Body

New research helps to explain why some commonly used drugs come with a serious downside: They up your odds of breaking a bone. The drugs in question, glucocorticoids (e.g. cortisone and prednisone) and the insulin sensitizer rosiglitazone work through entirely different mechanisms as therapies for inflammatory diseases and diabetes respectively, and two studies in the June issue of Cell Metabolism now show that they lead to bone loss in different ways too.

Stem cell research holds promise for improving the quality of human life ― especially embryonic stem cells, which can potentially develop into any tissue in the human body. However, basic scientific problems still remain unresolved –– but Tel Aviv University researchers are leading the way to inventive solutions.

Young girls who drink soda have less healthy diets through adolescence than their peers who do not drink soda, according to a Penn State study.

The ten-year study showed that girls who drank soda at age five had diets that were less likely to meet nutritional standards for the duration of the study, which ended at age 15. Girls who did not drink soda at age five did not meet certain nutritional requirements, but their diets were healthier.

The reproductive success of both men and women is influenced by our personality traits, according to new research from the University of Sheffield.

The study, which was published yesterday (7 June 2010) in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found that women with higher levels of neuroticism and more extravert men, are likely to give birth to a larger number of children in societies with traditionally high birth rates.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – June 8, 2010 – Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: BIIB) and Elan Corporation, plc (NYSE: ELN), in collaboration with EPI-Q, Inc. and Avatar International, LLC, today announced the launch of My MS Health, a first-of-its-kind, web-based, patient-reported outcomes (PRO) research program. My MS Health is designed to track and provide instant reports on patient function and quality of life (QoL) using validated measures over time.

Quebec City – A community-based health promotion program delivered by over 500 peer volunteers significantly reduces heart disease and stroke in seniors, Canadian Stroke Network researcher Dr. Janusz Kaczorowski told the Canadian Stroke Congress today.

As part of the Cardiovascular Health Awareness Program (CHAP), family physicians in 20 mid-sized Ontario communities invited patients aged 65 and over to attend risk assessment sessions held at local pharmacies over a 10 week period.

Over 15,000 residents took part in the program.

The recently enacted federal health care reform law provides health insurance coverage to the largest number of Americans while keeping federal costs as low as reasonably possible, according to a new analysis from the RAND Corporation.