BG Medicine And Abbott To Develop Galectin-3 Test For The I-STAT(R) System

BG Medicine, Inc. announced that it has entered into an agreement with Abbott Laboratories (NYSE: ABT) to extend its current development and commercialization collaboration to include the development of a galectin-3 test for Abbott Point of Care's i-STAT® System. Galectin-3 is a novel biomarker that may play a role in detecting the development and progression of heart failure...

Link Between Hepatitis C And Insulin Resistance Surprises Scientists

Scientists in Australia found that when they studied insulin resistance in people with Hepatitis C little or none of it was in the liver and nearly all the insulin resistance occured in muscle, which surprised them because Hepatitis C is a liver disease that not only leads to cirrhosis and cancer, but also makes people three to four times more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes...

ECG Screening Of Hyperactive Children Borderline Cost-effective

Evaluating children for underlying heart problems before prescribing stimulant medications can identify children at risk for sudden cardiac death, but electrocardiogram (ECG) screening is of borderline cost-effectiveness compared to current practice, according to research reported in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association...

Medicine To Lower Blood Pressure Significantly Decreases Risk For Cardiovascular Disease, Stroke

A long-acting ACE inhibitor used to reduce blood pressure significantly decreased the risk for cardiovascular disease, including stroke, in normal weight, overweight and obese patients, according to research reported in Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association...

New Method To Grow Arteries Could Lead To ‘Biological Bypass’ For Heart Disease

A new method of growing arteries could lead to a "biological bypass" - or a non-invasive way to treat coronary artery disease, Yale School of Medicine researchers report with their colleagues in the April issue of Journal of Clinical Investigation. Coronary arteries can become blocked with plaque, leading to a decrease in the supply of blood and oxygen to the heart...

Researchers Find Exposure To BPA May Cause Permanent Fertility Defects

Researchers at Yale School of Medicine have discovered that exposure during pregnancy to Bisphenol A (BPA), a common component of plastics, causes permanent abnormalities in the uterus of offspring, including alteration in their DNA. The findings were reported in the March issue of Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB J.). Led by Hugh S. Taylor, M.D...

Collaborative Care Plans Between Physicians And Pharmacists Have Little Impact On Clinical Outcomes

The use of a physician-pharmacist collaborative care plan to manage lipid control in patients with high cholesterol does not have significant clinical impact, found an article in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). The role of community pharmacists is expanding worldwide...

Is Prenatal Screening For Rare Diseases Like Spinal Muscular Atrophy Too Costly?

Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is one of many serious disorders for which prenatal testing is available. SMA affects approximately 1 in 10,000 live births and is the leading genetic cause of infant mortality and the second most common autosomal recessive disorder, after cystic fibrosis...

A Child’s Ability To Learn Can Be Adversely Affected By Repeated Anesthesia

There is a link between repeated anaesthesia in children and memory impairment, though physical activity can help to form new cells that improve memory, reveals new research from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. The study has been published in the Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism...

Obesity As Protection Against Metabolic Syndrome, Not Its Cause

The collection of symptoms that is the metabolic syndrome - insulin resistance, high cholesterol, fatty liver, and a greater risk for diabetes, heart disease, and stroke - are all related to obesity, but, according to a review in the March 9th issue of the Cell Press publication Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism, not in the way you probably think they are...

Higher Fast Food Prices Lead To Lower Weight, Diabetes Risk

A new study that followed participants for 20 years shows both weight and risk for diabetes decreased for people in communities where fast food prices increased. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill study, published in the March 8, 2010, issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, also showed the reverse when fast food prices fell, then consumption, weight and diabetes risks rose...

Abused Children More Likely To Suffer Unexplained Abdominal Pain, Nausea Or Vomiting

Children who have been abused psychologically, physically or sexually are more likely to suffer unexplained abdominal pain and nausea or vomiting than children who have not been abused, a study led by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill researchers concludes...

Intermountain Healthcare And Toshiba Announce Ultrasound Substudy Of FaCTor64 – Speckle Tracking By Echo

Cardiovascular death is the most common cause of mortality among Type 2 diabetics and claims the lives of millions each year, with many diabetics experiencing their first "symptom" as a heart attack or sudden death. Understanding that diabetics are at high risk for Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) and that many with the disease are asymptomatic, Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc...

Women’s Group Support Can Improve Birth Outcomes

Community support groups can reduce neonatal mortality, and lower rates of maternal depression-provided that the population coverage is wide enough and the programmes are appropriately designed. These are the conclusions of two Articles, published Online First in The Lancet. Participatory women's groups have shown promise in trials in Nepal, reducing neonatal mortality by about one-third...

Eye Disease Linked To Weakened Brain Power In People With Diabetes

Diabetic retinopathy, the leading cause of blindness in the UK's working-age population, could be associated with poorer memory and diminished brain power in people with Type 2 diabetes, according to new research¹ announced this week at leading health charity Diabetes UK's Annual Professional Conference. The study looked at 1,066 people with Type 2 diabetes aged between 60 and 75 years old...

New Heart Valve Replacement Technologies Offer Hope For High-risk Patients

A significant number of people with heart disease will benefit from less invasive transcatheter heart valve replacements in future, finds a review of updated practices in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal)...

Is There A Link Between Drinking Too Many Sugary Drinks And Diabetes?

A new study claims that having sugary drinks every day could put people at a greater risk of developing Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. American researchers found that the excessive consumption of sugary drinks, which can contain up to 200 calories each, contributed to 130,000 cases of Type 2 diabetes and 14,000 cases of heart disease between 1990 and 2000 in the USA...

What Will You Do To Stop DiabetesSM? Know Your Risk

What On the 22nd annual American Diabetes Association Alert Day, the American Diabetes Association will encourage people to join the Stop Diabetes movement by taking the Diabetes Risk Test to find out if they are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes and, if they are at high risk, to speak with their health care provider...

Pregnant Women Falling Short On Nutrition

Pregnant women are skimping on fruit and vegetables and gaining too much weight, according to a new Australian study. The research, in the journal Nutrition & Dietetics published by Wiley-Blackwell, found that expectant mothers are eating less than half the recommended servings of fruit and vegetables. And at least one in three put on more than the recommended weight gain for pregnancy...

American Diabetes Association Applauds Senate’s Efforts To Reauthorize Special Diabetes Programs

The American Diabetes Association applauds today's introduction of Special Diabetes Program legislation in the U.S. Senate. The bill (S. 3058) would reauthorize the Special Diabetes Type 1 Program and the Special Diabetes Program for Indians for 5 years. Each program would receive $200 million per year. Senator Byron L...

Occupational Sunlight Exposure And Kidney Cancer Risk In Men

According to a new study, men employed in occupations with potential exposure to high levels of sunlight have a reduced risk of kidney cancer compared with men who were less likely to be exposed to sunlight at work. The study did not find an association between occupational sunlight exposure and kidney cancer risk in women...