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Psychological treatment most effective treatment for pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder

Psychological treatment that teaches children to face their fears is the most effective treatment for pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), according to a new Mayo Clinic analysis of previously published research.

4 May 2005

Impact of acupuncture goes beyond the acknowledged placebo effect

Researchers at the University of Southampton and University College London have shown for the first time that the impact of acupuncture goes beyond the acknowledged placebo effect caused by the patient's own expectation of feeling benefit from the treatment.

4 May 2005

Acupuncture treatment no more effective than sham treatment in reducing migraine headaches

Migraine patients who received true acupuncture had no decrease in headaches as compared with those who received sham acupuncture treatment, according to a study in the May 4 issue of JAMA.

3 May 2005

Milk thistle not proven effective in lowering mortality in alcoholic or hepatitis B or C liver disease

While some studies found that liver-related mortality may be significantly reduced in patients treated with milk thistle, these findings were not duplicated in the higher quality clinical trials.

2 May 2005

Promising results from study of Pirfenidone in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) patients

InterMune today announced that the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine (AJRCCM) published results from a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled Phase II trial evaluating pirfenidone for the treatment of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).

2 May 2005

Discovery could ease the pain of sensitive teeth

The problem currently affects around 15 per cent of the adult population and rising, as people retain their teeth for longer. The most common cause is receding gums, resulting from teeth grinding, abrasion or tooth decay, which exposes the dentine.

2 May 2005

Ginkgo beneficial for multiple sclerosis symptoms

When it comes to her health, Janice Winfield of Portland, Ore., does her research. That's why the stay-at-home mom, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in July 2000, was willing to turn to popular, over-the-counter herbal supplements like ginkgo biloba to deal with memory problems, fatigue and occasional muscle pain.

27 Apr 2005

$Giving elderly people regular supplements of vitamin D and calcium to prevent secondary bone fractures is ineffective$

Giving elderly people regular supplements of vitamin D and calcium to prevent secondary bone fractures is ineffective

Elderly people who have osteoporosis have a high risk of bone fractures and those who previously had a fracture are at an increased risk of having another. Vitamin D and calcium, alone or in combination, are often recommended for the prevention of osteoporotic fractures.

27 Apr 2005

Antibiotics do not prevent heart attacks

Clinicians and researchers have found that more than three quarters of heart attack patients have been infected with chlamydia pneumoniae - a bacteria found in arteries of heart attack patients - and multiple studies have found this can double the risk of developing subsequent heart attacks.

27 Apr 2005

National study to evaluate the effectiveness Targacept

Wake Forest University School of Medicine is one of 15 centers nationwide recruiting participants for a research study to evaluate the effectiveness of an investigational drug as an oral treatment for age associated memory impairment (AAMI), a condition that is marked by memory loss and poor concentration.

27 Apr 2005

Search for new multiple sclerosis drug

UT Southwestern Medical Center is the lead research site testing a new treatment for a rare form of multiple sclerosis. Called "primary progressive," this type of MS affects about 15 percent of patients with the neurodegenerative disease.

26 Apr 2005

Gene therapy for Alzheimer's disease shows promise

In the first clinical trial of gene therapy for Alzheimer's disease researchers have produced preliminary evidence that gene therapy may slow the decline in mental functioning associated with Alzheimer's disease.

25 Apr 2005

Green tea appears to prevent cancer in men

After a year's oral administration of green tea catechins (GTCs), only one man in a group of 32 at high risk for prostate cancer developed the disease, compared to nine out of 30 in a control, according to a team of Italian researchers from the University of Parma and University of Modena and Reggio Emilia led by Saverio Bettuzzi, Ph.D.

20 Apr 2005

Antibiotic treatment does not reduce risk of secondary cardiac events

Taking antibiotics weekly for one year does not reduce the risk of a heart attack or other cardiac event for patients with stable coronary artery disease, according to a study funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health. It is published in the April 21, 2005, edition of the New England Journal of Medicine.

20 Apr 2005

NSAIDs okay for tonsillectomy, new study finds

When children have their tonsils removed, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can be used for pain relief with no significant increase in bleeding and with less nausea and vomiting, according to a systematic review of current evidence.

19 Apr 2005

Clinical trial of gefitinib for advanced lung cancer closes early

Researchers have closed a randomized clinical trial comparing gefitinib (Iressa) vs. placebo following chemotherapy and radiation for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that had spread only to nearby tissues or lymph nodes. Review of interim data indicated that gefitinib would not improve survival.

19 Apr 2005

Rimonabant appears to reduce risk factors for heart disease in obese people

A new drug could substantially reduce the bodyweight, waist circumference, and risk factors for heart disease in obese people, according to results of a randomised trial published in this week’s issue of The Lancet.

19 Apr 2005

Neurologists may have foot in the door to preventing Alzheimer’s before it starts

A study led by Mayo Clinic shows for the first time that a drug appears to have a slowing effect -- though limited -- on the progression from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer's disease. The findings will be published online in the New England Journal of Medicine on April 14.

13 Apr 2005

Clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's may be delayed

In a study of people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), those who took the drug donepezil were at reduced risk of progressing to a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) during the first year of the trial, but by the end of the 3-year study there was no benefit from the drug. Vitamin E was also tested in the study and was found to have no effect at any time point in the study when compared with placebo.

13 Apr 2005

Drug that reduces the pain of fibromyalgia and improves sleep

A study of a drug that reduces the pain of fibromyalgia and improves sleep is published by a University of Kentucky physician in the peer-reviewed journal, Arthritis & Rheumatism.

12 Apr 2005