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Narcotic medications can safely and effectively ease severe, chronic pain in older people

Narcotic medications can safely and effectively ease severe, chronic pain in older people with little risk that these patients will seek ever-increasing doses, UCSF medical scientists have found. Younger patients, however, are likely to want to rapidly increase their medication dose, the researchers found, posing serious potential health consequences.

23 May 2005

Gene keeps neural cells on correct developmental path

23 May 2005

Australian Medical Association indigenous health report card focuses on low birth weight babies

Australian Medical Association (AMA) President, Dr Bill Glasson, has launched Lifting the Weight, the AMA's fourth report card on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health.

22 May 2005

Study finds benefits, less organ rejection using immunosuppressive combination for heart transplants

A new study led by researchers at the UCLA Heart Transplant Program showed that one particular combination using tacrolimus (TAC or PrografÒ also known as FK506) had significant anti-rejection benefits for heart transplant patients over other combinations.

22 May 2005

Gene keeps neural cells on correct developmental path

Embryonic stem cells with identical genomes grow into distinctive tissues, such as heart, bone, and brain. At one time, scientists believed the differences among cell types arose from various sets of genes switched on inside developing cells. Then, studies showed that adult neurons uniquely lack a protein that permanently turns off neuronal genes in the rest of the body's cells.

20 May 2005

Chest CT can be first step to identifying if patient has had a heart attack

When radiologists are looking at contrast-enhanced chest CT examinations, they should take a look at the patient's heart to rule out heart attack, regardless of why the chest CT examination is being performed, a new study shows.

20 May 2005

Cystatin-C, a new blood test for kidney function, is a better predictor of death and cardiovascular risk among the elderly

Investigators for NHLBI's Cardiovascular Health Study compared the two measures of kidney function, cystatin-C and the standard test creatinine, as predictors of death from all causes, death from cardiovascular causes, and incidence of heart attack and stroke among 4,637 elderly participants in the study.

20 May 2005

Sigmoidoscopy comes up short for women in detection of polyps in the colon

A new multi-center study has reaffirmed the difference between the sexes – at least when it comes to colorectal cancer detection and prevention.

20 May 2005

New kidney test better elder mortality predictor

A study at the San Francisco VA Medical Center (SFVAMC) has found that a test of kidney function that measures blood levels of cystatin C -- a protein produced by most cells in the body -- is a far more accurate predictor of mortality risk in elderly people than the current standard kidney function test, which measures levels of the protein creatinine.

20 May 2005

Bacteria in plaque may increase risk for heart attacks

Researchers have found evidence that the amount of bacteria in subgingival plaques, the deep plaques in periodontal pockets and around the teeth, may contribute to an individual's risk of a heart attack, according to two studies appearing the Journal of Periodontology.

20 May 2005

Embryonic body wash controls left-right development

Humans and other animals may appear to be symmetrical on the outside, but symmetry is only skin deep. Many body organs, such as the stomach, the heart and the liver, are tipped to the right or left side. So how does the developing embryo distinguish left from right?

20 May 2005

Narcotic medications can safely and effectively ease severe, chronic pain in older people

Narcotic medications can safely and effectively ease severe, chronic pain in older people with little risk that these patients will seek ever-increasing doses, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) medical scientists have found. Younger patients, however, are likely to want to rapidly increase their medication dose, the researchers found, posing serious potential health consequences.

20 May 2005

New study questions benefits of aspirin for the over 70s

The benefits of giving low dose aspirin to healthy people from the age of 70 to prevent heart disease are offset by increased cases of serious bleeding, argue researchers in a study published online by the BMJ this week.

19 May 2005

Colon cancer missed in simple screening test

A new U.S. study has revealed that a commonly used screening tool for colon cancer, sigmoidoscopy, does not pick up precancerous growths in almost two-thirds of women and the failure rate is twice as high as in men.

18 May 2005

Two out of three Americans with type-2 diabetes do not have their disease under control

According to a new survey two out of three Americans with type-2 diabetes do not have their disease under control and are putting themselves at risk of early deaths from stroke, heart attack or kidney failure as well as blindness and limb loss.

18 May 2005

Cameras and MP3 players are fun, but the next wave of add-ons for cell phones and laptops may help users keep track of their health

A University of Florida engineer has built a working prototype for a small, portable system that can monitor a person’s breathing and heart rate automatically via wireless signal, with no need for cords or plugs. The goal is to make it easy for people to check their own vital signs, and then transmit them in real time to medical personnel through a cell phone or Internet connection, all with little more than a press of a button.

18 May 2005

Nutritional composition of a mother’s breast milk may depend not just on her diet - but on her genes

“It is well known that genes control the nutrient levels in cow’s milk” said Richard B. Weinberg, M.D. “But until now, no one has considered how genes might affect human breast milk. This is the first study to demonstrate a genetic effect on human lactation.” The results were presented today at Digestive Disease Week 2005 in Chicago, Ill.

18 May 2005

Cardiovascular risk factors among homeless people are under-treated in Canada

The study, the first comprehensive assessment of cardiovascular risk factors in a representative sample of homeless adults, also found that cardiovascular risks among the homeless may be underestimated due to commonly used risk assessment tools that do not account for cocaine use and the level of smoking exposure.

18 May 2005

Hypertension drug combination yields high rate of blood pressure control in hard-to-treat patients

The study, conducted at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and 118 other sites, was focused on bringing down systolic blood pressure, the top number in a blood pressure reading, which is the more difficult number to bring down.

18 May 2005

Telemonitoring or telephone calls prevent heart failure deaths

Monitoring heart failure patients with either high-tech home monitors or through regular telephone contacts with nurses improves the odds they will survive during the months after a serious hospitalization, according to a new study in the May 17, 2005, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

18 May 2005

Heart News and Research

Narcotic medications can safely and effectively ease severe, chronic pain in older people

Gene keeps neural cells on correct developmental path

Australian Medical Association indigenous health report card focuses on low birth weight babies

Study finds benefits, less organ rejection using immunosuppressive combination for heart transplants

Gene keeps neural cells on correct developmental path

Chest CT can be first step to identifying if patient has had a heart attack

Cystatin-C, a new blood test for kidney function, is a better predictor of death and cardiovascular risk among the elderly

Sigmoidoscopy comes up short for women in detection of polyps in the colon

New kidney test better elder mortality predictor

Bacteria in plaque may increase risk for heart attacks

Embryonic body wash controls left-right development

Narcotic medications can safely and effectively ease severe, chronic pain in older people

New study questions benefits of aspirin for the over 70s

Colon cancer missed in simple screening test

Two out of three Americans with type-2 diabetes do not have their disease under control

Cameras and MP3 players are fun, but the next wave of add-ons for cell phones and laptops may help users keep track of their health

Nutritional composition of a mother’s breast milk may depend not just on her diet - but on her genes

Cardiovascular risk factors among homeless people are under-treated in Canada

Hypertension drug combination yields high rate of blood pressure control in hard-to-treat patients

Telemonitoring or telephone calls prevent heart failure deaths

E-Cigarettes and Ethanol: A forensic Perspective on Vaping

Understanding Consumer-Consented Data to Optimize Digital Health Programs

The Future is Wearable: Advancing Human Health Through Portable Spectroscopy

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