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Unique study of the use of deep brain stimulation

Canadian researchers have seen promising results from a unique study of the use of deep brain stimulation (DBS), in severely depressed patients resistant to standard treatments.

28 Feb 2005

Massage on a par with consumer use of chiropractic and physical therapy services

Massage therapists elicit an impressive level of goodwill and increasing popularity among American adults. Fully two out of five adults have visited a massage therapist and 12% received at least one massage in 2004, putting massage on a par with consumer use of chiropractic and physical therapy services.

28 Feb 2005

Study first to document increase risk of herpes infection due to oral sex, particularly in young women

The first clinical study to document risk of acquiring herpes simplex virus type 1 infection based on sexual activity has linked oral sex and vaginal intercourse with a demonstrably higher rate of infection, particularly in young women, researchers from the University of Pittsburgh report in the February issue of Sexually Transmitted Diseases, the journal of the American Sexually Transmitted Diseases Association.

28 Feb 2005

Forgoing of end of life treatment varies across Europe

The frequency of withholding or withdrawing life-prolonging treatment at the end of a patient's life varied greatly among six European countries, according to an article in the February 28 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

28 Feb 2005

Hospital admission medication errors common and potentially harmful

A medication use history is an integral part of the hospital admission process, but errors in the history may result in failure to detect drug-related problems or lead to interrupted or inappropriate drug therapy during hospitalization, according to background information in the article. Earlier studies suggest that these errors are a potentially serious safety issue.

28 Feb 2005

Mobile phone radio wave exposure limited by standards

Concerns over possible harmful health effects of mobile phone use have spurred standards that dictate limits on radio wave exposure emitted by phones and other wireless handheld devices.

28 Feb 2005

Cigarette smokers have an increased risk of experiencing rotator cuff tears

Cigarette smokers have an increased risk of experiencing rotator cuff tears in their shoulders than their tobacco-free counterparts, according to study results presented today at the 72nd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

27 Feb 2005

Methylphenidate linked to chromosomal changes

In a small but startling preliminary new study, Texas researchers have found that after just three months, every one of a dozen children treated for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with the drug methylphenidate experienced a threefold increase in levels of chromosome abnormalities—occurrences associated with increased risks of cancer and other adverse health effects.

27 Feb 2005

Self-reporting of symptoms by patients with ulcerative colitis better than assessing patients with endoscopy

People living with fatigue, abdominal discomfort and bloody diarrhea caused by the chronic inflammation of ulcerative colitis may no longer need to undergo frequent and uncomfortable endoscopies, a new study shows.

27 Feb 2005

Trial results on the use of recombinant activated factor VII in acute intracerebral haemorrhage

The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) today reports positive results from the recently completed clinical trial of recombinant activated factor VII (NovoSeven/rFVIIa) in intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH).

24 Feb 2005

Mathematical model describes the electrical storm that rages during a brain seizure

"We're trying to get to the underlying state of the brain that leads to these seizures," said Mark Kramer, a Ph.D. student in UC Berkeley's Applied Science and Technology Program and lead author of the paper. "Our hope is that the model can highlight potential areas where a seizure can be stopped."

24 Feb 2005

Pollution exposure during pregnancy can cause chromosomal abnormalities in fetal tissues

A new study of newborns in New York City reveals that prenatal exposure to combustion-related urban air pollutants alters the structure of chromosomes (the carriers of genes) of babies in the womb.

23 Feb 2005

Is it exercise or dieting that helps prevent cancer?

Scientists and health professionals have long believed that maintaining a healthy - or "ideal" - weight makes a difference in decreasing an individual's risk for cancer. But one lingering question is whether or not it's better, in terms of cancer prevention, if that weight is reached and maintained by dieting or by exercising.

23 Feb 2005

Increased risk of urinary incontinence with hormone therapy

Menopausal hormone therapy (MHT), consisting of oral estrogen plus progestin or estrogen alone, considered in the past as treatment for urinary incontinenc, was until recently, credited with many benefits well beyond the indications for symptomatic relief of hot flashes, night sweats, and vaginal dryness. One of the benefits of MHT was to improve the symptoms of urinary incontinence (UI), and it has often been prescribed to treat UI.

21 Feb 2005

Global warming will bring climate-related health crises

As a result, governments and health officials need to begin to think about how to respond to an anticipated increase in the number and scope of climate-related health crises, ranging from killer heat waves and famine, to floods and waves of infectious diseases.

20 Feb 2005

Mathematical model helps women determine frequency of mammograms

Researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston have devised a mathematical tool that predicts how the frequency of mammograms affects the number of lives saved by detecting breast cancers at an earlier stage.

20 Feb 2005

Heart repair linked to migraine relief

Migraine headache patients reported the painful attacks eased or even vanished after they underwent procedures to close abnormalities that allow blood to flow between the atria of their hearts, according to the results of two new studies in the current issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

16 Feb 2005

New simple and cost-effective method of diagnosing hereditary genetic disorders

A technique called size-fractionation performed on a sample of the mother's blood allows researchers to identify fetal DNA molecules separate from maternal DNA as a way to determine which pregnancies may be at risk for genetic disorders, according to a preliminary communication in the February 16 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on medical applications of biotechnology.

15 Feb 2005

Body mass index may be related to alcohol habits

The body mass index (BMI) of individuals who drink alcohol may be related to how much, and how often, they drink, according to a new study by researchers at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).

15 Feb 2005

Researchers have discovered an ample source of stem cells in an uncharted part of the umbilical cord

The study, published in the February issue of Stem Cells, outlines how researchers discovered that the jelly-like connective tissue surrounding the blood vessels of the human umbilical cord, the so-called "Wharton's Jelly," is rich in mesenchymal progenitor cells – cells that generate bone, cartilage and other tissues – and can be harvested to generate an abundant supply in a short amount of time.

9 Feb 2005