More than half of Americans said they would consider splitting their prescription pills to save money if their doctor said it would not be detrimental to their health, according to results of a national poll conducted by Opinion Research Corp. and sponsored by UnitedHealthcare.
Human immune cells communicate constantly with one another as they coordinate to fight off infection and other threats. Now researchers at Stanford University’s School of Medicine have shown that muffling a key voice in this conversational patter is an early step in the progression of human cancers. Silencing an inter-cell signaling mechanism called the interferon pathway may be one way newly developing cancers gain the upper hand. It may also explain the immune dysfunctions seen in many cancer patients and why cancer immunotherapies are often ineffective.
Would you like to donate blood but are afraid of needles? The Stanford Blood Center is sponsoring a panel discussion at 7 p.m. May 21 to address one of the most elusive issues in blood donor recruitment: Fear. The panelists will explore different perspectives regarding the fear of medical procedures in general, and blood donation in particular.
HIV-positive patients who don’t seek medical attention until they have a serious AIDS-related condition can reduce their risk of death or other complications by half if they get antiretroviral treatment early on, according to a new multicenter trial led by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.
A vaccine against the H1N1 influenza strain, which has crossed over from pigs to people in recent months, probably won’t be available before this autumn. But ongoing research at the Stanford University School of Medicine promises to help public-health authorities come to grips with future influenza pandemics—and may prove to be useful against this one.
During National Stroke Awareness Month in May HealthYes!, a mobile medical screening provider, is strongly encouraging Americans to follow the “3 R’s”– reduce risk, recognize symptoms and respond immediately. Following these steps could limit the number of Americans who die or are disabled each year by a stroke.
In February 1976, a strain of H1N1 swine flu caused the death of one man and hospitalization of several others at Fort Dix military base. This strain of swine flu was confined to the military base. During March of the same year, however, a new strain of the virus developed which circulated throughout the United States causing illness and panic. By October 1976, all American citizens were urged to get a vaccination to combat the swine flu. Over 50 million Americans (about 30% of the population) received vaccinations from October to December of that year.
Researchers at Stanford University’s School of Medicine today received a $5.8 million grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine. Michael Longaker, MD, is the principal investigator on the five-year grant, which is focused on ways to stimulate existing adult stem cells to heal damaged nerves, bone, skin and cardiac muscle.
The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index (WBI), the largest and most comprehensive daily tracking survey of American health and well-being, showed no significant increase in the percentage of Americans reporting flu-related illness in April 2009. On any given day, between 1 to 4 percent of the adult population reports being sick with the flu. The April average was 2.1 percent, slightly less than the average during the same period a year ago.