In a large, randomized, placebo-controlled study of 22,071 healthy male physicians, taking a low-dose of aspirin every other day lowered the risk of receiving an initial asthma diagnosis by 22 percent.These findings, based on data from the double-blind Physicians’ Health Study, appear in the second issue for January 2007 of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, published by the American Thoracic Society.Tobias Kurth, M.D., Sc.D. [click link for full article]

In an ideal world, the answer is no, as breast milk transmission of HIV contributes substantially to infant infection. However, in the same developing countries where the majority of HIV mother-to-child transmission takes place, breast milk is often considered the only safe and nutritious food for infants. This makes for difficult recommendations, and additional research is needed. [click link for full article]

Gilbert Burnham and his Iraqi and US colleagues respond to criticisms of their study that estimated 654 965 Iraqi deaths between March, 2003, and July, 2006 in the Correspondence section of The Lancet. [click link for full article]

For patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), combining a long-acting bronchodilator with an inhaled corticosteroid reduced the number of exacerbations by 35 percent.The research appears in the second issue for January 2007 of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, published by the American Thoracic Society.Peter Kardos, M.D. [click link for full article]

Being a member of a large family may not be best for your health. A new study found that family size greatly influenced the development of stomach cancer linked to the bacterium Helicobacter pylori, and younger siblings from large families appeared to be especially vulnerable to the most common type of stomach cancer.These latest findings are based on the records of more than 7,000 Japanese-American men who were followed over a 28-year period. [click link for full article]

A range of unique biological and social forces are driving a substantial syphilis epidemic in China, according to the results of a national surveillance programme published in this week’s issue of The Lancet.Syphilis infection can have devastating health consequences, including acute cutaneous manifestations such as genital ulcers, chronic severe and debilitating compromise of the cardiovascular and nervous systems, and serious effects on reproductive and neonatal health. [click link for full article]

Men with short telomeres - repetitive strips of DNA that cap the ends of chromosomes - may have a higher risk of developing coronary heart disease than those with long telomeres, according to an Article in The Lancet.Telomeres act like an internal biological clock for living organisms because they get shorter every time a cell divides. Shorter telomeres indicate older cells. [click link for full article]

A hormone found naturally in the gut is the basis of a new drug to tackle obesity, one of three inaugural awards under the Wellcome Trust’s Seeding Drug Discovery initiative. The drug is being developed by one of the world’s leading obesity experts, Professor Steve Bloom at Imperial College London’s Hammersmith Hospital campus. [click link for full article]

A new University of Illinois study shows that tomatoes and broccoli–two vegetables known for their cancer-fighting qualities–are better at shrinking prostate tumors when both are part of the daily diet than when they’re eaten alone.”When tomatoes and broccoli are eaten together, we see an additive effect. [click link for full article]

Scientists at the ProXara Biotechnology Limited have identified a way of switching off one of the key mechanisms that leads to the development and growth of a tumour. Under the Wellcome Trust’s Seeding Drug Discovery initiative, the researchers hope to use their findings to develop a drug which could be used to fight cancer. The funding will be used to develop the drug to a point at which it is close to entering a clinical trial. [click link for full article]