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Medication errors dramatically reduced in patients with kidney disease

A first of its kind study has shown a dramatic reduction in medication errors in patients with chronic kidney disease when Kaiser Permanente Colorado researchers teamed with pharmacists to use a computerized system to electronically screen prescriptions for unsafe medication orders.

3 Jun 2005

Exposure to aflatoxins that contaminate crops in developing countries can be reduced by a simple, cost-effective intervention

Exposure to a cancer-causing toxin that contaminates crops in developing countries can be reduced by a simple, cost-effective intervention on post-harvest storage, concludes a study in this week’s issue of The Lancet.

3 Jun 2005

Genetics may play a role in the effectiveness of chemotherapy drugs

Today, the most common childhood cancer is cured in about 80 percent of patients; only forty years ago, this number was closer to five percent. In efforts to further increase the survival rate, researchers from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, the University of Tennessee, and the University of Chicago studied how an individual's genetics might play a role in the effectiveness of chemotherapy drugs.

3 Jun 2005

Research findings suggest new treatment strategies for patients with cystic fibrosis

Cells sent to fight infections in the lungs of cystic fibrosis patients actually enhance the development of permanent bacterial infections, according to researchers at National Jewish Medical and Research Center.

3 Jun 2005

Diabetes knowledge has little effect on improving outcomes

A new study by Duke Clinical Research Institute researchers finds little relationship between what a diabetic patient knows about the disease and control of its associated cardiovascular risk factors or how well the patient ultimately fares.

3 Jun 2005

Consumption comes with a mental health cost

With consumption comes a cost, says report in the June 2005 issue the Journal of Consumer Research. But, this time it is not just dollars that are at stake, it may be your mental health, too.

3 Jun 2005

Alarming trends among steroid users

Major findings in a new survey of 500 steroid users reveal specific, alarming trends: most are non-athletes whose sole intention is to improve their physical appearance; users are taking larger doses than previously recorded; and even though nearly all admitted to adverse side effects, health concerns are not enough to deter their steroid use.

2 Jun 2005

Metabolic syndrome prevalent in elementary school children

The metabolic syndrome, a dangerous cluster of risk factors previously seen in adults and adolescents, is now appearing in elementary school-aged children.

2 Jun 2005

Novel strategy proves highly effective in killing drug-resistant multiple myeloma cells

A novel strategy devised by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute scientists has proved highly effective in killing drug-resistant multiple myeloma cells in the laboratory and could open a new form of attack on the deadly blood cancer, they report.

2 Jun 2005

Most heart failure cases are discovered after patients admitted to hospital

About three out of four people diagnosed at a hospital with congestive heart failure were admitted for some other health condition, a new study found.

2 Jun 2005

Chemo combo increases breast cancer survival

A new Spanish study has found that a combination of chemotherapy drugs can increase the five-year survival rate of women with metastatic, node-positive breast cancer by 7 percent.

2 Jun 2005

Education is the best defense against obesity

According to a study by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, education is the best defense against obesity.

2 Jun 2005

Ageing and Health publication by the Medical Research Council highlights groundbreaking work on the ageing process

With life expectancy increasing worldwide, a new 'Ageing and Health' (PDF) publication by the Medical Research Council (MRC) highlights groundbreaking work on the ageing process, which could help elderly people not only live longer, but also lead healthier and happier lives.

2 Jun 2005

Genetic variation alters response to anti-clotting drug warfarin

Millions of people take the anticoagulant drug warfarin to prevent harmful clotting after a heart attack, stroke, or major surgery. But the proper dose of warfarin can vary greatly and can be hard to predict.

1 Jun 2005

Early surgical removal of the spleen combined with antiangiogenic cancer therapy may halt the progression of leukemia

The research, published today in Blood, is the first to show the combination of two factors secreted from the environment of the spleen is important in the promotion of leukemia.

1 Jun 2005

You can teach your child to eat healthier

Parents, take heart: You can teach your child to eat healthier. A study of preadolescent children found that those who attended a behaviorally oriented nutrition education program and were taught to follow a diet low in saturated fat and dietary cholesterol adopted significantly better dietary habits over several years compared to their peers who received only general nutritional information.

1 Jun 2005

Study of MRSA bloodstream infections in children

The UK's Health Protection Agency (HPA) is to begin a study reviewing bloodstream infections in children caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

1 Jun 2005

Hypertension, diabetes and obesity are important independent predictors of increased complications for patients undergoing major joint replacement surgery

Using a database of nearly 1 million Americans who underwent major joint replacement surgery, a team led by researchers at Duke University Medical Center have determined those surgical patients with diabetes, hypertension or obesity were significantly more likely to suffer post-operative complications.

1 Jun 2005

New Calcitonin drug delivery research holds promise for osteoporosis sufferers

Calcitonin, a hormone that lowers calcium levels in the blood and prevents bone loss, has only been available in an injectable and nasally-administered format to date.

1 Jun 2005

Triple approach is promising against cancer cells

A trimodal treatment strategy combining chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and a protein kinase inhibitor is much more effective against cancer cells than any combination of only two treatment methods.

1 Jun 2005