Health News

BMJ investigation reveals 'cosy relationship' between the alcohol industry and the British government

Date: Jan-08-2014
A BMJ investigation today reveals the "extraordinary level of access" granted by the government to the alcohol industry as it fought successfully last year to kill off a minimum unit pricing policy in England and Wales.It paints a vivid picture of a political class both dependent on and keen to fraternise with drinks companies - and suggests a fundamental reluctance by the government to hamper an industry that claims credit for millions of jobs and billions of pounds of income for the Treasury.

Teenage fitness linked to later-life heart attack risk

Date: Jan-08-2014
If teenage boys were asked to choose between exercising and playing computer games, the majority would choose computer games. But new research suggests adolescent boys should be more physically active, as low fitness levels may increase their risk of having a heart attack later in life.This is according to a study published in the European Heart Journal.A research team from Sweden, led by Prof. Peter Nordström, of Umeå University, analyzed data of 743,498 men.

Ear tubes vs. watchful waiting: Tubes do not improve long-term development

Date: Jan-08-2014
Watchful waiting or ear tube surgery? It is a decision faced by millions of families of children with recurrent or chronic otitis media with effusion (non-infected fluid in the middle ear) each year. Out of concern regarding long-term effects like hearing loss and potential developmental delays, about a million such families choose ear tubes annually, opting for surgery that carries risks of its own.New research by the RTI-University of North Carolina Evidence-based Practice Center, though, may have practitioners reconsidering their clinical recommendations to families.

Out-of-pocket costs play major role in treatment adherence for cancer patients

Date: Jan-08-2014
The cost of insurance co-payments for cutting-edge pharmaceuticals can vary widely from patient to patient. When the patient's share of prescription costs becomes too high, many patients skip doses or stop taking medication entirely, according to research conducted at the University of North Carolina.Using data from health plan claims for the anti-cancer drug imatinib filed between 2002 to 2011, Stacie B.

Development of a novel dual JAK/Src kinase inhibitor

Date: Jan-08-2014
Inhibitors of both JAK and Src kinases represent promising targets for cancer therapeutics because of the central importance of these kinases in tumor cell proliferation and survival. Furthermore, in cancer cells activation of JAK has been reported as a compensatory effect in response to Src inhibitor exposure. This implies simultaneous inhibition of both kinases could have a synergy of anti-cancer effects compared to an agent that inhibits one or the other kinases.

Erythropoietin and the regulation of cancer stem cell growth and survival

Date: Jan-08-2014
In recent years, non-hematopoietic effects of erythropoietin (EPO), via its binding to the EPO receptor in non-hematopoietic tissues, including cancerous tissues, has been reported by many different laboratories worldwide. However, it remains controversial concerning whether EPO, particularly recombinant EPO that is used to treat anemia in patients, may promote cancer cell proliferation and survival.

Babbling babies - responding to one-on-one 'baby talk' - master more words

Date: Jan-08-2014
Common advice to new parents is that the more words babies hear the faster their vocabulary grows. Now new findings show that what spurs early language development isn't so much the quantity of words as the style of speech and social context in which speech occurs.Researchers at the University of Washington and University of Connecticut examined thousands of 30-second snippets of verbal exchanges between parents and babies.

Personal health record associated with improved medication adherence

Date: Jan-08-2014
Patients with diabetes who used an online patient portal to refill medications increased their medication adherence and improved their cholesterol levels, according to a new study in the journal Medical Care.Online patient portals allow users to perform tasks such as scheduling appointments, accessing their health records, viewing their lab test results and emailing their care providers in addition to ordering prescription refills.The study followed 17,760 patients with diabetes who received care from Kaiser Permanente in Northern California between January 2006 and December 2010.

Discovery spotlights key role of mystery RNA modification in cells

Date: Jan-08-2014
Researchers had known for several decades that a certain chemical modification exists on messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA), which is essential to the flow of genetic information. But only recently did experiments at the University of Chicago show that one major function of this modification governs the longevity and decay of RNA, a process critical to the development of healthy cells.The chemical modification on mRNA in question is called N6-methyladenosine (m6A).

To curb China's haze and air pollution, use water

Date: Jan-08-2014
A new idea to cut back on air pollution: spray water into the atmosphere from sprinklers atop tall buildings and towers, similar to watering a garden. This suggestion comes from Shaocai Yu of Zhejiang University in China, and North Carolina State University in the US. In an article published in Springer's journal Environmental Chemistry Letters, Yu suggests this course of action as a novel approach to help curb the severe air pollution and heavy haze that is experienced in many Chinese cities, as well as others around the world.