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National prevention strategy for a healthy lifestyle

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory disorders - the incidence of these non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is constantly rising in industrialised countries.

9 Jul 2014

Interrupted sleep patterns linked to compromised cognitive abilities

The familiar cry in the night, followed by a blind shuffle to the crib, a feeding, a diaper change, and a final retreat back into oblivion - every hour on the hour.

9 Jul 2014

Study compares sutures versus surgical staples in C-section procedure

In the largest study to date comparing sutures (stitches) versus surgical staples for closing a C-section, researchers found a 57 percent decrease in wound complications in women who were sutured versus those who received staples.

9 Jul 2014

Over 650 000 children develop tuberculosis every year in the 22 HBCs according to new estimates

New estimates indicate that over 650 000 children develop tuberculosis (TB) every year in the 22 countries with a high burden of the disease (HBCs)*—almost 25% higher than the total number of new cases worldwide estimated by WHO in 2012 (530 000)**. The research, published in The Lancet Global Health, also suggests that about 15 million children are exposed to TB every year, and roughly 53 million are living with latent TB infection, which can progress to infectious active TB at any time.

9 Jul 2014

UCLA project receives $15M to restore lost memory functions in brain-injured people

The UCLA Program in Memory Restoration has been awarded up to $15 million by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) for a four -year project aiming to help brain-injured people restore lost memory functions.

9 Jul 2014

Manchester mentoring scheme helps student become doctor

A trip to The University of Manchester at age 15 has led to a career in medicine for Salford school boy Emmanuel Oladipo who graduates today (8 July).

9 Jul 2014

Rowan researcher gets $2.8 million to alleviate effects of disasters on older people

Nothing could have prepared New Jersey's residents for the devastation wreaked by Hurricane Sandy in 2012. Particularly hard hit was the state's elderly population. While statistics show that elderly residents accounted for 65 percent of the deaths associated with the storm, little is known about the lasting effects on those who survived, particularly how the storm and its aftermath contributed to functional declines and disability in older adults.

9 Jul 2014

Use of minimally invasive surgery varies widely across US hospitals

Hospitals across the country vary substantially in their use of minimally invasive surgery, even when evidence shows that for most patients, minimally invasive surgery is superior to open surgery, a new study shows. The finding represents a major disparity in the surgical care delivered at various hospitals, the study's authors say, and identifies an area of medicine ripe for improvement.

9 Jul 2014

Researchers discover novel biomarker that could help predict preeclampsia

University of Iowa researchers have discovered a biomarker that could give expecting mothers and their doctors the first simple blood test to reliably predict that a pregnant woman may develop preeclampsia, at least as early as 6 weeks into the pregnancy.

9 Jul 2014

New platform aims to bring doctors and pharmacists together

Doctors and pharmacists share many things in common within their fields of work, and 97% of them agree that they should work together more closely for the overall benefit of the patient.

9 Jul 2014

Hand hygiene rates 3 times higher when auditors visible to healthcare workers

Hand hygiene rates were found to be three times higher when auditors were visible to healthcare workers than when there were no auditors present, according to a study in a major Canadian acute care hospital.

9 Jul 2014

Removal of gall bladder benefits patients with common duct stones

Among patients with possible common duct stones, removal of the gall bladder, compared with endoscopic assessment of the common duct followed by gall bladder removal, resulted in a shorter length of hospital stay without increased illness and fewer common duct examinations, according to a study in the July 9 issue of JAMA.

9 Jul 2014

Genetic variants linked with greater risk for radiation-driven side effects in cancer patients

Key genetic variants may affect how cancer patients respond to radiation treatments, according to a study published this week in Nature Genetics.

8 Jul 2014

Despite signing up and paying premiums, some people still aren't covered

News outlets report that difficulties resulting from health exchange websites and enrollment systems continue to impact insurance coverage. News outlets also report on related developments from D.C., Colorado, Wisconsin and Missouri.

8 Jul 2014

Samples from Chobani yogurt contain most virulent form of fungus

Samples isolated from Chobani yogurt that was voluntarily recalled in September 2013 have been found to contain the most virulent form of a fungus called Mucor circinelloides, which is associated with infections in immune-compromised people.

8 Jul 2014

Adults with extreme obesity have increased risks of dying at young age

Adults with extreme obesity have increased risks of dying at a young age from cancer and many other causes including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and kidney and liver diseases, according to results of an analysis of data pooled from 20 large studies of people from three countries.

8 Jul 2014

Scientists discover new role for pair of compounds which alter circadian rhythm

Scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have discovered a surprising new role for a pair of compounds—which have the potential to alter circadian rhythm, the complex physiological process that responds to a 24-hour cycle of light and dark and is present in most living things.

8 Jul 2014

Children who received home visits from nurses are less likely to die from preventable causes

Low-income mothers and their first-born children who received home visits from nurses were less likely to die from preventable causes during a two-decade period studied by a University of Colorado School of Medicine professor, according to a report published in JAMA Pediatrics - a leading, peer-reviewed journal of the American Medical Association.

8 Jul 2014

Genetic mutations in liver cells may drive tumor formation in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma

Two genetic mutations in liver cells may drive tumor formation in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA), the second most common form of liver cancer, according to a research published in the July issue of the journal Nature.

8 Jul 2014