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DNA methylation shown to promote development of colon tumors

Damaged or defective genes have long been known to be the cause of some cancers.

2 Dec 2007

Direct-to-consumer advertising for commercial genetic testing is on the rise and may be problematic

Direct-to-consumer advertising for commercial genetic testing is on the rise and may be problematic, according to a Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) physician. In the December issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Erin Tracy, MD, MPH, warns that such testing is poorly regulated and may present potential pitfalls for patients and physicians.

2 Dec 2007

Childhood sleep-disordered breathing disproportionately affects obese and African-Americans

As the obesity epidemic grows in the U.S., doctors are discovering more and more far reaching health concerns for overweight children.

2 Dec 2007

Brain patterns of former anorexics reveal clues to disorder's lasting impact

Even after more than a year of maintaining a normalized body weight, young women who recovered from anorexia nervosa show vastly different patterns of brain activity compared to similar women without the eating disorder, Walter H. Kaye, M.D., professor of psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and colleagues report in the December issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry.

2 Dec 2007

Bowel cancer screening halves emergency admissions and cuts deaths

Bowel cancer screening halves emergency admissions for the disease and significantly cuts death rates, reveal the fifth year results from one of the first UK pilot sites.

2 Dec 2007

Bionovo describes a new class of therapeutic compounds

Bionovo, Inc. has announced the publication of a groundbreaking paper in the journal Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology covering the isolation, identification and description of a pure chemical compound, liquiritigenin, which represents a new class of therapeutic compounds showing promise for the safe treatment of menopausal symptoms.

2 Dec 2007

AstraZeneca receives six months pediatric exclusivity patent extension for ARIMIDEX (anastrozole)

AstraZeneca has announced that the United States (US) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted an additional six-month period of exclusivity to market ARIMIDEX (anastrozole) for its licensed breast cancer indications until June 2010.

2 Dec 2007

Altered sex hormone levels, higher body temp affects sleep quality in postmenopausal women

In an examination of potential relationships between objective sleep measures, nocturnal sex hormone levels, and the nocturnal course of body temperature of older postmenopausal women, a study published in the December 1, 2007 issue of the journal SLEEP finds that altered levels of both sex hormones and gonadotropins may contribute to sleep disturbance in older postmenopausal women and confirm the results of previous studies indicating that higher body temperature is associated with poorer sleep quality.

2 Dec 2007

Study of the post-transplant effects of alcohol use among lung donors

A recent study using an animal model of lung transplants shows that chronic alcohol consumption by the donor promotes scarring and airway injury after transplantation.

2 Dec 2007

Aging improves parent, child relationships, research shows

The majority of relationships between parents and their adult children improve as parents transition to old age, a Purdue University researcher has found.

2 Dec 2007

Neuromuscular consequences of reflexive covert orienting

The person you're speaking with may be looking at you, but are they really paying attention? Or has the person covertly shifted their attention, without moving their eyes? Dr. Brian Corneil, of the Centre for Brain and Mind at The University of Western Ontario in London, Canada has found a way of actually measuring covert attention.

2 Dec 2007

10% of patients in NHS hospitals may experience some kind of adverse event

One in ten NHS patients comes to harm while in hospital as a result of their clinical care, suggests a study in Quality and Safety in Health Care.

2 Dec 2007

Women have a poorer quality of life after a stroke than men

A new University of Nottingham study has found that women have a poorer quality of life than men following a stroke.

29 Nov 2007

Vermillion issued U.S. patent for method to aid diagnosis of nephrotic syndrome

Vermillion, Inc. has announced that the United States Patent Office (USPTO) has issued Vermillion U.S. Patent No. 7,297,556 for aiding diagnosis of nephrotic syndrome, a kidney disorder marked by very high or low levels of protein in the urine, which results in bodily swelling and high cholesterol.

29 Nov 2007