Health News

Link Suggested Between Tumor Suppressors And Starvation Survival

Date: May-14-2013
A particular tumor suppressor gene* that fights cancer cells does more than clamp down on unabated cell division -- the hallmark of the disease -- it also can help make cells more fit by allowing them to fend off stress, says a University of Colorado Boulder study. CU-Boulder Professor Min Han said the research team was interested in how a common tumor suppressor gene known as Retinoblastoma 1, or Rb, behaved under conditions of starvation...

Human Testing Of Anti-Cocaine Vaccine Likely Within A Year

Date: May-14-2013
Researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College have successfully tested their novel anti-cocaine vaccine in primates, bringing them closer to launching human clinical trials. Their study, published online by the journal Neuropsychopharmacology, used a radiological technique to demonstrate that the anti-cocaine vaccine prevented the drug from reaching the brain and producing a dopamine-induced high. "The vaccine eats up the cocaine in the blood like a little Pac-man before it can reach the brain," says the study's lead investigator, Dr. Ronald G...

Thumbs-Up For Dual-Chamber ICDs Which Preserve The Natural Cardiac Conduction

Date: May-14-2013
Sorin Group, (Reuters Code: SORN.MI), a global medical company and a leader in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, announced findings from the landmark OPTION study1 demonstrating that patients with Sorin dual-chamber implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) experienced a significantly lower incidence of inappropriate shocks compared with patients with standard single-chamber devices (4.3% vs.10.3%, p=0.015).The study also found that there was no difference in all-cause mortality between the two groups...

New Technology Maps The Electronic Signals Of The Heart 3 Dimensionally

Date: May-14-2013
Researchers at the Intermountain Heart Institute at Intermountain Medical Center have developed a new 3-D technology that for the first time allows cardiologists the ability to see the precise source of atrial fibrillation in the heart - a breakthrough for a condition that affects nearly three million Americans...

Survey Finds Patient Satisfaction Improved By Pharmacist-Directed Anticoagulation Service

Date: May-14-2013
As hospitals look for ways to improve patient satisfaction and boost their Medicare reimbursement, a Henry Ford Hospital study found that an inpatient pharmacist-directed anticoagulation service (PDAS) might be an unexpected opportunity. In a survey of 689 patients who received inpatient anticoagulant therapy, patient satisfaction increased significantly using the PDAS compared to patients' reviews of their care in a previous pharmacy model. Key findings:   Overall satisfaction with their medical care rose 10.6 percent...

Study Identifies Influenza Viruses Circulating In Pigs And Birds That Could Pose A Risk To Humans

Date: May-14-2013
In the summer of 1968, a new strain of influenza appeared in Hong Kong. This strain, known as H3N2, spread around the globe and eventually killed an estimated 1 million people. A new study from MIT reveals that there are many strains of H3N2 circulating in birds and pigs that are genetically similar to the 1968 strain and have the potential to generate a pandemic if they leap to humans. The researchers, led by Ram Sasisekharan, the Alfred H. Caspary Professor of Biological Engineering at MIT, also found that current flu vaccines might not offer protection against these strains...

Clue To Explain The Reversible Memory Loss Sometimes Caused By The Use Of Statins

Date: May-14-2013
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and physicians continue to document that some patients experience fuzzy thinking and memory loss while taking statins, a class of global top-selling cholesterol-lowering drugs. A University of Arizona research team has made a novel discovery in brain cells being treated with statin drugs: unusual swellings within neurons, which the team has termed the "beads-on-a-string" effect. The team is not entirely sure why the beads form, said UA neuroscientist Linda L. Restifo, who leads the investigation...

Looks More Important Than Health For Young Women Seeking A Tan

Date: May-14-2013
Sunless tanning - whether with lotions, bronzers or tanning pills - has been promoted as an effective substitute to dodge the health risks of ultraviolet rays, but if the products don't provide the perfect tan, young women likely will not use them, according to a Baylor University researcher. "The feeling is 'I tan, I feel good, I'll look good tomorrow . . . What's health?'" said Jay Yoo, Ph.D., an assistant professor of family and consumer sciences in Baylor's College of Arts & Sciences. He conducted a study of 182 Caucasian female college students, with an average age of 19.7 years...

Study Finds Inconsistent And Slow Reduction In Sodium Levels In Processed And Restaurant's Food

Date: May-13-2013
JAMA Internal Medicine Study Highlights A study by Michael F. Jacobson, Ph.D., of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Washington, D.C., and colleagues suggest voluntary reductions in sodium levels in processed and restaurant foods is inconsistent and slow. (Online First) The study measured the sodium content in selected processed foods and fast-food restaurant foods in 2005, 2008, and 2011. Between 2005 and 2011, the sodium content in 402 processed foods declined by approximately 3.5 percent, while the sodium content in 78 fast-food restaurant products increased by 2...

Study Updates Estimates, Trends For Childhood Exposure To Violence, Crime, Abuse

Date: May-13-2013
JAMA Pediatrics Medicine Study Highlights A study by David Finkelhor, Ph.D., of the University of New Hampshire, and colleagues updates estimates and trends for childhood exposure to a range of violence, crime and abuse victimizations. (Online First) The study used the National Survey of Children's Exposure to Violence, which was based on a national telephone survey conducted in 2011. The participants included 4,503 children and teenagers between the ages of one month to 17 years. According to the results, 41...