Chronic Disease News and Research

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Exciting research into the use of aspirin for reducing heart attacks, strokes and dementia

A consortium of researchers led by Monash University will receive more than $3.5 million in Australian Government funding for research into the use of aspirin for reducing heart attacks, strokes and dementia in older Australians.

17 Jan 2005

Food, exercise and regular physical activity still key to American health

The American Cancer Society (ACS), American Diabetes Association (ADA), and American Heart Association (AHA) commend the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and Agriculture (USDA) on the release of the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

17 Jan 2005

Added sugar in fruit-flavored drinks and cola-type soft drinks undoes the good done by vegetables

American preschoolers get about 14 to 17 teaspoons of added sugar a day, on average, mostly from fruit-flavored drinks, high-fat desserts and cola-type soft drinks which displace the grain, vegetable, fruit and dairy food groups and lower the quality of their diet, a Penn State study has shown.

12 Jan 2005

Campral, first new treatment for alcoholism in ten years

Forest Laboratories announced that Campral (acamprosate calcium) Delayed- Release Tablets are now available to physicians, patients and pharmacies nationwide.

12 Jan 2005

First program to apply RNA interference (RNAi) technology to asthma

Sirna Therapeutics, Inc. has announced the first program to apply RNA interference (RNAi) technology to asthma, a highly prevalent, chronic disease accounting for an estimated $13 billion in healthcare costs in the United States, a number which is forecast to grow considerably by the end of the decade.

7 Jan 2005

New guidelines for treating diabetes

Every year, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) issues Clinical Practice Recommendations, a series of updated recommendations to help health care providers treat people with diabetes using the most current research available.

7 Jan 2005

Prevalence of overweight increased in children aged two to four years from low-income families

The prevalence of overweight increased from 1989 to 2000 in children aged two to four years from low-income families, according to an article in the December issue of The Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

6 Dec 2004

Research reveals iodine deficiency in Australians

A study of 16 communities in New South Wales, Australia by Charles Sturt University (CSU) researchers has revealed more than half of those tested in the Riverina in south west NSW suffer a mild iodine deficiency.

6 Dec 2004

FDA approval of Tysabri, for the treatment of multiple sclerosis

Biogen and Elan Corporation have announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Tysabri (natalizumab), as treatment for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) to reduce the frequency of clinical relapses.

24 Nov 2004

High-quality care for depression can improve productivity at work

A two-year program for depressed employees treated at 12 primary care practices nationwide improved productivity at work by an average of 6 percent, or an estimated annual value of $1,491 per depressed full-time employee.

24 Nov 2004

NHS patients 'not fully engaged' with their own healthcare

NHS patients lag behind other western countries in actively involving patients and communities in healthcare, says an editorial in this week's BMJ.

18 Nov 2004

Sit down rounds improve outcomes for kidney dialysis patients

"Sit-down" medical rounds, during which a health care team meets to review a patient's medical record and discuss short- and long-term needs, are associated with better outcomes for kidney dialysis patients, a Johns Hopkins-directed study has found.

17 Nov 2004

Hospital admissions for diabetes on the rise

The number of hospital admissions for diabetes increased by almost 12 percent between 1999 and 2003, according to a new report released by the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council (PHC4) in conjunction with American Diabetes Month.

11 Nov 2004

The risk of developing metabolic syndrome increases the more a person drinks

The risk of developing metabolic syndrome increases the more a person drinks – and beginning a heavy drinking pattern early in life seems to add extra risk, according to a first-of-its-kind study presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2004.

11 Nov 2004

Heart jacket effective treatment for heart failure

The concept is simple: to halt deterioration of the heart muscle, wrap it in a mesh-like net to prevent further enlargement in patients with heart failure. It's like a jacket for the heart.

10 Nov 2004

Fruit and vegetables lower risk of cardiovascular disease but not cancer

Increased fruit and vegetable consumption is associated with a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease but not cancer, according to a new study in the November 3 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

3 Nov 2004

Sugary foods are making up a growing chunk of kids’ daily diets

Obesity researcher Michael I. Goran, professor of preventive medicine in the Keck School of Medicine of USC, said sugary foods are making up a growing chunk of kids’ daily diets.

26 Oct 2004

Obese patients have higher health care costs

Compared to nonobese persons, obese patients had higher average health care costs over a one-year period, according to an article in the October 25 issue of The Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

25 Oct 2004

Studies examine risk factors and potential consequences associated with prehypertension

A substantial proportion of Americans have prehypertension (blood pressure above optimal levels, but not clinical hypertension) which is associated with an increased prevalence of other risk factors for heart disease and stroke and is also associated with potential increased risk for hospitalization and death

25 Oct 2004

Smoking continues to be the largest single cause of death and disease in the EU

Over 650,000 Europeans are killed every year because they smoke, one in seven of all deaths across the EU, and over 13 million more are suffering from a serious, chronic disease as a result of their smoking.

25 Oct 2004