Endocrinology News and Research

Latest Endocrinology News and Research

Diets like Atkins could help prevent Alzheimer's, cancer, diabetes and Parkinson's disease

Though diets like Atkins and South Beach are the current rage, an emerging eating philosophy may do more than temporarily take off pounds: It could help treat disease.

26 Apr 2004

Discovery shows how single genetic mutation can cause complex disorders

Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS), characterized by obesity, learning disabilities and eye and kidney problems, is caused by genetic mutations in the BBS family of genes. Now, researchers who've long studied the condition have discovered that genetic mutations in one of those genes, called BBS4, lead to cell death by disrupting the cells' internal "highway" system.

25 Apr 2004

New Australian report outlines the health benefits of breastfeeding

A new report released by the NSW Centre for Public Health Nutrition, Australia outlines the health benefits of breastfeeding, which is the foundation for a lifetime of good health.

25 Apr 2004

Health Canada prepares for West Nile virus

To prepare for the upcoming West Nile (WN) virus season, Health Canada, in collaboration with its many partners, is focussing its efforts in six main areas of activity

24 Apr 2004

First pancreatic islet cell transplant in Alabama

A lifelong dependency on insulin shots and pumps may be over for a 24-year old Troy, Alabama, woman who is the first in the state to receive a pancreatic islet cell transplant. Within 24 hours after the procedure, performed at UAB Hospital on April 15, her new cells were beginning to function, doctors said.

24 Apr 2004

Elderly patient dies from the wrong drug

An 86-year-old Australian woman died after a senior nurse at her aged care centre administered the wrong drug, a Victorian coroner found today.

24 Apr 2004

Protein may help prevent autoimmune conditions like diabetes, lupus, arthritis and multiple sclerosis

A possibly important ally of the immune system that can help with the tricky task of separating friend from foe has been identified by scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

23 Apr 2004

Scientists have developed a better form of omega-3 fish oil

University of Georgia scientists have developed a form of omega-3 fish oil that's easier for people to absorb and leaves no fishy aftertaste.

23 Apr 2004

CellCept linked to reduced cancer incidence

A study presented today at an international transplant meeting showed that heart transplant patients treated with the immunosuppressant CellCeptÒ (mycophenolate mofetil) in standard immunosuppressive regimens had a significantly lower risk of developing cancer compared to those receiving non-CellCept-based treatment regimens.

23 Apr 2004

Improving eye care with telemedicine

Computer scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have teamed up with a group of medical professionals to advance the use of telemedicine.

23 Apr 2004

Watch out Skippy, the meat of Australia's bush kangaroo may be the highest known source of the healthy fat CLA

The meat of Australia's bush kangaroo may be the highest known source of the healthy fat CLA, a University of Western Australia and CSIRO sponsored PhD student has discovered.

22 Apr 2004

Fish oil reduces heart attack and blood vessel disease

Fish oil can help reduce deaths from heart disease, according to new evidence reports announced today by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

22 Apr 2004

Prediction of adult diseases in infancy

A new way of predicting which young children are most at risk of eventually contracting diabetes and heart disease in adult life is being developed by researchers at Cambridge University - with help from Bristol’s Children of the 90s.

22 Apr 2004

One woman’s efforts to eliminate health disparities

In 1970, Mulva Pearson, MD, then 10 years old, left her home country of Jamaica with just the clothes on her back – not even a suitcase. Her destination: the United States, where her mother had been living in search of a better job and better life for her family.

21 Apr 2004

Infertile couples may be unaware of multiple birth risks

Multiple births -- twins, triplets or more babies in one pregnancy -- have more risks of infant death and long-term disabilities such as cerebral palsy than births of single babies do. However, many couples seeking infertility treatments desire multiples and have poor knowledge particularly about the risks for twins, a University of Iowa study reported.

20 Apr 2004

Dieting greatly reduces risk of heart attack, stroke and diabetes

People who severely restrict their caloric intake drastically reduce their risk of developing diabetes or clogged arteries, the precursor to a heart attack or stroke. In fact, according to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis, some risk factors were so low they were comparable to those of people decades younger.

20 Apr 2004

Can public health promotion beat disease?

Huge efforts are under way to address health problems such as SARS, HIV, diabetes and many other illnesses by developing vaccines or therapeutic drugs.

20 Apr 2004

Study is first to see such changes in women without high blood pressure or other diseases

Young obese women who are otherwise healthy have hearts that exhibit changes in structure and function similar to those of hypertensive patients, which may help explain links between obesity and heart failure risk, according to a new study in the April 21, 2004 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

20 Apr 2004

New research findings about T-cell transport shed light on immune system

New research findings about T-cell transport shed light on how the normal immune system functions and could have implications in fighting autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, say researchers at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas.

20 Apr 2004