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Scientists dramatically slow organ transplant rejection

That's the promising implication of an animal study carried out by researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and the University of Florida (UF) published in today's (May 2) issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

3 May 2005

Babies show effects of mothers stress from 9/11 trauma

Pregnant women present during the September 11 World Trade Center collapse have passed on markers of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) to their unborn babies through transgenerational transmission. The findings strengthen the evidence for in utero or early life risk factors for the later development of adult mental or physical disorders.

3 May 2005

College freshies show weaker immune responses

Being a college freshie may have more ramifications than being lonely and missing Mum's cooking, according to a new study at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh which shows that first-year students had a weaker immune response to the flu shot than did other students, and confirms suspicions that going to college challenges both mind and body.

2 May 2005

When it comes to low fat diets - all are not equal!

New research from the Stanford University School of Medicine re-enforces what Mum always told you, eat those veggies and those other nutrient-dense foods because they're good for you!

2 May 2005

Vitamin C may help unborn of mothers who smoke

Thousands of babies born to mothers who continue to smoke throughout pregnancy despite physician warnings may benefit from new research which suggests that high doses of vitamin C may have the potential to counteract some negative impacts of smoking in unborn babies.

2 May 2005

Obesity no longer the domain of the poor

The perception that poor people are more likely to be fat is rapidly being disputed as figures now indicate that obesity is growing at a much faster rate in those with the highest incomes.

2 May 2005

Kids are safer strapped in the back seat of the car

In a new study emphasis has been placed on where children should be seated in a car and though it may seem common-sense or a case of stating the blindingly obvious, the report is a reminder to parents to consciously recognise that children are safer in car crashes when they sit in the back seat and are less likely to be injured when safety seats and seat belts are used.

2 May 2005

Intriguing new data on the spread of the Lyme disease bacteria through the blood stream

The ability to find the Lyme spirochete--the tick-borne agent responsible--in the blood is itself an achievement because existing methods of culturing blood were not sensitive enough to detect its presence until College researchers developed a new technique, which they used in the study.

2 May 2005

Self-expanding metal tubes or stents are a safe and effective treatment for obstructive jaundice

One key goal of treating pancreatic cancer, which is often fatal within a year, is making sure patients have a good quality of life with as few complications as possible. This is especially important if they are candidates for surgical removal of the cancer.

2 May 2005

Food fried in vegetable oil contains a highly toxic compound - HNE (4-hydroxy-trans-2-nonenal)

University of Minnesota researchers A. Saari Csallany, a professor of food chemistry and nutritional biochemistry, and graduate student Christine Seppanen have shown that when highly unsaturated vegetable oils are heated at frying temperature (365 F) for extended periods--or even for half an hour--a highly toxic compound, HNE (4-hydroxy-trans-2-nonenal) forms in the oil.

2 May 2005

Milk thistle not proven effective in lowering mortality in alcoholic or hepatitis B or C liver disease

While some studies found that liver-related mortality may be significantly reduced in patients treated with milk thistle, these findings were not duplicated in the higher quality clinical trials.

2 May 2005

Alarms better than medication for stopping bedwetting

Alarms that buzz, ring or light up when a child wets the bed are more effective at stopping bedwetting than medications like the drug commonly used to prevent urination, according to a new review of recent studies.

2 May 2005

Toronto hospitals implement new ethics strategy

Health care ethics gained the limelight during the recent battle over Terry Schiavo's fate, but ethical decision-making is already a growing part of the corporate culture at a number of Toronto hospitals, thanks to a "hub and spokes" strategy pioneered by the University of Toronto's Joint Centre for Bioethics.

2 May 2005

Promising results from study of Pirfenidone in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) patients

InterMune today announced that the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine (AJRCCM) published results from a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled Phase II trial evaluating pirfenidone for the treatment of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).

2 May 2005

A grandparent at home buffers the drawbacks of single-parenthood

Many studies have shown that children living in a single-parent family tend to do worse academically and receive less intellectual stimulation than children living with married parents. Having a grandparent in the home, however, appears to buffer some of these negative effects, according to a new Cornell University study.

2 May 2005

Glaucoma therapy patients often do not comply with their doctor’s prescribed medicine regimen

A study that appears in the May edition of Ophthalmology, the clinical journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, shows that as many as 47 percent of patients receiving glaucoma therapy do not comply with their doctor’s prescribed medicine regimen. This is in startling contrast to the 90 percent of doctors who believe that their patients are following the prescribed treatment.

2 May 2005

Majority of women still prefer the bronzed look over their natural skin tone

Skin care products and cosmetic therapies that promise to erase the telltale signs of sun damage are everywhere. Ironically, women who seek these treatments to improve the appearance of their skin could have avoided their fate by avoiding excessive sun exposure in the first place.

2 May 2005

Teenagers sunbake despite skin cancer knowledge

A teenager’s world is paved with warning signs. Whether the signs urge teens to avoid drinking, smoking or even tanning, the message is the same – sooner or later, the consequences of their actions will catch up with them. When it comes to tanning, teenagers know that tanning can cause skin cancer but choose to tan to “look good” anyway, according to a new survey by the American Academy of Dermatology.

2 May 2005

Increasing exposure to either natural or artificial ultraviolet (UV) light should not be recommended as a supplemental source of vitamin D

Based on data reviewed by a consensus conference convened by the American Academy of Dermatology Association to examine the relationship between sunlight, tanning booths and vitamin D, renowned medical experts agreed that increasing exposure to either natural or artificial ultraviolet (UV) light should not be recommended as a supplemental source of vitamin D.

2 May 2005

Why stem cells divide and develop less vigorously as we age

A comprehensive study from Canada’s Robarts Research Institute has pinpointed two genes that shed significant light on why stem cells divide and develop less vigorously as we age.

2 May 2005