Nutrition And Balanced Diet

We examined whether the location of brain damage, neurocognitive deficits, and/or the number of clinical features identified during a swallowing study affected stroke patients’ swallowing outcomes. Identification of at least four of six clinical features (cough after swallow, voice change after swallow, abnormal volitional cough, abnormal gag reflex, dysphonia, and dysarthria) was associated with poor swallowing outcomes at admission and discharge from the hospital. In addition, specific neurocognitive deficits seemed to be related to swallowing outcomes; however, location of brain damage was not associated. More information about clinical indictors, neuroanatomical locations, and behavioral features will lead to earlier detection of swallowing disorders……..

Researchers at SUNY Downstate Medical Center have discovered a molecular mechanism that maintains memories in the brain. In an article in Science magazine, they demonstrate that by inhibiting the molecule they can erase long-term memories, much as you might erase a computer disc. Furthermore, erasing the memory from the brain does not prevent the ability to re-learn the memory, much as a cleaned computer disc may be re-used. This finding may some day have applications in treating chronic pain, post-traumatic stress disorder, and memory loss, among other conditions……..

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), an autoimmune, inflammatory disease marked by progressive joint and organ damage, face a high risk of developing cancer. Their vulnerability, particularly to lymphoma and leukemia, may be due to the nature of RA. Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) including tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF) antagonists, a type of biologic DMARD have also been implicated. TNF blockers, which work by attaching to and impeding chemical messengers behind inflammation, have had a significant impact on the therapy of RA. They have also been associated with lymphoma among users. In fact, reports of lymphoma prompted the Food and Drug Administration to mandate adding a cancer risk warning to the labels of three TNF blockers: etanercept (Enbrel), infliximab (Remicade), and adalimumab (Humira)……..

Patients with systemic autoimmune diseases such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) often suffer loss of kidney function. When marked by a crescent formation in the glomerulus a tiny ball comprised of capillary blood vessels integral to forming urine kidney failure tends to be rapidly progressive, irreversible, and fatal. Little is known about the mechanism behind this crescent or its relationship to immune-mediated inflammation……..

In a large epidemiological study, scientists observed that people who drank three or more servings of fruit and vegetable juices per week had a 76 percent lower risk of developing Alzheimers disease than those who drank juice less than once per week. The study by Qi Dai, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of Medicine, and his colleagues appears in the recent issue of The American Journal of Medicine……..

Pregnant women who seek prenatal diagnostic testing to identify genetic or chromosomal abnormalities have a lower risk of miscarriage than previously believed, as per a UCSF study. The findings appear in the September 2006 issue of the journal “Obstetrics and Gynecology”. Two standard tests–amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling (CVS)–are common prenatal tests performed during the first and second trimester of pregnancy. Early testing using the CVS procedure has typically been thought to have a higher rate of miscarriage than amniocentesis. However, in a 20-year retrospective comparison study of the two procedures, scientists observed that the loss rates for both procedures decreased over time……..

A daily glass of orange juice can help prevent the recurrence of kidney stones better than other citrus fruit juices such as lemonade, scientists at UT Southwestern Medical Center have discovered. The findings indicate that eventhough a number of people assume that all citrus fruit juices help prevent the formation of kidney stones, not all have the same effect. The study is available online and is scheduled would be reported in the Oct. 26 issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology……..

Medication, angioplasty or surgery? For some heart disease patients, there’s no clear-cut choice. The key to getting the best care is to follow your individual doctor’s advice, new research shows. The research, conducted at the Heart Institute of the University of So Paulo Medical School in Brazil, appears in the recent issue of Journal of the American College of Cardiology……..

Scientists at the University at Buffalo studying the effects of alcohol on the brain, using zebrafish as a model, have identified several novel central nervous system proteins that are affected by chronic alcohol exposure. They also confirmed the involvement of additional proteins previously suggested as targets of alcohol toxicity, and observed abnormal behavior in the fish resulting from chronic alcohol exposure……..

Scientists at Mayo clinic have observed that taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin or ibuprofen may prevent or delay non-malignant prostatic hyperplasia, an enlarged prostate which can cause urinary symptoms in men as they age such as frequent urination, trouble starting urination, awakening frequently at night to urinate, weak urine stream and an urgent need to urinate. Details would be reported in the American Journal of Epidemiology……..