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Longer looks: Cities coping with aging populations; new apps for health

Robert Lustig is a specialist on pediatric hormone disorders and the leading expert in childhood obesity at the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine. … The viral success of his lecture, though, has little to do with Lustig's impressive credentials and far more with the persuasive case he makes that sugar is a "toxin" or a "poison," terms he uses together 13 times through the course of the lecture, in addition to the five references to sugar as merely "evil."

15 Apr 2011

Scientists develop new test for premature babies

Scientists at Queen's University Belfast have pioneered a new needle-free test to take the sting out of medicine testing in premature babies. The research will not only lead to greater accuracy in prescribing, but will also significantly reduce the trauma of such tests for newborn infants and their families.

15 Apr 2011

Study finds association between C-reactive protein and memory decline

High levels of a protein associated with chronic, low-grade inflammation in the brain correlate with aspects of memory decline in otherwise cognitively normal older adults, according to a study led by scientists at the University of California, San Francisco.

15 Apr 2011

Botox may offer new hope for patients with low cerebrospinal fluid headaches

A Mayo Clinic case study finds Botox may offer new hope to patients suffering disabling low cerebrospinal fluid headaches. The successful treatment also offers new insight into Botox and headache treatment generally.

15 Apr 2011

New study shows neurophysiological impacts of psychotherapy

The use of cognitive-behavioural therapy to treat tics in Tourette syndrome may be as effective as and even superior to medication in certain cases.

15 Apr 2011

Opinions: Traditional aid groups' roles; 'smart power' foreign policy; funding for MDGs

In a post on the Guardian's "Poverty Matters Blog," Joel Charny, vice president for humanitarian policy and practice at InterAction, highlights the role traditional aid groups play in disasters around the world, refuting the idea that the 2010 earthquake in Haiti showed that established groups "were becoming irrelevant in the face of a vast array of new aid providers, including corporations, celebrities, citizens groups and the military."

15 Apr 2011

Klotho hormone can protect kidney from renal fibrosis

A natural hormone known to inhibit aging can also protect kidneys against renal fibrosis, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have demonstrated.

15 Apr 2011

EPO grants patent to OncoGenex OGX-427 for prostate cancer treatment

OncoGenex Pharmaceuticals, Inc., today announced that the European Patent Office has granted European Patent Number EP1545561 entitled "Oligonucleotides for Treatment of Prostate and other Cancers."

15 Apr 2011

State roundup: Pa. may put half of adultBasic members on Medicaid

Regulators in charge of the Massachusetts health insurance law are expected to approve new contracts today that will save the state $80 million, in part by offering a narrower choice of hospitals, physicians, and specialists to thousands of patients insured through the state-subsidized Commonwealth Care program.

15 Apr 2011

Neurovasx receives FDA approval for cPAX Aneurysm Treatment System

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the cPAX Aneurysm Treatment System for surgery on brain aneurysms that are difficult to manage because of their size and shape.

15 Apr 2011

The Wistar Institute, Advaxis enter research collaboration

Advaxis, Inc., the live, attenuated Listeria monocytogenes vaccine company, has entered into a research collaboration with the laboratory of Ellen Puré, Ph.D., professor/associate vice president for Academic Affairs at The Wistar Institute.

15 Apr 2011

Viewpoints: Dems vs. Ryan on entitlement cuts; defending planned parenthood

Every time Republicans have proposed serious entitlement reform, they've taken a beating. ... But it's far from clear the average voter appreciates what's at stake. Incredibly, 54 percent of those in a Wall Street Journal/NBC poll said they didn't believe Medicare cuts were essential to meaningfully trim the deficit. I'd say Republicans have a lot of work to do.

15 Apr 2011

RXi Pharmaceuticals acquires Apthera

RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation, a biotechnology company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing innovative therapies addressing major unmet medical needs using RNA-targeted and immunotherapy technologies, today announced the completion of its previously announced acquisition of Apthera, Inc.

15 Apr 2011

Trial of non-invasive prenatal test to determine Down syndrome successful

At the moment, the only reliable way of diagnosing chromosomal irregularities during pregnancy is to use invasive prenatal methods. This causes miscarriage in about one per cent of these risky surgical procedures.

14 Apr 2011

Catherine Zeta Jones treated for bipolar disorder

Catherine Zeta Jones – the 41-year-old Welsh actor checked into a day clinic in Connecticut for five days earlier this month for the treatment of bipolar disorder. “After dealing with the stress of the past year, Catherine made the decision to check in to a mental health facility for a brief stay to treat her Bipolar II Disorder,” said publicist Cece Yorke said in a statement adding, “She's feeling great and looking forward to starting work this week on her two upcoming films.”

13 Apr 2011

Brain starts shrinking in Alzheimer’s disease a decade earlier: Study

According to American researchers, brain scans of healthy people showed signs that the brain was shrinking in Alzheimer's-affected areas nearly a decade before the disease was diagnosed. This comes in the latest issue of the journal Neurology and it may offer a new way to detect the disease early, an advance that could help in the development of effective treatments for Alzheimer's, a brain-wasting disease that affects up to 26 million people globally.

13 Apr 2011

Obesity and smoking linked to stillbirths: Report

According to experts, excessive weight, smoking and late maternal age over 35 are contributing to thousands of stillbirths each year in high-income countries, including Australia, and the trend looks set to continue. These figures were published in the Lancet medical journal.

13 Apr 2011

Northern Territory alcohol purchasing laws tighten

According to new laws nearly 11,000 people in Alice Springs and Katherine have to obtain other forms of identification to buy alcohol later this year. Some residents in the towns now use Tangentyere identification or other cards to meet a photo ID requirement. The Northern Territory Government is changing its ID scanner system and will only accept driving licenses, proof-of-age cards and passports.

13 Apr 2011

Improving ‘home care’ critical to addressing chronic disease and reducing health care costs nationwide

Val J. Halamandaris, president of The National Association for Home Care and Hospice (NAHC), issued the following statement in response to President Obama’s decision to exclude proposals that would impact seniors’ access to critical home care services:

13 Apr 2011

Medicinal applications of fullerenes, filled with radioactive material

Fullerenes have attracted considerable attention in different fields of science since their discovery in 1985. Investigations of physical, chemical and biological properties of fullerenes have yielded promising information. It is inferred that size, hydrophobicity, three-dimensionality and electronic configurations make them an appealing subject in medicinal chemistry. Their unique carbon cage structure coupled with immense scope for derivatization make them a potential therapeutic agent.

13 Apr 2011