• Sleep Apnea Has Higher Risk Of Cancer Mortality
  University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health released a study today showing that those suffering from sleep apnea appear to have an increased risk of cancer mortality. Previous studies have linked the sleep disordered breathing (SBD) problems to hypertension, cardiovascular disease, depression and earlier death, but this is the first to find a link to cancer. Lead author Dr. F…
• Blood Test May Help Identify Mothers At Risk Of Post Natal Depression
  About one in seven new mothers suffer from postnatal depression (PND), a condition that usually starts about two weeks after childbirth. A simple, accurate blood test to determine which women may be most at risk could soon be developed due to the discovery Warwick University researchers’ made when they examined women for specific genetic variants…
• Binge Drinking Reduced With Herbal Extract
  Researchers at McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School have discovered that an extract of the Chinese herb Kudzu may help to curb binge drinking. The team found that components in the kudzu root can significantly reduce alcohol consumption, without adverse effects. The study is published in the current issue of Drug and Alcohol Dependence. David Penetar, Ph.D…
• Shocking Risk Figures For Teens Developing Diabetes And Heart Problems
  The June issues of Pediatrics carries an article laying down the risks for teens developing heart problems, cardio-vascular disease and diabetes. The study compares today’s figures with a study from a year ago called “Prevalence of Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors Among U.S. Adolescents, 1999-2008.” Just looking at diabetes, we find that figures have jumped from 9% a decade ago, to a dreadful 23% today…
• Adolescents Are Still Smoking, But Percentages Have Dropped
  A new report that is based on the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) reveals that cigarette use amongst minors has dropped from 11.9% in 2004 to 8.3% in 2010 (the year with the latest available data), and that of young adults decreased from 39.5% in 2004 to 34.2% in 2010, although a considerable percentage of both minors and young adults are currently still smoking. The definition of ‘current’ was defined as having smoked at least once in the past month. SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S…
• Breast Cancer Battle – More Genes Discovered
  Researchers have discovered nine new genes which are involved in the development of breast cancer, bringing the number of all genes so far associated with the development of breast cancer to 40, according to a study published in Nature. The researchers analyzed all genes in the genomes of 100 breast cancer cases and discovered that there were different mutated cancer-causing genes in different samples of cancer, suggesting that breast cancer is genetically diverse…
• Inexpensive Paper-Based Diabetes Test Developed
  Scientists have developed a new, inexpensive and easy-to-use urine test for people with type 2 diabetes in areas of extreme poverty, such as rural India, China and other locations in the world. The paper-based device is described in the journal Analytical Chemistry, and could also be adapted to diagnose and monitor other conditions and the environment. Jan Lankelma and team highlight the significance of monitoring glucose levels…
• Health 2.0 Europe, 6-7 November 2012, Berlin
  What is Health 2.0 Europe about? It’s about a new generation of entrepreneurs believing they can be the change they want to see in their health systems. It’s about engaging a deeper conversation and widening our perspective on today’s health eco-system: it’s not just about social media and communities, it’s also about patient-physician communication, system reform, data, analytics, population health management, personalized medicine, sensors/devices/unplatforms, wellness… The conference is about leveraging the international Health 2…
• "Nordic Walking" Benefits Heart Failure Patients
  Research presented at a conference this week suggests heart failure patients can benefit from “Nordic walking”, where people walk with the help of poles as in cross-country skiing. This type of walking, which engages the upper as well as the lower body, is becoming increasingly popular in Europe: it is safe for older patients, especially those over 65, and after a short introductory course, can be practised outdoors without having to go to the gym. The lead author of the study is Andrzej Lejczak, a physiotherapist at the Military Hospital in Wroclaw, Poland…
• Genetic Role In Psychological Well-Being
  How well an individuals does in their personal life could be due to their genetics, say psychologists at the University of Edinburgh. According to the researchers, genetics play a significantly greater role in shaping character traits, such as decision making, self-control, or sociability, than an individuals surroundings or home environment. The study is published online in the Journal of Personality. The team enrolled over 800 sets of twins in the United States to participate in the study. The majority of participants were aged 50+…
• How Does ApoE4 Affect Alzheimer’s Risk? New Clues
  Although there is a strong association between common mutations of the ApoE gene and the risk of developing late-onset Alzheimer’s disease, researchers have not known what role this gene plays in the disease until now. Of the three varieties of ApoE – ApoE2, ApoE3 and ApoE4, the team found that in mice, ApoE4 damages the blood vessels that provide nutrients to the brain. The ApoE gene encodes a protein that helps regulate the levels and distribution of cholesterol and other lipids in the body…
• ABPI And Teenage Cancer Trust CEOs In Keynote Debate At Patient Summit 2012, 29-30 May, London, UK
  Stephen Whitehead, CEO of The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) and Simon Davies, CEO of Teenage Cancer Trust will engage in the Keynote Debate at the Patient Summit 2012, it has been announced. With no moderator, the heads will address a variety of topics one-on-one in what has been described as an “armchair debate”. An audience of more than 150 senior industry professionals will be witness to this meeting of minds, marking the beginning of the two day event at the Regents Park Marriott Hotel in London…
• Dysentery May Be Treatable With Cheap Arthritis Drug
  US researchers have discovered that an already approved arthritis drug may offer a cheap, low-dose treatment for the amoebic infections that cause dysentery in humans worldwide. So far they have only tested the drug in lab and animal studies, but they have applied for approval to start clinical trials to test it as a treatment for both amebiasis and the parasite Giardia in humans. The researchers, from University of California – San Diego (UCSD), and University of California – San Francisco (UCSF), write about their findings in the 20 May online issue of Nature Medicine…
• Heart Damage Already Present In Obese Adolescents
  Obese adolescents with no symptoms of heart disease already have heart damage, according to new research. The findings were presented at the Heart Failure Congress 2012, 19-22 May, in Belgrade, Serbia. The Congress is the main annual meeting of the Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology. Obesity is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and previous research has shown that obese adults have structural and functional changes to their hearts…
• Exposure To Pollution In The Womb Especially Dangerous For Children With Asthma
  The link between prenatal exposure to air pollution and childhood lung growth and respiratory ailments has been established by several studies in recent years, and now a new study suggests that these prenatal exposures can be especially serious for children with asthma. The study will be presented at the ATS 2012 International Conference in San Francisco…
• Patients Treated In Early Stages Of Prostate Cancer Relieved Of Urinary Symptoms
  Treatment of early stage prostate cancer can also result in improved quality of life for a subgroup of men who suffer from lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), according to an abstract of a Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center-led study presented to the American Urological Association. LUTS, which includes problems of frequent or urgent urination, particularly at night, is a common problem that affects approximately 40 percent of men, a percentage that rises with age. It is not a reason to suspect prostate cancer…
• Long-Term Respiratory Problems Likely In Children Exposed To Tobacco Smoke
  For more than three decades, researchers have warned of the potential health risks associated with exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), especially among children whose parents smoke. Now a new study conducted by researchers from the University of Arizona reports that those health risks persist well beyond childhood, independent of whether or not those individuals end up becoming smokers later in life. The study will be presented at the ATS 2012 International Conference in San Francisco…
• Children With OSA Require Treatment To Reverse Brain Abnormalities
  Treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in children normalizes disturbances in the neuronal network responsible for attention and executive function, according to a new study. “OSA is known to be associated with deficits in attention, cognition, and executive function,” said lead author Ann Halbower, MD, Associate Professor at the Children’s Hospital Sleep Center and University of Colorado Denver. “Our study is the first to show that treatment of OSA in children can reverse neuronal brain injury, correlated with improvements in attention and verbal memory in these patients…
• In Rat Model Of Diabetes, Experimental Bariatric Surgery Controls Blood Sugar
  For the first time, scientists at the Toronto General Hospital Research Institute have shown that an experimental bariatric surgery can lower blood sugar levels in rats with type 1 diabetes. A team led by Dr. Tony Lam and Dr. Danna Breen, a post- doctoral fellow in the lab of Dr. Lam, used a rat model to study novel nutrient-sensing signals in the jejunum, located in the middle of the intestine. Dr…
• Association Between Sleep Disordered Breathing And Increased Risk Of Cancer Mortality
  Sleep disordered breathing (SDB), which is associated with an increased risk of adverse cardiovascular events and psychopathological outcomes, is also associated with an increased risk of cancer mortality, according to a new study. “Recent in vitro and animal studies have shown that repeated episodes of hypoxia (an inadequate supply of oxygen) are associated with accelerated cancer progression,” said F. Javier Nieto, MD, PhD, chair of the Department of Population Health Sciences at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health…

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• World’s First Stem Cell Drug From Osiris : Approved!
  There is great news for parents suffering the harrowing ordeal of their child needing a bone marrow transplant. The announcement came from Osiris Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: OSIR) on Friday that Health Canada has approved its groundbreaking stem cell therapy Prochymal® (remestemcel-L). The drug can be used to treat children with acute graft-vs-host disease. (GvHD). The decision is a historic one, as it’s both the first stem cell drug going into formal use, as well as the first treatment for GvHD…
• Generic Versions Of Blood Thinning Plavix Approved By FDA
  Generic versions of blood-thinning medication – Plavix (clopidogrel bisulfate) – have been approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration). Clopidogrel bisulfate reduces the likelihood of blood platelets clumping together and forming clots in blood vessels, resulting in a lower risk of stroke and heart attack. Clopidogrel is approved by the FDA for individuals who recently had a stroke or heart attack, as well as patients who have peripheral artery disease – partial or total blockage of an artery. Keith Webber, Ph.D…
• PA32540 Cuts Gastric Acid Faster Than Enteric-Coated Aspirin
  SAN DIEGO – The investigational compound PA32540 provides faster gastric protection than enteric-coated omeprazole 40 mg, researchers announced at Digestive Disease Week 2012. PA32540 is an investigational coordinated-delivery tablet of immediate-release (IR) omeprazole (40 mg), a proton pump inhibitor (PPI), layered around enteric-coated aspirin (325 mg). The product was developed to provide the cardiovascular benefits of aspirin in patients at risk for aspirin-associated ulcers…
• Some "Good" Cholesterol May Be Bad For Heart
  It appears that in some cases, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, the so-called “good” cholesterol, does not protect against heart disease, and may even be harmful. A new study suggests a subclass of HDL that carries a particular protein is bad for the heart. Previous studies have shown that high levels of HDL cholesterol are strongly linked to low risk of heart disease…
• How Many Calories Should I Eat?
  The number of calories people should eat each day depends on several factors, including their age, size, height, sex, lifestyle, and overall general health. A physically active 6ft 2in male, aged 22 years, requires considerably more calories than a 5ft 2ins sedentary woman in her 70s. Recommended daily calorie intakes also vary across the world. According to the National Health Service (NHS), UK, the average male adult needs approximately 2,500 calories per day to keep his weight constant, while the average adult female needs 2,000…
• Personal Genetic Test Results Have Not Driven Overuse Of Expensive Medical Care
  People have more and more chances to participate in genetic testing that can indicate their range of risk for developing a disease. Receiving these results does not appreciably drive up – or diminish – test recipients’ demand for potentially costly follow-up health services, according to a new study in the early online issue of Genetics in Medicine…
• Rare DNA Variations May Be Responsible For Differences In Susceptibily To Heart, Lung And Other Disorders
  One-letter switches in the DNA code occur much more frequently in human genomes than anticipated, but are often only found in one or a few individuals. The abundance of rare variations across the human genome is consistent with the population explosion of the past few thousand years, medical geneticists and evolutionary biologists report in the advanced online edition of Science…
• Sleep Quality Impaired In Children With Epilepsy And Their Parents
  Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital for Children in Boston have determined that pediatric epilepsy significantly impacts sleep patterns for the child and parents. According to the study available in Epilepsia, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE), sharing a room or co-sleeping with their child with epilepsy decreases the sleep quality and prevents restful sleep for parents. Over 1% of children in the U.S. are diagnosed with epilepsy – a chronic, neurological disease characterized by recurring seizures…
• Serious But Rare Genetic Immune Disorder Studied By Scientists
  Defects in the gene that encodes the XIAP protein result in a serious immune malfunction. Scientists used biochemical analyses to map the protein’s ability to activate vital components of the immune system. Their results have recently been published in Molecular Cell, a journal of international scientific repute…
• Anti-HIV Product For Both Vagina And Rectum Using Reduced Glycerin Formulation Of Tenofovir Vaginal Gel
  A change in the formulation of tenofovir gel, an anti-HIV gel developed for vaginal use, may make it safer to use in the rectum, suggests a study published online this week in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. In laboratory tests of rectal tissue, researchers from the Microbicide Trials Network (MTN) found that the reformulated gel was less harmful to the lining of the rectum than the original vaginal formulation, and just as effective in protecting cells against HIV…
• Improving Understanding Of Psychiatric Disorders With The Help Of Zebrafish
  Scientists at Queen Mary, University of London have shown that zebrafish could be used to study the underlying causes of psychiatric disorders. The study, published online in the journal Behavioural Brain Research, found zebrafish can modify their behaviour in response to varying situations…
• Regular Exercise May Increase Pain Tolerance
  Stories of athletes bravely “playing through the pain” are relatively common and support the widespread belief that they experience pain differently than non-athletes. Yet, the scientific data on pain perception in athletes has been inconsistent, and sometimes contradictory. Investigators from the University of Heidelberg have conducted a meta-analysis of available research and find that in fact, athletes can indeed tolerate a higher level of pain than normally active people…
• Monitoring Fetal Heart Using Bluetooth
  Checking the heart of the unborn baby usually involves a stethoscope. However, an inexpensive and accurate Bluetooth fetal heart rate monitoring system has now been developed by researchers in India for long-term home care. Details are reported in a forthcoming issue of the International Journal of Computers in Healthcare. Vijay Chourasia of the LNM Institute of Information Technology in Jaipur and Anil Kumar Tiwari of the Indian Institute of Technology Rajasthan, in Jodhpur, explain how fetal phonocardiography is the modern equivalent of the stethoscope in ante-natal baby care…
• Discovery Alters Prevailing View Of Splicing Regulation And Has Implications For Splicing Mutations Associated With Disease
  There are always exceptions to a rule, even one that has prevailed for more than three decades, as demonstrated by a Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) study on RNA splicing, a cellular editing process. The rule-flaunting exception uncovered by the study concerns the way in which a newly produced RNA molecule is cut and pasted at precise locations called splice sites before being translated into protein…
• Improved Tool In The Fight Against Tuberculosis
  A tiny filter could have a big impact around the world in the fight against tuberculosis. Using the traditional microscope-based diagnosis method as a starting point, a University of Florida lung disease specialist and colleagues in Brazil have devised a way to detect more cases of the bacterial infection. “We’re hopeful that this more sensitive method, which is both simple and inexpensive, will improve diagnosis in patients,” said lead researcher Kevin Fennelly, M.D., M.P.H…

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• World’s First Stem Cell Drug From Osiris : Approved!
  There is great news for parents suffering the harrowing ordeal of their child needing a bone marrow transplant. The announcement came from Osiris Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: OSIR) on Friday that Health Canada has approved its groundbreaking stem cell therapy Prochymal® (remestemcel-L). The drug can be used to treat children with acute graft-vs-host disease. (GvHD). The decision is a historic one, as it’s both the first stem cell drug going into formal use, as well as the first treatment for GvHD…
• Generic Versions Of Blood Thinning Plavix Approved By FDA
  Generic versions of blood-thinning medication – Plavix (clopidogrel bisulfate) – have been approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration). Clopidogrel bisulfate reduces the likelihood of blood platelets clumping together and forming clots in blood vessels, resulting in a lower risk of stroke and heart attack. Clopidogrel is approved by the FDA for individuals who recently had a stroke or heart attack, as well as patients who have peripheral artery disease – partial or total blockage of an artery. Keith Webber, Ph.D…
• PA32540 Cuts Gastric Acid Faster Than Enteric-Coated Aspirin
  SAN DIEGO – The investigational compound PA32540 provides faster gastric protection than enteric-coated omeprazole 40 mg, researchers announced at Digestive Disease Week 2012. PA32540 is an investigational coordinated-delivery tablet of immediate-release (IR) omeprazole (40 mg), a proton pump inhibitor (PPI), layered around enteric-coated aspirin (325 mg). The product was developed to provide the cardiovascular benefits of aspirin in patients at risk for aspirin-associated ulcers…
• Some "Good" Cholesterol May Be Bad For Heart
  It appears that in some cases, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, the so-called “good” cholesterol, does not protect against heart disease, and may even be harmful. A new study suggests a subclass of HDL that carries a particular protein is bad for the heart. Previous studies have shown that high levels of HDL cholesterol are strongly linked to low risk of heart disease…
• How Many Calories Should I Eat?
  The number of calories people should eat each day depends on several factors, including their age, size, height, sex, lifestyle, and overall general health. A physically active 6ft 2in male, aged 22 years, requires considerably more calories than a 5ft 2ins sedentary woman in her 70s. Recommended daily calorie intakes also vary across the world. According to the National Health Service (NHS), UK, the average male adult needs approximately 2,500 calories per day to keep his weight constant, while the average adult female needs 2,000…
• Personal Genetic Test Results Have Not Driven Overuse Of Expensive Medical Care
  People have more and more chances to participate in genetic testing that can indicate their range of risk for developing a disease. Receiving these results does not appreciably drive up – or diminish – test recipients’ demand for potentially costly follow-up health services, according to a new study in the early online issue of Genetics in Medicine…
• Rare DNA Variations May Be Responsible For Differences In Susceptibily To Heart, Lung And Other Disorders
  One-letter switches in the DNA code occur much more frequently in human genomes than anticipated, but are often only found in one or a few individuals. The abundance of rare variations across the human genome is consistent with the population explosion of the past few thousand years, medical geneticists and evolutionary biologists report in the advanced online edition of Science…
• Sleep Quality Impaired In Children With Epilepsy And Their Parents
  Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital for Children in Boston have determined that pediatric epilepsy significantly impacts sleep patterns for the child and parents. According to the study available in Epilepsia, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE), sharing a room or co-sleeping with their child with epilepsy decreases the sleep quality and prevents restful sleep for parents. Over 1% of children in the U.S. are diagnosed with epilepsy – a chronic, neurological disease characterized by recurring seizures…
• Serious But Rare Genetic Immune Disorder Studied By Scientists
  Defects in the gene that encodes the XIAP protein result in a serious immune malfunction. Scientists used biochemical analyses to map the protein’s ability to activate vital components of the immune system. Their results have recently been published in Molecular Cell, a journal of international scientific repute…
• Anti-HIV Product For Both Vagina And Rectum Using Reduced Glycerin Formulation Of Tenofovir Vaginal Gel
  A change in the formulation of tenofovir gel, an anti-HIV gel developed for vaginal use, may make it safer to use in the rectum, suggests a study published online this week in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. In laboratory tests of rectal tissue, researchers from the Microbicide Trials Network (MTN) found that the reformulated gel was less harmful to the lining of the rectum than the original vaginal formulation, and just as effective in protecting cells against HIV…
• Improving Understanding Of Psychiatric Disorders With The Help Of Zebrafish
  Scientists at Queen Mary, University of London have shown that zebrafish could be used to study the underlying causes of psychiatric disorders. The study, published online in the journal Behavioural Brain Research, found zebrafish can modify their behaviour in response to varying situations…
• Regular Exercise May Increase Pain Tolerance
  Stories of athletes bravely “playing through the pain” are relatively common and support the widespread belief that they experience pain differently than non-athletes. Yet, the scientific data on pain perception in athletes has been inconsistent, and sometimes contradictory. Investigators from the University of Heidelberg have conducted a meta-analysis of available research and find that in fact, athletes can indeed tolerate a higher level of pain than normally active people…
• Monitoring Fetal Heart Using Bluetooth
  Checking the heart of the unborn baby usually involves a stethoscope. However, an inexpensive and accurate Bluetooth fetal heart rate monitoring system has now been developed by researchers in India for long-term home care. Details are reported in a forthcoming issue of the International Journal of Computers in Healthcare. Vijay Chourasia of the LNM Institute of Information Technology in Jaipur and Anil Kumar Tiwari of the Indian Institute of Technology Rajasthan, in Jodhpur, explain how fetal phonocardiography is the modern equivalent of the stethoscope in ante-natal baby care…
• Discovery Alters Prevailing View Of Splicing Regulation And Has Implications For Splicing Mutations Associated With Disease
  There are always exceptions to a rule, even one that has prevailed for more than three decades, as demonstrated by a Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) study on RNA splicing, a cellular editing process. The rule-flaunting exception uncovered by the study concerns the way in which a newly produced RNA molecule is cut and pasted at precise locations called splice sites before being translated into protein…
• Improved Tool In The Fight Against Tuberculosis
  A tiny filter could have a big impact around the world in the fight against tuberculosis. Using the traditional microscope-based diagnosis method as a starting point, a University of Florida lung disease specialist and colleagues in Brazil have devised a way to detect more cases of the bacterial infection. “We’re hopeful that this more sensitive method, which is both simple and inexpensive, will improve diagnosis in patients,” said lead researcher Kevin Fennelly, M.D., M.P.H…

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• Autism, Obesity And Schizophrenia Gene Isolated
  The size of a baby’s head is often related to neurological disorders, such as autism – which affects 1 in 88 children. Now, researchers at Duke University Medical Center have identified genes responsible for head size at birth by inserting human genes into zebrafish. The study is published online in the journal Nature. Nicholas Katsanis, Ph.D., Jean and George Brumley Jr. M.D…
• Genetic Test May Predict Risk Of Schizophrenia
  Researchers at the Indiana University School of Medicine have developed a test that can predict how likely an individual is to develop schizophrenia. The scientists combined data from several different types of studies in order to identify and prioritize a group of genes most associated with the disease. Combined, these genes can generate a score, and determine whether an individual is at lower or higher risk of developing schizophrenia. The study, which was conducted along with a group of national and international collaborators, is published online in the journal Molecular Psychiatry…
• Dieting During Pregnancy Is Safe And Helpful
  A study in BMJ reports that the risk for serious complications, such as pre-eclampsia, diabetes and premature birth can be safely reduced even in overweight and obese pregnant women by following a healthy calorie controlled diet during pregnancy. Over half of the UK’s female population of reproductive ages is overweight or obese, and up to 40% of European and American women gain more than the recommended weight in pregnancy, which has been associated with numerous serious health problems…
• Renal Denervation Lowers Blood Pressure In Kidney Disease Patients
  Disrupting certain nerves in the kidneys can safely and effectively lower blood pressure in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and hypertension, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN). The findings indicate that the procedure might improve CKD patients’ heart health. Overactivity of neurons in the sympathetic – or fight or flight – nervous system is very common in patients with CKD…
• Hormone-Depleting Drug Shows Promise Against Localized High-Risk Prostate Tumors
  A hormone-depleting drug approved last year for the treatment of metastatic prostate cancer can help eliminate or nearly eliminate tumors in many patients with aggressive cancers that have yet to spread beyond the prostate, according to a clinical study to be presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), June 1-5, in Chicago…
• Distraction As Pain Relief
  Mental distractions make pain easier to take, and those pain-relieving effects aren’t just in your head, according to a report published online in Current Biology, a Cell Press publication. The findings based on high-resolution spinal fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) as people experienced painful levels of heat show that mental distractions actually inhibit the response to incoming pain signals at the earliest stage of central pain processing…
• OSHA Regulations Can Be Good For Workers’ Health, Save Lives
  Research published in Science sheds light on a hot-button political issue: the role and effectiveness of government regulation. Does it kill jobs or protect the public? The new study, co-authored by Harvard Business School Professor Michael Toffel, Professor David Levine of the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley, and Boston University doctoral student Matthew Johnson, examines workplace safety inspections conducted by California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA)…
• Identifying Autism Risk In High Risk Siblings Of Children With ASD
  By focusing on the identification of common genetic variants, researchers have identified 57 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that predict – with a high degree of certainty – the risk that siblings of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) will also develop the condition. The findings were presented at the International Meeting for Autism Research. ASD is among the most common form of severe developmental disability with prevalence rates up to 1 in 88 children…
• For Chronic Kidney Disease Patients, One Type Of Open Heart Surgery Is Safer Than The Other
  One type of open heart surgery is likely safer than the other for chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN). Open heart, or coronary artery bypass, surgery can be done two ways: on-pump or off-pump, depending on whether the patient is put on a heart-lung machine. Off-pump surgery allows a surgeon to perform a bypass without stopping the heart. This may help cut down on kidney injuries that can arise after heart surgery, which can deprive the kidneys of normal blood flow…
• It’s Not Just What You Eat, When You Eat Matters Too
  When it comes to weight gain, when you eat might be at least as important as what you eat. That’s the conclusion of a study reported in the Cell Press journal Cell Metabolism published early online. When mice on a high-fat diet are restricted to eating for eight hours per day, they eat just as much as those who can eat around the clock, yet they are protected against obesity and other metabolic ills, the new study shows. The discovery suggests that the health consequences of a poor diet might result in part from a mismatch between our body clocks and our eating schedules…
• Genetic Discovery Will Revolutionize Understanding Of Gene Expression
  Over the past decade, research in the field of epigenetics has revealed that chemically modified bases are abundant components of the human genome and has forced us to abandon the notion we’ve had since high school genetics that DNA consists of only four bases. Now, researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College have made a discovery that once again forces us to rewrite our textbooks. This time, however, the findings pertain to RNA, which like DNA carries information about our genes and how they are expressed…
• New National Guidelines For Treatment Of Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
  People with bleeding brain aneurysms have the best chance of survival and full recovery if they receive aggressive emergency treatment from a specialized team at a hospital that treats a large number of patients like them every year, according to new guidelines just published by the American Stroke Association…
• Controlling Bacterial Population Density Within Infections
  Scientists at The University of Nottingham have opened the way for more accurate research into new ways to fight dangerous bacterial infections by proving a long-held theory about how bacteria communicate with each other. Researchers in the University’s School of Molecular Medical Sciences have shown for the first time that the effectiveness of the bacteria’s communication method, a process called ‘quorum sensing’, directly depends on the density of the bacterial population…

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• Anxiety Disorders And Cellular Metabolism Linked
  Researchers at the University of Chicago have found an association between anxiety disorders and the gene that encodes Glyoxylase 1 (GLO1). However, the mechanism underlying this association is unclear. The most prevalent psychiatric diseases in the United States are anxiety disorders, which range from post-traumatic stress disorder to social phobia. Using a mouse model, Margaret Distler and her team set out to determine whether the primary substrate of GlO1, methylglyoxal, might have unproven neurological effects…
• Hunger Among Seniors In The USA Rose 78% In Ten Years
  8.3 million (14.85%) seniors in the United States face the threat of hunger, say researchers at the University of Illinois. From 2001 to 2010, the incidence of hunger among seniors has risen by 78%, and by 34% since the onset of the recession in 2007. Craig Gundersen, University of Illinois associate professor of agricultural and consumer economics and executive director of the National Soybean Research Laboratory, said: “In 2005, we reported that one in nine seniors faced the threat of hunger…
• Athlete’s High Pain Threshold May Help Pain Management Research
  Athletes are often seen to put on a ‘brave face and carry on’ when they sustain an injury, which supports the theory that they have a higher pain threshold than non-athletes, regardless of inconsistent and sometimes even contradictory evidence from previous studies on pain perception in athletes…
• Drug Approval Faster In US FDA Than Its European Or Canadian Counterparts
  Although the drug approval process in the U.S. has been perceived as too slow, the nation approves new drug treatments faster and earlier than Europe and Canada, according to researchers at Yale School of Medicine. The study, conducted by Nicholas Downing, a second-year medical student and Joseph S. Ross, M.D., assistant professor of internal medicine at Yale School of Medicine, found that the median total time to review was: 322 days at The U.S…
• Running Marathons – Death Risk Low, Higher Among Men
  In recent years, the popularity of marathons has grown significantly and although the risk of dying during a marathon or soon after is extremely low – about 0.75 per 100,000 – men are two times more likely to die than women, say researchers at John Hopkins University School of Medicine. In addition, the number of individuals to complete grueling 26.2 mile marathons in the United States increased dramatically between 2000 and 2009, from 299,018 to 473,354. The study is published online in The American Journal of Sports Medicine. Julius Cuong Pham, M.D., Ph.D…
• Reducing Booze Consumption Better For Public Health And Economy, Australia
  According to a new study in the American Journal of Public Health, Australia could yield economic and health benefits by reducing its overall national yearly alcohol consumption. In 2008, researchers estimated the economic benefits Australia could achieve in health, production and leisure, if the annual per capita consumption of alcohol would be reduced to a designated average yearly target of 6.4 liters per capita. They discovered that reducing the annual per capita alcohol consumption by just 3.4 liters would save Australia’s health sector $789 million…
• Diabetes Population May Rise To 53 Million Within 13 Years In USA
  By the year 2025, researchers predict that 53.1 million individuals in the United States will have diabetes (mainly type 2 diabetes) – a 64% increase from 2010. The study is published in Population Health Management Diabetes is a life long disease in which there are high levels of glucose in the blood. In type 1 diabetes the body does not produce insulin and in type 2 diabetes the body either produces insufficient amounts of insulin or ignores it. William Rowley, M.D., and Clement Bezold, Ph.D…
• Fighting Multidrug-Resistant Bugs – Last Resort Drugs Being Used Increasingly
  A study published in the open access journal PloS ONE reveals that the use of “last resort” antibiotics is on the rise due to the increasing prevalence of multidrug-resistant pathogens. Makoto Jones, of the Veterans Affairs Salt Lake City Health Care System, and colleagues conducted the study in order to investigate the use of two such antibiotics, tigecycline and polymyxins, in 127 Veterans Affairs Medical centers between 2005 and 2010. The researchers found that 26 centers accounted for 75% of all tigecycline use, and just 8 centers accounted for 75% of all polymyxin use…
• Strict School Physical Education Laws Improve Children’s Health
  As childhood obesity and diabetes rates are skyrocketing in the US, many schools are eliminating physical education classes. A national study in the American Journal of Public Health reports that specific and required state legislation with regard to PE times could be a crucial tool to ensure that children meet the daily recommendations of physical activity…
• Heart Healthier Oat Variety Developed
  Plant breeders of the Wisconsin-Madison University have developed a new oat variety called BetaGene, which is 2% higher in beta glucan and therefore even more cardio-friendly than other oat varieties on the market. John Mochon, program manager of the Small Grains Breeding Program in UW-Madison’s agronomy department explains: “The biggest thing that stands out about this new variety, BetaGene, is that it’s both a high yielding variety and high in beta glucan. Beta glucan is a heart-healthy chemical that is exclusive to oats…
• Weight Management And Dieting During Pregnancy Is Beneficial
  A woman who is both over weight and pregnant faces double challenges, not least because many women who are not overweight struggle not to gain weight over the course of the nine month gestation period. Pregnant women who are overweight or obese can have serious health risks including high blood pressure, pre-eclampsia, diabetes and premature birth, but there is good news. A study published today on bmj.com shows that these risks can be mitigated by following a healthy calorie controlled diet over the course of the pregnancy…
• Molecule That Prevents Heart Damage is Also Proving Its Worth In Diabetic Patients
  ACE2, a molecule that has been shown to prevent damage in the heart, is now proving to be protective of the major organs that are often damaged in diabetic patients. Gavin Oudit, a researcher with the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, and his colleagues at the University of Florida, found that lab models that lacked ACE2 had worse cardiovascular complications related to diabetes. “We show that if you take ACE2 away, they [lab models of diabetes] do very poorly,” said Oudit. “It worsened their heart function and their vascular function…
• Famous 1848 Case Of A Man Who Survived A Terrible Brain Injury Has Modern Parallel
  Poor Phineas Gage. In 1848, the supervisor for the Rutland and Burlington Railroad in Vermont was using a 13-pound, 3-foot-7-inch rod to pack blasting powder into a rock when he triggered an explosion that drove the rod through his left cheek and out of the top of his head. As reported at the time, the rod was later found, “smeared with blood and brains…
• Herbal Extract May Curb Binge Drinking
  An extract of the Chinese herb kudzu dramatically reduces drinking and may be useful in the treatment of alcoholism and curbing binge drinking, according to a new study by McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School researchers. “Our study is further evidence that components found in kudzu root can reduce alcohol consumption and do so without adverse side effects,” said David Penetar, PhD, of the Behavioral Psychopharmacology Research Laboratory at McLean Hospital, and the lead author of the study…
• Smartphones A Big Help To Visually Impaired
  iPhones and other smartphones can be a huge help to the visually impaired, but few vision doctors are recommending them to patients, according to a study co-authored by a Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine ophthalmologist. Researchers surveyed 46 low-vision adults from The Chicago Lighthouse and the Spectrios Institute for Low Vision in Wheaton, Ill. Participants’ best-corrected vision ranged from 20/70 to complete blindness…
• Potential New Drugs For Fox Tapeworm Infection In Humans
  Scientists are reporting development and testing of a new series of drugs that could finally stop the fox tapeworm – which causes a rare but life-threatening disease in humans – dead in its tracks. The report, which appears in ACS’ Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, shows that specific organometallic substances that help combat cancer are also the surprising best new hope for a treatment against tapeworm infection. Carsten Vock, Andrew Hemphill and colleagues explain that alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is a parasitic disease caused by the fox tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis…
• Gene Therapy Helps Children With Rare, Incurable Brain Disease
  Using gene transfer techniques pioneered by University of Florida faculty, Taiwanese doctors have restored some movement in four children bedridden with a rare, life-threatening neurological disease. The first-in-humans achievement may also be helpful for more common diseases such as Parkinson’s that involve nerve cell damage caused by lack of a crucial molecule in brain tissue. The results are reported in the journal Science Translational Medicine…
• Older People With Chronic Leukemia May Benefit From Experimental Agent
  The experimental drug ibrutinib (PCI-32765) shows great promise for the treatment of elderly patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), according to interim findings from a clinical trial. The phase I/II trial, co-led by researchers at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James) and MD Anderson Cancer Center, indicates that the oral agent has few side effects and a high one-year survival rate in older patients…
• Surgical Vs. Nonsurgical Treatment For Cervical Spine Fracture
  For older adults with “C2″ fractures of the upper (cervical) spine, surgery and nonsurgical treatment provide similar short- and long-term outcomes, reports a study in the May issue of Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health. Although the patients were at significant risk of complications and death in the year or two after C2 fracture, these risks are similar with surgical and nonsurgical treatment…
• Trial Of ALK Inhibitor In Neuroblastoma, Lymphoma
  A pill designed to zero in on abnormal genes that drive specific cancers has produced encouraging early results in children with an uncommon but aggressive type of lymphoma, as well as in children with a rare form of neuroblastoma. A phase 1 clinical trial of the drug crizotinib achieved remissions, with minimal side effects, for 10 of the children participating in a clinical study carried out by the multicenter Children’s Oncology Group (COG). The results were “an exciting proof-of-principle” for the targeted treatment, said the study leader, Yaël P. Mossé, M.D…

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• Google Algorithm Finds Cancer Biomarkers
  Seven proteins that can help physicians evaluate how aggressive a patient’s cancer is and whether or not they should receive chemotherapy have been identified by German researchers. Using a strategy similar to Google’s PageRank algorithm, the researchers from Dresden University of Technology, Germany, were able to rank around 20,000 proteins by their genetic relevance to the progression of pancreatic cancer. The study is published in PLoS Computational Biology…
• Should Children Be Made To Have Vaccines?
  Two experts discuss in the journal BMJ whether childhood vaccination should be mandatory in the UK. According to Paul Offit, Chief of Infectious diseases at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, mandatory vaccination is essential to protect those who are vulnerable from infection…
• Controlling Blood Pressure – Team Based Care Vital
  High blood pressure was listed as a primary or contributing cause of death for approximately 336,000 Americans in 2007. If all patients with high blood pressure were treated to goal as outlined in current clinical guidelines, it is estimated that 46,000 deaths might be averted each year. Total annual costs associated with hypertension are $156 billion, including medical costs of $131 billion and lost productivity costs of $25 billion. The Task Force on Community Preventive Services recommends team-based care (TBC) to improve blood pressure (BP) control…
• General Practice – Uk India Partnership Initiative
  â�¨â�¨An article featured in BMJ reports on a ‘white paper’, which investigates as to how India and the UK can collaborate more closely in an equal partnership to improve both nations’ primary health care. â�¨The paper lists a number of opportunities based on India’s plans to achieve Universal Health Coverage, which requires the collaboration of the UK and India to benefit both nations by strengthening primary care in India and bringing expertise and innovations from India to improve care in the UK…
• Palpitations May Mean Looming Atrial Fibrillation
  The European Journal of Preventive Cardiology reveals that the emergence of palpitations is a risk factor for atrial fibrillation (AF). Findings of a large population study reveal the strongest risk factors for atrial fibrillation in both men and women to be a history of palpitations and hypertension. Although it is a well-known fact that hypertension is a risk factor for AF, the researchers say, that “the impact of self-reported palpitations on later occurrence of AF has not been documented earlier”…
• Brushing Teeth – Which Way Is The Right Way?
  Twenty five percent of teenagers in Sweden do not brush their teeth regularly and only 10% of Swedes know how to use toothpaste effectively, according to researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg. Even though the majority of people in Sweden brush their teeth, only 1 in 10 brush in a way that effectively prevents tooth decay. Pia Gabre and her colleagues examined the toothbrushing habits of 2,013 Swedes aged between 15 to 80 years old…
• Education And Income Affect Health Levels Considerably
  An annual report on American’s health reveals that individuals with lower income levels and lower education are more likely to develop chronic diseases than people with higher incomes and higher levels of education. The report, entitled “Health, United States, 2011″ was conducted by CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics. Obesity According to the report, in 2007-2010, women aged 25+ were less likely to be obese (25%) if they had a bachelor’s degree or higher than women who did not (39-43%) have a degree at all…
• Very Sugary Diet Makes You Stupid
  As we near the final year exams for schools and universities, students should be wary of powering up on buckets of soda and pocketfuls of candy bars. A UCLA study on rats suggests that fructose slows down the brain and memory functions. Too much sweetness can also prevent learning. The findings are published in Journal of Physiology and also show omega-3 fatty acids helping to negate the effect. Earlier studies have shown that fructose is involved in causing diabetes, obesity and a fatty liver, but this is the first research to uncover how sugar can influence the brain…
• Common Antibiotic Found To Carry Heart Risk
  Vanderbilt researchers have discovered a rare, but important risk posed by the antibiotic azithromycin, commonly called a “Z-pack.” The study found a 2.5-fold higher risk of cardiovascular death in the first five days of taking azithromycin when compared with another common antibiotic or no antibiotics at all. Wayne A. Ray, Ph.D., professor of Preventive Medicine, and C. Michael Stein, M.B.Ch.B., the Dan May Chair in Medicine and professor of Pharmacology, collaborated on the research published in the May 17 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine…
• Study Shows Delays In Siblings Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders
  A new University of Miami (UM) study shows that one in three children who have an older sibling with an Autism Related Disorder (ASD) fall into a group characterized by higher levels of autism-related behaviors or lower levels of developmental progress. The study will be presented at the International Meeting for Autism Research (IMFAR) in May, 2012. ASDs are developmental conditions characterized by problems with social interaction and communication…
• Teaching Hospitals With Fellowship Programs Have Less Radical Prostatectomy Complications
  Patients who undergo radical surgery for prostate cancer may expect better results, on average, if they’re treated in accredited teaching hospitals with residency programs, and better still if the hospitals also have medical fellowships, according to a new study by Henry Ford Hospital. The study, which evaluated postoperative complications in 47,100 radical prostatectomy (RP) patients throughout the U.S., also found that those with fewer complications after the surgery were more likely to have private insurance…
• Gender Comparison In Kidney Cancer Surgery
  Women do better than men after surgical removal of part or all of a cancerous kidney, with fewer post-operative complications, including dying in the hospital, although they are more likely to receive blood transfusions related to their surgery. But Henry Ford Hospital researchers who documented these gender differences can’t say why they exist. The results of the new study, based on population samples from throughout the U.S., will be presented this week at the American Urological Association’s Annual Meeting in Atlanta. “This is a controversial area,” says Quoc-Dien Trinh, M.D…
• Some Dietary Supplements May Increase Cancer Risk
  Beta-carotene, selenium and folic acid – taken up to three times their recommended daily allowance, these supplements are probably harmless. But taken at much higher levels as some supplement manufacturers suggest, these three supplements have now been proven to increase the risk of developing a host of cancers…
• An Estimated 53 Million Americans May Have Diabetes By 2025
  The Diabetes 2025 Model for the U.S. projects a continuous and dramatic increase in the diabetes epidemic and makes it possible to estimate the potential effects of society-wide changes in lifestyle and healthcare delivery systems. Predictions for individual states and population subgroups are highlighted in an article published in Population Health Management, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the Population Health Management website…
• Most People Brush Their Teeth The Wrong Way
  Almost all Swedes brush their teeth, yet only one in ten does it in a way that effectively prevents tooth decay. Now researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, are eager to teach Swedes how to brush their teeth more effectively. Most Swedes regularly brush their teeth with fluoride toothpaste. But only few know the best brushing technique, how the toothpaste should be used and how fluoride prevents tooth decay…
• Groundbreaking Advance In Medical Diagnostics
  Researchers have created an ultrasensitive biosensor that could open up new opportunities for early detection of cancer and “personalized medicine” tailored to the specific biochemistry of individual patients. The device, which could be several hundred times more sensitive than other biosensors, combines the attributes of two distinctly different types of sensors, said Muhammad A. Alam, a Purdue University professor of electrical and computer engineering…
• Study Shows High-Fructose Diet Sabotages Learning, Memory
  Attention, college students cramming between midterms and finals: Binging on soda and sweets for as little as six weeks may make you stupid. A new UCLA rat study is the first to show how a diet steadily high in fructose slows the brain, hampering memory and learning – and how omega-3 fatty acids can counteract the disruption. The peer-reviewed Journal of Physiology has published the findings…
• Off-Label Use Of Antipsychotic Medications
  Reducing the non-FDA-approved use of antipsychotic drugs may be a way to save money while having little effect on patient care, according to a Penn State College of Medicine study. Researchers say that 57.6 percent of patients prescribed antipsychotic medications in data from 2003 did not have schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, the conditions for which the drugs were approved for use. Use of medication for treatments that is not FDA-approved is called off-label use…
• Under-Use Of Safer Kidney Cancer Surgery For Poorer, Sicker Medicare, Medicaid Patients
  An increasingly common and safer type of surgery for kidney cancer is not as likely to be used for older, sicker and poorer patients who are uninsured or rely on Medicare or Medicaid for their health care, according to a new study by researchers at Henry Ford Hospital. The treatment, partial nephrectomy (PN), involves surgically removing only the diseased portion of a cancerous kidney, leaving the unaffected part to continue to function…
• Fatal Falls Increase For Older Adults
  The recent dramatic increase in the fall death rate in older Americans is likely the effect of improved reporting quality, according to a new report from the Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy. The report finds the largest increase in the mortality rate occurred immediately following the 1999 introduction of an update to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10), suggesting a major change in the way deaths were classified…

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• Air Pollution Changes During Beijing Olympics Linked To Systemic Inflammation And Thrombosis Changes
  A study featured in the May 16 edition of JAMA shows that changes in air pollution during the 2008 Beijing Olympics were related to changes in biomarkers of systemic inflammation and thrombosis, in addition to measure of cardiovascular physiology in healthy young people. The study’s background information states: “Air pollution is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVD), but the mechanisms by which air pollution leads to CVD is not well understood…
• Thought Controlled Robotic Arm For Paralyzed Patients
  The journal Nature reports on a science fiction style jump in technology, where an interface on the brain is used to connect to a robotic arm and provide real time thought control. It is a dramatic leap for the technology which has been tested with paralyzed patients and gives hope for Stars Wars style bionic technology, for wounded soldiers and paraplegics. The experiment was conducted on April 12th this year at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island…
• AIDS Relief Program Intensity Linked To Lower Death Rates
  The May 16 edition of the Global Health themed issue of JAMA reveals a larger drop in all-cause adult mortality in those African countries with more intense operation of the AIDS relief program PEPFAR. The article’s background information states: “The effect of global health initiatives on population health is uncertain. Between 2003 and 2008, the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the largest initiative ever devoted to a single disease, operated intensively in 12 African focus countries…
• Child Mortality Rate Decreased After Prenatal Micronutrient, Food Supplementation Internvention
  A study in the May 16 edition of JAMA reveals that survival rates of newborns in poor Bangladeshi communities were significantly improved if their mothers received multiple micronutritions, including iron and folic acid combined with early food supplementation during pregnancy, in comparison with women receiving the usual food supplementation. The article’s background information says: “Maternal and child undernutrition is estimated to be the underlying cause of 3.5 million annual deaths and 35 percent of the total disease burden in children younger than 5 years…
• High Rate Of Malaria And Sexually Transmitted/Reproductive Tract Infections In Sub-Saharan Pregnant Mothers
  A review and meta-analysis of studies published in the May 16 theme issue of Global Health in JAMA reveals a significant burden of malaria and STIs/RTIs amongst pregnant women who attend antenatal facilities in sub-Saharan Africa. The findings were discovered after a review of studies reporting estimates of the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections/reproductive tract infections (STIs/RTIs) and malaria over the past 2 decades. The article’s background information states: “There are 880,000 stillbirths and 1.2 million neonatal deaths each year in sub-Saharan Africa…
• Avoiding Repeat Biopsies In Prostate Cancer – MDxHealth Launches ConfirmMDx
  Each year, in the United States, more than 650,000 men receive a negative prostate biopsy result, with around 25-35% of these results being false negative. However, a new prostate cancer test has been launched by MdxHealth. The test – ConfirmMDx™ for Prostate Cancer – will help physicians identify which men have a true-negative prostate biopsy from those who may have occult cancer. Professor Dr…
• Obama’s Grand Plan To Cure Alzheimer’s
  Obama’s healthcare goals have been controversial at best, and although anti-smoking campaigns and other public health and safety awareness drives have been successful, it’s always somewhat dubious when government starts creating grand plans and lofty goals. Nonetheless, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has released an ambitious and wide ranging national plan to fight Alzheimer’s disease…
• Rising Infertility And Cancer Rates Possibly Linked To Pharmaceuticals And Household Chemicals
  According to the European Environment Agency (EEA), household products, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and food all contain endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) which may be causing significant increases in diabetes, obesity, cancers and increasing infertility. In recent decades, the incidence of many human diseases and disorders including diabetes, breast and prostate cancer, and male infertility has increased significantly and many scientists believe this is due to increasing levels of exposure to mixtures of some chemicals in widespread use…
• Specific Clinical Guidance Urgently Needed On Bone Cancer Drugs
  Although bisphosphonate drugs can reduce pain and bone fractures in individuals with multiple myeloma, no one drug is superior, according to a systematic review of the current evidence of these drugs. The review is published in The Cochrane Library. Multiple myeloma is a type of cancer that grows in and on bones. The disease can cause fractures in the spine and long bones. Bisphosphonate drugs are used to prevent or reduce the occurrence of bone fractures and pain in these patients and work by inhibiting the activities of osteoclasts (bone cells)…
• Advanced Soft Tissue Sarcoma, Pazopanib Improves Progression-Free Survival
  According to results of the PALETTE trial, treatment with pazopanib increased progression-free survival (PFS) almost three fold among patients with metastatic soft-tissue sarcoma whose disease had progressed following chemotherapy. The results are published Online First in The Lancet. In the United States, an estimated 11,000 individuals are diagnosed with soft-tissue sarcomas each year – accounting for just 1% of all adult cancers. However, progress in developing new effective treatments for the disease has been slow during the last three decades…
• Cell Signaling Breakthrough May Help Melanoma Treatment
  The body’s function of generating new cells and replacing dead ones usually works fine, but it is by no means perfect. The key to generating new cells is communication or signaling between cells, and if this process does not function properly, it can lead to uncontrolled cell growth, which is the basis for many cancers. A key discovery made by scientists from the Texas University Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) Medical School reveals that cell signaling plays an important role in the fight against melanoma and various other fast-spreading tumors…
• Marker To Identify, Attack Breast Cancer Stem Cells
  Breast cancer stem cells wear a cell surface protein that is part nametag and part bull’s eye, identifying them as potent tumor-generating cells and flagging their vulnerability to a drug, researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center report online in Journal of Clinical Investigation. “We’ve discovered the first single marker for breast cancer stem cells and also found that it’s targetable with a small molecule drug that inhibits an enzyme crucial to its synthesis,” said co-senior author Michael Andreeff, M.D., Ph.D…
• After Stem Cell Transplant For Multiple Myeloma Patients, Lenalidomide Prolongs Disease Control
  Multiple myeloma patients are better equipped to halt progression of this blood cancer if treated with lenalidomide, or Revlimid®, following a stem cell transplant, according to a study co-authored by a physician with the Oregon Health & Science University Knight Cancer Institute. The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, found a 63 percent reduction in the risk of progressive myeloma or death for the stem cell transplant patients that were treated with lenalidomide maintenance therapy…
• Schizophrenia Risk In Kids Associated With Mothers’ Gluten Antibodies
  Children are nearly 50% more likely to develop schizophrenia later in life if their mothers are sensitive to wheat protein gluten, say researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and Johns Hopkins Children’s Center in Baltimore. The study, published in The American Journal of Psychiatry, adds to increasing evidence that many subsequent diseases in life take root before and shortly after birth. Robert Yolken, M.D…
• Apigenin Slowed Progression Of Breast Cancer Accelerated By Hormone Replacement Therapy
  Apigenin, a natural substance found in grocery store produce aisles, shows promise as a non-toxic treatment for an aggressive form of human breast cancer, following a new study at the University of Missouri. MU researchers found apigenin shrank a type of breast cancer tumor that is stimulated by progestin, a synthetic hormone given to women to ease symptoms related to menopause…
• Keeping Ahead In The Medical Device Sector
  “Medical device industry executives often develop products that are deemed safe and effective by the FDA, but that do not sell as they are not reimbursable,” says Donald DeLauder, Executive Director – Corporate Innovation, Bayer Radiology and Interventional. They must spend more time on developing their products, he adds. The chairman at the upcoming marcus evans Medical Device Manufacturing Summit Spring 2012 and Medical Device R&D Summit Spring 2012, DeLauder shares his views on product development and the complex regulatory environment…
• Optimizing Process Management In Medical Device Manufacturing
  Medical device manufacturing executives are currently challenged with getting products to market faster; however with increased FDA regulatory requirements and validations, they must ensure that the manufacturing processes are robust, says William J. Bergen, President & Chief Executive Officer, MicroGroup. Effective and timely communication at each stage of production is crucial, he adds. From a solution provider company at the upcoming marcus evans Medical Device Manufacturing Summit Spring 2012, Bergen discusses product development and globalization in the medical device sector…
• In Outcome Of Prostate Cancer Surgery, Higher Hospital Volume More Important Than Surgeon Experience
  Older, sicker, high-risk patients who undergo one of the most common treatments for prostate cancer get better results in larger, busier hospitals, according to new research by Henry Ford Hospital. In such cases, the same research showed the experience level of the surgeon doing the procedure mattered somewhat less than the hospital setting. The results, based on data gathered throughout the U.S., will be presented this week at the American Urological Association Annual Meeting in Atlanta…
• Gene Variants Identified That Speed Progression Of Parkinson’s Disease
  UCLA researchers may have found a key to determining which Parkinson’s disease patients will experience a more rapid decline in motor function, sparking hopes for the development of new therapies and helping identify those who could benefit most from early intervention. In a study published May 15 in the peer-reviewed online journal PLoS ONE, the researchers found that Parkinson’s sufferers who possess two specific variants of a gene known to be a risk factor for the disease had a significantly speedier progression toward motor decline than patients without these variants…
• News From The Journal Of Clinical Investigation: May 15, 2012
  DEVELOPMENT Hope for new treatment options for the rare disease Beare-Stevenson syndrome Beare-Stevenson cutis gyrata syndrome is an extremely rare genetic disease that causes serious physical problems affecting the skin and skull. The disease is associated with mutations in the fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2), which relays signals from the extracellular environment, but how FGFR2 mutations contribute to skin and skull defects has been unclear…

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• Revlimid (Lenalidomide) For Myeloma – Phase III Study Findings
  An evaluation of lenalidomide’s (Revlimid) long-term ‘maintenance’ efficacy for patients with multiple myeloma has demonstrated considerable improvements from the time to progression and overall survival for those suffering from this often-fatal form of hematologic cancer. The May 10 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine reports that Dr. Philip L…
• CHORI Bar Improves Cognitive and Metabolic Benefits In Just 2 Weeks
  National Medal of Science winner Bruce N. Ames, PhD, led a team of scientists at the Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute’s (CHORI) Nutrition & Metabolism Center to develop the CHORI bar, a low-calorie fruit based vitamin and mineral nutrition bar that is designed to help restore optimal nutritional balance in those with poor eating habits and to assist them in adopting a healthier diet…
• Finding Willing Doctors To Perform Vaginal Delivery After Caesarean Sometimes A Challenge
  After a series of Caesarean sections and vaginal deliveries, Melissa Lunsford wants a vaginal delivery for her fourth child. To find a willing doctor or hospital that would enable a vaginal delivery for her fourth pregnancy proved to be a challenge. An advocate of vaginal births after Caesarean section (VBAC) from the Ben Taub General Hospital, one of the top VBAC hospitals in Texas says that many women share Mrs. Lunsford’s plight. Dr…
• Proper Radiotherapy Targeting While The Patient Is Breathing
  Radiotherapists are constantly battling in order to administer the correct dose of radiotherapy, as respiratory movement during radiotherapy poses a certain risk that a tumor receives either a dose that is insufficient, or the surrounding healthy tissue is being subjected to a potentially toxic over-dose. Dr. Amira Ziouèche presented a study at the 31st conference of the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO 31), which reveals a novel technique of how Deep Inspiration Breath Hold (DIBH) protects the heart during irradiation of left-side breast cancer tumors…
• Tenofovir Safe For HIV-Positive Pregnant Mothers
  Tenofovir, the anti-HIV drug, is safe to use during pregnancy according to a new study published in PloS Medicine. The researchers, led by Diana Gibb from the MRC Clinical Trials Unit in London, UK, found that the drug does not increase the risk of kidney problems, birth defects or growth abnormalities in infants born to HIV-positive women in Africa…
• Global Medical Research Urgently Requires International Treaty
  In this week’s PLoS Medicine, a team of international experts argue that in order to improve the fairness, coherence, sustainability, and efficiency of medical research worldwide, an international treaty is required…
• Staggered Cancer Drug Delivery Better Than All In One Go
  The fact that treating cancer patients with multiple drugs often results in better outcomes than a single drug treatment is long been known amongst the medical profession. However, a MIT study published in the May 11 issue of Cell has just demonstrated that the order and timing of administering drugs may also have a dramatic impact. The study revealed that staggering doses of erlotinib and doxorubicin, two approved medicines for the treatment of cancer, resulted in a dramatic improvement of killing a particular malignant type of breast cancer cells…
• Global Health R&D Needs To Be Harmonized
  In this week’s PloS Medicine, a team of experts recommend that an international convention on research and development (R&D) should be adopted by the World Health Assembly. According to the experts, who advise the World Health Organization (WHO) on R&D, the convention will join member states to action, as well as catalyze new information for diseases that predominantly affect individuals in developing countries…
• The Pros And Cons Of Inducing Labor
  Researchers have found that inducing labor after 37 weeks of pregnancy can lower the risk of perinatal mortality without increasing caesarean section rates. However, babies born to mothers who are induced are more likely to be admitted to a special care baby unit. The study is published in BMJ (British Medical Journal). Women over 41 weeks pregnant are often induced by physicians in order to lower the risk of perinatal mortality. In addition, inducing labour after 37 weeks also lowers the risk of complications, especially when a mother has existing health problems like hypertension…
• World Drug Repositioning Congress 2012, 11-13 September, London, UK
  Drug development strategies for indication expansion and lifecycle extension 11 – 13 September 2012, Jumeirah Carlton Tower, London, UK As the cost and time of drug development persistently increases, drug repositioning is becoming an increasingly important strategy for large pharma and small biotech alike to successfully innovate in a more cost-effective environment. The 2012 World Drug Repositioning Congress is Europe’s only commercially orientated conference that provides key technical and strategic solutions to challenges faced when adopting drug repositioning into your R&D efforts…
• 2nd Annual Market & Patient Access In Latin America Conference, 14-15 August 2012, Brazil
  Understanding and optimizing market access strategies to penetrate the exciting and diverse South & Central America This event will provide participants with both a broad overview and specific detail of the market access, pricing and reimbursement environments in key Latin American countries such as Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Venezuela, Chile, Panama and Costa Rica…
• Marijuana May Relieve Multiple Sclerosis Symptoms
  The advocates of proposition 19, the bill that tried to legalize cannabis in California, must be turning cartwheels at the news coming out of University of California, San Diego School of Medicine. It’s especially ironic coming just a few weeks after the Federal raid and almost complete shutdown of Oaksterdam University, the privately run school in Oakland, California that teaches students how to grow and harvest the much derided herb…
• World Biosimilars Congress 2012, 11-13 September, London, UK
  Strategies for navigating the regulatory, manufacturing, sales and marketing route to biosimilar market entry. 11 – 13 September 2012, Jumeirah Carlton Tower, London, UK Get competitive insight into global regulatory strategies, and find out how to successfully bring biosimilars to-market in developed and developing regions…
• Late Phase Leaders Forum, 8-10 October 2012, Vienna, Austria
  Generating real-world data through late phase clinical and observational studies to achieve clinical, pharmacovigilance and marketing objectives 3 EVENTS IN ONE: Late Phase Leaders Forum (2 days) Comparative Effectiveness Research Leaders Day (1 day) Late Phase Research for Medical Devices (1 day) Day 1&2: October 8th & 9th – Late Phase Leaders Forum This event will be a 2 day forum, structured to provide the latest and most value-adding, real-life experiences in post-marketing studies, including their benefits and challenges…
• Partnering Trends Of Biosimilars And Biobetters In Emerging Markets – 24-25 September 2012
  Biosimilar development costs are high with some industry leaders claiming estimates of $100-150 million. Even after this substantial investment there is no guarantee of immediate return. With the FDA, America’s regulatory body, struggling to agree on a suitable approval pathway for biosimilars to reach market in the U.S. and similar marketing and associated costs to innovator drugs, biosimilars have their work cut out…
• 3rd Annual Pharmacovigilance 2012, 31st August, Mumbai, India
  Why Should You Attend? 3rd Annual Pharmacovigilance 2012 – “Ensuring safer drugs to market by analyzing latest developments in pharmacovigilance, drug safety and risk management” Get more from the event, with a broader scope bringing the whole communications value chain to gather. Enjoy and make the best out of our dedicated networking drinks time, meet the leading international vendors showcasing the technology of tomorrow in the co-located exhibition. Expand your knowledge of the latest business models and technologies in the high-level conference…
• Advances And Challenges In The Advancement Of Novel Therapeutic Cancer Vaccines – 19-20 September 2012
  There is a great deal of unmet need in the effective treatment of numerous types of cancer, as long-term survival rates are still rather poor for a number of cancers. There is a strong need for more effective therapies that will extend survival, with potential for new immunostimulatory therapies and other biologics to stabilize cancer and prevent metastasis. There have so far only been three cancer vaccines approved by the FDA, and many others are now nearing the end of their clinical trials. Two of these were vaccines for HPV, which is responsible for 70% of cervical cancer…
• Cervical Cancer Patients Avoid Hysterectomies With Help Of 3-D Imaging Techniques
  A study presented by Dr. Renaud Mazeron at the World Congress of Brachytherapy reveals that many cases of hysterectomy, as well as recurrence and spreading of cancer of the cervix can be controlled effectively by delivering radiotherapy directly to the cancer with 3-D imaging techniques. After reviewing using 3-D image guided adaptive brachytherapy (IGABT) in 163 patients who received a course of concomitant chemoradiation, i.e. chemotherapy combined with radiotherapy at the Institut Gustave Roussy in Villejuif, France between 2004 to 2009, Dr…
• Non-oral Contraceptives Have Higher Venous Thromboembolism Risk Than Oral Ones
  Some non-oral hormonal contraceptives, such as vaginal rings, implants and skin patches carry a higher risk of venous thromboembolism – blood clots – when compared to oral contraceptive pills, researchers from the University of Copenhagen revealed in the BMJ (British Medical Journal). The authors wrote that some patients should change over to oral, hormonal contraceptives to reduce their risk of developing clots. Venous thrombosis is a collective term for DVT (deep vein thrombosis) and pulmonary embolism…
• HPV Positive Throat Cancer Responds Well To Just Radiotherapy
  New research from Denmark, presented at the 31st Conference of the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO31), revealed that even though the human papilloma virus (HPV) can trigger throat cancer, non-smoking or light smoking HPV-positive patients respond well to radiotherapy treatment alone without requiring harmful chemotherapy in addition…

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• Tinnitus Key Cellular Mechanisms Identified
  About 10% of the population is affected by hearing loss and tinnitus, a perception of sounds, such as ringing or buzzing in the ear in the absence of corresponding external sound, which typically develops after acoustic over-exposure to loud noises. Scientists have speculated that tinnitus is caused by damaged nerve cells within the ear, but so far, there are no drugs available for the treatment or prevention of the condition…
• Egg Proteins For Breakfast Keeps You Feeling Full For Longer
  Individuals who consume egg proteins for breakfast are more likely to feel full during the day than those whose breakfasts contain wheat protein. Results from the study, conducted by Dr. Nikhil Dhurandhar, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana, USA, and colleagues were presented at the 19th European Congress on Obesity in Lyon, France…
• Kids’ ER Visits Due To Batteries Double
  A new study in the US has found that the number of ER visits by children under the age of 18 to deal with battery-related emergencies has doubled in the last two decades. This figure includes, but is not limited to, incidences of swallowing of button batteries, which have also doubled over the period. The study, by researchers at the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, is published in a 14 May early online issue of the journal Pediatrics. Senior author Dr. Gary Smith is director of the Center…
• Behavioral Treatment Helps Very Obese Children, But Not Severely Obese Adolescents
  Researchers have found that severely obese children respond well to behavioral treatment, but not severely obese adolescents. The study, conducted by Dr. Pernilla Danielsson, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden, was presented at the 19th European Congress on Obesity in Lyon, France. The researchers evaluated 643 children who began behavioral obesity treatment at Sweden’s National Childhood Obesity Center between 1998 and 2006. Participants were divided into three age groups (6-9, 10-13, and 14-16 years) and further into two groups, depending on how obese they were…
• Infant Testosterone Levels Impacted More By Environmental Factors Than Genetics
  According to a study published in Psychoneuroendocrinology, researchers at the University of Montreal have found that environmental factors determine testosterone levels in infancy and not genetics. Lead author of the study, Dr. Richard E. Tremblay, of the university’s Research Unit on Children’s Psychosocial Maladjustment, explained: “Testosterone is a key hormone for the development of male reproductive organs, and it is also associated with behavioral traits, such as sexual behavior and aggression…
• Waist Less Than Half Of Height Helps You Live Longer
  A new study reveals that waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) is a significantly better predictor of cardiometabolic risk than waist circumference (WC) and body-mass index (BMI). In addition WHtR takes account of differing heights, therefore making it the best proxy to use across all countries. Findings from the study, conducted by Dr. Margaret Ashwell and Sigrid Gibison, are being presented at the 19th European Congress on Obesity in Lyon, France…
• Younger People More Likely To Drop Out Of Diet Programs
  A new study reveals that individuals who participate in a 1-year weight-loss program called Itrim, in Sweden, are significantly more likely to discontinue with the program if they are under 40 years of age. The study, conducted by Dr. Erik Hemmingsson, Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital Obesity Center, Stockholm, Sweden, and colleagues also found that participants were more likely to drop out if they received slightly more calories (the low calorie diet/LCD) than those on the rapid weight loss very low calorie diet (VLCD)…
• Sunburn Common Among Young Adults, USA
  In the United States skin cancer is the most prevalent form of cancer, and melanoma is the most lethal type of skin cancer. According to two studies conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Cancer Institute, young adults are increasing their risk for developing the disease. In the first study, the researchers found that 50% of people aged between 18 to 29 reported that they had suffered at least one sunburn in the previous year, even though protective behaviors such as wearing long clothing to the ankles, sunscreen use, and seeking shade has increased…
• Only 1 In 5 Britons Eats 5 A Day, Poll
  An online poll conducted for World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) suggests that only one in five adults in Britain is eating the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables per day. The YouGov poll conducted earlier this month finds that on average ony 22% of the British adult population is consuming the 5 portions a day recommended by the government. The figure appears to be at odds with consumer awareness of the 5 a Day message. In 2000, a survey by the UK’s Food Standards Agency showed consumer awareness of the 5 a Day message was 43%…
• Survey Results Suggest The Need For Better Preventive Care For The Diseased Heart
  There are discrepancies between the recommendations for the management of cardiovascular risk factors and their implementation in clinical practice. In the latest issue of Deutsches Arzteblatt International, Christof Prugger and his fellow authors present the results of the EUROASPIRE I, II and III surveys in the Munster region of Germany (Dtsch Arztebl Int 2012; 109(17): 303)…
• Vitamin K2 Potentially Offers Hope For A New Treatment For Parkinson’s Disease
  Neuroscientist Patrik Verstreken, associated with VIB and KU Leuven, succeeded in undoing the effect of one of the genetic defects that leads to Parkinson’s using vitamin K2. His discovery gives hope to Parkinson’s patients. This research was done in collaboration with colleagues from Northern Illinois University (US) and will be published this evening on the website of the authorative journal Science. “It appears from our research that administering vitamin K2 could possibly help patients with Parkinson’s…
• Response To Lung Cancer Therapy May Be Determined By Molecular Subtypes And Genetic Alterations
  Cancer therapies targeting specific molecular subtypes of the disease allow physicians to tailor treatment to a patient’s individual molecular profile. But scientists are finding that in many types of cancer the molecular subtypes are more varied than previously thought and contain further genetic alterations that can affect a patient’s response to therapy. A UNC-led team of scientists has shown for the first time that lung cancer molecular subtypes correlate with distinct genetic alterations and with patient response to therapy…
• ‘Barcoding’ Viruses For Rapid Detection Of Mutated Strains
  Dr Julian Hiscox and Dr John Barr of the University’s Faculty of Biological Sciences are working with the Health Protection Agency Porton (HPA) to build a bank of molecular signatures that will help identify the severity of virus infection from characteristic changes seen in cells. Currently the team is barcoding different strains of influenza virus and human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) – a virus associated with the onset of asthma in young children. “Diseases such as flu infect and hijack our cells, turning them into virus producing factories,” says Dr Hiscox…
• New Study Discovers Powerful Function Of Single Protein That Controls Neurotransmission
  Scientists at Weill Cornell Medical College have discovered that the single protein – alpha 2 delta – exerts a spigot-like function, controlling the volume of neurotransmitters and other chemicals that flow between the synapses of brain neurons. The study, published online in Nature, shows how brain cells talk to each other through these signals, relaying thoughts, feelings and action, and this powerful molecule plays a crucial role in regulating effective communication. In the study, the investigators also suggest how the widely used pain drug Lyrica might work…
• No Protective Effects Against Colorectal Cancer Found With Blood Pressure Drugs
  A new study has found that, contrary to current thinking, taking beta blockers that treat high blood pressure does not decrease a person’s risk of developing colorectal cancer. Published early online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the study also revealed that even long-term use or subtypes of beta blockers showed no reduction of colorectal cancer risk. In recent years, researchers have thought that beta blockers, which are prescribed to many older adults for high blood pressure and heart conditions, might be linked with a decreased risk of cancer…
• Critical Decision-Making Skills Of ER Residents Honed By Simulation Training
  A Henry Ford Hospital study found that simulation training improved the critical decision-making skills of medical residents performing actual resuscitations in the Emergency Department. Researchers say the residents performed better in four key skill areas after receiving the simulation training: leadership, problem solving, situational awareness and communication. Their overall performance also sharpened…
• New Maintenance Therapy Benefits Patients With Multiple Myeloma
  Multiple myeloma is a form of cancer where the plasma cells in the bone marrow grow out of control, causing damage to bones as well as predisposing patients to anemia, infection and kidney failure. A medical procedure called autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, commonly known as a stem cell transplant, is frequently an important treatment option for many patients. Unfortunately, multiple myeloma continues to progress even after a transplant…
• Diabetics Had Decreased Blood Sugar And Improved Blood Lipids On High-Fat Diet
  People with Type 2 diabetes are usually advised to keep a low-fat diet. Now, a study at Linkoping University shows that food with a lot of fat and few carbohydrates could have a better effect on blood sugar levels and blood lipids. The results of a two-year dietary study led by Hans Guldbrand, general practitioner, and Fredrik Nyström, professor of Internal Medicine, are being published in the prestigious journal Diabetologia. 61 patients were included in the study of Type 2, or adult-onset diabetes…
• Novel Approach To Stimulate Immune Cells Has Potential For Treatment Of Immune Diseases And Cancer
  Researchers at Rutgers University have uncovered a new way to stimulate activity of immune cell opiate receptors, leading to efficient tumor cell clearance. Dipak Sarkar, professor in the Department of Animal Sciences at the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences and his research team have been able to take a new pharmacological approach to activate the immune cells to prevent cancer growth through stimulation of the opiate receptors found on immune cells…
• Scientists Discover ‘Switch’ To Boost Anti-Viral Response To Fight Infectious Diseases
  Singapore scientists from Bioprocessing Technology Institute (BTI) under the Agency of Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) have for the first time, identified the molecular ’switch’ that directly triggers the body’s first line of defence against pathogens, more accurately known as the body’s “innate immunity”. The scientists found that this ’switch’ called Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) when turned on, activates the production of interferons – a potent class of virus killers that enables the body to fight harmful pathogens such as dengue and influenza viruses…

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• 18% Of Deaths Among Under 5s Caused By Pneumonia Globally
  Of the 7.6 million deaths worldwide among children under 5 years of age in 2010, 18% were caused by pneumonia, while 14% were the result of a complication of a preterm birth, researchers from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and an international team of experts reported in The Lancet. The authors added that diarrhea is the third leading cause of deaths among very young children. The researchers analyzed data on the distribution of child deaths around the world in 2010. They report that 40% of them were among infants under four weeks old (naonates)…
• Waist To Height Ratio Better Than BMI
  Waist to height ratio is a better predictor of heart disease and diabetes risk than BMI, according to new research presented at a scientific meeting recently. Study leader Dr Margaret Ashwell, an independent consultant and former science director of the British Nutrition Foundation, presented the findings at the 19th Congress on Obesity in Lyon, France, on Saturday 12 May. “Keeping your waist circumference to less than half your height can help increase life expectancy for every person in the world,” said Ashwell, as reported in the Telegraph…
• 21.8% Of Pregnant White Women Smoke
  According to a study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), 21.8% of pregnant white women between the ages of 15 to 44 years smoked cigarettes within the past 30 days, which is considerably higher compared with the smoking levels amongst pregnant Black women (14.2%) and pregnant Hispanic women (6.5%) within the same age range. The report also showed that the rate of pregnant black women who took illicit drugs within the past 30 days was significantly higher, with 7.7% compared with 4.4% of white pregnant women, and 3.1% of Hispanic pregnant women…
• Blood Pressure Control Improved With Home Telemonitoring By Pharmacists
  Patients receiving telemonitoring along with high blood pressure management support from a pharmacist were more likely to lower their blood pressure than those not receiving extra support, according to research presented at the American Heart Association’s Quality of Care and Outcomes Research Scientific Sessions 2012. “Patients with high blood pressure visit physicians an average of four times each year, yet blood pressure is controlled in only about half of U.S. patients,” said Karen Margolis, M.D., M.P.H…
• Can Social Media Solve The US Healthcare Crisis?
  The creation of a social media videoconferencing platform geared towards healthcare might pave the way for enhanced use of social media in the world of healthcare according to a study published this month in the International Journal of Electronic Finance. Peter DeVries of the Department of Finance, Accounting, and CIS, at the University of Houston – Downtown, explains that despite the advent of social media tools and accessible mobile communications devices, the patient-doctor relationship has changed little…
• Genetic Mosaicism Linked To Aging And Cancer
  Two new studies have linked a condition known as genetic mosaicism to aging and cancer. They suggest presence of the condition, the risk of which increases with age, could be a biomarker for early detection of cancer and other chronic diseases. Genetic mosaicism is where some of the body’s cells contain altered DNA, while others do not: thus a person with mosaicism has a mixture of normal and mutated cells…
• How To Overcome Poor Response To Radiotherapy Caused By Low Haemoglobin Levels
  Patients with head and neck cancer and a low haemoglobin (Hb) level do not respond well to radiotherapy and therefore both control of their tumour and disease-free survival are compromised. Now researchers from The Netherlands have found that the problems caused by low Hb in these patients can be overcome by the use of a treatment known as ARCON therapy, in which accelerated radiotherapy is combined with carbogen (a mixture of carbon dioxide and oxygen) and the water-soluble vitamin nicotinamide [1]…
• Stroke Patients On Warfarin Can Be Safely Treated With Clot-Busting Drug
  Acute ischemic stroke patients taking the blood thinner warfarin can be treated safely with the clot-busting drug tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), according to research presented at the American Heart Association’s Quality of Care and Outcomes Research Scientific Sessions 2012. “Although it’s the only drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat acute ischemic stroke, tPA is underused among patients on home warfarin therapy mainly because of the fear that it will cause bleeding,” said Ying Xian, M.D., Ph.D…
• Working To Understand A Rare Genetic Disease, Scientists Uncover The Most Common Fault In DNA Replication
  Scientists from the Medical Research Council (MRC) Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine (IGMM) at the University of Edinburgh have discovered an enzyme that corrects the most common mistake in mammalian DNA. The mistake is the inclusion of individual bits of RNA within the DNA sequence, which the researchers found occurs more than a million times in each cell as it divides. The findings, published in Cell, suggest the RNase H2 enzyme is central to an important DNA repair mechanism necessary to protect the human genome…
• Gene Expression By Ultraviolet
  Imagine being able to control genetic expression by flipping a light switch. Researchers at North Carolina State University are using light-activated molecules to turn gene expression on and off. Their method enables greater precision when studying gene function, and could lead to targeted therapies for diseases like cancer. Triplex-forming oligonucleotides (TFOs) are commonly used molecules that can prevent gene transcription by binding to double-stranded DNA. NC State chemist Dr…
• Focusing on PARP-1 Reveals Potential New Drug Targets
  A new study published in Science is shedding light on the molecular details of PARP-1, a DNA damage-detecting enzyme that when inhibited has been shown to be effective in fighting cancer and other diseases. The investigation led by John M. Pascal, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson’s Kimmel Cancer Center, revealed new target sites – including specialized “zinc finger” domains – for drugs aiming to stop PARP-1 activity…
• Inflammation Related To GERD May Contribute To Esophageal Cancer Risk
  Inflammation might be an important factor in the progression from reflux to esophageal cancer, according to a new study in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association. “Our research shows that damage to the esophageal lining that can be seen with endoscopy is important in the progression from normal cells to cancer, and Barrett’s esophagus is likely to be an intermediate step,” said Rune Erichsen, MD, of Aarhus University Hospital and lead author of this study…
• A New Target For Cancer Therapy Could Be An RNA Regulator Of Melanoma
  Melanoma is the most deadly form of skin cancer, estimated by the National Cancer Institute to afflict more than 70,000 people in the United States annually and the incidence rate continues to rise. In a study published online in Genome Research, researchers have identified a previously unknown non-coding RNA that plays an important role in the biology of melanoma, a finding that could lead to a new target for therapy. Most skin cancers are nonmelanomas, arising from cells other than melanocytes (the melanin-producing cells that are responsible for a suntan)…
• Gene Discovered That Causes Joubert Syndrome
  C5ORF42 was identified as the gene that causes Joubert Syndrome in a number of families in the Lower St. Lawrence region of Quebec where the causal gene had remained unknown since the initial description of the syndrome in 1969. This is what a study in The American Journal of Human Genetics reveals. The study was conducted by researchers from the Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Center and the Centre of Excellence in Neuromics of Universite de Montréal (CENUM)…

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