Statin side effects are strongest predictor of failure to meet cholesterol targets
Statin side effects are the strongest predictor of failure to meet low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol targets, according to research published today in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. Other predictors were statin non-adherence and use of weaker statins.
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Immune cell study prompts rethink on how to tackle infections
Fresh insights into how immune cells are regulated could signal a new approach to tackling infections. Researchers have found that oxygen levels in the body can profoundly change the way immune cells behave. Scientists say the findings pave the way for new therapies that target the immune response to infection, with the potential to boost existing antibiotic treatments.
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Inducing an identity crisis in liver cells may help diabetics
It is now possible to reprogram cells from the liver into the precursor cells that give rise to the pancreas by altering the activity of a single gene. A team of researchers at the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC) has now accomplished this feat in mice. Their results should make it feasible to help diabetic patients through cell therapy.
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One step closer to personalized antibiotic treatment
Taking antibiotics to fight an infection won't necessarily solve your problems. Often, natural occurring bacteria in the gut harbor several resistance genes. This means that the gut bacteria may exchange genes with the infectious bacteria, resulting in antibiotic resistance. Therefore, knowing the resistome - i.e. the pool of resistance genes present in the gut microbiota - can improve treatment immensely.
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A ground-breaking method for screening the most useful nanoparticles for medicine
The use of nanoparticles - small, virus-sized elements developed under laboratory conditions - is increasingly widespread in the world of biomedicine. This rapidly-evolving technology offers hope for many medical applications, whether for diagnosis or therapies. In oncology, for example, the growing body of research suggests that, thanks to nanoparticles, treatment will soon become more precise, more effective and less painful for the patients.
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Nuts can inhibit the growth of cancer cells
Roasted and salted, ground as a baking ingredient or fresh from the shell - for all those who enjoy eating nuts, there is good news from nutritionists at Friedrich Schiller University Jena (Germany). Their latest research shows that nuts can inhibit the growth of cancer cells.
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New approach improves five-year survival for pancreatic cancer patients
A University of Liverpool (UK) led clinical trial has been successful in prolonging survival for pancreatic cancer patients by at least five years as a result of a combination of chemotherapy drugs. The latest Cancer Research UK figures show that around 9,400 people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer each year in the UK and around 8,800 people die from the disease each year.
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