ScienceDaily Health Headlines
for Tuesday, November 2, 2010
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Arthritis drugs could help prevent memory loss after surgery, study suggests (November 2, 2010) -- Anti-inflammatory drugs currently used to treat diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis may also help prevent cognitive problems after surgery, according to a new study. ... > full story
Race may influence uterine cancer recurrence, despite treatment (November 2, 2010) -- African Americans are more likely to have their uterine cancer return despite undergoing a total hysterectomy and/or radiation therapy, according to researchers. ... > full story
Toothache more common among minority and special needs children, study finds (November 2, 2010) -- Poor, minority and special needs children are more likely to be affected by toothache, according to new study. ... > full story
Frontal lobe of the brain is key to automatic responses to various stimuli, say scientists (November 2, 2010) -- Some people may excel at riding a bike, tying a tie, or playing the piano, but those same people may find it difficult to explain or teach those skills to someone else. These motor skills are learned in one part of the brain, whereas classroom instruction and information read in a book are acquired in another area of the brain, according to researchers. ... > full story
New drug may provide more cost-effective stroke prevention than warfarin, study shows (November 2, 2010) -- A newly approved drug may be a cost-effective way to prevent stroke in patients with an irregular heart rhythm -- and may also offer patients better health outcomes than the commonly prescribed, but potentially risky, blood thinner warfarin. ... > full story
Mandatory curbs on food salt content 20 times more effective than voluntary curbs, study finds (November 2, 2010) -- Imposing statutory limits on the salt content of processed foods could be 20 times more effective than voluntary curbs by industry, new research finds. ... > full story
Non-medical prescription drug use more common among rural teens than city dwellers (November 2, 2010) -- Rural teens appear more likely than their urban peers to use prescription drugs for non-medical purposes, according to a new study. ... > full story
Mortality rates from liver diseases underestimated, researchers say (November 1, 2010) -- Mortality related to chronic liver disease and cirrhosis are ranked as the 12th most common cause of death in adults in the US. Using a modified definition that includes diseases such as viral hepatitis, liver cancer and obesity-related fatty liver disease (liver diseases), researchers have found that liver-related mortality is as high as fourth for some age groups, and eighth overall. ... > full story
Anger makes people want things more (November 1, 2010) -- Anger is an interesting emotion for psychologists. On the one hand, it's negative, but then it also has some of the features of positive emotions. Researchers have found that associating an object with anger actually makes people want the object -- a kind of motivation that's normally associated with positive emotions. ... > full story
Elderly women at higher risk for unnecessary urinary catheterization, study reports (November 1, 2010) -- Elderly women are at high risk for inappropriate urinary catheter utilization in emergency departments, according to a new study. ... > full story
Lead poisoning maps in Rhode Island reveal huge disparities, guide cleanup (November 1, 2010) -- Rhode Islanders under six years of age who lived in the state's lowest income areas or in neighborhoods with lots of pre-1950 housing faced a threat of lead poisoning several times higher than average, according to a new study of data from 1993 through 2005. Mapping cases of lead poisoning is helping to focus cleanup efforts on areas where the problem is worst. ... > full story
'Training away stereotypes': People trained to think in opposition to stereotypes are more receptive to advertising starring minority actors (November 1, 2010) -- It may seem difficult to change stereotypical thinking. Perceptions can be very important in forming an individual's attitudes. Now, researchers have found that people conditioned to think in opposition to racial stereotypes are more receptive to people from minority groups starring in commercial advertising. ... > full story
Study of babies’ brain scans sheds new light on the brain’s unconscious activity and how it develops (November 1, 2010) -- Full-term babies are born with a key collection of networks already formed in their brains, according to new research that challenges some previous theories about the brain's activity and how the brain develops. Researchers used functional MRI scanning to look at 'resting state' networks in the brains of 70 babies, born at between 29 and 43 weeks of development. They found that these networks were at an adult-equivalent level by the time the babies reached the normal time of birth. ... > full story
Inhaled steroids increase diabetes risk, study suggests (November 1, 2010) -- Patients taking inhaled corticosteroids are at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, and more so with higher doses, say researchers. The risk is of special concern for patients suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, and much less significant for asthmatics. ... > full story
One egg yolk worse than some fast-food meals when it comes to cholesterol, Canadian physicians say (November 1, 2010) -- Three leading physicians in Canada have published a review warning about the danger of dietary cholesterol for those at risk of a heart attack or stroke. And they say one of the worst offenders is the egg yolk which, depending on size, can contain 215 to 275 mg of cholesterol. Some fast-food meals can contain as much as 150 mg of cholesterol. ... > full story
Microfluidics-imaging platform detects cancer growth signaling in minute biopsy samples (November 1, 2010) -- Researchers have developed an in vitro method to assess kinase activity in minute patient samples. The method involves an integrated microfluidics and imaging platform that can reproducibly measure kinase enzymatic activity from as few as 3,000 cells. The new method will enable faster and more efficient screening and analysis for improved diagnostics of rare cell populations. ... > full story
Alcohol 'most harmful drug', according to multicriteria analysis (November 1, 2010) -- A new system that ranks drugs on the basis of harm caused to both the user and others places alcohol as the most harmful drug, above heroin and crack. ... > full story
Common stomach bacteria may fight off inflammatory bowel disease caused by Salmonella (November 1, 2010) -- Helicobacter pylori, a common stomach bacterium, reduced the severity of inflammation of the colon caused by Salmonella in mice, according to new research. ... > full story
Lymphoma and leukemia discovery may improve therapy (November 1, 2010) -- Scientists have identified a mechanism regulating activation-induced deaminase, which could be important for the therapy of some types of lymphoma and leukemia. ... > full story
In the job hunt, people do lie, but honesty pays off, study finds (November 1, 2010) -- Honesty pays off, according to a new study of job seekers. When job applicants were warned that a pre-employment test could detect fake responses, they gave more honest answers -- a result that could improve their chances of being hired. ... > full story
New strain of 'high-runner' rats uniquely resistant to disease (November 1, 2010) -- Everybody knows that if you're physically fit, you're less likely to get a wide range of diseases. What most people don't know is that some people are "naturally" in better shape than others, and this variation in conditioning makes it difficult to test for disease risk and drug effectiveness in animal models. A new research paper started out as a study to explain the strong statistical link between low aerobic exercise capacity and common diseases, but ultimately led to an animal model that breaks through the limitations of current systems that target single disease pathways. ... > full story
Pregnant women who eat peanuts may put infants at increased risk for peanut allergy, study finds (November 1, 2010) -- Researchers have found that allergic infants may be at increased risk of peanut allergy if their mothers ingested peanuts during pregnancy. ... > full story
Study finds fat hormone's long-sought link to heart protection (November 1, 2010) -- One of the many advantages of maintaining a normal body weight is having healthy fat, which in turn supports a healthy heart. Fat tissue is increasingly seen as more than just a storage depot -- it's also an active secretory organ that normally produces high levels of a cardioprotective hormone called adiponectin. How adiponectin protects the hearts of healthy people has long been a mystery, and now researchers reveal that the protein T-cadherin is the receptor that anchors adiponectin to heart cells. ... > full story
Extravorts are more vulnerable to effects of sleep deprivation after social interaction, study finds (November 1, 2010) -- A new study finds that vulnerability to sleep deprivation is influenced by the interaction between waking social activity and individual personality traits. Results show that extroverts who were exposed to 12 hours of social interaction were more vulnerable to subsequent sleep deprivation than those who were exposed to an identical period of isolated activity. Speed on the Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT) for extroverts in the socially enriched group was significantly slower at 4 a.m., 6 a.m. and noon compared with speed for extroverts in the socially impoverished condition. Introverts' speed on the PVT was relatively unaffected by prior social exposure. ... > full story
Antibiotics have long-term impacts on gut flora (November 1, 2010) -- Short courses of antibiotics can leave normal gut bacteria harbouring antibiotic resistance genes for up to two years after treatment, say scientists in a new study. The researchers believe that this reservoir increases the chances of resistance genes being surrendered to pathogenic bacteria, aiding their survival and suggesting that the long-term effects of antibiotic therapy are more significant than previously thought. ... > full story
Narcotics and diagnostics overused in treatment of chronic neck pain, study finds (November 1, 2010) -- In a new study, researchers report that narcotics and diagnostic testing are overused in treating chronic neck pain. Their findings indicate clinicians may overlook more effective treatments for neck pain, such as therapeutic exercise. According to reviews cited in the study, evidence to support the effectiveness of therapeutic exercise in treating chronic neck pain is good, yet only 53% of subjects were prescribed such exercise. This information was based upon reported data from a representative sample of North Carolina residents. ... > full story
Big brothers more likely to bully siblings than big sisters are, Italian study finds (November 1, 2010) -- Older brothers are more likely to bully siblings than older sisters, according to new research from Italy. ... > full story
Discovery may help identify the healthiest embryos in IVF treatment (November 1, 2010) -- Australian scientists have developed a potentially groundbreaking new measure of the health of an embryo and the likelihood of a successful pregnancy in IVF treatment. ... > full story
Size of protein aggregates, not abundance, drives spread of prion-based disease (November 1, 2010) -- In a study that challenges the conventional wisdom about infections caused by proteins called prions, researchers report that the size of protein structures, rather than their abundance, determines their transmission among cells. ... > full story
Great apes might be misunderstood (November 1, 2010) -- Great apes might be much more similar to us – and just as smart – than science has led us to believe. A new study will examine the extent to which common designs of comparative psychology research, which rates humans as more advanced than apes, are fatally flawed. ... > full story
Human immune system assassin's tricks visualized for the first time (November 1, 2010) -- Scientists have seen the human immune system's assassin -- a protein called perforin -- in action for the first time. The researchers used powerful electron microscopes to study the mechanism that perforin uses to punch holes in rogue cells. ... > full story
Sex hormones may explain higher risk of gum disease in men (November 1, 2010) -- Sex hormones may be the biological reason why men are at greater risk than women for destructive periodontitis, an infection of the gums, according to researchers. ... > full story
Breast milk study furthers understanding of critical ingredients (November 1, 2010) -- Ask someone in the know to list the substances in breast milk that make it the ideal food for newborns and you may hear about proteins that guard against infection, fats that aid in the development of the nervous system and carbohydrates that promote the growth of healthy bacteria. But, you may not hear too much about the nitrite and nitrate in breast milk and their contributions to developing gastrointestinal, immune and cardiovascular systems. ... > full story
Five risk factors for late-stage head and neck cancer identified (November 1, 2010) -- A new study has identified five risk factors for late-stage head and neck cancer: two genes, tumor grade and vascular invasion and location of the tumor. Race, however, was not an independent predictor for late-stage disease, contrary to other research findings. ... > full story
Faster CARS, less damage: Chemical microscopy shows potential for cell diagnostics (November 1, 2010) -- Recent research may breathe new life into the use of a powerful -- but tricky -- diagnostic technique for cell biology. A new paper demonstrates that with improved hardware and better signal processing, a powerful form of molecular vibration spectroscopy can quickly deliver detailed molecular maps of the contents of cells without damaging them. ... > full story
Lifestyle intervention for overweight patients with diabetes provides long-term benefits (November 1, 2010) -- An intensive lifestyle intervention appears to help individuals with type 2 diabetes lose weight and keep it off, along with improving fitness, control of blood glucose levels and risk factors for cardiovascular disease, according to a new study. ... > full story
Scientists 'watch' formation of cells' protein factories, ribosomes, for first time (November 1, 2010) -- Scientists have revealed the first-ever pictures of the formation of cells' "protein factories." In addition to being a major technical feat on its own, the work could open new pathways for development of antibiotics and treatments for diseases tied to errors in ribosome formation. In addition, the techniques developed in the study can now be applied to other complex challenges in the understanding of cellular processes. ... > full story
Shifting forms: How variations of same protein affect immune response (November 1, 2010) -- How a T cell decides to make protein X, Y or Z can have profound effects for fighting foreign invaders or staving off dire autoimmune reactions. Researchers have identified the steps that control how different forms of an immune cell protein called CD45, which is critical for activating the immune system when faced with pathogens, are controlled in the arc of a body's immune response. ... > full story
Anti-obesity program for low-income kids shows promise, study finds (November 1, 2010) -- An approach that attempted to prevent childhood obesity in African-American girls produced beneficial changes in cholesterol, diabetes risk and depressive symptoms but had little effect on youths' weight, in a recent trial. ... > full story
Immune system's bare essentials used to speedily detect drug targets (October 31, 2010) -- Scientists have taken a less-is-more approach to designing effective drug treatments that are precisely tailored to disease-causing pathogens, such as viruses and bacteria, and cancer cells, any of which can trigger the body's immune system defenses. ... > full story
Obese children experience later mortality post liver transplantation, study finds (October 31, 2010) -- A new study reports that obese children are at increased mortality risk in later years following primary liver transplantation (LT). Pediatric patients who are thin or severely thin, experience an early mortality risk -- within the first year post-LT. ... > full story
A technique that shows colorful connections in the brain (October 31, 2010) -- The connections between neurons in a young, growing brain are more dynamic and changeable than previously thought, according to research based on a new technique that reveals the brain circuitry of a living mouse. ... > full story
Miniature human livers created in the lab (October 31, 2010) -- Researchers have reached an early, but important, milestone in the quest to grow replacement livers in the lab. They are the first to use human liver cells to successfully engineer miniature livers that function -- at least in a laboratory setting -- like human livers. The next step is to see if the livers will continue to function after transplantation in an animal model. ... > full story
H1N1 flu linked to serious bacterial infections in children (October 31, 2010) -- The H1N1 influenza pandemic has led to a sharp increase in the number of children with a serious "secondary" bacterial infection called empyema in children, suggests a new study. ... > full story
Stereotactic radiotherapy slows pancreatic cancer progression for inoperable patients (October 31, 2010) -- For pancreatic cancer patients unable to undergo surgery -- the only known cure for this form of cancer -- a highly targeted cancer radiation therapy may help slow cancer progression and lessen disease symptoms, according to researchers. Called stereotactic body radiotherapy, the study found it was able to delay pancreatic cancer progression locally, on average, by almost six months. ... > full story
Breast density, no lobular involution increase breast cancer risk, study finds (October 31, 2010) -- Women with dense breasts and no lobular involution were at a higher risk for developing breast cancer than those with non-dense breasts and complete involution, according to a new study. ... > full story
Donor race may impact recurrent hepatitis C in liver transplant patients (October 31, 2010) -- The race of liver donors may affect recurrent hepatitis C in patients after liver transplant, according to a new study. ... > full story
Halloween candy: Frequency, not amount, raises cavity risk (October 31, 2010) -- Halloween can present a very scary time of year for any parent concerned about their child's oral health, since your kids will probably come home with that big haul of candy from trick or treating. But should you let them immediately gorge themselves on the candy and get it out of their system? One pediatric dentist thinks that might not be such a bad idea. ... > full story
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