How NOT to have an autoimmune condition
Autoimmune conditions are becoming increasingly common. Estimates vary, but it appears that at least 8-9% of the population in North America and Western Europe have one of these conditions, with The American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association estimating a higher value of 14%. They are conditions that involve an abnormal immune response directed against one or more organs of the body. If the misguided attack is against the thyroid gland, it can result in Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. If it is directed against pancreatic beta cells that produce insulin, it can result in type 1 diabetes or latent autoimmune diabetes o...
Source: Wheat Belly Blog - January 16, 2015 Category: Cardiology Authors: Dr. Davis Tags: Wheat Belly Lifestyle autoimmunity colitis gluten-free grains lupus rheumatoid thyroiditis Source Type: blogs
How do you say "biosimilar quality" in Hindi?
At the same time that regulators in France, Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg are suspending the marketing approval of 25 generic drugs due to concerns over the quality of data from clinical trials conducted by India's GVK Biosciences, another Indian firm, Zydus Cadila, has launched a biosimilar of Adalimumab (an anti-TNF-α monoclonal antibody, which is approved in many countries for the treatment of inflammatory diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, plaque psoriasis, polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.) Bad timing and, perhaps...
Source: drugwonks.com Blog - December 10, 2014 Category: Pharmaceuticals Source Type: blogs
Top stories in health and medicine, December 9, 2014
From MedPage Today:
Ankylosing Spondylitis: More Than Just the Spine. Extra-articular disease manifestations that can have substantial impact on quality of life are common among patients with ankylosing spondylitis.
Does Flu Vaccine Reduce Kids’ ED Visits? The CDC recently announced it expects a more severe flu season this year, but a study in the January issue of Pediatrics was unable to find a correlation between influenza vaccination rates for children under 5 years old and a decline in children hospitalized for influenza-related illness.
Benefits Pile Up for Epilepsy Surgery. For most patients with drug-refract...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - December 9, 2014 Category: Journals (General) Authors: MedPage Today Tags: News Infectious disease Neurology Rheumatology Source Type: blogs
Top stories in health and medicine, November 26, 2014
From MedPage Today:
USPSTF: Routine Vitamin D Screening Unsupported. There is not enough evidence that vitamin D screening is beneficial in routine practice and therefore it can’t be recommended, according to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.
SLE Patients See Good Outcomes in Blood Cancers. Risk of hematologic malignancy may be increased in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus compared with the general population, but outcomes with these cancers are about the same.
Long-term Benefit With Stem-Cell Transplant in Scleroderma. Patients with rapidly progressing systemic sclerosis (SSc) showed sustained ben...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - November 26, 2014 Category: Journals (General) Authors: MedPage Today Tags: News Cancer Endocrinology Rheumatology Source Type: blogs
Top stories in health and medicine, November 20, 2014
From MedPage Today:
No Benefit to CABG, Mitral Valve Repair Combo. A year after coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) and mitral valve repair, patients with moderate ischemic mitral regurgitation did not seem to benefit from having the two procedures versus having only CABG.
Watchman Proves Long-Term Mettle in AFib. Left atrial appendage closure in atrial fibrillation patients using the Watchman device bested warfarin therapy for preventing the combined outcomes of stroke, systemic embolism, and cardiovascular death.
A Role for the Microbiome for Arthritis in Kids?. Children who were exposed to antibiotics had an i...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - November 20, 2014 Category: Journals (General) Authors: MedPage Today Tags: News Heart Neurology Source Type: blogs
Aortic Regurgitation
Aortic regurgitation is a disease of the aortic valve
Pathophysiology
1) progressive deterioration of aortic valve or aortic root
2) allows blood to leak back into left ventricle during diastole
3) results in chronic left ventricle volume overload and left ventricular hypertrophy
Causes of aortic regurgitation
4) chronic rheumatic heart disease (most common)
5) infective endocarditis
6) Marfan’s disease
7) ankylosing spondylitis
8) congenital subaortic membranous stenosis
9) condition is well tolerated until late in course
Signs and Symptoms
1) high-pitched decrescendo blowing murmur in diastole best heard at third l...
Source: Inside Surgery - February 6, 2014 Category: Surgeons Authors: Editor Tags: Cardiology aortic valve replacement Corrigan's pulse exertional dyspnea left ventricular hypertrophy Musset's sign rheumatic heart disease Source Type: blogs
Gliadin: The Universal Human Poison
Autoimmunity is the process describing an immune response waged against our own organs. The complex collection of mechanisms consisting of T and B lymphocytes, antibodies, and others, meant to provide protection against viruses, bacteria, and other body invaders, is misdirected against proteins of the body’s organs, such as liver, pancreas, thyroid, or brain. Autoimmune conditions now affect 8% of the American population–it is increasingly looking like diseases of autoimmunity are out of control.
Dr Alessio Fasano was recently awarded the Linus Pauling Award, the highest award from the Institute for Functional...
Source: Wheat Belly Blog - October 7, 2013 Category: Cardiology Authors: Dr. Davis Tags: Autoimmunity Gliadin Source Type: blogs
A Watershed For Biosimliars: EU Recommends Copies Of Remicade
In a defining moment for the advent of biosimilars, European regulators have recommended two versions of the Remicade blockbuster injectable treatment, marking the first time that such an endorsement has been issued for monoclonal antibodies.
The recommendation by the European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use was given to biosimilars from South Korea’s Celltrion and Hospira for the same indications granted Remicade – a range of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis and psoriasis (here is the...
Source: Pharmalot - June 28, 2013 Category: Pharma Commentators Authors: esilverman Source Type: blogs
Six ways Big Pharma manipulates consumers - Salon
This article originally appeared on AlterNet.
The blockbuster pill profit party is over for Big Pharma. Bestselling pills like Lipitor, Seroquel, Zyprexa, Singular and Concerta have gone off patent and sites which their ads sustained are withering on the vine. WebMD, for example, the voice of Pharma on the Web, with a former Pfizer exec serving as CEO, announced it would cut 250 positions in December.
But don’t worry, Wall Street. Pharma isn’t going to deliver disappointing earnings just because it has little or no new drugs coming online and has failed at the very reason for its existence. Here are six new Pharma ma...
Source: PharmaGossip - April 28, 2013 Category: Pharma Commentators Authors: insider Source Type: blogs
USMLE Questions – Characteristic Disease Findings
The United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) is designed to emphasize knowledge of clinical scenarios and clinical pearls, even on Step I. Listed below are some commonly encountered disease findings and characteristics.
Feature
Disease
45, X chromosome
Turner’s syndrome
5-HIAA increased in urine
Carcinoid syndrome
Aganglionic rectum
Hirschsrpung’s disease
Apple-core sign on barium enema
Colon cancer
Arched back (opisthotonos)
Tetanus
Argyll-Robertson pupil
Syphilis
Ash leaf on forehead
Tuberous sclerosis
Auer rods
Acute myelogenous leukemia
Austin Flint murmur
Aortic regurgitation...
Source: Inside Surgery - January 18, 2013 Category: Surgeons Authors: Editor Tags: Surgpedia USMLE diseases findings VMA water hammer pulse Source Type: blogs
Note to Self: Just Breathe
Autoimmune diseases, specifically Ankylosing Spondylitis, affect all parts of the human body, one being the lungs. Breathing exercises, if done properly, promote optimal health and mental healing.Contributor: Joyce LameirePublished: Jan 15, 2013 (Source: Most Recent Health Wellness - Associated Content)
Source: Most Recent Health Wellness - Associated Content - January 15, 2013 Category: Other Conditions Source Type: blogs
