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Device for testing breath for the presence of metabolites associated with breast cancer

One of the biggest problems in fighting breast cancer is the lack of inexpensive, early detection diagnostic tools.

7 Apr 2006

First artificial heart implant on the East Coast

A cardiac surgery team at Virginia Commonwealth University's Pauley Heart Center has performed the first artificial heart implant on the East Coast. The CardioWest temporary Total Artificial Heart, or TAH-t, is the only total artificial heart approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

6 Apr 2006

Staggering costs of sleep disorders and sleep deprivation on the nation

According to a new report by the Institute of Medicine ( IOM), 50 to 70 million Americans suffer from a disorder of sleep and wakefulness, which adversely affects daily functioning, health and longevity.

5 Apr 2006

Evidence of estrogen and progesterone hormone allergy discovered

Some women with menstrual cycle disorders like asthma and migraine headaches may be experiencing allergies to their own estrogen and progesterone hormones, Texas researchers have discovered.

4 Apr 2006

Hormone brain natriuretic peptide can predict pulmonary hypertension

Measuring levels of a hormone called brain natriuretic peptide in individuals with serious lung disease can predict the presence of pulmonary hypertension and a patient's potential death or survival, regardless of clinical severity or the cause of illness.

4 Apr 2006

Researchers narrow search for effective prostate cancer biomarkers

Researchers at Mayo Clinic have narrowed the search for effective prostate cancer biomarkers (genetic variations that point to a specific disease or condition), identifying changes in the expression of genes of the whole genome closely correlated to prostate cancer development and progression.

4 Apr 2006

Dysregulation of the Hedgehog pathway in human hepatocarcinogenesis

The unchecked activity of a cell signaling pathway crucial in embryonic development and the liver's response to injury leads to liver cancer, researchers from Duke University Medical Center and John Hopkins University School of Medicine have found.

4 Apr 2006

New biomarkers could help detect ovarian cancer much earlier

The search for a specific protein that could help diagnose ovarian cancer in its early stages has for years eluded researchers who are seeking a reliable and accurate test for the disease.

4 Apr 2006

Special education data provide misleading trends of changing autism prevalence

If statistics compiled by the U.S. Department of Education are to be believed, in 1992 the state of Illinois had only 322 diagnosed cases of autism among school children. In 2003, according to the same statistical source, Illinois had more than 6,000 children diagnosed as autistic.

3 Apr 2006

Few young Americans tested for common STD's

New data indicate the average age of people who are tested for chlamydia, the most reported sexually transmitted disease (STD), is 28.9 for women and 30.5 for men, yet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports 79 percent of new infections annually are in people between ages 15 and 24.

28 Mar 2006

Accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging for the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis

The accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is not sufficient to rule in or rule out a diagnosis of MS with a high degree of certainty, finds a study published online by the British Medical Journal.

28 Mar 2006

Intravaginal surface electromyography (SEMG) being used to treat vaginal pain

The diagnosis and treatment of vulvovaginal pain disorders are progressing through the advancement of intravaginal surface electromyography (SEMG).

27 Mar 2006

MedMira files patent for OTC testing system

MedMira has announced today that it has filed a provisional patent application for a system which enables over-the-counter (OTC) home testing and diagnosis of infectious diseases, such as HIV, hepatitis C, and other medical conditions.

23 Mar 2006

Cognitive impairment appears to be common in Lou Gehrig disease

In a study of 40 patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), about one-third showed evidence of cognitive impairment, but these deficits did not appear to be related to survival, according to a study in the March issue of Archives of Neurology.

15 Mar 2006

Cells in mucus from lungs point to a unique screening method that could lead to earlier treatment of lung cancer

In a group of high-risk patients, a test that examined DNA from cells expelled in sputum for evidence of "silenced" genes correctly identified the majority of patients who were later diagnosed with lung cancer, say researchers in a study published in the March 15 issue of Cancer Research.

15 Mar 2006

Capsaicin drives prostate cancer cells to kill themselves

Capsaicin, the stuff that turns up the heat in jalapeqos, not only causes the tongue to burn, it also drives prostate cancer cells to kill themselves, according to studies published in the March 15 issue of Cancer Research.

15 Mar 2006

Partial nephrectomy: urologists need to practice what we preach

There is no question in the urologic literature that partial nephrectomy (PN), particularly for renal masses ¡Ü 4cm, has demonstrated oncologic equipoise with radical nephrectomy (RN).

14 Mar 2006

Wireless transmission of eletrocardiograms to a cardiologist's hand-held device from ambulance cuts time to direct clot removal

When emergency medical technicians (EMTs) wirelessly transmit eletrocardiograms (ECG) directly to a cardiologist's hand-held device, heart attack patients can potentially receive direct clot removal in half the usual time, according to cardiologists at Duke University Medical Center and NorthEast Medical Center, Concord, N.C.

14 Mar 2006

Can anger attacks be recognized and prevented?

A study published in the 2006 March issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics by a group of Austrian investigators introduces a new simple method for detecting anger attacks.

13 Mar 2006

Evidence grows about low number getting medical help for bladder problems

As few as four per cent of US adults with overactive bladders (OAB) seek medical treatment, despite the condition affecting an estimated 34 million Americans over the age of 18, according to research in the March issue of the UK-based urology journal BJU International.

13 Mar 2006