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Treatment with acid-suppressive drugs associated with increased risk of pneumonia

Using acid suppressive medications, such as proton pump inhibitors and histamine2 receptor antagonists, may increase the risk of developing pneumonia, states an article in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

21 Dec 2010

Researchers show how malaria parasites infect red blood cells, impede blood flow to organs

Although the incidence of malaria has declined in all but a few countries worldwide, according to a World Health Organization report earlier this month, malaria remains a global threat. Nearly 800,000 people succumbed to the mosquito-borne disease in 2009, nearly all of them in the developing world.

21 Dec 2010

Echinacea may have minimal impact in relieving common cold

An over-the-counter herbal treatment believed to have medicinal benefits has minimal impact in relieving the common cold, according to research by the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health.

21 Dec 2010

Study reveals nasal congestion can be a sign of severe asthma

Nasal congestion can be a sign of severe asthma, which means that healthcare professionals should be extra vigilant when it comes to nasal complaints. Furthermore, more severe asthma appears to be more common than previously thought, reveals a study from the Sahlgrenska Academy's Krefting Research Centre.

21 Dec 2010

DNA tunneling detector embedded in a ‘Nanopore’

Scientists from Imperial College London are developing technology that could ultimately sequence a person's genome in mere minutes, at a fraction of the cost of current commercial techniques.

20 Dec 2010

Eating in front of computer linked to weight gain: Study

The latest study shows that having lunch in front of your computer may lead to more weight gain and increased snacking. The team from the University of Bristol was studying the ways in which memory and attention influence appetite.

20 Dec 2010

Proteins that unlock the mystery of over 100 brain diseases

An Anglo-American team of researchers have made a medical breakthrough after identifying a large collection of nerve proteins that are involved in around 130 brain diseases including Alzheimer’s and autism.

20 Dec 2010

Hyperpriming in early stages of Alzheimer's disease explained

The capacity to remember that a zebra has stripes, or that a giraffe is a four-legged mammal, is known as semantic memory. It allows us to assign meaning to words and to recall general knowledge and concepts that we have learned. The deterioration of these capacities is a defining feature of semantic dementia and can also occur in Alzheimer's disease.

20 Dec 2010

Exciting progress made in MS research during 2010

Exciting advances were made in 2010 in virtually every field of MS research. Progress toward finding new therapies for MS is illustrated by the availability of the first oral disease-modifying therapy for MS. Progress was also made toward finding ways to restore function and improving quality of life and specific MS symptoms through exercise, meditation, rehabilitation and medications, including the first therapy specifically approved to treat a symptom of MS (Ampyra).

20 Dec 2010

Health Care at Home: Trends and issues

Leaders in the nation's Health Care at Home movement outlined trends and issues during a webinar for physicians across the country today. The webinar, "Why Health Care is Going Home," offered industry insights and detailed the reasons why home care will play a major role in the future of health care in America.

20 Dec 2010

PwC: Top Health Industry Issues of 2011

Health organizations will undergo a strategy makeover in 2011 as they react to new rules and payment models, continuing cost pressures and new customer demands, according to the Top Health Industry Issues of 2011, published today by PwC's Health Research Institute. But in a recent nationwide survey of 1,000 U.S. adults, PwC found that consumers don't fully understand or buy-in to all the changes.

20 Dec 2010

U of A student wins annual master's thesis competition for research on light-sensitive drug for prostate cancer

The future of cancer treatment and a University of Alberta graduate student's personal career prospects are looking bright. Weiyang Liu beat competitors from 80 of the best university graduate schools in western North America with his master's thesis on the use of a light-sensitive drug to treat prostate cancer.

20 Dec 2010

Researchers demonstrate that monensin antibiotic prevents prostate cancer cell growth

Researchers from VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland and the University of Turku have demonstrated that an antibiotic called "monensin" prevents the growth of prostate cancer cells. Monensin is used in the meat and dairy industry, for example.

20 Dec 2010

Sanofi-aventis, Oxford University to conduct multi-phase oncology research in India

Sanofi-aventis US and Oxford University have entered into an agreement to conduct multi-phase oncology clinical and epidemiological research with INDOX, India's leading academic oncology network.

20 Dec 2010

Avila, sanofi-aventis enter global alliance to discover targeted covalent drugs for treatment of cancers

Avila Therapeutics, Inc. announced today that it has signed a worldwide strategic alliance with sanofi-aventis to discover targeted covalent drugs for the treatment of cancers. Under the alliance agreement sanofi-aventis obtains a worldwide exclusive license to develop and commercialize the compounds resulting from the discovery collaboration.

20 Dec 2010

Researchers examine socio-economic consequences of hypersomnia

Danish sleep researchers at the University of Copenhagen and the Danish Institute for Health Services Research have examined the socio-economic consequences of the sleep disorder hypersomnia in one of the largest studies of its kind.

20 Dec 2010

Study finds second skin barrier structure may play a role in eczema development

Like a fence or barricade intended to stop unwanted intruders, the skin serves as a barrier protecting the body from the hundreds of allergens, irritants, pollutants and microbes people come in contact with every day.

20 Dec 2010

Research: Beetroot juice may allow patients with heart and lung-conditions to enjoy more active lives

New research into the health benefits of beetroot juice suggests it's not only athletes who can benefit from its performance enhancing properties - its physiological effects could help the elderly or people with heart or lung-conditions enjoy more active lives.

20 Dec 2010

Improved brain-machine technologies

A new study published in the Dec 15 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience found that monkeys were able to move thought-controlled computer cursors more quickly and accurately when provided with additional sensory feedback.

19 Dec 2010

Completely fearless woman stirs scientific interest

It has been known since the 1930s that when a certain part of monkeys’ brains were removed, the animals became fearless. Now similar effects are being seen in humans according to a study in the journal Current Biology. Justin Feinstein, the study’s lead author and a clinical neuropsychologist at the University of Iowa said, “There’s not very many humans with this sort of brain damage… Luckily for us, we had access to a patient, SM, and we studied her different fear behaviours and we read her personal diaries.”

19 Dec 2010