The Framingham health study indicates that about 1 in 5 (both men and women) persons will develop heart failure over the course of their lives. Once there is a myocardial infarction (MI, “heart attackâ€), current therapy employs drug therapy, but that does not treat the underlying cause(s). There is a loss of heart tissue that requires regeneration and repair.
Continue reading Stem Cell Therapy for Myocardial Infarction Therapy
Now, we have a prepared concentrate solution, but we still have to prepare the flat plate units for each use. A few inventors have begun to improve on the design- a prepackaged flat plate unit (made of plastic and several layers of membranes so the unit is about 1 foot long and not five feet long). And instead of inserting needles into veins each time, a physician-inventor developed a surgical cannula (and improved on that design several times hence).
Continue reading Dialysis glimpses, part 2
Imagine this scenario. Dialysis as a therapy is just starting to ‘click’. Treatments are available in one of two modalities- coil or flat plate. The coil system (shown below) reminds one of a giant washing machine, with a bathing solution of warm salt water, bubbled carbon dioxide, and a plastic device (looking like a car “air filter”) inserted inside this mess, through which passes your blood. The “air filter” is a membrane that separates the solution from your blood; the impurities from your blood are whisked away by the solution.
Continue reading Dialysis Glimpses from the 60’s and 70’s
You have a new baby. You are trepidatious that it may be allergic. So, no aspirin for it; instead you rely upon Tylenol (acetaminophen). Along comes a new study- Tylenol may be causing the worldwide epidemic in asthma cases…..One study even claims 40% of all cases may be caused by Tylenol (the studies use acetaminophen or peracetamol- the generic nomenclature, the news agencies report the brand name). And, you thought J&J had headaches before…
Continue reading A possible (?) link between acetaminophen and asthma symptoms
I think I’ve been a little too serious lately. And, before I switch to a more business like topic, I thought I’d share some really useful research with you today…
Continue reading A little lighter subject- one to enhance our experiences…
Can we really read people’s dreams? Sorry, in spite of what Cobb says, we can’t do it- yet. (I am not telling you not to see Inception; I think the movie is among the most intelligent I have seen.) But, scientists are working on it. Here are some of the approaches being taken.
Continue reading Can your read my mind? Can you see my dreams?
I daydream. I know you think that’s bad- our whole culture has decided that this is just a lazy habit. In today’s pell-mell pace, we just can’t afford ourselves the opportunity to take things slow. That’s just wrong.
Continue reading Happy trails to you…
The problem- stem cell therapy works- we think. The problem- we still can’t do the proper research. The problem- physicians are using it on patients anyway.
Continue reading Stem cells still promise more than they deliver
Even though the brain, with the consistency of custard, is sealed inside the skull (and surrounded by cerebrospinal fluid), it constantly adjusts to stress (both physical and mental). As I said earlier, the NFL is beginning to recognize that its players undergo numerous brain injuries. (Oh, so many plays on words come to mind.). As a result, they are now subjecting recruits to a series of brain tests. No, they are not expecting them to be budding creators. They are seeking baseline brain function- so, when and if- they reach the big leagues and get hurt, there will be a comparison to determine if the brain is injured.
Continue reading TBI- traumatic brain injury- NFL, US Armed Forces, Vehicular Accidents…
Telemedicine has been a ‘whiz-bang’ concept for some time. I remember working with AT&T right after their breakup from the baby bells (almost 20 years ago). We were working on the initial stages of a telemedicine system they would market. (The real issue was there were insufficient/inaccurate devices upon which we would initially rely.)
Continue reading Telemedicine is no longer the future for CHF patients