Women with breast cancer who take both tamoxifen and the antidepressant Paxil may increase their risk of dying because Paxil reduces tamoxifen's effectiveness, Canadian researchers report.

"Paxil can deprive women of the benefit of tamoxifen, especially when it is used in combination with tamoxifen for a long time," said lead researcher Dr. David Juurlink, division head of clinical pharmacology and toxicology at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center in Toronto.

Scientists say they've developed a new and easier way to create what's known as pluripotent stem cells -- cells that can develop into one of many cell types for use in regenerative medicine.

Unlike many other methods, this new technique doesn't use viruses to introduce genes into cells or permanently alter a cell's genome. Instead, tiny circles of DNA are used to transform stem cells taken from human fat into induced pluripotent stem cells, which are the starting point for research into many human diseases.

Eating a Mediterranean-style diet -- one rich in olive oil, whole grains, fish and fruit -- may protect aging brains from damage linked to cognitive problems, a new study finds

Other studies have already found that such diets also lower risks for depression, cancer, heart disease and premature death.

Older Americans who have strokes are getting better treatment, possibly because of a nationwide program encouraging use of guideline-recommended therapies, a new study shows.

"What we saw in the course of the study, the six years from 2003 to 2009, was remarkable improvement in treatment of all age groups," said Dr. Gregg C. Fonarow, professor of cardiology at the University of California, Los Angeles, and lead author of a report published online Feb. 8 in advance of print publication Feb. 23 in Circulation.

High blood pressure may predict dementia in older adults with impaired executive function (difficulty organizing thoughts and making decisions), but not in those with memory problems, a new study has found.

The study included 990 dementia-free participants, average age 83, who were followed-up for five years. During that time, dementia developed in 59.5 percent of those with and in 64.2 percent of those without high blood pressure. Similar rates were seen in participants with memory dysfunction alone and with both memory and executive dysfunction.