http://www.medindia.net/healthnews/bereavement-news.asp Medindia largest health website in india. en-us Copyright 2013. All Rights Reserved. Wed, 22 May 2013 21:32:48 GMT http://www.medindia.net/news/common-drug-for-depression-reduces-stress-related-heart-condition-119305-1.htm Researchers at Duke Medicine have found that a drug commonly used to treat depression and anxiety may improve a stress-related heart condition in people with stable coronary heart disease. Compared with those receiving placebo, people who took the antidepressant escitalopram (sold as Lexapro) were more than two-and-a-half times less likely to have mental stress-induced myocardial ischemia (MSIMI), a heart condition brought on by mental stress. The findings, published in the May 22/29, 2013 issue ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/common-drug-for-depression-reduces-stress-related-heart-condition-119305-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/vermont-legalizes-assisted-suicide-119268-1.htm On Monday, Vermont became the third US state to legalize physician-assisted suicide. Peter Shumlin, the Democratic Governor of the small progressive-leaning state, signed into law a bill that lawmakers adopted last week. Vermont follows the states of Oregon and Washington in legalizing the practice. "Vermonters facing terminal illness at the end of their lives now have control over their own destinies," Shumlin said, at a ceremony at the Capitol in Montpelier. Vermont, a mostly rural ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/vermont-legalizes-assisted-suicide-119268-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/sharing-a-bed-with-newborn-baby-increases-risk-of-cot-death-significantly-119257-1.htm New research published in the journal BMJ Open says that sharing a bead with a newborn baby heightens the risk of cot death significantly. Prof Bob Carpenter, from the London School of Hygiene (and) Tropical Medicine, conducted an analysis involving 1,500 cot deaths and compared it with almost 4,500 controls. The analysis found that in a fifth of the cot deaths, one or both parents had slept with their baby at the time of death. Even in babies who had no other risk factors for sudden infant death ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/sharing-a-bed-with-newborn-baby-increases-risk-of-cot-death-significantly-119257-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/music-therapy-reduces-anxiety-for-icu-patients-119233-1.htm Music appears to ease anxiety of intensive care unit patients who have been placed on ventilators and also reduce the need for intravenous sedative and analgesic medications, says study. "Critically ill mechanically ventilated patients receive intravenous sedative and analgesic medications to reduce anxiety and promote comfort and ventilator synchrony," according to background information in the article. These potent medications are often administered at high doses for prolonged periods and are associated with various adverse effects....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/music-therapy-reduces-anxiety-for-icu-patients-119233-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/depression-can-be-treated-by-deep-brain-stimulation-119184-1.htm bDeep Brain Stimulation may be used to treat depression, reveal new studies/b. Deep Brain Stimulation is a technique in which a pacemaker-like device is used to activate specific areas through implanted electrodes. This is very useful in mitigating the neurological pathos of patients. Scientists have discovered the effectiveness of Deep Brain Stimulation in curing Alzheimer's, memory disorders and anorexia. bRecently researchers from the Bonn University of Germany have discovered ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/depression-can-be-treated-by-deep-brain-stimulation-119184-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/people-with-treatment-resistant-depression-benefit-significantly-with-ketamine-119149-1.htm The largest ketamine clinical trial to-date led by researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has revealed that patients with treatment-resistant major depression saw dramatic improvement in their illness after treatment with ketamine. The antidepressant benefits of ketamine were seen within 24 hours, whereas traditional antidepressants can take days or weeks to demonstrate a reduction in depression. The research will be discussed at the American Psychiatric Association ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/people-with-treatment-resistant-depression-benefit-significantly-with-ketamine-119149-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/heart-attack-patients-have-high-risk-of-death-or-hospital-admission-for-a-month-after-discharge-119088-1.htm A new study presented at the American Heart Association's Quality of Care and Outcomes Scientific Sessions 2013 reveals that the risk of death or re-admission among heart attack and heart failure patients remains high for at least a month after they leave the hospital. "The risks of death and re-hospitalization can extend well beyond 30 days after discharge, the time period used by the federal government for measuring hospital performance," said Kumar Dharmarajan, M.D., M.B.A., lead author ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/heart-attack-patients-have-high-risk-of-death-or-hospital-admission-for-a-month-after-discharge-119088-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/depression-increases-stroke-risk-among-middle-aged-women-119045-1.htm Researchers at University of Queensland in Australia have found that the risk of stroke increases among middle-aged women who suffer from depression. The researchers used data from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health which involved more than 10,500 stroke free women between 47 and 52 years of age who were questioned every three years between 1998 and 2010. The researchers also assessed whether the participants were suffering from depression by using the Center for Epidemiological ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/depression-increases-stroke-risk-among-middle-aged-women-119045-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/lowered-death-rates-in-refractory-angia-patients-119030-1.htm Physicians should focus on improving the quality of life of patients suffering from chronic chest pain, now that the death rates associated with it are low, an article suggests. Refractory angina patients endure ongoing chest pain despite optimal medical management and for them, standard revascularization techniques, such as surgery or stenting, is no longer an option. Traditionally, these are the patients with the most advanced coronary artery disease, frequently referred to as "no-option patients....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/lowered-death-rates-in-refractory-angia-patients-119030-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/brain-injury-ups-soldiers-suicide-risk-119018-1.htm Soldiers who suffer from repeated brain injury are at an increased risk of suicide, finds research. A survey of 161 military personnel who were stationed in Iraq and evaluated for a possible traumatic brain injury - also known as TBI - showed that the risk for suicidal thoughts or behaviors increased not only in the short term, as measured during the past 12 months, but during the individual's lifetime. The risk of suicidal thoughts increased significantly with the number of TBIs, ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/brain-injury-ups-soldiers-suicide-risk-119018-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/around-quarter-of-girls-without-fathers-during-childhood-develop-depression-during-teens-118977-1.htm Around one in four girls whose fathers are not with them during their early childhood years display symptoms of depression during their teenage years, a new study published in the journal Psychological Medicine reveals. Researchers at University of Bristol questioned around 5,630 youngsters who were part of the Children Of The 90s project, which involved over 20,000 children born in 1991 and 1992. The participants were asked whether they suffered from symptoms of depression, such as sadness, unworthiness ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/around-quarter-of-girls-without-fathers-during-childhood-develop-depression-during-teens-118977-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/research-routine-screening-for-depression-not-recommended-for-adults-with-no-apparent-symptoms-of-depression-118948-1.htm According to new evidence guidelines, for adults with no apparent symptoms of depression, routine screening is not recommended in primary care settings because of the lack of high-quality evidence on the benefits and harms of screening for depression. The evidence is from the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care (CTFPHC) published in iCMAJ/i (iCanadian Medical Association Journal/i). These guidelines mark a change in approach from the task force's 2005 guidelines, which ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/research-routine-screening-for-depression-not-recommended-for-adults-with-no-apparent-symptoms-of-depression-118948-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/clinical-depression-causes-erratic-behavior-in-genes-in-the-brain-118907-1.htm Researchers at University of Michigan in Ann Arbor have found that genes in our brain start to behave erratically and out of sync with the rest of the body, similar to being in a different time zone, when we suffer from clinical depression. The researchers analyzed the brains of people who died suddenly, due to heart attacks or car accidents, and found that while they were able to estimate the time of death of the individual by studying the genetic state of the brain, they were unable to do so among people who suffered from depression....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/clinical-depression-causes-erratic-behavior-in-genes-in-the-brain-118907-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/regulation-of-emotions-linked-to-severity-of-anxiety-118904-1.htm A new study published in the journal Emotion suggests that the chances of suffering from anxiety, and the severity of the condition, could be linked with how you manage to regulate your emotions during good and bad times. Researchers at University of Illinois asked a group of 179 men and women to fill out a series of questionnaires where they were asked about how they handled their emotions and how anxious they felt in certain situations. The researchers found that those who followed an emotional ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/regulation-of-emotions-linked-to-severity-of-anxiety-118904-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/kava-plant-may-offer-a-natural-remedy-for-anxiety-disorders-118901-1.htm The South Pacific kava plant is found to provide a natural remedy for treatment of anxiety, Australian scientists have revealed. Anxiety disorder- a state when a person worries abnormally and excessively- is known to affect many in Australia. Statistics show that nearly 14% of the population is affected by anxiety disorders. According to lead researcher Jerome Sarris, from University of Melbourne, Kava seems to offer a strong natural alternative for the treatment of chronic clinical anxiety with reduced risk for dependency....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/kava-plant-may-offer-a-natural-remedy-for-anxiety-disorders-118901-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/suicide-bill-approved-by-legislators-in-vermont-118895-1.htm A 'death with dignity' bill which will allow terminally ill patients to request euthanasia from their doctors has been approved by legislators in Vermont, United States. The liberal-minded New England state becomes the third in the United States, after Oregon and Washington, to allow assisted suicide -- but the first to do so by legislative process rather than a voter-initiated referendum. Governor Peter Shumlin, a Democrat, has declared that he will sign the End of Life Choice Bill, which ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/suicide-bill-approved-by-legislators-in-vermont-118895-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/environmental-pollution-may-play-a-role-in-suicide-118891-1.htm Environmental pollution too may play a role in triggering suicide, a new study by researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center reveals. Lead researcher John G. Spangler, M.D., M.P.H., a professor of family medicine at Wake Forest Baptist, looked specifically at the relationship between air pollution and emissions from coal-fired electricity plants. "This study raises interesting questions about suicide rates in counties where coal-fired electrical plants operate and suggests that the ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/environmental-pollution-may-play-a-role-in-suicide-118891-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/death-toll-rises-to-3-due-to-encephalitis-in-bihar-118771-1.htm Officials revealed that a six-month-old baby succumbed to a deadly mosquito-borne disease in Bihar, taking the toll from the disease to three in 2013, and 16 children have been admitted to hospitals in Muzaffarpur. Six-month-old Himanshu Kumar died of suspected Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES), at Sakra Referral Hospital, Muzaffarpur Civil Surgeon Gayan Bhusan said. The AES is a severe case of encephalitis characterised by inflammation of the brain. The mosquitoes transmit the infection causing high fever among the children....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/death-toll-rises-to-3-due-to-encephalitis-in-bihar-118771-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/link-between-chronic-pain-and-anxiety-identified-118745-1.htm Chronic pain sufferers should also be evaluated for anxiety disorders, say researchers. Lead author Kurt Kroenke, M.D., professor of medicine at Indiana University in Indianapolis, noted that health care providers are more aware of the common occurrence of depression in patients with chronic pain, and there has been less of an emphasis on anxiety. In the new study, researchers evaluated 250 primary care patients who were being treated at a Veterans Medical Center in the Midwest. All patients ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/link-between-chronic-pain-and-anxiety-identified-118745-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/study-key-protein-can-offer-fresh-cure-for-depression-118692-1.htm A new study has found that the identification of a key protein responsible for reducing the number of new brain cells can offer a fresh avenue for treating depression. Research at King's College London has revealed how stress hormones reduce the number of new brain cells - a process considered to be linked to depression. The researchers identified a key protein responsible for this process and successfully used a drug compound to block the effect, offering a potential new avenue for drug discovery and treatment....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/study-key-protein-can-offer-fresh-cure-for-depression-118692-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/meet-the-man-who-cheated-death-eight-times-in-less-than-a-year-118634-1.htm A 25-year old revealed that he may have beaten death eight times in less than a year as he overcame a fall, testicular cancer and MRSA. Matthew Hawksley's problems started when on a trip with his friends to Ireland. He dived off a high pier, not realizing that the depth of the water was just 3 feet and though he survived the jump, he suffered from shattered fifth vertebrae in his spine and suffered four heart attacks over the next half hour as his lungs filled with water. While in the hospital, ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/meet-the-man-who-cheated-death-eight-times-in-less-than-a-year-118634-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/death-toll-rises-to-31-in-china-118592-1.htm According to official figures, the death toll from the H7N9 bird flu outbreak in China has risen to 31, with four more people dying of the virus in China's eastern provinces. The number of people infected also increased to 129, official statistics showed, up two since Thursday. The four new deaths included two from Jiangsu province and one each from Zhejiang and Anhui, according to figures from China's Health and Family Planning Commission released late Monday. No further details on the deaths were revealed by the commission....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/death-toll-rises-to-31-in-china-118592-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/effect-of-optimal-oxygen-saturation-levels-on-death-in-preterm-infants-118583-1.htm Researchers performed a randomized trial to help resolve the uncertainty about the optimal oxygen saturation therapy in extremely preterm infants. They found that targeting saturations of 85 percent to 89 percent compared with 91 percent to 95 percent had no significant effect on the rate of death or disability at 18 months. This is according to a study published by iJAMA/i. The study is being released early online to coincide with its presentation at the Pediatric Academic Societies annual meeting....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/effect-of-optimal-oxygen-saturation-levels-on-death-in-preterm-infants-118583-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/women-with-mistimed-unwanted-pregnancies-more-likely-to-suffer-from-postpartum-depression-118567-1.htm Women with unintended pregnancy are four times more likely to suffer from postpartum depression at twelve months postpartum, reveals a new study published today (8 May) in iBJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology/i. The study, conducted at the University of North Carolina prenatal clinics questioned participants about pregnancy intention at 15-19 weeks gestational age, and women were classified as having an intended, mistimed or unwanted pregnancy. There were 433 women ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/women-with-mistimed-unwanted-pregnancies-more-likely-to-suffer-from-postpartum-depression-118567-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/study-confirms-link-between-intimate-partner-violence-and-depression-in-women-118558-1.htm A study by international researchers published in this week's iPLOS Medicine/i found that women who have experienced violence from their partner (intimate partner violence) are at higher risk of becoming depressed, and in addition to that, women who are depressed may also be at increased risk of experiencing intimate partner violence. Furthermore, there may also be a link between intimate partner violence and subsequent suicide among women, but little evidence to support a similar finding in men....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/study-confirms-link-between-intimate-partner-violence-and-depression-in-women-118558-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/mom-writes-an-online-blog-about-her-battle-with-cancer-before-her-death-118555-1.htm A 32 year old mother of two children has documented her battle with cancer in the form of an online blog so that her children can understand her struggle as well as remember her love for them even many years after her death. Katie Scarbrough, of Lichfield died after battling bowel cancer for a year. All through her treatment with the disease, she maintained an online diary. "I think about my kids having a future without their mum being around all the time. I want to see them as adults. I don't think I will....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/mom-writes-an-online-blog-about-her-battle-with-cancer-before-her-death-118555-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/nerve-stimulation-for-severe-depression-118549-1.htm In people who don't respond to standard antidepressant therapy, the use of electronic stimulator was shown to benefit depressed patients, say doctors. Now, preliminary brain scan studies conducted by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis are beginning to reveal the processes occurring in the brain during stimulation and may provide some clues about how the device improves depression. They found that vagus nerve stimulation brings about changes in brain metabolism ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/nerve-stimulation-for-severe-depression-118549-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/study-finds-over-diagnosis-and-over-treatment-of-depression-is-common-in-the-us-118489-1.htm According to a new study conducted at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Americans are over-diagnosed and over-treated for depression. The study examines adults with clinician-identified depression and individuals who experienced major depressive episodes within a 12-month period. It found that when assessed for major depressive episodes using a structured interview, only 38.4 percent of adults with clinician-identified depression met the 12-month criteria for depression, ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/study-finds-over-diagnosis-and-over-treatment-of-depression-is-common-in-the-us-118489-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/equal-death-rates-for-out-of-hours-emergencies-and-working-hours-emergencies-118349-1.htm A new research shows that children admitted to intensive care units in out-of-hours emergencies are not at a greater risk of dying as compared to children admitted during working hours. However, mortality rates are significantly higher in the winter, even after taking into account added health risks for children in the colder months. The study, published by researchers at the University of Leeds and the University of Leicester in the iJournal of Pediatrics/i, is the first large-scale ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/equal-death-rates-for-out-of-hours-emergencies-and-working-hours-emergencies-118349-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/suicide-among-american-adults-on-the-rise-118333-1.htm Suicide rates among US adults aged 35-64 are on the rise -- with more Americans now taking their lives than dying in car accidents, according to official statistics released Thursday. Motor vehicle accidents killed 33,687 people in 2010 -- well below the 38,364 who died from suicide in the same year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. The spike in suicides was seen exclusively among US adults aged 35-64, who saw a 28 percent rise over the last decade, the CDC added. And ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/suicide-among-american-adults-on-the-rise-118333-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/death-toll-from-the-h7n9-bird-flu-virus-has-risen-to-25-in-china-118324-1.htm The death toll from the H7N9 bird flu virus has risen to 25, state media said Thursday after a man died in central China's Hunan Province. The 55-year-old surnamed Jiao died on Wednesday morning after receiving medical treatment, state news agency Xinhua said, citing local authorities. More than 120 people have been diagnosed with the virus since it was first reported in late March, with most cases confined to eastern China. The only one reported outside the mainland has been in Taiwan, although that victim was infected in China....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/death-toll-from-the-h7n9-bird-flu-virus-has-risen-to-25-in-china-118324-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/major-upper-gi-bleed-linked-to-death-from-other-causes-118239-1.htm A study by UK researchers published in this week's iPLOS Medicine/i finds individuals who have experienced a major bleed from their stomach or oesophagus (known as an upper gastrointestinal bleed) may be more likely to die from other causes, particularly malignant tumours and cardiovascular disease, than those without an upper gastrointestinal bleed. These findings are important as they suggest that an upper gastrointestinal bleed may be either a cause or an indicator of a decline in a coinciding, serious medical condition....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/major-upper-gi-bleed-linked-to-death-from-other-causes-118239-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/quality-of-relationships-predicts-major-depression-risk-in-future-118226-1.htm University of Michigan researchers have shown in a new study how the mantra that quality is more important than quantity is true when considering how social relationships influence depression. After analyzing data from nearly 5,000 American adults, the researchers found that the quality of a person's relationships with a spouse, family and friends predicted the likelihood of major depression disorder in the future, regardless of how frequently their social interactions took place. Individuals ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/quality-of-relationships-predicts-major-depression-risk-in-future-118226-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/melatonin-delays-als-symptom-onset-and-death-in-mice-pitt-team-118217-1.htm According to a new study, melatonin injections delayed symptom onset and reduced mortality in a mouse model of the neurodegenerative condition amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's disease. The researchers are from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. In a report published online ahead of print in the journal iNeurobiology of Disease/i, the team revealed that receptors for melatonin are found in the nerve cells, a finding that could launch novel therapeutic approaches....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/melatonin-delays-als-symptom-onset-and-death-in-mice-pitt-team-118217-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/study-says-young-obesity-doubles-death-risk-before-55-118174-1.htm According to a recent study, men who are obese in their early 20s are twice to die before reaching the age of 55. Writing in the journal BMJ Open, a team of researchers reported on a 33-year study of 6,500 Danish men who were 22 years old in 1955. Of the group, 1.5 percent or 97 were obese when they registered -- which means they had a weight-to-height ratio (body mass index or BMI) of 30 or more, said the study authors. Most of the group, 83 percent or 5,407, were within the "normal" ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/study-says-young-obesity-doubles-death-risk-before-55-118174-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/link-between-depression-and-stroke-identified-118059-1.htm One-third of patients suffer depression following a stroke, finds recent study. Antidepressant medications known as SSRIs, such as fluoxetine (Prozac), sertraline (Zoloft), and escitalopram (Lexapro), are effective when given to stroke patients as a preventive measure, the physicians said. Murray Flaster, MD, PhD, who specializes in stroke care, and psychiatrists Aparna Sharma, MD, and Murali Rao, MD, who specialize in depression are authors of the study. Mental disorders are common after stroke....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/link-between-depression-and-stroke-identified-118059-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/complications-and-death-might-increase-on-usage-of-nitrous-oxide-for-anesthesia-118042-1.htm According to a pair of studies, giving nitrous oxide as part of general anesthesia for noncardiac surgery doesn't increase the rate of complications and death-and might even decrease the risk of such events. The studies can be found in the vMay issue of iAnesthesia (and) Analgesia/i, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS). /bBut an accompanying series of editorials points out some important limitations of the two studies-which can't completely overcome previous ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/complications-and-death-might-increase-on-usage-of-nitrous-oxide-for-anesthesia-118042-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/refusal-to-conduct-a-smear-test-for-being-too-young-results-in-death-of-a-24-year-old-117990-1.htm Becky Ryder was told she could not be screened before her 25th birthday and this resulted in a wrong diagnosis of her condition. Becky Ryder could not survive cancer due to a delayed diagnosis. She was refused a smear test earlier citing her young age as a reason. She was told that the test could not be conducted before her 25th birthday. She had gone to her GP with complaints of bleeding in October 2011. Her doctor informed her that the smear test could not be conducted as she was below the age of 25....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/refusal-to-conduct-a-smear-test-for-being-too-young-results-in-death-of-a-24-year-old-117990-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/depression-leads-to-heart-disease-and-vice-versa-researcher-117977-1.htm A researcher has identified factors in the brain that distinguish susceptibility and resiliency to depression and heart disease comorbidity. The researchers is from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. The finding would be a major advance in predicting, preventing and treating these disorders. Depression is the leading cause of disability with more than 350 million people globally affected by this disease. In addition to debilitating consequences on mental health, depression predisposes ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/depression-leads-to-heart-disease-and-vice-versa-researcher-117977-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/combination-of-slimming-drug-and-antidepressant-may-have-caused-death-of-university-student-117815-1.htm An inquest into the death of a 23-year old university student in England revealed that she might have died after taking a combination of a slimming drug and an anti-depressant. Sarah Houston, who was studying in Leeds University, was found dead in her bedroom by her flatmate last September. She had reportedly refused to call an ambulance after feeling unwell and was secretly taking Dinitrophenol (DNP) in combination with a prescription anti-depressant. The inquest heard that Sarah had taken 38 ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/combination-of-slimming-drug-and-antidepressant-may-have-caused-death-of-university-student-117815-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/study-explores-learned-helplessness-in-flies-and-the-roots-of-depression-117796-1.htm When faced with impossible circumstances beyond their control, animals, including humans, often hunker down. While doing this they develop sleep or eating disorders, ulcers, and other physical manifestations of depression. Now, researchers reporting in the Cell Press journal iCurrent Biology/i on April 18 show that the same kind of thing happens to flies. The study is a step toward understanding the biological basis for depression and presents a new way for testing antidepressant drugs, the researchers say....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/study-explores-learned-helplessness-in-flies-and-the-roots-of-depression-117796-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/in-kidney-disease-patients-slow-walking-speed-linked-to-premature-death-117780-1.htm Patients with kidney disease who have slower walking speed on physical performance tests seem to be more burdened by their disease than patients who perform well on lower extremity physical performance tests. This is according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the iJournal of the American Society of c/i (iJASN/i). Highlights ulliIn patients with chronic kidney disease, measures of lower extremity performance were at least 30% lower than predicted, but handgrip strength was relatively preserved....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/in-kidney-disease-patients-slow-walking-speed-linked-to-premature-death-117780-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/rates-of-sudden-cardiac-death-in-athletes-could-be-reduced-with-the-help-of-new-training-package-117538-1.htm There has only been slow progress on curbing the leading killer of athletes sudden cardiac death, despite spotting heart problems early. But the development of a series of online tutorials for sports and cardiology doctors looks set to reverse this trend. The tutorials, which are free to any doctor around the globe, thanks to the backing of the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM) and FIFA, aim to teach physicians how to read heart monitor tracings (ECGs) and spot abnormalities linked to potentially fatal disorders....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/rates-of-sudden-cardiac-death-in-athletes-could-be-reduced-with-the-help-of-new-training-package-117538-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/study-links-c-peptide-levels-to-death-and-heart-disease-in-nondiabetic-adults-117523-1.htm According to a large study published in iCMAJ/i (iCanadian Medical Association Journal/i) high blood levels of the serum C-peptide are linked to heart disease and death in people without diabetes. Researchers looked at data from the Third Nutrition and Health Examination Survey (NHANES III) and the NHANES III Linked Mortality File to determine the link between C-peptide levels and death from all causes as well as from heart disease. They looked at mortality data on 5902 adults aged ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/study-links-c-peptide-levels-to-death-and-heart-disease-in-nondiabetic-adults-117523-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/bird-flu-death-toll-hits-16-in-china-117490-1.htm H7N9 bird flu outbreak has claimed two more lives in Shanghai, Chinese state media confirmed on Tuesday, bringing the death toll from bird flu to 16 in China. China has confirmed 77 human cases of H7N9 avian influenza since announcing two weeks ago that it had found the strain in people for the first time. The new strain of the flu had been confined to the eastern city of Shanghai and nearby Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Anhui until Saturday when the first case was reported in Beijing. It has ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/bird-flu-death-toll-hits-16-in-china-117490-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/high-resting-heart-rate-linked-to-early-death-even-among-physically-fit-people-117462-1.htm A new study conducted by Danish researchers reveals that a high resting heart rate could be a sign of early death, even among physically fit and healthy people. Researchers from Copenhagen University Hospital followed over 3,000 middle aged people over a period of 16 years, from 1985 to 2001. At the end of the study period, the researchers found that around 40 percent of the participants had died. The researchers found that even an increase of ten and 22 beats a minute increased the risk of premature death by 16 percent....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/high-resting-heart-rate-linked-to-early-death-even-among-physically-fit-people-117462-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/western-style-diet-leads-to-early-death-117446-1.htm Sticking to Western-style diet (fried and sweet food, processed and red meat, refined grains, and high-fat dairy products) could lead people to age poorly and die earlier, say researchers. "The impact of diet on specific age-related diseases has been studied extensively, but few investigations have adopted a more holistic approach to determine the association of diet with overall health at older ages," lead investigator Tasnime Akbaraly, PhD, Inserm, Montpellier, France said. "We ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/western-style-diet-leads-to-early-death-117446-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/the-story-of-people-who-pursue-death-with-dignity-117306-1.htm Most of the 255 Washington residents who received a prescription for lethal medication by the end of 2011, to end their lives under the state's Death with Dignity Act had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Of those, 40 were patients at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, part of the Pacific Northwest's only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. Because several states are considering similar Death with Dignity laws, and because such legislation disproportionately affects ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/the-story-of-people-who-pursue-death-with-dignity-117306-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/implanting-pacemakers-in-brains-of-patients-effective-in-treating-depression-117258-1.htm Researchers in Germany have found success in treating patients with depression by implanting pacemakers in their brains. Researchers from the Bonn University Hospital implanted pacemaker electrodes into the medial forebrain bundle in the brains of patients suffering from major depression. In six out of seven patients, symptoms improved both considerably and rapidly. The method of Deep Brain Stimulation had already been tested on various structures within the brain, but with clearly lesser effect....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/implanting-pacemakers-in-brains-of-patients-effective-in-treating-depression-117258-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/genetic-mutation-increases-risk-of-death-for-thyroid-cancer-patients-117182-1.htm BRAF V600E genetic mutation is associated with a higher cancer-related death among patients with papillary thyroid cancer (PTC), finds study published in JAMA. "Papillary thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine malignancy and accounts for 85 percent to 90 percent of all thyroid cancers," according to background information in the article. "The overall 5-year patient survival rate for PTC is 95 percent to 97 percent. A major clinical challenge is how to reliably distinguish patients ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/genetic-mutation-increases-risk-of-death-for-thyroid-cancer-patients-117182-1.htm