In a recent animal study, researchers from the Division of Cardiology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, in collaboration with the University of California, Los Angeles, have found that over time, the absorption of nicotine after myocardial infarction (MI) significantly increases the incidence of cardiac fibrosis in canine hearts. This reaction promotes a kind of rapid heart rhythm that has many similarities to typical human atrial flutter, a potentially life-threatening condition that affects appr
Two studies to be published tomorrow (Thursday 27 January) in Europe’s leading reproductive medicine journal, Human Reproduction[1],[2] provide a generally optimistic picture about attitudes towards the increasing trend in society to be more open about the use of sperm donors. However, they indicate that not all parents are comfortable with the new openness, there are still many unknowns about attitudes and further research and public education will be needed.
It became compuls
A study by New York University researchers reveals a new function for the nerve cells that regulate circadian rhythms of behavior in fruit flies.
The nerve cells, called pacemaker neurons, contain a molecular clock that controls a 24-hour circadian rhythm in activity similar to the rhythms in sleep/wake cycles found in humans and many other organisms. It was previously known that pacemaker neurons receive visual signals to reset their molecular clocks, but scientists did not have
Parts of the human brain think about the same word differently, at least when it comes to prepositions, according to new language research in stroke patients conducted by scientists at Purdue University and the University of Iowa.
People who speak English often use the same prepositions, words such as “on,” “in,” “around” and “through,” to indicate time as well as location. For example, compare “I will meet you ’at’ the store,” to “I will meet you ’at’ 3 p.m.
Findings highlight need for improved doctor/ patient communication about important preventive therapy
Preliminary survey results released today by the American College of Preventive Medicine (ACPM) found that 43% of U.S. adults aged 40 and older who are at increased risk of cardiovascular (CV) events – and therefore potential candidates for doctor-recommended aspirin therapy based on current American Heart Association guidelines – are not utilizing aspirin therapy to reduce their ri
There is no association between increased physical activity and the risk of developing ALS, according to a new study published in the January 25 issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The new study contradicts previous studies linking risk of developing ALS to excessive physical activity and a slim physique.
ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), sometimes called “Lou Gehrig’s Disease” after the famous baseball player whose career w
A group of studies published in the January 24 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine add to the growing body of medical literature about the cardiovascular risks that may be associated with the class of pain-relieving drugs known as COX-2 inhibitors. Archives of Internal Medicine is one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
The Celecoxib Rofecoxib Efficacy and Safety in Comorbodities Evaluation Trial (CRESCENT) evaluated the effects of the COX-2 inhibitors and naproxen on 24-hour blood p
Living in a disadvantaged urban neighborhood can increase a male residents’ risk of contracting HIV, according to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Their study related disadvantaged neighborhoods to stress and stress to increased injection drug use in male study participants. This is the first empirical study that illustrates how neighborhood characteristics may directly lead to HIV infection. The study is published in the January 2005 issue of Health Psycholog
Study suggests obesity prevention efforts should begin by age 4 for at-risk children
By age six, children of overweight mothers are fifteen times more likely to be obese than children of lean mothers. The research, at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania, showed the strength of genetic influences, and suggests that efforts to prevent obesity should focus on such children at risk, preferably by four years of age. The study appears in the
Mitral valve tissue undergoes dramatic changes during congestive heart failure
Surprising new findings in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology show that the basic biochemical composition of heart valves in patients with congestive heart failure are markedly different than those with healthy hearts, a finding that may explain the mixed success of surgery to repair valve dysfunction in these patients.
The valves of patients with congestive heart failure often
A new study on the determination of how livers are allocated for transplants examined the relationship between liver disease severity and quality of life, and found that the commonly used model for liver allocation is not a reliable indicator of general quality of life.
The results of this study appear in the February 2005 issue of Liver Transplantation, the official journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) and the International Liver Transplan
Researchers at Johns Hopkins have found that sildenafil citrate (Viagra), a drug used to treat erectile dysfunction (ED) in millions of men, effectively treats enlarged hearts in mice, stopping further muscle growth from occurring and reversing existing growth, including the cellular and functional damage it created.
“A larger-than-normal heart is a serious medical condition, known as hypertrophy, and is a common feature of heart failure that can be fatal,” says study senior author
There is no association between two specific personality traits – neuroticism and extroversion – and cancer, according to a new study, one of the largest prospective twin studies to examine this issue. The study, published in the March 1, 2005 issue of CANCER (http://www.interscience.wiley.com/cancer-newsroom), a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, also finds no evidence that personality traits indirectly lead to cancer through behavioral factors, such as smoking.
Patients in highest-quality hospitals have 12-20% better survival rates for common procedures and diagnoses
A new study naming hospitals in the top five percent in the nation in clinical quality is being released today by HealthGrades, the independent healthcare quality organization. The hospitals – 229 out of nearly 5,000 – were ranked at the top of the list based on the death and complication rates of Medicare patients in 28 common procedures and diagnoses, from hip replacemen
Low exercise capacity in rats associated with high levels of CV risk factors
If your New Year’s resolution to exercise is now just a distant memory, there are some rats at the University of Michigan Medical School that may convince you to climb back on the treadmill.
A new research study, to be published in the Jan. 21 issue of Science, found that rats selected and bred for low aerobic exercise capacity had more cardiovascular disease risk factors than rats bred for
A UCLA-led study of children’s patient records at California’s public mental health clinics identifies strengths and gaps in quality of care.
Published in the February edition of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the study examines safety and appropriateness of care for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), conduct disorder and major depression in the public clinics. It is the first statewide study on quality of care for children.
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