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If you’ve never had a problem getting wet before but now your privates feel like the Sahara, don’t panic—you’re not going through early menopause. Fact is, there are many reasons why younger women experience vaginal dryness, and the problem is a lot more common than you’d think. Still, it’s not something you want to blow off. It’s important for your hoo-ha to be moist, and not just because lubrication makes sex feel more pleasurable. Vaginal

An exhaustive analysis of data from more than 40,000 cases of brain trauma in children – published by the authoritative New England Journal of Medicine – provides convincing evidence that protecting children in advance from head injuries is the key to reducing their severity. The new findings, obtained during one of the largest multi-center prospective studies of its kind ever conducted in the United States, show that the most common cause of brain injury among

Whether you are a Pygmy in the Congolese rainforest or a hipster in downtown Montreal, certain aspects of music will touch you in exactly the same ways. A team of researchers from McGill University, Technische Universität Berlin, and l’Université de Montréal arrived at this conclusion after travelling deep into the rainforest to play music to a very isolated group of people, the Mbenzélé Pygmies, who live without access to radio, television or electricity. They then

(HealthDay)—Combined inhibition of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) ? and interleukin (IL)-17 is more effective than single blockade in cultures of human fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS), according to an experimental study published in the January issue of Arthritis Rheumatology. Jens A.A. Fischer, Ph.D., from Roche Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development in Penzberg, Germany, and colleagues stimulated cultures of FLS with TNF?, IL-17, or both. They examined in vitro cytokine responses and in vivo development of arthritis and

(HealthDay)—For patients with chronic liver disease, statin initiation is associated with low overall incidence of hospitalization due to severe hepatic injury, according to a study published in the January issue of the Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Chia-Hsuin Chang, M.D., Ph.D., from the National Taiwan University in Dou-Liou City, and colleagues conducted a nationwide population-based cohort study involving 37,929 subjects with chronic liver disease who started statin therapy. The authors estimated the risk of severe

(HealthDay)—For middle-aged men with type 2 diabetes, sulfonylurea treatment is associated with improvements in total testosterone levels and testosterone secretion index values, according to a study published online Dec. 15 in the Journal of Diabetes Investigation. Long Wong, from Guangdong General Hospital in Guangzhou, China, and colleagues examined the effect of sulfonylurea-based oral antidiabetic agents on testosterone levels. Data were collected for 15 middle-aged men with type 2 diabetes from the phase IV clinical trial

(HealthDay)—The introduction of the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10), Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) audits, meaningful use 2, and the burdens of technology are the top four technological challenges for physicians in 2015, according to an article published in Medical Economics. Among the challenges that physicians are likely to face in 2015, the authors describe the four issues relating to technology. According to the article, ICD-10 will be implemented in 2015,

Jessica Simpson won’t let Hollywood’s unrealistic beauty standards get in the way of her happiness. In an interview with InStyle, the 34-year-old recalled when her weight gain became the focus of tabloids in 2011. But, with the help of her supportive husband, former NFL player Eric Johnson, Simpson handled the haters in the best possible way: I’d been scrutinized about my weight before I got pregnant, so I refused to let anyone steal the joy

Cardiovascular Ultrasound 2015, 13:1 doi:10.1186/1476-7120-13-1 Published: 8 January 2015

From 24-26 June 2015, Healthplex Nutraceutical China (HNC) will return to Shanghai, China, to serve the Asian health industry. This year, the event will take place on a larger scale, with more exhibitors and business opportunities for those in attendance. HNC 2014 was a big success. However, in 2015, the exhibition will rise to an even higher level of quality. The event’s display area has been increased by 50%, and currently two-thirds of the stands

An early study suggests that a synthetic triglyceride oil called triheptanoin may provide hope for people with Huntington’s disease. The study is published in the January 7, 2015, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Huntington’s disease is inherited and causes nerve cells to break down in the brain, especially areas involved in the control of movements, memory and thinking abilities, and emotions and behavior. A child of a

Syndax Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Interview conducted by April Cashin-Garbutt, BA Hons (Cantab) Dr. Mark YoungTHOUGHT LEADERS SERIES…insight from the world’s leading experts Please can you give a brief introduction to Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (NRTIs) and the different diseases they have been used to treat? NRTIs are compounds which were originally developed in the 1960s as anti-cancer agents. They are similar in structure to the bases which make up DNA, and it was hoped that they would interfere with

Failure to accept illness is associated with poorer quality of life in patients with chronic heart failure, according to research published today in the European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing. Patients with lower illness acceptance more often had lower energy levels, more severe pain, negative emotional reactions, sleep disorders and limited mobility, and were socially isolated. Lead author Monika Obieglo, a nurse in the Department of Clinical Nursing at Wroclaw Medical University in Poland, said: “Patients

Seven Californians and two people in Utah have confirmed cases of measles likely contracted on trips last month to Disney theme parks in California, state officials said Wednesday. Three more California residents are suspected of having measles in cases still under investigation. All patients with confirmed or suspected cases of the illness visited Disneyland or Disney California Adventure between Dec. 15 and Dec. 20, according to the state’s Department of Public Health. They likely got

Federal health experts have unanimously endorsed a Novartis drug which is expected to become the first lower-cost copy of a biotech drug to reach the U.S. market. A panel of Food and Drug Administration experts ruled that the company’s version of Neupogen is highly similar to Amgen’s original blockbuster biotech drug, which is used to boost blood cells that help cancer patients fight off infections. The non-binding recommendation likely paves the way for a new

Eating one avocado a day as part of a heart healthy, cholesterol-lowering moderate-fat diet can help improve bad cholesterol levels in overweight and obese individuals, according to new research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. Researchers evaluated the effect avocados had on traditional and novel cardiovascular risk factors by replacing saturated fatty acids from an average American diet with unsaturated fatty acids from avocados. Forty-five healthy, overweight or obese patients between the

i i By measuring activity in different parts of the brain, neuroscientsts can get a sense of how some people will respond to treatments. John Lund/Getty Images hide caption itoggle caption John Lund/Getty Images By measuring activity in different parts of the brain, neuroscientsts can get a sense of how some people will respond to treatments. John Lund/Getty Images Brain scans may soon be able to help predict a person’s future — some aspects of

/ no comments Rules governing who can donate blood in the United States have recently changed. But anyone who spent more than three months in the UK between 1980 and 1996 is still prohibited from donating. That rule is in place to minimize the risk of spreading Mad Cow Disease. Robert Siegel speaks with Dr. Lorna Williamson about how the risk is mitigated in the UK.

A controversial offshore wind project under development in Cape Cod has lost both of the buyers for its power. Without financing, Cape Wind is missing deadlines to deliver.

“Get over it” isn’t always the most welcome advice—those words are pretty harsh! But when it comes down to it, letting go of toxic things in your life really can be one of the most liberating favors you can do for yourself. If you don’t believe us, try saying goodbye to just one of the 10 things below, and feel the weight lift off your shoulders. Then get over the rest of them, too.  1.

As much as your boyfriend may adore you, he might not feel the same about your closest female confidante. If you frequently find yourself channeling your inner Dr. Phil to mediate between the two, it’s time to get to the bottom of the problem. How could the love of your life dislike your best friend so much? Here are the most likely possibilities, according to some of my own personal experiences as a dude who’s

Conventional wisdom has it that high levels of testosterone help prostate cancers grow. However, a new, small study suggests that a treatment strategy called bipolar androgen therapy—where patients alternate between low and high levels of testosterone—might make prostate tumors more responsive to standard hormonal therapy. As the researchers explained, the primary treatment for advanced prostate cancer is hormonal therapy, which lowers levels of testosterone to prevent the tumor from growing. But there’s a problem: Prostate

Tobacco companies on Wednesday accused a federal judge of forcing them to inaccurately describe themselves as unscrupulous villains who continue to deceive the public. In an appeals court filing, the industry said statements ordered by the judge in a government lawsuit would only trigger public anger against the companies and should be scrapped. U.S. District Judge Gladys Kessler ordered the largest cigarette makers to admit they had lied for decades about the dangers of smoking,

State health officials say seven Californians and two people in Utah have confirmed cases of measles likely contracted on a trip to Disney theme parks in California in December. The state Department of Public Health said Wednesday that three more California residents were suspected of having measles. Officials say all patients with confirmed or suspected cases of measles visited Disneyland or Disney California Adventure between Dec. 15 and Dec. 20 and that it is likely

(HealthDay)—Newly diagnosed cancer patients are at increased risk for stroke in the months after they find out they have the disease. And the risk of stroke is higher among those with more aggressive cancer, a new study says. The findings come from an analysis of Medicare claims submitted between 2001 and 2009 by patients aged 66 and older who had been diagnosed with breast, colorectal, lung, prostate and pancreatic cancer. Compared to cancer-free seniors, those

In a phase 2 clinical trial, women with small (stage 1), HER2-positive breast tumors who received a combination of lower-intensity chemotherapy and a targeted drug following surgery were highly unlikely to have the cancer recur within three years of treatment, investigators at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and other institutions report in a paper published today by the New England Journal of Medicine. The findings may help establish the therapy – which combines the chemotherapy agent paclitaxel

Malaria Journal 2015, 14:2 doi:10.1186/1475-2875-14-2 Published: 7 January 2015

Pediatric Rheumatology 2015, 13:2 doi:10.1186/1546-0096-13-2 Published: 7 January 2015

Conflict and Health 2015, 9:1 doi:10.1186/1752-1505-9-1 Published: 7 January 2015

i i You don’t want to run into methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteria. A potential new antibiotic could help fight this bug. CDC hide caption itoggle caption CDC You don’t want to run into methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteria. A potential new antibiotic could help fight this bug. CDC Scientists say they have discovered a natural compound from bacteria that may prove to be a potent new antibiotic. This news comes at a time when many current

i i Hand-rolled Bluefin tuna sushi with green onions is prepared at the barMASA restaurant booth at Vegas Uncork’d by Bon Appetit’s Grand Tasting event at Caesars Palace in May 2014 in Las Vegas, Nev. Ethan Miller/Getty Images for Vegas Uncork’d hide caption itoggle caption Ethan Miller/Getty Images for Vegas Uncork’d Hand-rolled Bluefin tuna sushi with green onions is prepared at the barMASA restaurant booth at Vegas Uncork’d by Bon Appetit’s Grand Tasting event at

The holidays can be a time for binge watching TV shows or movies. According to a University of Houston (UH) researcher, all of those hours in front of the television may lead to increased snacking. A recent UH study conducted by professor Temple Northup suggests people who watch excessive amounts of TV tend to eat more unhealthy foods and might not understand the foundations of a healthy diet. “A number of previous studies found a

Scientists using a revolutionary approach have devised an antibiotic that may offset the mounting problem of drug resistance for decades, they said on Wednesday. Tested on lab mice—it could take five or six years to be authorised for humans—the drug could open a new front in the war on bacterial disease, the team reported in the journal Nature. Called teixobactin, it hails from a new tool to screen for soil bacteria that exude natural antibiotic

By looking at the expression levels of downstream genes of the regulators in breast cancer, investigators at Dartmouth Hitchcock’s Norris Cotton Cancer Center (NCCC), led by Chao Cheng, PhD, have identified a gene signature in E2F4 that is predictive of estrogen receptor positive (ER+) breast cancer. The findings, published in Breast Cancer Research, define a new opportunity for personalizing medicine for women whose Oncotype DX assay results classify them as of “intermediate-risk for recurrence.” Until

A University of Colorado Cancer Center study published in the British Medical Journal: Tobacco Control shows that of the top 100 universities as ranked by U.S. News and World Report, 11 allow tobacco sales and 13 allow e-cigarette sales on “campus cash” debit cards that are commonly prepaid by parents. “Parents put money on these debit cards and kids spend the money. What parents don’t realize is that tobacco may be purchased with some of

Known as much for its complexity as its vital role in regulating cellular and organismal growth, the mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) pathway has seemingly been acting in mysterious ways. Through a variety of mechanistic interactions, mTORC1 interprets cues in the cellular environment, including the availability of nutrients, and signals the organism to act accordingly. mTORC1 is apt to trigger growth during times of abundance and dial back metabolism when food is scarce.

By Lynda Williams, Senior medwireNews Reporter Schizophrenia negative symptoms are relatively stable in the first year for most patients after they begin antipsychotic medication but research suggests around a quarter will experience exacerbation or relapse. Furthermore, the initial severity of negative symptoms predicts the long-term pattern and their impact on patient functioning, say Joseph Ventura, from University of California Los Angeles in the USA, and team. “These findings suggest that negative symptoms may be an

By Shreeya Nanda, Senior medwireNews Reporter Co-occurrence of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) in patients with bipolar disorder type I (BD-I) is not uncommon and is associated with increased functional disability, research findings indicate. The study included 396 patients with BD-I consecutively admitted to the inpatient services of an Indian mental health institute over a 1-year period. Of these, 30 (7.6%) had comorbid OCD, scoring higher than 15 on the Yale–Brown Obsessive–Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) and fulfilling

Soligenix, Inc.

Kentucky First Lady Jane Beshear today, along with representatives from the Kentucky Cancer Program, the University of Louisville’s James Graham Brown Cancer Center and KentuckyOne Health, launched a new Horses and Hope campaign to raise $1 million for a mobile unit to provide free or significantly reduced cost cancer screenings to underserved populations across Kentucky. To start strong out of the gate, Mrs. Beshear announced a $90,000 commitment from Churchill Downs and a $25,000 donation

Hysterectomies are Declining Overall but Alternatives to Hysterectomy Are Still Being Underutilized, Say Researchers in the American Journal of Obstetrics Gynecology It is estimated that one in three women in the United States will have had a hysterectomy by the age of 60. Although the numbers of hysterectomies are decreasing, a new study of more than three thousand women in Michigan who underwent hysterectomy for benign indications reveals that alternatives to hysterectomy are being underused

A new study led by scientists at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James) suggests that dopamine – an inexpensive drug currently used to treat heart, vascular and kidney disorders – can be safely used in cancer treatment to curb the growth of blood vessels in tumors. Reporting in the International Journal of Cancer, the researchers show that dopamine prevented

Could it be that when Ludwig van Beethoven composed some of the greatest masterpieces of all time that he was quite literally following his heart? The striking rhythms found in some of Beethoven’s most famous works may have been inspired by his own heartbeat, says a team of researchers from the University of Michigan and University of Washington that includes a cardiologist, medical historian, and musicologist. Authors of a new essay that appears in Perspectives

Thanks to an ageing population and better diagnosis and treatment, 2015 will see an unprecedented number of people living with cancer, according to Macmillan Cancer Support. The charity says that an estimated 2.5 million people will be living with the condition in the UK in 2015. The figure, drawn from an analysis published in 2012, is nearly half a million higher than five years previously. As a result, charities are calling on the UK’s political

In its chronic stage, schizophrenia is typically marked by a dearth of links between brain cells in the prefrontal cortex, the region of the brain responsible for higher-order thinking. However, a new study by Yale and Chinese researchers shows that the onset of the disease—usually in the early 20s—is marked by an abnormal spike in neural connections. The surprising finding, published in the Jan. 7 issue of The journal Neuroscience, suggests new strategies for treatment

Four years ago, just before Christmas, my hospital ran out of cytarabine, an essential drug used to treat and cure certain kinds of acute leukemia. This drug was suddenly in short supply across the nation. At Duke, we had enough for about 10 days based upon our historical usage, but after that we could no longer treat those already on therapy or begin treatment for newly diagnosed patients. And we couldn’t ask other hospitals in

CareSouth Health System, Inc.

When dams are built they have an impact not only on the flow of water in the river, but also on the people who live downstream and on the surrounding ecosystems. By placing data from close to 6,500 existing large dams on a highly precise map of the world’s rivers, an international team led by McGill University researchers has created a new method to estimate the global impacts of dams on river flow and fragmentation.

ContraVir Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Many patients with type 2 diabetes in the United States may be discouraged from taking metformin—a proven, oral diabetes medicine—because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration inappropriately labels the drug unsafe for some patients also suffering from kidney problems, researchers from Penn Medicine and Weill Cornel Medical College report this week in a research letter published in JAMA Internal Medicine. Amending the overly conservative FDA label—which differs from professional society recommendations—could extend the drug’s use

/ no comments McGill University

People who have “absolute pitch” can identify notes immediately without relying on a reference tone. Intensive research is being conducted into the neuronal basis of this extraordinary ability at the University of Zurich’s Department of Neuropsychology. The researchers have now detected a close functional link between the auditory cortex in the brain and the frontal lobe in these extraordinary people – a discovery that is not only important in theory, but also in practice. Mozart,

(Medical )—Professional athletes often spend hours in a gym working to build strong healthy muscles needed to keep them at the top of their game. But strong muscles help all humans maintain peak physical performance – the non-athlete, the young and the old – and can prevent frailty later in life, a condition that can exacerbate an illness and even shorten one’s life. According to Charlotte Peterson, co-director of the Center for Muscle Biology at

All over the world summer is synonymous with water activities, cold beverages and, of course, ice cream. While most of us agree ice cream and cold beverages are refreshing summer treats, do they actually help cool us down? To test whether they do, we need to know a bit more about how the body controls temperature in different environments. The process of maintaining an optimal body temperature is called thermoregulation, which involves a delicate balance

People who have “absolute pitch” can identify notes immediately without relying on a reference tone. Intensive research is being conducted into the neuronal basis of this extraordinary ability at the University of Zurich’s Department of Neuropsychology. The researchers have now detected a close functional link between the auditory cortex in the brain and the frontal lobe in these extraordinary people – a discovery that is not only important in theory, but also in practice. Mozart,

Stress is the physical and emotional response we all experience when faced with demanding situations. Our stress can arise from within when we fear we’re unable to meet our own high expectations. Or it can come from an inability to meet the requirements of employers, financial institutions (think of your credit card repayments), partners, family and others. But while stress arises from what we assume others expect of us, the accuracy of these assumptions is

OAKLAND, Calif., January 5, 2015 — A 12-year study of two measles-containing vaccines, published today in Pediatrics, found that seven main adverse outcomes were unlikely after either vaccine. The study, conducted by the Kaiser Permanente Vaccine Study Center, included children aged 12 to 23 months from January 2000 through June 2012 who received measles-mumps-rubella-varicella (MMRV) or separately administered, same-day measles-mumps-rubella and varicella (MMR + V) vaccines. A total of 123,200 MMRV doses and 584,987 MMR

MAYWOOD, Il. – Cirrhosis of the liver is more common than previously thought, affecting more than 633,000 adults yearly, according to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology. And surprisingly, 69 percent of the adults identified as possibly having cirrhosis may not know they have the disease. “Although some of these individuals may simply have forgotten or been confused about the question, this raises the possibility of a large number of undiagnosed cases

January 6, 2015, 9:03 PM|If you’re putting off starting your diet, organizing your finances or tackling a big task at work, procrastination could cost you in the long run. Authors Sebastian Bailey and Octavius Black give CBS News’ Parvati Shallow some tips to help you break the procrastination habit and reach your goals.

With the arrival of the new year, millions of us made resolutions and set goals: finally start that healthy diet, go to the gym, get our finances in order. But if you’re prone to procrastination, you may have already pushed off those plans. Procrastination can be a killer of productivity and lead to missed opportunities, financial losses and feelings of regret. Full disclosure: this interview was conducted way back in September, and I’ve managed to

Main findings In this study, we have used alcohol sales data to present, for the first time, objective estimates of mean population consumption levels at sub-national geographies in Great Britain. We have confirmed the ecological relationship between consumption and harm; alcohol-related mortality rates are generally higher in regions with higher per adult consumption. However, atypical alcohol-related mortality levels in the South West and Central Scotland regions suggest regional-specific factors affect the consumption-harm relationship. There are

i i Dr. Richard Schlegel and postdoctoral fellow Nancy Palechor-Ceron use a microscope to look at human epithelial cells growing on mouse fibroblasts at Georgetown University Medical Center. Lauren Wolkoff/Georgetown University hide caption itoggle caption Lauren Wolkoff/Georgetown University Dr. Richard Schlegel and postdoctoral fellow Nancy Palechor-Ceron use a microscope to look at human epithelial cells growing on mouse fibroblasts at Georgetown University Medical Center. Lauren Wolkoff/Georgetown University A drug that is used worldwide to treat

In a groundbreaking study that provides scientists with a critical new understanding of stem cell development and its role in disease, UCLA researchers at the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research led by Dr. Kathrin Plath, professor of biological chemistry, have established a first-of-its-kind methodology that defines the unique stages by which specialized cells are reprogrammed into stem cells that resemble those found in the embryo. The study was

Using a rear-facing car seat until a child is age two reduces risk of serious injury, but close to one-quarter of parents report they turned the seat around before their child was even one year old, according to a new University of Michigan study. In March 2011, the American Academy of Pediatrics updated its guidelines for child passenger safety, extending the recommendation for rear-facing car seat use from one year of age and 20 pounds

/ no comments British Psychological Society

(HealthDay)—There is modest inter-rater reliability for the 2009 Appropriate Use Criteria for nuclear stress testing and inter-rater variability in identification of inappropriate tests, according to a study published online Jan. 6 in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. In an effort to examine inter-rater reliability of the 2009 Appropriate Use Criteria, Siqin Ye, M.D., from the Columbia University Medical Center in New York City, and colleagues selected 400 patients from a consecutive cohort of patients undergoing

Our ability to pay attention to certain things while ignoring distractions determines how good we are at a given task, whether it is driving a car or doing brain surgery. A research team at McGill University has for the first time convincingly identified a network of neurons in a particular area of the brain, the lateral prefrontal cortex, that interact with one another to promptly filter visual information while at the same time ignoring distractions.

IMAGE: This is an electron microscopic image and optical simulation of nanobowl optical concentrator. view more Credit: ©Science China Press Geometrical light trapping is a simple and promising strategy to largely improve the optical absorption and efficiency of solar cells. Nonetheless, implementation of geometrical light trapping in organic photovoltaic (OPV) is challenging due to the fact that uniform organic active layer can rarely be achieved on textured substrate. Professor Zhiyong Fan and his group from Hong

IMAGE: This image shows a new optical beam-forming device making ‘twisted light.’ view more Credit: Universities of Bristol and Dundee A team of engineers has developed a new acousto-optic device that can shape and steer beams of light at speeds never before achieved. The new technology will enable better optical devices to be made, such as holographs that can move rapidly in real time. The research led by Bruce Drinkwater, Professor of Ultrasonics at the University