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Prior administration of erythropoietin reduces need for blood transfusions

Anemia increases operative mortality and morbidity in non-cardiac and cardiac surgical procedures. Anemic surgical patients may require more blood transfusions, raising the risk of transfusion-related complications and increasing costs.

7 May 2013

New device extracts human DNA more quickly and efficiently

Take a swab of saliva from your mouth and within minutes your DNA could be ready for analysis and genome sequencing with the help of a new device.

7 May 2013

Community-based efforts may hold the key for reducing lead hazards in homes

A new study appearing this week in the Journal of Health Politics, Policy, and Law catalogues community-based efforts to develop strategies and policies that - by targeting high risk housing - may hold the key to reducing lead hazards in children's homes.

7 May 2013

800 IU of vitamin D3 per day is recommended for preterm infants, says study

Preterm infants may need to be given 800 international units (IU) of vitamin D a day to ensure they develop strong bones, according to a study to be presented Sunday, May 5, at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Washington, DC.

6 May 2013

Prenatal exposure to flame retardants is associated with lower intelligence and hyperactivity in early childhood

Chemicals called polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) have been used for decades to reduce fires in everyday products such as baby strollers, carpeting and electronics. A new study to be presented on Monday, May 6, at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting shows that prenatal exposure to the flame retardants is associated with lower intelligence and hyperactivity in early childhood.

6 May 2013

Lead exposure can cause mental retardation in children living near sites

Children living near toxic waste sites in lower and middle income countries such as India, Philippines and Indonesia may experience higher blood lead levels, resulting in a loss of IQ points and a higher incidence of mental retardation, according to a study presented today by Kevin Chatham-Stephens, MD, Pediatric Environmental Health Fellow at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting on May 6 in Washington, DC.

6 May 2013

Empa receives Innovation Prize at for co-developing sheet to prevent bedsores

Empa, in conjunction with the company Schoeller Medical AG and the Swiss ParaplegicCentre, has won the Innovation Prize at the international Techtextil trade fair.

6 May 2013

Rare mutation confers high risk of osteoporosis and certain cancers

deCODE genetics (an Amgen subsidiary) and Illumina, global leaders in analyzing and understanding the human genome, together with scientists from the National Hospital of Iceland and the University of Iceland reported today in the journal Nature the identification of a rare nonsense mutation that confers high risk of osteoporosis and osteoporosis related traits.

6 May 2013

Single antibody could be key to treating multiple myeloma

A single antibody could be the key to treating multiple myeloma, or cancer of the blood, currently without cure or long-term treatment.

6 May 2013

Study highlights the importance of bicycle helmets

Bicycle helmets save lives, and their use should be required by law. That's the conclusion of a study to be presented Monday, May 6, at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Washington, DC.

6 May 2013

Study: Combination of chemotherapy and nerve-protecting agents can prevent anemia

Cancer chemotherapy can cause peripheral neuropathy-nerve damage often resulting in pain and muscle weakness in the arms and legs. Now, researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have discovered that chemo also induces an insidious type of nerve damage inside bone marrow that can cause delays in recovery after bone marrow transplantation.

6 May 2013

Researchers explore biological processes of stem cell division

The human body contains trillions of cells, all derived from a single cell, or zygote, made by the fusion of an egg and a sperm. That single cell contains all the genetic information needed to develop into a human, and passes identical copies of that information to each new cell as it divides into the many diverse types of cells that make up a complex organism like a human being.

6 May 2013

New protocol for reducing the use of SPECT SPI is found to be diagnostically safe

A new stress test protocol that investigates reducing the use of perfusion imaging in low risk patients undergoing SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging for possible angina symptoms was found to be diagnostically safe, revealed a US retrospective analysis.

6 May 2013

PCEC releases statement on AUA's new prostate cancer clinical practice guidelines

The Prostate Conditions Education Council, a national organization committed to men's health and a leader in prostate cancer early detection, released the following statement in response to new clinical practice guideline released today by the American Urological Association.

5 May 2013

Study estimates ER costs for hematuria patients at more than $237 million a year

A relatively common urinary tract disorder that can usually be managed in an outpatient setting is adding an estimated $238 million a year to the cost of emergency room visits in the U.S., according to two new studies from Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.

5 May 2013

Researcher looks for markers of sleep loss in humans

For years, Paul Shaw, PhD, a researcher at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has used what he learns in fruit flies to look for markers of sleep loss in humans.

4 May 2013

High blood pressure linked to better quality of life in adolescents

Teenagers with high blood pressure appear to have better psychological adjustment and enjoy higher quality of life than those with normal blood pressure, suggests a study in the May issue of Psychosomatic Medicine: Journal of Biobehavioral Medicine, the official journal of the American Psychosomatic Society.

4 May 2013

Queen Mary mathematicians describe functioning of the brain

Mathematicians from Queen Mary, University of London will bring researchers one-step closer to understanding how the structure of the brain relates to its function in two recently published studies.

4 May 2013

Researchers develop injectable nano-network to control blood-sugar levels

In a promising development for diabetes treatment, researchers have developed a network of nanoscale particles that can be injected into the body and release insulin when blood-sugar levels rise, maintaining normal blood sugar levels for more than a week in animal-based laboratory tests.

4 May 2013