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Most teenage boys who don't plan to cause pregnancy still believe it is likely they will get someone pregnant within six months

The likelihood is linked to beliefs about pregnancy and condoms, as well as socioeconomic status. These findings are reported in the electronic edition of the September issue of Pediatrics.

6 Sep 2005

Alcohol-based hand sanitizer gel significantly reduces the spread of gastrointestinal infections in the home

In a study of 292 Greater Boston families - half of which were given hand sanitizer - those that used the gel had a 59 percent reduction in the spread of GI illnesses.

6 Sep 2005

Immune cells known as macrophages linked to growth of lymph vessels in eyes,

Scientists at Schepens Eye Research Institute have discovered that a particular immune cell contributes to the growth of new lymph vessels, which aid in healing. This cell, known as a macrophage, is called in by the body during the wound healing process.

6 Sep 2005

Use of the antiplatelet drug clopidogrel before a coronary angioplasty reduces risk of cardiovascular death

Use of the antiplatelet drug clopidogrel before a coronary angioplasty reduced the risk of cardiovascular death, heart attack or stroke within 30 days following the procedure, according to an article in the September 14 issue of JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association.

5 Sep 2005

BMA warns of medical academic crisis in Scotland

The BMA this week called on the Scottish Executive to tackle the medical academic recruitment crisis that threatens to jeopardise plans to increase the number of medical students being educated in Scotland.

4 Sep 2005

Medication before angiograph significantly reduces risk of heart attack

According to new research if patients are given the a drug which reduces platelet activity in the blood risk of heart attack and cardiovascular death before and after angioplasty is reduced.

4 Sep 2005

Treating nighttime heartburn improves sleep and boosts quality of life

The first major multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial addressing therapy for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) related sleep disorders is published in the September issue of The American Journal of Gastroenterology.

1 Sep 2005

Prostate cancer manipulates an important group of signaling proteins called Wnts to establish itself in bone

Prostate cancer is a cruel disease. Left untreated, prostate cancer cells often metastasize, or spread, to bone where they form fracture-prone tumors that are extremely painful.

1 Sep 2005

Study provides first steps toward individualized treatment of serious injuries

A multi-institutional research collaborative has begun to decipher the complex interplay of genes that underlies the body's response to major injuries.

1 Sep 2005

More than 15 percent of our genes are mobilized to defend against microbial attacks

The body's overwhelming genetic defense, which has implications for the survival of patients who are severely burned or injured, was revealed in a sweeping analysis of gene activity in volunteers who were injected with a bacterial product that temporarily created flu-like symptoms.

1 Sep 2005

When it comes to inflammation, too much of a good thing can be deadly

In some severely injured patients, this normal healing process can develop into a lethal, whole-body response, including bloodstream infection (sepsis) and multiple organ failure. How and why inflammation turns from healing to harming is still mysterious, so doctors can't accurately predict how each injured patient will fare.

31 Aug 2005

Which herbs and dietary supplements can help children with nausea, constipation and similar gastrointestinal problems?

As more parents choose home remedies for their children's gastrointestinal complaints, the question arises, which ones really work?

30 Aug 2005

Inexpensive method to assess the stability and quality of sleep

Using information hidden in the beat-to-beat changes of the heart's electrical signals, researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) have developed an inexpensive method to assess the stability and quality of sleep, which could be used to help understand the mechanisms of sleep control and diagnose sleep disorders, as well as to test the efficacy of sleep aids and other medications.

29 Aug 2005