Archives

Hearing loss is about twice as common in adults with diabetes compared to those who do not have the disease, according to a new study. Also, adults with pre-diabetes, whose blood glucose is higher than normal but not high enough for a diabetes diagnosis, had a 30 percent higher rate of hearing loss compared to those with normal blood sugar tested after an overnight fast.

Carnegie Mellon neuroscientists have identified what may be the first known common denominator underlying inherited and sporadic epilepsy -- a disruption in an ion channel called the BK channel. Although BK channels have been linked to a rare, familial form of epilepsy, their involvement in other types of seizure disorders has never been demonstrated. These findings indicate that BK channels are a new target for anticonvulsant therapies, offering new hope to individuals suffering from epilepsy.

Researchers have found a way to predict which teenage female athletes will stop menstruating, an important risk factor for bone thinning, according to a preliminary study.

Low bone mineral density in the hand is a valid predictor of overall mortality in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and indicates long-term prognosis, according to a new study. Digital X-ray radiogrammetry demonstrated bone mineral density to be as effective predicting mortality as well-established means of assessment such as radiographic damage and functional disability.

People can lose weight by flavoring their food with calorie-free seasonings and sweeteners, which may make them feel full faster and decrease their consumption, according to a new study.

Resveratrol, a compound present in grapes and red wine, reduces the number of fat cells and may one day be used to treat or prevent obesity, according to a new study.

Researchers have determined that medical use of cannabinoids do not cause an increase in serious adverse events, but are associated with an increase in some non-serious adverse events. Of all non-serious adverse events, dizziness was the most common.

A protein related to heart disease and Alzheimer's is found to be a factor in HIV. The apolipoprotein (apo) E4 isoform has been implicated in neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease, cardiovascular disease, and stroke. Now, investigators have shown that this troubling protein is a risk factor for AIDS progression rates and promotes entry of HIV into cells.

Regular coffee drinking (up to 6 cups per day) is not associated with increased deaths in either men or women. In fact, both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee consumption is associated with a somewhat smaller rate of death from heart disease.

Clinical trials hoping to identify a vaginal microbicide that is safe and effective against HIV have all but skirted questions befitting evaluation of an approach intended primarily for sexually active women of childbearing age: What if a woman gets pregnant while using a product? Can exposure during pregnancy pose a risk to the fetus? Researchers will begin addressing these and other questions in the first clinical trial of a candidate vaginal microbicide in pregnant women.