Fawcett's death spotlights a rare cancer

Risk Of Breast Cancer And A Single-nucleotide Polymorphism

Scientists from Texas are batty over a new discovery which could lead to the single most important medical breakthrough in human history - significantly longer lifespans. The discovery, featured on the cover of the July 2009 print issue of The FASEB Journal, shows that proper protein folding over time in long-lived bats explains why they live significantly longer than other mammals of comparable size, such as mice.

The potential role of periodontitis, an inflammatory disease of the gums, in the risk of cardiovascular disease, particularly ischemic stroke, has received growing attention during the last decade. A new study is the first prospective cohort study to use clinical measures of periodontitis to evaluate the association between this disease and the risk of cerebrovascular disease.

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (Nasdaq: TEVA) announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted approval for the Company's Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) to market a generic version of Ortho McNeil Janssen's oral contraceptive, Ortho Tri-Cyclen® Lo. Shipment of this product, for which Teva's trade name is Tri-Lo Sprintec, has commenced.

Data published in the journal, Nicotine and Tobacco Research, shows that many U.S. quit attempts are unplanned and can be a successful route to cessation. In the study, almost 40 percent of subjects reported that their most recent quit attempt started without any advance planning, suggesting that for some smokers, setting an advance quit date may not be as necessary as once thought.

Women who get less than the recommended eight hours sleep a night are at higher risk of heart disease and heart-related problems than men with the same sleeping patterns. Research by the University of Warwick and University College London has found that levels of inflammatory markers vary significantly with sleep duration in women, but not men.

A new study examining the evolution of maternal mortality rates in Spain since 1996 shows a 17% increase in deaths. This trend is linked to the widespread increase in maternal age. The highest death rates are among foreign women and those who live in the province of Malaga. Medicine has taken giant strides during the 20th Century. However, European studies show a clear and constant increase in maternal mortality rates over recent years.

What is done when the elderly lodge complaints about their services? elderly care? Why is it that staff describe complaints made by the elderly as "trivialities"? In two recent studies, Tove Persson, doctoral student at the School of Health Sciences, shows that staff, as well as social services directors in local administrations often trivialize complaints from the elderly, which in turn makes it difficult for the elderly to influence their everyday lives.

A new study examining the evolution of maternal mortality rates in Spain since 1996 shows a 17% increase in deaths. This trend is linked to the widespread increase in maternal age. The highest death rates are among foreign women and those who live in the province of Malaga. Medicine has taken giant strides during the 20th Century. However, European studies show a clear and constant increase in maternal mortality rates over recent years.

One of the most controversial issues in men's health is whether men should routinely have a blood test for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) to screen for prostate cancer. Some experts argue that PSA testing saves lives by helping detect this common form of cancer early. Others say it triggers unnecessary treatment that disrupts many more lives than it saves.

"As bad as the air is outside our homes, indoor levels of home pollutants are typically 2-5 times higher." -Mark Vance, CMO RainSoft (PRWeb Jul 1, 2009) Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2009/07/prweb2596204.htm

The Breast Health and Healing Foundation's Founder, Dr. Kathleen T. Ruddy calls for the immediate ban of Bisphenol A in all consumer products. According to Dr. Ruddy, Bisphenol A or BPA is the "smoking gun" linking breast and prostate cancer. Two million tons of BPA are used annually to make a variety of consumer products. (PRWeb Jul 1, 2009) Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2009/07/prweb2590434.htm

A novel coating being used on a new peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) from r4 Vascular mimics the cell layer found on natural tissue surfaces. r4 Vascular designed the catheter to have a biomimetic surface that mimics the natural glycocalyx layer on endothelial tissues. (PRWeb Jul 1, 2009) Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/r4_Vascular/biomimetic/prweb2596764.htm

Family event celebrates the lives of cancer patients and raised $175,000 for the University of Minnesota's cutting-edge pediatric cancer research. (PRWeb Jul 2, 2009) Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2009/07/prweb2595684.htm

Men who drink four pints of beer a week could be increasing their lifetime risk of needing hospital treatment, a study says.

Leaders and experts from 50 countries are meeting in Mexico to discuss the swine flu outbreak and the world's response.

The U.S. should conduct research to compare the effectiveness of innovative programs aimed at preventing unintended pregnancy, according to a report issued Tuesday by a congressionally convened Institute of Medicine panel, the New York Times reports (Meier, New York Times, 7/1).

The drug industry began ramping up its lobbying efforts in 2003, when Medicare Part D began, and now is targeting Democrats. CQ Politics reports: "The industry is increasingly employing Democratic lobbyists with ties to the Obama administration and congressional leaders such as Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., chairman of the Senate Finance Committee.

Selected highlights from a new study on immigration, health and gender roles: Mexican wives who stay home when their husbands immigrate to the United States for work have poorer mental health than a comparison group. Shifting gender roles seem to be equally as stressful as the husbands' absence. "Popular American psychology would suggest that their newfound independence might ease the stress of single-handedly managing the household.