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Acupuncture therapy helps alleviates symptoms such as overwhelming sadness and hopelessness, by stimulating the release of endorphins and other "feel-good" chemicals. Currently more than 350 million people worldwide suffer from depression and about one in six people have reported an episode of depression during their lifetime. The findings are published in the PLoS Medicine Journal. — ANI New urine test to detect blood clots Researchers have developed a way to detect blood clots, which can form in anyone who sits on a plane for a long time and which often remain undetected until they break free and cause a stroke or heart attack, by using a simple urine test. The noninvasive diagnostic, relies on nanoparticles that detect the presence of thrombin, a key blood-clotting factor. Author of the paper, Sangeeta Bhatia from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said that such a system could be used to monitor patients who are at high risk for blood clots. The system consists of iron oxide nanoparticles, which has FDA approval for human use, coated with peptides (short proteins) that are specialised to interact with thrombin. After being injected into mice, the nanoparticles travel throughout the body. When the particles encounter thrombin, the thrombin cleaves the peptides at a specific location, releasing fragments that are then excreted in the animals' urine. Once the urine is collected, the protein fragments can be identified by treating the sample with antibodies specific to peptide tags included in the fragments. The researchers showed that the amount of these tags found in the urine is directly proportional to the level of blood clotting in the mice's lungs. The study is published in the journal ACS Nano. Blood test to detect gastrointestinal disorders Scientists have for the
first time developed a blood test to determine if a person is
suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), or Inflammatory Bowel
Disease (IBD). Researchers have conclusively identified a test for
antibodies that form against a particular protein, vinculin, found in
the guts of patients, many of whom suffered acute gastroenteritis at
some point. Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a gastrointestinal disorder
characterised by diarrhea, bloating and abdominal pain. However,
millions of patients are never diagnosed correctly. A simple blood
test at the first sign of symptoms means patients who have IBS could
get effective treatment sooner. The research was presented at the
American College of Gastroenterology's 78th Annual Scientific Meeting
in San Diego. Oreo cookies 'just as addictive as cocaine' American researchers have revealed that Oreo cookies are just as addictive as cocaine since both of them give the brain the same amount of pleasure. For the Connecticut College study, scientists studied the brainwaves of rats, when they were fed the sugary biscuit, and found that neurons triggered in the pleasure points of the rodents' brains matched those switched on by cocaine, the Daily Star reported. Professor Joseph Schroeder explained that the research supports the notion that high-fat and high-sugar foods stimulate the brain in the same way that drugs do. BP drugs may reduce Alzheimer's risk A new study has revealed that taking certain blood pressure medications may decrease the risk of dementia due to Alzheimer's disease (AD). Researchers found that people over the age of 75 with normal cognition who used diuretics, angiotensin-1 receptor blockers (ARBs) and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors showed a reduced risk of AD dementia by at least 50 per cent. In addition, diuretics were associated with 50 per cent reduced risk in those in the group with mild cognitive impairment. Beta blockers and calcium channel blockers did not show a link to reduced risk. Sevil Yasar, assistant professor, medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, said the study showed that the beneficial effect of these BP medications are maybe in addition to blood pressure control, and could help clinicians in selecting an antihypertensive medication based not only on BP control, but also on additional benefits. Extensive studies suggested that high blood pressure is a major risk factor for dementias, including AD, and there had been suggestions that drugs used to control blood pressure conferred a protective effect on the brain in addition to controlling blood pressure. The study is published in the journal Neurology. Alzheimer's can be predicted Many of the biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease (AD) that could potentially predict which patients will develop the disorder later in life have already been identified. Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis said the markers are accurate predictors of Alzheimer's years before symptoms develop. The markers were studied in volunteers whose ages ranged from 45 to 88. The researchers found that all of the markers were equally good at identifying subjects who were likely to develop cognitive problems and at predicting how soon they would become noticeably impaired. The study, supported in part by the National Institute on Aging, appears in Neurology. — Agencies
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London:
Acupuncture therapy along with anti-depressants helps fight depression
more effectively than drugs alone, according to the British study.
Depression patients who combined acupuncture with medication improved
more after three months than those who simply took medication, the Daily
Express reported. The research, conducted by Dr Hugh MacPherson
and colleagues from the University of York, found that the
2,000-year-old Chinese method improved symptoms for up to six months.
This study is of great importance as many patients would like to be
offered non-pharmacological treatment options such as, acupuncture or
counselling, which has also helped reduce symptoms on the same scale
alongside with their normal treatment.
