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Quinolone use has surpased Sulfa antibiotics for the treatment of uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women

Sulfa drugs have traditionally been the most frequently prescribed antibiotics for women with uncomplicated UTIs. However, quinolone use has increased with the emergence of sulfa-resistant E. coli strains, which has been shown to approach 20% in some regions of the country.

5 Apr 2006

Man takes 40,000 ecstasy pills in nine years

Researchers from London University have revealed details of a man who claims to have taken 40,000 ecstasy pills over nine year period.

5 Apr 2006

Study questions health benefits of moderate drinking

Previous analyses did not account for effects of age and illness that may make abstainer groups appear to have higher death rates than drinkers.

4 Apr 2006

First human recipients of laboratory-grown organs

The first human recipients of laboratory-grown organs were by Anthony Atala, M.D., director of the Institute for Regenerative Medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. In The Lancet, Atala describes long-term success in children and teenagers who received bladders grown from their own cells.

4 Apr 2006

First study of uterine fibroid embolization to treat post-menopausal women

The first study of uterine fibroid embolization to treat post-menopausal women shows that the non-surgical treatment was technically successful in 100 percent of patients, and improved bulk-related symptoms in 92 percent of the women.

4 Apr 2006

Delaying urgery decreases survival for bladder cancer patients

Bladder cancer patients whose surgery was delayed for more than three months after their diagnosis were more likely to die from their disease than patients whose surgery was performed sooner, according to a study by researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center.

4 Apr 2006

Promising new targets for Alzheimer's drug therapies

An enzyme previously associated with preventing the dementia of Alzheimer's disease now appears to play an even bigger role in safeguarding against the disease, bringing the promise of new targets for drug therapies.

4 Apr 2006

Pigs help study of links between polycystic ovary syndrome, obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes

Despite the exaggerated, wrinkly snout and long, coarse, spiky hair reminiscent of the 1980s television space alien ALF, some very special swine are helping researchers at Purdue and Indiana universities understand human infertility, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

4 Apr 2006

HOXB13 and IL17BR genes predict outcome for breast cancer patients

The 2-gene expression profile of HOXB13 and IL17BR in a woman's breast cancer predicts risk of recurrence in node-negative patients treated with tamoxifen.

4 Apr 2006

Enzymes that harm brain immediately after stroke may be beneficial days later

Insights from the study could change the way stroke is treated, extending the window for effective treatment from a couple of hours to a couple of weeks. The results may suggest new ideas for drug development.

4 Apr 2006

Link between children's sleep-related breathing problems and daytime behavior problems

Hyperactivity, attention deficit, sleepiness, and ADHD often improved - whether or not sleep studies showed sleep apnea before surgery.

4 Apr 2006

Teens life quality affected by a lack of sleep

According to a new survey of teenagers across the U.S., many of them are losing out on quality of life because of a lack of sleep.

29 Mar 2006

First trial to combine a biologic agent with a conventional chemotherapy agent for the treatment of ovarian cancer

Researchers found the addition of thalidomide to topotecan for the treatment of recurrent ovarian cancer significantly increases the response to therapy and the duration of progression free survival without additional toxicity.

28 Mar 2006

RNAi-based inhibitors for created for nearly every human and mouse gene - available to all genetic researchers

An international public-private research team led by scientists at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard announced today the construction and availability of an extensive library of molecular reagents to silence most human and mouse genes.

28 Mar 2006

Ocean Vesivirus found in human blood samples

A virus of ocean origin that can cause a range of diseases in several animal species has been found in human blood samples. The virus, or antibodies to it, was found most often in the blood of individuals with liver damage, or hepatitis of unknown cause related to blood exposure.

28 Mar 2006

Intensive care innovations win Microsoft award

An academic team which includes key researchers from the Universities of Manchester and Hull has taken both first and second prizes, in a nationwide innovation competition run by Microsoft.

From The University of Manchester 28 Mar 2006

Flu vaccination program could save more than 6,500 lives

To increase influenza vaccinations rates among the elderly - those ages 65 and over who are at high risk for influenza-related mortality - the federal government could consider borrowing a page from the pharmaceutical companies' prescription drug advertising campaigns.

27 Mar 2006

Study provides a boost for efforts to reverse type-1 diabetes

Researchers have been able to confirm most but not all of the results of a high-profile study that brought new hope to diabetes patients. This study provides a boost for efforts to reverse type-1 diabetes in recently diagnosed patients but not for efforts to grow new islets from spleens.

27 Mar 2006

Omega-3 fatty acid producing pigs

Researchers report they have created pigs that produce omega-3 fatty acids, which are known to improve heart function and help reduce the risks for heart disease, representing the first cloned transgenic livestock in the world that can make the beneficial compound.

27 Mar 2006

Innovative automatic system stops patients falling through gaps

Every day in hospitals around the country, thousands of patients undergo CT, MRI, X-ray and other kinds of scans, producing detailed images of their bodies. Specially trained doctors "read" those images to look for problems, and then send a report of what they've found to each patient's own doctor.

23 Mar 2006