Can the polio virus cure cancer?

A program at Duke University proposed a wild cure for cancer. Although they don’t refer to it as a “cure”, the effects of this idea are amazing. The idea is basically composed of injecting a modified version of the polio virus into a brain tumor. So far, this has only been experimented on brain tumors, but it is proposed to work on other types of cancer too. The type of brain cancer the research has been targeting is called glioblastoma. By injecting polio, cancer cells are destroyed while the healthy tissue is undisturbed. This makes the idea ten times more effective because other cures that have been tried have also destroyed healthy parts of the body. Using polio virus as a cure has helped many patients, and hopefully many more to come.

http://www.newsmax.com/Health/Health-News/polio-virus-cancer-cure/2015/03/30/id/635309/

Diabetes: ‘smart insulin patch’ could revolutionize glucose control

A team of researchers from the University of North Carolina (UNC) in Chapel Hill and NC State in Raleigh are working on a “smart insulin patch” to help people with diabetes. Currently, millions of Americans have to inject the precise dosages of insulin or risk health complications, coma and death. The new patch that is smaller than a penny contains hundreds of micro-needles filled with insulin and glucose-sensing enzymes. So far the new patch has been tested on diabetic laboratory mice but with great success. The new patch stabilized their insulin levels for several hours. The success is still preliminary but the researchers have a lot of hope. Compared to mice, humans are more sensitive to insulin changes, which will make the patch even more effective and able to last for several days. The patch can be placed anywhere on the body: it is easy to use, and is made from nontoxic, biocompatible materials.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/295747.php
Contributing Author: Amy Chiang

African-American, Latino citizens at increased risk of mental health issues

A new research study from University of California-Los Angeles Center for Culture, Trauma and Mental Health Disparities explores the extent minority citizens are affected by physical and mental chronic illnesses. The team invited 500 low income Latinos and African Americans to self-report experiences of abuse, neglect and trauma. The researchers afterward assessed the likelihood that the men would develop mental issues. They found out that people who experienced more traumatic events they were more likely to develop more severe symptoms of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). But, low income minorities would not seek out treatment for their psychological disorders. The research team compiled a list of five factors that increase the risk of developing mental issues. They are: Experiences of discrimination due to racial, ethnic, gender or sexual orientation, a history of sexual abuse, a history of violence in the family or from an intimate partner, a history of violence in an individuals’ community, a chronic fear of being killed or seriously injured. Researchers further emphasized that the medical community should take greater care of low income patients and prescribe effective treatment.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/296000.php

Contributing Author: Amy Chiang

Sugary drinks are killing 180,000 worldwide each year

Sugary drinks not only cause obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cancer, but it also causes 180,000 people to die each year. In poor countries, more than seventy-five percent of deaths come from overconsumption of sugar. Mexico has the highest percent of sugary drink consumption, while the U.S is the second. In a study, the researchers stated that sugary drinks are a contribution to obesity, which leads to type two diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancers of the breast, colon, esophagus, gull bladder, kidney, pancreas and ovaries. There are no health benefits from sugary drinks and eliminating them could save tens of thousands of deaths each year.

http://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/1830399/sugary-drinks-are-boosting-death-rates-global-study-shows

Contributing Author: Amy Chiang

Sleep disturbances influenced by race

A recent study might suggest that sleep disturbances and sleep apnea might be more present in minority groups. Some findings were that blacks were most likely to have short sleep durations and that Chinese were least likely reported to have insomnia. Sleep apnea is a risk factor for strokes, diabetes, and many other conditions. This sleep disorder is most common in middle aged to older adults. Knowing about sleep disorders and what they can lead to helps researchers today figure out how they can prevent them in the future.

http://www.sleepreviewmag.com/2015/06/sleep-disturbances-influenced-race-ethnicity/

Contributing Author: Alicia Ma

Disparities in diabetes

Diabetics who live in low income neighborhoods are more likely to suffer from complications due to their diabetes. Racial minority populations tend to have a higher risk of amputations due to complications with diabetes. Due to this the American Diabetes Association is concerned and is trying to make it so that these disparities in diabetes don’t exist.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/08/06/disparities-in-diabetes/?_r=0

Contributing Author: Eliza La Rue

Race to equity focuses on disparities in Madison’s latino community

In the Madison community, scientists want to further study the characteristics of Latino and Hispanics. There is an increase in poverty and unemployment rates in this group, which affects daily life and overall health. The goal is to have a better understanding of the Latino community. Many times people clump together African Americans and Latinos and compare them to White Americans, but this time, scientists want to separate these groups into 3 groups instead of two. By doing this, we can focus on each race instead of clumping them into groups. Finding out heart disease risks, kidney risks, diabetes possibilities, etc. are important to the Latino race just as much as the white American race itself.

http://host.madison.com/news/local/writers/ogechi-emebeche/race-to-equity-focusing-on-disparities-in-madison-s-latino/article_e6cf49a7-51cd-500a-87cc-ffd3b100d7fd.html

Contributing Author: Alicia Ma