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National News
The prospect of progressively losing one's faculties might seem as grim as any imaginable. Yet for patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's, the recent decision by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) to block NHS use of certain drugs that may help them will add to the agony. The exception for advanced cases hardly helps, amounting to an offer of remedial action that can be cashed in only after half the mind is lost. On Friday, Nice was back under fire after it was learned it would also reject a bone-cancer treatment, Velcade.
Children should be taught about contraception while they are still in primary school, according to a report published today. Condoms should be free or sold at low cost to teenagers in schools and sports centres, according to the report by the Institute for Public Policy Research, which notes that almost one in three 15-year-olds did not use a condom the last time they had sex. British teenagers are the most sexually active and have the highest birth rate in Europe.
The world's first contraceptive pill that frees women from menstruation and its associated stomach pains and mood swings will be launched in Britain early next year.
Four years after a Caesarean, my once-flat stomach is wobbly with cellulite and the extra pounds just won't shift. How can I regain my pre-childbirth shape - and my confidence?
Annual MRI screenings will be made available for target patients instead of preventative surgery
One key cause of overcrowding of neonatal clinics lies with the recent success that doctors have had in keeping premature babies alive. In the past, very young babies might have lived for only a couple of days. Today, we may keep them in neonatal units for three or four months before they are ready to go home.
Hyperbaric treatment helped radiation burns victim Lisa Norris, but experts aren't persuaded
Autism: Is there a link to watching television? - The Independent 22/10/06Autism may be linked to children watching television when very young, according to researchers.
The NHS is losing more than £2bn a year through unnecessary emergency hospital admissions, inappropriate prescribing and other inefficiencies.
A health authority is to become the first to penalise smokers by taking them off waiting lists for surgery.
Watchdog rejects bone cancer drug - The Guardian 21/10/06 Patients' groups yesterday condemned the decision by the government's health watchdog to reject a bone cancer drug for NHS patients in England.
Dr Tom Smith answers your questions
Your report on proposed changes to the Freedom of Information Act (October 17) will be of great concern to researchers. Prior to the act, government records only became available 30 years after the events. It was impossible to scrutinise recent decision-making or to learn fully from the recent past. I am trying to access nearly 80 files relating to Welsh language legislation in the 1990s. Given the debate in Wales over a new Welsh language act, this project has a real contemporary relevance. If the proposed changes go through, I could not expect to see even sections of all the files I need until around 2015. If the government's proposals are meant to kill off frivolous use of the act, they are likely to kill off much serious research in the process. It is difficult to see how that fits with their expressed interest in "evidence-based policy".
Dirty scalpels lead to cancellation of 1,700 operations - The Independent 22/10/06 Thousands of patients waiting for surgery are being sent home from hospital because there are no clean instruments available for doctors to operate with.
Women in England and Ireland are officially the world's biggest binge drinkers, according to a unique study of global alcohol consumption.
Police and health authorities fear that 25,000 British girls are at risk of genital mutilation
NHS blows millions on removing tattoos - The Sunday Times 22/10/06 THE National Health Service spent tens of millions of pounds removing nearly 200,000 tattoos last year, according to figures released by the Department of Health last week.
DOCTORS and nurses are facing pay cuts as the Government struggles to resolve the hospital deficit crisis that has led to thousands of job losses.
The discovery of diary products contaminated with antibiotics has led to a review of hygiene standards
There will be two human species in the future? It’s happening now
Labour's freedom of information (FoI) regime faces "serial defiance" from public bodies with almost half failing to respond at all or flouting other disclosure rules, a new survey reveals.
Cancer sufferers have won the right to treatment on the NHS with drugs that were banned by a government watchdog because they are "too costly".
Children who watch violent horror and action movies suffer from poorer grades at school, according to new research.
Hospitals in Conservative and Liberal Democrat constituencies are more than twice as likely to suffer from NHS cuts as hospitals in Labour seats, an investigation by The Sunday Telegraph has found.
I am pregnant with my second baby, due in six weeks (the first is 11 months old), and wonder what supplements to take after the birth - I have been taking a standard pregnancy supplement throughout. I will be having a caesarean again and will breast-feed as long as possible. I am particularly concerned about energy levels, stabilising moods and avoiding post-natal depression.
Anne Reay, 30, and her husband, Andrew Walker, 58, look upon the River Tweed, a mile from their log home in Northumberland, in much the same way as Mexicans regard the Rio Grande: it is what divides them from a more prosperous life. The only difference is that it's easier to cross, something the couple are planning to do next year.
An eminent group of child-care experts raises serious concerns today about the long-term effects of putting very young children into inadequate day nurseries.
Britain's hardest workers will be prevented from putting in more than 60 hours a week, even if they want to, under a new European Union plan being considered by Tony Blair.
A new television campaign warning teenagers of the dangers of smoking cannabis has been launched.
Eating lots of white bread raises the risk of a cancer that kills thousands of Britons every year, according to new research.
Not enough is being done to improve the management of pain in the elderly, a charity says.
Almost half of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder have been excluded from education at some stage, according to a survey.
Immune alarm 'will help fight TB' - BBC Health News 21/10/06 A key part of body's defence against tuberculosis has been identified by an international team of scientists.
A cancer charity has urged women to stop binge drinking if they want to cut their risk of breast cancer.
Patients are soon to be prescribed information from their doctor as well as medicines, empowering people to take control of their own illness, under a new initiative launched by Health Minister Rosie Winterton. As patients only remember on average 10% of consultations, having a list of specific information resources relevant to individual circumstances will help people to seek further information and make choices about their health care.
Older people with knee pain who receive their main care from physiotherapists and pharmacists are more likely to experience improvements in pain levels and knee function, and are less likely to need NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, eg asprin and ibuprofen), according to a BMJ study.
Doctors should get pay rises of at least 4% in order to recruit, retain and motivate them, the BMA says in its evidence to the DDRB (Doctors and Dentists Review Body), published on Wednesday.
BMA Criticises Government Bid To Claw Back Doctors' Pay - Medical News Today 22/10/06
Sectioned mental health patients are staying at home for weeks because there are no beds in NHS hospitals, doctors are warning.
A major new research programme to tackle alcohol problems is launched today at a national conference hosted by St George's, University of London. A new £3.2 million implementation national research programme of alcohol screening and brief intervention, funded by the Department of Health, will identify the best method of helping people with alcohol problems attending primary care, accident and emergency departments, and criminal justice agencies in England. Alcohol misuse and dependence affect 8.2 million adults in England leading to an estimated cost to society of £20 billion per annum. Alcoholic liver disease is at an all time high level, and alcohol is now the 3rd leading cause of ill health after tobacco and high blood pressure.
Health Minister Lord Warner has urged the NHS and local councils to offer patients access to GPs, health services and social workers under one roof in new 'super-centres', as part of a drive to bring down the organisational and physical barriers within healthcare, and between health and social care.
The basic design of the current artificial urinary sphincter (AUS) manufactured by American Medical Systems (AMS 800) has been unchanged since 1983. A 30% surgical revision rate has been reported by some authors which is largely due to continued stress incontinence particularly at times of increased abdominal pressure and after cuff erosion or urethral atrophy secondary to high cuff pressures. A preliminary report of 9 patients implanted with a new artificial urinary sphincter device designed by Anthony Mundy and colleagues from London is reported in the September 2006 issue of European Urology. This device attempts to improve upon the existing AUS in several ways.
Vitamin D may help curb breast cancer progression, according to a study published 16 October 2006 in the Journal of Clinical Pathology.
International News
Women who give birth in their 50s are just as able to cope with motherhood as younger women, according to a study by fertility specialists. Surveys of older women having fertility treatment showed they found parenting no more stressful or physically demanding than women in their 30s and 40s, and they showed no signs of poorer mental health possibly brought on by feelings of isolation.
It's still around, infecting people in Asia and set to cause another bout of worry-inducing headlines in Europe this winter. There are several strains of avian influenza, but the one that had everyone reaching for their drug stockpiles earlier this year was H5N1. You'd be forgiven for thinking this strain had appeared out of the ether; but it has been around since 1996, when 18 poultry workers were infected in Hong Kong.
France's leading gynaecologists have challenged hard-line Muslims to bow to France's secular, "modern" rules of society, and to stop insisting that their wives are examined by female doctors.
Three Israeli doctors are under arrest for allegedly performing illegal experiments on thousands of patients, including an elderly concentration camp survivor who only narrowly escaped being a victim of the Nazi doctor Josef Mengele.
A gene test that predicts which cancer drugs will be most effective for different people is to be trialled in the US.
Scientists in India have developed a way to extract juice effectively for the first time from a berry which is thought to be good for the heart.
US scientists have developed a tiny plastic pill that they say can prevent tooth loss by treating gum disease.
For Most Children With Middle Ear Infection Observation Policy Appropriate - Medical News Today 22/10/06
According to an Article in this week's issue of The Lancet, antibiotics for middle ear infection (otitis media) are only beneficial in children under the age of two with both ears infected. For most other children an observation policy seems justified finds the study.
A flurry of rumor and gossip followed recent reports of a small plane hitting a high-rise apartment building on New York's Upper East Side. Was it a helicopter or a plane? Was it an accident or a terrorist attack? The pilot's celebrity identity added another strange twist as the rumor unraveled to substantiated fact.
The need to eat is initiated, in part, by a hormone known as ghrelin. Although ghrelin is known to be produced in the gut and to trigger the brain to promote eating, it remains to be determined precisely how ghrelin affects different parts of the brain.
Having your heart in the right place usually means having it located on the left side of your body. But just how a perfectly symmetrical embryo settles on what's right and what's left has fascinated developmental biologists for a long time. The turning point came when the rotational beating of cilia, hair-like structures found on most cells, was identified as essential to the process.
Stapling of hemorrhoids -- a relatively new and increasingly popular procedure -- is associated with a higher risk of recurrence and prolapse than conventional hemorrhoid removal surgery, investigators report in a comprehensive review of clinical studies.
Cognitive behavioral therapy reduces the severity of obsessive compulsive disorder in children and adolescents, according to a new review. This form of treatment helps relieve the overall distress and reduces the interference that OCD symptoms can cause in young people's lives.
Although Parkinson's disease is most commonly viewed as a "movement disorder," scientists have found that the disease also causes widespread abnormalities in touch and vision side effects that have now been verified using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of the brain. The new findings, by scientists at Emory University School of Medicine and Zhejiang University Medical School in Hangzhou China, were presented on Oct. 17 at the Society for Neuroscience meeting in Atlanta.
Where does the strange but typical “metallic” smell come from when we touch iron objects such as tools, utensils, railings, or coins? “The smell of iron upon contact with skin is ironically a type of human body odor,” states Dietmar Glindemann. “That we are smelling the metal itself is actually an illusion.” In conjunction with a team of researchers from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in the United States, The University of Leipzig and the Leipzig Environmental Research Center, Germany, he has tracked down the responsible scent molecules.
Researchers at H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute and Duke University have developed a panel of genetic fingerprints they hope will enable physicians to improve cancer treatment by tailoring chemotherapy to individual patients based on the biology of their tumor. Johnathan Lancaster, M.D., Ph.D., Chief of the Gynecologic Surgical Oncology Division at Moffitt, led the work on ovarian cancer in this collaboration with researchers at Duke University that appears in the November issue of the journal Nature Medicine.
Over 700,000 babies and children could be saved every year in the Eastern Mediterranean region if countries adopted some simple low cost health measures, say researchers in this week's BMJ.
Neurologix, Inc. (OTCBB: NRGX), a biotech company engaged in the development of innovative gene therapies for disorders affecting the brain and central nervous system, announced today that it has successfully completed its landmark Phase I trial of gene therapy for Parkinson's Disease with statistically significant results. The data was presented at the 36th Annual Meeting of the Society of Neuroscience in Atlanta.
Doctors working in Iraq admit that more than half of the civilians killed could have been saved if better medical equipment and more experienced staff and were available.
Eyelids do a whole lot more than hold up our eyelashes and keep the sun out, a Queensland University of Technology PhD optometry researcher has found.
People who eat lots of bread are twice as likely to suffer from kidney cancer compared to people who eat little bread, say researchers from the Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research, Milan, Italy, after looking at the dietary habits of kidney cancer patients.
Chefs in the USA are not interested in how many calories their clients' dishes have, as long as they look good and taste good. In fact, a survey of 300 chefs found that just 16% them thought calories were important - half of them said calories did not matter in the slightest.
Hormone replacement therapy can worsen Alzheimer's disease in older women but may prevent or delay the onset of the illness if started early, said Roberta Diaz Brinton, professor of molecular pharmacology and toxicology in the USC School of Pharmacy.
What goes first in the wasting disease known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: the muscles or the neurons that control them?
A review of research on the prevalence of HIV in the Middle East and North Africa has found that whilst cultural and religious practices may be behind a low prevalence of HIV in the region, they could potentially contribute to increasing the spread of HIV.
"I am a vulgar man. But I assure you, my music is not," says Mozart's character in the movie "Amadeus."
Malaria is not usually thought of as a major disease in the Middle East, but a study from Yemen in this week's BMJ reveals worryingly high levels of severe malaria in children.
A protein naturally occurring in the brain improves recovery from stroke when injected up to three days after the onset of the stroke, and could be used as an effective stroke drug. A study in rats published 17 October 2006 in the open access journal BMC Biology shows that an injection of Granulocyte-Colony Stimulating Factor (G-CSF), whose function in the brain is to control the formation of neurons and counteract neurone death, reduces the size of the area affected by a stroke by a third when injected four hours after the onset of the stroke. The study also shows that regular, delayed injections of G-CSF, starting up to three days after experimental stroke, are effective in restoring motor functions in rats.
New research by Saint Louis University in the Journal of the American Medical Association asks two intriguing questions: How much impact do articles in prominent medical journals really have on how doctors treat patients, and how fast does that impact affect clinical practice?
PTC Therapeutics, Inc. (PTC), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of small-molecule drugs targeting post-transcriptional control processes, today announced encouraging data from a Phase 2 clinical trial of PTC124 in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) due to a nonsense mutation. The results imply pharmacological activity based on preliminary data that suggest increases in dystrophin in muscle biopsies in a number of patients and statistically significant improvements in muscle enzymes in serum. The preliminary data were presented today at the PPUK 4th International DMD Conference in London, England.
It is estimated that at the end of 2003 there were more than 37.8 million persons living with HIV/AIDS worldwide and that over 1 million of these persons resided in the United States. More that 40,000 additional persons become infected with HIV each year. In a special issue of WORK: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment and Rehabilitation, guest editors Brent Braveman and Gary Kielhofner bring together significant articles that explore issues related to employment of persons living with HIV/AIDS.
With the observance of National Diabetes Awareness Month in November, the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons (ACFAS) reminds the 20 million Americans with diabetes that following simple foot care tips can reduce their risk of toe, foot or leg amputations.
Fruit flies get "drunk," just like humans, when exposed to large amounts of alcohol and may in future help to explain why some people are genetically predisposed to alcohol abuse. Humans and fruit flies respond to alcohol in a very similar way at the gene level, according to a study published today in the open access journal Genome Biology. The researchers show that, in the fruit fly, the expression of many genes is modified by exposure to alcohol, and that mutations in some of these genes affect the flies' sensitivity to alcohol. Many of the genes analysed are also found in humans and the authors of the study conclude that studies in the fruit fly Drosophila could shed light on the genetic basis of human response to alcohol, including the susceptibility to alcohol abuse.
Oregon Health & Science University research showing stress triggers a relapse of methamphetamine abuse in mice could be a step toward developing a drug to curb this frustrating obstacle to recovery.
People who carry a particular genetic variation are more likely to respond to stress by becoming depressed and by ruminating on the event, according to a study by researchers at Yale School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, and the University of Wurzburg, Germany.
Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE: BSX) has announced that the PROMUS™ everolimus-eluting coronary stent system has received CE Mark approval, making Boston Scientific the only company to offer two distinct approved drug-eluting stent (DES) platforms in the CE geographies. This approval allows Boston Scientific to begin marketing the new DES in the 25 countries of the European Union and will support market registrations in other regulated countries in Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe.
New research by Saint Louis University in the Journal of the American Medical Association asks two intriguing questions: How much impact do articles in prominent medical journals really have on how doctors treat patients, and how fast does that impact affect clinical practice?
A new drug billed as a magic bullet for obesity -- rimonabant (Acomplia) -- does help people lose weight, although not that much weight, and also helps lower cardiac risk factors, according to a review of studies.
Researchers have identified a common gene variant that more than doubles the risk of autism. The research, led by investigators at the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development, provides new insights into the genetic basis of the complex disorder.
The Center announced today it has a patent pending, all rights reserved, for a new screening technology to identify chromosome abnormalities, single gene mutations, embryos free of familial genetic disorders and mitochondrial mutations, in preimplantation embryos.
In its September meeting 2006, the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) gave a positive opinion to include the use of docetaxel in combination with the current standard treatment - cisplatin and 5 - fluorouracil - for the induction treatment of patients with inoperable locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. On October 18, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave its approval to the new treatment as well. According to Steven Galson, M.D., director of FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, it will “provide prescribers with a new treatment option that has been shown to help slow the spread of the disease and prolong patients' survival.”
For most consumers, osteoporosis is a disease associated with older people, especially women. Today, however, on World Osteoporosis Day, the National Consumers League (NCL) has announced it is working to make all consumers aware of the importance of preventing the bone disease. Each year, roughly 1.5 million people suffer a bone fracture related to osteoporosis. It's a disease that affects more than 10 million Americans over the age of 50, and the best line of defense, according to NCL, is a focus on prevention.
AM-Pharma B.V., a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the pre-clinical and early clinical development of novel compounds to treat infectious and inflammatory diseases, announces first positive results observed in its multi-center double blind, placebo-controlled pilot study in the treatment of sepsis with its patented Alkaline Phosphatase (AP) drug. The study was conceived as a first pilot clinical study to assess safety of a single treatment with 200 U Alkaline Phosphatase i.v./kg in patients suffering from severe sepsis. At the same time also efficacy parameters were recorded as secondary variables.
A report released by the Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF) titled An Epidemic of Obesity Myths uncovers the complicated web of funding and support between weight loss and pharmaceutical industries and the Obesity Society (formerly the North American Association for the Study of Obesity (NAASO)).
The nucleus of a mammal cell is made up of component parts arranged in a pattern which can be predicted statistically, says new research published today. Scientists hope this discovery that parts of the inside of a cell nucleus are not arranged at random will give greater insight into how cells work and could eventually lead to a greater understanding of how they become dysfunctional in diseases like cancer.
The mystery behind a commonly untreatable and undetected heart muscle disease in children is partially revealed for the first time in today's edition of the scientific journal JAMA.
Is spending too much time online a prevalent and damaging condition, or simply a bad habit among a select few? Stanford University School of Medicine researchers have taken an important step toward resolving the debate over whether compulsive use of the Internet merits a medical diagnosis.
Massive trauma, say from a sabertooth tiger attack, meant immediate death for the primitive human. Modern man is more likely to survive severe injury caused by a car crash, gunshot or fall thanks to high-tech emergency medicine. Unfortunately, the body does not know what to do when it survives an injury that would have been fatal until recently in human evolution. Nearly one third of the time, mechanisms in place to protect people from disease misfire seven to ten days after severe injury, causing multiple organ failure. That is one reason why trauma is the leading cause of death for Americans aged 44 and younger.
For years, the brain chemical dopamine has been thought of as the brain's "pleasure chemical," sending signals between brain cells in a way that rewards a person or animal for one activity or another. More recently, research has shown that certain drugs like cocaine and heroin amplify this effect - an action that may lie at the heart of drug addiction.
Certain types of brain cancer cells, called cancer stem cells, help brain tumors to buffer themselves against radiation treatment by activating a "repair switch" that enables them to continue to grow unchecked, researchers at Duke University Medical Center have found.
The cornea stays clear by expressing a soluble form of a receptor that traps factors enabling growth of vision-obstructing blood vessels, researchers say.
The review found little significant difference with respect to major clinical outcomes -- although some women had lower blood counts and shivering after C-section with general anesthesia and some experienced more nausea and vomiting with regional anesthesia.
A new review of studies offers good news and bad news for women faced with the decision about whether to get regular mammograms.
The World Medical Association has strongly reiterated its view that the forced feeding of hunger strikers is unethical, and is never justified.
Orthopaedic surgery researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified yet another reason not to smoke. Studying rotator cuff injury in rats, the research team found exposure to nicotine delays tendon-to-bone healing, suggesting this could cause failure of rotator cuff repair following surgery in human patients.
Newly published cognitive function data from a large, two-year trial published in the November issue of Kidney International report on the effects of chronic kidney disease (CKD) on cognitive function in CKD Stage 5 patients with hyperphosphatemia (high serum phosphorus levels in the blood), who have been treated with phosphate binder therapy.
A Canadian oncologist has urged doctors and other healthcare professionals to be more aware of the potential risk of suicide among cancer patients and to offer extra support to the most vulnerable and their families.
A new MUHC study provides conclusive evidence that the Measles Mumps Rubella (MMR) vaccine is not associated with the development of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). The study, published in the scientific journal Pediatrics, reveals fundamental errors in previous molecular studies that falsely implicated the MMR vaccine as a risk factor for autism. This study arose from a cross-disciplinary collaboration between Dr Brian Ward, Chief of Infectious Diseases at the MUHC, and Dr Eric Fombonne, Director of Pediatric Psychiatry at the Montreal Children's Hospital of the MUHC
Testing soldiers to see if they have been exposed to biological or chemical weapons could soon be much faster and easier, thanks to MIT researchers who are helping to develop a tiny diagnostic device that could be carried into battle.
In a finding that contradicts current theories behind Parkinson's disease, neuroscientists at Duke University Medical Center have discovered in mice that critical nerve cells fire all at the same time and thus overwhelm the brain's ability to control the body's movements.
Virginia Commonwealth University researchers have identified how a bioactive molecule involved with allergy, inflammation and cancer is transported out of mast cells, according to findings published online this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
When a child under the age of 2 contracts a respiratory tract infection requiring hospitalization, odds are that the cause is respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
Pregnant women taking folic acid to protect their baby's development may be at greater risk of malaria as a result, Kenyan research suggests.
Researchers at the University of Minnesota have identified a protein that enables viruses such as HIV to infect cells and spread through the body.
An experimental vaccine that attacks the malaria parasite in its early stages prevents a significant number of malaria cases, and should move closer to licensing and widespread use, according to a new review of recent studies.
Mothers have long exhorted their children to eat their fruit and vegetables. But once kids are beyond mom's watchful eye, the hated greens often go the way of Barbie dolls and power rangers. Now, there's another reason to reach for colorful fruits past adolescence.
On 16 October 2006 Ventracor (ASX:VCR) reported the first case of recovery of a patient's heart allowing removal of the VentrAssist left ventricular assist device (LVAD) after providing support for over 12 months.
With public concerns at a fevered pitch over the bacterial contamination of spinach, it is easy to lose track of how bland and deprived our world would be without the contribution to our food supply of such benign microbial players as lactic acid-producing bacteria. Researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute (DOE JGI) and the University of California, Davis, and their colleagues have characterized the genome sequences of nine different lactic acid-producing bacteria, or LAB, and have published their findings in the October 17 edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/abstract/0607117103v1). The small LAB genomes encode a diverse repertoire of genes for efficient carbon and nitrogen acquisition from the nutritionally rich environments they inhabit and reflect a limited range of biosynthetic capabilities promising broad industrial applications.
Children who have persistent fluid in the middle ear, a condition called otitis media with effusion, are more likely to be harmed than helped by antihistamines and decongestants, a new review of studies has found.
Federal scientists have developed a vaccine that protects mice against the killer 1918 influenza virus. They also have created a technique for identifying antibodies that neutralize this virus, a tool that could help contain future pandemic flu strains. These findings are important, the researchers say, to understanding and preventing the recurrence of the H1N1 influenza virus that caused the 1918 pandemic and to protecting against virulent flu strains in the future, including the H5N1 avian flu virus. Details of the research are available online this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
A new systematic review calls into the question the health benefits versus risks of an oral medicine widely prescribed for diabetes throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia.
Like some drug deja vu, cocaine use is once again on the rise among students and the rich and famous, a trend University of Florida researchers say likely signals a recurring epidemic of abuse.
Despite the deteriorating security situation in Darfur, a new United Nations assessment has found that overall malnutrition levels have mostly stabilized in 2006 and food insecurity has improved slightly thanks to a stronger international response to the suffering in Sudan's war-torn west. Crude mortality dropped for the third year running, but insecurity and lack of access to many Darfurians continued to cloud the aid picture.
The bacteria Helicobacter pylori substantially increase the risk of cancer in the lower stomach, but it may decrease the risk of cancer near the junction between the esophagus and the stomach, according to a study in the October 19 Journal of the National Cancer Institute. This finding may help explain the changing rates and distributions of these cancers in Western countries over the past century.
The results of a clinical study performed by specialised physicians from the Institut Clinic of Haematology and Oncology of Hospital Clinic, directed by Dr. Emili Montserrat, show that patients in need of autologous bone marrow transplant, can undergo this treatment from their own homes for most of the time. This innovative service improves the quality of life of patients thanks to their closeness to relatives, what has a positive impact in the patient's recovery. With this system, hospitalisation expenses are reduced to a half, since the hospitalisation of 3-4 weeks of the patients is avoided.
Female childhood cancer survivors may face pregnancy problems, including early deliveries and low birth weight children, according to a study in the October 19 Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Discovery's Edge, Mayo Clinic's online research magazine, highlights stories of leading medical investigators. Many features cover ongoing projects long before they reach the journals.
A new study by Chifumi Kitanaka, M.D., Ph.D., of the Yamaguta University School of Medicine in Japan, and colleagues shows that two molecules called Bax and Bak, which are integral to a type of cell death, depend on oxidative phosphorylation, for their activity. Oxidative phosphorylation is the process by which mitochondria in the cell create useable energy. Tumor cells often produce energy through glycolysis, a type of glucose breakdown, rather than oxidative phosphorylation. Therefore, they can be resistant to programmed cell death under stressful conditions. The authors' findings could have therapeutic implications in that tumor cells might be treated to make them more susceptible to programmed cell death.
Three-dimensional computed tomography (CT) colonography, also known as virtual colonoscopy, is an accurate screening method for colorectal cancer, according to a study published in the November issue of the journal Radiology. In addition, when covered by third-party payers, virtual colonoscopy may entice more people to be screened.
Adenoviruses genetically modified to express a protein called relaxin may inhibit the growth and metastasis of several cancer types in mice.
It is so small, you can barely see it, but a microsensor created by University of Alberta engineers may soon make a huge difference in the lives of people recovering from hip replacement surgery. The U of A research team has invented a self-powered wireless microsensor for monitoring the bone healing process after surgery--it is so tiny it can fit onto the tip of a pen.
The majority of patients with locally advanced colorectal cancer do not receive the extensive surgery to remove the cancer and adjacent tissues, a new study reports. This extensive surgery, called a multivisceral resection, is recommended by the National Cancer Institute and American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons because it reduces local recurrence and improves survival.
Medivation, Inc. (Amex: MDV) today announced that patient dosing has begun for its Phase 1-2a clinical trial of Dimebon(TM) to treat Huntington's disease.
Clinical and regulatory changes must be made to asthma management to ensure it reflects current scientific understanding of the disease, and the needs of patients, say asthma experts. These conclusions form part of the 'Brussels Declaration', defining changes that need to be made in order to improve outcomes for asthma patients, developed by leading asthma experts, together with EU policymakers, regulators and patient groups attending the 'Summit for Change in Asthma Management', which took place at the EU Parliament on 18th and 19th October 200
Scientists at the University of Sunderland have joined forces with a US university in a new project that aims to make a miracle cancer drug affordable.
Scientists from the GSF - National Research Center for Environment and Health have identified mutations causing a specific form of hereditary rickets due to phosphate deficiency.
There are many causes of infertility. The fact that nerve cells can also play a role is little known. The hormone estrogen regulates the activity of neurons that give the starting signal for ovulation. Collaborating with international research groups, scientists at the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) have studied this signaling pathway in detail and have discovered new causes of infertility.
Tamiflu, an antiviral flu drug, is recommended worldwide for the prevention and treatment of pandemic influenza infection, but extensive use by the human population could cause a serious environmental challenge as well as encouraging a new strain of avian flu to develop.
In his dissertation work, Per-Henrik Edqvist at Uppsala University in Sweden has characterized the molecular development of the retina in the eye with the aim of understanding how the nervous system develops. He has attained several unexpected results that may be of importance to the future treatment of damage to the nervous system.
VIVUS, Inc. (Nasdaq: VVUS), a pharmaceutical company dedicated to the development and commercialization of novel therapeutic products addressing obesity and sexual health, today announced that Dr. Kishore Gadde will give an oral presentation on positive results from a Phase 2 clinical trial of Qnexa(TM)(previously known as VI-0521), an investigational oral treatment for obesity, at the North American Association for the Study of Obesity (NAASO) 2006 Annual Scientific Meeting. The NAASO Meeting will be held in Boston at the Hynes Convention Center from Friday, October 20th through Tuesday, October 24th.
Dendreon Corporation (Nasdaq: DNDN) today announced that Eric J. Small, M.D., professor of medicine and urology at the University of California, San Francisco presented new exploratory analyses of the Phase 3 Study (D9901) that further support the results observed with the Company's investigational active cellular immunotherapy PROVENGE(R) (sipuleucel-T) in men with advanced androgen- independent (hormone refractory) prostate cancer.
Eli Lilly and Company has launched a major clinical trial evaluating ALIMTA (pemetrexed for injection) in extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC), a devastating and rapidly spreading form of lung cancer. This international trial, expected to be the largest ever to be conducted in SCLC(1), will assess the potential clinical benefit of pemetrexed in combination with carboplatin, a commonly-used chemotherapeutic agent, in direct comparison to the current leading treatment option of etoposide in combination with carboplatin.
Vical Incorporated (Nasdaq: VICL) today announced that a single injection of the company's lead avian influenza (flu) DNA vaccine candidate provided 100% protection in ferrets against lethal challenge with a highly virulent H5N1 virus (Vietnam/1203/2004). Conventional vaccines under development for avian flu typically have required two or more doses in humans, even with novel adjuvants, to produce the immunogenicity levels expected to provide protection.
New research helps explain how soy may contribute to heart health, through a process scientists refer to as "decreased platelet aggregation." By reducing the density of platelet receptors, a natural component in soy called isoflavones may contribute to a reduced risk of blood clotting, which in turn decreases the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Dartmouth researchers have found areas in the brain that indicate bilingualism. The finding sheds new light on decades of debate about how the human brain's language centers may actually be enhanced when faced with two or more languages as opposed to only one. The study was presented at the Society for Neuroscience's annual meeting on October 14-18 in Atlanta, Ga.
A genetic variation (G315A) in the ODC gene may change a person's response to aspirin given for colorectal cancer prevention.
New research from the University of Cincinnati (UC) suggests that the widely abused club drug "ecstasy," or MDMA, can increase the survival of dopamine cells in the brain during fetal development.
New research shows how simply varying the length of daylight to which mice are exposed to can change how aggressively they react to other mice.
A widely used antiaging supplement has no effect on aging markers such as muscle strength, peak endurance, muscle mass, fat mass and glucose tolerance in elderly men and women, according to Mayo Clinic researchers. The findings from their two-year study appear in the Oct. 19 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Dr. Jayakrishna Ambati, of the University of Kentucky, and Dr. Balamurali Ambati, of the Medical College of Georgia, have jointly published a paper in the journal Nature detailing major research discoveries in corneal avascularity and angiogenesis.
In a finding that may provide a scientific basis for eventual treatment, neurology researchers have shown that traumatic brain injury reduces the level of a protein that helps keep brain activity in balance. The resulting abnormal activity, in turn, is thought to be an underlying reason for seizures and memory defects experienced by people who have suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Researchers have pinpointed why mutations that cause Rett Syndrome (RTT)—among the leading causes of mental retardation in females—specifically target the brain rather than other body tissues. They said their findings yield important insight into the origin and course of the disease.
New evidence in rats suggests that marijuana may contain compounds that slow the memory loss associated with Alzheimer's disease.
Levels of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), an antioxidant that protects against reactive oxygen species (damaging oxygen molecules that cause direct tissue injury), become elevated in the lungs of chronic silicosis patients and could represent a new treatment approach for the disease.
Angioplasty.Org, an authoritative website for heart patients and physicians, has seen a surge in readership following news reports of possible blood clot risk with drug-eluting stents. The site, which receives 70,000 monthly visits, is advising patients with stents to talk to their cardiologist about anti-clotting medications.
Good nutrition is essential to building and maintaining strong bones, according to a new report issued today by International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) on the occasion of World Osteoporosis Day (WOD), October 20
For patients with acute respiratory failure, a computer-driven system can significantly reduce the duration of mechanical ventilation and length of stay in the intensive care unit (ICU), as compared with the traditional physician-controlled weaning process
Major features include enhanced interactivity; new database-driven architecture; expanded, latest information for patients, the public, health care professionals and the media; new section on nutrition and bone health.
The European Medicines Agency (EMEA) has announced a licence variation for REPLAGAL (agalsidase alfa) to include children with Fabry disease from seven years of age. This makes agalsidase alfa the first and only enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) approved for use in this age group, bringing new hope to these children and their families.
Gene therapy for erectile dysfunction, the gene transfer of relevant molecules involved in the regulation of penile erection, has emerged from just an imaginable possibility to an exciting reality.
The consumption of fatty fish such as salmon, herring, and mackerel has been associated with a reduction in the incidence of prostate cancer. This has not been previously studied in other urological malignancies.
The authors of this study point out that erectile dysfunction (ED) and coronary artery disease (CAD) frequently coexist. In this study, they investigated whether the prevalence of ED is related to the extent of CAD in 182 men undergoing coronary angiography for a first acute coronary syndrome (ACS.) Significant coronary stenosis was considered as >50% reduction in the diameter of any coronary artery and ED was considered to be present if the total score of the 5 item version of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) was less than 22.
A study of 2,419 people treated for chlamydia, gonorrhea, or vaginosis (women only) at three urban STD clinics found that 25.8 percent of women and 14.7 percent of men became reinfected with one or more of the sexually transmitted infections within a year (Article, p. 564).
Given Imaging Ltd. (NASDAQ: GIVN) today announced that the results of the first PillCam™ COLON clinical studies were published in the October Issue of Endoscopy, the official journal of The European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Conducted independently by the Rambam Medical Center, Hillel-Yaffe Medical Center and Bikur Holim Hospital in Israel and Erasme University Hospital in Belgium, both studies determined PillCam COLON to be a promising new modality for colonic evaluation. Jacques Devière M.D., investigator on the COLON pilot study, professor of medicine at Brussels Erasme University Hospital and president elect of the European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, said, "While still early, these data provide compelling evidence that PillCam COLON could be used as one of the diagnostic tests used by doctors to visualize abnormalities of the colon."
High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is a novel treatment for localized prostate cancer. Dr. Poissonnier and associates from Lyon, France report their outcomes in 227 patients treated with HIFU in the epub version of European Urology.
In most languages, sentences only make sense if the words are placed in the right order. Now, MIT researchers and an IBM colleague have used grammatical principles to help their search for new antimicrobial medicines.
Today, over 60 million people of all ages across the USA are suffering from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), the most common chronic medical condition, which is characterized by abdominal pain, bloating, and altered bowel habits. But because patients may find it difficult to discuss their bowel problems with their physicians, they often suffer in silence or even worse, "learn to live with it."
NEGY™ (ezetimibe/simvastatin) provides significantly greater LDL ("bad") cholesterol (LDL-C) reduction compared with rosuvastatin (Crestor™) in patients with primary hypercholesterolemia, according to data published this week in the international journal Current Medical Research and Opinion (CMRO).
Researchers at UQ's AIBN are developing an artificial meniscus to replace damaged knee cartilage. The meniscus is the knee's shock absorber. It is a cartilage spacer found between the thigh and shin bones, preventing friction and absorbing approximately one third of the impact load that the joint cartilage surface experiences.
Scientists investigating an important DNA-repair enzyme now have a better picture of the final steps of a process that glues together, or ligates, the ends of DNA strands to restore the double helix.
Patients undergoing surgery to correct sleep apnea are more likely to have complications if their condition is severe, they have a high body mass index, they have other medical problems or they are undergoing certain other surgical procedures at the same time, according to a report in the October issue of Archives of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
French policies subsidizing generous maternity leave for women, tax credits for large families and other benefits are fueling one of the highest birth rates in Europe, the Washington Post reports (Moore, Washington Post, 10/18).
Ghrelin, a hormone produced in the stomach, induces food intake and operates through a brain region that controls cravings for food and other energy sources, researchers at Yale School of Medicine report in the October 19 online issue of The Journal of Clinical Investigation.
Amniotic-fluid embolism (AFE) is a rare, but potentially fatal syndrome during childbirth. According to a study published in The Lancet, women whose labors are drug-induced are twice as likely to experience this complication.
Adult beachgoers participating in a research study accurately report their sun habits, including sunscreen use and clothing worn on the beach, according to a report in the October issue of Archives of Dermatology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Pricing antiretroviral drugs and other "lifesaving" medications based on a country's gross national income per capita "seems particularly arbitrary -- and even cruel" -- given that HIV-positive people often have incomes "well below what might be considered a country's 'average' income," Jorge Saavedra Lopez, general director of Mexico's National Center for the Prevention and Control of HIV/AIDS, and AIDS Healthcare Foundation President Michael Weinstein write in a San Jose Mercury News opinion piece.
For those who think that picking and eating apples this time of year is just for fun and for the great taste of America's favorite fruit, you may want to think again. Apples and apple juice may be among the best foods that anyone could add to their diet, finds a collection of recent research studies, the latest of which was presented yesterday at the Society of Neuroscience annual conference in Atlanta. Researchers G. Bureau and M. Martinoli from the University of Quebec a Trois-Rivieres, found that quercetin (one of the antioxidants found abundantly in apples) was one of two compounds that helped to reduce cellular death that is caused by oxidation and inflammation of neurons. An abstract of their presentation can be found at http://tinyurl.com/wdu4h.
Sepsis is a life-threatening disease that can occur during bacterial or viral infection of the blood. It can cause the barrier between the blood and the surrounding tissues, which is formed by cells known as endothelial cells, to become severely damaged, allowing the blood to seep out into the tissues and the blood pressure to drop dramatically. Conversely, tumors promote the proliferation and growth of endothelial cells so that the tumor has its own blood supply that supplies it with nutrients for growth. Therefore, understanding how endothelial cell function is regulated is an area of intensive investigation.
Elderly patients with breast cancer who received care in a community hospital setting may have been under-diagnosed, under-staged and under-treated, according to a report in the October issue of Archives of Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Losing a significant other often is the most stressful, and sometimes most traumatic event in one's life. While most people experience bereavement after a loss, many people are overcome by it.
Body parts have been taken from corpses by at least seven New York funeral directors who admitted to removing them, without permission from relatives, for transplants. The parts were sold to biomedical companies. Permission is needed for body parts to be taken from a deceased person.
After five years of reviewing the latest research findings, a panel of experts led by a Duke University Medical Center anesthesiologist has developed new guidelines to help physicians reduce the occurrence of nausea and vomiting in patients after surgery.
Researchers from Harvard Medical School have found increased thickness of two areas of the brain cortex in people with migraine when compared to healthy controls. Both areas of the brain are known to be involved in how the brain processes signals to do with movement.
A new test that looks at genetic material from a patient's tumor is 80 percent accurate in predicting which drugs would be most effective against that particular cancer, U.S. researchers reported on Sunday.
Students heading for college have more than classes and term papers to look forward to: many can expect to pile on the pounds.
Injecting human embryonic stem cells into the brains of Parkinson's disease patients may cause tumors to form, U.S. researchers reported on Sunday.
Decaf coffee is often not totally caffeine-free, a new study shows. In fact, while these beverages have far less caffeine than a cup of regular coffee, they still may have enough of the stimulant to cause physical dependence on them.
Some doctors might improve their bedside manner by honing their creative writing skills, a small study suggests.
GlaxoSmithKline Plc said on Friday it won U.S. approval to sell a new once- a-day formulation of its Coreg hypertension drug.
An immune stimulating agent, inosiplex, seems to be an effective treatment for genital warts of the cervix that don't get better with conventional therapies, a small study suggests.
Depressive symptoms are common among inner-city adults hospitalized for asthma flare-ups, according to a new study in the medical journal Chest.
An undergraduate program at Canada's august University of Toronto offers discussions on flogging, restraint, and role-play, as well as an arts course called "Queerly Canadian." But teachers and students insist it's a serious academic program that isn't simply about sex.
The Canadian government licensed the sale of silicone gel breast implants on Friday, reversing a partial ban that was in place for more than 13 years over health concerns.
Blocking the enzyme aldose reductase prevents proliferation of human colon cancer cells and arrests tumor progression in mice, researchers report in the journal Cancer Research.
Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. said on Friday that U.S. regulators approved a single-capsule form of its Reyataz HIV drug to be taken as part of combination drug therapy.
A diet high in refined cereals, and bread in particular, is associated with an elevated risk of renal cell carcinoma (RCC), the main type of kidney cancer, according to a study in Italy.
Cheshire and Merseyside News
CHILDREN'S health experts are going back to the drawing board after an outcry from parents about the content of a fitness course.
A LIVERPOOL ward for patients with heart problems closes today.
Cumbria and Lancashire News
A NURSE who stole more than £500 from a 89-year-old mentally ill woman has been jailed for four months.
TWO breast cancer survivors have revealed how they beat the disease and how they were inspired to live life to the full.
Greater Manchester News
EXERCISE rather than rest, is the best cure for back pain, according to a senior expert in Bolton.
MASS vaccination against TB has been scrapped in Bolton.
THE boss of the Royal Bolton Hospital says it will be among the "best in the NHS" in just a few years - despite being given one of the worst ratings in Greater Manchester.
HEALTH chiefs are holding two public events about inpatients beds at Altrincham General Hospital
