UK researchers say they have taken a huge step forward in treating deafness after stem cells were used to restore hearing in animals for the first time.
Hearing partially improved when nerves in the ear, which pass sounds into the brain, were rebuilt in gerbils - a UK study in the journal Nature reports.
Getting the same improvement in people would be a shift from being unable to hear traffic to hearing a conversation.
However, treating humans is still a distant prospect.
If you want to listen to the radio or have a chat with a friend your ear has to convert sound waves in the air into electrical signals which the brain will understand. Read More
Saudi conjoined twins Reem and Rana were successfully separated at the King Abdulaziz Medical City, National Guard Health Affairs in the Saudi capital, yesterday.
The 13-hour surgery was carried out by a multidisciplinary team headed by Health Minister Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah. The surgical team comprised 28 members covering anesthesia, pediatric, urology, orthopedics, plastic surgery and nursing.
Health Minister Al-Rabeeah, along with other surgeons, ferried the twins from general ward to the operation theater at 7:45 a.m. The twins were successfully anesthetized at 9:15 a.m. and surgery started at 10:15 a.m.
At 3:15 pm., the twins were successfully separated and placed on different tables. Then the surgeons started closing the wounds.
The surgery was carried out in 11 phases. Read More
The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has congratulated the medical team that successfully separated conjoined twins Rana and Reem.
"You have carried out a good deed in the service of humanity and so you deserve our profound gratitude," the king said in a message sent to Health Minister Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah who led the medical team that operated on the twins.
In a press conference following the operation at the National Guard's King Abdul Aziz Medical City in Riyadh, Dr. Al-Rabeeah thanked the king and Vice Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Prince Salman, minister of defense, and to the Saudi people for their appreciation of the achievement. Read MoreIn a two-year study, the Aubagio reduced yearly relapses by nearly a third compared to placebo. It also slowed the progression of the disease.
The FDA has approved Aubagio (teriflunomide), a new drug for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS). The once-a-day tablet will be prescribed to adults with relapsing forms of the chronic, incurable disease.
"We are greatly encouraged to see a new oral therapeutic option become available to people living with MS," said Timothy Coetzee, PhD, chief research officer at the National MS Society, in a news release issued by the drug's developer, Genzyme.
MS is the most common disabling neurological disease among young adults, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. About 400,000 people in the U.S. have MS. As many as two-thirds of them are women. The disease is usually diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50. Read MoreNew Hospital Projects to Boost Health Services in Jazan
JEDDAH: New hospital projects with a total of 3,500 beds would improve health care services in the Jazan province, said Dr. Hamad Al-Aksham, health director for the province. At present there were a total of 1,500 hospital beds in Jazan, he added.
"A specialist hospital has been completed, which would provide a number of therapeutic services to treat cardiovascular diseases, genetic problems and complicated surgeries. Another Specialist center would be opened soon for the treatment of tumors, cancers and heart surgery. A women and maternity hospital would also be opened so that the region could handle all health situations," he said.
He added that the health department of Jazan was facing a lack of sufficient infrastructure facilities which was hindering the completion of some projects. He pointed out that cardiac problems and genetic diseases were the most recently referred cases outside the region.
Referring to the development of primary health care, he said that 105 of 161 existing clinics had been modified in accordance with the standards of modern health services. Read MoreThe Saudi Heart Rhythm Society is holding its annual Heart Rhythm Week, from Sept. 12-19. This year's theme "Your Heart in Your Hands" focuses on patient empowerment and aims to encourage members of the public to recognize symptoms of heart rhythm disorders and seek adequate advice from health care professionals.
The "Your Heart in Your Hands" Checklist is designed to educate the public and support clinicians in identifying these deadly conditions. The Saudi Heart Rhythm Society is calling for anyone experiencing palpitations, loss of consciousness/fainting, unexplained slips and falls, or has family history of Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) to complete the Checklist provided at hospital waiting areas across Saudi Arabia to aid discussion with their Electro-physiologist as they seek further advice.
Heart rhythm disorders result from abnormal electrical activity in the heart. Cardiac arrhythmias can occur at any age and are the leading cause of death affecting millions of people around the world. Read More
SADA Launches Month-long Campaign to Combat Alzheimer's Disease
Seven thousand balloons will be sent into the air at 5 p.m. at Tahlia Street in Riyadh on Thursday to mark World Alzheimer's Day in the Kingdom.
The event organized by the Saudi Alzheimer's Disease Association (SADA) is designed to attract attention, so writers, thinkers, artists and media men might show their solidarity with Alzheimer patients.
The balloon launch is part of SADA's four-week national campaign, which runs to Sept. 30 with the participation of more than 12 governmental and private universities and health, social and charity organizations. Read More
