Barcelona, Spain, Thursday 19 April 2012: New data presented at the International Liver Congress™ 2012 shows consolidation of the interferon-free (IFN) revolution in HCV treatment. The much anticipated data from a number of clinical trials confirm that combinations of antivirals offer the hope of shorter, more effective treatment with fewer side effects.(1,2,3,4,5,6)
Culture
Barcelona, Spain, Thursday 19 April 2012: New data from a number of clinical trials presented for the first time at the International Liver Congress™ 2012 provides hope for previously difficult to treat hepatitis C (HCV) patient populations.
Barcelona, Spain, Thursday 19 April 2012: EASL today announced the publication of a new clinical practice guideline (CPG) in the area of Alcoholic Liver Disease (ALD), bringing the number of CPGs published to date to eight.
A US study presented today at The International Liver CongressTM 2012 demonstrates that the entire HCV lifecycle can be recapitulated in murine cells, implying that HCV permissive mouse models could soon be developed.(1)
The data suggests that HCV replication in the murine environment is limited by innate immune responses. Inactivating these pathways and the expression of the appropriate entry factors and miR-122 creates murine fibroblasts that can be infected and support replication.
Dubai (19 April 2012): Left-ventricular hyper-trabeculation (LVHT) – a feature of certain cardiomyopathies (chronic disease of the heart muscle) – has been found to be more common in black, male athletes according to a new study presented today at the World Congress of Cardiology.
DETROIT – For the more than 36 million people plagued by tinnitus, insomnia can have a negative effect on the condition, worsening the functional and emotional toll of chronic ringing, buzzing, hissing or clicking in the head and ears, according to a new study from Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.
The study shows a significant association between insomnia and the severity of perceived tinnitus symptoms, with patients with insomnia reporting greater emotional distress from tinnitus.
Online dating scammers groom their victims by developing 'hyper-personal' relationships which can leave victims feeling doubly traumatised.
This is one of the findings of a study by Professor Monica Whitty, of the University of Leicester, who presents her research at the British Psychological Society Annual Conference today (19 April), held at the Grand Connaught Rooms, London (18-20 April).
(Boston)- Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have found that men are more likely to be readmitted to the hospital within 30 days of original discharge as compared to women. The findings, which appear currently online issue of BMJ Open, may lead to interventions that promote connecting men to primary care resources, addressing social isolation and screening for depressive symptoms.
Despite popular belief, gum disease hasn't been proven to cause atherosclerotic heart disease or stroke, and treating gum disease hasn't been proven to prevent heart disease or stroke, according to a new scientific statement published in Circulation, an American Heart Association journal.
STANFORD, Calif. — Heart-like cells made in the laboratory from the skin of patients with a common cardiac condition contract less strongly than similarly created cells from unaffected family members, according to researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. The cells also exhibit abnormal structure and respond only dully to the wave of calcium signals that initiate each heartbeat.
Seattle, WA—A new joint study by Group Health Research Institute and Bastyr University Research Institute found that type 2 diabetes patients who received naturopathic care (as an adjunct to conventional care) had lower blood-sugar levels, better eating and exercise habits, improved moods, and a stronger sense of control over their condition than did patients receiving only conventional care.
Tampa, Fla. (April. 18, 2012) – Autologous (self-donated) mononuclear cells derived from bone marrow (BMMNCs) have been found to significantly induce vascular growth when transplanted into patients with diabetes who are suffering from critical limb ischemia caused by peripheral artery disease (PAD), a complication of diabetes.
DURHAM, N.C.— Patients with voice problems have nearly as many days of short-term disability claim and work productivity losses as those with chronic conditions like asthma, heart disease and depression, according to new findings from Duke University Medical Center researchers. Per claim, voice disorders account for up to 40 lost workdays and about $3,400 in short-term disability payments annually.
Cancer care is increasingly complex, and as many as one in five cancer patients may experience "breakdowns" in their care, according to a new study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Such breakdowns include communication problems between patients and their care providers, as well as more traditional medical errors; both types of problems can create significant harms. In the study, communication problems outnumbered problems with medical care.
Government plans to impose a minimum price of 40p per unit of alcohol will have "significant impacts" including a 38,900 reduction in hospital admissions, a 1,149 reduction in deaths and a cut in alcohol consumption by 2.4%, says John Appleby, Chief Economist at the King's Fund, in an article published on bmj.com today.
A 50p minimum price would more than double all these effects, while an economic recession has even greater "sobering" effects, he adds.