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Taking HRT before the menopause may prevent heart disease

According to American researcher Jay Kaplan, taking the "Pill" before the menopause or starting hormone replacement therapy before menopausal symptoms begin could actually help prevent heart disease in women.

6 Dec 2005

More mums would stick with breastfeeding if they had more support

The perfectly natural procedure of breast feeding does not always come that easy to every mum and babe.

6 Dec 2005

Its true - marriage can be bad for your health!

U.S. researchers have yet more proof that an unhappy marriage is bad for your health.

6 Dec 2005

A tipple or two a day will keep you trim

A new study suggests that people who have an alcoholic drink or two a day may have a lower risk of becoming obese than either teetotalers or heavy drinkers.

5 Dec 2005

Mirror neurons in autistic children abnormal

Researchers have found, through the use of functional MRI scans that looked at the brain, that there is an abnormal activity in the some of the neurons in the brains of autistic children.

5 Dec 2005

Fighting the flab? it could be that hormone!

Fighting the flab? well take heart it could all be down to your hormones - or it seems down to one in particular.

5 Dec 2005

Caffeine and alcohol addiction similar

According to a new study caffeine loving women with a family history of alcohol abuse will have a hard time kicking the coffee habit when they are pregnant.

5 Dec 2005

That glass of wine or two may not be so good for you!

New research from New Zealand suggests that the health benefits of alcohol are dubious.

5 Dec 2005

Heart pump technology - comparative study

Chicago's first participant in the RELIANT (Randomized Evaluation of the Novacor(r) LVAS In A Non-Transplant Population) research study recently went home from Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

5 Dec 2005

Brain memory modifies wiring during the female menstrual cycle

Researchers at Northwestern University and Columbia University have found that "wiring" in female rat brain memory area expands and retracts in relation to the amount of estrogen present during the estrous/menstrual cycle.

5 Dec 2005

Cerebrospinal fluid analysis combined with brain scan predicts Alzheimer's

A combination of brain scanning with a new imaging agent and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis has left neuroscientists encouraged that they may finally be moving toward techniques for diagnosing Alzheimer's disease before its clinical symptoms become apparent.

5 Dec 2005

Ack1 molecule stimulates the aggressive growth of prostate cancer

The molecule, Ack1, a member of the growth-promoting tyrosine kinase gene family, stimulates tumor formation in part by signaling prostate cells to rid themselves of a tumor-suppressor protein. Normally, this suppressor protein would inhibit rapid cell growth by signaling the cell to destroy itself.

5 Dec 2005

Fibroblast research could lead to alternatives to implanted electronic pacemakers

In guinea pig experiments, Johns Hopkins scientists fused common connective tissue cells taken from lungs with heart muscle cells to create a safe and effective biological pacemaker whose cells can fire on their own and naturally regulate the muscle's rhythmic beat.

5 Dec 2005

Dialysis patients may be overmedicated

Changes in a widely used assay (blood test) for parathyroid hormone (PTH) have made its use with the established guidelines for end stage renal disease clinical management both inappropriate and potentially harmful to patients. This research is published in the journal Seminars in Dialysis.

5 Dec 2005

Preventing muscle wasting with a leucine-rich diet

Muscle in adults is constantly being built and broken down. As young adults we keep the two processes in balance, but when we age breakdown starts to win. However, adding the amino acid leucine to the diet of old individuals can set things straight again.

5 Dec 2005

Aldosterone shows promise as stroke treatment

A bi-polar hormone that can contribute to strokes and minimize their damage is emerging as a therapeutic target in the battle against these brain attacks, researchers say.

5 Dec 2005

The earlier cochlear implants considered, the better

New research at Johns Hopkins has clearly demonstrated the ability of cochlear implants in very young animals to forge normal nerve fibers that transmit sound and to restore hearing by reversing or preventing damage to the brain's auditory system.

5 Dec 2005

LEDGF protein controls the location of HIV integration in human cells

A human DNA-associated protein called LEDGF is the first such molecule found to control the location of HIV integration in human cells, according to researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

5 Dec 2005

Mum's the Word: Exploring Early Motherhood

Mums are the focus of a new study being undertaken by RMIT University researcher Leanne Sheeran.

5 Dec 2005

Iron-biofortified rice improves the iron stores of nonanemic Filipino women

For the past decade, plant breeders have been trying to boost the vitamin and mineral content of rice and other staples through traditional plant breeding and genetic engineering. But the foods have never been tested to see if they actually improve the health of the people who eat them.

5 Dec 2005