Early onset of puberty the EU gets serious
Children in Europe and other parts of the world are entering puberty at an ever younger age. The reasons for this are unknown, and the EU is now financing a major three-year project called PIONEER in a determined effort to get to the root of the problem. Two Swedish research groups are involved in the project, both from Karolinska Institutet....... The onset of puberty is determined by a string o...Advertising by academic medical centers may risk eroding public trust, says study
WHITE RIVER JUNCTION, VT and HANOVER, NH Most prominent academic medical centers develop and distribute advertisements to attract patients, but none have a formal review process to assess the balance and straightforwardness of these advertisements, according to a study by researchers at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Dartmouth Medical School (DMS). Several of the ads promote services...Three-year cervical cancer screening recommendations may be applicable for certain women with HIV
Women with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) who have normal cervical cancer screening results and negative tests for human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted virus that is associated with cervical cancer, may be able to have Papanicolaou (Pap) smears every three years, the same interval as HIV-negative women, according to a study in the March 23/30 issue of ....... According to backg...Extreme exertion, emotion can spark repeat heart attacks
Compelling evidence indicates that in people with a history of heart disease, physical exertion and emotional stress can trigger heart attacks, some of them fatal. ...... Authors Philip Strike and Andrew Steptoe of University College London point out that the triggers for heart attacks may be quite different from the factors that lead to development of coronary heart disease over the long term, s...Sleeping Through the Night: Children's sleep expert advises parents
Sleep is essential, especially when it comes to children! According to a recent National Sleep Foundation poll, nearly 70 percent of infants and toddlers experience sleep problems and 75 percent of all parents want to change something about their child's sleep habits. Research shows that not getting the recommended hours of sleep affects a child's mood, attention, concentration, ability to learn...Failure to count Iraqi casualties is irresponsible, say experts
An international group of public health experts has accused the British and American governments of being "wholly irresponsible" over their failure to count Iraqi casualties....... In a statement published online by the BMJ today, 24 experts from the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Spain, Italy and Australia call for an independent inquiry into Iraqi war-related casualties. "We believe tha...Sex selection popular among infertile women
A new survey says a significant number of women being treated for infertility would choose the sex of their next child if given the option -- and those as yet childless would choose baby girls and boys in approximately equal numbers. ......"We found that 41 percent of patients surveyed would use preimplantation sex selection if it were offered to them at no cost," said Dr. Tarun Jain, assistant p...Common schizophrenia symptoms often overlooked by physicians, according to expert panel
NEW YORK, NY (March 7, 2005) Treatment of schizophrenia has largely focused on controlling positive symptoms, such as hallucinations and delusions, while another set of symptoms that are equally important to patients is frequently overlooked by physicians, according to the findings of a new national consumer survey and the authors of a new consensus statement aimed at raising the bar for the tre...'Exercise Hypertension' occurs when cells can't 'relax,' Hopkins researchers find
So-called "exercise hypertension," an abnormally high spike in blood pressure experienced by generally healthy people during a workout, is a known risk factor for permanent and serious high blood pressure at rest. But who gets it, and why, has been largely unknown....... Now, Johns Hopkins scientists say they have reason to believe that the problem is rooted in the failure of cells that line th...Stanford researcher dusts off old drug; uncovers new anti-rejection properties
STANFORD, Calif. - Thirty years ago, researchers scooped some dirt on Easter Island and discovered bacteria that led to a potential anti-fungal drug. Little did they know that the drug - which languished on shelves after proving ineffective in early trials - would become popular in 1999 as a way to prevent rejection of transplanted organs.... ... Now, new studies from Stanford University M...In a new observational analysis, Risedronate significantly reduced nonvertebral fracture risk
MINNEAPOLIS (September 22, 2003) In a new observational analysis presented at the 25th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR), osteoporosis patients taking risedronate (Actonel) had a 59 percent (p=0.04) lower risk of nonvertebral fracture than patients receiving alendronate (Fosamax) and a 75 percent (p<0.01) lower risk than patients receiving nasal calcito...Measles and pertussis risk higher for children with personal exemptions from immunization
. . .CHICAGO -- Children who are exempt from immunization for religious or philosophical reasons have a higher risk of measles and pertussis, according to an article in the December 27 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association. Parents and public health personnel should be aware of the risks involved in not vaccinating children and the potential impact on the community, the autho....SCHAUMBURG, Ill. -- A survey of experts conducted during a seminar on social.security and mortality improvement in the NAFTA countries calls for development.of forecasting methods with greater heed to uncertainty so that financing needs.for social security can be more accurately projected.. A preliminary analysis of the survey points to the "medical advances,.lifestyle changes, economi...International gathering of experts to share retinoblastoma breakthroughs
Experts in the fields of retinoblastoma research and treatment will gather to update colleagues on the latest developments in these fields during a two-day symposium April 28-29 at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis. ...The symposium, "Retinoblastoma: From Bench to Bedside," will include topics about the treatment of retinoblastoma, the molecular basis of this potentially fatal canc...Investigators reviewed pharmaceutical ads in American medical journals and found that nearly one-third contained no references for medical claims; while the majority of references to published material were available, only a minority of company data-on-file documents were provided upon request; and the majority of original research cited in the ads was funded by or had authors affiliated with the...Striking a chord with concertgoers to reduce hearing loss
A new U of T study recommends the provision of ear plugs, education at concert entrances and the reduction of music sound levels to minimize the risk of hearing loss for rock concert attendees. ......The conclusions are part of a study published in the January/February issue of the Canadian Journal of Public Health, which looked at whether concert goers perceive there is a risk of hearing damage...Newly identified gene cluster on mouse X chromosome provides insights into fertility
HOUSTON - Researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center have discovered a cluster of 12 genes on the X chromosome in mice that appears to play an important role in reproduction. Reporting in the journal Cell, the scientists showed that knocking out just one of the genes resulted in reduced fertility in male mice....... The researchers found the cluster, which they dubbed the...Certain gun storage practices can reduce risk of youth firearm injuries, suicide
Keeping a gun locked, unloaded, and storing ammunition in a locked and separate location can lower the risk of unintentional injuries and suicide among youth, according to a study in the February 9 issue of JAMA. ......According to background information in the article, the presence of a household firearm is associated with an increased risk of suicide among adults and adolescents. In a study of...March 9 Childhood obesity talk with expert Susan Okie
Harvard-trained family physician and former Washington Post journalist Susan Okie will talk about her new book, FED UP! WINNING THE WAR AGAINST CHILDHOOD OBESITY, published by Joseph Henry Press -- an imprint of National Academies Press -- and based in part on a groundbreaking report by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. Okie will provide information that can help parents, teach...Senior social scientists and policy-makers meet in Belfast tomorrow (Friday, February 4) to explore how far the government is succeeding in abolishing child poverty, reducing social exclusion, and improving equal opportunities in Northern Ireland. ...... Brought together by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), the UK's biggest funder of social research, the seminar will examine the di...Higher folate intake associated with decreased risk of hypertension in women
John P. Forman, M.D., of Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston and colleagues analyzed data from two studies (93,803 younger women aged 27 to 44 years in the Nurses' Health Study II [1991-1999] and 62,260 older women aged 43 to 70 years in the Nurses' Health Study I [1990-1998]). The participants did not have a history of hypertension. Baseline information on dietary fol...Injury toll in US homes tops 12 million yearly: UNC, other experts call for action
CHAPEL HILL - Unintentional injuries at home have become a major public health problem across the country, according to a series of new Home Safety Council-funded studies conducted at the University of North Carolina Injury Prevention Research Center.... ..."Between 1992 and 1999, we found that an average of 18,048 unintentional home injury deaths occurred annually in the United States," said Dr....New 'ITN Scholars Program' provides junior faculty opportunity to develop clinical trials expertise
The Immune Tolerance Network (ITN) has announced a new clinical research fellowship program that will provide promising junior-level faculty with intensive, hands-on training in the planning, design and implementation of clinical trials. The "ITN Scholars Program" aims to begin addressing the need for well-trained clinical research professionals in the area of immune tolerance. The one-year fello...Expert panel calls for raising the bar in treating schizophrenia
NEW YORK, NY (December 20, 2004) — A panel of experts says doctors treating patients with schizophrenia should be targeting symptoms beyond hallucinations and delusions, and focus in on the common, but often overlooked, symptoms of depression and anxiety, as well as the inability to think clearly. Patients agree, ranking these symptoms as major concerns in a recent national survey. As a re...Assessing the season: LSU hurricane experts learned lessons during Hurricane Season 2004
According to LSU Assistant Professor of Geography and Anthropology and Louisiana State Climatologist Barry Keim, Hurricane Season 2004 beat the averages. ... It also kept LSU experts on their toes. ... There were 15 named storms, eight of which became hurricanes. Six of those fell into the intense/severe category. Keim said that 10 named storms and six hurricanes is considered average. Two inten...Researchers develop MRI technique to study brain anatomy in invertebrates
ATLANTA -- Scientists with the Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, a research consortium based at Georgia State University, have for the first time used a form of magnetic resonance imaging to reveal anatomical features of the nervous system in a live crayfish, a crustacean whose brain measures only 3 millimeters wide. ...The technique, which is reported and highlighted in an accompanying comm...Certain high blood pressure combination therapies elevate risk for death from cardiovascular disease
Patients with high blood pressure who take calcium channel blockers and diuretics have an increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) death compared to patients who take beta-blockers plus diuretics, according to a study in the December 15 issue of . Other findings indicate that diuretics may be the preferred single high blood pressure medication in preventing CVD complications....... Accor...Anniversary of one of the largest hepatitis A outbreaks in the US brings experts together
Alexandria, VA December 13, 2004 As a result of hepatitis A outbreaks across the country, former United States Surgeon General, Dr. Joycelyn Elders, and the National Partnership for Immunization are joining forces to educate the public about the disease and prevention through vaccination. This initiative comes on the one-year anniversary of one of the largest hepatitis A outbreaks in U.S. hist...Hypertension: On the Pill? Tell your dentist
Hypertension, a controllable and preventable disease (and more commonly known as high blood pressure), affects 1 in 4 American adults. Causes are unknown in 90 percent of all cases. However, the most common cause of secondary hypertension in women is oral contraceptive use, according to a report in the November/December issue of General Dentistry, the Academy of General Dentistry's (AGD) clinical...Rice cartilage experts win $1.5M NIH grant to bioengineer TMJ discs
HOUSTON, Dec. 9, 2004 -- Bioengineers at Rice University have received a five-year, $1.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to develop new methods of using a patient's own cells to grow replacement cartilage for surgical implantation in patients suffering from TMJ disorders.... ...The temporomandibular joint, or TMJ, is where the jawbone connects to the skull, and according to t...Aromatase inhibitors should be first-line treatment for certain type of breast cancer
Women with the type of breast cancer normally treated with tamoxifen could instead benefit from a class of drugs called aromatase inhibitors, conclude authors of a fast-track study published online by THE LANCET. ...... Tamoxifen therapy for five years after surgery is the established treatment for postmenopausal women with hormone-sensitive breast cancer. However, its use is associated with seve...Research gets to heart of advertising gender bias
Gender bias in pharmaceutical advertisements for cardiovascular disease may affect treatment, says a new University of Toronto study.... ...After examining 919 cardiovascular drug ads displayed in American medical and cardiovascular journals published between January 1996 and June 1998, U of T's Dr. Angela Cheung and her colleagues concluded that 80 per cent depicted male patients and the remaini...Got heart disease? The answer may be in your fingertips
ROCHESTER, Minn. -- A noninvasive fingertip test can identify patients with the earliest stages of heart disease and may prove cost-effective as a screening test, according to the findings of a Mayo Clinic study published this week in the Journal of American College of Cardiology.... ..."Atherosclerosis tends to affect all of the blood vessels in the body, and is not just limited to the arteries...Encryption, data hiding and watermarking: Subject of new book by NJIT expert
Terrorists might use it to mask their messages: it's called data hiding - the subject of a new book by Ali Akansu, PhD, professor of electrical and computer engineering at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT). ... ...Akansu's book, Data Hiding Fundamentals and Applications: Content Security in Digital Multimedia, (Elsevier-Academic Press 2004), develops a theoretical framework for data hi...Good results with only one egg in in-vitro fertilization
Nearly as many women who received only one embryo at a time gave birth as women who received two embryos. At the same time the risk of giving birth to twins is minimized. These are the findings of a major study from the Sahlgrenska Academy, at Gteborg University in Sweden....... In-vitro fertilization, IVF, is a successful method to help childless couples to become parents. To maximize the chanc...Student nurses need better understanding of poverty-stricken patients
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.... ...A survey of student nurses, conducted by the University of Alberta along with McMaster University...Undertreatment spurs new arrests among drug ofenders diverted under California's Proposition 36
A new UCLA study released Nov. 26 reports higher arrest rates among drug offenders diverted to treatment during the first six months of California's Substance Abuse and Crime Prevention Act (SACPA), commonly known as Proposition 36. The findings show SACPA clients were 48 percent more likely to be arrested for a drug offense within a year of admission than clients entering treatment through other...New treatments for infertility are unjustified
Women with recurrent miscarriage and infertility are undergoing tests and treatments that have no scientific rationale and are linked with known risks to mother and fetus, warn researchers in this week's BMJ. ... ...Fertility clinics are increasingly offering women tests to measure the number and activity of natural killer (NK) cells circulating in their blood. These cells are found in the womb (...Space sentinels track desertification on Mediterranean shores
ESA's DesertWatch project involves the development of a desertification monitoring system for the northern shores of the Mediterranean Sea, in support of responsible regional and national authorities. ..."Desertification is a common problem across Mediterranean nations, because of circumstances in common: similar historical backgrounds, climatic conditions, land use patterns, cultural characteris...Penn addictions expert, Charles P. O'Brien, MD, PhD, receives prestigious, international honor
(Philadelphia, PA) Charles P. O'Brien, MD, PhD, Vice Chair, Department of Psychiatry and Director, Center for the Study of Addictions at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and Director of Psychiatric Research at the Philadelphia Veteran's Administration Medical Center (VAMC), has been invited by the Academisch Medisch Centrum (Academic Medical Center) and the University of Amsterd...