Patients now surviving once-fatal immune disease

Individuals who have a rare genetic immune system disorder that prevents them from making antibodies nevertheless appear to be moderately healthy and lead productive lives, according to results of a study by investigators at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. A report on this study appears in the current online edition of Clinical Immunology. more  

Avian influenza virus in mammals spreads beyond the site of infection to other organ systems

Researchers at Erasmus Medical Center have demonstrated systemic spread of avian influenza virus in cats infected by respiratory, digestive, and cat-to-cat contact. The paper by Rimmelzwaan et al., "Influenza A virus (H5N1) infection in cats causes systemic disease with potential novel routes of virus spread within and between hosts," appears in the January issue of The American Journal of Pathology and is accompanied by a commentary. more

Hospital volume doesn't explain racial disparity in cardiovascular procedure deaths

Although hospitals that perform fewer cardiovascular procedures tend to have higher death rates than higher-volume hospitals, and although African-American and Hispanic patients tend to be treated at lower-volume hospitals, differences in volume do not explain racial disparities in cardiovascular procedure death rates, according to a new study in the Jan. 17, 2006, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. more  

Caffeine limits blood flow to heart muscle during exercise

In healthy volunteers, the equivalent of two cups of coffee reduced the body's ability to boost blood flow to the heart muscle in response to exercise, and the effect was stronger when the participants were in a chamber simulating high altitude, according to a new study in the Jan. 17, 2006, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. more

People who restrict calories have 'younger' hearts 

The hearts of people who follow a low-calorie, yet nutritionally balanced, diet resemble those of younger people when examined by sophisticated ultrasound function tests, and they tend to have more desirable levels of some markers of inflammation and fibrosis, according to a new study in the Jan. 17, 2006, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. more

Thiamin deficiency common in hospitalized heart failure patients  

Results suggest that vitamin supplements may help protect patients Among patients hospitalized with heart failure, about one in three has deficient levels of thiamin, although thiamin deficiency was less common among those patients who were taking vitamin supplements, according to a new study in the Jan. 17, 2006, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. more

Prevalence of sports-related violence increasing

Dawn Comstock, PhD, of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Columbus Children's Hospital and a faculty member of The Ohio State University College of Medicine and Public Health, recently conducted two studies on the prevalence of sports-related violence. more