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Many spinal fusion surgery patients have low levels of vitamin D

A new study indicates that many patients undergoing spine surgery have low levels of vitamin D, which may delay their recovery. In a study of 313 patients undergoing spinal fusion surgery, orthopaedic surgeons at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found that more than half had inadequate levels of vitamin D, including one-fourth who were more severely deficient.

3 Nov 2011

DexCom signs research and development agreement with Roche

Roche Diagnostics U.S., with its business unit Roche Diabetes Care, a leader in blood glucose monitoring and insulin delivery systems, and DexCom, Inc., a leader in continuous glucose monitoring systems, announced today that they have signed a research and development agreement.

From Roche Sequencing and Life Science 3 Nov 2011

New, poison-free approach to malaria control

With a new, poison-free approach to malaria control, researchers in the Solarmal project have expressed not only the hope to eliminate malaria in Africa at local level, but also to provide the local population with a source of sustainable energy. Research into this combined approach was facilitated due to a donation to Wageningen University Fund by the COmON foundation.

2 Nov 2011

StatLink announces upgrade for Med DataLink healthcare process management software system

Memphis-based process management technology company StatLink Systems has announced an upgrade for Med DataLink, its healthcare process management software system.

2 Nov 2011

HRM curve analysis identifies patients at risk of MH

A new DNA test may make it much simpler to identify patients at risk of malignant hyperthermia (MH)—a rare but life-threatening complication of exposure to common anesthetics reports the November issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society.

2 Nov 2011

NIH-funded project to discover biomarkers for type 2 diabetes

Arizona State University will lead a four-year, $5 million expanded initiative sponsored by the National Institutes of Health to discover proteins, or biomarkers, to help predict cardiovascular disease and to assess potential new treatments in people with type 2 diabetes.

2 Nov 2011

Researchers identify small-molecule drug candidates for many metabolic conditions

A new discovery by Californian scientists may lead to a pharmaceutical breakthrough for a wide range of illnesses that involve the hydration of cells that line the inner surfaces of our body's organs and tissues. In a new report appearing in the FASEB Journal, the researchers describe how they used high-throughput screening to identify small-molecule drug candidates which help cells bypass defective channels that normally move salt and water through cell membranes.

2 Nov 2011

First study to evaluate mycoestrogens in young girls

Puberty is a time in a girl's life considered highly sensitive to stimulation by the hormone estrogen and a critical window during which estrogen exposure could greatly influence the risk of breast cancer later in life. An early onset of puberty also has been consistently shown in studies to increase the risk of breast cancer.

2 Nov 2011

Early retirees' health insurance fund running out

A federal report predicts this $5 billion account created as part of the health law will be drained by 2012. In related news, one senator criticizes the program's handling. Also drawing criticism are exchange regulations, which advocates say could undermine the law's goal of expanding health insurance. Meanwhile, the Department of Health and Human Services finalized standards - part of the administration's efforts to reduce health disparities - to track factors that affect people's health.

2 Nov 2011

No link between anti-clotting drugs and increased risk of bleeding in GI procedure

Patients with recent use of aspirin, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), or anti-clotting drugs such as clopidogreal (Plavix) do not appear to have an increased risk of bleeding during or after removal of precancerous lesions in the digestive tract, according to results of a Mayo Clinic study.

2 Nov 2011

Penn surgeons perform first bilateral hand transplantation

For the first time in the Delaware Valley Region, a patient has undergone a complex and intricate bilateral hand transplant that could significantly enhance the quality-of-life for persons with multiple limb loss.

2 Nov 2011

Exclusion of family planning, HIV prevention from Pink Ribbon Red Ribbon partnership is 'counter-intuitive'

In this Huffington Post opinion piece, Serra Sippel, president of the Center for Health and Gender Equity, examines the Pink Ribbon Red Ribbon partnership, which was launched last month by PEPFAR in conjunction with the George W. Bush Institute, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, and UNAIDS with the aim of "integrating cervical and breast cancer education, screening, and treatment with HIV services."

2 Nov 2011

Nurse scientist recognized as AACN's 2012 Distinguished Research Lecturer

The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) recently selected Martha A.Q. Curley, RN, PhD, FAAN, as its 2012 Distinguished Research Lecturer.

2 Nov 2011

Massive clotting can destroy placenta and cause miscarriages

Researchers at St. Michael's Hospital have identified a potential new cause for unexplained miscarriages in mice.

2 Nov 2011

Scientists discover additional Alzheimer's proteins in the tangles

Scientists from the National Institutes of Health in the United States have made an important discovery that should forever change the scope and direction of Alzheimer's research. Specifically, they have discovered that the protein tangles which are a hallmark of the disease involve at least three different proteins rather than just one.

2 Nov 2011

Ocrelizumab drug holds promise for multiple sclerosis

An experimental drug called Ocrelizumab has shown promise in a Phase 2 clinical trial involving 220 people with multiple sclerosis (MS), an often debilitating, chronic autoimmune disease that affects an increasing number of people in North America.

2 Nov 2011

SmartTots sets agenda for research on anesthetic safety in children

A special section of the November issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS), presents new research, updates, and commentaries about possible toxic effects of anesthetics and sedatives in infants and young children. The IARS is a key partner in the SmartTots initiative, dedicated to finding scientific answers to these urgent public health concerns.

2 Nov 2011

High dose of vitamin D3 safe and effective for obese adolescents

Vitamin D deficiency is common in Americans, and especially in overweight and obese adolescents, according to the National Institutes of Health. University of Missouri researchers have found that providing obese adolescents with a high daily dose of vitamin D3 is safe and effective in improving their vitamin D status.

2 Nov 2011

Breast cancer not 100% inherited: Study

According to study results released this Monday, women with a close relative with breast cancer may not be at a higher risk of getting breast cancer. The findings may bring comfort to women from high-risk families after a 2007 study suggested that simply having a relative with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation raised their risk of developing breast cancer, even if they had tested negative for the genes.

1 Nov 2011

New Mayo Clinic social network connects global community of esophageal cancer patients

In 2008, physicians at Mayo Clinic Florida led by Herbert Wolfsen, M.D., were looking for new ways to keep in touch with the large group of esophageal cancer patients cared for by him and other gastroenterologists and surgeons. Telephone calls, faxes and email had worked to create a network of patients but many now wanted interactive and remote access capability to share their experiences and challenges with this serious disease.

1 Nov 2011