Medical News

RSS

Urgent need for stringent TB screening policies among South African healthcare workers

Healthcare workers in South Africa are at a significantly increased risk of developing drug-resistant tuberculosis, or XDR-TB, in a trend which threatens to further exacerbate the already beleaguered healthcare systems in sub-Saharan countries, according to results of a new study.

17 May 2009

Early mobilization of patients in intensive care improves outcomes

Aside from the obvious and immediate health problems that patients undergoing mechanical ventilation face, those who recover often do so with profound loss of strength and mobility that can impair their daily functioning and even lead to increased risk of morbidity and mortality down the line.

17 May 2009

Self-treatment lowers overall health care costs for chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder sufferers

Individuals suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) can experience significant savings in healthcare costs by employing a self-treatment program with the judicious use of medications, according to the results of a new study. The self-treatment program achieves these savings by reducing the duration of flare-ups.

17 May 2009

Discovery of genes that determine when girls start menstruation

Researchers from the Peninsula Medical School, along with collaborators from research institutions across Europe and the United States, have for the first time identified two genes that are involved in determining when girls begin menstruation. The work will be published in Nature Genetics this weekend.

17 May 2009

Sodium channel-blocking agent shows promise as a potential treatment for cystic fibrosis

Cystic fibrosis patients may benefit from a new therapy that increases airway hydration, preventing the buildup of mucous, which is a key factor in the disease, according to researchers at Parion Sciences in Durham, N.C.

17 May 2009

Onyx Pharmaceuticals files complaint against Bayer on fluoro-sorafenib

Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that it has filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California asserting its rights to a Phase 2 anti-cancer compound discovered during joint research between Onyx and Bayer.

17 May 2009

Gene transfer technology may lead to an HIV vaccine

A research team may have broken the stubborn impasse that has frustrated the invention of an effective HIV vaccine, by using an approach that bypasses the usual path followed by vaccine developers.

17 May 2009

Pirfenidone shows promise for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

A large, well-controlled, multi-national clinical trial program has demonstrated the effectiveness and safety of what may become the first FDA-approved medicine for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, or IPF.

17 May 2009

Genetic basis for environmental and occupational respiratory diseases

Exposure to particulate matter has been recognized as a contributing factor to lung cancer development for some time, but a new study indicates inhalation of certain particulates can actually cause some genes to become reprogrammed, affecting both the development and the outcome of cancers and other diseases.

17 May 2009

Could sleep be a critical component to maintaining a healthy body weight?

Could sleep be a critical component to maintaining a healthy body weight? According to new research to be presented on Sunday, May 17, at the American Thoracic Society's 105th International Conference in San Diego, body mass index (BMI) is linked to length and quality of sleep in a surprisingly consistent fashion.

17 May 2009

Detecting diabetes with spit

Research promoting a painless new method for detecting diabetes, utilizing saliva, was revealed today at the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) 18th Annual Meeting & Clinical Congress.

17 May 2009

Americans cutting back on healthy activities

Yet another negative result of the bad economy: Americans are cutting back on healthy activities such as eating fresh foods and exercising regularly.

17 May 2009

U.S. Patent Office upholds StemCells’ patents

StemCells, Inc. has announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) has upheld the validity of the remaining two neural stem cell patents which were subjected to reexamination proceedings commenced by Neuralstem, Inc.

17 May 2009

Influenza A(H1N1) update, 39 countries and 8480 cases

As of 06:00 GMT, 17 May 2009, 39 countries have officially reported 8480 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection.

17 May 2009

Transplant patients experience worse outcomes from cancer

After comparing two patient cancer registries - one featuring transplant patients and the other the general population - researchers at the University of Cincinnati (UC) have found that transplant patients experience worse outcomes from cancer.

17 May 2009

Pregabalin shows potential as treatment for hot flashes

A pill used for nerve pain offers women relief from hot flashes, Mayo Clinic researchers report at the 45th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).

17 May 2009

Early retroviral use best for AIDS patients with serious complications

HIV-positive patients who don't seek medical attention until they have a serious AIDS-related condition can reduce their risk of death or other complications by half if they get antiretroviral treatment early on, according to a new multicenter trial led by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

17 May 2009

Pazopanib shows promise for aggressive thyroid cancer

A medication that helps stop the growth of new blood vessels has produced dramatic benefits for some patients with aggressive thyroid cancer, research from Mayo Clinic indicates.

17 May 2009

Combining two chemotherapy drugs with Herceptin shows promise for metastatic HER2+ breast cancer

At the 45th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), researchers from the Mayo Clinic campus in Florida report that using a combination of capecitabine, vinorelbine, and trastuzumab offers a treatment option that is at least as beneficial as other current options - and doesn't cause hair loss in patients.

17 May 2009

Low oxygen levels in prostate tumors can predict recurrence

Fox Chase Cancer Center researchers have discovered that low-oxygen regions in prostate tumors can be used to predict a rise in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, a marker of tumor recurrence in prostate cancer.

17 May 2009