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Researchers design new version of labor-tracking tool for pregnant women

Researchers have designed a new version of a labor-tracking tool for pregnant women that they predict could reduce the use of hormonal intervention during labor and lower the number of cesarean sections performed on low-risk, first-time mothers.

15 Mar 2012

FDA approves Botox injections for overactive bladder

When you think of Botox injections, you probably think of getting rid of unwanted wrinkles around the eyes or forehead, but recently the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved using the injections to help patients with neurological conditions who suffer from incontinence, or an overactive bladder.

14 Mar 2012

FDA issues complete response letter for Watson's progesterone vaginal gel 8% NDA

Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Columbia Laboratories, Inc. today confirmed that, as expected, Watson has received a complete response letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its New Drug Application (NDA 22-139) for progesterone vaginal gel 8% for use in the reduction of risk of preterm birth in women with a singleton gestation and a short uterine cervical length in the mid-trimester of pregnancy.

27 Feb 2012

Combination of key guideline-recommended heart failure therapies improve survival odds

A UCLA-led study has found that a combination of several key guideline-recommended therapies for heart failure treatment resulted in an improvement of up to 90 percent in the odds of survival over two years.

22 Feb 2012

Botox efficacy uncertain in treating migraine says NICE

Botox – used as an anti-wrinkle agent - is unlikely to be recommended for the treatment of chronic migraines on the NHS in England and Wales. According to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) draft guidelines there is insufficient evidence that it works.

18 Feb 2012

University of Miami launches second major fundraising campaign

In a five-story simulation hospital, students dressed in surgical scrubs tend to a lifelike pregnant robotic mannequin, monitoring her vital signs and counting her contractions. On Virginia Key, scientists crank up the airstream in a state-of-the-art wind-wave-storm surge simulator, getting a better understanding of the dynamics of hurricanes. In a new experiential music building, students use state-of-the-art multimedia and interactive technology to create a new sound of music.

18 Feb 2012

Amylin may lead to severe heart damage in obese and diabetic patients

Severe heart damage in people who are obese and diabetic is linked with a pancreatic hormone called amylin, UC Davis researchers have found.

17 Feb 2012

Mechanical dose of load through muscle force may slow bone loss in SCI patients

Loss of bone density leads to brittle bones that fracture easily. It is a major complication of spinal cord injury (SCI), which affects about 250,000 Americans every year.

17 Feb 2012

Scientists develop mutant zebrafish to study Maple Syrup Urine Disease

In medical research, finding a reliable and cost-effective animal model can greatly enhance success in identifying disease mechanisms and genetic pathways, potentially cutting years off drug testing regimes and development of new treatment strategies.

14 Feb 2012

Eating fructose does not lead to an increase in blood pressure

Eating fructose over an extended period of time does not lead to an increase in blood pressure, according to researchers at St. Michael's Hospital.

13 Feb 2012

Preterm C-section could raise risk of breathing difficulties: Study

Cesarean sections are often performed when a baby is going to be born early. Labor may also be induced when a woman's water breaks too early in the pregnancy. However, two new studies suggest that these common practices may, in fact, not benefit babies. The two new studies were presented Thursday at the annual meeting of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine.

12 Feb 2012

New guidelines for travellers to avoid DVT on long flights

New guidelines for travellers have been issued. Experts warn that those with a higher risk of serious blood clots who opt for the window seat on flights longer than four hours are potentially putting themselves in danger. People who should be most concerned are those who have recently had surgery, cancer patients, those with limited mobility, the severely obese, and travellers over 70. However, healthy women on the pill and those who are pregnant should also be careful, according to the guidelines by the American College of Chest Physicians.

7 Feb 2012

Occasional erratic heart rhythms cause about one-fifth of unexplained strokes

Occasional erratic heart rhythms appear to cause about one-fifth of strokes for which a cause is not readily established, according to research presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2012.

3 Feb 2012

Novel method can rapidly scan and capture 3D maps of muscle structure

Simon Fraser University associate professor James Wakeling is adding to the arsenal of increasingly sophisticated medical imaging tools with a new signal-processing method for viewing muscle activation details that have never been seen before.

23 Jan 2012

Neuronal energy deficit may cause Parkinson's disease

Scientists at the University of York have made a significant step forward in isolating the cause of Parkinson's disease in younger adults.

17 Jan 2012

AICAR might protect against heat stress in MH-susceptible individuals

Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is a life-threatening genetic muscle disorder, most commonly triggered in those at risk by certain types of drugs used during anesthesia. Heat stroke, on the other hand, most commonly occurs in individuals in response to physical exertion in hot/humid environments. While their common triggers may differ, the signs associated with MH and heat stroke are remarkably similar - uncontrolled muscle contractions, dangerous increases in body temperature, and muscle breakdown leading to the release of toxins in the blood which may cause cardiac arrhythmias and death. Immediate treatment for these conditions is crucial.

13 Jan 2012

AICAR therapy may combat heat stroke

We've all seen the story in the news before. Whether it's the death of a physically fit high school athlete at football training camp in August, or of an elderly woman gardening in the middle of the day in July, heat stroke is a serious, life-threatening condition for which there is no treatment beyond submersion in ice water or the application of ice packs to cool the body to a normal temperature.

8 Jan 2012

Fetal heart rate monitor may improve infant's health

Despite the numerous medical advances that happen every day, the infant mortality rate in the United States is still higher than most European countries. While experts believe this is closely linked to the growing rate of pre-term births, researchers are committed to finding ways to make labor and delivery safer. Northwestern Medicine- researchers are examining a new device that may support improved newborn health at delivery through closer monitoring of infant oxygen use during labor.

22 Dec 2011

Study hopes to explain premature births and failed inductions of labour

New research hopes to explain premature births and failed inductions of labour. The study by academics at the University of Bristol suggests a new mechanism by which the level of myosin phosphorylation is regulated in the pregnant uterus.

22 Dec 2011

Diabetes increases risk of emergency caesarean birth in women with poorly contracting uterus

Researchers at the University of Liverpool have found that the strength of uterine contractions in diabetic pregnant women is significantly weaker than in non-diabetic women, increasing the risk of emergency caesarean birth.

7 Dec 2011