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Disturbances in body insulin levels linked with increased risk of obesity-related cancers

It is estimated that over a third of the new cancer cases expected to occur in the U.S. in 2013 will be related to overweight or obesity, physical inactivity, and poor nutrition. Thanks to the work of one NYU Steinhardt researcher, we may better understand why.

25 Sep 2013

MacLean Center receives Cornerstone Award for outstanding contributions in field of bioethics

The University of Chicago Medicine's MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics has been awarded the prestigious Cornerstone Award from the American Society of Bioethics and Humanities for "outstanding contributions from an institution that has helped shape the direction of the fields of bioethics and/or medical humanities."

25 Sep 2013

FDA says most smartphone health apps won't get regulatory scrutiny

The federal agency will reserve its attention for apps that function like medical devices.

25 Sep 2013

Shadow of past highest weight affects eating disorder symptoms and recovery

Dieters and weight loss researchers are familiar with the principle: The more weight you've lost, the harder it is to keep it off. A complex and vicious cycle of biological and behavioral factors make it so.

25 Sep 2013

MGH researchers identify rare gene mutations that appear to cause late-onset AD

Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers have identified and validated two rare gene mutations that appear to cause the common form of Alzheimer's disease (AD) that strikes after the age of 60.

25 Sep 2013

As opening day approaches, confusion continues about health exchanges

With the Oct. 1 launch of the health law's online insurance marketplaces just days away, news outlets examine questions such as who will use them, what will make them a success, how long will it take to judge whether they are working, and other key issues.

25 Sep 2013

Johns Hopkins receives $7.3M contract to reduce ventilator-associated pneumonia

The Johns Hopkins Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality has been awarded a three-year, $7.3 million contract from the Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality to bring its proven checklist for reducing ventilator-associated pneumonia — the most lethal of all hospital-acquired infections — to hospitals nationwide.

25 Sep 2013

Researchers identify molecular pathway linking ICU ventilation to brain damage

At least 30 percent of patients in intensive care units (ICUs) suffer some form of mental dysfunction as reflected in anxiety, depression, and especially delirium. In mechanically-ventilated ICU patients, the incidence of delirium is particularly high, about 80 percent, and may be due in part to damage in the hippocampus, though how ventilation is increasing the risk of damage and mental impairment has remained elusive.

25 Sep 2013

Simple traffic light test helps reduce drinking rates in people with risk of liver disease

A simple 'traffic light' test that detects hidden liver fibrosis and cirrhosis in high risk populations could reduce harmful drinking rates and potentially prevent hundreds of alcohol-related deaths a year.

25 Sep 2013

State political dynamics shaping Obamacare implementation in the states

The fights over Obamacare are far from over in Florida -- where a burgeoning Latino population is complicating opposition -- and Alabama, where the governor's stance against the Medicaid expansion and the health insurance exchange is showcasing their resistance.

25 Sep 2013

Obama, Bill Clinton to tout law in joint appearance

The two are slated to appear together Tuesday afternoon to discuss the health care law at an event sponsored by the Clinton Global Initiative, the former president's foundation, exactly one week before open enrollment begins in new insurance marketplaces.

25 Sep 2013

Smoking may increase risk of complications, death after colorectal procedures

Infection, pneumonia, blood clots and kidney failure are all possible complications after any major surgery. A new study shows that smoking boosts the risk of such complications following some of the most common colorectal procedures, including surgery for colon cancer, diverticulitis or inflammatory bowel disease.

25 Sep 2013

DASH diet improves heart function, lowers blood pressure in heart failure patients

Diet can dramatically lower hypertension and improve heart function in patients with a common type of heart failure, according to research presented at today's Heart Failure Society of America meeting in Orlando, Fla.

25 Sep 2013

University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center receives $48.6M grant from NCI

Broad, deep and outstanding research in cancer science, treatment and prevention have earned The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center a $48.6-million, five-year grant from the National Cancer Institute and an "exceptional" ranking, the highest possible, from the NCI's extensive peer-review process.

25 Sep 2013

Microbial clock: New tool to determine time of death

An intriguing study led by the University of Colorado Boulder may provide a powerful new tool in the quiver of forensic scientists attempting to determine the time of death in cases involving human corpses: a microbial clock.

25 Sep 2013

Proton therapy reduces treatment side effects among head and neck cancer patients

The precise targeting and limited dosing of radiation via proton therapy is proving to be an advantage in ongoing efforts to reduce treatment side effects among head and neck cancer patients, according to a new study of pediatric patients from researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

25 Sep 2013

Researchers blame HPV for increased number of young adults with oropharyngeal cancer

The human papillomavirus (HPV) may be to blame for the alarming increase of young adults with oropharyngeal cancer, according to researchers from Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.

25 Sep 2013

$Researchers show link between FTO gene and hip fracture in women$

Researchers show link between FTO gene and hip fracture in women

Australian researchers have demonstrated a strong association between the FTO (fat and obesity) gene and hip fracture in women. While the gene is already well known to affect diabetes and obesity, this is the first study to show that its high-risk variant can increase the risk of hip fracture by as much as 82%.

25 Sep 2013

miR-31 in primary tumor cells predicts lymph node metastasis in NSCLC patients

Determining whether a patient's lung cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes is critical for identifying the most effective therapy, but it usually requires surgery. A new study suggests, however, that measuring levels of a particular molecule in a sample of tumor tissue might accurately answer the question.

25 Sep 2013

Study shows how deadly Candida albicans might be rendered harmless

Candida albicans is a double agent: In most of us, it lives peacefully, but for people whose immune systems are compromised by HIV or other severe illnesses, it is frequently deadly. Now a new study from Johns Hopkins and Harvard Medical School shows how targeting a specific fungal component might turn the fungus from a lion back into a kitten.

25 Sep 2013