New method can diagnose pancreatic cancer with 97% certainty

Researchers at The Sahlgrenska Academy have now developed a method which identifies the Pancreatic cancer’s visible precursors with 97% certainty – Pancreatic cancer is often detected at a late stage, which results in poor prognosis and limited treatment options. Researchers at The Sahlgrenska Academy have now developed a method which identifies the cancer’s visible precursors with 97% certainty.

DietBet social gaming site effective weight loss tool

Miriam Hospital study shows social gaming site effective weight loss tool – Researchers from The Miriam Hospital have found that DietBet, a web-based commercial weight loss program that pairs financial incentives with social influence, delivers significant weight losses.

Dexcom’s G4 Platinum continuous glucose monitoring system approved for kids

FDA approves pediatric use of Dexcom’s G4 Platinum continuous glucose monitoring system – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved the expanded use of the Dexcom G4 Platinum Continuous Monitoring System for patients with diabetes ages 2 to 17 years. The G4 Platinum System, which monitors blood glucose levels in people with diabetes, had been approved for patients ages 18 and older.

Melatonin may lower advanced prostate cancer risk

Melatonin may lower prostate cancer risk – Higher levels of melatonin, a hormone involved in the sleep-wake cycle, may suggest decreased risk for developing advanced prostate cancer. Melatonin is a hormone that is produced exclusively at night in the dark and is an important output of the circadian rhythm, or the body’s inherent 24-hour clock.

Nicotine exploits COPI to foster addiction

Nicotine exploits COPI to foster addiction – A study in The Journal of General Physiology helps explain how nicotine exploits the body’s cellular machinery to promote addiction. The findings could lead to new therapies to help people quit smoking.

High good and low bad cholesterol levels healthy for brain

High good and low bad cholesterol levels are healthy for the brain, too – High levels of “good” cholesterol and low levels of “bad” cholesterol are correlated with lower levels of the amyloid plaque deposition in the brain that is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease, UC Davis researchers have found.

Diabetes duration and advancing age independently predict diabetes complications

Duration of diabetes and advancing age independently predict diabetes complications, risk of death – The duration of diabetes and advancing age independently predict diabetes severity and risk of death in older adults with type 2 diabetes. In a new study led by Kaiser Permanente and the University of Chicago, researchers investigated contemporary rates of diabetes complications and risk of death then contrasted them across categories of age and duration of diabetes.

Actual pandemic flu death toll was much higher in 2009

2009 Pandemic Flu Death Toll Much Higher Than Official Worldwide Estimates – A research team consisting of more than 60 collaborators in 26 countries has estimated the global death toll from the 2009 outbreak of the H1N1 virus to be 10 times higher than the World Health Organization’s count, which was based on laboratory-confirmed cases of this flu.