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Thiamine reverses early diabetic kidney disease

Researchers at the University of Warwick have discovered high doses of thiamine - vitamin B1 - can reverse the onset of early diabetic kidney disease.

8 Dec 2008

Clinical study shows that drug improves endothelial function in sickle cell disease patients

Itamar Medical, an international medical technology company developing noninvasive diagnostic technology using the Peripheral Arterial Tone (PAT) Signal, announced today the use of the company's patented Endo-PAT2000 in BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc.'s phase 2 study of patients with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD). The Endo-PAT2000 was used to measure endothelial function in a study designed to evaluate whether the drug 6R-BH4 can improve endothelial function in SCD patients

5 Dec 2008

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis linked to heart attacks

Patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) are three times as likely to experience severe coronary events - including heart attacks - than people without the disease, according to a recent study that analyzed the risk of cardiovascular disease in nearly 1,000 patients with IPF and more than 3,500 matched controls.

5 Dec 2008

Thrombosis patients face greater risks than previously believed

Deep venous thrombosis (DVT), the formation of blood clots in the lower limbs, is the third-most common vascular disease in North America after heart attack and stroke, and is a frequent complication in hospitalized patients.

3 Dec 2008

The coming surgeon shortage

In less than two years, there may not be enough surgeons in U.S. hospitals to treat the critically injured or chronically ill.

1 Dec 2008

Vitamin K appears to slow development of insulin resistance in elderly men

Vitamin K slowed the development of insulin resistance in elderly men in a study of 355 non-diabetic men and women ages 60 to 80 who completed a three-year clinical trial at the Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University (USDA HNRCA).

26 Nov 2008

Advanced CT scans 100 percent accurate in checking for clogged arteries

In a development that researchers say is likely to quell concerns about the value of costly computed tomography (CT) scans to diagnose coronary artery blockages, an international team led by researchers at Johns Hopkins reports solid evidence that the newer, more powerful 64-CT scans can easily and correctly identify people with major blood vessel disease and is nearly as accurate as invasive coronary angiography.

26 Nov 2008

Follow up results from first case of pulmonary hypertension treated with stem cells

Dr. Leonel Fernandez Liriano, Professor of Medicine at Pontifical Catholic University School of Medicine (PCUSM), announced nine month follow up results for the first patient treated with engineered stem cells in a clinical study of primary pulmonary hypertension.

25 Nov 2008

Understanding how oxidative stress impairs endothelial progenitor cell function may lead to antioxidant therapy to prevent cardiovascular disease

Although its been over a decade since endothelial progenitor cells or EPCs, cells that circulate in the blood repairing and replacing the cells that line blood vessels, were identified, the field is still evolving. EPCs are now being studied as biomarkers to assess the risk of future cardiovascular disease and as potential agents for vascular regeneration.

25 Nov 2008

Study looks at endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair

Minimally invasive endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR) has been praised by many vascular surgeons and patients due to its benefits: shorter operating time, reduced hospital stays, faster recovery and less scarring.

24 Nov 2008

Ultrasound helps provide rapid treatment of DVT

Scientists in the United States have discovered that ultrasound waves help dissolve blood clots in deep vein thrombosis (DVT) faster than clot-busting drugs.

24 Nov 2008

Neurological health risk in children with blunt head injuries: fashion hair beads

An intriguing article published in the December 2008 online issue of Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics may come as quite a surprise to parents, especially those with little girls.

21 Nov 2008

Heart patients are often not treated in accordance with guidelines

Many patients with cardiovascular disease are not given adequate drug therapy.

21 Nov 2008

New system helps the repair of hip joint using arthroscopy

Smith & Nephew's Endoscopy Division has announced the launch of the CROSSTRAC Hip Guide System, which enables surgeons to accurately establish pathways to diagnose and repair the hip joint using arthroscopy, or minimally invasive, repair procedures.

20 Nov 2008

Tissue Genesis applies CE Mark to tissue genesis cell isolation system

Tissue Genesis, Inc. has announced that effective immediately, the Tissue Genesis Cell Isolation System will be available to the European marketplace.

19 Nov 2008

Cytori announces seven new investigator-initiated clinical studies in Japan

All seven studies are investigator-initiated and to be performed under local and country guidelines. Cytori, who will not sponsor these studies, will continue work with country authorities, such as the Ministry of Health and Labor in Japan, to obtain specific regulatory approvals for its products.

19 Nov 2008

Amgen, Takeda and Millennium update on phase 3 trial of Motesanib in non-small cell lung cancer

Amgen and Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company, a subsidiary of Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited , today announced that enrollment in the Phase 3 MONET1 trial evaluating motesanib (AMG 706) in combination with paclitaxel and carboplatin for the first-line treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has been temporarily suspended following a planned safety data review of 600 patients by the study's independent Data Monitoring Committee (DMC). Motesanib is part of a broad co-development program between Amgen and Takeda.

19 Nov 2008

Nontoxic nanoparticle delivers and tracks drugs

A nontoxic nanoparticle developed by Penn State researchers is proving to be an all-around effective delivery system for both therapeutic drugs and the fluorescent dyes that can track their delivery.

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

Optical frequency-domain imaging provides 3-D view of human coronary arteries

For the first time researchers are getting a detailed look at the interior of human coronary arteries, using an optical imaging technique developed at the Wellman Center for Photomedicine at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH).

17 Nov 2008