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HHS launches childhood obesity prevention initiative

First Lady Laura Bush saluted the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' new Childhood Overweight and Obesity Prevention Initiative, announced today at the National Prevention Summit, which targets obesity prevention and the promotion of healthy weight for children.

27 Nov 2007

$High-trauma fractures in older adults linked to osteoporosis, increased risk of another fracture$

High-trauma fractures in older adults linked to osteoporosis, increased risk of another fracture

Contrary to a widely held assumption, high-trauma nonspine fractures in older women and men, such as from a car crash, are associated with low bone mineral density and an increased risk of a subsequent fracture, according to a study in the November 28 issue of JAMA.

27 Nov 2007

Cryoablation for bone cancer tumors reduces pain, study shows

Cryoablation, a procedure most commonly associated with destroying kidney and prostate tumors by freezing them, has been shown to offer durable pain relief of cancer that has spread to bone.

27 Nov 2007

Fear is stronger motivator to get fit than hope for those worrying about their bodies, says study

Fear of looking unattractive can be a stronger motivation for keeping people going to the gym than the hope of looking good, a study says.

27 Nov 2007

Fast way of spotting multidrug resistant bacteria could help stop outbreaks in hospitals

A type of bacterium widely found on our skin and in the environment has now become a major threat in hospitals where it can cause serious infections, such as pneumonia in severely ill patients.

27 Nov 2007

Europe to tackle brain disorder research by linking industry, academia

Attempts to cure brain-related disorders have proved less successful than therapies for other major conditions such as heart cancer, even though just as many people suffer from them.

27 Nov 2007

$Factors identified to predict hip fracture in postmenopausal women$

Factors identified to predict hip fracture in postmenopausal women

A clinical model that includes 11 factors has been developed to help predict the 5-year risk of hip fracture in postmenopausal women, according to a study in the November 28 issue of JAMA.

27 Nov 2007

Study looks at progesterone for Alzheimer's

The first study on progesterone and Alzheimer's disease has found no clear preventive benefit for the widely prescribed hormone in an animal model.

27 Nov 2007

Cholinesterase inhibitors do not seem to delay Alzheimer disease

Researchers have examined the evidence in favour of giving people considered to be close to developing dementia the drugs that are most commonly used to treat the condition itself.

27 Nov 2007

Drug safety experts call for increased patient involvement

National drug safety experts, including representatives from the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest (CMPI) and the Critical Path Institute (CPI), will gather at the National Press Club and call for an improved approach to providing consumers with real time and individualized information about the risks and benefits of drugs on the market.

27 Nov 2007

Alcohol and tobacco use doesn't boost HPV-related cancer risk

Heavy smoking and drinking are known to cause head and neck cancer. Infection with human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16), a common strain of the sexually-transmitted HPV virus, is another known risk factor for head and neck cancer, which affects about 500,000 people each year worldwide.

27 Nov 2007

Screening for dementia red flags in primary care: Is it time?

Primary care physicians should focus on "dementia red flags" rather than routinely screen individuals with no dementia symptoms just because they've reached a certain age, according to Malaz Boustani, M.D., MPH, of the Indiana University School of Medicine and the Regenstrief Institute, Inc. and colleagues from the University of Kent and the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom in a commentary published in the Nov. 28 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

27 Nov 2007

Industry has a key responsibility in fighting obesity

... by improving food products and helping consumers to identify the healthy choice. Credibility and measuring effectiveness are crucial

27 Nov 2007

Health officials should consider mass vaccination in their efforts to control endemic cholera

A vaccine used to protect travelers from cholera, an infection characterized by diarrhea and severe dehydration, could also be used effectively among those living in cholera-prone (endemic) areas, according to a research study by Ira Longini and colleagues published in PLoS Medicine.

27 Nov 2007

Certain infusion therapy after heart attack does not appear to be beneficial, may cause harm

Infusion of a combination therapy consisting of glucose, insulin, and potassium, which was thought could be a beneficial treatment immediately following a heart attack, may increase the risk of heart failure and death in the first 3 days for patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI; a certain pattern on an electrocardiogram following a heart attack), according to a study in the November 28 issue of JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association.

27 Nov 2007

Scientists create mouse resistant to cancer

A mouse resistant to cancer, even highly-aggressive types, has been created by researchers at the University of Kentucky.

27 Nov 2007

Blood-vessel blocker aids cancer-killing virus

Cancer-killing viruses are a promising therapy for incurable brain tumors, but their effectiveness has been limited in part because immune cells rapidly move in and eliminate them.

27 Nov 2007

BioMarin files investigational NDA for PEG-PAL for the treatment of phenylketonuria

BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. has announced that it has filed an investigational new drug application (IND) with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for PEG-PAL (Poly Ethylene Glycol-Phenylalanine Ammonia Lyase), formerly known as Phenylase, for the treatment of phenylketonuria (PKU).

27 Nov 2007

Atrial fibrillation screening can identify irregular heartbeat that leads to stroke

A simple screening can identify atrial fibrillation, such as that discovered yesterday in Vice-President Dick Cheney, and can do so even if the person is unaware of the presence of this irregular heart rhythm.

27 Nov 2007

Gastric bypass complications

Obese patients who suffer complications after gastric bypass surgery may face further health risks because their weight exceeds the limits of diagnostic imaging equipment, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

27 Nov 2007