ScienceDaily Health Headlines
for Friday, October 31, 2008
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New Way To Attack Some Forms Of Leukemia Discovered (October 31, 2008) -- What if a way could be found to reprogram cancerous cells back into normal cells? Researchers believes it may have found a way to do just that. Scientists discovered a way to disrupt the protein switch that is a critical component in the process to create white blood cells. ... > full story
Anti-seizure Drug Could Be Fatal, New Research Shows (October 31, 2008) -- New research presented at CHEST 2008 shows that patients treated for their prolonged seizures with the sedative propofol may be at high risk for complications and even death. ... > full story
Difficult To Read Instructions Decrease Motivation (October 31, 2008) -- A new study shows that if directions for a task are presented in a difficult-to-read style, the task will be viewed as being difficult, taking a long time to complete and lead to decreased motivation for completing the task. ... > full story
Antimalarial Drug Prevents Diabetes In Arthritis Patients, Study Suggests (October 31, 2008) -- New research sheds light on how an antimalarial drug may prevent the onset of diabetes in some high risk patients. ... > full story
Marriage Dowry As Major Cause Of Poverty In Bangladesh (October 31, 2008) -- More than 35 million people in Bangladesh, around a quarter of its population, face acute poverty and hunger. Dowry payments of more than 200 times the daily wage and costly medical expenses are major causes of this chronic poverty says research from the University of Bath. ... > full story
Gleevec Holds Potential As First Drug To Successfully Treat Neurofibromatosis, Scientists Report (October 31, 2008) -- The anti-cancer drug gleevec holds out promise to become the first effective treatment for neurofibromatosis, a genetic disease that has resisted treatments until now. The research team is conducting clinical tests of the drug following successful laboratory tests and a "compassionate use" of the drug. ... > full story
Baby Talk: Roots Of Early Vocabulary In Infants' Learning From Speech (October 31, 2008) -- A new report describes an increasing emphasis among researchers in studying vocabulary development in infants. Recent findings have shown that infants are not only aware of the pieces that make up a word, but they are already aware of the entire word and by one year of age, children are able to recognize mispronunciations of words. In addition, there is a relationship between young children's performance in word recognition and their later language achievement. ... > full story
Daylight Saving Time: Clock-shifts Affect Risk Of Heart Attack (October 30, 2008) -- Adjusting the clocks to summer time on the last Sunday in March increases the risk of myocardial infarction in the following week, according to a new Swedish study. In return, putting the clocks back in the autumn reduces the risk, albeit to a lesser extent. ... > full story
Cancer Drug Resistance: 'New' Estrogen Receptor Found To Be Key Player In Tamoxifen Resistance (October 30, 2008) -- Researchers have discovered a novel way in which breast cancer cells become resistant to tamoxifen, the world's largest-selling breast cancer prevention and treatment drug. They say the findings could provide a way to identify tamoxifen users who are no longer benefiting from the drug, allowing doctors to try another therapy option sooner. ... > full story
Amateur Sports Can Lead to Unexpected Health Problems Later in Life (October 30, 2008) -- Taking up bowling or tennis is an excellent way to stay fit. But if you're not careful, you might find that these amateur sports can have unexpected long-term health risks. ... > full story
Open-heart Surgery Should Remain Viable Treatment Option For People In Their 80s, According To Experts (October 30, 2008) -- Patients 80 years and older who are in overall good health are perfectly able to withstand open-heart surgery, according to a new study. ... > full story
Office Workers Given Blue Light To Help Alertness (October 30, 2008) -- Changing traditional white-light lighting to blue-enriched white light helped office workers stay more alert and less sleepy during the day, in a new study. The research also showed improvements in subjective measures of positive moods, work performance, fatigue in the evening, irritability, ability to concentrate and focus and eye strain. Furthermore the workers reported improved sleep at night. ... > full story
Eating Red Meat Sets Up Target For Disease-causing Bacteria, Study Finds (October 30, 2008) -- Offering another reason why eating red meat could be bad for you, researchers have uncovered the first example of a bacterium that causes food poisoning in humans when it targets a non-human molecule absorbed into the body through red meats such as lamb, pork and beef. ... > full story
Prostate Cancer Prevention: No Benefit For Use Of Selenium And Vitamin E Supplements, Study Shows (October 30, 2008) -- Initial, independent review of study data from the Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT) shows that selenium and vitamin E supplements, taken either alone or together, did not prevent prostate cancer. ... > full story
Well-known Drug (AAT) Could Overcome Obstacles To Islet Transplantation, Study Suggests (October 30, 2008) -- Researchers have demonstrated that treating diabetic animals with alpha-1-antitrypsin following an islet transplantation procedure eliminates the inflammation that causes islet transplants to fail. ... > full story
Hazardous Levels Of Metal Ions Found In Many Commercial Table Wines, Study Suggests (October 30, 2008) -- Potentially hazardous levels of metal ions are present in many commercially available wines. An analysis of reported levels of metals in wines from 16 different countries found that only those from Argentina, Brazil and Italy did not pose a potential health risk owing to metals. ... > full story
Night-time Driving Over Long Periods Increases Risk Of Accidents (October 30, 2008) -- Does driving at night affect the risk of accidents? Drowsiness resulting from a lack of sleep is a recognized risk factor which causes traffic accidents. But what happens if drivers combine extended driving and sleep deprivation? ... > full story
Artificial Pancreas Could Revolutionize Treatment Of Type 1 Diabetes (October 30, 2008) -- Researchers across the globe are testing a computerized, subcutaneous system that could one day transform the way Type 1 diabetics manage their disease. ... > full story
Aggressive Phototherapy Can Improve Neurodevelopmental Outcomes In Some Preemies (October 30, 2008) -- Researchers say the use of aggressive phototherapy reduces the odds that tiny premature infants will develop neurodevelopmental impairment such as cerebral palsy, blindness, deafness or physical or mental challenges. ... > full story
Our Cheatin' Brain: The Brain's Clever Way Of Showing Us The World As A Whole (October 30, 2008) -- Boundary extension is a mistake that we often make when recalling a view of a scene -- we will insist that the boundaries of an image stretched out farther than what we actually saw. Results of a new study indicate that boundary extension occurs when a scene is interrupted for as little as 42 milliseconds (quicker than an eye blink!) and even when volunteers know exactly what is being tested. ... > full story
Common Cold Symptoms Caused By Immune System -- Not The Cold Virus (October 30, 2008) -- Scientists confirm that it is how our immune system responds, not the rhinovirus itself, that causes cold symptoms. Of more than 100 different viruses that can cause the common cold, human rhinoviruses are the major cause. ... > full story
Allergies May Protect Against Certain Types Of Cancer (October 30, 2008) -- A new article provides strong evidence that allergies are much more than just an annoying immune malfunction. They may protect against certain types of cancer. ... > full story
Cholesterol-lowering Drugs May Also Lower PSA, But Whether They Cut Cancer Risk Is Still Not Known (October 30, 2008) -- Popular cholesterol-busting drugs -- statins -- appear to lower men's PSA values along with their cholesterol levels, according to researchers. But whether the drugs prevent prostate cancer growth or just mask it is not known yet. ... > full story
Gender Affects Perceptions Of Infidelity (October 30, 2008) -- A new study explored how men and women perceive online and offline sexual and emotional infidelity. When given the choice, men were more upset by sexual infidelity and women were more upset by emotional infidelity. ... > full story
New Drug Target In Obesity: Fat Cells Make Lots Of Melanin (October 30, 2008) -- As millions of Americans gear up for the Thanksgiving holiday, a new report may provide some relief for those leery second helpings. Researchers describe a discovery that may allow some obese people avoid common obesity-related metabolic problems without losing weight: they make a common antioxidant, melanin, in excess. Even more promising is that some of the antioxidant drugs that can mimic the melanin effect are FDA-approved and available. ... > full story
New Gene Responsible For Puberty Disorders Identified (October 30, 2008) -- A new gene responsible for some puberty disorders has been identified. Scientists found that the gene mutated in CHARGE syndrome – a multi-system disorder characterized by diverse problems from heart defects to hearing loss to cleft lip and palate and mental retardation – also accounts for about 6 percent of two puberty disorders. ... > full story
Vaginal/Caesarean Combo Delivery Of Twins Safe, Study Suggests (October 30, 2008) -- Doctors need not go straight to Caesarean section when delivering twins, but can start with vaginal delivery of the first twin in many cases, researchers have found in a new study. ... > full story
Methylmercury Warning (October 30, 2008) -- Recent studies hint that exposure to the toxic chemicals, such as methylmercury can cause harm at levels previously considered safe. A new analysis of the epidemiological evidence in the International Journal of Environment and Health, suggests that we should take a precautionary approach to this and similar compounds to protect unborn children from irreversible brain damage. ... > full story
Facing Fears Early May Reduce Childhood Anxiety (October 30, 2008) -- Helping children face their fears may be more productive than focusing on other techniques to help them manage their anxieties, according to new research. ... > full story
New Chemical Key Could Unlock Hundreds Of New Antibiotics (October 30, 2008) -- Chemistry researchers have found a novel signaling molecule that could be a key that will open up hundreds of new antibiotics unlocking them from the DNA of the Streptomyces family of bacteria. ... > full story
Improved Rodent Trials Can Speed Cancer Drug Development, Expert Suggests (October 30, 2008) -- Better design of rodent trials could reduce the cost and time required for cancer drug development, according to an expert. ... > full story
Abducted Children: Conventional Photos Alone Don't Aid The Search (October 30, 2008) -- People's ability to recognize abducted children is impaired when they view a photo of a smiling, clean child, but come into contact with the same child whose appearance is very different because he or she is upset, crying, disheveled or unkempt. ... > full story
Hurdles For Muscular Dystrophy Therapy Cleared (October 30, 2008) -- Boys with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy will usually lose the ability to walk by their teens and typically die before the age of 30. For years, scientists have studied the use of gene therapy as a possible way to correct the muscle deterioration, but hurdles such as the need to treat all muscles in the body, including both skeletal muscle and heart muscle, have challenged researchers looking for an effective therapy until now. New studies demonstrate an effective way to deliver gene therapy and scientist show that therapy can be beneficial for the heart. ... > full story
HIV-infected Patients Should Start HAART Sooner, Study Suggests (October 30, 2008) -- Under current treatment guidelines, highly active antiretroviral therapy should be considered for HIV-infected patients when their CD4+ T-cell counts fall below 350 cells per cubic millimeter (mm3). However, new epidemiological research suggests that patients with HIV may have less risk of dying if they begin HAART sooner. ... > full story
Strengthen Restrictions On Off-label Promotion By Pharmaceutical Companies, Researchers Urge (October 30, 2008) -- Researchers are asking for tougher penalties and fines for pharmaceutical companies that market drugs for "off label" promotion, according to a new study. Researchers describe ways that the pharmaceutical industry uses marketing to encourage "the unmonitored, potentially dangerous use of drugs by patients for whom risks and benefits are unknown." ... > full story
New Hormone Data Can Predict Menopause Within A Year (October 30, 2008) -- For many women, including the growing number who choose later-in-life pregnancy, predicting their biological clock's relation to the timing of their menopause and infertility is critically important. ... > full story
MRSA Screening Downplayed As Effective Infection Control Intervention (October 30, 2008) -- Epidemiologists are downplaying the value of mandatory universal nasal screening of patients for MRSA, arguing that proven, hospital-wide infection control practices can prevent more of the potentially fatal infections. ... > full story
Racial And Ethnic Disparities Detected In Patient Experiences (October 30, 2008) -- A study surveying patients in more than 1,500 physician practices has found racial and ethnic disparities in patient experiences, with minority patients having worse experiences than white patients. The findings suggest that while all doctors should be attentive to differences in patient experiences, Hispanic, Native American, and black patients are often visiting physician practices that are less patient-centered. ... > full story
Statins Associated With Lower Risk Of Death From Pneumonia (October 29, 2008) -- Individuals who take cholesterol-lowering statins before being hospitalized with pneumonia appear less likely to die within 90 days afterward, according to a new report. ... > full story
Toward Non-invasive Disease Diagnosis With Wellness Cards (October 29, 2008) -- Scientists are reporting development of a device that could serve as the electronic "reader" for a coming generation of "wellness cards," specimen holders used to diagnose disease from a drop of a patient's saliva or blood. ... > full story
Exercise-induced Fatigue In Muscular Dystrophies Explained (October 29, 2008) -- A new study suggests that the prolonged fatigue after mild exercise that occurs in people with many forms of muscular dystrophy is distinct from the inherent muscle weakness caused by the disease. The research identifies a faulty signaling pathway that appears to cause exercise-induced fatigue in mouse models of muscular dystrophy and shows that Viagra can overcome the signaling defect and relieve the fatigue. ... > full story
New Understanding Of How We Remember Traumatic Events (October 29, 2008) -- Neuroscientists have discovered a new way to explain how emotional events can sometimes lead to disturbing long term memories. ... > full story
In Mice, Anxiety Is Linked To Immune System (October 29, 2008) -- Scientists reveal that immune cells in the brain influence how mice respond to stressful situations. ... > full story
Glutamate: Too Much Of A Good Thing In Schizophrenia? (October 29, 2008) -- Is schizophrenia a disorder of glutamate hyperactivity or hypoactivity? While the predominant hypothesis for many years was that schizophrenia was a glutamate deficit disorder, there is growing evidence of glutamate hyperactivity as well. ... > full story
Virtual Screening Leads To Real Progress In Drug Design (October 29, 2008) -- Around 150 thousand people per year get the parasitic disease African sleeping sickness, but the only medicines to treat it are either difficult to administer, expensive, or toxic. Now a team of scientists has put computers to work to find a solution. ... > full story
A Face By Any Other Name: Seeing Racial Bias (October 29, 2008) -- If Barack Obama had taken his mother's surname and kept his childhood nickname, American voters might literally see "Barry Dunham" as a quite different presidential candidate, a new study suggests. A name significantly changes our perception of someone's face and race, according to research in the journal Perception. ... > full story
Women's Voices Become More High-pitched During Ovulation (October 29, 2008) -- A new study adds to mounting evidence that human ovulation -- a state once thought to be undetectable without medical equipment -- actually prompts a range of subtle but observable behaviors aimed at attracting the best possible mate. ... > full story
Monitoring Broken Bones Without Using Electronics: Wireless Bone Monitor (October 29, 2008) -- The novel sensor is intended one day to help doctors monitor broken bones as they grow back together. Depending on the values of the forces measured by the sensor, they can decide whether the healing process is progressing normally or whether there is a danger that the fracture or implants might be overloaded. Until now doctors have used expensive and complicated electronic devices which sent the measured data to the outside world as radio signals. ... > full story
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