Insidermedicine in 60 - May 15, 2009

From Rochester - According to research presented to the American Society of Clinical Oncology, ginger may ease chemotherapy-related nausea. In a study of over 600 cancer patients, researchers found that half a teaspoon of ground ginger each day reduced nausea by 40% when taken with standard anti-nausea medications. Ginger is widely used as a folk remedy for upset stomach and diarrhea. From San Francisco - According to research in the journal Neurology, a new tool may make it easier to predict which patients over the age of 65 will develop Alzheimer's disease. A 15-point index that includes both conventional and newly identified risk factors was able to correctly classify 88% of patients according to their risk of developing some form of dementia within six years. And finally, from Boston - According to research in PLoS Pathogens, a common virus has been linked to high blood pressure. In a study of mice, researchers found that infection with cytomegalovirus was associated with an increase in blood pressure regardless of diet. This virus affects 50% to 80% of adults in the U.S., and so these findings may provide doctors with a new approach to treating hypertension. For Insidermedicine in 60, I'm Dr. Susan Sharma.