Laughter helps blood vessels function better
...r conducted on the potential benefits of laughter, reported in 2000, which suggested that laughter may be good for the heart. In that study, answers to questionnaires helped determine whether people were prone to laughter and ascertain their levels of hostility and anger. Three hundred volunteers participat...Researchers discover link between insulin and Alzheimer's
...re linked to Alzheimer's disease. The findings are reported in the March issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease ( http://www.j-alz.com ), published by IOS Press. "What we found is that insulin is not just produced in the pancreas, but also in the brain. And we discovered that insulin and its growth facto...Implanted devices detect high-risk heart failure patients
... suffer from the condition, with 400,000 new cases reported each year. Roughly one-half of patients die within five years of diagnosis. Although there is no cure, drugs can improve the strength of the heartbeat (digoxin), relax blood vessels (ACE inhibitors)or remove the excess buildup of fluid in the lungs (...English-speaking Hispanic youth more likely to have sex early
...cial factors such as income or family structure to reported differences among ethnic/racial groups in sexual behavior, sexually transmitted diseases, and pregnancy, a focus on between-group differences within racial/ethnic groups is also necessary to understand these differences in behaviors, according to bac...Current daily smoking may be associated with increased risk for suicidal thoughts and attempts
...ink between cigarette smoking and suicide has been reported in epidemiological investigations since the 1970s,...ysis of this relationship. However, it's also been reported that symptoms of depression in adolescents predicts their starting smoking and that major depression...Common schizophrenia symptoms often overlooked by physicians, according to expert panel
...ia, which clearly illustrates the problem: 65% reported that, when making treatment decisions, their doctors place "a great deal" of importance on positive symptoms while only 37% felt their doctor places "a great deal" of importance on cognitive symptoms. Among those taking antipsychotics, 77% said t...Non-invasive and invasive breast cancers share the same genetic mutations
...," said Claus. "These numbers are similar to those reported for women with more advanced breast cancer." Claus said women with mutations were more likely to be diagnosed with DCIS at a young age, to have also been diagnosed with ovarian cancer and to have a first degree family member (mother, sister or daught...New treatment options for some difficult cancers improve survival and quality of life
...meeting March 3-5 in Atlanta. The types of cancer reported at the meeting that have been treated with a combination of surgery and intraperitoneal hyperthermic chemotherapy (IPHC) are tumors of the abdominal cavity that have spread from the appendix, small bowel and advanced ovarian cancer. The technique ...UCSD-Utah team develops mouse model to test therapies for macular degeneration
...en and young adults. The mouse model*, which was reported in the March 4, 2005 online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, "now permits the testing of potential therapies for the "dry" version of age-related AMD and STGD in an animal model," said the study's co-senior author David...The impact of cruciate ligament rupture on osteoarthritis of the knee
... than their counterparts. Patients who reported knee pain were also asked about their history of s...atients with complete ACL tears about 48 percent reported a previous knee injury. "Due to the cross-sectional nature of this study, we could not ascertain wh...Medical technologies may hinder rather than help newborn survival
...f women, not previously immunised against tetanus, reported receiving one or more doses of this vaccine. The percentage of induced deliveries increased from 2.5% (147 of 5914) in 1982 to 43% (1026 of 2386) in 2004. Rates of caesarean section increased greatly from 28% (1632 of 5914) in 1982 to 43% (1039 of 2...Meditation may reduce heart disease risk
...nal of Hypertension, Dr. Barnes and his colleagues reported that 15 minutes of twice-daily transcendental meditation steadily lowered the blood pressure of 156 black, inner-city adolescents and their pressures tended to stay lower. This new study, being presented during the 63rd Annual Scientific Conference o...New substance that improves the photodetection of bladder cancer gains market approval
...y year, nearly 200,000 cases of bladder cancer are reported in Europe and the United States. In the US alone, ...ly spotted and removed. The lower recurrence rates reported with this technique in turn greatly reduce the likelihood of local or distant metastasis. Exploitin...Gender a factor in who gets bypass surgery
...men in their 40s. Medical literature has typically reported a higher risk of mortality among women patients, but always in comparison to men. "For purposes of women's decision making, mortality risk should be considered as it is assessed among and referenced to women with comparable medical profiles," advise...'Artery clearing' system does not provide benefit for patients undergoing PCI
... research support from Medtronic. No other authors reported financial disclosures. Editorial: Distal Embolic Protection in Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction - Attractive Concept But No Evidence of Benefit In an accompanying editorial, Albert Schmig, M.D., and Adnan Kastrati, M.D., of Technische Univ...LA BioMed medical/research briefs March 2005
...in whom both clinical examinations and mammography reported normal results. "We believe our results show that the routine clinical use of high-resolution, dedicated breast cameras can be a powerful diagnostic tool for early breast cancer identification," Dr. Khalkhali said. The breast imaging camera used in t...Natural mentors help mold lives of teens, study says
...nd that more than 70 percent of those in the study reported a mentoring relationship with an adult. These relationships lasted an average of nine years. Mentors, such as teachers, were often important figures in the day-to-day lives of youth, which may be a factor in promoting positive outcomes, according to ...NYU'S Duster cautions against FDA approval of 'race-based' pharmaceutical
...neficial to a targeted racial population. NitroMed reported effectiveness of the BiDil in its clinical trial of 400 black women and 600 black men. NitroMed, which intends to market the drug to African Americans after FDA approval, has noted that African Americans between the ages of 45 and 64 are two-an...LRRK2 gene mutation causes Parkinson's disease in several families
...ican and European families. Their findings will be reported in the April edition of the American Journal of Human Genetics . The disease causing G2019S mutation in the LRRK2 gene is the first time a genetic cause has been associated with typical, late-onset Parkinson's disease. The researchers found the mut...Inpatient smoking cessation counseling is associated with early differences in mortality
... add strong support to those efforts. The study is reported in "Post-myocardial Infarction Smoking Cessation Counseling: Associations with Immediate and Late Mortality in Older Medicare Patients" by Thomas K. Houston, MD, MPH, Jeroan J. Allison, MD, Sharina Person, PhD, Stacey Kovac, PhD, O. Dale Williams, Ph...