In elderly people at risk of cardiovascular disease, elevation of three inflammatory markers in the blood – CRP, fibrinogen, and especially IL-6 – can identify who is at a higher risk of a fatal heart attack or stroke, according to a study published recently in the open access journal PLoS Medicine. Inflammation is an immune [...]

ChildrensHospital.org – Appendicitis is the most common childhood surgical emergency, but the diagnosis can be challenging, especially in children, often leading to either unnecessary surgery in children without appendicitis, or a ruptured appendix and serious complications when the condition is missed. Now, emergency medicine physicians and scientists at the Proteomics Center at Children’s Hospital Boston [...]

JAMA – Young adults who are overweight or obese have an increased risk of pancreatic cancer, and being obese at an older age is associated with a lower overall survival rate for patients with pancreatic cancer, according to a study in the June 24, 2009 issue of JAMA. Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause [...]

Most healthy young adults in their 20s do not worry much about whether they are going to develop diabetes in middle age. As it turns out, many should be concerned. Researchers at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine have found that young adults (18 to 30 years old) with low aerobic fitness levels – as [...]

ESCardio.org – The sense of fulfilment which so many people derive from competitive sports and endurance training comes with a real – even if rare – twist. Because, while most people will enjoy the benefits and pleasures of exercise, there are a few for whom regular athletic training will increase the risk of cardiac arrhythmias [...]

InformedHealthOnline.org – After the baby arrives, many new mothers want to return to their former weight quickly – just like Hollywood stars who appear in the media in bikinis just weeks after giving birth. But according to the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG), women should not put themselves under too [...]