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Leaving deprivation out of standard risk assessments for heart disease is potentially denying life saving treatment to those who need it most

A person's estimated chances of developing heart disease, and being allocated "primary preventive" treatment, is currently calculated using the standard risk factors of smoking, blood pressure, cholesterol, age, sex, and diabetes. These are typically pulled together in the internationally used Framingham Risk Score.

26 Sep 2005

22 biomarkers that provide a more accurate screening for prostate

Researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center have identified a panel of 22 biomarkers that together provide a more accurate screening for prostate cancer than the current prostate specific antigen, or PSA, test.

22 Sep 2005

HDL cholesterol helps prevent blocked arteries and heart attack

Cardiology experts at Johns Hopkins have issued interim guidelines for physicians on how best to treat low levels of HDL cholesterol, the so-called good cholesterol, which helps keep arteries clear from the buildup of LDL cholesterol, the so-called bad cholesterol.

22 Sep 2005

Long-term alcoholics are at a higher risk for postoperative infections following elective cardiac surgery

Previous research has shown that post-surgery rates of disease and death are two-to-five times greater among long-term alcoholics than nonalcoholic patients. Of all the possible complications, infection can be the most serious.

22 Sep 2005

Key neural system at risk from prenatal exposure to alcohol

In a study of adult monkeys who were exposed to moderate amounts of alcohol in utero, scientists have found that prenatal exposure to alcohol - even in small doses - has pronounced effects on the development and function later in life of the brain's dopamine system, a critical component of the central nervous system that regulates many regions of the brain.

21 Sep 2005

Adult sickle cell drug hydroxyurea proves effective in young children

A drug used for the treatment of sickle cell anemia in adults has now been shown to cause significant improvements in very young children with the disorder.

20 Sep 2005

Gene mutation may increase the risk of prostate cancer up to three times in African-American

Researchers have identified a gene mutation that may increase the risk of prostate cancer up to three times in African-American men with a family history of the disease.

20 Sep 2005

Students might actually overestimate rather than underestimate their levels of drinking

Numerous studies have shown that misuse of alcohol by college students in the U.S. is a pervasive problem. Most of what is known about consumption levels is based on self-report survey data, which assumes that students are aware of and can accurately calculate how much alcohol they consume.

20 Sep 2005

Heavy alcohol consumption can significantly increase men's risk of developing atrial fibrillation

A large-scale study led by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) has found that heavy alcohol consumption - 35 or more drinks per week -- can significantly increase men's risk of developing atrial fibrillation, a dangerous type of arrhythmia and one of the leading risk factors for stroke.

20 Sep 2005

Important new lessons learned from aspirin

No other medicine is as common, inexpensive, and yet powerful in so many ways as aspirin; yet despite a century of experience with the drug, researchers are still learning important new lessons, while raising new questions, according to seven special articles in the Sept. 20, 2005, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

20 Sep 2005

Current state of knowledge and experience with vascular birthmarks

The September/October issue of Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery contains several articles on the current state of knowledge and experience with vascular birthmarks, which are caused by blood vessels that do not form correctly.

20 Sep 2005

Blood test to measure hormone prolactin can help determine type of seizure

Using a blood test to measure the level of the hormone prolactin can help determine, in certain clinical settings, whether an epileptic seizure has occurred, according to a guideline developed by the American Academy of Neurology and published in the September 13, 2005 issue of Neurology.

20 Sep 2005

Low-dose aspirin might prevent the cardiovascular damage known to arise from use of the painkiller rofecoxib (Vioxx)

Their findings that a chemical imbalance might underlie such damage could also lead to the development of anti-inflammatory drugs without the adverse side effects, the researchers said.

20 Sep 2005

Pocket-size device helps people living with HIV remember their medicine

In a study from Johns Hopkins, a pocket-size device giving electronic-voice reminders to "take your medicine" proves to be a success for people living with HIV whose memory is slightly impaired by the virus.

20 Sep 2005

Researchers determine the sequence in which the malaria parasite disperses from the red blood cells it infects

Researchers at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development have determined the sequence in which the malaria parasite disperses from the red blood cells it infects. The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development is one of the Institutes comprising the National Institutes of Health.

19 Sep 2005

PSA remains the best measure of the likelihood of prostate cancer recurrence after surgery

Despite recent claims by some urologists that measuring the blood protein prostate-specific antigen (PSA) may not be effective in predicting risk of prostate cancer, a Johns Hopkins study of more than 2,000 men confirms that PSA remains the best measure of the likelihood of cancer recurrence after surgery.

19 Sep 2005

Human fat cells produce a protein that is linked to both inflammation and an increased risk of heart disease and stroke

Researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center and The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston have found that human fat cells produce a protein that is linked to both inflammation and an increased risk of heart disease and stroke.

19 Sep 2005

Natural daily body rhythms may influence the effectiveness of spinal-epidural pain medication

The study found that women who had day labor got longer pain relief than women with night labor with the same amount of labor pain medicine.

19 Sep 2005

Study suggests chronic infections may create autoimmune response

New research finds the human immune system has foregone evolutionary changes that would allow it to produce better antibodies in less time because the improved antibodies would be far more likely to attack the body's own tissues.

19 Sep 2005

Drug AMD-3100 may help cancer patients who need stem cell transplants

A new drug may help cancer patients mobilize the cells necessary to restore their blood-forming system after high-dose chemotherapy, according to results from a clinical trial at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia and at other centers across the nation.

19 Sep 2005

Blood News and Research

Leaving deprivation out of standard risk assessments for heart disease is potentially denying life saving treatment to those who need it most

22 biomarkers that provide a more accurate screening for prostate

HDL cholesterol helps prevent blocked arteries and heart attack

Long-term alcoholics are at a higher risk for postoperative infections following elective cardiac surgery

Key neural system at risk from prenatal exposure to alcohol

Adult sickle cell drug hydroxyurea proves effective in young children

Gene mutation may increase the risk of prostate cancer up to three times in African-American

Students might actually overestimate rather than underestimate their levels of drinking

Heavy alcohol consumption can significantly increase men's risk of developing atrial fibrillation

Important new lessons learned from aspirin

Current state of knowledge and experience with vascular birthmarks

Blood test to measure hormone prolactin can help determine type of seizure

Low-dose aspirin might prevent the cardiovascular damage known to arise from use of the painkiller rofecoxib (Vioxx)

Pocket-size device helps people living with HIV remember their medicine

Researchers determine the sequence in which the malaria parasite disperses from the red blood cells it infects

PSA remains the best measure of the likelihood of prostate cancer recurrence after surgery

Human fat cells produce a protein that is linked to both inflammation and an increased risk of heart disease and stroke

Natural daily body rhythms may influence the effectiveness of spinal-epidural pain medication

Study suggests chronic infections may create autoimmune response

Drug AMD-3100 may help cancer patients who need stem cell transplants

Industry Focus eBook - Cell biology (5th edition) eBook

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Expanding access to NMR with the Fourier 80 Duo

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