News

National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day is observed every year on September 18, so in the midst of showing support for patients, a recent study pinpointed a natural defense against the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that may be a novel treatment in the future.

With an aging population many families are either choosing to not have the older generations go into advanced care facilities or cannot afford this expensive option. As a result they are taking on a burden unlike those seen before.

Seals carry a virus that is the closest known relative of the human hepatitis A, according to research published in the journal mBio.

Patients discharged from the hospital often rely on a family member to perform complex nursing tasks at home. These caregivers are critical, but too often physicians do not acknowledge these family members' role or help them with care instructions, says Carol Levine of the United Hospital Fund.

Researchers conducted an analysis of studies that spanned more than two decades and found that outbreaks of sexually transmitted hepatitis C is increasing among men who are HIV positive and have sex with other men.

Scientists in Italy say they have gained new insight into how the hepatitis C virus replicates as a result of studying the behavior of a key enzyme and creating a computer model that shows how it interacts with the viral genome.

The landscape of medicine continues to change which means doctors also have to change how they approach their practice. The United Hospital Fund is one organization looking at how to best make those changes.

The key to making the "medical home" the practice paradigm for primary care is getting insurers to make the early-stage investment-usually in the form of an additional payment per patient per month-- that will pay off in better health outcomes in a few years, says Gregory Burke, of Manhattan's United Hospital Fund. That's happening in New York State, and physicians who are in such practices are much happier, he says.

Researchers from the Mayo Clinic have identified a protein marker, Bim, which can help effectively predict patients' responses to PD-1 blockade immunotherapy for melanoma.

A study in BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders suggests that multinucleated giant cells (MGC) may contribute to osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in addition to their known association with synovitis severity. The finding adds to other recent research and points to the therapeutic potential of targeting MGCs to improve pain and joint damage in both types of arthritis.

Chronic paronychia is probably a form of hand dermatitis associated with prolonged wet work, suggests a study in the Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology, and Leprology. It is among a series of recent studies that have determined that chronic paronchia is not an infection resulting from Candida, a genus of yeasts that is the most common cause of fungal infections. The distinction is important, because it may make a difference in how the condition is treated.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today released figures showing that deaths from Parkinson's Disease have risen steadily since 2000. In 2013, 2013 that death rate in men was 11 deaths per 100,000 population, up from 8.8 per 100,000 in 2000.

The FDA approved cariprazine (Vraylar/Forest Labs) for treating schizophrenia and bipolar disorder in adults.

The benefits and risks of vaccinations have been in the forefront of the news lately, especially with children going back to school and presidential debates heating up. Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continuously advise that all eligible candidates receive a vaccine, some remain skeptical. The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) hosted their annual news conference to discuss the 2014-2015 flu vaccine outcomes and what you need to know as we approach the next season.

Certolizumab pegol (CZP) + methotrexate (MTX) is safe and effective for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with disease activity despite methotrexate therapy, according to a five-year follow-up study published in Arthritis Research & Therapy. The finding is an extension of the Rheumatoid Arthritis Prevention of Structural Damage (RAPID 2) randomized, controlled trial. It is important because patients with RA are likely to undergo treatment with anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) medications over several years.

Last night's Republican primary debate provided further evidence that many people still believe that autism is caused by vaccines.

The LINX Reflux Management System was recently shown to successfully control reflux-related symptoms in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), reducing their need to continue treatment with proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and other acid-suppression medications.

A study analyzing sputum suggests that there may be a framework for changes in the proteins of smokers' lungs, which in turn lead to changes in transcription factors, and eventually to inflammatory mechanisms.

Over the past year, school officials in several of the nation's largest states have implemented new policies to address the growing prevalence and severity of pediatric allergies by increasing access to epinephrine auto-injectors.

The most recent Ebola virus outbreak that began in March 2014 caused a significant amount of damage, spurring renewed efforts to develop a vaccine. While an inhalable vaccine recently showed promising results and another potential vaccine showed 100% efficacy, there have been setbacks along the way. New research may be able to explain why some strategies resulted in failures.

A study in PLOS One found evidence that fat metaplasia in sacroiliac joints (SIJ) is significantly associated with spinal progression for axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA).

Diabetic kidney disease can take various forms and affect patients in different ways. How the disease progresses and what can be done to slow that progression is the focus of many researchers in the field.

California's "End of Life Option Act" faces stiff opposition from the American College of Physicians. The bill will become state law unless California's Gov. Jerry Brown vetoes it.

A study in Translational Psychiatry has identified two genetic variations – single nucleotide polymorphisms – that may predict response to antidepressant drugs in Korean patients suffering from major depressive disorder (MDD).

Functional ability in early rheumatoid arthritis can be improved with intensive initial therapy with triple disease modifying anti-rheumatic disease (DMARD) drugs, according to results of a study presented at the European League Against Rheumatism Annual Congress in Rome, Italy in June.

Exercising may reduce disease activity for pediatric patients with multiple sclerosis, according to the results of a study published in Neurology.

A study that assessed novel drug delivery methods has shown that curcumin-loaded pH-sensitive microparticles may be an efficient and effective approach to treating ulcerative colitis (UC).

Gout has been making quite a stir in news recently. Between a new classification system and a study showing that a common food can cause painful flares, this form of arthritis is getting quite a bit of attention. Now comes word that a drug used to treat gout could also be effective for another damaging condition.

A Florida study suggests that taste qualities such as sweet, bitter, and salty are not encoded by separate neurons, known as labelled lines, but rather, are encoded "by activity in patterns of peripheral sensory neurons."

Diabetes itself, not any specific glucose-lowering drug, is likely to blame for an increased risk of pancreatic disease, Danish researchers report.