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Maybe I wasn't sick after all
BOSTON
— Talking to hypochondriacs might be one
way to help them recognize and deal with their conditions,
according to a recent study in the Journal of the
American Medical Association. The study took 187
patients and divided them into two groups, sending one
to a 90-minute cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) session.
The other group received normal care. The patients in
the CBT group showed significantly lower hypochondrial
symptoms, beliefs and attitudes.
Quick — pass the antibiotics
SEATTLE
— Getting antibiotics quickly can help elderly
patients with pneumonia stay alive. Researchers looked
at the medical records of 18,209 patients over the age
of 65. The results showed that for 75% of patients,
antibiotics administered within four hours of arriving
at a hospital reduced the risk of death and the likelihood
of hospital stays longer than five days. Results are
published in the March 22 issue of the Archives of
Internal Medicine.
Return to planet of the apes
YAOUNDÉ,
CAMEROON — Scientists have discovered that
African ape hunters have been infected with the simian
foamy virus (SFV), from the same class of viruses that
causes AIDS with no symptoms in humans so far. A study
published in The Lancet took blood samples from
1,009 individuals. One percent reported the presence
of SFV antibodies. Scientists fear that this could be
a warning sign of a future epidemic. AIDS was a result
of cross-species transmission of the simian immunodeficiency
virus.
Lady killah
HAMBURG,
GERMANY — Breast cancer patients who undergo
radiotherapy are still at risk of dying from heart disease
but not as much as they used to be, according to research
presented on March 17 at the European Breast Cancer
Conference. Researchers from the Netherlands Cancer
Institute looked at 7,427 women with breast cancer and
found that the absolute excess risk amounted to 12 extra
heart deaths per 10,000 patients given radiotherapy
per year.
The two faces of albuterol
SAN
FRANCISCO — A component of the asthma ingredient
albuterol, found in corticosteroid inhalers, might be
cancelling out the effects of another, scientists reported
at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy,
Asthma and Immunology. Albuterol has two forms of isomers
— a 'right' and 'left' version. The 'left' isomer
actually causes the airway to tighten and may be accumulating
in the body, thus counteracting the airway-opening effects
of the inhaler.
Ain't it fungus now
SAN
FRANCISCO — Another paper presented at the
same meeting found that sinusitis might actually be
an immune-system response to a common fungus. Researchers
from the Mayo Clinic claim that in the body's attempt
to destroy the fungus it actually damages the sinus
membrane. The small study looked at 24 individuals split
into two groups — one group receiving an antifungal
medication, the other placebo. The antifungal group
showed a 90% improvement in symptoms
Mercury rising in the ER
PHILADELPHIA
— One-third of ER patients have hypertension
and are unaware of it, says Dr David Karras, director
of research at Temple University Hospital. Most of these
patients had no prior history of the condition and it
may have gone undiagnosed until they developed kidney
dysfunction, heart disease or stroke. Early diagnosis
and treatment could help stop this silent killer. These
findings will be presented at the Society for Academic
Emergency Medicine meeting in Florida this May.
Gutless baby gets someone else's
MIAMI — A record eight
organ transplants were performed on seven-month-old
Alessia Di Matteo on March 20 at the Jackson Memorial
Hospital. Surgeon Dr Andreas Tzakis replaced Alessia's
liver, stomach, pancreas, small and large intestines,
spleen and both kidneys in a 12-hour operation. The
baby's condition will be monitored closely, especially
for the first crucial year. People who undergo cluster
transplants typically have a bleak outcome.
Cold comfort harm
PHILADELPHIA
— When Dr Raymond V Damadian was passed
over for the Nobel prize for Medicine for MRI technology
last year he didn't take it lying down. He splashed
ads featuring an upside-down Nobel medal all over the
US's top newspapers. Patents for the scanners are in
Dr Damadian's name and some say he was snubbed because
of his creation science beliefs. As a consolation, he's
been given a Bower Award for brain research from the
Franklin Institute.
Just who flew over the cuckoo's nest?
AUCKLAND
— The Accident Compensation Corporation
(ACC) of New Zealand is catching some flak after it
was revealed that claimants are being forced to undertake
some unusual rehab or risk having their cheques stopped.
The treatments include nasal enemas, humming, standing
in a paddock and laughing, and watching videos of One
Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. An ACC official defended
the unorthodox therapies, saying "Humming is ... intended
to raise self-awareness and block out distractions.
Laughter releases endorphins, which also help with pain
management."
Publicans take a last puff
DUBLIN
— Ireland is leading the pack towards a
healthier lifestyle as it implements the biggest smoking
ban ever seen in Europe. They're looking to stamp out
smoking in most public places including pubs, workplaces
and public transportation. The law has angered many
of the Emerald Isle's pub owners who claim that it will
diminish their famed pub culture. The gov't says it
will save some 7,000 lives annually.
Shop 'til you drop pounds
LONDON
— Just when you think you've heard it all...
Woolworth's has conducted research that showed women
burned 193 calories for each of their shopping sprees.
According to the 4,500 women surveyed, they took roughly
4,059 steps per spree as they searched high and low
for that great bargain. Heart specialists say that we
need to take about 10,000 steps each day. So shopping
sprees aren't all bad since you're getting half the
daily dose.
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