ScienceDaily Health Headlines
for Wednesday, November 26, 2008
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14 Drugs Identified As Most Urgently Needing Study For Off-label Use (November 26, 2008) -- Physicians and policy-makers know that drugs are frequently prescribed to treat certain diseases despite a lack of FDA approval, a practice known as off-label prescribing. Now researchers have developed a list of 14 widely prescribed medications most urgently in need of additional study to determine how effective and safe they are for their off-label uses. Antidepressants and antipsychotics are the most prominent classes of drugs on the list. ... > full story
Vitamin D Can Alter Color Cancer Cells In Many Ways, Through One Pathway (November 26, 2008) -- A colon cancer cell isn't a lost cause. Vitamin D can tame the rogue cell by adjusting everything from its gene expression to its cytoskeleton. Scientists now show that one pathway governs the vitamin's diverse effects. The results help clarify the actions of a molecule that is undergoing clinical trials as a cancer therapy. ... > full story
Two Antidepressants Taken During Pregnancy Linked To Heart Anomalies In Babies (November 26, 2008) -- Women who took the antidepressant fluoxetine during the first three months of pregnancy gave birth to four times as many babies with heart problems as women who did not and the levels were three times higher in women taking paroxetine. ... > full story
Controlling Bad Cholesterol: Finding May Herald Scientific Breakthrough (November 26, 2008) -- A new study shows for the very first time that the degradation by PCSK9 of the LDLR receptor, which is responsible for removing the bad cholesterol from the bloodstream, may be inhibited by a third protein, annexin A2. ... > full story
Grow Old In Good Health: Vast Disparity Between European Countries (November 26, 2008) -- Although life expectancy is constantly growing in the countries of the EU, living longer isn't always the same as living well, and knowing to what age someone will live in good health remains a different question altogether. ... > full story
Chemotherapy Plus Targeted Therapies Shows Improved Survival In Advance-stage Lung Cancer Patients (November 26, 2008) -- The combination of traditional chemotherapy agents with targeted therapies called monoclonal antibodies showed no safety concerns and improved survival in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer according to a study presented at the 2008 Chicago Multidisciplinary Symposium in Thoracic Oncology, sponsored by ASTRO, ASCO, IASLC and the University of Chicago. ... > full story
Television: Not The Only Channel To Early Sex (November 26, 2008) -- A new study says a combination of factors must be targeted to reduce sexual activity in teenagers. In 2006, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 750,000 pregnancies and almost half of new cases of sexually transmitted infections were among adolescents. ... > full story
Novel Approach For Suppressing Prostate Cancer Development (November 25, 2008) -- Researchers have found that inactivating a specific biomarker for aggressive prostate cancer blocks the development of prostate cancer in animal models. ... > full story
Hypertension Develops Early, Silently, In African-American Men (November 25, 2008) -- Young and healthy African-American men were found to silently develop hypertension earlier than their white counterparts, and this rise in blood pressure may go undetected unless young African-American men are screened by measuring central blood pressure, not brachial pressure, according to a new study. ... > full story
Overuse Of Narcotics And Barbiturates May Make Migraine Attacks More Frequent (November 25, 2008) -- Scientists have determined that certain commonly-prescribed medications may have the unintended consequence of increasing the frequency of migraine attacks. ... > full story
E. Coli Bacteria Transferring Between Humans And Mountain Gorillas (November 25, 2008) -- A new study finds that mountain gorillas are at increased risk of acquiring gastrointestinal microbes, such as E. coli, from humans. The study examines the exchange of digestive system bacteria between humans, mountain gorillas and domestic animals with overlapping habitats. ... > full story
Inherited Genetic Cause, Possible Treatment Found For Complex Lung Disorder (November 25, 2008) -- A tale of two sisters has helped researchers solve a medical mystery and discover a familial genetic mutation that causes an inherited form of the lung disease pulmonary alveolar proteinosis. The researchers also point to the possibility of an inhaled therapy to overcome a chain of molecular events that lead to PAP. ... > full story
Study Shows How Social Support May Protect Brain During Stroke (November 25, 2008) -- New research in mice suggests that high levels of social support may provide some protection against strokes by reducing the amount of damaging inflammation in the brain. Researchers found that male mice that lived with a female partner before and after a stroke had a much higher survival rate compared to those mice that lived alone. ... > full story
Feed A Cold, Feed A Fever: Calorie Cut Makes It Harder To Fight Flu, Animal Study Shows (November 25, 2008) -- Dieters or those who consume fewer calories during flu season could have a harder time fighting off the flu virus, according to a nutritional immunology professor. Researchers have shown that mice with a calorie-restricted diet were more likely to die during the first few days of infection than mice with a normal diet. ... > full story
New Research Helps Explain Genetics Of Parkinson's Disease (November 25, 2008) -- A new study suggests that Parkin, the product of the Parkinson's disease-related gene Park2, prompts neuronal survival by clearing the cell of its damaged mitochondria. ... > full story
Football Helmet Shields Can Protect Against A Kick In The Face, Study Suggests (November 25, 2008) -- Researchers have determined that the two most popular brands of football helmet faceshields can withstand a hit equivalent to a kick in the face and provide that protection without disrupting players' vision. The eye specialists used an air cannon to hurl baseballs at the plastic faceshields. The impact was designed to mimic the force of a kick to the face, considered the riskiest way to sustain an eye injury in football. ... > full story
New Diabetes Treatment? New Source Of Insulin-producing Cells Identified (November 25, 2008) -- Researchers have shown that insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells can form after birth or after injury from progenitor cells within the pancreas that were not beta cells. ... > full story
Pain And Itch Responses Regulated Separately (November 25, 2008) -- Historically, scientists have regarded itching as a less intense version of the body's response to pain, but researchers have now determined that pain and itch actually are regulated by different molecular mechanisms. ... > full story
How Is Our Left Brain Is Different From Our Right? (November 25, 2008) -- Scientists found that synaptic size and shape in the center of the spatial memory (i.e. hippocampus) were asymmetrical between synapses receiving input from the left and right hemisphere. Differences were found in the synaptic connections of the learning center of the brain. ... > full story
Transporting Broiler Chickens Could Spread Antibiotic-resistant Organisms (November 25, 2008) -- Researchers have found evidence of a novel pathway for potential human exposure to antibiotic-resistant bacteria from intensively raised poultry -- driving behind the trucks transporting broiler chickens from farm to slaughterhouse. ... > full story
FoxJ1 Helps Cilia Beat A Path To Asymmetry (November 25, 2008) -- Scientists have discovered how a genetic switch, known as FoxJ1, helps developing embryos tell their left from their right. While at first glance the right and left sides of our bodies are identical to each other, this symmetry is only skin-deep. Below the surface, some of our internal organs are shifted sideways -- heart and stomach to the left, liver and appendix to the right. ... > full story
Microarray Analysis Improves Prenatal Diagnosis (November 25, 2008) -- A "chip" or array that can quickly detect disorders such as Down syndrome or other diseases associated with chromosomal abnormalities proved an effective tool in prenatal diagnosis in a series of 300 cases at Baylor College of Medicine, according to an article in the journal Prenatal Diagnosis. ... > full story
'Wiring' In The Brain Influences Personality (November 25, 2008) -- Some people are constantly seeking a new kick; some prefer to stick to tried and tested things. Which group you belong to seems to be connected, inter alia, with the 'wiring' of specific centers of the brain. This was discovered by scientists at the University of Bonn using a new method. Even how much acceptance people seek is apparently also determined by nerve fibers in the brain. ... > full story
Microcapsules Act As 'Roach Motel' To Kill Harmful Bacteria (November 25, 2008) -- Scientists have created tiny microscopic spheres that trap and kill harmful bacteria in a manner the scientists liken to "roach motels" snaring and killing cockroaches. The research could lead to new coatings that will disinfect common surfaces, combat bioterrorism or sterilize medical devices, reducing the devices' responsibility for an estimated 1.4 million infection-related deaths each year. ... > full story
Gulf War Research Panel Finds 1 In 4 Veterans Suffers From Illness Caused By Toxic Exposure (November 25, 2008) -- At least one in four of the 697,000 US veterans of the 1991 Gulf War suffer from Gulf War illness, a condition caused by exposure to toxic chemicals, including pesticides and a drug administered to protect troops against nerve gas, and no effective treatments have yet been found, a federal panel of scientific experts and veterans concludes in a new report. ... > full story
Advanced Lung Cancer Patients See Improved, Progression-free Survival (November 25, 2008) -- Patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer whose disease has progressed following chemotherapy have a higher rate of tumor shrinkage and a longer interval before cancer progression when bevacizumab is added to standard second-line erlotinib therapy, according to a study presented at the 2008 Chicago Multidisciplinary Symposium in Thoracic Oncology, sponsored by ASTRO, ASCO, IASLC and the University of Chicago. ... > full story
Predicting The Future For Patients With Severe Traumatic Brain Injury (November 25, 2008) -- "How will our loved one come out of this?" After an accident that results in severe traumatic brain injury, the answer to this simple question can change everything. A new study describes the tools that are most effective at providing an objective answer to this question almost as soon as patients leave intensive care. ... > full story
Drug Therapy For Premature Infants Destroys Brain Cells In Mice (November 25, 2008) -- A class of drugs that are used in premature infants to treat chronic lung damage can cause damage in the brain. New research suggests the drugs may cause cognitive and motor-control problems even when they are given before birth. ... > full story
Breast Cancer Incidence Among Premenopausal U.S. Women (November 25, 2008) -- African-American women under the age of 40 have a higher risk of breast cancer than do white women of a similar age. White women aged 40 and older, however, have a higher incidence than black women aged 40 and older. ... > full story
Drops In Blood Oxygen Levels May Be Key To Sudden Death In Some Epilepsy Patients (November 25, 2008) -- A new study suggests that the sudden unexplained deaths of some epilepsy patients may be a result of their brains not telling their bodies to breathe during seizures. ... > full story
New Clinical Study Will Help Doctors Assess Abnormal Bleeding (November 25, 2008) -- How do you know if you bleed normally? Scientists aim to answer that question more definitively with the launch of an assessment tool designed to help physicians and researchers more accurately determine what is inside and outside the normal range of bleeding symptoms. ... > full story
Applying 'Supply And Demand' Business Principles To Treat Infectious Diseases Worldwide (November 25, 2008) -- Treating infectious diseases while meeting escalating costs to do so continues to pose worldwide challenges, with one of the main issues being the ability to provide an adequate supply of drugs to treat infectious diseases. ... > full story
Mineral Oil Contamination In Humans: A Health Problem? (November 24, 2008) -- From a quantitative standpoint, mineral oil is probably the largest contaminant of our body. That this contaminant can be tolerated without health concerns in humans has not been proven convincingly. An editorial in the European Journal of Lipid Science and Technology reflects on this and concludes that this proof either has to be provided or we have to take measures to reduce our exposure from all sources, including cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and the environmental contamination. ... > full story
Strategy For Predicting Immunity Of Vaccines Developed (November 24, 2008) -- Researchers have developed a multidisciplinary approach involving immunology, genomics and bioinformatics to predict the immunity of a vaccine without exposing individuals to infection. This approach addresses a long-standing challenge in the development of vaccines -- that of only being able to determine immunity or effectiveness long after vaccination and, often, only after being exposed to infection. ... > full story
Complex Systems Science: How Do Math And Intuition Help Us Understand Whole Systems? (November 24, 2008) -- The human brain may be the ultimate complex system, but other examples appear everywhere. Take army ants. Despite their name, they have no general, and their queen sends out no instructions. No ant is aiming to get across that gully, and there is no blueprint or traffic light. Yet millions of ants, following the same instinctive rules of individual behavior, can build bridges with their bodies and forage for food along vast efficient highways. ... > full story
Centenarians 'Grossly' Underdiagnosed for Depression (November 24, 2008) -- Research presented at the Gerontological Society of America's annual meeting found that depression among centenarians is grossly underdiagnosed: more than 25 percent showed clinical levels of depression, yet only 8 percent had been diagnosed. ... > full story
21st Century Plague? Rat Fleas Spread Heart-damaging Bacteria (November 24, 2008) -- Bacteria that can cause serious heart disease in humans are being spread by rat fleas, sparking concern that the infections could become a bigger problem in humans. New research published in the Journal of Medical Microbiology suggests that brown rats, the biggest and most common rats in Europe, may now be carrying the bacteria. ... > full story
Preventing Tumor Cells From Refueling: A New Anti-cancer Approach? (November 24, 2008) -- Not all cells in a tumor are equal. New data, generated in mice, now suggests that targeting one set of tumor cells (specifically those in regions of the tumor rich in oxygen) can limit the growth of other tumor cells (specifically those in regions of the tumor deprived of oxygen). This approach decreased tumor growth in two models of cancer and rendered the remaining cells sensitive to irradiation. ... > full story
Fall Babies: Born To Wheeze? (November 24, 2008) -- It is said that timing is everything and that certainly appears to be true for autumn infants. Children who are born four months before the height of cold and flu season have a greater risk of developing childhood asthma than children born at any other time of year, according to new research. ... > full story
Tinnitus: Psychological Treatment And Neurostimulation Offer Hope (November 24, 2008) -- A remarkable number of patients with tinnitus demonstrate withdrawal behavior and have a negative view of life. Feelings of anxiety and depression result in patients experiencing the complaint as a major burden on their quality of life. In addition to psychological treatment, neurostimulation now also appears to be a very promising therapy. ... > full story
First Comprehensive Map Of Genes Likely To Be Involved In Bipolar Disorder (November 24, 2008) -- Neuroscientists have created the first comprehensive map of genes likely to be involved in bipolar disorder. ... > full story
Mechanisms Of Cardiovascular Disease And Cancer Give Clues To New Therapies (November 24, 2008) -- Cardiovascular conditions leading to heart attacks and strokes are treated quite separately from common cancers of the prostate, breast or lung, but now turn out to involve some of the same critical mechanisms at the molecular level. This in turn provides clues to more effective therapies for both cancer and cardiovascular diseases, but requires researchers in these distinct fields to come together. ... > full story
Climate Change May Boost Exposures To Harmful Pollutants (November 24, 2008) -- A review of studies projecting the impact of climate change on air quality, including effects on morbidity and mortality, indicates that adverse health effects will likely rise with changes in pollutant creation, transport, dispersion, and deposition. However, reducing greenhouse gas emissions could go far in mitigating adverse effects. ... > full story
Smoking, Teens And Their Parents: New Research (November 24, 2008) -- A new study found that adolescents were at the greatest risk of smoking when their parents began smoking at an early age and the parents' smoking quickly reached high levels and persisted over time. ... > full story
Hairspray Is Linked To Common Genital Birth Defect, Says Study (November 24, 2008) -- Women who are exposed to hairspray in the workplace during pregnancy have more than double the risk of having a son with the genital birth defect hypospadias, according to a new study in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives. ... > full story
When It Comes To What's For Dinner, Baboon Society Is No Democracy (November 24, 2008) -- In decisions about where to eat, baboons don't all have an equal say, according to a new report. Rather, most baboons in a group will follow their leader to a dining spot of his choosing, even if it means a considerably more meager meal for themselves than they could have had otherwise. ... > full story
New Technique Eliminates Toxic Drugs In Islet Transplant In Diabetic Mice (November 24, 2008) -- Islet cell transplantation is a promising therapy for people with type 1 diabetes, but it requires a regime of powerful immunosuppressive drugs so the immune system won't reject the insulin-producing islets. The drugs raise the risk of infections and cancer and are toxic to the islets themselves. Researchers have developed a new technique that eliminated the need for these drugs. The strategy is a potential therapy for human islet cell transplantation. ... > full story
Ancient And Modern Plagues Show Common Features (November 24, 2008) -- The Plague of Athens is one of 10 historically notable outbreaks described in an article in The Lancet Infectious Diseases. The phenomenon of widespread, socially disruptive disease outbreaks has a long history prior to HIV/AIDS, severe acute respiratory syndrome, H5N1 avian influenza and other emerging diseases of the modern era, note the authors. ... > full story
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