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Adults can be retrained to learn second languages more easily

Our ability to hear and understand a second language becomes more and more difficult with age, but the adult brain can be retrained to pick up foreign sounds more easily again.

14 Jun 2005

Continuous drinking for as little as eight weeks affects learning and memory up to 12 weeks later

Rodent studies, for example, have shown that chronic alcohol consumption for six months or more can produce permanent deficits and neural damage. A rodent study in the June issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research is the first to show that continuous drinking for as little as eight weeks can produce deficits in learning and memory that last up to 12 weeks after drinking stopped.

14 Jun 2005

Drinking during pregnancy can increase the risk of infection in newborns

Despite public-information campaigns and physician advice about alcohol consumption during pregnancy, between 15 and 25 percent of pregnant women continue to drink each month, and five to 10 out of 1,000 pregnant women drink an average of seven or more drinks per week.

14 Jun 2005

Two common gene variations are associated with the risk for developing chronic kidney disease

Two common gene variations are associated with the risk for developing chronic kidney disease, according to a study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and other institutions. One variant increases risk and the other decreases risk with a similar effect in whites, African-Americans, diabetic and non-diabetic individuals.

14 Jun 2005

Tetanus toxin may help fight depression, anxiety, anorexia and Parkinson's

A team of researchers from the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and the Institute of Neuroscience at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona has discovered that tetanus toxin, which causes tetanus, could be extremely useful as a therapy against psychological disorders such as depression, anxiety and anorexia, and to slow the progress of neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease.

14 Jun 2005

Invasive treatment including stenting may be more effective for heart attack patients who arrive late at hospital

Invasive treatment including stenting may have better outcomes than conventional treatments for heart attack patients who arrive at the hospital more than 12 hours after symptoms began, according to a study in the June 15 issue of JAMA.

14 Jun 2005

Fish oil does not lower risk of serious heart rhythm abnormalities for patients with implantable defibrillators

Even though previous research has shown that fatty acids from fish oil reduce the risk of sudden cardiac death, patients with implantable defibrillators who took fish oil supplements did not see a reduction in serious heart rhythm abnormalities, according to a study in the June 15 issue of JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association.

14 Jun 2005

Study reveals benefits of using insulin earlier

Results of an all-Canadian study announced June 13 at an international diabetes congress demonstrate that patients with type 2 diabetes can safely achieve target blood sugar (glycemic) levels faster and more frequently when insulin glargine (a basal, long-acting insulin) is added to therapy, versus using oral agents alone.

14 Jun 2005

'Hazardous' drinking and drug use are much less severe but much more common than dependence

Research has found that individuals with alcohol and drug dependencies have a greater occurrence of injuries, hypertension, HIV, hepatitis, acid-related peptic disorders, liver cirrhosis, depression, anxiety disorders, and major psychoses.

14 Jun 2005

Causes, consequences and clinical implications of alcohol-related brain shrinkage

Previous studies have demonstrated that the brains of alcoholics are smaller, lighter and "shrunken" when compared to nonalcoholic brains.

14 Jun 2005

FDA grants Vical orphan-drug designation

Vical Incorporated today announced that the Office of Orphan Products Development of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has designated the company's bivalent (two-plasmid) formulation of the company's vaccine against cytomegalovirus (CMV) as an orphan drug for the prevention of clinically significant CMV viremia, CMV disease and associated complications in at-risk hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) and solid organ transplant (SOT) populations.

14 Jun 2005

GenoMed to be awarded new patent, for treating acute kidney failure without dialysis

GenoMed announced today that the US Patent Office has allowed claims and will be following up with an issued patent shortly on the Company's protocol to treat acute kidney failure with a drug rather than the dialysis machine.

14 Jun 2005

New genetic test may detect risk of rare complication from anesthesia

A rare but potentially life- threatening inherited condition called malignant hyperthermia (MH) may strike surgical patients who receive common drugs for general anesthesia.

14 Jun 2005

Non-profit public-private partnership develops affordable, new drug regimens for tuberculosis

The Global Alliance for TB Drug Development (TB Alliance), a non-profit public-private partnership developing affordable, new drug regimens for tuberculosis, today announced the start of Phase I clinical trials for the lead TB drug in its pipeline, PA-824. The trials begin this month.

14 Jun 2005

Royal Pharmaceutical Society responds to over the counter medication report

Responding to the British Medical Association's (BMA) report, Over the counter medication, David Pruce, Director of Practice and Quality Improvement, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, said:

14 Jun 2005

Strategic analysis of the European regional anaesthesia kits market

Growing awareness of regional anaesthesia’s myriad benefits has boosted the number of such procedures being performed across Europe. This trend is, in turn, set to trigger increased uptake of regional anaesthesia kits.

14 Jun 2005

New study supporting the importance of aggressive cholesterol-lowering

New clinical data shows that intensive cholesterol-lowering to targets below currently recommended levels significantly reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke for people with diabetes and heart disease.

14 Jun 2005

Cholera epidemic feared in Afghan capital

More than 2,000 cases of cholera have been reported in the Afghan capital Kabul, and health experts fear the city is on the verge of a cholera epidemic.

14 Jun 2005

Treating pregnancy-related diabetes helps babies and improves the mother's health-related quality of life

A major international study coordinated from Adelaide, South Australia has shown that treating pregnant women who develop mild gestational (pregnancy-related) diabetes helps their babies and improves the mother's health-related quality of life without increasing the risk of caesarean section.

14 Jun 2005

Combination of over-the-counter pharmacy drugs and prescription drugs dangerous

A British Medical Association (BMA) study is warning that combining over-the-counter pharmacy drugs with prescription medicine can be dangerous. The study authors say there is an over-use of pharmacy drugs as people try to manage their own health rather than going to a doctor.

14 Jun 2005

Medical News

Adults can be retrained to learn second languages more easily

Continuous drinking for as little as eight weeks affects learning and memory up to 12 weeks later

Drinking during pregnancy can increase the risk of infection in newborns

Two common gene variations are associated with the risk for developing chronic kidney disease

Tetanus toxin may help fight depression, anxiety, anorexia and Parkinson's

Invasive treatment including stenting may be more effective for heart attack patients who arrive late at hospital

Fish oil does not lower risk of serious heart rhythm abnormalities for patients with implantable defibrillators

Study reveals benefits of using insulin earlier

'Hazardous' drinking and drug use are much less severe but much more common than dependence

Causes, consequences and clinical implications of alcohol-related brain shrinkage

FDA grants Vical orphan-drug designation

GenoMed to be awarded new patent, for treating acute kidney failure without dialysis

New genetic test may detect risk of rare complication from anesthesia

Non-profit public-private partnership develops affordable, new drug regimens for tuberculosis

Royal Pharmaceutical Society responds to over the counter medication report

Strategic analysis of the European regional anaesthesia kits market

New study supporting the importance of aggressive cholesterol-lowering

Cholera epidemic feared in Afghan capital

Treating pregnancy-related diabetes helps babies and improves the mother's health-related quality of life

Combination of over-the-counter pharmacy drugs and prescription drugs dangerous

How microRNA is transforming science: From discovery to diagnostics

Advancing benzodiazepine detection

The Surgeon-Scientist Pioneering Regenerative Engineering

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