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Research provides new information about the body's immune system

Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University have uncovered new information about the body's immune system in a study that suggests new strategies may be in order for protecting the country's aging population against disease.

18 Dec 2007

New drug that cuts risk of cardiovascular disease shows promise

The first clinical trial of a new kind of drug to cut the risk of cardiovascular disease has been found safe and effective at dropping levels of "bad" low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol by as much as 40 percent.

18 Dec 2007

New understanding on alcohol's role in developing alcoholic chronic pancreatitis

Chronic, excessive alcohol consumption is a major risk factor for developing chronic pancreatitis (pancreatic inflammation).

18 Dec 2007

Medical technology in Sweden

Medical technology is an industry for the future in Sweden. However, to exploit the potential that exists, the industrial, academic and healthcare sectors will have to collaborate more closely on areas such as education and clinical research.

18 Dec 2007

New mechanical insights into wound healing and scar tissue formation

New research published today in the Journal of Cell Biology illuminates the mechanical factors that play a critical role in the differentiation and function of fibroblasts, connective tissue cells that play a role in wound healing and scar tissue formation.

18 Dec 2007

Oral diabetes medication - new guidelines

A pair of plain-language guides that outline the latest scientific evidence on the effectiveness and safety of oral medications for adults with type 2 diabetes are now available from HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

18 Dec 2007

Monkeys have the ability to perform mental addition

Researchers at Duke University have demonstrated that monkeys have the ability to perform mental addition. In fact, monkeys performed about as well as college students given the same test.

18 Dec 2007

Brisk walking cuts rate of metabolic syndrome

Research from Duke University Medical Center shows that even a modest amount of brisk walking weekly is enough to trim waistlines and cut the risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS), an increasingly frequent condition linked to obesity and a sedentary lifestyle.

18 Dec 2007

Engineered blood vessels

MIT scientists have found a way to induce cells to form parallel tube-like structures that could one day serve as tiny engineered blood vessels.

18 Dec 2007

Miscarriage and abortion raises likelihood of future low birthweight babies

Women who have miscarried or had an abortion run three times the normal risk of having a subsequent low birthweight baby, suggests research in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

18 Dec 2007

Medical College of Georgia selected as RNA laboratory for worldwide diabetes study

The Medical College of Georgia Center for Biotechnology and Genomic Medicine has been selected to isolate RNA and DNA from the blood of thousands of children involved in a worldwide study of the causes of type 1 diabetes.

18 Dec 2007

Massage eases pain and anxiety after surgery

A 20-minute evening back massage may help relieve pain and reduce anxiety following major surgery when given in addition to pain medications, according to a report in the December issue of Archives of Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

18 Dec 2007

Effectiveness and risks of six bisphosphonates for osteoporosis

Many medications reduce the risk of bone fractures in people with osteoporosis, but the most commonly used drugs - bisphosphonates - have not been proven more effective than alternatives, according to a new report funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

18 Dec 2007

How might lack of light cause depression?

People troubled by depression usually experience their dark moods in an on-again, off-again fashion.

18 Dec 2007

Eli Lilly and BioMS Medical announce licensing and development agreement

Eli Lilly and Company and BioMS Medical Corp. have announced that the two companies have entered into a licensing and development agreement granting Lilly exclusive worldwide rights to BioMS Medical's lead multiple sclerosis (MS) compound, MBP8298.

18 Dec 2007

Lack of sunlight may increase the risk of lung cancer

Lack of sunlight may increase the risk of lung cancer, suggests a study of rates of the disease in over 100 countries, published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

18 Dec 2007

Intracellular bacterial communities in cystitis; rifapentine cures TB in mouse model; and more

A study published this week in the open access journal PLoS Medicine presents convincing evidence that intracellular bacterial communities (IBCs) commonly exist in women with bladder infections and may contribute to the recurrence of these infections.

18 Dec 2007