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Vitamin B3 variant reverses effects of fetal alcohol syndrome in mice

A form of vitamin B3 called nicotinamide can reverse the molecular, cellular, and behavioral effects of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) in mice, according to a study by physician-scientists at Weill Medical College of Cornell University.

21 Feb 2006

Healthy preterm infants younger than 12 weeks show reduced lung function

Tests of healthy preterm infants younger than 12 weeks of age show prematurity to be independently associated with reduced lung function. Predictors of this reduced expiratory flow during the first months of life include male sex, low gestational age and increased weight gain.

19 Feb 2006

Pig islets successfully reversed diabetes in monkeys

Researchers at the University of Minnesota's Diabetes Institute for Immunology and Transplantation have successfully reversed diabetes in monkeys using transplanted islet cells from pigs.

19 Feb 2006

Puberty means girls more at risk of insomnia than boys

According to a new U.S. study of 1014 adolescents who were 13 to 16 years of age, almost 11 percent had suffered from insomnia at some stage.

19 Feb 2006

Unexpected rheumatoid arthritis discovery

What makes joints in people with rheumatoid arthritis, and related conditions like Lyme disease or lupus, so susceptible to attack by the body's immune system, leading to painful flare-ups and deterioration? The answer may surprise you.

17 Feb 2006

Cooking on wood stoves affects women in developing countries

Women in developing countries who cook over a wood stove for years and inhale the smoke can develop chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and experience the same clinical characteristics, diminished quality of life and increased mortality rates as tobacco smokers.

17 Feb 2006

Acupressure more effective than physical therapy in alleviating back pain

Acupressure (applying pressure with the thumbs or fingertips to the same points on the body stimulated in acupuncture) seems to be more effective in reducing low back pain than physical therapy, finds a study published online by the British Medical Journal.

17 Feb 2006

Lessons for clinical trials from natalizumab in multiple sclerosis

Concerns over the fast tracking of new drugs for commercial licensing are raised by a senior doctor in this week's British Medical Journal.

17 Feb 2006

Older asthmatics have increased cancer risk

New research shows that older adults with asthma are at an increased risk for developing cancer, and adults with asthma are twice as likely to suffer from heart disease and other chronic health conditions.

17 Feb 2006

Advancing knowledge of diet-gene interactions

Josi Ordovas, PhD, director of the Nutrition and Genomics Laboratory at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University joined more than eighty other leading researchers in the fields of nutrition and genetics to co-author a report outlining their strategy for maximizing the impact of nutrigenomics research on global poverty and health.

16 Feb 2006

Diuretics improve exercise capacity in patients with congestive heart failure

Diuretics reduce the risk of death, delay heart deterioration and improve exercise capacity in patients with congestive heart failure, a new review of studies shows.

16 Feb 2006

Grapefruits help reduce cholesterol

A grapefruit a day - particularly the red variety - can help keep heart disease at bay, according to a new study by Israeli researchers.

16 Feb 2006

Floating reduces stress-related pain

Treatment in the form of floating in huge tanks of saltwater, so-called 'floating', is effective for chronic stress-related pain. This is shown in a study at Karlstad University, Sweden, led by Professor Torsten Norlander.

16 Feb 2006

Hospital admission rates linked to social deprivation, not quality of GP care

Researchers in London have identified a link between increased hospital admission rates for chronic diseases and high levels of material deprivation in the capital.

16 Feb 2006

Grapefruit reduces risk from heart disease

Heart disease patients who eat one grapefruit daily can significantly reduce the levels of cholesterol in their blood in comparison to patients who do not eat the fruit, a new study has found. Chronic high blood cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease.

16 Feb 2006