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BMI mortality link questioned

Patients classified as overweight according to body mass index have a lower risk for mortality than normal-weight patients, show the results of a systematic review.

4 Jan 2013

Obesity impact on lumbar disc herniation management confirmed

Obese patients with symptomatic lumbar disc herniation are significantly more likely to opt for surgery than their healthy weight counterparts but derive less benefit, SPORT findings suggest.

4 Jan 2013

Toxin-induced insulin resistance combated in mice

French researchers have found that a protein-bound uremic toxin, p-cresyl sulfate, contributes to the development of insulin resistance in mice, providing a new potential therapeutic target for treating chronic kidney disease, they say.

4 Jan 2013

Women with menopausal transition experience cognitive difficulties

The memory problems that many women experience in their 40s and 50s as they approach and go through menopause are both real and appear to be most acute during the early period of post menopause. That is the conclusion of a study which appears today in the journal Menopause.

4 Jan 2013

Nanoparticle researcher to deliver inaugural presentation at next ACS national meeting

A noted researcher in nanomedicine ― preventing, diagnosing and treating disease with particles so small that thousands fit across the width of a human hair ― will deliver the inaugural presentation in "The Kavli Foundation Emerging Leader in Chemistry Lecture" at the next National Meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS).

4 Jan 2013

Stanford scientists identify molecular basis for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

When a young athlete dies unexpectedly on the basketball court or the football field, it's both shocking and tragic. Now Stanford University School of Medicine researchers have, for the first time, identified the molecular basis for a condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy that is the most common cause for this type of sudden cardiac death.

4 Jan 2013

Workers with low wages more likely to develop hypertension

Workers earning the lowest wages have a higher risk of hypertension than workers with the highest wages, according to new research from UC Davis.

4 Jan 2013

Statin therapy affects muscles’ energy production

Up to 75 per cent of patients who take statins to treat elevated cholesterol levels may suffer from muscle pain. Scientists at the Center for Healthy Aging at the University of Copenhagen have now identified a possible mechanism underlying this unfortunate side effect.

4 Jan 2013

Mayo Clinic researchers identify new target to improve treatment of pancreatic cancer

Researchers at Mayo Clinic in Florida have identified a new target to improve treatment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cancer, which accounts for more than 95 percent of pancreatic cancer cases. This fast-growing, often lethal cancer is resistant to conventional chemotherapy.

4 Jan 2013

Scientists discover process by which mda-9/syntenin contributes to melanoma metastasis

After recently announcing success in eliminating melanoma metastasis in laboratory experiments, scientists at Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center have made another important discovery in understanding the process by which the gene mda-9/syntenin contributes to metastasis in melanoma (the spread of skin cancer) and possibly a variety of other cancers.

4 Jan 2013

Scientists demonstrate importance of Plvap gene in mammalian physiology

Dartmouth scientists have demonstrated the importance of the gene Plvap and the structures it forms in mammalian physiology in a study published in December by the journal Developmental Cell.

4 Jan 2013

FDA approves Abbott’s XIENCE Xpedition Everolimus Eluting Coronary Stent System

Abbott today announced that the XIENCE Xpedition Everolimus Eluting Coronary Stent System received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval and is launching immediately in the United States, providing physicians with a next-generation technology with the largest size matrix in the U.S. market.

3 Jan 2013

Alcohol-impregnated disinfection caps would prevent 21 CLABSIs and four deaths each year

Central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) dropped by 52 percent when an alcohol-impregnated disinfection cap was used instead of standard scrubbing protocol, according to a new study published in the January issue of the American Journal of Infection Control, the official publication of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC).

3 Jan 2013

Longer looks: DIY abortions and the law; Helping other parents reach out to mentally ill children; Human growth hormone and Big Pharma

McCormack knew that an abortion would cost $400 to $2,000, depending on how far along she was. ... She couldn't come up with that kind of money. So she called her older sister, who owned a computer, and asked her to order abortion pills for her on the Internet.

3 Jan 2013

Vascular reconstruction raises pancreatic resection complication rates

Performing vascular reconstruction during surgical resection for pancreatic cancer is associated with a greater likelihood of postoperative adverse outcomes than resection alone, say US researchers.

3 Jan 2013

Neonatal chemokines altered in autistic spectrum patients

A study by scientists has found limited evidence to support a role for proinflammatory chemokines in the pathophysiology of Autism Spectrum Disorders.

3 Jan 2013

No significant difference in patient outcomes with RBC transfusions using lower threshold levels

The level at which red blood cells are transfused, a common treatment in clinical practice, is often deliberated among physicians. Guidelines for blood transfusion levels were only recently issued in March 2012 diminishing some of the debate. Today, in a new section called JAMA Clinical Evidence Synopsis, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), published a summary of the systematic review of the 19 clinical trials that compare higher versus lower hemoglobin thresholds in red blood cell transfusion.

3 Jan 2013

UMDNJ-School of Osteopathic Medicine establishes Biomarker Discovery Center

Following recent discoveries by its researchers that could significantly change the diagnosis and treatment of a number of diseases, the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ)-School of Osteopathic Medicine has established the Biomarker Discovery Center on its Stratford campus.

3 Jan 2013

Adrenomed creates Adrecizumab to decrease death rates from sepsis

The German corporation Adrenomed AG today announced its intentions to contribute to the reduction of mortality from sepsis and septic shock. Sepsis is an advanced systemic infection that travels via the blood stream to many of the body's vital organs, which can lead to death and disability.

3 Jan 2013

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