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Bacteria in plaque may increase risk for heart attacks

Researchers have found evidence that the amount of bacteria in subgingival plaques, the deep plaques in periodontal pockets and around the teeth, may contribute to an individual's risk of a heart attack, according to two studies appearing the Journal of Periodontology.

20 May 2005

Embryonic body wash controls left-right development

Humans and other animals may appear to be symmetrical on the outside, but symmetry is only skin deep. Many body organs, such as the stomach, the heart and the liver, are tipped to the right or left side. So how does the developing embryo distinguish left from right?

20 May 2005

Narcotic medications can safely and effectively ease severe, chronic pain in older people

Narcotic medications can safely and effectively ease severe, chronic pain in older people with little risk that these patients will seek ever-increasing doses, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) medical scientists have found. Younger patients, however, are likely to want to rapidly increase their medication dose, the researchers found, posing serious potential health consequences.

20 May 2005

New study questions benefits of aspirin for the over 70s

The benefits of giving low dose aspirin to healthy people from the age of 70 to prevent heart disease are offset by increased cases of serious bleeding, argue researchers in a study published online by the BMJ this week.

19 May 2005

Colon cancer missed in simple screening test

A new U.S. study has revealed that a commonly used screening tool for colon cancer, sigmoidoscopy, does not pick up precancerous growths in almost two-thirds of women and the failure rate is twice as high as in men.

18 May 2005

Two out of three Americans with type-2 diabetes do not have their disease under control

According to a new survey two out of three Americans with type-2 diabetes do not have their disease under control and are putting themselves at risk of early deaths from stroke, heart attack or kidney failure as well as blindness and limb loss.

18 May 2005

Cameras and MP3 players are fun, but the next wave of add-ons for cell phones and laptops may help users keep track of their health

A University of Florida engineer has built a working prototype for a small, portable system that can monitor a person’s breathing and heart rate automatically via wireless signal, with no need for cords or plugs. The goal is to make it easy for people to check their own vital signs, and then transmit them in real time to medical personnel through a cell phone or Internet connection, all with little more than a press of a button.

18 May 2005

Nutritional composition of a mother’s breast milk may depend not just on her diet - but on her genes

“It is well known that genes control the nutrient levels in cow’s milk” said Richard B. Weinberg, M.D. “But until now, no one has considered how genes might affect human breast milk. This is the first study to demonstrate a genetic effect on human lactation.” The results were presented today at Digestive Disease Week 2005 in Chicago, Ill.

18 May 2005

Cardiovascular risk factors among homeless people are under-treated in Canada

The study, the first comprehensive assessment of cardiovascular risk factors in a representative sample of homeless adults, also found that cardiovascular risks among the homeless may be underestimated due to commonly used risk assessment tools that do not account for cocaine use and the level of smoking exposure.

18 May 2005

Hypertension drug combination yields high rate of blood pressure control in hard-to-treat patients

The study, conducted at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and 118 other sites, was focused on bringing down systolic blood pressure, the top number in a blood pressure reading, which is the more difficult number to bring down.

18 May 2005

Telemonitoring or telephone calls prevent heart failure deaths

Monitoring heart failure patients with either high-tech home monitors or through regular telephone contacts with nurses improves the odds they will survive during the months after a serious hospitalization, according to a new study in the May 17, 2005, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

18 May 2005

Routine, inexpensive blood test sharpens heart disease risk predictions

Routine measurements of white blood cell counts that provide a ratio of neutrophils to lymphocytes may offer a simple and low-cost way to refine predictions of heart attack or death, according to a new study in the May 17, 2005, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

18 May 2005

Testosterone appears to benefit, not harm, cardiovascular health of middle-aged men

Although men suffer more coronary heart disease than women, the blame should not be placed on testosterone, according to a new study in the May 17, 2005, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

18 May 2005

A drug that controls blood pressure and reduces heart risk also appears to protect against diabetes

In new results from the VALUE trial that pitted the drug valsartan against another blood pressure drug, amlodipine, the patients taking valsartan were found to have a 23 percent lower risk of developing diabetes during the four or more years of the study.

18 May 2005

Chronic stress can be harmful - to your health and also to your brain

Chronic stress can be harmful - to your health and also to your brain, according to researchers at the Douglas Hospital Research Center. Their findings, published in a recent issue of Psychoneuroendocrinology, show increased stress hormones lead to memory impairment in the elderly and learning difficulties in young adults.

17 May 2005

HIV/AIDS is the biggest killers in every South African province except the Western Cape

A new report by the Medical Research Council in South Africa has quantified the leading causes of death in each province for the first time, and has found that HIV and Aids are the biggest killers in every province except the Western Cape.

17 May 2005

Women are particularly vulnerable to the harmful effects of excessive drinking

A brain-scan study in Germany has found evidence that women are particularly vulnerable to the harmful effects of excessive drinking.

17 May 2005

New discovery sparks hope of safer dosage of Warfarin

The blood-thinning drug Warfarin tops the list of drug side-effects in Sweden. Patient sensitivity to Warfarin varies, which can lead to over-dosage and in certain cases to death.

17 May 2005

No serious health risk for commuters on London's Underground

Commuters and workers on the London’s Tube network, gearing up for another potentially suffocating summer below ground, can at least take some comfort from research in Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

17 May 2005

Use of a common type of antidepressant may increase gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding

In fact, the study suggests that the increase is similar to that associated with the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs, known as pain relievers). DDW is the largest international gathering of physicians, academics and researchers in the fields of gastroenterology, hepatology, endoscopy and gastrointestinal surgery.

17 May 2005

Heart News and Research

Bacteria in plaque may increase risk for heart attacks

Embryonic body wash controls left-right development

Narcotic medications can safely and effectively ease severe, chronic pain in older people

New study questions benefits of aspirin for the over 70s

Colon cancer missed in simple screening test

Two out of three Americans with type-2 diabetes do not have their disease under control

Cameras and MP3 players are fun, but the next wave of add-ons for cell phones and laptops may help users keep track of their health

Nutritional composition of a mother’s breast milk may depend not just on her diet - but on her genes

Cardiovascular risk factors among homeless people are under-treated in Canada

Hypertension drug combination yields high rate of blood pressure control in hard-to-treat patients

Telemonitoring or telephone calls prevent heart failure deaths

Routine, inexpensive blood test sharpens heart disease risk predictions

Testosterone appears to benefit, not harm, cardiovascular health of middle-aged men

A drug that controls blood pressure and reduces heart risk also appears to protect against diabetes

Chronic stress can be harmful - to your health and also to your brain

HIV/AIDS is the biggest killers in every South African province except the Western Cape

Women are particularly vulnerable to the harmful effects of excessive drinking

New discovery sparks hope of safer dosage of Warfarin

No serious health risk for commuters on London's Underground

Use of a common type of antidepressant may increase gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding

Pioneering Live Cell Imaging - Yokogawa's Impact and Innovations

Revolutionizing Life Science: An Interview with SCIEX on ASMS, the SCIEX 7500+ System, and AI-Driven Quantitation

From Discovery Biology to ELRIG Chair

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