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Break-induced Replication more likely to cause genetic mutation than normal cell repair

Researchers from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis and Umea- University report in a study published in the February 15, 2011, issue of PLoS Biology that a method by which cells repair breaks in their DNA, known as Break-induced Replication, is up to 2,800 times more likely to cause genetic mutation than normal cell repair.

16 Feb 2011

Allergan receives FDA approval for expanded use of LAP-BAND System in obese adults

Allergan, today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the expanded use of the LAP-BAND System, Allergan's gastric band, for adults with obesity who have failed more conservative weight reduction alternatives, such as diet and exercise and pharmacotherapy, and have a Body Mass Index of 30-40 and at least one obesity related comorbid condition.

16 Feb 2011

Smoking during radiation treatments reduces chance of overall survival

Smokers who continue to smoke while undergoing radiation treatments for head and neck cancer fare significantly worse than those who quit smoking before therapy, according to a study in the February issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology·Biology·Physics, an official journal of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).

16 Feb 2011

American Academy of Dermatology releases final guidelines of care for psoriasis

Building on the evidence-based findings of five previously published guidelines of care that examine the use of a variety of medical therapies for the management and treatment of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, the American Academy of Dermatology has released its sixth and final guidelines of care for psoriasis.

16 Feb 2011

Research: Way heart responds to early beat is predictive of cardiac death

The way the heart responds to an early beat is predictive of cardiac death, especially for people with no conventional markers of cardiovascular disease, according to new research from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

16 Feb 2011

Study: Heart rate turbulence is linked with increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease

Abnormal heart rate turbulence is associated with an increased risk of heart disease death in otherwise low-risk older individuals, according to a study funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health.

15 Feb 2011

Doctors pleased with Ontario government's consideration to cover cost of smoking cessation drugs

Ontario's doctors were pleased to learn that the Ontario government is considering covering the cost of smoking cessation drugs. These medications are proven to at least double the success rates for people who want to quit when other approaches don't work.

15 Feb 2011

Healthcare practitioners can increase referrals to cardiac rehabilitation programs by 40%

Healthcare practitioners can increase the number of patients with heart disease referred to a cardiac rehabilitation program by 40 per cent, helping them to reduce their risk of dying and improve their quality of life, say researchers at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre.

15 Feb 2011

Tobacco free program leads to 500,000 fewer smokers in Florida

According to new data, Floridians are paying $1 billion less in smoking-caused health care costs and there are more than 500,000 fewer smokers in the state since the Florida Department of Health's Tobacco Free Florida (TFF) program was created by voters in 2006.

15 Feb 2011

State court jury rules in favor of Merck in FOSAMAX trial

Merck & Co., Inc. today said a state court jury in New Jersey found in its favor in the Rosenberg v. Merck case, rejecting the claims of a woman who blamed her dental and jaw related problems on her FOSAMAX use.

15 Feb 2011

Obesity associated with decreased risk of open-angle glaucoma in women, not men

Obesity may be associated with higher eye pressure and a decreased risk of open-angle glaucoma in women but not men, according to a report posted online today that will appear in the May issue of Archives of Ophthalmology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

14 Feb 2011

Fiber in diet protects from more than just heart disease and diabetes: Study

In one of the largest studies of its kind, researchers have identified a link between high-fiber diets and lower risks of death not only from heart disease, but from infectious and respiratory illnesses as well. This government commissioned study also ties fiber with a lower risk of cancer deaths in men, but not women, possibly because men are more likely to die from cancers related to diet, like cancers of the esophagus. And it finds the overall benefit to be strongest for diets high in fiber from grains.

14 Feb 2011

Story of the heart: Literally as well as metaphorically

Stephen Amidon, a novelist and co-author of The Sublime Engine: A Biography of the Human Heart, writes about the story of the human heart through the world of science, history, culture and our bodies with his brother Thomas who is a practicing cardiologist in Montana and a former medical director of The Hope Heart Institute. Thomas said, “Ironically, I did an angiogram on a patient last week who had very calcified and hardened arteries that were almost precisely in the shape of the Valentine heart… But I don't think the early depicters of that heart shape had access to the same view of the heart that I have.”

14 Feb 2011

Antimicrobial CPC non alcohol mouth-rinse decreases incidence of preterm birth

In a study to be presented today at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting -, in San Francisco, researchers will present findings that show that use of non alcohol antibacterial mouth-rinse containing cetylpyridinium chloride decreases the incidence of preterm birth.

14 Feb 2011

UCLA study finds stroke, cardiovascular disease have exacted enormous toll on Hollywood stars

A study by researchers at the UCLA Stroke Center found that stroke and cardiovascular disease have exacted an enormous toll on Hollywood stars.

14 Feb 2011

Electronic fetal heart rate monitor use lowers infant mortality by 53%: Study

In a study to be presented today at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's (SMFM) annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting -, in San Francisco, researchers will present findings that prove that the use of fetal heart rate monitors lowers the rate of infant mortality.

13 Feb 2011

Burden of stroke over next 40 years to skyrocket: Studies

Findings presented at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference in Los Angeles revealed that strokes are expected to rise by 350% over the next four decades.

13 Feb 2011

Daily diet soda raises stroke risk by 61%: Study

A new study suggests that regular intake of diet soda may be boosting the risk of stroke. Stroke is the third leading killer following heart disease and cancer, in the United States. More than 137,000 people a year die from stroke, according to the American Stroke Association.

13 Feb 2011

Unique skin test to measure unhealthy lifestyle

Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin has developed a unique measuring method which permits medical personnel, within minutes, to say whether the lifestyle of a person is healthy or unhealthy. This process is now being tested with the support of the Competence Networks for optical Technologies, in a pilot study with 50 students, supported by OpticNet Deutschland e.V. and funded by the Federal Ministry for Education and Research.

11 Feb 2011

Minnesota makes progress in reducing tobacco usage and exposure to secondhand smoke

Findings from the latest Minnesota Adult Tobacco Survey (MATS), published today in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, show that Minnesota is continuing to make progress in reducing tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke. The study is the most thorough and accurate source of information about tobacco use in Minnesota.

11 Feb 2011