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More than a million parents with minor children are cancer survivors

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Monday, June 28, 2010 – In the first ever published estimate of the percentage and number of cancer survivors who live with their minor children, a team led by a Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center researcher found that millions of cancer survivors are parenting young children, highlighting a group of survivors with very special needs.

Published early online today in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the study's results may help address the unmet needs of this unique group of patients and their families.

Toddler foods too sweet

Fifty three percent of food products specifically targeted to babies and toddlers in Canadian grocery stores have an excessive proportion—more than 20 per cent—of calories coming from sugar, according to a new study by University of Calgary professor Charlene Elliott.

'Copy-and-paste DNA' more common than previously thought

Researchers at the University of Leicester have demonstrated that movable sequences of DNA, which give rise to genetic variability and sometimes cause specific diseases, are far more common than previously thought.

In a paper published in the leading journal Cell, Dr Richard Badge and his collaborators examined L1 (or LINE-1) retrotransposons: DNA sequences which can 'copy and paste' their genetic code around the genome. By breaking up genes, L1s can be responsible for some rare instances of genetic disease.

Endometriosis has a significant effect on women's work productivity, first

Rome, Italy: The first worldwide study of the societal impact of endometriosis has found a significant loss of work productivity among those women who suffer from the condition, a researcher told the 26th annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology today (Monday). Dr. Kelechi Nnoaham, from the Department of Public Health, University of Oxford, UK, said that the results of this multi-centre study would help highlight the previously unrecognised plight of an estimated 176 million women around the world whose lives are affected by endometriosis.

New measurement of telomeres; DNA could help identify most viable embryos for IVF

Scientists from the University of Warwick and University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, are the first to directly measure a specific region of DNA in human embryos. The length of this region could be a quality marker for embryonic development.

Tray bleaching may improve oral health of elderly, special-needs patients

Tray bleaching may improve oral health of elderly, special-needs patients

AUGUSTA, Ga. – A tooth-bleaching agent may improve the oral health of elderly and special-needs patients, say dentists at the Medical College of Georgia and Western University of Health Sciences.

Agent Orange exposure linked to Graves' disease in Vietnam veterans, UB study finds

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Vietnam War-era veterans exposed to Agent Orange appear to have significantly more Graves' disease, a thyroid disorder, than veterans with no exposure, a new study by endocrinologists at the University at Buffalo has shown.

Ajay Varanasi, MD, an endocrinology fellow in the UB Department of Medicine and first author on the study, garnered first prize in the oral presentation category for this research at the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists annual meeting held in Boston in April.

Type 2 diabetes medication rosiglitazone associated with increased cardiovascular risks and death

A new study published online today by JAMA shows that among patients age 65 years and older, rosiglitazone (a medication for treating Type 2 diabetes) is associated with an increased risk of stroke, heart failure, and all-cause mortality (death) when compared with pioglitazone (another medication for diabetes). The study was published online today in advance of an upcoming Food and Drug Administration meeting that will review the safety of rosiglitazone. The paper will appear in the July 28 print issue of JAMA.

New meta-analysis demonstrates heart risks associated with rosiglitazone

Eleven years after the introduction of the diabetes drug rosiglitazone, data from available clinical trials demonstrate an increased risk for heart attack associated with its use and suggest an unfavorable benefit-to-risk ratio, according to a report posted online today that will appear in the July 26 print issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. The study was published online in advance of an upcoming Food and Drug Administration meeting that will review the safety of rosiglitazone.

Researchers discover how insulin-producing cells increase during pregnancy

NEW YORK, June 27, 2010 – Researchers funded by JDRF have discovered that the hormone, serotonin, may be involved in the increase of insulin-producing beta cells during pregnancy. The findings reveal one of the mechanisms underlying beta cell expansion during pregnancy, and are the latest advances underscoring the potential for regeneration as a key component of a possible cure for type 1 diabetes.

Japanese gourmet mushroom found in Sweden

In Japan, the hon-shimeji mushroom is a delicacy costing up to SEK 8,000 a kilo (800 Euro). Now a student at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, has discovered that this tasty fungus also grows wild in Sweden.

"There will undoubtedly be a lot of interest in Sweden, and definitely in Japan once these discoveries become known there," says Henrik Sundberg, who conducted the study.

Bees help to beat MRSA bugs

Bees could have a key role to play in urgently-needed new treatments to fight the virulent MRSA bug, according to research led at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland.

The scientists found that a substance known as beeglue or propolis, originating from beehives in the Pacific region, was active against MRSA, which causes potentially fatal infections, particularly in hospital patients.

The bug was either the underlying cause or a contributory factor in more than 1,900 deaths between 1996 and 2008.

The Vienna Declaration: A global call to action for science-based drug policy

28 June 2010 [Vienna, Austria] – Three leading scientific and health policy organizations today launched a global drive for signatories to the Vienna Declaration (www.viennadeclaration.com), a statement seeking to improve community health and safety by calling for the incorporation of scientific evidence into illicit drug policies. Among those supporting the declaration and urging others to sign is 2008 Nobel Laureate and International AIDS Society (IAS) Governing Council member Prof.

International study identifies 12 new genetic risk factors for type 2 diabetes

Neuherberg, Düsseldorf, June, 28. 2010. An international consortium including Helmholtz Zentrum München and the German Diabetes Center, Düsseldorf has identified 12 new gene variants which impact the individual's risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The study represents a major contribution towards elucidating the complex pathogenesis of this important widespread disease. Nature Genetics has published the findings of this study in its current issue.

Dark chocolate lowers blood pressure

For people with hypertension, eating dark chocolate can significantly reduce blood pressure. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Medicine combined the results of 15 studies into the effects of flavanols, the compounds in chocolate which cause dilation of blood vessels, on blood pressure.