ΥΓΕΙΑ health

Maria Dalamagka  New research published in the Annals of Oncology (Oxford University Press, Oxford Journals) concludes that acupuncture is effective for relieving dry mouth caused by cancer radiation therapy. A sample size of 145 patients with chronic radiation induced xerostomia, dry mouth, was studied in a randomized investigation of acupuncture treatments compared with oral care education. The researchers noted that acupuncture was superior to oral care and produced pronounced and clinically significant results. The researchers documented that acupuncture significantly reduced severe dry mouth, reduced issues of sticky saliva and reduced the need for patients to sip fluids to swallow food. Acupuncture also significantly reduced the need to wake up at night to drink. The researchers concluded that eight acupuncture treatments performed at a rate of one per week was superior to oral care education for the relief of xerostomia induced by cancer radiation therapy. I...

Simon S. M. Ng, Wing Wa Leung, Tony W. C. Mak, Sophie S. F. Hon, Jimmy C. M. Li, Cherry Y. N. Wong, Kelvin K. F. Tsoi, and Janet F. Y. Lee (Gastroenterology. 2013;144(2):307-313). Abstract Background & aims: We investigated the efficacy of electroacupuncture in reducing the duration of postoperative ileus and hospital stay after laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer. Methods We performed a prospective study of 165 patients undergoing elective laparoscopic surgery for colonic and upper rectal cancer, enrolled from October 2008 to October 2010. Patients were assigned randomly to groups that received electroacupuncture (n = 55) or sham acupuncture (n = 55), once daily from postoperative days 1–4, or no acupuncture (n = 55). The acupoints Zusanli, Sanyinjiao, Hegu, and Zhigou were used. The primary outcome was time to defecation. Secondary outcomes included postoperative analgesic requirement, time to ambulation, and length of hospital stay. Results...

Journal of Anesthesia and Anesthetic Drugs ISSN:  2770-9108. J Anaesth Anesth Drug, 2022, 2(1): doi https://doi.org/10.54289/JAAD2200103 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/382428764_ebookpdf Editorial Article Maria Dalamagka  The risk of developing an addiction to alcohol, tobacco, or drugs increases in the period immediately following mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) but decreases over time, new research shows. The historical prospective study showed that in the short-term, individuals with mTBI had a significantly increased risk for alcohol dependence, nicotine dependence, and nondependent abuse of drugs or alcohol compared with a similarly injured non-mTBI comparison group. "Our findings suggest an increased risk for incidence of alcohol dependence, nondependent abuse of drugs or alcohol, and nicotine dependence during the first 30 days following mild TBI and a risk thereafter for alcohol dependence for at least 6 months after injury," the authors, led by...

Maria Dalamagka  In the last decade, the general US population did not meet Healthy People 2010 (HP2010) goals for cancer screening except for colorectal cancer, according to results from a US survey published online December 27 in Frontiers in Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention . However, cancer survivors met goals for all cancer types except cervical cancer.   "There is a great need for increased cancer prevention efforts in the U.S., especially for screening as it is considered one of the most important preventive behaviors and helps decrease the burden of this disease on society in terms of quality of life, the number of lives lost and insurance costs," lead author Tainya C. Clarke, MPH, a research associate in the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at the University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Florida, said in a news release.   "But despite this, our research has shown that adherence rates for cancer screenings have generally declined w...