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Heart-healthy Valentine's Day meal tips

Eat your heart out America, for there are foods that actually help the health of your heart. "Years of research has shown that a balanced diet with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, unsaturated fat and lean protein will not only help with weight maintenance, but with overall heart health," said Katie Boles, R.D., L.D.N., clinical dietician with the Brenner FIT Program, at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. "Eating a variety of these foods and eating them in moderation is key to a heart-healthy diet."

10 Feb 2012

Negative consequences of maternal obesity can be reversed through exercise

Exercise is the key to overcoming the adverse metabolic effects passed on to offspring by their overweight mothers, with research showing for the first time these effects can be almost completely reversed through physical activity.

10 Feb 2012

New cERD method can detect RNAi activity in biological fluids

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leading RNAi therapeutics company, announced today that its scientists have discovered a novel method for monitoring RNAi activity in blood samples, representing a potential major advance for future development of RNAi therapeutics, other therapeutic modalities, and diagnostics.

10 Feb 2012

LFA seeks grant applications to address important areas of lupus research

The Lupus Foundation of America (LFA) seeks grant applications to advance the science and medicine of lupus and to help improve the quality of lives of all people affected by this disease. The LFA is seeking grant applications to address the following areas of lupus research: cutaneous (skin) lupus, pediatric lupus, adult stem cell transplantation, and neuropsychiatric lupus, which affects the brain and nervous system.

10 Feb 2012

FDA panel votes against Amgen’s Xgeva in prostate cancer

An FDA panel of oncologists has voted against a new use for Amgen's Xgeva in prostate cancer on Wednesday, saying the drug's ability to slow the spread of the disease did not translate into meaningful benefits for patients. Xgeva is already approved to prevent fractures in cancerous bones, and for osteoporosis, in a different formulation called Prolia.

9 Feb 2012

Six times more teenage girls being given contraceptive implants

According to new figures the number of girls aged 15 or younger having contraceptive implants has risen six-fold in only five years. Some 4,900 teenagers below the age of consent were given the devices last year, up from 800 in 2005/6.

9 Feb 2012

ACC: New community-wide collaboration to reduce impact of chronic diseases

A new community-wide collaboration to reduce the impact of chronic disease and empower patients is generating impressive early results, leaders of the Accountable Care Community (ACC) initiative said today. The Akron-based Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron (ABIA) is leading the initiative with its founding institutional members and more than 60 public and private community partners.

9 Feb 2012

Low-glycemic-index foods can improve dietary habits of people with Type 2 diabetes

A specific goal to eat a set number of daily servings of low-glycemic-index foods can improve dietary habits of people with Type 2 diabetes, according to new research.

9 Feb 2012

Two new cancer research laboratories at WEHI receive $2M ACRF funding

The Australian Cancer Research Foundation (ACRF) has committed $2 million towards the fit-out of two new cancer research laboratories at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute.

9 Feb 2012

Microrocket can travel through acidified human blood serum

Scientists have developed a new kind of tiny motor - which they term a "microrocket" - that can propel itself through acidic environments, such as the human stomach, without any external energy source, opening the way to a variety of medical and industrial applications.

9 Feb 2012

Stimulants do not increase risk of cardiovascular events in youth with ADHD

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects 5-9% of youth and is frequently treated with stimulant medications, such as methylphenidate and amphetamine products. A recent safety communication from the US Food and Drug Administration advised that all patients undergoing ADHD treatment be monitored for changes in heart rate or blood pressure.

9 Feb 2012

Fasting and chemotherapy drugs more effectively treat cancers

Man may not live by bread alone, but cancer in animals appears less resilient, according to a study that found chemotherapy drugs work better when combined with cycles of short, severe fasting.

9 Feb 2012

UCLA cardiologist offers heart-healthy tips

It's that time of year to remind ourselves to embrace lifestyle choices that can help maintain a healthy heart. UCLA cardiologist Dr. Karol Watson says that social connections, a healthy diet and stress reduction are just a few of the things we can do to support the heart.

9 Feb 2012

Conventional method has minimal role in determination of PJI

In their search for new, better ways to diagnose periprosthetic joint infection, Rothman Institute at Jefferson researchers have discovered that measurement of C-reactive protein in the synovial fluid is extremely accurate, while measuring a patients- serum white blood cell count (WBC) and the percentage of neutrophils (PMN%), the conventional method for diagnosis, has a minimal role in the determination of PJI.

9 Feb 2012

First study to examine how changes in fitness and fatness affect heart health

Good news for active adults fighting the battle of the bulge. Exercising and getting fit may protect your heart, even if you have a few extra pounds, according to a study published in the Feb. 14 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC).

9 Feb 2012

Breaks from sitting may help lower cancer risk

Sitting for extended periods can raise the chances of developing cancer even for people who exercise regularly, says recent research. In response to these findings, fitness experts at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center share advice on how to get moving in minutes.

9 Feb 2012

Primary nitinol stent implantation effective in treating atherosclerosis than balloon angioplasty

A three-year follow-up study has shown that an alternate treatment for obstructed arteries in the leg may be warranted. The results are from a clinical trial comparing primary nitinol stent implantation with balloon angioplasty. This examination of the study provides a long-term assessment of the two procedures, which is favorable for the primary stent.

9 Feb 2012

Higher blood levels of lead, cadmium may delay pregnancy in couples

Higher blood levels of cadmium in females, and higher blood levels of lead in males, delayed pregnancy in couples trying to become pregnant, according to a study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health and other academic research institutions.

9 Feb 2012

Link between coronary artery disease and prostate cancer

In a large analysis of men participating in a prostate drug trial, researchers at the Duke Cancer Institute found a significant correlation between coronary artery disease and prostate cancer, suggesting the two conditions may have shared causes.

8 Feb 2012

Genzyme announces four-year data from eliglustat tartrate phase 2 trial on Gaucher disease type 1

Genzyme, a Sanofi company, announced today four-year follow-up data from patients enrolled in the phase 2 clinical trial for its investigational oral therapy for Gaucher disease type 1 known as eliglustat tartrate.

8 Feb 2012