ScienceDaily Health Headlines
for Monday, July 28, 2008
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Researchers Disprove Long-standing Belief About HIV Treatment (July 28, 2008) -- Researchers have disproved a long-standing clinical belief that the hepatitis C virus slows or stunts the immune system's ability to restore itself after HIV patients are treated with a combination of drugs known as the "cocktail." ... > full story
Limiting Fructose May Boost Weight Loss, Researcher Reports (July 28, 2008) -- One of the reasons people on low-carbohydrate diets may lose weight is that they reduce their intake of fructose, a type of sugar that can be made into body fat quickly. Fructose is perhaps best known for its presence in the sweetener called high-fructose corn syrup or HFCS, which is typically 55 percent fructose and 45 percent glucose, similar to the mix that can be found in fruits. ... > full story
Internal Medicine Residents May Benefit Most From Time In Clinic (July 28, 2008) -- A new approach to internal medicine residency training could improve patient care and physician-patient relationships. Research has shown that residents who spent increased time in outpatient settings as opposed to the hospital delivered a higher quality of care and had more satisfaction in their duties. ... > full story
Population Policy Needed In Order To Combat Climate Change, Experts Argue (July 28, 2008) -- The biggest contribution UK couples can make to combating climate change would be to have only two children or at least have one less than they first intended, argues an editorial in the British Medical Journal. ... > full story
New Research On Pre-eclampsia In Mice May Have Important Implications For Humans (July 28, 2008) -- Researchers studying pre-eclampsia, a serious and potentially deadly disorder that affects about 5 percent of pregnancies, report new findings in mice that may have important implications for diagnosis and treatment in humans. ... > full story
Measuring Stress In Plants To Select Best Species For Reforestation (July 28, 2008) -- Plants undergo stress because of lack of water, due to the heat or the cold or to excess of light. Researchers have analyzed the substances that are triggered in plants to protect themselves, with the goal of choosing the species that is best suited to the environment during reforestation under adverse environmental conditions. ... > full story
Little Evidence That Treating Varicoceles In Men Boosts Pregnancy Rates (July 28, 2008) -- A recent review of studies from the Netherlands finds no evidence that treating varicoceles -- a somewhat common condition in men with fertility problems -- improves a couple's chances of conceiving a baby. ... > full story
Daughters-in-law Help Reduce Depression Among Chinese Elders, But Help From Own Kids Can Increase Depression, Study Finds (July 28, 2008) -- In a new twist on the Confucian ideal of filial piety, a study finds that the assistance of daughters-in-law -- but not their own children -- helps mitigate depression among older people in China. Almost two-thirds of the older population in China lives in rural areas, making it the largest concentration of older adults in the world. ... > full story
New Health Drink? Chemist Goes Nano With CoQ10 (July 27, 2008) -- If one researcher has his way, you may soon be buying bottles of water brimming with the life-sustaining coenzyme CoQ10 at your local Costco. Like vitamin C, CoQ10 is a compound that's vital to our survival. ... > full story
CMV Infections Affect More Than Just Patients With Compromised Immune Systems (July 27, 2008) -- An infection due to a virus called cytomegalovirus, which most commonly affects people with compromised immune systems, can also affect hospital intensive-care patients who have no immune-system problems, researchers have found. CMV infection is also associated with longer hospital and intensive-care unit stays independent of other causes, according to the study. ... > full story
Surgery Will Put Dog With Amputated Leg Back On All Fours Again (July 27, 2008) -- A pioneering collaboration between a veterinary surgeon and an engineer will give a deserving dog the ability to walk on four legs again. A German shepherd mix is having a lost leg replaced with an osseointegrated prosthetic limb. If successful, this research could lead to implants for humans that allow the prosthetic limbs to attach without chafing or irritation, and limbs with more natural ranges of motion. ... > full story
No Gender Differences In Math Performance (July 27, 2008) -- We've all heard it. Many of us in fact believe it. Girls just aren't as good at math as boys. But is it true? After sifting through mountains of data - including SAT results and math scores from 7 million students who were tested in accordance with the No Child Left Behind Act - a team of scientists says the answer is no. ... > full story
Giving An Additional Early Vaccination May Reduce Measles Outbreaks (July 27, 2008) -- Outbreaks of measles in developing countries may be reduced by vaccinating infants at 4.5 months of age as well as at the World Health Organization's recommended routine vaccination at 9 months, according to a new study. ... > full story
Genetic Mutation Identified For Eye Complaint (July 27, 2008) -- Researchers have identified a gene that, when modified, causes the eye disease Duane syndrome. Importantly, by identifying this gene the team has discovered how the visual system develops which may lead to new ways to treat other vision disorders. ... > full story
Wealth Does Not Dictate Concern For The Environment, Study Finds (July 27, 2008) -- Citizens of poorer nations are just as concerned about environmental quality as their counterparts in rich nations, new research shows. ... > full story
New Cellular Pathway Linked To Cancer Identified (July 27, 2008) -- In the life of a cell, the response to DNA damage determines whether the cell is fated to pause and repair itself, commit suicide, or grow uncontrollably, a route leading to cancer. Scientists have now identified a way that cells respond to DNA damage through a process that targets proteins for disposal. The finding points to a new pathway for the development of cancer and suggests a new way of sensitizing cancer cells to treatment. ... > full story
Mindfulness Meditation Slows Progression Of HIV, Study Suggests (July 27, 2008) -- CD4+ T lymphocytes, or simply CD4 T cells, are the "brains" of the immune system, coordinating its activity when the body comes under attack. They are also the cells that are attacked by HIV, the devastating virus that causes AIDS and has infected roughly 40 million people worldwide. The virus slowly eats away at CD4 T cells, weakening the immune system. ... > full story
Making Patients Move Requires The Right Exercise Advice (July 27, 2008) -- Researchers found that adults with chronic illness who received interventions focused on behavior-changing strategies significantly increased their physical activity levels. In contrast, interventions based on cognitive approaches, which attempt to change knowledge, beliefs and attitudes, and are most commonly used by health care providers, did not improve physical activity. ... > full story
Lab-on-a-chip at home: Make Your Own Microfluidic Testing Device With New Kit (July 27, 2008) -- A type of device called a "lab-on-a-chip" could bring a new generation of instant home tests for illnesses, food contaminants and toxic gases. But today these portable, efficient tools are often stuck in the lab themselves. Specifically, in the labs of researchers who know how to make them from scratch. ... > full story
Overweight Elderly Americans Contribute To Financial Burdens Of U.S. Health Care System, Study Finds (July 27, 2008) -- The extra Medicare cost associated with overweight elderly people could place a significant burden on taxpayers. ... > full story
Target-seeking Antibodies For Cancer Therapy (July 26, 2008) -- A chemist has discovered a new marker together with three associated monoclonal antibodies which are promising candidates for cancer therapy. Up to now, monoclonal antibodies have only aided the chemotherapeutic fight against cancer to a limited extent. ... > full story
Patient Privacy Assured By Electronic Censor (July 26, 2008) -- Newly developed software will help to allay patients' fears about who has access to their confidential data. A new computer program is capable of deleting details from medical records which may identify patients, while leaving important medical information intact. ... > full story
Diversity In Primary Schools Promotes Harmony, Study Finds (July 26, 2008) -- For the first time, children as young as 5 have been shown to understand issues regarding integration and separation. The research confirms that the ethnic composition of primary schools has a direct impact on children's attitudes towards those in other ethnic groups and on their ability to get on with their peers. ... > full story
Key Mechanism Of Cellular Damage In Aging And Disease Discovered (July 26, 2008) -- Researchers have taken a first snapshot of how a class of highly reactive molecules inflicts cellular damage as part of aging, heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, kidney disease and Alzheimer's disease to name a few. Researchers have discovered a tool that can monitor related damage and determine the degree to which antioxidant drugs effectively combat disease. ... > full story
Kidneys Donated After Cardiac Death Could Reduce Disparities For Black Kidney Transplant Recipients (July 26, 2008) -- Kidneys donated after individuals die from cardiovascular causes may be one of the best options for black patients in need of transplants, according to a new study. The research reveals that utilization of these organs should be expanded in order to reduce racial disparities that exist in renal transplantation. ... > full story
Who's More Likely To Do Sports? White, Middle Class, And Middle-aged (July 26, 2008) -- The comfortably off, white, and middle-aged are the most likely to participate in sporting activities, reveals a 10 year study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. ... > full story
Adult Stem Cells Activated In Mammalian Brain (July 26, 2008) -- Adult stem cells originate in a different part of the brain than is commonly believed, and with proper stimulation they can produce new brain cells to replace those lost to disease or injury, a new study has shown. ... > full story
Promising Results In Deep Brain Stimulation For Patients With Treatment-resistant Depression (July 26, 2008) -- New data from a study of patients with treatment-resistant depression who underwent deep brain stimulation in the subcallosal cingulate region of the brain shows that this intervention is generally safe and provides significant improvement in patients as early as one month after treatment. The patients also experienced continued and sustained improvement over time. ... > full story
Heart Disease Is Linked To Worse Mental Processes That, In Turn, Predict The Onset Of Dementia (July 26, 2008) -- Coronary heart disease is associated with a worse performance in mental processes such as reasoning, vocabulary and verbal fluency, according to a study of 5,837 middle-aged Whitehall civil servants published in the European Heart Journal. The study also found that the longer ago the heart disease had been diagnosed, the worse was the person's cognitive performance and this effect was particularly marked in men. ... > full story
Giving Electronic Learning A Personal Touch (July 26, 2008) -- A learning system that adapts to the abilities and needs of students opens the way to a more personalized approach in delivering education electronically. ... > full story
Why Cigarette Smoke Makes Flu, Other Viral Infections Worse (July 25, 2008) -- A new study could explain why the cold and flu virus symptoms that are often mild and transient in non-smokers can seriously sicken smokers. The study also identified the mechanism by which viruses and cigarette smoke interact to increase lung inflammation and damage. ... > full story
It Takes Nerves For Flies To Keep A Level Head (July 25, 2008) -- The nerve connections that keep a fly's gaze stable during complex aerial maneuvers, enabling it to respond quickly to obstacles in its flight path, have been revealed in new detail. ... > full story
Gene Responsible For Rare Childhood Disease Identified (July 25, 2008) -- The chromosomal abnormality that causes a rare, but often fatal, disorder that affects infants has been identified by researchers who happened to treat two young children with the disease in San Diego -- two of perhaps a dozen children in the entire country diagnosed with the disorder. ... > full story
Various Species' Genes Evolve To Minimize Protein Production Errors (July 25, 2008) -- Genetic evolution is strongly shaped by genes' efforts to prevent or tolerate errors in protein production. Previously unexplained patterns of evolution may aim to prevent or tolerate mistranslation. ... > full story
Energy Drinks Linked To Risk-taking Behaviors Among College Students (July 25, 2008) -- Over the last decade, energy drinks -- such as Red Bull, Monster and Rockstar -- have become nearly ubiquitous on college campuses. Now new research validates and expands upon existing concerns about energy drink consumption. ... > full story
Older People May Need Less Sleep, Study Finds (July 25, 2008) -- Along with all the other changes that come with age, healthy older people also lose some capacity for sleep. When asked to stay in bed for 16 hours in the dark each day for several days, younger people get an average of 9 hours of shuteye compared to 7.5 for older people, the researchers report. ... > full story
Broken DNA Must Find Right Partners Quickly Amid Repairs (July 25, 2008) -- Just as square dance partners join hands at a particular point in the music, so broken pieces of DNA in our cells reunite as they are repaired. Precisely and quickly, these DNA pieces identify each other and tether together. A tumor-suppressor gene called ATM choreographs this fast-paced, but reliable, reassembly operation. ... > full story
Frequent Family Meals Might Reduce Teen Substance Use (July 25, 2008) -- Parents who have regular meals with their adolescent children might help lessen the chances they will start drinking or smoking later in their teen years, according to new research. Researchers noted benefits in families that ate five or more meals together each week, and found that about 60 percent of the participants did so. ... > full story
Missing Link Found Between Circadian Clock And Metabolism (July 25, 2008) -- Two new research studies have discovered a long sought molecular link between our metabolism and components of the internal clock that drives circadian rhythms, keeping us to a roughly 24-hour schedule. ... > full story
EPA Acts To Reduce Toxic Pesticide -- Carbofuran -- Residue In Food (July 25, 2008) -- Due to considerable risks associated with the pesticide carbofuran in food and drinking water, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is revoking the regulations that allow carbofuran residues in food. EPA is proceeding on the path toward cancellation of the pesticide registration, which will address the risks to pesticide applicators and birds in treated fields. ... > full story
Advanced Liver Cancer Patients Live Longer By Taking Anti-cancer Drug Sorafenib (July 25, 2008) -- Researchers have found that sorafenib (Nexavar) helps patients with advanced liver cancer live about 44 percent longer compared with patients who did not receive the anti-cancer drug. The findings are a significant advance in the management of liver cancer, which is the third cause of cancer death globally, often resulting in death within a year of diagnosis. ... > full story
Freedom’s Just Another Word For Less Sexually Active Teens (July 25, 2008) -- Rigid parenting appears to be linked to increased sexual activity in older teens. More than two of every three American teens has sexual intercourse before age 19. Although it is difficult to confirm that controlling mothers and fathers cause kids to have more sex, the findings suggest it is wise to give children freedom. ... > full story
Prevailing Theory Of Aging Challenged: Genetic Instructions Found To Drive Aging In Worms (July 25, 2008) -- Age may not be rust after all. Specific genetic instructions drive aging in worms. This discovery contradicts the prevailing theory that aging is a buildup of tissue damage akin to rust, and implies science might eventually halt or even reverse the ravages of age. ... > full story
'Snow Flea Antifreeze Protein' Could Help Improve Organ Preservation (July 25, 2008) -- Scientists can now make the antifreeze protein that enables billions of Canadian snow fleas to survive frigid winter temperatures. Their laboratory-produced first-of-a-kind proteins could have practical uses in extending the storage life of donor organs and tissues for human transplantation, according to new research. ... > full story
Circadian Rhythm-Metabolism Link Discovered (July 25, 2008) -- Researchers have found a molecular link between circadian rhythms -- our own body clock -- and metabolism. The discovery reveals new possibilities for the treatment of diabetes, obesity and other related diseases. ... > full story
No Need For Gene Screens In Breast Cancer Families, Study Shows (July 25, 2008) -- New research should provide relief to women who are worried after a relative's breast cancer diagnosis. A new study shows that a family history of breast cancer does not give a useful indication of the likelihood that a woman will develop it herself at an early age. ... > full story
Worry About All Blows To The Head (July 25, 2008) -- Sports-related concussions in young athletes frequently go unrecognized, and often do not receive proper respect for the potential seriousness that even a mild injury may have, according to a pediatric sports medicine specialist. With more high-profile athletes describing their postconcussive symptoms, awareness is at an all-time high. An explosion in research about concussions in the past five years has increased understanding of how serious concussions may be. ... > full story
'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
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