ScienceDaily Health Headlines
for Wednesday, July 9, 2008
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Can Tomatoes Carry An Oral Vaccine Against Alzheimer's Disease? (July 9, 2008) -- The humble tomato could be a suitable carrier for an oral vaccine against Alzheimer's disease. New research, still in the early stages, is a promising first step towards finding an edible vaccine against the neurodegenerative disease. ... > full story
Leading Worldwide Cause Of Cardiovascular Disease May Be Modified By Diet (July 9, 2008) -- A new article indicates that an increased intake in minerals such as potassium, and possibly magnesium and calcium by dietary means may reduce the risk of high blood pressure and decrease blood pressure in people with hypertension. ... > full story
Malaria On The Increase In The UK (July 9, 2008) -- A huge rise in the numbers of UK residents travelling to malaria endemic areas, combined with a failure to use prevention measures, has significantly increased cases of imported falciparum malaria in the UK over the past 20 years, according to a study published online. ... > full story
Child Care Factors Associated With Weight Gain In Infancy (July 9, 2008) -- Nine-month-old infants regularly cared for by someone other than a parent appear to have higher rates of unfavorable feeding practices and to weigh more than infants cared for only by parents, according to a new article. ... > full story
Overweight, Insulin Resistant Women At Greater Risk Of Advanced Breast Cancer Diagnosis, Says Study (July 9, 2008) -- Women who have risk factors commonly associated with type 2 diabetes also have much greater odds of being diagnosed with an advanced breast cancer, according to new research. ... > full story
New Targets For RNAs That Regulate Genes Identified (July 9, 2008) -- Tiny strands of genetic material called RNA -- a chemical cousin of DNA -- are emerging as major players in gene regulation, the process inside cells that drives all biology and that scientists seek to control in order to fight disease. ... > full story
Fertility Treatment In Developing Countries; A Cycle Of IVF For Less Than 0 (July 9, 2008) -- After 30 years of IVF, the rewards of treatment are still largely confined to industrialized countries and those who can afford it. Now, a Special Task Force of European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology has set about the immeasurable task of making fertility treatment more accessible to developing countries through a program of pilot projects, professional awareness and involvement of government and non-governmental agencies. ... > full story
Pregnancy Alone Is Not Associated With Increased Risk For Mental Disorders (July 9, 2008) -- Pregnancy alone does not appear to be associated with an increased risk of the most prevalent mental disorders, according to a new article. However, post-partum women may have a higher risk of major depressive disorder. ... > full story
Japanese Encephalitis Virus Causes 'Double Trouble' To Brain (July 8, 2008) -- Recent research published in Journal of Neurochemistry, has shown that Japanese encephalitis virus, commonly known as brain fever, damages the brain in two ways -- not only killing brain cells but also preventing the birth of new cells from neural stem/progenitor cells and depleting the NPC pool in the brain. ... > full story
Slow Exercise (Not Fast) Is Better For Menopausal Women (July 8, 2008) -- As we get older, our muscles deteriorate and we become weaker, which has serious implications. We become clumsier and begin to have more falls, often resulting in broken bones or even more severe injuries. Researchers are examining the effects of different exercise regimes in menopausal women, with the aim of developing new strategies for delaying and reducing the initial onset of age related muscle deterioration. ... > full story
Adolescents Are Not Receiving Recommended Immunization In US, Report Shows (July 8, 2008) -- Vaccinating infants and toddlers is an almost universal practice in the United States. Vaccines to prevent flu are a regular part of medical care for senior citizens and at-risk patients. But, according to a study published in American Journal of Preventive Medicine, the US health care system is not very effective in getting vaccines to the adolescent population. ... > full story
Some Antidepressants Associated With Gastrointestinal Bleeding (July 8, 2008) -- A class of antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors appear to be associated with bleeding in the upper gastrointestinal tract, according to a report in the July issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. The effects appear increased when antidepressants are combined with other stomach-harming medications and decreased when acid-suppressing agents are used. ... > full story
Normal-looking Sperm May Have Serious Damage; Scientists Urge More Care In Selection (July 8, 2008) -- Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) where a single sperm is injected into an egg to fertilize it, is increasingly used to help infertile men father children. Although the sperm chosen for the procedure may appear quite normal, researchers in the US have found that many of them in fact have DNA damage, which can decrease the chances of pregnancy and increase chances of later miscarriage if pregnancy does occur. In infertile men, between 20 and 66% of normal-looking sperm had DNA damage. ... > full story
Why Mosquitoes Select Certain Outdoor Water Containers For Laying Eggs And Avoid Others (July 8, 2008) -- Female mosquitoes are choosy when it comes to finding the proper egg-laying habitats. Scientists have now figured out one reason why pregnant yellow fever mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti), one of the most important disease transmitters worldwide, choose to lay their eggs in certain outdoor water containers while eschewing others. ... > full story
Keeping A Food Diary Doubles Diet Weight Loss, Study Suggests (July 8, 2008) -- Study of nearly 1,700 participants shows that keeping a food diary can double a person's weight loss. The study found that the best predictors of weight loss were how frequently food diaries were kept and how many support sessions the participants attended. Those who kept daily food records lost twice as much weight as those who kept no records. ... > full story
Antibody To Breast Cancer-secreted Protein Blocks Metastasis, Researchers Show (July 8, 2008) -- Scientists have made a key discovery about the mechanism of breast cancer metastasis, the process by which cancer spreads. Focusing on a gene dubbed "Dachshund," or DACH1, they are beginning to pinpoint new therapeutic targets to halt the spread of cancer. When the scientists used an antibody to block a common inflammatory protein, IL-8, in mice, they found that it completely halted the spread of breast cancer to the lungs. ... > full story
Pregnancy Associated With Increased Risk Of Heart Attack (July 8, 2008) -- Although acute myocardial infarction is rare in women of child-bearing age, pregnancy can increase a woman's risk of heart attack 3- to 4-fold, according to a new study. Since women today may delay having children until later in life, and advances in reproductive medicine enable older women to conceive, the occurrence of AMI associated with pregnancy is expected to increase. ... > full story
Sex During Adolescence Doesn’t Predict Future HPV Infection (July 8, 2008) -- Predicting a child's future is a near impossible task -- today's straight-A student may not become tomorrow's doctor, and the school-yard bully may actually grow up to become a member of the Peace Corps. So why should an adolescent's sexual behavior-- or lack thereof -- determine whether or not she gets vaccinated against the human papillomavirus, to protect against future HPV infection? ... > full story
'Smart Bomb' Nanoparticle Strategy Impacts Metastasis (July 8, 2008) -- A new treatment strategy using molecular "smart bombs" to target metastasis with anti-cancer drugs leads to good results using significantly lower doses of toxic chemotherapy, with less collateral damage to surrounding tissue. ... > full story
Protein Thought To Promote Cancer Instead Functions As Tumor Suppressor (July 8, 2008) -- A protein previously thought to promote colorectal cancer instead suppresses the growth of human cancer cells in culture, researchers have found. ... > full story
Children Born From Frozen Embryos Weigh More And Do Better Than Those Born After Fresh Transfer (July 8, 2008) -- Children born after a frozen, thawed embryo has been replaced in the womb have higher birth weight than those born where fresh embryos were used, Danish scientists reported to the 24th annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology on Tuesday. The mothers had longer pregnancies, and the children did not show an increased risk of congenital malformations. ... > full story
Crawling The Internet To Track Infectious Disease Outbreaks (July 8, 2008) -- Could Internet discussion forums, listservs and online news outlets be an informative source of information on disease outbreaks? A team of researchers from Children's Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical School thinks so, and it has launched a real-time, automated data-gathering system called HealthMap to gather, organize and disseminate this online intelligence. ... > full story
Early-life Nutrition May Be Associated With Adult Intellectual Functioning (July 8, 2008) -- Adults who had improved nutrition in early childhood may score better on intellectual tests, regardless of the number of years they attended school, according to a new article. ... > full story
Are Hands-free Cellphones Really Safer? (July 8, 2008) -- It seems everyone's driving, even walking, with tiny electronic devices tucked into their ears. Conventional wisdom says they're safer. With wireless technology such as Bluetooth becoming commonplace, you can still conduct business or order pizza while keeping both hands on the wheel. But is the mind on the road? A PhD student in experimental psychology says hands-free cellphones are not safer and indeed may even be more dangerous than hand-held. ... > full story
Combination Drug Taken Early Relieves Migraine Symptoms (July 8, 2008) -- A combination drug taken within an hour after the start of a migraine is effective in relieving symptoms, according to research published in Neurology. ... > full story
IVF Does Not Increase Risk Of Developmental Disorders In Children (July 8, 2008) -- Couples who need IVF in order to become pregnant can be reassured that this will not lead to developmental problems in early infancy, a Dutch researcher told the 24th annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. But sub-fertility itself may influence neurodevelopment. ... > full story
Schizophrenia Linked To Dysfunction In Molecular Brain Pathway Activated By Marijuana (July 8, 2008) -- Researchers report that alterations in a molecular brain pathway activated by marijuana, called cannabinoid 1 receptor, may contribute to the cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia, suggesting possible new drug targets that could help to improve functioning and memory in people with the mental illness. Expression of CB1R, the site of action of the main chemical ingredient of marijuana, is significantly reduced in the brains of individuals with schizophrenia. ... > full story
Herbal Remedy Reduces Obesity And Heart Disease? (July 8, 2008) -- Scientists from Germany have recently discovered that extracts of a traditional herbal remedy derived from Tabebuia impetiginosa can act to delay the absorption of dietary fat in animal models. They believe that the extract could be incorporated into a food supplement which may not only reduce obesity, but also lessen the risk of development of type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease. ... > full story
Treatment Delays Result In Poor Outcomes For Men With Breast Cancer (July 8, 2008) -- Men who develop breast cancer are often not treated until the disease has spread to the point that treatment becomes difficult, new results show. Although most breast cancer patients are women, men make up roughly 1 percent of cases. ... > full story
Parents Of Twins Report More Mental Health Symptoms Than Parents Of Singletons (July 8, 2008) -- Mothers and fathers of twins conceived either spontaneously or with assisted reproductive technology suffer more mental health symptoms after delivery and one year later than do parents of singleton babies, according to new research. ... > full story
Good Golf Players See The Hole As Larger Than Poor Players (July 8, 2008) -- Golfers who play well are more likely to see the hole as larger than their poor-playing counterparts, according to new research. "Golfers have said that when they play well the hole looks as big as a bucket or basketball hoop, and when they do not play well they've been quoted as saying the hole looks like a dime or the inside of a donut," according to the researcher. ... > full story
Newborn Vitamin A Reduces Infant Mortality (July 8, 2008) -- A single, oral dose of vitamin A, given to infants shortly after birth in the developing world can reduce their risk of death by 15 percent, according to a new study in the journal Pediatrics. ... > full story
MRI Technique To ID Microstructural Changes In Asthma (July 8, 2008) -- Scientists have developed a novel magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique that -- for the first time ever -- identified microscopic structural damages deep in the lungs of patients with asthma. ... > full story
New Treatment Approach Promising For Lymphoma Patients In Developing World (July 8, 2008) -- Preliminary results suggest that patients with aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in the developing world might benefit from a modified chemotherapy regimen, researchers say. ... > full story
Political Borders, Health-care Issues Complicate Pandemic Planning (July 8, 2008) -- Panic, staffing issues and geographic boundaries are some of the challenges that public health experts need to address as they plan for a possible influenza pandemic, according to a new report. ... > full story
Baby's Smile Is A Natural High (July 8, 2008) -- The baby's smile that gladdens a mother's heart also lights up the reward centers of her brain, researchers report in the journal Pediatrics. ... > full story
PTSD Causes Early Death From Heart Disease, Study Suggests (July 8, 2008) -- A new study sheds light on the link between PTSD and heart disease. Vietnam veterans with PTSD suffered higher rates of heart disease death than veterans without PTSD. The more severe the PTSD diagnosis, the greater the likelihood of death from heart disease, the study showed. ... > full story
Innovative Program Focuses On Improved Care For Children With ADHD (July 8, 2008) -- An innovative program is helping busy primary care physicians improve the care they provide for school-aged children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, according to a new study. The study is the first to intervene with an entire community of primary care physicians and help them more accurately diagnose and effectively monitor treatment response of their patients with ADHD, researchers said. ... > full story
Argyrin: Natural Substance Raises Hope For New Cancer Therapies (July 8, 2008) -- The effective treatment of many forms of cancer continues to pose a major problem for medicine. Many tumors fail to respond to standard forms of chemotherapy or become resistant to the medication. Scientists have now discovered a chemical mechanism with which a natural substance -- argyrin -- destroys tumors. ... > full story
Relationship Violence Appears Common Among College Students (July 8, 2008) -- Violence between partners, friends and acquaintances appears prevalent both during and before college, according to results of a survey of students at three urban college campuses. ... > full story
Molecule That Kills Kidney Cancer Cells Discovered (July 7, 2008) -- Kidney cancer patients generally have one option for beating their disease: surgery to remove the organ. But that could change, thanks to a new molecule found by Stanford University School of Medicine researchers that kills kidney cancer cells. ... > full story
Best Treatment For Multiple Sclerosis May Depend On Disease Subtype (July 7, 2008) -- In animal studies, scientists discover different inflammatory pathways at work. Relatively new drugs now help some patients, but not others, with the most common form of multiple sclerosis. That may be because patients with the same symptoms experience different types of inflammation, suggests a new study in animals. If the differences are found in people, future treatments may be tailored to specific subtypes of the disease. ... > full story
Counting Tumor Cells In Blood Predicts Treatment Benefit In Prostate Cancer (July 7, 2008) -- Counting the number of tumor cells circulating in the bloodstream of patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer can accurately predict how well they are responding to treatment, new results show. Researchers showed that changes in the number of circulating tumor cells predicted the outcome after chemotherapy in this hard to treat cancer. ... > full story
Families With Children Without A Genetic Or Gestational Link To Their Parents Are Functioning Well (July 7, 2008) -- The emotional well-being of families where children lack a genetic or gestational link to one or both of their parents -- where the children have been conceived through surrogacy, egg donation or donor insemination -- has long been a subject of debate. Now, scientists have shown that relationships within such families appear to be functioning well, and that there are few differences between them and families in whom children were conceived naturally. ... > full story
Computers Used To Hone Cancer-fighting Strategies (July 7, 2008) -- Medical researchers are using high-powered computers to determine how substances known as recombinant immunotoxins can best be modified in order to attack and kill malignant tumors while doing minimal harm to a patient's healthy cells. ... > full story
Can Recycling Be Used To Treat Cancer? (July 7, 2008) -- We already know that recycling benefits our planet; and now new research suggests that the cellular version might be useful for battling cancer. Scientists have identified a molecule that uses this unexpected pathway to selectively kill cancer cells. The research may drive treatment strategies for cancer in an entirely new direction. ... > full story
Researchers Clarify Function Of Glucose Transport Molecule, May Lead To New Diabetes, Cancer Drugs (July 7, 2008) -- Scientists have solved the structure of a class of proteins known as sodium glucose co-transporters, which pump glucose into cells. The solution of the SGLT structure will accelerate development of new drugs designed to treat patients with diabetes and cancer. The journal Science publishes the findings. ... > full story
Surrogacy Still Stigmatized, Though Attitudes Changing Among Younger Women (July 7, 2008) -- Although younger people are becoming more positive towards surrogate mothers, current day attitudes to surrogacy are still broadly negative. Researchers say that previous stigmatization of surrogate mothers in the media had added to the reluctance to undertake this treatment option. ... > full story
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