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Research shows promising targeted therapies for type 2 diabetes patients

Named for the furballs whose astonishing fecundity made them stars in early Star Trek episodes, the tribbles protein, first identified in fruit flies, aids in regulating many cell processes in humans. Joslin Diabetes Center researchers now have identified mechanisms triggered by a variant of the tribbles gene that cause trouble in insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells—and that offer a promising target for therapies for people with type 2 diabetes, even if they don't carry that gene variant.

2 Jul 2010

Imbalance in neuroendocrine system linked to depression in MS patients: Study

Now, in the first such study in living humans, researchers at UCLA suggest a cause, and it's not psychological, but physical: atrophy of a specific region of the hippocampus, a critical part of the brain involved in mood and memory, among other functions.

2 Jul 2010

Fecal contamination on hands linked to bacterial contamination in stored water

Scientists are reporting dramatic new real-world evidence supporting the idea that hand washing can prevent the spread of water-borne disease. It appears in a new study showing a connection between fecal bacteria contamination on hands, fecal contamination of stored drinking water, and health in households in a developing country in Africa. The study is in ACS' Environmental Science & Technology, a semi-monthly journal.

1 Jul 2010

Researchers report no increased rate of heart attack in patients taking rosiglitazone

The diabetes drug rosiglitazone has been under intense scrutiny since a 2007 study in the New England Journal of Medicine looked at more than 40 clinical trials and linked the drug's use with increased risk of heart attack and death from heart disease.

1 Jul 2010

Research findings open new ways to enhance memory function and treat catastrophic brain diseases

For the first time, scientists have linked a brain compound called kynurenic acid to cognition, possibly opening doors for new ways to enhance memory function and treat catastrophic brain diseases, according to a new study from the University of Maryland School of Medicine. When researchers decreased the levels of kynurenic acid in the brains of mice, their cognition was shown to improve markedly, according to the study, which was published in the July issue of the journal Neuropsychopharmacology.

1 Jul 2010

Blind people and people with vision think about manipulating tools in same brain regions

Blind people think about manipulating tools in the same regions of the brain as do people who can see, according to a new study. The researchers say this adds to evidence that the brain has a fairly defined organization, while still being able to adapt to unusual conditions, such as not having any vision.

30 Jun 2010

Study to analyze individual differences in impulsivity among alchohol users

Previous studies have found that the personality trait impulsivity, or a lack of planning and forethought regarding behaviors, is associated with alcohol use and alcohol-use disorders. For most individuals, impulsivity decreases during emerging and young adulthood. Some, however, do not "mature out" of impulsivity.

30 Jun 2010

Cal/OSHA explores ways to strengthen adult film worker safety regulations

California's of Department Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) convened its first meeting of an Advisory Panel to explore strengthening adult film worker safety regulations in California today in downtown Los Angeles. In March, the Cal/OSHA Standards Board voted unanimously to convene the Advisory Panel in order to take public comment from health advocates, industry officials and the general public on whether—and how—to amend state health statutes to better protect adult film workers.

30 Jun 2010

New test to predict DCIS spares unnecessary radiotherapy

A new test could predict which women have an aggressive form of breast cancer in the milk ducts (DCIS) and spare other women from unnecessary radiotherapy, according to research1 published in the British Journal of Cancer today.

30 Jun 2010

Rosiglitazone therapy associated with increased risk for heart attack: Study

Eleven years after the introduction of the diabetes drug rosiglitazone, data from available clinical trials demonstrate an increased risk for heart attack associated with its use and suggest an unfavorable benefit-to-risk ratio, according to a report posted online today that will appear in the July 26 print issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

29 Jun 2010

Simple blood test may help detect chromosomal abnormalities in developing foetus

Researchers in The Netherlands believe they are on the verge of developing a simple, prenatal blood test that would be able to detect accurately chromosomal abnormalities in the developing foetus.

29 Jun 2010

Combination therapy for severe depression

Severe depression is life threatening. So it is worth every effort to get depression under control and make life more manageable. For most people, that means some combination of antidepressant drugs and talk therapy.

29 Jun 2010

Damage to stretch-sensitive nerve filaments may contribute to chronic muscle pain

Chronic muscular pain may be linked to a previously unknown principle for how pain signals are transmitted in the human body. This is shown by Umeå University researchers Tuija Athanassiadis and Karl-Gunnar Westberg, in collaboration with Canadian associates, in the scientific journal PLoS One.

29 Jun 2010

Non-Invasive prenatal blood test to detect chromosomal abnormalities in foetus

Researchers in The Netherlands believe they are on the verge of developing a simple, prenatal blood test that would be able to detect accurately chromosomal abnormalities in the developing foetus. At present, the only reliable way to do this is through amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling, both of which are invasive and carry the risk of triggering a miscarriage.

29 Jun 2010

Older adults spend more time watching TV, but find it less enjoyable

We usually scold our children and teenagers for watching too much TV. It turns out that their grandmas and grandpas spend even more of their time watching TV, and it is not good for them either, according to researchers at the Stein Institute for Research on Aging and Rady School of Management at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine.

29 Jun 2010

High-phenolic-content olive oil modifies genes that promote inflammation

Health conscious consumers have long known that virgin olive oil is a good choice when it comes to preparing meals and dipping breads. Now, a team of researchers, including one with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), has found that phenolic components in olive oil actually modify genes that are involved in the inflammatory response.

29 Jun 2010

Getting rid of asbestos in Australia

Asbestos that is linked to lung cancer called mesothelioma, is still present in more than one million Australian homes, offices and schools according to reports. And the problem is “compounded by poor community awareness and a disjointed approach from the three levels of government.”

28 Jun 2010

Bayonne Medical Center implements Picis ED PulseCheck ahead of schedule

Picis announced today that Bayonne Medical Center, Bayonne, NJ, has successfully deployed Picis ED PulseCheck™, part of the CareSuite® family of high-acuity solutions, two months ahead of schedule. This aggressive implementation is aimed at helping clinicians in the emergency department (ED) better manage information and the process of treating over 28,000 ED patients annually.

28 Jun 2010

CMMC installs Toshiba's Vantage Titan MR system to accommodate bariatric patients

Obesity is a growing trend in the United States, requiring hospitals to provide medical imaging technology designed to accommodate bariatric patients without compromising diagnostic confidence or patient comfort. To accomplish this goal, Central Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, Miss., a bariatric center of excellence, recently installed Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc.'s Vantage Titan MR system.

28 Jun 2010

ADVANCE study provides new insights into the management of SHPT in CKD patients

Results from the ADVANCE study presented in a late breaking clinical trial session at the ERA-EDTA 2010 Congress provide new insights into the management of secondary hyperparathyroidism in chronic kidney disease patients. ADVANCE (A randomiseD VAscular calcificatioN study to evaluate the effects of CinacalcEt) is a randomised, controlled open label study to evaluate the effects of treatment with Mimpara (cinacalcet) plus low-dose vitamin D, compared to flexible doses of vitamin D alone, on the progression of vascular and valvular calcification in dialysis patients with SHPT.

28 Jun 2010