MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'amyotrophic lateral sclerosis'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:31:55 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4803529&cid=t_170606_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FAH66PH84lEw%2F Can observational studies that rely on patient reports from an Internet site contribute meaningfully to product development and evaluation? A new study in Nature Biotechnology suggests this may be so. While such studies are no substitute for randomized clinical trials, the authors argue that patients are experimenting and swapping notes on the Internet anyway. So why not make use of such data? Moreover, they argue there are several benefits. To wit, the researchers analyzed data reported on the PatientsLikeMe web site by folks with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and experimented with lithium carbonate as an off-label treatment. The web site had already built a data collection tool to capture info about ALS patients who registered there and began taking the drug off-label in consultati... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4803529 Mon, 09 May 2011 15:15:44 +0100 4803529 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4742151&cid=t_170606_139_f&fid=38879&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FVirologyBlog%2F%7E3%2FtrJDCC5fq7w%2F Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease or Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a fatal disorder of unknown etiology. The disease involves degeneration of motor neurons, leading to paralysis, respiratory failure, and death within five years. A viral etiology for ALS has been suggested but never proven. Retroviruses have been considered because they cause motor neuron disease in mice, and HIV-1 and HTLV-1 cause ALS-like symptoms in humans. Sera from some ALS patients have been shown to contain elevated levels of reverse transcriptase, an enzyme found in retrovirus particles. RNAs encoding this enzyme have now been found in the brains of ALS patients, and their origin appears to be the human endogenous retrovirus HERV-K. Reverse transcriptase is a retroviral enzyme ... virology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4742151 Fri, 22 Apr 2011 16:40:03 +0100 4742151 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3880859&cid=t_170606_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fnew-york-times-lou-gehrig-may-not-have-had-lou-gehrigs-disease%2F2010.08.18 This was one time when the headline was okay, but the story that followed had our heads spinning. “Study Says Brain Trauma Can Mimic Lou Gehrig’s Disease” is a story that was troubling on a number of fronts. It reported on a study which at the time had not yet been published suggesting that some “athletes and soldiers given a diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis…might have been catalyzed by injuries only now becoming understood: concussions and other brain trauma.” To be clear — and please don’t anyone miss or miscontrue this point — this is an important and fascinating area of research. But the story did not exhibit the best of health/medical/science journalism: 1. It was based on a study of 3 people. (The ALS Association says th... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3880859 Wed, 18 Aug 2010 21:00:38 +0100 3880859 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3876575&cid=t_170606_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F08%2Flou-gehrig-misdiagnosed-lou-gehrigs-disease%2F In a study to be published tomorrow in a leading journal of neuropathology, researchers are now questioning whether some patients diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s are actually suffering from concussions and/or traumatic brain injury that mimics the symptoms of Lou Gehrig’s disease or amyolateral sclerosis. Co-authors Drs. Ann McKee and Robert Stern, who are also co-directors of the Boston University Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy, in fact, think there is a possibility even that Lou Gehrig may have been misdiagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3876575 Wed, 18 Aug 2010 00:32:51 +0100 3876575 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2905111&cid=t_170606_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FKJA-jZTfpig%2F This study found that while vaccine coverage and efficacy are high in girls, including boys in an HPV vaccination program generally exceeds what the U.S. typically considers good value for money,” researcher Jane Kim, an assistant professor at the Harvard School of Public Health told HealthDay. And this was released just as the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices this week reviews the cost-effectiveness of male vaccination (see agenda). (Source: Pharmalot) Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2905111 Mon, 19 Oct 2009 12:17:39 +0100 2905111 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2734109&cid=t_170606_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2F26ypni2-1cc%2F We hear and read of them: miracle cures ranging from tumors that have disappeared to the sickest of babies pulling through without any after effects of their illness or complications. Many of these miracles are due to the power of prayer, say the devout. Can this really happen? A woman with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) says that it can and has happened to her. Fifty-year-old Italian Antonia Raco was diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease and has been wheelchair bound for the past four years. Earlier this month, she visited the a shrine in Lourdes, France, a popular site for Roman Catholic pilgrims. Many who are ill or disabled visit the site to pray for miracles. Records over the past many decades offer several examples of miracles performed at Lourdes. Accordi... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2734109 Tue, 25 Aug 2009 14:46:21 +0100 2734109 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2348669&cid=t_170606_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2FoecdfGs2xxo%2F Stephen Hawking , the renowned physicist and possibly the longest surving person with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig’s Disease, has been hospitalized with what is reported to be a chest infection. The 67-year-old Hawking was diagnosed with ALS when he was 21 years old. Apparently, Hawking has been ill with this infection for a while now but is now in hospital for further treatment. According to the article, Renowned physicist Stephen Hawking is hospitalized , a spokesman will be issuing an update tomorrow (Tuesday) morning. While it’s not been said anywhere, usually this type of chest infection is pneumonia. And, for someone with a neurological disease like ALS, these infections can be fatal. As ALS progresses, the people lose control of their various muscle... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2348669 Tue, 21 Apr 2009 00:46:06 +0100 2348669 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1841249&cid=t_170606_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F406583202%2F This is according to an agency analysis, which began last year and was undertaken after FDA officials received a higher-than-expected number of adverse event reports of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, in patients taking statins. Nonetheless, the FDA says further study is warranted. The review of data from 41 long-term controlled clinical trials showed no increased incidence in those given a statin compared with placebo, and was reported today in Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety. ALS, by the way, is a fatal neurodegenerative condition with an overall annual incidence of 1 to 2 per 100,000 people in the general population. The incidence increases with age. The FDA’s paper noted that nine of about 64,000 patients treated with a statin and 10 of about 56,000 patients treated with... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1841249 Mon, 29 Sep 2008 20:30:29 +0100 1841249 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1246631&cid=t_170606_145_f&fid=35710&url=http%3A%2F%2Fstoryofhealing.com%2F2008%2F02%2F20%2Fmedia-in-medicine-i-love-film%2F This New England Journal of Medicine article is another one worth sharing about the use of media in medicine. Today’s plate is film. This medium of communication is a personal favorite of mine. It is also my favorite learning tool. It is not uncommon to use video as a medium to communicate medicine, to educate, to share knowledge, to present theories, report breakthroughs. Though most commonly, the point of view is that of the professional, student, or authority on health issues. But this time Dr. Gretchen Berland of the Yale University School of Medicine aptly rotated the camera sharing with all of us a stark portrait, “The View from the Other Side—Patients, Doctors, and the Power of a Camera.” As an internist, I was disturbed by the contrast between those two scenes,... the story of healing blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1246631 Thu, 21 Feb 2008 05:42:08 +0100 1246631