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Guidelines for treatment of essential tremor

Imagine not being able to hold a glass, tie your shoelaces or write a check. For people with the common movement disorder known as essential tremor, simple tasks requiring fine motor coordination become increasingly difficult, sometimes even impossible.

27 Jun 2005

British doctors question guidelines on blood pressure and cholesterol levels

A new study suggests that the thresholds for "normal" blood pressure and cholesterol levels have been set so low healthy people might be put on unnecessary medication.

27 Jun 2005

Half a million in U.S. could die in flu pandemic

A report from the Trust for America's Health, says the United States only has 965,256 staffed hospital beds, and in the event of a pandemic, half a million Americans could die and more than 2 million could end up in the hospital with serious complications.

27 Jun 2005

Adult nasal spray helps teenagers cope with migraines

A Florida researcher reports that a prescription nasal spray approved for adults with migraines also helps teenagers and potentially offers relief for a population which is underserved in this respect.

26 Jun 2005

Naturally produced 'cannabis' in the brain helps with pain relief

Researchers in the United States have found that a cannabis like chemical produced naturally in the brain helps with pain relief.

23 Jun 2005

Double whammy of chemo plus surgery extends life for lung cancer patients

Recent research which has shown that chemotherapy can significantly lengthen life in many patients with lung cancer, has meant that doctors, for the first time in decades, have begun making major changes in the treatment of the disease.

23 Jun 2005

The CMS demonstration project in oncology

The PricewaterhouseCoopers study that the Community Oncology Alliance (COA) commissioned shows that an estimated $13 billion will be saved from Medicare spending for cancer care through 2013. This is $8.8 billion more than the original intent of Congress in passing the Medicare Modernization Act (MMA).

22 Jun 2005

Antibiotics not effective for many coughs

In a study of more than 500 patients who were suffering from acute bronchitis or pharyngitis it was found that whether or not antibiotics were prescribed, the irritating bouts of coughing still continued for an average of almost 12 days after the visit to the doctor.

22 Jun 2005

Sleep studied as potential treatment for depression

Two new studies show that insomnia, far from being a symptom or side effect of depression, may instead precede it, making some patients more likely to become and remain mentally ill.

21 Jun 2005

PNNL ScalaBLAST may be used to process complex genomic sequences

A new computational tool developed at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is speeding up our understanding of the machinery of life - bringing us one step closer to curing diseases, finding safer ways to clean the environment and protecting the country against biological threats.

21 Jun 2005

Researchers develop method that can help doctors choose the best combination of drugs for fighting cancer

The method is based on a mathematical model that determines when a cancer becomes drug-resistant during therapy. It does this by estimating the probability of finding drug-resistant mutant cells at different stages of cancer progression and examining the fate of individual mutant colonies during therapy.

21 Jun 2005

Insulin resistance drug with anti-inflammatory effects reduces risk factors

A drug, which reduces insulin resistance and also may have anti-inflammatory and other effects on blood vessels, lowered cardiovascular risk factors in patients with diabetes more than another diabetes medicine, even though both drugs improved blood sugar control equally, according to a new study (PDF) in the June 21, 2005, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

21 Jun 2005

Worldwide cost of Alzheimer's disease and dementia estimated at $156 billion

The first estimate of the worldwide direct costs of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia care was released at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference on the Prevention of Dementia. As a result, scientists, advocates and those affected by the disease are calling for increased funding for research and support services.

21 Jun 2005

Evidence grows for change in cannabis laws

Studies linking cannabis use to mental illnesses and addictive drugs such as heroin are compelling reasons for the State Government to revise its soft-on-drugs legislation, the Australian Medical Association (WA) said today.

21 Jun 2005

Pioneering new thyroid treatment

The doctor has developed a revolutionary technique for treating hyperthyroidism, also known as Graves' Disease. And earlier this month, Culham became the first person in North America to undergo the new procedure.

21 Jun 2005

First new treatment for Elephantiasis (lymphatic filariasis)

Scientists at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine have proved that a single course of one antibiotic may hold the key to curing the parasitic worm disease Elephantiasis (lymphatic filariasis) that has been one of the most common causes of global disability since Biblical times.

21 Jun 2005

Researchers isolate substance most responsible for the tissue damage that follows initial spinal cord injury

Purdue University researchers may have isolated the substance most responsible for the tissue damage that follows initial spinal cord injury, a discovery that could also improve treatments for a host of other neurodegenerative conditions.

21 Jun 2005

Safety warning on Internet drugs

Thousands of men in the UK buy “lifestyle drugs” such as erectile dysfunction medication, weight and hair loss products from websites and are oblivious to the fact that some (not all) of the websites belong to unscrupulous vendors.

21 Jun 2005

WHO says AIDS fight will only be won with generic drugs

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) the key to AIDS treatment in the developing world is generic drugs, but the target of 3 million people on therapy by the end of 2005 may now be unattainable.

21 Jun 2005

Vascular disease most common cause of male erectile dysfunction

A preeminent cardiologist reports, for the first time in a large prospective study, that certain of his patients with erectile dysfunction (ED) and heart problems can now safely use erection drugs that help up to 80% of men restore function and quality of life.

21 Jun 2005