News by Subject Medicine & Health

Researchers at Kanazawa University report in the Japan Journal of Nursing Science a study of muscle pump action in the context of chronic lower-limb edema. They found that body posture and exercise habits affect the blood pumping action of muscles in the leg, whereas age generally does not.

New research shows that a novel positron emission tomography (PET) tracer that targets inflammation is safe and can clearly identify early stages of rheumatoid arthritis. The promising PET tracer, 68Ga-DOTA-Siglec-9, rapidly clears from blood circulation, has a low radiation dose, and can be easily produced. This first-in-human study was published in the April issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

Researchers at the University of Tsukuba have shown that an exercise regimen reduces liver steatosis and stiffness in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. These gains in hepatic health are mediated through modification of inter-organ cross-talk, circulatory organokine alterations and reductions in inflammation and oxidative stress. Because these benefits are unrelated to weight loss, all therapeutic regimens should integrate regular exercise and patients should remain diligent and compliant regardless of bodyweight changes.

The scientists detected incapacities related to gait timing and foot placement. Their discoveries serve as a basis for the development of an exercise protocol that mitigates the difficulty.

A 10-week muscle-building and dietary program involving 50 middle-aged adults found no evidence that eating a high-protein diet increased strength or muscle mass more than consuming a moderate amount of protein while training. The intervention involved a standard strength-training protocol with sessions three times per week. None of the participants had previous weightlifting experience.

A UCLA-led research team has identified a chemical cocktail that enables the production of large numbers of muscle stem cells, which can self-renew and give rise to all types of skeletal muscle cells.