Body

Cartenoids found to reduce hip fracture risk in lean men

Speaking at the IOF Regionals Asia-Pacific Osteoporosis Meeting, researchers from the National University of Singapore and the Singapore Ministry of Health, announced a study which links carotenoids to decreased hip fracture risk in elderly, lean Chinese men. Elderly who are lean (BMI <20 kg/m2) are at higher risk of hip fracture compared to those with higher BMI.

Flesh-eating fungus caused 5 deaths in the wake of massive Joplin tornado

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — Dec. 14, 2012 — A fast growing, flesh-eating fungus killed 5 people following a massive tornado that devastated Joplin, Mo., according to two new studies based on genomic sequencing by the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Study confirms prognostic value of new IASLC/ATS/ERS adenocarcinoma sub-classification

DENVER – The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC), the American Thoracic Society (ATS), and the European Respiratory Society (ERS), have proposed a new sub-classification of lung adenocarcinomas. A growing number of publications from Australia, Germany and South America have validated the new sub-classification. However, there are only few reports of this type of validation for the Asian population.

Study shows COPD is not independent risk factor for lung cancer

DENVER – Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer are two of the most important smoking-related diseases worldwide, with a huge combined mortality bur¬den. Many consider the presence of COPD itself to be an independent risk factor for lung cancer. Others argue that smoking contributes to both COPD and lung cancer. A recent study published in the January 2013 issue of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer's (IASLC) Journal of Thoracic Oncology, concludes that COPD is not an independent risk factor for lung cancer.

Study shows immunohistochemistry is reliable screening tool for ALK rearrangement

DENVER – Favorable results have led to crizotinib gaining approval for the treatment of advanced stage ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in Japan, the United States, Canada, and several other countries in Europe and Asia. Now, the identification of an effective therapy for ALK-positive NSCLC places great emphasis on rapid, accurate, and cost-effective way to find patients with this subtype of lung cancer.

Community-based nutrition education shown to be successful in increasing calcium intake

Today at the International Osteoporosis Foundation's Asia-Pacific Osteoporosis Meeting, researchers from the National Institute of Nutrition in Hanoi presented a new research study that showed the benefits of educational intervention in increasing calcium intake and retarding bone loss in postmenopausal women.

Aerobic exercise trumps resistance training for weight and fat loss

DURHAM, N.C. – Aerobic training is the best mode of exercise for burning fat, according to Duke researchers who compared aerobic training, resistance training, and a combination of the two.

The study, which appears Dec. 15, 2012, in the Journal of Applied Physiology, is the largest randomized trial to analyze changes in body composition from the three modes of exercise in overweight or obese adults without diabetes.

If you cut down a tree in the forest, can wildlife hear it?

BOZEMAN, MT (December 13, 2012) – A new tool developed by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and its partners is being used by scientists and land managers to model how noise travels through landscapes and affects species and ecosystems— a major factor in land and wildlife management decisions such as where to locate new roads or recreational trails.

Vitamin D deficiency may contribute to alcohol-related muscular weakness

  • Myopathy refers to a disease characterized by muscular weakness and wasting.
  • Vitamin D deficiency is a well-recognized cause of myopathy, and excessive drinking is often associated with low or subnormal levels of vitamin D.
  • A new review indicates that vitamin D deficiency might partly explain the occurrence of the frequently observed myopathy in chronic alcoholism.

Low adiponcetin associated with increased pancreatic cancer risk

Low prediagnostic levels of circulating adiponectin were associated with an increased risk of pancreatic cancer, according to a study published December 14 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

The HER2 paradox: HER2-positive stem cells found in HER2-negative breast cancer

(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) — A multicenter study led by researchers at UC Davis describes new, paradoxical characteristics of the most common type of breast cancer. The findings shed light on how the disease can evade treatment and could improve diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer.

A drug used to treat HIV might defuse deadly staph infections

A new study by NYU School of Medicine researchers suggests that an existing HIV drug called maraviroc could be a potential therapy for Staphylococcus aureus, a notorious and deadly pathogen linked to hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations each year. Their study is published online this week in Nature.

In decision-making, it might be worth trusting your gut

Turns out the trope is true: You should trust your gut -- as long as you're an expert. So says a new study from researchers at Rice University, George Mason University and Boston College.

We're all living longer, but longevity increases not benefitting everybody

TORONTO, ON – Global lifespans have risen dramatically in the past 40 years, but the increased life expectancy is not benefitting everybody equally, say University of Toronto researchers. In particular, adult males from low- and middle-income countries are losing ground.

People are living longer on average than they were in 1970, and those extra years of life are being achieved at lower cost, the researchers, led by U of T Chemical Engineering PhD candidate Ryan Hum, say in a paper published in the open access science journal eLife this month.

Study questions reasons for routine pelvic exams

The pelvic exam, a standard part of a woman's gynecologic checkup, frequently is performed for reasons that are medically unjustified, according to the authors of a UCSF study that may lay the groundwork for future changes to medical practice.

The research shows that many physicians mistakenly believe the exam is important in screening for ovarian cancer. The study, which surveyed obstetricians and gynecologists around the country, also shows that doctors continue to perform the exam in part because women have come to expect it.