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Babies rarely became ill from MRSA infections: Study

The need to swab the noses of pregnant women and newborns for the presence of MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) may be unfounded, according to a Vanderbilt study now available online and published in the May issue of Pediatrics.

20 Apr 2012

Physical activity reduces CVD mortality risk in patients with hypertension

In the study, all-cause and CVD mortality risks were found to be significantly higher among study participants that didn't exercise compared with active participants at all blood pressure levels. Moreover, the excess mortality risks of physical inactivity, when converted into a "blood pressure equivalence of physical activity" measurement, revealed that physical inactivity was similar to a rise in mortality risk equivalent to an increase in blood pressure of 40-50 mmHg.

20 Apr 2012

Gut microbiota has profound systemic effect on bile acid metabolism

A new study presented today at the International Liver Congress- 2012 demonstrates that the gut microbiota has a profound systemic effect on bile acid metabolism.

20 Apr 2012

Anti-tobacco television advertising helps reduce adult smoking

Anti-tobacco television advertising helps reduce adult smoking, according to a study by researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago's Institute for Health Research and Policy -- but some ads may be more effective than others.

20 Apr 2012

HDAC9 gene can lead to obesity-induced body fat dysfunction

Cardiac researchers at the University of Cincinnati (UC) have found that a certain cellular pathway is linked to obesity-related disorders, like diabetes, heart disease and fatty liver disease.

20 Apr 2012

UH to conduct research on causes and treatment of learning disabilities

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded a five-year, $9 million grant to the University of Houston's Texas Center for Learning Disabilities to conduct research on the causes and treatment of learning disabilities in children and adolescents. UH is one of four universities nationally to receive funding from the NIH for a learning disability research center.

20 Apr 2012

Palatin, AstraZeneca initiate second AZD2820 phase I trial in obesity

Palatin Technologies, Inc. today announced that a second phase I clinical trial of AZD2820, a subcutaneously-administered peptide melanocortin receptor partial agonist under development for the treatment of obesity, has commenced.

20 Apr 2012

Shionogi, Watson introduce authorized generic version of FORTAMET

Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that it has launched an authorized generic version of FORTAMET (metformin hydrochloride extended-release tablets) as part of an agreement with Shionogi, Inc.

20 Apr 2012

World Bank to strengthen social safety net programs to support those in developing world vulnerable to economic volatility

"The World Bank plans to strengthen its social safety net to help the 60 percent of people in the developing world who lack adequate protection from the impact of global financial volatility and rising food and fuel prices," Bloomberg reports.

20 Apr 2012

Optimism could benefit the heart: A review of studies

A Harvard School of Public Health review of more than 200 studies suggests that optimism is good for the heart. The researchers looked at studies that had recorded psychological well-being and cardiovascular health. This revealed that factors such as optimism, life satisfaction, and happiness appeared to be linked associated with a reduced risk of heart and circulatory diseases, regardless of a person's age, socio-economic status, smoking status or body weight. Disease risk was 50% lower among the most optimistic individuals.

19 Apr 2012

Even a little physical activity a day keeps Alzheimer’s away

It is estimated that by 2030, the number of people with Alzheimer's disease worldwide is expected to double to 80 million. A new study shows a ray of hope. It found that daily physical activity might provide a person's best chances of staving off the degenerative brain disorder - even if they're over 80 years old.Additionally exercise does not have to be strenuous. Activities such as cooking and cleaning also led to a protective benefit.

19 Apr 2012

NHS surgery waiting times and time of discharge under scrutiny

The NHS medical director Prof Sir Bruce Keogh, has written to Strategic Health Authorities saying it is unacceptable to send people home when they may have no family support. Figures show that 100 NHS trusts sent 239,233 patients home between 23:00 and 06:00 in 2011. The Times reported that some 3.5% of all hospital discharges took place between those hours and this rate had steadily held for the past five years. The Times had contacted 170 NHS trusts in England but only 100 responded. The rates of those discharged varied widely between different hospitals.

19 Apr 2012

Regenerative medicine research offers hope for the blind

The University College London researchers transplanted immature vision cells directly into the mouse retina. They noted that within weeks the cells began to integrate into the retina and the researchers, led by Prof Robin Ali in the university’s Institute of Ophthalmology, were able to show that vision began to return to the mice.

19 Apr 2012

Breast cancer treatment and classification revolutionized in landmark study

Breast cancer treatment could be revolutionized with patients offered more accurate diagnoses and better-targeted treatments after a study in which scientists genetically charted the disease. The research found that rather than being a single disease, breast cancer can be classified into 10 distinct types. It also identified several new genes that determine the aggressiveness of the cancer.

19 Apr 2012

Sex bots by 2050

Management professor Ian Yeoman, a futurist with an interest in tourism, and sexologist Michelle Mars from Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand write about the red light districts and how they might operate in the year 2050. They suggest android prostitutes will reign supreme, eliminating the risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections in an industry free from sex slavery.

19 Apr 2012

Study demonstrates far-reaching impact of voice disorders

Patients with voice problems have nearly as many days of short-term disability claim and work productivity losses as those with chronic conditions like asthma, heart disease and depression, according to new findings from Duke University Medical Center researchers. Per claim, voice disorders account for up to 40 lost workdays and about $3,400 in short-term disability payments annually.

19 Apr 2012

G8 foreign ministers highlight global health, agriculture, nutrition in statement

The ONE blog examines how G8 foreign ministers "will additionally prioritize smart and effective global health, agriculture and nutrition plans at this year's [s]ummit."

19 Apr 2012

Soldiers, farmers can have common chronic exposure to nerve impacting chemicals

Soldiers in war zones and farmers tending their fields can have in common chronic exposure to chemicals that impact their nerves.

19 Apr 2012

Perspectives: What is the role for comparative effectiveness research?

The Journal of the American Medical Association devoted this week's issue to the topic of comparative effectiveness and how it should be used in medicine.

19 Apr 2012

Surgeons not including radiation oncologists early enough in treatment decision-making processes

Surgeons are not always including radiation oncologists early enough in a patient's treatment decision-making process, leaving some patients uninformed of all of their treatment options and potentially leading to more mastectomies over breast-conserving therapy, according to a study in the April issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology-Biology-Physics, the official scientific journal of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).

19 Apr 2012