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'Achilles heel' for HCV infection

Scientists at the Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology (GIVI) have found that an enzyme associated with the storage of fat in the liver is required for the infectious activity of the hepatitis C virus (HCV). This discovery may offer a new strategy for treating the infection.

11 Oct 2010

FDA warns of harmful stimulant in Slimming Beauty capsules

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today advised consumers who have Slimming Beauty Bitter Orange Slimming Capsules not to use the product. FDA warns that Slimming Beauty Bitter Orange Slimming Capsules contain the active pharmaceutical ingredient sibutramine, a prescription-only drug which is a stimulant. Sibutramine is not listed on the product label and could harm consumers, especially those with cardiovascular conditions.

11 Oct 2010

Researchers investigate ways to minimize risk of multiple pregnancies

The complication rate during pregnancy with twins is about 40%. Women with multiple pregnancies often develop pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, and hemorrhages during the term of their pregnancy. Joachim W Dudenhausen from the Charité Berlin University Medicine and Rolf F Maier from Magdeburg University Medical Center, investigate which risks can be minimized by close monitoring in multiple pregnancies.

11 Oct 2010

UH researchers receive grant to develop Blue Scale device to track heart failure

As more and more medical care is provided in the home, health specialists say it is critical for people to be able to monitor themselves and make informed judgments about their health. A group of researchers in the Abramson Center for the Future of Health at the University of Houston (UH) received a $250,000 pre-seed grant from the Texas Emerging Technology Fund (ETF) for a system that assesses cardiac function in the home and alerts the user to the need for intervention.

11 Oct 2010

Abbott to withdraw Meridia medicine from the U.S. market

Abbott will voluntarily withdraw Meridia (sibutramine) from the U.S. market at the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

11 Oct 2010

Study finds inconsistencies in methods to identify CA-BSI infection in pediatric patients

A new study looking at how hospitals identify pediatric patients who develop catheter-associated bloodstream infections (CA-BSI) found significant inconsistencies in the methods used to report the number of patients who develop them.

11 Oct 2010

Discovery can lead to new approach for treating MS in early stages

A deficiency in one of the immune system's enzymes affects the severity of autoimmune diseases such as MS, and explains why the course of these diseases can vary so much. New findings give an insight into how this enzyme deficiency can be diagnosed, and could lead to new medicines, reveals a thesis from the Sahlgrenska Academy.

11 Oct 2010

Lee National Denim Day event raises $4-$5 million fund for breast cancer

It didn't matter if they were faded, straight leg, boot cut or distressed; hundreds of thousands of people put on jeans with Felicity Huffman to celebrate Lee National Denim Day. The event has become one of the largest single-day fundraisers for breast cancer, and through $5 donations, has raised an estimated $4-$5 million for the Women's Cancer Programs of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), bringing the 15-year total to nearly $85 million.

8 Oct 2010

Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center named Centers of Excellence for Molecular Hematology

Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center has been named one of five national Centers of Excellence for Molecular Hematology to find new gene and cell therapies for inherited diseases affecting blood cells.

8 Oct 2010

Clinical study data on Natural S-equol supplement presented at NAMS Annual Meeting

Four clinical studies that add to the evidence about the use of a new nutritional supplement containing the whole soy germ-based ingredient Natural S-equol to improve health were presented at the North American Menopause Society (NAMS) Annual Meeting.

8 Oct 2010

Survey shows obstetricians, gynecologists unfamiliar with Chagas' disease

According to recent survey results published in the October issue of The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, obstetricians and gynecologists in the United States are unfamiliar with Chagas' disease, a condition that affects an estimated 300,000 people in the United States and can cause serious cardiovascular and digestive complications.

8 Oct 2010

Orthopaedic surgeons offer safety tips for marathon runners

On the brink of Chicago's popular marathon, 45,000 marathon runners from all 50 states and more than 100 countries will turn corners and pick up their pace for the big race in October.

8 Oct 2010

Low-fat diet reduces risk of heart disease

Losing weight, especially among adults who are very heavy to obese, is a good way to prevent the onset of atherosclerosis, the artery-thickening condition that leads to potentially deadly heart disease. A diet that is low in either fats or carbohydrates can help reduce weight. But which one is the more heart-healthy?

8 Oct 2010

Firm sees drugs sales rising 5 to 7 percent next year, other drug industry news

The Associated Press reports that global prescription drug sales should rise 5 percent to 7 percent next year reaching at least $880 billion, fueled by new drugs and rising sales in developing countries, according to drug data firm IMS Health.

8 Oct 2010

Childhood abuse may lead to physiological consequences later in life

Seemingly healthy adults, if they were abused or neglected during childhood, may suffer physiological consequences decades later. In research published online last week by the journal Neuropsychopharmacology, a team led by psychiatrists at Brown University and Butler Hospital found that healthy adults who reported being mistreated as kids appear to have an elevated inflammatory response to stress compared to adults who had happier childhoods.

8 Oct 2010

Study suggests athletes suffer a form of injury that is difficult to diagnose

A study by researchers at Purdue University suggests that some high school football players suffer undiagnosed changes in brain function and continue playing even though they are impaired.

8 Oct 2010

Phase 3 study of D-tagatose in Type 2 diabetes shows significant reduction in HbA1c levels

Spherix Incorporated, an innovator in biotechnology for therapy in diabetes, metabolic syndrome and atherosclerosis; and providers of technical and regulatory consulting services to food, supplement, biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, today announced that its Phase 3 study of D-tagatose as a monotherapy in Type 2 diabetes showed a statistically significant (p<0.05) reduction in HbA1c levels of 0.4% at 10 months in relatively healthy people with diabetes

8 Oct 2010

Researchers identify molecular mechanism that regulate metastasis of melanoma cells

The way melanoma cells use the immune system to spread and develop into lung tumors may lead to a therapy to decrease development of these tumors, according to Penn State researchers.

8 Oct 2010

New imaging technique may help in early detection of prostate cancer

Prostate cancer -- the most common cancer afflicting American men -- may be effectively diagnosed at an early stage without ionizing radiation, using a non-invasive imaging technique known as contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), according to a report announced late last week at the 25th Annual Advances in Contrast Ultrasound - ICUS Bubble Conference in Chicago.

8 Oct 2010

Medical researchers take the next step in personalized medicine

Prescription drugs and their dosages may be standardized, but not every patient reacts to a medicine in the same way. The personal genetic characteristics of individuals and populations can explain why a specific prescription successfully treats one patient and not another, so medical researchers are adopting the new approach called "personalized medicine" and a Tel Aviv University lab is leading the way.

8 Oct 2010