Editorials Address Recent Request By FDA Commissioner For Additional Funds

Two newspapers on Monday published editorials that address a May 5 letter to Congress in which FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach requested an additional $275 million in funds for the agency to ensure the safety of imported food, prescription drugs and medical devices.

With Age Comes A Sense Of Peace And Calm, Population Research Center Study Shows

Aging brings a sense of peace and calm, according to a new study from the Population Research Center at The University of Texas at Austin. Starting at about age 60, participants reported more feelings of ease and contentment than their younger counterparts.

Aggressive Multi-Modality Treatments May Lead To Better Outcomes For Patients 75 Years And Older With Brain Tumors

A new study from University Hospitals Case Medical Center (UHCMC) finds that elderly patients - 75 years old and older - with malignant brain tumors are not treated as aggressively as patients between 65 and 75 years old. Furthermore, the researchers find that if patients over 75 years old are treated aggressively, such as with surgery and radiation, they have better survival rates.

Modification of Blood-Clotting Protein For People With Hard-To-Treat Hemophilia

Pathologists at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston have developed a chemically modified protein that may help people with a hard-to-treat form of a genetic bleeding disorder known as Hemophilia A. The discovery and the results of pre-clinical tests appear in the May 2 issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

Relief For Many IBS Patients Who Experience Constipation

Many patients may soon find relief from the bloating, cramping, abdominal pain and constipation associated with irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS.Lubiprostone, known by the brand name AMITIZA, was just approved by the U.S.

New Guidelines For Hypertension Treatment With Diuretics Based On UT Research

A study based at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston provides added justification that a thiazide-type diuretic is the best first-choice drug for hypertensive patients.

Vaccine Triggers Immune Response, Prevents Alzheimer's

A vaccine created by University of Rochester Medical Center scientists prevents the development of Alzheimer's disease-like pathology in mice without causing inflammation or significant side effects.Vaccinated mice generated an immune response to the protein known as amyloid-beta peptide, which accumulates in what are called "amyloid plaques" in brains of people with Alzheimer's.

Lupus May Be Caused By Abnormal 'Editing' Of Gene Messages

Researchers at Wake Forest University have uncovered evidence that the abnormal "editing" of gene messages in a type of white blood cell may be behind the development of lupus. Scientists hope the finding will lead to earlier diagnosis, a way to monitor patients' response to therapy and possibly a new way to treat the disease.

University Of California To Re-Examine Operating King-Harbor

The University of California has renewed its interest in becoming the operator of Martin Luther King Jr.-Harbor Hospital but in a limited role, UC Provost Wyatt Hume said Friday, the Los Angeles Times reports (Therolf, Los Angeles Times, 5/17).

No Racial Disparities Found In Long-Term Outcomes In Recipients Of Liver Transplants

New research published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons shows long-term survival and liver rejection rates are equivalent for African-American liver transplant patients as compared with patients of other races. The study also suggests that although other factors such as liver cancer or hepatitis may negatively influence long-term survival, race does not.