What is Diabetic Retinopathy (diabetic blindness)

Introduction Retina is the part of the eye that is responsible for receiving images and transmitting them to the brain through optic nerve. Diabetic retinopathy refers to the retinal changes in patients with diabetes mellitus. It is a common complication of diabetes mellitus, which can eventually lead to blindness. It is an ocular manifestation (involves the eye) of systemic disease which affects...

Protect from Diabetic Retinopathy (diabetic blindness)

Diabetic retinopathy refers to the retinal changes in patients with diabetes mellitus. It is a common complication of diabetes mellitus, which can eventually lead to blindness. It is an ocular manifestation (involves the eye) of systemic disease which affects up to 80% of all patients who have had diabetes for 10 years or more. With the increase in life expectancy of people with diabetes, the incidence...

Stem cells in treatment of diabetes

Stem cells are cells that are characterized by the ability to renew themselves through mitotic cell division and also to differentiate into a diverse range of specialized cell types. In other words these are juvenile cells that can grow into any adult type. It is a long known fact that these stem cells can convert to any adult cell types based on the culture...

monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE)- new drug for Hodgkins lymphoma

An investigational drug composed of a monoclonal antibody linked to a potent chemotherapy agent led to complete or substantial tumor shrinkage in nearly 40 percent of patients with Hodgkin lymphoma in a phase I clinical trial, researchers reported November 4, 2010, in the New England Journal of Medicine. In the trial, 42 patients with Hodgkin lymphoma and three patients with anaplastic large-cell...

choosing heart healthy foods

Womenshealth.gov offers these guidelines for a heart-healthy diet:Eating plenty of vegetables and fruits. Making at least half of your daily grain consumption whole grains. These may include whole-grain barley, brown rice, whole-grain corn and oatmeal. Eating low-fat dairy foods, such as yogurt, cheese and milk. Getting lots of nuts and dry beans, lean meat, fish and poultry without the skin. Favoring...

Radiation, Tamoxifen for breast cancer

Radiation or Tamoxifen after surgery reduces risk of recurrence of breast cancer.  A recent study shows that Women with localized breast cancer are less likely to develop invasive cancer if they receive radiation after surgery.Tamoxifen is an antagonist for estrogen(female sex hormone) receptors in the breast tissue.The researchers also found that treatment with the drug tamoxifen greatly...

Imatinib for ALL (blood cancer)

Imatinib is a drug used to treat certain types of cancer mainly indicated in chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs).Imatinib acts by specifically inhibiting a certain enzyme that is characteristic of a particular cancer cell, rather than non-specifically inhibiting and killing all rapidly dividing cells, and served as a model for other targeted therapy modalities...

Zoledronic acid for blood cancer

Zoledronic acid, a type of bisphosphonate, is given to myeloma patients to increase bone strength and reduce the risk for fracture and bone pain that are a common feature of the disease. It is also used in patients as well as for treating osteoporosis.Results from a study published in the Dec. 4 online edition of The Lancet suggest that treating multiple myeloma patients with zoledronic...

new treat ment for DVT (blood clots in legs)

DVT or Deep Vein Thrombosis is a life threatening condition.A new anti-clotting pill, rivaroxaban (Xarelto), may be an effective, convenient and safer treatment for patients coping with deep-vein thrombosis (DVT), a pair of new studies indicate.According to the research, published online Dec. 4 in the New England Journal of Medicine, the drug could offer a new option for these potentially life-threatening...

Gifting to stay healthy

Computers, mobile phones and other gadgets often become out-dated before you even figure out how to use them. This holiday season, why not try giving gifts that will last a lifetime? Help your friends and loved ones stay healthy, and they’ll remember how much you care about them for years to come.A variety of kitchen gadgets can help you prepare nutritious low-fat foods. Durable nonstick cookware...

source of empty calories

Nearly 1 in 3 children in the US are overweight or obese. These children are at an increased risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, asthma and a variety of other health problems. Both greater energy consumption (calories intake) and less physical activity are factors that contribute to the weight problems it is often seen that mothers complain that their children...

Making Your Resolutions Stick How to Create Healthy HabitsNew Year’s resolutions—they’re easy to make but easier to break. Why is it so hard to make the healthy changes that we know can help us feel better and live longer? And why is it so hard to make them last? NIH-funded scientists are learning more about how we can make healthy changes and, even more important, how we can sustain them.“Change...

dopamine receptor variant plays major role in sexual behavior

Genetics might help explain why some people are more prone to infidelity and promiscuity, says a new study.Researchers analyzed the DNA of 181 young adults who provided a complete history of their sexual activity and intimate partnerships. They concluded that the dopamine receptor D4 (DRD4) gene plays a major role in sexual behavior.Previous research has linked the DRD4 gene, which influences brain...

Obesity and Breast cancer

Scientists at the National Cancer Institute, USA have identified a molecular link between BRCA1 protein levels and obesity NCI researchers have defined a possible molecular link between breast cancer risk and obesity. New study results show that a protein called C-terminal binding protein (CtBP) acts to control a gene linked to breast cancer risk in rapidly growing cells by monitoring and responding...

HIV testing in 60 seconds!

Unbelievable! But true. FDA has recently approved a new rapid test for diagnosis of HIV infection.  INSTI™ HIV-1 Antibody Test is a  single use rapid test for the detection of HIV antibodies developed by BioLytical Laboratories of Canada. The newly approved test provides results in as little as 60 seconds. This test works by the detection of antibodies to Human Immunodeficiency...

THE MAGIC PILL- live longer

A Harvard Medical School professor believes that the day is not far when just popping a pill could make you live longer and healthier.Associate Professor of Pathology David Sinclair said his work to activate the sirtuin genes, which control ageing "could expand lifespan by five to 10 healthy years."It wouldn't stop you getting old, he said, but instead would push back the point at which you become...

Lifestyle changes curb overnight bathroom trips

If you're frequently bothered by waking in the middle of the night to empty your bladder, there may be some simple and drug-free lifestyle adjustments that can help, a small study suggests. So-called "nocturia" is the complaint of getting up at least once a night to urinate -- either due to a heightened production of urine or the inability of the bladder to hold it, sometimes as a result of an underlying...

Quitting smoking helps after serious heart attack damage

It's never too late for smokers to do their hearts good by kicking the habit -- even after a heart attack has left them with significant damage to the organ's main pumping chamber, a new study suggests. Past studies have found that smokers who kick the habit after suffering a heart attack have a lower rate of repeat heart attacks and live longer than their counterparts who continue to smoke. But...

allergies and heart disease

Common allergies that bring on wheezing, sneezing and watery eyes could be next to join the list of factors linked to heart disease, suggests a large new study. However, the researchers stress that the findings do not prove that allergies actually cause heart disease, the leading cause of death in the U.S. To look for ties between common allergic symptoms and heart disease, Dr. Jongoh Kim of Albert...