The National Aids Trust said as many as half of all early-stage infections, often marked by severe flu-like symptoms, are being missed. Spotting them and carrying out an HIV test would prevent further infections, it said. A GP specialising in sexual health said doctors should always be open-minded to the possibility their patients had HIV.

via news.bbc.co.uk

A new study from the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research sheds light on how immune system and brain communicate to control disease. The team has identified a new anatomical path through which the brain and the spleen communicate. The spleen once thought to be an unnecessary bit of tissue, is a manufacturing plant for immune cells, and a site where immune cells and nerves interact.

via newkerala.com

An international team of scientists have found that genetic mechanisms in blood cells play a crucial role in controlling a gene and protein that causes Parkinson's disease. Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) have elevated levels of the protein called alpha-synuclein in their brains. As the protein clumps, or aggregates, the resulting toxicity causes the death of neurons that produce the brain chemical dopamine.

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A new study by researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) reveals that the cranberry juice changes the thermodynamic properties of bacteria in the urinary tract, creating an energy barrier that prevents the microorganisms from getting close enough to latch onto cells and initiate an infection.
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Analysts from Cambridge and Yale universities said they had led to less being spent on healthcare. As a result TB in countries with International Monetary Fund loans rose sharply, they claimed. A UK TB charity backed the Public Library of Science study findings - but the IMF firmly rejected them.

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A daily glass of broccoli juice can protect against bladder cancer, swears a 79-year old Brit who beat the disease by downing the drink everyday. Ray Wiseman was diagnosed with bladder cancer five years ago, and survived the condition with just half a tumbler broccoli juice daily. "If I'd had my bladder removed five years ago - as was suggested - I'd have been vulnerable to many infections and wouldn't be here," The Sun quoted him as saying.

via newkerala.com

Canadian researchers claim to have successfully used an electrical surgical technique to relieve severe mental depression in chronic cases. A team of researchers at Toronto Western Hospital subjected 20 patients with severe depression to what they call deep brain stimulation (DBS). The technique involved using electrical current to relieve depression.

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A sweeping genetic analysis suggests that the activity of certain genes might someday allow doctors to predict which lung cancer patients need more aggressive therapies and which do not. But the findings also underscore the difficulty of making such predictions, especially in the case of people with the earliest forms of the disease, when aggressive therapies could be of greatest value.

via medicinenet.com

Infants who are predominantly breast-fed for the first six months of life are less likely to have gastrointestinal problems. But, they're more likely to be deficient in iron, and therefore at risk of anemia, according to a study that looked at 154 mothers and their babies in Guadalajara, Mexico. "We are verifying previous findings that in low-income countries.

via medicinenet.com

It's one step forward, one step back in the search for treatments against Alzheimer's disease. In one of two studies in the July 19 issue of The Lancet, an older drug called dimebon significantly improved Alzheimer's symptoms. But in a second report, a once-promising vaccine failed to prevent the progression of Alzheimer's — even though it cleared dementia-linked amyloid plaques in the brain.

via medicinenet.com

Measuring proteins that carry cholesterol in the blood may give a better estimate of heart attack risk than measuring cholesterol, a major study finds. The study focused on the ratio of two of the proteins, called apolipoprotein B100 (ApoB) and apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1). The international team of researchers studied data on more than 27,000 people and found that the ratio of apolipoprotein B100 (ApoB).

via medicinenet.com

Researchers of the Democratic People`s Republic of Korea (DPRK) have recently developed a new genetic analysis method for quick diagnosis of bird flu, local media reported on Monday.
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The World Health Organization (WHO)on Monday said Asian nations had failed to rein in the rapid growth of highly lethal, drug-resistant strains of tuberculosis (TB) and warned that the disease could soon become a serious threat to the region as a whole.
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The BBC has seen indications that labs are classing positive tests for the blood-boosting drug EPO as negatives. Some samples have been described as suspicious - giving rise to fears that no action will be taken against cheats. One sport drug expert told the BBC that many of the finalists in Olympic endurance events would be using EPO. "Copycat" versions of the drug are available on the internet for as little as $50 - and according to experts are often undetectable.

via news.bbc.co.uk

The National Osteoporosis Society (NOS) says lack of vitamin D - part-made by being in the sun - could raise the chances of brittle bone disease. It advised having lunch outside, gardening or hanging out the washing.
A Cancer Research UK spokesman agreed, but said enough vitamin D could be made long before the first signs of sunburn.

via news.bbc.co.uk