| |
Editorial |
|
e- SQUARE-
Readers' Choice
|
|
Dear Doctor:
Hope you are enjoying "e-SQUARE". In this
issue we are focusing on Caffeine
& BP, New
Gene!,
Brain
infracts & Dementia,
Heart
Problems Marker!, New
Vaccine!,
Nutrient
& Malaria.
Please send your feedback on our
information service to you. Click on to your reply mode.
Wish you all a happy, healthy
and prosperous life.
Yours sincerely,
Editorial Team
The views expressed in this
publication do not necessarily reflect those of its editor or
SQUARE PHARMACEUTICALS
LTD.
|
| |
Caffeine
& BP |
|
Caffeine's
effect on blood pressure
Back to
Feature |
|
The
caffeine may cause a jump in blood pressure - a particular
problem in people who already have high blood pressure. In the
study, caffeine quickly increased the stiffness of the large
arteries in people with high blood pressure. Researchers tested
the effects of caffeine on the major arteries of 10 people who
were being treated for high blood pressure and were an average
of 62 years old. On alternate days, the participants were
given either a pill containing 250 mg of caffeine (the
equivalent of 2-3 cups of coffee) or a placebo. Thirty minutes
after the caffeine was given there was a big jump in the
stiffness of their arteries. The effect peaked after 60
minutes and remained significant for at least three hours.
This led to an 11-point jump in systolic blood pressure and an
8-point jump in diastolic blood pressure. Researchers say this
finding is only preliminary and more research is needed to
determine exactly how caffeine intake may influence blood
pressure as well as determine who's at risk.
Source:
WebMD | |
| |
New
Gene! |
|
New
breast cancer gene
Back to
Features |
|
Science
have discovered a new gene that is expressed at abnormally
high levels in nearly 50% of the breast cancer specimens they
examined and similarly over expressed in a large proportion of
lung cancers (35%). The discovery of the gene, called KCNK9,
is significant for several reasons.
1.
KCNK9 reveals a previously unrecognized mechanism for oncogene
action (namely, potassium channels).
2.
KCNK9 is an attractive target for the development of novel
cancer therapies.
3.
The experimental overproduction of KCNK9 promotes tumor
formation in controlled functional tests. This finding
supports the notion that the over expression of KCNK9 observed
in breast and lung tumor biopsies plays a bona fide role in
these cancers.
The
study is also significant because it focused on sporadic or
non-heritable forms of breast cancer. Sporadic disease
accounts for greater than 90% of all breast and other cancers
in contrast to heritable forms of cancer, which account for a
relatively small percentage of the disease.
Source:
Eureka Alert 2003 | |
| |
Brain
Infarcts & Dementia |
|
Silent
brain infarcts linked to dementia
Back to
Features |
|
A
new study shows people who suffer so called "silent"
brain infarcts have more than double the risk of developing
dementia. Researchers believe it will eventually impact one in
four 55 year olds and the risk is expected to increase as life
expectancy rises. Studies show vascular problems such as
stroke play a role in the development of dementia and doctors
have suspected minor, or "silent" strokes also put
people at increased risk. Since these silent events appear on
MRIs, these researchers studied a large group of people ages
60 to 90 to determine how silent infarcts impact memory and
ability over time. Researchers found those with evidence of
silent brain infarcts on their first MRI were twice as likely
as those without such evidence to develop signs of dementia
during the follow up. Subjects who demonstrated additional
silent infarcts at the second MRI were more likely to show an
increasing decline in cognitive function. Researchers believe
the presence of silent infarcts on MRIs can be used to help
identify people at increased risk for dementia.
Source
: New England Journal of Medicine, 2003;348:1215-1220
| |
|
|
Heart
Problems Marker! |
|
Marker
for acute heart problems
Back to
Features |
|
A
new marker, called soluble CD40 ligand, helps identify
patients who are at high risk for cardiac events. Acute heart
attack is commonly diagnosed by measuring markers for cardiac
cellular death. These markers fail to give additional
information about coronary artery plaque disruption or
platelet activation, a central event in the formation of
thrombus, which causes most unstable coronary syndromes.
Markers for platelet activation could be used to identify
disease activity before cardiac cell death occurs, thereby
allowing physicians to better plan diagnostic procedures and
therapy before a heart attack occurs. CD40 ligand is a protein
important in the inflammatory processes that lead to thrombus
formation and atherosclerosis, which occurs when the coronary
arteries become narrow due to arterial plaques forming on the
vessel lining. The authors found elevated levels of soluble
CD40 ligand identify patients with an increased risk of
thrombosis. These patients were effectively protected from
cardiac events by administering therapy when compared to a
control group.
Source:
New England Journal of Medicine, 2003;348:1104-1109
| |
|
|
New
Vaccine! |
|
"Meningitis
A" vaccine hope Back to
Features |
|
Scientists
plan to start clinical trials of their vaccine within the next
year. Meningitis is one of the world's most dreaded infectious
diseases. Even with antibiotic treatment, at least 10% of
patients die with another 10 to 20% left with permanent
problems, such as mental retardation, deafness or epilepsy.
Early tests suggest it can provide long lasting protection
against the A strain of the disease. While a vaccine exists
for this strain, it is not effective in young children - the
group most at risk and only lasts for three years in adults.
Clinical trials for the new vaccine could start as early
as 2004 and the new vaccine could be ready for wide use within
the next four to five years.
Source:
BBC
health
|
|
|
Nutrient
& Malaria |
|
Nutrient
prevent deadly malaria
Back to
Feature |
|
Researchers
said a nutrient produced naturally in the body and found in
some foods could be a potential new treatment for malaria.
Researchers studied 75 children and discovered that those with
the lowest levels of the nutrient arginine suffered the most
severe effects of malaria. They believe that combining
arginine, with anti-malaria drugs could be more effective way
of combating the mosquito-borne diseases. Arginine may have
potential as a complementary drug to augment existing
anti-malaria drugs and to prevent complications from malaria.
Arginine, an amino acid is found in nuts and rice. It boosts
nitric oxide, a chemical that relaxes blood vessels and
promotes blood flow by keeping arteries flexible and which can
kill also parasites. The researchers believe higher levels of
arginine and nitric oxide could increase blood flow and stop
blood cells infected with the parasite from sticking to the
lining of blood vessels.
Source:
Reuters Health 2003-02-21
| |
|