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Acupuncture improved dyspnea in patients with COPD
Acupuncture appears to be associated with improvement of dyspnea (labored breathing) on exertion, in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) revealed by researchers in a new study. The management of dyspnea is an important target in the treatment of COPD, a common respiratory disease characterized by irreversible airflow limitation. COPD is predicted to be the third leading cause of death worldwide by 2020.

Stroke risk greater for older women with atrial fibrillation
In a study that examined use of the anticoagulant medication warfarin and risk of stroke following a diagnosis of atrial fibrillation in older patients, women, especially those 75 years or older, had a higher risk of stroke than men, regardless of their risk profile and use of warfarin, suggesting that current anticoagulant therapy to prevent stroke might not be sufficient for older women.

Chronic migraine and daily headaches patients get little benefit from botox injections
Although botulinum toxin A ("Botox") injections are U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved for preventive treatment for chronic migraines, a review and analysis of previous studies finds a small to modest benefit for patients with chronic migraine headaches and chronic daily headaches, although botox injections were not associated with greater benefit than placebo for preventing episodic migraine or chronic tension-type headaches.

One kidney transplanted 2 times in 2 weeks
For the first time, a kidney that had been donated to a patient in need was removed and implanted into a new patient, the third individual to have the organ, after it failed in the first transplant recipient.

Brain cancer vaccine prepared from brain tumor proves effective
A new brain cancer vaccine tailored to individual patients by using material from their own tumors has proven effective in a multicenter phase 2 clinical trial at extending their lives by several months or longer. The patients suffered from recurrent glioblastoma multiforme-which kills thousands of Americans every year.

Heart failure patients may get benefit from testosterone supplements
Testosterone supplements helped heart failure patients breathe better and exercise more. This new research analyzed four randomized clinical trials of patients with moderate to severe chronic heart failure. Patients were given commercial testosterone supplements by injection, patch or gel.

Bevacizumab with chemotherapy provides no survival benefit for lung cancer patients
Adding the drug bevacizumab (Avastin) to the standard chemotherapy regimen for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) – an approach approved by the FDA in 2006 – did not lead to significantly increase survival rates for patients over the age of 65 enrolled in Medicare.

Bariatric surgery better for obese with type 2 diabetes
A study comparing a bariatric surgical procedure with conventional medical treatment in morbidly obese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus suggests that surgery was associated with remission or improvement in diabetes-related outcomes.

Depression - now blood test can diagnose depression in teens
A breakthrough approach that allows an objective diagnosis of major depression in teens by measuring a specific set of genetic markers found in a patient's blood. The current method of diagnosing depression is subjective. It relies on the patient's ability to recount his symptoms and the physician's ability and training to interpret them.

Whole genome breast cancer study launched by Mayo Clinic USA
The Breast Cancer Genome Guided Therapy Study (BEAUTY Project) will help physicians tailor chemotherapy to breast cancer patients based on their individual genomes and the genomes of their tumors.

Antibiotics a safe and viable alternative to surgery for uncomplicated appendicitis
Giving antibiotics to patients with acute uncomplicated appendicitis is a safe and viable alternative to surgery, say experts in a study published in BMJ.

Cancer treatment with personalised approach to cancer patients
Recently researchers have profiled genetic changes in cancer with drug sensitivity in order to develop a personalised approach to cancer treatments. They uncovered hundreds of associations between mutations in cancer genes and sensitivity to anticancer drugs.

Bariatric surgery improves and reverses diabetes
Overweight, diabetic patients who underwent bariatric surgery achieved significant improvement or remission of their diabetes.In a randomized, controlled trial, some weight loss surgery patients achieved normal blood sugar levels without use of any diabetes medications.

Alzheimer's Disease patients may not get benefit from antioxidants
An antioxidant combination of vitamin E, vitamin C and a-lipoic acid (E/C/ALA) was not associated with changes in some cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers related to Alzheimer disease in a randomized controlled trial, revealed by researchers.

iPads increase doctors efficiency in healthcare
Providing personal mobile computers like iPads to medical residents increases their efficiency, reduces delays in patient care and enhances continuity of care.

Statin use reduces Parkinson Disease risk
Regular use of cholesterol-lowering statin drugs may be associated with a modest reduction in risk for developing Parkinson disease, particularly among younger patients. Statins are one of the most prescribed classes of drugs in the United States.

Reversing Alzheimer's gene blockade can restore memory
MIT neuroscientists have shown that an enzyme overproduced in the brains of Alzheimer's patients creates a blockade that shuts off genes necessary to form new memories. Furthermore, by inhibiting that enzyme in mice, the researchers were able to reverse Alzheimer's symptoms.

Specific antipsychotic drugs increase risk in elderly dementia patients
Nursing home residents over the age of 65 who take certain antipsychotic medication for dementia are at an increased risk of death, suggests a research paper published in BMJ. Haloperidol had double the risk of mortality amongst other drugs for the condition, say researchers.

New melanoma drug doubles survival of skin cancer patients
Investigators from Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center (VICC) and 12 other centers in the United States and Australia have found that a new drug for patients with metastatic melanoma nearly doubled median overall survival.

Evaluating impact of EHR on childhood obesity
Electronic health records and embedded tools can alert and direct pediatricians so they can better manage the weight of children and teenagers. Researchers analyzed visits for nearly 740,000 children and adolescents ages 2 to 17 to evaluate the impact of computer-assisted decision tools.

Emergency department visita are lower among most satisfied patients
Higher patient satisfaction appears to be associated with lower odds of emergency department use, higher odds for inpatient hospitalization, greater health care and prescription expenditures, and higher mortality risk.

No benefits with B vitamin, omega-3 supplements on cancer outcomes
Taking supplements of B vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids for cancer prevention does not appear to be beneficial for patients with prior cardiovascular disease. Proper nutrition is considered to be protective against cancer but much is unknown about the roles of individual nutrients in different populations.

Vitamin D therapy does not improve heart disease risk
Patients with chronic kidney disease who received the vitamin D compound paricalcitol for up to 48 weeks did not show improvement on measures of cardiac structure, function, or left ventricular mass, compared to patients who received placebo.

Antibiotic amoxicillin no cure for acute sinusitis
Treatment with the antibiotic amoxicillin for patients with acute uncomplicated rhinosinusitis (inflammation of the nasal cavity and sinuses) did not result in a significant difference in symptoms compared to patients who received placebo.

Postoperative radiotherapy does not improve survival in lung cancer patients
Post-operative radiation therapy (PORT), a controversial yet frequently administered treatment for lung cancer, may not prolong life in older people with locally advanced disease.

Additional breast surgery common after partial mastectomy
Nearly one in four women who undergo a partial mastectomy for treatment of breast cancer have another surgery to remove additional tissue (reexcision), and there is substantial surgeon and institutional variation in the rate of reexcisions that cannot be explained by patients' clinical characteristics.

Erivedge approved for skin cancer metastatic basal cell carcinoma
Erivedge or vismodegib was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat adult patients with basal cell carcinoma, the most common type of skin cancer. The Erivedge drug is intended for use in patients with locally advanced basal cell cancer who are not candidates for surgery or radiation and for patients whose cancer has spread to other parts of the body (metastatic).

Regorafenib improves survival of colorectal cancer patients
Regorafenib - an investigational drug - slowed the progression of tumors and lengthened the lives of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. This is the first novel agent in eight years to show improvement in overall survival of colon cancer patients who have run out of treatment options.

Totally drug resistant tuberculosis TDR TB reported in India
For the first time in India, 12 people have been detected with totally drug-resistant lung tuberculosis (TDR-TB), a condition in which patients do not respond to any TB medication and for which the mortality rate is 100 percent.

Anticoagulant Dabigatran linked to heart attack or MI
The anticoagulant dabigatran is associated with an increased risk of myocardial infarction (heart attack) or acute coronary syndrome in a broad spectrum of patients when tested against some other medicines.

Magnetic stimulation of brain may help stroke patients recover
Imagine waking up and being unable to see or recognize anything on the left side of your body. This condition, called hemispatial neglect, is common after a stroke that occurs on the right side of the brain.

Cholesterol lowering drugs statins may help hospitalized influenza patients
The two main ways to prevent and control influenza today are annual immunization and antiviral drugs. A team of investigators has found that statins, cholesterol-lowering drugs, may offer an additional treatment to complement these approaches and reduce mortality among patients hospitalized with influenza.

Cognitive decline linked to brain volume decreases in parkinson's disease patients
Patients with Parkinson disease-related dementia appear to have increased brain atrophy in the hippocampal, temporal and parietal lobes and decreased prefrontal cortex volume compared to patients with Parkinson disease without dementia.

Cancer screening in older adults appears common, US
A high percentage of adults age 75 years and older continue to report receiving cancer screenings, despite U.S. Preventive Services Task Force guidelines recommending against routine screening for breast, cervical, colorectal and prostate cancer for patients age 75 years and older.

HER growth proteins do not predict outcome of herceptin treatment breast cancer patients
Precisely quantifying the amount of three different HER growth proteins, along with several other proteins believed linked to breast cancer, did not predict a patient's outcome after treatment for HER2 Positive Breast Cancer with Herceptin, say Mayo Clinic researchers.

10% of ADHD patients linked to GMR gene variants
Pediatric researchers analyzing genetic influences in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have found alterations in specific genes involved in important brain signaling pathways.

30% of health spending yield no benefit to patients
House Democratic Caucus Chairman John B. Larson (CT) released the following statement on the resignation of Dr. Donald Berwick as Administrator of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Low calorie diet improves heart function in diabetic obese patients
A low-calorie diet eliminates insulin dependence and leads to improved heart function in obese patients with type 2 diabetes. It is striking to see how a relatively simple intervention of a very low calorie diet effectively cures type 2 diabetes mellitus. Moreover, these effects are long term.

4 drugs accounted for two thirds of emergency hospitalizations in US
Handful of drugs are responsible for most emergency room visits by patients in US, revealed by CDC researchers (US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) in a recent study.

Thin underweight people with lower BMI may have higher post surgical risk
Body Mass Index (BMI) appears to be associated with 30-day mortality risk following surgical procedures, and patients with a BMI of less than 23.1 appear to be at highest risk of death.

Stent design may put patients at risk of heart attack
Stent shortening - a newly observed deformity in cases using a particular family of stents, can cause serious complications for patients, says researchers. In this case the stent clotted off and the patient had a heart attack.

Eylea approved for AMD eye disorder in older people
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Eylea (aflibercept) to treat patients with wet (neovascular) age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of vision loss and blindness in Americans ages 60 and older.

Financial reimbursement increases cardiac stress tests in patients
Financial reimbursement and ownership of cardiac imaging equipment appears to influence physicians' use of cardiac stress testing. The study finds that doctors who are reimbursed for both performing the test using their equipment and then interpreting the results were 50 to 100 percent more likely to order cardiac imaging tests on their patients than those who don't bill the fees.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement TAVR shows superiority in heart patients
A two-year study of patients in the landmark PARTNER trial, which compared transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in patients who have severe aortic stenosis and are not candidates for open heart surgery, confirm the one-year findings and support the role of TAVR as the standard of care.

35 new drugs approved in 2011 in US
Over the past 12 months, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved 35 new medicines for patients, like two new treatments for hepatitis C; a drug for late-stage prostate cancer; the first new drug for Hodgkin's lymphoma in 30 years; and the first new drug for lupus in 50 years.

7% breast cancer patients have breast reconstruction surgery
Breast reconstruction surgery has a very positive effort on women with breast cancer as they go through their breast cancer journey. Only 7% of female breast cancer patients opt for breast reconstruction surgery.

More aggressive treatment not necessary for men with a family history of prostate cancer
Approximately 10-20 percent of prostate cancer patients have a family history of the disease. There are three major factors that are used to evaluate the extent and aggressiveness of prostate cancer, help make treatment decisions, and estimate prognosis: the Prostate Specific Antigen Level (PSA), Gleason score (GS) from the biopsy, and the digital rectal exam findings (DRE).

Neural stem cell transplant may cure diabetes
Researchers in Japan have discovered how a patient's neural stem cells could be used as an alternative source of the beta cells needed for a regenerative treatment for diabetes.

Medicare patients lead to long term institutionalization in a nursing home
Confirming many elderly patients' worst fears, a national study has shown that being hospitalized for an acute event, such as a stroke or hip fracture, can lead to long-term institutionalization in a nursing home.

Blood test may detect Alzheimer's Disease progression
Researchers found a way to predict how quickly patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) will lose cognitive function by looking at ratios of two fatty compounds in their blood.

Novartis drug Afinitor everolimus helps advanced breast cancer women
A pivotal Phase III study shows Afinitor (everolimus) tablets plus exemestane, a hormonal therapy, more than doubled the time women lived without tumor growth (progression-free survival; PFS) and significantly reduced the risk of cancer progression by 57% versus exemestane alone in patients with advanced breast cancer.

$3.5 million Komen award to study rare and aggressive type of breast cancer
The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) is part of a team of medical investigators receiving a $3.5 million grant from Susan G. Komen for the Cure to study triple-negative breast cancer, a highly aggressive form of this cancer that disproportionately affects African-Americans.

Alpharadin improved survival in advanced prostate cancer patients
Until recently, options for patients with bone metastases from advanced prostate cancer have been very limited. But now the first Phase III study of an alpha-pharmaceutical in these patients has shown that it can prolong survival significantly, according to research reported recently at the 2011 European Multidisciplinary Cancer Congress.

Local biosurveillance data can improve individual patient care
By taking local biosurveillance data into account when assessing patients for communicable diseases, doctors may be able to make better diagnostic decisions, according to researchers at Children's Hospital Boston. For instance, in the case of strep throat, awareness of local epidemiology at the time of diagnosis could help more than 166,000 people avoid unnecessary antibiotic treatment in the United States every year and catch more than 62,000 missed cases.

Do not eat Rocky Ford Cantaloupe shipped by Jensen Farms US
US FDA is warning consumers not to eat Rocky Ford Cantaloupe shipped by Jensen Farms of Granada, Colo. The majority of the patients reported eating cantaloupe marketed from the Rocky Ford growing region. FDA's traceback data from the State of Colorado about their confirmed cases of Listeria monocytogenes have identified a common producer of Rocky Ford cantaloupes. That producer is Jensen Farms. Although the investigation is ongoing, no other Rocky Ford cantaloupe producer has been found in common in the Colorado traceback.

Drug resistance TB cases rising in Europe
Nobody in Europe is 100 percent protected from drug-resistant tuberculosis, said Ogtay Gozalov, a medical officer at the World Health Organization.

Stroke clinical trial finds intensive medical treatment better than brain stent
Patients at a high risk for a second stroke who received intensive medical treatment had fewer strokes and deaths than patients who received a brain stent in addition to the medical treatment, a large nationwide clinical trial has shown.

New guideline on treatment of high blood pressure
High blood pressure patients should have the diagnosis confirmed at home, according to new guidelines. The way blood pressure is diagnosed and treated is set to be revolutionised following new guidelines for the medical profession issued by NICE and developed in conjunction with the British Hypertension Society (BHS).

Door-to-balloon time is 90 min in 91% of heart attack patients in US
The period from hospital arrival to angioplasty is called "door-to-balloon" time (D2B). A new study showed that 91 percent of patients were treated in a D2B time of less than 90 minutes in 2010, compared with 44 percent in 2005.

Zelboraf approved for late stage skin cancer
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved Zelboraf (vemurafenib), a drug to treat patients with late-stage (metastatic) or unresectable (cannot be removed by surgery) melanoma, the most dangerous type of skin cancer.

Reducing drug funding to Medicare patients raises questions
The lack of financial assistance to cover the cost of drugs to Medicare beneficiaries could result in an additional 18,000 patients discontinuing one or more prescriptions for essential drugs a year and others to not take their required medications regularly.

Rivaroxaban can prevent strokes in atrial fibrillation patients
Rivaroxaban, an anti-clotting drug, was shown to be an attractive alternative to warfarin in the prevention of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation, revealed by researchers recently.

Allergan's BOTOX will be available in European Countries for Urinary Incontinence
Allergan is pleased to announce that BOTOX (botulinum toxin type A) has received a positive opinion from the Irish Medicines Board for the management of urinary incontinence in adults with neurogenic detrusor overactivity (NDO) resulting from neurogenic bladder due to stable sub-cervical spinal cord injury, or multiple sclerosis.

New urine test can detect prostate cancer risk early
A new urine test can help aid early detection of and treatment decisions about prostate cancer. Examining the urine sample for TMPRSS2:ERG and PCA3 and stratified patient into low, intermediate and high score, indicating their risk of cancer can help.

mChip can revolutionize medical care around the world
New low-cost diagnostics like the mChip can revolutionize medical care around the world, revealed by researcher in US. Microfluidics-the manipulation of small amounts of fluids-and nanoparticles can be successfully leveraged to produce a functional low-cost diagnostic device in extreme resource-limited settings.

Genetic changes may lead to Barrett's esophagus and esophageal cancer
Mutations in three genes have been identified that are more prevalent in patients with esophageal cancer and Barrett esophagus, a premalignant metaplasia (change in cells or tissue) caused by chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), according to preliminary research reported in the July 27 issue of JAMA.

MS drugs help, but come at high cost
Multiple sclerosis drugs used to slow down the multiple sclerosis progression may help some patients, but at a very high cost. These disease modifying drugs – come at a very high cost when compared to therapies that address the symptoms of MS and treatments for other chronic diseases.

FDA panel votes to revoke approval for Avastin for advanced breast cancer
The Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee, FDA, USA disapproved the Avastin which cited a lack of survival benefit. Now as two more trials have been analyzed -- neither showing a survival benefit -- the FDA stated that in the balance, the benefit did not outweigh the harm.

Abatacept and GAD-alum to slow progression of type 1 diabetes
Abatacept (Orencia), an immune system modulator and GAD-alum, an antigen based therapy found beneficial for patients with type 1 diabetes. TrialNet researchers are conducting a series of studies to test ways to prevent or delay progression of type 1 diabetes. Results of two studies testing drugs to slow or stop the immune system's attack on insulin-producing cells in people newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes will be presented at the American Diabetes Association's (ADA) 71st Scientific Sessions in San Diego and simultaneously published online in the Lancet.

Physicians accepting fewer patients with health insurance
There is a drop in physicians' acceptance of health insured patients in past years in US. As a result, insured patients could face new obstacles to receiving the medical attention they need, and overall access to health care could actually contract. As required under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, millions of people will soon be added to the ranks of the insured. However, this rapid expansion of coverage is colliding with a different, potentially problematic trend that could end up hampering access to health care.

Many advanced breast cancer patients do not receive recommended treatment
Forty-five percent of women with advanced breast cancer in the U.S. did not receive postmastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT) despite the publication of evidence-based guidelines outlining PMRT as a potentially lifesaving treatment, according to new research from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. The study, published in the July issue of Cancer, found that PMRT use rates for women with advanced breast cancer have remained static since 1999.

HIV drugs may cause premature aging
Researchers revealed that a class of anti-retroviral drugs (NRTIs) commonly used to treat HIV can cause premature ageing, as the drugs damage DNA in the patient's mitochondria. HIV-infected people treated with antiretroviral drugs sometimes show advanced signs of frailty and age-associated diseases such as cardiovascular disease and dementia at an early age.

Lithium may prevent brain damage in patients with Parkinson's disease
Researcher are focusing on lithium as a potential treatment for Parkinson's disease -- PD -- as well as its efficacy in combination with drugs currently used to control the symptoms of the disease. Lithium profoundly prevents the aggregation of toxic proteins and cell loss associated with Parkinson's disease (PD) in a mouse model of the condition.

Motivational interviews reduce depression, increase survival after stroke
Researchers revealed that patients who received several sessions of a "motivational interview" early after a stroke had normal mood, fewer instances of depression and greater survival rates at one year compared to patients who received standard stroke care.

Rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis medications lowers diabetes risk
Certain rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis medications are associated with reduced diabetes risk, revealed by researchers. 2 disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, TNF inhibitors and hydroxychloroquine, are associated with a reduced risk for the development of diabetes in psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis patients

Inform Dual ISH to determine HER2 gene in breast cancer patients
Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death among women. About 20 percent of women diagnosed with breast cancer are HER2-positive. The Inform Dual ISH test allows lab personnel to count the number of copies of HER2 genes on chromosome 17 in a small sample of the breast tumor. Copies of the HER2 gene appear black and copies of chromosome 17 appear red. Patients with more than the normal number of copies of the HER2 gene are considered candidates for Herceptin therapy.

Parkinson's patients sing in tune with creative arts therapy
Twice a month a jam session takes place on the third floor of Northwestern Memorial's Prentice Women's Hospital. A diverse group of men and women, ranging in age and ethnicity, gather in a circle with instruments in hand and sing together. This is no ordinary jam band; all its members have Parkinson's disease. They are participating in Creative Arts for Parkinson's, a music and drama therapy program offered through Northwestern's Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Center.

New safety recommendations for high dose 80 mg simvastatin
Patients taking simvastatin 80 mg daily had an increased risk of muscle injury. The risk of muscle injury is highest during the first year of treatment with the 80 mg dose of simvastatin, and is frequently associated with a genetic predisposition for simvastatin-related muscle injury or myopathy.

Radiation improves survival in breast cancer surgery patients
Additional radiation treatment improves disease free survival lessening the chance of cancer recurring in women with early breast cancer who have had breast conserving surgery (lumpectomy), interim results of a new study found. The results will be presented Monday, June_6 at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Supportive of intent of ACO proposed rule, ACP expresses concern
In a 10-page letter addressed to Donald Berwick, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, ACP today said: The ACP strongly supports the intent of the proposed rule, and believes that an ACO model has the potential of supporting such important care delivery goals as enhancing quality, efficiency, integration, and patient-centeredness.

Developing possibility of a preventive vaccine against HIV AIDS
The HIV epidemic is the largest in the world and represents one of the most serious public health problems, according to data from the World Health Organization (WHO). Only 30% of the more than 10 million patients in need have the access to the antiretroviral treatment.

Getting stroke patients back on their feet
In the largest stroke rehabilitation study ever conducted in the United States, stroke patients who had physical therapy at home improved their ability to walk just as well as those who were treated in a training program that requires the use of a body-weight supported treadmill device followed by walking practice.

Incivek for hepatitis C infection is approved in US
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Incivek (telaprevir) to treat certain adults with chronic hepatitis C infection. Incivek is used for patients who have either not received interferon-based drug therapy for their infection or who have not responded adequately to prior therapies.

New class of asthma, COPD drugs identified
Researchers in Baltimore have identified new compounds which relax airway muscles and may provide relief from shortness of breath for patients with COPD and asthma.

Advanced stage prostate cancer patients experience 20 year survival rates with surgery
Long-term survival rates for patients with advanced prostate cancer suggest they can be good candidates for surgery, Mayo Clinic researchers have found. Their study found a 20-year survival rate for 80 percent of patients diagnosed with cancer that has potentially spread beyond the prostate, known as cT3 prostate cancer, and treated with radical prostatectomy, or surgery to remove the prostate gland.

Vitamin D deficiency in pneumonia patients risky
A new study published in the journal Respirology reveals that adult patients admitted to the hospital with pneumonia are more likely to die if they have Vitamin D deficiency.

Structured exercise training improves glycemic control in diabetes patients
Implementing structured exercise training, including aerobic, resistance or both, was associated with a greater reduction in hemoglobin A1c levels (a marker of glucose control) for patients with diabetes compared to patients in the control group, and longer weekly exercise duration was also associated with a greater decrease in these levels.

Zytiga approved for late stage prostate cancer
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Zytiga (abiraterone acetate) in combination with prednisone (a steroid) to treat patients with late-stage (metastatic) castration-resistant prostate cancer who have received prior docetaxel (chemotherapy).

Thyroid drug Levothyroxine linked to fractures in older adults
Many older adults may be taking "excessive" doses of drugs for thyroid problems which can lead to an increased risk of fractures, finds a study published on bmj.com today.

New technique extends cancer fighting cells' potency in melanoma patients
Researchers trained white blood cells to attack tumors tend to fade away quickly when injected into cancer patients.

New class of cancer drugs could work in colon cancers with genetic mutation
A class of drugs that shows promise in breast and ovarian cancers with BRCA gene mutations could potentially benefit colorectal cancer patients with a different genetic mutation, a new study from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center finds.

HIV infection may be a risk factor for heart failure
Patients with HIV infection without a prior history of coronary heart disease may be at a higher risk of developing heart failure, according to a report in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Low health literacy linked to higher rate of death in heart failure patients
An examination of health literacy (such as understanding basic health information) among managed care patients with heart failure, a condition that requires self-management, found that nearly one in five have low health literacy, which was associated with a higher all-cause risk of death.

Evidence based treatments decrease risk of death among heart attack patients
In an analysis of data from a coronary care registry in Sweden, between 1996-2007 there was an increase in the prevalence of use of evidence-based invasive procedures and pharmacological therapies for treatment of a certain type of heart attack, and a decrease in the rate of death at 30 days and one year after a heart attack for these patients.

Activation of biomarker may improve survival among obese patients with colorectal cancer
Among obese patients, activation of the protein biomarker CTNNB1 was associated with better colorectal cancer-specific survival and overall survival, whereas post-diagnosis physical activity was associated with better colorectal cancer-specific survival among patients negative for CTNNB1.

Tai chi may improve quality of life in chronic heart failure patients
Tai chi, the ancient Chinese meditative exercise, may improve quality of life, mood and exercise self-efficacy in chronic heart failure patients, according to research led by a team at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

Combination therapy provides hope for cure of infections in cystic fibrosis
An over-the-counter drug used to treat diarrhea combined with minocycline, an antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections, could one day change the lives of those living with cystic fibrosis.

Weight loss may improve memory and concentration
John Gunstad, an associate professor in Kent State University's Department of Psychology, and a team of researchers have discovered a link between weight loss and improved memory and concentration. The study shows that bariatric surgery patients exhibited improved memory function 12 weeks after their operations.

QNEXA for Weight Loss in obesity - CONQUER study
VIVUS, Inc. (NASDAQ: VVUS) announced that detailed results from the 56-week CONQUER study were published in The Lancet evaluating the efficacy and safety of investigational drug QNEXA in 2,487 patients across 93 sites in the US.

New treatment with omalizumab may desensitize kids with milk allergies
Milk allergy is the most common, affecting 2.5 percent of children under age 3. In a small clinical study, researchers report effectively desensitizing milk-allergic patients by increasing their exposure to milk in tandem with an allergy drug called omalizumab, allowing children to build up resistance quickly with limited allergic reactions.

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