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Test predicts who will develop end-stage renal disease

Measuring kidney function by assessing two different factors-glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and urinary albumin levels-helps determine which patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) will develop end-stage renal disease (ESRD), according to a study appearing in the May 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN).

9 Apr 2009

Youth as young as 12 engaging in risky sexual activity

Middle school youth are engaging in sexual intercourse as early as age 12, according to a study by researchers at The University of Texas School of Public Health.

9 Apr 2009

Seroquel XR supplemental NDA recommended for approval

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Psychopharmacologic Drugs Advisory Committee (PDAC) conducted a review of the safety and efficacy of supplemental new drug applications (sNDA) for Seroquel XR (quetiapine fumarate) extended-release tablets proposed for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).

9 Apr 2009

FDA to review 25 medical devices marketed prior to 1976

The FDA today announced that manufacturers of 25 types of medical devices marketed prior to 1976 must submit safety and effectiveness information to the agency so that it may evaluate the risk level for each device type.

8 Apr 2009

Coartem tablets approved in U.S. to treat malaria

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Coartem tablets (artemether and lumefantrine) for the treatment of acute, uncomplicated malaria infections in adults and children weighing at least five kilograms (approximately 11 pounds).

8 Apr 2009

Withdrawal of Raptiva from U.S. market

Genentech, the manufacturer of the psoriasis drug Raptiva (efalizumab), has announced that it has begun a voluntary, phased withdrawal of the product from the U.S. market.

8 Apr 2009

Mexican health care program has reduced health care costs

In results from the largest health policy study of its kind, a Mexican health care program created in 2003 has been found effective in reducing crippling health care costs among poorer households.

8 Apr 2009

Smokers with serious illnesses need additional help to quit, study says

Individuals with serious illnesses - including cancer, heart disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease - make up a disproportionately high segment of current smokers and are also among the most addicted to tobacco use.

8 Apr 2009

$45 million public awareness campaign on HIV/AIDS epidemic in U.S.

The U.S. government has announced a $45 million program to fight the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

8 Apr 2009

Doctors say cut binge drinking by cutting down the sale of cheap booze

The medical profession in Britain has called for action on the sale of cheap alcohol because they believe it is fuelling an epidemic of binge drinking.

8 Apr 2009

Major health care overhaul in China

Chinese officials have unveiled a health-care plan which promises to deliver to all its 1.3 billion citizens, fair and affordable health services by the year 2020.

8 Apr 2009

Weak social ties at workplace increase risk of burn-out

Long-term leaves of absence tied to stress-related diagnoses are often preceded by a long period without any secure and comforting social relations. This is shown in a recently published study in public health science at Karlstad University in Sweden.

7 Apr 2009

Replacing sugar-sweetened beverages with water reduces excess calorie consumption in kids

Replacing consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) with water could eliminate an average of 235 excess calories per day among children and adolescents, according to a study published in the April 2009 Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

6 Apr 2009

Reducing sugar and increasing fiber intake may improve diabetes risk factors in Latino teens

Reducing sugar intake by the equivalent of one can of soda per day and increasing fiber intake by the amount equivalent to one half cup of beans per day appears to improve risk factors associated with type 2 diabetes in Latino adolescents, according to a report in the April issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

6 Apr 2009

Childhood obesity prevalence differs among racial and ethnic groups in the U.S.

Obesity is twice as common in young American Indian/Native Alaskan children as it is in white and Asian children, according to new research offering the first nationally representative analysis of obesity prevalence among preschool-aged kids in five major racial/ethnic groups.

6 Apr 2009

Childhood psychiatric problems may predict suicide attempts in males

Most males who commit suicide or need hospital care for suicide attempts during their teen or early adult years appear to have high levels of psychiatric problems at age 8, according to a report in the April issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.

6 Apr 2009

Obesity and overweight linked to greater risk of restless legs syndrome

A new study shows both obesity and a large belly appear to increase the risk of developing restless legs syndrome (RLS), a common sleep disorder characterized by an irresistible urge to move your legs.

6 Apr 2009

Zosano Pharma presents positive results for needle-free osteoporosis therapy

Zosano Pharma, Inc., a privately held pharmaceutical company developing products using a novel transdermal delivery technology, has presented positive results from its phase 2 study of the ZP-PTH rapid delivery patch for the treatment of osteoporosis at the 8th International Symposium on Osteoporosis in Washington, D.C.

6 Apr 2009

Partner behavior better predicts STD risks

Risky behaviors such as not using condoms or having sex with multiple people put young adults at risk for contracting sexually transmitted diseases, but perhaps not as much as the characteristics of their sexual partners, University of Florida researchers say.

6 Apr 2009