Virtual Gastro Centre Medical News

Staffers, supplies on standby to avert potential public health crisis in Myanmar

With the death toll from the Myanmar cyclone likely to climb to 100,000 people or more, Oxfam is warning that a public health catastrophe could hit 1.5 million storm survivors if they don't quickly ge

Treatments for GORD sufferers help improve sleep

Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, or GORD, is a chronic gastro-intestinal disorder, affecting up to one-third of adults. GORD is characterised by reflux of the stomach contents into the oesophagus

New study shows link between acid reflux disease and work productivity

Acid reflux disease (also known as gastroesophageal reflux disease, GORD or GERD) is a condition with a very high level of disruption to the lives of sufferers in terms of symptoms, activities

Researchers find gene location that gives rise to neuroblastoma, an aggressive childhood cancer

Using advanced gene-hunting technology, an international team of researchers has for the first time identified a chromosome region that is the source of genetic events that give rise to neuroblastoma,

Ultrasound first, not CT, for diagnosing suspected acute appendicitis

Color Doppler ultrasound, not CT, should be the first imaging examination for adult patients with suspected acute appendicitis, a new study emphasises.

Researchers have found a link between gluten and brain damage

Gluten is damaging our brains! Paediatrician, gastroenterologist, allergist and author, Dr Rodney Ford has found a link between gluten and brain damage.

Commonly used medications associated with impaired physical function in older adults

Older adults who take drugs designed to block the neurotransmitter acetylcholine – including common medications for incontinence, high blood pressure and allergies – are more likely to be

Early treatment of stomach infection may prevent cancer

Based on research using a new mouse model of gastritis and stomach cancer, researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) say that prompt treatment of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori)

Safe water? lessons from Kazakhstan

Despite significant efforts to improve access to safe water and sanitation, a new report co-authored by an expert at The University of Nottingham, argues that much more needs to be done.

Scientists discover way to increase metabolism for weight loss

Scientists from Melbourne’s Howard Florey Institute have discovered a way to aid weight loss and reduce the likelihood of developing diabetes by manipulating fat cells to increase the body&rs

Chocolate bar shown to lower cholesterol

The results of a University of Illinois study have demonstrated an effective way to lower cholesterol levels – by eating chocolate bars.

Severe acute watery diarrhoea with v. cholerae positive cases in Viet Nam

Between 5 March and 22 April the Ministry of Health of Viet Nam reported 2490 cases of severe acute watery diarrhoea including 377 that were positive for Vibrio cholerae , the bacterium causi

How and where fat is stored predicts disease risk better than weight

A new study in mice indicates that overeating, rather than the obesity it causes, is the trigger for developing metabolic syndrome, a collection of heath risk factors that increases an individual&rsqu

Possible link between bacteria found in the human digestive system and obesity

Obesity is more than a cosmetic concern because it increases a person's risk for developing high blood pressure, diabetes and many other serious health problems. It's well understood that consuming mo

Infection risks for patients with inflammatory bowel disease

A new Mayo Clinic study finds that patients who are 50 or older and take multiple immunosuppressive medications for inflammatory bowel disease have a higher risk for developing infections. The study i