http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. Researchers in New Zealand are inching closer to the development of the first effective oral vaccine to protect against tuberculosis - a disease which still kills more people worldwide than any other bacterial disease. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-otago-collaboration-oral-tb-vaccine.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Wed, 26 Sep 2012 09:48:50 EST news267871641 The commonly used broad-spectrum antibiotics moxifloxacin and levofloxacin are associated with an increased risk of severe liver injury in older people, according to a new study published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-common-antibiotics-pose-rare-severe.html Medications Mon, 13 Aug 2012 12:00:05 EST news264065618 (HealthDay) -- Instead of reaching for a commercial medicine when your child is coughing through the night because of a common cold, Israeli researchers suggest giving honey a try. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-honey-sweet-treatment-kids-night-time.html Pediatrics Mon, 06 Aug 2012 10:49:23 EST news263468943 India accounted for 56 percent of the world's new leprosy infections in 2010 despite declaring itself free of the nerve-destroying disease five years earlier, a report said Saturday. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-india-world-leprosy-infections.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Sat, 28 Jul 2012 10:59:10 EST news262691941 Because whooping cough (pertussis) is almost as contagious as measles (affecting ~12-17 individuals with each case), clinicians are required to report cases of this bacterial respiratory tract infection to the state's department of public health. In 2010, California had the highest number of cases of whooping cough in 60 years. A new study scheduled for publication in The Journal of Pediatrics describes the 2010 whooping cough epidemic and details strategies to decrease the incidence of this infection. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-california-whooping-epidemic.html Pediatrics Thu, 19 Jul 2012 00:00:01 EST news261849094 Babies who spend time around pet dogs have fewer ear infections and respiratory ailments than those whose homes are animal-free, said a study released on Monday. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-dogs-babies-infections.html Pediatrics Mon, 09 Jul 2012 04:40:02 EST news261026927 University of Georgia scientists have discovered a new flu-fighting role for a well-known component of the immune system. Kimberly Klonowski, assistant professor of cellular biology in the UGA Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, and her colleagues found that administering a cell-signaling protein known as IL-15 to mice infected with influenza reduces their peak viral load by nearly three times. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-reveals-flu-fighting-role-well-known-immune.html Medical research Tue, 26 Jun 2012 10:07:40 EST news259924052 Millions of Americans reach for their cough drops or syrup at the first sign of a cough. However, scientists are unsure if and how these popular remedies work. Now, new findings from the Monell Center suggest that sucrose and menthol, ingredients commonly regarded as flavorings in these preparations, each act independently to reduce coughing. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-sweet-minty-relief.html Medications Mon, 11 Jun 2012 15:12:45 EST news258646356 (Medical Xpress) -- Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is the most common life-threatening inherited disease in Ireland with the highest incidence of this disease globally seen on this island. Females with CF have a poorer outcome as a result of serious bacterial infections in their respiratory tract. Collaborative research conducted in Dublin between the Royal College of Surgeons, Beaumont Hospital and the School of Medicine, Trinity College has furthered our understanding of this phenomenon and was recently published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine.  http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-cystic-fibrosis-breakthrough-reveals-females.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Fri, 08 Jun 2012 06:18:09 EST news258355075 (HealthDay) -- Several factors, including sporting activity, physical workload, and smoking habits, affect the sonomorphologic characteristics of peripheral lymph nodes (LNs) in patients with a history of invasive cutaneous melanoma, according to research published online Feb. 29 in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-affect-lymph-node-involvement-melanoma.html Cancer Fri, 09 Mar 2012 05:10:01 EST news250490672 (Medical Xpress) -- Researchers at the University of Liverpool are examining the evolution of Pseudomonas aeruginosa over time in the lungs of ten people with cystic fibrosis to understand why it persists in these patients and why its response to antibiotics is so varied. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-parallel-evolution-cystic-fibrosis.html Medical research Tue, 06 Mar 2012 06:30:02 EST news250237072 Respiratory tract infections, including pneumonia, are the most common cause of death in children under the age of five. In a study looking at children given standard antibiotic therapy, new research published in BioMed Central's open access journal BMC Medicine shows how zinc supplements drastically improved children's chances of surviving the infection. The increase in survival due to zinc (on top of antibiotics) was even greater for HIV infected children. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-pneumonia-drug-zinc.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Wed, 08 Feb 2012 04:10:04 EST news247894844 A team of UCLA scientists has found that the pathogen that causes leprosy has a remarkable ability to avoid the human immune system by inhibiting the antimicrobial responses important to our defenses. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-01-stealthy-leprosy-pathogen-evades-critical.html Immunology Sun, 29 Jan 2012 13:00:20 EST news247033527 The overuse of health care services in the United States appears to be an understudied problem with research literature limited to a few services and rates of overuse varying widely, according to an article published in the January 23 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. This article is part of the journal's Less is More series. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-01-overuse-health.html Health Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:00:03 EST news246555557 Scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have identified a gene that tells cells to develop multiple cilia, tiny hair-like structures that move fluids through the lungs and brain. The finding may help scientists generate new therapies that use stem cells to replace damaged tissues in the lung and other organs. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-01-scientists-gene-crucial-lungs-brain.html Medical research Thu, 12 Jan 2012 09:13:05 EST news245581965 A new study supports previous findings that children delivered by cesarean section have an increased risk of developing asthma. The study from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa) suggests that children delivered by cesarean section have an increased risk of asthma at the age of three. This was particularly seen among children without a hereditary tendency to asthma and allergies. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-01-asthma-age-cesarean-section.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Tue, 10 Jan 2012 10:31:41 EST news245413890 Battling colds and doing (or pledging to do) more exercise are familiar activities for most of us in January. But different levels of exercise can actually significantly increase or decrease your chances of catching a respiratory infection, says Professor Mike Gleeson from Loughborough University. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-01-couch-potato-elite-athlete-happy.html Health Thu, 05 Jan 2012 09:49:46 EST news244979380 (Medical Xpress) -- Pediatricians often treat young children who have frequent bouts of wheezing with a daily dose of an inhaled steroid to keep asthma symptoms at bay. But results of a recent study are likely to change that. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-daily-wheezing-treatment-intermittent-toddlers.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Thu, 24 Nov 2011 08:50:01 EST news241345863 As people age, their immune system becomes less robust. This makes them more susceptible to serious and frequently life-threatening infections with viruses that affect the respiratory tract such as influenza A virus (IAV). http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-boosting-aged-immune-response-flu.html Medical research Mon, 21 Nov 2011 12:38:46 EST news241101518 Emissions from livestock farms cause asthma and COPD patients living nearby to experience more exacerbations, according to research presented today at the European Respiratory Society's Annual Congress in Amsterdam. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-environmental-health-livestock-farming.html Health Tue, 27 Sep 2011 07:20:01 EST news236324765 Examination of lung tissue and other autopsy material from 68 American soldiers who died of respiratory infections in 1918 has revealed that the influenza virus that eventually killed 50 million people worldwide was circulating in the United States at least four months before the 1918 influenza reached pandemic levels that fall. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-earliest-evidence-influenza-pandemic.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Mon, 19 Sep 2011 15:00:54 EST news235662152 Taking probiotics seems to provide both children and adults with a mild degree of protection against many upper respiratory tract infections including the common cold, according to a new systematic review. People who consume probiotics are also less likely to end up taking antibiotics for an upper respiratory infection, the review found. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-probiotics-slight-effect-colds.html Health Fri, 16 Sep 2011 09:50:01 EST news235384066 Children who have their adenoids surgically removed do not get fewer upper respiratory tract infections such as sinusitis and colds, finds research published in BMJ today. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-children-adenoids-upper-respiratory-infections.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Wed, 07 Sep 2011 04:21:10 EST news234588051 An international team of researchers has identified two new genes connected with hereditary renal diseases. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-genes-rare-inherited-diseases.html Genetics Tue, 06 Sep 2011 10:01:13 EST news234522034 Canadian researchers have discovered that a tumor cell marker is a receptor for measles virus, suggesting the possible use of measles virus to help fight cancer. Their findings appear in the Open Access journal PLoS Pathogens on August 25th. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-cell-receptor-measles-virus-tumors.html Cancer Thu, 25 Aug 2011 17:48:13 EST news233513282 Total joint replacement surgeries can help relieve joint pain common in people with conditions like osteoarthritis. But sometimes, the debris from prosthetic joints leads to aseptic loosening, or disintegration of surrounding bones. In 2009, a Wayne State University researcher determined that the anti-inflammatory antibiotic erythromycin can prevent and treat such disintegration. There was one caveat, however: there are side effects associated with long-term usage of erythromycin. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-antibiotic-localized-treatment-bone.html Medical research Tue, 09 Aug 2011 08:33:15 EST news232097583 Lung diseases in the Middle East range from the centuries-old pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) to modern manifestations caused by chemical warfare. A new paper now available in Respirology, a journal of the Asian Pacific Society of Respirology, provides pulmonologists and patients with the first comprehensive review of respiratory illnesses specific to the Persian Gulf region, and the challenges in treating them. This unique review is the first of its kind in this topic and will serve as an important landmark reference article. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-07-highlights-respiratory-disorders-prevalent-middle.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Wed, 13 Jul 2011 10:25:05 EST news229771282 (Medical Xpress) -- Self-identified social smokers are less likely to try to quit and to avoid smoking for more than a month, according to a national study in the American Journal of Public Health conducted by professors at the University of California, Merced, and UC San Francisco. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-06-self-identified-social-smokers.html Health Tue, 14 Jun 2011 09:42:22 EST news227263315 A blood protein known as surfactant protein-D (SP-D), which is mainly synthesised in the lungs, has been described as "a good predictor" of cardiovascular disease following a large study in North America. Reporting the study online today in the European Heart Journal, the investigators said that circulating SP-D levels were clearly associated with CVD and total mortality in patients with angiographically diagnosed coronary artery disease independent of other well established risk factors (such as age, smoking, cholesterol and C-reactive protein levels). http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-06-circulating-lung-protein-strongly-cardiovascular.html Cardiology Wed, 08 Jun 2011 03:54:55 EST news226724073 Short courses of antibiotics appear just as effective as longer ones - and a great deal safer - in treating respiratory infections that might cause pneumonia in children on temporary breathing devices, according to a Johns Hopkins Children's Center study published online May 3 in Clinical Infectious Diseases. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-05-short-antibiotic-courses-safer-breathing-tube.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Thu, 05 May 2011 15:29:58 EST news223828168