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Lessons from our patients: development of a warm autopsy program

Thanks in large part to a dying patient's generosity, researchers have for the first time begun to analyze the progression of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a degenerative illness distinguished by lung inflammation, scarring and diminished breathing capacity that typically leads to death within about five years of diagnosis.

7 Jun 2006

Black women have fewer breast cancers than white women, but their mortality is worse

For decades, researchers have tried to understand why breast cancer in younger black women is such a significant public health problem.

7 Jun 2006

PSA test alone not an ideal predictor of prostate cancer

Recent studies suggest that testing blood for prostate specific antigen (PSA) alone does not produce an ideal predictor of prostate cancer, and emerging data suggest this is especially true for obese men.

6 Jun 2006

Patients not receiving follow-up tests after positive screening for colon cancer

Study shows that more than 40 percent of patients who initially had received a positive result on a fecal occult blood test (FOBT) did not receive appropriate diagnostic follow-up tests such as a colonoscopy or barium enema in 2002.

6 Jun 2006

Anger syndrome not just bouts of bad behaviour

Researchers in the United States are saying that Intermittent Explosive Disorder (IED) often known as Road Rage, may be far more common than previously thought.

6 Jun 2006

Discovery of protein associated with severe preeclampsia

Researchers have identified a second protein which, in combination with sFlt1, escalates preeclampsia to a severe - and life-threatening - state.

6 Jun 2006

Study finds ways to improve detection of blood clots in the lung

Largest study ever conducted to assess the role of contrast-enhanced multidetector computed tomographic (CT) angiography for diagnosing pulmonary embolism.

5 Jun 2006

Intermittent explosive disorder is more common than previously thought

A little-known mental disorder marked by episodes of unwarranted anger is more common than previously thought, a study funded by the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) has found.

5 Jun 2006

Helium-based MRI scans may one day allow closer look at smoker lungs

Aided by a powerful imaging technique, scientists have discovered they can detect smoking-related lung damage in healthy smokers who otherwise display none of the telltale signs of tobacco use.

5 Jun 2006

Molecular diagnostic test for early-stage breast cancer

Researchers at Montefiore Medical Center are leading a nationwide clinical trial to determine whether a new genetic test can be used to personalize treatment for early-stage breast cancer.

1 Jun 2006

New MIT designed device allows visually challenged to access Internet

An MIT poet has developed a small, relatively inexpensive "seeing machine" that can allow people who are blind, or visually challenged like her, to access the Internet, view the face of a friend, "previsit" unfamiliar buildings and more.

1 Jun 2006

New diagnostic approaches for early identification of patients at high risk of rapid loss of kidney function

Doctor Harry Holthvfer, M.D., Ph.D, at the University of Helsinki, Finland, coordinates a new EU-funded project, which aims to develop new diagnostic approaches for early identification of patients at high risk of rapid loss of kidney function.

31 May 2006

Control your diabetes for life

The prevalence of diagnosed diabetes in U.S. adults age 20 and older has risen from about 5.1 percent to 6.5 percent.

31 May 2006

Baby boy in China born with three arms

A baby boy in China has been born with an unusually well-formed third arm and doctors are considering surgical options for him.

31 May 2006

MRI cost-effective for some women at high-risk of breast cancer

A computer model simulation suggests that adding breast MRI screening may be cost-effective for women of certain ages who carry BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations.

23 May 2006

Research could lead to new treatments for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Scientists at the University of Michigan Medical School have identified biochemical signals that attract pathogenic cells to damaged lung tissue - one of the first steps in a chain of events leading to a lethal disease called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis or IPF.

23 May 2006

Comprehensive care for complex, high-risk pregnancies

As many as 3 percent of all pregnancies result in the birth of a baby with chromosomal anomalies like Down syndrome or structural anomalies such as congenital heart disease.

23 May 2006

Tension headache may actually be temporomandibular muscle and joint disorder

People whose recurrent headaches have been diagnosed as tension-related actually may be suffering from temporomandibular muscle and joint disorder, or TMJD, a study headed by a researcher from the University at Buffalo's School of Dental Medicine has shown.

23 May 2006

Friendship enriched by bad gossip about others

According to newly released research sharing negative attitudes about others may have positive consequences because it promotes closeness and friendship.

22 May 2006

Discovery of two gene variants associated with increased risk for early heart attack

Scientists at University of California - San Francisco (UCSF), Celera Genomics and The Cleveland Clinic have discovered two gene variants associated with a significantly increased risk for early heart attack, or myocardial infarction (MI).

12 May 2006