Dear parents, take note. Bariatric surgery may halve heart disease risk in obese teens

Bariatric surgery can cut in half the risk of premature heart disease and stroke in teenagers with severe obesity, a study has found. The study, based on a prediction model, showed that prior to bariatric surgery the overall risk of a severely obese teen having a fatal or non-fatal heart attack, stroke, heart failure or other heart disease event over a 30-year period was 8 per cent on average. One year after surgery, the risk of a heart disease event would be cut in half — to 4 per cent…

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Novel treatment for cancer: Immunotherapy trials show promise in curing the disease

In the winter of 2013, Sue Scott, then 36, had already planned her own funeral. Her cervical cancer was spreading fast. Multiple rounds of chemotherapy, radiation and surgery had all failed. Tumours were invading her liver and colon, and squeezing her ureters. Her last chance was to enroll in an experimental trial in which doctors were trying to partially replace patients’ immune systems with T-cells that would specifically attack cancers caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), a common sexually transmitted infection. Within a few months, her tumours completely disappeared. This…

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Bacteria found in milk can trigger rheumatoid arthritis, a disease common in women

Researchers have found that a strain of bacteria commonly found in milk may be a trigger for developing rheumatoid arthritis in people who are genetically at risk. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune and inflammatory disease that causes the immune system to attack a person’s joints, muscles, bones and organs. Patients suffer from pain and deformities mostly in the hands and feet. It can occur at any age but the most common onset is between 40 and 60 years old and is three times more prevalent in women. The study, published…

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Don’t ignore oral hygiene. Severe gum disease linked to lung, colon cancers

Do you have bad oral health? Beware, you may be at high risk of developing cancers of lung, colon and pancreas, researchers have warned. Advanced gum disease, also called periodontitis, is caused by bacterial infection that damages the soft tissue and bone that supports the teeth. The findings, led by researchers from the Tufts University in the US, showed that participants who were edentulous or lacking teeth – a sign of severe periodontitis – had an 80% increase in risk of developing colon cancer. Periodontitis is also linked with pancreatic…

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Study Shows Education Can Reduce Risk Of Alzheimer’s Disease

According to the Centers for Disease Control, over 5.4 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease. As a result of the country’s aging population, this progressive brain disorder has grown to be the the sixth leading cause of death among all adults and the fifth leading cause for those aged 65 or older. Although there is no cure for this debilitating disease, a new study has found a way to reduce the risk of developing it: education. A Cambridge University study of over 54,000 people found that every year spent in school reduces the chances of…

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Forgetting things but unaware of it? You may be at risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease

Canadian researchers have found that although memory loss is an early symptom of Alzheimer’s disease, it is those who are unaware of the problem that are more likely to go on to develop the condition. Carried out by researchers at Ontario’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), the new study is believed to be the largest of its kind on illness awareness, looking at data on 1,062 people. Earlier research said that menopause could trigger Alzheimer’s, but a diet rich in antioxidants could help. Participants were aged 55 to 90,…

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