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Over-the-counter DHEA hormonal therapy may be an effective treatment for depression

The over-the-counter hormonal therapy known as DHEA may be an effective treatment of midlife-onset minor and major depression, according to a study in the February issue of The Archives of General Psychiatry. DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone), an adrenal androgen and neurosteroid is available as a supplement in the U.S.

7 Feb 2005

HIV-infected parents peport limiting physical contact with their children

Over one-fourth of HIV-infected parents reported avoiding certain physical interactions, like hugging or kissing, with their children due to a fear of transmitting the disease or of contracting an infection from them, according to an article in the February issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

7 Feb 2005

Parents comfortable with vaccination for STIs for their children

Parents are generally accepting of the hypothetical scenario of vaccinating their adolescent children against infection, whether the infection is sexually transmitted or not, according to a study in the February issue of The Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.

7 Feb 2005

Parents happy to be informed about their child requesting prescribed contraceptives

Most parents surveyed felt laws requiring parental notification of minors requesting prescribed contraceptives were a good idea, while almost half viewed a minor’s right to obtain contraceptives without parental consent as a good idea, according to an article in the February issue of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

7 Feb 2005

Smoke free laws protect health and save lives worldwide

In a report out today (8 February 2005) from the BMA's Tobacco Control Resource Centre (TCRC), doctors' leaders from eight countries, including Scotland, describe the success of anti-smoking legislation.

7 Feb 2005

New brochure helps explain treatment for gynecologic cancers

The American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology has published a new patient information brochure Radiation Therapy for Gynecologic Cancers: Facts to Help People Understand Their Treatment Options to help educate patients and their families about the treatments available for gynecologic cancers.

7 Feb 2005

Clues to autism's neural basis

In a study that broadens our understanding of the neural basis of social interactions, researchers at Harvard Medical School and the University of Montreal have shown that individuals with autism display abnormal patterns of activity in brain circuits that underlie the understanding of other people's behavior.

7 Feb 2005

Origins of skin cancer melanoma

Researchers at Children's Hospital Boston and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have found an important clue about the origins of the deadly skin cancer melanoma.

7 Feb 2005

People with gum disease are more likely to suffer from atherosclerosis

A new study by researchers at Columbia University Medical Center provides the most direct evidence to date that preventing gum disease could significantly improve your chances of avoiding vascular problems.

7 Feb 2005

Marijuana changes blood flow in the brain

People who smoked marijuana had changes in the blood flow in their brains even after a month of not smoking, according to a study published in the February 8 issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

7 Feb 2005

Special distinction for the Pan American Journal of Public Health

The Publications Program of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has announced that the prestigious Institute of Scientific Information (ISI) has selected The Pan American Journal of Public Health for inclusion in its Social Science Citation Index and Current Contents/Social and Behavioral Sciences.

7 Feb 2005

Sexual behaviour study of Nepalese trekking guides

Researchers in Aberdeen have begun a study into the sexual behaviour of trekking guides in one of the world’s fastest growing adventure destinations.

7 Feb 2005

Special imaging study shows failing hearts are energy starved

Using magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) for the first time to examine energy production biochemistry in a beating human heart, Johns Hopkins researchers have found substantial energy deficits in failing hearts.

7 Feb 2005

Eye thermal radiation can indicate a disease even before clinical signs appear

The eyes are not only a mirror of a soul, but also a medical record. Their thermal radiation can indicate a disease even before clinical signs appear. Investigations in this area conducted by Russian scientists have been supported by the research program of the Russian Academy of Sciences called “Abstract Sciences for Medicine”.

7 Feb 2005

High-fiber cereal can help keep diabetes, heart disease, and stroke at bay

A healthy breakfast that includes high-fiber cereal can help you lose weight and keep diabetes, heart disease, and stroke at bay — especially when the menu also includes nonfat milk and fruit.

7 Feb 2005

People with autism may perform unusually well on some tests of visual processing

The researchers found that autistic people were less likely than others to have false memories about images they had seen earlier. The researchers had previously demonstrated this kind of effect with verbal material, but not with visual material.

7 Feb 2005

New way to assess the potentially damaging effects of prenatal drug exposure

Scientists have demonstrated a new way to assess the potentially damaging effects of prenatal drug exposure--a technique that could also be used to monitor a fetus's response to therapeutic drugs--using sophisticated, noninvasive medical imaging tools.

7 Feb 2005

A new procedure that could save millions of dollars annually in medical costs

The procedure removed growths from the airway of a patient using new technology that allows the surgery to be done in the doctor's office with the patient completely awake, and the patient to go home immediately afterward.

7 Feb 2005

Prions, previously thought to accumulate mainly in the brain can also infect other organs

Prions, infectious proteins associated with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) or Mad Cow Disease, were previously thought to accumulate mainly in the brain, but Yale and University of Zurich researchers report in Science that other organs can also become infected.

7 Feb 2005

Varicella vaccine is almost 90 percent effective against chickenpox

The varicella vaccine is almost 90 percent effective against chickenpox, but its impact on herpes zoster (shingles) is unknown and needs wider surveillance, Yale School of Medicine researchers write in today's New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) perspective section.

7 Feb 2005