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Long-term tobacco dependence may affect memory and thinking in women

Men and women with a history of alcohol abuse may not see long-term negative effects on their memory and thinking, but female smokers do, a new study suggests.

16 Mar 2010

Vitamin D supplements might do more harm than good for African-American patients

Vitamin D is quickly becoming the "go-to" remedy for treating a wide range of illnesses, from osteoporosis to atherosclerosis. However, new evidence from a Wake Forest University School of Medicine study suggests that supplementing vitamin D in those with low levels may have different effects based on patient race and, in black individuals, the supplement could actually do harm.

16 Mar 2010

Large amounts of frozen plasma are being used inappropriately

Large amounts of frozen plasma are being used inappropriately, states a commentary in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) (pre-embargo link only).

16 Mar 2010

Tips for reducing LDL cholesterol

Cardiovascular disease is the No.1 killer in North America. And high cholesterol is one of the primary risk factors of coronary heart disease and stroke. According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, almost 40% of Canadian adults are classified as having high blood cholesterol levels.

16 Mar 2010

Meditation and walking can help lower BP and heart rate

Simple, low-cost measures such as wearing a pedometer to inspire walking and spending a few minutes a day meditating can put adolescents on the track toward better health, researchers report.

16 Mar 2010

Concurrent use of proton-pump inhibitor and clopidogrel does not elevate cardiovascular risk

Heart patients who took a stomach acid-suppressing proton-pump inhibitor along with clopidogrel - a drug that prevents blood clots - were only half as likely to be hospitalized for upper digestive tract bleeding than those who used clopidogrel alone, according to a new study supported by HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute at the National Institutes of Health.

16 Mar 2010

New cerebral protection device prevents stroke during treatment to clear blocked carotid arteries

An important interventional radiology advancement-the use of a new cerebral protection device in combination with FDA-approved carotid stents in high-surgical-risk patients-provides a minimally invasive, safe and effective way to prevent stroke from occurring during treatment to clear blocked carotid arteries, according to research released at the Society of Interventional Radiology's 35th Annual Scientific Meeting in Tampa, Fla.

16 Mar 2010

MIF exhibits potential as viable therapeutic target for Type 2 diabetes

An experimental oral drug has lowered blood sugar levels and inflammation in mice with Type 2 diabetes, suggesting that the medication could someday be added to the arsenal of drugs used by millions of Americans with this disease, according to new research.

16 Mar 2010

Fluoride chemicals may increase lead accumulation, say researchers

Fluoride chemicals added to public water supplies, boosts lead absorption in lab animals' bones, teeth and blood, report Sawan, et al. (Toxicology 2/2010). Earlier studies already show children's blood-lead-levels are higher in fluoridated communities, reports Sawan's research team.

16 Mar 2010

Arthritis drug could be useful for treating patients with type 2 diabetes

Clinical studies of a generic drug called salsalate, widely prescribed for arthritis, now provide early promising results that it may be useful for the treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes as well.

16 Mar 2010

NKF: Certain ethnic minorities are at higher risk for developing CKD

Certain ethnic minorities, including African Americans and Hispanics, are at a higher risk than the general population for developing potentially life-threatening chronic kidney disease (CKD), which has been linked to higher rates of diabetes and high blood pressure, according to the National Kidney Foundation.

16 Mar 2010

Drug-eluting stents offer new hope to patients with critical limb ischemia

In the United States, more than 100,000 amputations are performed each year on individuals with critical limb ischemia, the most severe form of peripheral arterial disease (PAD). The number one priority in treating these patients is to re-establish blood flow to avoid limb amputation.

16 Mar 2010

CT scan of heart's epicardial fat provides better prognosis compared to standard diagnostic techniques

Imaging epicardial adipose tissue, or the layer of fat around the heart, can provide extra information compared with standard diagnostic techniques such as coronary artery calcium scoring, according to research by cardiologists at Emory University School of Medicine.

16 Mar 2010

Roche Diagnostics named sole source supplier for Premier's blood glucose monitoring devices

Roche Diagnostics announced today that it has been awarded contracts for blood glucose monitoring and clinical chemistry/immunoassay lab analyzers from Premier Purchasing Partners, L.P., Inc., the group purchasing unit of Premier, Inc. Roche was also named the sole source supplier for blood glucose in Premier's exclusive ASCEND supply chain performance program.

From Roche Sequencing and Life Science 16 Mar 2010

Uterine fibroids: Promising new minimally invasive treatment using high-energy ultrasound waves

There's a new interventional radiology tool showing promise in the treatment of uterine fibroids: magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS), a minimally invasive treatment that uses high-energy ultrasound waves to generate heat at a specific point to destroy uterine fibroid tissue and relieve symptoms.

16 Mar 2010

International symposium to feature latest findings on vector-borne diseases in humans and plants

Leading insect vector biologists from around the world will gather at the University of California, Riverside for two days this month to discuss their latest research on vector-borne diseases in humans and plants.

16 Mar 2010

McKesson’s Horizon Cardiology CVIS simplifies complex cardiovascular processes

Recognizing that a single database cardiovascular information solution (CVIS) can streamline workflow and improve staff efficiency in the cardiology department, hospitals across North America are replacing their legacy hemodynamic systems with McKesson’s Horizon Cardiology CVIS. Through combining hemodynamic monitoring, ECG Management, and multi-modality imaging and reporting in a single database, Horizon Cardiology CVIS enables cardiologists to address today’s challenges of decreasing revenues, increasing costs and mounting documentation requirements.

16 Mar 2010

Metabolic drugs top the list of prescription drug expenses for elderly Medicare beneficiaries

Purchases of cholesterol and diabetes prescription drugs by elderly Medicare beneficiaries reached nearly $19 billion in 2007 - about one-fourth of the approximately $82 billion spent for medications for the elderly, according to the latest AHRQ News and Numbers.

16 Mar 2010

Study confirms blood-stage infection is due to population mixing and disease evolution

In a paradigm changing discovery, Plasmodium vivax (P. vivax) malaria has been identified in a population historically thought to be resistant to the disease, those who do not express the Duffy blood group protein on their red blood cells, according to researchers from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Pasteur Institute, and the Madagascar Ministry of Health.

16 Mar 2010

Vertebroplasty helps patients become better equipped to continue with treatment for multiple myeloma

Treating non-osteoporotic compression fractures in patients with multiple myeloma, a blood cancer, shows that the use of vertebroplasty-a minimally invasive treatment performed by interventional radiologists using imaging guidance that stabilizes collapsed vertebrae with the injection of medical-grade bone cement into the spine-results in a reduction of pain, medication usage and disability, according to researchers in the largest study of its kind at the Society of Interventional Radiology's 35th Annual Scientific Meeting in Tampa, Fla.

16 Mar 2010

Blood News and Research

Long-term tobacco dependence may affect memory and thinking in women

Vitamin D supplements might do more harm than good for African-American patients

Large amounts of frozen plasma are being used inappropriately

Tips for reducing LDL cholesterol

Meditation and walking can help lower BP and heart rate

Concurrent use of proton-pump inhibitor and clopidogrel does not elevate cardiovascular risk

New cerebral protection device prevents stroke during treatment to clear blocked carotid arteries

MIF exhibits potential as viable therapeutic target for Type 2 diabetes

Fluoride chemicals may increase lead accumulation, say researchers

Arthritis drug could be useful for treating patients with type 2 diabetes

NKF: Certain ethnic minorities are at higher risk for developing CKD

Drug-eluting stents offer new hope to patients with critical limb ischemia

CT scan of heart's epicardial fat provides better prognosis compared to standard diagnostic techniques

Roche Diagnostics named sole source supplier for Premier's blood glucose monitoring devices

Uterine fibroids: Promising new minimally invasive treatment using high-energy ultrasound waves

International symposium to feature latest findings on vector-borne diseases in humans and plants

McKesson’s Horizon Cardiology CVIS simplifies complex cardiovascular processes

Metabolic drugs top the list of prescription drug expenses for elderly Medicare beneficiaries

Study confirms blood-stage infection is due to population mixing and disease evolution

Vertebroplasty helps patients become better equipped to continue with treatment for multiple myeloma

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

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