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Hypoglycemic episodes increase dementia risk in seniors with type 2 diabetes

Hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) episodes that require a visit to the hospital are associated with increased risk of dementia in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, according to a Kaiser Permanente Division of Research study in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

14 Apr 2009

Heart screening unnecessary in type 2 diabetes patients with no symptoms

Routine screening for coronary artery disease in type 2 diabetes patients with no symptoms of angina or a history of coronary disease is unnecessary and may lead initially to more invasive and costly heart procedures, according to researchers at Yale School of Medicine.

14 Apr 2009

Music for stress and anxiety reduction in coronary heart disease patients

The right mix of Portuguese instrumentals calms Philadelphia researcher Joke Bradt.

14 Apr 2009

New understanding of roles of insulin in obesity or type II diabetes

Researchers have uncovered new evidence suggesting factors other than genes could cause obesity, finding that genetically identical cells store widely differing amounts of fat depending on subtle variations in how cells process insulin.

14 Apr 2009

Low aerobic capacity linked to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Poor aerobic fitness is strongly associated with obesity and its consequent risks of heart disease, strokes and diabetes - now considered worldwide epidemics.

14 Apr 2009

SIRT1 takes down tumors

Yuan et al. have identified another anti-cancer effect of the "longevity" protein SIRT1.

13 Apr 2009

Screening to help prevent stroke in kids increases, but limited access a problem

The number of children with a certain blood disorder undergoing an ultrasound to help prevent stroke is up significantly in the past 10 years since the publication of a major study showing its benefits.

13 Apr 2009

New therapies expected to help reduce future burden of age-related macular degeneration

The prevalence of the eye disease age-related macular degeneration is projected to increase substantially by 2050, but the use of new therapies is expected to help mitigate its effects on vision, according to results of simulation modeling reported in the April issue of Archives of Ophthalmology.

13 Apr 2009

New easy to understand guide on treatments for osteoarthritis of the knee

A new pair of plain-language guides from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) examines the effectiveness, safety, and adverse effects of various treatments for osteoarthritis of the knee, including glucosamine and chondroitin, fluid injections, arthroscopic surgery, pain medications and other approaches.

13 Apr 2009

Young adults who have been incarcerated have increased risk of hypertension

Young adults who have been incarcerated appear more likely to have high blood pressure and left ventricular hypertrophy, an enlarging of the heart muscle that is a common consequence of hypertension, according to a report in the April 13 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

13 Apr 2009

Depression after heart disease increases risk of heart failure

Patients with heart disease who are subsequently diagnosed with depression are at greater risk for heart failure (HF), a condition in which the heart can't pump enough blood throughout the body, according to a new study published in the April 21, 2009, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

13 Apr 2009

Discovery of variations in resistance to sulfadoxine across Africa

Researchers have discovered that malaria parasites in east and west Africa carry different resistance mutations, which suggests that the effectiveness of sulfadoxine as an antimalarial drug may vary across Africa.

13 Apr 2009

Columbia University licenses retinal imaging technology to PCAsso Diagnostics

Columbia University Science and Technology Ventures announced that it has signed a worldwide exclusive license agreement with PCAsso Diagnostics, LLC to develop and market a novel imaging technology for diagnosis of vascular leakage disorders of the retina.

13 Apr 2009

Colon cancer shuts down receptor that could shut it down

Though a high-fiber diet has long been considered good for you and beneficial in staving off colon cancer, Medical College of Georgia researchers have discovered a reason why: roughage activates a receptor with cancer-killing potential.

13 Apr 2009

Anti-clotting medications may be associated with brain microbleeds in older adults

Individuals who take aspirin or other medications that prevent blood clotting by inhibiting the accumulation of platelets appear more likely to have tiny, asymptomatic areas of bleeding in the brain, according to a report posted online today that will appear in the June print issue of Archives of Neurology.

13 Apr 2009

New small molecule approach to Alzheimer's disease treatment

New therapeutic approaches in Alzheimer's disease are urgently needed.

13 Apr 2009

'Good' brown baby fat can ward off obesity and type 2 diabetes

Scientists in the United States say people who hang on to their baby fat may be protected from developing type 2 diabetes and becoming obese - obesity is a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes.

13 Apr 2009

Safety of Bitter orange herbal weight loss product questioned

The Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) is reportedly examining whether there are any risks associated with an over-the-counter (OTC) herbal weight loss programme sold in Australia.

13 Apr 2009

PPI prescribed for asthma ineffective and too expensive

According to researchers in the U.S. millions of asthma patients taking the drug Nexium, (esomeprazole), or a similar drug are doing so unnecessarily.

13 Apr 2009

Transplant program tops in expected one-year survival rate

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center's stem-cell transplant program at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA) was one of only two transplant programs nationwide that consistently outperformed the expected one-year survival rate for unrelated donor transplants, according to an independent report that assessed 122 transplant centers over a five-year period.

12 Apr 2009