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Routine blood test can reduce hospital readmissions in patients with heart failure

An inexpensive, routine blood test could hold the key to why some patients with congestive heart failure do well after being discharged from the hospital and why others risk relapse, costly readmission or death within a year, new Johns Hopkins research suggests.

1 Mar 2011

biOasis completes selection of monoclonal antibodies in Cognitest program for Alzheimer's disease

biOasis Technologies Inc. is pleased to announce the completion of a project intended to produce proprietary monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) for its Cognitest™ blood test for Alzheimer's disease.

28 Feb 2011

QIAGEN, Epigenomics enter option agreement to commercialize colorectal cancer blood test

Epigenomics AG, the cancer molecular diagnostics company, and QIAGEN today announced that the companies have entered into an option agreement allowing QIAGEN to develop and, should QIAGEN exercise the option, commercialize a colorectal cancer blood test based on Epigenomics' proprietary biomarker mSEPT9 and certain DNA methylation analysis technologies.

From QIAGEN Manchester Limited 28 Feb 2011

Experts offer myth-busting advice to fight against spring allergies

Millions of Americans sneeze and wheeze March through June when they use misinformation to manage their spring allergies.

27 Feb 2011

New guidelines recommend routine use of allergy tests to improve quality of care in children

The first guidelines for food allergy in children and young people issued by NICE, National Institute for health and Clinical Excellence, recommend routine use of allergy tests in NHS primary care and community settings to confirm suspected food allergy.

24 Feb 2011

Roundup: Calif. kids' care; high Mass. health workers' costs; Iowa nursing home inspectors

The push is on to enroll thousands of children who previously could not get health coverage or whose parents paid much higher premiums because of their children's pre-existing medical conditions. Under new federal rules that took effect last fall, children with chronic health conditions cannot be denied coverage.

17 Feb 2011

BG Medicine receives US patent for galectin-3 testing to detect heart failure

BG Medicine, a life sciences company focused on the discovery, development, and commercialization of novel diagnostics based on biomarkers, today announced the issuance of U.S. Patent No. 7,888,137, entitled "Method For Identifying a Subject at Risk of Developing Heart Failure by Determining the Level of Galectin-3 or Thrombospondin-2" to the University of Maastricht. BG Medicine has an exclusive license to this issued patent, which pertains to galectin-3 testing for individuals at risk for heart failure.

16 Feb 2011

Looking at your body reduces pain

Simply looking at your body reduces pain, according to new research by scientists from UCL (University College London) and the University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy.

11 Feb 2011

Blood test for screening mad cow disease to come soon: Study

UK scientists have developed a new blood test that can diagnose cases of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD), a rare, fatal brain disease caused by proteins known as prions. These prions are also responsible for the mad cow disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). This test could in near future be used to identify contaminated blood and prevent transmission of the disease during blood transfusions, the researchers said.

6 Feb 2011

Dermatologists advise parents of young children about atopic dermatitis, food allergies

Atopic dermatitis, one of the most common forms of eczema in this family of inflammatory skin diseases, is a chronic disease marked by red, cracked and itchy skin. Now, increasing evidence indicates atopic dermatitis is a precursor to allergic diseases rather than a consequence. Dermatologists are advising parents of infants and young children affected by this common skin condition to be aware of the potential for future food allergies.

5 Feb 2011

CVT more common than previously thought, disproportionally affects pregnant women

A rare and often underreported form of stroke that involves veins instead of arteries is more common than previously thought, according to the American Heart Association's first scientific statement on diagnosing and managing cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT).

4 Feb 2011

Consumer Reports Health unveils ratings of nine common screenings for heart disease

Consumer Reports Health unveils Ratings of nine common screenings for heart disease based on systematic review of evidence; some screenings work well while others deemed not worth the risk for healthy individuals

3 Feb 2011

New study examines role of later acquisition of hepatitis C in HIV patients

Hepatitis C is a leading cause of illness and death for individuals infected with both HIV and hepatitis C. Recent reports from around the world demonstrate that hepatitis C is emerging as a sexually transmitted infection among HIV-infected men who do not inject drugs. However, many HIV-infected men do not receive continued screening for hepatitis C throughout their HIV care.

2 Feb 2011

Scientists create 'reporter mouse' to close gap between kidney injury and diagnosis

The current check for kidney disease is a simple blood test for serum creatinine, but it can take longer than two days for this metabolite to accumulate to levels that are significant enough to indicate kidney damage - and by then it may be too late to intervene.

1 Feb 2011

Nutrient 'biomarkers' may help assess nutrient status of elderly people at risk for dementia

Research is trying to determine whether Alzheimer's disease might be slowed or prevented with nutritional approaches, but a new study suggests those efforts could be improved by use of nutrient "biomarkers" to objectively assess the nutrient status of elderly people at risk for dementia.

24 Jan 2011

Delaying onset of Alzheimer's disease by 10 years could potentially eliminate the disease completely

The combined results of a genetic blood test and a five-minute functional MRI successfully classified more than three-quarters of healthy older adults, many of whom were destined to develop cognitive decline within 18 months of testing.

20 Jan 2011

Dried blood spot technology finds new role in developing lifesaving medications

The blood test procedure used on newborn infants for 40 years is finding a second life in the search for new lifesaving medications, according to an article in the current edition of Chemical & Engineering News, ACS' weekly newsmagazine.

20 Jan 2011

Research study to develop rapid, inexpensive blood screening test for early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer

A clinical research study to develop a rapid and inexpensive blood screening test for the early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer has been launched by Henry Ford Health System and the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute.

14 Jan 2011

Epigenomics concludes feasibility phase in development of improved product concept for Epi proColon

Epigenomics AG, the cancer molecular diagnostic company, today announced that it has concluded the feasibility phase in the development of an improved product concept for Epi proColon, the Company's DNA methylation-based blood test for assistance in the detection of individuals with colorectal cancer.

13 Jan 2011

Scientist develops FMR1 genetic blood test for predicting IVF outcomes

A researcher at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University has helped to develop the first genetic blood test for predicting the chances that in vitro fertilization will lead to a successful pregnancy.