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High blood pressure induces low fat metabolism in heart muscle

Hearts of non-diabetics with muscle thickening due to high blood pressure have an energy metabolism skewed in the opposite direction -- away from the use of fat for energy.

4 Aug 2006

Literacy at less than a ninth-grade level almost doubles the five-year risk of mortality among elderly people

The literacy and mortality study analyzed data on 2,512 participants in the Health, Aging, and Body Composition Study that was conducted by the National Institute on Aging from 1999 to 2004.

4 Aug 2006

AIDS deaths depleting ranks of health professionals more rapidly than recruitment abroad in Africa

AIDS deaths are depleting the ranks of health professionals more rapidly than recruitment abroad in some countries in sub-Saharan Africa, according to the author of a Comment in this week's issue of The Lancet.

3 Aug 2006

Women more likely to categorize themselves as overweight than men

Study suggests our media and cultural obsession with achieving a certain weight does little to convince couch potatoes of any size to abandon their favorite sofa cushions and get active.

3 Aug 2006

FDA develops cost-effective way to identify bioterror agents used in hoax incidents

Researchers at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) National Center for Toxicological Research (NCTR) are developing a quick, cost-effective way to screen for and identify bioterror agents and other substances used in hoax incidents.

3 Aug 2006

Researchers have found that increasing paternal age is significantly associated with increased rates of spontaneous abortion

Results indicate that as the male partner ages there is a steady increase in rate of miscarriage.

3 Aug 2006

Diethanolamine found in shampoos may inhibit brain development

An ingredient found in many shampoos and other personal care products appears to interfere with normal brain development in baby mice when applied to the skin of pregnant mice, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill researchers have discovered

3 Aug 2006

EPA accused of putting industry interests before public health

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is being put under pressure by a number of states to be transparent, especially when it comes to insisting pesticide manufacturers disclose all the ingredients on their product labels.

2 Aug 2006

FDA approves next seasons flu vaccines

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that it has approved this year's seasonal influenza (flu) vaccines that include the new strains of virus judged likely to cause flu in the Northern Hemisphere in 2006-2007.

2 Aug 2006

Stress reactions and perceived difficulties of lay responders to a medical emergency

Even though they are trained in CPR, people hesitate to take action when an emergency unfolds in front of them. But the cause, a study has found, is more likely to be confusion than stress.

2 Aug 2006

New, shorter tuberculosis treatments could advance control

The introduction of new, shorter treatments for tuberculosis could have a dramatic effect on global efforts to reduce the number of cases and deaths from tuberculosis, according to a new study published in PLoS Medicine.

2 Aug 2006

Big kids are getting too big

The epidemic of obesity in young children has been far worse in the tallest, fastest growing young children, according to new research published in The International Journal of Obesity.

From The University of Manchester 1 Aug 2006

Domestic violence during pregnancy increases risk of early childhood mortality

Domestic violence towards mothers during pregnancy significantly raises the risk of death for their children during the earliest stages of childhood, according to a study of families in India.

1 Aug 2006

Thailand says Laos to blame for spread of bird flu

According to official sources an emergency cabinet meeting has been held in the communist state of Laos to discuss how to combat the latest outbreak of avian influenza in the landlocked country.

31 Jul 2006

HHS to stockpile Anthrax immune globulin

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced it will purchase 10,000 therapeutic courses of treatment of Anthrax Immune Globulin (AIG) from Cangene Corporation of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada for a total of $143,833,719.

30 Jul 2006

Mad dogs and Englishmen should stay out of the midday sun!

In a timely release, as much of Europe and Britain in particular sizzles through an unusually hot summer, a new report is warning against the dangers of exposure to the sun.

30 Jul 2006

Blair threatens food and drinks industry with legislation

British Prime Minister Tony Blair has virtually given the food and drinks industry in the UK an ultimatum saying unless the "junk food" industry can sort itself out it will be forced to restrict advertising to children next year.

27 Jul 2006

Simple policies could control a smallpox epidemic

A series of simple public health policies would be able to effectively contain the spread of smallpox if it were released into a population, according to research published in PNAS.

27 Jul 2006

Thailand confirms case of human infection with H5N1 avian influenza

The Ministry of Public Health in Thailand has confirmed a case of human infection with H5N1 avian influenza.

26 Jul 2006

Taking multivitamins around time of conception reduces preeclampsia risk

Women who are considering becoming pregnant may significantly reduce their risk of developing a common life-threatening complication called preeclampsia by taking a multivitamin supplement regularly three months before conception and during the first trimester of pregnancy.

26 Jul 2006