Health & Medicine Week back issues from December 2003:
Immune memory from vaccination lasts more than 50 years.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Immune memory after smallpox vaccination persists for at least 50 years in immunized people, according to research conducted by scientists at the Emory Vaccine Center and Emory University School of Medicine. This is good news, since the ...
"Type A" parents may be creating hostility in children.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Not all "Type A" families are alike, but unhappy ones with Type A children are more likely to produce kids who grow up to be hostile, said a long-term study of 1004 children in Finland. Psychologists Liisa Keltikangas-Jarvinen and Kati ...
College kids underestimate alcohol consumption.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- College students tend to super-size the alcohol in drinks that they pour themselves, making it likely that they are drinking more than they know, according to a new study. Compared to the standard size of a drink defined by a national ...
Survey shows significant gap between patient education and action.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A nationwide survey suggests that American adults are overly optimistic about their risk of heart disease and give themselves an inflated "report card" for their current personal risk profile and prevention efforts. A Harris Interactive ...
Condition in elderly patients uses significant healthcare resources.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- In the first such analysis of the costs of heart failure, Duke University Medical Center researchers have found that elderly patients with the debilitating heart disorder have healthcare expenditures up to three times higher than similar patients ...
Nicotine, or a similar substance, may improve memory.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Scientists continue to explore the remarkable protective effect of nicotine - the addictive chemical in tobacco - on the brain. One recent study has found that one of nicotine's metabolites, cotinine, may improve memory and protect brain cells from ...
Blood marker for diagnosis shows early promise.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Preliminary results of a new study suggest that a blood test could be used in the future to identify people with mesothelioma - the usually deadly malignant tumor of mesothelial tissue surrounding the lungs, often caused by exposure to asbestos. ...
Tumor growth follows same curve as animal growth.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A universal law that describes the growth of animals also seems to describe the growth of tumors. Though the work is only in its early stages, researchers are already using it to explore the way cancers invade healthy tissue. As an ...
Repetitive work tasks linked to bone damage.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- While experts disagree on whether work tasks alone can be the exact cause of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD) such as carpal tunnel syndrome, a new study by researchers at Temple University proves that a highly repetitive work task, a ...
Company works to amend its non-approvable New Drug Application.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Noven Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (NOVN) provided an update on the status of MethyPatch, its developmental methylphenidate transdermal system for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. MethyPatch is licensed to Shire Pharmaceuticals Group ...
Bisexuality, abuse, drugs behind AIDS spread among South's rural blacks.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Health officials have struggled for years to understand why blacks across the rural South are contracting AIDS at a faster rate than whites. A research scientist at the University of Alabama has come up with an explanation, based on ...
China can use lessons from anti-SARS battle to take on AIDS, U.N. expert says.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The lessons China learned in beating back SARS earlier this year can help it fight its AIDS epidemic - as long as the central government keeps providing quick and honest information, the head of the U.N. AIDS agency says. The comments ...
Acquired factor VIII inhibitor-related can occur with myelodysplastic disorder.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Acquired factor VIII inhibitor can occur with myelodysplastic disorder, hemorrhage; therapy was able to resolve it. According to published research from England, "we report a 71 yr old man who presented with severe subcutaneous, and ...
V.A.C. maker reports net revenue of $198.0 million for the third quarter.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Kinetic Concepts, Inc., (KCI) reported net revenue of $198.0 million for the third quarter of 2003, an increase of 31% over the third quarter of 2002. For the first 9 months of 2003, net revenue was $547.9 million, up 32% from the first ...
Farnesyltransferase inhibitors in AML and myelodysplastic syndromes.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Farnesyltransferase inhibitors in AML and myelodysplastic syndromes. According to a study from the United States, "Farnesyltransferase inhibitors were initially developed as Ras inhibitors as they inhibit the prenylation necessary for Ras ...
Drug proved to benefit heart attack victims vastly underused.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- After analyzing data of more than 56,000 U.S. patients who arrive at emergency rooms with heart attack symptoms, researchers from a Duke University Medical Center-led patient registry have found that almost two out of three patients did not receive ...
Newer formulation of heparin improves outcomes for suspected MI patients.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A newer, more convenient formulation of the blood thinner heparin appears to improve outcomes with fewer complications - when combined with a platelet receptor blocking drug and invasive management - for patients who come to emergency rooms with a ...
Women and men differ in heart disease traits and treatment.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A new study shows just how different men and women really are - when it comes to their hearts, that is. It also helps solve several mysteries about women and heart problems, and highlights the need for better treatment of the No. 1 killer of women ....
High-dose methadone linked to QT prolongation and Torsades de Pointes in HIV patients.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- High-dose methadone therapy may cause QT prolongation and Torsades de Pointes in HIV patients. According to published research from Spain, "Four patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus receiving antiretroviral treatment and ...
Methadone users need access to orthotopic liver transplantations.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Methadone users need access to orthotopic liver transplantations. According to a study from the United States, "cirrhosis resulting from hepatitis C virus is presently the most common indication for liver transplantation (OLT) in the ...
Patients with alcoholic etiologies fare worse in a study of steatohepatitis.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Patients with alcoholic etiologies fare worse in a study of steatohepatitis. "A previous publication analyzed the clinicopathological characteristics of 105 patients with steatohepatitis: 32 nonalcoholic, 21 ambulatory alcoholics, and 52 ...
Growth hormone therapy may kill; monocytes produce IL-1alpha, IL-6, TNFalpha.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Septic shock, uncontrolled infection, and death of adults given growth hormone while ill may be due to its effect on LPS-activated PBMC: It makes them produce increased IL-1alpha, IL-6, TNFalpha. "Growth hormone (GH) has been used as ...
Eprex induces reversible antierythropoietin antibodies and red cell aplasia.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Eprex induces reversible antierythropoietin antibodies and red cell aplasia. "We describe a patient with end-stage renal failure (ESRF) who developed anti-erythropoietin (anti-EPO) antibodies and pure red cell aplasia (PRCA) after using ...
Domestic animals may be bioterrorism targets; broad health, economic damage possible.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Domestic animals may be bioterrorism targets; broad health, economic damage possible. According to a study from France, "after a brief historical introduction, the authors describe a list of pathogens likely to be used by bioterrorists ...
Particulate air pollution and on quality-adjusted life expectancy in Canada.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Particulate air pollution and on quality-adjusted life expectancy in Canada. According to a study from Canada, "Air pollution and premature death are important public health concerns. Analyses have repeatedly demonstrated that airborne particles ...
Induced sputum can be used in PCR to assay for cytokines in airway inflammation.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Induced sputum having few cells can be used to assay for cytokines by PCR, to monitor airway inflammation noninvasively. According to recent research from France, "sputum examination is being increasingly used as a noninvasive method for ...
Alexander disease with glial fibrillary acidic protein mutation reported.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Investigators report a case of adult-onset Alexander disease with a Arg416Trp human glial fibrillary acidic protein gene mutation. According to recent research published in the journal Neuroscience Letters, "Heterozygous point mutations ...
Study reveals dramatic rise in allergic diseases.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Dramatic increases in hospital admissions for allergic diseases have occurred in England over the last decade, finds a new study. Researchers in London used national hospital discharge statistics from 1990-91 to 2000-01 to identify ...
FDA approval granted for loratadine.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Andrx Corporation (ADRX) announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the marketing of its Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for its loratadine orally disintegrating tablets 10mg, which are bioequivalent to Schering ...
Alzhemed open-label phase II extension study demonstrates cognitive benefits.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Neurochem, Inc., (NRM) announced positive results on cognitive function as measured by ADAS-cog of patients suffering from mild-to-moderate Alzheimer Disease (AD) in an open-label phase II extension study. Neurochem is reporting on the ...
Beta-AP1-40 and beta-AP40-1 possess different selectivities to oxidation.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Neurotoxic beta-AP1-40 and non-toxic beta-AP40-1 possess remarkably different selectivities toward Cu(II)-catalyzed oxidation of beta-amyloid peptide. According to a study from the United States, "We investigated the Cu-II-catalyzed ...
Data reported on monthly injectable sustained-release formulation of ZT-1.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- At the 4th Neurobiology of Aging Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana, Debiopharm S.A. (Debiopharm) presented the results of an in vivo evaluation in rats of an injectable once-monthly sustained-release formulation of ZT-1. This is the ...
E2-25K/Hip-2 plays essential role in mediating amyloid-beta neurotoxicity.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- E2-25K/Hip-2 palys an essential role in mediating amyloid-beta neurotoxicity. "The ubiquitin/proteasome system has been proposed to play an important role in Alzheimer disease (AD) pathogenesis. However, the critical factors modulating ...
Herpes research uncovers possible clue to AD.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers at Brown University and the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, have found a physical connection between the herpes simplex virus and amyloid precursor protein, a protein that breaks down to form a major ...
Imaging damaged brain cells in living mice provides clues to dementia.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Using recently developed techniques for imaging individual cells in living animals, a team led by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has watched as Alzheimer-like brain plaques damage mouse brain cells. ...
Neprilysin inhibition raises amyloid beta levels in rabbit cortex.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Thiorphan-induced neprilysin inhibition raised amyloid beta levels in rabbit cortex and cerebrospinal fluid. "Studies on the pathogenesis of Alzheimer disease (AD) suggest overproduction of amyloid beta (A-beta) may not be the only ...
New vaccine tested in animals may hold hope for patients.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- In new research, scientists show that two dramatically different approaches may be effective in treating or preventing Alzheimer disease. One approach involves development of a vaccine that clears deposits of a sticky substance called ...
Pravastatin does not decrease amyloid-beta in humans.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Pravastatin at 10 mg/day does not decrease plasma levels of either amyloid-beta (A-beta) 40 or A-beta 42 in humans. "It has been assumed that statins work as a preventative drug for Alzheimer disease (AD). Although some epidemiological ...
Researchers find role RNA plays in progress of AD.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers at Ohio State University have found new clues to how free radicals can contribute to the development of Alzheimer disease. The study found that oxidation - a type of damage to cells caused by free radicals - can damage ...
Three disease compounds acquired from Sankyo.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- BTG (BGC) has acquired the intellectual property rights to a portfolio of preclinical compounds designed to treat Alzheimer disease, from Sankyo Co., Ltd., Japan. The portfolio encompasses three different therapeutic approaches to the ...
Patients' concerns reviewed.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A four-part series reviewing issues and developments in anesthesia has been published by scientists in England. The first article reviews patients' concerns about anesthesia. David Royston and Felicia Cox from the Harefield Hospital, ...
Diabetics have worsening symptoms prior to acute cardiac event.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- New data presented by Emory researchers at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions abstract poster sessions address angina-related quality of life in diabetic and nondiabetic patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention ...
Protein S deficiency presents as deep vein thrombosis.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers report a case of protein S deficiency presenting as deep vein thrombosis. "A rare case of spontaneous bilateral internal jugular vein (IJV) thrombosis is presented in absence of oral infection, malignancy, or intervention ....
CREST study finds cilostazol reduces restenosis by almost 40%.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A new and highly effective weapon in the war on heart disease could be on the horizon, according to results of the "Cilostazol for RESTenosis" (CREST) study presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions in Orlando, Florida. ...
Michigan project cuts problems and deaths.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Angioplasty patients in Michigan are getting far better care - and suffering far fewer complications - than they used to, thanks to a cooperative quality improvement project involving local hospitals and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. ...
Role of adipocytokines in anorexia nervosa reviewed.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers review the role of the two adipocytokines, leptin and adiponectin, in anorexia nervosa in a recent issue of Hormone and Metabolic Research. "Adipose tissue secretes a large number of physiologically active peptides that often ...
Anthrax-laden USPS facility successfully fumigated.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Sabre Technical Services, LLC, has successfully fumigated the anthrax-contaminated USPS facility in Hamilton, New Jersey, with gas-phase chlorine dioxide. Sabre was selected to perform the fumigation and other services after its success ...
Adenosine receptors regulate oxidative stress in rat pheochromocytoma cells.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Adenosine A[subscript]2A receptors regulate oxidative stress formation in rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cells during serum deprivation. According to published research from Taiwan, "Activation of A[subscript]2A adenosine receptors ...
Improved diagnosis of fungal infections no longer requires preventive therapy.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Improved diagnosis of fungal infections no longer requires preventive therapy. According to recent research published in the journal Annals of Hematology, "invasive fungal infections are a primary cause of morbidity and mortality in ...
Bis-eugenol protects against inflammatory cytokine expression in macrophages.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Bis-eugenol, a eugenol ortho dimer, exerted a protective effect on lipopolysaccharide-stimulated nuclear factor kappa B activation and inflammatory cytokine expression in macrophages. According to a study from Japan, "Eugenol exhibits ...
Human beta-defensin 3 possesses antibacterial activity against oral bacteria.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Human beta-defensin 3 possessed antibacterial activity against oral bacteria. "The in vitro activities of human beta-defensin 3 (hBD-3) alone or combined with lysozyme, metronidazole, amoxicillin, and chlorhexidine were investigated with ...
Peptides effective against Listeria monocytogenes listed.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers have listed the antimicrobial peptides effective against Listeria monocytogenes in a recent issue of FEMS Microbiology Letters. According to published research from Spain, "We assessed the susceptibility of several pathogenic ...
Company updates positive clinical data on multiple antisense drugs.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (ISIS) announced positive data from clinical trials of four antisense drugs for the treatment of four diseases. Final results from phase II studies of ISIS 104838 in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and ISIS ...
Two CD95 tumor classes with different sensitivities to antitumor drugs.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Two CD95 tumor classes with different sensitivities to antitumor drugs. According to recent research from the United States, "CD95 type I and II cells differ in their dependence on mitochondria to execute apoptosis, because antiapoptotic members of ...
Clinical outcome of aortic valve replacement in the elderly is generally good.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Clinical outcome of aortic valve replacement in the elderly is generally good. "Since elderly patients are being referred for surgery in increasing numbers, we reviewed the clinical outcome of 459 consecutive patients aged 70 to 89 ...
Forehead Sensor assesses oxygen desaturation in anesthesia-induced apnea.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Nellcor announced that the Nellcor Max-Fast Forehead Sensor enabled researchers to quickly assess the level and depth of oxygen desaturation during a study conducted to examine anesthesia-induced apnea and conditions for tracheal intubation. ...
Doctors use cryotherapy to treat irregular heartbeats.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Doctors with The Cardiac Centers of Mercy & Unity Hospitals began using cryotherapy to treat patients who suffer from an irregular heartbeat, a condition also known as an arrhythmia. The hospitals are the first in the Twin Cities to ...
Chinese Health Ministry bans test-tube technology for single women.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- China's Health Ministry has barred that nation's doctors from helping single women get pregnant via in vitro fertilization, but the decision is subject to final review by China's Cabinet and possibly the entire legislature. Under new ...
Air pollutants alone may cause asthma attacks.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) researchers have shown for the first time that diesel exhaust particles alone may be enough to induce acute asthma attacks. A new testing method used in an animal model helped researchers ...
Hispanics and limited-English speakers in California report worse health.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- California's Hispanic seniors report that they are less healthy and have less access to basic preventive health care than whites in their age group, according to a University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), study. Nearly 45% of the ...
Excess body iron linked to elevated oxysterol levels.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- High serum ferritin concentrations are linked to elevated levels of circulating oxysterols. "Cholesterol oxidation products, oxysterols, are thought to play a part in the initiation and development of human atherosclerotic lesions," ...
Heat shock protein 60 mediates atherogenic effects of C. pneumoniae.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The heat shock protein (HSP) HSP60 mediates the atherogenic effects of Chlamydia pneumoniae. C. pneumoniae infection "has been linked with atherosclerosis," scientists in Canada explained. "However, the mechanism responsible for the ...
Infusions of synthetic HDL may remove plaque from coronary arteries.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A new study appearing in the November 5 edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association provides strong evidence that five weekly infusions of a synthetic form of "good cholesterol," or HDL, can remove significant amounts of plaque from ...
Phase II data from study of ETC-216 show plaque accumulation can be reversed.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Esperion Therapeutics, Inc., (ESPR) announced the results of a study providing significant evidence that its investigational product candidate, ETC-216 (ApoA-I Milano/phospholipid complex or AIM), rapidly reduced the size of plaque in coronary ...
Stimulation of reverse cholesterol transport can result in regression of plaque.
Dec 01, 2003 ... 2003 DEC 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Lipid Sciences, Inc., (LIPD), announced that an article published on November 5, 2003, in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), supports the premise on which its Vascular Lipid Removal (VLR) platform is based - that stimulation of ...