Latest Health News - Archive 5
Gene Linked With Childhood Asthma Is Identified, Giving Hope For New Therapies
Published: 03/07/07
A genetic study of more than 2000 children by researchers from Imperial College UK and other universities in the UK, France, Germany, the USA and Austria have established that genetic markers on chromosome 17 had a major effect on the risk of asthma in children. They also found that these genetic markers altered the levels of a new gene called ORMDL3, which was at a higher level in the blood cells of children with asthma than in those without the disease... full story
Human Antibodies that Block Human and Animal SARS Viruses Identified
Published: 02/07/07
An international team of researchers has identified the first human antibodies that can destroy different type the of virus responsible for outbreaks of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). SARS outbreaks occurred in humans in 2002-2003 and again in 2003-2004, and each outbreak was thought to have occurred when the virus jumped from an animal host to humans. What this implies, is that animal strains of the virus may be capable of triggering a future human outbreak.... full story
Early Indicator of Kidney Disease May Also Predict Risk of Pre-Diabetes
Published: 02/07/07
A study conducted by researchers at the University at Buffalo has shown that a blood component called cystatin C, which is used to test for early-stage kidney impairment, also may be a very early marker for those at risk of developing a condition known as pre-diabetes. This is exciting research as it means that people with a predisposition for diabetes can be diagnosed well before they show any symptoms of the disease, when they are in "pre-diabetes".... full story
Researchers Discover Method for Identifying How Cancer Evades the Immune System
Published: 02/07/07
Sccording to researchers from the University of Southern California USA, describe a means for determining which genes have been altered in a tumor to allow it to evade the body's natural defenses. In time, the researchers believe such analysis could become a standard practice in cancer diagnosis and treatment. ... full story
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Scientists Discover New, Readily Available Source of Stem Cells
Published: 01/07/07
Scientists have discovered a new source of stems cells and have used them to create muscle, bone, fat, blood vessel, nerve and liver cells in the laboratory. Stem cells were isolated from amniotic fluid that surrounds developing ambryos. This research was published today in Nature Biotechnology Journal.... full story
Researchers Discover Method For Identifying How Cancer Evades The Immune System
Published: 01/07/07
According to a study by researchers from the University of Southern California, USA, the way that a malignant tumour avoids the immune system, may become its greatest vulnerability. The findings of the study, demonstrated in human breast and colorectal cancers, indicate that a technique for determining a tumor's "immune signature," could be useful for diagnosing and treating specific cancers... full story
Endometriosis Increases The Risk Of Certain Cancers
Published: 01/07/07
Doctors in Sweden have shown for the first time that although endometriosis is associated with an increased risk of various cancers, this risk does not depend on the number of times women with the condition have given birth. Researchers at the Karolinska Institute Sweden looked at data from 63,630 women who had been discharged from hospital with a diagnosis of endometriosis between 1969 and 2002 and identified 3,822 cases of cancer amongst the women. The researchers found that the women were at higher risk of certain (but not all) cancers and that the women who had children did not have a reduced cancer risk compared to the women who did not give birth to any children.... full story
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Suicide Attempts Decline After Depression Treatment
Published: 29/06/07
In a large study of more than 100,000 patients treated for depression, suicide attempts declined during the first month of treatment irrespective of the treatment type whether that treatment consisted of medication, psychotherapy, or both. The findings, published by Group Health researchers in the July American Journal of Psychiatry, show a similar pattern for populations of adolescents and young adults (up to age 24) as for older adults.... full story
Smoking Interferes with Thinking and Memory in Recovering Alcoholics
Published: 29/06/07
A study conducted by researchers at the San Francisco VA Medical Center (SFVAMC) discovered that after six to nine months of abstinence from alcohol, recovering alcoholics who were also chronic smokers showed a significantly lower rate of improvement in tests of memory, reasoning, judgment, and visual/spatial coordination than non-smoking recovering alcoholics.... full story
Mayo Clinic-led Study Determines Breast Cancer Risk Prediction in Women with Atypia
Published: 29/06/07
According to a study by the Mayo Clinic Cancer Centre, women with at least three sites of cellular atypia in breast tissue are nearly eight times more likely than the average women to develop breast cancer. Several previous studies have shown that atypical hyperplasia (atypical hyperplasia is breast tissue that displays an increased growth of some normal cells), also called atypia in breast tissue is a major risk factor for breast cancer.... full story
Angioplasty Procedure Has Potential To Damage Kidneys
Published: 29/06/07
According to researchers from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center USA and colleagues, the most common procedure for clearing blocked kidney arteries can also release thousands of tiny particles into the bloodstream that can impair kidney function... full story
Common Pre-term Labour Drug has More Side Effects Than An Alternative Drug
Published: 29/06/07
According to a study from researchers at Lucile Packard's Children's Hospital and Stanford University School of Medicine, the drug most commonly used to stop preterm labour (magnesium sulfate), is more likely than another common treatment to cause mild to serious side effects in pregnant women... full story
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