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Prion protein uptake associated with development of Scrapie disease

Scrapie is a neurodegenerative disease which can function as a model for other diseases caused by an accumulation of proteins resulting in tissue malformations (proteinpathies), such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.

30 Dec 2011

Healthy diet keeps the brain sharp

The study shows that elderly who followed this diet had less of the brain shrinkage linked with Alzheimer's disease and scored better on mental and thinking tests than those with poorer diets. Although previous studies have suggested that a heart-healthy diet is also good for the brain, the new study took a different approach by using blood tests to determine the participant’s diet and nutrient levels.

29 Dec 2011

Three successful full face transplants: Brigham and Women’s report

A team of Brigham and Women’s surgeons performed three full face transplants at the hospital this year and have published a detailed account of the procedures in the New England Journal of Medicine. The authors outline the three cases with before and after photos and explanations of how the patients - Dallas Wiens, Mitch Hunter, and Charla Nash - fared in the aftermath of surgery. While all three had infections and two had episodes of rejection, all were successfully treated.

29 Dec 2011

Lost weight returns as more fat and less muscle: Study

It is common knowledge that some weight is regained after weight loss, but in older women many of those regained pounds return as fat mass rather than muscle mass, according to a new study.

29 Dec 2011

Avastin fails to live up to expectations for extending survival in ovarian cancer

Cancer drug Avastin has been found to add about four months to the time it takes for the cancer to worsen for women with advanced cases of ovarian cancer says a new report. However it may not extend survival significantly.

29 Dec 2011

Venezuela offers to pay for removal of faulty breast implants

Venezuela's government has offered to pay for the removal of PIP breast implants feared to be at risk of rupture. They would cover the cost of the surgery for Venezuelan women but would not pay for replacement implants, Health Minister Eugenia Sader said. Ms Sader said many implants made by French firm Poly Implant Prothese (PIP) had been imported illegally.

29 Dec 2011

David Cameron’s “big bang” approach to raising alcohol taxes and discouraging drinking

The British Prime Minister David Cameron has ordered officials to develop a scheme in England to stop the sale of alcohol at below 40p to 50p a unit in shops and supermarkets. There could also be a more sophisticated system of taxes based on the number of alcohol units contained in the drink. Both options would cost drinkers an estimated extra £700 million a year, with any extra tax revenue potentially going to the NHS.

29 Dec 2011

Slimy new way of transport designed by Japanese

Japanese researchers are inspired by a brainless primeval organism – yellow amoeboid slime, to devise the ideal transport network design.

29 Dec 2011

Vanderbilt Emergency Department braces for alcohol-related injuries on New Year's Eve

With the countdown to 2012 just around the corner, Vanderbilt's Emergency Department is bracing for what is likely to be one of the busiest weekends of the year. Alcohol-related injuries and deaths typically spike on New Year's Eve, causing physicians and staff to prepare for an influx of patients requiring help after overconsumption.

29 Dec 2011

Free, low-cost strategies to maintain good health in the new year

With the start of a new year, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute experts are encouraging people to ring in new healthy habits and offer a number of free and low-cost strategies to help people maintain good health and possibly reduce various cancer risks.

29 Dec 2011

Evolution recognizes RTI Biologics for achieving 98.7% equipment performance rating

RTI Biologics Inc., a leading provider of orthopedic and other biologic implants, was recognized in the 2011 fourth edition of Evolution magazine for achieving a 98.7 percent equipment performance rating for its facilities and processing equipment. Evolution magazine is published by SKF Group, a global company which provides condition monitoring to RTI.

29 Dec 2011

Silent strokes linked to memory loss in the elderly

New research links 'silent strokes,' or small spots of dead brain cells, found in about one out of four older adults to memory loss in the elderly. The study is published in the January 3, 2012, print issue of Neurology-, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

29 Dec 2011

Substance-related health problems during rave parties: Study

In a study of 3.8 million attendees to 249 raves over 12 years, researchers found that almost 27,897 people visited a first aid station, and more than a third (10,100) reported a substance-related problem.

29 Dec 2011

FDA intiates measures to reduce risks from inadequate 'reprocessing' of reusable medical devices

Some medical devices are reused many times in surgical and exploratory procedures. They include instruments used in surgery (like clamps and forceps), and endoscopes (like bronchoscopes and colonoscopes) used to visualize areas inside the body.

29 Dec 2011

Romney defends Mass. mandate; Gingrich once supported that plan

GOP presidentical candidate Mitt Romney said the insurance mandate included in the Massachusetts healthcare law he signed is fundamentally a conservative principle.

29 Dec 2011

GOG targeted therapy phase 3 clinical trial delays progression of advanced ovarian cancer

Targeted drugs, which block or disrupt particular molecules involved in the growth of tumors, have been shown to be effective treatments against many types of cancer.

29 Dec 2011

States awarded over $296M for ensuring more children have health coverage

More than $296 million was awarded to states for ensuring more children have health coverage, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced today.

29 Dec 2011

Bevacizumab delays disease progression in ovarian cancer

Treating ovarian cancer with the drug bevacizumab ("Avastin") delays the disease and may also improve survival, show the results of an international clinical trial co-led by Drs. Amit Oza of the Princess Margaret Cancer Program, University Health Network and Timothy Perren, St James's Institute of Oncology, Leeds, UK.

29 Dec 2011

Individuals with diverse skin microbiota at lower risk of contracting malaria

The microbes on your skin determine how attractive you are to mosquitoes, which may have important implications for malaria transmission and prevention, according to a study published Dec. 28 in the online journal PLoS ONE.

29 Dec 2011

New form of esophagectomy for treatment of severe cancer

Surgeons at Mayo Clinic in Arizona have perfected a new procedure that offers a less invasive option in the treatment of one of the most severe cancers.

29 Dec 2011