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Discovery of important fat precursor cell

To understand where fat comes from, you have to start with a skinny mouse. By using such a creature, and observing the growth of fat after injections of different kinds of immature cells, Rockefeller University scientists have discovered an important fat precursor cell that may in time explain how changes in the numbers of fat cells might increase and lead to obesity.

5 Oct 2008

Researchers discover genes linked to increased gout risk

A team of researchers from the United States and the Netherlands has identified mutations in three genes that are associated with high levels of uric acid in the blood, which is a risk factor for gout.

5 Oct 2008

Will patients stick to physical therapy? Questionnaire can help doctors predict

Patients' responses to a simple questionnaire can reliably predict whether they will adhere to physical therapy after spine surgery, Johns Hopkins researchers suggest in a new study. The findings could help physicians identify patients who might benefit from additional preoperative preparation to ensure they attend therapy sessions and follow through with prescribed exercise, a factor that can greatly affect their long-term recovery.

2 Oct 2008

Research reveals strong link between music and cardiovascular exercise performance

Brunel University's School of Sport and Education today reveals that, according to Dr Costas Karageorghis's latest research, carefully selected music can significantly increase a person's physical endurance and make the experience of cardiovascular exercise far more positive.

2 Oct 2008

New gout gene discovery

Researchers have identified two new genes - and confirmed the role of a third gene - associated with increased risk of higher levels of uric acid in the blood, which can lead to gout, a common, painful form of arthritis.

30 Sep 2008

Parents warned that second-hand smoke may trigger nicotine dependence symptoms in children

Canadian researchers are warning parents who smoke around their children that second-hand smoke may trigger nicotine dependence symptoms in their offspring.

30 Sep 2008

Experts say heart patients should be screened for depression

The American Heart Association says heart patients are particularly vulnerable to depression and should be screened, and if necessary treated, to improve their recovery and overall health.

30 Sep 2008

New test for rapid detection of influenza

The Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) collaborated with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the development of a new test for influenza, which received 510(k) clearance today by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

30 Sep 2008

Drinking alcohol before age 15 a risky habit

Researchers at the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) have found that drinking alcohol before 15 years of age is risky and increases a child's risk of becoming a heavy drinker later on.

30 Sep 2008

Second-hand smoke may trigger nicotine dependence symptoms in kids

Parents who smoke cigarettes around their kids in cars and homes beware - second-hand smoke may trigger symptoms of nicotine dependence in children. The findings are published in the September edition of the journal Addictive Behaviors in a joint study from nine Canadian institutions.

29 Sep 2008

Prisons in North Carolina to begin testing all inmates for HIV

Prisons in North Carolina will start screening all inmates for HIV beginning in November, the Raleigh News & Observer reports.

29 Sep 2008

Tarrant County taking steps to address high infant mortality rate

Tarrant County, Texas, community leaders are meeting Friday to discuss the county's high infant mortality rate, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

29 Sep 2008

Protecting patient privacy the new fashioned way

Protecting patient privacy has been recognized as the duty of health-care providers for aHealth Insurance Portability and Accountability Actbout as long as doctors have seen patients. Since 1996, that duty became a legal obligation when Congress passed the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

25 Sep 2008

Researchers investigate impact of stress on police officers' physical and mental health

Policing is dangerous work, and the danger lurks not on the streets alone. The pressures of law enforcement put officers at risk for high blood pressure, insomnia, increased levels of destructive stress hormones, heart problems, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and suicide, University at Buffalo researchers have found through a decade of studies of police officers.

25 Sep 2008

Catholic school refuses to allow girls to have cervical cancer vaccine on school grounds

A Catholic school in Britain has refused to allow girls attending the school to have the cervical cancer vaccination on its premises.

25 Sep 2008

Research continues to support arguments against alcoholic energy drinks

A Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center researcher's study about the effects of alcoholic energy drinks (AED) is cited by the attorneys general from 25 states who have called on a leading manufacturer not to introduce a new beverage into the marketplace.

24 Sep 2008