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Gap in health rates between socioeconomic classes unchanged

Over the past century, the United States has witnessed historic advances in public health and medicine that have contributed to improved health and a significant increase in life expectancy for all socioeconomic groups.

5 Dec 2007

Transcranial magnetic stimulation effective treatment for major depression

For the first time in a large-scale study, transcranial magnetic stimulation has been shown to be an effective, non-drug treatment for major depression.

5 Dec 2007

Topical treatment for age spots

Sun-induced skin damage can cause brown age spots, especially on oft-exposed areas like the hands and face.

5 Dec 2007

Closest look ever at native human tissue

Seeing proteins in their natural environment and interactions inside cells has been a long-standing goal.

5 Dec 2007

Growing old can affect the higher-level brain systems that govern cognition

A team of Howard Hughes Medical Institute researchers has shown that normal aging disrupts communication between different regions of the brain.

5 Dec 2007

U.S. teen birth rate rose in 2006 for the first time since 1991

The teen birth rate in the United States rose in 2006 for the first time since 1991, and unmarried childbearing also rose significantly, according to preliminary birth statistics released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

5 Dec 2007

Pine bark naturally reduces osteoarthritis knee pain

Affecting more than 10 million Americans, Osteoarthritis of the knee (OA) is one of the five leading causes of disability among the elderly.

5 Dec 2007

Study questions impact of hemoglobin variations on mortality in dialysis patients

For patients with dialysis-related anemia, the risk of death is increased when hemoglobin levels remain persistently low over a period several months - not necessarily when they fluctuate over time, according to a study in the January Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

5 Dec 2007

Striking shift seen among newly HIV-infected men regarding partners

New data from six U.S. sites show a dramatic shift by men acutely infected with HIV to choose to have unprotected intercourse only with other HIV-infected partners.

5 Dec 2007

Smell experience during critical period alters brain

Unlike the circuitry of the visual system, that of the olfactory system was thought to be hardwired: Once the neurons had formed, no amount of sensory input could change their arrangement.

5 Dec 2007

Scientists strike blow in super bugs struggle

Scientists from the University of Manchester have pioneered new ways of tweaking the molecular structure of antibiotics - an innovation that could be crucial in the fight against powerful super bugs.

From The University of Manchester 5 Dec 2007

Discovery of potential "getting drunk" gene

A variant of a gene involved in communication among brain cells has a direct influence on alcohol consumption in mice, according to a new study by scientists supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the U.S. Army.

5 Dec 2007

Costs of lower-calorie foods are rising the fastest

As food prices rise, the costs of lower-calorie foods are rising the fastest, according to a University of Washington study appearing in the December issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

5 Dec 2007

Pheromones identified that trigger aggression between male mice

A family of proteins commonly found in mouse urine is able to trigger fighting between male mice, a study in the Dec. 6, 2007, issue of Nature has found.

5 Dec 2007

Physician style and HMO affiliation impact lengths of patient visit

Apart from a more complicated medical case, what makes different physicians spend different amounts of time with their patients" Researchers at UC Davis have identified several key doctor- and practice-specific characteristics that affect the length of a patient's medical appointment, and ultimately with a patient's satisfaction with the doctor's visit.

5 Dec 2007

Myocor receives trial approval for percutaneously implanted iCoapsys system

Myocor, Inc. announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted conditional approval of the Valvular and Ventricular Improvement Via iCoapsys Delivery (VIVID) feasibility study.

5 Dec 2007

Premature babies on the increase

The preterm birth rate rose again in 2005 and preliminary data for 2006 show a continued increase, underscoring the urgent need for a sustained, comprehensive plan to address this growing crisis.

5 Dec 2007

Missing brain protein may be one of the culprits behind autism and other brain disorders

The protein helps synapses develop. Synapses--through which neurons communicate with one other-underlie our ability to learn and remember. Now Li-Huei Tsai, Picower Professor of Neuroscience at MIT, has uncovered an enzyme that is key to that protein's activity.

5 Dec 2007

Study examines the relationship between diabetes and mortality in a depression intervention trial

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine report that older adults with diabetes and depression are half as likely to die over a 5-year period when they receive depression care management than depressed patients with diabetes who do not receive depression care management.

5 Dec 2007

Implanting embryonic cardiac cells prevents arrhythmias

When researchers at Cornell, the University of Bonn and the University of Pittsburgh transplanted living embryonic heart cells into cardiac tissue of mice that had suffered heart attacks, the mice became resistant to cardiac arrhythmias, thereby avoiding one of the most dangerous and fatal consequences of heart attacks.

5 Dec 2007