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Vimentin marker detects colon cancer in 46 percent of patients

Researchers at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and the Ireland Cancer Center of University Hospitals of Cleveland report identifying a new DNA gene marker, vimentin, that was shown in a recent study to be three times more effective in detecting colon cancer than the standard doctor's office test that detects blood in the stool.

2 Aug 2005

Elderly need to make sure they get enough vitamin B12

These days, most health warnings about vitamins focus on the danger of overdose. For vitamin B12, though, it's more likely that people are getting too little. In fact, B12 deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency in the developing world and possibly in the United States as well, reports the August issue of the Harvard Health Letter.

2 Aug 2005

Study findings will help early detection and treatment of hyperglycemic diabetes

In a groundbreaking population-based study, researchers in Mayo Clinic Cancer Center found that new onset of hyperglycemic diabetes in adults age 50 or older may be a signal of underlying pancreatic cancer.

1 Aug 2005

Discovery could improve the early diagnosis of breast and ovarian cancers through a simple blood test

Scientists from the Uppsala Branch of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research (LICR) have made a promising discovery that could improve the early diagnosis of breast and ovarian cancers through a simple blood test.

28 Jul 2005

Does aspirin work equally well for everyone?

We all know that aspirin can help prevent a heart attack or stroke, but does aspirin work equally well for everyone? A growing amount of medical evidence says no. One reason emerging to explain this difference is that some people fail to achieve an adequate response to the drug.

26 Jul 2005

Nearly half of New Yorkers ages 50 and older are not undergoing screening within the recommended schedule

Half of New York City residents over 50, the age at which the American Cancer Society recommends beginning screening tests, have not received a colon cancer-screening test within the recommended time intervals, according to a new study.

25 Jul 2005

Help at last for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

British researchers have found abnormalities in the white blood cells of sufferers Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and if early results are confirmed by further research, and indications suggest they will be, it could lead not only to a blood test for the condition but possibly a drug to treat it.

21 Jul 2005

Fertility drugs may be ineffective for women who lack a gene called the estrogen receptor beta

"What we found is that the beta estrogen receptor plays a role in moving the egg outside the ovary so it can be fertilized," said Kenneth Korach, Ph.D., Laboratory Chief at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) where the research was conducted. "We never knew before what function this receptor played in reproduction."

20 Jul 2005

Diagnosing diabetes early saves lives

Australian Medical Association (AMA) President, Dr Mukesh Haikerwal, said today that while 520,000 Australians have been diagnosed with diabetes, there are probably as many again who remain undiagnosed, exposing them to serious complications caused by the disease, including kidney disease, heart attacks and eye problems.

19 Jul 2005

Research discovers new deadly link to sickle cell disease

A new study led by a researcher at Children's Hospital & Research Center at Oakland is the first to find that an amino acid deficiency in sickle cell disease is the result of hemolysis, a process where red blood cells rupture and release their contents into the blood stream. Low availability of the amino acid arginine is associated with lung disease and death in adult sickle cell patients.

6 Jul 2005

Simple analysis of a bone marrow transplant patient's oral rinse indicates whether infection will develop

Simple analysis of a bone marrow transplant patient's oral rinse can give medical personnel a quick indication of the transplant's effectiveness and predict whether an infection will develop, says a University of Toronto researcher.

27 Jun 2005

A blood test for thyroid cancer can detect persistent or recurrent disease even before doctors can find any trace of a tumor

The study, by researchers at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSU CCC – James), examined how well a test for thyroid cancer can predict whether the disease will recur.

27 Jun 2005

First blood test to help predict a patient's risk for ischemic stroke

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first blood test designed to help predict a patient's risk for ischemic stroke, the most common type of stroke and one of the nation's leading causes of long-term disability affecting approximately 700,000 people per year.

19 Jun 2005

Specific genetic linkages to bipolar disorder

Despite an intensive effort, researchers have yet to identify the genes that cause bipolar disorder, yet the practical benefits of such a discovery could reap rich rewards for those suffering from the mental illness.

16 Jun 2005

Tight glucose control lowers CVD by about 50 percent in diabetes

A significantly lower risk of heart disease can now be added to the list of proven long-term benefits of tight glucose control in people with type 1 diabetes.

12 Jun 2005

Genetic variations predispose Mexican Americans to insulin resistance

Although numerous studies have shown that low-grade inflammation is linked to heart disease and diabetes, more recent studies have shown that inflammation plays a role in insulin resistance, a syndrome that leads to diabetes and heart disease and affects about one in four adults in the United States.

12 Jun 2005

Diabetic men at risk of sexual dysfunction

A new study has found that diabetic men over 45 years of age are more than twice as likely as non-diabetic men to have low testosterone, putting them more at risk of sexual dysfunction.

12 Jun 2005

New start-up to market test that predicts heart attack risk

PrognostiX, a start-up company based on Cleveland Clinic technology, has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to begin selling a diagnostic test capable of identifying patients who are in imminent danger of heart attack or death.

9 Jun 2005

Researchers determine potentially safer way to diagnose food allergy

Researchers may have defined a safer and less expensive way to determine the presence of food allergy in children, according to new research in the Journal of Allergy & Clinical Immunology (JACI). The JACI is the peer-reviewed scientific journal of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI).

9 Jun 2005

Simple blood test can quickly identify type of congestive heart failure

A simple blood test can quickly identify what type of congestive heart failure (CHF) a patient has, improving diagnostic accuracy; eliminating the need for extensive diagnostic tests, such as heart muscle biopsy or exploratory surgery; and enabling the patient to be treated sooner, according to a study published in the June 7 Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

6 Jun 2005