ScienceDaily Health Headlines
for Tuesday, July 29, 2008
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Study Suggests 86 Percent Of Americans Could Be Overweight Or Obese By 2030 (July 29, 2008) -- Most adults in the US will be overweight or obese by 2030, with related health care spending projected to be as much as 6.9 billion, according to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. ... > full story
Sharp Rise In Skin Infections In U.S., MRSA Suspected (July 29, 2008) -- A national analysis of U.S. physician office and emergency department records shows that the types of skin infections caused by community-acquired MRSA doubled in the eight-year study period, with the highest rates seen among children and in urban emergency rooms. ... > full story
Dietary Factors Appear To Be Associated With Diabetes Risk (July 29, 2008) -- Drinking more sugar-sweetened beverages or eating fewer fruits and vegetables both may be associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, whereas eating a low-fat diet does not appear to be associated with any change in diabetes risk, according to three reports in the July 28 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. ... > full story
Eating Disorder Symptoms More Common Among Female Athletes And Exercisers (July 29, 2008) -- A recent study reveals that university undergraduate women who actively participate in sports and exercise-related activities tend to have higher rates of attitudes and behaviors related to eating disorders compared to those who do not regularly exercise. ... > full story
Japanese Diet Rich In Fish May Hold Secret To Healthy Heart: Omega-3 Fatty Acids From Fish Appear To Prevent Clogged Arteries (July 29, 2008) -- If you're fishing for ways to reduce the risk of heart disease, you might start with the seafood-rich diet typically served up in Japan. The research, published in the Aug. 5, 2008, issue of Journal of the American College of Cardiology, suggests that protection comes from omega-3 fatty acids found in abundance in oily fish. ... > full story
Structure Of Heart Can Be Changed Through Exercise (July 29, 2008) -- Just like any other muscle, the structure of the heart can be changed through exercise. However, this adaptation process takes longer than it takes the muscle to revert to its original conditions. Researchers have studied this process in well trained hearts during their investigations to identify pathologies. ... > full story
New Human Tissue Bank 'A Tremendous Research Resource' (July 29, 2008) -- The University of Bradford has unveiled a new facility to provide UK biomedical researchers access to a wide range of human tissue and tissue products. ... > full story
Women's Access To Credit Affects Efficiency In Rural Households (July 29, 2008) -- Rural households in which women are not able to meet their needs for capital do not produce as much as they could, according to new research. ... > full story
Foods High In Conjugated Linoleic Acids Can Enrich Breast Milk (July 28, 2008) -- Have a cookie before breast-feeding, mom? Eating special cookies enriched with conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) can increase the level of these potentially healthful fatty acids in breast milk, reports a recent study in the journal Nutrition Research. ... > full story
Breast Cancer Detection: A Simpler Alternative To Mammograms? (July 28, 2008) -- Whether a painless, portable device that uses electrical current rather than X-ray to look for breast cancer could be an alternative to traditional mammograms is under study. New research will compare traditional mammograms to impedence scanning, a technique based on evidence that electrical current passes through cancerous tissue differently than through normal tissue. ... > full story
No Justification For Denying Obese Patients Knee Replacements, Experts Argue (July 28, 2008) -- There is no justification for denying obese patients knee replacement surgery: they benefit almost as much as anyone else from the procedure, concludes a small study. ... > full story
International Monetary Fund Loans Linked To Higher Death Rates From Tuberculosis (July 28, 2008) -- International Monetary Fund loans were associated with a 16.6 percent rise in death rates from tuberculosis in the former Soviet Union and Central and Eastern European countries between 1992 and 2002. The study also found that IMF loans were linked with a 13.9 percent increase in the number of new cases of TB per year and a 13.2 percent increase per year in the total number of people with the disease. ... > full story
Fungus Foot Baths Could Save Bees (July 28, 2008) -- One of the biggest world wide threats to honey bees, the varroa mite, could soon be about to meet its nemesis. Researchers at the University of Warwick are examining naturally occurring fungi that kill the varroa mite. They are also exploring a range of ways to deliver the killer fungus throughout the hives from bee fungal foot baths to powder sprays. ... > full story
A Hormone That Enhances One’s Memory Of Happy Faces (July 28, 2008) -- Oxytocin was originally studied as the “milk let-down factor,” i.e., a hormone that was necessary for breast-feeding. However, there is increasing evidence that this hormone also plays an important role in social bonding and maternal behaviors. A new study scheduled for publication in the August 1st issue of Biological Psychiatry now shows that one way oxytocin promotes social affiliation in humans is by enhancing the encoding of positive social memories. ... > full story
Prostate Cancer Patients Undergoing Hormone Therapy May Experience Cognitive Effects (July 28, 2008) -- Hormone deprivation therapy, a used for prostate cancer, may have subtle adverse effects on cognition in patients. ... > full story
Glazed America: Anthropologist Examines Doughnut As Symbol Of Consumer Culture (July 28, 2008) -- Few things say as much about our culture as the food we eat. An anthropologist explores the development of America's consumer culture through our relationship with the doughnut, beloved by many, and a symbol of temptation and unhealthiness to others. ... > full story
Hip Bone Density Helps Predict Breast Cancer Risk (July 28, 2008) -- Bone density provides information that may help more accurately determine the risk of developing breast cancer. ... > full story
‘Green’ Potato Health Risk Can Be Eliminated By Cutting Away Affected Area (July 28, 2008) -- Potatoes that have turned ‘green’ can potentially contain a naturally occurring toxin called Glycoalkaloids (GA) and pose a risk to public health. However, the good news is that cutting away the ‘green’ affected area is enough to eliminate most of the GAs to reduce the risk. ... > full story
Scientists Test System To Forecast Flash Floods Along Colorado's Front Range (July 28, 2008) -- People living near vulnerable creeks and rivers along Colorado's Front Range may soon get advance notice of potentially deadly floods, thanks to a new forecasting system being tested this summer by the National Center for Atmospheric Research. ... > full story
The Kids Most Likely To Go Armed (July 28, 2008) -- A recent report from Ofted stated that up to one in ten of the most vulnerable youths said carrying a weapon made them feel safer. Now, a new analysis has identified the key factors that help determine whether kids are likely to carry weapons. ... > full story
Lung Inflammation From Influenza And Other Infections Could Be Turned Off Following New Discovery (July 28, 2008) -- A new discovery could lead to treatments which turn off the inflammation in the lungs caused by influenza and other infections, according to a study published today in the journal Nature Immunology. ... > full story
Antimicrobial Sutures Reduce Infections In Brain Shunt Surgery, Study Finds (July 28, 2008) -- Using antimicrobial sutures to secure the shunt and close the wound significantly reduces the number of shunt infections arising during the first six months after surgery. ... > full story
Hurricane Preparedness Survey: Worries About Drinking Water And Medical Care (July 28, 2008) -- A new survey finds the top worries of respondents threatened or hit by Hurricane Katrina are that they would not have enough fresh water to drink (42 percent very worried) and that they would not be able to get needed medical care (41 percent very worried). ... > full story
Drug Abuse Accounts For Third Of Deaths Behind Scotland's Higher Mortality Rate, Study Finds (July 28, 2008) -- Drug abuse accounts for a third of the deaths behind Scotland's higher mortality rate, according to a new study. Death rates in Scotland are higher than in England and Wales and the difference between the nations is increasing. ... > full story
Gummy Bears That Fight Plaque (July 28, 2008) -- The tooth-protecting sugar substitute xylitol has been incorporated into gummy bears to produce a sweet snack that may prevent dental problems. Giving children four of the xylitol bears three times a day during school hours results in a decrease in the plaque bacteria that cause tooth decay. ... > full story
New Membrane Model May Unlock Secrets Of Early-stage Alzheimer's (July 28, 2008) -- Researchers are using a new laboratory model of the membrane surrounding neurons in the brain to study how a protein long suspected of a role in early-stage Alzheimer's disease actually impairs a neuron's structure and function. ... > full story
Francisella Tularensis: Stopping A Biological Weapon (July 28, 2008) -- Scientists hope a vaccine is on the horizon for tularemia, a fatal disease caused by the pathogen Francisella tularensis, an organism of concern as a potential biological warfare agent. Until recently we knew very little about this bacterium. However, according to the August issue of the Journal of Medical Microbiology, research on the bacterium has been reinvigorated and rapid progress has been made in understanding how it causes disease. ... > full story
Anti-HIV Therapy Boosts Life Expectancy More Than 13 Years (July 28, 2008) -- HIV patients taking a cocktail of drugs called combination antiretroviral therapy have seen a 13-year boost in life expectancy, according to a new study. Improved survival has led to a nearly 40 percent drop in AIDS deaths among 43,355 HIV-positive study participants in Europe and North America, bolstering the call for improved anti-HIV efforts worldwide, the study authors said. ... > full story
Scientists Suspect Omega-3 Fatty Acids Could Slow Acute Wound Healing (July 28, 2008) -- A recent study shows that popular fish oil supplements have an effect on the healing process of small, acute wounds in human skin. But whether that effect is detrimental, as researchers initially suspected, remains a mystery. The omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oils are widely considered to benefit cardiovascular health and other diseases related to chronic inflammation because of their anti-inflammatory properties. But insufficient inflammation during the initial stage of wound healing may delay the advancement of later stages. ... > full story
Emergency Physicians Have Good First Instincts In Diagnosing Heart Attacks (July 28, 2008) -- Emergency room doctors are correctly identifying patients who are having a heart attack, even when laboratory tests haven't yet confirmed it. ... > full story
Prevalence Of Dementia In The Developing World Underestimated (July 28, 2008) -- Previous estimates of levels of dementia in the developing world may have substantially underestimated the problem, according to research published today. The findings suggest that policymakers in low-income and middle-income countries may need to re-examine the burden and impact that dementia places on their health services. ... > full story
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
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