Accumulation of ceramide in the respiratory tract makes cystic fibrosis patients prone to lung infections, the results of an animal study suggest. Furthermore, one enzyme -- acid sphingomyelinase (Asm) -- is in large part responsible for this build-up and could serve as a therapeutic target. Reuters Health Information
Having 3 or more subtle neurological abnormalities doubled the risk of dying within 8 years, in a study of community-dwelling, healthy older individuals. Medscape Medical News
A large, prospective cohort study shows that infants with a birth weight of more than 4.54 kg had an increased risk for the development of rheumatoid arthritis as an adult. Medscape Medical News
A new international consensus statement on bipolar depression summarizes the most recent knowledge about this condition in children and adults, from epidemiology to treatment challenges and research design. Medscape Medical News
Adherence rates to colorectal screening was shown to be very low among first-degree relatives of patients with the disease, even though they face a higher risk than the general population. Medscape Medical News
