Imagine having a headache every day of the month. Patients with a disorder called chronic daily headache, or CDH, experience that around the clock, and find no relief from medications. A new treatment, however, may make a difference. A small group of CDH patients were implanted with a vagus nerve stimulator, a device used to reduce epileptic seizures. Electrical impulses on the vagus nerve are transmitted to the brain. Six months after receiving the vagus nerve stimulator, half of the patients reported a 75% improvement in their headache pain.
Your morning OJ may one day be part of a cancer-fighting plan. Biochemists at Texas A&M University are studying the potential of limonoids, a pigment compound only found in citrus fruits. In lab tests, limonoids killed neuroblastoma cancer cells within 48 hours. The amount of limonoids used was small, about the size of a small flake of skin. According to the researchers, this amount could be obtained from a glass of citrus juice. Further research needs to be done to test the effectiveness of limonoids beyond the petri dish.
Being mighty isn't bad - if you're a mouse. A new mouse study from Indiana University finds that by adding a bit of bulk to your "fat reserves," you can improve your immune system. The researchers say fattening up for the winter helps energize the immune system, while weight loss can actually depress it. A study with humans hasn't yet occurred, but the researchers believe we need a fat layer to keep the immune system pumped up.
All content ©Copyright 2000 - 2013 WorldNow and KCBD, a Raycom Media Station. 