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Healthy diet might help reduce risk of macular degeneration

Eating a diet high in vitamin D, as well as the nutrients betaine and methionine, might help reduce the risk of macular degeneration, according to new research conducted by Tufts Medical Center scientists. Their study of identical twins from the US World War II Twin Registry also found that the more a person smoked, the higher their risk of developing macular degeneration.

6 Jul 2011

Donor fatigue harming efforts to fight drought in Horn of Africa, aid agencies say

As a severe drought affecting Somalia, Kenya, Djibouti and Ethiopia forces more people into refugee camps, donor fatigue is harming aid agencies' abilities to work in the Horn of Africa, because "these recurrent droughts used to happen every 5-10 years but what we see now is it basically every other year ... an indication of climate change conditions," Michael Klaus, UNICEF spokesperson for east and southern Africa, told Reuters in an interview.

6 Jul 2011

Researchers create tissue-engineered small intestine in mice

Researchers at The Saban Research Institute of Children's Hospital Los Angeles have successfully created a tissue-engineered small intestine in mice that replicates the intestinal structures of natural intestine-a necessary first step toward someday applying this regenerative medicine technique to humans.

6 Jul 2011

Tel Aviv University researcher finds link between back pain and genetics

A common complaint, back pain is one of the many side effects of aging. Over three quarters of the population experience it at some point, and until now, researchers have had little conclusive proof of the causes and mechanisms of the pain.

6 Jul 2011

Treating migraines with behavioral approaches can make financial sense

Treating chronic migraines with behavioral approaches - such as relaxation training, hypnosis and biofeedback - can make financial sense compared to prescription-drug treatment, especially after a year or more, a new study found.

6 Jul 2011

LA Times: Study urges more mammogram guidelines

The standard approach, which is based on age alone, has been challenged in recent years by a number of health experts who contend that some women get more mammograms than they need and others get too few.

6 Jul 2011

Neurochemical-producing probiotics can promote healthy gut and mind

Probiotics, often referred to as 'good bacteria', are known to promote a healthy gut, but can they promote a healthy mind? Exploring the new world of neurological probiotics, researchers in BioEssays present new ideas on how neurochemicals delivered directly to the gut, via probiotic intestinal microbiota, exert their beneficial effects in maintaining gastrointestinal health and even psychological well-being.

6 Jul 2011

Elderly patients receive varying standards of dignified care on NHS hospital wards

Elderly patients receive varying standards of dignified care on NHS hospital wards, new research jointly undertaken by the University of Kent has found.

6 Jul 2011

International Society for Sexually Transmitted Disease Research to take place in Quebec City

The 19th conference of the International Society for Sexually Transmitted Disease Research (ISSTDR) will take place July 10-13, 2011, in Quebec City, Canada.

6 Jul 2011

Faith communities play a key role in global AIDS fight

"One of the great lessons of this fight is that the single fastest way to mobilize at the grassroots level around the world is through local congregations. Nothing comes close to the size and scope of this pool of compassionate volunteers," Rick Warren, founder and pastor of the Saddleback Church, writes in a CNN opinion piece reflecting on his involvement in the global fight against HIV/AIDS.

6 Jul 2011

Scientists, medical doctors propose integrated method for treating chronic disease

Chronic non-communicable diseases (NCD), such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, arthritis, chronic respiratory disorders and cancer represent the major global health problem of the 21st century and affect all age groups.

6 Jul 2011

More evidence needed to determine how diets can reduce hypertension in individuals

New research by a University of Kent pharmacist should reveal more evidence about how diets can reduce blood pressure and other risk factors for heart disease in different individuals.

6 Jul 2011

India must not become complacent despite AIDS control program's success, Prime Minister says

"India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday hailed the country's success in slashing new HIV/AIDS infections by half in the past decade, but warned against complacency," Agence France-Presse reports. Speaking at a conference on AIDS in New Delhi, Singh said the country's HIV prevention program "can justifiably claim a measure of success," but "there should be no room for complacency," as an estimated 2.4 million Indians are living with the disease, according to AFP.

6 Jul 2011

Former smokers with lung cancer can benefit from celecoxib treatment

Celecoxib may emerge as a potent chemopreventive agent for lung cancer, according to a recent study in Cancer Prevention Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

6 Jul 2011

Women with healthy lifestyle may face lower risk of sudden cardiac death

Adhering to a healthy lifestyle, including not smoking, exercising regularly, having a low body weight and eating a healthy diet, appears to lower the risk of sudden cardiac death in women, according to a study in the July 6 issue of JAMA.

6 Jul 2011

New biological insights into fat tissue

For better or worse, a popular class of anti-diabetic drugs does more than lower blood sugar. One known as rosiglitazone has been in the spotlight for its possible link to increased cardiovascular events, but it also seems to come with unexplained vascular benefits and an unwelcome tendency for weight gain.

6 Jul 2011

More breast cancer patients may receive radiation treatments after surgery

More breast cancer patients than previously believed may be receiving radiation treatments after breast-conserving surgery, a University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center study shows.

6 Jul 2011

Maternal anxiety, depression may increase risk of asthma in children

Anxiety, stress and depression during pregnancy may lead to a greater risk of asthma for your child. Study results are published in the July issue of Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, the scientific journal of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.

6 Jul 2011

State roundup: Calif. weighs bill to curb premium increases

Assembly Bill 52 … would give the state the authority to approve, deny or modify excessive health insurance rate hikes - much as regulators do now with auto insurance. The bill is a lightning rod for many of the Capitol's most influential interest groups, pitting consumer, labor, small business and health care advocacy groups against the California Chamber of Commerce and hospital, physician and health insurance associations.

6 Jul 2011

UVA biologists discover new information about how Ebola virus works

Molecular and cell biologists at the University of Virginia Health System have discovered new information about how the Ebola virus works that could eventually lead to new drug treatments for the deadly virus.

6 Jul 2011