ScienceDaily Health Headlines
for Friday, July 18, 2008
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Alzheimer's Drug Reverses Cognitive Decline Over 12 Month Period In Early Human Testing (July 18, 2008) -- A drug once approved as an antihistamine in Russia improved thinking processes and ability to function in patients with Alzheimer's disease in a new study. Dimebon is the first drug tested for Alzheimer's disease that demonstrated continued improvement in patients over a 12 month period. ... > full story
Booster Vaccination May Help With Possible Future Avian Influenza Pandemic (July 18, 2008) -- New evidence suggests that a booster vaccination against H5N1 avian influenza given years after initial vaccination with a different strain may prove useful in controlling a potential future pandemic. ... > full story
Improving Understanding Of Cell Behavior In Breast Cancer (July 18, 2008) -- The invasion and spread of cancer cells to other parts of the body, known as metastasis, is a principal cause of death in patients diagnosed with breast cancer. ... > full story
Type 2 Diabetes: Culturally-tailored Education Can Improve Blood Sugar Control (July 18, 2008) -- Using community-based health advocates, delivering information within same-gender groups or adapting dietary and lifestyle advice to fit a particular community's likely diet can help people with type 2 diabetes control their blood sugar levels, certainly for up to six months, following health education. This conclusion was reached by a team of Cochrane researchers after they considered the data in 11 trials that involved 1,603 people. ... > full story
Breast Self-exams Do Not Appear To Reduce Breast Cancer Deaths (July 18, 2008) -- A review of recent studies says there is no evidence that self-exams actually reduce breast cancer deaths. Instead, the practice may be doing more harm than good, since it led to almost twice as many biopsies that turned up no cancer in women who performed the self-exams, compared to women who did not do the exams. ... > full story
Farming At Young Age May Lead To Bone Disease In Adulthood (July 18, 2008) -- Although farm chores are likely to keep young boys in shape and out of trouble, environmental health experts caution that it could be harmful to overall bone health if done too often at a young age. ... > full story
Brain Cancer Study: Magnitude Of Post-vaccine Immune Response Linked To Clinical Outcomes (July 18, 2008) -- Researchers conducting a clinical trial of a dendritic cell vaccine designed to fight malignant brain tumors called glioblastoma multiforme have found a correlation between the "intensity" of a patient's immune response and clinical outcome, according to an article in the journal Cancer Research. ... > full story
Defining Complications From Organophosphate Poisoning From Pesticides (July 18, 2008) -- Every year, many thousands of people die as a result of poisoning by pesticides; one of the commonest types of pesticides involved are the organophosphates. Amongst individuals with organophosphate poisoning, changes in nerve transmission are seen before the development of intermediate syndrome, a complication involving muscle weakness that can lead to respiratory failure and poor outcome. ... > full story
Chronic Fatigue Patients Benefit From Cognitive Behavior Therapy (July 18, 2008) -- Cognitive behavior therapy is effective in treating the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome, according to a recent systematic review carried out by Cochrane researchers. ... > full story
Could Arthritis Wonder Drugs Provide Clues For Other Diseases? (July 17, 2008) -- Drugs that have helped treat millions of rheumatoid arthritis sufferers may hold the key to many more medical conditions, including atherosclerosis -- a leading cause of heart disease -- says the researcher who jointly invented and developed them. ... > full story
Organ Transplantation Linked To Cancer Risk: Mechanism Exposed (July 17, 2008) -- Researchers have determined a novel mechanism through which organ transplantation often leads to cancer, and their findings suggest that targeted therapies may reduce or prevent that risk. ... > full story
TG2 Identified As Potential Therapeutic Target In Chemo-resistant Ovarian Cancer (July 17, 2008) -- Researchers connect overexpression of tissue type transglutaminase with poor prognosis in ovarian cancer, identify the relevant pathway, and shut TG2 down with an siRNA liposomal nanoparticle. They previously pinpointed TG2's role in resistant and metastatic melanoma and breast and pancreatic cancers. This crucial protein fuels different cancers through different pathways. ... > full story
New Study Replicates Association Between Genetic Variation And Antidepressant Treatment Response (July 17, 2008) -- Pharmacogenetics, the study of genetic variation that influences an individual's response to drugs, is an important and growing focus in all of medical research, including psychiatry. ... > full story
Low-fat Diets May Not Be Best For Weight Loss, Study Suggests (July 17, 2008) -- Low-carbohydrate and Mediterranean diets may be just as safe and effective in achieving weight loss as the standard, medically prescribed low-fat diet, according to a new study in the New England Journal of Medicine. Although participants actually decreased caloric intake a similar amount. They lost only 6.5 lbs. (2.9 kg) compared to 10 lbs. (4.4 kg) on the Mediterranean diet, and 10.3 lbs. (4.7 kg) on the low-carbohydrate diet. ... > full story
New Therapies Revealed For Diabetes-induced Microvascular Disease (July 17, 2008) -- New findings could lead to future treatments to prevent lower limb amputations in diabetes. Diabetes can have serious complications like gangrene and skin ulcers due to a restriction of blood supply to and healing capacity of the affected areas and this causes the dysfunction of cells lining the blood vessels. Legs and feet are often severely affected, and, after blood supply is obstructed or injury, the tissue seems to be unable to heal itself by growing new blood vessels making the situation much worse. ... > full story
Using Genetics To Improve Traditional Psychiatric Diagnoses (July 17, 2008) -- Psychiatry has begun the laborious effort of preparing the DSM-V, the new iteration of its diagnostic manual. In so doing, it once again wrestles with the task set by Carl Linnaeus, to "cleave nature at its joints." However, these "joints," the boundaries between psychiatric disorders, such as that between bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, are far from clear. We now know that symptoms of bipolar disorder may be seen in patients with schizophrenia and the reverse is true, as well. ... > full story
Gene That Regulates And Blocks Ovulation Discovered (July 17, 2008) -- Researchers have unlocked the mystery of a gene with the potential to both regulate and block ovulation. The findings could lead to the development of pharmaceuticals that activate the Lrh1 gene, which may prove critical in giving infertile couples hope in producing children. ... > full story
First Worldwide Analysis Of Cancer Survival Finds Wide Variation Between Countries (July 17, 2008) -- Cancer survival varies widely between countries according to a new worldwide study with more than 100 investigators. Black men and women have substantially lower survival than white men and women in the United States, but US has the highest survival for prostate cancer of all 31 countries included. ... > full story
Old Eyes Can Learn New Tricks; Findings Offer Hope For Adults With 'Lazy Eye' (July 17, 2008) -- New evidence that the brain regions responsible for vision are capable of adapting in adults offers new hope for those with an untreated condition commonly known as lazy eye. Also called amblyopia, the condition is the most prevalent cause of visual impairment in a single eye, affecting about six million people in the United States alone. ... > full story
New Kind Of MRI Enables Study Of Magnets For Computer Memory, Plaques In Blood Vessels (July 17, 2008) -- What is there to see inside a magnet that's smaller than the head of a pin? Quite a lot, say physicists who've invented a new kind of MRI technique to do just that. The technique may eventually enable the development of extremely small computers, and even give doctors a new tool for studying the plaques in blood vessels that play a role in diseases such as heart disease. ... > full story
Oxygen Therapy Might Ease Pain Of Migraine, Cluster Headaches (July 17, 2008) -- Two types of oxygen therapy could some help for adults who suffer from disabling migraine and cluster headaches. Reviewers concluded that hyperbaric treatment might give some relief for migraine headache and that oxygen therapy at normal room pressure might provide similar relief for cluster headache. ... > full story
Turning On Hormone Tap Could Aid Osteoporosis Fight (July 17, 2008) -- A potential new drug that "opens the taps" for the release of useful hormones could stimulate new bone growth -- and may eventually bring relief to osteoporosis sufferers. ... > full story
Outlook For Air Quality In Beijing For Olympics Is Borderline (July 17, 2008) -- The outlook for air quality in Beijing during the Olympics is borderline, and there's little that the Chinese government can do to improve it. That's the conclusion drawn by atmospheric chemists who analyzed pollution data collected regularly for the last five years by Chinese scientists. Locally generated pollutants in Beijing consist primarily of organic matter from transportation, factories and cooking, while regional sources of pollution include ammonium sulfates and ammonium nitrates from coal-burning power plants, industry and transportation sources, which are easily transported long distances in the atmosphere. ... > full story
After Emergency Room Visit, Many Patients In A Fog (July 17, 2008) -- Every year, more than 115 million patients enter emergency rooms at hospitals around the nation. And more than three-quarters of them leave with an impression of what happened -- or what should happen next -- that doesn't match what their emergency care team would want. ... > full story
Genetic Variation Increases HIV Risk In Africans (July 17, 2008) -- A genetic variation which evolved to protect people of African descent against malaria has now been shown to increase their susceptibility to HIV infection by up to 40 percent, according to new research. Conversely, the same variation also appears to prolong survival of those infected with HIV by approximately two years. ... > full story
Allergy To Road Traffic: Exposure To Traffic-related Air Pollution Linked To Onset Of Allergic Diseases In Children (July 17, 2008) -- Allergic diseases appear more often in children who grow up near busy roads according to a new study involving several thousand children. It was shown that an escalation of asthmatic bronchitis and allergic sensitization to pollen and other common allergens occurred with increasing exposure to fine dust. Increased exposure to nitric oxide was linked to increases in eczema. ... > full story
Can You Be Born A Couch Potato? Genetic Influence Found In Active And Sedentary Behavior Of Mice (July 17, 2008) -- The key to good health is to be physically active. The key to being active is... to be born that way? In two genetic analyses performed on mouse hybrids descended from strains known for their high and low levels of physical activity, researchers have located six single and several interacting sets of genes that have a large effect on the animals' predisposition to engage in physical activity. The research points to the profound influence of genes governing dopamine regulation in the brain and suggests that active or inactive behavior may be inherited in mammals. ... > full story
Further Evidence For Genetic Contribution To Autism (July 17, 2008) -- Some parents of children with autism evaluate facial expressions differently than the rest of us -- and in a way that is strikingly similar to autistic patients themselves, according to new research by neuroscientist. ... > full story
Detecting Flu Viruses In Remote Areas Of The World (July 17, 2008) -- Researchers are reporting an advance in the quest for a fast, sensitive test to detect flu viruses -- one that requires no refrigeration and can be used in remote areas of the world where new flu viruses often emerge. Their new method is the first to use sugar molecules rather than antibodies. ... > full story
Young Adults With Prehypertension Are More Likely To Have Atherosclerosis Later In Life (July 17, 2008) -- Prehypertension during young adulthood is common and is associated with coronary atherosclerosis, according to a new study. The findings suggest that young adults should try to keep their blood pressure below 120/80 mmHg. ... > full story
Categories Help Us Make Happier Choices (July 17, 2008) -- Most of us have stood in a supermarket aisle, overwhelmed with the array of choices. Making those choices is easier if the options are categorized, according to a new research. ... > full story
New Approach Sheds Light On Ways Circadian Disruption Affects Human Health (July 17, 2008) -- Researchers shed light on the effects of circadian disruption on breast cancer, obesity, sleep disorders and other health problems. Growing evidence indicates that exposure to irregular patterns of light and darkness can cause the human circadian system to fall out of synchrony with the 24-hour solar day, negatively affecting human health -- but scientists have been unable to effectively study the relationship between circadian disruptions and human maladies. ... > full story
Vitamin A Pushes Breast Cancer To Form Blood Vessel Cells (July 17, 2008) -- Researchers have discovered that vitamin A, when applied to breast cancer cells, turns on genes that can push stem cells embedded in a tumor to morph into endothelial cells. These cells can then build blood vessels to link up to the body's blood supply, promoting further tumor growth. ... > full story
Detecting Coronary Disease Early: Nuclear Stress Test Can Detect More Than Blockages (July 17, 2008) -- A less invasive test commonly used to diagnose coronary disease also may be used to detect one of the leading causes of heart failure. By using a nuclear stress test to look at how fast blood flows into the heart's pumping chamber -- the left ventricle -- they can determine if a patient's left ventricle is having trouble. ... > full story
After Ankle Surgery: Mobilize With Care (July 17, 2008) -- People recover faster after surgery for ankle fracture if they are given a cast or splint that can be removed to let them exercise the ankle, than if their foot is placed in an immobilizing plaster cast. If the fracture is stable, then encouraging them to walk soon after surgery is also beneficial. However, increased activity does increase the chance of experiencing problems with the surgical wound. ... > full story
All Terrain Vehicles: Gear Up Before Revving Up ATVs (July 17, 2008) -- Whether on vacation or out for recreation, many adults and children are hopping on ATVs for some warm weather fun. But ATVs are not toys. ... > full story
Coronary Heart Disease Patients Live Longer, But Not Always Happier, Lives (July 17, 2008) -- People with coronary heart disease report a worse "quality of life" than people free of heart disease. Heart patients who were younger than 50, female, black or Hispanic were all more likely to have lower quality of life scores. Quality of life is an important indicator of the socioeconomic impact of disease, the effectiveness of treatment and long-term mortality. ... > full story
Men And Women May Need Different Diets (July 17, 2008) -- Diet can strongly influence how long you live and your reproductive success, but now scientists have discovered that what works for males can be very different for females. In the first study of its kind, the researchers have shown that gender plays a major role in determining which diet is better suited to promoting longer life or better reproductive success. ... > full story
Gene Signatures For Scleroderma Discovered (July 17, 2008) -- Distinct genetic profiles can discern different groups of patients with scleroderma, a vexing autoimmune disease in which the body turns against itself, Dartmouth Medical School researchers report. Their discovery of distinguishing molecular subtypes within the disease offers new insight into the complexity of a poorly understood and hard to treat illness and opens a window for better diagnosis and targeted therapies. ... > full story
Formula Predicts Emergency Admissions In Adults Older Than 40 (July 17, 2008) -- Using data from clinical encounters and drug prescriptions over three years, researchers have devised a model to predict emergency hospital admissions in the following year in individuals age 40 and older, according to a new report. ... > full story
Gene Variations In Diverse Patient Populations Determine Who Responds Best To An Antidepressant (July 17, 2008) -- A new study shows that variations in the serotonin transporter gene could explain why some people with depression respond better than others to treatment with citalopram, an antidepressant medication. ... > full story
Scientists Reduce Alzheimer's-like Plaques In Fly Brain (July 16, 2008) -- Neuroscientists have succeeded in demonstrating that overexpression of an enzyme in the brain can reduce telltale deposits causally linked with Alzheimer's disease. ... > full story
Joint Replacement May Improve Osteoarthritis Symptoms In Older Adults (July 16, 2008) -- Older adults who have hip or knee replacement surgery for severe osteoarthritis may take several weeks to recover but appear to have excellent long-term outcomes. ... > full story
Cancer Metastasis: Cellular Decisions Predicted With Computer Program (July 16, 2008) -- A new method may help to develop new treatments against cancer metastasis. Scientists have simulated on the computer how cells decide whether or not to migrate. Using their results, the researchers were able to predict the molecular targets within a cell that have to be hit so that its behavior changes in a particular direction. ... > full story
Can Diet Alone Control Type 2 Diabetes? No Evidence Yet (July 16, 2008) -- Despite strong evidence that type 2 diabetes can be prevented or at least delayed by a combination of lifestyle changes and good dietary advice, a team of Cochrane researchers found that there is no indication whether dietary advice alone can prevent the disease. ... > full story
'Healthy' Sterols May Pose Health Risk (July 16, 2008) -- Plant sterols have been touted as an effective way to lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease. However, a research study has uncovered that these compounds do have their own risks, as they can accumulate in heart valves and lead to stenosis. ... > full story
Smoking Cessation Therapies More Effective Than Placebos (July 16, 2008) -- Six treatments for smoking cessation perform better than placebos -- including varenicline, recently approved for use in Canada. ... > full story
Bone Marrow Transplants: Cancer Drug Shows Promise Against Graft Vs. Host Disease (July 16, 2008) -- A study in mice suggests the drug SAHA, a new antitumor drug, is also able to reduce the effects of graft-versus-host disease, a common, sometimes fatal complication of bone marrow transplants. SAHA and other HDAC inhibitors also may provide a new way to treat autoimmune diseases. Plans are under way for a U-M trial of the drug in people to prevent graft vs. host disease. ... > full story
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