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UCL to establish new center for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases

A new centre dedicated to the understanding and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases will be established at UCL following the award of a £20million grant from the Wolfson Foundation, it was announced today.

19 Dec 2011

Study finds knee pain patterns vary among women over a 12-year period

New research shows 63% of women age 50 and older reported persistent, incident, or intermittent knee pain during a 12-year study period. Predictors for persistent pain included higher body mass index (BMI), previous knee injury, and radiographic osteoarthritis.

19 Dec 2011

Vaginal progesterone decreases odds of premature delivery in women

A new study co-authored by the University of Kentucky's Dr. John O'Brien found that applying vaginal progesterone to women who are at a high risk of preterm birth significantly decreased the odds of a premature delivery.

16 Dec 2011

Scientists discover gene that causes Weaver syndrome

Scientists have found a gene that causes Weaver syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that typically causes large size at birth, tall stature, developmental delay during childhood, and intellectual disability.

16 Dec 2011

Goal of near-zero malaria deaths attainable with continued will, resources

In this TIME "Ideas" opinion piece, David Bowen, CEO of Malaria No More, writes that with the right resources and political will, an end to malaria is possible.

15 Dec 2011

Vaginal progesterone safe and effective in preventing preterm birth

Women with a short cervix should be treated with vaginal progesterone to prevent preterm birth, according to a landmark study by leading obstetricians around the world. Vaginal progesterone decreased the rate of preterm birth by 42%, and significantly reduced the rate of respiratory distress syndrome and the need for mechanical ventilation, as well as a composite of several complications of premature newborns.

15 Dec 2011

Vaginal progesterone reduces rate of preterm birth and neonatal complications

A team of investigators of the National Institutes of Health housed at the Detroit Medical Center (DMC) and Wayne State University (WSU) published today that performing a cervical ultrasound in all pregnant women and treating those with a short cervix with vaginal progesterone reduces the rate of preterm birth and neonatal complications.

15 Dec 2011

Researchers identify genetic factors responsible for neurons in the thalamus

The thalamus is the central translator in the brain: Specialized nerve cells (neurons) receive information from the sensory organs, process it, and transmit it deep into the brain. Researchers from the Institute of Toxicology and Genetics (ITG) of KIT have now identified the genetic factors Lhx2 and Lhx9 responsible for the development of these neurons.

15 Dec 2011

Novel prognostic model for patients with treatment-related MDS

A large-scale analysis of patients whose myelodysplastic syndrome is related to earlier cancer treatment overturns the notion that all of them have a poor prognosis, researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center report at the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology.

15 Dec 2011

Chronic fatigue syndrome may be reason behind many school absenteeism: Study

According to a new study one in 100 secondary school pupils could be missing classes because of chronic fatigue syndrome, also known as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME). A study following 2,855 pupils at three schools, published in the online journal BMJ Open, found 28 missed school with chronic fatigue syndrome.

14 Dec 2011

Link between high tau levels and worse outcome after head trauma

High levels of tau protein in fluid bathing the brain are linked to poor recovery after head trauma, according to a study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the Fondazione IRCCS Ca Granda-Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico in Milan, Italy.

14 Dec 2011

RHUL researchers call for more unified lower back pain guidelines

Researchers at Royal Holloway, University of London are calling for more unified guidelines about returning back pain patients to work as currently the advice can be contradictory and confusing.

14 Dec 2011

Older women may face negative consequences with weight regain after loss

The holidays are upon us and, for many Americans that means some degree of weight gain and the subsequent New Year's resolution to diet. However, shedding the pounds may have some negative consequences on the overall health of older women if the weight loss is not maintained, according to a new study by researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.

14 Dec 2011

New exercise and memory study for Parkinson's disease patients

Researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine and the Baltimore VA Medical Center have launched a study of exercise and computerized memory training to see if those activities may help people with Parkinson's disease prevent memory changes. The type of memory that will be examined is known as "executive function;" it allows people to take in information and use it in a new way.

13 Dec 2011

ISIS-FXIRx reduces Factor XI activity without bleeding in healthy volunteers

Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today positive results from a Phase 1 study with ISIS-FXIRx. The results demonstrated that treatment with ISIS-FXIRx produced dose-dependent statistically significant reductions of up to 78 percent in Factor XI activity.

13 Dec 2011

VDF, CDC and VDC to educate women about gender-specific DVT risks

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a blood clot in the deep veins in the legs. These clots can break loose and travel to the lungs, causing a potentially fatal pulmonary embolism (PE). Even when they don't, they can cause permanent damage to the leg veins that results in long-term pain, swelling, and disability of the leg.

9 Dec 2011

Electromechanical wave imaging can diagnose non-periodic arrhythmias

Thanks to a new study from Columbia Engineering School, doctors may now be able to diagnose in their offices non-periodic arrhythmias-noninvasively and at low cost-within a single heartbeat. Non-periodic arrhythmias include atrial and ventricular fibrillation, which are associated with severely abnormal heart rhythm that can in some cases be life-threatening.

9 Dec 2011

MS may progress from outermost layers of brain to its deep parts

Multiple sclerosis (MS) may progress from the outermost layers of the brain to its deep parts, and isn't always an "inside-out" process as previously thought, reported a new collaborative study from researchers at the Mayo Clinic and the Cleveland Clinic.

8 Dec 2011

African American women are less psychologically affected by being overweight

While all obese women are less satisfied with the weight-related quality of their lives than women of 'normal' weight, black women report a higher quality of life than white women of the same weight. In addition, black women appear to be more concerned about the physical limitations resulting from their obesity, than by the potential psychological consequences of being overweight or obese.

8 Dec 2011

Fatal snakebites 'vastly underreported,' researchers report at annual ASTMH meeting

"Fatal snakebites worldwide have been vastly underreported because many die before seeking or reaching medical care, researchers" from the Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre in Frankfurt, Germany, reported on Monday at the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene's (ASTMH) annual meeting, UPI.com writes.

8 Dec 2011