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Heavy marijuana use not linked to lung cancer

Despite popular belief, a new study shows that people who smoke marijuana do not appear to be at increased risk of developing lung cancer.

24 May 2006

Too little sleep makes women fatter

For women it seems that how much sleep they get may have an impact on how much they weigh.

24 May 2006

Diet mixed alcoholic drinks get you drunker and do it quicker

Many studies have evaluated the risks and benefits of alcohol intake, with some concentrating on potential benefits while others focus on the risks of abuse.

24 May 2006

EU ruling on breast drug Herceptin will end 'post code lottery' in Britain

The European Union has approved the use of the breast cancer drug Herceptin for use in patients with an early stage of the aggressive HER2-positive type of breast cancer.

24 May 2006

Top British doctors say NHS complementary therapies jeopardises provision of effective medicine

A group of eminent British doctors are saying that complementary or alternative therapies such as homeopathy should not be offered on the National Health Service (NHS).

24 May 2006

WHO says bird flu cluster shows no evidence of virus mutating

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has confirmed that a 32-year-old Indonesian man from Sumatra died on May 22 from the H5N1 strain of bird flu.

24 May 2006

New study shows how kids' media use helps parents cope

Electronic media is a central focus of many very young children's lives, used by parents to help manage busy schedules, keep the peace, and facilitate family routines such as eating, relaxing, and falling asleep.

24 May 2006

Largest U.S. hepatitis C trial yields treatment insights

Community-Based WIN-R Study Shows Significantly Better Outcomes with Weight-Based Dosing

24 May 2006

Higher dose of flu vaccine improves immune response in the elderly

There may be a simple way to provide elderly Americans with extra protection against the annual flu virus: give them a higher dose of seasonal flu vaccine.

23 May 2006

MRI cost-effective for some women at high-risk of breast cancer

A computer model simulation suggests that adding breast MRI screening may be cost-effective for women of certain ages who carry BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations.

23 May 2006

Adolescents who live in poverty are more likely to be overweight

Adolescents aged 15-17 years who live in poverty are more likely to be overweight than those not living in poverty, a difference that has emerged in the past decade.

23 May 2006

Poor physical function associated with increased risk of dementia in older adults

Poor physical function may be associated with an increased risk for dementia and Alzheimer's disease in elderly adults, according to a report in the May 22 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

23 May 2006

Study provides evidence supporting recommended 10 year interval for colonoscopies for most patients

Patients with a negative colonoscopy examination have a reduced risk of developing colorectal cancer for more than 10 years, compared to the general population, according to a study in the May 24/31 issue of JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association.

23 May 2006

Benefits of screening colonoscopy in very elderly

Even though the prevalence of colon tumors increases with age, screening colonoscopy in patients over 80 years of age results in smaller gains in life expectancy, compared to younger patients.

23 May 2006

High-dose influenza vaccines boost immunity in elderly

High-dose influenza vaccines may increase elderly patients' immune response without significant adverse effects, offering this vulnerable population additional protection against the flu, according to an article in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

23 May 2006

Computer-based screening may encourage discussions about domestic violence

Computer screening may increase the odds that a woman at risk for domestic violence will talk to a health care professional in the emergency department about the topic but does not guarantee that domestic violence would be addressed.

23 May 2006

Study identified characteristics of caregivers that may increase symptoms in dementia patients

Troublesome symptoms that accompany dementia - including wandering, hallucinations and restlessness - may increase if the patients' caregivers are young, less educated, over-burdened or depressed.

23 May 2006

People who worked with lead have significant loss of brain cells and damage to brain tissue

Eighteen years later, people who worked with lead have significant loss of brain cells and damage to brain tissue, according to a new study published in the May 23, 2006, issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

23 May 2006

Body has more than one body clock

Research conducted at Oregon Health & Science University suggests that contrary to popular belief, the body has more than one "body clock."

23 May 2006

Robotic joystick reveals how brain controls movement

By training a group of human subjects to operate a robot-controlled joystick, Johns Hopkins researchers have shown that the slower the brain "learns" to control certain muscle movements, the more likely it is to remember the lesson over the long haul.

23 May 2006