Healthcare :: Systems Biology poised to revolutionize the understanding of cell function and disease

Systems Biology is transforming the way scientists think about biology and disease. This novel approach to research could prompt a shake up in medical science and it might ultimately allow clinicians to predict and treat complex diseases such as diabetes, heart failure, cancer, and metabolic syndrome for which there are currently no cures.

Blood Pressure :: FDA approves first generic versions of Coreg to treat high blood pressure

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved the first generic versions of Coreg (carvedilol). Coreg is a widely used medication that is FDA-approved to treat high blood pressure, mild to severe chronic heart failure and left ventricular dysfunction following a heart attack.

Infectious Disease :: UVa researchers awarded $5.2 million for infectious disease research

Two University of Virginia School of Medicine researchers have been awarded grants from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to develop treatments and tests for some rapidly emerging trouble spots in the area of gastrointestinal diseases.

Menopause :: Pine bark reduces perimenopausal symptoms

A study to be published in an upcoming edition of the Scandinavian Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology reveals that Pycnogenol, pine bark extract from the French maritime pine tree, reduces “climacteric symptoms” such as hot flashes, depression, panic attacks, cholesterol and other common symptoms associated with women entering menopause transition.

Bird Flu :: Indonesia send again H5N1 Virus to WHO

Indonesia has sent specimen of H5N1 virus to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, (CDC Atlanta), USA, on Thursday, August 16, 2007. It is sent by National Institute of Health Research & Development (Balitbangkes) MOH through NAMRU-2 (Naval Medical Research Unit-2) USA, which is located in Balitbangkes building at Jl. Percetakan Negara, Jakarta.

Vaccine :: APhA Publishes New Vaccine Bulletin

As summer comes to a close, many parents are preparing their children to return to school. Any back to school plan will probably include a trip to the doctor or the neighborhood pharmacist to receive vaccinations. While children are commonly vaccinated to protect against chicken pox, measles and polio , one health threat often overlooked is pertussis. The spread of pertussis, also known as the ?whooping cough?, declined after widespread use of the vaccine began during the 1940s. However, since 1990 the illness, characterized by severe coughing, has been on the rise, particularly among older adolescents and adults who may have developed immunity to early vaccinations. Many adults do not realize that they are carriers of the disease. The illness spreads quickly when a sick patient sneezes, coughs or even talks and can have serious consequences for infants and toddlers who are exposed. Until recently, there was no pertussis containing vaccine approved in the United States for adolescents and adults.