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National childhood flu-vaccine programs should include evaluation component

If the United States were to launch an annual influenza-vaccination program among the nation's school children, resources also should go to evaluate the program's success in reducing community-wide flu transmission, according to a "Policy Forum" editorial in Science authored by researchers based at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

12 Feb 2006

Aging cells help make old bodies

Brown University biologists have uncovered intriguing evidence to support the theory that old cells help make old bodies. In a study of baboons, scientists showed that as these animals age, the number of aging cells in their skin significantly increases.

12 Feb 2006

Melatonin useless when it comes to sorting out sleep disorders

According to Canadian scientists there is no evidence to support the belief that melatonin has any effect in the treatment of sleep disorders.

12 Feb 2006

New findings help researchers revise models of mammalian sense of smell

In a mouse model, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine researchers discovered that olfactory sensory neurons expressing the same receptor responded to a specific odor with an array of speeds and sensitivities, a phenomenon previously not detected in the mammalian sense of smell.

12 Feb 2006

Drugs formerly contraindicated for inflammatory bowel disease prove beneficial for pain relief

According to two studies published in the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, prescription painkillers are effective in easing the pain of patients with dormant inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and are not likely to cause symptom flare-ups in IBD patients in remissions

12 Feb 2006

NogoReceptor reduces Alzheimer's plaque

Increasing the level of a protein that plays a key role in traumatic spinal cord injuries and multiple sclerosis reduces the concentration of disease-causing plaque in Alzheimer's disease, Yale School of Medicine researchers report in the Journal of Neuroscience.

12 Feb 2006

Single memory is processed in three separate parts of the brain - important for search to understand memory disorders

UCI researchers have found that a single brief memory is actually processed differently in separate areas of the brain - an idea that until now scientists have only suspected to be true.

12 Feb 2006

Gut protein protects against infection and intestinal breakdown

A protein that binds to bile in the small intestine may hold the key to preventing infection and intestinal breakdown in people with conditions such as obstructive jaundice or irritable bowel syndrome, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have discovered.

12 Feb 2006

'Sexercise' will keep you healthy and young

According to British health experts if you want to get fit forget the gym, jogging round the park and doing sit ups, a workout between the sheets is a more effective and enjoyable way of keeping healthy.

12 Feb 2006

Heart risk warning wanted on ADHD drugs

A U.S. advisory panel has recommended that drugs used by millions to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), should carry a warning of the risk of heart problems.

12 Feb 2006

Bird flu found in wild birds in Greece, Italy and Bulgaria

According to European officials, the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus has been found in wild birds in Italy and Greece, and in Bulgaria.

12 Feb 2006

More training needed to ensure accuracy of urine drug tests

In a survey of primary care physicians, most reported not using proper techniques when collecting urine samples for drug tests on adolescents and were often unaware of the tests' limitations, according to an article in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

9 Feb 2006

Use of antidepressants during pregnancy linked to neonatal abstinence syndrome in infants

Almost one-third of 60 newborn infants whose mothers took antidepressants during pregnancy experienced neonatal abstinence syndrome, a type of withdrawal with symptoms that include high-pitched crying, tremors and disturbed sleep, according to a study in the February issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

9 Feb 2006

Physician counseling and computer assessment may improve teen health behaviors

A program that combines advice from a primary care physician with computer assessment, mailings and phone calls may help teens improve some aspects of their diets and physical activity levels, according to a study in the February issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

9 Feb 2006

Alzheimer's disease appears to be highly heritable

In a large study of twins, Alzheimer's disease appears to be highly heritable and genetic factors may also influence timing of the disease, according to an article in the February Archives of General Psychiatry.

9 Feb 2006

Depression linked to Alzheimer's

A lifetime history of depression is associated with increased plaques and tangles in the brains of those with Alzheimer's disease and more rapid cognitive decline, according to a study by researchers at the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at Mount Sinai School of Medicine.

9 Feb 2006

Bipolar disorder in children

Children with bipolar disorder experience more enduring and rapidly changing symptoms of the disease than adults, according to a study that, for the first time, maps the clinical progression of each of the three sub-types of bipolar disorder in children and adolescents.

9 Feb 2006

First solid data on health effects of a low-fat diet

Adopting a low-fat diet in later life and following such a regimen for nearly a decade does not appear to have a significant impact on reducing the overall risk of breast cancer, colorectal cancer or heart disease, according to a Women's Health Initiative study that involved nearly 50,000 postmenopausal women across the United States.

9 Feb 2006

Low birth weight infants overcome difficulties by adulthood

As young adults, the majority of extremely low birth-weight infants are attaining similar levels of education, employment and independence as normal birth-weight infants, according to a study by researchers at the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine at McMaster University in the February 8 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

9 Feb 2006

Older women who simply reduce the amount of total fat in their diet won't generally lower cancer risk

Older women who simply reduce the amount of total fat in their diet won't generally lower their risk of breast or colorectal cancer or heart disease, according to the latest findings from the federally funded Women's Health Initiative.

9 Feb 2006