroblastoma is a tumor, which after tumors of central nervous system, is another common cancer in children. It is the most common in young children and the average age of its occurrence is 2 years. Only 10% of all neuroblastoma patients are children over 10 years old and the adults. The tumor is a solid one developing from the spinal cord nerve cells in any place of sympathetic nervous system. The most frequently it appears in the suprarenal glands and paraspinal abdominal sympathetic ganglions. The cells of neuroblastoma are undifferentiated what makes more difficult to differentiate them from another blast cells tumors (like Willm’s tumor, leukemia, Ewing’s sarcoma). With the maturity of the neuroblastoma cells, the tumor cells are covered by the Schwann’s cells which seem to be the detached reactive population cells. Moreover, immunohistochemic neurospecific enolase (NSE) testing is very useful in the diagnostic of neuroblastoma . The common symptoms in the young children are protuberant abdomen, fever and loss of weight. The 90% of the tumor cells produce catecholamine, which identifying in blood is a helpful diagnostic method. Catecholamine metabolite (homovanilin acid) concentration in the urine can also be identified (like by pheochromocytoma). (1) Read full text »

Vitamin E, which is commonly considered to have positive influence on reproduction, was subjected to analysis by Japanese scientists who stated that it reduces the bone mass. The results of their research were published in “Nature Magazine” in 2012. Read full text »

The comorbidity of endometriosis and migraine was first discovered in 1975, but until now has not been fully acknowledged. Although both diseases share some epidemiological and clinical features, the nature of their relationship remains unclear. Does endometriosis cause headaches? Or is it migraine that makes endometriosis more detectable? Why do they have so much in common? These issues are discussed in the population-based study performed by Taiwanian scientists, which proves that indeed „women with endometriosis are more likely to suffer from migraines” (1). Read full text »

There is a lot of reasons of acute pancreatitis, There are mechanic causes like bile ducts obstruction because of gallstones or Vater pupile stenosis (55%), toxic – alcohol abuse (35%) the other 10% are as well genetic predisposition (PRSS1 tripsinogen mutation) as iatrogenic factors associated with medicaments (diuretics, betablocers, NSAR) or medical procedures, like endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). (3) The pancreatography is the most common, dangerous and expensive complication of ERCP. According to preliminary studies a single doses of rectal indomethacin could prevent post-ERCP acute pancreatitis by the risk group patients.(4) Read full text »

Written for www.physiciansweekly.com by Alex Stagnaro-Green, MD, MHPE

The effects of pregnancy on the thyroid gland are profound. The gland is required to produce a 50% increase in thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). While a healthy thyroid should respond well to pregnancy, women with limited thyroidal reserve or iodine deficiency who become pregnant can develop hypothyroidism. Read full text »