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Study gives U.S.a 'C' grade for reproductive health

In a comprehensive study released today by Population Action International (PAI) - an independent policy and research organization based in Washington, D.C. - the United States ranks 16th and receives a "C" on a list of 21 donor countries graded according to their financial and political support for international reproductive health and population programs.

2 Dec 2004

Obesity disproportionately burdens low-income, ethnic minority populations

Obesity is likely to affect individuals in low-income areas where fresh fruits and vegetables may not be as plentiful, according to a new University of Houston study.

2 Dec 2004

Red meat consumption is an independent risk factor in the development of inflammatory arthritis

A chronic inflammatory disease of the immune system, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has been linked to a combination of genetic and environmental factors.

2 Dec 2004

Benefits of weight loss may depend on alignment of affected leg, study suggests

A painful and sometimes crippling disease characterized by progressive cartilage loss, osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee affects an estimated 6 percent of adults over age 30.

2 Dec 2004

3D MDCT accurate for imaging liver arteries

3D MDCT angiography is a more efficient way to classify liver arterial anatomy before liver surgery, according to researchers from Duke University in Durham, NC.

2 Dec 2004

Tofu-based biomaterial that can help mend broken bones

A new Tofu-based biomaterial that can help mend broken bones and damaged tissues is being developed thanks to an investment of £149,000 from NESTA (the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts), the organization that champions UK creativity and innovation.

2 Dec 2004

New devices for people who suffer dry mouth or lack of saliva

For dry mouth sufferers Saliwell’s innovative patented devices brings welcome relief by restoring natural saliva production through electro-stimulation.

2 Dec 2004

Smoking habits during pregnancy may cause genetic instability in the foetus

The Spanish Pediatrics Association has recently awarded the Pediatrics laboratory at the University of Navarre for a research into tobacco and foetal genetic instability.

2 Dec 2004

Rates of HIV/AIDS diagnoses steady in the U.S

Rates of HIV/AIDS diagnoses in the United States stayed steady for the years 2000-2003, but sharp racial disparities remain, according to an analysis of data from 32 states, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced today.

1 Dec 2004

Student nurses need better understanding of people living in poverty

Nursing students need a broader understanding of how social conditions influence the health of people living in poverty if they are to provide sensitive care, and more importantly, work toward community and policy solutions to poverty, says a new study done in part by the University of Alberta.

1 Dec 2004

Cancer Research Technology grants AstraZeneca an exclusive license to a key patent

Cancer Research Technology Limited has announced that AstraZeneca has licensed exclusive worldwide rights to a patent family relating to a nuclear receptor/co-activator binding motif.

1 Dec 2004

UK is well on the way to having the best healthcare system in the world

The UK is well on the way to having the best healthcare system in the world, surpassing that of the US, says leading health strategist, Dr Donald Berwick of the US Institute of Healthcare Improvement.

1 Dec 2004

Small social circles tied to heart disease death in women

Women with suspected coronary artery disease and smaller social networks die at twice the rate of those who have a larger circle of social contacts, according to a new study.

1 Dec 2004

African Americans more likely to carry genetic variants known to stimulate inflammatory response

Specific variants in genes that encode proteins regulating inflammation may hold a key to explaining a host of disease processes known to cause increased risk of illness and death among African Americans, according to a study from the University of Pittsburgh's Graduate School of Public Health (GSPH).

1 Dec 2004

Frequent cannabis use increases the risk of psychotic symptoms

Frequent cannabis use during adolescence and young adulthood increases the risk of psychotic symptoms later in life, according to a new study published on bmj.com.

1 Dec 2004

Drinking water could help people suffering from low blood pressure who faint while standing

Ordinary tap or bottled water could help people suffering from low blood pressure who faint while standing, claim researchers from Imperial College London and St Mary's Hospital.

1 Dec 2004

Higher incidence of rejection following early steroid withdrawal

A new study on early steroid withdrawal following liver transplantation found that there was a higher incidence of rejection and a lower incidence of glucose intolerance necessitating treatment for diabetes.

1 Dec 2004

Peripheral neuropathy in a patient with alcoholic cirrhosis is reversible

Organ damage that goes beyond the liver due to alcoholism is often seen as a barrier to liver transplantation, despite a lack of data on how a transplant affects these complications.

1 Dec 2004

Toxic proteins explain memory loss in Alzheimer's patients

Researchers at Northwestern University have discovered a molecular mechanism -- a tiny protein attacking nerve cells -- that could explain why the brain damage in early Alzheimer's disease results in memory loss and not other symptoms such as loss of balance or tremors.

1 Dec 2004

Call for new focus on women and HIV in Latin America and the Caribbean

Women represent the fastest growing segment of the population living with HIV in Latin America and the Caribbean, and new efforts are urgently needed to halt the spread of the epidemic in the female population, representatives of ten United Nations agencies said today.

1 Dec 2004