ScienceDaily Health Headlines
for Thursday, July 31, 2008
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Vaccine To Protect Against Black Plague Bioterror Attack Being Developed (July 31, 2008) -- New research may have found a defense against the black plague, a disease that wiped out a third of Europe's population in the Middle Ages and which government agencies perceive as a terrorist threat today. ... > full story
Frankincense Provides Relief To Arthritis Sufferers (July 31, 2008) -- An enriched extract of the 'Indian frankincense' herb Boswellia serrata has been proven to reduce the symptoms of osteoarthritis. Research published today in BioMed Central's open access journal Arthritis Research & Therapy has shown that patients taking the herbal remedy showed significant improvement in as little as seven days. ... > full story
Proton Channels Inhibit Release Of Histamine During Allergic Reactions, Novel Study Finds (July 31, 2008) -- Inhibiting the proton currents in basophils, a rare type of white blood cell, can stop the release of histamine and could provide a new target for allergy and asthma drugs according to a new study by researchers at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago and the Johns Hopkins Asthma and Allergy Center in Baltimore. ... > full story
Right Place + Right Time Can Trigger Drinking (July 31, 2008) -- Strong cravings for alcohol can be sparked by the mere sight, smell and taste of a person's favorite drink. Responses to such cues that are associated with the positive effects of drinking are a lead cause of relapse in abstinent alcoholics. Using a behavioral animal model, researchers of a new study have found that the physical surroundings where alcohol cues are experienced can greatly influence the ability of those cues to trigger relapse. ... > full story
Findings On Bladder-brain Link May Point To Better Treatments For Problems In Sleep, Attention (July 31, 2008) -- Bladder problems may leave a mark on the brain, by changing patterns of brain activity, possibly contributing to disrupted sleep and problems with attention. For one in six Americans who have overactive bladder, the involuntary bladder contractions that often trigger more frequent urges to urinate, such mind-body connections may be of more than academic interest. ... > full story
Long-lasting Effects Of The Seveso Disaster On Thyroid Function In Babies (July 31, 2008) -- Three decades after an accident at a chemical factory in Seveso, Italy in 1976, which resulted in exposure of a residential population to the most dangerous type of dioxin, newborn babies born to mothers living in the contaminated area at the time of the accident are over six times more likely to have altered thyroid function than those born to mothers in a non-contaminated area. ... > full story
Minorities Less Likely To Know About Breast Cancer Treatment Options (July 31, 2008) -- Nearly half of women treated for breast cancer did not know that their odds of being alive after five years are roughly the same whether they undergo mastectomy or breast conserving surgery. Minority women were even less likely to be aware of this important factor of their treatment decision, according to a study from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center. ... > full story
Cell's 'Quality Control' Mechanism Discovered (July 30, 2008) -- Researchers have discovered a key component of the quality control mechanism that operates inside human cells -- sometimes too well. The breakthrough has significant implications for the development of new treatments for cystic fibrosis and some other hereditary diseases, the researchers say. ... > full story
Testosterone Predominance Increases Prevalence Of Metabolic Syndrome During Menopause (July 30, 2008) -- As testosterone progressively dominates the hormonal milieu during the menopausal transition, the prevalence of metabolic syndrome increases according to a new study by researchers at Rush University Medical Center. The study suggests this may be a pathway by which cardiovascular disease increases during menopause. ... > full story
Putting A Virtual Doctor In The Ambulance (July 30, 2008) -- A new ambulance communications system will enable doctors to diagnose and begin treating critically ill patients before they reach hospital. ... > full story
Healthy Children Of Alzheimer Patients Show Early Brain Changes (July 30, 2008) -- Children of Alzheimer's patients who are carriers of a genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease have neurological changes that are detectable long before clinical symptoms may appear. ... > full story
Fertility: Newly Discovered Proteins In Seminal Fluid Transferred During Mating May Affect Odds Of Producing Offspring (July 30, 2008) -- More than 80 new proteins, thought to play a role in reproductive success, have been discovered in the seminal fluid of fruit flies. ... > full story
Scientists Race To Stay One Step Ahead Of The Drug-taking And Genetic Manipulation That Threatens Sport (July 30, 2008) -- The race to ensure that scientists stop drug-taking athletes from damaging sport by using performance enhancing drugs or undergoing genetic manipulation is a constant challenge, according to a major four-decade review by three of the World’s leading experts on doping in sport. ... > full story
Hey Fever! The Surprise Benefit Of Allergies (July 30, 2008) -- Long-suffering victims of allergies such as asthma and hay fever might enjoy a surprise benefit, according to research led by the University of New South Wales. ... > full story
Alleviating The Fear Of Falling (July 30, 2008) -- Ritalin could prevent fatal falls, a Tel Aviv University study finds. ... > full story
Sensitive Testing Reveals Drug-resistant HIV With Possible Consequences For Treatment (July 30, 2008) -- Drug-resistant HIV at levels too low to be detected by standard tests is not unusual and may contribute to treatment failure, according to new research. ... > full story
Smoking Predicts Increased Stroke Risk For Your Spouse (July 30, 2008) -- Although secondhand smoke is widely accepted as a risk factor for coronary heart disease, there have been few studies investigating the association of SHS and stroke risk. Researchers now report on evidence of increased risk of stroke for spouses of smokers. ... > full story
New Therapy For HIV Treatment (July 30, 2008) -- Millions of people world-wide who have contracted a highly resistant strain of the HIV virus could benefit from a new drug to treat the infection. ... > full story
Cerebral Malaria May Be A Major Cause Of Brain Injury In African Children (July 30, 2008) -- Researchers have found that cerebral malaria is related to long-term cognitive impairment in one of four child survivors. The research is published in the journal Pediatrics. ... > full story
Symbiotic Microbes Induce Profound Genetic Changes In Their Hosts (July 30, 2008) -- Though bacteria are everywhere -- from the air we breathe and the food we eat to our guts and skin -- the vast majority are innocuous or even beneficial, and only a handful pose any threat to us. What distinguishes a welcome microbial guest from an unwanted intruder? ... > full story
Women End Up Less Happy Than Men (July 30, 2008) -- Less able to achieve their life goals, women end up unhappier than men later in life -- even though they start out happier, reveals new research. ... > full story
Protein Plays Jekyll And Hyde Role In Lou Gehrig's Disease (July 30, 2008) -- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a fatal neurodegenerative disease caused by the death of motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord that control muscle movements from walking and swallowing to breathing. Scientists now report key findings about the cause and occurrence of the familial form of ALS. ... > full story
Could Metals Help Treat Cancer? (July 30, 2008) -- A collaboration between chemists and biologists has made it possible to identify the effects of a new class of molecules, polyoxometalates, primarily composed of metals and oxygen. These molecules are very powerful inhibitors of a specific protein kinase, CK2, an enzyme that is overactive in a number of cancers. The enzyme's instrumental role in controlling cell proliferation and survival makes it an important target in the search for new medications. ... > full story
Thyrotropin Levels Associated With Alzheimer's Disease Risk In Women (July 30, 2008) -- Women with low or high levels of the hormone thyrotropin, which affects thyroid gland function and thyroid hormone levels, appear to have a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, according to a report in the July 28 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. ... > full story
Being A Control Freak Aids Dividing Cells (July 30, 2008) -- A dividing cell tags more than 14,000 different sites on its proteins with phosphate, a molecule that typically serves as a signal for a variety of biological processes. This preponderance of signals -- more than twice the number identified by past studies -- suggests that the cell may become a control freak during the division process, regulating each of its parts, no matter how obscure. Understanding how cell division works is essential for understanding a host of diseases and conditions, from cancer to pediatric heart defects. ... > full story
New Disease-fighting Nanoparticles Look Like Miniature Pastries (July 30, 2008) -- Ultra-miniature bialy-shaped particles -- called nanobialys because they resemble tiny versions of the flat, onion-topped rolls popular in New York City -- could soon be carrying medicinal compounds through patients' bloodstreams to tumors or atherosclerotic plaques. The nanobialys answered a need for an alternative to the research group's gadolinium-containing nanoparticles. Recent studies have shown that gadolinium can be harmful to some patients with severe kidney disease. ... > full story
Statins May Protect Against Memory Loss (July 30, 2008) -- People at high risk for dementia who took cholesterol-lowering statins are half as likely to develop dementia as those who do not take statins, a new study shows. ... > full story
Compound That Helps Rice Grow Reduces Nerve, Vascular Damage From Diabetes (July 30, 2008) -- Researchers have found that a compound that helps rice seed grow, springs back into action when brown rice is placed in water overnight before cooking, significantly reducing the nerve and vascular damage that often result from diabetes. ... > full story
Scientists Announce Mouse Sperm Cryopreservation Breakthrough (July 30, 2008) -- Scientists have figured out a simple, cost-effective process to freeze mouse sperm and get it to achieve high fertilization rates with mouse eggs. The breakthrough will greatly reduce the cost of developing and distributing new mouse models of human disease. ... > full story
Preterm Birth Contributes To Growing Number Of Infant Deaths: More Than 28,000 Infants Died In 2005 (July 30, 2008) -- Babies born too soon and too small accounted for a growing proportion of infant deaths, 36.5 percent of infant deaths in 2005, up from 34.6 percent in 2000. The nation's infant mortality rate inched up slightly in 2005 to 6.9, from 6.8 percent in 2004, although the change is not statistically significant. ... > full story
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
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