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Pride undeserving of its negative reputation

The age-old question of whether pride is the seventh sin or an adaptive virtue has been answered by two Northeastern University scientists.

4 Mar 2009

New database provides valuable new resource for improving dialysis outcomes

A nationwide database called the Comprehensive Dialysis Study (CDS) includes detailed information on a wide range of health factors in US dialysis patients and provides a valuable new resource for improving dialysis outcomes, according to a report in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN).

4 Mar 2009

Naked mole rats may hold clues to successful aging

Naked mole rats resemble pink, wrinkly, saber-toothed sausages and would never win a beauty contest, even among other rodents.

4 Mar 2009

Pretreatment MRI and PET/CT for cervical cancer improves chances for optimal treatment

Pretreatment MRI and PET/CT for cervical cancer may direct more women to optimal therapy choices and spare many women potential long-term morbidity and complications of trimodality therapy (surgery followed by chemoradiation), according to a study performed at the Institute for Technology Assessment in Boston, MA.

4 Mar 2009

Daily naps may not be that good for older women

A new study appearing in Journal of the American Geriatrics Society has found that older women who reported taking daily naps had a significantly greater risk of dying.

4 Mar 2009

Measuring quality of life in patients with hereditary kidney disease

A commonly used questionnaire that measures quality of life is not sensitive enough to pick up mental and physical problems experienced by patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN).

4 Mar 2009

Kidney disease increases risk of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation

Chronic kidney disease increases the risk of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common type of heart arrhythmia, according to a new study by Kaiser Permanente researchers in the current online issue of Circulation.

4 Mar 2009

Diet moderately high in protein may be best for fat loss

Any diet will do? Not if you want to lose fat instead of muscle. Not if you want to lower your triglyceride levels so you'll be less likely to develop diabetes and heart disease. Not if you want to avoid cravings that tempt you to cheat on your diet. And not if you want to keep the weight off long-term.

4 Mar 2009

Off-label drug uses wasting millions, raising health risks

A recent study in Oregon suggests that drugs designed for treating the most severe mental illnesses are often prescribed at inappropriately low doses and at considerable expense, for use in conditions where their benefit has not been established.

4 Mar 2009

Incidental findings during trauma evaluation - a growing concern

Nearly one-fifth of trauma patients who undergo CT evaluation have incidental findings, according to a study performed by Columbus Radiology Corp. at Grant Medical Center in Columbus, OH.

4 Mar 2009

Immune reaction to metals in joint replacement devices leads to early failure

Researchers at Rush University Medical Center have identified a key immunological defense reaction to the metals in joint replacement devices, leading to loosening of the components and early failure.

4 Mar 2009

Hypertension linked to earlier death among African-American breast cancer patients

A study by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco has shown that hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a predictor of mortality among breast cancer patients, especially those who are African-American, and that hypertension accounts for approximately 30 percent of the survival disparity between African-American and white breast cancer patients.

4 Mar 2009

Hazardous conditions found in home healthcare may put frail and seniors at risk

A large-scale study conducted at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health has identified the type and frequency of hazardous conditions found in the home healthcare (HHC) setting.

4 Mar 2009

Folic acid, B vitamins in Animi-3 may prevent vision loss

A new study by researchers at Harvard Medical School has found that combining essential B vitamins, including B6, B12, and folic acid, lower risk of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD), one of the leading causes of vision loss among older Americans.

4 Mar 2009

FDA accepts IND application for Tigris Pharmaceutical's GGTI-2418

Tigris Pharmaceuticals, Inc., has announced that its Investigational New Drug (IND) application for the Company's geranylgeranyltransferase inhibitor (GGTI-2418) has been accepted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

4 Mar 2009

Experts discuss factors that may contribute to glaucoma

Although scientists know progressive degeneration of retinal ganglion cells and their axons is the primary cause of glaucoma, researchers have yet to identify a way to stop or prevent the degeneration.

4 Mar 2009

History of major depression increases risk for heart disease more than genetics or environment

A history of major depression increases the risk of heart disease over and above any genetic risks common to depression and heart disease, according to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the VA.

4 Mar 2009

New computer-aided method effectively detects and measures pneumothoraces in chest trauma patients

A new computer-aided method used with MDCT to detect and measure pneumothoraces in trauma patients helps physicians make quicker and more accurate decisions in busy emergency room settings, according to a study performed at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA.

4 Mar 2009