Blood News and Research

RSS

Investigators discover biological explanation for why low levels of oxygen advance SMA symptoms

Investigators at Nationwide Children's Hospital may have discovered a biological explanation for why low levels of oxygen advance spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) symptoms and why breathing treatments help SMA patients live longer. The findings appear in Human Molecular Genetics.

22 Aug 2012

Eco-friendly blood glucose monitor developed by Cambridge Consultants

A blood glucose monitor concept for diabetics that’s simpler to use, less cumbersome to carry and has a third of the environmental impact of traditional devices has been developed by Cambridge Consultants.

21 Aug 2012

Highly sensitive troponin assay shortens heart attack diagnosis

An algorithm that incorporates high-sensitivity cardiac troponin could allow accurate rule-in and rule-out of patients with acute chest pain within 1 hour of presentation, a study shows.

21 Aug 2012

Genetic key to severe malaria resistance uncovered

Researchers have identified two genetic variants linked with human resistance to severe malaria.

21 Aug 2012

Gene therapy applied to peripheral arterial disease

Hepatocyte growth factor gene therapy could be used to treat patients with severe peripheral arterial disease, suggest results of a phase I clinical trial.

21 Aug 2012

Tips for menopause symptom relief

An estimated 6,000 women in the U.S. reach menopause every day (about two million annually).The most common menopausal complaints include hot flashes, sleep disturbances, anxiety, poor mood, and physical and mental exhaustion. Hot flashes affect 80 percent of peri- or postmenopausal women, with 30 percent reporting hot flashes severe enough to seriously affect their quality of life.

21 Aug 2012

New silicon chips help identify patients with lupus

Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine and Intel Corp. have collaborated to synthesize and study a grid-like array of short pieces of a disease-associated protein on silicon chips normally used in computer microprocessors.

21 Aug 2012

First Edition: August 21, 2012

Today's headlines include reports from the campaign trail, where House candidates are turning up the Medicare debate; and from the health care marketkplace, where Aetna acquired Coventry Health, a Medicare and Medicaid insurer.

21 Aug 2012

FSH-specific polyclonal antibody might offer more effective way to prevent osteoporosis

A new study suggests that a polyclonal antibody that blocks follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) in mice without ovaries might offer a more effective way to prevent or arrest osteoporosis than currently available treatments.

21 Aug 2012

Berry wines may help people with diabetes decrease their blood sugar

In evaluating the bioactive compounds of Illinois blueberry and blackberry wines, University of Illinois scientists have found compounds that inhibit enzymes responsible for carbohydrate absorption and assimilation. And that could mean a tasty way to help people with diabetes decrease their blood sugar.

21 Aug 2012

HemoSep device significantly reduces need for blood transfusions during major surgeries

A pioneering surgical blood salvage technology developed at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, is set to transform the way major surgery is carried out by reducing blood loss in patients.

21 Aug 2012

Tips to help alleviate confusion about when to choose water and sports drinks

With all the different sports drinks on the market, it can be hard to decide whether to reach for a sports drink or water to quench your thirst. In most cases, water will meet your hydration needs, according to Brooke Schantz, a Loyola University Health System registered dietitian and certified specialist in sports dietetics.

21 Aug 2012

New tools can help assess culturally competent and health-literate care

The latest additions to a set of surveys for evaluating patient experiences with medical care provide new tools for assessing culturally competent and health-literate care, according to a special September supplement to Medical Care.

21 Aug 2012

Study demonstrates MRI role in defining and understanding causes of MS

New magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) research shows that changes in brain blood flow associated with vein abnormalities are not specific for multiple sclerosis (MS) and do not contribute to its severity, despite what some researchers have speculated. Results of the research are published online in the journal Radiology.

21 Aug 2012

National Jewish Health, BWH to receive NHLBI grant for second phase of COPDGene project

The COPD Foundation (COPDF) recently announced that the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) will fund the second phase (2012-2017) of the COPDGene project as R01 grants to National Jewish Health and the Brigham and Women's Hospital.

21 Aug 2012

New attack on arthritis pain

A research team from the University of Melbourne is working on a new therapy that can potentially control the pain caused by diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.

21 Aug 2012

Platelet-like nanoparticles nearly double survival rate after internal injury

Nanoparticles tailored to latch onto blood platelets rapidly create healthy clots and nearly double the survival rate in the vital first hour after injury, new research shows.

21 Aug 2012

Dogs offer excellent animal model for human obsessive compulsive disorder study

The genetics research group, based at the University of Helsinki and the Folkh-lsan Research Center and led by Professor Hannes Lohi, has in collaboration with an international group of researchers investigated the characteristics and environmental factors associated with compulsive tail chasing in dogs.

21 Aug 2012

People with metabolic abnormalities may experience rapid decline in their cognitive skills

People who are obese and also have high blood pressure and other risk factors called metabolic abnormalities may experience a faster decline in their cognitive skills over time than others, according to a study published in the August 21, 2012, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

21 Aug 2012

High-definition fiber tractography shows white matter tracts in living brain

A technique called high-definition fiber tractography (HDFT) provides a powerful new tool for tracing the course of nerve fiber connections within the brain—with the potential to improve the accuracy of neurosurgical planning and to advance scientific understanding of the brain's structural and functional networks, reports a paper in the August issue of Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons.

21 Aug 2012