Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Researchers at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center are looking for healthy men and women to participate in a research study that may help increase understanding about Parkinson's disease. (more)
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Stress is believed to be a factor in bruxism, or teeth grinding, during the night, and dentists are reporting a 20 to 25 percent increase in teeth grinding symptoms since the beginning of the financial crisis in late 2008. Many bruxism patients lost high paying jobs or were worried about loss of retirement funds. (more)
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
According to Press Ganey Patient Satisfaction Report, the Penn State Hershey Breast Center ranks in the top 1 percent of clinics that have participated in this report over the last six months. (more)
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Nov. 19 is this year's Great American Smokeout. Since the Surgeon General identified the dangers of smoking, Americans have gradually quit, yet about 1 in 5 Americans still smoke. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that about 4,000 young adolescents start smoking every day and 6 percent of middle school students are smokers. If ever there were a time to think about quitting smoking, it's now. (more)
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Couples who bring thoughtful words to a fight release lower amounts of stress-related proteins, suggesting that rational communication between partners can ease the impact of marital conflict on the immune system. "Previous research has shown that couples who are hostile to each other show health impairments and are at greater risk of disease," said Jennifer Graham, Penn State assistant professor of biobehavioral health. "We wanted to know if couples who use thoughtfulness and reasoning in the midst of a fight incur potential health benefits." (more)
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Tune in to ABC27 at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 12 as the Penn State Hershey Neuroscience Institute hosts "Stimulating Minds," a live call-in show dedicated to the topic of deep brain stimulation and its treatment of debilitating brain diseases. (more)
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Your dentist has probably told you to floss only the teeth you want to keep. The sticky plaque that forms on teeth can form pockets of infection in the gums between the teeth that, if untreated, can lead to tooth loss. This chronic low-grade infection, known as periodontal disease, has also been linked to an increased risk of heart disease.
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Tuesday, November 10, 2009
About 23.6 million Americans have diabetes and another 54 million are at risk to develop the disease. As these numbers continue to increase, Diabetes Awareness Month, observed throughout November, is more important than ever. Diabetes, a disease in which the body can't regulate the amount of sugar in the blood, currently affects about 8 percent of the population, a number that is increasing rapidly, according to this week's edition of The Medical Minute, a service of the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. (more)
Friday, November 06, 2009
It seems like a strange concept -- bandages made from cellulose produced by microbes that contribute to wound healing -- but to hear Jeffrey Catchmark explain it, the idea makes perfect sense. Catchmark, who is co-director of the University's Center for Lignocellulose Structure and Formation, has developed a bandage material made from microbial cellulose that actually is absorbed by the body. (more)
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
Gardasil is a vaccine, approved in 2006, to protect against strains of human papillomavirus (HPV) that have been implicated as a necessary pre-condition of cervical cancer. Since the vaccine is recommended for young females before they begin sexual activity, it creates a somewhat awkward situation for parents. (more)