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Chlamydia has evolved more actively than previously thought

In a study released today in Nature Genetics, researchers have found that Chlamydia has evolved more actively than was previously thought. Using whole genome sequencing the researchers show that the exchange of DNA between different strains of Chlamydia to form new strains is much more common than expected.

12 Mar 2012

Infection with M. genitalium may double African women's HIV risk

A common sexually transmitted bacterial infection more than doubles the risk of HIV infection in African women, reports a study in the March issue of AIDS.

9 Mar 2012

Patients with advanced Alzheimer’s benefit from drugs: Study finds

According to new developments patients with advanced Alzheimer’s disease could benefit from drug treatment to slow its progression. Scientists have shown for the first time that drugs used to slow the disease in its early stages also work when the condition is advanced, greatly extending the population who could be treated.

8 Mar 2012

Meeting MDG safe water target cause for celebration, but more work remains to bring access to all

The achievement of meeting the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) for safe drinking water "shows that where there is a will, it is possible to truly transform the lives of hundreds of millions of people for the better," Sanjay Wijesekera, chief of water, sanitation and hygiene for UNICEF, writes in the Guardian's "Poverty Matters Blog."

7 Mar 2012

Make That Call campaign to promote colorectal cancer screening

Katie Couric, NewYork-Presbyterian and its Jay Monahan Center for Gastrointestinal Health, the Entertainment Industry Foundation's National Colorectal Cancer Research Alliance (NCCRA), and ABC today announced the "Make That Call" campaign to promote colon cancer screening for National Colon Cancer Awareness Month.

6 Mar 2012

Tips to practice good sleep hygiene

The return of daylight saving time and losing an hour of sleep causes most to cringe at the thought. According to Aparajitha Verma, M.D., medical director of the Sleep Disorders Center at the Methodist Neurological Institute in Houston, "springing forward" affects the sleep patterns of more than 70 million Americans. She offers some tips about how to practice good sleep hygiene before March 11 rolls around.

6 Mar 2012

Leicester study to focus on impact of food-based culture on children's life

They will examine the social and behavioural aspects of dining and their potential impact on school attendance and attitudes to learning.

2 Mar 2012

Inexpensive test, treatment for syphilis could save nearly 1M infants annually

An inexpensive test and single-dose treatment could help save the lives of nearly one million infants annually if pregnant women in low-income countries were offered rapid tests for syphilis, experts from the Global Congenital Syphilis Partnership said on Thursday, Reuters reports.

2 Mar 2012

Radio health-related product ads infringe the current law

Spanish consumers are defenceless against deceptive advertising broadcasted on the radio in areas that could affect their health, according to a study carried out by two lecturers at the Rey Juan Carlos University in Madrid. The project reports that this infringement of law takes place specifically in health-related advertisements.

2 Mar 2012

Pregnant women and oral health

Oral health doesn't always top the list of concerns that expectant mothers may have, but it certainly should. Proper dental health and control of oral disease can safeguard a mother's health before and during pregnancy and reduces the transmission of bacteria from women to their children.

1 Mar 2012

New research shows beneficial side effect of anti-allergy parasite

New research is showing a beneficial side effect of parasites for our health. Hygiene Hypothesis: As rates of allergy are reported to have tripled in the UK in the past decade, the scientific finger is pointing to an over-sanitised lifestyle making our immune responses overactive. Now, a team of biologists at the University of Edinburgh, led by Professor Rick Maizels, are investigating how parasitic worms could offer a cure for modern illnesses.

1 Mar 2012

Sleeping pills may raise risk of death: Study

According to a U.S. study, people who take certain prescription sleeping pills even once in a while may be up to five times more susceptible to early death. In the U.S., an estimated six per cent to 10 per cent of adults used the drugs in 2010.

29 Feb 2012

GBMC adds eClinicalWorks Care Coordination Portal and Community Analytics build on EHR

eClinicalWorks, a market leader in ambulatory clinical systems, today announces that Greater Baltimore Medical Center (GBMC), one of the largest community hospitals in the mid-Atlantic, has expanded its relationship with the company to include eClinicalWorks Care Coordination Portal and eClinicalWorks Community Analytics.

27 Feb 2012

Scientific American examines Gates Foundation toilet-design initiative

"Advocates for universal access to and use of basic personal sanitation hope their efforts will get a big boost in August, when the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation present several hygienic innovations developed through its Reinventing the Toilet Challenge," Scientific American reports in a feature article.

23 Feb 2012

International Microbicides Conference to take place from April 15-18

The biennial International Microbicides Conference is the premier gathering for those working on new approaches to HIV prevention and this year's conference in Sydney, Australia will place a strong emphasis on the role of community in both research and implementation of scientific findings. The conference will take place from April 15-18 at the Sydney Exhibition and Conference Centre located on the Darling Harbour waterfront.

23 Feb 2012

Autism Speaks releases two new ATN tool kits

Autism Speaks, North America's leading autism science and advocacy organization, today released the Sleep Strategies for Children with Autism: A Parent's Guide and Treating Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Tool Kit for Dental Professionals, both available for free download on Autism Speaks Tools You Can Use webpage.

22 Feb 2012

IRIN examines whether poverty reduction schemes can help lower TB rate in developing countries

IRIN examines "whether a new generation of social protection schemes, aimed at reducing poverty and often using cash transfers to the poorest, can be harnessed to bring down the rate of tuberculosis (TB) in developing countries."

22 Feb 2012

Helen DeVos Children's Hospital wins first annual Leape Ahead Award

The American College of Physician Executives (ACPE) is pleased to announce the selection of Helen DeVos Children's Hospital as the winner of the first annual Leape Ahead Award.

20 Feb 2012

Study examines mercury exposure in pregnant women

A new study published by researchers at SUNY Downstate Medical Center's School of Public Health assesses mercury levels in pregnant women and examines dietary and environmental sources of exposure to mercury. The research, which focuses on an urban immigrant community, examined risk factors that may be associated with elevated mercury levels, measured through urine and cord blood samples.

18 Feb 2012

First accurate predictive model to differentiate between dengue fever and dengue hemorrhagic fever

Researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch have developed the first accurate predictive model to differentiate between dengue fever (DF) and its more severe form, dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF).

17 Feb 2012