| Embargoed Story from American Heart Association Keywords: EXERCISE STROKE RECOVER MOTOR SKILLS REHABILITATION TREATMENT A reporter's PressPass is required to access this story until the embargo expires on 10-8-98. |
9162.HRT 30-Sep-98 |
| Symposium on Schizophrenia Treatment New advances in the treatment of schizophrenia and the adequacy of community services will be discussed at the 1998 Mental Illness Awareness Week Symposium, sponsored by the American Psychiatric Association and the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill on Wednesday, October 7, 1998. |
MIAWSYM.APA 30-Sep-98 |
| Football Injury and Motorcycle Helmets When treating a football player with a neck injury, helmet pads and shoulder pads should be either both left on or both removed to avoid cervical spine injury, according to the October issue of Annals of Emergency Medicine. A study of nearly 6,000 motorcycle crashes shows that motorcycle riders who wear helmets are less likely to disfigure their faces in a crash. |
FOOTBALL.CEP 30-Sep-98 |
| Global Balloon Mission University of Colorado Health Sciences Center physicians and researchers today announced their participation in the upcoming around-the-world manned balloon attempt sponsored by RE/MAX International. |
BALLOON.CLM 30-Sep-98 |
| Embargoed Story from American Heart Association Keywords: STROKE SURGERY PREVENT CAROTID ENDARTERECTOMY COST TIME CANADA A reporter's PressPass is required to access this story until the embargo expires on 10-8-98. |
9175.HRT 30-Sep-98 |
| Embargoed Story from American Heart Association Keywords: GENETIC TESTING STATEMENT DIAGNOSING DISEASE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION A reporter's PressPass is required to access this story until the embargo expires on 10-5-98. |
9176.HRT 30-Sep-98 |
| Embargoed Story from American Heart Association Keywords: EXERCISE DECREASE STROKE RISK PHYSICAL ACTIVITY A reporter's PressPass is required to access this story until the embargo expires on 10-8-98. |
9177.HRT 30-Sep-98 |
| Embargoed Story from American Heart Association Keywords: STROKE RATES GEOGRAPHY BELT NECKLACE PREVENTION RISK A reporter's PressPass is required to access this story until the embargo expires on 10-8-98. |
9178.HRT 30-Sep-98 |
| Open-Heart Surgery Risks Reduced by Use of Blood Filters A new study of open-heart surgery patients found that filtering leukocytes (white blood cells) from blood reduces the risks associated with this life-saving surgery and improves patient outcomes. |
SURGERY.EYS 30-Sep-98 |
| Researchers Discover Early Step in Strokeís Deadly Path Researchers at Harvard Medical School have discovered an early step in the progression of stroke, a finding that could provide a new target for antistroke therapies. Stroke afflicts an estimated half million Americans each year. The study is published in the September 29 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. (Embargo expired on 9-29-98) |
STROKE2.HMS 29-Sep-98 |
| 86% Protection with Aviron's Flumist* Intranasal Influenza Vaccine New data from the second year of a Phase 3 efficacy trial in children shows that Aviron's (Nasdaq: AVIR) FluMist* intranasal influenza virus vaccine, under development for flu prevention, provided 100 percent protection against culture-confirmed influenza strains included in last year's flu vaccine, and 86 percent protection against the predominant strain of influenza circulating during last year's flu season. |
VACCINE.FHN 29-Sep-98 |
| First Major Cancer Gene Mapped to X Chromosome Johns Hopkins researchers, collaborating with an international team of geneticists, have pinpointed the site of the first gene for a major cancer located on the human X chromosome. |
PROSTAT2.JHM 29-Sep-98 |
| APA's 50th Institute on Psychiatric Services Opportunities for journalists at the American Psychiatric Association's 50th Institute on Psychiatric Services Westin Bonaventure Hotel, Los Angeles, CA October 2-6, 1998. |
ALERT.APA 29-Sep-98 |
| Leadership in Day Surgery NYU Medical Center has opened a new Day Surgery Pavilion that is a model of patient-friendly, physician-friendly architecture and care. |
SURGERY.NYM 29-Sep-98 |
| Excimer Laser for Treating Farsightedness UT Southwestern is one of only seven clinical research sites in the nation and one of the first to begin correcting moderate degrees of farsightedness accompanied by astigmatism with an excimer laser. |
LASER.SWM 29-Sep-98 |
| New Light Shed on Dry Eye Condition Scientists at The Schepens Eye Research Institute have given a black eye to the theory of what might be causing a dry eye condition in patients who have a disease known as Sjogren's syndrome. As a result, the researchers could be on their way toward finding a therapy for the dry eye symptoms associated with Sjogren's syndrome. |
DRYEYE.ERI 29-Sep-98 |
| PSYCHWISE -- MEDIA/Doctors-On-Call Interactive At the American Psychiatric Association Institute on Psychiatric Services, APA introduced PSYCHWISE -- MEDIA/Doctors-On-Call Interactive. PSYCHWISE is a password protected website open only to psychiatric spokespersons and members of the media. |
PSYWISE2.APA 29-Sep-98 |
| FDA Approves New Breast Cancer Drug Herceptin The breakthrough breast cancer drug Herceptin was approved late Friday by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the first in an expected wave of new therapies that will attempt to beat back cancer by attacking the disease at its genetic roots. Herceptin was developed in a joint effort of UCLA's Jonsson Cancer Center and the biotechnology company Genentech, Inc., of South San Francisco. |
HERCPTN2.UCL 29-Sep-98 |
| Women Fare as Well as Men after Heart Surgery Thanks to advances in technology, improved surgical techniques and possibly doctors' greater sensitivity to gender difference in heart disease, women now seem to do just as well as men after surgical procedures to restore blood flow to the heart. (Embargo expired on 9-28-98) |
WOMEN929.HRT 28-Sep-98 |
| Antioxidant Action of Vitamin E Significantly Reduces Heart Disease in Mice In mice genetically manipulated to develop atherosclerosis, scientists have for the first time conclusively demonstrated that vitamin E confers potent protection from the disease. (Embargo expired on 9-28-98) |
ATHERO-1.UPM 28-Sep-98 |
| High Tech Nasal Spray Could Prevent Flu As an alternative to a vaccine that needs to be updated every year as the influenza virus mutates, researchers have developed a nontoxic compound that can coat mucosal membranes and kill the virus. This compound could be used as a spray to prevent infection during flu season, according to University of Michigan investigators. (Embargo expired on 9-26-98) |
IC9803.ASM 26-Sep-98 |
| CMV Infection and Sudden Infant Death A study of sudden infant deaths (SID) in Germany indicates that cytomegalovirus infection may be associated with some cases of SID, according to University of Erlangen researchers. (Embargo expired on 9-26-98) |
IC9805.ASM 26-Sep-98 |
| Two-Thirds of Country Infected With Herpes A national prevalence study of herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1) suggests that nearly two thirds of the U.S. population over 12 years old is infected. HSV-1 is the cause of both oral and genital herpes and can cause serious neurological diseases in newborns and increase the risk of HIV transmission, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention investigators. (Embargo expired on 9-26-98) |
IC9809.ASM 26-Sep-98 |
| Protease Inhibitor Fights the Cold Scientists from Agouron Pharmaceuticals, La Jolla, CA have identified a group of compounds that appear to have antiviral effects against rhinovirus, the cause of the common cold. (Embargo expired on 9-26-98) |
IC9814.ASM 26-Sep-98 |
| Garlic Fights Off H. pylori The combination of omeprazole and garlic may be a promising effective therapy against H. pylori infection without the use of antibiotics, according to investigators from the University of Maastricht, Netherlands. (Embargo expired on 9-26-98) |
IC9815.ASM 26-Sep-98 |
| Bacteria Cause of Rhinitis Chlamydia pneumoniae, known to cause pneumonia and other respiratory tract infections, may also be a cause of chronic rhinitis, a nasal condition often thought to be caused by allergies, according to researchers from Apoteksgardens Health Care Center, Sweden. (Embargo expired on 9-26-98) |
IC9816.ASM 26-Sep-98 |
| IV Flu Medicine Researchers from the University of Virginia suggest that Zanamivir taken intravenously is an active antiviral and provides protection against the flu. (Embargo expired on 9-26-98) |
IC9817.ASM 26-Sep-98 |
| HIV Medication Prescribing Errors Common An Albany Medical Center (Albany, NY) study has for the first time documented that mistakes in the prescribing of medications for hospitalized HIV-infected individuals are common and appear to increase with the number of antiretroviral medications used. The study was at the 38th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy in San Diego. |
HIVDRUGS.AMC 26-Sep-98 |
| American Psychiatric Association October 1998 Tipsheet Decreases in the level of testosterone, which all men experience as they age, can trigger cognitive, sexual, or mood disorders. |
1098TIPS.APA 26-Sep-98 |
| Paradoxical Gene Suppresses Tumors Yet Makes Them Grow Scientists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have found that a gene discovered earlier in the decade has paradoxical properties -- it helps bring about tumor cell death yet is also necessary for their growth. (Embargo expired on 9-25-98) |
CAGENE.NCM 25-Sep-98 |
| Cases of Whooping Cough on Increase In recent years the reported incidence of whooping cough among adolescents and adults has increased substantially. Early recognition and vaccination of infants can prevent the further spread of the disease, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention researchers. (Embargo expired on 9-25-98) |
IC9804.ASM 25-Sep-98 |
| Travelers' Sickness Microsporidiosis may be a common but unrecognized cause of travelers' diarrhea. Researchers suggest using a highly sensitive technique, such as PCR, to detect and monitor the causes of travelers' diarrhea, according to University of Cologne (Germany) researchers. (Embargo expired on 9-25-98) |
IC9808.ASM 25-Sep-98 |
| Antimicrobials' Potential Against Blocked Arteries Researchers from the University of Toronto have discovered that early treatment with antibiotics is highly effective in the prevention of atherosclerosis in rabbits. (Embargo expired on 9-25-98) |
IC9819.ASM 25-Sep-98 |
| Swedish Pigs Showing Resistance Even though Sweden has ended the use of pristinamycins, a family of antibiotics, to promote growth in farm animals, researchers continue to find resistant organisms in the Swedish population. The resistance may be caused by the use of other compounds that select for the same resistance genes, according to a researcher from the University of Maastricht, Netherlands (Embargo expired on 9-25-98) |
IC9826.ASM 25-Sep-98 |
| First Voice-Controlled Robotically Assisted Heart Bypass Surgery The first voice-controlled robotically assisted heart bypass surgery on a human was performed in Munich, Germany by an international team of cardiac surgeons including Ralph Damiano, M.D., chief of cardiothoracic surgery of The Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, (Hershey, PA). |
DAMIANO.HMC 25-Sep-98 |
| Possible New Mechanism(s) of Macrolide Resistance Investigators from Penn State's College of Medicine have shown that strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae developed high levels of resistance to commonly prescribed antibiotics such as azithromycin, after repeated exposures at subinhibitory concentrations of the drug. |
ICAAC1.PNY 25-Sep-98 |
| Efficacy of Antibiotics In a comparison study between two antibiotics that will be presented at the 38th Annual Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC) in San Diego, CA, researchers show that treatment of children's middle ear infections with amoxicillin/clavulanate reduced colonization by Streptococcus pneumoniae in the nasopharynx by nearly 66 percent. |
ICAAC2.PNY 25-Sep-98 |
| One-Third of Streptococcus Pneumoniae Resistant to Newer Antibiotics Investigators at the 38th Annual Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy will present data about the activity of commonly prescribed antibiotics against strains of resistant and susceptible Streptococcus pneumoniae. |
ICAAC3.PNY 25-Sep-98 |
| JHU Center to Expand Role of Robots, Computers in Surgery NSF is committing $12.9 million to a new center, headed by engineers at Johns Hopkins, to develop computer-linked surgical systems and robots. |
ROBOSURG.JHU 25-Sep-98 |
| New Test for Kidney Function Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas have developed a procedure that will allow physicians to accurately measure kidney function in a short period of time, enabling patients to spend less time in the clinic. |
KIDTEST.SWM 25-Sep-98 |
| Leading Infancy Specialists to Meet Sept. 28 A group of prominent international experts will convene at the University of Notre Dame Monday (Sept. 28) for a rare cross-disciplinary symposium on human infancy entitled "Back to the Future: The Role of Breast Feeding, Parental Contact and Proximity in Promoting Infant Health." |
BABIES.NDU 25-Sep-98 |
| Catfish Yield Surprising Immortality Immunologists at the University of Mississippi Medical Center have discovered that the secrets to understanding cancer and the aging process may come with hushppuppies and coleslaw. |
CATFISH.MSM 25-Sep-98 |
| Hope to Brain Tumor Patients, New Weapons Calling it the most significant advance in radiosurgery technology in a decade, physicians at UCLA's Jonsson Cancer Center today opened the first facility in the US offering BrainLAB's Novalis -- a shaped beam surgery system designed to treat brain tumors. |
BRAIN.UCL 24-Sep-98 |
| ONE-OF-A-KIND VIDEO-LAPAROSCOPIC LAB A third-year surgery resident from UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas frowns with concentration as he tries to keep his eyes on the video screen and off his hands while suturing a foam sponge. |
DRYLAB.SWM 24-Sep-98 |
| Convention of Emegency Physicians in San Diego The American College of Emergency Physicians will hold its annual convention from Sunday, October 11, until Wednesday, October 14, in San Diego, California. |
MEETNG98.CEP 24-Sep-98 |
| Childhood-onset and Adult-onset Schizophrenia Linked People with schizophrenia, once thought to be the victims of poor parenting, are now recognized as victims of an error in brain development. In fact, schizophrenia may be a developmental disorder, present in children though the symptoms don't usually manifest themselves until adulthood. |
BRAIN2.UIM 24-Sep-98 |
| Physician Access Key to Preventive Medicine for Elderly The frequency with which elderly people with chronic illness receive recommended preventive medical treatment depends upon their insurance coverage, and that differs among rural and urban residents, according to findings by University of Iowa researchers. |
ELDPREV.UIM 24-Sep-98 |
| Drug Can Help Patients With Blood Pressure Disorder Mayo Clinic researchers have determined that the drug midodrine can safely raise the blood pressure of patients suffering from a disorder that causes blood pressure to plunge when a patient stands up. |
MIDODRIN.MMC 24-Sep-98 |
| Team Solves X-Ray Structure of Powerful Enzyme Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the NIH have determined the three dimensional molecular structure of a powerful enzyme responsible for activating many cell functions. The new information, reported in Cell, is a crucial step in the potential development of cancer drugs to control unchecked cell growth and metastasis. |
ENZXRAY.UWM 23-Sep-98 |
| All about Apple Cider A backgrounder about apple cider as the season arrives this year with renewed concerns about the safety of unpasteurized apple cider. |
CIDER.MSU 23-Sep-98 |
| Expectant Mothers Reduce Substance Abuse A University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) program -- the Arkansas Center for Addictions Research, Education and Services -- is making a positive difference in the lives of mothers with a history of substance abuse. |
ARCARES.UAM 23-Sep-98 |
| New Web Site: Help to Young Cancer Survivors Childhood cancer patients, long-term survivors and their families will find hope, help and a place for personal expression in "OUTLOOK: Life Beyond Childhood Cancer," a new Internet site developed by a University of Wisconsin-Madison team led by a 22-year-old leukemia survivor. |
KIDSWCA.UWM 22-Sep-98 |
| Leading Experts Gather for First International Symposium on Virtual Colonoscopy Boston University School of Medicine in collaboration with Stanford University School of Medicine is holding the First International Symposium on Virtual Colonoscopy, beginning October 1, 1998. |
CANCER.BOS 22-Sep-98 |
| John Glenn Sets the Standard for Successful Aging A pioneering Gerontologist at UConn Health Center, says many health problems associated with aging are preventable. |
GLENN.CTM 22-Sep-98 |
| New Treatment May Offer Hope for Diabetics Nerve growth factor, a protein that lengthens the survival of nerve cells, may reduce nerve damage in diabetes patients. (Embargo expired on 9-21-98) |
DIABETES.AAN 21-Sep-98 |
| Professional Soccer Players Risk Long-Term Brain Injury Professional soccer players may be at risk for long-term brain injuries that affect their mental abilities. These brain injuries result from either heading the ball or sustaining concussions from collisions with other players. (Embargo expired on 9-21-98) |
SOCCER.AAN 21-Sep-98 |
| Rabies: An Explanation for the Vampire Legend? The legend of vampires who bite their victims and suck their blood may have developed from men infected with rabies in the 1700s. (Embargo expired on 9-21-98) |
VAMPIRES.AAN 21-Sep-98 |
| High Potassium Diet May Protect Against Stroke Diets rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grain cereals may reduce a person's risk of stroke, especially in individuals with high blood pressure, according to a study. The effect appears to be due to the high potassium content of these diets. (Embargo expired on 9-21-98) |
STRKDIET.HRT 21-Sep-98 |
| New Clinical Study Shows Children Prefer Accolate Tablet Therapy to Commonly Used Inhaled Corticosteroid for Daily Treatment of Asthma Data released today at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) annual meeting show that 70 percent of children with asthma (ages 12-17) prefer the tablet therapy ACCOLATE(r) (zafirlukast) from Zeneca Pharmaceuticals over treatment with the inhaled corticosteroid beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP). (Embargo expired on 9-20-98) |
ASTHMA8.ZEN 20-Sep-98 |
| Americans mingle complementary techniques with traditional medical services, survey shows Complementary therapies, such as chiropractic, acupuncture or meditation, are so interwoven in the fabric of American health care that it may no longer be relevant to draw firm lines between complementary and conventional medicine, researchers have concluded after analyzing a nationwide survey conducted by the Stanford Center for Research in Disease Prevention (SCRDP). |
CAM.SUM 19-Sep-98 |
| Triple Drug Treatment Keeps Heart Failure From Worsening Peoplw withheart failure are less likely to experience a worsening of their condition if they are treated with three drugs, suggests a study co-authored by researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. |
HEARTRX.NCM 19-Sep-98 |
| Rethinking Resuscitation: Room Air Appears to Do Less Brain Damage Than Pure Oxygen When a person's heart stops, standard resuscitation includes treatment with 100 percent oxygen. Now researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences report that regular air - which is 21 percent oxygen - may be a better choice in some casess, helping prevent neurological damage that can occur after the brain is deprived of oxygen. |
OXYGEN.UMB 19-Sep-98 |
| AHCPR Holds Conference on Improving Health Outcomes in Diverse Populations Reporters are invited to attend a national conference sponsored by the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research to explore how to improve health outcomes in diverse populations, with an emphasis on AHCPR-funded research on minority populations. The conference will be held September 23, 1998, at the Crystal Gateway Marriott Hotel, in Arlington, Virginia. |
MEDTEP.AHC 19-Sep-98 |
| UCLA Doctors Perform First-Ever U.S. Prosthetic Implant The first custom sacrum prosthetic implant operation of its kind in the United States has been successfully performed by three UCLA doctors. The doctors have successfully rejoined a patient's pelvis to her lumbar spine with an innovative prosthetic device produced by Howmedica, Inc., of Rutherford, New Jersey. The doctors implanted a prosthesis in the patient, a 49-year-old woman (Tulare, Calif.) whose sacrum -- known as the tailbone -- had been destroyed by a giant cell tumor. |
PROSTHES.UCL 18-Sep-98 |
| Want some e-mail that isn't a pain in the neck? Chronic-disease specialist Kate Lorig is embarking on a pioneering study to learn whether virtual support groups provide actual relief for people with back pain. |
PAIN.SUM 18-Sep-98 |
| New Ultrasound Technique for Heart A new ultrasound technique known as contrast echocardiography has been found to safely and consistently diagnose blood flow abnormalities in the heart muscle, according to researchers at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Lukeís Medical Center, Chicago. |
ECHO.RPL 18-Sep-98 |
| Electro-Cautery Tool Finds New Use as Tumor Killer Physicians at UC Davis Medical Center are using a technique called radiofrequency ablation to destroy metastatic liver tumors that can't be removed surgically. The procedure can get the same results as traditional surgery with much fewer complications. |
CANCER2.UCM 18-Sep-98 |
| Researchers Develop Animal Model of Human Colorectal Cancer The development of the first animal model for colorectal cancer by scientists at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas will facilitate research into the molecular mechanisms of colorectal cancer and provide a model system for testing chemoprevention agents and new drug treatments. |
COLON-CA.SWM 18-Sep-98 |
| "Salt Gene" Determines Benefit of Low-Salt Diet A new study indicates that some of the variation in a person's response to a low-salt diet for reducing blood pressure may stem from minor differences in a gene. (Embargo expired on 9-17-98) |
SALT917.HRT 17-Sep-98 |
| World's Largest Meeting of Plastic Surgeons Nearly 7,000 plastic surgeons, exhibitors, medical personnel and guests from around the world gather in Boston, October 3-7, 1998, for the 67th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons (ASPRS), the Plastic Surgery Educational Foundation (PSEF) and the American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons (ASMS). |
BOSTNMTG.PRS 17-Sep-98 |
| Employee Health Costs Rise with Obesity Employee obesity dramatically increases health care needs and costs of business. Overweight women over 45 face highest heatlh risks. Study suggests worker weight loss programs can reduce employer medical and short-term disability costs. |
OBESITY.ACO 17-Sep-98 |
| Combination Therapy for Brain Tumors Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center have now found a way to make brain cancer cells more receptive to radiation treatment --by 60-fold in some cases. |
BRAIN4.UPM 17-Sep-98 |
| Marker of Autoimmune Disease Activity UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas researchers have uncovered what they believe is a marker of autoimmune disease activity in patients with lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. |
MARKER.SWM 17-Sep-98 |
| DSHEA Protects Consumers Authors of an editorial in the New England Journal of Medicine mistakenly castigate the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA). |
NEJM.CRN 17-Sep-98 |
| Doctors Reverse Kidney Failure in an HIV-Infected Patient In the first documented case of its kind, doctors at the University of Maryland Medical Center have been able to reverse kidney failure in an HIV-infected patient by putting the patient on highly active, triple-drug antiretroviral therapy, they reported in the Sept 5, 1998, issue of The Lancet. |
HIVKDNY.MDM 17-Sep-98 |
| DNA-based Cancer Vaccine Shows Promise Over the past decade, knowledge about how the immune system can be used to fight cancer has greatly increased. Not only have scientists learned that the immune system can recognize certain proteins on cancer cells, but they have used this knowledge to develop vaccines that may help to prevent cancer recurrence. |
CANCER7.MSK 16-Sep-98 |
| Science Tip Sheet for Sept 98 Three story ideas based on ongoing research at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center: 1.A Role for Prolactin in Breast Cancer 2.Proteins Deep Inside the Nucleus Hold Clues for Two Diseases 3.Tightly Controlled Protein Destruction Drives the Cell Cycle |
TIPS998.UPM 16-Sep-98 |
| Existence of Ancient RNA World Research over the past 15 years, including studies at the Whitehead Institute, has been lending credence to the notion of a so-called "RNA world," an era in early evolution when all life forms were based on RNA. |
RNAWORLD.WHI 16-Sep-98 |
| Live Hair Restoration Surgery Schedule At the annual meeting of the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery in Washington, D.C., Dr. William Rassman will perform a live follicular transplant using the carousel automated implanter, which is a new device that has the potential to cut surgery time in half. |
HAIR.DRA 16-Sep-98 |
| Experimental Drugs Against Infectious Disease Pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies are currently testing 136 new weapons in the arsenal against infectious diseases, according to a new survey by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA). |
INFECT.PRM 16-Sep-98 |
| Cigarette Smoking and Risk of Vasospasm Cigarette smoking has been shown to increase the risk of vasospasm following a subarachnoid hemorhhage (SAH), according to a study published in the September 1998 issue of the Journal of Neurosurgery. |
ANEURYSM.AAS 16-Sep-98 |
| Hopkins Study Reveals Key Details On How We Get Energy Biochemists at Johns Hopkins report they have solved a major mystery surrounding the way most organisms -- including people -- get energy. Their discovery, in this month's Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,caps decades of research on how cells make the common currency of energy, a molecule called ATP. (Embargo expired on 9-15-98) |
ATP2.JHM 15-Sep-98 |
| 9-98 Tip Sheet from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center |
TIP998.CED 15-Sep-98 |
| Vaccines for Tick-Borne Diseases on the Way A MU researcher in veterinary medicine is creating an animal model to aid in studying how Lyme disease affects humans. |
TICKBORN.UMC 15-Sep-98 |
| Magnetic Hearing Aid--New "Window" for Hearing Impaired Imagine an invisible hearing aid that never squeals with feedback and digitally enhances speech while silencing background noise. Such a device is under development and has been tested in animals with encouraging result. |
HEARING.TWF 15-Sep-98 |
| Hollywood Film Maker Learns to Walk Again An individual with the types of injuries Howard Rutman sustained in a motorcycle accident last January would typically be confined to a wheelchair for life. But 5 months after the accident he was walking again and now walks unaided. |
RUTMAN.CED 15-Sep-98 |
| Sept. 15, 1998, Annals of Internal Medicine Tipsheet 1-Physicians Often Stray From the Mark When Talking to Patients About Advance Directives 2- Doctor-Patient E-mail: Promise and Problems 3- Adhering to Complex HIV Therapy 4- Epinephrine During Cardiac Resuscitation Associated with Negative Neurologic Outcomes |
TIP91598.ACP 15-Sep-98 |
| Pattern of Inheritance of Non-chromosomal DNA Moms and dads contribute equal amounts of DNA to their baby --almost. Each parent donates one chromosome from each of the 23 pairs humans have. But only mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from the mother passes to the fetus. |
MTDNA.SWM 15-Sep-98 |
| A Fast Track for Diabetes Cure Focused on Islet Cell Transplantation The Juvenile Diabetes Foundation International and Harvard Medical School have established the JDF Center for Islet Cell Transplantation at Harvard Medical School with the goal of developing a cure for Type 1 diabetes. |
JDFCENT.HMS 15-Sep-98 |
| New Anti-AIDS Weapon: Green Coffee Beans Researchers at UC Irvine's College of Medicine have found a possible new weapon for the AIDS arsenal: a chemical extracted from green coffee beans. The chemical is identical to substances found in medicinal plants that Bolivian shamans have used for more than 1,500 years to treat a variety of disorders. |
AIDSDRUG.UCI 15-Sep-98 |
| Heart Attack Risk and Low-Dose Estrogen Contraceptives not Linked Women taking low-dose estrogen oral contraceptives did not face an increased heart attack risk, according to a study. Researchers investigated whether the current generation of oral contraceptives would increase the risk of heart attack. (Embargo expired on 9-14-98) |
ESTRO914.HRT 14-Sep-98 |
| Tips from American Thoracic Society 1.Research showing how preterm infants suffered airway adverse effects from maternal smoking; 2. How maternal smoking caused increased infant airway wall thickness, which may cause SIDS death; how circadian rhythms increase nocturnal asthma, plus a helpful drug. |
TIPS998.ATS 14-Sep-98 |
| School breakfast participation leads to academic, psychosocial improvements A new study by researchers from the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and other institutions lends support to traditional beliefs about the importance of a good breakfast. The report in the September Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine finds that children who increase their participation in school breakfast programs tend to show improvement on a wide range of measures of social and academic functioning. (Embargo expired on 9-14-98) |
BRKFAST.MAG 14-Sep-98 |
| Chronic Sinusitis Sufferers Turning to Alternative Treatments A five-year follow-up study states acupuncture, chiropractic manipulation, and herbal therapy are among new remedies used to control the symptoms of this common disease. |
SINUS3.AAO 13-Sep-98 |
| Allergy Linked to Common Ear Infection In a scientific first, researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have demonstrated that allergy increases susceptibility to otitis media, the most common, recurrent ear infection in young children. (Embargo expired on 9-12-98) |
OTIMEDIA.NCM 12-Sep-98 |
| Mayo Clinic Establishes Transplantation Biology Research Program Mayo Clinic announced the establishment of a major transplantation biology research program to be headed by one of the world's most renowned transplantation scientists. Jeffrey Platt, M.D., has joined Mayo Clinic to head the new Transplantation Biology Research Group. The program is part of Mayo Clinic's recently announced initiative in basic and clinical research into the burgeoning field of xenotransplantation. |
RESEARCH.MMC 12-Sep-98 |
| Rehabilitation for Hearing Impaired Children The close anatomical and functional relationship between the vestibular function and the cochlea, or inner ear, suggests that deaf or hearing impaired children may also suffer from balance disorders. A new study confirms this analysis. |
DEAF2.AAO 11-Sep-98 |
| New Home Sleep-Study Equipment Safe and Cost Effective A research effort finds that portable, unattended, sleep monitoring systems placed in the home can aid in the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea, a serious public health problem. |
SNORE.AAO 11-Sep-98 |
| High Risk for Severe Injuries to the Jawbone and Face in ATVs Although the death rate has declined among users of all-terrain vehicles, a new research study reveals that accidents result in maxillofacial injuries, often with severe consequences. |
ATV.AAO 11-Sep-98 |
| Ear Problems Resulting From Airbags Airbags may prevent a wide range of injuries resulting from a motor vehicle accident. Unfortunately, both short and long-term health problems may result from its activation. Two Michigan ear specialists have examined patients exposed to activated airbags and have identified resulting hearing and balance problems. |
AIRBAG.AAO 11-Sep-98 |
| Radiofrequency Energy Effective Against Obstructive Sleep Apnea One year ago the public learned that radiofrequency energy received approval from the Food and Drug Administration as an effective treatment to reduce snoring. Now, a new research study demonstrates that the same technology is equally effective in achieving tongue base reduction, a procedure, previously done only with surgery, to alleviate obstructive sleep apnea. |
APNEA.AAO 11-Sep-98 |
| Preventing Airway Complications in Infant Botulism Infant botulism is endemic to agricultural centers in southeastern Pennsylvania, Utah, and California. Previous treatments usually involved a tracheotomy at the advent of the disease. Now a team of Philadelphia ear, nose, and throat specialists prove that long-term intubation alone can prevent breathing failure in infants with this disorder. |
BOTUL.AAO 11-Sep-98 |
| Children Afflicted with Arnold-Chiari Malformation Arnold-Chiari malformation affects the brainstem can cause sensory loss, motor weakness, scoliosis, vocal cord paralysis and cranial nerve palsy. A team of pediatric ear, nose, and throat specialists suggests that life threatening airway abnormalities accompany neurological damage. |
CHIAR.AAO 11-Sep-98 |
| Less Deaths with Thoracic Surgeons versus General Surgeons Lung cancer patients generally have a lower death rate when their surgery is performed by a thoracic surgeon as opposed to a general surgeon, according to a new study reported today in CHEST, the peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP). |
TIPS998.CCP 11-Sep-98 |
| Study Shows Potential For Quelling AIDS Nerve Pain A recent multicenter trial shows a natural factor that encourages nerve growth may bring relief from one of the more common effects of HIV infection: sensory neuropathy. The study, led by Johns Hopkins researchers, is supported by the AIDS Clinical Trials Group at the National Institutes of Health. |
NGF.JHM 11-Sep-98 |
| High Chlamydia Infection Rates in Women Army Recruits Nearly one in 10 female new recruits in the Army is infected with Chlamydia trachomatis, according to a study reported in today's New England Journal of Medicine. (Embargo expired on 9-10-98) |
CHLMYDI2.JHM 10-Sep-98 |
| Criticism of Federal Policy Regarding Lead Exposure and Children's Health Federal policies regarding residential lead poisoning favor the lead industry or economic concerns at the expense of children's health, according to an article by a physician from Children's Hospital Medical Center of Cincinnati in the September 11 edition of the journal Science. (Embargo expired on 9-10-98) |
LEAD.CCH 10-Sep-98 |
| Zinc's Role in Fighting Anorexia People who don't consume zinc may become seriously anorexic, with little desire and even a repulsion for eating. For many young, weight-conscious women, and often the elderly, not eating becomes a state of mind and is considered a serious psychiatric disorder. |
ZINCLESS.UIL 10-Sep-98 |
| Women, Disease and the Environment A one-day forum to present the newest research in the field including estrogen disruptors and their role in breast and ovarian cancer, reproductive health risks, and the link between gender and the environment. |
ENVIRO.WHR 10-Sep-98 |
| Form of Vitamin E Seems to Guard against Breast Cancer Palm oil is loaded with antioxidants, particularly vitamin E. Antioxidants protect your body from highly reactive free radicals that damage cells. |
VITAMINE.WSU 10-Sep-98 |
| PET Imaging Sheds More Light on Complex, Microscopic Cancers In cancers based in unusual locations (in the lining of the lung-mesothelioma- or in lymph nodes), researchers have shown the advantages of using positron emission tomography over structural imaging, including X-Ray, magnetic resonance imaging, and computerized tomography. |
PET.UPM 10-Sep-98 |
| Fact Sheet for Stories on Colon Cancer |
COLONCA.CGS 10-Sep-98 |
| How AIDS Virus Kills Cells It Doesn't Infect Scientists in Texas, California and New York have found a way that HIV can kill cells it doesn't infect--and thereby prompt the downward spiral that results in AIDS. According to a study published Sept. 10 in Nature, certain strains of the AIDS virus that appear late in HIV disease may spur a mass suicide of immune cells called CD8 T cells, which normally keep HIV at bay. |
NATURE.TMB 9-Sep-98 |
| New Diaper Helps Newborns with Jaundice A new, specially designed diaper that allows 87 percent of light to pass through the diaper could help the 400,000 babies born each year with jaundice. The diaper was designed by a pediatric nurse practitioner, at the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. |
DIAPER.HMC 9-Sep-98 |
| APA Guide for Smokers: Nicotine Dependence The American Psychiatric Association (APA) made their first patients' guide to treatment options titled, "Treatment Works: When You Choose to Stop Smoking" available on the APA Website. The guide is the first in a series to be released later this year and in 1999. |
SMOKGID.APA 9-Sep-98 |
| Irregular Heartbeat Increases Risk of Death and Disability Atrial fibrillation -- a condition in which the heart beats irregularly -- significantly increases the risk of dying, particularly for women, report scientists. The risk of death was 1.9 times greater in women with AF when compared to women without AF. (Embargo expired on 9-7-98) |
ATFIB9-8.HRT 7-Sep-98 |
| National Rehab Week: 27-Year-Old Tetraplegic to Walk Thanks to her own determination and the inter-disciplinary, problem-solving approach taken by her rehab team, a 27-year-old widowed tetraplegic at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center has defied all medical odds and regained the ability to walk. |
REHABANA.CED 5-Sep-98 |
| Humane Managed Care? Managed Care is Here to Stay -- So How Do We Make It Work? New Book Provides Blueprint for Maximizing Humane Services in the 21st Century. |
MGDCARE.SMT 5-Sep-98 |
| Mechanism for Neuron Death An influx of calcium into mitochondria triggers the death of neurons exposed to glutamate, which proves toxic when overproduced in traumatic brain injury and stroke. This finding, by University of Pittsburgh scientists, is in the Sept. issue of Nature Neuroscience. |
CALCMITO.PMC 5-Sep-98 |
| FDA Committee Approves New Breast Cancer Drug An advisory panel for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today recommended approval of the breast cancer drug Herceptin, the first cancer drug to successfully treat a specific genetic alteration. The FDA's Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee recommended Herceptin for approval as a single agent and in combination with Taxol. |
HERCEPTN.UCL 5-Sep-98 |
| Key Target in Molecular Pathway that Initiates Colon Cancer In the latest of a series of discoveries about colon cancer genes, researchers at the Johns Hopkins Oncology Center and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute have discovered a connection between two of them, APC and c-MYC, that conspires to initiate almost all colon cancers. Their findings are reported in the September 4, 1998, issue of SCIENCE. |
COLONCAN.JHM 4-Sep-98 |
| Gene Therapy Showing Promise in Fighting Melanoma In treating dogs for a highly aggressive form of melanoma, a University of Wisconsin-Madison research team is having success with a new cancer vaccine that could benefit human cancer-fighting efforts. |
MELANOMA.UWI 4-Sep-98 |
| Launch of the Endostatin Protein Immunoassay Kit EntreMed, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENMD) and CytImmune Sciences Inc. announced today the product launch of the Endostatin Protein ACCUCYTE Immunoassay Kit developed collaboratively by the companies. |
ENDOSTTN.IMG 4-Sep-98 |
| Treatment of Irregular Heartbeat Prevents Stroke Using a blood-thinning drug to treat people who have an irregular heartbeat is not only medically effective, but also cost-effective, according to a study in this month's Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association. (Embargo expired on 9-3-98) |
STROKE-6.HRT 3-Sep-98 |
| CRN Evaluating Impurity in 5-HTP Products The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) recognizes the need for careful assessment of the recent Mayo Clinic report of an impurity in products containing 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP). |
5HTP.CRN 3-Sep-98 |
| DNA Methylation and Stability of DNA Scientists at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research have established for the first time that DNA methylation, a chemical process by which cells alter how genes are read without changing the basic text, may also be responsible for maintaining the integrity of the genome |
METHYLTN.WHI 3-Sep-98 |
| Protein Reveals Two Different Prostate Cancers In a study of the protein p27, researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center have confirmed the existence of at least two different types of prostate cancer. (Embargo expired on 9-2-98) |
CANCER6.MSK 2-Sep-98 |
| "Normal" Brains Show Abnormal PET Scans What is a "normal" brain? The results of a research study published in this month's Annals of Neurology demonstrate that some of the apparently normal relatives of patients with neurological disease in fact have abnormal brain patterns. |
DYST2.ANR 2-Sep-98 |
| Non-Physician Clinicians and Future Role In two papers published in this week's Journal of the American Medical Association, Medical of Wisconsin's Health Policy Institute researchers have chronicled how the dominance by physicians in patient care is being challenged by the emerging prominence of nonphysician clinicians (NPCs). |
NPC.MCW 2-Sep-98 |
| Crosstrainers: New Rage In Exercise The original, the Precor EFX 5.21s Elliptical Fitness Cross Trainer, is highly respected by the experts, but its inferior imitators may end up taking you for a ride, according to a University of Michigan kinesiologist and home exercise equipment expert who examines the good and bad of new exercise equipment. |
CONSUMER.UMI 2-Sep-98 |
| Simple Signs Help People Take Steps to Get in Shape and Lose Weight Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center have found that inexpensive signs can encourage stair use, as reported in the September issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine. |
STAIRS.JHM 1-Sep-98 |
| First Significant Genetic Evidence for Schizophrenia Susceptibility A 15-year study in more than 100 families and 1,000 subjects provides the first reliable evidence of genetic susceptibility to schizophrenia, within a stretch of DNA on human chromosome 13, according to a Johns Hopkins-led international team. (Embargo expired on 9-1-98) |
SCHIZOPH.JHM 1-Sep-98 |
| APA September TipSheet 1- Antidepressant treatment: knowing when to stop, 2- Teenage motherhood brings highs and lows, 3- Patients' perception of hospitalization hinges on technique, 4- Managed care for patients' money, 5- Save medicare dollars with appropriate care, 6- Access to care differs for minority children and girls with ADHD. |
TIPS0898.APA 1-Sep-98 |
| Knee Brace May Be Unnecessary After Surgery It may be unnecessary for athletes to fasten themselves into cumbersome braces after a specific kind of reconstructive knee surgery, new research suggests. The study examined brace use after surgery to repair the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). |
ACLBRACE.OSU 1-Sep-98 |
| Geometry Of Blood Vessels May Influence Heart Disease The geometry of blood vessels may be a direct risk factor for developing cardiovascular disease. A new study has found a relationship linking cardiovascular disease to the angle between an artery and blood vessels branching off from the artery. |
HEARTGEO.OSU 1-Sep-98 |
| Locating Gene that Explains Cholesterol Absorption In a discovery that may shed light on why people absorb cholesterol at different rates, scientists from UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas and the National Institutes of Health have narrowed their search for a gene responsible for abnormal cholesterol absorption in individuals with a rare hereditary disease. |
ABSORB.SWM 1-Sep-98 |
| September 1, 1998 Annals of Internal Medicine from ACP-ASIM 1. Does access to health care eliminate disparities in health? 2. Simple signs increased use of stairs at Baltimore mall. 3. Standardized medical exams may help prevent young athletes' cardiac deaths. |
TIP9198.ACP 1-Sep-98 |
| Dual X-Ray Technique Analyzes Structure Of Dental Alloys Researchers at Ohio State have employed a combination of two X-ray techniques to discover new information about the structure of oxide layers on dental alloys. With this knowledge, manufacturers of alloys for crowns, bridges, etc. can explore stronger dental materials. |
DENTOX.OSU 1-Sep-98 |
| Air Guns Can Cause Permanent Physical Damage To Children Injuries caused by air guns -- guns that use a spring or compressed air to deliver ammo -- can cause irreversible physical damage to children, even though they are commonly viewed as toys and given as beginner guns to children, recent research shows. |
AIRGUN.OSU 1-Sep-98 |
| Bioreactor Grows Cells and Anti-Cancer Protein Ohio State University researchers have invented a device that grows human tumor cells in an artificial medium in order to produce a protein for possible cancer treatment. |
BIOREACT.OSU 1-Sep-98 |
