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The incidence, distribution, and control of tuberculosis

A reduction in tuberculosis (TB) incidence, prevalence and death rate can be achieved by 2015 in most parts of the world, with the greatest challenges occurring in Africa and Eastern Europe, according to a projection by the Stop TB Department of the World Health Organization.

1 Mar 2006

Fibulins inhibit both tumor growth and blood-vessel formation

Researchers at National Jewish Medical and Research Center report in the March issue of Cancer Research that a pair of promising proteins, known as fibulins 3 and 5, slow the growth of cancer tumors in mice by preventing blood vessels from sprouting. The proteins are promising candidates for use in cancer therapy.

1 Mar 2006

Bone marrow stem cells do not improve cardiac function in heart attack patients

There has been increasing evidence that stem cells contribute to regeneration of cardiac tissue and the development of new blood vessels following a heart attack, thus opening up new prospects for stem-cell based therapies.

1 Mar 2006

Overactive thyroid gland linked to increased risk for atrial fibrillation

Having an overactive thyroid gland is linked with an increased risk for atrial fibrillation (a type of abnormal heart rhythm), but neither an over- or under active thyroid gland is associated with a higher risk for other cardiovascular problems or increased risk of death

1 Mar 2006

GenoMed awarded second patent, for avoiding dialysis in acute kidney failure

GenoMed announced today that it received its second patent (US Patent #6,998,404) for the "Treatment or prevention of acute renal failure." Acute kidney failure usually happens when a patient gets dehydrated.

1 Mar 2006

Study questions whether treatment is necessary for mild thyroid problems

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have found that leaving a mildly underactive thyroid gland (subclinical hypothyroidism) untreated does not lead to increased cardiovascular risk.

1 Mar 2006

"Technology for Health" now also in Switzerland

The international eHealth specialist InterComponentWare AG (ICW) is now represented in Switzerland, too: Based in Zurich, the new subsidiary InterComponentWare (Schweiz) AG will support the implementation of innovative eHealth solutions throughout Switzerland.

1 Mar 2006

New method for examining how radiation damages body tissue

The knowledge may make it possible to reduce side effects for cancer patients or to develop treatments for radiation exposure.

1 Mar 2006

Hydrogel scaffold materials used to create stable networks of blood vessels

Yale biomedical engineers have created an implantable system that can form and stabilize a functional network of fine blood vessels critical for supporting tissues in the body, according to a report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

1 Mar 2006

Sperm banking should be a routine part of treatment for teenage cancer patients

Teenage boys being treated for cancer should be encouraged to bank their sperm so they might enjoy a family life in the future, say researchers at the University of Manchester.

From The University of Manchester 1 Mar 2006

Procedure to remove small tumors near inner ear shows promise at preserving hearing

Even when they're extremely small, tumors on the nerves that connect the brain to the ear can wreak havoc on a person's hearing and balance. But removing them is a delicate process that can, in some cases, cause further harm.

1 Mar 2006

Surgically menopausal women are at increased risk for low sexual desire

Researchers have published the first-ever multi-cultural prevalence study using multi-dimensional psychometrically valid outcomes to determine if women who undergo surgical menopause have a greater risk of low sexual interest compared with that of pre-menopausal or naturally menopausal women.

1 Mar 2006

Effective oral treatment of erectile dysfunction can improve relationships

The inability to perform sexually can have a significant negative psychosocial impact on a man's overall health including depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem.

1 Mar 2006

Obese people may be more sensitive to pain

The obese patients showed a greater physical response to the electrical stimulation than did the non-obese people, both before and after the training session. This indicates they had a lower tolerance for the painful stimulation despite reporting, in questionnaires, that they felt no more pain than non-obese people.

1 Mar 2006

Reaction to DTaP vaccine finds no help from ibuprofen, acetaminophen

A red splotch forms where most preschoolers get their fifth, and last, shot of the acellular diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTaP) vaccine, and it can last a few days.

1 Mar 2006

Physical symptoms that mark frailty often reversible

In a study to determine how older people progress through different states of frailty, researchers at Yale School of Medicine have found that the physical symptoms that mark frailty are often reversible and therefore amenable to intervention.

1 Mar 2006

Possible link between breast cancer and aluminum salts in deodorants

Chemicals that mimic the body's natural hormone oestrogen are known to affect a woman's risk of breast cancer.

1 Mar 2006

Amifostine makes radiation more effective

Doctors in Brazil have concluded that the drug amifostine eases many of the most common side effects associated with patients receiving radiation therapy to treat their cancer while simultaneously making the cancer more susceptible to radiation.

1 Mar 2006

New technique provides insight into shape of DNA molecules attached to a surface

A team of researchers from Boston University has developed a new application to enable more precise measurement of the location of a fluorescent label in a DNA layer.

1 Mar 2006

Human papillomavirus the main risk factor for cervical adenocarcinoma

Human papillomavirus (HPV) was found to be the main risk factor associated with increased incidence of an unusual type of cervical cancer called cervical adenocarcinoma, according to a study in the March 1 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

1 Mar 2006