Scanning the field of biomarker research for cardiovascular disease, a group of investigators has found some compelling data that suggest the effect of thebiomarkers is regularly exaggerated, with signs of bias in the reports. And that clearly could be hurting the medical field's understanding of the biomarkers' significance.

The investigators identified 59 available meta-analyses for review with 49 claiming statistically significant results, according to a report in Cardiology Today. But the largest studies with the most subjects had the smallest effects, with a host of smaller studies claiming the most dramatic results. And that indicates bias in the selection of which reports were published, tilting the field toward the positive and away from the negative. Read the full story >>

A blood test to determine a patient's suicide risk may be within reach. Scientists at the University of New South Wales in Australia and colleagues in Sweden believe they've come up with a viable diagnostic biomarker: higher-than-normal levels of the neurotransmitter quinolinic acid. Through their work with an unnamed biotech, they expect to debut a working blood test for human clinical trials within the next year, the Australian Times reports. Ideally, such a test would process results with a day or two, enabling targeted personalized medicine-style treatments specific to reducing levels of quinolinic acid. Read more >>