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Treatment of maternal sleep-disordered breathing with CPAP therapy improves fetal activity levels

A new study suggests that treatment of mild sleep-disordered breathing with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy in pregnant women with preeclampsia improves fetal activity levels, a marker of fetal well-being.

3 Jan 2013

Heart attack patients may benefit from mild to moderate sleep-disordered breathing

People who suffer from breathing disorders such as sleep apnea are usually at higher risk for cardiovascular disease. But an intriguing new study from Technion-Israel Institute of Technology scientists suggests that some heart attack patients with these conditions may actually benefit from mild to moderate sleep-disordered breathing.

3 Jan 2013

Over 1,500 scientists to present at Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology annual meeting

The Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB), one of the oldest and most prestigious interdisciplinary biological organizations, will hold its annual meeting at the Hilton San Francisco, Union Square, in San Francisco, CA, from January 3 to 7, 2013. More than 1,500 scientists will present the latest research on animal ecology, evolution, physiology, neurobiology, and biomechanics, offering journalists a rich assortment of news and feature possibilities.

29 Dec 2012

Heart transplant patient becomes unexpected ambassador for organ donation

Kevin Riepl arrived at Cedars-Sinai in October 2010, suffering from sudden heart failure that left him fighting for his life. Surgeons swiftly installed a heart pump and later transplanted a new heart, saving his life and turning him into an unexpected ambassador for organ donation.

29 Dec 2012

Longer looks: Disparities in nursing home penalties; Understanding dying with dignity

My mortality wake-up call came in a hospital after knee surgery, when I flat-lined because of a heart arrhythmia and was resuscitated by a nurse. In response to columns about those events, stories have streamed in from people who are running out of time themselves, or enduring the pain of watching loved ones fade. The deaths they face are as different as the lives they've lived, but a steady refrain runs through their emails and letters.

21 Dec 2012

New clues in understanding how epithelial cells repair themselves following chlorine-related injury

Scarring of the airways can lead to long-term breathing problems for some people exposed to high levels of chlorine gas from events such as an industrial accident, chemical spill following a train derailment or terroristic chemical warfare. Household mishaps from mixing bleach with acidic cleaning products also can cause release of chlorine gas; if this occurs in a poorly ventilated space, chlorine levels could be high enough to cause lung injury.

20 Dec 2012

Lou Gehrig's disease may be treatable using neural stem cells

Promising new research provides evidence that ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, may be treatable using neural stem cells.

20 Dec 2012

US FDA approves raxibacumab for treating inhalational anthrax

The US Food and Drug Administration have approved the monoclonal antibody raxibacumab for treatment of inhalational anthrax, caused by breathing in spores of Bacillus anthracis.

19 Dec 2012

Kids misuse holiday baking ingredients for drug-like effect

Watch your kitchen cupboards this season as thrillseekers look to common holiday baking ingredients for a rise - cinnamon, nutmeg and even marshmallows are the primary ingredient in trendy risky behavior.

19 Dec 2012

Children in asthma hotspots more likely to experience exercise-induced wheeze

Asthmatic children in New York City neighborhoods with high rates of asthma make many more visits to the emergency room (ER) than those who live in other parts of the city. While socioeconomic factors such as lack of adequate preventive care are part of the equation (high-asthma neighborhoods tend to be lower income), new research points to a possible biological basis for the disparity.

18 Dec 2012

UMCG enrolls and treats first patients in RENEW pivotal trial to evaluate RePneu LVRC

PneumRx, Inc., a leader in interventional pulmonology, announced today that University Medical Center Groningen has enrolled and treated the first patients in the FDA-approved RENEW pivotal trial to evaluate the RePneu Lung Volume Reduction Coil.

17 Dec 2012

Research roundup: Workers' insurance costs vary depending on employers' size; Seniors mental health needs often unmet

Survey -- The authors of this analysis provide a detailed look at the availability of health coverage at small and large employers, as well as the variations in plan costs and cost-sharing requirements.

15 Dec 2012

Approximately 10% of 6-8 year olds have sleep-disordered breathing: Study

Approximately ten per cent of 6-8 year olds have sleep-disordered breathing, according to a recent Finnish study. The risk is increased among children with enlarged tonsils, crossbite and convex facial profile.

14 Dec 2012

GSK receives FDA approval for raxibacumab to treat inhalational anthrax

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved raxibacumab injection to treat inhalational anthrax, a form of the infectious disease caused by breathing in the spores of the bacterium Bacillus anthracis. Raxibacumab also is approved to prevent inhalational anthrax when alternative therapies are not available or not appropriate.

14 Dec 2012

Ceramic cookstoves may not reduce risk of pneumonia in young rural Kenyan children

Inexpensive, locally-produced ceramic cookstoves may produce less smoke than traditional indoor 3-stone firepits, but they don't significantly reduce indoor air pollution or the risk of pneumonia in young children, according to results from a small, year-long observational study by researchers working in rural Kenya.

13 Dec 2012

Acetazolamide plus autoCPAP may reduce insomnia and control sleep apnea at high altitudes

For individuals with obstructive sleep apnea traveling to higher altitudes (which may exacerbate symptoms), use of a combination therapy resulted in improvement in symptoms including reduced insomnia and better control of sleep apnea, according to a preliminary study published in the December 12 issue of JAMA.

12 Dec 2012

Tiotropium benefits patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

In order to widen the narrowed airways in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), tiotropium bromide (tiotropium in brief) is one of the drugs available that can be prescribed for inhalation. The German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) has examined whether tiotropium offers a perceptible advantage to patients compared to a dummy medication (placebo) and to other COPD drugs.

12 Dec 2012

Chest-compression-only CPR ‘should be standard’ for bystander resuscitation

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation with chest compressions only seems to be the most effective form of resuscitation when delivered by lay bystanders along with public-access automated external defibrillation, research suggests.

11 Dec 2012

Simple technique based on principles of craniofacial surgery can maximize patient outcomes

As surgical teams gain experience with facial transplantation, a careful approach to planning based on the principles of craniofacial surgery can help to maximize patient outcomes in terms of facial form and function, according to an article in The Journal of Craniofacial Surgery.

10 Dec 2012

Commercial ultrasonic frequency devices are not effective in repelling insects

Alternative means of controlling urban insect pests by using ultrasonic frequencies are available and marketed to the public. However, few of these devices have been demonstrated as being effective in repelling insect pests such as mosquitoes, cockroaches, or ants. Despite the lack of evidence for the efficacy of such devices, they continue to be sold and new versions targeting bed bugs are readily available.