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Facebook lowers grades in college, according to pilot study

College students who use Facebook spend less time studying and have lower grade point averages than students who have not signed up for the social networking website, according to a pilot study at one university.

13 Apr 2009

Study of neighborhoods points to modifiable factors, not race, in cancer disparities

While cities have shown considerable racial disparities in cancer survival, those racial disparities virtually disappear among smaller populations, such as neighborhoods within that city.

13 Apr 2009

SIRT1 takes down tumors

Yuan et al. have identified another anti-cancer effect of the "longevity" protein SIRT1.

13 Apr 2009

Review identifies dietary factors associated with heart disease risk

A review of previously published studies suggests that vegetable and nut intake and a Mediterranean dietary pattern appear to be associated with a lower risk for heart disease, according to a report published in the April 13 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

13 Apr 2009

Researchers show how PCBs may alter in utero, neonatal brain development

In three new studies - including one appearing online in the Public Library of Science - Biology (PLoS - Biology) - UC Davis researchers provide compelling evidence of how low levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) alter the way brain cells develop.

13 Apr 2009

Racial disparities persist in the treatment of lung cancer

Black patients suffering from lung cancer are less likely to receive recommended chemotherapy and surgery than white lung cancer patients, a disparity that shows no signs of lessening.

13 Apr 2009

New therapies expected to help reduce future burden of age-related macular degeneration

The prevalence of the eye disease age-related macular degeneration is projected to increase substantially by 2050, but the use of new therapies is expected to help mitigate its effects on vision, according to results of simulation modeling reported in the April issue of Archives of Ophthalmology.

13 Apr 2009

Tobacco and marijuana increase risk of respiratory symptoms and COPD

Smoking both tobacco and marijuana increases the risk of respiratory symptoms and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), found a study in CMAJ.

13 Apr 2009

Many clinicians unaware of federally funded research on alternative therapies

Approximately one in four practicing clinicians appear to be aware of two major federally funded clinical trials of alternative therapies, and many do not express confidence in their ability to interpret research results, according to a report in the April 13 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

13 Apr 2009

Imaging reveals abnormalities in pathways connecting brain areas in those with writer's cramp

Abnormalities in the fibers connecting different brain areas may contribute to muscle disorders such as writer's cramp, according to a report in the April issue of Archives of Neurology.

13 Apr 2009

Young adults who have been incarcerated have increased risk of hypertension

Young adults who have been incarcerated appear more likely to have high blood pressure and left ventricular hypertrophy, an enlarging of the heart muscle that is a common consequence of hypertension, according to a report in the April 13 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

13 Apr 2009

Family ties provide protection against young adult sucidal behavior

Adolescents and young adults typically consider peer relationships to be all important.

13 Apr 2009

Enhancing the effects of imatinib mesylate used to treat chronic myeloid leukemia

Individuals with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) are first treated with a drug known as imatinib mesylate.

13 Apr 2009

Depression after heart disease increases risk of heart failure

Patients with heart disease who are subsequently diagnosed with depression are at greater risk for heart failure (HF), a condition in which the heart can't pump enough blood throughout the body, according to a new study published in the April 21, 2009, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

13 Apr 2009

Discovery of variations in resistance to sulfadoxine across Africa

Researchers have discovered that malaria parasites in east and west Africa carry different resistance mutations, which suggests that the effectiveness of sulfadoxine as an antimalarial drug may vary across Africa.

13 Apr 2009

Gene targeting discovery opens door for vaccines and drugs

In a genetic leap that could help fast track vaccine and drug development to prevent or tame serious global diseases, DMS researchers have discovered how to destroy a key DNA pathway in a wily and widespread human parasite.

13 Apr 2009

Creating ideal neural cells for clinical use

Investigators at the Burnham Institute for Medical Research (Burnham) have developed a protocol to rapidly differentiate human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) into neural progenitor cells that may be ideal for transplantation.

13 Apr 2009

Colon cancer shuts down receptor that could shut it down

Though a high-fiber diet has long been considered good for you and beneficial in staving off colon cancer, Medical College of Georgia researchers have discovered a reason why: roughage activates a receptor with cancer-killing potential.

13 Apr 2009

Anti-clotting medications may be associated with brain microbleeds in older adults

Individuals who take aspirin or other medications that prevent blood clotting by inhibiting the accumulation of platelets appear more likely to have tiny, asymptomatic areas of bleeding in the brain, according to a report posted online today that will appear in the June print issue of Archives of Neurology.

13 Apr 2009