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New trial to test cancer smart drugs

Cancer Research UK has launched a major new clinical trial for the most common form of lung cancer, to test the effectiveness of one of the new generation of 'smart' cancer drugs as a first line treatment.

29 Nov 2004

Oral administration of saline spray may stop spread of influenza, tuberculosis, and SARS

Some individuals exhale many more pathogen-laden droplets than others in the course of ordinary breathing, scientists have found, but oral administration of a safe saline spray every six hours might slash exhalation of germs in this group by an average 72 percent.

29 Nov 2004

Stress affects molecules believed to play a key role in cellular aging

There have been many studies that have shown that your health is greatly affected by how you react to stressful events in life-setbacks or deadlines at work, conflicts and losses at home.

29 Nov 2004

Exposure to methamphetamine in the womb causes adverse developmental effects

International studies suggest that children exposed to methamphetamine in the womb are likely to suffer adverse developmental effects – either because of the drug, or the environment in which they are subsequently raised.

29 Nov 2004

Unemployment can be deadly

Being unemployed can up your risk for an early death, according to study of 875 female and 1,309 male twins.

29 Nov 2004

Racial discrimination may contribute to premature births

Black women who perceive themselves as victims of racial discrimination seem to be at higher risk for giving birth prematurely and for having low-birthweight babies.

29 Nov 2004

Tobacco companies target U.S. immigrants

Tobacco companies have engaged in three distinct marketing practices aimed at gaining U.S. immigrants as customers, according to an analysis of major tobacco industry documents.

29 Nov 2004

Eliminating racial disparities would save many more lives than technological advances

The number of lives saved by advances in medical technology over the past decade pales in comparison to the lives lost due to racial inequities in the health care system.

29 Nov 2004

A step closer to medical treatments for neural disorders

New insight into the role of a key regulator in cell division may help uncover new drug targets in the search for treatments for neural disorders such as Parkinson's and Huntington's disease.

29 Nov 2004

Joint collaboration to fight avian influenza

Recognizing the pandemic potential and the threat to public health posed by the Avian Influenza, Health Ministers and senior officials of thirteen countries from Southeast and East Asian countries have pledged to accelerate joint collaboration in fighting the disease.

29 Nov 2004

Research shows how diet can improve health in the elderly

Adapting diets to reduce the occurrence of Alzheimer’s or osteoporosis and more generally to improve health among the elderly are some of the possibilities revealed by EU research on nutrition and health.

29 Nov 2004

Older Australians face a tough time in court

New research has revealed that many older Australians find themselves at a distinct disadvantage when fronting court because of hearing impairment, physical immobility and difficulty coping with complex procedures.

29 Nov 2004

Lighter air more than doubles COPD patients’ endurance

It certainly makes sense: COPD sufferers have varying degrees of serious breathing difficulties, which keeps them from almost any kind of exercise, especially in advanced stages. So maybe “lighter than air” air would be easier to breath, reduce shortness of breath and perhaps even allow them to do some exercise with all of its physical and mental benefits.

29 Nov 2004

SARS outbreak unlikely according to World Health Organization

The regional head of the World Health Organization said today that it was possible the region would experience SARS cases this winter, but he doubted the situation would be serious. "I don't think a large outbreak is likely," said Dr Shigeru Omi, Regional Director of WHO's Western Pacific Regional Office.

29 Nov 2004

Metabolic syndrome is a public health time bomb

The metabolic syndrome is a public health time bomb. It may affect as many as 1 in 5 adults in some parts of Europe, greatly increasing the risk of developing heart disease and stroke.

29 Nov 2004

Iris Murdoch's last novel reveals signs of the first stages of Alzheimer’s disease

The last novel written by author Iris Murdoch before she died reveals signs of the first stages of Alzheimer’s disease, according to a study published in the latest online issue of Brain.

29 Nov 2004

Discrimination could lead to an increase in mental health problems among gay men, lesbians and bi-sexual men and women

In a report published today in the British Journal of Psychiatry, the team from Imperial College London, University College London and the University of Brighton found that high levels of discrimination including physical attacks and bullying could be linked to high levels of mental disorder.

29 Nov 2004

Autism results from failure of brain areas to work together

In contrast to people who do not have autism, people with autism remember letters of the alphabet in a part of the brain that ordinarily processes shapes, according to a study from a collaborative program of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

29 Nov 2004

Salmonella pathogen uses molecular hydrogen to grow and become virulent

New research, headed by microbiologists from the University of Georgia, show for the first time that Salmonella – a widespread and often deadly bacterial pathogen – use molecular hydrogen to grow and become virulent.

29 Nov 2004

Low testosterone production appears to be a common complication of type 2 diabetes in men

Moreover, results of the investigation show that this condition, known clinically as hypogonadism, is caused not by a defect in the testes, where testosterone is produced, but by improper functioning of the pituitary gland, which controls production of testosterone, or of the hypothalamus, the region of the brain that controls the pituitary.

29 Nov 2004