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To some medical researchers, no one ever dies of old age.

(American Thoracic Society) people with even minimally symptomatic obstructive sleep apnea may be at increased risk for cardiovascular disease because of impaired endothelial function and increased arterial stiffness, according to a study from the Oxford Center for Respiratory medicine in the UK.

(National Jewish Medical and Research Center) Researchers at National Jewish health have identified a simple gene-based blood test that more accurately and quickly measures cystic fibrosis patients' response to therapy than current tests. The test, a measure of inflammatory gene expression, could improve patient care and help clear a backlog of promising medications now hung up in clinical trials.

(American Thoracic Society) It is well known that patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease frequently suffer from depression and anxiety, but according to new research, depression and anxiety may actually cause increased hospitalizations and exacerbations.

The effects of climate change on food and water safety and nutrition are the subject of a seminar, held in Rome, Italy today, jointly organized by WHO/Europe, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), with the support of the Italian Ministry of Labour, health and Social Affairs. The seminar is held to mark this year's World Food Day, whose theme is the challenges of climate change and bioenergy. read more

New research finds that a national campaign's anti-drug TV ads failed to convince young children and teenagers to stay away from marijuana and actually might have encouraged some to try smoking pot. In their 1999 to 2004 incarnation, the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign's TV ads "either had no effects on kids or possibly had a boomerang effect," said Robert Hornik, lead author of a new study and professor of communication at the University of Pennsylvania. read more

Mpex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced additional clinical and preclinical results with MP-376, the company's novel formulation of levofloxacin inhaled solution delivered by an Investigational eFlow Nebulizer System for use in cystic fibrosis (CF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). read more

Women who prefer to speak Spanish in daily life are far unhappier with the decision-making process after having to choose between mastectomy and lumpectomy than Latinas who prefer to speak English, African-Americans and white women, finds a new U.S. study of breast cancer patients. Spanish-choosing Latinas were 5.5 times more likely to be dissatisfied and 4.1 times more likely to regret their decision compared to whites, even when considering other factors including health literacy, said lead study author Sarah Hawley, Ph.D. read more

A nasal antibiotic ointment could slash rates of staph infection without causing antibiotic resistance, a new review of studies concludes. Physicians should consider the use of intranasal mupirocin to reduce the infection rate in hospitalized patients who test positive as nasal carriers of the Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, said Miranda van Rijen, the lead review author. read more

Environmental factors are key drivers in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, according to the authors of a new report, "Environmental Threats to Healthy Aging", released today. Importantly, the report demonstrates that the risks for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's can be dramatically reduced. read more