The first and only over-the-counter product for weight loss approved by the Food and Drug Administration was available from Friday, June 15.Orlistat, known by the brand name Alli, works by decreasing the amount of fat absorbed by the body. It is the OTC version of Xenical, a prescription weight loss pill. The good news: Orlistat has been tested and the prescription version has been used since 1999.Last fall Dr. [click link for full article]

Simple steps, like giving breast cancer survivors an exercise workbook or step pedometer, can improve their quality of life and fatigue levels.In research published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, University of Alberta researchers found that those simple steps, along with a recommendation to exercise, helped breast cancer survivors exercise more than survivors who were only given a recommendation to exercise. [click link for full article]

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have created the first three-dimensional optical images of human breast cancer in patients based on tissue fluorescence.Fluorescence diffuse optical tomography, or FDOT, relies on the presence of fluorophore molecules in tissue that re-radiate fluorescent light after illumination by excitation light of a different color. [click link for full article]

As medical, economic, and policy trends converge to alter the way dialysis care is organized and financed, protecting the unique relationship between dialysis patients and the kidney specialists who direct their care is a top priority, according to a special feature in the July Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.Dr. [click link for full article]

Aggressive behavior and bullying, common among schoolchildren, are likely to have multiple causes, one of which may be an undiagnosed sleep-related breathing disorder (SRBD), according to a research abstract presented at SLEEP 2007, the 21st Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS).The study, conducted by Louise M. [click link for full article]

Teenagers who stay up late on school nights and make up for it by sleeping late on weekends are more likely to perform poorly in the classroom. This is because, on weekends, they are waking up at a time that is later than their internal body clock expects. [click link for full article]

Working an extended duration shift can pose a risk to not only the safety and well-being of medical interns, but also to that of their patients, according to a research abstract presented at SLEEP 2007, the 21st Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS). [click link for full article]

Disturbed sleep is a commonly reported symptom among individuals diagnosed with anxiety disorders. However, the direct cause of disrupted sleep is poorly understood. Proper sleep is critical for cognitive and daily functioning, and reduced quality of sleep has the potential to exacerbate pre-existing psychological conditions, according to a research abstract presented at SLEEP 2007, the 21st Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS). [click link for full article]

In a study that insomniacs may find welcoming, imagery rehearsal therapy (IRT) has been shown to subjectively improve their ability to get a good night’s sleep, according to a research abstract presented at SLEEP 2007, the 21st Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS). [click link for full article]

Despite the positive results that it brings in the treatment of insomnia, access to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been difficult given the limited awareness of CBT services amongst referrers such as primary care providers. In addition to the low capacity among services to provide CBT, there is a gender imbalance, and men tend to seek help less frequently for their insomnia than women. [click link for full article]