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Smoking doubles risk of atrial fibrillation

Results from a large, United States based cohort study show that current smokers double their risk of developing atrial fibrillation (AF) compared to people who have never smoked, after more than 13 years of follow-up. The study, published in the August edition of HeartRhythm, the official journal of the Heart Rhythm Society, indicates a trend towards significantly lower risk of developing AF for those who quit smoking cigarettes versus those who continue to smoke.

2 Aug 2011

BARDA awards contracts for development of drugs for radiation injury to the GI tract

The first two contracts for advanced development of drugs to treat gastrointestinal (GI) tract injuries associated with acute radiation syndrome were awarded today by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA).

2 Aug 2011

New cold electron source could improve quality and speed of nanoimaging for drug development

A new source of very cold electrons will improve the quality and speed of nanoimaging for drug and materials development to a trillionth of a second.

2 Aug 2011

Lesser toe deformities should be treated early: Literature review

While deformities of the lesser toes can be very painful, there are numerous surgical and nonsurgical treatments for these conditions that are usually quite effective.

2 Aug 2011

Smoking, high blood pressure and diabetes in middle age linked to brain damage

A new study suggests smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes and being overweight in middle age may cause brain shrinkage and lead to cognitive problems up to a decade later.

2 Aug 2011

Study: 19.5% of high school student smokers do not smoke daily or frequently

A new study found that of the 19.5 percent of high school students who call themselves smokers, most don't smoke daily or frequently. Between 1991 and 2009, heavy smoking declined among public and private high school students, but light smoking increased, according to a national survey.

2 Aug 2011

Neighborhood SES and leisure-time physical activity after myocardial infarction

Engaging in physical activity after a heart attack is known to increase the odds of survival. In a study published in the September issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, researchers from the Israel Study Group on First Acute Myocardial Infarction found that myocardial infarction survivors who lived in low socioeconomic status neighborhoods engaged in lower levels of leisure-time physical activity compared to survivors from wealthier neighborhoods.

2 Aug 2011

RSS honors UNC researcher with 2011 Distinguished Service to Rural Life Award

Joanne M. Jordan, MD, MPH, director of the Thurston Arthritis Research Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, has received the 2011 Distinguished Service to Rural Life Award from the Rural Sociological Society.

2 Aug 2011

Pregnancy and electromagnetic fields linked to asthma in kids

According to American researchers, children whose mothers had high exposure to electromagnetic fields while pregnant may have an increased risk of developing asthma. Many prior studies have failed to consistently show that chronic exposure to electromagnetic fields - from power lines and appliances such as microwaves ovens, hair dryers and vacuum cleaners - are harmful to human health.

1 Aug 2011

A little exercise better than none for heart health

According to a new study getting even a little exercise is better than getting none at all, and this may hold especially true for women.

1 Aug 2011

Spiritual retreat can help heart patients return to psycho-spiritual well-being

Attending a non-denominational spiritual retreat can help patients with severe heart trouble feel less depressed and more hopeful about the future, a University of Michigan Health System study has found.

1 Aug 2011

Widespread, institutional corruption in American science, scientist says

FDR's dream of the benefits of post-WWII government-supported civilian science over time has become a nightmare, according to scientist J. Marvin Herndon, in an article published in The Dot Connector magazine which exposes the widespread, institutional corruption of American science and traces its origin to the flawed methodologies invented in the 1950s by the National Science Foundation and in use at virtually all U.S. government science-funding agencies.

1 Aug 2011

Nature Biotechnology publishes BGI, GT Life Sciences' study on CHO K1 genome

BGI, the world's largest genomics organization, and GT Life Sciences, Inc., a privately held biotechnology company that utilizes a proven metabolic modeling and experimental platform to drive the discovery and design of new products and processes for the life sciences field, announced today that their collaborative study on the genomic sequence of the Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) K1 cell line was published July 31, 2011 online in Nature Biotechnology.

1 Aug 2011

AAO-HNSF scientific program to discuss latest research on hearing loss, voice disorders

The 2011 Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO of the American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF), the largest meeting of ear, nose, and throat doctors in the world, will convene September 11-14, 2011 in San Francisco, CA.

1 Aug 2011

Majority of infants consume more salt than recommended

Seventy per cent of eight-month-old babies have a salt (sodium chloride) intake higher than the recommended UK maximum level, due to being fed salty and processed foods like yeast extract, gravy, baked beans and tinned spaghetti.

1 Aug 2011

Chronic fatigue researchers bullied, intimidated by protesters

British researchers who were focusing on psychological and mental issues linked to chronic fatigue syndrome have received death threats from protesters angry at their research area. The condition termed myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) has been studied for many years now with unclear reasoning into its causation and pathology.

31 Jul 2011

Skin cancer vaccine on the way: Cancer expert Prof Ian Frazer

In a major medical breakthrough, cancer expert Prof Ian Frazer is on the verge of developing a vaccine against skin cancer within a year. The former ‘Australian of the Year’ and creator of the world's first cervical cancer vaccine, Gardasil, has developed a world-first strategy to combat the insidious disease that affects two out of three Australians.

31 Jul 2011

Scientists study how nervous system translates sensory information into coordinated motor output

Escape responses are some of the most studied behaviors by neurobiologists who want to understand how the brain processes sensory information. The ability to evade predators plays a vital role in the process of natural selection.

30 Jul 2011

Study shows disparity between hospital costs and reimbursement

Study results released today at the Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery 8th Annual Meeting reveals that treatment costs for some neurovascular conditions remain higher than reimbursement in the form of Medicare payments.

30 Jul 2011

Scientists receive funding to continue research into pathological processes supporting Alzheimer's

Neuroscientists at the University of Bristol have received a major funding boost of -550,000 from the Medical Research Council to continue their research into the pathological processes underpinning Alzheimer's disease, the most common cause of dementia, affecting around 465,000 people in the UK.

30 Jul 2011