New parents may be surprised to learn how thoroughly their newest bundle of joy is examined.  According to a report released today by the March of Dimes, babies born in all 50 states and the District of Columbia get tested…

The February 15 issue of the medical journal, ‘Nature Medicine,’ carries the full report of a clinical trial on a gene therapy for treating human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).  The therapy has proven so promising it is being hailed as a…

A recently published article about the genetic affect of asbestos exposure has offered insight into the development of asbestos-related diseases. The scientific study, published in the September issue of BMC Genomics, may be significant in helping to diagnose and treat…

People who catch a buzz off their first cigarette are more likely to develop an addiction to nicotine, than are people who do not feel any sense of pleasure from the experience, according to a new study conducted at the…

Not everyone who carries excess weight is at increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease.  In fact, it’s possible to be clinically obese and have a heart as healthy as a person of normal weight.  And many people of normal weight…

In the first study to explore the entire human genome for variations that may influence the development of schizophrenia, researchers have discovered two new sites of genetic variation that are closely associated with the disease.  “By implicating two previously unknown…

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has just announced approval of a genetic test that will help determine which breast cancer patients will be best served by taking the drug Herceptin (trastuzumab) for treatment.  The new test, SPOT-Light HER2…

Using an individual’s genetic coding information to determine a patient’s inherited tendencies toward certain diseases and medical conditions may mean earlier detection and more effective treatments for common diseases such as cancer and diabetes. Using this knowledge might even mean…

Women, who carry the gene mutation BRCA, may be faced with the decision of having mastectomy to avoid developing breast cancer. According to Dutch researchers, presenting at the 6th European Breast Cancer Conference in Berlin, Germany, women who carry the…

Beta blockers are an important part of the drug therapy prescribed for patients experiencing heart failure and have been proven, in many cases, to prolong the life of the heart patient.  These drugs work by suppressing the action of the…

It’s seemed such a mystery why some cigarette smokers develop lung cancer while others smoke all their lives and never develop the disease. Researchers studying the human genome may have finally solved that mystery.