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Sleep apnea raises risk of ischemic stroke in elderly

Elderly people with severe sleep apnea have more than two times the risk of ischemic stroke than elderly people with no or mild apnea, according to research reported in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.

3 Aug 2006

Most Americans do not know when to get cancer screening tests

While most Americans know that mammograms, pap smears, and colonoscopies are screening exams for cancer, the majority of Americans do not know the appropriate age at which initiation of these tests is recommended.

3 Aug 2006

Researchers discover amazing properties of fibrin fibers

The tiny fibers that comprise blood clots show extraordinary elasticity, on average stretching to almost three times their length while still retaining their ability to go back to their normal shape and expanding to more than four times their length before breaking.

3 Aug 2006

Fatty acids found in dairy products shown to treat diabetes

Fatty acids commonly found in dairy products have successfully treated diabetes in mice, according to a researcher at Penn State.

3 Aug 2006

Older patients with atrial fibrillation have higher rates of major hemorrhage in the brain

Older patients with atrial fibrillation have higher rates of major hemorrhage in the brain whether or not they are using a common blood thinning therapy, according to a new study.

3 Aug 2006

Check list for dementia and its all about lifestyle

Researchers from Sweden and Finland have created a dementia-risk test for middle-aged adults, and say the test can be used to help spot risk factors that people can change before dementia starts.

3 Aug 2006

Factors determining the potential for onward transmission of vCJD via surgical instruments

A study published in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface has been exploring the likelihood that vCJD might be spread via the reuse of surgical instruments, and calls for more data in order to allay fears over the possible transmission of vCJD.

3 Aug 2006

Trial of Topotecan following Carboplatin and Paclitaxel in treatment of ovarian cancer

The drug topotecan does not increase survival for ovarian cancer patients when used with standard chemotherapy in first-line treatment and is not recommended for future use.

2 Aug 2006

Guidelines on atrial fibrillation recommend new approach

Risk factors for stroke should be used to determine whether anti-clotting therapy is given to people with an irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation (AF), according to revised Guidelines for the Management of Patients with Atrial Fibrillation.

2 Aug 2006

Gout is a significant independent risk factor of heart attack

First study to show that among men with no previous history of coronary artery disease, gout is a significant independent risk factor of heart attack.

2 Aug 2006

Molecular switch that regulates fat and cholesterol production identified

Researchers at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital have identified how a molecular switch regulates fat and cholesterol production

2 Aug 2006

Novel environment sparks exploration and learning

Neurobiologists have known that a novel environment sparks exploration and learning, but very little is known about whether the brain really prefers novelty as such.

2 Aug 2006

fMRI shows "gambling" structures in the brain

From gamblers playing blackjack to investors picking stocks, humans make a wide range of decisions that require gauging risk versus reward.

2 Aug 2006

Likelihood of hemorrhage on warfarin is relatively small

Older patients with atrial fibrillation have higher rates of major hemorrhage in the brain whether or not they are using a common blood thinning therapy, according to a new study.

2 Aug 2006

Practical advice and individualized attention can help people with HIV stick to a consistent drug regimen

The studies were too different to combine results, but the review team found that the most successful programs emphasized "practical medicine management," one-on-one attention or a 12-week or longer duration.

2 Aug 2006

Berberine has beneficial effects for people suffering from type 2 diabetes

Reports of a traditional Chinese medicine having beneficial effects for people suffering from type 2 diabetes now has some scientific evidence to back up the claims.

2 Aug 2006

How kidneys retain proteins, discard waste

New research may finally settle a decades-old debate about how the kidney keeps valuable blood proteins from harmfully slipping into the urine, a serious health symptom that often precedes kidney failure.

2 Aug 2006

Prognostic stratification of obese patients by Stress 99mTc-Tetrofosmin Myocardial Perfusion Imaging

Researchers identified an accurate method that may detect whether obese individuals have a low, intermediate or high risk of coronary artery disease, the leading cause of death in the United States, notes a report in the August issue of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

2 Aug 2006

Researchers determine why gene therapy treatment caused leukemia in some X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency patients

Scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have developed a mouse model of a severe disease of the immune system that helps explain why gene therapy used to treat children with this disease at an institution in Europe caused some of them to develop leukemia.

2 Aug 2006

Tuberculosis relapse due to low weight gain after initial treatment

Among tuberculosis (TB) patients who were underweight when diagnosed, those who subsequently regained less than five percent of their weight during the first two months of treatment had a significantly increased risk of disease relapse.

2 Aug 2006