ScienceDaily Health Headlines
for Monday, October 6, 2008
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Asian-white Couples Face Distinct Pregnancy Risks, Study Finds (October 6, 2008) -- Pregnant women who are part of an Asian-white couple face an increased risk of gestational diabetes as compared with couples in which both partners are white, according to a new study. ... > full story
Toddlers' Focus On Mouths Rather Than On Eyes Is Predictor Of Autism Severity (October 6, 2008) -- Scientists have found that 2-year-olds with autism looked significantly more at the mouths of others, and less at their eyes, than typically developing toddlers. This abnormality predicts the level of disability, according to a study in the Archives of General Psychiatry. ... > full story
Depression Linked To Higher Death Rates From All Causes Among Elderly With Diabetes (October 6, 2008) -- In a large group of Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes, depression was linked with a higher death rate from all causes in a two-year study period. ... > full story
Physician's 'Dashboard' Takes A Measure Of Communication Skills (October 6, 2008) -- Much like a dashboard gives a good read on how your car is doing, researchers hope they'll soon give physicians a better idea of how they are doing with patients. ... > full story
Singing To Females Makes Male Birds' Brains Happy (October 6, 2008) -- The melodious singing of birds has been long appreciated by humans, and has often been thought to reflect a particularly positive emotional state of the singer. Researchers in Japan have now demonstrated that this can be true. When male birds sang to attract females, specific "reward" areas of their brain were strongly activated. ... > full story
Longer-duration Psychotherapy Appears More Beneficial For Treatment Of Complex Mental Disorders (October 6, 2008) -- Psychodynamic psychotherapy lasting for at least a year is effective and superior to shorter-term therapy for patients with complex mental disorders such as personality and chronic mental disorders, according to a meta-analysis published in the Oct. 1 issue of JAMA. ... > full story
New Device Aims To Give Sleep Apnea Sufferers Relief And Rest (October 6, 2008) -- Having a good night's sleep is proving elusive for six percent of the population. They have sleep apnea, which causes them to stop breathing in bouts throughout the night. Now, a researcher at Temple University School of Medicine is studying an experimental device to treat people with positional sleep apnea. ... > full story
Walking Forum Report Shows Need To Expand Physical Activity In Schools (October 6, 2008) -- With childhood obesity expanding to epidemic proportions in the United States, educators, researchers and health practitioners are actively seeking to identify effective means of addressing this public-health crisis. ... > full story
Mental Health Intervention Urged For Heart Patients (October 6, 2008) -- Heart patients are particularly vulnerable to depression and should be screened, and if necessary treated, to improve their recovery and overall health, according to a scientific advisory. ... > full story
Breast Cancer Cells Recycle To Escape Death By Hormonal Therapy (October 5, 2008) -- Many breast cancer cells facing potentially lethal antiestrogen therapy recycle to survive, researchers say. ... > full story
Learning To Shape Your Brain Activity (October 5, 2008) -- A new study shows that the successful manipulation of sensorimotor rhythm (SMR) amplitude by instrumental SMR conditioning (ISC) improved sleep quality as well as declarative learning. ISC might thus be considered a promising nonpharmacological treatment for primary insomnia. ... > full story
Reason For Sickness Absence Can Predict Employee Deaths (October 5, 2008) -- Employees who take long spells of sick leave more than once in three years are at a higher risk of death than their colleagues who take no such absence, particularly if their absence is due to circulatory or psychiatric problems or for surgery, concludes a new study. ... > full story
Advance Offers Revolution In Food Safety Testing (October 5, 2008) -- Microbiologists have developed a new technology to detect illness-causing bacteria -- an advance that could revolutionize the food industry, improving the actual protection to consumers while avoiding the costly waste and massive recalls of products that are suspected of bacterial contamination but are perfectly safe. ... > full story
Proper Use and Care More Important than New Lens Types for Contact Lens Infection Prevention (October 5, 2008) -- Contact lenses are a good alternative to eyeglasses, but are not entirely risk free. Even with today's improved designs, a small but significant number of contact lens wearers develop painful microbial infections of the cornea (microbial keratitis, or MK) that can cause vision loss. ... > full story
Adolescent Insomnia Linked To Depression And Substance Abuse During Adolescence And Young Adulthood (October 5, 2008) -- A new study shows that adolescent insomnia symptoms are associated with depression, suicide ideation and attempts, and the use of alcohol, cannabis and other drugs such as cocaine. ... > full story
Antisocial Behavior May Be Caused By Low Stress Hormone Levels (October 5, 2008) -- A link between reduced levels of the "stress hormone" cortisol and antisocial behavior in male adolescents has been discovered. Levels of cortisol in the body usually increase when people undergo a stressful experience, such as public speaking, sitting an exam, or having surgery. ... > full story
Variations In Key Genes Increase Caucasians’ Risk Of Heroin Addiction (October 5, 2008) -- Sometimes, small changes do add up. In the case of addictive diseases, tiny variations in a few genes can increase or decrease the likelihood of some people developing a dependency on heroin. Now, by examining a select group of genetic variants in more than 400 former severe heroin addicts, Rockefeller University researchers have identified several genetic variations in American and Israeli Caucasians that influence the risk for becoming addicted to one of the world's most powerful substances. ... > full story
Hay Fever May Be Best Treated With Self-adjusted Dosing (October 5, 2008) -- Hay fever, the often seasonal allergy that affects between 10 and 20 percent of the American population, is best controlled through a course of patient-adjusted dosing, according to new research published in the September 2008 edition of Otolaryngology -- Head and Neck Surgery. ... > full story
Palliative Care Access Varies Widely In U.S., Study Says (October 5, 2008) -- There has been rapid growth of new, innovative palliative care consultation services in the nation's hospitals. More than half of larger hospitals in the US offer palliative care services to ease pain and suffering for seriously ill patients and their families. However, the availability of these services varies widely across geographic regions, according to a new study. ... > full story
Making Metabolism More Inefficient Can Reduce Obesity (October 4, 2008) -- In a discovery that counters prevailing thought, a study in mice has found that inactivating a pair of key genes involved in "fat-burning" can actually increase energy expenditure and help lower diet-induced obesity. ... > full story
Parents Still Fear Autism Could Be Linked To Vaccines, Poll Shows (October 4, 2008) -- Scientists say there is no evidence linking vaccines and autism, but the lingering fear is leading to fewer parents having their children vaccinated and a growing number of measles infections. The first national survey of attitudes toward autism reveals that a small but significant percentage of people still believe the disease is caused by childhood vaccines. The poll results help explain growing number of measles infections. ... > full story
Where You Live Matters When You're Seriously Ill: Three U.S. States Earn 'A' Grade, Three An 'F' (October 4, 2008) -- America does a mediocre job caring for its sickest people. The nation, says a new report, gets a C. Only Vermont, Montana and New Hampshire earned an A, according to America's Care of Serious Illness: A State-by-State Report Card on Access to Palliative Care in Our Nation's Hospitals, a report based on a study in the October issue of the Journal of Palliative Medicine. ... > full story
Discovery Of Natural Compounds That Could Slow Blood Vessel Growth (October 4, 2008) -- Using computer models and live cell experiments, biomedical engineers have discovered more than 100 human protein fragments that can slow or stop the growth of cells that make up new blood vessels. ... > full story
Researchers Propose Minocycline As A Promising Drug For Patients With Fragile X Syndrome (October 4, 2008) -- Biomedical scientists have found that a readily available drug called minocycline, used widely to treat acne and skin infections, can be used to treat Fragile X syndrome, the most common inherited cause of mental impairment and the most common cause of autism. The study's findings have already impacted future therapies, with the approval of a new clinical trial in Toronto, Canada, that will test minocycline in patients with Fragile X. ... > full story
Should Companies With Unhealthy Products Be Regulated To Protect Health? (October 4, 2008) -- Should businesses that sell products which are responsible for a huge numbers of deaths, illness and injury, such as tobacco and junk food, be held accountable and made to improve public health? Two experts debate the issue. ... > full story
Obesity Clue: Newly Identified Cells Make Fat (October 4, 2008) -- The discovery of an important fat precursor cell may explain how changes in the numbers of fat cells might increase and lead to obesity. ... > full story
DNA Of Good Bacteria Drives Intestinal Response To Infection (October 4, 2008) -- A new study shows that the DNA of so-called "good bacteria" that normally live in the intestines may help defend the body against infection. ... > full story
Female Medical Students Underestimate Their Abilities And Males Tend To Overestimate Theirs (October 4, 2008) -- Despite performing equally to their male peers in the classroom and the clinic, female medical students consistently report decreased self-confidence and increased anxiety, particularly over issues related to their competency. ... > full story
Artificial Cells: Models Of Eel Cells Suggest Electrifying Possibilities (October 3, 2008) -- Researchers have applied modern engineering design tools to one of the basic units of life. They say that artificial cells could be built that not only replicate the electrical behavior of electric eel cells but in fact improve on them, possibly driving future implantable medical devices. ... > full story
Direct Recording Shows Brain Signal Persists Even In Dreamless Sleep (October 3, 2008) -- Neuroscientists have taken one of the first direct looks at one of the human brain's most fundamental "foundations:" a brain signal that never switches off and may support many cognitive functions. ... > full story
Why Does Lederhosen Conquer The Oktoberfest In Munich? (October 3, 2008) -- The beer's tapped and suddenly it seems the whole city is intoxicated: dirndls and lederhosen are becoming the ever more popular choice of outfit for going to the Oktoberfest -- and not only among the born-and-bred Munich inhabitants. Traditional garb is more popular than ever, especially among young visitors. But why are dirndls, lederhosen and other fancy dress outfits so highly in demand now, at the beginning of the 21st Century? ... > full story
Second Lumpectomy For Breast Cancer Reduces Survival Rates (October 3, 2008) -- A majority of women with breast cancer today are candidates for lumpectomy, allowing for conservation of most of their breast tissue. Results of a new study, however, show that a number of women whose cancer recurs in the same breast are treated with a second lumpectomy rather than a mastectomy, defying current treatment recommendations and cutting the number of years those women survive in half. ... > full story
Whether Combat Or Peacekeeping, PTSD Impacts Veterans' Well-being (October 3, 2008) -- Deployed peacekeeping veterans with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have significant impairments in health-related quality of life according to new research. The stud found anxiety disorders such as PTSD are associated with impaired emotional well-being, and this applies just as much to peacekeeping veterans as to combat veterans. ... > full story
Epstein-Barr Virus Protein Contributes To Cancer (October 3, 2008) -- Researchers have shown that the EBNA1 protein of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) disrupts structures in the nucleus of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cells, thereby interfering with cellular processes that normally prevent cancer development. The study, published in PLoS Pathogens, describes a novel mechanism by which viral proteins contribute to carcinogenesis. ... > full story
Anabolic Steroids Provide A Competitive Edge In Power Lifting Years After Doping Has Ended (October 3, 2008) -- Steroid use has been suspected in sports where building muscle strength, rather than endurance, is paramount. Power lifting is such a sport. Researchers have examined the impact of anabolic steroid use in power lifters years after the athletes ceased taking the drugs. They have found that while physical traces of the drug no longer remained, changes in the shoulder and quadriceps still gave lifters an edge. ... > full story
Beta-blockers Reduce Mortality In Patients With COPD After Vascular Surgery (October 3, 2008) -- In the first study to directly examine the effects of beta-blockers on surgical patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), researchers have found that, contrary to previous thought, beta-blockers significantly reduce mortality in COPD patients. ... > full story
Smoking Increases Depression In Women, Australian Study Reveals (October 3, 2008) -- A new Australian study reveals that women who smoke are at greater risk of developing major depressive disorder. ... > full story
Musicians Use Both Sides Of Their Brains More Frequently Than Average People (October 3, 2008) -- Supporting what many of us who are not musically talented have often felt, new research reveals that trained musicians really do think differently than the rest of us. Psychologists have found that professionally trained musicians more effectively use a creative technique called divergent thinking, and also use both the left and the right sides of their frontal cortex more heavily than the average person. ... > full story
Brain Pathway Responsible For Obesity Found: Too Many Calories Send Brain Off Kilter (October 3, 2008) -- An overload of calories throws critical portions of the brain out of whack, reveals a new study. That response in the brain's hypothalamus -- the "headquarters" for maintaining energy balance -- can happen even in the absence of any weight gain, according to the new studies in mice. ... > full story
Remembrance Of Tussles Past: Paper Wasps Show Surprisingly Strong Memory For Previous Encounters (October 3, 2008) -- With brains less than a millionth the size of humans', paper wasps hardly seem like mental giants. But new research shows that these insects can remember individuals for at least a week, even after meeting and interacting with many other wasps in the meantime. ... > full story
Childhood Wheezing With Rhinovirus Can Increase Asthma Odds 10-fold (October 3, 2008) -- Infants who experience viral respiratory illnesses with wheezing are known to be at increased risk for developing asthma later during childhood. Using new molecular techniques to identify different viruses, researchers now believe they have pinpointed the biggest culprit: rhinovirus. ... > full story
Bullying Of Teenagers Online Is Common, UCLA Psychologists Report (October 3, 2008) -- Seventy-two percent of 12-17-year-olds reported receiving at least one online incident of bullying in the last year, and 90 percent report not telling their parents or any other adult about being cyberbullied, psychologists report. The probability of getting bullied online was substantially higher for those who have been bullied in school. ... > full story
Six Environmental Research Studies Reveal Critical Health Risks From Plastic (October 3, 2008) -- Exposure to Bisphenol A, phthalates and flame retardants are strongly associated with adverse health effects on humans and laboratory animals. A special section in the October 2008 issue of Environmental Research -- "A Plastic World" -- provides critical new research on environmental contaminants and adverse reproductive and behavioral effects. ... > full story
What HIV Needs: Identification Of Human Factors May Yield Novel Therapeutic Targets For HIV (October 3, 2008) -- Scientists have found 295 host cell factors that are involved in human immunodeficiency virus infection. Their research could lead to the development of a new class of HIV therapeutics aimed at disrupting the human-HIV interactions that lead to viral infection. ... > full story
Step Right Up, Let The Computer Look At Your Face And Tell You Your Age (October 3, 2008) -- Like an age-guesser at a carnival, new computer software can fairly accurately estimate a person's age. But, unlike age-guessers, who can view a person's body, the software works by examining only the person's face. ... > full story
Link Between Weight Gains During Pregnancy And Dieting History (October 3, 2008) -- Women with a history of dieting or other restricted eating practices are at risk of gaining an inappropriate amount of weight during pregnancy. Researchers report that restrained eating behaviors prior to pregnancy were associated with weight gains above IOM recommendations for normal, overweight and obese women, and weight gains below recommendations for underweight women. ... > full story
This Is Your Brain On Politics (October 3, 2008) -- The founders of the United States didn't have the advantages of fMRI imaging and had no concept of the amygdala, but were hesitant about political parties and political campaigning nonetheless. Turns out there was some reason to be concerned -- many psychological studies have shown that political affiliation plays a large role not just in the voting booth but also when people must decide how they feel about political issues. ... > full story
Novel Anti-tumor Vaccine Developed (October 3, 2008) -- A novel anti-tumor vaccine for neuroblastoma and melanoma is showing significant impact on tumor growth in mice, according to new research published in Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy. The vaccine uses the tumor's own protein to induce an immune system response, allowing for a personalized approach to treatment. ... > full story
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