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Today in medicine … – Metro US

Today in medicine …

Topic of study: Detecting the human form of “mad cow disease”
Study subjects: Cows
Location of study: Great Britain
Results: British researchers have developed a screening test to detect the abnormal prion protein associated with the infection.
Significance: The department of health estimates that one in 4,000 Britons could be infected, and early detection could reverse the brain-wasting disease.

Topic of study: Connection between breast implants and rare cancer
Study subjects: Women
Location of study: USA
Results: The Food and Drug Administration is investigating a link between implants and the increased risk of anaplastic large cell lymphoma.
Significance: The study is ongoing and so far, the FDA has only issued a warning.

Topic of study: Super Bowl loss heightens fatal cardiac arrest.
Study subjects: Los Angeles Rams fans
Location of study: Los Angeles County
Results: The Clinical Cardiology journal reports that researchers found the overall death rate per day grew significantly after the Los Angeles Rams Super Bowl loss in 1980, especially for older residents.
Significance: Risk of heart attack increases with added stress.

Topic of study: Dogs detecting bowel cancer by smell
Study subjects: Dogs/colorectal cancer patients
Location of study: Japan
Results: Dogs can detect bowel cancer even in the early stages by smelling the breath or stool of a patient.
Significance: Though the use of dogs to sniff out cancer is impractical on a large scale, the study could help identify compounds and aid early detection of colorectal cancer.