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GlaxoSmithKline ready to supply Biota's Relenza to meet CDC recommendations

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is prepared to respond to public health needs for Relenza (zanamivir) Inhalation Powder this flu season following a Health Alert Advisory issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

21 Dec 2008

Poeple who eat out often more likely to be obese

In small towns in the Midwestern United States, people who eat out often at buffets and cafeterias and who perceive their community to be unpleasant for physical activity are more likely to be obese.

21 Dec 2008

Remote sensing helps tackle tropical disease schistosomiasis in southern China

Scientists are looking to outer space for help in their attempt to prevent new outbreaks of the tropical disease schistosomiasis in southern China.

18 Dec 2008

Repeated miscarriages and hormone treatment for infertility increase pre-eclampsia risk

Repeated miscarriages and hormone treatment for infertility give an increased risk of pre-eclampsia among pregnant women.

18 Dec 2008

Smoking during the first trimester of pregnancy linked to oral clefts

Smoking during the first trimester of pregnancy is clearly linked with an increased risk of cleft lip in newborns.

18 Dec 2008

Human parechovirus may trigger type 1 diabetes

Human parechovirus is a harmless virus which is encountered by most infants and displays few symptoms.

18 Dec 2008

Blocking mechanism found for antibiotic resistance in bacteria

It's as simple as A, T, G, C. Northwestern University scientists have exploited the Watson-Crick base pairing of DNA to provide a defensive tool that could be used to fight the spread of antibiotic resistance in bacteria -- one of the world's most pressing public health problems.

18 Dec 2008

Policymakers, the media and the public should use 20 specific health indicators

Policymakers, the media, and the public should focus on 20 specific health indicators as "yardsticks" to measure the overall health and well-being of Americans, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine.

17 Dec 2008

Phosphorus binders help dialysis patients

For patients on dialysis, taking medications to reduce levels of the mineral phosphorus in the blood may reduce the risk of death by 25 to 30 percent, reports a study in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN).

17 Dec 2008

Promiscuity fears pose barrier to cervical cancer vaccinations

The public's concerns about costs and increased promiscuity among teenagers appear to be hindering use of a vaccine against the human papilloma virus (HPV) to prevent life-threatening diseases, according to a study by researchers at Yale School of Public Health.

17 Dec 2008

Circumcision reduces risk of HIV infection in heterosexual men

A new U.S. study has found that being circumcised significantly reduced the risk of HIV infection in heterosexual African American men known to have been exposed to the virus.

17 Dec 2008

Exercise on doctors orders!

Researchers in New Zealand say though exercise is known to be one of the essential components which improve and enhance the quality of life, it is unfortunately underused.

17 Dec 2008

Selling cigarettes to children will cost retailers dearly

A warning has been issued to Tasmanian cigarette retailers that selling cigarettes to minors will cost them dearly.

17 Dec 2008

Pre-existing diabetes for persons diagnosed with cancer associated with increased risk of death

Patients with diabetes at the time of a cancer diagnosis have an increased risk of death compared to patients without diabetes, according to a meta-analysis of studies reported in the December 17 issue of JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association.

16 Dec 2008

Researchers develop natural, nontoxic method for biodegrading carbon nanotubes

University of Pittsburgh researchers have developed the first natural, nontoxic method for biodegrading carbon nanotubes, a finding that could help diminish the environmental and health concerns that mar the otherwise bright prospects of the super-strong materials commonly used in products, from electronics to plastics.

16 Dec 2008

FDA requires stronger warnings on antiepileptic medicines

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has announced it will require the manufacturers of antiepileptic drugs to add to these products' prescribing information, or labeling, a warning that their use increases risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors (suicidality). The action includes all antiepileptic drugs including those used to treat psychiatric disorders, migraine headaches and other conditions, as well as epilepsy.

16 Dec 2008

Archived blood from infant heel stick tests could lead to discoveries about diseases that have roots in perinatal period

Van Andel Institute (VAI) researchers are the first to apply a new technology to measure on a large scale the presence of genes in blood spots - the blood drawn from newborn infants to screen for health-threatening conditions.

16 Dec 2008

Top public health award for Sydney researcher

Australia's leading national public health award, the Sidney Sax Public Health Medal, has been awarded to Sydney University's Professor of Public Health and long-time tobacco campaigner and researcher, Professor Simon Chapman.

16 Dec 2008

New bone and tissue regeneration technique

Using stem cell lines not typically combined, researchers at Columbia University Medical Center have designed a new way to "grow" bone and other tissues.

15 Dec 2008

Three-quarters of youths with type 1 diabetes have vitamin D deficiency

Three-quarters of youths with type 1 diabetes were found to have insufficient levels of vitamin D, according to a study by researchers at the Joslin Diabetes Center - findings that suggest children with the disease may need vitamin D supplementation to prevent bone fragility later in life.

15 Dec 2008