News briefs from the Journal CHEST, December 2004
...S AND DEATHS National tobacco control legislation helps to reduce the prevalence of smoking and, as a result, smoking-related diseases, a new study shows. The Finnish Tobacco Act of 1976 banned tobacco advertising, restricted smoking on public premises, prohibited tobacco sales to minors, placed health w...First US SARS vaccine trial opens at NIH
...otein protrudes from the virus' outer envelope and helps it bind to cells it infects. SARS was spotted first in China in November 2002. The virus sickened 8,096 and killed 774 worldwide by July 2003, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). SARS was brought under control with classic public health...Gastrointestinal disorders are associated significantly with sleepless nights
...neral population. Assessing the general population helps physicians better understand an overall cause-and-effect relationship between the various problems. The researchers looked at the responses to a detailed questionnaire (previously tested and found to be reliable) from 2,269 people. After they adjuste...Hypertension: On the Pill? Tell your dentist
...0. "Monitoring blood pressure at the dental office helps dentists become part of a patient's health care team," says Dr. Aubertin. "Dentists want to educate the public to pay attention to and manage their blood pressure before complications occur." Studies show that damage to arteries--and the risk for hea...Money issues leading cause of holiday stress for Americans
...u enjoy and find relaxing. Taking care of yourself helps keep your mind and body primed to deal with stressful situations. ...Sleep loss boosts appetite, may encourage weight gain
... and the hormones that regulate hunger, this study helps to confirm and begins to explain the connection. Van Cauter and colleagues studied 12 healthy male volunteers in their early 20s to see how sleep loss affected the hormones that control appetite. Theses hormones -- ghrelin and leptin, both discovere...Got heart disease? The answer may be in your fingertips
... endothelium protects vessel walls from injury and helps modulate their expansion and contraction to maintain appropriate blood flow and blood pressure. Endothelial dysfunction is the earliest measure of functional abnormality in the blood vessels, so coronary endothelial dysfunction signals the beginning ...Innovative take-off system could lead to safer, cleaner air travel
...esearch could lead to a computer-based system that helps runway controllers make quick but effective scheduling decisions, generating a 10-25% reduction in delays affecting aircraft waiting for clearance to take-off. The work is being carried out by computer scientists at the University of Nottingham with...Farnesyl transferase inhibitor can help patients at high-risk for developing AML
...herapy drug administered subcutaneously. Zarnestra helps about as many patients as Vidaza, "but for diseases like this, you need more than one drug because the syndrome is made up of numerous subtypes," Kurzrock says. "If one drug doesn't help, then the other might; or they could potentially be used togeth...Employees bring bad moods home, but they disappear by morning
...mily Connection, a Minnetonka, Minn., company that helps employers create supportive and effective workplaces, said Judge's study confirms that the work-personal life link is "unmistakable." "We've always known that when a person brings home the stress of his or her work day, there's an impact," Seitel sa...VGTI researchers help uncover why aging reduces immune system function
...th & Science University have made a discovery that helps explain why our immune system worsens with age. The work was led by Janko Nikolich-Zugich, M.D., Ph.D., a senior scientist at the VGTI. The scientists hope this new information can be used to better protect the elderly from infectious diseases by fin...Computer program helps doctors diagnose lung cancer
... combined judgment of the computer and radiologist helps detect more cancers, the researchers found. "Our system is designed to help the radiologist. From our experiences in evaluating CAD for breast cancer, using computer aids significantly improves the performance of the radiologist in predicting maligna...System that regulates blood pressure may also affect aging
...udies point to the renin-angiotensin system, which helps regulate blood pressure, as also being important in body composition, mental function and how the body responds to exercise. The work, presented today in Washington, D.C., at the 57th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Gerontological Society of America...Data suggest ADDERALL XR significantly improved simulated driving in young adults with ADHD
...ropriate diagnosis and treatment of ADHD in adults helps improve self-esteem, work performance and skills, educational achievement and social competencies. The Effect of ADDERALL XR Treatment on Driving Performance in Young Adults with ADHD (USPMHC Poster # 316). This preliminary, six-week study suggested...Researchers show the BEST way to reduce osteoporosis risk
...are available formulated with Vitamin D. Vitamin D helps calcium absorption and is a recommended supplement when daily exposure to sunshine is restricted. About Mission Pharmacal Mission Pharmacal, the makers of the Citracal brand of calcium citrate supplement, is a family-owned pharmaceutical company ba...Ultrasound-aided therapy better than stroke drug alone, trial finds
...improves drug transport to and around the clot and helps to open more blocked vessels faster than can be expected with t-PA therapy alone....NIH launches new study to compare prostate surgery and drugs
...a significant percentage of symptomatic men and it helps men at high risk avoid surgery. "It's easy to see why drug therapy, TUNA and TUMT have been embraced by many urologists and patients," said Leroy M. Nyberg Jr., Ph.D., M.D., director of NIDDK's urology trials. "Yet, we don't know which treatment ......g the size of the surface of the eye being treated helps prevent a visual defect known as spherical aberrat...has found that keeping the area dry during surgery helps prevent swelling that can make it difficult for a surgeon to bring the cornea back together meticulo...Combination treatment helps thyroid cancer patients live longer
...ng radiation therapy with surgery and chemotherapy helps patients with rare forms of thyroid cancer live longer, according to a study published in the November 15, 2004, issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics, the official journal of ASTRO, the American Society for Therape...OHSU unique in broadbased teaching of new breast exam recommendations
...s," Prouser said. "Now we are studying whether it helps clinicians diagnose breast cancer earlier." The committee also makes recommendations on exam follow-up, public education, and research and quality improvement. Visit http://CAonline.AmCancerSoc.org/ to view the complete report....