ScienceDaily Health Headlines
for Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Welcome to another edition of ScienceDaily's email newsletter. You can change your subscription options or unsubscribe at any time.
Probiotics shorten diarrhea episodes, review suggests (November 10, 2010) -- Probiotic bacteria given as therapies for diarrhea reduce the length of time sufferers are affected and lessen the chance of episodes continuing for more than four days. ... > full story
New findings on chromosome changes in tumor cells (November 10, 2010) -- New progress has been made on the road to understanding the origins of genetic changes in tumor cells. The prevalent theory has been that genetic changes in tumor cells come about in multiple stages over a long time. However, a recent study by researchers in Sweden shows that this does not have to be the case at all, but that the cancer cells instead can be subject to several major chromosomal changes at the same time. ... > full story
Overcoming the IVF baby blues: Hormones and stress are major contributors to depression, research finds (November 10, 2010) -- New research finds that pre-existing stress, depression, and anxiety are more likely than hormones to cause increased levels of depression during IVF treatment. The research offers a new way to diagnose potential states of stress and depression, making for happier moms and a higher IVF success rate. ... > full story
Human methylome sequenced at single base-pair resolution (November 10, 2010) -- DNA methylation plays an important role in many processes such as animal development, X-chromosome inactivation, and carcinogenesis. Understanding the mechanisms and functions of DNA methylation and how it varies from tissue to tissue and between individuals will have profound implications for human health and disease. A team of Chinese researchers decoded the essentially complete methylome (an inventory of all the bases that are methylated) of the human genome using peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). ... > full story
New anti-inflammatory substance: Biochemists ID important messenger in immune system (November 10, 2010) -- The messenger interleukin-27 plays an important role when the human body blocks inflammations, according to new research by an international team of scientists. ... > full story
Alpha males take greater risks: Study links finger length to behavior (November 9, 2010) -- Potential investors might wish to examine the fingers of their financial adviser prior to signing over any savings. A new study has found the length between the second and fourth finger is an indicator of high levels of prenatal testosterone, risk-taking and potential financial success in men. The findings suggest that alpha males may take greater risks in relationships, on the squash court and in the financial market. ... > full story
Long-term statin use is unlikely to increase cancer risk, study finds (November 9, 2010) -- Researchers have further established that long-term use of statins is unlikely to substantially increase or decrease overall cancer risk, according to a new study. ... > full story
Obesity in adolescence significantly associated with increased risk of severe obesity in adulthood (November 9, 2010) -- An analysis of nationally representative data suggests that being obese in adolescence increases the risk of being severely obese in adulthood, with the risk higher in women, and highest for black women, according to a new study. ... > full story
Concern over traumatic brain injury in youth offenders (November 9, 2010) -- A new study of young offenders has revealed they have a significantly higher rate of traumatic brain injury (TBI) than that expected in society as a whole. Researchers in the UK also found TBI was associated with a greater number of convictions and, when there were three or more TBIs, greater violence in offending. ... > full story
Brains of Neanderthals and modern humans developed differently (November 9, 2010) -- Researchers have documented species differences in the pattern of brain development after birth that are likely to contribute to cognitive differences between modern humans and Neanderthals. ... > full story
Home exposure to tobacco carcinogens high in children of smokers (November 9, 2010) -- Ninety percent of children who lived in a house where an adult smoked had evidence of tobacco-related carcinogens in their urine, according to new research. ... > full story
Myth of a germ-free world: A closer look at antimicrobial products (November 9, 2010) -- Are antimicrobial chemicals like triclosan and triclocarban, as commonly used by consumers, really safe for human health and the environment? Are they even effective? According to new research, the scientific evidence suggests otherwise. ... > full story
Key link between adrenal gland hormone and brain in hypertension discovered (November 9, 2010) -- A hormone already responsible for increasing blood pressure by prompting the kidneys to retain salt appears to moonlight as a major stimulator of the brain centers that control the vascular system and blood pressure. ... > full story
Few eligible young women choose to take HPV vaccine to prevent cervical cancer, study shows (November 9, 2010) -- In a study of more than 9,600 adolescent and young adult women, researchers have found that fewer than 30 percent of those eligible to receive the human papillomavirus vaccine to prevent cervical cancer actually chose to get it. And only about a third of those who began receiving the vaccine completed the three doses recommended for maximum protection. ... > full story
Starting dialysis earlier may be harmful for some patients (November 9, 2010) -- Beginning dialysis therapy earlier in the development of advanced kidney disease appears to be associated with a greater risk of death for some patients in the following year, according to new study. ... > full story
Alzheimer's disease: New study shows how amyloid beta disrupts one of the brain's anti-oxidant proteins, points way to protect it (November 9, 2010) -- A new study shows that amyloid beta disrupts one of the brain's anti-oxidant proteins and demonstrates a way to protect that protein, and perhaps others, from amyloid's harmful effects. ... > full story
Smoking increases risk of death in women with breast cancer, study finds (November 9, 2010) -- Being a current smoker or having a history of smoking significantly increased the risk of breast cancer progression and overall death among a group of multiethnic women with breast cancer, according to the results of a large prospective cohort study. ... > full story
Hyper-texting and hyper-networking pose new health risks for teens (November 9, 2010) -- Texting while driving can be a deadly combination for anyone. Yet, new data reveal that the dangers of excessive texting among teens are not limited to the road. Hyper-texting and hyper-networking are now giving rise to a new health risk category for this age group. ... > full story
Soy may stop prostate cancer spread: Experimental soy-based drug shows benefits in men with localized prostate cancer (November 9, 2010) -- Researchers have found that a new, nontoxic drug made from a chemical in soy could prevent the movement of cancer cells from the prostate to the rest of the body. ... > full story
Soy isoflavones may modify risk of breast cancer (November 9, 2010) -- Increased phytoestrogens commonly found in dietary soy may modify the risk of some types of breast cancer, according to new findings. ... > full story
Parents should talk about math early and often with their children -- even before preschool, report finds (November 9, 2010) -- The amount of time parents spend talking about numbers has a much bigger impact on how young children learn mathematics than was previously known. For example, children whose parents talked more about numbers were much more likely to understand the number principle that states that the size of a set of objects is determined by the last number reached when counting the set. ... > full story
Cellular communicators for cancer virus identified (November 9, 2010) -- A new finding describes how cells infected by the Epstein-Barr virus produce small vesicles or sacs called exosomes, changing their cellular "cargo" of proteins and RNA. This altered exosome enters cells and can change the growth of recipient cells from benign to cancer-producing. ... > full story
Fat sand rats are SAD like us: Research shines a light on a mood disorder (November 9, 2010) -- With her work on the Israeli desert inhabitant gerbil called the fat sand rat, a researcher has found new hope for the study of seasonal affective disorder and similar conditions. Her research indicates that her new test subjects are a more suitable model animal for the study of SAD than the rats and mice used previously. ... > full story
Could lung cancer in smokers vs. 'never-smokers' be different diseases? (November 9, 2010) -- Lung tumors in those who smoke and those who never smoked have different DNA alterations in the tumor genomes, according to results of a pilot study. ... > full story
Many physicians still have relationships with industry, survey suggests (November 9, 2010) -- Relationships with drug manufacturers, device companies and other medical companies appear to be have decreased since 2004 but remain common among physicians, according to a new report. ... > full story
Brain bleeding is common with aging, study finds (November 9, 2010) -- A small amount of bleeding in the brain seems to be common among older individuals, according to a new study. ... > full story
Children find their own way to solve arithmetic problems (November 9, 2010) -- Children with learning difficulties can benefit from being encouraged to find their own way to solve arithmetic problems, according to new research. ... > full story
Breast cancer: Reducing the risk of unnecessary chemo (November 9, 2010) -- Researchers have developed a tool to determine which breast cancer patients have little risk of their disease recurring. The tool -- an algorithm that identifies "gene expression signatures" or biomarkers that can predict low risk tumors with 87-100 percent accuracy in different groups of patients -- has the potential to virtually eliminate unnecessary chemotherapy. ... > full story
Silent vascular disease accompanies cognitive decline in healthy aging (November 9, 2010) -- Older people who are leading active, healthy lifestyles often have silent vascular disease that can be seen on brain scans that affect their ability to think, according to a new study. ... > full story
Dangerous chemicals in food wrappers likely migrating to humans (November 9, 2010) -- Scientists have found that chemicals used to line junk food wrappers and microwave popcorn bags are migrating into food and being ingested by people where they are contributing to chemical contamination observed in blood. ... > full story
TB-drugome provides new targets for anti-tuberculosis drug discovery (November 9, 2010) -- Researchers have linked hundreds of federally approved drugs to more than 1,000 proteins in Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB), opening new avenues to repurpose these drugs to treat TB. ... > full story
Low vitamin D while pregnant or breastfeeding may not be associated with multiple sclerosis relapse (November 9, 2010) -- A small study suggests women with multiple sclerosis have lower vitamin D levels during pregnancy and breastfeeding, according to a new study. However, these vitamin D levels were not associated with a greater risk of multiple sclerosis relapse after childbirth. ... > full story
Do not abandon new cigarette warning labels, experts urge (November 9, 2010) -- Health Canada's cancellation of plans to renew tobacco warning labels on cigarette packages may lead to increased smoking rates and smoking-related illnesses and deaths, experts say. ... > full story
DHA improves memory and cognitive function in older adults, study suggests (November 9, 2010) -- Taking docosahexaenoic acid may improve memory and learning in older adults with mild cognitive impairments. This is promising news for many aging Americans who are searching for options to maintain memory and support overall cognitive health. ... > full story
Overweight children have eating patterns different from those of normal weight children, Norwegian study finds (November 9, 2010) -- Overweight children reported more frequent intake of healthy foods such as fruit, vegetables, fish, brown bread and potatoes as well as low-energy cheese and yogurt compared with normal weight children, a Norwegian study has found. ... > full story
Common corneal condition associated with increased eye pressure (November 9, 2010) -- Corneal arcus, a condition in which a ring of lipids builds up around the cornea, appears common among middle-age and older adults and may be associated with elevated eye pressure, according to new study. ... > full story
Clinical research doesn't do enough to study sex and gender differences, analysis finds (November 9, 2010) -- Potential gender differences in clinical management are under-researched. A systematic analysis of the incorporation of sex and gender into research design has found that, although there has been a progressive improvement since the 90s, there exists a striking under-representation of research about gender differences in patient management. ... > full story
Americans have conflicting views about spending on public health system, poll analysis finds (November 9, 2010) -- A comprehensive review of national opinion polls shows that Americans have conflicting views about the nation's public health system and are divided along partisan lines in their support of additional spending on public health programs. ... > full story
Fish oil component given up to 5 hours after stroke limits brain damage, study finds (November 8, 2010) -- A new study shows that a component of fish oil is a powerful therapeutic agent that can protect brain tissue in a model of stroke, even when treatment is delayed by five hours. These findings not only target a new stroke treatment approach, but also provide vital information about the length of the therapeutic window. ... > full story
Statins fail to reduce colorectal cancer in postmenopausal women, study finds (November 8, 2010) -- The use of statins among a group of postmenopausal women did not reduce the risk for colorectal cancer, according to the results of a prospective analysis of data from the large population-based Women's Health Initiative. ... > full story
Nanoparticles' journey from lungs into body chronicled: Insights into pulmonary drug delivery, air pollution control (November 8, 2010) -- Using a novel, real-time imaging system, scientists have tracked a group of near-infrared fluorescent nanoparticles from the airspaces of the lungs, into the body and out again, providing a description of the characteristics and behavior of these minute particles which could be used in developing therapeutic agents to treat pulmonary disease, as well as offering a greater understanding of the health effects of air pollution. ... > full story
Greater food insecurity from recession poses increased risk to low income individuals with diabetes (November 8, 2010) -- The economic recession impacts many aspects of our lives including an increase incidence of food insecurity. For diseases like diabetes, in which nutrition and menu planning play a key role in treatment, food insecurity can be devastating. Researchers explore how technology advancement in the form of telemedicine can provide cost-effective ways to treat those with diabetes experiencing food insecurity. ... > full story
Potential target for therapy for patients with a deadly prostate cancer (November 8, 2010) -- A monoclonal antibody targeting a well known cell surface protein inhibited prostate cancer growth and metastasis in an aggressive form of the disease that did not respond to hormone therapy, according to a new study. ... > full story
Vapor rub relieves cold symptoms for children, helps them sleep better, study suggests (November 8, 2010) -- Applying a vapor rub is effective for treating children with night-time cough and congestion and improves sleep for children with cold symptoms, according to new research. ... > full story
Bilingualism delays onset of Alzheimer's symptoms, study finds (November 8, 2010) -- Scientists have found more dramatic evidence that speaking two languages can help delay the onset of Alzheimer's symptoms by as much as five years. ... > full story
Low blood levels of vitamin D linked to chubbier kids, faster weight gain (November 8, 2010) -- Kids who are deficient in vitamin D accumulated fat around the waist and gained weight more rapidly than kids who got enough vitamin D, a new study suggests. ... > full story
Infants' hemodynamic responses to happy and angry facial expressions (November 8, 2010) -- Scientists found that the hemispheric differences in the temporal area overlying superior temporal sulcus when processing positive (happy) and negative (angry) facial expressions in infants. ... > full story
Solar-powered device affordable, reliable tool to measure blood pressure (November 8, 2010) -- A new solar powered, automated blood pressure monitoring device was equally accurate as the standard device that measures systolic blood pressure. The device was favored by health professionals and patients when tested in Africa. The new device eliminates the need for batteries, which are expensive and scarce in low economic settings. ... > full story
Copyright 1995-2010 © ScienceDaily LLC. All rights reserved. Terms of use.
|
 To update/change your profile click here  |
