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GBS pathogen suppresses immune cell function in newborn infants: Research

Group B Streptococcus (GBS), a bacterial pathogen that causes sepsis and meningitis in newborn infants, is able to shut down immune cell function in order to promote its own survival, according to researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

27 Sep 2010

People with Parkinson's disease have high levels of beta-HCH pesticide

People with Parkinson's disease have significantly higher blood levels of a particular pesticide than healthy people or those with Alzheimer's disease, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found.

27 Sep 2010

Wiecha receives grant to provide health education to African-American women with type-2 diabetes

BUSM Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs John Wiecha, MD, MPH, in the Department of Family Medicine, has received a National Institutes of Health American Recovery & Reinvestment Act Challenge grant from the National Library of Medicine. The grant, valued at more than $950,000 will fund a study to provide health education to African-American women with type-2 diabetes.

27 Sep 2010

Signaling pathway inhibition enhances autologous bone marrow transplant: Research

Identification of a molecular communications pathway that influences the mobilization of hematopoietic (blood) stem cells could lead to targeted therapies for improving bone marrow transplant success rates.

27 Sep 2010

Smoking increases multiple sclerosis progression: Report

Patients with multiple sclerosis who smoke appear to experience a more rapid progression of their disease, according to a report in the July issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

27 Sep 2010

Researchers find no link between dialysis treatments and cardiac symptoms

Dialysis treatments do not affect the heart health of kidney disease patients who have had a heart attack, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN). Since cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death in kidney disease patients, the findings are good news for individuals who need the treatments.

27 Sep 2010

Progenika receives CE Mark approval to market LPLchip in Europe

Progenika Biopharma S.A., a pioneer in the field of personalized medicine, announced today that it has obtained the CE Mark allowing the sale in Europe of its LPLchip(R), the first DNA chip to detect mutations in the lipoprotein lipase (LPL) gene.

27 Sep 2010

Active commuting helps to stay fit

Men and women who walk or ride a bike to work appear more fit, and men are less likely to be overweight or obese and have healthier triglyceride levels, blood pressure and insulin levels, according to a report in the July 13 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

27 Sep 2010

FDA approves Beyaz tablets to increase folate level in women

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Beyaz tablets, an estrogen/progestin combined oral contraceptive that also contains a folate (levomefolate calcium 0.451 mg).

27 Sep 2010

Endothelial progenitor cells predict metastatic disease in children with cancer: Study

Endothelial progenitor cells may play a role in the start and progression of metastatic disease in children with cancer, according to study results published in Clinical Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

27 Sep 2010

Daily dose of baking soda affects kidney function: Study

A daily dose of sodium bicarbonate baking soda, already used for baking, cleaning, acid indigestion, sunburn, and more slows the decline of kidney function in some patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD), reports an upcoming study in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN).

27 Sep 2010

FDA, European regulators restrict Avandia use

The Food and Drug Administration and European regulators said they were taking action on Avandia, made by GlaxoSmithKline PLC, because of data tying it to increased risk of heart attacks.

27 Sep 2010

CSDH disease causes high mortality rate in elderly population

An in-depth scientific article published in the Journal of Neurosurgery reveals that a fairly common disease in the elderly has a high mortality rate long after patients have undergone what is considered routine treatment. Chronic subdural hematoma in the elderly: not a benign disease reviews the cases of 209 patients with chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH).

27 Sep 2010

Study finds inconsistent surveillance method for CA-BSI infections

A new study looking at how hospitals account for the number of pediatric patients who develop catheter-associated bloodstream infections (CA-BSIs) found substantial inconsistencies in the methods used to report the number of patients who develop these infections.

27 Sep 2010

Victorian health report card

Results from the 2008 Victorian Population Health Survey of more than 34,000 people are out. Broadly the picture is not too pleasing with signs of poor health like weight gain and disease. People are eating less fruit and vegetables, but smoking is down and asthma is less prevalent than it was earlier in the decade.

26 Sep 2010

Wealthy live longer than the poor: Study

According to the latest research poorer Australians die at least three years before their wealthy counterparts. The report entitled, “The Health Lies in Wealth” by the University of Canberra's National Centre for Social and Economic Modeling found that people in the lowest socio-economic group died on average at 79.6 years of age compared with 82.7 years for the highest socio-economic group. Factors that influence life expectancy include household income, work status, education level and support networks.

26 Sep 2010

The House approves six health-related measures, including legislation related to the disposal of unused prescription drugs

The Hill's Healthwatch Blog: "The House passed six health-related bills Wednesday evening, including efforts to combat Medicare fraud and dispose of unused prescription drugs." The measures were approved under suspension of the rules, "an expedited procedure that only allows for 40 minutes of debate followed by a voice vote."

24 Sep 2010

Key pathway used by malaria parasite to infect human cells identified

Development of an effective vaccine for malaria is a step closer following identification of a key pathway used by the malaria parasite to infect human cells. The discovery, by researchers at The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute in Melbourne, Australia, provides a new vaccine target through which infection with the deadly disease could be prevented.

24 Sep 2010

Cook Medical submits PMA to FDA for new balloon expandable stent for renal artery disease

Cook Medical has submitted its Pre-Market Approval (PMA) application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its new balloon expandable stent for renal artery disease. Intended for patients suffering from renal artery stenosis, a narrowing of the arteries that supply blood to the kidneys, the new device features a low profile design and does not shorten upon expansion.

24 Sep 2010

Mayo Clinic initiates enrollment in first U.S. clinical Hand Transplant Program

Mayo Clinic has initiated the first clinical Hand Transplant Program in the United States and is now enrolling patients. This program offers hand transplantation as a clinically available option for patients with bilateral hand injuries or amputations. This allows patients to embark on this option of reconstructive surgery without being required to enroll in experimental trials.

24 Sep 2010