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Portable device to check for concussions

A player just took a hard knock to the head and is lying on the field. A coach rushes to his side, but the player sits up and seems fine.

27 Apr 2005

New breast cancer drug combo could save thousands of lives

New hope has been given to thousands of women living in dread of the return of an aggressive form of breast cancer.

26 Apr 2005

Drug adverts are a haphazard approach to health promotion

As California State Assembly Bill 95 (Koretz, D-West Hollywood), designed to reign in drug marketing costs in California by requiring manufacturers of drugs for life-threatening chronic conditions to pay the state a rebate equal to the drug marketing cost, moves to the Assembly Appropriations Committee, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) -- cites a study and accompanying editorial published today in the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) that demonstrates the influence that Direct to Consumer Advertising (DTCA) has on physicians' prescribing decisions.

26 Apr 2005

Quintuplets born to surrogate mother

In what is believed to be a world first, a surrogate mother has given birth to quintuplets.

26 Apr 2005

Legionnaire's disease confirmed at New York hospital

A New York hospital has confirmed that an autopsy on one of the patients who died while being treated for suspected Legionnaire's disease did have the disease. The New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center say they are taking the matter very seriously and are implementing all necessary measures to insure the safety of patients.

26 Apr 2005

The power of advertising means you may get medications you don't need

A study published this month confirms what has often been suspected, that prescription drug advertising not only persuades patients to ask for certain medications but also has a profound influence on what doctors prescribe.

26 Apr 2005

Breast cancer screening situation will get worse

According to a recently published study, community-based mammography facilities do not have enough radiologists and certified technologists to adequately deliver screening and diagnostic services to the public, and the situation will probably get worse.

26 Apr 2005

Moderate alcohol consumption enhances the formation of new nerve cells

Moderate alcohol consumption over a relatively long period of time can enhance the formation of new nerve cells in the adult brain. The new cells could prove important in the development of alcohol dependency and other long-term effects of alcohol on the brain. The findings are published by Karolinska Institutet.

26 Apr 2005

Guidelines for research involving human embryonic stem cells

The National Academies today recommended guidelines for research involving human embryonic stem cells, and urged all institutions conducting such research to establish oversight committees to ensure that the new guidelines will be followed.

26 Apr 2005

HIV epidemic among young men unabated because many are unaware they are infected

U.S. health officials say many young gay and bisexual men who are HIV-positive are unaware they have the virus.

26 Apr 2005

Herceptin in combination with chemotherapy reduces risk of breast cancer recurrence in women with with early-stage breast cancer

Results from two clinical trials show that patients with early-stage breast cancer who received trastuzumab (Herceptin) in combination with chemotherapy had a 52 percent decrease in risk for breast cancer recurrence, compared with patients who received the same chemotherapy without the drug. The difference is statistically highly significant.

26 Apr 2005

Abnormal liver tests in a Mediterranean population

recent population-based study in a small town in Southern Italy found that one in eight residents had abnormal liver tests.

26 Apr 2005

Australian researchers develop West Nile virus treatment

A University of Queensland researcher has developed the world's first specific immunotherapy product using monoclonal antibodies for the potentially lethal West Nile virus, which causes seasonal epidemics around the globe.

26 Apr 2005

Robotic arm will help stroke survivors

A robotic arm that can be worn at home is being developed to help stroke survivors regain the ability to reach and grasp objects and perform basic tasks such as feed themselves.

26 Apr 2005

Search for new multiple sclerosis drug

UT Southwestern Medical Center is the lead research site testing a new treatment for a rare form of multiple sclerosis. Called "primary progressive," this type of MS affects about 15 percent of patients with the neurodegenerative disease.

26 Apr 2005

Physical activity appears to inhibit Alzheimer's

Physical activity appears to inhibit Alzheimer's-like brain changes in mice, slowing the development of a key feature of the disease, according to a new study.

26 Apr 2005

Direct-to-consumer advertising may influence physicians' prescribing decisions

Patients requesting specific medications can have a profound effect on physicians prescribing medications for major depression, according to a new study in the April 27 issue of JAMA.

26 Apr 2005

Revised Bethesda guidelines effective at identifying patients at risk of colorectal cancer

The revised Bethesda guidelines, used for screening patients for a type of hereditary colorectal cancer, are effective for determining which patients should undergo further genetic testing, according to a study in the April 27 issue of JAMA.

26 Apr 2005

Hereditary colorectal cancer risk lowered in those without certain gene defect

Families with a certain type of hereditary colorectal cancer have a reduced cancer risk if they do not have a gene defect found in many with this type of cancer risk, according to a study in the April 27 issue of JAMA.

26 Apr 2005

Pulsating ultrasound enhances gene therapy for tumors

High-intensity focused ultrasound emitted in short pulses is a promising, non-invasive procedure for enhancing gene delivery to cancerous cells without destroying healthy tissue, according to a study in the May issue of the journal Radiology.

26 Apr 2005