Health News for April 10, 2008

HPV vaccine shows promise to axe abnormal pap test results
Researcher at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) say that the administration of a vaccine to prevent cervical cancer led to a significant reduction in abnormal Pap test results among girls and women during a study. ANI

Paul Newman donates 10 thousand pounds to NHS centre treating his UK relative
Hollywood actor Paul Newman has donated 10,000 pounds to a breast cancer unit of the National Health Service (NHS), where one of his British relatives is being treated. ANI

Study casts light on non-cancer mortality in UK nuclear industry workers
A study involving a large number of workers employed in the UK nuclear industry, conducted to see whether occupational or medical exposure to ionising radiation may increase death rate from diseases other than cancer, suggests that socio-economic status of workers has a greater influence on mortality than the quantum of radiation exposure. ANI

Dose-dense regime offers more effective anti-breast cancer approach
In a novel breakthrough study, researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) have discovered that a dose-dense regimen of standard chemotherapy agents and the antibody trastuzumab (Herceptin), a drug shown to cause cardiac toxicity, can safely treat breast cancer patients. ANI

Genetic variation linked with increased risk of Gout
Gout has long been believed to be caused by unhealthy lifestyles, but now researchers at the MRC Human Genetics Unit, in Edinburgh have found that a gene variant may also raise the risk of this painful joint condition. ANI

Jockeys dieting to reach riding weights risk eating disorders
Jockeys trying to slim down for races to reach riding weights, are at a risk of developing eating disorders and feeling depressed, say researchers. ANI

Men must take note of studies linking obesity and erectile dysfunction risks
An Adelaide University expert says that fat men must take note of studies that have suggested that obesity increases the risk of erectile dysfunction. ANI

Structure of brain receptor involved in epilepsy and PMT identified
Scientists at University of Cambridge in collaboration with colleagues at Aston University and the University of Alberta, have determined the structure of a receptor in the brain implicated in conditions such as epilepsy and pre-menstrual tension (PMT). ANI

White bread breakfast increases heart disease risk
A study from the University of Sydney in Australia suggests that having a breakfast of white bread and sugar-rich cereals may make a person susceptible to diabetes, heart disease, and even cancer. ANI

New screening method in fruit flies finds potential drug targets for fragile X syndrome
By using a new drug screening method in Drosophila (fruit flies), researchers at Emory University School of Medicineave identified several drugs and small molecules that reverse the features of fragile X syndrome - a frequent form of mental retardation and one of the leading known causes of autism. ANI