Spikes in blood sugar can take a toll on memory by affecting the dentate gyrus, an area of the brain within the hippocampus that helps form memories, a new study reports.

Researchers said the effects can be seen even when levels of blood sugar, or glucose, are only moderately elevated, a finding that may help explain normal age-related cognitive decline, since glucose regulation worsens with age.

Patients with a particular gene variant seem to respond less effectively to the anticlotting agent Plavix than those with the normal version of the gene, according to studies in medical journals Monday.

Three independent research groups studied data from patients taking Plavix over a number of years and found that individuals with the gene variation had higher rates of heart attack, death and other cardiac-related events. The gene variant appears to reduce the function of an enzyme needed to activate the medicine.

After a series of prescription-medication scares in recent years, consumers are receiving a flood of safety information about the drugs they take -- so much that it risks scaring some people.

Deep Vein Thrombosis Overview

A new ultrasound device small enough to snake through blood vessels is being used to dissolve dangerous clots faster, more easily and more safely than conventional methods, according to data being presented at the 18th Annual International Symposium on Endovascular Therapy (ISET).

A clinical trial of a biologically active metabolite of Vitamin D3 demonstrated an unanticipated reduction of thrombosis in cancer patients. Thrombosis is a serious complication in advanced cancers and affects between 15 and 20 per cent of all cancer patients.

Dr. Peter Venner, medical oncologist at the Alberta Cancer Board's Cross Cancer Institute, presented the finding today at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Atlanta, Georgia.

A study presented today demonstrates that a new technique safely and effectively removes blood clots in the body faster, reducing patient risk for pulmonary embolism and disability. The interventional radiology treatment was also shown to have a positive impact on patients’ quality of life, relieving symptoms such as pain and swelling, as well as greatly improving their ability to be active.

A cataract is a clouding of the eye's natural lens, which lies behind the iris and the pupil. The lens works much like a camera lens, focusing light onto the retina at the back of the eye. The lens also adjusts the eye's focus, letting us see things clearly both up close and far away.

This information was developed by the National Eye Institute to help patients and their families search for general information about cataracts. An eye care professional who has examined the patient's eyes and is familiar with his or her medical history is the best person to answer specific questions.

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Summary

The 5-year survival rate among patients with cancer is now 66%.^[1] For childhood cancer, progress in diagnosis and treatment has transformed a once uniformly fatal disease into a group of malignancies that are now curable in most patients. With the increasing use of risk-based high-intensity therapy and the resulting improvement in survival, the number of cancer survivors is growing rapidly^[1]; in the United States, the number of cancer survivors.

Experts believe that almost a million men are experiencing tiredness, moodiness and loss of libido caused by a deficiency of the hormone testosterone.

They think that many of these men would benefit from hormone replacement therapy.

Experts believe one in five older men is the victim of lethargy, moodiness and loss of libido

Newswise — Patients who develop a blood clot in their legs (deep vein thrombosis) or lungs (pulmonary embolism) are at risk for experiencing another blood clot within three years, and patients with pulmonary embolism have a higher risk of death, according to a report in the February 25 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Your cancer treatment is over, but your risk of side effects goes on. You might be surprised to know that side effects can continue after your cancer treatment or even develop several years later. Some cancer survivors wonder why they weren't told about the possibility of late effects before they began treatment.

DANA-FARBER CANCER INSTITUTE

THE JEROME LIPPER MULTIPLE MYELOMA CENTER

Institutional approach for Neuropathy with Multiple Myeloma patients

Newswise  You're reading and you notice 3's look like 8's or vice versa. When driving, you find yourself needing to be closer to road signs to make the words out clearly. The world just starts to look a little hazy.

The Food and Drug Administration has bungled its effort to build a new system for detecting the side effects of medicines after they go on the market, delaying its implementation by at least four years, according to a report commissioned by the agency itself.

As a result, the agency must continue to rely on its existing "dysfunctional" computer system as a primary tool for tracking the safety of medications sold in the U.S., according to the November 2006 report, which hasn't been made public.