Health News

Evidence-Based Treatment Can Be Improved By Greater Representation Of Elderly Patients In Phase III Trials

Date: Feb-26-2013
The median age of patients diagnosed with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has steadily increased over the recent years and is presently 70 years. Despite this, the elderly are significantly underrepresented in clinical trials. A recent study published in the March 2013 issue of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer's (IASLC) Journal of Thoracic Oncology, investigated the degree to which exclusion or underrepresentation of elderly occurs in practice-changing clinical trials in advanced NSCLC...

Study Findings Reveal Factors Underlying Suicides In The Army National Guard

Date: Feb-26-2013
Studies report that since 2004, suicides rates in the U.S. Army have been on the rise. While researchers debate the cause, a new study finds that among suicide cases from 2007 - 2010, young white males were more at risk than any other demographic. This study is published in Armed Forces & Society, a SAGE journal published on behalf of the Inter-University Seminar on Armed Forces and Society...

Between A ROCK And A Hard Place: Fasudil May Treat Pulmonary Fibrosis

Date: Feb-26-2013
Pulmonary fibrosis is a scarring or thickening of the lungs that causes shortness of breath, a dry cough, fatigue, chest discomfort, weight loss, a decrease in the ability of the lungs to transmit oxygen to the blood stream, and, eventually, heart failure. Cells known as myofibroblasts normally secrete materials that are required for wound healing; once the wound has closed, the cells disappear. In pulmonary fibrosis, the myofibroblasts stick around, continuing to secrete wound healing factors that cause fibrosis in the lungs...

Advances In Parthenogenic Stem Cell Research May Lead To Cardiovascular Treatments

Date: Feb-26-2013
Parthenogenesis is a form of asexual reproduction during which unfertilized eggs begin to develop as if they had been fertilized. It occurs naturally in many plants and a few invertebrate (some bees, scorpions, parasitic wasps) and vertebrate animals (some fish, reptiles, and amphibians), but does not occur naturally in mammals. In 2007, researchers were able to chemically induce human egg cells to undergo parthenogenesis. The resulting parthenogenote has properties similar to an embryo, but cannot develop further...

New Drug Designed To Protect Against Epidemic And Pandemic Flu Strains

Date: Feb-26-2013
The days of using the flu as your favourite sickie excuse could be over. Our scientists have helped to design a new drug to protect against epidemic and pandemic flu strains. The new drug has stopped the spread of virus strains in their tracks in laboratory testing - even those resistant strains of the virus! The breakthrough is the result of a global collaboration between scientists from CSIRO, the University of British Columbia and the University of Bath. Nasty flu viruses bind onto sugars on the cell surface. To be able to spread they need to remove these sugars...

Unique Study Highlights Importance Of Universal Newborn Screening For Lethal Genetic Disorder

Date: Feb-25-2013
Contrary to current belief, routine newborn screening improves the detection of the lethal form of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) in girls as well as boys, saving lives in both sexes, according to a unique study of CAH during the last 100 years published Online First in The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology. Babies are routinely screened for CAH in most developed countries, but this is not yet the case in all countries, including the UK and Australia...

Record Numbers Of People With Dementia In Care Homes

Date: Feb-25-2013
Alzheimer's Society demands low expectations and quality of life must be tackled Eighty per cent of people living in care homes - more than ever thought before - have either dementia or severe memory problems according to a new Alzheimer's Society report published today (Tuesday 26 February 2013). However, while excellent care exists, less than half of these 322,000 people are enjoying a good quality of life. 'Low Expectations' finds evidence of a deep-seated pessimism about life in care homes...

Mediterranean Diet Reduces Heart Attack, Stroke In High Risk Groups

Date: Feb-25-2013
A landmark study from Spain reports that a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil or nuts reduced the incidence of major cardiovascular events (heart attack, stroke, cardiovascular death) among people with high cardiovascular risk. Researchers working on the PREDIMED (PREvención con DIeta MEDiterranea) trial write about their findings in the 25 February online issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. PREDIMED is a multicenter, randomized, primary prevention trial of cardiovascular disease funded by the Spanish Ministry of Health...

Study Identifies Types, Origins Of Diagnostic Errors In Primary Care Settings

Date: Feb-25-2013
JAMA Internal Medicine Study Highlights A medical records review by Hardeep Singh, M.D., M.P.H., of the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Houston, and colleagues, suggests that diagnostic errors in primary care settings identified in their study involved a large variety of common diseases and had significant potential for harm. Researchers reviewed medical records of diagnostic errors through electronic health record-based triggers at a large urban Veterans Affairs facility and a large integrated private health care system...

Clinical Trial Evaluates Intervention To Reduce Pregnancy Risk Among Adolescent Girls

Date: Feb-25-2013
More consistent use of condoms, oral contraception or both was reported by a group of teenage girls who took part in a youth development intervention aimed at reducing pregnancy risk in high-risk adolescents, according to a report of a randomized controlled trial published Online First by JAMA Pediatrics, a JAMA Network publication...