Unequal access to cancer care can no longer be tolerated — Radical change needed to deliver affordable care in developed countries – Cancer is one of the leading causes of death and morbidity worldwide, and its economic burden grows year by year. In 2008, the worldwide cost of cancer due to premature death and disability, excluding direct medical costs, was estimated to be US$895 billion.
Study reveals critical similarity between two types of do-it-all stem cells – Researchers saw substantial similarity between the two stem-cell types – pluripotent stem cells and embryonic stem cells, reported in a new study.
Radical change in blood pressure diagnosis and treatment – University of Leicester professor chairs major new guideline from NICE on the treatment of high blood pressure – High blood pressure patients should have the diagnosis confirmed at home, according to new guidelines. The way blood pressure is diagnosed and treated is set to be revolutionised following new guidelines for the medical profession issued by NICE and developed in conjunction with the British Hypertension Society (BHS).
Mosquitoes can’t spot a spermless mate – A female mosquito cannot tell if the male that she has mated with is fertile or ‘sperm less’ and unable to fertilize her eggs, according to a recent study from scientists at Imperial College London.
Tests that use DNA from mother?s blood to determine sex of fetus often effective – A boy or a girl baby. Parents-to-be wishing to know the gender of their unborn baby can usually find out during a routine ultrasound performed around 20 weeks of pregnancy. Now, new technology can tell pregnant women whether they are having a boy or a girl as early as seven weeks into a pregnancy. Scientists have been making rapid progress in identifying foetal DNA in the mother’s blood to predict fetus gender.
Successfully tested in Rwanda, mChip diagnoses infectious diseases like HIV and syphilis at patients’ bedsides; new device could streamline blood testing worldwide – New low-cost diagnostics like the mChip can revolutionize medical care around the world, revealed by researcher in US. Microfluidics-the manipulation of small amounts of fluids-and nanoparticles can be successfully leveraged to produce a functional low-cost diagnostic device in extreme resource-limited settings.
Obesity counseling should focus on neurobehavioral processes, not personal choice, researchers say – Current approaches to dietary counseling for obesity are heavily rooted in the notion of personal choice and will power ? the ability to choose healthy foods and portion sizes consistent with weight loss while foregoing sweets and comfort foods. According to preventive medicine and behavioral experts at Rush University Medical Center, research supports a new counseling approach that views obesity as a result of neurobehavioral processes – ways in which the brain controls eating behavior in response to cues in the environment.
Eating location increasingly important factor in diet of American children, according to new study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association – As childhood obesity rises and the American diet shifts towards increasing consumption of foods eaten or prepared outside of the home, concerns about the nutritional quality and the total consumption of such foods are also increasing.
Comprehensive immigrant and refugee health guidelines new resource for physicians – The largest, most comprehensive evidence-based guidelines to immigrant health – designed to help Canadian physicians meet the unique needs of this group – are being published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).
Breastfeeding for up to 6 months after birth can reduce their risk of developing asthma-related symptoms in early childhood and may prevent asthma – Children who had never been breastfed had an increased risk of wheezing, shortness of breath, dry cough and persistent phlegm during their first 4 years, compared to children who were breastfed for more than 6 months, revealed by researchers.
First global study of real-world circumcision rollout conducted over 3-year period in South Africa amongst 110,000 adults shows a marked reduction (>60 percent) of HIV acquisition among circumcised adult men – Researchers presenting late breaking research on the final day of the 6th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention (IAS 2011) have focussed on new studies in the field of circumcision, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and antiretroviral treatment. The IAS 2011 conference has been attended by over 5000 researchers, clinicians and community leaders since Sunday in Rome.
Soy/milk protein dietary supplements linked to lower blood pressure – Milk and soy protein supplements were associated with lower systolic blood pressure compared to refined carbohydrate dietary supplements. The study’s results suggest that partly replacing refined carbohydrates with foods or drinks high in soy or milk protein may help prevent and treat high blood pressure, said Jiang He, M.D., Ph.D., lead researcher of the study in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
