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AMA tackles health literacy

An estimated 90 million adults – nearly half the adults in America – have trouble understanding medical terms and directions, according to two studies published on April 8 by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

12 Apr 2004

Household molds trigger allergic rhinitis

April showers can increase the amount of mold found inside and outside the home. Along with pollens from trees, grasses, and weeds, molds are an important trigger of allergic rhinitis, affecting nearly 40 million Americans, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI).

12 Apr 2004

Unmarried women do not feel comfortable at doctors

Regardless of sexual orientation, unmarried women ages 40 to 75 voiced reluctance to undergo routine cancer screening tests, feeling out of place or misunderstood in health care settings, according to the first wave of information from a five-year Brown University Cancer Screening Project for Women.

12 Apr 2004

Green tea helps kill cells of the most common leukemia

Mayo Clinic researchers have discovered that a component in green tea helps kill cells of the most common leukemia in the United States.

12 Apr 2004

Latest developments in prostate cancer research

New research on genes linked to hereditary prostate cancer helps scientists better understand how prostate cancer grows. Tests to find abnormal prostate cancer genes could also help tell which men are at high risk. They could then be tested more often. Further research could provide answers about the chemical changes that lead to prostate cancer. Then, perhaps, we could design drugs to reverse those changes.

12 Apr 2004

Researchers isolate gene responsible for Chron's disease

Crohn's disease is an inflammatory bowel disease and its prevalence is increasing in industrialized nations. Existing treatments are considered unsatisfactory, often requiring recurring hospitalization and surgeries.

12 Apr 2004

Birth of First Deadly Jellyfish In Captivity Could Lead To Anti-Venom

The first Irukandji jellyfish to be bred in captivity have been born in Townsville, Australia. ‘Irukandji syndrome' is a painful and debilitating set of symptoms that has caused the deaths of at least two people on the Great Barrier Reef. Up to seven species of jellyfish found in northern Australian waters are thought to be responsible for the syndrome, but only one, Carukia barnesi , is a proven culprit.

11 Apr 2004

Australian symposium on stroke and head injury

A condition which leaves some stroke and head injury victims unable to see half their world will be the subject of a one-day symposium being hosted by Southern Cross University (SCU) this week.

10 Apr 2004

A drug that improves function of retinal blood vessels may be able to reduce the risk of stroke

The small study found that endothelial function is abnormal in eye blood vessels of patients who have early-stage hypertension, but that treatment with an angiotensin-receptor blocker (ARB) drug improves endothelial function. The endothelium is the lining of vessel walls and plays a key role in the vessels’ ability to relax and to constrict.

9 Apr 2004

DNA free radical damage research

Certain prostate cancer cell lines are unable to repair DNA damage caused by "free radicals," according to scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and National Institutes of Health (NIH). This type of damage has been implicated before in the development of prostate cancer, but the new research provides the first solid evidence that the normal repair process is altered in prostate cancer cells, possibly leading to a cascade of events that culminate in further DNA damage and cellular dysfunction.

9 Apr 2004

Magnetic tweezers that can manipulate strands of DNA

An array of magnetic traps designed for manipulating individual biomolecules and measuring the ultrasmall forces that affect their behavior has been demonstrated by scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

9 Apr 2004

African summit on treatment of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria

In Gaborone, Botswana, government officials and representatives of drug regulatory agencies from 23 nations, the research-based and generic pharmaceutical industries, public health leaders, health care providers, advocacy groups (including persons living with HIV/AIDS), academia and members of non-governmental organizations held discussions from March 29-31 on the scientific and technical principles for fixed-dose combination drug products (FDCs) for use in the treatment of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, the most serious infectious disease threats facing the world today.

8 Apr 2004

Cell research to eventually develop new treatments for cancer and disorders such as Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease

Medical Research Council (MRC) scientists have made an important advance in understanding the biological processes involved when cells die. The work may help scientists to eventually develop new treatments for cancer and disorders such as Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease.

8 Apr 2004

Unique heart arrhythmia drug represents one of the first molecular-based therapies for heart failure

Heart researchers at Columbia University Medical Center have developed and tested a unique heart arrhythmia drug that could prevent the sudden death of millions of people with heart failure as well as people with an inherited heart disorder. The drug represents one of the first molecular-based therapies for heart failure and avoids the toxicity of current treatments.

8 Apr 2004

New process to extract proteins from membranes by using chemicals

Proteins are complex compounds that are essential for the growth and repair of tissue. While scientists understand much about the structure and stability of water-soluble proteins that ‘float’ around in humans, they know very little about the shape and stability of proteins that are embedded, or folded, into the lipid membrane of cells. Such membrane proteins make up about 30 percent of all proteins in the body.

8 Apr 2004

New microgel could potentially recover any enzyme and save manufacturers considerable money

Carnegie Mellon University scientists have employed biological molecules to create a microgel that could recover costly enzymes for repeated use in catalyzing commercially important reactions. The microgel could potentially recover any enzyme and theoretically save manufacturers considerable money.

8 Apr 2004

Cervical cancer screening in Northern Ireland falls short

Only 72 per cent of women within the target age group in the Province had a cervical smear test in the five-year period up to 31 March 2003 – contrasting with higher figures for England, Scotland and Wales. NHS targets for cervical screening call for a minimum of 80 per cent of Northern Ireland women aged between 20 and 65 to be screened every five years.

8 Apr 2004

Breast-feeding may protect against SIDS

Breast-fed babies arouse more readily from deep sleep, Monash researchers have found, in a discovery that could help reduce deaths due to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

7 Apr 2004

University of Florida researchers have used a common gel to successfully deliver gene therapy to the diaphragm

The technique, described in the current issue of Molecular Therapy, could eventually lead to a method to correct genetic conditions in humans that cause diaphragm weakness and respiratory failure -- a leading cause of death in tens of thousands of patients with forms of muscular dystrophy, including Pompe’s disease. Thousands of Americans with muscle-weakening diseases are placed on ventilators each year, according to the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

7 Apr 2004

Shunning shoulder pain can cause more damage in the long run

Senator John Kerry is one of the millions of Americans suffering from shoulder pain. Depending on the nature of the problem, conservative nonoperative methods of treatment are often recommended before surgery. However, in some instances such as Kerry’s, surgery is necessary in order to prevent more difficulties later. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) advises those suffering shoulder pain to consult their doctor instead of ignoring the pain. Early, correct diagnosis and treatment of shoulder problems can make a significant difference in the long run.

7 Apr 2004

Research News and Research

AMA tackles health literacy

Household molds trigger allergic rhinitis

Unmarried women do not feel comfortable at doctors

Green tea helps kill cells of the most common leukemia

Latest developments in prostate cancer research

Researchers isolate gene responsible for Chron's disease

Birth of First Deadly Jellyfish In Captivity Could Lead To Anti-Venom

Australian symposium on stroke and head injury

A drug that improves function of retinal blood vessels may be able to reduce the risk of stroke

DNA free radical damage research

Magnetic tweezers that can manipulate strands of DNA

African summit on treatment of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria

Cell research to eventually develop new treatments for cancer and disorders such as Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease

Unique heart arrhythmia drug represents one of the first molecular-based therapies for heart failure

New process to extract proteins from membranes by using chemicals

New microgel could potentially recover any enzyme and save manufacturers considerable money

Cervical cancer screening in Northern Ireland falls short

Breast-feeding may protect against SIDS

University of Florida researchers have used a common gel to successfully deliver gene therapy to the diaphragm

Shunning shoulder pain can cause more damage in the long run

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