Archive for August, 2010
Regular beer, not the light one, is associated with an increased risk of psoriasis in women. This is the latest finding of a study conducted by researchers at Brigham ad Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. According to this study, other types of alcohol are not linked to the increased risk of psoriasis. These findings will be released in the December issue of Archives of Dermatology.
According to the National Psoriasis Foundation, psoriasis is one of the most prevalent autoimmune diseases in the United States of America. About 7.5 million Americans, which is 2.2% of the population, are presently suffering from psoriasis. Approximately, 125 million people around the world are affected with this autoimmune disease. Caucasians are more prone to it compared to African Americans.
The study involved evaluation of data from 82, 869 women in 1991 at Nurses’ Health Study. All these women were between the ages 27 and 44. The evaluation was done by Abrar A Qureshi, MD, MPH, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. An evaluation of the information gathered up to 2005 suggested that 1, 150 cases of psoriasis. 1, 069 out of the given number were used for analysis. As compared to women who did not rink alcohol, the risk of developing psoriasis was 72% greater for women who used to take at least 2.3 drinks a week.
The study also involved an examination of the type of alcohol. It revealed that only non-light beer was associated with a greater possibility of psoriasis. It was about 1.8 times greater. The authors of the study suggest women who have a risk of psoriasis should avoid taking non-light beer. Some of the other factors which lead to psoriasis are family history, obesity, stress and smoking.
HIV (human immuno deficiency virus) may hide in your brain. This is the latest finding of Swedish researchers. The study was conducted at the Institute of biomedicine at the Shlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenberg. The lead researcher was Dr. Arvind Eden. The team has analyzed samples from about 70 patients who were infected with HIV and were taking anti-HIV drugs. According to the test results, about 10 per cent of the patients under study were having traces of HIV in their spinal fluid and not in their blood. Another study by the researchers had showed that about 60 per cent of 15 patients carrying HIV but treated with medication for some years had inflammation in their spinal fluid. However, the level was lower than what was there prior to treatment.
According to Dr. Arvind, anti-HIV drugs can prevent the virus from multiplying. But the virus may infect the brain and may cause mild to severe damage if the infection is not treated well on time. Dr. Arvind said, “Antiviral treatment in the brain is complicated by a number of factors, partly because it is surrounded by a protective barrier that affects how well medicines get in. This means that the brain can act as a reservoir where treatment of the virus may be less effective”
The researchers still do not have much information to explain whether small quantities of the virus in spinal fluid represent a risk for future complications. However, the findings from the study have suggested that researchers should take into consideration the effects in the brain while developing new drugs and treatment strategies for HIV infection.