Health News

Biomarkers May Predict Acute Kidney Injury In Critically Ill Patients

Date: Feb-08-2013
An international, multi-center study led by UPMC researchers found biomarkers that can tell a physician if a patient is at risk for acute kidney injury (AKI), a condition that often affects those in intensive care and can occur after serious infections, surgery, or taking certain medications. The results, now available online and published in the current edition of the journal Critical Care, provide insight into the potentially deadly condition that affects up to 7 percent of all hospitalized patients...

Breastfeeding Becoming More Common In The USA

Date: Feb-08-2013
More American mothers are currently starting off their newborns' nutrition with breast milk, and a record number are still breastfeeding at six months, according to a new report issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). From 2000 to 2008, the proportion of mothers who started off breastfeeding rose more than four percentage points. The increase in breastfeeding mothers has been observed across all groups, the authors wrote. They added that in 2000, thirty-five per cent of mothers were still breastfeeding at six months, compared to nearly 45% in 2008...

Home Nutrition Support Team Interventions Prevent Hospitalizations, Reduce Costs For Clinical Nutrition Patients

Date: Feb-08-2013
Walgreens Study Reinforces Importance of Proactive Clinical Nutrition Interventions Home nutrition support team interventions improved patient care and potentially prevented more than 429 hospital days over a three-month period, according to new data presented by Walgreens Infusion Services at the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (A.S.P.E.N.) Clinical Nutrition Week meeting this weekend in Phoenix. The cost savings of these interventions were estimated at more than $850,000...

ZALTRAP® (Aflibercept) Approved In The EU For Patients With Previously Treated Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

Date: Feb-08-2013
First and only agent to statistically significantly improve survival in combination with FOLFIRI chemotherapy after an oxaliplatin regimenSanofi (EURONEXT: SAN and NYSE: SNY) and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc...

Sunlight Reduces The Risk Of Esophageal Cancer

Date: Feb-08-2013
Exposure to sunlight and UV is generally considered to be a risk factor for most forms of cancer, especially skin cancer. However a new study by Australian scientists shows that this general assumption is in fact unfounded. The successful treatment and cure of esophageal cancer depends on several factors. These include the type of cancer, its stage of development and the age and general health of the patient. Esophageal cancer is often detected at a late stage of advancement, after it has already spread to the lymph nodes or attacked other organs...

Giving May Shield Us From Stress And Help Us Live Longer

Date: Feb-08-2013
Giving time to help others with shopping, child care, house work and other errands may be good for our health and help us live longer, according to a new US study that looked at how giving practical assistance to others affects the relationship between stress and risk of death. The study is the work of researchers from the University at Buffalo and Stony Brook University in New York, plus Grand Valley State University in Michigan. They write about their findings in the 17 January online before print issue of the American Journal of Public Health. Lead author Michael J...

Features Of Southeast European Human Ancestors Influenced By Lack Of Episodic Glaciations

Date: Feb-08-2013
Lack of geographical isolation may have led to unique physical features seen in southeastern European human ancestors, says study...

Despite Reported Dislike, Older Readers Put In Less Effort When Using e-Readers

Date: Feb-08-2013
Older adults put in less effort to read text on tablet computers, but effects not seen in younger adults Reading text on digital devices like tablet computers requires less effort from older adults than reading on paper, according to research published February 6 in the open access journal PLOS ONE by Matthias Schlesewsky and colleagues from Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Germany, in collaboration with colleagues from Georg August University Göttingen and the University of Marburg, Germany...

Reducing Spread Of Parasite Eggs Harmful To Humans Through Efficient Care Of Dogs

Date: Feb-08-2013
The UK dog population is estimated to be around ten million, with dogs producing approximately 1,000 tonnes of excrement each day. New research has shown that dogs act as a major source of the parasite egg, Toxocara, which can potentially contaminate the public environment and infect humans...

Research Aims To Predict How A Disease Will Spread In A Population

Date: Feb-08-2013
How, when and where a pathogen is transmitted between two individuals in a population is crucial in understanding and predicting how a disease will spread. New research has laid the foundation for a new generation of zoonotic disease spreading models, which could allow for more targeted prevention strategies. By using novel complexity science tools, the study, published in Physical Review Letters, outlines a predictive model of a spatial epidemic spread in a population of territorial animals...