Filters close
Released: 30-May-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Zeneca Pharmaceuticals Teams Up with the American Psychiatric Association to Help People with Schizophrenia
Burson-Marsteller, NYC

With the goal of helping people with schizophrenia return to a more ìnormalî way of life, Zeneca Pharmaceuticals partnered with the American Psychiatric Association to produce a video that would show patients just how possible that kind of life could be.

Released: 30-May-1998 12:00 AM EDT
New Radiation Procedure Targets Liver Malignancies
University of Michigan

Research from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center suggests patients with advanced liver cancer can tolerate high doses of radiation therapy---which will potentially improve their chances of survival.

Released: 30-May-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Gene Therapy May Suppress Uterine Fibroids
University of Michigan

Research from the University of Michigan Women's Health Program suggests that gene therapy may someday control a condition responsible for nearly half the 550,000 hysterectomies performed in the United States each year.

Released: 30-May-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Research Shows Seroquel Tablets Address Treatment Concerns While Minimizing Side Effects
Burson-Marsteller, NYC

Recent scientific data show that Seroquel (Quetiapine Fumarate) tablets, the most recent entrant in the atypical antipsychotic market, effectively address several common treatment concerns while minimizing some of the troublesome side effects associated with traditional antipsychotic therapy, such as extrapyramidal symptoms and sexual/hormonal side effects.

Released: 30-May-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Despite Side Effects, Bed Rest Remains Common for High-Risk Pregnancy
University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Medicine

Obstetricians regularly prescribe bed rest for women with complicated pregnancies, but many appear to be unaware of the harmful side effects of the inactivity, according to a study by UW-Madison School of Nursing researchers. Published in the current Journal of Women's Health, the study also showed that obstetricians vary greatly in the degree of restriction ordered for the same problem, as well as the location of bed rest--hospital or home.

Released: 30-May-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Annals of Emergency Medicine Presents New Studies on Carbon Monoxide Detectors and the Dangers of an Emerging Date Rape Drug
American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP)

New studies in the June issue of Annals of Emergency Medicine examine the effectiveness of carbon monoxide detectors in Chicago-one of the first metropolitan areas to require them in residences-and the dangers of a new date rape drug.

Released: 29-May-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Gene May Hold Key to Treating Life-threatening Cholesterol
UT Southwestern Medical Center

Findings from a study, in which a gene that speeds cholesterol metabolism was turned off, will help scientists develop better drugs for controlling life-threatening levels of the substance, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas reported in the May 29 issue of Cell.

Released: 29-May-1998 12:00 AM EDT
New Survey Data Show Changing Nursing Home Market
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)

A survey by HHS' Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR) shows nearly one in five nursing homes offers care for residents with Alzheimer's disease or other special-need residents in specialized units.

Released: 29-May-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Incontinence Is Not A Fact of Life
University of California San Diego

The use of adult disposable paper undergarments dramatically exceeds the use of infant disposable diapers in the United States. Why? Incontinence -- the involuntary loss of urine -- one of the most prevalent, yet least discussed problems among women today. But no woman should have to suffer, physically or emotionally, from incontinence, says Charles Nager, M.D., an associate professor in the UCSD Department of Reproductive Medicine who specializes in the field of urogynecology.

Released: 29-May-1998 12:00 AM EDT
American Nurses Association Applauds Clinton Push for Patients Bill of Rights
American Nurses Association (ANA)

Members of the ANA joined President Clinton and Vice President Gore at the White House today to urge Congress to pass managed care reform legislation. A key focus of nurses' call to legislative action has been the unmet health care needs of women and a demand for prompt passage of the Patients Bill of Rights Act of 1998.

Released: 29-May-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Press Briefing: Patient Education and the Latest Medications Improve the Management of Schizophrenia
AstraZeneca

Leading researchers show that patient education and the latest medications, such as Seroquel (quetiapine fumarate) tablets, are improving the management of schizophrenia and changing lives.

Released: 29-May-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Researchers Discover Novel Gene Family Responsible for Pacemaker Activity in the Brain and Heart
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center

Two laboratories report the discovery that pacemaker activity in both the heart and the brain is mediated by a common family of novel genes. Pacemaker cells generate rhythmic, spontaneous electrical impulses that can control muscle activity, certain automatic functions such as breathing, and behavioral states, including arousal from sleep. Inappropriate pacemaker activity can lead to both inherited and acquired cardiac arrhythmias, and may also underlie various neurological disorders.

Released: 29-May-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Researchers Identify Function of Brain Receptor Subunit Linked to Memory, Stroke, Dementia
Harvard Medical School

Researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School have characterized the function of a subunit of the NMDA receptor, a specialized molecule on nerve cells that admits calcium when activated by the neurotransmitter glutamate. The subunit, dubbed NR3A, appears to regulate the activity of the NMDA receptor in ways that may protect nerve cells from damage. Their findings are published in the May 28 Nature.

Released: 29-May-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Symposia: Leading Researchers and Clinicians Present Latest Information on Antipsychotic Treatments
AstraZeneca

Leading Researchers and Clinicians Present the Latest Information on Antipsychotic Treatments at the American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting in Toronto, Canada : 1)Individualizing the Treatment of Psychoses; 2) New Atypicals: Data Versus Clinical Experience

29-May-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Brain tumor molecular surgery
Nature Biotechnology

Investigators have succeeded in designing synthetic therapeutic RNA molecules that are 14,000 times more stable in the body than their natural counterparts. After a single injection, these small catalytic RNA molecules---molecular "scissors" termed ribozymes---were able to shrink human glioma brain tumors that had been transplanted into rats from 20 grams to almost 1 gram in only 20 days.

29-May-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Alphaviruses make the most of DNA vaccine
Nature Biotechnology

Amplification is a good way to get your message across. Similarly, an unusual type of virus---alphaviruses---employ a novel mechanism to amplify their mRNA in the cell to produce unprecedented amounts of protein. Now, a team of scientists in Sweden have exploited this intriguing facet of alphavirus biology to make a DNA vaccine that generates unprecedented amounts of influenza virus antigen, rendering mice resistant to influenza infection. The alphavirus-derived vaccine provides protective immunity comparable to conventional DNA vectors, but requires between 10 and 1000-fold less DNA.

Released: 28-May-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Evaluating Medical Websites: Advice from Webmaster Librarians
Public Communications (PCI)

"Medical librarians can point people to the best Internet sites, help them narrow down their reading choices, or explain complicated information in easy-to-understand terms," said Rachael K. Anderson, AHIP, president of the Medical Library Association (MLA), an organization that represents 4,000 medical librarians in health, medical and academic centers across the nation.

Released: 28-May-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Eating Less Fat at One Meal May Lead to Higher Fat Intake Later
Ohio State University

People who lower fat or carbohydrate intake in an attempt to lose weight might be in for a bigger battle than they expected. A new study found that people who ate low-fat or low-carbohydrate lunches compensated by eating more fat or carbohydrates at other meals.

Released: 28-May-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Surgical Removal Seems Best Treatment For Prostate Cancer
Johns Hopkins Medicine

Despite technical refinements in the use of radioactive "seeds" to treat prostate cancer, a study by Johns Hopkins investigators casts doubt on its effectiveness in curing the disease. The radioactive pellets are put into the prostate in a procedure called interstitial radiotherapy.

Released: 28-May-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Regular Exercise Helps Patients With Serious Lung Disease
Ohio State University

Regular exercise can help people with serious lung disease reduce anxiety and depression and improve endurance and some kinds of intellectual functioning, a new study shows.

28-May-1998 12:00 AM EDT
UCSD Research Suggests New Hope for HIV Positive Patients with Depression
University of California San Diego

A study published in the May 28 issue of the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry demonstrates that Prozac (fluoxetine hydrochloride) in combination with group therapy is more effective than group therapy alone in treating HIV-positive patients diagnosed with major depression. The study also shows that Prozac did not interact significantly with any HIV medications and produced minimal side effects. Results of the study might lead to better compliance by patients already taking multiple drug therapies.

Released: 27-May-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Highlights: American Urological Association Annual Meeting
N/A

More than 1,800 original research studies aimed at preventing, diagnosing, and treating adult and childhood diseases of the kidney, urethra, and genitals, plus dozens of state-of- the-art educational presentations, will highlight the 93rd Annual Meeting of the American Urological Association at the San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, California, May 30 - June 4, 1998.

Released: 27-May-1998 12:00 AM EDT
American Urological Association Annual Meeting Media Briefing Schedule
N/A

American Urological Association Annual Meeting Media Briefing Schedule. All media briefings will be held in Room 18 of the San Diego Convention Center.

Released: 27-May-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Memo: American Urological Association 1998 Annual Scientific Meeting
N/A

Accompanying this memo is detailed information about the American Urological Association 1998 Annual Scientific Meeting slated for May 30-June 4 at the San Diego Convention Center. Among the materials included with this memo are a news release providing detailed information about the meeting, including a description of key plenary sessions; a listing and summaries of newsworthy abstracts scheduled to be presented; and an overview of the program for this international scientific forum.

Released: 27-May-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Media Workshop on St. John's Wort at Health Professionals Meeting in Toronto, Ontario
N/A

The first ever head to head study in North America comparing St. Johnís Wort with standard prescription drug treatment for depression has just been launched. Dr. Jonathan Davidson will lead a panel of medical experts who will discuss the clinical use of St. Johnís Wort to treat depression. Leading Canadian psychiatrist, Dr. Jacques Bradwejn, who helped design and plan the study, will provide a Canadian psychiatric perspective on using St. Johnís Wort to treat depression.

Released: 27-May-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Drug's Effect on Chromosomes May Explain Secondary Cancers
Ohio State University

A relatively new and highly useful anticancer drug appears to work by cutting up the ends of chromosomes, a region known as the telomere, new research shows. The finding may help explain a serious after-effect of the drug.

26-May-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Hopkins Scientists Clock The Speed Of Comprehension
Johns Hopkins Medicine

Capitalizing on an opportunity presented by a patient scheduled for tests using electrodes surgically placed on his brain, Johns Hopkins scientists have clocked the speed of thought, measuring the time the patient took to understand what everyday objects are in pictures.

25-May-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Adding new blood test to cholesterol screening could help physicians identify people at risk for heart attack
American Heart Association (AHA)

Measuring a certain type of protein in the blood during a common cholesterol test could improve a physician's ability to predict a person's chance of having a heart attack, a new study shows.

25-May-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Secondhand smoke breaks down blood vessel "smoke screen"
American Heart Association (AHA)

After spending only 30 minutes in a smoke-filled room, participants in a study had losses in their blood stores of antioxidants, including vitamin C, according to a study reported today in an American Heart Association journal.

Released: 23-May-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Wake Forest Dermatologists Recommend Raising Age for Insurance Coverage for Acne Drugs To Age 40 -- and Beyond
Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist

Insurance companies that limit payment for the acne drug tretinoin to teen-agers and young adults are leaving thousands of Americans who suffer adult acne to pay for treatment themselves or do without, according to two dermatologists at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

Released: 21-May-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Cancer Test May Offer High-Risk Groups Quick, Affordable Screening For Tumors
Johns Hopkins Medicine

Johns Hopkins researchers have developed a new test that may allow doctors to regularly and quickly check for early cancers in patients at risk for developing cancer due to genetic or environmental factors.

Released: 21-May-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Angiogenesis Research May Lead To Treatments
University of Michigan

Research on this process not only may lead to improved cancer treatments, but also may offer new approaches to treating a wide range of other medical problems, says Peter Polverini, U-M professor of dentistry and pathology who has been doing research on angiogenesis for 20 years.

Released: 21-May-1998 12:00 AM EDT
FDA Decision to Classify Natural Food Product as Drug Misinterprets Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994
Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN)

The Food and Drug Administration today announced that Cholestin, a product sold as a dietary supplement to promote healthy cholesterol levels, is not a dietary supplement but an unapproved drug.

Released: 21-May-1998 12:00 AM EDT
New Retinal Surgery May Reverse Legal Blindness
Johns Hopkins Medicine

An eye operation that moves the most light-sensitive part of the retina away from an underlying diseased area has saved sight in several people with a common, age-related eye disease.

21-May-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Refrigeration Can Decrease Bacterial Contamination of Vegetables
American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

The number of pathogenic bacteria decreases on vegetables when stored at temperatures just above freezing.

21-May-1998 12:00 AM EDT
New Non-Toxic Drug for AIDS
American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

A trial of this new treatment for HIV/AIDS suggests that it can stimulate the immune system to produce increased CD4 cells without an accompanying rise in HIV viral load. Patients who received Reticulose also gained weight and their clinical condition improved compared to controls.

21-May-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Study Leads to New Standard of Care for Treating Unstable Angina
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

A major international study by cardiologists has shown that the addition of tirofiban into the medical management of patients with unstable angina reduces their risk of death by as much as 47%.

Released: 20-May-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Grant Awarded to Measure How Students Use Computers to Quickly Answer Medical Questions
University of California, Irvine

A few years from now, during a checkup, your physician will turn to a wristband computer and type in a few words. Seconds later, the doctor will have specific answers to questions about a new drug or diagnostic test.

Released: 20-May-1998 12:00 AM EDT
ANA Joins Members of Congress in Push for Legislative Action to Secure Patient Protections
American Nurses Association (ANA)

American Nurses Association leader joins U.S. House of Representatives Health Care Task Force Co-Chairs and Senate leaders to urge the Republican leadership of Congress to stop blocking managed care reform legislation. A key focus of their call to legislative action was the unmet needs of women and children.

21-May-1998 12:00 AM EDT
American Heart Association Comment: Tirofiban -- the platelet receptor blocker for heart attack
American Heart Association (AHA)

Two new studies in the New England Journal of Medicine on tirofiban (Aggrastat) show that the drug may be useful in the treatment of heart attack. "Tirofiban is a novel drug that will open the door to new treatments for the preceding stages of heart attack or the heart attack itself," says Valentin Fuster, M.D., Ph.D., president-elect of the American Heart Association, commenting on two studies.

Released: 20-May-1998 12:00 AM EDT
First Drug in 20 Years Offers New Hope
N/A

For the first time in more than 20 years, a new product is available to combat the deadliest form of skin cancer ñ metastatic melanoma. Proleukin (aldesleukin), a recombinant form of interleukin-2 approved this year by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of patients with metastatic melanoma, is the only therapy proven to offer a reasonable chance of survival to those patients diagnosed with advanced-stage melanoma.

Released: 20-May-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Aggrastat is first "platelet blocker" drug approved for treatment of unstable angina
Merck & Company

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Aggrastat (tirofiban HCl), as the first and only medicine in a class of drugs called glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa inhibitors ("platelet blockers") to reduce the combined risk of death, new heart attack or refractory ischemia*/repeat cardiac procedures in patients presenting with unstable angina or non-Q-wave myocardial infarction, Merck & Co., Inc. announced today.

20-May-1998 12:00 AM EDT
New Test May Reduce Need for Some Prostate Cancer Biopsies
Johns Hopkins Medicine

A new prostate specific antigen (PSA) test that measures the percentage of "free" PSA in the blood not bound to other proteins could spare up to 200,000 men a year in the United States the pain, anxiety and inconvenience of a surgical biopsy to detect cancer.

20-May-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Gene Therapy May Offer New Treatment for Brain Tumors
American Academy of Neurology (AAN)

A gene therapy technique may provide a new treatment for fatal, cancerous brain tumors, according to a study published in the May issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

20-May-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Adding Zinc, Aloe, Grapefruit Extract to Toothpaste Helps Kill Viruses
American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

Over-the-counter toothpaste and mouth rinses may kill bad breath and bacteria, but most are virtually harmless against viruses. Researchers at Pace University have found that by adding naturally occurring substances - such as zinc, aloe and grapefruit extract - to oral hygiene products, they can destroy harmful viruses that lead to illness.

Released: 20-May-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Aggrastat Sidebar
Merck & Company

Protein from African Snake Inspires Development of Aggrastat

Released: 20-May-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Aggrastat Prescribing Information
Merck & Company

Aggrastat (Tirofiban Hydrochloride Injection Premixed) Aggrastat (Tirofiban Hydrochloride Injection)

19-May-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Natural Supplement Prevents Platelet Aggregation
Blitz & Associates

A natural supplement may provide protection from heart attacks or strokes, especially for smokers or those with a family history of heart disease, according to a breakthrough study presented here during the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology annual meeting.

19-May-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Tea Can Reverse Antibiotic Resistance
American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

Growing methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in the presence of tea extracts prevents the bacteria from synthesizing an important enzyme for antibiotic resistance, rendering them suceptible to certain antibiotics again.

19-May-1998 12:00 AM EDT
A Two Minute Test for the AIDS Virus Given First U.S. Field Trial in the Bronx
American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

A new test for HIV is extremely simple to carry out and can provide results in a few minutes with an accuracy of nearly 98 percent. A test of this nature could serve as an important screening test in high prevalence areas.



close
4.41492