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Fast-tracked screening for Chlamydia in UK

Young women asking for the morning-after pill at pharmacies will be offered fast-tracked screening for Chlamydia, the UK's most common sexually transmitted infection, in a University of Manchester study.

From The University of Manchester 2 Dec 2005

Significant relationships between household endotoxin and diagnosed asthma

Exposure to household endotoxin levels poses a significant risk for asthma, according to the first nationwide sampling of house dust.

2 Dec 2005

Depressed heart patients skip medications

Recent studies conducted at the San Francisco VA Medical Center suggest two possible mechanisms for the widely recognized link between depression and adverse outcomes in patients with coronary heart disease: lack of adherence to medication regimens and increased levels of norepinephrine, a stress hormone.

2 Dec 2005

Drinking lots of coffee and tea can reduce the risk of chronic liver disease

A study published in the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) journal Gastroenterology found that people at high risk for liver injury may be able to reduce their risk for developing chronic liver disease significantly by drinking more than two cups of coffee or tea daily.

2 Dec 2005

Mycophenolate mofetil helps treat lupus patients

Treating lupus patients suffering from kidney inflammation with a medicine known as mycophenolate mofetil may be more effective in inducing remission than treating them with the standard regimen of intravenous cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan), a new clinical trial indicates.

2 Dec 2005

Strong relationship between cannabis and car crashes

Driving under the influence of cannabis almost doubles the risk of a fatal road crash, finds a study published online by the British Medical Journal. However its share in fatal crashes is significantly lower than those involving alcohol.

2 Dec 2005

Childcare helps reduce stress levels for mums and children

Low job satisfaction in working mothers increases the stress levels of their children, but spending longer in childcare can help overcome these effects, new research has shown.

2 Dec 2005

Cellular and molecular mechanisms that accelerate the development and progression of atherosclerosis

A McMaster University study on atherosclerosis will be featured on the cover of the December issue of the high impact American Heart Association scientific journal, Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology.

2 Dec 2005

New alcohol biomarker test lowers the cost of caring for patients with chronic illnesses

Adding a new alcohol biomarker test to patients' revelations about their drinking habits could lower the cost of caring for patients with chronic illnesses like diabetes and high blood pressure, a health economics analysis finds.

2 Dec 2005

Risk of severe asthma episodes predicted from fluctuation analysis of airway function

A startling new study published in the science journal Nature this week (Nature Vol 438, issue 7068, pp 667-670) reveals that inhalers used by asthmatics for symptomatic relief of their condition might actually increase the likelihood of an acute attack.

30 Nov 2005

Under-active thyroid can increase heart failure risk

According to a new study older adults people who have an under active thyroid, or hypothyroidism, but with no symptoms, have an increased the risk of congestive heart failure.

30 Nov 2005

Feeling fat - it's all in the mind!

UK scientists believe they have identified the part of the brain that determines whether a person feels fat.

29 Nov 2005

Checking blood pressure at home gives better control

Researchers in Finland have found that self-monitoring of blood pressure at home leads to better control over high blood pressure than does standard monitoring at the doctor's office.

29 Nov 2005

Hard to quit smoking even after cancer is diagnosed

According to a new study many people with cancer continue to smoke after their diagnosis, even though they are told that smoking can significantly compromise the outcome of any treatment.

29 Nov 2005

Amygdala activation to interpersonal threat can be specifically linked to the severity of social anxiety symptoms

People suffering generalised social phobia experience increased brain activity when confronted with threatening faces or frightening social situations, new research shows.

28 Nov 2005

Prion protein codon 129 genotype prevalence is altered in primary progressive aphasia

Most people with a rare type of dementia called primary progressive aphasia (PPA) have a specific combination of prion gene variants, a new study shows.

28 Nov 2005

Chronic stress induces rapid occlusion of angioplasty

Chronic stress can induce rapid blocking of arteries after a balloon angioplasty procedure, according to research performed in animal studies at Georgetown University Medical Center. Blocked coronary arteries after angioplasty affect 41 percent of patients who undergo the procedure and can lead to death.

28 Nov 2005

Stenting of the carotid artery significantly improves cognitive speed

Stenting of the carotid artery significantly improves cognitive speed and may improve memory function in some patients, according to research presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

28 Nov 2005

Orbitofrontal thickness, retention of fear extinction, and extraversion

The relationship between the size of a brain structure and the ability to recover from traumatic experiences also may influence overall personality type, according to a study from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers.

28 Nov 2005

Low doses of aspirin increase chance of developing ulcers

Aspirin has long been hailed as one of the most effective, low-cost ways to help guard against a heart attack or stroke. However, international medical researchers caution that low doses of aspirin also increase a patient's chance of developing an ulcer, often without warning signs.

28 Nov 2005