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Mortality rates 71 percent lower at top-rated hospitals

Patients have on average a 71 percent lower chance of dying at the nation's top-rated hospitals compared with the lowest-rated hospitals across 18 procedures and conditions analyzed in the tenth annual HealthGrades Hospital Quality in America Study, issued today by HealthGrades, the healthcare ratings company.

16 Oct 2007

Continuous positive airway pressure improves symptoms of depression in obstructive sleep apnea patients

Patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) who also suffer from depression often find that continued use of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) relieves them of symptoms of depression, according to a study published in the October 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine (JCSM).

16 Oct 2007

Statins appear to preserve lung function

Statins are known to be good for lowering cholesterol and maybe even fighting dementia, and now they have another reported benefit: they appear to slow decline in lung function in the elderly - even in those who smoke.

15 Oct 2007

COPD more common place in China that originally thought

In China, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in people over the age of 40 is much more prevalent than previously thought, according to researchers in Guangdong.

15 Oct 2007

Quick new method nails adenoviruses in 48 hours

New techniques have enabled scientists to carry one of the most comprehensive studies of adenoviruses ever performed in the United States.

15 Oct 2007

Household spray cleaners bad for the health

A new study has found that some sprays which are used to clean the home are bad for the health and may cause asthma in some people.

15 Oct 2007

New rapid and accurate method to identify adenoviruses

Grantees of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, have adapted a rapid and accurate new molecular typing strategy and used it to conduct one of the most comprehensive studies of adenoviruses ever performed in the United States.

12 Oct 2007

Professional welders risk losing their sense of smell

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have found that professional welders who work in enclosed spaces with poor ventilation may be at risk for loss of sense of smell. The study appears in Neurology .

12 Oct 2007

Volcanic ash and human health - new way of estimating risk

A new, rapid and cheap way of estimating the potential risk posed to human health by volcanic ash has been devised by a Durham University expert.

10 Oct 2007

Human and avian influenza viruses target different cells in the lower respiratory tract of humans and other mammals

Researchers have identified which sites and cell types within the respiratory tract are targeted by human versus avian influenza viruses, providing valuable insights into the pathogenesis of these divergent diseases.

10 Oct 2007

Fraunhofer pharmaceutical agent speeds drug development

It takes a great deal of time and money to develop a new drug. At Biotechnica in Hanover from October 9 to 11, the Fraunhofer Life Sciences Alliance will demonstrate how a pharmaceutical agent can make its way more quickly from the research laboratory to the pharmacy.

8 Oct 2007

Worrying bird flu mutations

According to researchers in the United States even thought the H5N1 bird flu virus has not transformed into a pandemic strain, it has nevertheless slowly evolved into a pathogen better equipped to infect humans.

7 Oct 2007

Sex after chronic heart failure

Although medication can help extend the lives of men with chronic heart failure, several factors associated with this disease can interfere with a person's ability to engage in and enjoy sexual activities.

4 Oct 2007

Medimmune announces phase 2 safety data for anti-RSV antibody

MedImmune, Inc. has announced results from two important studies presented at the 2007 Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) 45th Annual Meeting adding to the body of knowledge about respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

4 Oct 2007

Learning from the Toronto SARS outbreak

Locked doors, full masks and gowns, questionnaires and line-ups at the hand washing stations - getting health-care services during SARS wasn't easy.

4 Oct 2007

Humans appear to have an on-board carbon dioxide sensor

PLoS ONE publishes a study showing that inhalation of carbon dioxide (CO2) triggers emotional distress and a panic response in healthy individuals. The findings of the study posit panic as an inborn survival-oriented response.

3 Oct 2007

Government failed to disclose information about risks of formula-feeding because of political, economic reasons

The decision to halt an HHS public service campaign that promoted breast-feeding "seems to be a matter of politics and economics," Wendy Orent, author of the book "Plague: The Mysterious Past and Terrifying Future of the World's Most Dangerous Disease," writes in a Los Angeles Times opinion piece (Orent, Los Angeles Times, 9/30).

2 Oct 2007

Antibiotic Minocycline shows potential as stroke treatment

People treated with the drug minocycline within six to 24 hours after a stroke had significantly fewer disabilities, according to a study published in the October 2, 2007, issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

2 Oct 2007

New test detects the presence of biogenic amines

Researchers in California are reporting development of a fast, inexpensive test suitable for home use that could help millions of people avoid those 'out of the blue' headaches that may follow consumption of certain red wines, cheese, chocolate, and other aged or fermented foods.

2 Oct 2007

Low maternal cholesterol levels may lead to adverse birth outcomes

Pregnant women who have very low cholesterol may face a greater risk of delivering their babies prematurely than women with more moderate cholesterol levels, a team led by the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), reported today.

2 Oct 2007