Health.Online has a promise to its users to keep them informed and up to date with current research on various medical topics and to put them in touch with some best experts in their field. Like many aspects of life, our understanding of medicine is always expanding. We are learning more about the body every day and with this knowledge comes new treatments and superior plans of care.
Research
If you have been watching the news lately, you will know that scientific strides are constantly being made. Recent trends in research are placing a strong focus on the following; preventive measures, development of new antibiotics, and regenerative medicine. Research is a critical aspect of health care as it gives us hope for the future. That we will be able to fight infections without concern of resistance and perhaps even cure conditions that were once thought incurable.
Development of New Antibiotics: Penicillin was first developed in in the 1920’s by Sir Alexander Fleming. This was a breakthrough for medicine at the time as it allowed people to fight infections such as pneumonia that otherwise would likely to lead to death. Throughout the 1920- 1970’s new antibiotics capable to killing bacteria and viruses in different forms were developed. This lead to increased quality of life and decreased mortality rates. Since that time the development of new antibiotics have come to a halt, but the bacteria and viruses have become stronger; leading to the development of drug resistance microbes. Drug resistant bacteria and viruses are no longer able to be destroyed by antibiotics that were once effective. MRSA or Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus for example, is a staph infection that can no longer be cured as easily and with the same medications as before. MRSA is becoming a common condition, with around 90-100,000 people being infected with MRSA each year and 20,000 dying from it. At this moment most MRSA cases are able to be treated with a regimen of medications, but we are using the strongest medications we have, so if the MRSA were to to become even more resistant we may not have the medication to treat it. As a result the WHO (world health organization) has called for a “race against time to develop new antibiotics.” While this may sound like the plot to a sci-fi movie, the threat of drug resistant antimicrobial is a real problem.
Regenerative Medicine: Regenerative medicine is a process of rejuvenating or replacing tissues or cells that have become worn down or defective. The cartilage in the knee for example, acts as a cushion between the bones. After years of stress from walking, bending, and other physical activities the cartilage begins to break down. The majority of people will have at least 30% less cartilage in their knees by middle age while others can have a total loss, which results in pain and decreased quality of life. Research is now focusing on how the use of stem cells or lab grown tissues can be used to replace or rejuvenate that cartilage to regain function in the knee. Research on regenerative medicine is also being applied at a cellular level, to boost function within the cells or contents of the cells and ideally slow or prevent cellar aging and dysfunction. However there are still many obstacles to overcome, such as cellular death and tissues rejection. In addition there is much debate over the ethics of stem cell use. Despite barriers, regenerative medicine is making great strides and is going to play a large role in disease management in the future.
Preventive Medicine: Is becoming an area of increased interest in the medical community. Until recently most health care was directed towards diagnosing and treating diseases after they occurred. Preventive medicine, which focuses on stopping the disease from ever developing, is gaining more recognition as the cost of treating diseases increases and quality of life decreases. Reducing pollution, educating on healthy diets and exercise, screening for cancer, vaccinations, and yearly health exams are all examples of preventive medicine. In many cases is it much easier to prevent the disorder then is it to treat or cure it. Take Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD), which is the third leading cause of death in the United States. Between 85-90% of cases of COPD are related to smoking. In many cases COPD is a fully preventable disease that could have been avoided if smoking cessation programs had been used or better yet, if smoking didn’t ever occur. Vaccines are another example, the polio vaccine had kept polio out of the United States for years, but due to recent campaigns against vaccinating children we are seeing outbreaks again. Preventive medicine is the practice of living healthy and taking medical precautions to decrease your risk of getting sick.
Specialists
We have reached out to some of the top experts around the world to gain knowledge and understanding on various medical conditions. Our specialists cover the following topics; oncology, autoimmune, osteoporosis, endocrine disorders, hormone imbalances, regenerative medicine and aging.
