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Investigational drug, MK-677 shows promise for reducing age-related frailty

Researchers at the University of Virginia Health System report that a daily single oral dose of an investigational drug, MK-677, increased muscle mass in the arms and legs of healthy older adults without serious side effects, suggesting that it may prove safe and effective in reducing age-related frailty.

5 Nov 2008

Folate, vitamin B6 and B12 do not appear to affect cancer risk

A daily supplementation combination that included folic acid and vitamin B6 and B12 had no significant effect on the overall risk of cancer, including breast cancer, among women at high risk of cardiovascular disease, according to a study in the November 5 issue of JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association.

5 Nov 2008

Anti-frailty pill for seniors in the pipeline

An 'anti-frailty' pill for seniors could be in the pipeline - the pill which increases muscle mass in arms and legs of older adults is the brainchild of researchers at the University of Virginia Health System.

5 Nov 2008

Peck on the leg from a magpie leads to amputation

A new study has revealed that a peck on the leg from a pet magpie resulted in an elderly Australian woman losing her lower leg.

4 Nov 2008

Novel leukemia therapy shows promise for high-risk patients

Researchers at the Moores Cancer Center at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) are conducting clinical trials of a novel therapy aimed at revving up the immune system to combat a particularly difficult-to-treat form of leukemia.

4 Nov 2008

The two-pacemaker system

Two pacemakers in the brain work together in harmony to ensure that breathing occurs in a regular rhythm, according to new research from MIT scientists.

4 Nov 2008

Bladder conditions - raising awareness

November is Bladder Health Month, and there's no better time to raise awareness of the bladder conditions that affect millions of patients, who often suffer in silence with common, treatable symptoms.

4 Nov 2008

Current hospital tests for Clostridium difficile not accurate enough

Current hospital tests for the bacterium Clostridium difficile (C difficile) are not accurate enough and a new two-stage process should be introduced to avoid misdiagnosis and its consequences.

2 Nov 2008

British legal system challenged in euthanasia case

A British woman suffering from multiple sclerosis (MS) has challenged the British legal system by demanding clarification on assisted suicide.

29 Oct 2008

Eye pressure spikes and glaucoma

A new Australian study has found some surprising factors which contribute to glaucoma and other pressure-related eye diseases.

29 Oct 2008

Physicians less likely to diagnose anxiety in elderly black patients than in whites, study finds

Physicians are less likely to diagnose anxiety in elderly black patients than in white patients, according to a study published in the September issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, Reuters Health reports.

28 Oct 2008

Improved communication about medications reduces complications among patients using common blood thinner

Patients who report receiving written and verbal instructions on the proper way to take the blood thinner warfarin are significantly less likely to suffer the serious gastrointestinal and brain bleeding problems that are associated with misuse of the drug, according to new research from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

27 Oct 2008

Study reveals factors of exceptional health in old age

Elderly people who have a positive outlook, lower stress levels, moderate alcohol consumption, abstention from tobacco, moderate to higher income and no chronic health conditions are more likely to thrive in their old age, according to a study in the October issue of the Journals of Gerontology, Medical Sciences.

27 Oct 2008

Warnings in NSW of whooping cough outbreak

An outbreak of whooping cough in New South Wales is causing some concern - the NSW Health Department says infection rates have soared from 2,000 cases last year, to 3,800 cases this year, and the increase is more so in some areas.

27 Oct 2008

Targanta Therapeutics presents preclinical data on Oritavancin against Clostridium difficile infection

Targanta Therapeutics Corporation has released the in vivo data from a preclinical study comparing the activity of its antibiotic drug candidate, oritavancin, to vancomycin in a hamster model of Clostridium difficile infection.

26 Oct 2008

Socioeconomic and treatment factors affect non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients' survival

Socioeconomic factors and the type of treatment received have an impact on a non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) patient's risk of dying. That is the finding of a new study published in the December 1, 2008 issue of CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society.

23 Oct 2008

Medtronic launches new device to improve minimally-invasive treatment of thoracic aortic aneurysms

Extending an unmatched record of innovation in the field of endovascular aortic repair, Medtronic, Inc., today announced the U.S. market launch of the Talent Thoracic Stent Graft on the Xcelerant Delivery System, which makes minimally-invasive treatment of thoracic aortic aneurysms easier to perform.

22 Oct 2008

Rate of suicide in U.S. increases for first time in a decade

The increase in the overall suicide rate between 1999 and 2005 was due primarily to an increase in suicides among whites aged 40-64, with white middle-aged women experiencing the largest annual increase.

21 Oct 2008

Genes that control cell death may play role in age-related hearing loss

Several genes that play a role in how our body's cells normally auto-destruct may play a role in age-related hearing loss, according to research published online in the journal Apoptosis - a journal devoted to the topic of cell suicide, or programmed cell death.

19 Oct 2008

Combo of sunlight and low antioxidant levels leave seniors at risk of eye disease

European research has revealed that blue light exposure from the sun combined with low plasma levels of antioxidants may contribute to certain forms of the eye disease age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

14 Oct 2008