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Dialysis patients living at higher altitudes have lower rate of death

Compared to dialysis patients living near sea level, dialysis patients living at an altitude higher than 4,000 feet have a 12-15 percent lower rate of death, according to a study in the February 4 issue of JAMA.

5 Feb 2009

Deficiencies common in radiation therapy trial reports for Hodgkin's, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

Reporting of radiation therapy details in randomized controlled trials for Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is deficient due to a lack of reporting of key radiation therapy descriptors and quality assurance processes designed to ensure the accuracy and reproducibility of treatment regimens, according to a February 1 study in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics, the official journal of the American Society for Radiation Oncology.

5 Feb 2009

Decoding funny faces to detect disease

Like Russell Crowe's character in A Beautiful Mind, life is often difficult for the 2.4 million Americans with schizophrenia.

5 Feb 2009

Discovery of crucial molecule in cancer rejection

Researchers at the Centenary Institute in Sydney have discovered a molecule on the surface of immune cells which plays a critical role in cancer rejection.

5 Feb 2009

Cultured cells from the bone marrow can heal nerves in diabetes model

Transplanting cells that replenish blood vessels can also restore nerve function in an animal model of diabetic neuropathy, Emory researchers have found.

5 Feb 2009

$Bone fractures can double or triple mortality for up to 10 years$

Bone fractures can double or triple mortality for up to 10 years

A new study shows that osteoporotic fractures increase a person's risk of dying, even after relatively minor fractures if that person is elderly.

5 Feb 2009

Bacteria are models of efficiency

The bacterium Escherichia coli, one of the best-studied single-celled organisms around, is a master of industrial efficiency.

5 Feb 2009

Amino acid arginine could help fight human obesity

A Texas AgriLife Research scientist and fellow researchers have discovered that arginine, an amino acid, reduces fat mass in diet-induced obese rats and could help fight human obesity.

5 Feb 2009

African-Americans aware and accepting, but often do not receive, the HPV vaccine

Although only 25 percent of eligible African-American adolescents have received the HPV vaccine, a new survey presented at the American Association for Cancer Research conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities, suggests they have a positive view of the treatment and might respond to more education.

5 Feb 2009

Major research effort to improve quality of care for heart patients

People suffering from angina or heart attacks are set to benefit from a major investigation by the University of Bristol into their quality of care.

5 Feb 2009

What's the ideal relationship between the drug industry, health professionals and patients?

The relationship between the drug industry, academia, healthcare professionals, and patients is widely believed to be at an all time low.

3 Feb 2009

What your mother did when she was a child may have an effect on your memory

A new study by researchers from Rush University Medical Center and Tufts University School of Medicine using mice indicate that a child's memory and the severity of learning disorders may be affected by what his or her mother did when she was a child.

3 Feb 2009

Disruption of circadian clock can suppress cancer growth

Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have shown that disruption of the circadian clock - the internal time-keeping mechanism that keeps the body running on a 24-hour cycle - can slow the progression of cancer.

3 Feb 2009

Exposure to second-hand smoke and alcohol significantly raises the risk of liver disease

The finding adds to mounting evidence that tobacco smoke and alcohol are worse for health as a combination, beyond the individual exposure risks, said Shannon Bailey, Ph.D., an associate professor in the UAB Department of Environmental Health Sciences and a co-lead author on the study.

3 Feb 2009

Primary care doctors miss opportunities to recommend colon cancer screening

While it is known that patients with few primary care doctor's office visits are less likely to receive colorectal cancer screening, new research indicates that even patients who see their physicians regularly also do not receive screening.

3 Feb 2009

Link found between genetic and environmental causes of Parkinson's disease

Scientists at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research have found that a single gene, known as PARK9, protects cells from manganese toxicity and rescues neurons from over-expression of the protein alpha-synuclein.

3 Feb 2009

Zen meditation may reduce pain

Zen meditation - a centuries-old practice that can provide mental, physical and emotional balance - may reduce pain according to Université de Montréal researchers.

3 Feb 2009

Researchers find pathway and enzyme unique to tularemia organism

Researchers are closer to developing therapies to combat the deadly tularemia infection, according to a study published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences' online Early Edition.

3 Feb 2009

Researchers find culture of academic institution may influence health care delivery

Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and Brandeis University have completed a qualitative study on the cultural environment in medical schools and how this may affect medical faculty vitality, professionalism and general productivity ultimately influencing the delivery of health care.

3 Feb 2009