Health News for September 27, 2007

Euthanasia doesnt cause disproportionate number of deaths: Study
A new study conducted by University of Utah in Oregon and the Netherlands found that legalizing physician-assisted suicide or euthanasia does not result in a disproportionate number of deaths among vulnerable people. ANI

New molecular clock reveals smallpox evolved earlier than believed
Researchers from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have devised a molecular clock that shows that smallpox evolved much earlier than previously believed. ANI

Probiotic bacteria may provide cheaper cure for diarrhoea in infants
A collaborative study by researcher from Sweden and Switzerland has demonstrated that with the addition of probiotic bacteria, preventative measures for curing rotaviral-caused diarrhoea can be made far cheaper just as effective. ANI

Past trauma, stressful events quickens breast cancer recurrence
A University of Rochester Medical Center scientist has found in a study that women diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer, who have also endured previous traumatic or stressful events, see their cancer recur nearly twice as fast as other women. ANI

Experimental drug shrinks tumours in kidney cancer patients
Experimental drug axitinib has been found to have potential to bring respite to patients with advanced kidney cancer, whose options run out after their tumour fails to respond to the cutting edge therapy. ANI

Why giving up an unlikely goal may help you stay healthy
Perseverance may be a good trait, but a new study has revealed that it is better to drop a difficult goal to avoid chronic illness. ANI

Kicking the bottle reduces cancer risk
People who drink can significantly reduce their likelihood of suffering from cancers of head and neck by quitting alcohol consumption, a research at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) has suggested. ANI

Autism symptoms can improve with age
The symptoms of the brain development disorder autism can improve with age, says an assistant professor of social work at Washington University in St. Louis. ANI

Jumping genes may provide safer, more efficient gene delivery system
A researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison says that new non-viral gene delivery systems using transposons-sequences of DNA that can move around to different positions within the genome of a single cell-may provide a safer and more efficient alternative to the methods that are used for ferrying genes of interest into cells currently. ANI

Plants may help uncover why people respond differently to prescription drugs
Researchers at the University of California, Riverside say that plants can be used to study why prescription medications work successfully to cure an ailment in some people, while the same dose of the same drug can cause an adverse reaction in others. ANI

Heavy exercise during early pregnancy may triple odds of miscarriage
Danish researchers have advised women not to take any strenuous exercise in the early stages of pregnancy because it may triple the risk of miscarriage. ANI

Acupuncture doesnt offer relief from radiotherapy-induced nausea: Study
Though cancer patients and health specialists believe that acupuncture offers relief from radiotherapy-induced nausea, a new study has revealed that it does not. ANI

New molecular target found to reduce clotting without excessive bleeding
According to a new study a new molecular target in blood clot formation has been found which may help to reduce clotting without any excessive bleeding. ANI

New wonder drug helps in safer weight lose
A researcher at Tel Aviv Universitys Sackler School of Medicine has developed what could be a new weight-loss wonder drug, which not only quells the desire to consume fatty foods, but also has fewer side effects. ANI

New drug holds hope for cancer patients
American researchers have developed a new drug, that when administered along with chemotherapy, shows promise in treating advanced melanoma, delaying the progression of cancer and prolonging the lives of patients. ANI

C-difficile, inflammatory bowel disease combo quadruples death risk
A new research has revealed that patients with both Clostridium difficile infection (C-difficile) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) like Crohns disease or ulcerative colitis, are four times more likely to die than patients with just IBD or C difficile infection. ANI

Large amounts of caffeine while on acetaminophen may damage liver
A preliminary laboratory study has revealed that consuming large amounts of caffeine while taking acetaminophen, one of the most widely used painkillers, could potentially cause liver damage. ANI