Drugs and Diseases

The Mad Hatter’s Secret Ingredient: Math

admin — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 02:03:04 +0000

The first numbers that come to mind when thinking about Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland might be how much money the movie is raking in at the box office. But mathematicians say the books are full of algebraic lessons — such as why a raven is like a writing desk. Read more…

Ancient Shipwrecks A Wonder Of The ‘Baltic Triangle’

admin — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 03:03:25 +0000

A dozen ancient shipwrecks have been discovered in the Baltic Sea, just east of Sweden. The well-preserved ships are hundreds of years old. The oldest wreck may date back 800 years. Read more…

Knee Replacements: Are You Too Young, Too Old, Too Fat, or Too Active?

admin — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 23:03:43 +0000

The implants have improved, yet patients are also more demanding Read more…

Obese drinkers face ‘double hit’

admin — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 22:03:38 +0000

Obese women drinking little more than a glass of wine a day have double the risk of liver disease compared with those who are slimmer, experts warn. Read more…

Cataracts From Antidepressants?

admin — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 20:03:10 +0000

A Canadian study suggests that SSRI antidepressants raise the risk of cataracts by about 15% — enough to cause 22,000 extra U.S. cataract cases per year. Read more…

New Plavix Warning: Lack of Effect in Many People

admin — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 21:03:51 +0000

The anti-clotting drug Plavix will get a new “black box” label warning that normal doses don’t work for 2% to 14% of patients. Read more…

FDA Panel Backs Device For Epilepsy

admin — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 21:03:32 +0000

An FDA panel narrowly backed the use of Medtronic’s “deep-brain stimulation” device in certain epilepsy patients. Read more…

Women on the pill live longer: study

admin — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 21:03:28 +0000

LONDON (Reuters) – One of the world’s largest studies of the contraceptive pill has found that women who have taken it can expect longer lives and are less likely to die from any cause, including cancer and heart disease.

ASBMR Task Force Reviewing Link Between Fractures and Bisphosphonate Therapy

admin — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 22:03:24 +0000

International Group to Present Findings This Fall; IssuesInterim GuidanceWASHINGTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Mar 11, 2010 – Recent reportssuggesting a link between long-term bisphosphonate usage and rarebone fractures have sparked rising concern among…

Pelvic Artery Stent Approved

admin — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 19:03:44 +0000

FRIDAY, March 12 — Boston Scientific’s Express LD Iliac Stent has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat iliac artery disease, the company said in a news release.A stent is a hollow tube that props open a blood vessel…

MRIs May Detect Hidden Tumors in Breast Cancer Patients

admin — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 23:03:59 +0000

FRIDAY, March 12 — MRI scans are more likely to turn up undiagnosed tumors in the breasts of postmenopausal women who already had cancer in their other breast, researchers report.However, the scans are less likely to detect tumors in premenopausal…

House panel to consider healthcare bill Monday

admin — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 20:03:41 +0000

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The House of Representatives Budget Committee on Monday will consider a reconciliation bill that Democrats hope clears the way for final congressional approval of an overhaul of U.S. healthcare, House Democratic Leader Steny Hoyer said on Friday.

U.S. court rules again against vaccine-autism claims

admin — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 23:03:34 +0000

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Vaccines that contain a mercury-based preservative called thimerosal cannot cause autism on their own, a special U.S. court ruled on Friday, dealing one more blow to parents seeking to blame vaccines for their children’s illness.

Rates of food sensitivity vary by country: study

admin — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 19:03:19 +0000

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – People in Portland are more likely than those in Iceland to be sensitive to certain foods, but reactions to fish, eggs and cow’s milk appear rare in both places, new research suggests.

Is Kindness Contagious?

admin — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 22:03:26 +0000

FRIDAY, March 12 — Acts of kindness spread rapidly, and it takes only a few people acting cooperatively to influence dozens of others, U.S. researchers report.They found that when study participants played a game in which they had an opportunity…