Health & Medicine : Science World Report

Feb 28, 2012 12:20 PM EST

Clinical Guide on Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators for Postmenopausal Osteoporosis

Postmenopausal osteoporosis and resulting fractures have a major impact on morbidity and mortality and are major public health issues. Various therapies such as bisphosphonates, strontium ranelate and more recently denomsumab are available but these are not suitable for all women.

Feb 28, 2012 12:03 PM EST

'Universal' Vaccines Could Finally Allow for Wide-scale Flu Prevention

An emerging class of long-lasting flu vaccines could do more than just save people the trouble of an annual flu shot. Princeton University-based researchers have found that the "universal" vaccine could for the first time allow for the effective, wide-scale prevention of flu by limiting the influ...

Feb 28, 2012 11:55 AM EST

Scientists Collaborate in Discovery of New Targets for the Treatment of Asthma

A collaboration between scientists in Trinity College Dublin and the United Kingdom has identified new processes that lead to the development of a novel cell implicated in allergies. The discovery has the potential for new strategies to treat asthma and other allergic diseases. The research findings...

Feb 28, 2012 11:43 AM EST

Frontal Attack or Stealth?

Why is it that Mycobacterium tuberculosis can cause tuberculosis with as little as 10 cells, whereas Vibrio cholerae requires the host to ingest up to tens of millions of cells to cause cholera? This is the question that two research teams, from the Pasteur Institute, in France, and the Instituto Gu...

Feb 28, 2012 11:37 AM EST

A Giant Little Step in Cancer Treatment Opening Up New Therapeutic Horizons

A study headed up by the Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO) heralds a new horizon in the fight against cancer, opening up a parallel dimension to existing treatment options. The data, published today in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, demonstrate that by combining two drugs that had alread...

Feb 28, 2012 11:08 AM EST

Scripps Study Finds Higher Death Risk with Sleeping Pills

People are relying on sleeping pills more than ever to get a good night's rest, but a new study by Scripps Clinic researchers links the medications to a 4.6 times higher risk of death and a significant increase in cancer cases among regular pill users.

Feb 28, 2012 10:56 AM EST

Vegetarians and Those on Restricted Diets Unwittingly Eating Animal Gelatin in Meds

A significant proportion of vegetarians and other patients with dietary preferences borne out of cultural/religious practices are unwittingly consuming animal gelatin in prescribed medicines, reveals research published online in Postgraduate Medical Journal.

Feb 28, 2012 10:46 AM EST

Kaiser Permanente Study Finds Obesity-Asthma Link in Children Varies by Race/Ethnicity

Children and adolescents who are overweight or obese are more likely to have asthma than their healthy weight counterparts, according to a new Kaiser Permanente Southern California study published in the online edition of Obesity. The study, which included more than 681,000 children between ages 6 a...

Feb 28, 2012 10:36 AM EST

Prostate Cancer Treatment Overused in Some Older Patients

Treatment is not always warranted for older men with prostate cancer and a short life expectancy, Yale School of Medicine researchers report in the Feb. 27 Archives of Internal Medicine. "Treatment can do more harm than good in some instances," said senior author on the study Cary Gross, M.D., as...

Feb 28, 2012 10:17 AM EST

Study Examines Stent Implantation Compared to Initial Medical Therapy for Stable Coronary Disease

A meta-analysis of eight previously published clinical trials suggests that initial stent implantation for patients with stable coronary artery disease is not associated with improved outcomes compared with initial medical therapy for prevention of death, nonfatal heart attacks, unplanned revascular...

Feb 28, 2012 10:02 AM EST

The North American Menopause Society (NAMS) Reassures Many Women

A great deal has been learned in the ten years since the first results emerged from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI). Hormone therapy (HT) remains the most effective treatment available for menopausal hot flashes and night sweats. However, there is a growing body of evidence that formulation, rou...

Feb 28, 2012 09:45 AM EST

Irregular Heartbeat Strong Predictor of Decline in People at Risk of Heart Disease

An irregular heartbeat â€” atrial fibrillation â€” is a strong predictor of cognitive decline and the loss of independence in daily activities in older people at risk of cardiovascular disease, according to a study in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).