Test reveals the risk of asthma is inherited and can be measured at birth

Risk for developing asthma is linked to variants in a gene called CHI3L1, which can be measured by checking levels of an inherited blood protein regulated by that gene, according to new research sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health. more  

Gene signatures enhance breast cancer risk estimates

Combining gene signatures for breast cancer with clinical factors such as patient age and tumor size can improve predictions about the risk of recurrence in women with early-stage disease, new research suggests. more

Wine may protect against dementia

There may be constituents in wine that protect against dementia. This is shown in research from the Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg in Sweden. more  

NEJM study demonstrates carotid stenting with embolic protection is comparable to surgery

According to a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine this week, three-year data from the Stenting and Angioplasty with Protection in Patients at High Risk for Endarterectomy (SAPPHIRE) study in patients with severe blocked carotid arteries, the main blood vessels in the neck leading to the brain, who underwent carotid artery stenting (CAS) with the PRECISE® Nitinol Stent and the ANGIOGUARD? Emboli Capture Guidewire were comparably protected from stroke, heart attack, death, and repeat revascularization procedures as patients who underwent surgery (endarterectomy). more

Getting forgetful? Then blueberries may hold the key  

If you are getting forgetful as you get older, then a research team from the University of Reading and the Peninsula Medical School in the South West of England may have good news for you. more

Scientists ask whether microscaffolding can help stem cells rebuild brain after stroke damage 

Inserting tiny scaffolding into the brain could dramatically reduce damage caused by strokes the UK National Stem Cell Network Annual Science Meeting will hear today (10 April). Speaking at the conference in Edinburgh, Dr Mike Modo from the Institute of Psychiatry will explain how combining scaffold microparticles with neural stem cells (NSCs) could regenerate lost brain tissue. more

Dr. Mom was right -- and wrong -- about washing fruits and vegetables

Washing fresh fruits and vegetables before eating may reduce the risk of food poisoning and those awful episodes of vomiting and diarrhea. But according to new research, described today at the 235th national meeting of the American Chemical Society, washing alone — even with chlorine disinfectants — may not be enough. more

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