DAEGU, SOUTH KOREA—Participation in horticultural activities can improve confidence and social skills, cultivate a positive attitude, and rejuvenate the mind and body. Many studies have emphasized the effects of horticultural activities in relation to physical and psychological rehabilitation, but few have considered the influence of these types of activities on mentally challenged people's autonomic nervous system (ANS) and on the stress hormone cortisol.
Culture
SAN DIEGO -- In a major advance in treatment, a multicenter study found that ruxolinitib did a better job than off-label chemotherapy drugs reducing the terrible symptoms associated with myelofibrosis, including pain, enlarged spleen, anemia, fever, chills, fatigue, and weight loss. The results were presented today at the annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology and Oncology in San Diego.
Patients with life-threatening heart valve disease could be helped with alternative scanning techniques that provide greater insight into the condition.
Researchers from the University of Edinburgh used an imaging technique that could help predict which patients will need open heart surgery to replace their heart valves, and improve treatments to prevent the disease.
(SAN DIEGO, December 10, 2011) – Bleeding and clotting disorders affect a large number of patients annually and, while accurate diagnosis is important, timely and effective treatment for these disorders is key, as they have the potential to quickly become life-threatening. Research examining novel treatment techniques for bleeding and clotting disorders will be presented today at the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology.
(SAN DIEGO, December 11, 2011) – Lymphoma and myeloma are both malignant diseases that arise from lymphocytes, a subset of blood cells, and commonly involve lymph nodes and the bone marrow. Although considerable progress has been made in the treatment of these diseases, they remain a significant challenge for patients and their hematologists. New research introducing unique treatment approaches and targets for lymphoma and myeloma will be presented today at the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology.
(SAN DIEGO, December 11, 2011) – Asymptomatic patients diagnosed with nonbulky follicular lymphoma, a slow-growing type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, have traditionally been watched for signs or symptoms of disease progression and then treated with a combination of rituximab and chemotherapy or rituximab alone for select cases.
(SAN DIEGO) –– A new treatment using leukemia patients' own infection-fighting cells appears to protect them from infections and cancer recurrence following treatment with fludarabine-based chemotherapy, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
COLUMBUS, Ohio – An interim analysis of a phase Ib/II clinical trial indicates that a novel experimental agent for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is highly active and well tolerated in patients who have relapsed and are resistant to other therapy. The agent, called PCI-32765, is the first drug designed to target Bruton's tyrosine kinase, a protein essential for CLL-cell survival and proliferation. CLL is the most common form of leukemia, with about 15,000 new cases annually in the U.S. About 4,400 Americans die of the disease each year.
The active ingredient boceprevir has been available since the middle of 2011 as a treatment for chronic hepatitis C of genotype 1. In an early benefit assessment pursuant to the "Act on the Reform of the Market for Medicinal Products" (AMNOG), the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) has now examined to establish whether boceprevir offers added benefit in comparison with the previous standard therapy.
Depressive symptoms and impaired physical function were common and long-lasting during the first two years following acute lung injury (ALI), according to a new study from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Depressive symptoms were an independent risk factor for impaired physical function.
The incidence of tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis is significantly increased in mothers postpartum, suggesting a potential new population to target for screening, according to a new UK-wide cohort study.
Washington, DC (December 8, 2011) — Acute kidney injury (AKI), an abrupt or rapid decline in kidney function, is a serious and increasingly prevalent condition. Little information has been available about how common or how severe AKI is in military personnel who are injured during combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. A new study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN) investigates this question in those burned during combat.
Washington, DC (December 8, 2011) — Most patients with an abrupt kidney injury that does not get better do not see a kidney specialist within a year, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN). The findings indicate that efforts are needed to identify and treat kidney injury patients who require subsequent care.
Washington, DC (December 8, 2011) — Two seemingly similar blood pressure–lowering drugs have different effects on the heart health of dialysis patients, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN). The results indicate that certain dialysis patients may benefit more from one drug while some should opt for the other.
Philadelphia, PA, December 8, 2011 – Children who suffer from persistent or recurring chronic pain may miss school, withdraw from social activities, and are at risk of developing internalizing symptoms such as anxiety, in response to their pain. In the first comprehensive review of chronic pain in children and adolescents in 20 years, a group of researchers found that more children now are suffering from chronic pain and that girls suffer more frequently from chronic pain than boys.