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Development and validation of a smoking media literacy scale for adolescents

Most smokers pick up the habit as adolescents, drawn to cigarettes, in part, by advertisements featuring attractive models in playful poses, or cool movie characters whose mystique is enhanced by the fact that they smoke.

16 Apr 2006

Hap1 protein could lead to future drug targets for eating disorders

Researchers have discovered how the protein Hap1, which is abundant in the brain's hypothalamus, serves as the link between circulating insulin in the blood and the neural circuitry that controls feeding behavior in mice.

16 Apr 2006

The less a child sleeps, the more likely he or she is to become overweight

The risk of becoming overweight is 3.5 times higher in children who get less sleep than in those who sleep a lot, according to researchers Jean-Philippe Chaput, Marc Brunet, and Angelo Tremblay.

16 Apr 2006

First gene therapy human trial in the United States for a form of muscular dystrophy under way

The clinical trial for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) tests the safety and effectiveness of a therapy that was developed over two decades by scientists at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill's School of Medicine and the University of Pittsburgh.

16 Apr 2006

Excessive adiposity, calorie restriction, and aging

Can eating a low-calorie yet nutritionally balanced diet extend human life? Preliminary research suggests it might, so researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis are launching a long-term study to find out.

16 Apr 2006

Telithromycin antibiotic may help reduce some symptoms of a bad asthma attack

The researchers however believe the positive effects of the drug may be as a result of its impact on two bacteria - Chlamydophila pneumoniae and Mycoplasma pneumoniae - found present in 61% of patients in the study.

13 Apr 2006

How "good" are those fries? It depends where you live!

When you tuck into those nuggets and fries the amount of fat you are consuming could very well depend on where you live.

13 Apr 2006

Antibiotic telithromycin is effective at treating acute asthma attacks

Researchers have demonstrated that an antibiotic is effective at treating acute asthma attacks, potentially providing a new way to help asthma sufferers.

13 Apr 2006

Scientists step closer to new treatments for river blindness

Veterinary scientists in Liverpool have found that some African cattle have natural immunity to a parasite, similar to that which causes river blindness in humans.

13 Apr 2006

Getting to the heart of cardiovascular diseases

A new collaboration covers the spectrum from molecules to therapies. Three research organisations have announced the merging of their expertise to fight cardiovascular diseases, which are among the most common health problems and causes of death in the world.

13 Apr 2006

Cholesterol-lowering drug might not promote healthy hearts

Antioxidants, such as beta-carotene and Vitamin E, have been touted for their ability to protect against heart disease.

13 Apr 2006

Computer program lets people with Trigeminal neuralgia diagnose themselves

Trigeminal neuralgia, or TN, is a disorder affecting the areas of the face where the trigeminal nerve's branches are distributed, including the lips, eyes, nose, scalp, forehead, and upper and lower jaws.

13 Apr 2006

Ingredient in red chili pepper has cancer-fighting properties

The study found that capsaicin, the "hot" ingredient in red chili pepper, caused pancreatic cancer cells to die through a process called apoptosis.

13 Apr 2006

Loneliness is a unique predictor of age-related differences in systolic blood pressure

Loneliness is a major risk factor in increasing blood pressure in older Americans, and could increase the risk of death from stroke and heart disease, new research at the University of Chicago shows.

13 Apr 2006

Hormone therapy associated with increased risk of breast cancer among black women

Previous research has suggested that the long-term use of female hormone therapy is associated with an increased risk of developing breast cancer, according to background information in the article.

13 Apr 2006

Angiotension-converting enzyme inhibitors may reduce cardiovascular risk

Angiotension-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, medications commonly used to treat hypertension (high blood pressure), may reduce cardiovascular risk and the risk of death in patients with coronary artery disease, according to a new analysis of previously conducted clinical trials reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

13 Apr 2006

A hormone receptor with regulatory roles in food intake, fear response, and cardiovascular function may also be involved in breast cancer

The UC research team, led by Hassane Amlal, PhD, and Sulaiman Sheriff, PhD, report their laboratory findings on the hormone, neuropeptide Y, and its receptor in the April edition of the journal Cancer Research.

13 Apr 2006

Researchers find genetic "signature" that accurately identifies colon cancer

Researchers at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia have uncovered a genetic "signature" that accurately identifies colon cancer--a key, they hope, to better understand how the cancer develops.

13 Apr 2006

Trial of low-dose Isotretinoin for prevention of second primary tumors in head and neck cancer patients

Taking a vitamin A derivative called isotretinoin did not reduce the risk of second primary tumors or improve survival in patients with stage I or II head and neck squamous cell cancers (HNSCC), according to a study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

13 Apr 2006

Soy intake may be associated with a small reduction in the risk of breast cancer

However, because of limitations and inconsistencies in the studies examined within the meta-analysis, the authors caution that evidence is not sufficient to recommend soy as a means of preventing breast cancer.

13 Apr 2006