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Zoonoses, diseases transmitted from animals to humans

The World Health Organization (WHO) is hosting a three-day consultation to identify the factors that allow diseases to jump from animals to humans (zoonoses), as well as to improve surveillance systems for their monitoring and control.

1 May 2004

New research could reduce risk of strokes in younger people

The study published in this month's edition of the international journal Stroke is the first to provide evidence that blood vessels elsewhere in the body, apart from the brain, in CADASIL sufferers are abnormal in over-constricting in response to the hormone Angiotensin II.

1 May 2004

Treatment for sleep apnea could save 980 lives and $11.1 billion each year

Each year, potentially 980 lives could be saved and $11.1 billion in automobile-accident costs could be avoided if drivers who suffer from a disorder called obstructive sleep apnea were successfully treated with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP).

1 May 2004

Breastfeeding helps against low weight infants and infection

A new study shows that human milk protects extremely low birth weight infants from developing sepsis -- an overwhelming infection and a leading cause of illness and death in these tiny babies.

1 May 2004

Immunization back on agenda as whooping cough increases

Immunization for pertussis, also known as whooping cough, began in the mid-1940s and resulted in a sharp decline of this serious illness over the next 25 years. Over the last two decades, however, as immunity has waned, pertussis has re-emerged in the United States, with the greatest increase seen in adolescents, adults and young infants.

1 May 2004

Time matters when treating fungal infections in newborns

A new UCLA study shows that ‘time matters’ when treating fungal infections in neonates and that earlier treatment can mean the difference between life and death.

1 May 2004

Males and females respond differently to brain injury

Researchers at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh have found that males and females respond differently to brain injury and therefore, boys with brain injuries may require different life-saving treatments than girls.

1 May 2004

$9 billion cost of depression in senior citizens

A new study reveals that depression among senior citizens carries a huge unrecognized cost: many extra hours of unpaid help with everyday activities, delivered by the depressed seniors’ spouses, adult children and friends.

1 May 2004

Protein expression of the tumor suppressing gene could play a vital role in ovarian cancer

Protein expression of the tumor suppressing gene Rb2/p130 could play a vital role in ovarian cancer, according to a study by researchers at the Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine in the Center for Biotechnology at Temple University

1 May 2004

Counseling eases the depression of people caring for a loved one with the devastating brain disease

The spouses of Alzheimer's patients often experience extraordinary psychological stress, but a new study by NYU School of Medicine researchers shows that a six-session counseling and long-term support program substantially eases the depression of people caring for a loved one with the devastating brain disease, and that the mental health benefits apparently are long lasting.

1 May 2004

Researchers profile over 6000 genes in the two primary types of normal breast cells

For several years, scientists have attempted to identify gene expression changes, using microarrays or ‘DNA chips’, in order to understand and predict breast cancer onset, progression, and clinical outcome.

1 May 2004

Adult height loss could suggest future osteoporosis problems

The loss of 2 or more inches in height during adulthood serves as a powerful predictor of osteoporosis in the hip, and thus the risk for hip fractures, in elderly women, according to a new study at The Ohio State University Medical Center. The finding has led researchers to recommend that primary care physicians routinely screen aging patients for height loss. Seth Kantor

1 May 2004

Microwave manufacturers left with egg on their faces

The girl reheated a previously boiled egg (with an intact shell) using a domestic microwave oven at full power for about 40 seconds. Around 30 seconds later, as she was carrying it to the dining area, the egg exploded with part of it hitting her right eye and face.

1 May 2004

FDA approves new drug Enbrel for psoriasis

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the biologic drug etanercept (brand name Enbrel) to treat chronic, moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in adults.

1 May 2004

HIV test after wrong woman's breast milk given to baby

An Australian hospital has been forced to test a baby for HIV, hepatitis and other infectious diseases after she was given the wrong woman's breast milk.

1 May 2004

British government urging doctors to dissuade unnecessary Caesarean births

Guidelines from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence say doctors should allow a woman to choose how she gives birth. They also say that women must be informed of the risks and benefits of different ways of having a baby.

1 May 2004

A test that examines facial weakness, arm weakness and speech disturbance allows paramedics to quickly and accurately identify stroke

A test that examines facial weakness, arm weakness and speech disturbance allows paramedics to quickly and accurately identify stroke, researchers report in today’s rapid access issue of Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.

30 Apr 2004

San Diego State University has suspended Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity for hazing

San Diego State University has suspended Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity for three years after a campus investigation determined the organization engaged in hazing during the fall 2003 semester. Four members also are undergoing disciplinary procedures and may face sanctions ranging from probation to expulsion.

30 Apr 2004

Ireland considers emergency helicopter medical service

The Irish Minister for Health and Children, Mr Micheál Martin, TD, and the Minister with responsibility for Health, Social Services and Public Safety, (Belfast) Ms Angela Smith, MP today, (30th April, 2004), announced the publication of a Feasibility Study on a Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) for the island of Ireland.

30 Apr 2004

Developing smart drugs

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Researchers, sensing an opening in the cancer battle, are mounting a quick thrust to flush out suspected molecular cancer triggers in tumor cells.

30 Apr 2004