The Cutting Edge of Medical Technology Content, Community & Collaboration
A cure for spinal cord injury? Diabetes? Macular degeneration? Hope or just hype?
There are now some clinical trials using embryonic stem cells to treat serious diseases for which no other good therapy is currently available. But this is just the beginning of a major medical megatrend that will blossom forth in the coming years.
Embryonic stem cells are present after a fertilized egg divides for two or three days. They have the seemingly miraculous ability to turn into…
ContinueAdded by Stephen C Schimpff on August 28, 2012 at 11:19am — No Comments
For a parent of a child with cystic fibrosis, a new drug that could eradicate symptoms could be a God send. The same could be said of a parent of child with Angelman’s syndrome. For a patient with lung cancer, a drug that is more than marginally effective would be wonderful. And for a person with early Alzheimer’s or their loved ones, a drug that might actually reverse the disease would be incredible.
New drugs are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regularly.…
ContinueAdded by Stephen C Schimpff on March 18, 2012 at 5:22pm — No Comments
The mitral valve separates the heart’s left atrium from the left ventricle. When the ventricle contracts to send blood to the aorta and out to the body, the mitral valve closes to prevent blood rushing backward into the atrium and back to the lungs. The mitral valve can become stiff and tight, called stenosis or it can become unable to close tightly, called regurgitation. Once the regurgitation becomes sufficiently severe to cause heart failure, the death rate reaches about 5% per year. Most…
ContinueAdded by Stephen C Schimpff on April 20, 2011 at 5:16pm — No Comments
It is currently popular for government officials to single out the insurance companies for the rising cost of healthcare. Not that the insurers are without fault but the real reasons for cost increases are rarely addressed and therefore not appreciated. We are a country with an aging population (“old parts wear out”) and of many adverse behaviors (e.g., overweight, sedentary lifestyle, stress and 20% still smoke.) Combined, these are driving a rapid increase in chronic diseases such as…
ContinueAdded by Stephen C Schimpff on March 27, 2011 at 8:45am — No Comments
Diabetes mellitus is the most common cause of kidney failure that progresses to end stage renal disease (ESRD,) meaning that the person requires dialysis or kidney transplant. ESRD is chronic and life long, is complicated to treat, has a major negative effect on quality of life and the costs are high.
So it was good news when the Centers of Disease Control reported that the incidence of ESRD among diabetics had declined by…
ContinueAdded by Stephen C Schimpff on January 18, 2011 at 3:23pm — No Comments
Added by Stephen C Schimpff on October 26, 2010 at 1:05pm — No Comments
Added by Stephen C Schimpff on June 24, 2010 at 5:36pm — 3 Comments
Added by Stephen C Schimpff on June 10, 2010 at 4:26pm — No Comments
© 2024 Created by CC-Conrad Clyburn-MedForeSight. Powered by