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Combination of blood tests and ROMA algorithm receives FDA clearance to treat ovarian cancer

Approval last week by U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clears the path for nationwide use of tools that show the greatest specificity in estimating the risk of ovarian cancer in women with a pelvic mass.

7 Sep 2011

Researchers discover new genetic defect that can lead to Leigh syndrome

In Leigh syndrome, infants are born apparently healthy only to develop movement and breathing disorders that worsen over time, often leading to death by the age of 3. The problem is that the mitochondria responsible for powering their cells can't keep up with the demand for energy in their developing brains.

7 Sep 2011

International public health spending ignores neglected tropical diseases, some experts argue

The Bureau of Investigative Journalism examines what some experts are calling a serious inequity in public health spending, writing that neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) "together kill more people than maternal mortality and have a higher disease burden than malaria or tuberculosis (TB) and nearing that of HIV/AIDS. However, despite the severity of the situation, funding for NTDs is just a fraction of that spent on other diseases."

7 Sep 2011

Chemotherapy linked to speech difficulties among cancer patients

Patients who have received high doses of chemotherapy may find it harder to express themselves verbally, according to new research from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. Speech difficulties among cancer patients who received chemotherapy treatment were two times higher than among those who did not.

7 Sep 2011

Cheap medicines could prevent huge number of deaths from heart attacks, strokes

A major new international study involving researchers from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg and Sahlgrenska University Hospital has revealed that aspirin, statins, beta blockers and ACE inhibitors are prescribed far too infrequently. They are cheap, preventive medicines that could prevent a huge number of deaths from heart attacks and strokes.

7 Sep 2011

Pancreatic mesenchyme plays central role in the formation of mature beta cells

A somewhat mysterious soft tissue found in the fetus during early development in the womb plays a pivotal role in the formation of mature beta cells the sole source of the body's insulin. This discovery, made by scientists at University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and Texas A&M University, may lead to new ways of addressing Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.

7 Sep 2011

Simulation-based training is an effective way to teach medical and health professionals

An analysis led by Mayo Clinic researchers found that simulation-based training is an effective way to teach physicians, nurses, dentists, emergency medical technicians and other health professionals.

7 Sep 2011

More than 2M people in Pakistani province of Sindh affected by flooding from monsoon rains

"Pakistan's southern province of Sindh is facing disaster once more with heavy rains over the past five days, according to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA)," with at least 85 people reported dead and more than two million people affected, IRIN reports.

7 Sep 2011

New Vital Signs report finds decline in cigarette smoking among American adults

Fewer American adults are smoking cigarettes, according to a new Vital Signs report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Also, daily smokers are smoking fewer cigarettes each day, it says.

7 Sep 2011

Alcohol consumption and smoking may raise risk of upper aero-digestive tract cancers

This paper provides an extensive analysis of the proportion of the risk of upper aero-digestive tract (UADT) cancers in the population that may be due to alcohol consumption and/or smoking.

7 Sep 2011

Two motion-sensing systems can effectively detect early onset of illness, fall risk in seniors

Many older adults lose their independence as their health declines and they are compelled to move into assisted care facilities. Researchers at the University of Missouri and TigerPlace, an independent living community, have been using motion-sensing technology to monitor changes in residents' health for several years. Now, researchers have found that two devices commonly used for video gaming and security systems are effective in detecting the early onset of illness and fall risk in seniors.

7 Sep 2011

March of Dimes urges all pregnant women to get influenza immunization

Getting a flu shot during pregnancy protects the mom-to-be from what could be a very serious – even fatal – illness and can protect her newborn who is too young to receive his or her own immunization.

7 Sep 2011

Number of malaria cases in Brazilian Amazon drop 31% in first half of year compared with 2010

Brazil's health ministry on Monday said 115,708 malaria cases had been reported in the first half of this year in the Brazilian Amazon, down 31 percent compared with the same period in 2010, the Latin American Herald Tribune reports.

7 Sep 2011

Scientists uncover new ways to stimulate pancreatic beta cell growth

One of the holy grails in diabetes research is to discover molecules that stimulate beta cell growth and to find drugs that target these molecules. Now, JDRF-funded researchers in collaboration with the pharmaceutical company Hoffmann-La Roche, have done both, discovering not only a protein that regulates beta cell growth, but also a chemical compound that stimulates it.

7 Sep 2011

Computer-tailored nutrition education not effective in reducing fat intake

As lifestyles get busier and waistlines get bigger; many people are turning to online nutrition programs. In promotion of healthful nutrition behaviors, computer-tailored nutrition education has been identified as a promising health education strategy, especially in the promotion of lower fat intake.

7 Sep 2011

Genetically modified M. smegmatis vaccine shows promise against TB

An experimental vaccine composed of a genetically modified bacterium closely related to the bacterium that causes tuberculosis (TB) has been found to protect mice against TB infection, according to a study appearing online September 4 in the journal Nature Medicine.

7 Sep 2011

Use of nonaspirin NSAIDs during early pregnancy raises risk of miscarriage in women

The risk of miscarriage is 2.4 times greater for women who took any type and dosage of nonaspirin nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in early pregnancy, according to a University of Montreal study in CMAJ.

7 Sep 2011

Anthem proposes double-digit rate increase in Conn.; Mass. bill would cut payments to high-cost providers

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Connecticut's largest health insurer and a favorite target of advocates for more stringent regulation of rate increases, is seeking to raise premiums by 12.9 percent next year for more than 45,000 individual-market customers, including some whose plans were the subject of a controversial request that got denied last year.

7 Sep 2011

IOF presents eight young investigator awards to researchers across the world

Eight IOF Young Investigator Awards were presented by the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) to young researchers from Australia, China, India and Japan, in recognition of their outstanding work. The awards, valued at 1,000 USD each, were awarded to the highest scored abstracts by researchers under the age of 40.

7 Sep 2011

Lung Flute provides relief to Buffalo-area patients with COPD

An easy-to-use device developed by a local biomedical company is providing relief to Buffalo-area patients suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema.

7 Sep 2011

Medical News

Combination of blood tests and ROMA algorithm receives FDA clearance to treat ovarian cancer

Researchers discover new genetic defect that can lead to Leigh syndrome

International public health spending ignores neglected tropical diseases, some experts argue

Chemotherapy linked to speech difficulties among cancer patients

Cheap medicines could prevent huge number of deaths from heart attacks, strokes

Pancreatic mesenchyme plays central role in the formation of mature beta cells

Simulation-based training is an effective way to teach medical and health professionals

More than 2M people in Pakistani province of Sindh affected by flooding from monsoon rains

New Vital Signs report finds decline in cigarette smoking among American adults

Alcohol consumption and smoking may raise risk of upper aero-digestive tract cancers

Two motion-sensing systems can effectively detect early onset of illness, fall risk in seniors

March of Dimes urges all pregnant women to get influenza immunization

Number of malaria cases in Brazilian Amazon drop 31% in first half of year compared with 2010

Scientists uncover new ways to stimulate pancreatic beta cell growth

Computer-tailored nutrition education not effective in reducing fat intake

Genetically modified M. smegmatis vaccine shows promise against TB

Use of nonaspirin NSAIDs during early pregnancy raises risk of miscarriage in women

Anthem proposes double-digit rate increase in Conn.; Mass. bill would cut payments to high-cost providers

IOF presents eight young investigator awards to researchers across the world

Lung Flute provides relief to Buffalo-area patients with COPD

Membrane proteins in focus: Turning high-risk targets into routine workflows

How metabolic phenotyping can detect viral infections in minutes

Directed enzyme evolution and the Nobel Prize: Making enzymes evolve in the lab

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