Latest Health News

ThromboGenics NV (Euronext Brussels: THR), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of innovative treatments for eye disease, cardiovascular disease and cancer, announces that the pooled results from the successful microplasmin MIVI-TRUST Phase III program were presented today at the EURETINA (European Society of Retina Specialists) Congress in Paris, France...

The European Commission has approved a new formulation of Levitra® (vardenafil HCI). Levitra 10mg orodispersible tablet will be the first erectile dysfunction (ED) medication available in this novel and convenient formulation. In contrast to other drugs of the same class, Levitra 10mg orodispersible tablet allows men a discreet and convenient intake without water, dissolving on the tongue within seconds with a minty flavour. In Europe the launch roll-out will start as of November 2010...

Novartis announced that scientists at the Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases (NITD), in collaboration with researchers from the Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation (GNF), the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute and The Scripps Research Institute have discovered a novel compound that shows promise as a next generation treatment for drug resistant malaria. Major support for the project was provided by the Wellcome Trust, the Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV), ASTAR, Singapore and the US government...

Approximately one-fifth of all fathers and over one third of all mothers experience an episode of depression within the first 12 years of their child being born, with the first year having the highest risk, says a British study of 86,957 families published in Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, a JAMA/Archives publication. The authors say appropriate detection methods are needed to identify depression among both parents, fathers as well as mothers, and that doctors and other health care professionals should be aware of the depression risk factors in early parenthood...

Young children and infants who do not get enough nighttime sleep have a significantly higher risk of becoming obese later on in life - napping does not reduce the obesity risk significantly, reports a study published in Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, a JAMA/Archives journal. Over the last 20 years obesity rates in the USA and many other countries has increased dramatically...

The hallucinogen psilocybin appears to be safe and feasible to give to patients with advanced-stage cancer and anxiety - a study published in Archives of General Psychiatry reports it had a promising effect on mood. Psilocybin is the active ingredient in an illegal Class A drug in the UK called magic mushroom. In the USA, possession of psilocybin-containing mushrooms is illegal because they contain psilocin and psilocybin, both Schedule I drugs...

Psychological violence by an intimate partner during pregnancy, independent of physical violence, has been linked to a higher risk of developing postnatal depression, also known as postpartum depression, according to an article published in the medical journal The Lancet. As most social policies focus on the treatment and prevention of physical violence, this study has important policy implications, the authors explain. The study was carried out by Dr Ana Bernarda Ludermir, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil, and team...

There is serious concern about top-selling diabetes drug rosiglitazone (Avandia), its safety, as well as the whole system by which medications are regulated, evaluated and promoted worldwide, according to a BMJ (British Medical Journal) investigation. Dr. Fiona Godlee, BMJ Editor-in-Chief, thinks Avandia should not have been licensed; she believes it should be withdrawn. There should be better access to raw data used to license drugs, as well as more robust regulatory processes, to allow examination by the scientific community, Godlee added...

UK researchers have found another reason for us to keep brushing and flossing our teeth: the same gum bacteria that cause dental plaque can escape from the mouth into the bloodstream and trigger clots that increase risk of heart attack and heart disease...

According to Bangladesh's Fisheries and Livestock Ministry, 327 people have become infected with anthrax in five districts in the north of the country since August 18th. Some experts believe two other districts may also be affected. So far, approximately 150 cattle have become infected and died. Local health officials say this is the largest anthrax outbreak in the history of Bangladesh. Anthrax is an infection caused by the bacterium Bacillus Anthracis - anthrax is, in fact, the name of the disease, while Bacillus Anthracis is the name of the bacterium that causes the disease...

It is fairly easy to avoid surgical complications in children related to anesthesia administration by asking a few simple questions before arriving at the operating table. Britta S von Ungern-Sternberg from the Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, Subiaco, Australia, and international colleagues found that a risk evaluation questionnaire isolated and identified breathing side effects related to an aesthesia...

Latest reports, up to the end of August place the number of reported whooping cough (pertussis) cases in the state of California at 3,311, a seven-fold increase over the same period in 2009 when the figure reached 501 cases, says the California Department of Public Health. Health authorities estimate a state rate of 9.2 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. The last time there were anywhere near so many cases in California was in 1958, when 3,837 cases were reported. The last time incidence was higher than the present level was in 1963, when it reached 9.3 cases per 100,000 inhabitants...

Held every five year, the International Thyroid Congress is a key worldwide event for healthcare professionals around the world. Over 2,500 people are expected: endocrinologists, nuclear medicine physicians, oncologists, ENT specialists, surgeons, researchers, GPs, caregivers, biologists, etc. This congress will approach all aspects of the physiology of the thyroid gland and its related diseases, with a special focus on the major scientific progresses of the last few years...

Major new sporting forum to focus on the shape of sport to come. The abolition of drug testing, radical treatment of childhood obesity and the integration of military amputees into Olympic programmes are top topics at UKsem - the world-first conference on sport and exercise medicine. Key note speakers will include Lance Armstrong's physiologist and director of the Human Performance Laboratory at the University of Texas, Dr Edward Coyle and 12-time world record holder in Athletics, Lord Sebastian Coe...

The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) announced that The Hartz Mountain Corporation has voluntarily recalled 74,800 8-ounce bags of Hartz Naturals Real Beef Treats for Dogs which may be tained with Salmonella. Infection with salmonella, known as salmonellosis, can affect pets, such as dogs and cats, as well as humans - it is caused by Salmonella bacteria. Pets may develop gastroenteritis, spontaneous abortions, and septicemia. It is a zoonotic disease; it can be transmitted from the dog to a human...

The first cases of West Nile virus (WNV) human infection in Arkansas include three reported cases over the last week, the Arkansas Department of Health has announced. All three cases occurred in the southern part of the state. Because of privacy concerns, no more details can be released about the individuals at the moment. James Phillips, MD, Infectious Disease Branch Chief at ADH, said that human infections of West Nile virus at this time of year do not come as a surprise. Dr...

Rarely have we faced so many daunting clinical challenges in infectious disease with so few clinical choices in our armamentarium. Equally rarely have we had so few potential agents in development to treat these emerging and expanding pathogens. The increased incidence of multi-resistant Gram positive species such as MRSA in the community and pan-resistant Gram negative organisms in the hospital setting are posing major health care challenges...

The Biophysical Society is pleased to announce the recipients of its 2011 Society awards. The eight recipients will receive their awards at the Society's 55th Annual Meeting on Monday, March 7, 2011 at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, Maryland. The awardees are: Shelagh Ferguson-Miller, Michigan State University, will receive the Anatrace Membrane Protein Award for her seminal contributions to the field of molecular bioenergetics and advances in membrane protein biochemistry...

The Biophysical Society is delighted to announce its 2011 Society Fellows. Fellows are chosen based on their demonstrated excellence in science, contributions to the expansion of the field of biophysics, and support of the Biophysical Society. The Fellows will be honored at the Awards Ceremony during the Biophysical Society's 55th Annual Meeting on Monday March 7, 2011 at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, Maryland...

Dr. Robert Olson, a radiation oncologist, is the first physician to be hired for the BC Cancer Agency Centre for the North. He will be part of the provincial Radiation Therapy Program which will bring service to the North for the first time when the new centre is opened. The centre, now under construction, is expected to start treating patients by the end of 2012. Dr. Olson has also been appointed as an assistant professor with the Northern Medical Program, his formal appointment being with the Department of Surgery in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia...