MedWire Medical News Combined Feed

tPA gene therapy may reduce early vein graft thrombosis

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

Gene therapy with human tissue plasminogen activator, results in fewer, less severe cyclic flow reductions and better blood flow after saphenous vein graft in pigs, say researchers.

Retinal microvessel changes more common in lacunar stroke

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

Abnormalities in the retinal microvasculature are more common in patients with lacunar stroke than they are in patients with other stroke subtypes, results of a multicenter study show.

Chronic bronchitis in the under 50s predicts airflow limitation and mortality

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

Chronic bronchitis is an independent risk factor for airflow limitation and all-cause mortality among patients aged less than 50 years, but not in older patients, research shows.

Rise in childhood allergic sensitization not linked to symptom increase

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

Allergic sensitization increased significantly between 1996 and 2006 among schoolchildren in Sweden, but this was not associated with a corresponding increase in clinical symptoms, study results show.

Airflow obstruction linked to metabolic syndrome

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

Airflow obstruction is associated with the metabolic syndrome, particularly with the central obesity component, results of a Chinese study show.

Strong genetic foundation for bipolar schizoaffective disorder

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

Patients with broadly defined bipolar schizoaffective features either have a strong genetic contribution to their condition or are genetically homogenous compared with other bipolar groups, conclude UK researchers.

Neurocognitive impairments specific to schizophrenia uncovered

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

Schizophrenia patients have specific neurocognitive impairments that allow differentiation from bipolar disorder patients and may improve understanding of selective impairment, study findings indicate.

Nocardiosis a potentially fatal complication of anti-TNF-α therapy

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

Disseminated nocardiosis is a rare but potentially fatal complication of treatment with tumour necrosis factor -α blockers used in the management of psoriasis.

Tuberculosis risk with anti-TNF drugs varies by agent

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

The risk of tuberculosis associated with anti-tumour necrosis factor therapy is greater with infliximab and adalimumab than with etanercept, French researchers report.

Adalimumab shows promise in etanercept nonresponders

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

Adalimumab may be a useful second-line treatment in patients with psoriasis who fail to respond to etanercept, an open-label study has found.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease common in psoriasis

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is present in around half of patients with plaque psoriasis and is strongly associated with psoriasis severity, Italian researchers have shown.

Six candidate genes implicated in psoriasis

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

Research supports the involvement of six candidate genes in susceptibility to psoriasis, some of which are already implicated in the aetiology of other skin and immune-mediated disorders.

Salvage radical prostatectomy effective for recurrent prostate cancer

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

Salvage radical prostatectomy is a useful treatment option in patients with recurrent prostate cancer with a prostate-specific antigen level <10 ng/ml and expected survival of more than 10 years, say Italian scientists.

Salvage radical prostatectomy effective for recurrent prostate cancer

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

BRCA1 mutations particularly common in young Greek breast cancer patients

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

Four common BRCA1 germ-line mutations are found in one in ten women with early-onset breast cancer, and around one in forty of all cases, a Greek hospital-based study shows.

Pre-adipocyte differentiation impaired with obesity

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

Swedish researchers have found that pre-adipocyte differentiation is impaired in the abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue of obese people.

Gene variant disrupts insulin induction

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

A variant of the upstream transcription factor 1 gene results in a defective response to insulin that could contribute to an increased risk for developing dyslipidemias and coronary heart disease, a study suggests.

Diabetic retinopathy patients who could benefit from CABG going undetected

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

Approximately 25% of patients with diabetic retinopathy receiving ophthalmologic care as outpatients have a significant stenotic coronary artery disease, findings from a Japanese clinic show.

Liraglutide beneficial in triple combination therapy

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

LEAD-4 results show liraglutide provides significant improvements in glycemic control as part of triple combination therapy with metformin and rosiglitazone, report researchers in the journal Diabetes Care.

Glutamic acid intake has independent BP-lowering effects

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

Dietary intake of glutamic acid, an amino acid that is abundant in vegetable protein, is an independent determinant of blood pressure, a major epidemiologic study has shown.

Low mortality after post-STEMI PCI with targeted ICD implantation

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

Early risk stratification and targeted implantation of a cardioverter-defibrillator results in low mortality after ST-elevation myocardial infarction treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention, researchers report.

BRCA1 mutations particularly common in young Greek breast cancer patients

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

Four common BRCA1 germ-line mutations are found in one in ten women with early-onset breast cancer, and around one in forty of all cases, a Greek hospital-based study shows.

Monoclonal antibody fragments block in vitro TAFI activation

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

Antibody fragments derived from monoclonal antibodies against human thrombin activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor are capable of blocking TAFI activation and reducing clot lysis time in vitro, study results show.

WMLs specifically predict stroke in elderly

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

White matter lesion volume is a specific independent predictor of future stroke in the elderly and is not associated with increased risk for other major vascular events, results of a prospective study show.

Allergic rhinitis underdiagnosed in asthmatic children

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

Allergic rhinitis is a common but underdiagnosed and undertreated condition among schoolchildren with asthma, results of a Finnish study suggest.

Early cat exposure linked to asthma risk in childhood

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

Exposure to cats, but not dogs, in the first year of life is associated with an increased risk for wheezing and asthma in later childhood, Italian researchers have found.

Low birthweight linked to respiratory disease in adulthood

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

People with a low birth weight are significantly more likely to be hospitalized for respiratory illnesses in adulthood than those with a normal birth weight, researchers have found.

Common genetic variants linked to schizophrenia, bipolar disorder

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

Results from a large genome-wide association study show that at least one-third of the genetic basis for schizophrenia is attributed to the cumulative actions of thousands of common genetic variants.

High rate of symptomatic remission, low rate of functional recovery in FEP

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

First-episode psychosis patients show high rates of symptomatic remission and lower rates of functional recovery after 1 year of treatment, study results show.

Hypofractionated IMRT for prostate cancer ‘well tolerated’

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

Hypofractionated intensity-modulated radiotherapy is well tolerated for the treatment of prostate cancer and confers minimal late toxicity 2 years after treatment, conclude UK researchers.

Magnetic induction shows promise in prostate cancer diagnosis

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

A noninvasive magnetic induction technique for assessing the resonance of tissues may be useful as a screening tool for prostate cancer, the results of a preliminary study indicate.

Hypofractionated IMRT for prostate cancer ‘well tolerated’

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

Hypofractionated intensity-modulated radiotherapy is well tolerated for the treatment of prostate cancer and confers minimal late toxicity 2 years after treatment, conclude UK researchers.

Magnetic induction shows promise in prostate cancer diagnosis

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

A noninvasive magnetic induction technique for assessing the resonance of tissues may be useful as a screening tool for prostate cancer, the results of a preliminary study indicate.

Higher breast cancer mortality in Black than White women ‘driven by higher death hazard’

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

Age-standardized breast cancer mortality is higher in Black than White women largely due to a higher hazard rate of death, particularly in the initial years following diagnosis, a population-based analysis shows.

Diethylpropion is effective and well tolerated for weight loss

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

The appetite suppressant diethylpropion produces sustained and significant weight loss long-term and is well-tolerated, show results from a small randomized controlled trial.

Atorvastatin inhibits ABCA1 expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of hypercholesterolemic individuals

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

Atorvastatin treatment reduces expression of ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 gene messenger RNA in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of individuals with hypercholesterolemia, researchers have discovered.

Combined aerobic and resistance exercise has synergistic effect on glycemic control

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

Combined aerobic and resistance training may offer significant synergistic and incremental improvement in glycemic control compared with either aerobic training or resistance training alone, a review suggests.

Higher adiponectin consistently linked to lower Type 2 diabetes risk

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

Higher adiponectin levels are consistently associated with a lower risk for Type 2 diabetes in prospective studies of diverse populations, show results of a meta-analysis published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

White-coat, masked hypertension predict sustained hypertension

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

People with white-coat hypertension or masked hypertension are at increased risk for developing sustained hypertension, report researchers from Milan, Italy.

Famotidine prevents gastrointestinal damage with low-dose aspirin

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

Famotidine prevents stomach and upper intestinal ulcers as well as damage to the gullet in patients taking low-dose aspirin, a phase III trial published early online by The Lancet suggests.

Higher breast cancer mortality in Black than White women ‘driven by higher death hazard’

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

Hospitalization for exacerbations linked to reduced HRQoL in COPD patients

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

Hospitalization for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbations is independently associated with a reduction in health-related quality of life, study results show.

Severe COPD linked to accelerated cognitive decline

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

Elderly patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease experience a faster rate of cognitive decline than those with milder forms of the disease and people without the disorder, research shows.

Omega-3 and -6 oils ‘do not reduce allergy risk’

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

Oils rich in omega-3 and -6 fatty acids are unlikely to play important roles in preventing common allergic disorders such as rhinitis, eczema, and asthma, a study suggests.

Four-year longitudinal course of bipolar spectrum disorders determined

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

Study results suggest that bipolar spectrum disorders in young patients are episodic disorders characterized most often by subsyndromal than syndromal episodes, with mainly depressive and mixed symptoms and rapid mood changes.

Early auditory processing training improves cognition in schizophrenia

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

Schizophrenia patients experience substantial gains in verbal cognitive processing with training in early auditory processes and auditory-verbal learning, claim US researchers.

Prostate cancer outcomes ‘unrelated to lower urinary tract symptoms’

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

Tumor characteristics and treatment outcome are not associated with the presence of lower urinary tract symptoms in men undergoing radical prostatectomy, Danish study findings indicate.

MammoSite APBI comparable to other APBI types for breast cancer

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

MammoSite accelerated partial breast irradiation produces acceptable results in breast cancer patients, similar to those reported with other forms of this type of radiotherapy, a 4-year update of trial results show.

Prostate cancer outcomes ‘unrelated to lower urinary tract symptoms’

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

Tumor characteristics and treatment outcome are not associated with the presence of lower urinary tract symptoms in men undergoing radical prostatectomy, Danish study findings indicate.

Low-carbohydrate diet and low-fat diet differ in effects on lipid levels

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

Adhering to a low-carbohydrate diet for 12 months is associated with greater increases in HDL cholesterol levels and greater decreases in triglyceride levels and the ratio of triglyceride to HDL cholesterol than an isocaloric low-fat diet, Australian researchers report.

LPIN1 gene expression linked to lower adiposity and favorable metabolic profile

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

High levels of lipin 1 gene expression are associated with low body mass index, body fat percentage, triglycerides, and leptin in Chinese women, report researchers.

Promising phase II results for once-weekly GLP-1 analog taspoglutide

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

A phase II dose-ranging study supports the efficacy and tolerability of the long-acting glucagon-like peptide-1 analog taspoglutide when added to metformin in patients with Type 2 diabetes, report researchers in the journal Diabetes Care.

Rate of insulin initiation low in elderly Type 2 diabetes patients

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

The rate of insulin initiation in elderly Type 2 diabetes patients taking oral anti-diabetes drugs is low, whether this is due to failure of first-line drug therapy or better management of the condition is not clear, say researchers.

LPIN1 gene expression linked to lower adiposity and favorable metabolic profile

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

High levels of lipin 1 gene expression are associated with low body mass index, body fat percentage, triglycerides, and leptin in Chinese women, report researchers.

QRISK score ‘should be recommended’ in UK

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

The QRISK score is better than a contemporary version of the Framingham risk model at identifying people at high risk for cardiovascular disease, a study in an independent UK cohort shows.

Cardiovascular medication spending changes

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

Spending on cardiovascular medications has risen steadily in recent years and the type of drugs being prescribed has changed, a study from Canada suggests.

MammoSite APBI comparable to other APBI types for breast cancer

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

Travel linked to three-fold higher risk for VTE

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

Travel by any mode of transportation is associated with a nearly three-fold increased risk for venous thromboembolism, compared with non-travelers, results of a meta-analysis have shown.

Thrombolysis treatment benefit outweighs risk in optimal window

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

Six times as many acute stroke patients would benefit from thrombolysis treatment given between 3.0 and 4.5 hours after symptom onset as would be harmed, US researchers report.

ATS, ERS issue joint asthma assessment guidelines

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

The American Thoracic Society and the European Respiratory Society have released official defining standards for clinical trials and practice regarding the assessment of asthma.

Shortened integrated bipolar substance use therapy ‘still effective’

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

A shortened version of integrated group therapy is an effective treatment for bipolar disorder patients with substance dependence, with better outcomes than group drug counseling, US study findings indicate.

External locus of control linked to psychosis diagnosis and recovery

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

A perception that events in one’s life are primarily influenced by external forces is significantly associated with psychosis and fewer periods of recovery, but it is not specific to schizophrenia, say US researchers.

Biopsy ‘insufficient for identifying unilateral prostate cancer’

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

Less than 30% of patients with unilateral prostate cancer on biopsy have unilateral disease on pathologic analysis, say US scientists who call for novel methods for identifying men suitable for focal therapy.

High isoflavone intake may reduce prostate cancer risk

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

Individuals with a high intake of isoflavones, as measured by urinary excretion, appear to have a reduced risk for developing prostate cancer, US study findings indicate.

Biopsy ‘insufficient for identifying unilateral prostate cancer’

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

High isoflavone intake may reduce prostate cancer risk

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

Individuals with a high intake of isoflavones, as measured by urinary excretion, appear to have a reduced risk for developing prostate cancer, US study findings indicate.

Letrozole and tamoxifen differentially affect plasma hormones

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

Clinical trial results show that postmenopausal women with early breast cancer have different hormonal responses to letrozole compared with tamoxifen treatment.

Smoking inhibits visceral fat accumulation in Turkish women

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

Body fat mass and visceral adipose tissue accumulation are inhibited by cigarette smoking in women, a Turkish study has found.

Waist-to-height ratio ‘a better indicator’ of CHD risk

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

Waist-to-height ratio may be a better indicator of coronary risk in men than traditional measures of adiposity, French researchers suggest.

Sitagliptin and metformin combined show additive endocrine effects in rat model

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

Metformin and sitagliptin combined appear to have additive effects in preserving beta-cell mass and function and enhancing insulin sensitivity in a rat model of Type 2 diabetes, say researchers in the journal Diabetes.

Six-biomarker model accurately predicts Type 2 diabetes

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

A model containing six diabetes-associated biomarkers effectively predicts an individual’s 5-year risk for Type 2 diabetes, report investigators in the journal Diabetes Care.

Troponins beat ECG for detecting myocardial injury post-CABG

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

Cardiac troponins are more sensitive than electrocardiogram criteria for detecting myocardial injury following coronary artery bypass grafting, research suggests.

Post-MI silent ischemia risks sudden cardiac death

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

Swiss researchers have found that patients with silent ischemia after myocardial infarction are at substantial risk for sudden cardiac death.

Letrozole and tamoxifen differentially affect plasma hormones

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

Clinical trial results show that postmenopausal women with early breast cancer have different hormonal responses to letrozole compared with tamoxifen treatment.

Autoimmune reaction causes false positive HIT results in APS