Endocrinology News and Research

Latest Endocrinology News and Research

Being overweight bad for bone health

Being overweight is a known risk factor for heart disease, diabetes and a host of other health conditions.

27 Nov 2007

Low levels of "good" cholesterol make it difficult to recover from stroke

People are at an increased risk of memory problems and greater disability after stroke if they have low levels of “good” cholesterol and high levels of homocysteine, an amino acid acquired mostly from eating meat.

27 Nov 2007

Living donors may be best source of insulin-producing islets for diabetes treatment

According to a new study in Clinical Transplantation, obtaining islet cells (clusters of pancreatic cells that create insulin) from living donors may be a solution to the shortage of islets available for transplantation.

27 Nov 2007

Communication key to tackling cardiovascular disease

Despite the increasing evidence that managing high cholesterol reduces cardiovascular events, many people do not achieve recommended lipid levels.

27 Nov 2007

High-glycemic index carbs linked to greater type 2 diabetes risk in Chinese and African-American women

Eating foods high on the glycemic index, which measures the effect of carbohydrates on blood glucose levels, may be associated with the risk for developing type 2 diabetes in Chinese women and in African-American women, according to two studies in the November 26 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

27 Nov 2007

Research to look at whether dogs able to sniff out diabetes

Queen's University researchers are appealing for volunteers to help investigate whether dogs can reliably detect changes in their owner's diabetic state.

22 Nov 2007

Lung transplants for cystic fibrosis may not be such a good option

Researchers in the United States say lung transplants do little to improve the outcomes for children with severe cystic fibrosis (CF) and often increases their risk of dying.

22 Nov 2007

Vitamin E can significantly reduce risk of heart attacks for diabetics with certain gene variant

Vitamin E supplements can significantly reduce the risk of heart attacks and related deaths for diabetics who carry a particular version of a gene, according to researchers at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology and the Clalit Health Services in Israel.

21 Nov 2007

Discovery of new signaling molecule could lead to the development of new treatments for cancer

Investigators at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have discovered a new signaling molecule that prevents immune responses from running amok and damaging the body.

21 Nov 2007

Lung transplants do more harm than good to children with cystic fibrosis

Lung transplantation, the therapy almost every cystic fibrosis patient (CF) considers at some point to prolong survival, rarely helps children with the disease live longer and, in fact, often increases their risk of dying, University of Utah researchers conclude in the most extensive study of the issue to date.

21 Nov 2007

Measures that are needed to curb humanity's most fatal diseases

Several of the world's most eminent health scientists and organizations today publish a landmark global consensus on the 20 foremost measures needed to curb humanity's most fatal diseases, their study featured in Nature magazine.

21 Nov 2007

New technique provides stem cells without ethical and legal constraints

In a paper to be published Nov. 22 in the online edition of the journal Science, a team of University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers reports the genetic reprogramming of human skin cells to create cells indistinguishable from embryonic stem cells.

21 Nov 2007

Human skin could be a new source of stem cells

A simple recipe—including just four ingredients—can transform adult human skin cells into cells that resemble embryonic stem cells, researchers report in an immediate early publication of the journal Cell, a publication of Cell Press.

21 Nov 2007

The science of cancer health disparities in racial/ethnic minorities and the medically underserved

The latest biological, clinical and social research behind how cancer affects different racial and ethnic groups will be the focus of the first American Association for Cancer Research conference on the topic, entitled "The Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved."

21 Nov 2007

Binge drinking by adolescents increases long-term risk for heart disease

New research into lifelong alcohol consumption reveals that heavy binge drinking by adolescents and young adults is associated with increased long-term risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and other metabolic disorders.

21 Nov 2007

Early warning for anti-smoking drug Chantix

The drug watchdog in the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), has expressed concerns regarding the anti-smoking drug Chantix.

21 Nov 2007

New mums short on sleep pile on the pounds

A new study has found that mothers who only manage to get five hours or less sleep each night are three times more likely to hang on to that extra weight gained in pregnancy, while women who slept seven hours a night or more lost more weight.

20 Nov 2007

Impact of sleep deprivation on postpartum weight retention

Mothers who reported sleeping five hours or less per day when their babies were six months old had a threefold higher risk for substantial weight retention (11 pounds or more) at their baby's first birthday than moms who slept seven hours per day, according to a new study by Kaiser Permanente and Harvard Medical School / Harvard Pilgrim Health Care.

20 Nov 2007

Lack of health insurance may stop some diabetics from seeking critical treatment

With more than 80,000 lower-limb amputations reported annually among people with diabetes in the United States, there's a possibility many amputations, especially among African-Americans, could have been prevented if patients had health insurance.

20 Nov 2007

Schering-Plough acquires Organon BioSciences

Schering-Plough Corporation has announced that it has completed the acquisition of Organon BioSciences N.V., creating a stronger combined company with broader human and animal health portfolios, an enhanced pipeline and increased R&D capabilities. Schering-Plough's agreement to acquire Organon BioSciences was announced on March 12, 2007.

20 Nov 2007