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Brain systems become less coordinated with age, even in the absence of disease

Some brain systems become less coordinated with age even in the absence of Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study from Harvard University.

5 Dec 2007

60 year mark reached in long-term radiation study

For the past 60 years, the National Academies have studied the health effects of radiation exposure in Japanese survivors of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan.

5 Dec 2007

Asacol treats UC symptoms of isolated proctitis

Data from two Phase III clinical trials support that Asacol, an oral, non-steroidal medication that belongs to the class of agents known as 5-aminosalicylic acids (5-ASAs), is an effective and well-tolerated treatment for patients with all extents of ulcerative colitis (UC), including isolated proctitis.

5 Dec 2007

University of Sydney to lead international anorexia study

An international treatment trial for sufferers of chronic anorexia nervosa involving Sydney, London and Chicago is a world first.

5 Dec 2007

Being fit more important than being fat when it comes to a longer life

The latest research is saying that fitness may be more important when it comes to living longer, than being overweight.

5 Dec 2007

Middle-aged Australians more anxious and depressed than their elderly counterparts

A study, by Dr Julian Trollor and Dr Tracy Anderson from the School of Psychiatry at UNSW, found that elderly participants (those aged 65 and above) reported a lower prevalence of psychiatric and anxiety disorders and had lower levels of psychological distress than middle-aged participants.

4 Dec 2007

Too much sleep as bad as too little when it comes to your health

The latest research highlights the importance of a good night's sleep and says sleep, or the lack of it, can have significant implications for a person's health.

4 Dec 2007

Positive results from trial of investigational anti-epilepsy drug Brivaracetam

UCB has announced data demonstrating that anti-epileptic drug (AED) brivaracetam, with the proposed trade name Rikelta, administered as an adjunctive treatment in adults with refractory epilepsy with partial onset seizures, significantly reduced seizure frequency and had a side-effect profile comparable to placebo.

4 Dec 2007

Treating patients with psychiatric disorders for hepatitis C

People with severe mental illnesses are far more likely to be infected with Hepatitis C virus compared to the general population, however, they often do not get treatment for their liver disease because current antiviral therapies have known psychiatric side effects.

4 Dec 2007

Re-engineered Gleevec reduces heart risks

Using a new bottom-up approach for rational drug design, researchers at Rice University and the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center have reengineered the powerful anticancer drug imatinib - best known by its brand name Gleevec - to more specifically target one type of cancer while potentially curbing a rare life-threatening cardiotoxic side effect.

4 Dec 2007

sLRP1-alpha provides relief from neuropathic pain

Injury to peripheral nerves (the causes of which include shingles, HIV-AIDS, toxins, alcoholism, repetitive motion disorders, surgery, and cancer) causes neuropathic pain, which differs from ordinary pain and is usually perceived as a steady burning, pins and needles, electric shock sensations, and/or tickling.

4 Dec 2007

Immediate relatives of patients with Parkinson's disease face increased risk of depression/anxiety disorders

Immediate relatives (brother, sister, mother, father, son or daughter) of people who have Parkinson's disease are at increased risk for developing depression and anxiety disorders, according to a new study by Mayo Clinic.

4 Dec 2007

Almost half of New Orleans residents have anxiety or mood disorders

Almost half of pre-hurricane residents of New Orleans and one-fourth of those living in other affected areas had evidence of an anxiety or mood disorder five to seven months following Hurricane Katrina, according to a report in the December issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.

4 Dec 2007

Quality-improvement initiatives lead to progress in diabetes care

Two major initiatives designed to improve primary care treatment of type 2 diabetes have yielded significant benefits in largely minority, disadvantaged populations, according to a pair of studies in the December issue of Medical Care.

4 Dec 2007

New upper limit defined for normal ALT in adolescent males

A new cohort study of adolescent offenders in Australia has identified an upper limit for alanine aminotransferase (ALT) that is more sensitive for the diagnosis of liver disease.

4 Dec 2007

Mini transplant patients' outcomes similar using related and unrelated donor cells

People who undergo nonmyeloablative stem-cell transplants, or "mini transplants," for leukemia, lymphoma and other blood cancers have comparable outcomes regardless of whether they receive tissue-matched stem cells from a related or unrelated donor, according to new findings by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

4 Dec 2007

Vaccination against hepatitis B does not seem to increase the risk of a first episode of MS in childhood

Vaccinating against the hepatitis B virus does not appear to be associated with the risk of developing multiple sclerosis in childhood, according to a report in the December issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

4 Dec 2007

Heavy drinking, linked to high number of sex partners in young adults

Psychiatry researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found that a clinical diagnosis of alcohol dependence in young adults is associated with having a high number of sex partners.

4 Dec 2007

Genetic testing for severe type of migraine may help identify new treatment options

People with a severe type of migraine in which one side of the body becomes weak should consider genetic testing, according to research that has found familial genes for this type of migraine in people who did not have family members experiencing the problem.

4 Dec 2007

Brain abnormalities discovered in people who have trouble reading fast

Some people who have problems reading quickly appear to have abnormalities in the white matter of their brains, according to research published in the December 4, 2007, issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

4 Dec 2007