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Home-based pulmonary rehabilitation

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the fourth leading cause of death in Canada.

15 Dec 2008

Fruits, vegetables and fiber may cut risk of breast cancer recurrence in women without hot flashes

A secondary analysis of a large, multicenter clinical trial has shown that a diet loaded with fruits, vegetables and fiber and somewhat lower in fat compared to standard federal dietary recommendations cuts the risk of recurrence in a subgroup of early-stage breast cancer survivors - women who didn't have hot flashes - by approximately 31 percent.

15 Dec 2008

Psychological distress a growing heart health problem

Anyone will tell you that stress is bad for the heart. Many people also know about the toxic effects of anxiety and depression.

15 Dec 2008

Mechanism behind cardiac scarring discovered

In the aftermath of a heart attack, the body's own defenses may contribute to future heart failure. Authors of a new study believe they have identified a protein that plays an important role in a process that replaces dead heart muscle with stiffening scar tissue. The researchers are hopeful that the findings will lead to the development of new therapies to prevent this damage.

15 Dec 2008

Researchers solve failed vaccine mystery

Research led by Johns Hopkins Children's Center scientists has figured out why a respiratory syncytial virus vaccine used in 1966 to inoculate children against the infection instead caused severe respiratory disease and effectively stopped efforts to make a better one.

15 Dec 2008

Computer-aided detection (CAD) mammography for breast cancer screening

Computer programs designed to help radiologists could identify more cases of breast cancer, but they might also increase the number of false-positive results, which can lead to biopsies in healthy women, according to a recent systematic review.

15 Dec 2008

Research aims to reduce scarring from heart attacks

A heart damaged by heart attack is usually broken, at least partially, for good.

14 Dec 2008

NACCHO to donate up to one million doses of FluMist

The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) has announced a donation of up to one million doses of FluMist (Influenza Virus Vaccine Live, Intranasal) by MedImmune in a partnership aimed at increasing influenza awareness and vaccinations in underserved communities and populations.

14 Dec 2008

Discovery of seven new sites in the human genome found to influence obesity

In one of the largest studies of its kind, a multinational team led by scientists from deCODE genetics has reported the discovery of common variations at seven new sites in the human genome found to influence obesity.

14 Dec 2008

GlaxoSmithKline statement on FDA advisory committee vote on use of asthma medicines containing long-acting beta agonists

The following is GlaxoSmithKline's statement regarding recommendations of a combined Advisory Committee to the FDA on the use of asthma medicines containing long-acting beta agonists, including GSK's Serevent (salmeterol) and Advair (salmeterol/fluticasone proprionate).

14 Dec 2008

FC2 female condom recommended for approval

The Female Health Company (NYSE Alternext: FHC) has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Obstetrics and Gynecology Devices Advisory Committee has unanimously voted that the company's second-generation female condom, the FC2 Female Condom, is approvable with a single condition.

14 Dec 2008

Australians warned of rabies outbreak in Bali

The warning comes from the head of the Northern Territory's Centre for Disease Control, Dr. Peter Markey, who says anyone bitten or scratched on the island by an animal should seek medical advice; the warning also applies to people who have been to Bali recently.

14 Dec 2008

Study examines how women's magazines portray cosmetic surgery

While the emotional health implications of cosmetic surgery are still up for scientific debate, articles in women's magazines such as The Oprah Magazine and Cosmopolitan portray cosmetic surgery as a physically risky, but overall worthwhile option for enhancing physical appearance and emotional health, a UBC study has found.

12 Dec 2008

Teen smokers are more likely to experience obesity as adults

Remember the cool girls, huddled together in high school restrooms, puffing their cigarettes?

12 Dec 2008

Sales of soft drinks in U.S. increased dramatically in last twenty years

Over the past two decades, the number of adults consuming sugar-sweetened beverages such as soft drinks, fruit drinks and punches has increased dramatically, according to a study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

12 Dec 2008

Serious health problems related to late preterm births

More than half a million babies are born preterm in the United States each year, and preterm births are on the rise.

12 Dec 2008

Researchers capture never before seen undulations of "dancing chromosomes"

The rhythm of life may beat far deeper than anyone previously thought. And it may gyrate and pulse in a way that rivals the sensuous choreography of "Dirty Dancing."

12 Dec 2008

AstraZeneca responds to FDA advisory committees' recommendation on SYMBICORT

On December 11, 2008, the Joint Advisory Committees of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) - including the Drug Safety & Risk Management Advisory Committee, the Pediatric Advisory Committee, and the Pulmonary-Allergy Drugs Advisory Committee - completed a review of the benefits and risks of asthma medications containing long-acting beta-agonists (LABAs).

12 Dec 2008

Surge in older cancer survivors expected as baby boomers age

The United States could be faced with a national health care crisis in the coming decades as the country's baby boomer population ages and a growing number of older adults find themselves diagnosed with and living longer with cancer.

10 Dec 2008

Neither vitamin E nor selenium reduce risk of prostate cancer

In perhaps the largest cancer chemoprevention trial ever conducted, researchers have found that supplementation with vitamin E or selenium, alone or in combination, was not associated with a lower risk of prostate cancer or other cancers.

10 Dec 2008