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Popular Russian pet market the source of latest bird flu outbreak

Russian veterinary officials have closed down a popular pet market in Moscow after the recent outbreaks of the deadly bird flu were all traced back to the market.

19 Feb 2007

Rwanda plans legislation that would limit couples to no more than three children

Rwandan lawmakers are drafting legislation that would limit couples to no more than three children to control the country's population growth and prevent poverty levels from increasing, Francois Sekamondo of Rwanda's Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning said on Wednesday, Reuters South Africa reports.

19 Feb 2007

Four genes identified that increase risk of developing type 2 diabetes

This form of diabetes is the most common worldwide and affects nearly 2 million Canadians. In recent years, the prevalence of Type 2 diabetes has increased rapidly. This genetic discovery may help stem this rise.

19 Feb 2007

Epigenetics to shape stem cell future

Everyone hopes that one day stem cell-based regenerative medicine will help repair diseased tissue. Before then, it may be necessary to decipher the epigenetic signals that give stem cells their unique ability to self-renew and transform them into different cell types.

19 Feb 2007

U.K. should increase efforts to support health systems in developing countries

The United Kingdom should do more to help train and support health workers in developing countries in an effort to strengthen their health care infrastructures, Lord Nigel Crisp, former chief of the U.K. National Health Service, said in a report released on Tuesday, BBC News reports.

19 Feb 2007

Faith-based organizations major contributors to fight against HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa

Faith-based organizations are playing a major role in the fight against HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa, according to a World Health Organization report released this week, IRIN/AllAfrica.com reports.

19 Feb 2007

Countries should find balance between affordable drugs, development incentives, WHO Director-General says in letter to Thai Health Minister

World Health Organization Director-General Margaret Chan in a letter to Thai Health Minister Mongkol na Songkhla said that although the Thai government was fully within its rights to issue a compulsory license for Abbott Laboratories antiretroviral drug Kaletra, countries should find the "right balance" between providing affordable medicines and incentives for drug companies to develop new treatments.

19 Feb 2007

Health care industry groups lobby Presidential candidates

Roll Call on Wednesday examined how health care is "quickly becoming a cornerstone" of 2008 presidential candidates' domestic proposals and how "health industry groups and their lobbyists already are trying to make sure candidates in both parties keep their interests in mind along the campaign trail."

19 Feb 2007

Health insurance claim denials cost U.S. billions

A racketeering lawsuit filed against UnitedHealth Group by two New York hospitals "illustrates perfectly the dysfunctional nature of our health insurance system," New York Times columnist Paul Krugman writes in an opinion piece.

19 Feb 2007

Norwalk virus closes Canadian hospital

A hospital in Toronto, Canada has been closed to patients and visitors following an outbreak of the Norwalk virus.

18 Feb 2007

Group exercise helps breast cancer sufferers

Group exercise sessions can help to improve the physical and psychological wellbeing of people diagnosed with breast cancer, a new British Medical Journal study reveals.

18 Feb 2007

Effect of hydrocortisone treatment modality on glycemic control in patients with septic shock

Changing how critically ill patients are treated with hydrocortisone could reduce hyperglycemia.

18 Feb 2007

Watercress shows anti-cancer potential

Eating watercress daily can significantly reduce DNA damage to blood cells, which is considered to be an important trigger in the development of cancer, University of Ulster scientists revealed.

18 Feb 2007

Bird flu - latest case in Egypt

The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed that an Egyptian woman has tested positive for the H5N1 bird flu virus.

18 Feb 2007

Millions to benefit from mental health insurance

New legislation in the United States will mean that health insurance companies will have to offer mental health coverage on a par with financial and treatment coverage offered for other physical illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes or asthma.

18 Feb 2007

HIV protein TAT used to pull protein Bim into cancer cells - helps kill cancer cells

Cancer cells are sick, but they keep growing because they don't react to internal signals urging them to die. Now researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found an efficient way to get a messenger into cancer cells that forces them to respond to death signals. And they did it using one of the most sinister pathogens around - HIV.

15 Feb 2007

Drug montelukast reduces trips to doctor for childhood asthma attacks

Young children with attacks of sporadic, recurring asthma who were treated with the prescription drug montelukast by their parents had fewer unscheduled trips to the doctor, missed less days from school or childcare, and caused their parents to take fewer days off work for their care.

15 Feb 2007

Slow-release morphine helps chronic persistent cough

Slow-release morphine helped a group of patients with long-term, treatment-resistant chronic cough reduce their daily cough score levels by 40 percent.

15 Feb 2007

Study shows PanK2 enzyme within mitochondria is triggered by the first step in fatty acid breakdown

Just as homes have smoke detectors, cells have an enzyme that responds to a buildup of fatty acids by triggering the production of a key molecule in the biochemical pathway that breaks them down, according to investigators at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. This provides the cell energy while reducing the chance that excess fatty acids will accumulate.

15 Feb 2007

Shortening chromosomes cause for earlier cancer onset in families with Li-Fraumeni syndrome

In families with a high incidence of Li-Fraumeni syndrome, the ends of individuals' chromosomes act somewhat like a lit fuse, according to researchers at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. Their findings detail how telomeres, the ends of the chromosomes, shorten with every successive generation, leading to more severe cancers at an earlier age.

15 Feb 2007