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Many local health directors unsure of authority to curtail smoking

Local health department directors across North Carolina are confused about state laws covering whether their facilities can be made smoke-free, but still strongly support such policies, according to a new University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill study.

11 Jul 2005

Costs of coronary artery bypass graft surgery more than 80 percent higher in US than in Canada

Although there are no differences in clinical outcome, the in-hospital cost of coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) in the U.S. is 82.5 percent higher in the U.S. than in Canada, according to a study in the July 11 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

11 Jul 2005

Congenital central hypoventilation syndrome (CCHS) offers clues to SIDS, sleep apnea

Imagine raising a child who stops breathing when falling asleep - and has to be reminded to visit the bathroom after drinking a Big Gulp. That's the dilemma faced by parents of children born with congenital central hypoventilation syndrome (CCHS).

11 Jul 2005

Giving oxygen may do more harm than good

Doctors and paramedics who give their patients oxygen - the most commonly administered "drug" in the world - may be doing more harm than good, a Queen's University researcher contends.

11 Jul 2005

Overactive dopamine receptors may help explain anorexia nervosa symptoms

Just why those with anorexia nervosa are driven to be excessively thin and seem unaware of the seriousness of their condition could be due to over-activity of a chemical system found in a region deep inside the brain, a University of Pittsburgh study suggests.

11 Jul 2005

Researchers find molecule ephrin-B3 inhibits regrowth of spinal nerve cells

A molecule that helps the body's motor nerve cells grow along proper paths during embryonic development also plays a major role in inhibiting spinal-cord neurons from regenerating after injury, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found.

11 Jul 2005

Dopamine agonist therapy for Parkinson's disease may lead to problem gambling

Eleven patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) developed pathological gambling behavior following dopamine agonist therapy, a drug therapy to control movement problems caused by Parkinson's disease, according to a study posted online which will appear in the September print issue of Archives of Neurology.

11 Jul 2005

Nearly two million Americans are treated for eye injuries per year

Because eye injuries are rarely serious enough to require hospitalization, to understand the extent of eye injuries in the U.S., inpatient and outpatient facilities, in addition to other settings, must be considered, according to background information in the article.

11 Jul 2005

Statins not associated with a reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease or other types of dementia

The use of statins and other lipid-lowering agents by older adults was not associated with a reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease or other types of dementia, according to a study in the July issue of Archives of Neurology.

11 Jul 2005

Size of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) in the brain may be associated with the ability to recover emotionally from traumatic events

A new study by researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) finds that an area called the ventromedial prefrontal cortex is thicker in volunteers who appear better able to modify their anxious response to memories of discomfort. The report will appear in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.

11 Jul 2005

Good news for curry wallahs, ingredient helps fight cancer

In good news for curry wallahs, researchers are saying that a compound that makes curry yellow could help fight skin cancer.

11 Jul 2005

Discovery of protein deficit that causes drug toxicity

Mayo Clinic researchers have discovered an inherited structural mechanism that can make drugs for some diseases toxic for some patients.

11 Jul 2005

Keap1 protein - a promising new target for drugs to fight many different kinds of cancer

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago are unraveling the biochemical mechanism by which functional foods combat cancer.

11 Jul 2005

Most people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are not depressed

Contrary to what you might think, most people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are not depressed. They are also not more likely to get depressed as the end of life approaches, and they are not more likely to be depressed if they want to die or hasten their own death.

11 Jul 2005

New understanding of degeneration of brain cells in patients with Alzheimer's, Huntington's, and Parkinson's diseases

A ground-breaking new research approach to understanding the cellular processes of Alzheimer's and other degenerative diseases has revealed a promising pathway to the development of new types of drugs for these diseases.

11 Jul 2005

Lorenzo's oil prevents onset of pediatric neurological disorder

Use of Lorenzo's Oil in young boys who have been diagnosed with but are not yet showing signs of a pediatric neurological disorder known as X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (X-ALD) may prevent the disease from developing in the body. According to a study of male children published today in the Archives of Neurology, use of the oil prevented onset of the disease in a majority of cases.

11 Jul 2005

Study compares four standard measures for heart failure treatment

UCLA investigators found large gaps and marked variation in U.S. hospitals' heart failure treatment based on adherence to four standard quality measures. The study points to the need for hospitals to establish education programs and systems to improve quality of care for this patient population.

11 Jul 2005

Obese men may not process carbohydrates as efficiently as obese women

A new study published in the July issue of CHEST, the peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), showed that severely obese men were more carbohydrate intolerant and had less physical endurance than severely obese women, leading researchers to believe that gender plays a strong role in physical fitness and a person's ability to metabolize carbohydrates.

11 Jul 2005

Researchers discover genetically controlled brain mechanism responsible for social behavior in humans

Researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) have discovered a genetically controlled brain mechanism responsible for social behavior in humans - one of the most important but least understood aspects of human nature. The findings are reported in Nature Neuroscience.

11 Jul 2005

Postpartum depression may be preventable

The key to preventing postpartum depression may be individual support provided after birth by a health professional and tailored to a mother's needs, says a University of Toronto researcher.

11 Jul 2005