Recent research showed that aggressive osteoporosis screening and treatment can reduce the rate of hip fractures. Richard Dell, M. D., of Kaiser Permanente Bellflower and colleagues claim that their strategy could cut U. S. hip fractures by 25% or more.

Recent research showed a link between a gene linked to autism and a language disorder known as specific language impairment.

Research team led by Sonja C. Vernes, of the University of Oxford in Oxford, United Kingdom, and colleagues studied children from 184 families with specific language impairment by testing for the association between language deficits and single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the CNTNAP2 gene. Screening for regions bound by the FOXP2 gene revealed this gene as a strong candidate for involvement in language problems.

Recent research showed that Apelin, a hormone produced by fat and other tissues, might serve as a promising target for managing insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Researchers led by Philippe Valet found that our cells are equipped with a second pathway for the assimilation of glucose, which involves "apelin".

Recent research showed the "friendly" probiotic bacterium, Lactobacillus plantarum 299 (Lp299) can prevent the most common cause of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) as effectively as an antiseptic called chlorhexidine (CHX).

The bacterium is found in saliva and also common in fermented foods like pickles and sauerkraut. VAP occurs when pathogenic bacteria from the mouth, throat or breathing tube are inhaled into the lungs. The study was led by Dr Bengt Klarin from the University Hospital in Lund, Sweden.

Alzheimer’s patients who suffer from diabetes or hypertension might die sooner than their counterparts who do not suffer from these two diseases.

 According to a report published in the 4 Nov issue of Neurology, diabetic Alzheimer’s patients were twice likely to die sooner than the ones who did not suffer from diabetes. Hypertensive Alzheimer’s patients were two and a half times more likely to die sooner than the Alzheimer’s patients who did not suffer from hypertension. 

Growth hormone treatment might help in increasing upto 8 cms height in child’s final height. Swedish researchers have claimed that it might increase 20 cm height in few cases.

Kerstin Albertsson-Wikland, MD, PHD, professor of pediatrics at the University of Gothenburg, was the study's lead author. The researchers conducted study on 151 children. Some of these children were given no treatment; others two different doses of growth hormone, given for an average of nearly six years. The effects and results were followed over a period of up to 20 years, until they reached their final height.