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Health :: Testing athletes’ hearts saves lives – heart screening

If athletes’ hearts are tested the number of sudden cardiac deaths related to sports can go down significantly, say researchers from the University of Padua Medical School, Italy. For the last 24 years, all athletes in Italy have had to undergo an electrocardiogram (EKG) test before engaging in competitive sports. Approximately 2% of people tested were found to have hidden heart problems and are kept from taking part in competitive sports.

Breastfeeding :: Breastfeeding does not make baby more intelligent

Breastfed babies are more intelligent because a higher percentage of highly educated mothers tend to breastfeed, say researchers from the Medical Research Council (UK) and the University of Edinburgh. A higher percentage of breastfed babies are brought up in a mentally stimulating environment. You can read about this study in the British Medical Journal.

Stress :: Black tea soothes stress

Daily cups of tea can help you recover more quickly from the stresses of everyday life, according to a new study by UCL (University College London) researchers. New scientific evidence shows that black tea has an effect on stress hormone levels in the body.

Health :: Prevention and treatment are leading contributors to mental health crisis

One in four U.S. adults suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder, yet they face barriers to equal access to treatment and preventive health services, public health experts said today at a forum releasing new research examining the impact of mental illness on the nation’s health from the October 2006 issue of the American Journal of Public Health.

Lung cancer :: New cancer drug AS1404 Antisoma extends life for lung cancer patients

Lung cancer patients treated with an experimental new drug lived over a third longer than patients treated with standard chemotherapy, according to data released. The phase II study, carried out by UK biotech company Antisoma plc, looked at 70 patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the most common type of lung cancer.

Diabetes :: VeraLight outperforms fasting plasma glucose for diabetes screening

Researchers will report results of a follow-on study of the first non-invasive, diabetes-screening device that was able to significantly outperform the fasting plasma glucose (FPG) test and the A1C test for identifying diabetes and pre-diabetes in individuals with one or more known risk factors for the disease. Presented at the 2006 Scientific Assembly of the American Academy of Family Physicians, held here, the study showed a prototype of the device was able to identify 29% more patients than the FPG test and 17% more patients than the A1C test. Both the FPG and A1C are blood tests used to screen and evaluate patients at risk for diabetes.

Multiple Sclerosis :: Fty720 – fingolimod reduces multiple sclerosis symptoms

The developmental oral therapy FTY720 (fingolimod) has demonstrated sustained benefits over two years in patients suffering from relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS), indicating that it could provide an important new option for treating this disabling neurological disease estimated to affect more than 2.5 million people worldwide.

Cancer :: UAB launches promising brain tumor trial

UAB (University of Alabama at Birmingham) researchers are investigating whether a common but usually harmless virus can be used to treat a particularly devastating type of brain tumor called malignant glioma. The virus — respiratory enteric orphan virus, or reovirus — inhabits the lungs and intestines of humans. By adulthood, most humans have been exposed to it but demonstrate no illness or effects from the infection.

Lymphoma :: New indications for rituxan in patients with non-hodgkin’s lymphoma

Genentech, Inc. (NYSE: DNA) and Biogen Idec, Inc. (Nasdaq: BIIB) announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved, after a Priority Review, two additional uses for Rituxan(R) (Rituximab) for patients with CD20-positive, B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL). One new indication for Rituxan is for first-line treatment of previously-untreated patients with follicular NHL in combination with CVP (cyclophosphamide, vincristine and prednisolone) chemotherapy. The second new indication is for the treatment of low-grade NHL in patients with stable disease or who achieve a partial or complete response following first-line treatment with CVP chemotherapy.

Rheumatoid Arthritis :: Cancer drug Gleevec may be remedy for rheumatoid arthritis

The potent cancer drug Gleevec, used to combat leukemia and some gastrointestinal cancers, may be useful in treating rheumatoid arthritis, according to a team of researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. Their findings will be published in the October issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation.