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Proposition 8 sparks distress among same-sex couples

Amendments that restrict civil marriage rights of same-sex couples - such as Proposition 8 that recently passed in California - have led to higher levels of stress and anxiety among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender adults, as well as among their families of origin, according to several new studies to be published by the American Psychological Association.

18 Nov 2008

Vaccine-related chronic fatigue syndrome in an individual demonstrating aluminium overload

A team of scientists have investigated a case of vaccine-associated chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and macrophagic myofasciitis in an individual demonstrating aluminium overload.

18 Nov 2008

NCI sponsors Canadian cold/flu remedy trial in leukemia patients

Cancer patients, with their weakened immune systems, are particularly vulnerable when the cold and flu season hits. The National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health and the world's most prestigious cancer research body, is sponsoring a landmark trial to evaluate if a unique Canadian cold remedy - ginseng extract COLD-FX - can help.

18 Nov 2008

Ginkgo's benefits for cognitive decline treatment supported by scientific research

A vast body of research supports numerous health benefits for ginkgo extracts, particularly for treating various symptoms and conditions associated with declining cognitive performance and poor circulation, says the American Botanical Council, an independent nonprofit research and education organization.

18 Nov 2008

Altus Pharmaceuticals reaffirms plan to submit NDA for Trizytek

Altus Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced today that it is reaffirming its plan to submit a new drug application (NDA) for Trizytek TM (liprotamase) in the first-half of 2009.

18 Nov 2008

Pain and itch regulated by different molecular mechanisms

Historically, scientists have regarded itching as a less intense version of the body's response to pain, but researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have determined that pain and itch actually are regulated by different molecular mechanisms.

17 Nov 2008

Smoking causes bladder cancer

The Great American Smokeout is this Thursday, and the American Urological Association (AUA) gives smokers another good reason to quit: Smoking causes bladder cancer.

17 Nov 2008

Vitamin D deficiency may be a culprit in heart disease, high blood pressure and metabolic syndrome

The temperature might not be the only thing plummeting this winter.

17 Nov 2008

Ointment made from indigo naturalis may help treat psoriasis

An ointment made from indigo naturalis, a dark blue plant-based powder used in traditional Chinese medicine, appears effective in treating plaque-type psoriasis, according to a report in the November issue of Archives of Dermatology.

17 Nov 2008

One in four Gulf war veterans suffers from illness caused by toxic exposure

At least one in four of the 697,000 U.S. veterans of the 1991 Gulf War suffer from Gulf War illness, a condition caused by exposure to toxic chemicals, including pesticides and a drug administered to protect troops against nerve gas, and no effective treatments have yet been found, a federal panel of scientific experts and veterans concludes in a landmark report released Monday.

17 Nov 2008

Glucocorticoids may cause damage in the brain

A class of drugs that are used in premature infants to treat chronic lung damage can cause damage in the brain.

17 Nov 2008

Drops in blood oxygen levels may be key to sudden death in some epilepsy patients

A new study by researchers at UC Davis Medical Center suggests that the sudden unexplained deaths of some epilepsy patients may be a result of their brains not telling their bodies to breathe during seizures.

17 Nov 2008

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease sending more people to hospital

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has a higher hospitalization rate and a higher hospital readmission rate than heart failure, angina, and other serious chronic diseases.

17 Nov 2008

COLD-FX remedy undergoes NCI-sponsored trial in leukemia patients

Cancer patients - with their weakened immune systems - are particularly vulnerable when the cold and flu season hits.

17 Nov 2008

Governments urged to take broader perspective when considering whether to fund vaccines

Including quality-of-life impacts in assessments of national vaccination programs would lead to many benefits, including improved productivity and less sick leave for parents, according to an editorial co-authored by a University of New South Wales (UNSW) researcher, that has appeared in the Lancet Infectious Diseases.

17 Nov 2008

Asthma may be over-diagnosed by up to 30 per cent in Canadian adults

A new research study suggests that asthma may be over-diagnosed by up to 30 per cent in Canadian adults.

17 Nov 2008

Discovery of new mechanism that regulates formation of blood vessels

Researchers in one of the external groups of the Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciencia (IGC), in Portugal, have discovered a novel mechanism which regulates the process whereby new blood vessels are formed and wounds heal, including chronic wounds, such as those found in diabetic patients and those suffering from morbid obesity.

17 Nov 2008

Link between prostate inflammation and lower urinary tract symptoms

In the December issue of European Urology ( http://www.elsevier.com/locate/eururo ) Dr. Curtis Nickel and associates report on the evidence of a relationship between prostate inflammation and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in men enrolled in the REDUCE trial.

16 Nov 2008

Community-based physical activity interventions found to be cost-effective

Community-based physical activity interventions designed to promote more active lifestyles among adults are cost-effective in reducing heart disease, stroke, colorectal and breast cancers, and type 2 diabetes, according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

16 Nov 2008