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A blood test for pre-eclampsia could be in the pipeline

A condition in pregnancy which costs the lives of thousands of babies each year may soon be identified by a simple blood test long before symptoms develop.

28 Oct 2008

Expensive new diabetes drugs don't necessarily produce better outcomes

The annual cost of prescription diabetes drugs nearly doubled to $12.5 billion between 2001 and 2007, according to a study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine and the University of Chicago. The researchers say the findings raise questions about whether the higher cost actually translates into improved care and better outcomes.

28 Oct 2008

Simple gene-based blood test, quicker, more accurate evaluation for cystic fibrosis

Researchers at National Jewish Health have identified a simple gene-based blood test that more accurately and quickly measures cystic fibrosis patients' response to therapy than current tests.

26 Oct 2008

Sensitive ultrasound to spot early-stage cancer

European researchers have developed highly sensitive ultrasound equipment that can detect tiny quantities of reflective microbubbles engineered to stick to specific tumour cells. The technique should pick up tumours early and improve patients' chances of survival.

26 Oct 2008

Sudden cardiac death number one risk for patients on dialysis

In a 10-year study of more than a thousand kidney failure patients, sudden cardiac death emerged as the number one cause of death for patients on dialysis, according to a Johns Hopkins researcher. The study, already published online and appearing in the Nov. 2 issue of Kidney International, identified systemic inflammatory response and malnutrition as key risk factors for the fatal heart attacks.

22 Oct 2008

New TB test more accurate in predicting those most susceptible

Scientists have developed a new blood test which promises to more accurately predict those most likely to develop tuberculosis (TB).

22 Oct 2008

Worries over test for mad cow disease

A new test to screen blood for the incurable human form of mad cow disease could be available within 18 months, but it has raised concerns.

21 Oct 2008

New tuberculosis test reveals patients at risk

A recently introduced blood test can reveal which patients may develop active tuberculosis (TB) much more precisely than the 100-year old TB skin test, according to a new study published today in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.

20 Oct 2008

New non-invasive prenatal blood test for Down's syndrome, safer for the fetus

American researchers have created a prenatal blood test which can be used to determine if an unborn baby has Down's syndrome and the new test is safer for the fetus.

7 Oct 2008

Simple blood test could help detect serious bacterial infections in babies

A simple blood test may help detect serious bacterial infections (SBIs) like urinary tract infections and blood stream infections in young infants who come to the emergency department (ED) with fevers that have no clear cause.

6 Oct 2008

British scientists to develop blood test for Alzheimer's

Researchers from Nottingham's two universities are joining forces to develop a simple blood test to diagnose Alzheimer's disease.

17 Sep 2008

A blood marker may indicate Alzheimer's risk

A simple blood test capable of predicting if a person might develop Alzheimer's disease is within sight, and could eventually be used to help scientists reverse onset of the disease in those most at risk.

17 Sep 2008

Australian men picking HIV up from unsafe sex overseas

A conference in Perth, Australia, has heard that six men in Cairns have contracted HIV after travelling to Papua New Guinea and the news has alarmed health authorities and raised concern that there may be more undetected cases in the area.

17 Sep 2008

An 'HIV-test' equivalent for early detection of lung cancer

A team of researchers led by Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center reports online today in the Journal of Clinical Oncology the validation of a potential "HIV-test" equivalent for the early detection of lung cancer. The test, which relies on immune-system signals, much like an HIV test, can detect the presence of lung cancer a year prior to diagnosis, long before symptoms appear.

15 Sep 2008

New technique in blood analysis may speed diagnosis of heart attacks

Someday doctors may be able to use a blood test to confirm within minutes, instead of hours, if a patient is having a heart attack, allowing more rapid treatment that could limit damage to heart muscle.

9 Sep 2008

Health care professionals seeing more children with fatty liver disease; condition prevalent among Hispanics

As many as 2% to 5% of children older than age five -- most of whom are obese -- are thought to have nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and the condition seems to be most prevalent among Hispanic children, the AP/San Mateo Daily Journal reports.

4 Sep 2008

FDA grants IND for Davanat to treat breast cancer patient

Pro-Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted an Investigational New Drug (IND) application for use of Davanat in combination with 5-FU to treat a breast cancer patient at the Brown Cancer Center in Louisville, Kentucky. Davanat also is being administered in Phase II clinical trials for first-line treatment of colorectal and biliary cancer patients.

28 Aug 2008

Are your eyes a window to diabetes-related health issues?

Scientists at Aston University in Birmingham, UK are carrying out a unique study using the eyes to detect early signs of health problems which could lead to diabetes, and they're looking for volunteers to help.

19 Aug 2008

First drug for Huntington's disease approved for use in the U.S.

Huntington's disease is a fatal, inherited neurodegenerative disorder for which there is no cure and usually affects people in their 30s and 40s, but some patients are affected as early as childhood, while others aren't affected until they are older.

18 Aug 2008

FDA approves tetrabenazine for Huntington's disease

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved tetrabenazine, the first drug approved for use in the United States to treat Huntington's disease, a fatal, inherited neurodegenerative disorder for which there is no cure. The action comes about eight months after an advisory panel unanimously voted to advise FDA to make the medication available to treat the disease.

17 Aug 2008