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Reasons for complications with kidney failure patients

Mayo Clinic researchers searching for explanations of high mortality rates among kidney failure patients undergoing hemodialysis are focusing their attention on the use of heparin, a drug used to reduce clotting of the blood.

18 Aug 2005

Defects in newly discovered pathway may be an overlooked cause of anemia

Researchers studying zebrafish that die from anemia have discovered a new pathway for the synthesis of heme, the deep red, iron-containing molecule that is a component of hemoglobin and myoglobin.

18 Aug 2005

Slower care for heart attack patients treated after hours and on weekends

Heart attack patients treated with primary percutaneous intervention (PCI) at hospitals after hours and on weekends wait longer to receive clot busters and other treatments and have a higher risk of death than those treated during regular hospital hours

18 Aug 2005

Separate studies produce conflicting results on race and gender disparities in U.S. health system

Two newly released studies in the U.S. have to some extent come to conflicting results. According to one study, by researchers at Emory University, attempts over the last decade to address race and gender disparities in the treatment of U.S. patients hospitalized for heart attacks, still in some respects raise cause for concern.

18 Aug 2005

Treatment of U.S. patients hospitalized for heart attacks continues to vary according to sex and race

Despite a decade of initiatives to remedy health disparities in cardiovascular medicine, at least some aspects of the treatment of U.S. patients hospitalized for heart attacks continues to vary according to sex and race, according to a study by researchers at Emory University in collaboration with Yale University and other centers.

17 Aug 2005

Long working hours culture drives up the risk of injury and illness

The long working hours culture drives up the risk of injury and illness, reveals a study in Occupational and Environmental Medicine. And the risk has nothing to do with how hazardous the job is, conclude the researchers.

17 Aug 2005

Loss of a gene called p63 accelerates aging in mice

Researchers have discovered that the loss of a gene called p63 accelerates aging in mice. Similar versions of the gene are present in many organisms, including humans. Therefore, the p63 gene is likely to play a fundamental biological role in aging-related processes.

17 Aug 2005

Biochemical switch that affects how neurons fire in a part of the brain associated with learning

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have identified a biochemical switch that affects how neurons fire in a part of the brain associated with learning, findings that may aid in understanding schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease.

17 Aug 2005

Common non-aspirin painkillers linked to high blood pressure in women

Women who consume higher doses of non-aspirin painkillers are much more likely to develop high blood pressure than women who do not use them, according to research reported in Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association.

17 Aug 2005

Low hemoglobin levels are a predictor of increased risk of death among heart failure patients

Hemoglobin (Hgb) is the major substance in red blood cells, and its level indicates the blood's ability to carry oxygen throughout the body. Studies have shown that low hemoglobin, which may result in anemia, is more common among patients with heart failure than it is among people in the general population.

17 Aug 2005

Study shows more obesity-related arthritis among baby boomers

Baby-boomers have spent more years living with more obesity than the previous generation, researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) have found. Although it may be too early to tell whether this will lead to a rise in arthritis rates, the study shows more obesity-related arthritis among baby boomers compared to the previous generation.

17 Aug 2005

Researchers have discovered a gene linked to age-related maculopathy

University of Pittsburgh researchers have discovered a gene linked to age-related maculopathy (ARM), the leading cause of untreatable blindness in the elderly. Their discovery suggests a simple test might be able to identify those at risk for what is commonly known as macular degeneration (AMD) and may lead to the development of more effective preventive strategies.

16 Aug 2005

Mission to teach patients about modern treatments for sinusitis

Coughing, headaches, fatigue, post-nasal drip and intense pressure throughout the face. For millions of Americans, these aren't just the side effects of a short bout with the flu, but what they experience every day living with sinusitis.

16 Aug 2005

Breakthrough in human stem cell research

A breakthrough in human stem cell research, producing embryonic-like cells from umbilical cord blood may substantially speed up the development of treatments for life-threatening illnesses, injuries and disabilities.

16 Aug 2005

Greatest challenge for parents is the balance between homework, sports, music and sleep

"It is important for parents to identify the sleep needs of their children especially as they prepare for another school year," says Dr. Kohler. "Getting kids in school sleep mode can take time and sleep needs for teens are different from elementary school children."

16 Aug 2005

Decline in energy production by mitochondria appears to be a key problem leading to insulin resistance

A detectable decline in energy production by mitochondria - the organelles that are the cell's furnace for energy production - seems to be a key problem leading to insulin resistance, and thus to type 2 diabetes, according to studies by Howard Hughes Medical Institute researchers.

16 Aug 2005

Thousands of young athletes at risk of skin cancer

According to a University of Cincinnati (UC) dermatologist, thousands of young athletes are at high risk of developing skin cancer.

16 Aug 2005

How patients deal with disparities in patient medical care

A new pilot study out of the University of Cincinnati takes a new look at how patients deal with disparities in patient medical care – disparities that have been documented in hundreds of studies in the past.

16 Aug 2005

Young athletes at high risk for developing skin cancer

Thousands of young athletes are at such high risk for developing skin cancer, a University of Cincinnati (UC) dermatologist says, he dreams of the day "when sunscreen is right up there in the locker room next to the Gatorade."

15 Aug 2005

Robotic laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery

A system that allows surgeons to perform laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery from a remote console, controlling up to three robotic arms and a binocular camera, was successfully tested in 10 patients, according to a study in the August issue of Archives of Surgery.

15 Aug 2005