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Two new studies could provide tools to prevent rehospitalizations after major surgeries

Studies have shown that patients returning to the hospital soon after they've been discharged may cost Medicare up to billions of dollars each year, but two new studies presented at the 2011 Annual Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons could give surgical teams and their patients tools to prevent rehospitalizations.

28 Oct 2011

Researchers announce new method to build important heparin drug

Robert Linhardt is working to forever change the way some of the most widely used drugs in the world are manufactured. Today, in the journal Science, he and his partner in the research, Jian Liu, have announced an important step toward making this a reality. The discovery appears in the October 28, 2011 edition of the journal Science in a paper titled "chemoenzymatic synthesis of homogeneous ultra-low molecular weight heparins."

28 Oct 2011

Researchers identify stem cells responsible for lung regeneration

Guided by insights into how mice recover after H1N1 flu, researchers at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, together with researchers at A*STAR of Singapore, have cloned three distinct stem cells from the human airways and demonstrated that one of these cells can form into the lung's alveoli air sac tissue.

28 Oct 2011

Enoxaparin can reduce risk of VTE in plastic surgery patients

For plastic surgery patients at high risk, treatment with the anticoagulant (blood-thinning) drug enoxaparin can reduce the risk of serious blood clot-related complications called venous thromboembolism (VTE), reports a study in the November issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

28 Oct 2011

Annual chest radiographic screening does not reduce lung cancer mortality

In a trial that included more than 150,000 participants, those who underwent annual chest radiographic screening for up to 4 years did not have a significantly lower rate of death from lung cancer compared to participants who were not screened, according to a study in the November 2 issue of JAMA.

27 Oct 2011

Simple walking test can predict how well seniors would recover from operations

An elderly person's walking speed can predict how well he or she will fare after an operation, according to new findings presented at the 2011 Annual Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons. Researchers from the University of Colorado, Denver, reported that a simple, walking test that typically takes less than 20 seconds was a powerful tool for predicting how well seniors would recover from various surgical procedures.

27 Oct 2011

Late pregnancy snoring could harm mother and baby alike

Nearly half of pregnant women may develop snoring by their final trimester and this could lead to dangerous health problems for mother and baby, Australian sleep researchers have shown. According to professor of medicine, Colin Sullivan, research found woman who started snoring during the later stages of pregnancy were at increased risk of developing high blood pressure.

27 Oct 2011

Blood biomarker panel can predict survival in IPF patients

A panel of blood proteins can predict which patients with the progressive lung disease idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) are likely to live at least five years or to die within two years, say researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Centocor R&D.

27 Oct 2011

Drug-resistant infections may not contribute to higher surgical ICU death rates

The rates of antibiotic-resistant infections in the intensive care unit (ICU) have increased over the last decade. But new research from the University of Virginia suggests that surgical ICU death rates may, in fact, be declining and that drug-resistant infections are not likely to be a significant factor in overall mortality rates.

27 Oct 2011

Chest X ray for lung cancer fails to improve survival compared to no screening: Study

This study followed 154,901 participants, about half of whom were women. About 10 percent were current smokers, and the rest were nearly evenly divided between former smokers and people who never smoked. Subjects were either offered a chest X-ray or no screening at all.

27 Oct 2011

CT scans can help detect COPD among men smokers

Among men who were current or former heavy smokers, undergoing lung cancer screening with computed tomography (CT) scanning identified a substantial proportion who had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), suggesting that this method may be helpful as an additional tool in detecting COPD, according to a study in the October 26 issue of JAMA.

27 Oct 2011

Simple blood test could quantify a smoker's lung toxicity and danger of heart disease

A simple blood test could someday quantify a smoker's lung toxicity and danger of heart disease, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found.

27 Oct 2011

Study: Depressive symptoms linked to negative health risks among asthma patients

People with asthma are more likely to have symptoms of depression. A new study suggests these symptoms are linked to a host of other negative health risks that may lead to a worsening of asthma symptoms and an overall decline in health.

27 Oct 2011

Research questions aromatherapy safety

Aromatherapy oils are relied upon to relax, reduce stress and soothe aches and pains by many. However researchers from Chia-Nan University of Pharmacy and Science Tainan, Taiwan say these oils may not be completely harmless.

24 Oct 2011

NCI awards Metabolomx SBIR contract to develop sensor array system for detecting lung cancer

Metabolomx, a diagnostic company focused on breath analysis for the detection of cancer, today announced the Company was awarded a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The $1.14 million combined Phase I/II Fast-Track contract will support the research and development of Metabolomx' sensor array system to detect lung cancer.

24 Oct 2011

European CHMP adopts positive opinion for Pharmaxis Bronchitol Marketing Authorisation

Pharmaceutical company Pharmaxis today announced the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use has adopted a positive opinion recommending the granting of a Marketing Authorisation for Bronchitol, clearing the way for the product to be used in Europe "for the treatment of cystic fibrosis in adults as an add-on therapy to best standard of care."

24 Oct 2011

Children with PAH may benefit from sildenafil treatment

Sildenafil is currently approved for adult pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH); however, new research presented at CHEST 2011, the 77th annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), shows the drug may also provide significant benefits for children with PAH, helping to improve both oxygen delivery and exercise capacity.

24 Oct 2011

Detroit has one of the highest NSCLC mortality rates in the U.S.

Compared with other cities, Detroit has one of the highest mortality rates in the United States for non-small cell lung cancer.

24 Oct 2011

Higher BMI, consumption of black tea and fruit may protect against lung cancer

Heavy alcohol consumption may be linked to a greater risk of developing lung cancer, while higher BMI and increased consumption of black tea and fruit are associated with lower risk of the deadly disease.

24 Oct 2011

HCI researchers discover new way to model human breast cancer

Researchers from Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) at the University of Utah have discovered a new way to model human breast cancer that could lead to new tools for predicting which breast cancers will spread and new ways to test drugs that may stop its spread.

24 Oct 2011