ScienceDaily Health Headlines
for Friday, July 25, 2008
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'Statins' Linked To Improved Survival In Kidney Transplant Recipients (July 25, 2008) -- For patients receiving kidney transplants, treatment with cholesterol-lowering "statin" drugs may lead to longer survival, reports a new study. ... > full story
How Cranberry Juice Can Prevent Urinary Tract Infections (July 25, 2008) -- People have long consumed cranberry juice to ward off urinary tract infections, though the exact nature of its action has not been clear. The juice, the study shows, changes the thermodynamic properties of bacteria, creating an energy barrier that prevents the microorganisms from latching onto cells in the urinary tract. ... > full story
Teamwork Cuts Out Unnecessary Biopsies, Researchers Find (July 25, 2008) -- New research found that when nuclear medicine clinicians and treating physicians work together to interpret PET-CT scan results, the accuracy dramatically improves, sparing patients unnecessary pain and suffering. ... > full story
NIST Trumps The Clumps: Making Biologic Drugs Safer (July 25, 2008) -- Scientists have developed a technique to measure the formation of clumps of proteins in protein-based pharmaceuticals, a major concern because of its impact on quality control and safety in biologic drug manufacturing. ... > full story
Fat Friends And Poor Education Helps People Think Thin (July 25, 2008) -- People are powerfully but subconsciously influenced by the weight of those around them. Without being aware of it, researchers believe, human beings keep up with the weight of the Joneses. For a whole society, this can lead to a spiral of imitative obesity. ... > full story
Blindness In Old Age May Be Triggered By Hyperactive Immune Resistance (July 25, 2008) -- Opthalmologists have now, for the first time, demonstrated that in cases of senile blindness the patient's immune resistance is hyperactive throughout his entire body. ... > full story
Populations Of Foreign-born Persons Living In US At Higher Risk Of TB Identified (July 25, 2008) -- The relative yield of finding and treating latent tuberculosis is particularly high among higher-risk groups of foreign-born persons living in the US, such as individuals from most countries of sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia, according to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association. ... > full story
Gene Panel Predicts Lung Cancer Survival, Study Finds (July 24, 2008) -- Researchers from four leading cancer centers have confirmed that an analysis involving a panel of genes can be used to predict which lung cancer patients will have the worst survival. The finding could one day lead to a test that would help determine who needs more aggressive treatment. ... > full story
Measures To Limit Effects Of Pandemic Flu On Nursing Homes (July 24, 2008) -- The greatest danger in a pandemic flu outbreak is that it could spread quickly and devastate a broad swath of people across the United States before there is much of a chance to react. Now, researchers have taken a major step in determining what nonpharmaceutical interventions will work by developing mathematical models and testing scenarios that show which NPIs are appropriate for which levels of pandemic flu. ... > full story
Why Play A Losing Game? Study Uncovers Why Low-income People Buy Lottery Tickets (July 24, 2008) -- Although state lotteries, on average, return just 53 cents for every dollar spent on a ticket, people continue to pour money into them -- especially low-income people, who spend a greater percentage of their incomes on lottery tickets than the wealthier segments of society. A new study points to income as an influential factor in the decision to invest in a product that provides poor returns. ... > full story
Soy Foods Are Associated With Lower Sperm Concentrations (July 24, 2008) -- Men who eat an average of half a serving of soy food a day have lower concentrations of sperm than men who do not eat soy foods. The association was particularly marked in men who were overweight or obese, the study found. ... > full story
Want A Reason To Love Your Lower Belly Fat? It's Rich In Stem Cells (July 24, 2008) -- Fat removed from the lower abdomen and inner thigh through liposuction was found to be an excellent source of stem cells, with higher stem cell concentrations than other areas of the body. This is a finding from a first-of-its-kind study examines whether fat tissues from different areas of the body vary in stem cell concentration. ... > full story
Parasitic Worm Infections Increase Susceptibility To AIDS Viruses (July 24, 2008) -- Persons infected with schistosomes, and possibly other parasitic worm infections, may be more likely to become infected with HIV than persons without worm infections, according to a new study. Researchers found that the infectious dose of an HIV-like virus necessary to infect rhesus macaques was 17-fold lower in animals with acute schistosomiasis than in controls. ... > full story
Glia Guide Brain Development In Worms (July 24, 2008) -- Again and again, experiments confirmed it. Without glia, neurons die. So scientists who wanted to study in living animals what glia -- the most abundant brain cells -- do for neurons besides keep them alive were out of luck. But now, a breakthrough. ... > full story
Head And Neck Cancer: Quick Way To Determine If Cancer Has Spread (July 24, 2008) -- For patients with head and neck cancer, accurately determining how advanced the cancer is and detecting secondary cancers usually means undergoing numerous tests - until now. New research has found that the PET-CT scanner can be used as a stand-alone tool to detect secondary cancers, which occur in 5 to 10 percent of head and neck cancer patients. ... > full story
Eating Less Meat And Junk Food Could Cut Fossil Energy Fuel Use Almost In Half (July 24, 2008) -- An estimated 19 percent of total energy used in the USA is taken up in the production and supply of food. It is important that ways of reducing this significant fuel consumption in the US food system are found. Researchers now set out strategies which could potentially cut fossil energy fuel use by as much as 50 percent. ... > full story
Does Too Much Sun Cause Melanoma? (July 24, 2008) -- We are continuously bombarded with messages about the dangers of too much sun and the increased risk of melanoma, but are these dangers real, or is staying out of the sun causing us more harm than good? ... > full story
Viral Cloaking Device: How Viruses Evade The Immune System (July 24, 2008) -- Viruses achieve their definition of success when they can thrive without killing their host. Now, biologists have uncovered how one such virus, prevalent in humans, evolved over time to hide from the immune system. Understanding how human cytomegalovirus survives may help in the development of a vaccine, as well as in the fight against other viruses with similar evasive tactics. ... > full story
Blue Light And Hydrogen Peroxide May Effectively Treat Biofilms That Cause Cavities And Gum Disease (July 24, 2008) -- Blue light commonly used by dentists to cure resin fillings and hydrogen peroxide combined may be capable of reaching and treating bacteria in deep layers of biofilms that can cause cavities and gingivitis. ... > full story
Pandemic Flu: Most Nursing Homes Don't Have A Plan (July 24, 2008) -- If an influenza pandemic hits the United States, acute care hospitals are likely to be overwhelmed. Nursing homes may then be expected to assist with the patient overflow, but a new study suggests that many are not prepared for such a task. ... > full story
Toxic Chemicals Found In Common Scented Laundry Products, Air Fresheners (July 24, 2008) -- A study of top-selling laundry products and air fresheners found the products emitted dozens of different chemicals. All six products tested gave off at least one chemical regulated as toxic or hazardous under federal laws, but none of those chemicals was listed on the product labels. ... > full story
Licking Your Wounds: Scientists Isolate Compound In Human Saliva That Speeds Wound Healing (July 24, 2008) -- A report by scientists from the Netherlands identifies a compound in human saliva that greatly speeds wound healing. This research may offer hope to people suffering from chronic wounds related to diabetes and other disorders, as well as traumatic injuries and burns. In addition, because the compounds can be mass produced, they have the potential to become as common as antibiotic creams and rubbing alcohol. ... > full story
Olympic Games: Air Quality Forecasts For China (July 24, 2008) -- With less than a month remaining before the Beijing Olympics, Chinese officials have introduced a series of measures to improve air quality for the Games. A new tool has been installed in the capital city to allow the Chinese to monitor the effectiveness of these efforts. ... > full story
Over-the-counter Anesthetic Gel Puts The Squeeze On Mammogram Pain (July 24, 2008) -- The simple application of a pain-relieving gel may reduce the breast discomfort some women experience during mammography exams. For a mammography exam, a radiologic technologist positions the patient's breast on a platform in a mammography unit. The breast is then gradually compressed with a paddle. The patient may feel pressure and occasionally some discomfort or pain. Fear of this discomfort leads many women to avoid mammograms altogether. ... > full story
Balance Problems? Step Into The IShoe (July 24, 2008) -- Your grandmother might have little in common with an astronaut, but both could benefit from a new device an MIT graduate student is designing to test balancing ability. ... > full story
Virtual Toothache Helps Student Dentists (July 24, 2008) -- Masha, a middle-aged avatar from Second Life, is an integral part of a new research project to teach and give students practice time to communicate with mock patients. Not only do findings from the study have potential to revolutionize dental education but also to change the way national testing is done for patient-side communication skills. ... > full story
Exercise Could Be The Heart's Fountain Of Youth (July 24, 2008) -- Older people who did endurance exercise training for about a year ended up with metabolically much younger hearts. The researchers also showed that by one metabolic measure, women benefited more than men from the training. ... > full story
Early Exposure To Tobacco Smoke Causes Asthma And Allergy (July 24, 2008) -- Babies exposed to cigarette smoke before birth or during the first months afterwards run a greater risk of developing asthma and allergy. It is a well known fact that babies are harmed by tobacco smoke in numerous ways, but it has always been difficult to separate the effects of the mother smoking during pregnancy and passive smoking after birth. ... > full story
Autism's Social Struggles Due To Disrupted Communication Networks In Brain (July 24, 2008) -- Picking up on innuendo and social cues is a central component of engaging in conversation, but people with autism often struggle to determine another person's intentions in a social interaction. New research sheds light on the neural mechanisms that are responsible for such social difficulties in autism, and on the workings of these social brain mechanisms in all of us. ... > full story
Human Visual System Could Make Powerful Computer (July 24, 2008) -- Since the idea of using DNA to create faster, smaller, and more powerful computers originated in 1994, scientists have been scrambling to develop successful ways to use genetic code for computation. Now, new research suggests that if we want to carry out artificial computations, all we have to do is literally look around. A researcher has begun to develop a technique to turn our eyes and visual system into a programmable computer. ... > full story
Cancer Drug Delivery Time Cut From Days To Hours With New Technique (July 24, 2008) -- Researchers have developed a technique that has the potential to deliver cancer-fighting drugs to diseased areas within hours, as opposed to the two days it currently takes for existing delivery systems. ... > full story
Bosentan Improves Quality Of Life For Patients With Pulmonary Hypertension (July 24, 2008) -- Recent studies have shown that bosentan therapy greatly improves the quality of life for patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension. According to a new study treatments with oral Bosentan reduces resistance in blood flow -- allowing the heart and lungs to work more efficiently and in turn, enables patients to increase exercise capacity and quality of life. ... > full story
Gray And Green Together: Older Adults Can Play Role In Creating Healthier Environment (July 24, 2008) -- Volunteering for environmental protection activities can be physically and mentally sustaining for older people. In fact, this demographic group is in a unique position to have a noticeable impact on its surroundings. ... > full story
Regular Meals Reduce Risk Of Developing Metabolic Syndrome, Study Shows (July 24, 2008) -- It is obvious to most people that our health is affected by what we eat; now, however, scientists have shown that it is also a matter of how often we eat. Scientists have now, for the first time, showed that the frequency of meals, regardless of their content, affects the chances of developing metabolic syndrome. ... > full story
During Olympics, Scientists Will Be Studying Air-quality In Beijing (July 24, 2008) -- As the world watches China prepare for the Olympic Games, one researcher has his eye on less visible matters -- the particles in Beijing's air that millions breathe every day, and that many more will be breathing when they descend on the city this summer. ... > full story
Analysis Of Quickly Stopped Rx Orders Provides New Tool For Reducing Medical Errors (July 24, 2008) -- By studying medication orders that are withdrawn ("discontinued") by physicians within 45 minutes of their origination, researchers have demonstrated a systematic and efficient method of identifying prescribing errors. The method, they say, has value to screen for medication errors and as a teaching tool for physicians and physicians-in-training. ... > full story
Saving Lives After Natural Disasters With Fast Set-Up Phone Network (July 24, 2008) -- A ten-kilo GSM mobile phone network will allow rescue workers to set up communications just hours, or even minutes, after a man-made or natural catastrophe. When disaster strikes communications are often one of the first infrastructures to go down. But it is exactly when effective communications are most desperately needed. ... > full story
Malaria Control Goals Are Likely To Be Unachievable (July 24, 2008) -- The Millennium Development Goal to halt and begin to reverse the incidence of malaria globally is unlikely to be met. The statement comes in a report published in PLoS Medicine. ... > full story
Genetics Of White Horses Unraveled: One Mutation Makes Ordinary Horses Turn Grey, Then White, Very Young (July 23, 2008) -- White horses are colored horses that turn grey, then white, at a very young age. The white horse is an icon for dignity which has had a huge impact on human culture across the world. Scientists have now identified the mutation causing this spectacular trait and show that it can be traced back to an ancestor that lived thousands of years ago. The study is interesting for medical research since this mutation also increases the risk of melanoma. ... > full story
Checking More Lymph Nodes Linked To Cancer Patient Survival (July 23, 2008) -- Why do patients with gastric or pancreatic cancer live longer when they are treated at cancer centers or high-volume hospitals than patients treated at low-volume or community hospitals? New research found that cancer patients have more lymph nodes examined for the spread of their disease if they are treated at hospitals performing more cancer surgeries or at comprehensive cancer centers. The result is a more accurate prognosis and treatment decision, which results in improved long-term outcomes. ... > full story
Discovery Of A Mechanism That Regulates Cell Movement (July 23, 2008) -- A mechanism that controls the movement of cells in a tissue by regulating cell adhesion has been identified. This same mechanism may be defective in diseases such as cancer and metastasis, when tumour cells lose their adhesion to neighbouring cells and migrate through the organism. ... > full story
Geographical Ties To Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Cases Among 1991 Gulf War Veterans (July 23, 2008) -- Researchers are hoping to find a geographical pattern to help explain why 1991 Gulf War veterans contracted the fatal neurological disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis at twice the normal rate during the decade after the conflict. ... > full story
Rare Mutant Cells Glimpsed: Imaging System May Help Understand Origins Of Cancer (July 23, 2008) -- MIT biological engineers have developed a new imaging system that allows them to see cells that have undergone a specific mutation. ... > full story
Once-suspect Protein Found To Promote DNA Repair, Prevent Cancer (July 23, 2008) -- An abundant chromosomal protein that binds to damaged DNA prevents cancer development by enhancing DNA repair, researchers report in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Science. ... > full story
How Carrots Help Us See The Color Orange (July 23, 2008) -- One of the easiest ways to identify an object is by its color -- perhaps it is because children's books encourage us to pair certain objects with their respective colors. Why else would so many of us automatically assume carrots are orange, grass is green and apples are red? ... > full story
Small Birth Size Linked To Changes In The Cardiovascular System That Predispose To Later Disease (July 23, 2008) -- Researchers have found the first evidence that smaller size at birth is associated with specific alterations in the functioning of the heart and circulation in children and that these changes differ between boys and girls. It adds to the evidence that adverse environments experienced by the baby before birth and indicated by low birth weight, can cause long-term changes in the heart and blood vessels, leading to heart and blood vessel disease in later life. ... > full story
Age-old Magic Tricks Can Provide Clues For Modern Science (July 23, 2008) -- Revealing the science behind age-old magic tricks will help us better understand how humans see, think, and act. ... > full story
'Stuffy Nose' Mouse: A Promise To Help Treat 31 Million With Sinusitis (July 23, 2008) -- Mice with inflamed nasal tissue may be unable to tell if something smells bad or good, but their sensory deficit is nothing to turn up a nose at. That is because, their developers say, the mice's reversible loss of one of their key senses, which is essential to tasting food or sensing danger from foul odors, sets them apart from all other mice and binds them to an estimated 31 million Americans living with chronic sinusitis, a persistent inflammation of the tissue that lines the nasal and sinus cavities. ... > full story
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