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Cancer survival rates impact type of Web communities used by patients

Online support communities for high survival rate cancers contain a greater amount of emotional support content than online support communities for cancers with low survival rates, according to a new study from the University of Michigan Health System and the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System.

18 Nov 2008

Protein transporter in the gut could speed drug 'take up'

For poorly absorbed medications, drug makers should consider using natural homing devices to drive the drugs through the hazards of gastrointestinal acidity and enzymes to reach the bloodstream quicker, James Polli, PhD, said today at the annual meeting of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) in Atlanta.

18 Nov 2008

International health research boosted by NIH grant to create bioethics master's degrees at Indiana and Moi Universities

A new partnership between the Indiana University and Kenya's Moi University will develop master's degrees at both universities that focus on ethical issues in international health research.

18 Nov 2008

NCI sponsors Canadian cold/flu remedy trial in leukemia patients

Cancer patients, with their weakened immune systems, are particularly vulnerable when the cold and flu season hits. The National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health and the world's most prestigious cancer research body, is sponsoring a landmark trial to evaluate if a unique Canadian cold remedy - ginseng extract COLD-FX - can help.

18 Nov 2008

$99 million medical education and research facility opened

NSW Minister for Health John Della Bosca and Vice-Chancellor and Principal Dr Michael Spence have officially opened the University of Sydney's new $99 million Kolling Building at Royal North Shore Hospital, providing a new purpose-built facility for medical researchers and clinical educators.

18 Nov 2008

Research looks at human gut when exposed to widely used antibiotic ciprofloxacin

We are always being told by marketers of healthy yogurts that the human gut contains a bustling community of different bacteria, both good and bad, and that this balance is vital to keeping you healthy.

18 Nov 2008

Latina women more likely to regret breast cancer treatment decisions

Latina women who prefer speaking Spanish are more likely than other ethnic groups to express regret or dissatisfaction with their breast cancer treatment, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center.

18 Nov 2008

Discovery of gene associated with epilepsy

A University of Iowa-led international research team has found a new gene associated with the brain disorder epilepsy.

18 Nov 2008

How should we assess new antimalarial drugs?

In recent years, the use of a three-day course of an antimalarial treatment called ACT (artemisinin-based combination therapy) in over 40 countries that face endemic malaria has shown great success in curing this deadly disease.

18 Nov 2008

Ginkgo's benefits for cognitive decline treatment supported by scientific research

A vast body of research supports numerous health benefits for ginkgo extracts, particularly for treating various symptoms and conditions associated with declining cognitive performance and poor circulation, says the American Botanical Council, an independent nonprofit research and education organization.

18 Nov 2008

Gut check reveals vast multicultural community of bugs in bowels

Mention the phrase "diverse ecosystem," and it conjures images of tropical rainforests and endangered coral reefs.

18 Nov 2008

Palladin may play important role in metastasis of breast cancer cells

If scientists knew exactly what a breast cancer cell needs to spread, then they could stop the most deadly part of the disease: metastasis.

17 Nov 2008

Time, surgery appear to reduce episodes of dizziness in patients with Ménière's

Episodes of dizziness tend to become less frequent over time in patients with Ménière's disease, a condition characterized by vertigo, hearing loss and ringing in the ears, according to a report in the November issue of Archives of Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery.

17 Nov 2008

Scientists use patient's own stem cells to treat heart failure

Researchers at the University of Utah are enrolling people in a new clinical trial that uses a patient's own stem cells to treat ischemic and non-ischemic heart failure.

17 Nov 2008

A link found between nicotine addiction and autism

Scientists have identified a relationship between two proteins in the brain that has links to both nicotine addiction and autism.

17 Nov 2008

Exercise after bariatric surgery can yield better postoperative outcomes

A new study by researchers from The Miriam Hospital's Centers for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine suggests increased physical activity after bariatric surgery can yield better postoperative outcomes.

17 Nov 2008

Smoking causes bladder cancer

The Great American Smokeout is this Thursday, and the American Urological Association (AUA) gives smokers another good reason to quit: Smoking causes bladder cancer.

17 Nov 2008

Pain and itch regulated by different molecular mechanisms

Historically, scientists have regarded itching as a less intense version of the body's response to pain, but researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have determined that pain and itch actually are regulated by different molecular mechanisms.

17 Nov 2008

Non-white med students reject therapies associated with their culture

Non-white medical students are more likely to embrace orthodox medicine and reject therapies traditionally associated with their cultures.

17 Nov 2008

Financial incentives motivates doctors to reduce ethnic differences in heart disease treatments

Financial incentives for doctors can improve the management of coronary heart disease (CHD) and reduce ethnic differences in quality of and access to care, according to Dr. Christopher Millett, Consultant in Public Health at Imperial College Faculty of Medicine in London in the UK, and his colleagues.

17 Nov 2008