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Study finds water softener does not provide benefit to children with eczema

The first study of its kind in the world — involving 336 children aged between six months and 16 years old — has shown that installing a water softener for three months brings no additional relief for eczema sufferers.

16 Feb 2011

New study: CHG cloths more effective in reducing risk of hospital-acquired infections

A new study from Rhode Island Hospital has found a reduced risk of hospital-acquired infections when using two percent chlorhexidine gluconate cloths for daily bathing instead of soap and water.

16 Feb 2011

CPIC scientists find rates of liver cancer in US-born Hispanic men increased by 87%

Thirty-year-old Pedro Espinosa's chances of developing liver cancer just skyrocketed. Born in the United States and of Hispanic descent, Pedro falls into a category of men in California whose liver cancer rates have nearly doubled over the past two decades, according to a recent study.

16 Feb 2011

Bisphosphonates appear to reduce risk of postmenopausal colorectal cancer by 50%

An international team of researchers has found that the use of bisphosphonates - drugs already taken by millions of healthy women to prevent bone-loss - for more than one year was associated with a 50 percent reduction in the risk of postmenopausal colorectal cancer. The results were published this week in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

15 Feb 2011

Efficacy of zinc in common cold - Review of clinical trials

A new study has added to the existing literature that debates the role of zinc in combating the common cold. It suggests that the supplement might modestly reduce cold duration and severity or maybe even prevent it. The report was published as a Cochrane Review.

15 Feb 2011

TFAH applauds overall increase in disease prevention funding, expresses concern over CDC cuts

The Trust for America's Health (TFAH) applauds the President's budget for an overall increase in disease prevention funding, reflecting the new funds provided by the Prevention Fund from the Affordable Care Act (ACA), but expresses extreme concerns over the cuts to funding for core programs at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and for emergency preparedness.

15 Feb 2011

Heavy alcohol intake can lead to increased risk of AF

Atrial Fibrillation is the most common cardiac arrhythmia. Its name comes from the fibrillating of the heart muscles of the atria, instead of a coordinated contraction. The result is an irregular heartbeat, which may occur in episodes lasting from minutes to weeks, or it could occur all the time for years. Atrial fibrillation alone is not in itself generally life-threatening, but it may result in palpitations, fainting, chest pain, or congestive heart failure.

14 Feb 2011

Two Uofl professors provide reference works in oncology field

Two University of Louisville School of Medicine professors recently authored reference works in the field of oncology, one focusing on the use of radiation treatment for childhood cancers and the other on hepatocellular carcinoma, or liver cancer.

14 Feb 2011

People from northern and southern Sweden differ from each other genetically

People from northern and southern Sweden differ from each other genetically, according to the largest genetic study of the Swedish population yet. Swedes also have genetically more in common with Germans and British than with Finns. The study, performed jointly at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and University of Helsinki, has been published in PLoS ONE.

14 Feb 2011

Gene-transfer system may control mosquito-borne diseases without pesticides

Scientists have modeled a system that may be used to control mosquitoes and the diseases they transmit, without the use of pesticides. In the proposed system, mosquitoes are engineered to carry two genes. The first gene causes males to transmit a toxin to females through their semen. The second gene, when expressed in females, makes them immune to this toxin.

14 Feb 2011

Daily diet soda raises stroke risk by 61%: Study

A new study suggests that regular intake of diet soda may be boosting the risk of stroke. Stroke is the third leading killer following heart disease and cancer, in the United States. More than 137,000 people a year die from stroke, according to the American Stroke Association.

13 Feb 2011

HIV trials and tribulations

A report published online February 8 in PLoS Medicine shows that mass behaviour changes could be credited with helping to remarkably reduce the number of people infected with HIV in Zimbabwe in recent years. These changes include declines in extramarital, commercial, and casual sexual relations, as well as a decline in multiple partners. These have been triggered by increased awareness of AIDS deaths and fear of infection and to some extent by the country’s economic deterioration.

13 Feb 2011

Indiana University creates Institute for Personalized Medicine

Indiana University has announced a major commitment to research in one of health care's most promising fields with the creation of the Indiana Institute for Personalized Medicine.

10 Feb 2011

Afinitor plus BSC doubles progression-free survival in patients with advanced pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors

The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) published a study today that shows Afinitor® (everolimus) tablets plus best supportive care (BSC) more than doubled progression-free survival (PFS), or time without tumor growth, versus placebo plus BSC in patients with advanced pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (NET).

10 Feb 2011

Study: E-cigarettes are safer alternative to tobacco smoking

A study just released by the Journal of Public Health Policy is taking a closer look at traditional tobacco cigarettes vs. e-cigarettes, and the results are surprising even the biggest skeptics. Based on available evidence, the study "Electronic cigarettes as a harm reduction strategy for tobacco control: A step forward or a repeat of past mistakes?" concluded that e-cigarettes are safer than tobacco cigarettes, and have the potential to become a smoking cessation device.

9 Feb 2011

Kaiser Permanente Southern California selected for 10-center Mental Health Research Network

The Kaiser Permanente Southern California Department of Research & Evaluation has been selected for inclusion in the 10-center Mental Health Research Network (MHRN) recently funded with a $10.5 million grant from the National Institute of Mental Health. The five other Kaiser Permanente research centers included in the MHRN are located in Northern California, Oregon, Colorado, Georgia, and Hawaii.

9 Feb 2011