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Carbonated soft drinks can cause heartburn

Carbonated soft drinks and one of the most commonly prescribed sleeping pills, benzodiazepines, can cause nighttime heartburn, according to new research.

9 May 2005

New study suggests you might benefit from adding more low-fat dairy to your diet

A new study suggests that increased intake of lowfat dairy foods, as part of a DASH-based eating plan, may lower blood pressure more effectively than a conventional low-fat diet -- a significant finding for the estimated 1 in 3 Americans who suffer from high blood pressure.

9 May 2005

Study sheds light on long term outlook for babies born before 2 weeks

The Medical Research Council (MRC) has announced that it has allocated £3 million to fund the next phase of a unique study looking into the survival prospects and long-term health and social issues facing extremely premature babies.

9 May 2005

New study suggests Pioglitazone HCl may significantly improve key predictors of cardiovascular risk

Study results published in the May 17th issue of Circulation, the journal of the American Heart Association, found that the diabetes medication pioglitazone HCl reduced carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT). Patients taking pioglitazone also experienced significant reductions in insulin resistance, C-reactive protein (a marker for inflammation) and blood pressure, all of which contribute to the overall risk for cardiovascular disease.

9 May 2005

Latinos develop symptoms of Alzheimer's disease earlier

U.S. Latinos develop symptoms of Alzheimer's disease earlier, on average, than white non-Latino people, according to a study in the May issue of Archives of Neurology.

9 May 2005

African Americans and Caucasians viewing African American faces display extremely similar changes in the activity of brain structures that respond to emotional events

The changes occur in the amygdala, a region of the brain that serves as an "alarm" to activate a cascade of other biological systems to protect the body in times of danger, said Matthew D. Lieberman, assistant professor of psychology at UCLA and lead author of the study.

9 May 2005

Obese workers' pay lower due to health costs

Studies have consistently shown that obese employees are paid less than normal-weight employees doing similar jobs, leading many people to attribute the gap to prejudice against workers based on their appearance.

9 May 2005

Withdrawal symptoms from marijuana may make quitting harder

Often considered a relic of the 1970's culture, marijuana is no longer a baby boom generation issue. Today, nearly 50 percent of U.S. teenagers try marijuana before they graduate high school, and by 12th grade, about 21 percent are regular users.

9 May 2005

Clues about how alcoholic behavior is “switched” on

As part of an ongoing effort to understand the biochemical basis of alcohol abuse, scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory have published two studies on how modulating receptors for dopamine - a chemical “signaler” in the brain’s reward circuits - affects drinking behavior in mice and rats.

9 May 2005

Blood tests show autistic children have abnormal immune-system responses

Scientists in the U.S. have discovered that children with autism have abnormal immune-system responses and are optimistic that their findings could be used to develop a blood test to screen for the behavioural disorder.

9 May 2005

GPs facing prosecution for handing out Pill to girls aged 10

Some Scottish doctors could be facing prosecution after it was revealed they have been prescribing the contraceptive pill to girls as young as ten.

9 May 2005

$Soft tissue injuries can predict risk of facial fractures in trauma patients$

Soft tissue injuries can predict risk of facial fractures in trauma patients

Trauma patients with specific types of facial soft tissue injuries should have a CT (computed tomography) scan of the face as well as a standard head scan to determine the presence and severity of facial fractures, according to a study published in the May issue of the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.

8 May 2005

Study calls for earlier use of ICDs in patients diagnosed with cardiomyopathy

A study presented today at the Late Breaking Clinical Trials presentations at the Heart Rhythm Society's Annual Scientific Sessions in New Orleans found that implantable cardiac defibrillators (ICD) benefit patients with recently diagnosed cardiomyopathy, a disease that affects the heart muscle's ability to pump and can lead to heart failure.

8 May 2005

Suspect gene may increase susceptibility to anxiety and depression

People with the depression-linked gene variant showed less gray matter and weaker connections in the mood-regulating circuit. How well the circuit was connected accounted for nearly 30 percent of their anxious temperament

8 May 2005

Drug combinations improve survival for patients with heart disease

Patients with coronary heart disease who take a combination of three specific drugs have a better chance of survival than those taking single drugs, finds a study in this week's BMJ.

5 May 2005

Survey of ED doctors shows team-based stroke care, risk-reducing measures, needed to increase use of tPA

Forty percent of emergency physicians say they're unlikely to give stroke patients the only FDA-approved drug shown to improve their prognosis, even in an ideal setting, mostly because of the fear of causing brain bleeding.

5 May 2005

Physician assisted suicide and why patients are motivated to seek death

Patients motivated to seek a doctor for their death wish did so after a deliberative and thoughtful process rather than on impulse, according to a research study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine .

5 May 2005

After surgery check colon tumors for signs of syndrome, study suggests

A new study suggests that, after surgery, all colon tumors should be tested to learn if the patient may have an inherited syndrome that carries an extremely high risk of cancer. It also suggests that this prescreening can be done using a relatively inexpensive microscopy test already used in hospital pathology laboratories.

5 May 2005

Controlling a person’s weight after they have given up smoking could help maximise the benefits for their lungs

Lung function normally declines with advancing age, and smoking causes premature onset and acceleration of this age-related decline. Stopping smoking is beneficial for lung function but may lead to weight gain. Previous studies have reported the effects of quitting smoking and weight change on lung function, but the total effect has not been reported in a general population study.

4 May 2005

People may consume more calories after exercising in cold water

Exercise in cold water instead of warm water may increase people's appetites, making it harder for them to lose extra pounds, a University of Florida study finds.

4 May 2005