Smoking

Pregnancy :: Smoking, Nicotine and Pregnancy SNAP – patches and stop

1050 pregnant women are being recruited for the most extensive trial of its kind to establish the effect of using nicotine patches during pregnancy. The ?1.3m clinical trial ? Smoking, Nicotine and Pregnancy (SNAP) trial ? will investigate whether nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) is safe, effective and cost-effective for mums-to-be who want to give up smoking. It will also study the effect on the behaviour and development of the child.

Smoking :: Smoker sues tobacco firm for tainting teeth

A Beijing-based law professor has dragged a tobacco company and one of its sales agent to court, accusing them of producing or selling cigarettes which turned his teeth yellow.

Lung Cancer :: Gene variations directly link inflammation to an increased risk for lung cancer

Variations in two genes related to inflammation may be a major risk factor for developing lung cancer, according to a team of scientists from the National Cancer Institute and the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.

Heart Attack :: Blood protein offers clues to heart attack in seemingly healthy people

We?ve all wondered how a seemingly healthy person can actually be at high risk for heart disease or a heart attack. Now researchers have uncovered a new clue to this mystery. The culprit: myeloperoxidase (MPO), a protein secreted by white blood cells that both signals inflammation and releases a bleach-like substance that damages the cardiovascular system.

Psychiatry :: Difficulty identifying odors may predict cognitive decline

Older adults who have difficulty identifying common odors may have a greater risk of developing problems with thinking, learning and memory, according to a report in the July issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Lung :: Reduced lung capacity linked to cardiovascular disease by inflammation

People who have a reduced lung capacity may have a greater risk of heart attack and stroke because they show evidence of inflammation, reveals a study published online ahead of print in Thorax.

Kidney :: Early indicator of kidney disease may also predict risk of pre-diabetes

A blood component called cystatin C, used to test for early-stage kidney impairment, also may be a very early marker for those at risk of developing a condition known as pre-diabetes, a study conducted by researchers at the University at Buffalo has shown.