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Stroke incidence related to blood type: Study

A latest study reveals that the risk for stroke maybe tied to blood type, with men and women with type AB and women with type B facing greater risk than people with type O. Researchers add that this study does not prove the link but it agrees with other studies that have tied A, B, and AB to heart attack and to blood clots in the legs. And type O has been linked to a heightened risk for bleeding, which implies less chance of the clots that are responsible for most strokes.

17 Nov 2011

Weight loss in obese children reduces adulthood health risks: Study

A new study from the Murdoch Children's Research Institute and Menzies Research Institute has found that obese children who shed weight in later years can reverse the damage done to their health by being overweight and it is really never too late. Overweight people reportedly have an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, clogged arteries or atherosclerosis, high blood cholesterol and high blood pressure.

17 Nov 2011

Psychiatric medication use soaring among women: Report

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD commonly affects boys more than girls. However a new report shows that among adults, the numbers have changed with women’s use of ADHD medications risen over the past decade surpassing that of men.

17 Nov 2011

American College of Physicians support framework to repeal the SGR formula

The 132,000 Internal medicine physician and medical student members of the American College of Physicians applaud Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-PA) for urging the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction to include broad reforms based on her MEDICARE PHYSICIAN PAYMENT INNOVATION ACT.

17 Nov 2011

Life Beyond Cancer's 12th annual retreat from November 18 to 20

Austin, Texas: Some 150 cancer survivors, health care providers and patient advocates will discover ways to inspire, empower and motivate those to a Life Beyond Cancer, November 18 to 20 at the Lakeway Resort and Spa.

17 Nov 2011

First Edition: November 17, 2011

In today's headlines, reports that the Supreme Court's review of the health law shocks Medicaid advocates and more on the continuing struggles of the super committee.

17 Nov 2011

New smart polymer that responds to low-power NIR light could treat cancers

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17 Nov 2011

New possibilities for relief from digestive diseases

As a researcher in neurogastroenterology for 40 years, professor Khalil Bitar has spent his professional life studying the causes of perplexing and what frequently become embarrassing problems for humans—issues such as constipation, diarrhea and colon disease.

17 Nov 2011

Complications from preventable surgical-site infections leading to hospital readmissions after colon surgery

Nearly one-quarter of privately insured colon surgery patients are readmitted to the hospital within three months of discharge at a cost of roughly $9,000 per readmission, according to Johns Hopkins researchers, who've identified a major area for quality improvement and cost reduction in health care.

17 Nov 2011

PCBs affect growth and bone density in turtles, an 'indicator species'

Manufactured until 1977, and banned by the Environmental Protection Agency in 1979, pentachlorobiphenyls (PCBs) are chemicals still commonly found in the environment because they break down slowly.

17 Nov 2011

Genetic basis of human cortical regionalization similar to patterns found in other mammals, MRI study affirms

A new study using magnetic resonance imaging data of 406 adult human twins affirms the long-standing idea that the genetic basis of human cortical regionalization - the organization of the outer brain into specific functional areas - is similar to and consistent with patterns found in other mammals, indicating a common conservation mechanism in evolution.

17 Nov 2011

Modified spider silk proteins for cancer gene therapy

A new episode in the American Chemical Society's (ACS) award-winning "Global Challenges/Chemistry Solutions" podcast series spins a real-life tale in which spider silk shows promise for overcoming a major barrier to the use of gene therapy in everyday medicine.

17 Nov 2011

Psoriasis may alter cholesterol composition and decrease HDL function

Collaborative research from Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has shown that psoriasis patients have an increased risk of heart attack, stroke and cardiovascular death, especially if the psoriasis is moderate to severe. Now, Penn researchers have discovered the potential underlying mechanism by which the inflammatory skin disease impacts cardiovascular health.

17 Nov 2011

American Academy of Pediatrics expands sleep safety guidelines

Creating a sleep environment for a child is much more than choosing a pretty blanket; it truly can be a life-or-death decision. "Sleep is extremely important for all of us, but especially for infants. It's when kids grow. The nervous system gets a chance to rest and assimilate all the new experiences and information the baby has learned throughout the day," said Lisa Martin, MD, Loyola University Health System pediatrician and associate professor of pediatrics at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine.

17 Nov 2011

Majority of adults in America to become obese by 2020

In 2020, the vast majority of adults in America will be overweight or obese and more than half will suffer from diabetes or pre-diabetic conditions, according to projections presented by Northwestern Medicine researchers at the American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions Wednesday, Nov. 16, in Orlando.

17 Nov 2011

Loyola surgeon first in the Chicago to implant Esteem hearing device

Lesa Merlo's hearing loss was so severe she had to read her children's lips when they talked to her. Then Dr. Sam Marzo of Loyola University Medical Center implanted a new hearing device in her middle ear. "I could hear their real laugh for the first time since they were babies," she said. "It was different, clear, pure and more beautiful than I could have ever imagined."

17 Nov 2011

UTHealth study: Heart attack patients who call 911 are sicker

Cardiologists are quick to point to statistics showing that the "door-to-balloon" treatment time for heart attack patients has dropped significantly in the past few years. But a retrospective study reveals that those who call 911 are most likely to have suffered a severe heart attack and despite receiving treatment quickly, they are still dying at unacceptable rates, say researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

17 Nov 2011

Calcium scoring test may predict risk of heart disease

Coronary calcium in heart arteries provides important clues about risk, even among younger and elderly patients and those without traditional risk factors, according to new studies.

17 Nov 2011

Discovery of what triggers smoking could make interventions more effective

Discovering when and why students smoke might lead to the development of better intervention methods, according to researchers at the University of Missouri. In an article published in the journal Substance Use & Misuse, the researchers showed that partying, drinking and work prompted college students to recall their smoking experience, and that smoking occurred most often at the start of the semester and on weekends.

17 Nov 2011

New blood spot analysis method can diagnose range of clinical conditions

Scientists have developed a rapid method that can be used to simultaneously screen patients for a range of genetic and acquired clinical conditions from a single dried blood spot.

17 Nov 2011