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Monthly Archives: June 2012

Genetic heart diseases may be responsible for unexplained stillbirths

Nuremberg, Germany: Genetic researchers have made an important step towards resolving the mystery of the causes of intrauterine fetal demise (IUFD), or stillbirth, where a baby dies in the womb after the 14th week of gestation. IUFD is responsible for … Continue reading →

Published Tuesday, June 26th, 2012 at 12:01 am
Posted in Fertility, Genetics

Exome sequencing gives cheaper, faster diagnosis in heterogeneous disease; results from first use of this technique in the clinic

Nuremberg, Germany: The first report of the diagnostic use of the technique of exome sequencing, where short sequences of DNA are analysed, shows that it can give good results at low cost, a researcher from The Netherlands told the annual … Continue reading →

Published Monday, June 25th, 2012 at 12:01 am
Posted in Genetics

Genome-wide analysis shows previously undetected abnormalities in parents of affected children

Nuremberg, Germany: The use of genome-wide array analysis[1] in parents whose children are suspected of having a genetic disease shows that the parents frequently  also have previously undetected genetic abnormalities, a researcher from The Netherlands told the annual conference of … Continue reading →

Published Sunday, June 24th, 2012 at 1:15 pm
Posted in Fertility, Genetics

Predicting treatment response in central nervous system diseases; researchers find a simple way of avoiding dangerous side effects

Nuremberg, Germany: The commonly-used epilepsy drug, valproic acid (VPA), can have a highly beneficial effect on some babies born with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), the number one genetic killer during early infancy. But in about two-thirds of such cases it … Continue reading →

Published Saturday, June 23rd, 2012 at 12:01 am
Posted in Genetics

Aspirin before heart surgery reduces the risk of post-operative acute kidney failure

Paris, France: Aspirin taken for five days before a heart operation can halve the numbers of patients developing post-operative acute kidney failure, according to research presented at the European Anaesthesiology Congress in Paris on Sunday. Professor Jianzhong Sun (MD, PhD), … Continue reading →

Published Sunday, June 10th, 2012 at 4:00 pm
Posted in Other

Researchers develop quick, simple test to identify patients who will not respond to the painkiller tramadol

Paris, France: French researchers have found a way to identify quickly the 5-10% of patients in whom the commonly used painkiller, tramadol, does not work effectively. A simple blood test can produce a result within a few hours, enabling doctors … Continue reading →

Published Sunday, June 10th, 2012 at 12:15 pm
Posted in Other

Sleepy medical staff run increased risks of accidents driving home after a night shift

The drowsiness experienced by medical staff who have been on night duty can make their driving dangerous, French researchers have found. The first study to use simulated driving tests on medical staff returning home after a night shift showed that, … Continue reading →

Published Saturday, June 9th, 2012 at 12:01 am
Posted in Other