Monday, October 31, 2011
Studies: Vision Problems in Preschoolers Are Common
Vision problems among preschoolers may be more common than previously thought.
Consortium Gets $7.2 M Contract Renewal To Promote Phase II Clinical Trials
The National Cancer Institute recently awarded $7.2 million for the competitive renewal of the Southeast Phase 2 Consortium (SEP2C), led by Moffitt Cancer Center's Daniel Sullivan, M.D., executive vice president and associate center director for Clinical Investigations. The renewal is through September 2016. The SEP2C enrolls patients to phase II clinical trials and some phase I trials across six member sites. Moffitt is the lead site for the large contract that is awarded through the NCI's N01 research and development contract mechanism. The first year is projected to provide nearly $1...
When breast cancer tests get it wrong
Doctors and patients complain that Myriad labs is charging patients twice for a lifesaving breast cancer genetics test.
Joking And Pretending With Your Children Is Considered Good Parenting
Parents who joke and pretend with their toddlers are giving their children a head start in terms of life skills. Most parents are naturals at playing the fool with their kids, says a new research project funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). However parents who feel they may need a little help in doing this can learn to develop these life skills with their tots. "Parents, carers and early years educators shouldn't underestimate the importance of interacting with young children through jokes and pretending," researcher Dr Elena Hoicka points out...
Alcohol Ups Survival After Heart Attack
Many studies have shown that that drinking moderate amounts of alcohol can stave off heart disease, but a new study now suggests that drinking alcohol can also help women with heart disease live longer. The study, published Friday in the American Journal of Cardiology, found...
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Low-Fat Diet With Fish Oil Supplements Slows Growth Rate Of Prostate Cancer Cells
Researchers at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center have discovered that the growth of prostate cancer cells slowed down in men that ate a low-fat diet together with fish oil supplements for four to six weeks before prostate removal compared to men who ate a Western diet high in fat. The study appeared Oct. 25 in Cancer Prevention Research, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. The investigation was funded in part by the National Cancer Institute, the Veterans Administration and the Ruby Family Foundation...
Studies: Vision Problems in Preschoolers Are Common
Vision problems among preschoolers may be more common than previously thought.
Risky things that parents do
Parents do dumb things every day that put their kids at risk. Here's a list of don'ts for mom and dad so baby will be safe.
Analysis Of Woodpecker Anatomy May Help In Designing More Effective Helmets
Head injury is a common concern around the world, but researchers suggest that woodpeckers may have an answer for minimizing such devastating injuries. As reported in the Oct. 26 issue of the online journal PLoS ONE, an analysis of woodpecker anatomy and behavior revealed some features that could potentially be put to use in designing more effective helmets. Woodpeckers are able to peck at a tree trunk at a high speed (6-7 meters per second), resulting in intense deceleration forces upon impact, without sustaining any brain injury...
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Dr Oz: Rooibos Tea, Pickled Food & Muesli: Weight Loss Secrets
Dr Oz: Weight Loss Secrets From Around The World In the segment ?Slim Down Secrets From Around The World,? Dr Oz gave the best weight loss secrets from all over the world.� He brought up 3 audience members to see if they could guess the slim down secrets from Hungary, Switzerland, and South Africa.� See [...]
Blood Pressure Drugs at Bedtime May Cut Heart Risk
Taking at least one blood pressure medicine at bedtime cuts the risk of heart problems, according to new research.
Eye Surgery Improves Mood of Alzheimer's Patients
Alzheimer's patients who have cataract surgery have health benefits that include better sleep and less depressed mood.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Study: 'Thyroid Support' Supplements May Be Risky
Nine of 10 commonly sold "thyroid support" pills carry "risky" levels of thyroid hormone, a Mayo study finds. But if not spiked with prescription drugs, supplements of dried animal thyroid glands are legal, an industry group says.
Study Uncovers Clues To Young Children's Aggressive Behavior
Children who are persistently aggressive, defiant, and explosive by the time they're in kindergarten very often have tumultuous relationships with their parents from early on. A new longitudinal study suggests that a cycle involving parenting styles and hostility between mothers and toddlers is at play. The study was done by researchers at the University of Minnesota and appears in the journal Child Development. The researchers looked at more than 260 mothers and their children, following them from the children's birth until first grade...
6 Ways to Save Money on Your Prescription Drugs
he prices of prescription drugs keep rising, so learn about safe and effective ways to save money: from generic medicine and pill splitting to mail order pharmacies.
Dr Oz: Aquaphor & John Frieda Frizz-Ease: Shape Magazine Review
Dr Oz: Best Beauty Products Of The Last 30 Years Tara Kraft, Shape Magazine Editor, discussed two fabulous beauty products: Aquaphor and John Frieda’s Frizz-Ease.� Also, check out Dr Oz and his wife, Lisa, on the cover of Shape Magazines 30th Anniversary edition.� Inside this special issue you can find Shape?s Best Beauty Products over [...]
More Women With Breast Cancer Get Nipple-Sparing Surgery
An increasing number of women facing mastectomies are opting for surgeries that remove the breast tissue but not the skin, nipple, and areola.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Clinical Trial Shows First Evidence That Anal Cancer Is Preventable
A large, international clinical trial led by doctors at the University of California, San Francisco indicates that a vaccine to prevent anal cancer is safe and effective, according to a study reported in the October 27, 2011 issue of New England Journal of Medicine. Though anal cancer is less common than other forms of the disease in the United States, the number of cases has increased in recent years, and is particularly common among men who have sex with men and HIV-infected individuals...
FDA: Some Asthma Drugs Riskier for Kids Than Adults
Children are more vulnerable than adults to rare but potentially life-threatening adverse events associated with asthma drugs known as long-acting beta-agonists (LABAs), a new analysis from the FDA shows.
Hormones Make It Hard to Keep Weight Off, Study Says
� It?s no secret that losing weight isn?t easy, and keeping the weight off can be just as challenging.�Australian scientists report today that when it comes to keeping weight off for a significant period of time, biology is not on your side. Scientists from the...
Beat the Itch of Winter Skin
Unless you live in a tropical paradise, the dryness, cold, and wind of winter can wreak havoc on your skin. But that doesn't mean you have to suffer from cracked, parched skin -- as long as your arm yourself with the right tools.
Resources for 'The Education of Dee Dee Ricks'
HBO?s documentary, ?The Education of Dee Dee Ricks,? follows the journey of�a�woman battling breast cancer, while�attempting to raise millions of dollars to�help�treat other breast cancer patients without resources. After undergoing a double mastectomy herself, Dee Dee Ricks�teamed up�with Dr. Harold Freeman of the Ralph Lauren...
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Weight Regain May Not Be Due to Lack of Willpower
A study suggests that hormones may be responsible for a dieter's failure to keep off lost pounds, rather than lack of willpower.
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Surgeons Develop A Faster, Less Expensive Technique To Identify Bacterial Infections And Determine Antibiotic Resistance
Surgeons at Detroit Medical Center and Wayne State University in Detroit are developing a faster, less expensive method of identifying bacterial infections and determining their antibiotic resistance. Surgeons used a technology known as Raman spectroscopy to look at the bacteria's infrared wavelengths and pinpoint unique patterns of molecular vibration in blood samples inoculated with Staphylococcus aureus, the bacteria that causes Staph infections. Their findings were reported today at the 2011 Annual Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons...
Does Playing Outdoors Benefit Kids' Vision?
Children who spend more time outdoors may be less likely to suffer from nearsightedness, a study shows.
FDA OKs Generic Zyprexa for Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder
The FDA has approved the first generic versions of the drugs Zyprexa and Zyprexa Zydus for the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
New Lung Cancer And COPD Research Highlighted At CHEST 2011
Detroit Holds Record for Highest Lung Cancer Mortality Rates (#1111771, Tuesday, October 25, 3:00 PM Eastern) Compared with other cities, Detroit has one of the highest mortality rates in the United States for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Based on data from the National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program, researchers from the McLaren Regional Medical Center in Flint, Michigan and the Mayo Clinic, in Minneapolis, Minnesota studied cancer-specific survival between Detroit and other city registries by ethnicity...
Studying The Genetic Causes Of Bipolar Disorder Could Lead To New Treatments
Researchers at the University of Leeds investigating the genetic causes of bipolar disorder have identified two new drugs = one of which has already been found safe in clinical trials - that may be effective in treating the disorder. Bipolar disorder is characterised by mood swings between mania and depression. Like autism, it is thought to be a spectrum of disorders and, although its causes are not well understood, it seems to run in families and is thought to be caused by both genetic and environmental factors...
Dr Oz: Memory Test & Muscle Strength: Is Your Body Aging Too Fast?
Dr Oz: Is Your Body Aging Too Fast? The Body Aging test was not a written test.� Instead, Dr. Oz had several audience members come to the stage for a muscle strength test.� Each person had 3 pickle jars in front of them.� They had 10 seconds to open up as many of the jars [...]
Tiny Number Identified With HIV In Non-Targeted Testing In Emergency Departments
A very low number of HIV cases are identified in emergency departments via non-targeted testing, researchers from the Emergency Department HIV-Screening Group, France, reported in Archives of Internal Medicine. Non-targeted testing for HIV is actively encouraged in the USA and UK. As background information, the authors wrote: "During the last 15 years, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) screening combined with early treatment has effectively reduced HIV-related mortality, and some authors have postulated that this strategy plays a key role in controlling the epidemic...
Monday, October 24, 2011
BPA Exposure In Womb Linked To Behavior Problems In Young Girls
Exposure to BPA in the womb is linked to behavioral and emotional difficulties in pre-school children, and girls in particular, concludes a new study published online in Pediatrics. The researchers suggest doctors may wish to advise patients concerned about this to reduce their exposure to consumer products likely to contain the chemical, although they point out that the "benefits of such reductions are unclear"...
Photographer captures hope
Nearly every day, Terri Shaver comes face to face with cancer and can't help but think about her life and how short it could be.
Why Do Some Athletes Choke Under Pressure?
Athletes know they should just do their thing on the 18th hole, or during the penalty shootout, or when they're taking a 3-point shot in the last moments of the game. But when that shot could mean winning or losing, it's easy to choke. A new article published in Current Directions in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, looks at why paying too much attention to what you're doing can ruin performance. "We think when you're under pressure, that your attention goes inward naturally...
Bacteria Are Hard to Avoid in Public Bathrooms
Public restrooms are often filled with infection-causing bacteria, a study shows.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Bacteria Are Hard to Avoid in Public Bathrooms
Public restrooms are often filled with infection-causing bacteria, a study shows.
Mechanisms Used By Wolbachia Bacteria To Control Vectors Of Deadly Diseases
Researchers at Boston University have made discoveries that provide the foundation towards novel approaches to control insects that transmit deadly diseases such as dengue fever and malaria through their study of the Wolbachia bacteria. Their findings have been published in the current issue of Science Express, an online publication of selected papers in advance of the print edition of Science, the main journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)...
Poor Cerebral Cortex Functions Leads To More Impulsive Behaviour
If the front part of the cerebral cortex is less active then people have less control over their social behaviour and automatically follow their inclinations more. This emerged from a study by Inge Volman that will be published on 25 October in the Journal Current Biology. The research was the first to make use of magnetic stimulation (TMS) to suppress this part at the front of the prefrontal cortex. During TMS a changing magnetic field on the head temporarily influences the activity of the underlying part of the brain...
Halozyme Announces Positive Results From Phase 2 Ultrafast Insulin Trials In Patients With Type 1 And Type 2 Diabetes
Halozyme Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: HALO), a biopharmaceutical company developing and commercializing products targeting the extracellular matrix for the diabetes, cancer, dermatology and drug delivery markets, today announced positive results from two Phase 2 clinical trials of its ultrafast PH20 insulin analog formulations in patients with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Both trials met the primary endpoint of non-inferiority of HbA1C compared to the insulin analog comparator, with superior reductions in post-prandial glucose excursions in the PH20 insulin analog arms...
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Walmart Cuts Employee Health Benefits
Walmart is increasing employee health insurance premiums and�no longer offering the coverage for new part-timers because of rising costs. Walmart informed employees last week that it is eliminating healthcare for future part-time employees who work less than 24 hours a week, the New York Times...
Study: No Link Between Cell Phone Use and Cancer
One of the largest and longest-running studies ever to look for a link between mobile phone use and brain tumors shows that cell phone use doesn't increase the risk of brain cancer and other kinds of central nervous system cancers.
Surgeon Removes Eight Pound Liver Tumor
The cancerous tumor in Marcus Muhich's liver weighed 8 pounds and was nearly a foot across. Doctors at three major academic medical centers in the Midwest told Muhich his high-grade tumor was inoperable. Then he was referred to Dr. Margo Shoup, chief of the Division of Surgical Oncology at Loyola University Medical Center. Shoup was able to remove the entire tumor, and, two years later, Muhich remains cancer-free. "Dr. Shoup is my miracle worker," he said. Muhich learned he had cancer after visiting a cardiologist for a heart rhythm disorder...
Doctor's mission: Saving Isaac
A year ago, Dr. Carlos Zayas nearly died from cancer. Now he's helping other Hispanics find bone marrow transplants, such as teenager Isaac del Valle.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Dr Oz: Memory Test & Muscle Strength: Is Your Body Aging Too Fast?
Dr Oz: Is Your Body Aging Too Fast? The Body Aging test was not a written test.� Instead, Dr. Oz had several audience members come to the stage for a muscle strength test.� Each person had 3 pickle jars in front of them.� They had 10 seconds to open up as many of the jars [...]
Echocardiographic Evaluation Of Cancer Patients - Europeans And Americans To Jointly Issue Guidelines
According to an announcement made by The European Association of Echocardiography (EAE), the EAE will be collaborating with the American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) in order to issue guidelines on the benefits of serial echocardiographic evaluations and the potential impact of more advanced ultrasound technologies, in particular Speckle Tracking Echocardiography, in patients undergoing cancer therapy...
Jobs Regretted Delaying Cancer Surgery
Steve Jobs told his biographer, Walter Isaacson, that he put off surgery for pancreatic cancer for nine months, and later regretted it. Jobs was a believer in alternative medicine, and told Isaacson he didn't want his body opened.
Insecticide Resistance Mechanisms Identified In Bed Bugs
Bed bugs, largely absent in the U.S. since the 1950s, have returned with a hungry vengeance in the last decade in all 50 states. These insects have developed resistance to pyrethroids, one of the very few classes of insecticide used for their control. A research team at Virginia Tech has discovered some of the genetic mechanisms for the bed bug's resistance to two of the most popular pyrethroids -- deltamethrin and beta-cyfluthrin...
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Jackson got more sedative than doc admits: expert
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Michael Jackson had more of the sedative lorazepam in his blood stream than his doctor admitted giving him on the day he died, a top anesthesiology expert testified on Thursday.
Fighting Cancer With Oncolytic Viruses
Oncolytic virology uses live viruses to sense the genetic difference between a tumor and normal cell. Once the virus finds a tumor cell, it replicates inside that cell, kills it and then spreads to adjacent tumor cells to seed a therapeutic "chain reaction". As reported in Cancer Cell, Dr. David Stojdl, a scientist from the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute at the University of Ottawa has found a way to trick resistant cancer cells into committing suicide following oncolytic virus therapy...
Discovery Of A Cell Mechanism That Reduces Effectiveness Of Breast Cancer Treatment
Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School and CIC bioGUNE discover a complex cell mechanism activated by a protein HOXB9 that becomes an obstacle for radiation effectiveness. Scientists all over the world continue to focus their research on breast cancer. As a consequence, knowledge of the behaviour of tumour cells is growing, as well as of their interactions with the microenvironment. There are, however, many questions still unanswered...
Is Facebook Changing Our Brains?
Scientists in the U.K. say they have found a strong link between the number of friends people have on Facebook and how "brainy" they are -- namely, the amount of gray matter in particular regions of their brains.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
IQ Scores of Teens May Change Over Time
A teen's IQ is not set in stone, according to a study. Instead, the standard measure of intelligence can fluctuate dramatically.
Researchers Working To Network Robots And Sensor Systems So First Responders Can React More Quickly And Efficiently In An Emergency
Earthquaks, tsunamies, hurricanes - natural disasters always catch us by surprise, no matter how many early-warning systems are in place. This makes it all the more important for rescue teams to get a quick overview of the situation at hand. In SENEKA, a Markets Beyond Tomorrow project, Fraunhofer researchers are working to network the various robots and sensor systems first responders use so that they can react more quickly and efficiently in the case of an emergency to search for victims and survivors...
100-year-old Breaks Guinness World Marathon Record
Most centenarians would get out of breath just walking to the get the mail in the morning, but not 100-year-old Fauja Singh.��This Indian-born Brit set a Guinness World Record Sunday when he became the oldest person to ever run a marathon. In Sunday?s Scotiabank Toronto...
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Low Level Of Response To Alcohol Affects Brain Activation
A study by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine suggests that differences in brain activation in individuals with a low level of response to alcohol may contribute to their inability to recognize modest levels of alcohol intoxication. Their findings could provide the potential to identify individuals who are at risk for developing an alcohol-use disorder before it develops in essence, providing a marker for this vulnerability...
Is Facebook Changing Our Brains?
Scientists in the U.K. say they have found a strong link between the number of friends people have on Facebook and how "brainy" they are -- namely, the amount of gray matter in particular regions of their brains.
Rare Condition Drives Three-Year-Old to Eat Light Bulb
Natalie Hayhurst looks like your average adorable three-year-old. She plays with makeup, loves Justin Bieber, and loves playing with her big brother on their farm outside Terre Haute, Ind.
When it comes to food, she's anything but average. Most kids her age are a little picky. Natalie likes everything ? literally.
When it comes to food, she's anything but average. Most kids her age are a little picky. Natalie likes everything ? literally.
Ten Malaria Affected Countries Soon To Be Malaria Free
Almost one third of countries that are currently affected by malaria are on course for eliminating the disease over the next ten years, according to a report by the Roll Back Malaria Partnership. Malaria, a completely preventable and treatable disease, still kills approximately 781,000 people each year. According to WHO (World Health Organization), 40% of people on this planet are affected by Malaria. Malaria is said to undermine the economic and social development of the world's poorest nations...
Overweight Kids Much More Likely To Have Asthma
Over the last few decades, the prevalence of asthma has increased and it is also one of the main causes for children being absent from schools. It has been revealed that children who are overweight are twice as likely to have asthma compared to children of a healthy weight. Unhealthy diet and not enough physical exercise are connected with a range of cardiovascular risks as well as other chronic diseases, however, some investigations highlight that asthma could be included in that list because the connection between obesity and asthma come from common factors...
Monday, October 17, 2011
Scientists Map 115-Year-Old Woman's Genome To Study Longevity
Dutch researchers have sequenced the genome of a woman who lived 115 years. Presenting their findings at a conference in Canada last week, they said they hope the information will provide a useful reference point for studies of longevity and health in old age. Dr Henne Holstege of the Department of Clinical Genetics at the VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam, and colleagues, did not reveal the woman's name, they refer to her as W115...
Authorities perplexed by drug shortage spike
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two years into an escalating shortage of life-saving cancer drugs, regulators and lawmakers are still unable to identify why it is happening, let alone how to solve the problem.
Healthy Holiday Food and Diet Tips
Try these 10 tips to reduce calories at holiday parties. Get ideas for low-cal
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Dr Oz: Lemon Stress Relief Spray Mist
Dr Oz: Lemon Stress Buster Lemons are the new Anti-Aging Super Citrus and to show you how to help eliminate those stresses that cause aging, Dr Oz introduced Ashley Koff, RD, who is a contributing editor for Natural Health Magazine. Dr Oz Lemon Stress Reducing Air Freshener: Add lemon and olive oil together.� Place the [...]
How Circadian Clock Sets Itself May Affect Jet Lag Severity
It's no secret that long-distance, west-to-east air travel - Seattle to Paris, for example - can raise havoc with a person's sleep and waking patterns, and that the effects are substantially less pronounced when traveling in the opposite direction. Now researchers, including a University of Washington biologist, have found hints that differing molecular processes in an area of the brain known as the suprachiasmatic nucleus might play a significant role in those jet lag differences...
Skin Inflammation Control Via Cell Death Prevention
The outer layer of the skin, called the epidermis, forms a critical physical and immunological wall that serves as the body's first line of defense against potentially harmful microorganisms. Most of the epidermis consists of cells called keratinocytes that build a mechanical barrier but also perform immune functions. Now, a new study published by Cell Press in the October issue of the journal Immunity provides evidence that stopping of a type of regulated cell death called "necroptosis" in keratinocytes is critical for the prevention of skin inflammation...
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Breastfeeding Reduces The Risk Of Suffering Allergy
Today, about one in four European children suffer from allergy, which makes this disease the non-infectious epidemic of the 21st century. Evidence suggests that lifestyle factors and nutritional patterns, such as breastfeeding, help to reduce the early symptoms of allergy. The detection and reduction of the early causes of childhood allergy is the major topic at the 2nd EAACI Pediatric Allergy and Asthma Meeting (PAAM 2011) that opens today in Barcelona...
Gallbladder Surgery And Abdominal Pain
According to a new study in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, better understanding of a patient's abdominal pain could help physicians know which patients will benefit most from surgical removal of the gallbladder. Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology is the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association. Nearly 800,000 gallbladder removal surgeries, or cholecystectomies, are performed annually in the U.S. at a cost exceeding $6 billion...
Dr Oz: How To Quit Soda & I Love NY Pizza Recipe
Dr Oz: Soda Habit & Healthy Pizza Recipe In this segment, Dr Oz set out to secretly catch some Dr Oz Fans committing health violations.� He caught his fans off guard by posing as a wax figure, where people may come up and admit a health violation to the ?wax figure.? (It was fun watching [...]
1 In 6 Phones Carries Fecal Matter, UK Research
A UK-wide study of mobile phones planned to coincide with Global Handwashing Day, found that one in six carries fecal matter, probably because their owners are not washing their hands with soap after using the toilet. Researchers said some of the phones were contaminated with E. coli, fecal bacteria that can cause stomach upsets and serious food poisoning such as in the fatal O157 outbreak in Germany in June. Once they are on hands and surfaces, fecal bacteria can survive for hours, especially in warm rooms away from sunlight...
Weight loss bypass surgery may muffle temptation
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People who've had gastric bypass surgery might make healthier eating choices than those who opt for the weight loss procedure known as gastric banding, say UK researchers who found bypass patients less tempted by sweets and other fattening foods.
Friday, October 14, 2011
JDRF-Funded Scientists Breathe New Life Into Aging Beta Cells
As a person ages, the ability of their beta cells to divide and make new beta cells declines. By the time children reach the age of 10 to 12 years, the ability of their insulin-producing cells to replicate greatly diminishes. If these cells, called beta cells, are destroyed - as they are in type 1 diabetes - treatment with the hormone insulin becomes essential to regulate blood glucose levels and get energy from food...
Older Women Say They Want More Sex, Not Less
Many women continue to be sexually active after menopause and most say they are satisfied with their sex lives, particularly if they are married or have a regular partner, a large new study shows.
A FAR-Out Treatment Approach For Fall Asthma Flare-Ups
For most people, the word "autumn" conjures up images of honey crisp apples, pumpkin patches and Halloween. But for many pediatricians, fall also means more patients with asthma flare-ups. Johns Hopkins Children's Center experts warn that fall is peak asthma time because of high levels of airborne ragweed and mold spores and the arrival of the flu and other seasonal bugs, all of which can worsen asthma...
Celiac Disease Phase 2a Trial With ALV003, Positive Results
According to an announcement made today by Alvine Pharmaceuticals, Inc., the Phase 2a clinical trial of ALV003 produced positive results, demonstrating its ability to attenuate gluten-induced intestinal mucosal injury in serologically negative celiac disease patients maintained on a gluten-free diet for one or more years. The results of the study will be presented on October 24 at the 19th United European Gastroenterology (UEGW) in Stockholm in the late breaking news. The full report (#OP050B) can currently be viewed on the UEGW website at www.uegw11.uegf.org. Peter Green, M.D...
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Beef Up Immunity With Green Veggies
ABC News? Carrie Gann reports: Eager to fight colds and the flu this season? Try eating your veggies. In a� study published today in the journal Cell, scientists found that green vegetables�carry chemical signals that�are essential to a fully-functioning immune system ? in mice. These...
A FAR-Out Treatment Approach For Fall Asthma Flare-Ups
For most people, the word "autumn" conjures up images of honey crisp apples, pumpkin patches and Halloween. But for many pediatricians, fall also means more patients with asthma flare-ups. Johns Hopkins Children's Center experts warn that fall is peak asthma time because of high levels of airborne ragweed and mold spores and the arrival of the flu and other seasonal bugs, all of which can worsen asthma...
Proper Protein Intake Crucial For Moderating Energy Intake, Keeping Obesity At Bay
Testing protein leverage in lean humans: a randomised controlled experimental study Obesity is a growing problem worldwide, but proper protein consumption can help keep it at bay, according to a paper published Oct. 12 in the online journal PLoS ONE. The researchers found that, when subjects were fed a 10% protein diet, they consumed 12% more energy over four days than they did on a 15% protein diet. Moreover, 70% of the increased energy intake on the lower protein diet was attributed to snacking...
Decoding the Black Plague
The Black Death that killed 50 million Europeans six centuries ago is the ancestor of ?all the modern plagues we have today worldwide,? say the scientists who decoded its entire genetic structure from the teeth of long-dead Londoners. ?Every outbreak across the globe today stems...
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
CDC: More Teenage Boys Are Using Condoms
More teenagers are using a condom -- by itself or along with a partner's hormonal contraceptive -- according to a new teen sex survey from the CDC.
Dr Oz: October 11 2011: In Case You Missed It
Doctor Oz?s ?In Case You Missed It? segment and recaps for October 11, 2011 are below for Paula Dean?s Favorite Meals Cooked With Less Fat and Calories! Paula Dean comes to the Dr Oz to get real about her cooking and her lifesyle. Pass the recaps on to family and friends to spread Dr Oz?s [...]
Water Channels In The Body Help Cells Remain In Balance
Water channels exist not only in nature - microscopical water channels are also present in the cells of the body, where they ensure that water can be transported through the protective surface of the cell. Scientists at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, have discovered that one type of the body's water channels can be modified such that it becomes more stable , which may be significant in the treatment of several diseases...
Advanced Genetic Test Influences Medical Treatment, Reports Genetics In Medicine
Chromosomal microarray (CMA) a powerful test for diagnosing the genetic abnormalities causing some types of developmental delay and birth defects can be used in an evidence-based manner to provide important information for patient treatment, according to a pair of studies in the September issue of Genetics in Medicine, the official peer-reviewed journal of The American College of Medical Genetics. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health...
Alzheimer Patients Treated With Gantenerumab Appear To Have Lower Brain Amyloid Levels
According to a report published Online First by Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals, treating Alzheimer patients with the medication gantenerumab seems to reduce brain amyloid levels, however, due to the small study size, more clinical trials are needed. Background information in the article states that: "Genetic and neuro-pathological evidence suggests that the accumulation of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides in the brain is a key event in the patho-physiology of Alzheimer disease (AD)...
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Dr Oz: Frozen Yogurt: A Healthy Diet Option for a Sweet Tooth?
Dr Oz: Frozen Yogurt – The Skinny Doctor Oz pulled up 3 audience members who had questions about their favorite sweet treat, frozen yogurt. Margie from the audience: Q: If frozen yogurt is fat free, can I eat as much as I want? A: No! (I know. I was hurt by that answer too!)� Dr [...]
Stopping Infections Without Causing Resistance - Antivirulence Drugs Could Be The Answer
Antivirulence drugs disarm pathogens rather than kill them, and although they could be effective in theory, antivirulence drugs have never been tested in humans. A new study to be published in the online journal mBio� on Tuesday, October 18 reveals these drugs have the potential to fight infection while avoiding the pitfalls of drug resistance. Traditional antibiotics aim to kill or stop the growth of pathogens, but antivirulence drugs prevent disease by neutralizing virulence factors, the specific proteins or toxins that a pathogen uses to establish an infection...
Sperm Donors Offer Services For Free
Trent Arsenault has fathered 15 children and is on a mission to get more men to be fruitful and multiply.
Racial Disparity In Post-Hospital Arrival Homicide Deaths At Trauma Centers In The U.S.
New research based on post-hospital arrival data from U.S. trauma centers finds that even after adjusting for differences in injury severity, gun use, and other likely causes of race difference in death from assault, African-Americans have a significantly higher overall post-scene of injury mortality rate than whites. The study was conducted by Anthony R. Harris, emeritus professor of sociology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and colleagues and published in August by the Journal of Trauma, Injury, Infection and Critical Care...
Crucial New Component Of The Machinery That Cells Use To Sense Dietary Amino Acids Identified - A Mechanism That Malfunctions In Cancer
In cancer, genes turn on and off at the wrong times, proteins aren't folded properly, and cellular growth and proliferation get out of control. Even a cancer cell's metabolism goes haywire, as it loses the ability to appropriately sense nutrients and use them to generate energy. One particular piece of cellular machinery that is known to malfunction in a number of cancers is a group of proteins called mTORC1. This master control center coordinates many cellular functions by sensing external signals such as nutrients and growth factors and telling cells how to respond...
Monday, October 10, 2011
Diabetes Patients Who Raise Their 'Good' Cholesterol Levels Reduce Their Risk Of Heart Attack And Stroke
Increasing levels of high-density lipoproteins, better known as HDL or "good" cholesterol, reduced the risk for heart attack and stroke among patients with diabetes. That's according to a new study appearing online in The American Journal of Cardiology. The observational study, one of the largest of its kind, examined the medical records of more than 30,000 patients with diabetes and also found that patients whose HDL levels decreased had more heart attacks and strokes...
Multivitamins no fountain of youth for women
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Women taking multivitamins don't live longer than those who get their nutrients from food alone, a new U.S. study shows.
Bone Loss Side Effects Of Breast Cancer Medication Prevented By Drug
A new study has found that an osteoporosis drug protects against the bone damaging side effects of certain breast cancer medications. Published early online in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the study indicates that some breast cancer patients could take zoledronic acid in addition to their anti-cancer medications to maintain bone health. Drugs called aromatase inhibitors stop the production of estrogen in postmenopausal women and therefore make less estrogen available to stimulate the growth of certain breast cancer cells...
Heart Attack Complications More Likely for Women Smokers
Smokers have heart attacks earlier than nonsmokers, and women smokers are also much more likely than men smokers to have complications after a heart attack, new research shows.
Length Of Flanking Repeat Region And Timing Affect Genetic Material
In children with genomic disorders, often a gamete - egg or sperm - has gone disastrously awry with either a duplication or deletion of genetic material that results in physical and neurological problems for the subsequent child. Previous studies have identified a procedure called nonallelic homologous recombination, which occurs during meiosis or sexual cell division, as the event that most commonly occurs and results in this mistake in DNA...
Sunday, October 9, 2011
A New Psychological Intervention To Reduce Cannabis Use In Young People
A new study that is published in the current issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics addresses the problem of cannabis use in young people and addresses a very difficult target, psychotic patients. This study analyses the efficacy of a specific motivational intervention (MI) on young cannabis users suffering from psychosis. MI appears to be a useful active component to reduce cannabis use which should be integrated in routine clinical practice. Cannabis use has a negative impact on psychosis...
Variations Between Advance Directives And Medicare End-Of-Life Costs Across The USA
A study published in the October 5 issue of JAMA shows that Medicare patients living in regions with higher levels of end-of-life spending, who made a living will (advance directive) in which they specified treatment limits were less likely to die in hospital, averaging substantially lower end-of-life Medicare spending and were much more likely to go into a hospice compared with decedents with no advance directives in these regions...
Potent Antibody Response To Retroviruses Controlled By Ancient Gene
A researcher at MIT's Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer research has identified a gene that controls the process by which antibodies gain their ability to combat retroviruses. Edward Browne shows that the gene TLR7 allows the antibody generating B cells to detect the presence of a retrovirus and promotes a process by which antibodies gain strength and potency, called a germinal center reaction. The findings are published in the Open Access journal PLoS Pathogens...
Saturday, October 8, 2011
IBM Launches University Competition To Combat Growth Of Non-Communicable Diseases
IBM (NYSE: IBM) and Novartis (NYSE: NVS) today announced the NCD Challenge, a competition among a number of the world's leading universities designed to tap the inventiveness of students to find new ways to address the rise of non-communicable diseases in both developing and developed countries. Illnesses such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, asthma and diabetes are a global growing health concern with a far-reaching impact on the world's healthcare systems...
Could Caffeine Use Predict Risk For Cocaine Abuse?
Parents of young caffeine consumers take heed: that high-calorie energy drink or soda might present more than just obesity risk. In fact, according to a double-blind, placebo-controlled study that examined responses to stimulants, an individual's subjective response to caffeine may predict how he or she will respond to other stimulant drugs, possibly reflecting differences in risk for abuse of other more serious drugs of abuse, such as amphetamine and cocaine. The new findings are reported in the November issue of the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence by Stacey Sigmon, Ph.D...
AFib Treatment: Preventing Clots and Controlling Heart Rate and Rhythm
Learn about AFib treatment and why it's important to prevent clots and control your heart rate.
Air Pollution Linked to Premature Births
A new study found an association between traffic-related air pollution and premature births in Southern California women.
Friday, October 7, 2011
A New Method For Understanding The Progression From Depression To Coronary Artery Disease
This study proposes an integrative dynamic model of the depression- coronary artery disease (CAD) relationship. This model may have potential for integrating findings regarding the depression-CAD relationship, contributing to the clarification of discords on screening and treatment of depression, and guiding future research. New data that are analyzed in the current issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics suggest the mechanisms whereby depression may progress to coronary artery disease...
City cyclists breathe in twice as much soot: study
New York (Reuters Health) - Urban cyclists may be exposed to more than twice as much black carbon from vehicle exhaust as pedestrians, a small new study suggests.
Insight: Nobel winner's last big experiment: Himself
CHICAGO/NEW YORK (Reuters) In the last few years of his life, Dr. Ralph Steinman made himself into an extraordinary human lab experiment, testing a series of unproven therapies - including some he helped to create - as he waged a very personal battle with pancreatic cancer.
Dr Oz: October 5 2011: In Case You Missed It
Doctor Oz?s ?In Case You Missed It? segment and recaps for October 5, 2011 are below.� Today was Dr Oz?s Biggest Anti-Aging Hour Ever!� Pass the recaps on to family and friends to spread Dr Oz?s advice! Dr Oz October 5 2011 ? In Case You Missed It Click on the links at the end [...]
Dozens of states probe Medco/Express Scripts deal
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Over two dozen states are scrutinizing Express Scripts' proposed acquisition of Medco Health Solutions, as pharmacists stoke fears that the $22 billion deal would propel the companies' aggressive tactics.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Natalizumab Reduces Disability And Relapses In Multiple Sclerosis Patients
A systematic review published in the latest edition of The Cochrane Library, has discovered that taking natalizumab, the new generation anti-inflammatory drug, for two years reduces the number of remitting-relapsing multiple sclerosis patients as well as progression of disability. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease that affects the brain and spinal cord (central nervous system) of an individual. Symptoms can vary significantly, however, several sufferers have a form of the illness in which they feel healthy for a period of time and then relapse into ill health...
Current Smoking Rates Could Lead to Millions of TB Deaths
If smoking is not controlled worldwide, the habit could produce 18 million new tuberculosis (TB) cases and 40 million deaths from TB between 2010 and 2050, according to a new study.
Controversy Surrounding Nutrition For Intensive Care Patients
Patients who are fed more calories while in intensive care have lower mortality rates than those who receive less of their daily-prescribed calories, according to a recent study of data from the largest critical care nutrition database in the world...
Innovative Technology Improves Stroke Care And Reduces Costs
The use of long-distance video and data hookups to link remote community hospitals with stroke neurologists in large centres provides the same level of care as having everyone in the same room, according to a new study presented at the Canadian Stroke Congress. The study found that rural patients examined with the aid of a technology called Telestroke received an important stroke drug, tPA, at the same rate as patients treated in specialized urban centres, says Dr. Thomas Jeerakathil, a neurologist at the University of Alberta Hospital...
Wrong Shoes Make Gout Pain Worse
Wearing footwear such as sandals that look comfortable can actually worsen the pain of people with gout, according to a new study.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Finding beauty in breast cancer
Terri Shaver takes free portraits of women with life-threatening illnesses. She says she wants them to feel empowered and find peace.
Women Smokers Face Tougher Odds Than Men After Heart Attack
Women who smoke have heart attacks at younger ages and are more likely than men to suffer complications months after a cardiac event, according to a new University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center study. Although fewer women than men smoke in the United States, the gender gap is decreasing and the U-M findings suggest the toll of smoking is greater on women's health. "Smoking is not good for men or women but our analysis shows that women who smoke do worse six months after a heart attack than men," says senior study author Elizabeth Jackson, M.D., M.P.H...
Einstein Montefiore Bioethicist Helped Shape New Institute Of Medicine Report On Staging Antibiotics For Possible Anthrax Attack
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) released a report last Friday that provides guidance to U.S. public health officials to develop plans to pre-position antibiotics that can be distributed to the general public in the case of a large-scale anthrax attack. Tia Powell, M.D., director of the Montefiore Einstein Center for Bioethics and the Einstein Cardozo Masters of Science in Bioethics program, was vice-chair of the 16-member Committee Prepositioned Medical Countermeasures for the Public, which issued the report...
Drunk Facebook Pics Signal Problems
A new study found that college students who post photos and statuses on Facebook about their dangerous drinking exploits were often at a clinical risk of alcoholism.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
New Research Shows $6.7 Billion Spent On Unnecessary Tests And Treatments In One Year
Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine have found that $6.7 billion was spent in one year performing unnecessary tests or prescribing unnecessary medications in primary care, with 86 percent of that cost attributed to the prescription of brand-name statins to treat high cholesterol. The findings are published in a research letter in the October 1 Online First issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals...
Drunk on Facebook? That could be a problem
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - College students' Facebook pages might hold clues to which of them are at risk for alcohol dependence and abuse, according to a new study.
Burden Of Breast Cancer Deaths Shifts To Poor: American Cancer Society Report
A new report from the American Cancer Society finds that a slower and later decline in breast cancer death rates among women in poor areas has resulted in a shift in the highest breast cancer death rates from women residing in more affluent areas to those in poor areas. The authors point to screening rates as one potential factor. In 2008, only 51.4% of poor women ages 40 and older had undergone a screening mammogram in the past two years compared to 72.8% of non-poor women. The findings are published in Breast Cancer Statistics, 2011, which appears in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians...
Dr Oz: September 30, 2011: In Case You Missed It
Dr Oz’s ?In Case You Missed It? segment and recaps for September 30, 2011 are below. Don?t forget to pass the recaps on to friends and family to spread Dr Oz?s advice! Before I get to what Dr Oz covered today, I also want to remind you to visit our sister site (Opinion Queen) to [...]
Monday, October 3, 2011
New Approach Simplifies The Search For More Specific Drugs
Many psychiatric conditions are caused by aberrant metabolism of the neurotransmitter serotonin. Researchers in the Department of Pharmacy at LMU have now developed a new screening method, which will facilitate the search for new drugs that modulate the biological activity of serotonin. Psychiatric ailments such as depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder or anxiety states are often associated with disturbances in the metabolism of the neurotransmitter serotonin...
Oral Sex: Safety, Risks, Relationships, STD Transmission
WebMD discusses the health risks of oral sex, how to protect yourself, and more.
Study Findings Indicate A Key Step In The Generation Of White Matter And Understanding Developmental Disabilities
Through the identification of a gene's impact on a signaling pathway, scientists at Children's National Medical Center continue to make progress in understanding the mechanics of a key brain developmental process: growth and repair of white matter, known as myelination...
Study: MRSA Common Among Some Dental Students
Dental students in a Seattle study had very high rates of colonization with the MRSA, the drug-resistant strain of staph, raising new questions about the prevalence of the bacteria outside of hospitals in community health care settings.
The Hormonal Role In Glucose And Fat Metabolism Explained
Hormone researchers at the University of Houston (UH) have their sights set on providing long-term treatment options for diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular diseases by better understanding estradiol, the most potent naturally occurring estrogen. They now believe that this estrogen hormone is a prominent regulator of several body functions in both females and males. While estradiol is more commonly associated with processes and diseases specific to women, the team determined that the hormone actually functions as a unisex hormone with multiple actions...
Sunday, October 2, 2011
A Shared Biological Basis For Diabetes And Cancer
Contrary to what you might think, cancer and diabetes appear to have some biology in common. According to a report in the Cell Press journal, Cell, a pathway that initially drew attention for its role in embryonic stem cells and cancer also influences the odds that mice develop or resist diabetes. Mice with high levels of the cancer-promoting proteins Lin28a or Lin28b become more sensitive to insulin and less prone to diabetes when on a high-fat diet, the new study shows. "This highlights the overlap in the biology of these disorders," said George Daley of Harvard Medical School...
Study: MRSA Common Among Some Dental Students
Dental students in a Seattle study had very high rates of colonization with the MRSA, the drug-resistant strain of staph, raising new questions about the prevalence of the bacteria outside of hospitals in community health care settings.
Geneticists Develop Promising Mouse Model For Testing New Autism Therapies
UCLA scientists have created a mouse model for autism that opens a window into the biological mechanisms that underlie the disease and offers a promising way to test new treatment approaches. Published in the Sept. 30 edition of Cell, the research found that autistic mice display remarkably similar symptoms and behavior as children and adults on the autism spectrum. The animals also responded well to an FDA-approved drug prescribed to autism patients to treat repetitive behaviors often associated with the disease...
Reducing Blood Clots After Knee And Hip Replacement, Recommendations Outlined In New Guideline
Each year more than 800,000 Americans undergo hip or knee replacement surgery. Last week the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS) Board of Directs released an updated clinical practice guideline with recommendation strategies for the reduction of potential blood clot formation following hip or knee replacement surgery. Suggestions include using preventive treatments and advice against routinely screening patients after surgery using ultrasound imaging...
New Therapeutic Approach To Diabetes And Obesity Suggested By Powerful Antibody-Based Strategy
The work of a team of scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) led by Professor Nicholas Tonks FRS, suggests a way to overcome one of the major technical obstacles preventing a leading therapeutic target for diabetes and obesity from being addressed successfully by novel drugs. The target is an enzyme called PTP1B, discovered by Tonks in 1988 and long known to be an important player in the signaling pathway within cells that regulates the response to insulin...
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Coffee Health Benefits: Research on Type 2 Diabetes, Cancer, Stroke, and More
WebMD discusses the health benefits of coffee and possible risks for those with certain conditions.
Cantaloupe Death Toll Rises to 15
The number of victims is continuing to rise from the deadliest outbreak of food borne illness in a generation. The CDC today confirmed two more deaths from listeria linked to cantaloupe from Jensen Farms in Colorado, bringing the federal government?s official count to 15 deaths....
Loyola To Host World MRSA Day
The Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine will host the third annual World MRSA Day kickoff and Global MRSA Summit at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Oct.1, in a free, public event. Dr. William R. Jarvis, world-renowned MRSA expert formerly with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is the key note speaker. Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) is caused by a strain of staph bacteria that has become resistant to the antibiotics commonly used to treat staph infections...
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