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Antibiotics should not be prescribed to patients with the common cold

Antibiotics should not be prescribed to patients with the common cold because there is scant evidence they stop other infections, and the benefits do not outweigh the risks, according to a new systematic review of current evidence.

19 Jul 2005

Older-style antidepressants, as well as anticonvulsant drugs, can help ease the disabling pain caused by nerve tissue damage

For many years antidepressants, which are believed to work by dampening pain signals, have been the first-line drugs for neuropathic pain. "It is usual to start with an antidepressant like amitriptyline, and if this fails then try an anticonvulsant," says Phil Wiffen, a researcher at Churchill Hospital in Oxford, England. "The results of these meta-analyses suggest this is probably still the best approach to take."

19 Jul 2005

Children enrolled in kid-oriented diet and exercise programs are likely to adopt healthier eating and activity patterns

...according to an updated systematic review. Although the youngsters did not experience significant weight loss during the studies, most of which lasted a year or less, the reviewers note promising trends.

19 Jul 2005

Study warns against global use of old asthma medicines for kids' coughs

An asthma medicine widely used around the world to stop children's coughs has no provable benefit for that purpose and may cause harm, a new review of existing studies reports.

19 Jul 2005

$New protective drugs called bisphosphonates reduce pain and fractures in metastatic breast cancer$

New protective drugs called bisphosphonates reduce pain and fractures in metastatic breast cancer

When breast cancer spreads to bones, relatively new protective drugs called bisphosphonates can reduce skeletal damage, says a new systematic review of previous studies. While the new treatment approach does not improve survival rates, it can minimize disabling fractures, spinal cord compression and pain.

19 Jul 2005

Calcium may prevent polyps, but effect on colorectal cancer unclear

Although calcium supplements might prevent development of polyps that sometimes lead to colon cancer, there is not enough evidence that the mineral can prevent colorectal cancer itself, according to a new study.

19 Jul 2005

Surgical removal of severe hemorrhoids is more effective in the long run than tying them off with rubber bands

The review found no significant difference in patients' acceptance of each technique, "implying patients' preference for complete long-term cure of symptoms" despite the pain and higher risk of complications following surgery.

19 Jul 2005

Intestinal hormone secretin should not be used to treat autism

The intestinal hormone secretin, considered by some to be a promising drug in the treatment of autism, does not improve the symptoms and should not be used to treat the disorder, according to a new review of studies.

19 Jul 2005

Combination of ribavirin and interferon is more effective in treating hepatitis C than using interferon alone

The researchers reviewed 72 randomized trials and 9,991 patients who had chronic hepatitis C for more than six months and were previously untreated, who had relapsed after treatment or who had not responded to other treatment.

19 Jul 2005

Insulin resistance increases a person's risk for development of congestive heart failure

Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a major cause of illness and death, according to background information in the article. The death rate for patients with CHF is 4 to 8 times that of the general population. The predominant causes of heart failure are hypertension and coronary heart disease.

19 Jul 2005

Study provides evidence that hormone treatments can be beneficial to limiting cardiovascular ailments

UC Irvine School of Medicine researchers have identified how estrogen helps prevents a cardiac ailment often seen in women who have heart attacks. This research provides further evidence that hormone replacement therapy after menopause can help prevent certain forms of cardiovascular disease in women.

19 Jul 2005

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) occurs far more frequently than generally believed

Although estimates vary widely, when combined with the milder afflictions of Alcohol Related Birth Defects (ARBD) and several others, the Centers for Disease Control puts the frequency of FAS/ARBD as high as one in 100.

19 Jul 2005

Women automatically associate sex with submission

A University of Michigan study suggests that women, but not men, automatically associate sex with submission and that connection reduces the quality of their sexual experience.

19 Jul 2005

Americans need to eat more fish

The sooner people start eating more fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids like salmon and tuna the better. Having fallen out of favor due to past mercury warnings aimed at pregnant women, new data show that consumers are doing their bodies a disservice if they continue to avoid this food.

19 Jul 2005

How oxytocin (OT) modulates eating and digestion

More than 15 years ago Edward Stricker and Joseph Verbalis reported that oxytocin (OT) is involved in the neural control of food and salt intake in adult rats. Linda Rinaman at the University of Pittsburgh is investigating the anatomical organization of this system, and also is taking a developmental approach to determine how OT modulates eating and digestion.

19 Jul 2005

Potential use of NH neurotransmitters as novel source for psychiatric drugs

Physiologists and medical researchers have long recognized the important endocrine roles played by the pituitary hormones oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin (VP) on peripheral systems in lactation, uterine contraction and urine concentration.

19 Jul 2005

Spontaneous contractions suppressed in late-term rat pregnancy

A long-time aim of obstetrical research has been to find agents that could delay or diminish pre-term labor because even today pre-term birth is a leading cause of infant mortality and morbidity.

19 Jul 2005

One of the first studies to define how unique we are on the genetic level

We all share the same genetic code, but a team from the Institute of Food Research (IFR) has found that the way our genes function varies significantly between individuals, particularly in some key areas including the immune system.

19 Jul 2005

No single PSA level ensures safety from prostate cancer risk

Ian M. Thompson Jr., M.D., professor and chair of urology at the U T Health Science Center, is looking for a better test - or set of tests - to diagnose prostate cancer and to distinguish between cancers that will kill men if left untreated and those that will not threaten health and do not need treatment.

19 Jul 2005

Variant of a common protein plays a primary role in Type 2 diabetes and obesity

Scientists in France and the United States report that a variant of a common protein plays a primary role in Type 2 diabetes and obesity, key features of the "insulin resistance syndrome" that affects more than 50 million people in this country and a similar number in Europe.

19 Jul 2005

Research News and Research

Antibiotics should not be prescribed to patients with the common cold

Older-style antidepressants, as well as anticonvulsant drugs, can help ease the disabling pain caused by nerve tissue damage

Children enrolled in kid-oriented diet and exercise programs are likely to adopt healthier eating and activity patterns

Study warns against global use of old asthma medicines for kids' coughs

New protective drugs called bisphosphonates reduce pain and fractures in metastatic breast cancer

Calcium may prevent polyps, but effect on colorectal cancer unclear

Surgical removal of severe hemorrhoids is more effective in the long run than tying them off with rubber bands

Intestinal hormone secretin should not be used to treat autism

Combination of ribavirin and interferon is more effective in treating hepatitis C than using interferon alone

Insulin resistance increases a person's risk for development of congestive heart failure

Study provides evidence that hormone treatments can be beneficial to limiting cardiovascular ailments

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) occurs far more frequently than generally believed

Women automatically associate sex with submission

Americans need to eat more fish

How oxytocin (OT) modulates eating and digestion

Potential use of NH neurotransmitters as novel source for psychiatric drugs

Spontaneous contractions suppressed in late-term rat pregnancy

One of the first studies to define how unique we are on the genetic level

No single PSA level ensures safety from prostate cancer risk

Variant of a common protein plays a primary role in Type 2 diabetes and obesity

eBook: Advancing neurodegenerative research with iPSC-derived microglia models eBook

How can microdialysis benefit drug development

Global and Local Efforts to Take Action Against Hepatitis

Addressing Important Cardiac Biology Questions with Shotgun Top-Down Proteomics

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