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Billions of specific gut bacteria may play a role in autoimmune diseases

The billions of bugs in our guts have a newfound role: regulating the immune system and related autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, according to researchers at Mayo Clinic and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

13 Jun 2012

Depression, obesity two main culprits of excessive daytime sleepiness

Wake up, America, and lose some weight - it's keeping you tired and prone to accidents. Three studies being presented today at sleep 2012 conclude that obesity and depression are the two main culprits making us excessively sleepy while awake.

13 Jun 2012

Ischemic stroke on the rise among N.J. children

Stroke is one of the top 10 causes of death among children according to the National Stroke Association. A new study published today shows that in New Jersey, the diagnosis of ischemic stroke in children, resulting from a loss or obstruction of blood to the brain, is on the rise.

13 Jun 2012

Risk score may aid emergency heart failure decisions

A novel risk score may help physicians decide whether to admit or discharge patients who present to the emergency department with an acute episode of heart failure, say its developers.

12 Jun 2012

Guideline update for infective endocarditis successful

The incidence of infective endocarditis did not increase after American guidelines for antibiotic use before dental procedures were updated in 2007, a report in Circulation shows.

12 Jun 2012

Stress troubles women’s hearts

Women experience more myocardial stress than men, regardless of arterial hemodynamic function and cardiac geometry and output, research shows.

12 Jun 2012

Organized rallies around U.S. decry contraception coverage mandate

More than 100 organized rallies in states around the nation this weekend decried the Obama administration decision to require insurers and employers to cover contraception in their health plans as an attack on their religious freedom.

12 Jun 2012

New set of computer models predicts negative side effects in current drugs

A new set of computer models has successfully predicted negative side effects in hundreds of current drugs, based on the similarity between their chemical structures and those molecules known to cause side effects, according to a paper appearing online this week in the journal Nature.

12 Jun 2012

Routine screening with echocardiogram can detect more cases of RHD

Routine screening with echocardiogram can detect three times as many cases of rheumatic heart disease (RHD) as clinical examinations, offering a novel approach in preventing this common disease, according to a new study in Circulation.

12 Jun 2012

Individuals on statins more likely to experience fatigue with exertion

In a study of more than 1,000 adults, researchers at the University of California, San Diego, found that individuals taking cholesterol-lowering statin drugs are more likely than non-users to experience decreased energy, fatigue upon exertion, or both. The researchers suggest that these findings should be taken into account by doctors when weighing risk versus benefit in prescribing statins.

12 Jun 2012

Ethnic minority women ill-informed about heart disease

Black and Hispanic women are less likely than White women to be aware of heart disease risk and the symptoms of a heart attack, researchers say.

11 Jun 2012

Menopausal women with high oestradiol levels at greater risk of strokes

Women are less prone to cardiovascular disease then men; but this difference between the sexes becomes less marked after the menopause. This observation is behind a great deal of received wisdom, where oestrogen is assumed to have a beneficial effect on the heart and blood vessels.

11 Jun 2012

Cardinal Health to open three new cyclotrons across the US

At the Society of Nuclear Medicine's 59th Annual Meeting in Miami Beach, Fla., June 9-12, Cardinal Health today announced that it plans to open three new cyclotrons across the United States, further expanding its nationwide capability to manufacture molecular imaging drugs that aid in the early diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of cancer, neurological disorders and heart disease.

11 Jun 2012

Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Azle receives QUEST Award for High-value Healthcare

Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Azle has been recognized by a national healthcare alliance for reducing harm, mortality and costs, while improving the patient experience.

11 Jun 2012

Nanocontainers can fight against atherosclerosis

In Switzerland, more than 20,000 people (37% of all deaths) die of cardiovascular disease caused by atherosclerosis each year. Treatment options are currently available to people who suffer from the disease but no drug can target solely the diseased areas, often leading to generalized side effects.

11 Jun 2012

Study reviews data on influence of contralateral carotid occlusion on CEA and CAS

A new study, presented at the 66th Vascular Annual Meeting presented by the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) reviewed data on the influence of contralateral carotid occlusion (CCO) on carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and carotid artery stenting (CAS) for which there is a paucity of conflicting data.

11 Jun 2012

Pre-operative aspirin therapy may reduce risk of acute kidney failure after CABG surgery

Aspirin taken for five days before a heart operation can halve the numbers of patients developing post-operative acute kidney failure, according to research presented at the European Anaesthesiology Congress in Paris.

11 Jun 2012

Study examines factors linked with survival after CEA in patients with asymptomatic ICA stenosis

While carotid endarterectomy (CEA) is performed to prevent stroke, long-term survival is essential to ensure benefit, especially in asymptomatic patients. A new study presented at the 66th Vascular Annual Meeting presented by the Society for Vascular Surgery today examined patient factors associated with 5-year survival following CEA in patients with asymptomatic internal carotid artery (ICA) stenosis.

11 Jun 2012

Poor long-term physical and mental health for many adolescent and young adult cancer survivors

A new analysis has found that many adolescent and young adult cancer survivors have unhealthy behaviors, chronic medical conditions, a poor quality of life, and significant barriers to health care access. Published early online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the study indicates that greater efforts are needed to provide quality follow-up care to adolescent and young adult cancer survivors and to encourage them to live more healthily.

11 Jun 2012

Majority of African-American patients with hypertension suffer from hidden heart disease

A Wayne State University School of Medicine study has found that an overwhelming majority of African-American patients with hypertension also suffered hidden heart disease caused by high blood pressure even though they displayed no symptoms.

11 Jun 2012