ScienceDaily Health Headlines
for Wednesday, July 30, 2008
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Searching For Shut Eye: Possible 'Sleep Gene' Identified (July 30, 2008) -- While scientists and physicians know what happens if you don't get six to eight hours of shut-eye a night, investigators have long been puzzled about what controls the actual need for sleep. Researchers might have an answer, at least in fruit flies. In a recent study of fruit flies, they identified a gene that controls sleep. ... > full story
Modified Salmonella Slows Tumor Growth (July 30, 2008) -- Attenuated Salmonella bacteria engineered to express the Fas ligand (FasL) accumulate in tumors and reduce their growth. ... > full story
Defining DNA Differences To Track And Tackle Typhoid (July 30, 2008) -- For the first time, next-generation DNA sequencing technologies have been turned on typhoid fever -- a disease that kills 600,000 people each year. The study sets a new standard for analyzing the evolution and spread of a disease-causing bacterium: it is the first study of multiple samples of any bacterial pathogen at this level of detail. The results will help to improve diagnosis, tracking the disease and could help to design new strategies for vaccination. ... > full story
Study Links Soft Drinks And Fruit Drinks With Risk For Diabetes In African-American Women (July 30, 2008) -- Researchers from Boston University's Slone Epidemiology Center have found that regular consumption of sugar-sweetened soft drinks and fruit drinks is associated with an increased risk for type 2 diabetes in African-American women. These findings appear in the July 28 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine. ... > full story
New Treatment For Advanced Prostate Cancer (July 30, 2008) -- Researchers at the University of Adelaide have developed a novel approach to treating advanced prostate cancer that could be more effective with fewer side effects. ... > full story
Accelerated Bone Turnover Remains After Weight Loss (July 30, 2008) -- When a person is losing a significant amount of weight, they expect to notice changes in their body. However, they may overlook changes happening in their bones. In a new study, a University of Missouri researcher and collaborators at the University of Kansas found that the potentially harmful effects of weight loss on bone persist during weight maintenance following moderate weight loss. ... > full story
Gaining Advantages From Childhood Experience (July 30, 2008) -- It often seems that certain aspects of our personalities are influenced by events that occurred in our childhoods. A recent study examined how early life experience influences social skills and ability to handle stressful situations using a rat model. ... > full story
New Biomarker For Early Cancer Detection? Research Reveals That 'MicroRNA' May Fit The Bill (July 29, 2008) -- Scientists at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center have discovered that microRNAs -- molecular workhorses that regulate gene expression -- are released by cancer cells and circulate in the blood, which gives them the potential to become a new class of biomarkers to detect cancer at its earliest stages. ... > full story
Women With Gestational Diabetes At Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes (July 29, 2008) -- Women with gestational diabetes are at greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes, with almost 20 percent of women developing the condition within 9 years of pregnancy, found a large, population-based study of 659,000 women published in CMAJ. ... > full story
This Old Healthy House: Obesity Linked To Newer, Less Walkable Neighborhoods (July 29, 2008) -- The age of your neighborhood may influence your risk of obesity, according to a new study. Residents were at less risk of being obese or overweight if they lived in older, walkable neighborhoods -- those that are more densely populated, designed to be pedestrian friendly and have a range of destinations. ... > full story
Gallbladder Removed Through Uterus Without External Incisions (July 29, 2008) -- In April of last year, surgeons at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center made headlines by removing a women's gallbladder through her uterus using a flexible endoscope, aided by several external incisions for added visibility. Now, they have performed the same procedure without a single external incision in what surgeons report may be the first surgery of its kind in the United States. ... > full story
Robotic Surgery Provides Reduced Pain and Quicker Recovery for Kidney Cancer Patients (July 29, 2008) -- Clinical research is helping bring the advantages of robotic surgery, including reduced pain and quicker recovery, to kidney cancer patients. ... > full story
South African Epidemic Of Schoolboy Sexual Abuse (July 29, 2008) -- By the age of 18 years, two in every five South African schoolboys report being forced to have sex, mostly by female perpetrators. A new study, reported in BioMed Central's open access journal International Journal for Equity in Health, reveals the shocking truth about endemic sexual abuse of male children that has been suspected but until now only poorly documented. ... > full story
Study Provides Clues To Preventing And Treating Cancer Spread (July 29, 2008) -- Researchers have demonstrated for the first time that normal cells, possibly fibrocytes, may travel to distant organs to create pre-metastic niches for the spread of cancer. ... > full story
Inheritance Of Hormonal Disorder Marked By Excessive Insulin In Daughters (July 29, 2008) -- Elevated levels of insulin could be an early sign that girls whose mothers suffer from polycystic ovary syndrome -- or PCOS -- may also be susceptible to the disease, according to gynecologists who have found evidence of insulin resistance in young children. ... > full story
Deaths From Combining Rx Drugs, Street Drugs And/Or Alcohol Skyrocket By More Than 3,000 Percent (July 29, 2008) -- Asking patients to monitor their own medications can be fatal, as exemplified by the recent death of actor Heath Ledger. ... > full story
Exposure To Bad Air Raises Blood Pressure, Study Shows (July 29, 2008) -- The air people breathe while walking in the park, working in the garden or shopping downtown may be unhealthy enough to seriously spike their blood pressure, a new study suggests. Cardiovascular researchers now report a direct link between air pollution and its impact on high blood pressure, or hypertension. If the results from these animal studies hold up, this could be important for human health. ... > full story
Erectile Dysfunction Drugs Allowed More Chemotherapy To Reach Brain Tumors In Laboratory Study (July 29, 2008) -- In a study using laboratory animals, researchers found that medications commonly prescribed for erectile dysfunction opened a mechanism called the blood-brain tumor barrier and increased delivery of cancer-fighting drugs to malignant brain tumors. ... > full story
Structure Of Hepatitis B Mapped By Spraying Virus (July 29, 2008) -- Using a newly developed method, Utrecht University researchers have mapped the structure and composition of the hepatitis B virus. The researchers were able to map the structure by spraying the virus. Their research brings us a step closer to understanding and combating hepatitis B infection. The method can also be used to analyse other viruses. ... > full story
Study Examines Prevalence Of Hearing Loss In The US (July 29, 2008) -- Hearing loss may be more prevalent in American adults than previously reported, according to a study in the July 28 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. ... > full story
Researchers Tap Into A New And Potentially Better Source Of Platelets For Transfusion (July 29, 2008) -- Researchers may be one step closer to improving treatments for bleeding disorders. They have devised a way to maximize the numbers and function of clot-forming blood cells from mice. ... > full story
Garden Microbe Foils E. Coli O157:H7 In Laboratory Tests (July 29, 2008) -- A microbe that may be living peaceably on the beans and cucumbers in backyard gardens might someday be recruited to foil foodborne pathogens. Geneticists looked at the pathogen-fighting abilities of the farm- and garden-friendly microbe, Enterobacter asburiae, in studies begun in 2002. ... > full story
Researchers Analyze How New Anti-MRSA Antibiotics Function (July 29, 2008) -- Researchers provide important insights into promising new antibiotics aimed at combating MRSA. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a major global health threat that kills approximately 20,000 people in the U.S. alone each year. ... > full story
Computers Lead To Safer Blood Transfusions, Chemotherapy (July 29, 2008) -- Computer scientists are analyzing medical procedures, including blood transfusions and chemotherapy treatments, with the goal of improving patient safety. The team is also analyzing the flow of patients in emergency rooms to reduce waiting time. ... > full story
Hypnosis Shown To Reduce Symptoms Of Dementia (July 29, 2008) -- Scientists have found that hypnosis can slow down the impacts of dementia and improve quality of life for those living with the condition. ... > full story
Pre-eclampsia May Be Autoimmune Disease (July 29, 2008) -- Biochemists at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston say they are the first to provide pre-clinical evidence that pregnancy-induced high blood pressure or pre-eclampsia may be an autoimmune disease. Their research could provide novel diagnostic and therapeutic possibilities for this intractable disease. ... > full story
Angiotensin Receptor Blockers Are Lower Incidence, Progression Of Alzheimer's Disease (July 29, 2008) -- Researchers have, for the first time, found that angiotensin receptor blockers -- a particular class of anti-hypertensive medicines -- are associated with a striking decrease in the occurrence and progression of dementia. ... > full story
Current Exercise Recommendations May Not Be Sufficient For Overweight Women To Sustain Weight Loss (July 29, 2008) -- In addition to limiting calories, overweight and obese women may need to exercise 55 minutes a day for five days per week to sustain a weight loss of 10 percent over two years, according to a report in the July 28 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. ... > full story
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
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