A new test can predict both the risk of breast cancer recurrence and may identify women who will benefit most from chemotherapy, according to research supported by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, and performed in collaboration with the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP) and Genomic Health Inc. These results suggest that almost half of over 50,000 U.S. women diagnosed with estrogen-dependent, lymph-node negative breast canc
Irritable bowel syndrome, frequent indigestion common in people with insomnia
Mayo Clinic researchers report in the current issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings an association between gastrointestinal disorders and sleep disturbances. The association is important because these problems cause significant health issues including greater need for general medical and mental health treatment. It’s estimated that nearly one-half of American adults experience one or more symptoms that ind
Diabetes affects 18.2 million people in the United States and is expected to double by the year 2010. Additionally, diabetics who do not have good control over their blood sugar levels are more susceptible to oral health problems than non-diabetics, according to a study that appears in the November/December 2004 issue of General Dentistry, the Academy of General Dentistry’s (AGD) clinical, peer-reviewed journal.
“Oral health symptoms of diabetics include dry mouth, periodontal (g
Hypertension, a controllable and preventable disease (and more commonly known as high blood pressure), affects 1 in 4 American adults. Causes are unknown in 90 percent of all cases. However, the most common cause of secondary hypertension in women is oral contraceptive use, according to a report in the November/December issue of General Dentistry, the Academy of General Dentistry’s (AGD) clinical, peer-reviewed journal.
Up to five percent of women taking birth control pills
Dental visits usually result in patient recommendations to floss or reschedule more appointments to treat a cavity, however, some patients are learning they may be at risk for a stroke too, according to a case report in the November/December issue of General Dentistry, the Academy of General Dentistry’s (AGD) clinical, peer-reviewed journal.
According to the American Stroke Association (ASA), every 45 seconds, someone in America has a stroke. Stroke is the third leading cause o
Cumulative trauma during a person’s lifetime can have an overall effect on health in one’s later years, according to a study that examines the consequences of traumatic events on older adults’ physical health. Also, traumas experienced in adulthood compared to traumas experienced in childhood appear to cause more damage to an older person’s (65 and older) health, say researchers of a new study reported on in the December issue of Psychology and Aging published by the America
Men being treated for prostate cancer using hormone therapy maybe under-recognized for their risk of developing osteoporosis, according to a new study. Researchers writing in the January 15, 2005 issue of CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, say few patients get tested for osteoporosis during treatment. Moreover, even men with other risk factors for osteoporosis, such as smoking or receiving the hormone treatment for a long time, are still unlikely to receive preven
What is the relationship between atherosclerosis and the immune response and what are the possibilities for the development of a vaccine against cardiovascular disease? What role do stem cells play in angiogenesis and what are the possible clinical applications of stems cells in cardiac recovery?
These are few of the topics that will be discussed during the First European Vascular Genomics Network (EVGN) Conference, which starts today at New Hall College in Cambridge, UK. Chaired by
Results of a preliminary study in this week’s issue of THE LANCET suggest a step forward in our understanding of the processes behind narcolepsy; there appears to be an underlying autoimmune process for people with a certain genetic profile. Future diagnostic testing of people with this profile should lead to substantial improvements in disease treatment.
Narcolepsy is a chronic disabling sleep-wake disorder characterised by excessive daytime sleepiness, which is caused by changes in horm
An international trial comparing blood-pressure lowering treatments has been stopped early due to the significantly better performance of one of the treatments in the trial.
The 19,000 patient Anglo-Scandinavian Cardiac Outcomes Trial (ASCOT) has been comparing a new treatment strategy for hypertension against an old one, in order to discover which is better at preventing various cardiovascular events such as heart attacks and strokes.
The older treatment strategy based on
A new generation of devices to help people with joint disorders walk with ease and comfort are becoming a reality thanks to the work of GAIT, which is creating the world’s first ‘intelligent’ mechanical devices to support knee and ankle joints.
Due to end in August next year, the 36-month IST programme project is developing the most advanced leg supports designed to date, combining biomechanics with information technologies to produce more comfortable and effective devices that c
A new study of back pain treatments, co-ordinated by researchers at the University of York, has found that spinal manipulation, in the form of chiropractic, osteopathy, or manipulative physiotherapy, followed by a programme of exercise, provides significant relief of symptoms and improvements in general health.
The study, backed by the Medical Research Council (MRC) and co-ordinated by the Trials Unit in the University’s Department of Health Sciences, is the biggest of its t
The overall performance of the gene signature to be used in the first large-scale trial to study the role of such tumor signatures in breast cancer is encouraging and gives the green light to start the trial proper, Dr. Martine Piccart, head of the medical oncology department at the Institut Jules Bordet in Brussels, Belgium, told the San Antonio Breast Cancer conference today (Wednesday 8 December 2004).
Dr Piccart heads the TRANSBIG consortium, which intends to use the 70-ge
US fertility experts today (Thursday 9 December) warned teenage boys and young men to consider limiting the time that they use laptop computers positioned on their laps, as long-term use may affect their fertility.
The increasing popularity of laptop computers (LC), coupled with existing evidence that elevated scrotal temperature can result in sperm damage, prompted researchers from the State University of New York at Stony Brook to undertake the first study into the effect of heat
Service Will Allow Patients Direct Access to Latest Research
Scientific publishers and the nation’s leading voluntary health organizations have announced a groundbreaking initiative to help patients and caregivers close a critical information gap.
Scheduled to launch as a pilot project in Spring 2005, patientINFORM (www.patientinform.org) is a free, online service dedicated to disseminating original medical research directly to consumers. A collaborative effort of leadin
Many postmenopausal women with hormone-dependent breast cancer (requires estrogen and/or progesterone to grow) may be undertreated if they do not receive chemotherapy in addition to hormonal therapy after surgery, according to a Loyola University Health System, Maywood, Ill., study.
Loyola’s Dr. Kathy S. Albain presented the results of a 10-year follow-up of The Breast Cancer Intergroup of North America Trial 0100 at the late breaking session of the San Antonio Breast Cancer Sy
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