ScienceDaily Health Headlines
for Thursday, August 28, 2008
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Heart Attack Patients Who Stop Statin Risk Death, Say Researchers (August 28, 2008) -- Patients discontinuing statin medication following an acute myocardial infarction increase their risk of dying over the next year, say researchers at McGill University and the McGill University Health Center. Their study was published in a recent issue of the European Heart Journal. ... > full story
History Of Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer Is Associated With Increased Risk For Subsequent Malignancies (August 28, 2008) -- Individuals with a history of nonmelanoma skin cancer are at increased risk for other cancers, according to a study published in the Aug. 26 online issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. ... > full story
Protein Misprediction Uncovered By New Technique (August 28, 2008) -- A new bioinformatics tool is capable of identifying and correcting abnormal, incomplete and mispredicted protein annotations in public databases. The MisPred tool currently uses five principles to identify suspect proteins that are likely to be abnormal or mispredicted. ... > full story
Satisfaction And Regret After Radical Prostatectomy Procedures Studied (August 28, 2008) -- Studies have shown that approximately 16% of patients with localised prostate cancer regret their treatment choice. A new study compares differences in satisfaction and regret between patients who underwent open retropubic radical prostatectomy and robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy. ... > full story
New Role For Natural Killers (August 28, 2008) -- Scientists at the University of York have discovered a new role for a population of white blood cells, which may lead to improved treatments for chronic infections and cancer. ... > full story
Angiotensin Inhibitors And Receptor Blockers Linked To Lower Risk Of Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer (August 28, 2008) -- The use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers was associated with a reduced risk of basal cell or squamous cell skin cancers in US veterans, researchers report in the Aug. 26 online issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. ... > full story
Providing Surgical Services Worldwide Should Be A Global Public Health Priority, Experts Urge (August 28, 2008) -- In an editorial in this week's PLoS Medicine, the journal's editors outline five key reasons why providing basic surgical services universally should be considered a global public health priority. ... > full story
Cocaine-induced Brain Plasticity May Protect The Addicted Brain: Findings May Lead To New Drug-abuse Treatments (August 27, 2008) -- Increased connections among brain cells caused by excessive drug use may represent the body's defense mechanism to combat addiction and related behaviors, scientists at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found. ... > full story
Chronic Stress Alters Our Genetic Immune Response (August 27, 2008) -- In the journal Biological Psychiatry, researchers shed new light on one link between stress and illness by describing a mechanism through which stress alters immune function. ... > full story
Consumption Of Nuts, Corn Or Popcorn Not Associated With Increased Risk Of Diverticulosis In Men (August 27, 2008) -- Contrary to a common recommendation to avoid eating popcorn, nuts and corn to prevent diverticular complications, a large prospective study of men indicates that the consumption of these foods does not increase the risk of diverticulosis or diverticular complications. ... > full story
How The Brain Compensates For Vision Loss Shows Much More Versatility Than Previously Recognized (August 27, 2008) -- New insights into how the brain compensates for loss of sight suggests the brain is more adaptable than previously recognized. ... > full story
Early Trigger For Type-1 Diabetes Found In Mice (August 27, 2008) -- Scientists are shedding light on how type-1 diabetes begins. Doctors have known the disease is caused by an autoimmune attack on the pancreas, but the exact trigger of the attack has been unclear. Now, a new study in mice implicates the immune signal interferon-alpha as an early culprit in a chain of events that upend sugar metabolism and make patients dependent on lifelong insulin injections. ... > full story
High Levels Of Uric Acid May Be Associated With High Blood Pressure (August 27, 2008) -- Reducing levels of uric acid in blood lowered blood pressure to normal in most teens in a study designed to investigate a possible link between blood pressure and the chemical, a waste product of the body's normal metabolism. ... > full story
Genetic Predisposition May Play A Role In Anxiety Disorders (August 27, 2008) -- Finnish scientists have identified genes that may predispose to anxiety disorders. Some of the studied genes show a statistical association with specific anxiety disorders. ... > full story
Medication Slows Progression Of Myopia In Children (August 27, 2008) -- Daily treatment with a medication called pirenzepine can slow the rate of progressive myopia, or nearsightedness, in children, reports a new study. ... > full story
High Levels Of Toxic Metals Found In Herbal Medicine Products Sold Online (August 27, 2008) -- One fifth of both US-manufactured and Indian-manufactured Ayurvedic medicines purchased via the Internet contain lead, mercury or arsenic. ... > full story
Uninsured Patients Receive Unpredictable, Rationed Access To Health Care (August 27, 2008) -- A case study of three health care institutions with different ownership models found that self-pay patients must navigate a system that provides no guarantees medical centers will follow their own policies for providing uncompensated care. ... > full story
Caesarean Babies More Likely To Develop Diabetes (August 27, 2008) -- Babies delivered by Caesarean section have a 20 per cent higher risk than normal deliveries of developing the most common type of diabetes in childhood, according to a study led by Queen's University Belfast. ... > full story
Java Gives Caffeine-naive A Boost, Too (August 27, 2008) -- Females who don't drink coffee can get just as much of a caffeine boost as those who sip it regularly. ... > full story
Cell Removal Technique Could Lead To Cheaper Drugs (August 27, 2008) -- Costly drugs to treat conditions such as cancer and arthritis could be manufactured more cheaply with a new technique. Researchers have pioneered a simple way to remove dead cells from cell cultures used to make protein-based drugs, which are increasingly prescribed to treat a range of illnesses. ... > full story
Men Defy Stereotypes In Defining Masculinity (August 27, 2008) -- Men interviewed in a large international study reported that being seen as honorable, self-reliant and respected was more important to their idea of masculinity than being seen as attractive, sexually active or successful with women. ... > full story
New Oral Vaccine May Protect Against Bubonic Plague (August 27, 2008) -- Researchers have used a less virulent ancestor to the highly infectious bubonic plague to develop a potentially safe, efficient and inexpensive live oral vaccine. ... > full story
Bones Get Mended With High Tech Glass-of-milk (August 27, 2008) -- Scientists at the new Nuclear-Magnetic Resonance unit at the University of Warwick have discovered how a high-tech glass of milk is helping bones mend. ... > full story
Trauma, PTSD Followed By Reduction In Region Of The Brain Involved With Memory (August 27, 2008) -- While debate continues over the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder, a new study indicates traumatic events and PTSD symptoms may be followed in some cases by a size reduction in a part of the brain called the hippocampus. ... > full story
Fearsome-Smelling Gas Could Have Beneficial Uses In Medicine (August 27, 2008) -- A single breath of hydrogen sulfide, a gas best known for its rotten-egg smell, can kill. But at low concentrations, hydrogen sulfide could protect vital organs during surgery, research conducted by a new Emory University School of Medicine professor suggests. ... > full story
How Diet, Antioxidants Prevent Blindness In Aging Population (August 27, 2008) -- A new study reveals part of the magic behind a diet rich in antioxidants, showing how artichokes, blueberries and pecans can hold at bay the leading cause of age-related blindness in developed countries. ... > full story
Stick With Simple Antibiotics For Pneumonia To Avoid Super Bugs, Says Researcher (August 27, 2008) -- Australian hospitals should avoid prescribing expensive broad-spectrum antibiotics for pneumonia to avoid the development of more drug-resistant super bugs, according to a new study. ... > full story
Trouble Quitting? New Smoking Study May Reveal Why (August 27, 2008) -- A new study sheds light on why smokers' intentions to quit "cold turkey" often fizzle out within days or even hours. ... > full story
Secret Of Newborn's First Words Revealed (August 27, 2008) -- A new study could explain why "daddy" and "mommy" are often a baby's first words -- the human brain may be hard-wired to recognize certain repetition patterns. ... > full story
Cancer Breath? New Tool Aims To Detect Cancer Early In Exhaled Air (August 27, 2008) -- Early cancer detection can significantly improve survival rates. Current diagnostic tests often fail to detect cancer in the earliest stages and at the same time expose a patient to the harmful effects of radiation. Scientists will be using mid-infrared lasers to create a sensor to detect biomarker gases exhaled in the breath of a person with cancer. ... > full story
Newer Cardiac Imaging Machines Effective In Detecting Coronary Artery Stenosis (August 27, 2008) -- The first multicenter study of the accuracy of some of the latest cardiac imaging technology found it was 99 percent as effective in ruling out obstructive coronary artery stenosis -- or narrowing of these arteries -- as the more expensive and invasive coronary angiography traditionally used by physicians, according to new research. ... > full story
Action Research Helps People Make Positive Changes (August 27, 2008) -- Certain kinds of research can help improve social problems, according to a new study. Participatory action research actively seeks to change the behavior or situation of the consumer. ... > full story
Why Do Eyelids Sag With Age? Mystery Is Solved (August 27, 2008) -- Many theories have sought to explain what causes the baggy lower eyelids that come with aging, but researchers have now found that fat expansion in the eye socket is the primary culprit. ... > full story
Exploring The Function Of Sleep (August 27, 2008) -- Is sleep essential? Ask that question to a sleep-deprived new parent or a student who has just pulled an "all-nighter," and the answer will be a grouchy, "Of course!" But to a sleep scientist, the question of what constitutes sleep is so complex that scientists are still trying to define the essential function of something we do every night. ... > full story
Rifamycin Antibiotics Attack Tuberculosis Bacteria With Walls, Not Signals (August 27, 2008) -- Amid concerns about the rising number of new tuberculosis cases worldwide, researchers have reexamined and disproved a theory that describes how a potent class of antibiotics kills a deadly form of bacteria. The findings not only bring scientists closer to understanding how these antibiotics work but also how the bacteria become resistant to their effects. ... > full story
New Findings Explain Genetic Disorder's Unique Shift; Father's Role As Resource Provider Influential In Prader-Willi Syndrome (August 27, 2008) -- New findings give insight into the unique characteristics of the birth defect Prader-Willi Syndrome, and at the same time, may help explain how a certain type of gene is expressed in all humans. The research finds that the amount of care a father gives to his child may cause a shift in the syndrome in which its symptoms, in essence, reverse themselves. ... > full story
Health Journalists Face Translation Challenge, Researchers Find (August 27, 2008) -- University of Missouri researchers conducted a national survey and found that the majority of health journalists have not had specialized training in health reporting and face challenges in communicating new medical science developments. Of the journalists surveyed, only 18 percent had specialized training in health reporting and only 6.4 percent reported that a majority of their readers change health behaviors based on the information they provide. ... > full story
Brain Cells 'Supercharged' To Attack Plaques That Cause Alzheimer’s Disease (August 26, 2008) -- Researchers at the University of British Columbia have discovered a new method for developing treatments for Alzheimer's Disease (AD). They have shown that by stimulating a brain cell called a microglia the cells will partially engulf the senile plaques which are abundant in post mortem AD brain. ... > full story
More Strawberries, More Antioxidant Absorption (August 26, 2008) -- Scientists have assessed the human body's capacity for absorbing certain antioxidant compounds in strawberries, and have found that the absorption of one key beneficial plant chemical was not "maxed out" as volunteers ate more of this popular fruit. Foods high in antioxidants may be excellent sources of healthful compounds, and researchers are striving to learn more about their ability to be absorbed and utilized within the human body. ... > full story
Oral Administration Of Lactobacillus From Breast Milk May Treat Common Infection In Lactating Mothers (August 26, 2008) -- Oral administration of lactobacillus strains found in breast milk may provide an alternative method to antibiotics for effectively treating mastitis, a common infection that occurs in lactating mothers say researchers from Spain. ... > full story
How Much Risk Can You Handle? Making Better Investment Decisions (August 26, 2008) -- Many Americans make investment decisions with their retirement funds. But they don't always make informed judgments. A new study introduces a new tool that investors can use to choose investments based on their financial goals and risk attitudes. ... > full story
'Perfect Pitch' In Humans Far More Prevalent Than Expected (August 26, 2008) -- Researchers have developed a unique test for perfect pitch, and have found that perfect pitch is apparently much more common in non-musicians than scientists had expected. ... > full story
Potential Diabetes Treatment Selectively Kills Autoimmune Cells From Human Patients (August 26, 2008) -- In experiments using blood cells from human patients with diabetes and other autoimmune disorders, researchers have confirmed the mechanism behind a potential new therapy for type 1 diabetes. Scientists showed that blocking a metabolic pathway regulating the immune system specifically eliminated immune cells that react against a patient's own tissues. ... > full story
Alcohol Consumption Can Cause Too Much Cell Death, Fetal Abnormalities (August 26, 2008) -- The initial signs of fetal alcohol syndrome are slight but classic: facial malformations such as a flat and high upper lip, small eye openings and a short nose. Researchers want to know if those facial clues can help them figure out how much alcohol it takes during what point in development to cause these and other lifelong problems. ... > full story
Looking Beyond The Drug Receptor For Clues To Drug Effectiveness (August 26, 2008) -- Antipsychotic drugs that are widely used to treat schizophrenia and other problems may not work as scientists have assumed, according to findings from Duke University Medical Center researchers that could lead to changes in how these drugs are developed and prescribed. ... > full story
Troubled Children Hurt Peers' Test Scores, Behavior (August 26, 2008) -- Troubled children hurt their classmates' math and reading scores and worsen their behavior, new research shows. ... > full story
Scientists Identify New Drug Target Against Virulent Type Of Breast Cancer (August 26, 2008) -- Researchers have identified an enzyme called Brk as a target for future drugs to fight a virulent subset of cancers overexpressing a protein called ErbB2 -- also often called HER2 -- which drives tumor cells to proliferate unchecked. Brk, they report, helps these tumors become virulent and is also implicated in the process through which the tumors develop drug resistance to "targeted" therapies Herceptin and Lapatinib. ... > full story
Protein Structure Discovery Opens Door For Drugs To Fight Bird Flu, Other Influenza Epidemics (August 26, 2008) -- Researchers have reported a discovery that could help scientists develop drugs to fight the much-feared bird flu and other virulent strains of influenza. They have determined the three-dimensional structure of a site on an influenza A virus protein that binds to one of its human protein targets, thereby suppressing a person's natural defenses to the infection and paving the way for the virus to replicate efficiently. ... > full story
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