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Bali tattoo and HIV transmission scare

Tourists who have gotten themselves tattooed or pierced whilst in Bali are being warned to seek medical advice after a Western Australian man reportedly contracted HIV during a recent holiday trip.

28 Dec 2011

Study linking chronic fatigue syndrome with virus infection retracted

The study published in the journal Science in October 2009, which found an association between the illness and a mouse leukemia retrovirus known as XMRV, was retracted last week by the editors of the journal.

28 Dec 2011

Troponin I level test may help rule-out diagnosis of heart attack

For patients admitted to an emergency department with chest pain, use of a contemporary or highly sensitive test for levels of troponin I (a protein in muscle tissue) may help rule-out a diagnosis of heart attack, while changes in the measured levels of this biomarker at 3 hours after admission may be useful to confirm a diagnosis of heart attack, according to a study in the December 28 issue of JAMA.

28 Dec 2011

Meta-analysis does not find significant association between CYP2C19 genotype and cardiovascular events

Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recommended that a certain type of genetic testing (for the genotype CYP2C19) be considered before prescribing the drug clopidogrel to identify individuals who may be less responsive to the medication, a review and analysis of previous studies did not find an overall significant association between the CYP2C19 genotype and cardiovascular events.

28 Dec 2011

Journal highlights safe use of point-of-care testing technologies

Many medical tests that once required sending samples to a laboratory and waiting for results can now be rapidly performed at the patient's bedside. As these point-of-care testing (POCT) technologies are increasingly integrated into patient care, careful attention is needed to protect patient safety and avoid medical errors, according to this month's special issue of Point of Care: The Journal of Near-Patient Testing & Technology.

28 Dec 2011

IL-1 gene inactivation may reduce severe clinical complications of atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is a disease of the major arterial blood vessels. It is one of the major causes of heart attack and stroke. The proinflammatory molecule IL-1 has been linked to atherosclerosis and a clinical trial has been launched in which an antibody specific for IL-1-beta is being studied for its effects on the severe clinical complications of atherosclerosis.

28 Dec 2011

New approach may prevent septic shock

Researchers of VIB and UGent have discovered a new approach to preventing septic shock, an often fatal extreme inflammatory reaction of the body. It is the most frequent cause of death at intensive care departments in hospitals.

28 Dec 2011

Tbx3 dysfunction may cause acquired and spontaneous arrhythmias

In a study published in the Dec. 26, 2011, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences early edition, researchers led by the University of Utah showed the CCS is extremely sensitive to levels of Tbx3. Mouse embryos with Tbx3 levels below a critical threshold suffered arrhythmia and couldn't survive. As the levels of Tbx3 were increased, mice survived to birth, but as adults they developed arrhythmias or had sudden death.

27 Dec 2011

Pulse rate may predict risk of death due to heart disease: Study

While cholesterol levels, blood pressure, blood glucose levels and weight have been used to measure the risk of death due to heart diseases till now, a new parameter has emerged – the pulse rate.

27 Dec 2011

Salt addiction acquired in infancy: Study

According to a new study babies fed starchy table foods, which often contain added salt, before 6 months of age show a preference for salt that persists through their preschool years.

27 Dec 2011

Researchers warn food allergy blood tests should never be used as standalone diagnostics

An advisory from two leading allergists, Robert Wood of the Johns Hopkins Children's Center and Scott Sicherer of Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York, urges clinicians to use caution when ordering allergy tests and to avoid making a diagnosis based solely on test results.

26 Dec 2011

Synthetic drugs treat Crohn's disease in mice

A team of Weizmann Institute scientists has turned the tables on an autoimmune disease. In such diseases, including Crohn's and rheumatoid arthritis, the immune system mistakenly attacks the body's tissues. But the scientists managed to trick the immune systems of mice into targeting one of the body's players in autoimmune processes, an enzyme known as MMP9.

26 Dec 2011

Researchers discover that neutrophils exist in the spleen

For the first time, it has been discovered that neutrophils exist in the spleen without there being an infection.

26 Dec 2011

LRI praises U.S. Congress for legislation that addresses early lupus detection and treatment

A top legislative priority of the Lupus Research Institute (LRI) -- funding for a nationwide lupus education effort for healthcare providers -- is included in the Fiscal 2012 omnibus appropriations bill (H.R. 2055) signed into law today by President Obama after passing in the House of Representatives and the Senate.

26 Dec 2011

Survey finds main reasons for resistance to new airport security scanners

Roughly one-quarter of Americans say they would refuse a full body scan using new airport body scanners and 14.9 percent said new airport security measures have them concerned for their health, according to the Thomson Reuters-NPR Health Poll.

26 Dec 2011

Clear link between time spent in church and lower blood pressure

Does a belief in God confer any health benefits? With the help of a large Norwegian longitudinal health study called HUNT, researchers from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) were able to find a clear relationship between time spent in church and lower blood pressure in both women and men.

26 Dec 2011

Glycol chitosan-coated MRI agent safer, more effective in detecting breast cancer

Many imaging technologies and their contrast agents - chemicals used during scans to help detect tumors and other problems - involve exposure to radiation or heavy metals, which present potential health risks to patients and limit the ways they can be applied.

26 Dec 2011

Neuroscientists discover gene responsible for HDLS

A global team of neuroscientists, led by researchers at Mayo Clinic in Florida, have found the gene responsible for a brain disorder that may be much more common than once believed. In the Dec. 25 online issue of Nature Genetics, the researchers say they identified 14 different mutations in the gene CSF1R that lead to development of hereditary diffuse leukoencephalopathy with spheroids.

26 Dec 2011

PMC receives $100,000 donation for new mesothelioma research laboratory

Pacific Meso Center (PMC) at the Pacific Heart, Lung & Blood Institute (PHLBI) announces a generous donation of $100,000 from Roger and Ann Worthington.

26 Dec 2011

Researchers report how sildenafil can alleviate heart problems

How sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra, can alleviate heart problems is reported by Bochum's researchers in cooperation with colleagues from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester (Minnesota) in the journal Circulation.

26 Dec 2011