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HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer women benefit from trastuzumab and chemotherapy

The use of trastuzumab, chemotherapy and surgery among women with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer significantly improved survival from the time central nervous system metastases were diagnosed.

18 Jul 2011

Researchers discover unexpected mode of action for vaccine adjuvant alum

The teams of Doctor Christophe Desmet and Professor Fabrice Bureau, of the Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Physiology within the University of Liège's GIGA-Research centre, and of Professor Ken Ishii at the University of Osaka in Japan have just discovered an unexpected mode of action for the vaccine adjuvant alum.

18 Jul 2011

Viral toxin causes release of serotonin leading to vomiting

It is well known that viruses like rotavirus and norovirus are behind the majority of stomach infections. But it was unclear how vomiting developed, and the treatments available were oral fluid replacement and intravenous drips to prevent dehydration of the body.

18 Jul 2011

Study recommends short and simple HIV consent forms

An in-depth review of consent forms provided to volunteers for HIV/AIDS research in the United States and abroad about study procedures, risks and benefits has found that the forms were extremely long and used wording that may have been complex enough to hinder full understanding, according to bioethicists at The Johns Hopkins University.

16 Jul 2011

New antidepressant prescription linked to increased risk of falls in nursing home residents

Nursing home residents taking certain antidepressant medications are at an increased risk of falling in the days following the start of a new prescription or a dose increase of their current drug, according to a new study by the Institute for Aging Research of Hebrew SeniorLife, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School.

16 Jul 2011

Grape seed polyphenols may help prevent Alzheimer's disease

Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine have found that grape seed polyphenols—a natural antioxidant—may help prevent the development or delay the progression of Alzheimer's disease.

16 Jul 2011

New study confirms key risk factors for heavy drinking among adolescents

A low level of response (LR) to alcohol is one of several genetically influenced characteristics that may increase an individual's risk for heavy drinking and alcohol problems. A new study has confirmed key elements of a LR-based model of risk through examination of a large sample of adolescent boys and girls in the United Kingdom, moving beyond smaller U.S.-based samples and to younger subjects.

16 Jul 2011

Six UC institutions to improve hospital care

A key component of health care reform involves the improvement of quality, access and value when delivering health services, particularly for patients admitted to a hospital. To help meet these needs, the University of California established the Center for Health Quality and Innovation, which provides financial support for health quality initiatives across the UC health system.

16 Jul 2011

Female teens more vulnerable to negative effects of binge drinking

Binge or "heavy episodic" drinking is prevalent during adolescence, raising concerns about alcohol's effects on crucial neuromaturational processes during this developmental period.

16 Jul 2011

New DNA sequencer will provide deeper insight into gene regulation

The Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB) of the Max Delbr-ck Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) in Berlin, Germany, will be the first academic research institution in Continental Europe to acquire a novel DNA sequencer enabling the sequencing of single DNA molecules in real time.

16 Jul 2011

Roundup: Minn. officials reach deal to end shutdown; Calif. wrestling with adult day care benefits

Gov. Mark Dayton had to disappoint some of his strongest political supporters to come up with the deal Thursday that will end Minnesota's government shutdown. ... But Dayton did extract things from Republicans that they hadn't been willing to yield at shutdown time. The Republican "policy issues" that run throughout the Republican budget bills will disappear.

16 Jul 2011

Zocor, Crestor drugs may cause serious muscle and kidney problems

Crestor and Zocor are widely-used prescription strength drugs designed to lower "bad cholesterol". Both drugs are classified as "statins", medicine which lowers blood cholesterol levels by inhibiting HMG-CoA reductase.

16 Jul 2011

Tips for swimmers to minimize risk of shoulder injury

Swimming is one of the best forms of exercise. It's easy on the joints and provides a terrific workout in terms of aerobic exercise and improving muscle strength.

16 Jul 2011

Stored red blood cells lose ability to release key anti-adhesive molecule

Donated red blood cells lose a key feature that diminishes their lifesaving power the longer they have been stored, according to researchers at Duke University Medical Center.

16 Jul 2011

Research roundup: Putting good science into practice; shifting hospital costs; finding savings in Mass.

In 2006, researchers published a widely reported study showing that for many patients who had suffered a heart attack more than 24 hours before and had a blocked coronary artery, certain heart procedures, such as balloon angioplasty and the insertion of stents, were no more effective than drugs alone. In 2007, the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology issued guidelines urging doctors to not use such treatments in those patients.

16 Jul 2011

ECG results for young athletes prone to misinterpretation

Pediatric cardiologists are prone to misinterpreting electrocardiograms when using the results to determine whether young athletes have heart defects that could make exercising perilous, according to a new study from the Stanford University School of Medicine and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. This is the first research to examine the acumen of pediatric cardiologists from several health-care institutions in using ECGs to detect rare heart conditions associated with sudden cardiac death.

15 Jul 2011

Novel combined technique for treating neoplastic meningitis, hydrocephalus

Approximately five to ten percent of patients with primary or metastatic cancer suffer from devastating neurological complications such as headaches, seizures, confusion, difficulty swallowing and visual disturbances. These deficits are caused by a life-threatening form of brain invasion from cancer called neoplastic meningitis.

15 Jul 2011

IBM, Coriell partner to explore personalized medicine

IBM today announced that Coriell Institute for Medical Research, the largest biobank of living human cells, is using IBM technology to advance its research of human genetic disease and to more efficiently maintain its massive collection of biological resources.

15 Jul 2011

IOM releases second report on oral health

On July 13, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released a second report on oral health, Improving Access to Oral Health Care for Vulnerable and Underserved Populations.

15 Jul 2011

BCBSMA global payment model reduces spending, improves quality of patient care

A just-released study by a team of researchers at the Harvard Medical School finds that a new global payment model being implemented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (BCBSMA) is meeting its twin goals of slowing the growth in health care costs while simultaneously improving the quality of patient care.

15 Jul 2011