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Radiation for breast cancer not likely to increase heart attack risk

In 1973, two researchers published an article in the journal Lab Investigation saying that radiation to the breast area might damage the capillaries and restrict blood flow to the heart.

4 May 2007

Study shows effectiveness of Peramivir in mouse model of H5N1 virus infection

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals has announced that investigators at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, reported favorable results evaluating peramivir treatment in an animal model of influenza using a highly virulent strain of H5N1 virus (an avian influenza strain that had caused fatal human infection in Viet Nam).

4 May 2007

How science centers can engage an older America

Drawing on the SPRY Foundation's "The Longevity Revolution: How Science Centers Can Engage an Older America" conference held in June 2006, the latest issue of Public Policy & Aging Report ( PP&AR ) presents this event's key insights, outcomes, and resources.

4 May 2007

Use of antithrombotics means more intracerebral haemorrhagic stroke deaths in over 75s

A study suggests that the number of pensioners over 75 dying from intracerebral haemorrhagic stroke has increased in the last 25 years due to use of antithrombotic drugs.

2 May 2007

Ohioans spend $62.2 billion on non-institutional health care each year

...while the Ohio economy loses between $2.1 and $5.8 billion due to lost productivity and other indirect costs of having 1.3 million Ohio residents without health insurance, according to research released today by the Health Policy Institute of Ohio (HPIO).

2 May 2007

Diesel exhaust fumes affect bone marrow blood flow

A new study finds that exposure to a chemical component of diesel exhaust particles can compromise the ability of resistance arteries to regulate blood flow to bone marrow.

2 May 2007

Higher calcium and vitamin D intake linked to brain lesions in seniors

Elderly men and women who consumed higher levels of calcium and vitamin D are significantly more likely to have greater volumes of brain lesions, regions of damage that can increase risk of cognitive impairment, dementia, depression and stroke.

2 May 2007

Seniors are being stereotyped as grouchy

A study of caregivers of Alzheimer's patients and non-caregivers done by the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada revealed that seniors are being stereotyped as grouchy, inflexible to change, and mostly living in nursing homes, when the opposite is true.

2 May 2007

Exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke increases the risk of developing dementia

Based on preliminary results, the study authors found that elderly people with high lifetime exposure to secondhand smoke were approximately 30 percent more likely to develop dementia than those with no lifetime secondhand smoke exposure.April 28, May 5, 2007.

2 May 2007

Asset transfers that would allow elderly to qualify for Medicaid rare

Most nursing home residents are unlikely to have sold off assets below market value to qualify for long-term care coverage from Medicaid, according to a Government Accountability Office report released on Thursday, CongressDaily reports.

1 May 2007

Virtual reality device helps multiple sclerosis patients walk

Technion-Israel Institute of Technology scientists have created a virtual reality device that combines auditory and visual feedback to improve walking speed and stride length in patients suffering from Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and Parkinson's disease.

1 May 2007

Community leaders engage lawmakers on the value Medicare Advantage

More than three dozen community leaders from across the country have come together to actively engage lawmakers on the value Medicare Advantage provides to vulnerable seniors in their communities.

1 May 2007

Proportion of uninsured residents in North Carolina increases

The percentage of North Carolinians under the age of 65 who lacked health insurance for a year has risen from 15.3 percent in 2000 to 17.2 percent in 2005.

30 Apr 2007

FDA approves INVEGA treatment for schizophrenia

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved INVEGA (paliperidone) Extended-Release Tablets, a new once-daily, atypical antipsychotic, for the long-term maintenance treatment of schizophrenia.

30 Apr 2007

Keeping the mind busy and occupied restores memories lost to dementia

Scientists in the U.S. believe that mental stimulation along with drug therapy may help people with diseases such as Alzheimer's and dementia regain some of their lost memories.

30 Apr 2007

Outdated policies are impediment for Americans with disabilities

Although the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has helped increase awareness of barriers faced by people with disabilities, and advances in science and engineering have led to better assistive technologies that make it easier for individuals to lead productive, independent lives, outdated regulations too often impede access to health care coverage and assistive devices for many who need them, says a new report by the Institute of Medicine.

27 Apr 2007