Blood News and Research

RSS

Less invasive procedure for treatment of uterine fibroids is effective

Women who suffer from the frustrating and painful chronic symptoms of uterine fibroids have a safe and effective alternative to surgery according to new five-year studies presented at an annual meeting of the Society of Interventional Radiology held in April. Studies found that uterine fibroid embolization has a 73 percent success rate at five years.

11 May 2005

MicroVention awarded key patent for Smart Hydrogel

MicroVention announced today that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has awarded the company U.S. Patent No. 6,878,384 for its proprietary environmentally-responsive or "smart" hydrogel called Intelligel.

11 May 2005

Targeted Genetics announces new patent for Hyperlipidemia

Targeted Genetics Corporation announced today issuance of U.S. patent #6,887,463, entitled, "Methods and Compositions for Gene Therapy for the Treatment of Defects in Lipoprotein Metabolism."

11 May 2005

Discovery may pave way for immunotherapies for prostate cancer

Using a common chemotherapy agent, researchers at UCLA's Jonsson Cancer Center and the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine found a way to move an important biomarker expressed in prostate cancer, shaking it loose from one location in a cell – where it could not be accessed by blood – to another, easier to target area.

11 May 2005

Healthy dose of fat is needed for a healthy metabolism

Just when we had all been convinced by information from just about every quarter, that fat was the bad guy of the diet kingdom, new research has found that a healthy dose of fat is needed for a healthy metabolism.

11 May 2005

Aspirin aids recovery following heart bypass surgery

Many patients who regularly take aspirin to thin their blood prior to undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery, have in the past been told to stop the aspirin a week before the operation, but new research has found that they may be better off taking it.

11 May 2005

Children with high blood lead levels often do not receive follow-up tests

Only about half of children who had an abnormal blood lead level screening had follow-up blood testing, according to an article in the May 11 issue of JAMA.

10 May 2005

Broken bones may reduce risk of ovarian cancer

The pain and suffering of a broken bone may yield an unexpected benefit – a reduced risk of ovarian cancer.

10 May 2005

Some children in the United States are still at risk for lead poisoning

Despite efforts to remove lead from many products, such as gasoline and paint, some children in the United States are still at risk for lead poisoning. A new study shows that children at the greatest risk for lead poisoning, and also those identified with elevated blood lead levels through screening, were the least likely to get follow-up testing needed for prevention.

10 May 2005

Races react differently to dietary salt

African-American and Caucasian adolescent girls handle sodium and calcium differently, which may help explain why the races have different rates of hypertension and osteoporosis, according to research at Purdue University.

10 May 2005

Vaccine against Alzheimer's disease may still be on the cards

A new, but modified, trial of an Alzheimer's vaccine has begun in the U.S. despite an earlier one being abandoned in 2002 due to safety concerns.

10 May 2005

It's OK again to drink milk!

In yet more advice on what and what not to eat, now it seems that milk after all is OK for us as long as it's low-fat.

10 May 2005

No glass ceiling for women when it comes to dying from heart disease, say experts

While many of us assume that heart disease mainly strikes men, the fact is 12,000 Australian women die each year from illnesses like stroke, heart attack and heart failure - that's four and a half times the number of lives claimed by breast cancer.

10 May 2005

Jefferson vascular surgeons go on web to demonstrate less invasive treatment than vein stripping for varicose veins

Stripping is a lengthy procedure often performed under general anesthesia and requires a surgeon to make incisions in the groin and below the knee and remove the vein with a long, surgical instrument extending inside the leg to the knee.

10 May 2005

Research offers new molecular approaches to therapies for the most deadly cancers

Researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center have found promising new molecular targets and treatment approaches for some of the most malignant brain tumors.

10 May 2005

Laboratory model of immune system overcomes ethical constraints on studies of hematopoietic stem cells in humans

Scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital have joined with colleagues at several other institutions to develop a laboratory model of the human immune system. This model will allow scientists to study ways for improving the results of hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation without putting patients at risk.

10 May 2005

Polypill improves survival rates for heart disease sufferers

A ‘polypill’ made up of a combination of drugs could extend the lives of thousands of patients with coronary heart disease, say researchers at The University of Nottingham.

10 May 2005

Obesity appears to worsen and possibly cause asthma

Obesity is a known risk factor for type II diabetes, heart disease and some forms of cancer. Evidence is now mounting that obesity is also a risk factor for asthma.

10 May 2005

Research proves the dangers of salt

Sydney University scientists have proved that salt has a dangerous adrenalin-inducing effect on people suffering from high blood pressure, or 'hypertension'.

10 May 2005

First DNA-based blood test to help detect cystic fibrosis

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first DNA-based blood test to help detect cystic fibrosis. The Tag-It Cystic Fibrosis Kit directly analyzes human DNA to find genetic variations indicative of the disease. The test will be used to help diagnose cystic fibrosis in children and to identify adults who are "carriers" of the gene variations.

10 May 2005