A cell type that causes significant scarring in lung disease appears to have a similar effect in Graves’ disease, University of Michigan Health System researchers have found. The cells, called fibrocytes, are present at a higher than normal frequency in patients with Graves’ disease, according to a new study, the first to associate fibrocytes with [...]

A Faculty of 1000 evaluation examines how a stomach-produced hormone that influences the desire to eat and consume alcohol could be switched off to control drinking problems.
The study, carried out by Jerlhag et al. at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, showed that the hormone ghrelin, typically released by the stomach and known to promote [...]

People over 80 years are being treated too aggressively for high blood pressure, warns an expert in an editorial in BMJ Clinical Evidence this week.
According to Dr James Wright, the latest evidence suggests that less aggressive drug therapy may be more effective at reducing mortality in this age group. Based on this evidence, he suggests [...]

The 2009 American College of Neuropsychopharmacology Annual Meeting featured innovative research on PTSD, biomarkers for schizophrenia and treatment for gambling addiction. Study highlights included:

Researchers Use New Techniques to Assess PTSD. Working with Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, scientists have identified measurable traits that may be useful to evaluate PTSD and develop new treatments. Using blood [...]

The Medical College of Georgia is leading an initiative that could result in a paradigm shift in the care of patients with sickle cell disease.
Morehouse University School of Medicine and University of Florida are partners in the initiative that is enlisting primary care physicians across Georgia to serve as “medical homes” for patients, changing how [...]