Blood News and Research

RSS

Weight-based dosing of ribavirin improves outcomes for patients with hepatitis C

Patients with hepatitis C treated with combination therapy of pegylated interferon and ribavirin had better outcomes when taking a weight-based dosage of ribavirin compared to a flat dosage.

2 Oct 2007

How cells protect themselves (or not) from DNA damage caused by UV rays

It's well known that overexposure to ultraviolet rays from the sun can cause major skin problems, ranging from skin cancer to sunburns and premature wrinkles.

2 Oct 2007

Obese moms-to-be should gain less weight than currently recommended

Severely obese women should lose weight during pregnancy, while obese women who are pregnant should gain less weight than currently recommended, a Saint Louis University study finds.

2 Oct 2007

New way to fight hepatitis B

One in four people who are chronically infected with hepatitis B will die from its impact if untreated, but a team of researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine has identified the most cost-effective way of fighting this treacherous infection.

2 Oct 2007

Residual fetal cells in women may provide protection against breast cancer

Fetal cells that persist in a woman's body long after pregnancy - a common occurrence known in scientific circles as fetal microchimerism - in some cases may reduce the woman's risk of breast cancer, according to researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

2 Oct 2007

Panic attacks may increase risk of heart attack or stroke in older women

Older women who experience at least one full-blown panic attack may have an increased risk of having a heart attack or stroke and an increased risk of death in the next five years, according to a report in the October issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

2 Oct 2007

Noninvasive tests for cirrhosis may help to avoid liver biopsy

Newer ultrasound and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging tests yield encouraging initial results in diagnosing fibrosis (scarring) and cirrhosis of the liver, according to three studies in the October issue of the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

2 Oct 2007

New test detects the presence of biogenic amines

Researchers in California are reporting development of a fast, inexpensive test suitable for home use that could help millions of people avoid those 'out of the blue' headaches that may follow consumption of certain red wines, cheese, chocolate, and other aged or fermented foods.

2 Oct 2007

Mini-strokes linked to uric acid levels

Researchers at Johns Hopkins have found that high-normal uric acid (UA) levels may cause barely detectable mini strokes that potentially contribute to mental decline in aging adults.

2 Oct 2007

Better use of kidneys from deceased donors

Several new studies suggest how transplant surgeons can make more effective use of kidneys from deceased donors – even those that are at the outer limits of acceptance criteria – according to researchers from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

2 Oct 2007

Gene discovery that affects breast cancer treatment

Medical scientists at the University of Leicester will be reporting on a potentially unique advance in breast cancer research at the National Cancer Research Institute Conference in Birmingham on Monday 1st October.

2 Oct 2007

Extended wakefulness and low-dose alcohol impairs driving performance

The combination of extended wakefulness and low-dose alcohol has significant adverse effects on a person's ability to drive, and elevates the risk of getting into a vehicular accident, according to a study published in the October 1 issue of the journal SLEEP.

2 Oct 2007

Depression, aging, and proteins made by a virus may all play role in heart disease

Researchers here have linked an increase in two immune system proteins essential for inflammation to a latent viral infection and proposed a chain of events that might accelerate cardiovascular disease.

2 Oct 2007

Rapamycin and Gleevec reverses effects of portal hypertension in rats

A combined treatment with rapamycin and Gleevec might reverse the effects of portal hypertension in patients with chronic liver disease, according to the results of a new study on rats.

2 Oct 2007

Caribbean health authorities promise to reduce healthcare-associated infections

Health authorities from the Caribbean say they will work to reduce healthcare-associated infections through a series of actions that include getting healthcare providers to improve hand hygiene.

2 Oct 2007

Botched production of insulin molecule may lead to diabetes

Picture a pretzel factory production line, with conveyer belts carrying the dough, formed into unbaked pretzels, down to the oven to be cooked.

2 Oct 2007

Rosiglitazone and Pioglitazone increase risk of congestive heart failure but not the risk of cardiovascular death

Patients with type 2 diabetes* or prediabetes* are more likely to develop congestive heart failure (CHF) when given rosiglitazone or pioglitazone, as compared with controls. However these drugs did not increase the risk of cardiovascular death (CVD) for these patients.

1 Oct 2007

Reversal of blood flow to the brain may help protect against stroke during carotid stenting

Surgeons at the Methodist DeBakey Heart Center in Houston have begun a new trial that will seek to protect patients from stroke by reversing blood flow in the brain during carotid stenting.

1 Oct 2007

Residual fetal cells in women both detrimental and beneficial to women's health

Fetal cells that persist in a woman's body long after pregnancy – a common occurrence known in scientific circles as fetal microchimerism – in some cases may reduce the woman's risk of breast cancer, according to researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

1 Oct 2007

Inhaled ozone impairs the body's first line of defense

As policy makers debate what levels of ozone in the air are safe for humans to breathe, studies in mice are revealing that the inhaled pollutant impairs the body's first line of defense, making it more susceptible to subsequent foreign invaders, such as bacteria.

1 Oct 2007