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Statins appear to improve survival in kidney transplant recipients

For patients receiving kidney transplants, treatment with cholesterol-lowering "statin" drugs may lead to longer survival, reports a study in the November 2008 Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN).

23 Jul 2008

Tethered bilayer membrane may unlock secrets of early-stage Alzheimer's

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and three collaborating institutions are using a new laboratory model of the membrane surrounding neurons in the brain to study how a protein long suspected of a role in early-stage Alzheimer's disease actually impairs a neuron's structure and function.

23 Jul 2008

New technique measures formation of clumps of proteins in protein-based pharmaceuticals

Scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a technique to measure the formation of clumps of proteins in protein-based pharmaceuticals.

23 Jul 2008

Endurance exercise makes heart younger

Absence may make the heart grow fonder, but endurance exercise seems to make it younger. According to a study conducted at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, older people who did endurance exercise training for about a year ended up with metabolically much younger hearts.

23 Jul 2008

Toxic or hazardous chemicals found in top-selling laundry products and air fresheners

A University of Washington study of top-selling laundry products and air fresheners found the products emitted dozens of different chemicals.

23 Jul 2008

First-of-its-kind study examines whether fat tissues from different areas of the body vary in stem cell concentration

Fat removed from the lower abdomen and inner thigh through liposuction was found to be an excellent source of stem cells, with higher stem cell concentrations than other areas of the body, reports a Brazilian-based study in August's Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).

23 Jul 2008

Research sheds light on neural mechanisms responsible for social difficulties in autism

Picking up on innuendo and social cues is a central component of engaging in conversation, but people with autism often struggle to determine another person's intentions in a social interaction.

23 Jul 2008

WHO welcomes Bloomberg/Gates new agenda to fight tobacco use

WHO welcomes the announcement from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Bloomberg Philanthropies to inject significant new resources into the global fight against tobacco use.

23 Jul 2008

No justification for denying obese patients knee replacement surgery

There is no justification for denying obese patients knee replacement surgery: They benefit almost as much as anyone else from the procedure, concludes a small study published ahead of print in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.

23 Jul 2008

Sorafenib extends life of advanced liver cancer patients

Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York have found that sorafenib (Nexavar) helps patients with advanced liver cancer live about 44 percent longer compared with patients who did not receive the anti-cancer drug.

23 Jul 2008

Making patients move requires the right exercise advice

It is common knowledge that regular exercise supports physical and mental well-being. Despite this and recommendations from health care providers, the majority of patients with chronic illnesses remain inactive.

23 Jul 2008

Automated de-identification of free-text medical records - privacy assured by electronic censor

Newly developed software will help to allay patients' fears about who has access to their confidential data. Research published today in the open access journal BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making describes a computer program capable of deleting details from medical records which may identify patients, while leaving important medical information intact.

23 Jul 2008

Fish oil supplements could slow wound healing

A recent study shows that popular fish oil supplements have an effect on the healing process of small, acute wounds in human skin. But whether that effect is detrimental, as researchers initially suspected, remains a mystery.

23 Jul 2008

Soy lowers sperm levels

Men who eat an average of half a serving of soy food a day have lower concentrations of sperm than men who do not eat soy foods, according to research published online in Europe's leading reproductive medicine journal, Human Reproduction, today (Thursday 24 July). The association was particularly marked in men who were overweight or obese, the study found.

23 Jul 2008

Researchers identify compound in human saliva that greatly speeds wound healing

A report by scientists from The Netherlands published online in The FASEB Journal identifies a compound in human saliva that greatly speeds wound healing.

23 Jul 2008

Newly developed software helps doctors care for premature babies

IBM and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) have announced a 'first-of-a-kind' research project to help doctors detect subtle changes in the condition of critically ill premature babies.

23 Jul 2008

U.S. tightens visas with vaccine requirements

New vaccine requirements will affect anyone who is applying for an immigrant visa for entry into the U.S. and anyone seeking adjustment of status for permanent residence.

23 Jul 2008

Bloomberg and Gates to tackle tobacco use globally

Michael Bloomberg and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation today announced a truly historic commitment of $500 million to the global fight against tobacco use, focused on helping governments in developing countries implement proven policies and programs to reduce tobacco use.

23 Jul 2008

Controlling plaque without toothpaste

Leeds Dental Institute, ranked the top school in the UK for dentistry is currently looking at new and better ways to improve dental treatment and take the fear factor out of the patient experience for good.

23 Jul 2008

Open access to large-scale drug discovery data

The Wellcome Trust has awarded £4.7 million (€5.8 million) to EMBL's European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) to support the transfer of a large collection of information on the properties and activities of drugs and a large set of drug-like small molecules from publicly listed company Galapagos NV to the public domain.

23 Jul 2008