Health News Today

(Medical College of Wisconsin) Addressing the nation's continuing poor performance in cancer clinical trial participation, particularly among racial and ethnic minorities and low income groups, will require meaningful public involvement in the design and implementation of clinical trials, according to a landmark report released today. »»»

(University of Alabama at Birmingham) A new study in the November issue of the journal Appetite finds that obese women display significantly weaker impulse control than normal weight women. »»»

(Case Western Reserve University) A multidisciplinary research team at Case Western Reserve University led by Gary Landreth, Ph.D., a professor in the School of Medicine's Department of Neurosciences, has uncovered a common genetic pathway for a number of birth defects that affect the development of the heart and head. Abnormal development of the jaw, palate, brain and heart are relatively common congenital defects and frequently arise due to genetic errors that affect a key developmental pathway. »»»

(McGill University) Dr. Gary J. Bennett, a professor at McGill University's department of anesthesia, has been awarded a scientific research grant by The Neuropathy Association, a US patient-based nonprofit organization headquartered in New York City. Peripheral neuropathy results from injury to the peripheral nervous system, disrupting the body's ability to communicate with its muscles, organs and tissues. »»»

(Wiley-Blackwell) Ewing sarcoma is the second most common type of primary bone cancer seen in children and young adults. Patients with relapsed or refractory Ewing sarcoma have a poor outcome with conventional therapies. »»»

(Oregon Health & Science University) What will motivate the elderly, the chronically ill and the medically underserved to use interactive information technology systems to actively help manage their own health problems? The US Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's Oregon Evidence-based Practice Center at Oregon Health & Science University searched the scientific literature for answers. »»»

(McGill University) Dr. Ronald Melzack O.C., a McGill University psychologist who revolutionized the study and treatment of pain from the 1960s onward, has been inducted into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame. He and his four fellow 2009 inductees from across Canada join 71 existing Hall of Fame laureates who "brought distinction to Canada through their outstanding contributions to medical science and the improved health and well-being of people everywhere." »»»

(Rush University Medical Center) Researchers at Rush University Medical Center have identified three bedside clinical features that can help more accurately distinguish TIAs from disorders that might mimic their symptoms. »»»

(Cornell University Communications) Garbage collectors are important for removing trash; without them waste accumulates and can quickly become a health hazard. Similarly, individual cells that make up such biological organisms as humans also have sophisticated methods for managing waste. »»»

(Rice University) Can scientists create a designer drug that forces viruses to mutate themselves out of existence? A new study by Rice University bioengineers could help make it happen. The study, which will appear in Physical Review E, offers the most comprehensive mathematical analysis to date of the mechanisms that drive evolution in viruses and bacteria, and it could help scientists who are looking to add "lethal mutagenesis" to medicine's disease-fighting arsenal. »»»

(Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences) Ambulance diversions from nearby, crowded New York emergency rooms to more distant emergency departments are associated with increased deaths among patients suffering from heart attacks, according to a paper presented at a meeting of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences. »»»

(Indiana University) One quarter of all family caregivers of Alzheimer's disease patients succumb to the stress of providing care to a loved one and become hospital patients themselves, according to an Indiana University study published in the Nov. 2008 issue of the Journal of General Internal Medicine. »»»

(University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences) In the largest study of its kind, Pittsburgh Compound B, an imaging agent that could facilitate the early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, has been used to identify amyloid deposition in the brains of clinically older adults. The findings, published in this month's issue of the Archives of Neurology, could not only shed more light on how the illness progresses, but also open the door to the possibility of prevention strategies. »»»

(Cornell University Communications) The American Medical Association journal Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine has published a new study by researchers at Cornell University indicating evidence of an environmental trigger for autism among genetically vulnerable children. It is the first peer-reviewed study to positively associate the prevalence of autism to a factor related to the levels of precipitation in the areas in which children live. »»»

(University of Montreal) Babies who receive incubator care after birth are two to three times less likely to suffer depression as adults according to a new study published in the journal Pyschiatry Research. The surprising discovery was made by scientists from the University of Montreal and Sainte Justine Hospital Research Center in collaboration with researchers from McGill University, the Douglas Hospital Research Centre and the Institute of Psychiatry at King's College in the UK. »»»

(American Friends of Tel Aviv University) A new laser technique from Tel Aviv University seals and heals wounds. »»»

(Ohio University) Obese people who don't have high cholesterol or diabetes might think they're healthy - despite the extra pounds. But new Ohio University research suggests that obesity raises levels of the hormone leptin, which can be as big a threat to the cardiovascular system as cholesterol. »»»

More evidence has emerged that babies born from frozen embryos are healthier, researchers say. »»»

Just one in nine parents with obese or overweight children believe their child has a weight problem, a poll suggests. »»»

The Stroke Association is warning women to be more aware of blood pressure and lifestyle issues that can lead to strokes. »»»