Dr. John's Health Matters
Welcome to Dr. John's Health Matters blog.
The articles posted here are from various sources who are duly acknowledged. I would appreciate being immediately notified, if any copywritten material needs to be removed. This blog is not intended to replace the qualified advice of a licensed health practitioner. Readers should exercise their own judgment. Enjoy, subscribe, participate and tell others :)
Following:
Navigate
COMING SOON!
Expand all | Collapse all 
Search
Click Tags under Articles
NOTE: SEARCH BY KEYWORD FUNCTIONS BELOW ARE TEMPORARILY MALFUNCTIONING. USE AT OWN RISK.
Or Display Full Article by
Posts tagged "vulnerable"
Sunday, Aug 30th, 2009 ↓Aged skin found more prone to cancer →
Aug 30, 2009 (Presstv.com)—Deficiencies in mobilizing the cells responsible for defending the body contribute to the higher vulnerability of seniors to skin cancer and infection.
Previous studies had reported that defects in a type of immune cell known as T cells account for the reduced immunity and subsequently a higher risk of skin cancer in older individuals.
A new study, however, finds there is nothing wrong with the T cells in the elderly.
According to the study published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, the signals responsible for directing T cells to the right place is missing in this group.
“At the outset we thought it would be the cells responsible for combating infections that might be at fault, but the surprising thing was the T cells were fine but they couldn’t get into the skin - the signals were missing,” said lead researcher Arne Akbar.
As the skin is believed to be capable of sending the required signals when forced, by boosting the immune system in seniors scientists can help them fight infection and reduce their risk of skin cancer.
Scientists hope their findings will pave the way for the development of effective treatments for the reversible condition.
PKH/HGH
Older Cancer Patients Have More Frailty Than Other Seniors →
Aug 8, 2009 (Sciencedaily.com)—Older people with a history of cancer are more likely to have disabilities and be frail and vulnerable than older adults who have not had cancer, according to a study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, published online July 29.
The prevalence of frailty and vulnerability among older cancer patients will pose an increasing challenge for physicians as the population ages. By the year 2030, persons who are older than 65 years are projected to make up 70% of cancer patients and have 65% of cancer deaths.
Supriya Gupta Mohile, M.D., from the James P. Wilmot Cancer Center at the University of Rochester in N.Y., and colleagues used data in the 2003 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey to evaluate whether non-skin cancer was independently associated with vulnerability and frailty. They found that survey respondents with a history of non-skin cancer had statistically significantly more limitations in the activities of daily living and other measures of frailty and vulnerability than those who had not had cancer.
For full article see link above.
