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Clinical trial of gefitinib for advanced lung cancer closes early

Researchers have closed a randomized clinical trial comparing gefitinib (Iressa) vs. placebo following chemotherapy and radiation for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that had spread only to nearby tissues or lymph nodes. Review of interim data indicated that gefitinib would not improve survival.

19 Apr 2005

Allergic diseases have increased

The rate of allergic diseases (atopy) in adults has steadily increased over the last quarter of the 20th century, but the reason for the increase is still unknown, according to a study published online by the BMJ.

19 Apr 2005

One-meter waistline predicts high risk of diabetes and heart disease

People with a waistline of one meter or more are at serious risk of insulin resistance - an early stage in the development of diabetes and heart disease, finds a study published online by the BMJ.

19 Apr 2005

Obesity in China common - around 18 million adults

Around 18 million adults in China are obese, 137 million are overweight, and 64 million have metabolic syndrome—a condition where a number of risk factors for heart disease are present, suggests a study published in this week’s issue of The Lancet.

19 Apr 2005

Rimonabant appears to reduce risk factors for heart disease in obese people

A new drug could substantially reduce the bodyweight, waist circumference, and risk factors for heart disease in obese people, according to results of a randomised trial published in this week’s issue of The Lancet.

19 Apr 2005

Electric toothbrushes best for fighting gum disease

Powered toothbrushes with circular bristle heads that rotate in alternating directions are better at removing plaque and reducing the risk of gum disease than ordinary manual toothbrushes, a review of recent studies concludes.

19 Apr 2005

Statins help cut risk for advanced prostate cancer

In a 10-year study of more than 30,000 health professionals, researchers at Johns Hopkins and Harvard found that the longer men take cholesterol-lowering drugs such as statins, the far less likely they are to develop advanced prostate cancer.

19 Apr 2005

Women respond as well as men to treatment with drug-eluting stents

Despite the fact that symptomatic coronary disease afflicts men and women equally, only 33 percent of the 1.2 million interventional procedures conducted in the U.S. each year are done on women.

19 Apr 2005

Family history of obesity increases risk of suffering a serious heart ailment

A Johns Hopkins study finds that people who have a family history of heart disease have more reason than most to keep their weight down. In these families, the Hopkins team found that siblings who were obese or overweight had a 60 percent increased risk of suffering a serious heart ailment, such as a heart attack, before the age of 60.

19 Apr 2005

Neurologists may have foot in the door to preventing Alzheimer’s before it starts

A study led by Mayo Clinic shows for the first time that a drug appears to have a slowing effect -- though limited -- on the progression from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer's disease. The findings will be published online in the New England Journal of Medicine on April 14.

13 Apr 2005

Clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's may be delayed

In a study of people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), those who took the drug donepezil were at reduced risk of progressing to a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) during the first year of the trial, but by the end of the 3-year study there was no benefit from the drug. Vitamin E was also tested in the study and was found to have no effect at any time point in the study when compared with placebo.

13 Apr 2005

No clear correlation between routine ultrasonic scans and intellectual impairment

Scientists carrying out a major epidemiological study at Karolinska Institutet and Uppsala University have discovered that there is no clear correlation between routine ultrasonic scans and intellectual impairment.

13 Apr 2005

Low-Income Subsidies for the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit: The Impact of the Asset Test

An estimated 2.4 million Medicare beneficiaries with incomes low enough to qualify for additional subsidies under the new Medicare drug benefit are expected to be ineligible for these subsidies because they do not meet the asset test required by law, according to a new study from the Kaiser Family Foundation.

13 Apr 2005

Drug that reduces the pain of fibromyalgia and improves sleep

A study of a drug that reduces the pain of fibromyalgia and improves sleep is published by a University of Kentucky physician in the peer-reviewed journal, Arthritis & Rheumatism.

12 Apr 2005

Promise of effective treatment for autism and other developmental disorders at a far lower cost

Parents of autistic children can spend as much as $50,000 a year on therapies for their children. But a new research study from Case Western Reserve University's Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences shows promise of providing effective treatment for autism and other developmental disorders at a far lower cost.

12 Apr 2005

Eat your fruits and veggies - your body will thank you and your mother will be happy!

Eat your fruits and veggies - your body will thank you and your mother will be happy! And if that's not reason enough, a new study suggests antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables may limit brain damage from stroke and other neurological disorders.

12 Apr 2005

Consent forms should be more readable

When children are part of a clinical trial, their parents must sign a document agreeing to the treatment and procedures used in the study. But what if they don't understand what they're being asked to sign?

12 Apr 2005

America’s teenagers bombarded by alcohol advertising

America’s teenagers saw significantly more beer and distilled spirits advertising in magazines between 2001 and 2003 than legal-age adults, as measured on a per capita basis, according to a study released by the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY) at Georgetown University.

12 Apr 2005

Findings from perinatal HIV prevention study in Uganda are valid

A Ugandan drug trial's findings that the AIDS medication nevirapine is effective and safe in preventing HIV transmission from mother to unborn child during birth were well-supported, according to a new, independent analysis by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies.

12 Apr 2005

Advance in genetics of cleft lip and palate

Cleft lip and/or palate remains one of the most common birth defects in the world. It occurs when the sides of the face fuse abnormally in a developing baby, resulting in a malformed lip and/or roof of the mouth.

12 Apr 2005