Health News

Cervical Cancer: DNA-Based Test More Accurate Than Repeat Smear ("Pap")

Date: Mar-28-2013
In women who have a potentially or mildly abnormal cervical smear, using a DNA-based test can identify those at higher risk of having precursors of cervical cancer, according to a new Cochrane systematic review. The authors found that the DNA-based test identified patients in possible need of treatment more accurately than a repeat smear test. Cervical smear ("Pap") tests are carried out to identify women who might be at high risk of developing cervical cancer. Cells collected in the smear test are examined under the microscope...

Prebiotics: Do Supplements In Baby Formula Help Prevent Allergies?

Date: Mar-28-2013
Prebiotic supplements in infant formula may help to prevent eczema, according to a systematic review published in The Cochrane Library. However, the review highlights a lack of high quality evidence for the effects of prebiotics in preventing allergies. It is thought that bacteria lining the gut may play an important role in a child developing sensitivities to certain foods and allergens, regulating immune responses and determining how they will react to the same substances in later life...

Diabetes: Computer Based Interventions Provide Limited Support

Date: Mar-28-2013
Self-management interventions delivered by computer and mobile phone currently provide limited benefits for people with diabetes, according to a systematic review published in The Cochrane Library. Although computer and mobile phone-based self-management programmes had small positive effects on blood sugar levels, these effects seemed to be short-lived. 347 million adults worldwide live with diabetes and are at higher risk of heart disease and serious complications such as heart attacks and stroke because of their condition...

Breath Test Reveals Gut Bacteria Linked To Obesity

Date: Mar-27-2013
A growing body of evidence is increasingly showing us that the microbes in our gut influence our metabolism in surprising ways. Now a new study from the US suggests that a breath test of the gases they give out may indicate how susceptible a person is to developing obesity...

Baldness Linked To Higher Risk Of Prostate Cancer

Date: Mar-27-2013
Early baldness is significantly linked to an increased risk of prostate cancer in African-American men. This includes diagnosis of more advanced and aggressive disease and diagnosis at an earlier age, according to new research published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. The study found that African-American males who experienced baldness were 69% more likely to develop prostate cancer than those who were not balding...

Fast Biological Aging Linked To Risk Of Heart Disease And Cancer

Date: Mar-27-2013
A link has been discovered between biological aging and the risk of developing many age-related diseases - including multiple sclerosis, heart disease, and various cancers, according to a new study by a team of scientists at the University of Leicester. The study involved 14 centers spanning 8 nations collaborating as part of the ENGAGE Consortium. The findings were published in the journal Nature Genetics. The scientists examined a feature of chromosomes called telomeres. Telomeres are found at the end of chromosomes - the strands of DNA inside the nucleus of cells...

Specialized Search Engine For Rare Diseases

Date: Mar-27-2013
A team in Denmark has developed a powerful new search engine dedicated to finding well-sourced online information about rare diseases. In an evaluation study FindZebra outperformed Google, making the case for specialized search engines for specialized tasks. Radu Dragusin, of the Technical University of Denmark, and colleagues, report the findings of their evaluation study in a February online issue of the International Journal of Medical Informatics. Medical professionals are increasingly turning to the internet to help with diagnosis...

Down Syndrome Trial May Hold Key To Learning

Date: Mar-27-2013
An ingredient used for decades in cough syrup, and to treat a variety of conditions, could hold the key to improving memory, language, and learning in people with Down syndrome. In the first trial of its kind targeting cognitive impairment in people with Down syndrome, researchers at Monash University are currently investigating the effectiveness of the ingredient, known as BTD-001, and its potential to significantly improve the quality of life of people with Down syndrome - the most common genetic form of intellectual disability affecting 6 million people worldwide...

You Don't "Own" Your Own Genes

Date: Mar-27-2013
Researchers Raise Alarm about Loss of Individual "Genomic Liberty" Due to Gene Patents That May Impact the Era of Personalized Medicine Humans don't "own" their own genes, the cellular chemicals that define who they are and what diseases they might be at risk for. Through more than 40,000 patents on DNA molecules, companies have essentially claimed the entire human genome for profit, report two researchers who analyzed the patents on human DNA. Their study, published March 25 in the journal Genome Medicine, raises an alarm about the loss of individual "genomic liberty...

600th Heart Attack Patient Recruited Into Phase III CicloMulsion® CIRCUS Trial

Date: Mar-27-2013
NeuroVive, a leading mitochondrial medicine company, announces that the 600th patient has been recruited to a pivotal Phase III European, multi-center trial (CIRCUS trial) assessing CicloMulsion® (a special formulation of cyclosporine for acute cardiac injuries) for the treatment of heart reperfusion injury following stenting in patients with myocardial infarction...