The higher incidence of diabetes among African Americans when compared to whites may have more to do with living conditions than genetics, according to a study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The study, available online in advance of publication in the October 2009 edition of the Journal of [...]

In a Washington Times opinion piece, Charmaine Yoest president and CEO of Americans United for Life Action states that abortion is the “epicenter” of the health care reform debate and that “no one realizes this more than the White House,” which has “insisted that the health care proposals currently under consideration would not cover [...]

A new survey commissioned by Bupa Care Services has shown that 58% of people over the age of 55 listed dementia as their biggest concern, over becoming physically frail (51%) and cancer (49%).
Dementia is not a natural part of ageing; its a devastating condition that gradually robs people of their lives so its no surprise [...]

An article published in the September issue of the openaccess journal PLoS Pathogens reports the findings of a team of scientists from the University of Michigan (UM). They have made a groundbreaking step toward what could become the first vaccine in the U.S. to prevent urinary tract infections. This will be the case if the [...]

KYTHERA Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. (KYTHERA) announced that it has initiated a firstinhuman, proofofconcept study evaluating the safety, tolerability, persistence and histological effects of ATX104, a lightactivated facial contouring agent.
“We are very excited to move ATX104 into the clinic,” said Patricia Walker, MD, PhD, KYTHERAs Chief Medical Officer. “In preclinical testing, KYTHERAs proprietary photofiller demonstrated improved [...]

Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, a division of Wyeth (NYSE WYE), announces findings from a placebocontrolled Phase 3 study of bazedoxifene 20 mg extended to five years, which indicated a significant reduction versus placebo in new vertebral fractures in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. These and other data were presented at the American Society for Bone and Mineral [...]

Treating seconddegree burns with a nanoemulsion lotion sharply curbs bacterial growth and reduces inflammation that otherwise can jeopardize recovery, University of Michigan scientists have shown in initial laboratory studies.
UM burn surgeon Mark R. Hemmila, M.D., reports today at the Interscience Conference for Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy on results achieved with a nanoemulsion developed at UM [...]

It is a long, slow slog to treat major depression. Many antidepressant medications are available, but no single biomarker or diagnostic test exists to predict which one is right for an individual. As a result, for more than half of all patients, the first drug prescribed doesnt work, and it can take months to figure [...]

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared the OVA1(TM) Test, the first blood test that, prior to surgery, can help physicians determine if a woman is at risk for a malignant pelvic mass. OVA1 is the first FDAcleared laboratory test that can indicate the likelihood of ovarian cancer with high sensitivity prior to biopsy [...]

PTC Therapeutics, Inc. (PTC) announced the initiation of a Phase 3 trial of ataluren (formerly PTC124(R)), an investigational protein restoration therapy in patients with nonsense mutation cystic fibrosis (nmCF). Patients with CF lack adequate levels of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein, a chloride channel necessary for normal function of the lung, pancreas, [...]