Panic attacks linked to higher risk of heart attacks and heart disease, especially in younger people

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People who have been diagnosed with panic attacks or panic disorder have a greater risk of subsequently developing heart disease or suffering a heart attack than the normal population, with higher rates occurring in younger people, according to research published in Europe's leading cardiology journal, the European Heart Journal [1] today (Thursday 11 December).

Living in multigenerational households triples women's heart disease risk

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Living in a household with several generations of relatives triples a woman's risk of serious heart disease, suggests research published ahead of print in the journal Heart.

The researchers assessed the long term impact on health of domestic living arrangements among almost 91,000 Japanese men and women aged between 40 and 69.

None of the study participants had been diagnosed with any serious illness, such as cancer, heart disease, or stroke at the start of the study in 1990-4.

Experienced pilots may be at risk of DNA damage from ionizing radiation

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Airline pilots who have flown for many years may be at risk of DNA damage from prolonged exposure to cosmic ionising radiation, suggests a study published ahead of print in Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

The research team compared the rate of chromosomal (DNA) abnormalities in blood samples taken from 83 airline pilots and 50 university faculty members from the same US city.

The two groups were matched for age (35 to 56), sex (male), and smoking habit (light or non-smokers). Age and smoking are known risk factors for cumulative DNA damage.

One in three UK adults will be obese by 2012

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One in three UK adults—or 13 million people—will be obese by 2012, finds research published ahead of print in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

And almost half of them will be from low income and disadvantaged communities, widening the health gap between the haves and have-nots even further, say the authors.

The researchers draw their conclusions on an analysis of annual data between 1993 and 2004 from the Health Survey for England.

Credit crunch hits cash-strapped homeowners

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Homeowners have drawn on their biggest asset, the roof over their heads, not to fund 'champagne moments' but to get through hard times; that's the finding of a preliminary study by Durham University.

Mortgage equity withdrawal is a much more popular and frequent event than previously thought. New figures show that borrowers haven't just used their housing equity to splash out on holidays or cars; struggling households have borrowed against their homes to meet their basic needs like bringing up the kids.

High phosphorus linked to coronary calcification in chronic kidney disease

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For patients with moderate chronic kidney disease (CKD), higher levels of phosphorus in the blood are associated with increased calcification of the major arteries and heart valves—which may contribute to the increased risk of cardiovascular disease in patients with CKD, reports a study in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN).

Diabetes drug shows potential for treating one cause of chronic kidney disease

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The antidiabetes drug rosiglitazone may have the potential to protect kidney function in patients with a condition called focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), according to a study appearing in the January 2009 issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN). The phase I clinical findings indicate that the drug warrants further study in phase II and phase III trials.

Type 1 diabetes and celiac disease linked

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Type 1 (juvenile) diabetes and celiac disease appear to share a common genetic origin, scientists at the University of Cambridge and Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, have confirmed.

Group in lymphoma research chooses revlimid for study in disease's largest patient population

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Study of revlimid and vidaza in higher-risk MDS is well-tolerated and has high activity

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BOUDRY, Switzerland--(December 10, 2008)--Celgene International Sarl (NASDAQ: CELG) reported that results of a Phase I study presented today combining REVLIMID and VIDAZA in patients with higher-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) found that the combination of these two therapies is well tolerated and has high activity. The data were reported during the 50th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology.