Home  About us  Contact
 

Fourth Leading Cause (fourth + leading_cause)

Distribution by Scientific Domains
Medical Sciences100%

Selected Abstracts

Pulsed Signal Therapy® for the treatment of musculoskeletal conditions: a millennium paradigm

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RHEUMATIC DISEASES, Issue 3 2004
Richard MARKOLL
Abstract Reports and reviews from various sources, including the World Health Organization and United Nations Population Division, confirm the general increasing trend in the ageing population groups worldwide. There are over 150 types of musculoskeletal conditions, with rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, low back pain and limb trauma, accounting for the greatest impact on the population at large. Osteoarthritis (OA) is predicted to become the fourth leading cause of disability by the year 2020. The most common medication prescribed for OA is non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). These have long been associated with numerous adverse effects, are costly and short-term in their ,therapeutic' effect. Pulsed Signal Therapy® (PSTÔ) is an innovative treatment modality for musculoskeletal conditions. It has been commercially available since 1992, is currently employed in at least 800 clinics and/or medical institutes, and to-date, no adverse effects have been reported. Furthermore, it is non-invasive, non-pharmacological, painless, with long-term follow-up, and sustained efficacy. When connective tissue is injured and physiological signalling is disturbed or absent, PSTÔ, as the external, biophysical signal (stimulus) of physiological energy parameters and waveform, passively induces ,fluid flow' in the injured area, creating ,streaming potentials', that induce biophysical-biochemical coupling, subsequent signal transduction, to activate repair and regenerative processes. In doing so, it restores the innate, physiological signalling to enable these regenerative and repair processes to continue naturally. [source]

Burden of stroke in Singapore

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF STROKE, Issue 1 2008
N. Venketasubramanian
Stroke is Singapore's fourth leading cause of death, with a crude death rate of 40·4/100 000 in 2006, a prevalence of 3·65% and an incidence of 1·8/1000, and is among the top 10 causes of hospitalization. Approximately one-quarter of strokes are hemorrhagic. Hospital care for acute stroke costs about US$5000. Subsidized healthcare is widely available for primary level and hospital care, as are rehabilitative services. A national stroke support group has been established. With our rapidly aging population, coupled with the high prevalence of stroke risk factors in the community, the burden of stroke is expected to increase dramatically in the years to come, posing challenges to the healthcare system and society. A national disease management plan incorporating high-quality clinical care coupled with research would be essential. [source]

Overexpression of synuclein-, in pancreatic adenocarcinoma

CANCER, Issue 1 2004
Zhongkui Li Ph.D.
Abstract BACKGROUND Currently, pancreatic adenocarcinoma is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States. Despite the advances in pancreatic carcinoma research, patients with this devastating disease have a very poor prognosis. To identify the gene expression profile of pancreatic carcinoma, an important step in the process of developing new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies, the authors investigated the alteration of gene expression in this disease. METHODS The authors analyzed a public serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE) database and examined in greater detail the expression of synuclein-, mRNA in several pancreatic carcinoma cell lines and tumor tissue samples by reverse transcriptase,polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis and Northern blot analysis. The expression of synuclein-, protein was investigated further by immunohistochemical and Western blot analyses using tumor cell lines, tumor tissue, and serum samples. RESULTS Synuclein-, mRNA was overexpressed in 11 of 12 pancreatic carcinoma cell lines, including AsPc-1, MDAPanc28, Capan-1, Capan-2, PANC-1, HS766T, MDAPanc3, MDAPanc48, Colo357FG, MiaPaCa2, CFPac1, and BxPc3. The expression of synuclein-, protein was detectable in 8 of 12 pancreatic carcinoma cell lines (67%) and in 22 of 32 pancreatic tumor tissue samples (69%) by Western blot analysis. On immunohistochemical staining, synuclein-, protein was present in 61% of the tumor tissue samples examined from patients with Stage I and II pancreatic carcinoma. The overexpression of synuclein-, is correlated with perineural and lymph node invasion. Synuclein-, protein also was detectable by Western blot in serum samples from 21 of 56 patients (38%) with pancreatic carcinoma. CONCLUSIONS Synuclein-,, which initially was described as a breast carcinoma,specific gene involved in invasion, metastasis, and chemotherapy resistance, was frequently overexpressed in pancreatic carcinoma. Overexpression of synuclein-, may play a role in pancreatic carcinoma invasion. Further studies will be necessary to determine the role of synuclein-, in pancreatic carcinoma. Cancer 2004. © 2004 American Cancer Society. [source]

Suicidal Behavior in Children Younger than Twelve: A Diagnostic Challenge for Emergency Department Personnel

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 9 2007
Carl L. Tishler PhD
Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in children younger than 12 years and is the fourth leading cause of death in 12 year olds. Increasing numbers of young children now present to the emergency department (ED) with mental health issues, and ED personnel must determine the most appropriate disposition options for these children, sometimes without the assistance of specialty mental health services. Much of the present body of literature describing suicidality fails to separate children from adolescents for analysis and discussion. This article reviews relevant literature pertaining to suicidal thoughts and behaviors in young children and discusses problems with available data, as well as epidemiology, risk factors, typical motivations, methods, assessment, and disposition for these patients. Suicidal children younger than 12 years are often clinically different from suicidal adolescents and adults and may require unique assessment and disposition strategies in the ED. A child who has ideation without a clear plan, or has made an attempt of low lethality, can sometimes be discharged home, provided that a supportive, responsible caregiver is willing to monitor the child and take him or her to outpatient mental health appointments. If the home environment is detrimental, or the child has used a method of high potential lethality, inpatient treatment is the most appropriate course of action. Mental health specialty services, when available, should be used to help determine the most appropriate disposition. [source]