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An overview of heart palpitations from Mayo Clinic

Almost everyone feels occasional heart palpitations -- a change in the heart's rhythm. Palpitations range from what feels like a skip, flip or bump in the heart's rhythm to a sustained, racing heartbeat.

16 Jul 2010

Dementia varies among diabetic, non-diabetic patients: Research

Researchers from Mayo Clinic's Florida campus say that dementia in some diabetics appears to be caused often by vascular disease in the brain, and the dementia that develops in people without diabetes is more likely associated with deposition of the plaque seen in people with Alzheimer's disease

15 Jul 2010

Serum BNP do not increase in pediatric trauma patients with serious head injuries: Report

Investigators at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles have found that unlike adults, levels of serum beta-natriuretic peptide do not increase in pediatric trauma patients with serious head injuries.

9 Jul 2010

BioCurex reports first set of results supporting RECAF blood test for monitoring cancer therapy

BioCurex Inc. today announced its first set of results supporting the use of the BioCurex RECAF blood test to monitor cancer therapy. The test included samples from 27 human patients with early stages of breast cancer that were tested before and after surgery. As a control, 15 samples from healthy individuals were also tested.

9 Jul 2010

Bowel cancer screening test may be less likely to spot cancerous changes in summer: Study

A new study suggests that the test used in the Italian national bowel cancer screening programme may be less likely to spot cancerous changes in summer than it is in winter.

8 Jul 2010

New blood test eliminates need for surgical lung biopsy for LAM diagnosis

Researchers at the University of Cincinnati (UC) and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center have found that a certain blood test can successfully identify lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) in some patients, eliminating the need for surgical lung biopsy to make a diagnosis.

6 Jul 2010

Infoway adds diagnostic imaging, drug information systems to Certification Services

Canada Health Infoway has added diagnostic imaging and drug information systems to its pre-implementation Certification Services. Health information technology vendors can now receive certification for seven classes of technology.

6 Jul 2010

Experts urge community to get behind bowel cancer screening

University of Sydney experts say around 1000 bowel cancer deaths could be prevented every year if a fully-funded, evidence-based bowel cancer screening program was implemented by the Australian Government.

5 Jul 2010

Medtronic's sensor-augmented insulin pump therapy provides superior glucose control, confirms STAR 3 study

In the longest and largest randomized, controlled study of sensor-augmented insulin pump therapy in type 1 diabetes, adult and pediatric patients using the Medtronic MiniMed Paradigm® REAL-Time System achieved better glucose control without an increase in hypoglycemia compared to multiple daily insulin injections (MDI), the most common approach to care today.

30 Jun 2010

Simple blood test may help detect chromosomal abnormalities in developing foetus

Researchers in The Netherlands believe they are on the verge of developing a simple, prenatal blood test that would be able to detect accurately chromosomal abnormalities in the developing foetus.

29 Jun 2010

Non-Invasive prenatal blood test to detect chromosomal abnormalities in foetus

Researchers in The Netherlands believe they are on the verge of developing a simple, prenatal blood test that would be able to detect accurately chromosomal abnormalities in the developing foetus. At present, the only reliable way to do this is through amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling, both of which are invasive and carry the risk of triggering a miscarriage.

29 Jun 2010

Blood test to help predict when women will hit menopause

Researchers have developed a way of accurately predicting when women will hit the menopause using a simple blood test. The average difference between the predicted age and the actual age that the women in their study reached the menopause was only a third of a year, and the maximum margin of error was between three and four years.

28 Jun 2010

FDA approves OraQuick HCV Rapid Antibody Test for HCV

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced approval of the first rapid blood test for antibodies to the hepatitis C virus for individuals 15 years and older.

25 Jun 2010

HQC report presents different aspects of health care delivered in Saskatchewan hospitals

There's been little change over the last three years in how patients rate the care they receive in Saskatchewan hospitals, according to a report released today by the province's Health Quality Council. The report, entitled Quality Insight 2010, presents an overview of aspects of quality of care delivered in hospitals, in the community for people living with certain chronic diseases, and for seniors taking prescription drugs.

25 Jun 2010

USPTO grants Tethys key patent for PreDx Diabetes Risk Score test

Tethys Bioscience, Inc., a privately held company, announced today that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has granted the Company US Patent 7,723,050. The patent is directed to the company's groundbreaking PreDx™ Diabetes Risk Score (DRS) test and relates to proprietary methods for assessing the risk of developing a diabetic condition.

24 Jun 2010

Pregnant women with thyroid hormone levels on upper end of normal at increased risk for miscarriage

Pregnant women with thyroid function test results in the upper half of the normal range have an increased chance of miscarriage, even when they lack thyroid-harming antibodies, according to a new study. The results, which the authors say show the need to change screening practices for pregnant women, will be presented at The Endocrine Society's 92nd Annual Meeting, ENDO 2010, in San Diego on June 22 by Alex Stagnaro-Green, M.D., senior author and senior associate dean for education at The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences.

24 Jun 2010

Diet with high fructose, trans fats lead to fatty liver disease with scar tissue

Scientists at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center have discovered that a diet with high levels of fructose - levels equivalent to that in high fructose corn syrup - and of trans fats not only increases obesity, but also leads to significant fatty liver disease with scar tissue.

23 Jun 2010

Metabolic syndrome can negatively affect donor's kidney function outcome, study finds

People who donate one of their kidneys experience faster deterioration of their other kidney if they have the metabolic syndrome at the time of donation, a new study finds. The results will be presented Sunday at The Endocrine Society's 92nd Annual Meeting in San Diego.

22 Jun 2010

Cancer overtreatment raises concern; Physicians tend to use new technology even before solid evidence backs it

The Associated Press/Arizona Republic: "It's an unthinkable notion for a generation raised on the message that early cancer detection saves lives, but specialists say more tumors actually are being found too early. That is raising uncomfortable questions about how aggressively to treat early growths -- in some cases, even how aggressively to test -- along with a push for more of the informed-choice programs.

16 Jun 2010

CT angiography not necessary in patients suspected with pulmonary embolism

A new study suggests that computed tomography (CT) angiography might be unnecessary in many patients suspected of having pulmonary embolism (PE), based on the results of risk assessment analysis. PE risk assessment could help reduce radiation exposure and costs associated with CT angiography. The results of the study appear in the online edition and August print issue of the journal Radiology.

15 Jun 2010