World Trade Center workers at increased risk of developing autoimmune diseases
2015-03-16
(Press-News.org) A new study has found a strong link between prolonged work at the World Trade Center (WTC) site following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 and the development of various autoimmune diseases including arthritis and lupus.
The risk of developing an autoimmune disease over the next decade increased by about 13% for each month worked at the site. Investigators estimate that individuals worked 10 months at the site were more than 3-times as likely to develop an autoimmune disease than those who worked there for 1 month.
"We believe that this is the first study to demonstrate that prolonged WTC-exposure is an important predictor of post-9/11 systemic autoimmune diseases," said Dr. Mayris Webber, lead author of the Arthritis & Rheumatology study. "It is our hope that increased awareness of this association can lead to earlier diagnosis and treatment."
INFORMATION:
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
2015-03-16
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, is characterized by a state of inflammation. A new Respirology study has identified certain inflammatory markers that can be used to predict which patients are at the highest risk of dying prematurely.
In a national sample of 1144 US adults who were followed from 1988 to 2006, those with obstructive lung function had higher levels of white blood cell count and fibrinogen as well as a higher percentage of elevated C-reactive protein than participants with normal lung function. White blood cell count and concentrations of ...
2015-03-16
Research suggests that the ratio of the lengths of the index finger and the ring finger in males may be predictive of a variety of disorders related to disturbed hormonal balance. When the index finger is shorter than the ring finger, this results in a small 2D:4D ratio, pointing to a high exposure to testosterone in the uterus.
In a new study of 103 male patients diagnosed with schizophrenia and 100 matched healthy male individuals, investigators found that the 2D:4D ratio may be an effective predictor of schizophrenia--there were significant differences between schizophrenia ...
2015-03-16
Heterothermy, the ability of some animals to lower their metabolism and body temperature, is traditionally seen as an effective adaptation to predictable seasonal bottlenecks of unproductive cold periods. A new review suggests that the use of heterothermy may have been used as a response to acute emergency situations in animals that colonized Madagascar.
Land mammals from Africa may have colonized Madagascar by rafting on drifting vegetation, and heterothermy may have facilitated survival on rafts and after colonization. Furthermore, delayed childbirth and prolonged sperm ...
2015-03-16
In a study of 171 women, those who obtained more sleep on a given night experienced greater sexual desire the next day. Reflecting sleep's impact on sexual desire, each additional hour of sleep increased the likelihood of sexual activity with a partner by 14%. Sleep was also important for genital arousal, such that women who slept longer on average experienced fewer problems with vaginal arousal than women who obtained less sleep.
"The influence of sleep on sexual desire and arousal has received little attention in the field, but these findings indicate that insufficient ...
2015-03-16
Some children and adults are allergic to nickel and develop rashes when they come in contact with it. They also may react to foods--including peanuts, chocolate, oats, and processed American cheese--that contain a significant amount of nickel.
A new Pediatric Dermatology study presents 4 clinical cases of hypersensitivity in children due to chocolate consumption at Easter. They all developed dermatitis flares approximately 48 to 96 hours after the holiday and admitted to binging on chocolate during their Easter Egg hunts.
INFORMATION: ...
2015-03-16
MAYWOOD, Ill. (March 16, 2015) - A minimally invasive spinal fusion back surgery results in less blood loss, less postoperative pain, smaller incisions, a shorter hospital stay and faster recovery and return to work.
Rather than cutting through paraspinal (back) muscles, the surgeon spreads and dilates the muscles to obtain access to the lumbar (lower back) spine. One such operation is called a minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MIS TLIF).
It's a complex procedure with a steep learning curve, said Loyola University Medical Center spine surgeon ...
2015-03-16
Researchers have identified genes that may be involved in determining whether an individual is sensitive or resistant to rabies virus infection.
Through a screening method involving mouse embryonic stem cells, the investigators uncovered 63 genes, some with roles in the immune response, that represent potential targets for prevention or treatment. The wide variety of functions of the genes that were identified points to numerous interactions between the host and the virus at all stages of infection.
"Our study is the first to show that libraries of mutant stem cells ...
2015-03-16
Ecotourism has motivated efforts to reintroduce lions to landscapes where they were not previously common. A new analysis conducted after 4 lions were reintroduced into the fenced Tembe Elephant Park, South Africa, reveals that lions might compete with humans in winter, spring, and autumn and with endemic herbivores in all seasons but winter.
Despite the use of fencing to limit conflicts, communities that reintroduce carnivores continually balance the rewards associated with ecotourism and the risks to human safety and species conservation. The findings are published ...
2015-03-16
Contrary to common public perception, Canadian taxpayers could save billions by the introduction of a universal public drug plan to provide prescriptions to all Canadians, according to new research published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).
Canada is the only developed country with universal health insurance that does not also offer universal prescription drug coverage.
"A long-time barrier to the implementation of universal prescription drug coverage in Canada has been the perception that it would necessitate substantial tax increases," writes Dr. Steven ...
2015-03-16
Canada could save $7.3 billion annually with universal public coverage of medically necessary prescription drugs.
Canada is the only developed country with a universal health care system that does not include prescription drug coverage.
New research from the University of British Columbia and University of Toronto, published today in the Canadian Medical Association Journal , shows that universal public drug coverage, also known as universal pharmacare, is within reach for Canada even in times of government fiscal constraint.
"It's a win-win," said Steve Morgan, ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
[Press-News.org] World Trade Center workers at increased risk of developing autoimmune diseases
