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Children with sickle cell disease, silent strokes show some relief with blood transfusions

A group of children who have sickle cell disease and who experience silent strokes showed some relief from the silent strokes with blood transfusion therapy, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found.

10 Dec 2007

Calcium in coronary arteries may be linked to increased risk for heart disease in low-risk women

About 5 percent of women considered low-risk for heart disease by current classification standards have evidence of advanced coronary artery calcium and may be at increased risk for cardiovascular events, according to a report in the December 10/24 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

10 Dec 2007

Call for an early-warning avian influenza system

The international science community is not doing enough to track the many avian influenza viruses that might cause the next pandemic, a UC Davis researcher says in the journal Nature.

10 Dec 2007

Nicotine has significant effects on brain GABA

There is a clear link between GABA - a chemical substance of the central nervous system that inhibits neurons in the brain - and nicotine dependence, according to a study presented at the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP) annual meeting.

10 Dec 2007

Stable sleep patterns and regular routines may improve outcomes in bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder, commonly known as manic-depressive disorder, is highly influenced by the circadian system - the body's internal clock - and a specific kind of psychotherapy may help decrease irregularities in the circadian system that can trigger key symptoms of bipolar disorder, according to a study presented at the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP) annual meeting.

10 Dec 2007

Depression nearly triples the risk of death following a heart attack

...even when accounting for other heart attack risk factors, according to research presented at the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP) annual meeting, which showed that among 360 depressed, post myocardial infarction patients followed for more than six years, those who did not recover from their depression in the first six months were more than twice as likely to die.

10 Dec 2007

Adrenalectomy shown to benefit those with mild Cushing syndrome

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found that patients with a mild form of Cushing syndrome, a metabolic disorder caused by adrenal tumors, demonstrate substantial clinical improvement after adrenalectomy.

10 Dec 2007

Research findings link weight gain and diabetes to a variety of cancers

During this holiday season with its tempting bounty of edible delights, new research calls attention to the role of the expanding American waistline in health and medicine.

10 Dec 2007

New understanding of chronic myeloid leukemia

Oregon Health & Science University Cancer Institute researchers have opened a new window into the roots of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML).

10 Dec 2007

Study shows how mutations in the BRCA1 gene lead to breast cancer

An international team of researchers led by Columbia University Medical Center's Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center and Sweden's Lund University has, for the first time, revealed how mutations in the BRCA1 gene lead to breast cancer.

10 Dec 2007

Improprieties revealed at California Stem Cell Institute

More apparent conflict of interest violations in applications for research grants in California's $6 billion stem cell program were revealed and the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights (FTCR) called for all the tainted applications to be rejected.

10 Dec 2007

Boost for tick disease research

Roman Ganta, a professor of diagnostic medicine and pathobiology at Kansas State University, has been awarded a grant of $1,825,000 by the National Institutes of Health to figure out how to stop the tick-borne bacteria, Ehrlichia chaffeensis, from making animals and people sick.

10 Dec 2007

Mechanism for regulation of growth and differentiation of adult muscle stem cells is revealed

During muscle regeneration, which is a natural response to injury and disease, environmental cues cause adult muscle stem cells (satellite cells) to shift from dormancy to actively building new muscle tissue.

10 Dec 2007

More good Gleevec news

Gleevec, the targeted cancer pill that has saved more than 100,000 lives, now is saving more children with a dire leukemia, as well as preventing disease progression with long term use in adults with chronic myeloid leukemia.

10 Dec 2007

Denial of care for HIV+ detainees 'unacceptable,' says AHF

On the heels of the Human Rights Watch report descrying the treatment of HIV-positive immigrant detainees, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) has criticized the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for its callous disregard for the health and well-being of people living with HIV/AIDS in its care.

10 Dec 2007