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Simple eye scan can detect early signs of diabetes-related nerve damage

Could a simple eye scan detect early signs of diabetes-related nerve damage? Recent research toward developing such a test is the topic of a special article in Optometry and Vision Science, official journal of the American Academy of Optometry.

2 Jun 2011

Nighttime heart and lung transplants do not affect patient survival

Despite concerns that surgeon fatigue is leading to dangerous complications for patients and data showing worse outcomes for many patients who undergo surgery at night, new Johns Hopkins research suggests that — in the case of heart and lung transplants — time of day has no affect on patient survival.

1 Jun 2011

At the 30 year mark, AIDS epidemic still poses challenges

Thirty years after America started battling HIV/AIDS, deaths linked to the virus have plummeted. New HIV cases are down by three-quarters. Life expectancy has more than tripled. Many HIV-positive people lead active lives, often on a single pill a day. But there's a darker side: More than 1.2 million Americans still are living with HIV/AIDS, and 40,000 new infections and 16,000 deaths are expected this year.

1 Jun 2011

Cell phones and cancer – link established

In its latest announcement the World Health Organization (WHO) said that radiation from cell phones can possibly cause cancer. According to the WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), radiofrequency electromagnetic fields have been classified as possibly carcinogenic to humans (group 2B) on the basis of an increased risk for glioma that some studies have associated with the use of wireless phones.

1 Jun 2011

Energy and Sports drinks not for children

According to pediatricians, children must not be given energy drinks with potentially harmful caffeine levels. They need to understand the difference between energy drinks and sports drinks. Most kids don't need energy drinks that are heavily marketed to them, the American Academy of Pediatrics said in a report published in Monday's issue of the journal Pediatrics.

31 May 2011

Increased stress not linked to multiple sclerosis

According to a new study that refutes earlier evidence, stress does not appear to increase a person's risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS). The research is published in the May 31, 2011, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

31 May 2011

Takeda, Affymax submit peginesatide NDA to FDA for treatment of anemia linked with chronic renal failure

Affymax, Inc. and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited today announced the submission of a New Drug Application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the investigational agent peginesatide for the treatment of anemia associated with chronic renal failure in adult patients on dialysis.

31 May 2011

Heptares, AstraZeneca partner to discover and develop new GPCR drug targets

AstraZeneca and Heptares Therapeutics today announced they have entered a four-year collaboration focused on the potential discovery and development of new medicines targeting G-protein coupled receptors.

31 May 2011

Study finds novel site within MS4A gene cluster, confirms presence of SNP linked with Alzheimer's

Recently the number of genes known to be associated with Alzheimer's disease has increased from four to eight, including the MS4A gene cluster on chromosome 11.

31 May 2011

Study: E-waste linked to adverse effects on human health

In addition to its damaging effect on the environment and its illegal smuggling into developing countries, researchers have now linked e-waste to adverse effects on human health, such as inflammation and oxidative stress - precursors to cardiovascular disease, DNA damage and possibly cancer.

31 May 2011

Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis can avoid mother to child transmission of mtDNA disorders

Dutch researchers have developed a test which predicts which mothers at risk of passing on mitochondrial genetic disease to their children are likely to have a healthy baby.

30 May 2011

Obesity and insulin resistance are a greater risk for fatty liver than previously thought

Being overweight and resistant to insulin constitute a greater risk for fatty liver than was previously thought, according to a study from Linköping University in Sweden that is now being published in the journal Annals of Medicine.

30 May 2011

Study examines brain and behavior relationships in response to morally laden scenarios

People's moral responses to similar situations change as they age, according to a new study at the University of Chicago that combined brain scanning, eye-tracking and behavioral measures to understand how the brain responds to morally laden scenarios.

30 May 2011

People with unexplained symptoms can benefit from traditional acupuncture

Attending frequently with medically unexplained symptoms is distressing for both patient and doctor and effective treatment or management options are limited: one in five patients have symptoms that remain unexplained by conventional medicine.

30 May 2011

Efficacy of Abbott cholesterol drug in question

A latest study has found that using medication to raise good cholesterol while lowering the bad does NOT translate into fewer adverse cardiovascular events like heart attacks and strokes. The study was revealed Thursday by the National Institutes of Health and it found that high dosages of Abbott Laboratories' Niaspan failed to prevent heart attacks and boosted the likelihood of a stroke when combined with the popular generic cholesterol pill Simvastatin, also known under the brand name Zocor.

29 May 2011

Sanofi-Aventis, Medtronic under scrutiny in press reports

ProPublica details alleged activities by Sanofi-Aventis to influence regulators regarding its brand-name blood thinner, Lovenox, while other news outlets report on Medtronic's activities related to a biological agent used in back surgery.

27 May 2011

Difficulty to learn maths linked to neurocognitive disorder

Students who struggle to learn mathematics may have a neurocognitive disorder that inhibits the acquisition of basic numerical and arithmetic concepts, according to a new paper by University of Minnesota and British researchers. Called developmental dyscalculia, the disorder affects roughly the same number of people as dyslexia but has received much less attention (and research funding).

27 May 2011

Anti-M-llerian hormone levels predict menopausal age in women

The age-specific blood levels of the Anti-M-llerian hormone (AMH) can predict when women will reach menopause. This makes family planning easier, say fertility researchers from the University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands. Their findings were published online May 26 in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

27 May 2011

Naturally occurring plant alkaloids could help prevent, delay memory loss linked with Alzheimer's

A family of naturally occurring plant compounds could help prevent or delay memory loss associated with Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study by the Translational Genomics Research Institute.

27 May 2011

Mold and ragweed allergies on the rise in the U.S.

Allergies are on the rise and it is noted that more numbers of Americans sensitive to ragweed and mold. Phoenix, Las Vegas and the Riverside-San Bernardino area are among the 30 worst affected areas with this allergy.

26 May 2011