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Selected men with low-risk prostate cancer have good clinical outcomes without immediate treatment

A multi-center study of prostate cancer patients appearing in today's Journal of Urology recommends that for some men diagnosed with low-risk prostate cancer, opting not to initially receive treatment can be safe if they are closely monitored.

16 Mar 2009

Search for blood pressure secrets reveals a surprising new syndrome

Yale researchers investigating the genetic causes of blood pressure variation have identified a previously undescribed syndrome associated with seizures, a lack of coordination, developmental delay and hearing loss.

16 Mar 2009

Scientists 'watch' as individual alpha-synuclein proteins change shape

In an Early Edition publication of The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) this week, the researchers demonstrate the "alpha-synuclein dance" - the switching back and forth of the protein between a bent helix and an extended helix as the surface that it is binding to changes.

16 Mar 2009

Risks of using aspirin to prevent heart attack or stroke differ by gender and age

Patients and clinicians should consider risk factors-- including age, gender, diabetes, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, smoking and risk of gastrointestinal bleeding-- before deciding whether to use aspirin to prevent heart attacks or strokes, according to new recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.

16 Mar 2009

Set of criteria help identify candidates for combined heart and kidney transplants

Researchers have identified a set of criteria that, when combined with a measure of kidney function, could help identify patients who are likely to receive a survival benefit from a combined heart and kidney transplant, according to a report in the March issue of Archives of Surgery.

16 Mar 2009

Cause of severe pediatric epilepsy disorder discovered

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have discovered that convulsive seizures in a form of severe epilepsy are generated, not on the brain's surface as expected, but from within the memory-forming hippocampus.

16 Mar 2009

Lethal risks associated with preparing dog meat

Eating dog meat is common in many Asian countries, but research conducted as part of the South East Asian Infectious Diseases Clinical Research Network has discovered a potentially lethal risk associated with preparing dog meat: rabies.

16 Mar 2009

Identification of triggering mechanism by which breast and prostate cancer cells begin

Dr. Ercole Cavalieri and Dr. Eleanor Rogen of the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer, located in Omaha, Nebraska, have identified the triggering mechanism by which breast and prostate cancer cells begin. Preventium is a recently developed dietary supplement that promises to reduce people's risk for breast and prostate cancer.

16 Mar 2009

A biomarker test to diagnose or rule out Alzheimer's disease

A test capable of confirming or ruling out Alzheimer's disease has been validated and standardized by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

16 Mar 2009

Obesity brings worse outcomes after pancreatic cancer surgery

Obese patients with a body mass index (BMI) of more than 35 appear more likely to have cancer that has spread to their lymph nodes, lower rates of survival and higher rates of recurrence following surgery for pancreatic cancer, according to a report in the March issue of Archives of Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

16 Mar 2009

FTO obesity gene associated with susceptibility to polycystic ovary syndrome

Researchers have shown that a gene implicated in the development of obesity is also associated with susceptibility to polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

16 Mar 2009

Sensitive new test for protein detection

Scientists at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) recently reported the detection of toxins with unprecedented speed, sensitivity, and simplicity.

16 Mar 2009

New target for heart failure therapy identified

A novel signaling pathway plays a significant role in the production of aldosterone, a hormone that promotes heart failure after a myocardial infarction, according to a study conducted by Thomas Jefferson University researchers.

16 Mar 2009

New botulinum toxin type A (Reloxin) appears to be well tolerated and may help reduce forehead wrinkles

Injections with a new type of botulinum toxin appears to be well tolerated and may help to improve the appearance of moderate to severe forehead lines with no evidence of diminishing treatment response over 13 months, according to a report in the March/April issue of Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery.

16 Mar 2009

Genetic links to high levels of HDL cholesterol

HDL cholesterol (HDL-C), or "good" cholesterol, carries excess cholesterol - that might otherwise block arteries - from blood vessels back to the liver for processing and elimination.

16 Mar 2009

New aspirin recommendation can help prevent heart attacks and strokes among many adults

A new recommendation from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) underscores the value of regular aspirin use in preventing heart attacks and strokes among many adults, the head of Partnership for Prevention said today.

16 Mar 2009

Tiny probes help track down and attack cancer cells

A researcher has developed probes that can help pinpoint the location of tumors and might one day be able to directly attack cancer cells.

16 Mar 2009

Metabolic syndrome can help identify diabetes risk in Aboriginal Canadians

Metabolic syndrome is the clustering of risk factors associated with diabetes and heart disease, such as obesity, high cholesterol, high glucose and hypertension.

16 Mar 2009

Discovery of master switch that might prevent cancer cells from metastasizing

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have identified a master switch that might prevent cancer cells from metastasizing from a primary tumor to other organs.

16 Mar 2009

MannKind Corporation submits NDA for Afresa for treatment of diabetes

MannKind Corporation has announced that it has submitted a New Drug Application (NDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requesting approval of Afresa (insulin monomer human [rDNA origin]) Inhalation Powder and the Afresa Inhaler for the treatment of adults with type 1 or type 2 diabetes mellitus for the control of hyperglycemia.

16 Mar 2009