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New combo treatment for chronic lymphocytic leukaemia increases survival

The combination treatment of fludarabine plus cyclophosphamide for chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) greatly increases progression-free survival and response rates, compared with single treatment with either fludarabine or chlorambucil alone.

20 Jul 2007

Prevention and treatment of vitamin D deficiency

Boston, MA:In a review article to appear in the July 19th issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, Dr. Michael Holick, an internationally recognized expert in vitamin D, provides an overview of his pioneering work that expounds on the important role vitamin D plays in a wide variety of chronic health conditions, as well as suggesting strategies for the prevention and treatment of vitamin D deficiency.

19 Jul 2007

Discovery of gene variant that increases risk for Crohn's disease

Pediatrics researchers have identified a gene variant that raises a child's risk of Crohn's disease, a chronic and painful condition attributed to inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract.

19 Jul 2007

Researchers identify gene-regulating protein in the brain that triggers ability to cope with

Researchers have identified a gene-regulating protein in the brains of mice that triggers the animals' ability to cope with the "behavioral despair" caused by inescapable stress.

19 Jul 2007

Potential dangers of Ritalin

Use of the attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) drug Ritalin by young children may cause long-term changes in the developing brain, suggests a new study of very young rats by a research team at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City.

18 Jul 2007

Orange juice healthy for diabetics

Orange juice, despite its high caloric load of sugars, appears to be a healthy food for diabetics due to its mother lode of flavonoids, a study by endocrinologists at the University at Buffalo has shown.

18 Jul 2007

FDA approves Extina for seborrheic dermatitis

Stiefel Laboratories, Inc. has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved its new drug application for Extina (ketoconazole) Foam, 2% for the treatment of seborrheic dermatitis.

18 Jul 2007

Review examines how well GPs treat anxiety, depression or substance abuse

When patients have psychosocial problems such as anxiety, depression or substance abuse, a general practice doctor is often the first healthcare professional they see.

18 Jul 2007

Saline for chronic rhinosinusitis

Spraying salty water (saline) into your nose can help reduce the symptoms of pain and congestion that accompany long-term infections of the nasal passages, a Cochrane Systematic Review has concluded.

18 Jul 2007

Education interventions for adults who attend the emergency room for acute asthma

A new review of studies suggests that people with asthma who receive disease education during, or soon after, a serious emergency-room visit are less likely to be re-admitted to the hospital than patients who receive no instruction.

18 Jul 2007

COPD patients taking inhaled steroids are at greater risk for severe pneumonia

Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) are increasingly being prescribed inhaled corticosteroids to control exacerbations of the disease, but a new study finds that the anti-inflammatory drugs increase the chances that these patients will be hospitalized for pneumonia.

17 Jul 2007

Biota and MedImmune announce clinical trial for respiratory syncytial virus antiviral drug

Biota Holdings Limited and MedImmune Inc. today announced the start of a Phase Ia clinical trial for their respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) antiviral drug, BTA9881, with the goal of providing a treatment for RSV-infected infants and adults.

17 Jul 2007

Analysis of diabetes drugs

Most oral medications prescribed for type 2 diabetes are similarly effective for reducing blood glucose, but the drug metformin is less likely to cause weight gain and may be more likely than other treatments to decrease so-called bad cholesterol, according to a report funded by HHS Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

17 Jul 2007

Study looks at how medical IT affects both employees and residents in nursing homes

Staff members in 17 nursing homes in downstate New York are being trained in the use of new, hand-held wireless computers for record keeping that will send patient information directly to a central server, where doctors, pharmacies, rehabilitation specialists and others treating residents will be able to access it easily and quickly.

17 Jul 2007

Selenium and type 2 diabetes

Selenium, an antioxidant included in multivitamin tablets thought to have a possible protective effect against the development of type 2 diabetes, may actually increase the risk of developing the disease, an analysis by researchers at the University at Buffalo has shown.

16 Jul 2007

NDA for Lubiprostone to treat irritable bowel syndrome with constipation

Sucampo Pharmaceuticals, Inc., has announced that it has submitted a supplemental New Drug Application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to seek market approval of a lower strength of lubiprostone (8 mcg) to treat irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C).

13 Jul 2007

Groin injuries averted by preseason injury prevention

Professional soccer players who participated in a special preseason groin injury prevention program had fewer groin injuries during that subsequent season than those who were not in the program, according to new research released at the 2007 Annual Meeting of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine at the Telus Convention Center (July 12-15).

13 Jul 2007

Importance of starting pregnancy at a healthy weight

Smoking and drinking don't mix with pregnancy, but not so with excess weight before and during pregnancy.

13 Jul 2007

Hip resurfacing offers options to boomers' aging joints

Joe Mitchell always assumed his chronic leg pain was due to tight muscles, but as the pain became more intense in recent years, his physicians uncovered the culprit: an arthritic hip. He explored treatment options, and was dismayed to learn that he was not an immediate candidate for the main treatment for arthritic hips: hip replacement surgery.

12 Jul 2007

Uninsured adults increase Medicare costs

While the overall cost-effectiveness of Medicare benefits have been much-debated, new data now show that people who were uninsured before receiving benefits at age 65 required more intensive and costlier care than those who had been privately insured prior to receiving Medicare.

12 Jul 2007