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Running continuously over 50 or 100 miles may not be good for the heart: Study

In 2009, a study was conducted in UK by Liverpool John Moores University and the Countess of Chester Hospital to assess the effects of running in ultra-endurance races. Typically aimed at super-fit and experienced athletes, these races are held over distances exceeding 50 miles (80 kilometres). The conclusions suggest that some damage is likely to occur to the heart muscle of competitors, while 12 percent of the study group showed signs of significant cardiac damage.

31 Aug 2010

PCEC coordinates free or low-cost prostate cancer screenings as part of PCAW

A council of leading prostate cancer experts is working to protect the lives of American men by providing lifesaving prostate cancer screenings. The Prostate Conditions Education Council – a national organization committed to men's health and a leader in prostate cancer screening – is once again coordinating free or low-cost screenings as part of its national Prostate Cancer Awareness Week to help encourage men to protect their health.

30 Aug 2010

Study finds sexual problem common among diabetic patients

Many middle-aged and older adults with diabetes are sexually active according to a study of nearly 2,000 people aged 57 to 85 presented in the September 2010 issue of the journal Diabetes Care. Almost 70 percent of partnered men with diabetes and 62 percent of partnered women with diabetes engaged in sexual activity two or three times a month, comparable to those without diabetes, the study showed.

27 Aug 2010

CFHR5 nephropathy linked to genetic mutation in innate immune system

A rare form of kidney disease linked to a genetic mutation in the innate immune system has been identified by researchers funded by the Wellcome Trust and the Medical Research Council.

26 Aug 2010

Low testosterone levels to blame for low libido, fatigue and weight gain

While most frequently associated with women's health, age-related hormone changes, often dubbed menopause, can occur in men as well, causing symptoms of fatigue, mood swings, decreased desire for sex, hair loss, lack of concentration and weight gain. Experts estimate that more than 5 million men are affected, yet worry the number may be considerably higher since symptoms are frequently ignored.

21 Aug 2010

Renin test can predict appropriate drugs for BP patients: Study

Commonly prescribed drugs used to lower blood pressure can actually have the opposite effect-raising blood pressure in a statistically significant percentage of patients. A new study by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University suggests that doctors could avoid this problem-and select drugs most suitable for their patients-by measuring blood levels of the enzyme renin through a blood test that is becoming more widely available. The study appears in the online edition of the American Journal of Hypertension.

20 Aug 2010

Study reports uneven decline of colorectal cancer mortality rate

Black patients die from colorectal cancer at much higher rates than whites do and new research points to unequal health care as the cause. While deaths from colorectal cancer have declined over the past 40 years, the declines have been uneven, said lead author Samir Soneji, Ph.D., of the Robert Wood Johnson Health and Society Scholars Program at the University of Pennsylvania.

20 Aug 2010

Teachers' perceptions of poor behavior leads to potential misdiagnosis of ADHD

Nearly 1 million children in the United States are potentially misdiagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder simply because they are the youngest - and most immature - in their kindergarten class, according to new research by a Michigan State University economist.

18 Aug 2010

Long term decline in hemoglobin may announce onset of colorectal cancer

Anemia, a common blood disorder characterized by low hemoglobin levels, has long been associated with those suffering from colorectal cancer. But researchers at Tel Aviv University have discovered that, more than a symptom of active disease, low hemoglobin levels can actually indicate a potential for colon cancer years before it's diagnosed.

4 Aug 2010

Fecal occult blood tests make cost effective alternatives in colorectal cancer screening

While colonoscopies are the most accurate method for the early detection of colorectal cancers, screening with fecal occult blood tests results in more efficient use of limited budgets, according to a new study by researchers at RTI International.

30 Jul 2010

BioCurex’s RECAF blood test potential to monitor cancer recurrence, treatment

BioCurex Inc. today announced that the International Society of Oncology and Biomarkers Congress Scientific Committee has accepted BioCurex's presentation on the RECAF blood test potential to monitor cancer recurrence and treatment. The meeting will be held Sept. 3-8, 2010 in Munich, Germany and is broadly attended by scientists, physicians and biotechnology companies involved in cancer diagnostics.

30 Jul 2010

VaxGen completes merger transaction with diaDexus

VaxGen, Inc. announced today the completion of its merger transaction with diaDexus, Inc., a diagnostics company focused on the development and commercialization of patent-protected in vitro diagnostic products addressing unmet needs in cardiovascular disease.

29 Jul 2010

National health campaigns make men less likely to choose cancer screening: Study

In Germany, several national health campaigns promote cancer screening by announcing that only one in five German men gets screened. This is supposed to motivate men to have an examination. But a new study published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, finds that this well-meaning message has the exact opposite effect: it makes men less likely to choose to get screened.

28 Jul 2010

FDA clears IL's new point-of-care total bilirubin assay

Instrumentation Laboratory (IL) today announced that it has received clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market the first-ever, rapid point-of-care, lab-quality blood test for measuring total bilirubin (tBili) in newborns.

28 Jul 2010

MabCure's MAbs 94% accurate in identifying ovarian cancer

Biotechnology company MabCure, Inc. today announced that a confirmatory study demonstrated the company's proprietary monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) successfully identified ovarian cancer in blood (94 percent accuracy) and with no false positives or cross-reactions with benign ovarian tumors or healthy blood. MabCure's serum diagnostic test is the first to recognize unique tumor markers or cancer fingerprints present only in ovarian cancer, the deadliest of all gynecological cancers.

28 Jul 2010

Prototype ring with sensors helps to detect, prevent preterm labor

The birth of a baby is usually a joyous event, but when a child is born too early, worrisome complications can occur, including serious health problems for the baby and steep medical bills for the family. To address this, Johns Hopkins graduate students and their faculty adviser have invented a new system to pick up very early signs that a woman is going into labor too soon.

22 Jul 2010

Tethys Bioscience raises $33 million to drive market uptake of PreDx Diabetes Risk Score blood test

Tethys Bioscience, Inc., a privately held company, announced today that the company has recently raised $33 million, comprising $23 million of venture financing and a $10 million working capital loan. Participants in the venture financing included new investors Greenspring Associates, Inc. (formerly Montagu Newhall Associates, Inc.) and Paul Capital Investments, as well as current investors.

21 Jul 2010

Biosystems International closes EUR2.1 million funding round

Biosystems International (BSI) SAS, Biotech Leader in the Development of Monoclonal Antibody Based Diagnostics for Cancer, Announced Today That it has Closed a Round of Funding Amounting to EUR2.1 Million ($2.7 Million).

19 Jul 2010

An overview of heart palpitations from Mayo Clinic

Almost everyone feels occasional heart palpitations -- a change in the heart's rhythm. Palpitations range from what feels like a skip, flip or bump in the heart's rhythm to a sustained, racing heartbeat.

16 Jul 2010

Dementia varies among diabetic, non-diabetic patients: Research

Researchers from Mayo Clinic's Florida campus say that dementia in some diabetics appears to be caused often by vascular disease in the brain, and the dementia that develops in people without diabetes is more likely associated with deposition of the plaque seen in people with Alzheimer's disease

15 Jul 2010