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Drinking by youth at disturbingly high levels

Although the prevalence of underage drinking has decreased since its peak in the late 1970s, drinking by youth has stabilized over the past decade at disturbingly high levels.

14 Sep 2004

Important discovery that will increase the understanding of multiple sclerosis

Scientists at the University of California, Santa Barbara have made an important discovery that will increase the understanding of multiple sclerosis, a debilitating disease of the central nervous system in which the myelin sheath, an insulating membrane surrounding the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, start to unravel for reasons as yet unknown.

14 Sep 2004

Health Affairs study examines 25 years of children’s health coverage

In recent years, rising health insurance costs have likely played a key role in the decline of American children with private health coverage, according to a study by researchers at the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC) and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) published in the September/October edition of the journal Health Affairs.

14 Sep 2004

Estimates may overstate toll of sudden cardiac death

Researchers trying to get a precise picture of sudden cardiac death in Portland, Ore. found that checking with ambulance services, medical examiners and hospitals revealed the actual number of cases was only about one-third the total estimated by a commonly used method that involves reviews of death certificates, according to a new study in the Sept. 15, 2004 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

14 Sep 2004

Findings that may help explain links between the stress of traumatic events and increased risk of cardiac death

Reporting findings that may help explain links between the stress of traumatic events and increased risk of cardiac death, researchers said the rate of potentially life-threatening heart arrhythmias doubled during the month after the World Trade Center terrorist attack in 2001 in patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators, not only in the New York area, but also in Florida

14 Sep 2004

Campaign to reduce high salt consumption in the UK

Every day at least 26 million people eat more than the recommended daily limit of 6g of salt. Men are eating the most with a daily average of 11.0g of salt while women consume an average of 8.1g a day

14 Sep 2004

Knowing which treatments work and which don't is an important first step in improving children's health care, but it's not enough

University of South Florida pediatrician Dr. Lisa Simpson says she knew enough to ignore a physician’s recommendation that treating repeated ear infections with ear tubes was important to her son’s eventual speech and language outcomes.

14 Sep 2004

Non-surgical needle biopsies in the lung may eliminate the need for children to undergo surgery

A pediatric study published in the September Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology shows non-surgical needle biopsies in the lung were 91 percent successful in providing sufficient tissue to determine a diagnosis.

14 Sep 2004

Boys generally at greater risk of developing attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Boys, in general, and children born to parents who have low education levels, in particular, are at an increased risk for developing attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) compared to girls and children born to parents with high levels of education, according to a study of 5,701 children in Olmsted County, Minn.

14 Sep 2004

FDA approves permanently implanted lens as an alternative to contact lenses or laser surgery

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a plastic lens that is permanently implanted into the eye to correct moderate to severe nearsightedness.

14 Sep 2004

German researchers are identifying lymphoma risks

Little is known about the causes of lymphoma. A case-control study conducted by Professor Nikolaus Becker and Dr. Alexandra Nieters, Division of Clinical Epidemiology at the Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum (German Cancer Research Center, DKFZ), is looking closely at possible risk factors.

14 Sep 2004

BNCT treatment has had an excellent response in a patient with head and neck cancer

A Finnish research group has been the first in the world to publish an article in which BNCT treatment has had an excellent response in a patient with head and neck cancer for whom there was no other treatment available.

14 Sep 2004

Liver cancer genes cluster into two subsets that correlate to survival

An analysis of the gene expression patterns of 91 unrelated liver tumors revealed two distinctive subclasses highly associated with patient survival, according to a new study published in the September 2004 issue of Hepatology.

14 Sep 2004

ID Biomedical to supply meningitis C vaccine to the Canadian government

The Canadian government has retained an option to purchase additional product from the Company in the third and final year of the contract. The total value of the contract, including the third year option, could total approximately $30 million to ID Biomedical.

14 Sep 2004

California Chamber of Commerce lends support to stem cell research

The California Chamber of Commerce has joined with a broad and growing coalition of business groups, patient advocates and medical organizations in endorsing a "YES" vote on Proposition 71, the California Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative, on the November 2004 statewide ballot.

14 Sep 2004

New study on female sexuality reveals increased use of sexual aids by women

The use of sexual aids and devices is often a sensitive and embarrassing topic for women, but a new landmark study on sexual aid usage conducted by the Berman Center and funded by an unrestricted educational grant from the Sexual Well-being store may help change women's acceptance of sexual aids

14 Sep 2004