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High fat diet and exercise stimulate the breakdown of fats

Scientists report in the October issue of the Journal of Lipid Research that when either lean or obese individuals exercise after eating a high fat meal, their fats are broken down and oxidized in skeletal muscle, making them healthier.

18 Sep 2007

Playing games helps control hospital infections

Games based learning may provide an innovative approach to the control of health care associated infections in hospitals.

18 Sep 2007

Study looks at Atorvastatin and cholesterol

Scientists report in the October issue of the Journal of Lipid Research new details about how a drug used against heart disease helps to unclog blood vessels from an excess of cholesterol and fats.

18 Sep 2007

Hospital comparison web sites can be misleading

A review of six publicly available hospital comparison Web sites suggests that they display inconsistent results and use inappropriate or incomplete standards to measure quality, according to a report in the September issue of Archives of Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

18 Sep 2007

Study proves link between emissions and mercury pollution in fish

A groundbreaking environmental study to be published in a prestigious American science journal proves that mercury atmospheric emissions will end up in fish in as little as three years. Biologists from the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada, played a key role in designing and carrying out the experiment.

18 Sep 2007

Electromagnetic tracking devices help pinpoint best methods for moving injured players

The 15 minutes it took to remove Buffalo Bills player Kevin Everett off the field after he suffered a spinal cord injury may seem like a long time for someone needing acute medical care, but in fact, those minutes underscore how critical it is to carefully move a player with a suspected spinal cord injury off the field.

18 Sep 2007

Mutations in the glucocerebrosidase gene are risk factors for Parkinson's disease

People with a certain gene mutation are more likely to get Parkinson's disease before the age of 50 compared to those without the gene abnormality, according to a study published in the September 18, 2007, issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

18 Sep 2007

Genetic lab test for Warfarin sensitivity approved by FDA

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today cleared for marketing a new genetic test that will help physicians assess whether a patient may be especially sensitive to the blood-thinning drug warfarin (Coumadin), which is used to prevent potentially fatal clots in blood vessels.

18 Sep 2007

Review of endoscopic frontal sinus surgery

Endoscopic sinus surgery is performed for patients who have chronic or acute sinusitis that persists for more than six weeks after maximum medical therapy has been tried.

18 Sep 2007

Impact of health messages in entertainment

A new study by researchers at the University of Southern California suggests that some TV may be good for you. Researchers found that a storyline on the primetime NBC network drama ER that dealt with teen obesity, hypertension and healthy eating habits had a positive impact on the attitudes and behaviors of viewers, particularly among men.

18 Sep 2007

Palate implants for obstructive sleep apnea - study

When loud snoring is interrupted by frequent episodes of obstructed breathing, it is known as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). As many as 12 million people in the U.S. suffer from this condition, which can require surgical intervention when lifestyle changes and other treatment options fail.

18 Sep 2007

Comparison of dental splints over breathing mask to alleviate snoring

The noisy sounds of snoring occur during sleep when there is an obstruction to the free flow of air through the passages at the back of the mouth and nose. Forty-five percent of adults snore at least occasionally and 25 percent are habitual snorers.

18 Sep 2007

Circulating fats kill transplanted pancreas cells

New findings by UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers show that a byproduct of cholesterol metabolism interferes with the beneficial effects estrogen has on the cardiovascular system, providing a better understanding of the interplay between cholesterol and estrogen in heart disease.

18 Sep 2007

Intracapsular tonsil removal associated with reduced postoperative pain, bleeding

Patients who have a tonsillectomy using an “intracapsular” technique - which removes at least 90 percent of tonsil tissue, but spares the tonsil capsule - appear to have less postoperative heavy bleeding and pain compared with those who undergo traditional tonsil removal surgery, according to a report in the September issue of Archives of Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery

18 Sep 2007

Cell death in sparrow brains may provide clues in age-related human diseases

A remarkable change takes place in the brains of tiny songbirds every year, and some day the mechanism controlling that change may help researchers develop treatments for age-related degenerative diseases of the brain such as Parkinson's and dementia.

18 Sep 2007

Attentional adhesion to mates and rivals

Whether we are seeking a mate or sizing up a potential rival, good-looking people capture our attention nearly instantaneously and render us temporarily helpless to turn our eyes away from them, according to a new Florida State University study.

18 Sep 2007

Campaign to fight chronic disease in the Caribbean

A major new campaign to fight chronic disease in the Caribbean is getting underway in an effort to stem "the worst epidemic of chronic diseases like heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory disease in the Americas," with the participation of heads of government.

18 Sep 2007