ScienceDaily Health Headlines
for Friday, September 24, 2010
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Faster, less-intrusive way found to identify transplant recipients' organ rejection (September 24, 2010) -- A simple, inexpensive blood test could soon help doctors halt organ rejection before it impairs transplanted hearts and kidneys. ... > full story
Does race plays a factor in accident survival? Black motorcyclists -- even in helmets -- more likely to die in crashes, study finds (September 24, 2010) -- African-American victims of motorcycle crashes were 1.5 times more likely to die from their injuries than similarly injured whites, even though many more of the African-American victims were wearing helmets at the time of injury, according to a new study. ... > full story
Teasing about weight can affect pre-teens profoundly, study suggests (September 24, 2010) -- Schoolyard taunts of any type can potentially damage a child's sense of self-confidence. But a new study suggests that a particular kind of teasing -- about weight -- can have distinctive and significant effects on how pre-teens perceive their own bodies. ... > full story
City living helped humans evolve immunity to tuberculosis and leprosy, new research suggests (September 24, 2010) -- New research has found that a genetic variant which reduces the chance of contracting diseases such as tuberculosis and leprosy is more prevalent in populations with long histories of urban living. ... > full story
Drug against AIDS could be effective against herpesvirus (September 24, 2010) -- Scientists have shown that raltegravir, the drug approved in 2007 for the treatment of AIDS that is sold by Merck under the name Isentress, cancels the function of an essential protein for the replication of one kind of herpes virus. This study is the first step towards the development of a drug against the entire herpesvirus family. ... > full story
Shorter biological marker length in aplastic anemia patients linked to higher relapse, death rates (September 24, 2010) -- Among patients receiving immunosuppressive therapy for severe aplastic anemia (a condition in which the bone marrow is unable to produce blood cells), the length of telomeres (chromosome markers of biological aging) was not related to the response to treatment but was associated with a higher rate of relapse (return to low blood cell counts) and lower overall survival, according to a new study. ... > full story
Psychotropic medication and youth in foster care report (September 24, 2010) -- A landmark report from a multi-state study calls for a national approach and resources for psychotropic medication oversight for youth in foster care. ... > full story
Scientists uncover process enabling toxoplasmosis parasite to survive homelessness (September 23, 2010) -- The parasite responsible for toxoplasmosis requires a stress response system that helps it survive the move to infect new cells, scientists have reported -- a discovery that could lead to new treatments to control the disease. ... > full story
Getting off tract: Polyglutamine disease involves other regions of protein (September 23, 2010) -- Many genes code for proteins that have a "polyglutamine tract," several glutamine amino acid residues in a row. Nine inherited neurodegenerative diseases, including Huntington's disease and spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1), are associated with mutations that cause abnormally long polyglutamine tracts. One theory suggests that accumulation of proteins with extra glutamines damages and kills neurons. However, there is evidence that glutamine tract expansion alone is not sufficient to cause disease. ... > full story
Anger amplifies clinical pain in women with and without fibromyalgia; Sensitizing effect of anger and sadness not limited to fibromyalgia patients (September 23, 2010) -- Researchers who studied the effect of negative emotions on pain perception in women with and without fibromyalgia found that anger and sadness amplified pain equally in both groups. ... > full story
Manganese in drinking water: Study suggests adverse effects on children's intellectual abilities (September 23, 2010) -- A team of researchers recently completed a study showing that children exposed to high concentrations of manganese in drinking water performed worse on tests of intellectual functioning than children with lower exposures. ... > full story
New technique uncovers hidden insecticide resistance in mosquitoes (September 23, 2010) -- A new technique is improving the detection and monitoring of insecticide resistance in field populations of an important malaria-carrying mosquito. ... > full story
Stress resilience returns with feeling for rhythm (September 23, 2010) -- If your body releases cortisol with fixed regularity then you can cope with stress better, according to new Dutch research into the rhythm of corticosterone production in rats. This rat hormone is comparable to the human stress hormone cortisol. Rats deal considerably less well with stress if the pattern of corticosterone release changes. An irregular release pattern is a characteristic of chronic stress and stress-related diseases. It might therefore be possible to treat these by restoring the rhythm. ... > full story
Improved tool developed for cycling fitness (September 23, 2010) -- For competitive bicyclists with goals -- whether competing in the Tour de France or aiming for the podium at a local race -- faster cycling comes from training regimens based on various zones of exercise intensity. New research from exercise scientists has found that effective training regimens, which generally are created after expensive, time-consuming laboratory tests, can be developed from a relatively simple, do-it-yourself test. ... > full story
Current decisions shape your future preferences (September 23, 2010) -- Psychologists have known for a long time that after you make a choice, you adjust your opinion to think better of the thing you chose. Now a new study has found that this is true even if you don't know the options that you're choosing between. ... > full story
Smoking during pregnancy may harm the child’s motor control and coordination (September 23, 2010) -- Women who smoke during pregnancy run the risk of adversely affecting their children's coordination and physical control according to a new study. Boys' abilities may be affected to a greater extent than those of girls, according to the research. ... > full story
Normal function of protein, not its build up inside cells, linked to death of neurons (September 23, 2010) -- A new study links the muscle weakness and other symptoms of a rare neurodegenerative disease to a misstep in functioning of a normal protein, rather than its build-up inside cells. ... > full story
Ingredient in soap points toward new drugs for infection that affects two billion (September 23, 2010) -- The antibacterial ingredient in some soaps, toothpastes, odor-fighting socks, and even computer keyboards is pointing scientists toward a long-sought new treatment for a parasitic disease that affects almost two billion people. ... > full story
Talking while walking puts Parkinson's patients at risk for falls (September 23, 2010) -- Walking and talking at the same time can put older adults, especially those with Parkinson's disease, at risk for injurious falls. ... > full story
Clues to common food poisoning: Salmonella creates environment in human intestines to foster its own growth (September 23, 2010) -- The bacteria Salmonella enterica -- a common cause of food poisoning -- exploits immune response in the human gut to enhance its own reproductive and transmission success, according to new research. The strategy gives Salmonella a growth advantage over the beneficial bacteria that are normally present in the intestinal tract and promotes the severe diarrhea that spreads the bacteria to other people. ... > full story
New target for Alzheimer's disease identified (September 23, 2010) -- Neurological researchers have found a new therapeutic target that can potentially lead to a new way to prevent the progression of Alzheimer's disease. The target called neutral sphingomyelinase (N-SMase) is a protein that when activated, can cause a chain of reactions in the cell leading to neuronal death and memory loss. ... > full story
Putting on the pounds after weight loss? Hit the gym to maintain health gains (September 23, 2010) -- Although obesity is a major risk factor for disease, much of the threat may be associated with the metabolic (or cardiometabolic) syndrome, a cluster of risk factors related to diabetes and heart disease. Losing weight can improve health and reduce many of these risk factors. However, many people struggle to keep the weight off long-term. Now, researchers have found that people who perform resistance training while regaining weight can help maintain strides in reducing their risks for chronic disease. ... > full story
Less pain for learning gain: Research offers a strategy to increase learning with less effort (September 23, 2010) -- Scientists have long agreed that perceptual skills related to language learning and reading can be enhanced through practice. As a result, therapies for poor readers and language learning impaired children often are long and tedious. In what may be metaplasticity's first behavioral demonstration, this study finds a way to make training easier but equally effective. It also could lead to easier training techniques for musicians, foreign language learners and others. ... > full story
Toward the first nose drops to treat brain cancer (September 23, 2010) -- Scientists are reporting the development and successful initial testing of a new form of methotrexate -- the mainstay anticancer drug -- designed to be given as nose drops rather than injected. It shows promise as a more effective treatment for brain cancer, they say. ... > full story
New bioprosthetic-tissue heart valve for severe aortic stenosis shown to save lives, researchers say (September 23, 2010) -- Implantation of a new bioprosthetic-tissue valve into the hearts of patients who have severe aortic stenosis and are too sick or too old for open-heart surgery has been found to both save lives and improve the quality of those lives, according to a new multicenter study. ... > full story
Building language skills more critical for boys than girls, research suggests (September 23, 2010) -- Developing language skills appears to be more important for boys than girls in helping them to develop self-control and, ultimately, succeed in school, according to a new study. ... > full story
Preventing infections in the womb: Discovery may pave way for new approaches (September 23, 2010) -- Researchers have established in mice the mechanism that detects and responds to the presence of bacteria in the womb -- a discovery that opens up the possibility of new preventative treatments for diseases like pelvic inflammatory disease and Chlamydia. ... > full story
Mice engrafted with human immune cells may provide clues to better prevention and treatment of typhoid fever (September 23, 2010) -- Better treatments and prevention of typhoid fever may emerge from a laboratory model that has just been developed for the disease. The model is based on transplanting human immune stem cells from umbilical cord blood into mice that are susceptible to infections. Because typhoid fever affects only humans, progress in creating effective vaccines and medications has been limited. The "humanized" mouse allows scientists to study innovative approaches against human infections. ... > full story
Doctors often overprescribe antibiotics for respiratory infections, Pennsylvania study finds (September 23, 2010) -- Doctors frequently misuse antibiotics when treating patients hospitalized with respiratory tract infections, according to a new study that tracked patients in two Pennsylvania hospitals. ... > full story
Just two drinks slow reactions in older people, research shows (September 23, 2010) -- Blood alcohol levels below the current legal limit for driving have a significant negative effect on a person's dexterity. Researchers found that just two single vodka and orange drinks were enough to make senior volunteers struggle at an obstacle avoidance test while walking. ... > full story
Genomic 'haircut' makes world's tiniest genome even smaller (September 23, 2010) -- The world's tiniest nuclear genome appears to have "snipped off the ends" of its chromosomes and evolved into a lean, mean, genome machine that infects human cells, according to new research. ... > full story
Acetylation may contribute to dementia and Alzheimer's disease; May lead to new treatments (September 23, 2010) -- A new study uncovers a protein modification that may contribute to the formation of neuron-damaging neurofibrillary tangles in the human brain. The research may lead to new strategies for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases that result from pathological aggregation of tau protein. ... > full story
Gum disease found to be significant public health concern (September 23, 2010) -- The prevalence of periodontal disease in the United States may be significantly higher than originally estimated. New research suggests that the prevalence of periodontal disease may have been underestimated by as much as 50 percent. The implication is that more American adults may suffer from moderate to severe gum disease than previously thought. ... > full story
Losing your religion may be unhealthy, research suggests (September 23, 2010) -- People who leave strict religious groups are more likely to say their health is worse than members who remain in the group, according to new research. ... > full story
Largest genetic study of asthma points towards better treatments (September 23, 2010) -- An international study looking at DNA from over 26,000 people has identified several genetic variants that substantially increase susceptibility to asthma in the population. The findings will help scientists to focus their efforts to develop better therapies for the illness. ... > full story
Genetic factor in osteoporosis discovered (September 23, 2010) -- Spanish researchers have confirmed there is a genetic risk factor for osteoporosis and bone fractures. Although more studies are still needed, these findings will make it possible to take preventive measures. ... > full story
Patients with cancer who stop hospice care (September 23, 2010) -- Researchers have found that the costs of care for patients with cancer who cancel hospice were nearly five times higher than for patients who remained with hospice. Patients who cancel hospice are far more likely to use emergency department care and be hospitalized. ... > full story
Increased attention to women's health research has yielded gains on some important conditions, but progress lags on others (September 23, 2010) -- A concerted effort to boost research on women's health over the last two decades has lessened the burden of disease and reduced deaths among women due to cardiovascular disease, breast cancer, and cervical cancer, says a new report. The effort has yielded less but still significant progress in reducing the effects of depression, HIV/AIDS, and osteoporosis on women, added the committee that wrote the report. ... > full story
New drug could help stop the spread of disease from coughs, researchers believe (September 22, 2010) -- What if there was a drug that could completely eliminate airborne disease transmission that occurs when someone coughs? Researchers in Canada believe they have found a way to achieve this. ... > full story
Structure of dangerous bacteria's powerful multidrug resistance pump revealed (September 22, 2010) -- Scientists have detailed the structure of a member of the only remaining class of multidrug resistance transporters left to be described. The work has implications for combating dangerous antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria, as well as for developing hardy strains of agricultural crops. ... > full story
Experiments decipher key piece of the ‘histone code’ in cell division (September 22, 2010) -- Reproduce or perish. That's the bottom line for genes. Because nothing lives forever, reproduction is how life sustains itself, and it happens most fundamentally in the division and replication of the cell, known as mitosis. Now new research has detailed a key role in mitosis for a chemical modification to histone proteins that package lengthy strings of DNA into compact chromosomes. The experiments, recently published in Science, add to an increasingly intricate picture of the precisely timed events that separate new copies of chromosomes to opposite ends of a cell just before the cell divides, one of the most fundamental processes involved in the reproduction of life. ... > full story
Genetic patterns may predict osteoarthritis (September 22, 2010) -- Scientists have announced findings from a large clinical study to evaluate the role played by genetic factors in the worsening of osteoarthritis. ... > full story
Landmark report reveals massive global cost of Alzheimer's: One percent of global GDP -- and growing (September 22, 2010) -- A landmark report on the global economic impact of dementia finds that Alzheimer's disease and other dementias are exacting a massive toll on the global economy, with the problem set to accelerate in coming years. The World Alzheimer Report 2010 provides the most current and comprehensive global picture of the economic and social costs of the illness, revealing that the worldwide costs of dementia will exceed 1 percent of global GDP in 2010, at 4 billion. ... > full story
For sufferers of an early-onset dementia, career choice may determine location of disease in brain (September 22, 2010) -- In an international study of patients with a devastating type of dementia that often strikes in middle age, researchers have found intriguing evidence that career choice may influence where the disease takes root in the brain. ... > full story
Higher dairy calcium intake and increased serum vitamin D are related to greater diet-induced weight loss, Israeli study finds (September 22, 2010) -- A new study conducted by researchers in Israel reveals that higher dairy calcium intake and increased serum vitamin D are related to greater diet-induced weight loss. ... > full story
Inner voice plays role in self control (September 22, 2010) -- Talking to yourself might not be a bad thing, especially when it comes to exercising self control. ... > full story
Complex brain landscape controls speech (September 22, 2010) -- Up to now, Broca's region in the brain has been thought to comprise two areas, since it was discovered in 1861, it has been regarded as one of the two regions in the cerebral cortex responsible for language. The conception of the neuroanatomical basis of our speech must be revised in its entirety, new research suggests. ... > full story
Inflammation causes some postsurgical neuropathies (September 22, 2010) -- A new study found that nerve inflammation may cause the pain, numbness and weakness following surgical procedures that is known as post-surgical neuropathy. ... > full story
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