A nuclear medicine imaging test was used to confirm that children with respiratory problems may be more likely to develop gastroesophageal reflux disease, according to researchers at SNM's 55th Annual Meeting. The nuclear imaging technique, known as scintigraphy, was also shown to be more effective in detecting the disease in these children than traditional barium X-ray technology.

Title: Countdown to Hair Loss
Category: Health News
Created: 6/17/2008 2:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 6/17/2008

By doing tests on mice fed on a calorie restricted diet, US researchers have discovered that ghrelin, a hormone that increases when people don't eat, may defend against symptoms of depression or anxiety brought on by stress. The research is the work of scientists led by senior author Dr Jeffrey Zigman, assistant professor of internal medicine and psychiatry at the University of Texas (UT) Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

Mercy Medical Center has become the first hospital in the Northeast to offer a new, revolutionary non-invasive procedure that surgically treats chronic heartburn resulting from GastroEsophageal Reflux Disease (GERD).

We may be bombarded with statistics concerning childhood obesity, but the number of children suffering from eating disorders is also on the rise. According to government figures, the number of cases of children being admitted to hospital with eating disorders such as anorexia has increased by more than a third over the last 10 years, with 562 girls and 111 boys aged under 18 hospitalised in 2005/06 (i).

Event: According to sobering statistics from the National Institutes of Mental Health, one in 10 patients with anorexia nervosa will die of the condition. Eating disorders and body image concerns are not solely the realm of American teenage girls. Women of all ages, men, and boys suffer from eating disorders, too.

The Restech Corporation announced that the Central California Ear, Nose & Throat Medical Group (CCENT) of Fresno, California, has adopted the Restech Dx-pH Measurement System to detect acid reflux in the throat. An alarming increase in the incidence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and laryngopharyngeal reflux disease (LPRD) in Americans has led to the need for accurate diagnosis of acid reflux as provided by this system.

Patients with restless leg syndrome (RLS) - the irresistible urge to move one's body to limit uncomfortable or odd sensations - may get some relief during day and night by using skin patches that contain the drug rotigotine. The findings come from a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study published in the July edition of The Lancet Neurology.

Eighteen per cent of school children who took part in two health surveys carried out a year apart admitted they had eating problems, according to research published in the latest Journal of Advanced Nursing. Thirteen per cent admitted eating problems in either the first or second survey and a further five per cent reported problems in both surveys.

Binge eating and purging can occur in boys and girls at a variety of ages, but the risk factors for these behaviors largely vary by age group and gender, according to an article released on June 02, 2008 in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.