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Farmers score badly on all measures of health and quality of life

Self employment is good for productivity, except for farmers, who score badly on every measure of health and quality of life, reveals a study published ahead of print in Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

1 Aug 2007

donepezil improves symptoms of severe Alzheimer's

A drug initially used to treat mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease improved the memory and global function of people with severe Alzheimer's disease and was safe and effective, according to a study published in the July 31, 2007, issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

1 Aug 2007

New treatment to combat bowel infection among the elderly

Scientists at the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre (APC), based in University College Cork (UCC) and Teagasc’s Moorepark Food Research Centre, are researching a new treatment to combat the increasing incidences of hospital acquired diarrhoea which has become a major problem in hospitals, nursing homes and facilities for the elderly.

1 Aug 2007

Disparities in infant mortality more to do with racism than with race

The cause of low birth weights among African-American women has more to do with racism than with race, according to a report by an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

1 Aug 2007

Impact of pollution on health

Even comparatively low levels of air pollution boost the chances of an early death, suggests research published ahead of print in Thorax.

1 Aug 2007

Chromosomes responsible for a critical enzyme's activation during cell division

In a dividing cell, chromosomes interact with cellular scaffolding - called spindle microtubules - in order to move themselves to opposite ends of the cell, ensuring that both daughter cells receive an exact copy of their parent cell's genetic material.

1 Aug 2007

Moderate amounts of caffeine along with exercise can be good for your health

Regular exercise and little or no caffeine has become a popular lifestyle choice for many Americans.

1 Aug 2007

Interferon alpha and sorafenib combined work better than either alone against kidney cancer

A combination of two drugs works better than either drug alone for patients with renal cell carcinoma, the most common form of kidney cancer, according to a pilot study led by Duke University Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers.

1 Aug 2007

New FDA food inspection standards - will they make food safer?

In the midst of the continuing botulism scare, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the U.S. have released guidelines outlining how food safety experts should inspect U.S. businesses that make, process and package food.

31 Jul 2007

New TB vaccine could save over a million lives

Initial trials of a new tuberculosis (TB) vaccine mean the drug will now progress to phase II trials.

31 Jul 2007

New oral contraceptive means 365 period free days a year

Women in the United States can now access the first low-dose combination contraceptive pill which stops their periods.

31 Jul 2007

Religious doctors do not care more for the poor

A new study by doctors in the U.S. has found that being religious does not enhance the way a doctor cares for poor patients.

31 Jul 2007

Trans fats offer a double whammy

Along with the knowledge that 'trans fats' are particularly bad because they clog up arteries and increase the risk of heart attacks comes new information which makes them even more undesirable.

31 Jul 2007

New study on phonics

Reading specialists have often pitted phonics against holistic word recognition and whole language approaches in the war over how to teach children to read. However, a new study by researchers at New York University shows that the three reading processes do not conflict, but, rather, work together to determine speed.

31 Jul 2007

Stem cell therapy rescues motor neurons in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis model

In a study that demonstrates the promise of cell-based therapies for diseases that have proved intractable to modern medicine, a team of scientists from the University of Wisconsin-Madison has shown it is possible to rescue the dying neurons characteristic of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a fatal neuromuscular disorder also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

31 Jul 2007

Novel bioreactor to repair vocal chords

Damaged or diseased vocal cords can forever change and even silence the voices we love, from a family member's to a famous personality's.

31 Jul 2007

Bone marrow restores fertility in female mice

A new study from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers confirms that female mice that receive bone marrow transplantation after fertility-destroying chemotherapy can go on to have successful pregnancies throughout their normal reproductive life.

31 Jul 2007