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New treatment for dry eye syndrome (keratoconjunctivitis sicca)

Researchers in the department of ophthalmology at the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson played an important role in the development of Restasis, the first alternative to artificial tears for the treatment of dry eye syndrome.

21 May 2004

Clusters of viral meningitis found in two Manhattan schools

Working closely with the New York City Department of Education (DOE), the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) is investigating clusters of viral meningitis in two Manhattan schools (4 students at La Guardia High School, 2 students at Stuyvesant High School).

21 May 2004

New device for locating and identifying motor nerves during spinal surgery

Medtronic, Inc. today announced the commercial release of the NIM-Spine™ System neural integrity monitor, a surgeon-guided device for locating and identifying peripheral motor nerves during spinal surgery, which is designed to help predict and possibly prevent potential neurologic injury.

21 May 2004

FDA issues gastrointestinal illness alert regarding raw basil in Texas and Illinois

The FDA is issuing an alert to consumers that two outbreak clusters of a gastrointestinal illness known as cyclosporiasis may be associated with raw basil and mesculin/spring mix salad served in Texas and Illinois. The agency is working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state and other health authorities to determine the cause and scope of the problem.

21 May 2004

Discovery and improvement of glyphosate tolerance gene

Verdia Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Maxygen, Inc. has announced today the publication in the journal Science of a study that describes the successful development of a novel glyphosate-resistant crop trait by scientists at Verdia and Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of DuPont.

21 May 2004

Are we as crazy as mad cows?

When proteins in our body work properly, we can see, smell, consume and digest food, grow muscle and brain cells. But when these infinitely useful biological building blocks fail, the most pernicious diseases arise. Susan Lindquist has scrutinized the complex origami-like shapes of proteins and come to understand how structural mistakes can lead to a frightening class of neurodegenerative disorders, including “Mad Cow Disease.”

20 May 2004

Chloropropanols in Australian meat products

A Food Standards Agency investigation into 1,3-dichloropropanol (1,3-DCP) has not found it in any of the meat products tested. 1,3-DCP is a chemical that might harm people's health.

20 May 2004

Public health groups strongly support bipartisan FDA tobacco legislation

Our public health organizations strongly support the bipartisan legislation introduced today in both the House and Senate to provide the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with effective authority to regulate tobacco products.

20 May 2004

A genetic variant (MTHFR C677T) puts half the population at increased risk of neural tube defects

Researchers in Ireland and the United States identified the genetic make-up (genotype) of 395 individuals born with neural tube defects (spina bifida or encephalocele) and 848 controls.

20 May 2004

Dietary supplement reduces body fat mass in overweight adults by as much as nine percent

A study to be published in the June issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition concludes that the dietary supplement, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), reduces body fat mass in overweight, but otherwise healthy, adults by as much as nine percent.

20 May 2004

Dental appliance may help weight loss

Many Americans eat so fast, there isn't time to feel full until we realize we've overdone it. So we keep on eating, consuming more calories than we need. Now, there is an innovative appliance helps accomplish what our mothers always told us -- slow down, take smaller bites, and chew our food longer. Unlike many approaches to diets, this appliance is focused not on what we eat -- but how we eat.

19 May 2004

HHS creates task force to encourage medical technology innovation

HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson has announced that the department is forming an internal task force to weigh new ideas and promote new solutions to encourage innovation in health care and to speed the development of effective new medical technologies, such as drug and biological products and medical devices.

19 May 2004

$First drug approved for hormone refractory prostate cancer that has shown a survival benefit$

First drug approved for hormone refractory prostate cancer that has shown a survival benefit

The the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Taxotere (docetaxel), injection in combination with prednisone ( a steroid), for the treatment of patients with advanced metastatic prostate cancer. This is the first drug approved for hormone refractory prostate cancer that has shown a survival benefit.

19 May 2004

FDA approves new drug for bone marrow disease

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced the approval of Vidaza (azacitidine) injection, the first effective treatment for patients with Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS). The product was given Fast Track Status and a priority review.

19 May 2004

Enteric-coated aspirin is less potent than plain aspirin

Enteric-coated aspirin is less potent than plain aspirin, which may make it less effective in preventing heart disease, according to a preliminary small study presented today at the American Heart Association’s 5th Annual Conference on Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology.

19 May 2004

Drug combo effective for advanced breast cancer

A pair of studies at UCLA's Jonsson Cancer Center that takes laboratory science to the patients' bedside found that combining the molecularly targeted therapy Herceptin with a specific chemotherapy combination resulted in significant tumor response rates and longer relapse-free periods in women with an aggressive form of advanced breast cancer.

19 May 2004

Variability in weight and drug content of split tablet may put patients at risk of receiving wrong dosage

Back and neck pain sufferers who divide the most frequently prescribed muscle relaxant may be getting anywhere from half to one-and-a-half times the amount of medicine they believe they are taking, suggests a new study examining the practice of tablet splitting.

19 May 2004

25% of women in many countries voluntarily take folic acid tablets before conception

By taking folic acid before pregnancy or during the first few weeks after conception, women can markedly lower the risk of neural tube defects in their offspring; the defects commonly manifest themselves as a debilitating health condition known as spina bifida. The neural tube is fully developed 22 to 28 days after conception

19 May 2004

Dark chocolate and cocoa may help arterial stiffness

“This is the first study to investigate whether chocolate has any favorable effects on cardiovascular function in healthy subjects,” says Charalambos Vlachopoulos, MD, of the Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece. “We found dark chocolate improves endothelial function and decreases arterial stiffness in healthy young adults.”

19 May 2004

Survey shows chicken popular with low-carbohydrate dieters

The chicken industry has benefited even more than beef or pork from the high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets so popular with American consumers, according to a recent survey.

19 May 2004