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Study contains warning for obese expectant mother

A new University of Illinois study contains a warning for obese women who are planning pregnancies. Even if they eat a healthy diet when they are pregnant, their babies will develop in an unhealthy environment that places the infants at risk for future health problems.

16 Apr 2012

Coordinated response needed to capitalize on momentum of WHO's adoption of mental health resolution

"We commend the 130th session of the WHO Executive Board for adopting a resolution calling for a comprehensive response to the global burden of mental illnesses," Rebecca Hock of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health's Department of Mental Health, and colleagues, write in this Lancet opinion piece.

16 Apr 2012

Targeting glucagon's sweetening effect may treat type II diabetes

Maintaining the right level of sugar in the blood is the responsibility not only of insulin, which removes glucose, but also of a hormone called glucagon, which adds glucose.

16 Apr 2012

New findings on out-of-hand nut consumption and health

In a study published in Nutrition Research, researchers looked at the association of out-of-hand nut (OOHN) consumption with nutrient intake, diet quality and the prevalence of risk factors for cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome in both children and adults.

16 Apr 2012

Study investigates genetic factors and smoking exposure in Japanese lung cancer patients

Previous research has shown that Asian patients with lung cancer are more likely to harbor epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations. Furthermore, Asian patients with lung cancer are more likely to be non-smokers than Western patients with lung cancer. Research in the May 2012 issue of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer's (IASLC) Journal of Thoracic Oncology goes deeper, investigated genetic factors and smoking exposure in Japanese lung cancer patients.

16 Apr 2012

Positive top-line results from Biodel’s Phase 1 trial of two RHI-based formulations

Biodel Inc. today announced positive top-line results from a Phase 1 clinical trial of its product candidates, BIOD-123 and BIOD-125 -- two proprietary ultra-rapid-acting formulations of recombinant human insulin.

16 Apr 2012

Researchers discover intra-cellular function of LOXL2 protein

Researchers at the Hospital de Mar Research Institute (IMIM) have discovered that the protein LOXL2 has a function within the cell nucleus thus far unknown. They have also described a new chemical reaction of this protein on histone H3 that would be involved in gene silencing, one of which would be involved in the progression of breast, larynx, lung and skin tumours.

16 Apr 2012

Lung cancer rates continue to rise among UK women

Lung cancer cases continue to rise in women with more than 18,000 UK women diagnosed with the disease in 2009 according to the latest Cancer Research UK figures released today.

16 Apr 2012

Increasing pressure ejects surplus healthy cells from overcrowded tissues

Cancer Research UK scientists have shown that increasing pressure ejects surplus healthy cells from overcrowded tissues, revealing a possible link between this process and the spread of cancer, according to a study published in Nature.

16 Apr 2012

Mylan receives final FDA approval for generic Lescol Capsules ANDA

Mylan Inc. today announced that its subsidiary Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc. has received final approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for Fluvastatin Capsules USP, 20 mg and 40 mg, the first generic version of Novartis' Lescol Capsules.

16 Apr 2012

Roundup: Texas considers relaxing rules for stem cell treatments; States weigh bills to protect consumers against high drug costs

A Texas agency will vote Friday on whether to enact new rules that would make it easier for doctors to offer experimental treatments using adult stem cells without federal approval. The Texas Medical Board, which licenses and disciplines doctors in the state, recently drafted stem-cell rules at the behest of Dr. Stanley Jones of Houston, who in July injected Gov. Rick Perry with the governor's own stem cells to try to aid his recovery from a back injury.

16 Apr 2012

Asthma treatment still inadequate in Australia

Writing in the latest edition of Australian Prescriber, Associate Professor Helen Reddel, research leader at the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research says many people are prescribed higher doses than necessary. Most people do not use their inhalers correctly, leading to poor clinical outcomes and wasted medicines.

15 Apr 2012

Huntington’s disease may protect against cancer: Study

Dr Jianguang Ji, Lund University, and Skåne University Hospital, Malmö, Sweden, and colleagues investigated data from the Swedish Cancer Registry. Researchers analyzed Swedish hospital data from 1969 to 2008. They found 1,510 patients with Huntington's disease. During the study period, 91 of those patients subsequently developed cancer. The authors said that was 53% lower than the levels expected for the general population.

15 Apr 2012

HPA urges routine vaccination after surge of whooping cough cases

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) said there have been 665 confirmed cases already this year, compared with 1,040 in the whole of 2011. Cases have been reported across all regions in England with some areas reporting clusters in schools, universities and healthcare settings.

15 Apr 2012

Obesity surgery shows threefold rise over five years

There has been a threefold rise in Australians resorting to surgery to tackle their obesity. This has prompted the establishment of a registry to monitor the safety and effectiveness of weight-loss procedures.

15 Apr 2012

Indomethacin given after digestive diagnostic procedure may prevent pancreatitis: Study

There is a high risk of pancreatitis after a diagnostic procedure - ERCP (endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography). ERCP is a procedure that is commonly utilized to treat or diagnose problems of the bile and pancreatic ducts. During an ERCP procedure, a lighted scope is inserted through the mouth while X-ray pictures are taken to check the tubes that drain the liver, pancreas and gallbladder.

15 Apr 2012

Toxic plants and animal products found in traditional Chinese medicines

A study has found that some traditional Chinese medicines contain potentially poisonous plants, unlabelled ingredients and bits of endangered animals. This has triggered a bid for routine testing and tighter regulation of complementary medicines.

15 Apr 2012

Bat on a plane gives rise to rabies exposure risk: CDC report

On 5th August 2011, a bat flew through the cabin of a commercial airliner minutes after takeoff during an early morning flight from Wisconsin to Georgia. This potentially exposed the passengers and flight crew to rabies virus. Three days later, the Wisconsin Division of Public Health (WDPH) requested assistance from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to conduct a rabies risk assessment for those on board and the ground crew.

15 Apr 2012

Around a quarter of all babies born to unwed couples: CDC study

According to health officials nearly a quarter of all babies born are born to unmarried couples who are living together. The rise is significant from a decade ago. The increase came even as the picture for U.S. births and parenthood remained largely unchanged from the 2002 data, the report said.

15 Apr 2012

Natural products isolated from marine mollusks and sponges can reverse multidrug resistance in cancer cells

Many marine natural products show anticancer activity, but some can reverse multidrug resistance in cancer cells. A new investigation by Robert J. Capon of the University of Queensland correlates the products' structures with their activity.

12 Apr 2012