Does the Lack of Sleep Make You Fat?
The recent rise in obesity may be partly due to the reduced amount of time we spend asleep, according to new research from the University of Bristol, UK. Due to a lack of sleep, changes occur in two key hormones involved in regulating appetite that may lead to increased feelings of hunger. (Embargoed until 06-Dec-2004, 18:00 ET)
Public Library of Science: Medicine, 7-Dec-2004
—University of Bristol

Psychological Support Helps Adolescents with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Psychological support, in the form of cognitive behaviour therapy, is an effective treatment for adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome, finds a new study. (Embargoed until 06-Dec-2004, 18:10 ET)
BMJ, online
—British Medical Journal

Month of Birth Linked to Risk of MS
In the northern hemisphere, being born in May is linked to an increased risk of developing multiple sclerosis later in life, while being born in November carries the lowest risk, finds a new study. (Embargoed until 06-Dec-2004, 18:10 ET)
BMJ, online
—British Medical Journal

Physicians' Attitudes on End-Of-Life Care
Doctors appear willing to use intensive treatment to lessen otherwise untreatable pain or other severe symptoms in dying patients even if the treatment, at least in theory, risks hastening the dying process, according to two studies on end-of-life care.
J. Of Medical Ethics, Oct-2004
Am. J. of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, Sep/Oct-2004
—University of Iowa (Health Sciences)

Half of Relapsed CLL Patients Respond to Two Biologics With Chemotherapy
Combining two biologic agents with chemotherapy forms a potent drug regimen that is showing promise in treating patients who have relapsed with the most common kind of leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, researchers report. (Embargoed until 06-Dec-2004, 14:50 ET)
American Society of Hematology
—University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center

Peptide Vaccine Can Produce Complete Remission in Myeloid Leukemia Patients
Researchers are reporting the first study to show that vaccination with a peptide that is abnormally expressed on myeloid leukemia cells can produce a complete molecular remission in some patients. (Embargoed until 06-Dec-2004, 14:00 ET)
American Society of Hematology
—University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center

Farnesyl Transferase Inhibitor and Patients at High-Risk for AML
An oral targeted therapy gentle enough to be used by patients in their 70s or 80s is showing benefit in treating high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome, a pre-leukemic disorder that can progress to acute myelogenous leukemia, according to a study. (Embargo expired on 04-Dec-2004 at 21:00 ET)
American Society of Hematology
—University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center

ARMP Documents Trends in Antimicrobial Susceptibility
Using data from the Antimicrobial Resistance Management Program, a project of the University of Florida, hospitals can benchmark antibiotic resistance at the local level to limit its effect on patients and the public. (Embargoed until 07-Dec-2004, 14:00 ET)
American Society of Health-System Pharmacists
—D.A. Hughes & Associates

Guidelines for Sinusitis Agreed to by Allergists, Otolaryngologist - Head and Neck Surgeons
Recognizing a need for evidence-based rhinosinusitis guidelines, five national societies convened a panel to develop definitions of rhinosinusitis for clinical research, and suggest clinical trial designs for studies that would allow for more appropriate use of pharmacologic, immunologic, and surgical interventions. (Embargoed until 06-Dec-2004, 10:00 ET)
Otolaryngology -- Head and Neck Surgery, Dec-2004
J. of Allergy & Clinical Immunology, Dec-2004
—American Academy of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery (AAOHNS)

UMR Researcher Studying Lead Levels in St. Louis Kids
Roughly 200,000 houses in St. Louis might as well have the cross-stitched phrase “Home, sweet (and toxic), home” hanging in a frame on their living room wall, according to a University of Missouri-Rolla researcher.
—University of Missouri-Rolla

Right-Side Kidneys Not Left Out
Living kidney donation skyrocketed after the introduction of less-invasive surgical techniques for removing left-side kidneys.
—University of Alabama at Birmingham

Don’t Shoot
The rate of gun-related eye injuries in the United States has remained stable for several years, ending an earlier period of decline, according to UAB researchers.
—University of Alabama at Birmingham

How Virus That Causes AIDS Spreads Following Oral Exposure
Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas have utilized an animal model to trace how the virus that causes AIDS in humans may enter and spread throughout the body following an oral exposure. (Embargo expired on 03-Dec-2004 at 01:00 ET)
AIDS, Dec-2004
—University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

Novel Drugs Help Solve Gleevec Resistance
Two different novel targeted therapies can produce strong responses in patients who have become resistant to Gleevec(tm), the standard therapy for chronic myeloid leukemia, researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center are reporting. (Embargo expired on 05-Dec-2004 at 19:30 ET)
American Society of Hematology
—University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center

Generic Drug Use Varies Widely by State
Generic drug use varies widely by state, according to a new Express Scripts study that measured per capita generic drug utilization in 2003, using a random sample of approximately 3 million pharmacy benefit plan members age 18 to 64. (Embargo expired on 06-Dec-2004 at 00:10 ET)
—Express Scripts, Inc.

Alzheimer’s Link to Diabetes; Protective Effect of Low-Fat Diet
Using animal models and human tissue, a UCLA/VA research team 1) identified a shortfall of IDE protein in the brains of Alzheimer’s disease patients; 2) found a cause-effect relationship between insulin signaling and increased production of IDE, and 3) demonstrated that a low-fat diet high in fish and soy can increase production of IDE. (Embargoed until 07-Dec-2004, 17:00 ET)
J. of Neuroscience, 8-Dec-2004
—University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

Indoor Swimming Pool Exposure May Damage Protein Cells in Children’s Lungs
Repeated exposure to disinfection by-products in the air around indoor swimming pools may damage the outermost cells lining the smallest airways in the lungs of children. Blood levels of Clara cell protein were significantly lower among children who regularly visited indoor pools.
Environmental Health Perspectives, Dec-2004
—Environmental Health Perspectives (NIEHS)

College Athletes Suffer from Low Nutrient Intake
College athletes are not getting the daily dose of nutrition they need to support their athletic activities and stresses, a University of Missouri-Columbia researcher has found.
International J. of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism
—University of Missouri-Columbia

Duct Tape and Other Treatments for Warts
Skin warts, although usually harmless, can be unsightly, annoying, and painful. The December issue of the Harvard Health Letter explains what warts are, tells readers when to see a doctor, and gives tips on removing those pesky warts—including using the household tool duct tape.
—Harvard Women's Health Watch

Surviving the Holidays
Looking for holiday-related story ideas? McGill University has a number of experts willing to comment on everything from keeping in shape to finding spirituality during the season.
—McGill University

Putting a Price on Quality: Payment for Quality in ESRD Patients
As the number of patients suffering from End Stage Renal Disease and the cost of their collective care rises, federal agencies are recommending the establishment of payment for quality measures to improve efficiency and increase nationwide uniformity.
J. of the Am. Society of Nephrology, Dec-2004
—American Society of Nephrology (ASN)

Funding Is Needed to Help Children with Neurological, Behavioral Disabilities
The American Occupational Therapy Association responds to an article that appeared in the November 30th Health Section of the Washington Post, with a letter to the editor, urging the need for increased public funding for research into childhood developmental and other disorders.
—American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA)

New System for HIV Drug Discovery
Olaf Kutsch, Ph.D., research assistant professor of medicine in UAB’s Department of Hematology/Oncology, has received an $83,000 GlaxoSmithKline Drug Discovery and Development Research Grant.
—University of Alabama at Birmingham