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Betel quid popularity in Chinese prompts health warning

The use of betel quid, a mixture of betel leaf, areca nut, and slaked lime, is used by one in six adults in mainland China, a survey has found.

31 May 2012

Noncommunicable diseases need more attention among prisoners

Prisons are not taking appropriate action to improve diet and increase physical activity levels to help prevent noncommunicable diseases among prisoners, say UK researchers in The Lancet.

31 May 2012

Fall prevention needed in multiple sclerosis patients

Patients with multiple sclerosis are at increased risk for fractures, particularly those related to falls, a study shows.

31 May 2012

Common pain killers linked to decreased skin cancer risk

Use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs is associated with a decreased risk for skin cancer, particularly squamous cell carcinoma and malignant melanoma, study findings indicate.

31 May 2012

Thrombosis biomarker levels differ according to thrombolysis strategy

An early invasive strategy following thrombolysis for ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction is associated with significant changes in the levels of inflammatory and thrombotic biomarkers, a substudy of the Norwegian study on district treatment of STEMI shows.

31 May 2012

People with fatty livers need to lose weight

Exercising moderately for 150 to 300 minutes a week does not improve lipoprotein metabolism in obese people with nonalcoholic fatty lipid disease, show findings from a US study.

31 May 2012

$Vertebroplasty feasible for at least 1 year after fracture$

Vertebroplasty feasible for at least 1 year after fracture

Patients with subacute and chronic osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures can be successfully treated with percutaneous vertebroplasty between 2 and 12 months after symptom onset, say researchers.

31 May 2012

Over half of FEP patients achieve symptomatic remission

More than half of patients with a first episode of psychosis achieve symptomatic remission after 2 years of treatment, but recovery rates are lower, results from a Singaporean study show.

31 May 2012

‘Virtually’ no ulcer bleeding after H. pylori eradication

Rebleeding is rare in patients with complicated peptic ulcers after successful treatment for Helicobacter pylori infection, Spanish clinicians report.

31 May 2012

‘Fruteros’ outside schools could help improve children’s diet

Allowing mobile fruit and vegetable vendors or “fruteros” to sell their produce outside schools could help children increase their fruit and vegetable consumption, and reduce the risk for childhood obesity, suggest results from a US study.

31 May 2012

Obstetric, perinatal difficulties ‘not linked to bipolar disorder risk’

Results from a US study indicate that obstetric and perinatal difficulties are not associated with an increased risk for bipolar disorder in children.

31 May 2012

CCG support advice ‘lacking’

Most CCGs want more information about the choice of commissioning support services available to them and how best to access them, according to a report commissioned by the Clinical Commissioning Coalition.

31 May 2012

Smoker's genetic makeup can help predict response to drug therapy

The same gene variations that make it difficult to stop smoking also increase the likelihood that heavy smokers will respond to nicotine-replacement therapy and drugs that thwart cravings, a new study shows.

31 May 2012

Counseling sessions with community pharmacist lead to better medication adherence

A new Walgreens study has found that patients starting high cholesterol (statin) medication for the first time who participated in enhanced face-to-face counseling sessions with a community pharmacist demonstrated better medication adherence than those that did not participate in the sessions.

31 May 2012

New therapy approach for patients blind on one side

Patients who are blind in one side of their visual field benefit from presentation of sounds on the affected side. After passively hearing sounds for an hour, their visual detection of light stimuli in the blind half of their visual field improved significantly.

31 May 2012

Life Technologies, OpGen enter collaboration on Whole Genome Mapping and Ion Torrent sequencing

Life Technologies Corporation and OpGen, Inc., a commercial stage whole genome analysis company, today announced that they have signed a collaboration agreement to develop systems, technologies and applications intended to improve the management and surveillance of microbial outbreaks in the public health and infectious disease markets.

31 May 2012

Swallowed batteries, coins and magnets can cause severe internal damage to children

The nation's emergency physicians are warning parents about the dangers associated with young children swallowing objects like small batteries, coins and even magnets. Not only do they serve as potential choking hazards, but these foreign objects can cause severe internal damage as they pass through a child's body.

31 May 2012

Too much salt and aldosterone leads to high blood pressure, tissue damage

Nearly 40 percent of the small adrenal tumors that cause big problems with high blood pressure share a genetic mutation that causes patients to retain too much sodium, researchers report.

31 May 2012

First Edition: May 31, 2012

Today's headlines include reports about various health-related measures currently on the move in Congress.

31 May 2012

External LED light source for Endolume announced by Lighthouse Imaging

Lighthouse Imaging Corporation now offers the L700, an external LED light source, as a companion product to its Endolume endoscope system light tester. This inexpensive light source, when used in conjunction with Endolume, provides the necessary illumination to enable biomedical technicians, clinical engineers, and endoscope service technicians to quantitatively test the illumination characteristics of the endoscopic system.

31 May 2012