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Anti-clotting treatment underused at many hospitals

Academic hospitals are more likely than community or Veteran’s Administration (VA) hospitals to follow national guidelines for treating patients at risk for blood clots with aspirin or warfarin.

19 May 2004

Exercise reverses signs of artery disease in obese children

Healthy but obese adolescents display abnormal responses to tests of blood vessel function, but after a short course of exercise their test results match those of lean youngsters, even though they remain heavy, according to a new study in the May 19, 2004 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

19 May 2004

About one in 35 adult Americans is at high risk of coronary heart disease

About one in 35 adult Americans is at high risk of coronary heart disease, meaning they have a greater than 20 percent chance of developing heart disease within 10 years, and about one in six has a 10-year risk that is greater than 10 percent, according to a new study in the May 19, 2004 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

19 May 2004

Higher volume may not guarantee higher quality angioplasty and stenting

"Practice makes perfect" seems logical, but how much practice remains uncertain, and current health care quality guidelines may be set too high. It may be time to reexamine the standard recommending hospitals perform at least 400 angioplasty and stent procedures per year, according to a new study in the May 19, 2004 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

19 May 2004

Comparison study shows low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet loses more weight than low-fat, low-cholesterol, low-calorie diet

People who followed a low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet lost more weight than people on a low-fat, low-cholesterol, low-calorie diet during a six-month comparison study at Duke University Medical Center. However, the researchers caution that people with medical conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure should not start the diet without close medical supervision.

19 May 2004

Parents overestimate their children's use of bicycle helmets and seatbelts

Parents think their children use bicycle helmets and seatbelts more often than children say they use them, according to a new study by a University of Michigan Health System pediatric surgeon.

19 May 2004

WHO experts and the Chinese authorities are still trying to determine the exact cause of the recent SARS outbreak

The investigation has centred primarily on the National Institute of Virology in Beijing where experiments using live and inactivated SARS coronavirus have been carried out. Two researchers at the Institute developed SARS in late March and mid-April. The outbreak was reported on April 22 and the Institute was closed a day later.

19 May 2004

Closer to understanding the function of a protein linked to an inherited form of the movement disorder dystonia

The protein, torsinA, is defective in patients with DYT1 dystonia, an inherited condition that causes uncontrollable movements in the limbs and torso. Learning what torsinA does could be an important step toward developing a treatment for the disorder.

19 May 2004

Drug combo effective for advanced breast cancer

A pair of studies at UCLA's Jonsson Cancer Center that takes laboratory science to the patients' bedside found that combining the molecularly targeted therapy Herceptin with a specific chemotherapy combination resulted in significant tumor response rates and longer relapse-free periods in women with an aggressive form of advanced breast cancer.

19 May 2004

Launch of Crucial Genetics, a state-of-the-art genetic profiling service

The University of Glasgow has linked up with venture capital company Fifty-Six Ltd. to launch Crucial Genetics, a state-of-the-art genetic profiling service. The company is based within customised laboratory facilities at the Southern General Hospital, Glasgow and is equipped with the latest automated fluorescent DNA laser scanning machinery.

19 May 2004

Royal Society warns bureaucracy is hampering British scientists

University scientists will remain overloaded with administrative work despite proposed changes to the method of assessing the quality of research they carry out, according to a report published today (19 May 2004) by the Royal Society.

19 May 2004

Genome Quebec Innovation Centre has announced the signing of a service agreement with GenoMed

The McGill University and Genome Quebec Innovation Centre has announced the signing of a service agreement with GenoMed, a US company located in St. Louis, Missouri that specializes in using genomics to practice better medicine.

19 May 2004

National Cancer Institute (NCI) purchases Starbridge Hypercomputer® to accelerate genome data research

Starbridge Systems announced today that the National Cancer Institute's Advanced Biomedical Computing Center (ABCC) in Frederick, MD, recently purchased a Starbridge Hypercomputer®, the first high-end reconfigurable computer acquired for bioscience research.

19 May 2004

New book highlights pros and cons of medical use of cannabis

A new book which brings together the relevant science regarding the beneficial effects of cannabis for identified medical conditions and explains many harmful side effects has been launched at Australia's Southern Cross University today.

19 May 2004

Centre for Life opens with the UK’s first two human embryonic stem cell lines

The UK’s first two human embryonic stem cell lines, developed separately by researchers at King’s College London and the Centre for Life in Newcastle, are to be deposited in the UK Stem Cell Bank. The deposit coincides with the official opening of the Bank by Health Minister, Lord Warner, today (Wednesday 19 May 2004).

19 May 2004

Variability in weight and drug content of split tablet may put patients at risk of receiving wrong dosage

Back and neck pain sufferers who divide the most frequently prescribed muscle relaxant may be getting anywhere from half to one-and-a-half times the amount of medicine they believe they are taking, suggests a new study examining the practice of tablet splitting.

19 May 2004

Music teachers routinely exposed to noise levels could suffer hearing loss

Led by research associate Alberto Behar and electrical and computer engineering professors Hans Kunov and Willy Wong, the team found that while general noise exposure over the course of an average day is marginally acceptable, noise levels during teaching periods could damage the inner ear.

19 May 2004

25% of women in many countries voluntarily take folic acid tablets before conception

By taking folic acid before pregnancy or during the first few weeks after conception, women can markedly lower the risk of neural tube defects in their offspring; the defects commonly manifest themselves as a debilitating health condition known as spina bifida. The neural tube is fully developed 22 to 28 days after conception

19 May 2004

Body size is a major predictor of high blood pressure

Body size is a major predictor of high blood pressure in both blacks and whites but racial differences may affect the association of weight and blood pressure, according to study results presented at the American Society of Hypertension’s Nineteenth Annual Scientific Meeting.

19 May 2004

Dark chocolate and cocoa may help arterial stiffness

“This is the first study to investigate whether chocolate has any favorable effects on cardiovascular function in healthy subjects,” says Charalambos Vlachopoulos, MD, of the Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece. “We found dark chocolate improves endothelial function and decreases arterial stiffness in healthy young adults.”

19 May 2004