JANUARY 06, 2014 IT WAS supposed to be a simple vaccine against swine flu, but since she had it, Chloe Glasson’s life has been like a bad dream. Just four months after being given the Pandemrix injection, the 15-year-old schoolgirl developed the sleeping disorder narcolepsy. Now, without warning, she falls asleep up to 30 times […]
Jonathan Kay, MD December 20, 2013 Hello. I’m Jonathan Kay, Professor of Medicine and Director of Clinical Research in the Division of Rheumatology at UMass Memorial Medical Center and the University of Massachusetts Medical School, both in Worcester, Massachusetts. Welcome to my Medscape blog. Patients often come to my office interested in alternative treatments — […]
A two-phase study evaluating the relationship between Thimerosal-containing vaccine administration and the risk for an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis in the United States David A Geier Translational Neurodegeneration 2013, 2:25 doi:10.1186/2047-9158-2-25 The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at:http://www.translationalneurodegeneration.com/content/2/1/25 Abstract Background Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is defined by standardized criteria […]
David A Geier, Brian S Hooker, Janet K Kern, Paul G King, Lisa K Sykes and Mark R GeierEmail author Translational Neurodegeneration 2013 2:25 https://doi.org/10.1186/2047-9158-2-25© Geier et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2013 Received: 12 October 2013 Accepted: 16 December 2013 Published: 19 December 2013 Background Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is defined by standardized criteria […]
12/17/13 Portland, Ore. Medical science has known for years that people who drink moderate amounts of alcohol actually have a reduced risk of death. In general, they are healthier and have better cardiovascular function that those who don’t drink alcohol at all. Now, new research from Oregon Health & Science University adds a fascinating twist: […]
ELIZABETH PENNISI Science Now 16 December 2013 3:00 pm Full Story: http://news.sciencemag.org/biology/2013/12/want-fight-allergies-get-dirty-dog Journal Reference: http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2013/12/13/1310750111 A dog in the house is more than just good company. There’s increasing evidence that exposure to dogs and livestock early in life can lessen the chances of infants later developing allergies and asthma. Now, researchers have traced this beneficial […]
12.12.2013 by Nancy Walsh Staff Writer, MedPage Today Peripheral neuropathy is a more common manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) than has been previously appreciated, and often is a small-fiber neuropathy affecting the dorsal root ganglia, a large retrospective study found. In a 25-year study of 2,097 patients, 82 had SLE-specific peripheral neuropathy, which in […]
Supplement Combo Lessens HIV Progression Published: Nov 26, 2013 By Michael Smith, North American Correspondent, MedPage Today Full Story: http://www.medpagetoday.com/HIVAIDS/HIVAIDS/43142 Action Points In a randomized study of HIV-infected adults who had not received antiretroviral therapy-naive, 24-month supplementation with a single supplement containing multivitamins and selenium was safe, significantly reducing the risk of immune decline and morbidity. […]
Elenkov IJ, Wilder RL, Chrousos GP, Vizi ES. Source Inflammatory Joint Diseases Section, Arthritis and Rheumatism Branch, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA. Abstract The brain and the immune system are the two major adaptive systems of the body. During an immune response the brain […]
American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, 2013 Nov 08 Those with gelatin allergy can have reaction from flu vaccinations BALTIMORE, MD. (November 8, 2013) – Do marshmallows make your tongue swell? Gummy bears make you itchy? If you’ve answered yes and are allergic to gelatin, you will want to take some precautions when getting […]
Eliot N Mostow, MD, MPH We are now in an age of treatments for psoriasis that some patients perceive as very expensive or risky, and yet, these patients have a skin disease that can be incredibly debilitating and significantly impacts their quality of life. More than ever, especially in more severe cases of psoriasis (based […]
Published: Nov 11, 2013 | Updated: Nov 12, 2013 By Nancy Walsh, Staff Writer, MedPage Today Full Story: http://www.medpagetoday.com/Rheumatology/GeneralRheumatology/42844 Action Points In pediatric patients, hypergammaglobulinemia was most commonly associated with autoimmune diseases. In female patients with hypergammaglobulinemia, the presence of leukopenia, anemia, and normal CRP was highly predictive of underlying autoimmune disease. High levels of […]
Published: Nov 8, 2013 | Updated: Nov 8, 2013 By Nancy Walsh, Staff Writer, MedPage Today Full Story: http://www.medpagetoday.com/Rheumatology/Arthritis/42799 Action Points The study found that the presence of Prevotella copri in stool samples strongly correlated with disease in new-onset untreated rheumatoid arthritis patients. The increases in Prevotella abundance correlated with a reduction in Bacteroides and a loss of reportedly beneficial microbes […]
Personal Experience and Narrative Review A Carroccio, P Mansueto, A D’Alcamo, G Iacono Am. J. Gastroenterol 2013 Oct 29;[EPub Ahead of Print] TAKE-HOME MESSAGE What is the pathogenesis of non-celiac wheat sensitivity (NCWS)? A review was conducted of 276 diagnosed patients. Patients might be suffering from non–IgE mediated food allergy, but other pathogenic mechanisms need to […]
Published: Nov 7, 2013 | Updated: Nov 8, 2013 By Nancy Walsh, Staff Writer, MedPage Today Full Story: http://www.medpagetoday.com/Rheumatology/BackPain/42789 Action Points A loss of peripheral bone mineral density accompanied the spinal changes seen in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Point out that the results are consistent with a link between trabecular bone loss in the […]
Pediatricians who told parents their child needed a vaccination rather than asked if they wanted one met less parental resistance, researchers found.
AY Nemet, J Hanhart, I Kaiserman, S Vinker Clin Ophthalmol 2013 Oct 18;2013(7)2079-2084 TAKE-HOME MESSAGE Study results showed an increased prevalence of osteoporosis in a large cohort of patients ≥ 50 years who underwent cataract surgery compared with age- and gender-matched controls. SUMMARY PracticeUpdate Editorial Team Background: Calcium is considered an important factor in the […]
A broader range of autoantibodies may play a role in Sjogren’s syndrome than has previously been appreciated, researchers found.
Penelope A. Bryant, PhD, Nigel Curtis, PhD Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2013;32(10):1135-1137. Full Article (may require free registration): http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/811670 You are more likely to catch a cold if you are tired: fact or fiction? There is in fact a surprisingly large body of evidence to support the widely held belief that sleep deprivation increases susceptibility […]
When ideology, history, perception, politics and jurisprudence collide Brian Gleberzon, DC, MHSc Abstract The Palmers espoused anti-vaccination opinions in the early part of the 20th century, rejecting the germ theory of disease in favor of a worldview that a subluxation-free spine, achieved by spinal adjustments, would result in an unfettered innate intelligence; this, along with other […]