Life Expectancy News and Research

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Life expectancy is the expected (in the statistical sense) number of years of life remaining at a given age. It is denoted by e''x'', which means the average number of subsequent years of life for someone now aged ''x'', according to a particular mortality experience.

Junk food ads to be banned to slow childhood obesity rates

Health experts and anti-obesity groups have called for a total ban on junk-food advertising during peak children's viewing times. This comes in the wake of the release of the research finding of the Obesity Policy Coalition that conducted a telephone survey of 1,521 adults says that 84 per cent of consumers believe children should be protected from unhealthy food advertising.

8 May 2011

Urgent action needed to avoid preventable strokes in Asia-Pacific region, says new report

Experts from medical and patient communities call on national policymakers in the Asia-Pacific region to take urgent action against preventable strokes that strike millions of people with atrial fibrillation each year.

7 May 2011

Research roundup: Racial disparities in cancer screening and VA treatment

Racial And Ethnic Disparities In Colorectal Cancer Screening Persisted Despite Expansion Of Medicare's Screening Reimbursement. This study looked at the effect in minority groups of expanded reimbursements by Medicare for colorectal cancer screenings.

7 May 2011

Worrying trends among Australia’s Indigenous population with more chronic diseases: Report

According to an indigenous health expert, communities in the state's Gulf are recording some of the highest rates of chronic disease in the country. In fact a report by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare shows 80 per cent of the life expectancy gap can be attributed to conditions like heart disease and diabetes.

5 May 2011

Save the Children releases annual global mother's index

Afghanistan is "the worst place to be a mother, with women having a life expectancy of 45 years - the world's lowest - and one of every 11 women dying in childbirth," according to Save the Children's annual State of the World's Mothers report, the Associated Press/Seattle Times reports.

4 May 2011

Poor sleep may contribute to high insulin resistance in diabetic people

In the largest study of it kind to establish a link between sleep and diabetes, researchers found that people with diabetes who sleep poorly have higher insulin resistance, and a harder time controlling the disease.

3 May 2011

FFR-guided intervention strategy can improve patient outcomes: Study

St. Jude Medical, Inc., a global medical device company, today announced that an analysis of the benefits to using a Fractional Flow Reserve-guided intervention strategy found that the technology can improve patient outcomes while saving millions of Euros.

30 Apr 2011

Researchers unravel mechanism behind sickle hemoglobin protection against malaria

The latest issue of the journal Cell carries an article that is likely to help solve one of the long-standing mysteries of biomedicine. In a study that challenges currently held views, researchers at the Instituto Gulbenkian de Ci-ncia, in Portugal, unravel the molecular mechanism whereby sickle cell hemoglobin confers a survival advantage against malaria, the disease caused by Plasmodium infection.

29 Apr 2011

Melatonin can help fight obesity and risks associated with it

University of Granada researchers have proven that melatonin -a natural hormone produced by the body- helps in controlling weight gain -even without reducing the intake of food-, improves blood lipid profile -as it reduces triglicerids-, increases HDL cholesterol and reduces LDL cholesterol.

29 Apr 2011

Five Loyola employees donate kidneys to complete strangers

Loyola University Medical Center is believed to be the first organization in the country, and perhaps the world, in which five employees have each donated kidneys to complete strangers with no strings attached.

28 Apr 2011

Legislative approaches needed to address obesity epidemic in Canada

With the increase in numbers of overweight children and young adults, Canada and other developed countries are facing an obesity epidemic and legislative approaches are required to address this issue, states an article in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

28 Apr 2011

Study: 80% of blacks more likely to spend all personal finances for cancer care

People in minority groups, especially black Americans, are more willing than their white counterparts to exhaust their personal financial resources to prolong life after being diagnosed with lung or colorectal cancer, according to a University of Alabama at Birmingham study published April 26, 2011, online in Cancer, the journal of the American Cancer Society.

26 Apr 2011

Viewpoints: Sebelius on medical mistakes; Stockman on solving deficit; Fox on Medicare's political history

A recent study found that as many as one out of three hospital patients is harmed by his or her care. And the Institute of Medicine estimates that as many as 100,000 Americans die each year from preventable medical errors in hospitals. That's about the number of annual deaths caused by auto accidents, AIDS, and breast cancer combined.

26 Apr 2011

PVT1 gene may help reduce diabetic nephropathy

A gene called PVT1 may help reduce the kidneys ability to filter blood, leading to kidney disease, kidney failure and death, according to a study published today by researchers at the Translational Genomics Research Institute.

25 Apr 2011

Jennerex and Green Cross report positive phase 2 JX-594 clinical trial for liver cancer

Jennerex, Inc., a private clinical-stage biotherapeutics company focused on the development and commercialization of first-in-class targeted oncolytic products for cancer, and Green Cross Corporation, a leading company in the development, manufacturing, and commercialization of viral vaccines and other biological products, today reported positive clinical data from a Phase 2 trial evaluating JX-594 for liver cancer which was conducted in South Korea.

21 Apr 2011

Roundup: Abortion opponents weigh strategy; Supreme Court reinstates case involving deaths at Va. hospitals

Republican legislatures across the country are passing tough new anti-abortion laws — and while abortion rights advocates believe the new laws are unconstitutional, they're not rushing to court to stop them. The reason: There's a decent chance they'd lose (Kliff, 4/20).

21 Apr 2011

Amylin's new metreleptin data in lipodystrophy to be presented at AACE meeting

Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced results from a new analysis of an ongoing, long-term research study of the investigational drug metreleptin, an analog of the human hormone leptin, for the treatment of lipodystrophy.

16 Apr 2011

Research looks at impact of life expectancy on religiosity

Churches will continue to attract older congregations as increasing life expectancy encourages people to put off involvement in religion, according to new research.

11 Apr 2011

Blood journal to publish Soliris study results in Paroxysmal Nocturnal Haemoglobinuria

The Canadian Association of PNH Patients welcomes the upcoming publication of a study that resoundingly proves the efficacy of Soliris, the first and only life-saving treatment for the ultra-rare blood disease known as Paroxysmal Nocturnal Haemoglobinuria.

11 Apr 2011

New medical guidelines for diabetes care

Today the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists released new medical guidelines for developing comprehensive care plan for management of diabetes mellitus.

6 Apr 2011