Rabu, 15 September 2010

ScienceDaily Health Headlines

for Wednesday, September 15, 2010

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First US trial of bone-marrow stem cells for heart attack patients appears safe (September 15, 2010) -- The first randomized, placebo-controlled US clinical trial to assess the use of bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells in patients after a ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI; severe heart attack) demonstrated a strong safety profile for this cell therapy, based on phase 1 results. ... > full story

Bone-anchored leg prostheses improve quality of life, Swedish study finds (September 15, 2010) -- A new study from Sweden shows the results of treatment using prostheses attached to titanium implants in the bones of patients with above-the-knee amputations. It reveals that the treatment improves function and quality of life in nine out of ten patients. ... > full story

Improving crisis prediction, disaster control and damage reduction (September 15, 2010) -- Earthquakes, homicide surges, magnetic storms, and the US economic recession are all kindred of a sort, according to a new theoretical framework. Researchers in the United States and Russia contend that these four types of events share a precursory development pattern that can be detected and tracked, possibly improving crisis prediction. ... > full story

Burnout associated with self-reported unprofessional conduct among medical students (September 15, 2010) -- Medical students with higher levels of distress (burnout) were more likely to self-report unprofessional conduct related to patient care and less altruistic professional values, according to a new study. ... > full story

Benefits of healthy lifestyle factors stronger in combination (September 15, 2010) -- Individuals with a combination of healthy lifestyle factors are at significantly lower risk of total and disease-specific mortality, according to a new study. ... > full story

Underlying dysfunction of seemingly non-critical heart condition identified (September 15, 2010) -- Repairing small, seemingly benign holes in a child's heart may be more clinically important than previously thought, as dysfunction could be lurking out of sight. These are the findings from a new study examining a subset of the most common form of congenital heart disease, ventricular septal defect. ... > full story

Discrimination hurts, but how much? A lot, if you're a teen, study finds (September 15, 2010) -- Researchers have found that adolescents from Latin American and Asian backgrounds experienced more discrimination than their peers from European backgrounds. The discrimination came not just from adolescents, but from adults as well. The level of discrimination also impacted grade point averages, and their health, including depression and distress, along with lower levels of self esteem. ... > full story

Lung cancer culprit could offer target for therapy, researchers report (September 14, 2010) -- A tiny molecule that spurs the progression of non-small-cell lung cancer could become a player in fighting the disease, say researchers who published a study on how the molecule behaves in mice. ... > full story

Making cookies that are good for your heart (September 14, 2010) -- Years of research has proven that saturated and trans fats clog arteries, make it tough for the heart to pump and are not valuable components of any diet. Unfortunately, they are contained in many foods. Now, a research team has developed a soybean which produces oil that is naturally low in saturated and trans fats. ... > full story

Androgen receptor may explain male dominance in liver cancer (September 14, 2010) -- A new study helps to explain why men get liver cancer more often than women and opens the door for a new treatment pathway, by showing a direct link between the androgen receptor, which is more active in men, and the hepatitis B virus as it relates to the deadly cancer. ... > full story

Measuring preference for multitasking (September 14, 2010) -- A new study may help employers identify employees who enjoy multitasking and are less inclined to quit jobs involving multitasking. The study presents a new tool developed to measure preference for multitasking. ... > full story

'Artificial ovary' develops oocytes into mature human eggs (September 14, 2010) -- Researchers have built an artificial human ovary that can grow oocytes into mature human eggs in the laboratory. That development could help preserve fertility for women facing chemotherapy or other treatments. ... > full story

Possible risk gene for schizophrenia uncovered (September 14, 2010) -- Researchers have identified a risk gene for schizophrenia, including a potentially causative mutation, using genome-wide association data-mining techniques and independent replications. ... > full story

How a normally defensive immune response can help HIV (September 14, 2010) -- The findings offer important opportunities for further research both for treatment of long-term persistence of HIV in those who are infected and for prevention of infection in those who are not, according to the researchers. ... > full story

Why 'scientific consensus' fails to persuade (September 14, 2010) -- A recent study sought to understand why members of the public are sharply and persistently divided on matters on which expert scientists largely agree. How would you determine whether or not a scientist seems like an "expert" on a particular matter? It is likely to depend on whether the position the scientist takes is consistent with the one believed by most people who share your cultural values. ... > full story

Watercress may 'turn off' breast cancer signal (September 14, 2010) -- New research has revealed that a plant compound in watercress may have the ability to suppress breast cancer cell development by "turning off" a signal in the body and thereby starving the growing tumor of essential blood and oxygen. ... > full story

Research will help ID bodies left behind by Chilean earthquake, Pinochet regime (September 14, 2010) -- New research will help medical examiners and others identify human remains of those killed during the recent earthquake in Chile, as well as the bodies of the "disappeared" who were killed during the Pinochet administration. ... > full story

Gene therapy plus chemotherapy ups odds for success in treating 'bubble boy' disease (September 14, 2010) -- Gene therapy combined with chemotherapy may lead to immune system improvement in patients with 'bubble boy' disease, according to a new study. ... > full story

False memories of self-performance result from watching others' actions (September 14, 2010) -- Did I turn off the stove, or did I just imagine it? Memory isn't always reliable. Psychological scientists have discovered all sorts of ways that false memories get created, and now there's another one for the list: watching someone else do an action can make you think you did it yourself. ... > full story

Chemicals in indoor swimming pools may increase cancer risk (September 14, 2010) -- Swimming in indoor chlorinated pools may induce genotoxicity (DNA damage that may lead to cancer) as well as respiratory effects, but the positive health effects of swimming can be maintained by reducing pool levels of the chemicals behind these potential health risks, according to a new study. ... > full story

B vitamins slow brain atrophy in people with memory problems (September 14, 2010) -- Daily tablets of certain B vitamins can halve the rate of brain shrinkage in elderly people who suffer from mild memory problems, a new study has shown. ... > full story

How our brains get tripped up when we're anxious (September 14, 2010) -- A new study sheds light on the brain mechanisms that allow us to make choices and ultimately could be helpful in improving treatments for the millions of people who suffer from the effects of anxiety disorders. ... > full story

Smokeless tobacco products not a safe option, won't help smokers quit, analysis finds (September 14, 2010) -- The American Heart Association advises against smokeless tobacco products for smoking cessation -- they are not a "safe" alternative to smoking. Long-term use of smokeless tobacco products increases the odds of suffering a fatal heart attack or fatal stroke, according to analysis of several studies. ... > full story

Children and adults see the world differently, research finds (September 14, 2010) -- Unlike adults, children are able to keep information from their senses separate and may therefore perceive the visual world differently, according to new research. ... > full story

Asthma medication may benefit patients with multiple sclerosis (September 14, 2010) -- Adding albuterol, a compound commonly used to treat asthma and other respiratory diseases, to an existing treatment for patients with multiple sclerosis appears to improve clinical outcomes, according to a new report. ... > full story

New pathway identified in Parkinson's through brain imaging (September 14, 2010) -- A new study has identified a novel molecular pathway underlying Parkinson's disease and points to existing drugs which may be able to slow progression of the disease. The pathway involved proteins -- known as polyamines -- that were found to be responsible for the increase in build-up of other toxic proteins in neurons, which causes the neurons to malfunction and, eventually, die. ... > full story

Success of IVF varies with season of the year, study suggests (September 14, 2010) -- The success of an assisted reproduction procedure may depend on the season, a new study suggests. ... > full story

Pilot study demonstrates safety of diabetes medication for patients with Alzheimer's disease (September 14, 2010) -- A pilot study suggests the diabetes medication pioglitazone is generally well tolerated and may warrant further study as a treatment for patients with Alzheimer's disease, according to a new report. ... > full story

Antiviral therapy associated with fewer recurring eye problems from herpes simplex virus (September 14, 2010) -- Taking oral antiviral medications following infection with the herpes simplex virus may be associated with a reduced risk of recurring eye-related manifestations of the disease, according a new report. ... > full story

There is more to motor imagery than mental simulation (September 14, 2010) -- The human brain is a powerful simulation machine. Sports professionals and amateurs alike are well aware of the advantages of mentally rehearsing a movement prior to its execution and it is not surprising that the phenomenon, known as motor imagery, has already been extensively investigated. However, a new study suggests that there may be more to motor imagery than previously thought. A group of neuroscientists in Italy have shown that the brain is able to invent creative new solutions in order to perform impossible actions. ... > full story

Scientists 'clone' human virus responsible for congenital malformations and other life-threatening diseases (September 14, 2010) -- Scientists have successfully cloned a human virus, offering new hope for the treatment of potentially life-threatening diseases. Human cytomegalovirus is a major infectious cause of congenital malformations worldwide. The virus is also known to cause life-threatening disease in transplant patients and people with HIV/AIDS. ... > full story

Childhood cancer survivors show sustained benefit from common ADHD medication (September 14, 2010) -- A medicine widely used to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) also provides long-term relief from the attention and behavior changes that affect many childhood cancer survivors, according to a multicenter trial. ... > full story

Public handwashing: More adults than ever (85 percent) observed washing hands in public restrooms (September 14, 2010) -- A new observational study finds that 85 percent of adults washed their hands in public restrooms, compared with 77 percent in 2007. ... > full story

New metabolic markers may predict preeclampsia in early pregnancy (September 14, 2010) -- Researchers identified 14 new markers that could identify in early pregnancy who may be at risk of developing preeclampsia in later pregnancy. Preeclampsia is a life-threatening condition characterized by high blood pressure and high levels of protein in the urine. ... > full story

Opioid use to relieve pain and suffering at end of life is safe in hospital-at-home setting, study finds (September 14, 2010) -- Patients who choose to spend their last days at home with specialized care and monitoring can safely be given opioids to control pain and other symptoms without reducing survival time, according to a new study. ... > full story

Protein-based biomarkers in blood serum could classify individuals with Alzheimer's disease (September 14, 2010) -- An initial analysis suggests that biomarkers in blood serum can be combined with clinical information to accurately classify patients with Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study. ... > full story

Targeted agent shows promise for chronic lymphoid leukemia (September 14, 2010) -- New research may have identified an experimental agent that targets chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and perhaps other proliferative disorders of lymphocytes. This study using tumor cells from patients shows that the small-molecule inhibitor CAL-101 directly promotes cell death in CLL cells and disrupts several external survival pathways needed for CLL cell viability and proliferation. The findings provide a rationale for developing CAL-101 as the first in a new class of CLL targeted therapies. ... > full story

Informatics = essential MD competency (September 14, 2010) -- Although information underlies all clinical work and despite the growing role that information management and access play in health-care delivery and clinical support, there is a dearth of informatics competency being developed in America's future corps of physicians. ... > full story

Study identifies students at risk for difficulties in medical school (September 14, 2010) -- Students who enter medical school with high debt levels, low scores on the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) or who are non-white are more likely to face difficulties that may prevent graduation or hinder acceptance into a residency program if they do graduate, according to a nationwide study of students enrolled in MD programs. ... > full story

Experts call for incorporating economic reality into medical education (September 14, 2010) -- A new commentary says medical students and residents should receive much more thorough and realistic instruction about the economic forces affecting health care and their own clinical decisions so that they can better serve patients' well-being and the nation's economic welfare. ... > full story

Educational intervention may help medical students adapt care for patients needing nonstandard care (September 14, 2010) -- Fourth-year medical students who participated in an educational intervention were more likely to seek, identify and incorporate into care patient circumstances that may require variation from standard care, compared to students in a control group, according to a new study. ... > full story

Depressed medical students more likely to associate stigma with depression, study finds (September 14, 2010) -- Medical students with moderate to severe depression more frequently endorsed several depression stigma attitudes than nondepressed students and had a higher rate of suicidal thoughts, according to a new study. ... > full story

New task force report on bisphosphonate use and atypical femur fractures in osteoporosis patients (September 14, 2010) -- A widely prescribed class of drugs is highly effective in reducing common bone fractures in people with osteoporosis, but an expert panel announces that these same drugs -- when used long term -- may be related to unusual but serious fractures of the thigh bone. ... > full story

Male maturity shaped by early nutrition; Differences between the sexes affected by environment during first six months of life (September 13, 2010) -- A new study makes a strong case for nurture's role in male to female differences -- suggesting that rapid weight gain in the first six months of life predicts earlier puberty for boys. Males who experienced rapid growth as babies -- an indication that they were not nutritionally stressed -- also were taller, had more muscle and were stronger, and had higher testosterone levels as young adults. ... > full story

Repeated antibiotic use alters gut's composition of beneficial microbes, study shows (September 13, 2010) -- Repeated use of an antibiotic that is considered generally benign, because users seldom incur obvious side effects, induces cumulative and persistent changes in the composition of the beneficial microbial species inhabiting the human gut, researchers have found. ... > full story

Key pathway implicated in progression of childhood cancer identified (September 13, 2010) -- A protein crucial for the immune response appears to be a key player in the progression of a devastating form of childhood leukemia called T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Suppressing the activity of the protein kills the leukemic cells, the study shows, opening a potential avenue to new drugs that could prevent progression of the disease. ... > full story

New study reconciles conflicting data on mental aging (September 13, 2010) -- A new look at tests of mental aging reveals a good news-bad news situation. The bad news is all mental abilities appear to decline with age, to varying degrees. The good news is the drops are not as steep as some research showed, according to a new study. ... > full story

Brain stimulation can help partially paralysed stroke patients regain use of their muscles, research finds (September 13, 2010) -- Patients who suffered a stroke down one side of their body recovered significant motor function after simple non-invasive transcranial magnetic stimulation of the brain. Researchers believe that partial paralysis is caused when one area of the brain is affected by the stroke, becoming inhibited, and the other unaffected area become over-active. The treatment restored the balance. And because the time lapse from stroke to treatment made no difference to the results, this simple technique could have important implications for long-term stroke care. ... > full story


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