News • Research
Seeking radiological routes to cure cardiac diseases
Radiotherapy is being proposed to treat heart diseases, specifically for hypertension and atrial fibrillation (AF).
Therapy
Is the Ebola virus a real threat for Europe and the US?
Frost & Sullivan Life Sciences Senior Research Analyst Sriram Radhakrishnan discusses the available screening options to enable early detection of the virus.
New trial to combat gonorrhoea
A Birmingham hospital trust is to lead a major research study over concerns that one of the commonest sexually transmitted infections is becoming resistant to current treatment.
Laughter is the best remedy
It has long been suggested that laughter could be the best medicine – and now a group of researchers in the United Kingdom is applying that theory to help patients cope with long-term conditions.
News • Study
Mortality risks rise 11% on Saturdays - 16% Sundays
England’s National Health Service (NHS) is taking steps to ensure that, for the first time, a consistent level of care is provided at weekends by focusing on healthcare seven days a week.
News • Cardiology
Transcatheter aortic valve implantations (TAVI)
A hybrid operating theatre is considered ideal for TAVI because cardiologists and cardiac surgeons can work hand in hand. Here, in the hybrid theatre at Kerckhoff Heart Centre, Bad Nauheim, a transcatheter aortic valve implant with transfemoral access is being performed. The clean air room features cardiac cath lab equipment and an X-ray system.
First pacemaker with event-triggered IEGM transmissions
Biotronik, a leading manufacturer of cardiovascular medical technology, announced CE approval for its new Eluna pacemaker series. The new generation of pacemakers includes single and dual-chamber as well as cardiac resynchronization (CRT-P) devices.
Final handover for the world’s most advanced proton therapy center
IBA (Ion Beam Applications S.A., EURONEXT), the world’s leading provider of proton therapy solutions for the treatment of cancer, today announces that it has signed final contracts concluding the Essen project negotiation with the University Hospital of Essen (UK Essen).
Curse or blessing?
A small prick to sample blood instead of complex pathological or other diagnostic procedures – this is how early cancer diagnosis will be in the near future. Blood tests to diagnose tumorous diseases early are already being researched for clinical use.
News • Diabetes
The value of fermentation
Raise your intake of low-fat fermented dairy products, including all yoghurt varieties and some low-fat cheeses, and you could lower your risk of new-onset type 2 diabetes by 28%, according to new research published in Diabetologia (the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes).
Renal denervation on razor's edge ahead of trial results
It is the quiet before the storm. At the end of March, the future of renal denevation will be decided with the presentation of the Simplicity HTN-3 clinical trial at the American College of Cardiology meeting in Washington.
COCIR Raises Awareness of Industry Achievements On World Cancer Day 2014
Today is World Cancer Day 2014 and COCIR wants to take this opportunity to raise awareness of what our sector (medical imaging and health ICT) is contributing to the fight against cancer, by providing solutions for the prevention, early diagnosis and treatment of this devastating, ever-rising chronic disease.
Endovascular thrombolysis
Neurologists keenly debate the value of mechanical reopening of blocked blood vessels in the brain, as demonstrated during the 21st World Congress for Neurology (WCN) in Vienna this September. Theoretically, endovascular thrombolysis can only be considered for 20-30% of all incidents of stroke.
European nanomedicine research
Cancer diagnostics - Nanotechnology is currently being used in oncology to improve early tumour detection, imaging procedures and targeting of cancer therapies. Cancer biomarkers, indicators that are being produced by the body in spreading tumour cells, play an important role in cancer detection, Dr. Jörg Raach reports
UK’s hospitals find ways to boost income
This year a further one in six of England’s hospitals started to offer patients the choice of ‘self-funding’ for treatments and services that are subject to restrictions or long NHS waiting times. These include IVF treatment, cataract surgery, varicose veins, carpal tunnel syndrome therapy and hernia repair.
Article • Healing hearts 2
Stem cell cocktails
Nothing new has been invented in heart failure in the last 15 years, according to Christian Homsy, CEO of Belgian-based Cardio3 Biosciences. This explains the excitement surrounding an emerging treatment among cardiologists, patients and investors.
Article • Great Britain
£250 million for innovative cancer treatment
A major new cutting edge radiotherapy treatment will be available in the UK thanks to £250 million of government funding to build two new facilities in Manchester and London, Public Health Minister Anna Soubry confirmed on August, 1.
Schizophrenia gene discovered
Working independently from different perspectives, geneticists from Finland and biochemists from Würzburg have researched the molecular mechanisms of schizophrenia and cognitive impairment.
Cancer has a smell and breathprint
Israel - Researchers are using breath-test technology to detect volatile organic compounds to tell whether a patient has stomach cancer.
Bladder cancer update
In developed countries, bladder cancer is the fourth most frequent cancer in men and the ninth in women, and it greatly challenges patient management and cost containment. However, it is under-represented in public awareness and in cancer research.
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation
There is little evidence on respiratory support with extracorporeal systems – enough of an argument for most of those doubting the procedure not to use it, or even make it available.
Medical tourists are the best advocates for effective health solutions
Current trends in the medical tourism industry indicate that the needs of international patients are challenging health service providers to come up with advanced solutions for quality healthcare outcomes.
Jordan struggles to serve refugee population
A high unemployment rate coupled with an influx of refugees from Iraq and Syria has compounded challenges faced by the Jordanian government to provide healthcare for all, states a new report by healthcare experts GlobalData.
New cancer research targets
‘We aim to develop an understanding of which novel research activities could bring benefits for patients,’ explained Professor Christof von Kalle, Director of the Department of Translational Oncology, NCT (German National Centre for Tumour Diseases) and the German Cancer Research Centre (DKFZ), speaking on translational activities during the New Cancer Targets gathering in Heidelberg this…
The curious tale of abandoned plans and dismantled hopes
A prototype for proton and ion therapy has been used clinically in Heidelberg since 2009. Built jointly by Siemens and GSI (Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research) in Darmstadt.