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Living in deprived areas of England doubles cervical cancer risk

Women living in the most deprived areas of England are nearly twice as likely to be diagnosed with cervical cancer than their affluent counterparts - according to a report presented by national cancer director Professor Mike Richards at the Britain Against Cancer conference today (Tuesday).

2 Dec 2008

Antineoplaston treatment for gliomas granted orphan drug designation by FDA

The Burzynski Research Institute, Inc. (BRI) has announced that its antineoplaston A10 and antineoplaston AS2-1 therapy (ANP) has been granted orphan drug designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") for the treatment of gliomas. It is estimated that in 2008 more than 21,000 men and women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with this type of cancer, with prevalence estimated at approximately 84,000 cases.

2 Dec 2008

Cholera outbreaks in Zimbabwe

As of 1 December 2008, the Ministry of Health in Zimbabwe has reported a total of 11 735 cholera cases with 484 deaths since August 2008, affecting all provinces in the country. The overall case fatality rate is 4% but has reached up to 20¨C30% in remote areas. Out of the total number of cases, 50% have been reported from Budiriro, a high density suburb of the capital city, Harare.

2 Dec 2008

Study looks at 'vicious circle' theory infections in COPD patients

In treating flare-ups in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a major cause of disability and the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S, what was old is important again.

2 Dec 2008

New experimental treatment for Tourette's syndrome

The University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) is leading a multi-center clinical research study of a new experimental treatment for Tourette's syndrome.The study will examine whether or not a drug that alters the chemical activity in the brain can alleviate the symptoms of the disease.

2 Dec 2008

More evidence on why the Mediterranean diet is good for heart

Researchers have discovered one potential mechanism by which briefly cutting off, then restoring, blood flow to arteries prior to a heart attack lessens the damage caused, according to a study published today in the journal Cardiovascular Research.

2 Dec 2008

WHO says governments must do more to improve access to essential medicines

An alarming lack of availability of essential medicines in the public sector drives patients to pay higher prices in the private sector or go without, according to a WHO study reported in the online edition of The Lancet. The results confirm that governments must do more to improve access to essential medicines as part of their efforts to make national health systems more efficient and equitable.

2 Dec 2008

Avoid stress and exercise lots during pregnancy

New Australian research has found that even minor, everyday stress during pregnancy possibly affects a developing foetus.

2 Dec 2008

Worrying about your health? more government money will help you stay well

A national poll by the Australian medical research body, Research Australia, has found that many Australians are worried about developing a range of chronic diseases during their lifetime, particularly diseases such as arthritis.

2 Dec 2008

Warning of serious side-effects of quit-smoking drug Champix

Australian doctors have been warned about the the quit-smoking drug Champix, according to the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) care must be taken when prescribing Champix (varenicline), because of possible serious side-effects.

2 Dec 2008

Vitamin D enhances placental innate immunity

In a paper available at the online site of the journal Biology of Reproduction, a team of UCLA researchers reports for the first time that vitamin D induces immune responses in placental tissues by stimulating production of the antimicrobial protein cathelicidin.

1 Dec 2008

Study looks at mitral valve prolapse

Disturbing evidence of higher mortality and lower surgery rates in women versus men with mitral valve prolapse and severe leakage may be related to the complexity of evaluating the condition's severity in women, according to findings of a Mayo Clinic study published this month in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

1 Dec 2008

ViroPharma Inc. submits sBLA for Cinryze to treat acute attacks of hereditary angioedema

ViroPharma Inc. has announced that the company submitted a supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Cinryze C1 Inhibitor (human) as a treatment for acute attacks of hereditary angioedema (HAE).

1 Dec 2008

New method improves immunotherapy

A study published by Elsevier this month in Clinical Immunology, the official journal of the Clinical Immunology Society (CIS), describes a new method that facilitates the induction of a specific type of immune suppressive cells, called 'regulatory T cells' for therapeutic use.

1 Dec 2008

Seniors with depression more likely to gain abdominal fat

Older adults with symptoms of depression appear more likely to gain abdominal fat, but not overall fat, over a five-year period, according to a report in the December issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.

1 Dec 2008

Patient harm more common with patient-controlled pain medication

Intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) allows patients to control their own pain medication, but a new study published in the December 2008 issue of The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety shows that errors related to this practice are four times more likely to result in patient harm than errors that occur with other medications.

1 Dec 2008