Epidemiology
Eat oily fish to protect your eyesight in old ageEating oily fish once a week may reduce age-related macular degeneration (AMD) which is the major cause of blindness and poor vision in adults in western countries and the third cause of global blindness, according to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
People with sleep apnea have a high mortality riskPeople with severe sleep apnea have a much higher mortality risk than people without sleep apnea, and this risk increases when sleep apnea is untreated.
Persistent HPV infection raises cervical cancer riskPersistent infection with human papillomavirus (HPV) could be a useful clinical marker for increased risk of cervical cancer, the second most common cancer in women worldwide, revealed by researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Second genetic link to obesityA study of 90,000 people has uncovered new genetic variants that influence fat mass, weight and risk of obesity. The variants act in addition to the recently described variants of the FTO gene: on average, adults carrying variants in both genes are 3.8 kg (or 8.5 lb) heavier.
Women more likely to ignore heart attack warningsMany women under age 55 aren't seeking timely treatment for heart attack because they expect the warning signs and their reaction to follow a Hollywood script - tightening in the chest, shortness of breath, clutching the chest while dropping to one knee.
Obesity in midlife increases dementia riskPeople in their 40s with larger stomachs have a higher risk for dementia when they reach their 70s, according to a study published in the March 26, 2008, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
HIV cases reduced in New ZealandThe New Zealand AIDS Foundation is welcoming the reduction in overall numbers of new HIV diagnoses in 2007, in particular that diagnoses among gay and bisexual men have remained equivalent to 2006 levels.
Less folate in diet cause abnormal spermHealthy men who report lower levels of the nutrient folate in their diets have higher rates of chromosomal abnormalities in their sperm, according to a new study by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
Quit smoking in pregnancy to have easy going childGiving up smoking during pregnancy may boost the chances of giving birth to an easy going child, indicates research in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
MRSA admission screening may not reduce staph infection ratesNew findings do not support the recommendation for universal screening on hospital admission for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) to reduce the rate of hospital-acquired infections in surgical patients, according to a study in the March 12 issue of JAMA.
Knee surgery referral to men morePhysicians and surgeons recommend knee replacement surgery to men more than female patients complaining of knee pain, revealed by canadian researchers highlighting unconscious prejudices among doctors.
Schistosomiasis more debilitating than estimatedThe health effects of one strain of schistosomiasis, a parasitic disease common in developing countries, are seven to 46 times greater than previously estimated, according to new Brown University research.
Safer effective way to treat Crohn's diseaseA new study established the new alternative strategy, called "top-down" therapy, to treat the patients with Crohn's disease by employing early use of immune-suppressing drugs combined with an antibody without using steroids.
Gene changes after smoking affects lung cancerSmoking plays a role in lung cancer development, and now scientists have shown that smoking also affects the way genes are expressed, leading to alterations in cell division and regulation of immune response. Notably, some of the changes in gene expression persisted in people who had quit smoking many years earlier.
Heavy cell phone users subject to cancersAn Israeli scientist, Dr. Siegal Sadetzki, has found a link between cell phone usage and the development of tumors. Dr. Sadetzki, a physician, epidemiologist and lecturer at Tel Aviv University, published the results of a study recently in the American Journal of Epidemiology, in which she and her colleagues found that heavy cell phone users were subject to a higher risk of benign and malignant tumors of the salivary gland.
US' 49 states gripped with influenzaAfter relatively low levels of influenza activity in the early part of the season, since January influenza activity has been picking up in the US. This week 44 states are reporting widespread influenza activity. This is up from 31 states reporting widespread activity last week. Five states are reporting regional activity, making 49 states overall.
Aircraft noise raises blood pressure even whilst sleepingNight-time noise from aircraft or traffic can increase a person's blood pressure even if it does not wake them, according to a new study published in the European Heart Journal. Scientists from Imperial College London and other European institutions monitored 140 sleeping volunteers in their homes near London Heathrow and three other major European airports.
Heart disease rising in US after 2000A Mayo Clinic analysis of two decades of autopsy results shows a long-term decline in the prevalence of coronary disease has ended and the disease may be on the upswing. The findings appear in today's issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.
7 new prostate cancer genetic risk factors identified7 new sites in the human genome identified that are linked to men's risk of developing prostate cancer, revealed by Cancer Research UK funded scientists at the Institute of Cancer Research and University of Cambridge.
DNA sequencing found virus killing transplant recipients in AustraliaIn the first application of high throughput DNA sequencing technology to investigate an infectious disease outbreak, link the discovery of a new arenavirus to the deaths of three transplant recipients who received organs from a single donor in Victoria, Australia in April 2007.
Intensive blood glucose lowering treatment proved fatal for diabetes patientsIntensive blood glucose lowering treatment proved fatal for diabetes patients in a US study, and for Safety, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) has changed intensive blood sugar treatment strategy in clinical trial of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Burgers, fries, diet soda lead to metabolic syndromeOtherwise-healthy adults who eat two or more servings of meat a day - the equivalent of two burger patties - increase their risk of developing metabolic syndrome by 25 percent compared with those who eat meat twice a week, according to research published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Stress at work is linked to heart diseaseNew research has produced strong evidence of how work stress is linked to the biological mechanisms involved in the onset of heart disease. The research published in Europe's leading cardiology journal, the European Heart Journal.
Ortho Evra contraceptive transdermal birth control patch label updateThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved additional changes to the Ortho Evra Contraceptive Transdermal (Skin) Patch label to include the results of a new epidemiology study that found that users of the birth control patch were at higher risk of developing serious blood clots, also known as venous thromboembolism (VTE), than women using birth control pills. VTE can lead to pulmonary embolism.
Combined hormone therapy increases lobular breast cancer riskPostmenopausal women who take combined estrogen/progestin hormone-replacement therapy for three years or more face a fourfold increased risk of developing various forms of lobular breast cancer, according to new findings by researchers.
Osteoporosis drugs increase bone necrosis riskA popular class of osteoporosis drugs, bisphosphonates nearly triples the risk of developing bone necrosis, a condition that can lead to disfigurement and incapacitating pain, revealed by researchers in a study. The research conducted by reasearchers at the University of British Columbia and Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, Canada.
Genetic testing can gauge prostate cancer riskGenetic testing of DNA in a blood sample can determine which men are likely to develop prostate cancer, as five genetic variants previously associated with prostate cancer risk have a strong cumulative effect.
Oral osteoporosis medicines safe during dental workSome doctors and dentists had advised patients who take oral osteoporosis medications such as Fosamax and Boniva to postpone dental work, fearing that tooth extractions and other procedures would exacerbate jaw problems purportedly linked to the medication. But the new findings refute the link and suggest the benefits of dentistry likely outweigh the risks for many of these patients.
Gene protects newborns from respiratory distress syndromeYale School of Medicine researchers have isolated a gene that helps protect newborns from the most common respiratory cause of infant death in the United States - respiratory distress syndrome.
Exercise reduces menopausal anxiety, stress and depressionWith more menopausal women seeking natural therapies to ease symptoms, a new study has found that simply adding a brisk walking routine can reduce a variety of psychological symptoms such as anxiety, stress and depression.
Impact of Gastroesophageal reflux disease on survivalGastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), often known as acid reflux, is a common problem that has been associated with cancers, asthma, recurrent aspiration and pulmonary fibrosis. A new study published in The American Journal of Gastroenterology examines whether GERD sufferers may have shorter lifespans than those without the disease.
Religious activities good for mental health in womenFor many, religious activity changes between childhood and adulthood, and a new study finds this could affect one's mental health. According to Temple University's Joanna Maselko, Sc.D., women who had stopped being religiously active were more than three times more likely to have suffered generalized anxiety and alcohol abuse/dependence than women who reported always having been active.
New perspectives on health disparities in breast cancer researchBreast cancer is a disease with a number of known genetic and behavioral risk factors, but scientists have seen that these risks are often compounded by social and racial inequalities. The question remains: how, exactly, do social disadvantages, genetics, race and culture add to the disparities faced by so many groups of women?