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Australian breast cancer study seeks participants

RMIT University researchers are seeking healthy, postmenopausal women to participate in a study to determine if diet and lifestyle can reduce the risk breast cancer.

6 Dec 2005

Taking HRT before the menopause may prevent heart disease

According to American researcher Jay Kaplan, taking the "Pill" before the menopause or starting hormone replacement therapy before menopausal symptoms begin could actually help prevent heart disease in women.

6 Dec 2005

Backpacks damage kids' shoulders and backs

Kids today are carrying too much of a load on their backs and researchers say back pack weight should be reduced for comfort and safety.

6 Dec 2005

Its true - marriage can be bad for your health!

U.S. researchers have yet more proof that an unhappy marriage is bad for your health.

6 Dec 2005

Exercise good for children with heart defects

According to a new U.S. study, children born with heart defects who have traditionally been told not to exercise can improve their heart function through programs that involve exertion.

5 Dec 2005

Heart pump technology - comparative study

Chicago's first participant in the RELIANT (Randomized Evaluation of the Novacor(r) LVAS In A Non-Transplant Population) research study recently went home from Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

5 Dec 2005

Children with heart defects benefit from exercise

A small but compelling pilot study indicates that many children with serious congenital heart disease, who are typically urged to restrict their activity, can improve their cardiovascular function and exercise capacity through a cardiac rehabilitation program.

5 Dec 2005

Dialysis patients may be overmedicated

Changes in a widely used assay (blood test) for parathyroid hormone (PTH) have made its use with the established guidelines for end stage renal disease clinical management both inappropriate and potentially harmful to patients. This research is published in the journal Seminars in Dialysis.

5 Dec 2005

Alagebrium may prevent arterial aging in patients with systolic hypertension

A compound called alagebrium, which is very similar to another used in anti-wrinkle creams, may be useful in reducing the deleterious effects of arterial aging in the majority of elderly Americans with systolic hypertension, a new study from researchers at Johns Hopkins shows.

5 Dec 2005

Aldosterone shows promise as stroke treatment

A bi-polar hormone that can contribute to strokes and minimize their damage is emerging as a therapeutic target in the battle against these brain attacks, researchers say.

5 Dec 2005

Ultrafiltration therapy safe and effective

A device that performs ultrafiltration of blood, without requiring specialized nursing care or invasive central intravenous access, can reduce fluid overload in patients with congestive heart failure, according to a new study in the Dec. 6, 2005, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

5 Dec 2005

Liver transplants may not be suitable for all cystic fibrosis patients

A new study on patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) who have had abnormal bleeding from ruptured blood vessels in the esophagus (variceal hemorrhage) as a result of liver disease found that transplant may not be indicated if there are no other indications of advanced liver disease.

5 Dec 2005

Redefining how the heart functions

Redefining how the heart functions is one of the first steps that could lead to revolutionary approaches to treating patients who have heart failure - 5 million and growing in the U.S. - or better yet, preventing the heart failure from developing

5 Dec 2005

Sleep-disorders related to breathing suggest increase risk of stroke

Individuals who experience moderate to severe sleep-disordered breathing are four times more likely to have a stroke during the next four years than those who do not suffer from the problem.

5 Dec 2005

Inexpensive blood test for major parasitic diseases

The National Reference Centre for Parasitology (NRCP), based at the MUHC, is developing a comprehensive and inexpensive blood safety test that will allow clinicians to check for all major parasitic diseases in patients' blood.

5 Dec 2005

HRAS mutation analysis in Costello Syndrome

Gene mutations in the HRAS sequence are present in most patients affected with Costello syndrome, according to a new study in the American Journal of Medical Genetics. The mutations occurred de novo in patients, meaning, they were not observed in their parents' genes.

5 Dec 2005

Discovery of genetic mechanism that causes new arteries to grow in response to blocked arteries

Researchers at the San Francisco VA Medical Center have uncovered part of the genetic mechanism that causes new arteries to grow in response to blocked arteries.

2 Dec 2005

Making angioplasty safer

When life-threatening problems occur during angioplasty procedures, doctors may perform emergency coronary artery bypass graft surgery, but data from the Mayo Clinic indicates that need to send patients to emergency surgery has dropped sharply, according to a new study in the Dec. 6, 2005, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

2 Dec 2005

Inhibition of FLT3 signaling targets DCs to ameliorate autoimmune disease

Scientists at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center have found that a gene pathway linked to a deadly form of leukemia may provide a new way to treat autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis.

2 Dec 2005

Strong relationship between cannabis and car crashes

Driving under the influence of cannabis almost doubles the risk of a fatal road crash, finds a study published online by the British Medical Journal. However its share in fatal crashes is significantly lower than those involving alcohol.

2 Dec 2005