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Students might actually overestimate rather than underestimate their levels of drinking

Numerous studies have shown that misuse of alcohol by college students in the U.S. is a pervasive problem. Most of what is known about consumption levels is based on self-report survey data, which assumes that students are aware of and can accurately calculate how much alcohol they consume.

20 Sep 2005

Heavy alcohol consumption can significantly increase men's risk of developing atrial fibrillation

A large-scale study led by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) has found that heavy alcohol consumption - 35 or more drinks per week -- can significantly increase men's risk of developing atrial fibrillation, a dangerous type of arrhythmia and one of the leading risk factors for stroke.

20 Sep 2005

Dual association of beta-carotene with risk of tobacco-related cancers

A new study of French women has found that high beta-carotene intake--through a combination of diet or supplementation--is associated with a higher risk of tobacco-related cancers in smokers, but the risk of these cancers decreases with increasing beta-carotene intake in nonsmokers.

20 Sep 2005

Change in gene may be underlying molecular defect in some colorectal cancers

Inactivation of a DNA repair gene may be an early step in the development of sporadic colorectal tumors, and detection of the molecular basis for this inactivation may ultimately be useful in risk assessment for colorectal cancer, according to a new study in the September 21 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

20 Sep 2005

Significant death risk linked to airborne particles

Experts may be significantly underestimating air pollution's role in causing early death, according to a team of American and Canadian researchers, who studied two decades' worth of data on residents of the Los Angeles metro area.

20 Sep 2005

Family-centered approach improves communication and care in intensive care unit

A nationwide hospital program developed to support families visiting loved ones in the intensive care unit (ICU) has significant benefits for families, patients, and team members in the ICU, shows a new study.

20 Sep 2005

Important new lessons learned from aspirin

No other medicine is as common, inexpensive, and yet powerful in so many ways as aspirin; yet despite a century of experience with the drug, researchers are still learning important new lessons, while raising new questions, according to seven special articles in the Sept. 20, 2005, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

20 Sep 2005

New research adds to the emerging range of functions that miRNAs perform in an organism

In an effort to understand the biological function of the microRNA mir1, Drs. Nicholas Sokol and Victor Ambros (Darmouth Medical School) have studied the expression profile, transcriptional regulation and loss-of-function phenotype of Drosophila mir-1 (Dmir-1).

20 Sep 2005

Green tea may protect the brain against Alzheimer's disease

Researchers at the University of South Florida (USF) have found that green tea may offer another potential health benefit - protecting the brain against the ravages of Alzheimer's disease.

20 Sep 2005

Current state of knowledge and experience with vascular birthmarks

The September/October issue of Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery contains several articles on the current state of knowledge and experience with vascular birthmarks, which are caused by blood vessels that do not form correctly.

20 Sep 2005

Researchers identify three rapid diagnostic methods that can target antibodies commonly found in multiple sclerosis

Yale School of Medicine researchers have identified three rapid diagnostic methods that can target antibodies commonly found in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, greatly improving potential diagnosis and treatment.

20 Sep 2005

Suppression of FOXO1a gene might kill resistant alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma (ARMS) tumors

FOXO1a caused death of tumor cells in laboratory study by triggering expression of caspase-3, which blocks cell division and causes cells to undergo apoptosis, according to St. Jude.

20 Sep 2005

Periodontal disease develops much earlier than dentists and other health professionals thought

Periodontal disease -- a progressive, eventually painful and disruptive condition in which bacteria attack gums and the hidden roots of teeth -- develops much earlier than dentists and other health professionals thought, a major new study concludes.

20 Sep 2005

O-GlcNAc sugar is a critical regulator of cells' natural life cycle

The discovery reveals that, when disturbed, this process could contribute to cancer or other diseases by failing to properly control the steps and timing of cell division, the researchers say. The findings are described in the Sept. 23 issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, available online now.

20 Sep 2005

SARS can infiltrate brain tissue

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), by its very name, indicates a disease of the respiratory tract. But SARS can also infiltrate brain tissue, causing significant central nervous system problems, according to an article in the Oct. 15 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases, now available online.

20 Sep 2005

New treatment approach for severe asthma

Researchers have uncovered a potentially new treatment approach for severe asthma, by blocking a powerful immune system chemical, present in large amounts in patients with the severe form of the disease, a small study in Thorax reveals.

20 Sep 2005

Blood test to measure hormone prolactin can help determine type of seizure

Using a blood test to measure the level of the hormone prolactin can help determine, in certain clinical settings, whether an epileptic seizure has occurred, according to a guideline developed by the American Academy of Neurology and published in the September 13, 2005 issue of Neurology.

20 Sep 2005

Link between tissue tension and tumor formation

Most investigations into cancer have focused on chemical signals, but a new research study provides rare insight into how mechanical force can regulate cellular behavior.

20 Sep 2005

Researchers identify gene prevalent in the population that controls the clinical severity of asthma

The study by Bucala and his colleagues in Dublin, Ireland, included experiments in mice that are resistant to developing asthma because they lack the gene, and an examination of a human population in Dublin chosen for their similar ethnic and geographic identity.

20 Sep 2005

Largest ever study of smoking in the Asia Pacific region

The largest ever study of smoking in the Asia Pacific Region, and one of the largest smoking studies ever conducted anywhere in the world, has dispelled a long-held myth that smokers in Asian populations are less susceptible than Western populations to the risks of smoking, such as coronary heart disease and stroke.

20 Sep 2005