ScienceDaily Health Headlines
for Friday, July 4, 2008
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Resveratrol, Found In Red Wine, Wards Off Effects Of Age On Heart, Bones, Eyes And Muscle (July 3, 2008) -- Scientists have found that the compound resveratrol, found in red wine and grape skin, slows age-related deterioration and functional decline of mice on a standard diet, but does not increase longevity when started at middle age. This study is a follow-up to 2006 findings that resveratrol improves health and longevity of overweight, aged mice. ... > full story
New System Blocks HIV Transmission Via Breastfeeding (July 3, 2008) -- Researchers are developing a new technology that prevents the infection of HIV by breastfeeding. ... > full story
Researchers Are First To Simulate The Binding Of Molecules To A Protein (July 3, 2008) -- You may not know what it is, but you burn more than your body weight of it every day. Adenosine triphosphate, a tiny molecule that packs a powerful punch, is the primary energy source for most of your cellular functions. Now researchers have identified a key step in the cellular recycling of ATP that allows your body to produce enough of it to survive. ... > full story
Gender Differences And Heart Disease (July 3, 2008) -- Women may respond less favorably than men to cardiovascular disease drug-treatments for enlarged heart. For the first time, researchers have uncovered that women derive a lesser benefit than men from two common high-blood-pressure-lowering drugs — losartan and atenolol — for the reduction of left-ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). The condition is a thickening and enlargement of muscle of the left ventricle of the heart and a marker for future heart disease. ... > full story
Prevalence Of Religious Congregations Affects Mortality Rates (July 3, 2008) -- Researchers have recently found that a community's religious environment -- that is, the type of religious congregations within a locale -- affects mortality rates, often in a positive manner. ... > full story
Discovery Of Gene Mechanism Could Bring About New Ways To Treat Metastatic Cancer (July 3, 2008) -- The molecular and biochemical mechanism of action of unique cytokine gene found to induce potent bystander antitumor effects in animal models and in Phase I clinical trials has been identified. Researchers have uncovered how a gene, melanoma differentiation associated gene-7/interleukin-24 (mda-7/IL-24), induces a bystander effect that kills cancer cells not directly receiving mda-7/IL-24 without harming healthy ones, a discovery that could lead to new therapeutic strategies to fight metastatic disease. ... > full story
Sleep Problems Associated With Menopause Vary Among Ethnic Groups (July 3, 2008) -- Difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep increase as women go through menopause according to new research. Waking up earlier than planned also increases through late perimenopause but decreases when women become postmenopausal. ... > full story
Does This Make Me Look Fat? (July 3, 2008) -- The peer groups teenage girls identify with determine how they decide to control their own figure. Also influencing weight control behavior is girls' own definition of normal body weight and their perception of what others consider normal body weight. ... > full story
Brain ‘trick’ Offers Treatment Hope For Alzheimer’s (July 3, 2008) -- Scientists have made a significant step forward in the search for new drugs to treat Alzheimer's disease. An aging population means that neurodegeneration, such as Alzheimer's disease, is one of the major health problems in the developed world. But researchers have designed an enzyme inhibitor which could 'trick' the brain and so help to halt neurodegeneration. ... > full story
Body's Own 'Cannabis (Marijuana)' Is Good For The Skin, Scientists Find (July 3, 2008) -- Scientists have discovered that our own body not only makes chemical compounds similar to the active ingredient in marijuana, but these play an important part in maintaining healthy skin. This finding on "endocannabinoids" could lead to new drugs that treat skin conditions ranging from acne to dry skin, and even skin-related tumors. ... > full story
Smokers Suffer More Back Pain, Survey Shows (July 3, 2008) -- Smokers suffer more chronic back pain according to a new survey. Researchers interviewed more than 8000 people in the course of a telephone health survey. This included questions on social and demographic themes, as well as health and life style. ... > full story
Going Green: Savings And Comfort Are The Best Incentives (July 3, 2008) -- Would shrinking your carbon footprint, recycling more, and going green be easier if you could monitor your household's environmental impact? Researchers recorded and compared heating fuel, electricity, water, vehicle fuel costs and waste generation for each household and on the basis of this data recommended cost-effective measures to reduce consumption. The team found that, on average, just over 25% of the recommended measures were implemented, which resulted in an estimated greenhouse gas reduction of about two tonnes for each household. ... > full story
Worms Do Calculus To Find Meals Or Avoid Unpleasantness (July 3, 2008) -- Thanks to salt and hot chili peppers, researchers have found a calculus-computing center that tells a roundworm to go forward toward dinner or turn to broaden the search. It's a computational mechanism, they say, that is similar to what drives hungry college students to a pizza. A computer-like mechanism drives neuron expression for taste and smell. ... > full story
Get Smart About What You Eat And You Might Actually Improve Your Intelligence (July 3, 2008) -- New research findings provide more evidence that if we get smart about what we eat, our intelligence can improve. According to scientists, dietary nutrients found in a wide range of foods from infant formula to eggs increase brain synapses and improve cognitive abilities. ... > full story
Controlling Bone Disease Improves Survival Of Hemodialysis Patients (July 3, 2008) -- Consistently maintaining certain blood levels of markers of bone metabolism and disease can prolong the lives of patients on hemodialysis, according to a new study. The findings indicate that keeping parathyroid hormone, calcium, and phosphorous levels in control is critically important for dialysis patients with chronic kidney disease. ... > full story
Fungi The Cause Of Many Outbreaks Of Disease, But Mostly Ignored (July 3, 2008) -- Many people, scientists among them, are largely unaware of the roles fungi play in the world around us. Research on fungi and fungal diseases are seriously neglected as a result -- a situation with grave negative repercussions for human health, agriculture, and the environment -- according to a new report from the American Academy of Microbiology. ... > full story
Severe Shyness? New Study Shows That Anxiety Is Likely A Long-lasting Trait (July 3, 2008) -- We all know people who are tense and nervous and can't relax. They may have been wired differently since childhood. New research indicates that the brains of those suffering from anxiety and severe shyness in social situations consistently respond more strongly to stress, and show signs of being anxious even in situations that others find safe. ... > full story
Tummy's Taste For Red Wine With Red Meat (July 3, 2008) -- What happens when red wine meets red meat? If the rendezvous happens in the stomach, scientists in Israel are reporting, wine's bounty of healthful chemical compounds may thwart formation of harmful substances released during digestion of fat in the meat. ... > full story
New Discovery A Step Towards Better Diabetes Treatment (July 3, 2008) -- New findings shed light on the processes that determine the release of the blood sugar-lowering hormone insulin. The discovery is based on the development of image analysis methods that make possible the detailed study of events immediately inside the plasma membrane of the insulin-secreting cells. ... > full story
Quantum Dots Can Penetrate Skin Through Minor Abrasions (July 3, 2008) -- Researchers have found that quantum dot nanoparticles can penetrate the skin if there is an abrasion, providing insight into potential workplace concerns for healthcare workers or individuals involved in the manufacturing of quantum dots or doing research on potential biomedical applications of the tiny nanoparticles. ... > full story
Relaxation Response Can Influence Expression Of Stress-related Genes (July 3, 2008) -- How could a single, non-pharmacological intervention help patients deal with disorders ranging from high blood pressure, to pain syndromes, to infertility, to rheumatoid arthritis? That question may have been answered by a study finding that eliciting the relaxation response -- a physiologic state of deep rest -- influences the activation patterns of genes associated with the body's response to stress. ... > full story
Gene Directs Stem Cells To Build The Heart (July 3, 2008) -- Researchers have shown that they can put mouse embryonic stem cells to work building the heart, potentially moving medicine a significant step closer to a new generation of heart disease treatments that use human stem cells. Scientists report in Cell Stem Cell that the Mesp1 gene locks mouse embryonic stem cells into becoming heart parts and gets them moving to the area where the heart forms. ... > full story
Improving Diagnosis Of Osteoporosis: Computer Simulations Help Predict Fracture Risk (July 3, 2008) -- Using a Blue Gene supercomputer, scientists have demonstrated the most extensive simulation yet of actual human bone structure. This achievement may lead to better clinical tools to improve the diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis, a widespread disease that worldwide affects one in three women and one in five men over the age of 50. ... > full story
Disease-detecting Lab In The Palm Of Your Hand (July 3, 2008) -- Detecting food-borne diseases such as campylobacter and salmonella long before they enter the food chain would help ensure that the dinner on your table is safe to eat. There is currently no quick and simple way to detect infectious bacteria on farms, or even in food processing and distribution plants. Samples have to be sent to labs for testing, a process that can take hours or days. But what if tests for campylobacter and salmonella could be run on the spot in as little as half an hour? ... > full story
Political Participation Is Partially Rooted In Genetic Inheritance (July 3, 2008) -- The decision to vote is partly genetic. Researchers have now identify a link between two specific genes and political participation. They show that individuals with a variant of the MAOA gene are significantly more likely to have voted in the 2000 presidential election. Their research also demonstrates a connection between a variant of the 5HTT gene and voter turnout, which is moderated by religious attendance. These are the first results ever to link specific genes to political behavior. ... > full story
New Form Of Energy-Transfer Processes: Atomic Tug Of War (July 3, 2008) -- A new form of energy-transfer processes, reported in Nature may have implications for the study of reactions going on in the atmosphere, and even for those occurring in the body. ... > full story
Pediatric Researchers Find Possible 'Master Switch' Gene In Juvenile Arthritis (July 3, 2008) -- Researchers have found that a gene region known to play a role in some varieties of adult rheumatoid arthritis is also present in all types of childhood arthritis. The researchers say the responsible gene may be a "master switch" that helps turn on the debilitating disease. ... > full story
Protecting Romaine Lettuce From Pathogens (July 3, 2008) -- Knowing the preferences of foodborne pathogens such as Escherichia coli O157:H7 is essential to a successful counterattack on these microbes. That's why microbiologists are scrutinizing the little-understood ability of E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella enterica to contaminate romaine lettuce. ... > full story
Benefits Of Green Tea In Reducing An Important Risk Factor For Heart Disease (July 3, 2008) -- More evidence for the beneficial effect of green tea on risk factors for heart disease has emerged in a new study. The study found that the consumption of green tea rapidly improves the function of (endothelial) cells lining the circulatory system; endothelial dysfunction is a key event in the progression of atherosclerosis. ... > full story
Minimum Drinking Age Of 21 Saves Lives, Study Finds (July 3, 2008) -- One of the most comprehensive studies on the minimum drinking age shows that laws aimed at preventing consumption of alcohol by those under 21 have significantly reduced drinking-related fatal car crashes. ... > full story
Being An MRSA Carrier Increases Risk Of Infection And Death (July 3, 2008) -- Patients harboring methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus for long periods of time continue to be at increased risk of MRSA infection and death, according to a new study. ... > full story
Since Introduction Of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy, HIV Death Rate Has Decreased (July 3, 2008) -- In industrialized countries, persons infected sexually with HIV now appear to experience mortality rates similar to those of the general population in the first 5 years following infection, though a higher risk of death remains as the duration of HIV infection lengthens, according to a new study. ... > full story
Erectile Dysfunction Lower In Men Who Have Intercourse More Often (July 3, 2008) -- Having intercourse more often may help prevent the development of erectile dysfunction. Researchers have found that men who had intercourse more often were less likely to develop ED. ... > full story
Eating Broccoli May Keep Prostate Cancer Away, Study Suggests (July 2, 2008) -- For the first time, a research group has provided an explanation of how eating broccoli might reduce cancer risk based upon studies in men, as opposed to trying to extrapolate from animal models. Prostate cancer is the most common non-skin cancer for males in western countries. The research has provided an insight into why eating broccoli can help men stay healthy. ... > full story
Cubing Potatoes Before Boiling Can Reduce Mineral Content By 75% (July 2, 2008) -- The preparation of a potato can have a big impact on its mineral content, Agricultural Research Service scientists report in a new study of this popular vegetable. Baked, roasted, boiled or fried, the potato is America's favorite vegetable. Every year, the average American eats about 130 pounds of potatoes, which are loaded with vitamins and minerals. ... > full story
New Combination Of Tests Measures Child's Ability To Taste And Smell (July 2, 2008) -- Researchers have developed a series of tests that for the first time accurately measure the normality of taste (gustatory function) and smell (olfactory function) in young children. ... > full story
New DNA Weapon Against Avian Flu Identified (July 2, 2008) -- By delivering vaccine via DNA constructed to build antigens against flu, along with a minute electric pulse, researchers have immunized experimental animals against various strains of the virus. This approach could allow for the build up of vaccine reserves that could be easily and effectively dispensed in case of an epidemic. ... > full story
Asthma Risk Increases In Children Treated For HIV (July 2, 2008) -- Children whose immune systems rebound after treatment with potent anti-viral drugs for HIV infection face an increased risk of developing asthma, according to a new report in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. ... > full story
Weekends Slow Weight Loss, Researchers Find (July 2, 2008) -- Saturday can be the worst enemy for our waistlines. Researchers found that study subjects on strict diet and exercise programs tend to lose weight more slowly than expected because they eat more on weekends than during the week. ... > full story
'Hibernation-on-demand' Drug Significantly Improves Survival After Extreme Blood Loss (July 2, 2008) -- For the first time, researchers have demonstrated that the administration of minute amounts of inhaled or intravenous hydrogen sulfide -- the molecule that gives rotten eggs their sulfurous stench -- significantly improves survival from extreme blood loss in rats. The researchers successfully used hydrogen sulfide to induce a state of reversible metabolic hibernation as a way to reduce death from insufficient blood supply to organs and tissues in a rat model of lethal hemorrhage. ... > full story
New Way To Predict Prostate Cancer Spreading (July 2, 2008) -- For men, one of the leading causes of death from cancer is prostate cancer that has spread to a second site (something known as metastatic prostate cancer). Defining the molecular mechanisms by which the initial tumor becomes able to spread to a new site (a process known as metastasis) is likely to help clinicians predict an individual's chance of survival and help researchers develop new therapies. ... > full story
Intuition Can Be Explained (July 2, 2008) -- Intuition, or tacit knowledge, is difficult to measure, so it is often denigrated. A new dissertation in education research shows that there is a neurobiological explanation for how experience-based knowledge is created. "Skate where the puck´s going, not where it´s been" (Wayne Gretsky). ... > full story
Post-exercise Caffeine Helps Muscles Refuel (July 2, 2008) -- Glycogen, the muscle's primary fuel source during exercise, is replenished more rapidly when athletes ingest both carbohydrate and caffeine following exhaustive exercise, new research shows. Athletes who ingested caffeine with carbohydrate had 66 percent more glycogen in their muscles four hours after finishing intense, glycogen-depleting exercise, compared to when they consumed carbohydrate alone, according to the study. ... > full story
Cancer Cells Revert To Normal At Specific Signal Threshold, Researchers Find (July 2, 2008) -- Scientists at the Stanford University School of Medicine report that lowering levels of one cancer signal under a specific threshold reverses this process in mice, returning tumor cells to their normal, healthy state. ... > full story
Spiritual Effects Of Hallucinogens Persist, Researchers Report (July 2, 2008) -- In a follow-up to research showing that psilocybin, a substance contained in "sacred mushrooms," produces substantial spiritual effects, scientists report that those beneficial effects appear to last more than a year. ... > full story
Small Protein May Have Big Role In Making More Bone And Less Fat (July 2, 2008) -- A small protein may have a big role in helping you make more bone and less fat, researchers say. People can't take GILZ now, but a long-term goal is to develop a GILZ-like pill that would dramatically reduce fat production. ... > full story
Finding That Could Shed Light On 'Golden Staph,' Candida And Allergies (July 2, 2008) -- Recent scientific findings explain why patients with a rare immunodeficiency disorder are unusually susceptible to certain common infections. By revealing the exact molecular mechanisms involved, they also give us clues as to why some "healthy" people are more prone to these infections than others, and suggest potential treatments. ... > full story
To Sing Like Shakira, Press '1' Now (July 2, 2008) -- Scientists have developed an electronic ear to judge and coach vibrato technique. Vibrato -- the pulsating change of pitch in a singer’s voice -- is an important aspect of a singer’s expression, used extensively by both classical opera singers and pop stars like Shakira. Usually, the quality of a vibrato can only be judged subjectively by voice experts. ... > full story
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