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New studies focus on hypertension in pregnant women and children

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Studies address long-term health of living kidney donors

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Donor organs may be discarded due to 'weekend effect' at hospitals

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Kidneys that would normally be made available for transplantation were less likely to be procured from donors over the weekend, and organs procured during the weekend were more likely to be discarded than kidneys procured on other days.

Psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis symptoms curbed by bariatric surgery

New York, NY - Psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis symptoms were significantly lessened in patients who underwent bariatric, or weight loss, surgery, according to researchers from NYU Langone Medical Center.

According to the study's authors, the findings suggest that losing excess weight may improve symptoms in people who have these lifelong conditions. The NYU Langone researchers believe that obesity may contribute to the risk for development of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis through fat tissue-driven systemic inflammation.

High-impact clinical trials yield results that could improve kidney care

San Diego, CA (November 7, 2015) -- The results of numerous high-impact clinical trials that could affect kidney-related medical care will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2015, November 3-8 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, CA.

The No. 1 killer is invisible to most women

Even though heart disease and stroke are the No. 1 killer of women in the U.S., most women say they don't have a personal connection to cardiovascular disease, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2015.

A 2014 nationally representative survey of 1,011 adult women found that those who know another woman with heart disease are 25 percent more likely to be concerned about it for themselves and 19 percent more likely to bring up heart health with their doctors. The survey was developed and conducted by the Women's Heart Alliance.

Moving to a walking neighborhood is good for your blood pressure

People who moved from a neighborhood that required a vehicle to run errands to one that made walking-errands convenient were significantly less likely to have high blood pressure than people who moved from one low-walkability neighborhood to another low-walkability neighborhood, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2015.

Taking public transportation instead of driving linked with better health

ORLANDO, Florida, Nov, 8, 2015 -- Riding the bus or train to work is associated with a lower risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, and being overweight, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2015.

While it's already established that a physically active lifestyle helps reduce the likelihood of diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity, it is unclear whether these risk factors for heart disease and stroke are affected by how you get to work.

3-D image may provide better size match for child heart transplants

ORLANDO, Florida, Nov, 8, 2015 -- A new 3D computer modeling system may significantly improve a surgeon's ability to select the best sized donor heart for children receiving heart transplants, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2015.

Exercise program in senior centers helps decrease participants' pain and improve mobility

It may seem counterintuitive that exercise could help people with arthritis and other musculoskeletal conditions, but a new study finds that a low-impact exercise program is improving quality of life for many older adults with these conditions.

The program, offered by Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in senior centers in New York City's Chinatown and Flushing, Queens communities, has helped decrease pain, improve mobility and enhance the overall health of many participants.

Cholesterol-lowering 'portfolio diet' also reduces blood pressure, study finds

TORONTO, Nov.7, 2015 - A diet developed for reducing cholesterol also lowers blood pressure, a St. Michael's Hospital study has found.

The research, published today in Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Disease, was a secondary analysis of data collected for a 2011 study on the effect of the 'portfolio diet' on cholesterol.

The portfolio diet lowered blood pressure by an average two per cent, when compared with another diet recommended to reduce hypertension.

First synthetic model of bacteria outer membrane

Scientists have developed a model of the outer membrane of the bacteria E. coli providing a brand new tool for developing new antibiotics and other drugs in the fight against infections.

Disease causing bacteria mostly belong to two groups -Gram-positive, which include MRSA, and Gram-negative bacteria which include E. coli (Escherichia coli) and the bacteria behind meningitis and plague.

Duration of lactation associated with bone density

Maternal bone density decreases after childbirth, but only among women who lactate for at least four months. The lactation period is unrelated to vitamin D status. A PhD thesis at Sahlgrenska Academy has explored the issue.

New drought atlas maps 2,000 years of climate in Europe

The long history of severe droughts across Europe and the Mediterranean has largely been told through historical documents and ancient journals, each chronicling the impact in a geographically restricted area. Now, for the first time, an atlas based on scientific evidence provides the big picture, using tree rings to map the reach and severity of dry and wet periods across Europe, and parts of North Africa and the Middle East, year to year over the past 2,000 years.

Complex skeletons evolved earlier than realized, fossils suggest

The first animals to have complex skeletons existed about 550 million years ago, fossils of a tiny marine creature unearthed in Namibia suggest.

The find is the first to suggest the earliest complex animals on Earth - which may be related to many of today's animal species - lived millions of years earlier than was previously known.