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Skin lesions larger than 6 millimeters more likely to be melanomas

Skin lesions larger than 6 millimeters in diameter appear more likely to be melanomas than smaller lesions, according to a report in the April issue of Archives of Dermatology. The findings suggest that the diameter guidelines currently used by dermatologists to screen for melanoma are useful.

21 Apr 2008

Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder should undergo heart tests before treatment with stimulant drugs

Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) should get careful cardiac evaluation and monitoring - including an electrocardiogram (ECG) - before treatment with stimulant drugs, a new American Heart Association statement recommends.

21 Apr 2008

Below inflation pay awards very disappointing, say Northern Ireland's doctors

Northern Ireland's doctors are again to receive a below inflation pay award; indeed many will in effect receive a pay cut. Dr Brian Patterson, Chairman of the BMA's NI Council, said that this is very concerning for the medical profession and disappointing in the extreme for thousands of doctors here.

21 Apr 2008

Gene mutation helps protect against malaria

New research suggests that not everyone who is bitten by a malaria-infected mosquito develops life threatening health problems according to scientists at the University of Toronto.

21 Apr 2008

New technology tracks medication adherence in patients with HIV/AIDS

Most of us have missed a dose of antibiotic or forgotten to take a daily vitamin. But when the stakes are higher - as they are for people with HIV/AIDS - a skipped pill could mean the difference between health and hazard for the entire population.

21 Apr 2008

Researchers describe key molecule responsible for the immature state of the tumor vasculature

Immune therapies are considered very promising in cancer medicine: Tumor-fighting immune cells are supposed to invade tumor tissue and eliminate cancer cells right there. Although this works well in the test tube, clinical application often fails because immune cells are unable to get into the tumor tissue from the bloodstream in sufficient numbers.

21 Apr 2008

Discovery of fundamental mechanism of how tumour cells communicate

A new fundamental mechanism of how tumour cells communicate has just been discovered by the team of Dr. Janusz Rak at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) in collaboration with Dr Guha from the University of Toronto.

21 Apr 2008

St. Jude Medical awarded U.S. patent for neurostimulation therapy for depression

St. Jude Medical, Inc. has announced it has been awarded a patent from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for treating depression using neurostimulation therapy in an area of the brain known as Brodmann Area 25.

21 Apr 2008

Mending tendons without surgery

James McGillicuddy was not getting good news. Three years after arriving at Stanford as one of the nation's top high school football recruits, he'd been stuck on the sidelines the entire time by a torn tendon that, even with two surgeries, just wouldn't stay fixed. More surgery would not help, his doctors told him, but they did have one last option to offer him.

21 Apr 2008

Can IT fuel the race to the $1,000 human genome?

Ever wonder if you have a genetic disposition to a certain disease, or why a medicine works for your friend, but not for you?

21 Apr 2008

Peripheral arterial disease linked to too little vitamin D

According to the results of the latest research peripheral arterial disease (PAD) may be linked to low levels of vitamin D.

21 Apr 2008

Booming Australian cosmetic surgery industry to be reeled in

As more and more revelations come to light about unsuccessful cosmetic surgical procedures carried out in Australia, state Governments are considering ways to exert more control over the burgeoning industry.

21 Apr 2008

Obesity, inactivity as common among cancer survivors as rest of Canadians

New research supported by the Canadian Cancer Society shows that many cancer survivors in Canada are overweight and inactive, which could put them at risk for health problems, including their cancer returning.

21 Apr 2008

New method for testing treatments for Chagas' disease

Chagas' disease is a tropical parasitic sickness that currently affects more than 16 million people, with a staggering 100 million at risk, largely in the tropical areas of South and Central America. And yet the main drug used to treat the disease is highly toxic and causes serious side effects.

20 Apr 2008

Chronic inflammation triggers cell fusions that could protect neurons

Chronic inflammation triggers bone marrow-derived blood cells to travel to the brain and fuse with a certain type of neuron up to 100 times more frequently than previously believed, according to a new study from the Stanford University School of Medicine.

20 Apr 2008

GRK5 polymorphism that inhibits beta-adrenergic receptor signaling is protective in heart failure

About 40 percent of African-Americans have a genetic variant that can protect them after heart failure and prolong their lives, according to research conducted at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and collaborating institutions.

20 Apr 2008

Social networking, malaria and philanthropy partnership

Philanthropy just got easier and a lot more accessible to the public thanks to the social networking power of the Internet and a ground-breaking partnership between a young British entrepreneur, a global health think tank and an African medical research institute.

20 Apr 2008

A genetic variation mimics effect of heart failure medications - may explain why beta-blockers do not work for all patients

A genetic variation, found predominantly in African Americans, protects some people with heart failure, enabling them to live longer than expected. That's the conclusion of a research team led by investigators at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore and the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

20 Apr 2008

U.S. military to take the lead in tissue regeneration research

The Defense Department in the United States says $250 million has been pledged for research into dealing with soldiers returning from the war zones with multiple traumatic injuries.

20 Apr 2008

Pharmaceutical Care Management Association response to New York Times article on biotech medicine costs

The Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA) issued the following statement today regarding a story to be published in tomorrow's New York Times.

18 Apr 2008