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Orthopaedic surgeon: Broken bones and itching more common during spring weather

Spring weather signals the start of many outdoor activities as people of all ages eagerly embrace the change in weather. Paul Prinz, MD, orthopaedic surgeon at Gottlieb Memorial Hospital, part of Loyola University Health System says, "Broken bones and fractures occur year 'round but the change in seasons always creates an increase of patients in our offices."

8 Apr 2011

Researchers determine age of atherosclerotic plaques using carbon dating

In a new study performed in humans, researchers from Sweden's Karolinska Institutet have determined the age of atherosclerotic plaques by taking advantage of Carbon-14 residues in the atmosphere, prevailing after the extensive atomic bomb tests in the 50ties and 60ties.

8 Apr 2011

Caffeine disrupts glucose metabolism and may contribute to type 2 diabetes

A growing body of research suggests that caffeine disrupts glucose metabolism and may contribute to the development and poor control of type 2 diabetes, a major public health problem.

8 Apr 2011

Kidney transplantion more effective than previously thought

A new study from Mayo Clinic, the largest long-term study of kidney transplant recipients published to date, demonstrates that progressive damage to kidney transplants may be less common and less severe than previously reported.

8 Apr 2011

First trial to test shared decision making for weight-loss surgery

A video-based decision aid helped severely obese people to make more informed choices about bariatric surgery and reach more certainty about them, according to a trial involving 152 Group Health patients, e-published in Obesity in advance of print. This randomized controlled trial is the first to test shared decision making for weight-loss surgery.

8 Apr 2011

New Clinical Practice Guideline for evaluation and treatment of pituitary incidentalomas

Today, The Endocrine Society released a new Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) for the evaluation and treatment of pituitary incidentalomas. The CPG is published in the April 2011 issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM), a publication of The Endocrine Society.

8 Apr 2011

GlaxoSmithKline, XenoPort receive FDA approval for Horizant to treat RLS

On April 6, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Horizant Extended Release Tablets, a once-daily treatment for moderate-to-severe restless legs syndrome.

8 Apr 2011

Long-term delivery of CNTF slows loss of visual acuity caused by geographic atrophy

A phase 2 clinical trial for the treatment of a severe form of age-related macular degeneration called geographic atrophy (GA) has become the first study to show the benefit of a therapy to slow the progression of vision loss for this disease. The results highlight the benefit of the use of a neurotrophic factor to treat GA and provide hope to nearly one million Americans suffering from GA.

8 Apr 2011

Bayer, Regeneron initiate two VEGF Trap-Eye Phase 3 trials in Diabetic Macular Edema

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Bayer HealthCare announced that they have initiated the first of two Phase 3 clinical trials evaluating the efficacy and safety of VEGF Trap-Eye, an investigational new agent for the treatment of certain eye diseases, in the treatment of Diabetic Macular Edema.

8 Apr 2011

Scientists discover unknown function of dopamine in brain

A study of the salamander brain has led researchers at Karolinska Institutet to discover a hitherto unknown function of the neurotransmitter dopamine. In an article published in the scientific journal Cell Stem Cell they show how in acting as a kind of switch for stem cells, dopamine controls the formation of new neurons in the adult brain. Their findings may one day contribute to new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's.

8 Apr 2011

Antidepressant medication improves physical recovery from stroke

A University of Iowa study finds that patients treated with a short course of antidepressants after a stroke have significantly greater improvement in physical recovery than patients treated with a placebo. Moreover, the study is the first to demonstrate that this physical recovery continues to improve for at least nine months after the antidepressant medication is stopped.

8 Apr 2011

Targacept's TC-5619 Phase 2 trial data in schizophrenia presented at ICOSR

Targacept, Inc. today announced the presentation of data from a Phase 2 clinical proof of concept trial to assess TC-5619 as an augmentation therapy to improve cognition in patients with schizophrenia at the International Congress on Schizophrenia Research in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

8 Apr 2011

Refined carbohydrates create an ill and obese population

When it comes to feeding a body well, we've all been told we need proteins, fats and carbohydrates. For years, many of those we trust for health information have told us that the foundation of our diet should primarily consist of carbohydrates, namely, grains, breads and pastas.

8 Apr 2011

Male abuse victims more likely to suffer from psychological trauma

Men who are abused by their female partners can suffer significant psychological trauma, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and suicidal thoughts, according to two new papers published by the American Psychological Association.

8 Apr 2011

New discovery in cancer and gene therapy

DNA's role as the master blueprint of the cell means that even small sequence changes can have catastrophic consequences. For this reason, much of our understanding of cancer development comes from studying how cells copy DNA and repair sequence errors--and how these processes can go wrong.

8 Apr 2011

Cosmic radiation can increase risk of atherosclerosis in astronauts

Astronauts anticipate more trips to the moon and manned missions to Mars. But exposure to cosmic radiation outside the Earth's magnetic field could be detrimental to their arteries, according to a study by University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers published April 6, 2011, online in the journal Radiation Research.

8 Apr 2011

Precision launches new tumor profiling product

Precision Therapeutics, Inc. announced that the launch of a new product line, BioSpeciFx, will help further the personalization of cancer treatments.

8 Apr 2011

Hope4Cancer offers gentle non-invasive therapies for patients with brain tumor

Linda Roberts was puzzled when her favorite food, chocolate ice cream, suddenly did not taste good, and her prized orchids didn't smell nice either. When she began having sudden, severe headaches, she mentioned the changes in taste and smell to her doctor. After several tests, Roberts was diagnosed with a glioblastoma multiforme, the most aggressive form of brain tumor.

8 Apr 2011

New insight into acute pancreatitis

Timing is everything. That's especially true when it comes to the activation of enzymes created by the pancreas to break down food. When the timing is right, those enzymes are activated only when they reach the gut, where they get to work releasing and distributing nutrients that we need to survive.

8 Apr 2011