Cure for hepatitis C announced by VCU researcher
...nterferon alone, or in combination with ribavirin, points to a cure for hepatitis C, the leading cause of cirrhosis, liver cancer and the need for liver transplant, a Virginia Commonwealth University researcher said today. Mitchell Shiffman, M.D., professor in the VCU School of Medicine, and chief of hep...Veterans exposed to Agent Orange have higher rates of prostate cancer recurrence
... removed could have disease recurrence, Dr. Terris points out that microscopic cancer cells can migrate out of the area before surgery, becoming detectable later when they start pushing PSA levels back up. In fact, following any type of prostate cancer treatment, men routinely get PSA levels checked for t...Epidemiology of TB: Updates from CDC studies to be presented at ATS 2007
...information provides very minimal information, she points out. We decided to do a study of foreign-born people with TB to get a better picture of TB among this population. The study was conducted at 22 sites in the United States and Canada, and included about 1,700 foreign-born people with TB, including 20...NIH study tracks brain development in some 500 children across US
...8 age range, and are being evaluated at three time points at the beginning, middle and end of a four-year period. Today's publication summarizes the results of psychological tests conducted at the first time point. The tests measure a broad spectrum of abilities, from fine motor control, to social ski...Quality versus quantity -- transforming kidney transplant policy
...atch. The article highlights some of the important points to be considered in any new policy-making, and suggests a new method for allocation, whereby the patients are involved in the decision process. The majority of deceased-donor kidneys are allocated to patients with end-stage renal disease on a first...Smoking and sleep top the list of lifestyle factors impacting oral health
...diseases such as periodontal disease." "This study points out to patients that there are lifestyle factors other than brushing and flossing that may affect their oral health. Simple lifestyle changes, such as getting more sleep, may help patients improve or protect their oral health," explained Preston D. ...Low-glycemic load diet may be more effective for dieters with certain insulin response patterns
...There were no significant differences in these end points between diet groups for those with insulin concentration at 30 minutes below the median level. Among all the participants in the study, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (the "good" cholesterol) and triglyceride concentrations improved more on the...Vitamin D supplements may offer cheap and effective immune system boost against TB
...of latent TB through GP surgeries. Dr Martineau points out: "Our work adds to the growing evidence that vitamin D may have a wide range of important health benefits, including preventing falls and fractures and reducing risk of cancer and diabetes, as well as boosting the immune system against infection....New edition of medical reference book provides the latest in hematology
...ffers the opportunity to earn 70 medical knowledge points toward recertification through the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM). In order to support physicians enrolled in MOC, upon request ASH will provide a free copy of the ASH-SAP /MOC to recertifying hematologists whose certification expires no...Higher calcium and vitamin D intakes positively associated with brain lesions in older men and women
...ive correlation with brain lesions? This new study points the finger to a prominent component of dairy - namely calcium - and the Vitamin D that is found in many dairy products and vitamin D-fortified foods. In addition to its well-known function in bone health, calcium is important to the functioning of ...Secondhand smoke increases risk of dementia
...ular disease compared to people who were diagnosed points to the health risks associated with lifetime exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke in a potentially wider segment of the elderly population," said Haight. Haight said the study findings provide additional evidence of the hazards of secondhand smoke ...Heart failure medication does not improve survival, compared to more widely used medication
...es between treatment groups for most secondary end points (all-cause death at 31 days, number of days alive and out of the hospital, patient global assessment, patient assessment of dyspnea (difficulty breathing) at 24 hours, and cardiovascular death at 180 days). Compared with dobutamine-treated patients, ...Acute coronary syndrome therapy improvements linked with fewer deaths and improved clinical outcomes
... STEMI, hospital deaths decreased by 18 percentage points and cardiogenic shock decreased by 24 percentage points. Risk-adjusted hospital deaths declined in NSTE ACS patients, as did six-month death and stroke rates. Six-month follow-up stroke and heart attack rates declined among STEMI patients. "These ...Hay fever can send work productivity down the drain
...n a fact of life for millions of people, Szeinbach points out the importance of a proper diagnosis. The majority of study participants (405) had a traditional skin-prick test, in which a drop of allergen is placed on a patient's arm or back. The physician then pricks the skin through the drop, which lets th...Are higher doses of cholesterol drugs worth the extra money? Only sometimes, study says
...reciate the impact of trials that use multiple end points that are dissimilar (e.g., death and rehospitalization)," says Chan, who is also a member of the VA Health Services Research and Development Center of Excellence at VA Ann Arbor. The authors point out that one reason for the rapid rise in health c...RAND study finds school playgrounds can help fight childhood obesity
...id. "This study identifies locked schools as great points of policy intervention where gains in the fight against obesity could potentially be made." More research is needed, Scott said, noting that the study did not measure whether the girls in the study actually used the school facilities for exercise. ...20-year study shows significant rise in childhood obesity, especially among girls
...-olds and the lack of major change in 16-year-olds points to a recent change in the children's environment and lifestyles. We should point out, however, that the weight data was missing from a greater percentage of the 16 year-olds' records in 2002 and this could be because some of the more overweight teena...Low education predicts lower quality of life for prostate cancer patients
... after diagnosis and treatment, says Knight. She points out a key aspect of the study: The subjects, as VA patients, all had equal access to the same quality of health care. Since health care access is a key factor in predicting health outcomes, its significant that we were able to control for this variab...Arsenic in chicken feed may pose health risks to humans, C&EN reports
.... are fed a diet containing roxarsone, the article points out. Complicating the issue is the fact that no one knows the exact amount of arsenic found in chicken meat or ingested by consumers who frequently eat chicken. Neither the Food and Drug Administration nor the Department of Agriculture has actuall......nd treatment options. A growing body of evidence points to assemblies of sugars called glycans attached to proteins on cancer cell surfaces as accomplices in the growth and spread of tumors. Researchers have been keen to characterize these glycans, but traditional analytical methods have not been sufficie...