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New guidelines for travellers to avoid DVT on long flights

New guidelines for travellers have been issued. Experts warn that those with a higher risk of serious blood clots who opt for the window seat on flights longer than four hours are potentially putting themselves in danger. People who should be most concerned are those who have recently had surgery, cancer patients, those with limited mobility, the severely obese, and travellers over 70. However, healthy women on the pill and those who are pregnant should also be careful, according to the guidelines by the American College of Chest Physicians.

7 Feb 2012

Occasional erratic heart rhythms cause about one-fifth of unexplained strokes

Occasional erratic heart rhythms appear to cause about one-fifth of strokes for which a cause is not readily established, according to research presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2012.

3 Feb 2012

Novel method can rapidly scan and capture 3D maps of muscle structure

Simon Fraser University associate professor James Wakeling is adding to the arsenal of increasingly sophisticated medical imaging tools with a new signal-processing method for viewing muscle activation details that have never been seen before.

23 Jan 2012

Neuronal energy deficit may cause Parkinson's disease

Scientists at the University of York have made a significant step forward in isolating the cause of Parkinson's disease in younger adults.

17 Jan 2012

AICAR might protect against heat stress in MH-susceptible individuals

Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is a life-threatening genetic muscle disorder, most commonly triggered in those at risk by certain types of drugs used during anesthesia. Heat stroke, on the other hand, most commonly occurs in individuals in response to physical exertion in hot/humid environments. While their common triggers may differ, the signs associated with MH and heat stroke are remarkably similar - uncontrolled muscle contractions, dangerous increases in body temperature, and muscle breakdown leading to the release of toxins in the blood which may cause cardiac arrhythmias and death. Immediate treatment for these conditions is crucial.

13 Jan 2012

AICAR therapy may combat heat stroke

We've all seen the story in the news before. Whether it's the death of a physically fit high school athlete at football training camp in August, or of an elderly woman gardening in the middle of the day in July, heat stroke is a serious, life-threatening condition for which there is no treatment beyond submersion in ice water or the application of ice packs to cool the body to a normal temperature.

8 Jan 2012

Fetal heart rate monitor may improve infant's health

Despite the numerous medical advances that happen every day, the infant mortality rate in the United States is still higher than most European countries. While experts believe this is closely linked to the growing rate of pre-term births, researchers are committed to finding ways to make labor and delivery safer. Northwestern Medicine- researchers are examining a new device that may support improved newborn health at delivery through closer monitoring of infant oxygen use during labor.

22 Dec 2011

Study hopes to explain premature births and failed inductions of labour

New research hopes to explain premature births and failed inductions of labour. The study by academics at the University of Bristol suggests a new mechanism by which the level of myosin phosphorylation is regulated in the pregnant uterus.

22 Dec 2011

Diabetes increases risk of emergency caesarean birth in women with poorly contracting uterus

Researchers at the University of Liverpool have found that the strength of uterine contractions in diabetic pregnant women is significantly weaker than in non-diabetic women, increasing the risk of emergency caesarean birth.

7 Dec 2011

Top-line primary endpoint data from Pfizer's Toviaz trial on overactive bladder

Pfizer Inc. announced today the top-line primary endpoint result for Toviaz (fesoterodine fumarate) Study A0221049 - Efficacy and Safety of Fesoterodine Flexible Dose Regimen in Vulnerable Elderly Patients with Overactive Bladder.

6 Dec 2011

The head plays key role in tiring endurance performances

Researchers from the University of Zurich have now studied in detail what sportsmen and women know from experience: The head plays a key role in tiring endurance performances.

5 Dec 2011

Dantrolene reduces severity of walking and balance problems linked with HD

Huntington's disease (HD) is characterized by ongoing destruction of specific neurons within the brain. It affects a person's ability to walk, talk, and think - leading to involuntary movement and loss of muscle co-ordination. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Molecular Neurodegeneration shows that the RyanR inhibitor Dantrolene is able to reduce the severity of walking and balance problems in a mouse model of HD.

24 Nov 2011

New device safe, more effective for patients with chronic neurological conditions

Functional electrical stimulation (FES) was developed to help return lost function to patients with upper and lower extremity injuries and spinal cord injuries, among other applications. However, the devices, which work by stimulating neuronal activity in nerve-damaged patients, have a potential shortcoming in that the electrical currents needed for the treatment to work can also send errant signals to surrounding nerves, resulting in painful side effects.

22 Nov 2011

Whole-body-vibration does not effectively boost bone density

Whole-body-vibration, a popular exercise which uses a vibrating platform, is sometimes advertised as being able to boost bone density. However, a one-year-study on healthy postmenopausal women has shown that it has no such effect.

15 Nov 2011

Pfizer's Toviaz Study A0221048 for overactive bladder meets primary endpoint

Pfizer Inc. announced today top-line results for Toviaz (fesoterodine fumarate) Study A0221048 - Effectiveness and Safety of a Flexible Dose Regimen for Patients with Overactive Bladder including Nocturnal Urinary Urgency.

9 Nov 2011

Study reveals new role for the 'hormone of love'

Much of the body's chemistry is controlled by the brain - from blood pressure to appetite to food metabolism. In a study published recently in Developmental Cell, a team of scientists led by Dr. Gil Levkowitz of the Weizmann Institute has revealed the exact structure of one crucial brain area in which biochemical commands are passed from the brain cells to the bloodstream and from there to the body. In the process, they discovered a surprising new role for the 'hormone of love,' showing that it helps to direct the development of this brain structure.

3 Nov 2011

Researchers uncover molecular pathway critical to cardiac arrhythmia

University of Maryland School of Medicine researchers have uncovered a previously unknown molecular pathway that is critical to understanding cardiac arrhythmia and other heart muscle problems.

27 Oct 2011

Merz presents XEOMIN clinical data on dystonia at IDS 2011

New data presented at recent neurological congresses and summarized at the IDS indicate that patients treated with XEOMIN for cervical dystonia or blepharospasm (involuntary closing of the eyelids) experienced long-term sustained efficacy with a favorable safety profile in studies of up to 121 and 88 weeks duration, respectively.

22 Oct 2011

FSU biologists devise new way to watch how cells move

For better and for worse, human health depends on a cell's motility -- the ability to crawl from place to place. In every human body, millions of cells -are crawling around doing mostly good deeds --- though if any of those crawlers are cancerous, watch out.

19 Oct 2011

Levosimendan may effectively improve muscle function in patients with respiratory failure

Treatment with the calcium-sensitizing drug levosimendan may be effective in improving muscle function in patients with respiratory muscle weakness, which often accompanies chronic diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and congestive heart failure, according to researchers in the Netherlands, who studied the effects of the drug on healthy volunteers.

23 Sep 2011