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Chinese medicines may be helpful in treating side effects of chemotherapy and symptoms of flu

New research reviews hint that traditional Chinese medicines may be helpful in treating side effects of chemotherapy and symptoms of flu. For now, however, the findings remain more tantalizing than conclusive.

24 Jan 2005

Penicillin V and erythromycin have no benefit for most adults with acute laryngitis

Two common antibiotics, Penicillin V and erythromycin, appear to have no benefit for most adults with acute laryngitis, says a research team led by Dr. Ludovic Reveiz of Bogota, Colombia.

24 Jan 2005

Counseling and support can boost physical activity among adults

Professional counseling and support can boost physical activity among adults, a new review finds, but researchers aren’t sure what kind of professional advice work best to encourage exercise or whether counseling increases physical activity over the long run.

24 Jan 2005

Anti-bacterial additive triclocarban widespread In U.S. waterways

Many rivers and streams in the United States are believed to contain a toxic antimicrobial chemical whose environmental fate was never thoroughly scrutinized despite large scale production and usage for almost half a century, according to an analysis conducted by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

24 Jan 2005

African drug Ibogaine blocks alcohol cravings

A naturally occurring hallucinogen advocated by some clinicians as a potent anti-addiction drug has been rigorously studied for the first time, confirming its ability to block alcohol craving in rodents, and clarifying how it works in the brain.

20 Jan 2005

Low-carbohydrate diets have made a substantial comeback

New research conducted by Opinion Dynamics Corporation this month has determined that low-carbohydrate diets have made a substantial comeback in the first weeks of 2005. This finding of a "New Year's bounce" refutes news reports published in the final months of 2004 declaring the end of the low-carb phenomenon.

20 Jan 2005

Cord blood transplantation now a viable option for adult leukemia patients

Stem cell transplantation using umbilical cord blood is a standard treatment option for blood disorders in children, but not for adults, due to the difficulty of obtaining a sufficiently large dose of cells.

20 Jan 2005

When people process information, they develop unconscious strategies – or biases – that simplify their decisions

Research into how people make decisions while under pressure could help the U.S. military improve training for its leaders and lead to better decision-support systems. Studies have shown that when people process information, they develop unconscious strategies – or biases – that simplify their decisions.

20 Jan 2005

New ideas for creating a new generation of oral medications to treat infertility

Researchers now have a much better picture of how follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), one of the most frequently used fertility drugs, works, and with it new ideas for creating a new generation of oral medications to treat infertility.

20 Jan 2005

Insight into potential mechanisms underlying type II diabetes

New research published in the premier issue of Cell Metabolism finds that a single brain region is sufficient for normal control of blood sugar and activity level by the fat hormone leptin. The same region also exerts significant, though more modest, control over leptin's effects on body weight.

19 Jan 2005

Cellular fuel gauge could hold clue to diabetes

A molecule in the body could hold the key to explaining why people who exercise regularly are less likely to have illnesses such as type 2 diabetes.

19 Jan 2005

Number of people misusing heroin in Scotland has dropped

A new report by the Centre for Drug Misuse Research at the University of Glasgow reveals that the number of people misusing heroin in Scotland has dropped. The research shows a near eight per cent drop in the number of problem drug users since 2000.

19 Jan 2005

New research centre for the treatment and prevention of cardiovascular disease

Cardiovascular disease is one of the biggest contributors to the global burden of disease, and by 2020 will be the number one contributor according to figures from the World Health Organisation. In response, the International Centre for Circulatory Health (ICCH) has been set up by Imperial College London and St Mary’s NHS Trust as an international research centre to develop new treatments and preventative strategies for cardiovascular disease around the world.

19 Jan 2005

Physicians should avoid prescribing Bextra altogether

Physicians should avoid prescribing Bextra altogether, or use it only as a drug of last resort, says a researcher from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and colleagues in an editorial published on-line Jan. 17 in Circulation, a publication of the American Heart Association.

19 Jan 2005

Doctor report cards not always clear when comparing quality of care

When choosing a doctor based on increasingly popular “doctor report cards,” patients should be aware that the areas in which physicians are graded are not always clear-cut, according to researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and School of Medicine.

19 Jan 2005

Simplified approach to the management of patients with an acute coronary syndrome

A simplified approach to the management of patients with an acute coronary syndrome (chest pain at rest or with mild exertion) can help ensure that precise risk-reducing strategies are followed to the letter by doctors and other caregivers of patients with this medical condition, according to a study by Johns Hopkins researchers.

19 Jan 2005

Astonishing discovery that could change our understanding of attention deficit disorders

British researchers from Brunel University have made an astonishing discovery that could change our understanding of attention deficit, impulsivity and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

18 Jan 2005

Major European research initiative in the genetics of drug addiction

The University of Surrey has announced that it is to lead a major European research initiative in the genetics of drug addiction, funded by an €8.1 million contract from the European Commission.

18 Jan 2005

Broadening treatment to battle recurrence of endometrial cancer

Mayo Clinic researchers studying endometrial cancer have found that patients at risk for relapse based on identified risk factors had a 46 percent probability of experiencing recurrence within five years despite treatment with state-of-the-art therapy.

18 Jan 2005

New insight into how tumor cells can become resistant to anti-cancer therapy

The scientists observed that a protein called P-glycoprotein (P-gp), which causes resistance to chemotherapy in many tumor types, is able to physically “jump” or transfer between tumor cells and retain its functional properties, protecting otherwise sensitive cells from the effects of anti-cancer treatment in vivo and in vitro.

18 Jan 2005