Chronic Disease News and Research

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New breast cancer drug not available to all who need it

Unless things change breast cancer patient Barbara Clark will probably have to sell her house to pay for an expensive drug called Herceptin.

28 Jun 2005

The potential benefit that IVF children bring to society far outweighs the cost of 'producing' them

Dr. Maria Granberg, from the Fertilitetscentrum, Göteborg, Sweden, told the conference that, although the total cost of IVF financed by health care systems in Nordic countries had increased over the last few years, it was still highly profitable to society.

27 Jun 2005

Planned home births a safe otption shows finds new study

Planned home births for low risk women in the United States are associated with similar safety and less medical intervention as low risk hospital births, finds a study in this week’s BMJ.

16 Jun 2005

Orlistat, a drug that decreases fat absorption, appears helpful for improving weight management in obese adolescents

When combined with diet, exercise and behavioral therapy, orlistat, a drug that decreases fat absorption, appears helpful for improving weight management in obese adolescents, compared with placebo, according to an article in the June 15 issue of JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association.

14 Jun 2005

Breakthrough on chronic disease management by GPs

Australian Medical Association (AMA) President, Dr Mukesh Haikerwal, said today that the Australian Government’s introduction of chronic disease items to the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) would deliver a double benefit to GPs and their patients.

9 Jun 2005

Study to improve symptom awareness

Asthma sufferers who have difficulty recognising the early warning signs of an attack are being targeted by a new RMIT University study.

6 Jun 2005

Two-year study shows lifestyle-related chronic illness begins early

As the prevalence of overweight and obesity increases among American children, signs of risk for chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases - previously thought of as adult disorders - are on the rise among youth.

3 Jun 2005

Every U.S. child and adult will be obese by 2044

Advertisements on television and in newspapers consistently hype the latest diet fads. News reports comment on the latest research about the negative effects of obesity on Americans.

2 Jun 2005

Medical Research Council funds research to look at cannabis based medicines in multiple sclerosis treatment

A trial to determine whether cannabis-based medicines can reduce disability in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) has been funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC).

24 May 2005

Lack of funds hampering important child health study

US Congress should boost funding for an important study to identify the risk factors for childhood chronic disease, states an editorial in this week’s issue of The Lancet.

19 May 2005

Remicade shows promise in treating ulcerative colitis

Results from two Phase III, placebo-controlled clinical trials found that approximately two-thirds of patients with moderate to severe, active ulcerative colitis (UC) treated with Remicade (infliximab, 5mg/kg) demonstrated a significant improvement in symptoms.

16 May 2005

Fitness and strength decline during pregnancy, but recover in approximately six months

Fitness and strength decline during pregnancy and the early postpartum period, but improve by approximately 27 weeks postpartum regardless of the mother’s body mass index (BMI), according to research in the May issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, the official journal of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM).

16 May 2005

Men with HIV combat stigma, stress with Mom's love

Despite fears of shame and stigma, most HIV-positive men choose to confide their health status to their mothers, according to a new University of Florida study. When deciding whether to tell, the men’s need for their mothers’ emotional and socioeconomic support outweighed those fears, researchers found.

8 May 2005

Alcoholism - one of the top healthcare crises in the world

Alcoholism is a chronic disease that often requires intensive continuing treatment for long term recovery, according to "Alcoholism: Treatment and Recovery," a report by the Caron Foundation.

5 May 2005

Small number of genes can predict response to chronic hepatitis C therapy

For the first time, physicians at University Health Network and University of Toronto have identified a small subset of genes that can predict whether a patient with chronic Hepatitis C will be able to respond to current treatments.

2 May 2005

Age-related macular degeneration is triggered, possibly by an infection

Age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in the elderly, occurs when a common inherited gene variation is triggered, possibly by an infection, according to a new study led by researchers at Columbia University Medical Center and the University of Iowa, with an international research team.

1 May 2005

Aging population correlates with a switch from acute infectious diseases to chronic diseases as the major cause of morbidity and mortality

Some diseases like ulcers and certain types of cancer, once thought to be primarily related to lifestyle factors, are now known to be caused by microorganisms, and many more syndromes, including some psychiatric conditions, may have a connection to infection, according to a report released today by the American Academy of Microbiology.

22 Apr 2005

Arthritis medications (methotrexate and leflunomide) commonly used in adults are safe and effective in children

An international team of researchers, led by Dr. Earl Silverman of The Hospital for Sick Children (Sick Kids), has found that two arthritis medications (methotrexate and leflunomide) commonly used in adults are safe and effective in children. This research is reported in the April 21, 2005 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine.

20 Apr 2005

Babies who gain weight rapidly during their very first week of life may be more likely to be overweight as young adults

Researchers from The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Iowa studied 653 adults, ranging in age from 20 to 32. The subjects, all of whom were white, had been measured as newborns while participating in infant formula studies in Iowa. Those who had gained weight more rapidly during their first week were significantly more likely to be overweight decades later.

19 Apr 2005

Weight loss surgery is the most effective treatment available for obesity say experts

A panel of experts charged with reviewing all the available evidence on morbid obesity and weight loss surgery today concluded weight loss surgery is the most effective treatment available and can result in the improvement or complete resolution of diseases associated with obesity, according to a consensus statement published in the April edition of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons (JACS).

5 Apr 2005