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Trials on MS drug Tysabri renews hope for sufferers

According to the results of two new trials the multiple sclerosis (MS) drug Tysabri significantly reduces the progression of the disease.

5 Mar 2006

Public health effects of exposure to toxic metals

Exposure to toxic elements leads to worrying health problems in many parts of the world, including Europe.

1 Mar 2006

C-reactive protein helps identify progressive precancerous lesions in the lung

C-reactive protein (CRP), a biomarker for inflammation in the blood, can help to identify individuals whose abnormal precancerous lesions will advance closer to invasive lung cancer.

1 Mar 2006

Attaching new cytokine to neural stem cells derived from bone marrow kills brain tumor cells

Attaching a recently discovered cytokine to neural stem cells derived from bone marrow, researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center's Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute have developed a tool to track and kill malignant brain tumor cells and provide long-term protection against their return.

1 Mar 2006

Better tests needed for fuller view of head injuries

Concussion patients with a normal head CT scan may believe they are free of brain injury, but CT scans often miss damage at the molecular level, warns a University of Rochester Medical Center study.

1 Mar 2006

Study - Increases in weight after adenotonsillectomy in overweight children with obstructive sleep-disorder

A study by a University at Buffalo pediatric researcher investigating the causes of weight gain in children after they have their tonsils and adenoids removed to treat sleep-disordered breathing has shown that removing these tissues results in less fidgeting and other non-exercise motor activity.

1 Mar 2006

Bone marrow stem cells do not improve cardiac function in heart attack patients

There has been increasing evidence that stem cells contribute to regeneration of cardiac tissue and the development of new blood vessels following a heart attack, thus opening up new prospects for stem-cell based therapies.

1 Mar 2006

Overactive thyroid gland linked to increased risk for atrial fibrillation

Having an overactive thyroid gland is linked with an increased risk for atrial fibrillation (a type of abnormal heart rhythm), but neither an over- or under active thyroid gland is associated with a higher risk for other cardiovascular problems or increased risk of death

1 Mar 2006

Study questions whether treatment is necessary for mild thyroid problems

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have found that leaving a mildly underactive thyroid gland (subclinical hypothyroidism) untreated does not lead to increased cardiovascular risk.

1 Mar 2006

Obese people may be more sensitive to pain

The obese patients showed a greater physical response to the electrical stimulation than did the non-obese people, both before and after the training session. This indicates they had a lower tolerance for the painful stimulation despite reporting, in questionnaires, that they felt no more pain than non-obese people.

1 Mar 2006

Reaction to DTaP vaccine finds no help from ibuprofen, acetaminophen

A red splotch forms where most preschoolers get their fifth, and last, shot of the acellular diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTaP) vaccine, and it can last a few days.

1 Mar 2006

Physical symptoms that mark frailty often reversible

In a study to determine how older people progress through different states of frailty, researchers at Yale School of Medicine have found that the physical symptoms that mark frailty are often reversible and therefore amenable to intervention.

1 Mar 2006

Amifostine makes radiation more effective

Doctors in Brazil have concluded that the drug amifostine eases many of the most common side effects associated with patients receiving radiation therapy to treat their cancer while simultaneously making the cancer more susceptible to radiation.

1 Mar 2006

New technique provides insight into shape of DNA molecules attached to a surface

A team of researchers from Boston University has developed a new application to enable more precise measurement of the location of a fluorescent label in a DNA layer.

1 Mar 2006

Human papillomavirus the main risk factor for cervical adenocarcinoma

Human papillomavirus (HPV) was found to be the main risk factor associated with increased incidence of an unusual type of cervical cancer called cervical adenocarcinoma, according to a study in the March 1 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

1 Mar 2006

Delayed surgical treatment may combat overtreatment of prostate cancer

Delayed surgical treatment for patients with small, low-grade prostate cancer tumors was not associated with lowered curability, according to a study in the March 1 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

1 Mar 2006

Concerta used to treat ADHD may be less likely to be abused than other stimulant drugs

A team led by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers has found that a delayed-release stimulant used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be less likely to be abused than other stimulant drugs.

1 Mar 2006

Ethnicity the most important personal characteristic in predicting complementary medicine use

A survey of older adults in rural North Carolina shows that they widely use complementary medicine therapies, but tend to focus on folk or home remedies, such as taking a daily "tonic" of vinegar or using Epsom salts.

1 Mar 2006

HAART is very cost-effective

New research shows that highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) is very cost-effective, despite the high price tag. However, the study also shows that reimbursement to physicians treating patients with HIV is critically low, threatening patients' access to care.

1 Mar 2006

Treatment of severe coronary artery disease with angioplasty/coronary stenting a viable alternative to bypass surgery

Severe stenosis (blockage) to the left main coronary artery - a condition commonly called a "widow-maker"- can result in sudden death. For nearly 30 years, the gold standard for treatment has been coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG).

1 Mar 2006