SALT LAKE CITY, Oct. 27, 2009 – Contrary to what you might believe, living near a variety of restaurants, convenience stores, supermarkets and even fast food outlets actually lowers your risk for obesity, according to a new study from the University of Utah.
Surprisingly, people who live more than a half mile away from any food outlets are the ones who tend to be fatter.
In a clinical trial investigating mother-to-child HIV transmission in South Africa published this week in PLoS Medicine, Neil Martinson (of the Perinatal HIV Research Unit, Soweto, South Africa) and colleagues find that adding two other antiretroviral drugs to single dose nevirapine – an antiretroviral drug given to women and newborn children during labor and delivery to prevent transmission – is effective in reducing the drug resistance that nevirapine causes when used by itself.
In a study published this week in PLoS Medicine, Elena Losina (of Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston) and colleagues predict that strategies to reduce dropout rates from HIV treatment programs in resource-poor settings would substantially improve patients' chances of survival and would be cost-effective.
Alcohol consumption has long been linked to cancer and its spread, but the underlying mechanism has never been clear.
Now, researchers at Rush University Medical Center have identified a cellular pathway that may explain the link.
In a study published in the current issue of Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, the researchers found that alcohol stimulates what is called the epithelial–to–mesenchymal transition, in which run-of-the-mill cancer cells morph into a more aggressive form and begin to spread throughout the body.
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- New technologies and policies that save energy, remove atmospheric carbon and limit greenhouse gas emissions are needed to fight global climate change – but face daunting technological, economic and political hurdles, a Michigan State University scientist said.
The good news: Basic actions taken by everyday people can yield fast savings at low cost, according to MSU Professor Thomas Dietz and colleagues.
October 23, 2009 -- Try to pronounce the words "caught" and "cot." If you're a New Yorker by birth, the two words will sound as different as their spellings. But if you grew up in California, you probably pronounce them identically.
October 23, 2009 -- Teachers tend to spend more time speaking than most professionals, putting them at a greater risk for hurting their voices -- they're 32 times more likely to experience voice problems, according to one study. And unlike singers or actors, teachers can't take a day off when their voices hurt.
ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic researchers have found that a sometimes deadly stomach bug, Clostridium difficile, is on the rise in outpatient settings. Clostridium difficile is a serious bacteria that can cause symptoms ranging from diarrhea to life-threatening inflammation of the colon. These findings were presented today at the 2009 American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) Annual Meeting in San Diego.
GALVESTON, Texas — For thousands of years, people have believed that eating large amounts of protein made it easier to build bigger, stronger muscles. Take Milo of Croton, the winner of five consecutive Olympic wrestling championships in the sixth century BC: If ancient writers are to be believed, he built his crushing strength in part by consuming 20 pounds of meat every day.
Emergency response plans must include knowledge from the people who need to be protected if these plans are to help communities respond effectively to threats, write Drs. Roz Lasker, Noni MacDonald and Editor-in-Chief Paul Hebert in an editorial in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal.
"There is no question that emergency planners have critically important expertise for designing protective strategies," write the authors. "But without listening to the public, they can't be aware of problems their plans may create."
This week, the Public Library of Science, an open-access publisher, presents the "Genomics of Emerging Infectious Disease," a collection of essays, perspectives, and reviews that explores how genomics—with all its associated tools and techniques—can provide insights into our understanding of emerging infectious disease.
SAN FRANCISCO—A first-time finding of intraocular pressure increases in patients with no personal or family history of glaucoma following anti-VEGF treatment for wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and a report on a simple, low-cost method that could revolutionize vision screening and treatment in developing countries, are highlights of today's Scientific Program of the 2009 Joint Meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) and the Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology (PAAO).
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Starting next year, anyone can convert retirement savings into tax-advantaged Roth individual retirement accounts, but the much-touted switch isn't for everyone, a University of Illinois expert on tax and elder law warns.
Law professor Richard L. Kaplan says financial advisers are largely overselling the potential benefits of new rules that take effect Jan. 1, eliminating an earnings threshold that has kept many people from shifting into a Roth.
San Diego, CA (October 26, 2009) – Three studies presented this week at the American College of Gastroenterology's 74th Annual Scientific meeting in San Diego underscore the growing disparities in gastrointestinal disease, particularly colon cancer and Barrett's Esophagus, among certain ethnic and gender populations, including African Americans, Latinos and women. These race- and gender-specific disparities underscore the need for education and vigilance among these populations and perhaps more aggressive screening tactics than the population in general.
San Diego, CA (October 26, 2009) – Most of today's gastroenterologists practice in relatively calm environments with patients of the same species. But for Dr. Leon Kundrotas and his colleagues working in Joint Base Balad, Iraq, the need to diagnose and treat military personnel sometimes required putting their human skills to the test to care for canine heroes. In a poster being presented at the American College of Gastroenterology's 74th Annual Scientific Meeting in San Diego, Dr.