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Helminthic therapy, using worm eggs to treat patients with inflammatory bowel disorders

University of Iowa Health Care researchers reported important findings recently at a conference of specialists in New Orleans, La. The findings are from their study of helminthic therapy - using specially prepared worm eggs - to treat patients diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disorders that don't respond to standard treatments.

21 May 2004

Parents overestimate their children's use of bicycle helmets and seatbelts

Parents think their children use bicycle helmets and seatbelts more often than children say they use them, according to a new study by a University of Michigan Health System pediatric surgeon.

19 May 2004

Microwaving the heart may soon become a routine procedure for the treatment of heart rhythm disorders

Microwaving the heart may soon become a routine procedure for the treatment of heart rhythm disorders, a common cause of heart attack and stroke, reports Marina Murphy in Chemistry & Industry magazine.

18 May 2004

1 in every 10 children worldwide is obese

In a comprehensive dossier revealing how the global obesity epidemic is affecting children, the International ObesityTaskForce says that one in 10 children is overweight, a total of 155 million. Around 30-45 million within that figure are classified as obese - accounting for 2-3% of the world’s children aged 5-17. A further 22 million younger children are also affected according to previous IOTF global estimates based on WHO data for under fives.

13 May 2004

A mother-to-be who eats fish during the later stages of pregnancy is less likely to have a very small baby

However the latest research from the Children of the 90s project has shown no link between fish consumption and average birthweight once other factors have been taken into account. There was also no evidence of increased frequency of premature birth in mothers not eating fish.

13 May 2004

Men's oral hygiene far behind women's

Men will have to brush up on caring for their teeth and gums to equal the oral hygiene efforts of women, according to survey findings from the American Dental Association (ADA).

12 May 2004

Physicians perceive overactive bladder as a normal part of aging when in fact it is a treatable medical condition

Nearly half of people with symptoms of overactive bladder had to initiate multiple conversations with their doctor before receiving a diagnosis or treatment, according to a national survey of more than 500 people with symptoms of overactive bladder. Furthermore, only 15 percent of those surveyed said their doctors had ever initiated a discussion about overactive bladder symptoms.

12 May 2004

Small, frequent doses of caffeine best strategy for staying awake

Caffeine is the world's most widely-used stimulant yet, scientists still do not know exactly how it staves off sleep. Researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School and other institutions have now discovered that caffeine works by thwarting one of two interacting physiological systems that govern the human sleep-wake cycle.

11 May 2004

Disease control strategies in Africa could help to halve deaths from malaria by 2010

Linking malaria programmes to other disease control strategies in Africa could help to halve deaths from malaria by 2010, say researchers in this week's BMJ.

6 May 2004

Vitrase has been approved for use as an adjunct to rehydrating agents

The Food and Drug Administration approved Vitrase (hyaluronidase for injection). Vitrase is an injectable drug approved as an adjunct to (in combination with) other injected drugs to increase their absorption and dispersion. Hyaluronidase has been used most commonly in combination with local anesthetics in the setting of ophthalmic (eye) surgery.

6 May 2004

Experimental sleep drug eszopiclone helps elderly to sleep better

Older people with insomnia slept better and longer after taking an experimental sleep medication, according to research at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

6 May 2004

Female testosterone patch significantly increased satisfying sexual activity and desire

Data from a landmark Phase III safety and efficacy study of 562 women showed treatment with an investigational female testosterone patch significantly increased satisfying sexual activity and desire in patients with Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD), who previously had both ovaries removed. HSDD is defined as a lack of sexual desire that causes a woman personal distress.

6 May 2004

New estimate of more than three million diabetes-related deaths every year

3.2 million deaths can be attributed to diabetes each year according to a new publication released today by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) to mark the launch of their joint programme "Diabetes Action Now".

5 May 2004

IT has the power to transform the pharmaceutical industry

Information technology has the power to transform the pharmaceutical industry, if businesses apply it correctly. That’s the conclusion of Pharma 2010: Silicon Reality, a report from IBM Business Consulting Services (BCS).

5 May 2004

New estimate of more than three million diabetes-related deaths every year

5 May 2004

First drug product for treatment of short bowel syndrome

Short bowel syndrome (SBS) is a rare and potentially life-threatening condition in which the ability of the small intestine to absorb the nutrition a person needs from food is impaired. Short bowel syndrome can occur after surgical removal of part of the intestine, due to trauma or because the intestine is diseased.

4 May 2004

Eating habits matter as much as medicine for those with type 2 diabetes

For those with type 2 diabetes, the most prevalent kind, a person's eating habits -- their basic eating practices, selections while dining out, meal planning and carbohydrate and vegetable strategies -- matter as much or more as medicine for maintaining blood sugar control, says a Penn State researcher.

3 May 2004

Study suggest that decriminalization of marijuana does not lead to increased drug use

In the first rigorous study comparing marijuana use in the Netherlands and the United States, researchers have found no evidence that decriminalization of marijuana leads to increased drug use. The results suggest that drug policies may have less impact on marijuana use than is currently thought.

3 May 2004

New electromagnetic imaging techniques to help detect breast abnormalities

Researchers are testing three promising new electromagnetic imaging techniques to help detect breast abnormalities, including cancer. The findings of the benchmark study will be published in the May issue of the journal Radiology.

3 May 2004

Rates of hepatitis A higher in an El Niño year

Researchers at the Queensland University of Technology have examined the possible association between the Southern Oscillation Index and the occurrence of hepatitis A in Australia. The results indicate that the SOI is statistically significantly associated with the transmission of hepatitis A.

2 May 2004