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Acne drug not linked to increased suicide risk

A recent study has found that the popular acne-fighting drug Accutane, which has been linked to birth defects, did not cause depression in a group of adolescents.

16 May 2005

Extract of the kudzu vine may help heavy drinkers drink less

An extract of the kudzu vine may help heavy drinkers drink less, according to a new study in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.

16 May 2005

Remicade shows promise in treating ulcerative colitis

Results from two Phase III, placebo-controlled clinical trials found that approximately two-thirds of patients with moderate to severe, active ulcerative colitis (UC) treated with Remicade (infliximab, 5mg/kg) demonstrated a significant improvement in symptoms.

16 May 2005

New study demonstrates high rates of tumor death in patients receiving regimen

A new pilot study suggests that treating soft-tissue sarcoma with a new regimen of intense chemotherapy and a short course of radiation before surgery may be beneficial. About 41 percent of study participants were found to have complete tumor death at the time of surgery.

16 May 2005

Bevacizumab (Avastin) combined with low-dose chemotherapy slows ovarian cancer

A targeted cancer drug given with low-dose chemotherapy shrank ovarian tumors and slowed progression of ovarian cancer in patients with recurrent disease, according to research findings presented by Agustin Garcia, M.D., principal investigator of the study and Director of Breast Cancer Research at the Women's Cancer Research Institute at the Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

16 May 2005

More health benefits from green tea

Green tea appears to protect against cancer by affecting a "promiscuous" protein that pharmaceutical experts are already targeting in an effort to develop a new drug to stop the disease, scientists at the University of Rochester Medical Center have found.

16 May 2005

Emerging evidence supports early detection, monitoring, and in some cases treatment for children suffering from high blood pressure

One year after recommending that children should be checked for high blood pressure starting at age 3, medical experts reviewed additional supporting evidence for the pediatric blood pressure guidelines at the American Society of Hypertension's Twentieth Annual Meeting (ASH 2005).

16 May 2005

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) has a beneficial impact on cardiovascular health in hypertensive postmenopausal women

Oral Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) seems to have a beneficial impact on cardiovascular health in hypertensive postmenopausal women, researchers reported at the American Society of Hypertension Twentieth Annual Meeting held in San Francisco.

16 May 2005

Exaggerated blood pressure reaction to mental stress predicts cardiovascular risk

When mental stress sparks a significant rise in blood pressure, it may be a sign of other existing cardiovascular risk factors, researchers reported today at the American Society of Hypertension’s Twentieth Annual Scientific Meeting.

16 May 2005

Physical fitness and regular exercise reduces a major predictor of cardiovascular disease

Physical fitness and regular exercise reduces a major predictor of cardiovascular disease in adults with normal blood pressure or mild hypertension. Physical conditioning in the absence of medication is not, however, as advantageous to the more severe hypertensive patient, reported researchers at the American Society of Hypertension Twentieth Annual Scientific Meeting.

16 May 2005

Hour of day and time of year has significant impact on blood pressure levels

The odds of measuring an elevated blood pressure can vary by as much as 40 percent depending on the time of day and time of year, according to researchers from the Center for Health Research and Rural Advocacy at Geisinger Health System in Pennsylvania. They recommend that clinicians anticipate changes in blood pressure due to these temporal factors when diagnosing and considering treatment options for their patients.

16 May 2005

Experts redefine hypertension

Leading US hypertension experts unveiled a new definition of hypertension at the American Society of Hypertension Inc. (ASH) Twentieth Annual Scientific Meeting.

16 May 2005

Erectile dysfunction, high blood pressure linked

Men with high blood pressure have a new reason to get their condition under control – they may be at risk for erectile dysfunction, medical experts announced at the American Society of Hypertension’s Twentieth Annual Scientific Meeting.

16 May 2005

The American College of Surgeons publishes manual on surgical patient safety

The American College of Surgeons (ACS) has announced the publication of its new manual Surgical Patient Safety: Essential Information for Surgeons in Today's Environment. Edited by Barry M. Manuel, MD, FACS, and Paul F. Nora, MD, FACS, the manual is intended to provide guidance and leadership in evolving areas of patient safety in the surgical profession.

16 May 2005

Fitness and strength decline during pregnancy, but recover in approximately six months

Fitness and strength decline during pregnancy and the early postpartum period, but improve by approximately 27 weeks postpartum regardless of the mother’s body mass index (BMI), according to research in the May issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, the official journal of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM).

16 May 2005

Bill Gates calls on world leaders to seize opportunity to improve health

In a major address today to international health officials, Bill Gates said the world now has a "historic chance" to achieve dramatic improvements in health, and called on governments, the scientific community, and the private sector to more aggressively fight the diseases that affect hundreds of millions of the world's poorest people each year.

16 May 2005

Disabling gene defuses rheumatoid arthritis in mice

Scientists studying mice have identified a gene that allows immune cells known as neutrophils to protect themselves from the inflammatory chemicals they secrete.

16 May 2005

Changes in certain brain receptors can affect seizures and anxiety during the menstrual cycle

A new UCLA study shows that changes in certain brain receptors can affect seizures and anxiety during the menstrual cycle--findings that could lead to novel therapies for premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD, formerly known as PMS) and other central nervous system symptoms associated with the menstrual cycle.

16 May 2005

Significant non-coronary findings found during heart CT scans point to importance of trained radiologists

A significant percentage of patients undergoing targeted CT of the heart have abnormalities outside the coronary arteries, some of which could be life threatening, and as a result need the experience of trained radiologists to interpret them, say researchers from the University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center in Ann Arbor.

16 May 2005

Use of CT angiograms (CTAs) may be too high

The number of CT angiograms (CTAs) has gone up substantially, but the number of pulmonary emboli found has not, leading some researchers to question the utilization of this procedure.

16 May 2005