Health News

Internal Microscopic Diagnostic Devices - Clinicians Need More Training

Date: Aug-15-2012
To diagnose illness in areas of the body that are hard-to-reach, clinicians increasingly use tiny space age probes, which can see inside single living cells. A new study published in the journal Digestive Diseases and Sciences reveals that specialists who are beginning to use these devices may be interpreting what they see in different ways. Dr...

Skin Cancer Patients Should Be Screened Before Receiving Vemurafenib

Date: Aug-15-2012
According to a study conducted by Cancer Research UK, different genetic mutations powering skin cancer may have an impact on how patients respond to the drug vemurafenib, meaning that individuals suffering from melanoma skin cancer should be screened prior to treatment. The team found that certain rare gene mutations in the tumors of patients receiving the drug may also explain why some patients go on to develop secondary non-melanoma skin cancers. The study is published in the journal Genes and Development. The drug targets a common defect in the gene BRAF, called V600E...

6th Annual World Drug Safety Congress Europe, 11-13 September 2012, London, UK

Date: Aug-15-2012
What will big changes in Europe's pharmacovigilance legislation landscape mean for the way pharma operates now and in the future? This question is one that seems to be constantly queried within the pharma industry recently, as professionals debate what significant challenges their organisations will face and how these can be overcome...

Regular Dietary Cocoa Flavanol Intake May Slow Memory Decline In Seniors

Date: Aug-15-2012
According to a new study published online in the journal Hypertension, researchers from the University of L'Aquila, Italy, have found convincing new evidence that cognitive function in elderly people with early memory decline can be improved by regular consumption of dietary cocoa flavanols. The study shines new light on the benefits of flavanols, particularly with regard to regular cocoa flavanol consumption on cognitive function in people with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI)...

A Heart Disease Vaccine Becomes More Likely

Date: Aug-15-2012
It is no secret that heart disease is still the USA's No. 1 killer, but not many are aware that cholesterol is greatly assisted by the immune system's inflammatory cells in causing dangerous arterial plaque buildup that can trigger a heart attack. Various studies have provided evidence that inflammation plays a role in promoting the buildup of plaque (atherosclerosis), which is responsible for the majority of heart attacks and strokes. However, until now, researchers only had limited knowledge of which immune cells play a major role in this process...

CBI's Forum On Sponsor / CRO System And Business Process Integration, 15-16 November 2012, New Jersey

Date: Aug-15-2012
CBI, a subsidiary of Advanstar Communications, is pleased to announce the agenda for CBI's Forum on Sponsor/CRO System and Business Process Integration taking place November 15-16, 2012 at the Hilton in East Brunswick, New Jersey. This meeting provides a platform to determine the industry solutions for improved global clinical data access...

Novel Strategies To Improve Success In Cancer Vaccine Clinical Trials, 19 - 20 September 2012, London, UK

Date: Aug-15-2012
There have so far only been three cancer vaccines approved by the FDA, and many others are now nearing the end of their clinical trials. Two of these were vaccines for HPV, which is responsible for 70% of cervical cancer. The most recent, and most exciting is the approval of Provenge last year, which is a vaccine for Prostate Cancer by Dendreon. With a successful pathway through the commercialization and regulatory process now mapped out, companies are really starting to increase their work in this field to ensure success in clinical trials...

Success Of Engineered Tissue Depends On Where It's Grown

Date: Aug-15-2012
Cells grown on different types of scaffolds vary in their ability to help repair damaged blood vesselsTissue implants made of cells grown on a sponge-like scaffold have been shown in clinical trials to help heal arteries scarred by atherosclerosis and other vascular diseases. However, it has been unclear why some implants work better than others. MIT researchers led by Elazer Edelman, the Thomas D. and Virginia W...

Physical And Psychological Well-Being Improved By Exercise During And After Cancer

Date: Aug-15-2012
Exercise may improve quality of life for people with cancer, according to Cochrane researchers. In two separate Cochrane systematic reviews, the authors gathered together evidence showing that activities such as walking and cycling can benefit those who are undergoing or have completed treatment for cancer. People with cancer suffer from many different physical, psychological and social effects related to cancer, as well as treatment-related symptoms. There has been much interest in the effects of exercise on physical and psychological well-being in people with cancer...

Hypertension May Be Improved By Cocoa Compounds

Date: Aug-15-2012
Compounds in cocoa may help to reduce blood pressure, according to a new systematic review in The Cochrane Library. The researchers reviewed evidence from short-term trials in which participants were given dark chocolate or cocoa powder daily and found that their blood pressure dropped slightly compared to a control group. Cocoa contains compounds called flavanols, thought to be responsible for the formation of nitric oxide in the body. Nitric oxide causes blood vessel walls to relax and open wider, thereby reducing blood pressure...