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Reminder Program Dramatically Increases Mammography Rates, Kaiser Permanente Study Finds
A reminder program aimed at screening for breast cancer when it is most treatable boosted mammography rates by more than 17 percentage points, according to a new study by Kaiser Permanente"s Center for Health Research in the August issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. The program used electronic health records to identify women who would soon be due for a mammogram and reached out to them via postcards, automated voice messages and personal phone calls.
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College Drinking Problems, Deaths On The Rise
Alcohol-related deaths, heavy drinking episodes and drunk driving have all been on the rise on college campuses over the past decade, a new government study shows.
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Contrary To Guidelines, Compression Stockings Do Not Reduce The Risk Of Blood Clots After Stroke (CLOTS Study)
Thigh-length graduated support stockings (TL-GCS) do not reduce the risk of blood clots in stroke patients. Since guidelines in the UK and many developed nations recommend use of TL-GCS, such guidelines should now be urgently revised. The findings of the CLOTS trial are published in an Article Online First and in an upcoming edition of The Lancet, written by Professor Martin Dennis, University of Edinburgh, UK, and colleagues. Most of the study"s funding came from the UK Medical Research Council. The findings are to be announced during this week"s European Stroke Conference, Stockholm, Sweden.
Mental Health

Measuring Intellectual Disability

Researchers from the University of California, Davis have developed a specific and quantitative means of measuring levels of the fragile X mental retardation 1 (FMR1) protein (FMRP), which is mutated in fragile X syndrome. The related report by Iwahashi et al, "A quantitative ELISA assay for the fragile X mental retardation 1 protein," appears in the July 2009 issue of the Journal of Molecular Diagnostics. Fragile X syndrome is the most common form of inherited intellectual impairment. Nearly one third of patients diagnosed with fragile X syndrome also have some degree of autism, and the mutation underlying fragile X syndrome is the most commonly known single gene cause of autism. Fragile X syndrome is caused by low levels of the FMRP protein, which is thought to play a role in communication between nerve cells. In patients with fragile X syndrome, a sequence in the FMR1 gene that is repeated 10-40 times in normal individuals may be repeated from 200 to more than 1,000 times, decreasing levels of the FMRP protein. Current tests for fragile X syndrome determine the presence of the mutation by measuring the number of repeats at the DNA and mRNA level; however, the lack of a quantifiable test to determine FMRP protein levels has prevented direct correlation between FMRP protein levels and clinical severity of disease. Therefore, a group led by Dr. Paul Hagerman at the University of California, Davis developed a sensitive and highly specific test for FMRP protein. The method used is able to detect protein throughout the biologically-relevant range of protein concentrations and is readily adaptable for large-scale use. Iwahashi et al suggest that "[this] method should prove to be a powerful tool for further investigation of the relationships between FMRP and the diverse clinical phenotypic domains [of fragile X syndrome]." "Such domains include not only autism and autism spectrum disorders, but also developmental delay, behavioral difficulties, anxiety, ADHD, and mood. Involvement among carriers of smaller (premutation) alleles can also involve developmental delays and/or autism spectrum disorders." In future studies, Dr. Hagerman and colleagues plan to explore "further large scale studies ò€¦ to recognize the value of the measurement and how FMRP influences the multitude of phenotypes associated with the FMR1 gene and variations seen in the normal population." Iwahashi C, Tassone F, Hagerman RJ, Yasui D, Parrott G, Nguyen D, Mayeur G, Hagerman PJ: A quantitative ELISA assay for the fragile X mental retardation 1 protein. J Mol Diagn 2009, 281-289 Angela Colmone American Journal of Pathology


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