Endocrinology News and Research

Latest Endocrinology News and Research

Patients prescribed medication for long term illness rapidly stop taking their medicines

Many patients prescribed a medicine for a long term condition, such as asthma or heart disease, rapidly stop taking their medicines as prescribed, reveals research in Quality and Safety in Health Care.

1 Jun 2004

Chronic diseases are the largest cause of death in the world

The rising global burden of chronic diseases needs a coordinated effort from policy makers, advocates and health professionals, according to a special communication in the June 2 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), a theme issue on Global Health.

1 Jun 2004

Health Canada serious warning against use of Thermonex capsules

Health Canada is warning consumers not to use Thermonex capsules, which are being advertised for weight loss, water loss and to help boost thyroid output. This product could cause serious adverse effects, including death.

1 Jun 2004

The new European Health Insurance Card explained

The European Health Insurance Card has come into circulation today (1st June 2004). The aim of the card is to simplify procedures for accessing the healthcare system in another Member State.

1 Jun 2004

Treatment helps 26% of black Americans with chronic hepatitis C

Twenty-six percent (26%) of black Americans (BA) with chronic hepatitis C who received treatment with Pegasys plus Copegus (peginterferon alfa-2a plus ribavirin) achieved a sustained virological response (SVR), according to study results published in the June 2004 issue of Hepatology.

1 Jun 2004

Yo-yo dieting may have a lasting negative impact on immune function

Yo-yo dieting, in which a person repeatedly loses and regains weight, may have a lasting negative impact on immune function, according to new findings by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

1 Jun 2004

England has witnessed the fastest growth in obesity in Europe

Health Committee urges comprehensive raft of measures to combat the devastating threat to the nation’s health posed by obesity

30 May 2004

Smoking a lot more harmful than previously thought

The U.S. Surgeon General has released a new comprehensive report on smoking and health, revealing for the first time that smoking causes diseases in nearly every organ of the body. Published 40 years after the surgeon general's first report on smoking -- which concluded that smoking was a definite cause of three serious diseases -- this newest report finds that cigarette smoking is conclusively linked to diseases such as leukemia, cataracts, pneumonia and cancers of the cervix, kidney, pancreas and stomach.

30 May 2004

Physicians need to understand comorbidities to better help cancer patients

Findings from a new cancer study may seem obvious — a patient’s overall health is a critical factor in assessing prognosis. But the study’s authors say data about patients’ non-cancer ailments, called comorbidities, are not currently incorporated into cancer statistics.

27 May 2004

Smoking causes diseases in nearly every organ of the body

U.S. Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona today released a new comprehensive report on smoking and health, revealing for the first time that smoking causes diseases in nearly every organ of the body.

27 May 2004

Training in chronic care medicine is poor

In a national survey of practicing family physicians, pediatricians, internists and surgeons, the majority reported that their training in chronic care medicine was too thin overall to meet the demands of their practices.

27 May 2004

Weight loss medication Xenical® more effective than lifestyle changes alone in managing weight

The weight loss medication Xenical® (orlistat) has been shown to be significantly more effective than lifestyle changes alone in managing weight in overweight adolescents, according to new study results presented today at ECO2004, Prague, Czech Republic.

27 May 2004

₤16.5 million investment in stem cell research

A ₤16.5 million investment in stem cell research was announced today, 27th May, promising to speed the development of new treatments and cures from the laboratory to the clinic. In total, 57 multidisciplinary research grants have been awarded as part of the new monies allocated via the 2002 Government Spending Review to the UK Research Councils.

27 May 2004

New technology gives neurosurgeons real-time images in the operating room

Within the past decade, imaging systems have provided much clearer pictures of the brain’s structures, and navigational tools have helped physicians map direct approaches, minimize points of entry and spare healthy brain and function.

27 May 2004

International adult stem cell 'retraining' project starts in Birmingham

An exciting research project to utilise the body's own stem cells to regenerate areas of tissue damage is uniting scientists in Birmingham, London and Ontario, Canada. The University of Birmingham is leading a three year study with long term aims of helping stroke, Parkinsons and diabetes patients.

27 May 2004

UK House of Commons Health Committee publishes its long-awaited Report on obesity

Obesity has grown by almost 400% in the last 25 years such that three-quarters of the adult population are now overweight or obese (around 22% are now obese). England has witnessed the fastest growth in obesity in Europe and childhood obesity has tripled in twenty years.

27 May 2004

ACE inhibitors for diabetics cut in half the risk of death

ACE inhibitors, a type of medication often used to treat high blood pressure or heart disease, can lower mortality rates for people who have diabetes -- whether they have cardiovascular disease or not, according to a study published in the June issue of Diabetes Care.

26 May 2004

Three year olds and upwards should have their blood pressure checked as part of routine examinations

Children as young as three years old should have their blood pressure checked as part of their routine pediatric examinations--according to new treatment guidelines to be presented at the American Society of Hypertension’s (ASH) Annual Scientific Meeting on Thursday, May 20, in New York City.

25 May 2004

Leading American and Russian endocrinologists hold joint meeting

A delegation of the nation's leading endocrinologists are in Moscow, Russia, this week for a historic joint meeting with the Russian Endocrinology Society.

25 May 2004

Global food and soft drinks industries must demonstrate their commitment towards promoting the health and wellbeing of their consumers

A positive step has been made towards action being taken to curb the rising diabetes and obesity epidemics, the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) said as it welcomed the endorsement of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health by Health Ministers last weekend in Geneva.

25 May 2004