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Metabolic syndrome may be associated with compromised heart structure and function

Typified by high blood pressure, weight gain around the waist and problems regulating blood sugar, metabolic syndrome may also be associated with compromised heart structure and function, according to a paper published in the online open access journal BMC Cardiovascular Disorders.

8 Jun 2007

Folic acid does not decrease the risk of benign colorectal tumors

New research indicates that folic acid supplementation does not decrease the risk of benign colorectal tumors, but may possibly increase the risk for some types of colorectal tumors, according to a study in the June 6 issue of JAMA .

8 Jun 2007

Ethically universal stem cell lines

Human embryonic stem cells (hESC), those very young cells that are a biological blank slate, have the potential to become more specialized, contributing to the workings of a wide variety of organs and tissues.

8 Jun 2007

Genetic variations may help explain why some men with depression develop suicidal thoughts

Although most patients with depression respond favorably to antidepressant medications, a very small subgroup may experience worse symptoms after beginning treatment, according to background information in the article.

5 Jun 2007

Study finds lymphoma drug effective over long term

Eight years after being treated with a new drug for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, 86 percent of patients were still alive and half had not had a relapse of their disease, according to researchers from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center.

5 Jun 2007

Directly observed HIV therapy for children is promising

Directly observed antiretroviral therapy is a promising strategy to ensure that HIV-infected children in developing countries take life-saving medications, new research from The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University shows.

3 Jun 2007

Dietary vitamin B6. B12 and folate, may decrease pancreatic cancer risk among lean people

Researchers exploring the notion that certain nutrients might protect against pancreatic cancer found that lean individuals who got most of these nutrients from food were protected against developing cancer.

3 Jun 2007

Compound derived from creosote bush slows aging in mice

Aspirin didn't pan out. Neither did two other potential anti-aging agents.

3 Jun 2007

How well do you know your child's pediatrician?

How well do you know your child's pediatrician? Is he or she board certified in pediatrics, or has he or she ever completed specialty training in the field?

1 Jun 2007

Surgery best for degenerative spondylolisthesis with spinal stenosis

In one of the three most common back conditions for which patients seek treatment, surgery proved to have substantially better results than non-surgical remedies, according to Dartmouth-led research published in the May 31 New England Journal of Medicine.

1 Jun 2007

New animal model for Lassa fever

Scientists at the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research have developed a new tool in the battle against a potential biological weapon, Lassa fever, which kills several thousand people each year and leaves thousands more with disabilities such as deafness and liver damage.

1 Jun 2007

Interventions for pediatricians only partially successful

Continuing medical education, newsletters and resource guides were only partially successful in changing the way that pediatricians handled behavioral health problems, according to a follow-up study at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

1 Jun 2007

Uncontrolled asthma is highly prevalent

A survey of 1,812 patients with moderate-to-severe asthma revealed that the disease was not controlled in 55 percent, despite the fact that most had health insurance and visited their health care providers regularly.

1 Jun 2007

Back surgery or grin and bear it?

A couple of new studies by researchers in the U.S. and the Netherlands have found that though surgery is effective for people with a slipped or misaligned disk, it often is not necessary if patients can summon up enough patience and wait awhile.

31 May 2007

Interventions for Pediatricians only partially successful

30 May 2007

Vitamin D and calcium lower risk of premenopausal breast cancer

Women who consume higher amounts of calcium and vitamin D may have a lower risk of developing premenopausal breast cancer, according to a report in the May 28 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

30 May 2007

Magnetic resonance-guided, focused ultrasound surgery relieves fibroid symptoms in women

A noninvasive ultrasound procedure effectively shrinks uterine fibroids and significantly relieves fibroid-related symptoms in women, according to the results of a multicenter clinical trial reported in the June issue of the journal Radiology.

30 May 2007

Inflammation linked to Alzheimer's disease

People whose blood shows signs of inflammation are more likely to later develop Alzheimer's disease than people with no signs of inflammation, according to a study published in the May 29, 2007, issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

30 May 2007

Depression is a risk factor for osteoporosis

Evidence is accumulating that depression is a risk factor for osteoporosis, reports the June 2007 issue of Harvard Women's Health Watch.

30 May 2007

Researchers explore the glycosylation process

By studying the addition of sugars to proteins — a process called glycosylation — in the nervous system of insects, Temple University researcher Karen Palter believes she may be able to better understand neurodegenerative diseases in humans.

28 May 2007