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New discoveries offer promise for cholesterol drugs

New discoveries offer promise for developing drugs that improve on the therapeutic profile of niacin, the inexpensive, time-tested B-vitamin that boosts levels of HDL cholesterol, the good cholesterol with the potential to protect people against heart attacks and stroke, scientists report.

1 Apr 2007

Treatment options for bipolar disorder

For depressed people with bipolar disorder who are taking a mood stabilizer, adding an antidepressant medication is no more effective than a placebo (sugar pill), according to results published online on March 28, 2007 in the New England Journal of Medicine.

1 Apr 2007

Coronary procedure adds no benefit over 'optimal medical therapy' alone

Percutaneous coronary intervention plus optimal medical therapy does not improve outcomes in patients with coronary artery disease, compared with optimal medical therapy alone, according to study results presented at the 56th Annual Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology in New Orleans, and published online in the New England Journal of Medicine.

1 Apr 2007

Bone marrow stem cells used to regenerate healthy human liver tissue

For the first time, researchers have used adult bone marrow stem cells to regenerate healthy human liver tissue, according to a study published in the April issue of the journal Radiology.

1 Apr 2007

Smokers perform worse at work than non-smokers

Smokers were also more likely to have a less than honourable discharge, to be demoted, to desert, and to earn less than their non-smoking colleagues, the study showed.

1 Apr 2007

Smokers clock up extra sick days

Smokers take an average of almost eight days more of sick leave every year than their non-smoking colleagues, suggested research published in Tobacco Control .

1 Apr 2007

Penn State scientists reveal structure of gateways to gene control

Scientists at Penn State University will reveal in the 29 March 2007 issue of the journal Nature the first complete high-resolution map of important structures that control how genes are packaged and regulated throughout an entire genome.

31 Mar 2007

Researchers identify gene for osteoporosis

Researchers report the identification of a gene that may play a role in susceptibility to osteoporosis, the crippling disease that leads to bone fractures, especially of the hip and spine.

31 Mar 2007

Radiofrequency (RF) ablation effective for treating inoperable lung cancer

A minimally invasive procedure known as radiofrequency (RF) ablation is effective for treating lung cancer in patients who are not candidates for surgery, according to a Rhode Island Hospital study published in the April issue of the journal Radiology.

31 Mar 2007

RF ablation used to treat early-stage, inoperable cancer

Lung cancer patients who are not candidates for surgery now have another safe and effective treatment option: radiofrequency (RF) ablation, according to a new study published in the April issue of the journal Radiology.

31 Mar 2007

Exercise reduces risk of RSI

Health benefits associated with physical activity during leisure time are widely recognized, but it is not known if leisure-time physical activity decreases the risk of work-related repetitive strain injury (RSI).

31 Mar 2007

Successful tuberculosis treatment depends upon patient adherence

Nearly 2 million people die from tuberculosis each year, mainly in the poorest countries.

31 Mar 2007

Hearing-protection tablet helps soldiers defend against hearing loss

Soldiers exposed to the deafening din of battle have little defense against hearing loss, and are often reluctant to wear protective gear like ear plugs that could make them less able to react to danger.

31 Mar 2007

Novel anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory agent reduces coronary events

Heart attacks are caused by a build-up and instability of plaque in the coronary arteries, which is often a result of chronic inflammation of the blood vessel walls.

31 Mar 2007

Common asthma inhaler powered by a new propellant is safe and effective

Conducted by two university professors and a director for the Food and Drug Administration, the review examines the consequences of switching to hydrofluoroalkane, which is replacing chlorofluorocarbon, or CFC, as a key ingredient in albuterol inhalers designed to relieve asthma. The FDA has ruled that U.S. sales of CFC albuterol inhalers be prohibited after 2008.

31 Mar 2007

Natural mechanism for immune suppression may lead to new cancer drugs

A natural mechanism pirated by tumors and HIV to evade the immune response is opening the door to better treatment for these conditions, researchers say.

31 Mar 2007

Women with a recent diagnosis of cancer in one breast should have MRI screening of the opposite breast

The international research team found that MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging, detected cancer in the opposite breast in 30 of 969 women (3.1 percent) who had recently been diagnosed with cancer in one breast only. The cancers in the opposite breast were missed by previous mammography and clinical exam.

31 Mar 2007

MRI as a key component of the diagnostic workup for women with breast cancer

Up to 10 percent of women newly diagnosed with cancer in one breast develop cancer in the opposite breast.

31 Mar 2007

Drug-eluting stent use in heart patients determined more by insurance type

If you want the best technology available to relieve blocked blood flow to the heart, the choice is a drug-eluting stent.

31 Mar 2007

Annual computed tomography screening identifies a high proportion of patients with early-stage lung cancer

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death in both men and women, killing more people than breast, prostate and colon cancers combined, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS). According to the study, the estimated cure rate for lung cancer in the absence of screening is approximately 5 percent, but increases significantly when the cancer is diagnosed and treated at its earliest stage.

31 Mar 2007