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New model for embryonic limb development

A study led by a researcher at the University of Southern California has found a new model to explain how signals between cells in the embryo control limb development.

30 Apr 2008

Improving survival rates among users of left ventricular assist devices

Despite the general success of left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) used in critically ill heart failure patients, implantation of these devices often leads to increased bleeding and a need for high-volume blood transfusions during and immediately after surgery.

30 Apr 2008

Alzheimer's and diabetes link

Diabetic individuals have a significantly higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease but the molecular connection between the two remains unexplained. Now, researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies identified the probable molecular basis for the diabetes - Alzheimer's interaction.

30 Apr 2008

Progesterone could prevent brain damage after head injury

A common component of the contraceptive pill (progesterone) could improve the neurologic outcome for patients with severe head injuries, according to a study published in BioMed Central's open access journal Critical Care.

30 Apr 2008

Mould in the home

Surely your bathroom is fungus-free once you've wiped the mould off the tiles? Not according to a study by French scientists in the Royal Society of Chemistry's Journal of Environmental Monitoring. They report that almost one in five rooms studied with no visible mould was in fact "highly contaminated" by fungus which could aggravate conditions such as asthma.

30 Apr 2008

Obesity prevention program reduces onset of eating disorders by 61% and obesity by 55%

In their research on eating disorders, Oregon Research Institute (ORI) scientists help young women reduce the influence of the "thin ideal," which is described as associating success and happiness with being thin.

29 Apr 2008

Healthy habits provide cancer survivors a higher quality of life

A new study from the American Cancer Society finds cancer survivors who follow health behavior recommendations - avoiding tobacco, eating more fruits and vegetables, and getting adequate exercise-have higher health-related quality of life (HRQoL) scores than those who do not follow such recommendations.

29 Apr 2008

Ranibizumab therapy for diabetic eye disease shows promise

A JDRF collaboration between Johns Hopkins researchers and Genentech has shown that a drug for the treatment of diabetic eye disease has performed better in clinical trials than the current standard treatment using laser surgery.

29 Apr 2008

Medicare costs estimated at $21.1 billion for 5 years of care for elderly cancer patients

The cost of cancer care for elderly Medicare patients varies by tumor type, stage at diagnosis, phase of care, and survival, according to a new study published online April 29 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

29 Apr 2008

Study explains why steroid therapy for sinusitis and asthma loses its punch over time

Scientists at Johns Hopkins have outlined a new path for potential therapies to combat inflammation associated with sinusitis and asthma based on a new understanding of the body's earliest immune response in the nose and sinus cavities.

29 Apr 2008

Alcohol affects threat-detecting brain circuits

New brain imaging research published this week shows that, after consuming alcohol, social drinkers had decreased sensitivity in brain regions involved in detecting threats, and increased activity in brain regions involved in reward.

29 Apr 2008

Gastric bypass surgery and effect on lower back pain

The prevalence of both obesity and back pain in developing nations has reached alarming levels. According to recent statistics, more than one-third of U.S. adults - over 72 million people were obese in 2005-2006. Of these, 33.3 percent were men and 35.3 percent were women. Especially alarming is that obesity has not decreased among teenagers - the rates remain essentially unchanged in 2005-2006 from the 2003-2004 estimates, at 17 percent.

29 Apr 2008

Brain tumor surgery, depression and survival

Depression is one of the most common psychiatric disorders in the world today. It is estimated that in any given year, 5 to 9 percent of the US population is clinically depressed. Studies have shown that depression negatively affects the immunological system, alters the body's response to malignancy, and may influence behavioral factors that impact recovery from disease

29 Apr 2008

Popular blood pressure drugs could hold the key to weight loss

A study by Australian scientists has indicated that some of the most commonly used blood pressure medications could help people lose weight and body fat and reduce the likelihood of them developing diabetes.

29 Apr 2008

Most of us can lose weight initially, keeping it off is another matter!

The inability to manage weight gain and weight regain throughout life is helping to fuel the obesity epidemic in adults and children throughout Europe. However, the successful participation of more than 400 families in 8 countries in the largest European dietary intervention study, co-ordinated by the EC funded Diogenes project and headed by Professor Arne Astrup from the Faculty of Life Sciences at University of Copenhagen, is helping to address this vital issue.

28 Apr 2008

Aggregates of red and white blood cells may contribute to sickle cell disease

It's long been known that patients with sickle cell disease have malformed, "sickle-shaped" red blood cells - which are normally disc-shaped - that can cause sudden painful episodes when they block small blood vessels.

28 Apr 2008

Alendronate may be associated with irregular heartbeat

Alendronate, a medication used to prevent fractures in women with osteoporosis, may be associated with an increased risk of atrial fibrillation, a type of abnormal heart rhythm, according to a report in the April 28 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

28 Apr 2008

Cell-based therapy shows promise in patients with Parkinson's disease

Rush University Medical Center neurosurgeon Dr. Roy A. E. Bakay and colleagues from Emory University, Atlanta found the therapy Spheramine was well-tolerated and patients experienced improvement in Parkinsonian symptoms (tremor, rigidity, slowness of movements, and impaired balance and coordination.)

28 Apr 2008

UCLA study identifies factors leading to hospital admission for heart failure

Nearly two out of three patients have one or more precipitating factors that may contribute to hospital admissions nationwide for heart failure, according to a new UCLA study. Pneumonia, irregular heart beats, and obstructed blood flow to the heart are the most frequent factors.

28 Apr 2008

Thiazolidinediones may slow bone formation and speed bone loss

A widely used class of diabetes medications appears to be associated with an increased risk for fractures, according to a report in the April 28 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

28 Apr 2008