ScienceDaily Health Headlines
for Tuesday, January 4, 2011
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Resurrecting the so-called 'depression gene': new evidence that our genes play a role in our response to adversity (January 4, 2011) -- Researchers have found new evidence that our genes help determine our susceptibility to depression. Their findings challenge a 2009 study that called the genetic link into question and add new support to earlier research hailed as a medical breakthrough. ... > full story
PET scans provide insight into fever-induced epilepsy in children (January 4, 2011) -- Sudden, catastrophic childhood epilepsy is a parent's worst nightmare, especially in the case of fever-induced refractory epileptic encephalopathy in school-age children (FIRES). While not much is known about the condition, new research shows that positron emission tomography scans can offer an evaluation of cognitive dysfunction of FIRES, its evolution and further prognosis. ... > full story
Eating low-fat, thanks to lupin proteins (January 4, 2011) -- Food should be delicious, healthy and sustainably produced. Researchers are working on new methods to use as many parts of plants as possible for nutrition. In the future, vegetable ingredients could replace animal raw materials. Lupin seeds, for instance, can be used to produce low-fat, exquisite sausage products. ... > full story
Women with both diabetes and depression at higher risk of dying from heart disease, other causes (January 4, 2011) -- Depression and diabetes appear to be associated with a significantly increased risk of death from heart disease and risk of death from all causes over a six-year period for women, according to a new report. ... > full story
Authorities often aware of previous incidents of victimization among children and adolescents, report finds (January 4, 2011) -- Almost half of US youth who experience violence, abuse or crime have had at least one of their victimizations known to school, police or medical authorities, according to a new report. ... > full story
CPAP therapy reduces fatigue, increases energy in patients with sleep apnea, study suggests (January 3, 2011) -- Three weeks of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy significantly reduced fatigue and increased energy in patients with obstructive sleep apnea. ... > full story
Firefly protein lights pathway to improved detection of blood clots (January 3, 2011) -- The enzyme that makes fireflies glow is lighting up the scientific path toward a long-sought new medical imaging agent to better monitor treatment with heparin, the blood thinner that millions of people take to prevent or treat blood clots, scientists are reporting. ... > full story
Protein that drives survival of gastrointestinal tumors identified (January 3, 2011) -- For patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors, or GISTs, the blockbuster cancer drug Gleevec has been a reason to hope. Since the drug's introduction, survival rates have climbed dramatically and recurrence has fallen by two-thirds. But there's a downside: over time, many patients develop resistance to the drug. Now, scientists have identified a molecule that acts as a survival factor for gastrointestinal tumors, a finding that may lead to next-generation therapies that can pick up where Gleevec leaves off. ... > full story
Hair color of unknown offenders is no longer a secret (January 3, 2011) -- The hair color of an unknown perpetrator who has committed a crime will soon no longer be a secret for forensic investigators. Scientists have discovered that DNA can be used to predict people's probable hair color. ... > full story
Even molds can suffer jet lag: Simple organisms shed light on inner clock (January 3, 2011) -- Humans are not the only species ruled by a circadian rhythm. Even simple organisms like molds are governed by an inner clock. ... > full story
Biological diversity of ovarian cancer lessens value of screening (January 3, 2011) -- Cancer prevention experts have long been frustrated by the lack of a meaningful way to screen women for ovarian cancer. It is a relatively rare disease that often progresses with few symptoms until it is too late for potentially curative treatments, and elevated values of the most commonly used biomarker used in screening, CA125, are also related to other disorders. ... > full story
How cells export and embed proteins in the membrane (January 3, 2011) -- Scientists have determined the structure of a ribosome-protein complex involved in carrying nascent proteins out of the cell. Their work could increase understanding of illnesses such as cystic fibrosis and some forms of Parkinson's disease. ... > full story
Expert analysis of HER2 tests reveals issues with reliability (January 3, 2011) -- Results for testing breast tumors for HER2 proteins and genes is most often straightforward when one piece of tumor (a single tumor block) is analyzed. However, tumors can be diverse, and researchers found that HER2 results can vary in up to 10 percent of patients when several tumor blocks are analyzed. ... > full story
New statement on the treatment of pulmonary fungal infections (January 3, 2011) -- The American Thoracic Society has released a new official clinical policy statement on the treatment of fungal infections in adult pulmonary and critical care patients. The statement replaces ATS guidelines published in 1988, and takes into account new medications and treatment approaches, as well as provides an overview of emerging fungi. ... > full story
Tonsillectomy in children: Multidisciplinary clinical practice guideline (January 3, 2011) -- A multidisciplinary clinical practice guideline provides evidence-based recommendations on the pre-, intra-, and postoperative care and management of children aged 1 to 18 years under consideration for tonsillectomy. ... > full story
Walking slows progression of Alzheimer's, study suggests (January 2, 2011) -- Walking may slow cognitive decline in adults with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease, as well as in healthy adults, according to a new study. ... > full story
Type 1 diabetes computer model's predictive success validated through lab testing (January 2, 2011) -- Type 1 diabetes researchers have demonstrated the effectiveness of a recently developed computer model in predicting key information about nasal insulin treatment regimens in Type 1 (juvenile) diabetes. ... > full story
Most women do not get recommended mammograms, study finds (January 2, 2011) -- Only half of eligible women in the United States are getting their annual mammograms, even if they have insurance to pay for the procedure, according to a new study. ... > full story
Alzheimer's disease: Are plaques and tangles a symptom, not the cause? (January 1, 2011) -- One researcher thinks that the national research effort to understand Alzheimer's disease has gone about as far as it can go with its current theories. And that's not far enough. He thinks plaques and tangles are a symptom, not the cause. ... > full story
Esophageal cancer risk lower than expected for patients with GERD (January 1, 2011) -- The risk of esophageal cancer among patients who suffer from gastroesophageal reflux disease is not as high as many may think, according to new research. ... > full story
When the brain knows no fear: Fear discovery could lead to new interventions for PTSD (January 1, 2011) -- Researchers have pinpointed the part of the brain that causes people to experience fear -- a discovery that could improve treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder and other anxiety conditions. ... > full story
New genetic alterations associated with human height identified (January 1, 2011) -- New research identifies uncommon and previously unknown variants associated with height and might provide insight into the genetic architecture of other complex traits. ... > full story
Key protein discovered that allows nerve cells to repair themselves (January 1, 2011) -- An unexpected process that is required for regeneration after severe neuron injury has been discovered in the part of the neuron that receives information from other cells and from the outside world. The scientists hope that the discovery will provide insights for researchers who are developing drug therapies for patients with nerve disease or nerve damage. ... > full story
Scientists peer into the future of stem cell biology (January 1, 2011) -- Remarkable progress in understanding how stem cell biology works has been reported by a team of leading scientists. Stem cell biology is making waves around the world with great hope for the eventual repair of parts of the body. While many scientists see these breakthroughs as viable, there are hurdles that must be overcome, including the worrisome potential for introducing cancer when making a repair to an organ. ... > full story
Blood-thinning treatment standards changing for heart patients, new research shows (January 1, 2011) -- Researchers have found that warfarin, a known anticoagulation (blood-thinning) drug, may not be as beneficial to some patients with atrial fibrillation as previously thought. ... > full story
Study probes obesity link to fibromyalgia (January 1, 2011) -- Afflicting up to 5 percent of the U.S. population, mostly women, fibromyalgia is characterized by widespread pain and range of function problems. A new study reports there is close association between obesity and disability in fibromyalgia patients. ... > full story
Alzheimer's: Therapy for brain disease could target blood (December 31, 2010) -- The aggregated proteins strewn about the brain are the hallmark of one of the most common neurodegenerative disorders: Alzheimer's disease. But while these irregular, gunky proteins, called amyloid-beta, are believed to contribute to the deterioration of memory and cognitive ability in Alzheimer's patients, no one knows how they lead to these symptoms. New experiments show how amyloid-beta interacts with a clotting agent in the blood, increasing blood clots that are harder than usual to break down and starving neurons of their regular supply of oxygen. The research suggests that the effects of amyloid-beta on the blood vessels feeding the brain could be an important aspect of the havoc they wreak on the brain. ... > full story
New cognitive robotics lab tests theories of human thought (December 31, 2010) -- Researchers are exploring how human thought outwits brute force computing in the real world. Twenty programmable robots allow students to test the real-world performance of computer models that mimic human thought. ... > full story
Strict heart rate control provides no advantage over lenient approach, study finds (December 31, 2010) -- Strict heart rate control in atrial fibrillation patients is not beneficial over lenient control, according to new research. The antiplatelet drug clopidogrel, plus aspirin, might be considered to reduce the risk of major vascular events, including stroke in patients who are poor candidates for the anticoagulant drug warfarin. Catheter ablation is useful to maintain normal sinus rhythm in patients with atrial fibrillation. ... > full story
Lower levels of education are associated with increased risks of heart failure (December 31, 2010) -- Results from a large European study suggest that poorly educated people are more likely to be admitted to hospital with chronic heart failure than the better educated, even after differences in lifestyle have been taken into account. ... > full story
Consistent exercise associated with lower risk of colon cancer death (December 31, 2010) -- Consistent exercise is associated with a lower risk of dying from colon cancer, according to a new study. The study is among the first to show that physical activity can make the disease less deadly. ... > full story
Home health care could help sustain health care systems, study finds (December 31, 2010) -- Home health care technology may provide one important solution to global concerns about how to sustain health care systems threatened by rising costs and manpower shortages, but such a change faces multiple obstacles to adoption, according to a new study. ... > full story
What makes a face look alive? Study says it's in the eyes (December 31, 2010) -- The face of a doll is clearly not human; the face of a human clearly is. Telling the difference allows us to pay attention to living things, which are capable of interacting with us. But where is the line at which a face appears to be alive? A new study finds that a face has to be quite similar to a human face to appear alive, and that the cues are mainly in the eyes. ... > full story
Risk for alcoholism linked to risk for obesity (December 31, 2010) -- Addiction researchers have found that a risk for alcoholism also may put individuals at risk for obesity, and the association between a family history of alcoholism and obesity risk has become more pronounced in recent years. ... > full story
Expansion of HIV screening cost-effective in reducing spread of AIDS, study shows (December 31, 2010) -- An expanded US program of HIV screening and treatment could prevent as many as 212,000 new infections over the next 20 years and prove to be very cost-effective, according to a new study. ... > full story
George Clooney Effect? High-earning women want older, more attractive partners, research finds (December 31, 2010) -- Psychologists have found that George Clooney may be even luckier than previously thought. New research has discovered that as women become more financially independent, they want an older, more attractive male partner. ... > full story
Your genome in minutes: New technology could slash sequencing time (December 31, 2010) -- Scientists are developing technology that could ultimately sequence a person's genome in mere minutes, at a fraction of the cost of current commercial techniques. ... > full story
New test for major killer of lung transplant patients: High stem cell count after transplant predicts debilitating syndrome (December 31, 2010) -- A lung transplant can mean a new chance at life. But many who receive one develop a debilitating, fatal condition that causes scar tissue to build up in the lungs and chokes off the ability to breathe. Researchers hope a new diagnostic tool they developed to predict bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome will allow doctors to intervene earlier and, ultimately, to provide life-saving treatments. ... > full story
Why does dialysis fail? (December 31, 2010) -- A protein implicated in the development of vascular diseases may also contribute to the failure of arteriovenous (AV) fistulas created for vascular access in dialysis patients, according to a new study. ... > full story
Depressed smokers less likely to stay tobacco free (December 31, 2010) -- Depressed smokers want to quit the nicotine habit just as much as non-depressed smokers, but a new study suggests that depression can put a kink in their success. ... > full story
Gene protects against dementia in high-risk individuals, study finds (December 30, 2010) -- Neuroscientists had assumed that a mutation in the progranulin gene, which makes the progranulin protein and supports brain neurons, was sufficient to produce a kind of dementia known as frontotemporal lobar degeneration. But now an international team of scientists has found another genetic factor they say appears to protect against the disorder in progranulin mutation carriers. ... > full story
New imaging advance illuminates immune response in breathing lung (December 30, 2010) -- In a recent study in mice, researchers developed a method to stabilize living lung tissue for imaging without disrupting the normal function of the organ. The method allowed the team to observe, for the first time, both the live interaction of living cells in the context of their environment and the unfolding of events in the immune response to lung injury. ... > full story
Trace amounts of microbe-killing molecules predict chronic granulomatous disease survival (December 30, 2010) -- Investigators have observed that the survival rate of people with a rare immunodeficiency disease called chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is greatly improved when even very low levels of microbe-killing molecules are present. Because production of these molecules, made by an enzyme called NADPH oxidase, can be predicted from genetic analysis, a patient's risk for severe CGD could be assessed very early in life, allowing for more personalized treatment, say the researchers. ... > full story
Visual skills required for independence are impaired in children with autism, research finds (December 30, 2010) -- The ability to find shoes in the bedroom, apples in a supermarket, or a favorite animal at the zoo is impaired among children with autism, according to new research from the UK. They are unable to search effectively for objects in real-life situations -- a skill that is essential for achieving independence in adulthood. ... > full story
Bacteria provide example of one of nature's first immune systems, research shows (December 30, 2010) -- Scientists are uncovering the secrets of one of nature's most primitive immune systems through studying how bacteria incorporate foreign DNA from invading viruses into their own regulatory processes. ... > full story
Link between light signal and circadian rhythms pinpointed (December 30, 2010) -- Scientists have taken an important step in understanding the underlying molecular signals that influence a broad array of biological processes ranging from the sleep-wake cycle to cancer growth and development. ... > full story
Indoor plant intervention: New answers for health care design? (December 30, 2010) -- Could a plant "intervention" improve the well-being of patients in a difficult rehab process? Scientists have found that patients' overall physical and mental health improved during the program, but the presence of new plants did not increase the degree of improvement. However, pulmonary patients in the "plant intervention group" reported a larger increase in well-being during their rehabilitation program more often than lung patients from the "no-plant" control group. ... > full story
New regulator plays critical role in development B cells (December 30, 2010) -- Researchers have identified a new regulator playing a critical role in the development B cells, which produce antibodies -- a transcription factor called Miz-1, which is needed for the proper development and maturation of B cells in the bone marrow. ... > full story
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