Scleroderma Media Coverage: August 2007

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August 2007

New Research Shows How Chronic Stress Worsens Neurodegenerative Disease Course.The evidence is accumulating on how bad stress is for health. Chronic stress can intensify inflammation and increase a person’s risk for developing central nervous system infections, neurodegenerative diseases, like multiple sclerosis, and other inflammatory diseases, say researchers at the Convention of the American Psychological Association. NewsWise Medical News. 08/17/07. (Also see: Causes of Scleroderma: Stress and Multiple Sclerosis )

University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Given $8 Million to Research a Drug for Myositis. The study will test a drug called rituximab in adults and also in children diagnosed with dermatomyositis one of the forms of myositis that causes muscle weakness and a rash. It will also be tested in adults with a version called polymyositis. This one does not produce a rash. The People's Media Company. 08/15/07. (Also see: Dermatomyositis/Polymyositis )

Scleroderma: A Rare but Devastating Disease. The skin thickens and tightens, becoming deformed and unyielding. Then, the skin around the body's joints allows for less and less bending. Hands, elbows and knees all become stiff. "Scleroderma is not less frequent than multiple sclerosis, but MS gets 10 times more funding." HealthDay. 07/27/07. (Also see: What is Scleroderma? )

Antioxidant overload may underlie a heritable human disease. Despite the popular notion that antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E, offer health-promoting benefits by protecting against damaging free radicals, a new study in the August 10 issue of the journal Cell reveals that, in fact, balance is the key. The researchers show in mice that an overload of natural antioxidants can actually lead the heart to failure. RPxG News. 08/09/07. (Also see: Alternative Therapies )

NZ manuka honey wound dressing wins approval from US authority. Bee products company Comvita says its patented "advanced wound care dressing" has become the first using manuka honey for wounds and burns to receive marketing clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration. Wound-care products using the honey have become increasingly valuable, as they have also been effective against some antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria. The New Zealand Herald. 07/25/07. (Also see: Digital Ulcers: Treatments )

Farms Shield Kids From Bowel Disease. Children regularly exposed to farm life as babies are about half as likely as other kids to develop inflammatory bowel diseases such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease, German researchers report. Statesman.com. 08/06/07. (Also see: Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis )

When swallowing food becomes a problem. Dysphagia (difficulty in swallowing) can result from any disorder that weakens or injures the nerves or muscles involved in swallowing. The causes include neuromuscular problems like strokes, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease), myasthenia gravis, brain injury, Parkinson's disease, postpolio syndrome and Alzheimer's disease, as wells as chronic disorders like scleroderma and Sjogren's syndrome. Pak Tribune 07-26-07. (Also see: Dysphagia )

Strikeout queen has new battle. It all started right around the time she was going for the record. Soon after the season concluded, Ryan was diagnosed with Graves' Disease, which is a type of autoimmune disease that causes over-activity of the thyroid gland, causing hyperthyroidism. Left untreated, Graves' Disease can lead to heart problems and in severe cases, it can be fatal. auburnpub.com. 07/14/07. (Also see: Graves' Disease )

MicroRNA may play an important role in psoriasis and eczema. MicroRNA are small RNA molecules that regulate gene expression, and by acting on many different proteins and different cellular mechanisms in skin and immune cells these small RNA molecules may be an important factor in the development of disease. Therapies based on microRNA might therefore in the future become more effective than medicines targeted at individual proteins. News-Medical.net. 07/12/07. (Also see: Psoriasis )