Isolated Greek villages reveal genetic secrets that protect against heart disease
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- Category: Research
A genetic variant that protects the heart against cardiovascular disease has been discovered by researchers at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute and their collaborators. Reported today in Nature Communications, the cardioprotective variant was found in an isolated Greek population, who are known to live long and healthy lives despite having a diet rich in animal fat.
One in 3 high blood pressure patients failing to take medication
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- Category: Research
One in three people who suffer from high blood pressure are failing to take medication as prescribed by their healthcare professionals, a new study led by the University of Leicester has suggested. A study on 1,400 hypertensive patients, conducted in collaboration between the Universities of Leicester (lead authors Dr Pankaj Gupta, Dr Prashanth Patel from the Department of Cardiovascular Sciences at the University of Leicester), Manchester (Prof M Tomazweski) and Czech Republic (Prof J Widimsky) has used a novel urine test to find that non-adherence to prescribed medications is around 30-40%.
Noted experts critically evaluate benefits of medical marijuana for treatment of epilepsy
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- Category: Development
Although cannabis had been used for many centuries for treatment of seizure disorders, medical use became prohibited in the 20th century. However, with the loosening of laws regarding medical marijuana, research and clinical use of marijuana-derived substances are increasing. This has prompted the editors of Epilepsy & Behavior to produce a special issue that presents an in-depth assessment of the potential of cannabinoids for the effective treatment of epilepsy. Cannabinoids are components of the cannabis plant.
Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's diseases share common crucial feature
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- Category: Research
A Loyola University Chicago study has found that abnormal proteins found in Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and Huntington's disease all share a similar ability to cause damage when they invade brain cells. The finding potentially could explain the mechanism by which Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's, and other neurodegenerative diseases spread within the brain and disrupt normal brain functions.
Just one alcoholic drink a day increases breast cancer risk, exercise lowers risk
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- Category: Development
Drinking just one glass of wine or other alcoholic drink a day increases breast cancer risk, finds a major new report by the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) and the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF). The report also revealed, for the first time, that vigorous exercise such as running or fast bicycling decreases the risk of both pre- and post-menopausal breast cancers. Strong evidence confirmed an earlier finding that moderate exercise decreases the risk of post-menopausal breast cancer, the most common type of breast cancer.
First-ever global study finds massive health care inequity
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- Category: Research
A first-ever global study finds massive inequity of access to and quality of health care among and within countries, and concludes people are dying from causes with well-known treatments. For example, on a scale of 1 to 100 for health care access and quality, Norway and Australia each scored 90 overall, among the highest in the world. However, Norway scored 65 in its treatment for testicular cancer, and Australia scored 52 for treating non-melanoma skin cancer.
Investing in drug safety monitoring could avoid complications - and save medical costs
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- Category: Research
Increased investment in "pharmacovigilance surveillance" - systems to proactively monitor safety problems with new medications - has the potential to avoid harmful drug effects while lowering healthcare costs, according to a study in the June issue of Medical Care. The journal is published by Wolters Kluwer.
More Pharma News ...
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- Hundreds of thousands of strokes may be preventable each year
- Alzheimer's experts call for changes in FDA drug approval standards
- Nearly 1 in 3 drugs found to have safety concerns after FDA approval
- High levels of exercise linked to nine years of less aging at the cellular level
- Public skeptical of research if tied to a company
- Vitamin A deficiency is detrimental to blood stem cells