Health News from Medical News Today

Cancer Drug Reverses Symptoms Of Alzheimer's In Mice

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 03:00:00 PST

A drug approved for the treatment of cancer appears to quickly reverse the symptoms of Alzheimer's in mice, according to a new study from the US published in the journal Science on Thursday. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved bexarotene as a treatment for cutaneous T cell lymphoma, a type of skin cancer, in 2000. Now a team of neuroscientists has shown that when they gave the drug to mice with Alzheimer's disease, it quickly reversed the pathological, cognitive and memory deficits that accompanies it. About 5...

Hip Dysplasia Can Be Reliably Diagnosed By Ultrasound At 6 Months

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 03:00:00 PST

Developmental dislocation (dysplasia) of the hip (DDH) is a common congenital condition in which a child's upper thighbone is dislocated from the hip socket. The condition can be present at birth or develop during a child's first year of life. Plain radiography (X-rays) has long been the gold standard screening modality for this condition in 6-month-old children, despite concerns over exposing very young children to ionizing radiation...

Depression Often Leads To Difficulties With Peers In Middle Childhood

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:00:00 PST

Children who have difficult relationships with their peers can experience more psychological dysfunction, such as depression. But does the depression lead to youths' relationship problems, or do difficulties in the relationships provoke the depression? A new study of children in the middle years of childhood has found that depression forecasts problems in peer relationships, including being victimized by peers and problems being accepted by peers...

Stress Pathway Identified As Potential Therapeutic Target To Prevent Vision Loss

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:00:00 PST

A new study identifies specific cell-stress signaling pathways that link injury of the optic nerve with irreversible vision loss. The research, published by Cell Press in the February 9 issue of the journal Neuron, may lead to new strategies that will help to protect vulnerable neurons in the retina after optic nerve damage and diseases. Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) send visual information from the retina to the brain through long processes called axons. The axons of the RGCs are bundled together to form the optic nerve...

How Appetite Cells In The Brain Respond To Fasting

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:00:00 PST

There are two key cell types in the brain that are central to the regulation of feeding behaviors, agouti-related peptide (AgRP)-expressing neurons and proopiomelancortin (POMC)-expressing neurons. Previous work has shown that the AgRP neurons promote feeding and weight gain, while the POMC cells have been linked with appetite suppression and weight loss. Now a new study published by Cell Press in the February 9 issue of the journal Neuron uncovers a neural pathway that links fasting with activation of AgRP neurons...

Unveiling The Genetic Rosetta Stone

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:00:00 PST

Scientists have developed a new community resource that may act as a Rosetta stone for revealing the genetic basis of traits and disease. A paper in the Feb. 9 issue of Nature describes the Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel (DGRP), which provides the highest-resolution view to date, of the genome structure and variation in a population of 192 fruit flies with diverse traits...

Weight Loss With Anti-Obesity Drugs And A Modified Lifestyle

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:00:00 PST

A study led by the University of Leicester has found that anti-obesity drugs coupled with lifestyle advice are effective in reducing weight and BMI. Dr Laura Gray and colleagues from the Department of Health Sciences at the University of Leicester have published a paper in the journal Obesity Review which looks at the effectiveness of anti-obesity drugs and a modified lifestyle on weight loss and body mass index. The research was funded by an National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment (NIHR HTA) programme...

In Smoking Cessation, Low Dopamine Levels During Withdrawal Promote Relapse

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:00:00 PST

Mark Twain said, "Giving up smoking is the easiest thing in the world. I know because I've done it thousands of times." Many smokers would agree that it's difficult to stay away from cigarettes. A new study in Biological Psychiatry this month now suggests that low dopamine levels that occur as a result of withdrawal from smoking actually promote the relapse to smoking. Dopamine is a brain chemical messenger that is critically important in reward and motivation. Some research suggests that one of its central roles is to send a signal to the brain to 'seek something enjoyable'...

Widening Gap Between Scottish And English Suicide Rates

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:00:00 PST

A new study has revealed the widening gap in suicide rates between Scotland and England & Wales due to a large extent to the number of young Scottish men taking their lives. The research, carried out by the Universities of Manchester and Edinburgh and the Medical Research Council Social and Public Health Sciences Unit in Glasgow, examined suicide rates north and south of the border between 1960 and 2008. The team found that the suicide rate in both men and women was in fact lower in Scotland until around 1968 when it overtook the rate in England & Wales...

No Association Between Stimulant Treatment For ADHD And Increased Risk Of Cardiac Events In Youth

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:00:00 PST

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects 5-9% of youth and is frequently treated with stimulant medications, such as methylphenidate and amphetamine products. A recent safety communication from the US Food and Drug Administration advised that all patients undergoing ADHD treatment be monitored for changes in heart rate or blood pressure. Amidst growing concern over the risks of stimulant use in youth, a study by Dr...

Antenatal Thyroid Screening Fails To Improve IQ In 3-Year-Olds

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:00:00 PST

Children of mothers screened and treated for reduced thyroid function during pregnancy show no signs of improved IQ compared to women who receive no treatment, new research has uncovered. Scientists from Cardiff University's School of Medicine working with colleagues from The Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine at Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, and colleagues from Turin, Italy took blood samples from more than 20,000 women at about 13-weeks of pregnancy to test for thyroid function...

For Offspring Of Diabetic Pregnancies Breastfeeding Can Reduce Risk Of Childhood Obesity

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:00:00 PST

Children of diabetic pregnancies have a greater risk of childhood obesity, but new research from the Colorado School of Public Health shows breastfeeding can reduce this threat. Epidemiologist Tessa Crume, Ph.D., MSPH, and fellow researchers tracked 94 children of diabetic pregnancies and 399 of non-diabetic pregnancies from birth to age 13. They evaluated the influence of breastfeeding on the growth of body mass index (BMI), an indicator of childhood obesity. "There are critical perinatal periods for defining obesity risk, pregnancy and early infant life," Crume said...

How DNA Finds Its Match

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:00:00 PST

It's been more than 50 years since James Watson and Francis Crick showed that DNA is a double helix of two strands that complement each other. But how does a short piece of DNA find its match, out of the millions of 'letters' in even a small genome? New work by researchers at the University of California, Davis, handling and observing single molecules of DNA, shows how it's done. The results are published online by the journal Nature. Defects in DNA repair and copying are strongly linked to cancer, birth defects and other problems...

Obesity Drug 'Mediator' Likely Responsible For Thousands Of Hospitalizations And Deaths In France

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:00:00 PST

A new study published in the journal Pharmacoepidemiology & Drug Safety reveals that benfluorex, a fenfluramine derivative drug used in France under the name Mediator®, is likely responsible for thousands of hospitalizations and deaths over a 30 year period. Benfluorex (Mediator®) was used in France from 1976 to 2009. Despite its anorexic properties, the drug was not marketed as an appetite suppressant but as an adjunct for the treatment of hyperlipidemia and among overweight patients with type 2 diabetes...

After 60 Year Absence Continental Mosquito With 'Vector' Potential Found Breeding In UK

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:00:00 PST

A species of mosquito has been discovered breeding in the UK that has not been seen in the country since 1945. Populations of the mosquito, found across mainland Europe and known only by its Latin name Culex modestus, were recorded at a number of sites in the marshes of north Kent and south Essex in 2010 and 2011. The discovery was made by post-graduate student Nick Golding, and the mosquito was definitively identified by colleague Stefanie SchÃ¤fer of the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology...

Risk For Additional Atypical Femur Fracture Halved By Halting Bone-Building Osteoporosis Drug Use

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:00:00 PST

There is growing evidence that supports an association between atypical fractures of the femur - a rare break of the thigh bone, typically without trauma - and the use of bisphosphonates, drugs proven to enhance bone density and reduce fracture incidence caused by osteoporosis...

Shedding Light On The Genetics Of Rice Metabolism

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:00:00 PST

A large-scale study analyzing metabolic compounds in rice grains conducted by researchers at the RIKEN Plant Science Center (PSC) and their collaborators has identified 131 rice metabolites and clarified the genetic and environmental factors that influence their production. The findings provide a natural way to bioengineer improved rice grain varieties by selectively increasing production of useful metabolites, boosting the nutritional value of crops. As one of the most important staple crops, rice plays a central role in supplying the nutrients needed to keep the world population healthy...

Management Of TB Cases Falls Short Of International Standards

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:00:00 PST

The management of tuberculosis cases in the European Union (EU) is not meeting international standards, according to new research. The research, published online ahead of print in the European Respiratory Journal, has identified key areas of priority for public action to combat the growing number of drug-resistant tuberculosis cases. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates a prevalence of 440,000 multidrug-resistant TB cases (MDR-TB) with 150,000 deaths and 50,000 extremely drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) cases...

Understanding A Patient's Mental Health Status Before Hip Replacement Surgery May Improve Education And Care

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:00:00 PST

Patients taking antidepressants up to three years prior to undergoing a total hip replacement (THR) were more likely to report greater pain before and after surgery and less satisfaction with their procedure, according to new research presented at the 2012 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS). In the study, 1,657 patients (13 percent of the study population) used antidepressants up to three years before surgery. The patients were surveyed before and one year after the THR...

Men With Anxiety Trait Suffered Greater Post-Operative Pain Following Total Knee Replacement

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:00:00 PST

Increased pain following surgery has long been linked to anxiety and "catastrophizing," an extreme response to stress. In a new study presented at the 2012 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), 97 patients - men and women - who were about to undergo minimally invasive total knee replacement (TKR) surgery, completed a brief survey to quantify their level of anxiety, as well as their typical level of anxiety and potential for catastrophizing. Pain data was then collected for seven days following surgery...

Guideline For Brain Metastases Developed By ASTRO

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:00:00 PST

The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) has developed a guideline on the radiotherapeutic and surgical management for newly diagnosed brain metastases. It has been published in Practical Radiation Oncology (PRO), ASTRO's official clinical practice journal. "This guideline was developed by an international multidisciplinary task force charged with systematically reviewing and synthesizing level one and other high-quality data into a distilled work product," Eric L. Chang, MD, a radiation oncologist at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, said...

NIST/CU Collaboration Adds Timing Capability To Living Cell Sensors

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:00:00 PST

Individual cells modified to act as sensors using fluorescence are already useful tools in biochemistry, but now they can add good timing to their resume, thanks in part to expertise from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). With the added capability to track the timing of dynamic biochemical reactions, cell sensors become more useful for many studies, such as measurements of protein folding or neural activity...

New Technique Holds Promise For Better Understanding Of Brain Disorders

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:00:00 PST

By harnessing quantum dots - tiny light-emitting semiconductor particles a few billionths of a meter across - researchers at the University of Washington (UW) have developed a new and vastly more targeted way to stimulate neurons in the brain. Being able to switch neurons on and off and monitor how they communicate with one another is crucial for understanding - and, ultimately, treating - a host of brain disorders, including Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's, and even psychiatric disorders such as severe depression...

Osteoarthritis Pain, Mobility Improve With Video-Based Home Exercise

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:00:00 PST

The benefits of exercise in minimizing pain and improving mobility for individuals living with osteoarthritis has been well documented. In a new study presented at the 2012 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), 107 individuals with diagnosed osteoarthritis in the knee were randomized to either a DVD-based exercise group, or a control group. The "DVD" group received a DVD-based exercise program, as well as verbal and hands-on exercise instructions, for the first four to eight weeks. The individuals in both groups were evaluated at three, six and 12 months...

High Levels Of Cadmium, Lead In Blood Linked To Pregnancy Delay

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:00:00 PST

Higher blood levels of cadmium in females, and higher blood levels of lead in males, delayed pregnancy in couples trying to become pregnant, according to a study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health and other academic research institutions. Cigarette smoke is the most common source of exposure to cadmium, a toxic metal found in the earth's crust, which is used in batteries, pigments, metal coatings and plastics. Smokers are estimated to have twice the levels of cadmium as do non-smokers...

X-Ray Crystallography Reveals Unusual Alliances That Enable Movement

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:00:00 PST

Some unusual alliances are necessary for you to wiggle your fingers, researchers report. Understanding those relationships should enable better treatment of neuromuscular diseases, such as myasthenia gravis, which prevent muscles from taking orders from your brain, said Dr. Lin Mei, Director of the Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics at Georgia Health Sciences University. During development, neurons in the spinal cord reach out to muscle fibers to form a direct line of communication called the neuromuscular junction...

Fasting May Boost Chemo By Weakening Cancer Cells

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:00:00 PST

Fasting was as effective as chemotherapy in delaying growth of specific tumors in mice and boosted the effectiveness of chemotherapy on melanoma, glioma, and breast cancer cells. And fasting plus chemotherapy, but neither treatment on its own, resulted in long-term cancer-free survival in mice with neuroblastoma, according to a study published online on Wednesday in Science Translational Medicine...

The Current State Of The Biosimilars Industry By Prof Heinz Haenel

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 PST

As a preview to the Biosimilar Drug Development World Europe 2012 conference we asked one of the key speakers Prof Heinz Haenel, Diabetes Division R+D Projects at Sanofi Aventis his thoughts on the current state of the industry. Prof Haenel will be at the conference presenting "Biosimilars - the devil is in the detail"...

Orthopaedic Trauma Volume Affected By Economic Factors

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 PST

Previous studies have found that human behavior during a recession is remarkably different than that during a bullish economy. For example, people tend to spend more time focused on working and less time engaging in leisure and recreation activities, resulting in fewer motor vehicle and other accidents. According to a 10-year study at a Level 1 regional trauma center, presented at the 2012 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), economic trends do impact orthopedic trauma volume...

Similarities Between Genetic Signatures In Developing Organs And Breast Cancer Could Predict And Personalize Cancer Therapies

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 PST

Reviving a theory first proposed in the late 1800s that the development of organs in the normal embryo and the development of cancers are related, scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have studied organ development in mice to unravel how breast cancers, and perhaps other cancers, develop in people. Their findings provide new ways to predict and personalize the diagnosis and treatment of cancer...

Epidural Steroid Injections Do Not Benefit Spine Patients

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 PST

Researchers at the Rothman Institute at Jefferson examined data on patients being treated for lumbar stenosis and the degenerative spine condition spondylolisthesis and found that patients who received epidural steroid injections (ESI) had a higher rate of crossover to surgery and fared worse in physical health and bodily pain versus those who did not receive ESI, dispelling their pre-study hypothesis...

Low Levels Of Vitamin D Found In 44 Percent Of Postmenopausal Women With Wrist Fracture

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 PST

Wrist fractures, also called distal radius fractures (DRF), are among the most common osteoporosis-related fractures occurring on average 15 years earlier than hip fractures. As vitamin D deficiency has recently been linked with muscle weakness, increased fall risks, and bone fractures, investigators sought to determine the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among post menopausal women with DRF. The study, "Hypovitaminosis D in Postmenopausal Women with a Distal Radius Fracture," was presented at the 2012 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS)...

How Early Breast Tumors Become Deadly

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 PST

Researchers have discovered a restricted pattern of molecules that differentiate early-stage breast tumors from invasive, life-threatening cancer. They also found a similar molecular signature that correlated with the aggressiveness of invasive tumors, and with the time to metastasis and overall survival. Researchers at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J...

Study Of Live Human Neurons Reveals The Genetic Origins Of Parkinson's Disease

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 PST

Parkinson's disease researchers at the University at Buffalo have discovered how mutations in the parkin gene cause the disease, which afflicts at least 500,000 Americans and for which there is no cure. The results are published in the current issue of Nature Communications. The UB findings reveal potential new drug targets for the disease as well as a screening platform for discovering new treatments that might mimic the protective functions of parkin. UB has applied for patent protection on the screening platform...

Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual And Transgendered Adults Have Twice The Level Of Smoking And Half The Level Of Plans To Quit

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 PST

Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered Coloradans who smoke are not thinking about quitting or getting ready to quit, and a quarter are uncomfortable approaching their doctors for help, report University of Colorado Cancer Center researchers in a recent article published in Nicotine & Tobacco Research. These and other findings from the study may help identify new approaches to encourage GLBT smokers to quit...

How Stimulants Work To Control Hyperactivity

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 PST

It has long been known that psychostimulant drugs have the paradoxical effect of reducing hyperactivity. [Psychostimulant drugs include methylphenidate - known by the trade names Ritalin, Concerta, and Methylin - and methamphetamine]. Since the mid-1950s, millions of children and adults have been prescribed stimulant medications to control attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). But for more than seven decades, since the first experiment that gave an amphetamine drug to children diagnosed with behavioral problems, scientists have not known how stimulants work to control hyperactivity...

Study Reveals Molecular Path From Internal Clock To Cells Controlling Rest And Activity

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 PST

The molecular pathway that carries time-of-day signals from the body's internal clock to ultimately guide daily behavior is like a black box, says Amita Sehgal, PhD, the John Herr Musser Professor of Neuroscience and Co-Director, Comprehensive Neuroscience Center, at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania. Now, new research from the Sehgal lab is taking a peek inside, describing a molecular pathway and its inner parts that connect the well-known clock neurons to cells governing rhythms of rest and activity in fruit flies...

Youths' Smoking Influenced By Sports Teammates

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 PST

Young people's choices about using drugs and alcohol are influenced by peers - not only close friends, but also sports teammates. A new study of middle schoolers and their social networks has found that teammates' smoking plays a big role in youths' decisions about smoking, but adolescents who take part in a lot of sports smoke less. The study was conducted at the University of Southern California (USC) and appears in the journal Child Development. Researchers looked at 1,260 ethnically diverse, urban, middle-class sixth through eighth graders...

Study Finds Violence In Northern Ireland Harms Children

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 PST

War, the aftermath of war, and political violence are harmful to children's and teens' mental health and well-being. But few studies have looked at how this happens. A new longitudinal study of neighborhoods in Belfast, Northern Ireland, has found that political violence affects children by upsetting the ways their families function, resulting in behavior problems and mental health symptoms among the youths over extended periods of time...

Children And Their Mothers Benefit From High-Quality Child Care

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 PST

High-quality early child care isn't important just for children, but for their mothers, too. That's the conclusion of a new study by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin; the study appears in the journal Child Development . The study analyzed data from more than 1,300 children in the longitudinal Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development, which was sponsored by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)...

Identifying Cancer Cells For Immune System Attack With DNA Sequencing

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 PST

DNA sequences from tumor cells can be used to direct the immune system to attack cancer, according to scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The research, in mice, appears online in Nature. The immune system relies on an intricate network of alarm bells, targets and safety brakes to determine when and what to attack. The new results suggest that scientists may now be able to combine DNA sequencing data with their knowledge of the triggers and targets that set off immune alarms to more precisely develop vaccines and other immunotherapies for cancer...

Tai Chi Program Offers Significant Gains In Balance, Stability Among Parkinson's Disease Patients

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 PST

An Oregon Research Institute (ORI) exercise study conducted in four Oregon cities has shown significant benefits for patients with mild-to-moderate Parkinson's disease. In an original article published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), ORI scientist Fuzhong Li, Ph.D. and colleagues report that a tailored program of twice-weekly Tai Chi training resulted in improved postural stability and walking ability, and reduced falls in the participants...

Improved New Procedure For Fixing Damaged Cartilage

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 PST

A new study has demonstrated that a procedure wherein healthy cartilage is transplanted to fix an area of damaged cartilage (osteoarticular cartilage transplantation or OATS procedure) is superior to the standard of care for repairing cartilage defects. It is thought that fixing such lesions may ultimately help to prevent the onset of osteoarthritis, and get athletic individuals back to sporting activities reliably. The study by Hospital for Special Surgery researchers was reported at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Feb. 7-11...

Building A Better Hip Replacement With The Help Of Archive Of Failed Joint Replacements

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 PST

A study by Hospital for Special Surgery researchers has provided the first comprehensive look at just how metal-on-metal total hip replacements are failing in patients around the country. Made possible by what is thought to be the largest archive of failed joint replacements, the research should help doctors develop a better hip replacement for future patients. The study was reported at the upcoming annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Feb. 7-11...

Successful Gene Therapy For Inherited Blindness

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 PST

Gene therapy for congenital blindness has taken another step forward, as researchers further improved vision in three adult patients previously treated in one eye. After receiving the same treatment in their other eye, the patients became better able to see in dim light, and two were able to navigate obstacles in low-light situations. No adverse effects occurred. Neither the first treatment nor the readministered treatment triggered an immune reaction that cancelled the benefits of the inserted genes, as has occurred in human trials of gene therapy for other diseases...

Research Suggests Abandoning Convention In Diagnosing Periprosthetic Joint Infection

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 PST

In their search for new, better ways to diagnose periprosthetic joint infection, Rothman Institute at Jefferson researchers have discovered that measurement of C-reactive protein in the synovial fluid is extremely accurate, while measuring a patients' serum white blood cell count (WBC) and the percentage of neutrophils (PMN%), the conventional method for diagnosis, has a minimal role in the determination of PJI. The synovial fluid is the viscous liquid that lubricates the joints and feeds the cartilage...

Although The Financial Burden Of Prescription Drugs Is Dropping, Costs Remain A Challenge For Many

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 PST

The financial burden Americans face paying out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs has declined, although prescription costs remain a significant challenge for people with lower incomes and those with public insurance, according to a new RAND Corporation study. Despite the improvement, more than 8 million nonelderly Americans lived in families with high drug-cost burden in 2008 and one in four devoted more than half of their total out-of-pocket medical spending to prescription drugs, according to findings published in the February edition of the journal Health Affairs...

Facebook Use Affects Mood Differently To Stress And Relaxation

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 PST

Researchers measured people's physical and psychological responses while they used Facebook, performed a stressful task, or just relaxed, and found each of these activities appears to have a different effect on mood and arousal. Dr. Maurizio Mauri of the Institute of Human, Language and Environmental Sciences at IULM University in Milan, Italy, and colleagues, write about their findings in the peer-reviewed journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking. A press statement on the study was released earlier this week...

Gonorrhea Drug Resistance Alarming

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:00:00 PST

Over the last three years, gonorrhea has become increasingly harder to treat with antibiotics, making it now a reality that perhaps we may be facing a gonorrhea strain for which no current medications would be effective, researchers from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), and the University of North Carolina School of Medicine reported in NEJM (New England Journal of Medicine). The authors explain that approximately 600,000 people are diagnosed with gonorrhea in the USA every year. It is now the second most commonly reported communicable disease in the country...

Male Gene Linked To Coronary Artery Disease Risk

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:00:00 PST

A recent study published by The Lancet suggests that males with a certain variant on their Y-chromosome are at a 50% higher risk of developing coronary artery disease (CAD). The study, led by Dr Maciej Tomaszewski, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Leicester, UK and Dr Fadi J Charchar, University of Ballarat, Australia, provides insight into the roles that Y-chromosomes have in health and disease. The Y-chromosome is exclusively found in men - passed on from father to son - and is responsible for maleness and fertility...

Sodium Intake Too High For The Vast Majority, U.S.A

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:00:00 PST

A study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals that nearly all individuals in the U.S. consume too much sodium than the recommended daily allowance (RDA). The majority of the sodium derives from common grocery store and restaurant items. The report is published on the first Tuesday of the month, as part of the CDC journal, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 10 types of foods make up for over 40% of individual's sodium intake, according to the latest Vital Signs reports...

Childhood Obesity Prevented With Positive Parenting

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:00:00 PST

A study published online in the February 6 issue of Pediatrics reveals that programs that help parents during the early years of their child's life may help prevent childhood obesity. At present, 1 out of 5 children in the U.S. is classified as obese. Compared to children of normal weight, overweight children are five times more likely to be obese by the time they reach their teenage years. Furthermore, obese children and adolescents, especially low-income and minority youth, are at greater risk for a variety of social, academic and medical problems...

Proteins As Tools For Bone Repair

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:00:00 PST

When William Murphy, an associate professor of biomedical engineering and orthopedics and rehabilitation at University of Wisconsin-Madison works with some of the most powerful tools in biology, his approach is to develop tools that fit together. The structures are similar to socket wrenches that are put together to turn a three-quarter-inch nut in a confined space, or to loosen a one-inch bolt with a very persuasive lever that has rusted tightly...

Tai Chi Helps Parkinson's Patients

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:00:00 PST

Mild-to-moderate Parkinson's disease patients who practice Tai Chi were found to experience significant benefits, including better posture, fewer falls, and improved walking ability, researchers from the Oregon Research Institute (ORI) reported in NEJM (New England Journal of Medicine). The authors added that Tai Chi was superior for the Parkinson's patients than stretching or resistance training regarding several symptoms related to the disease...

Breast Cancer Death Risk Grows With Age

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 09:00:00 PST

A study in the February 8 edition of JAMA shows that postmenopausal women who suffer from hormone receptor-positive breast cancer have a higher death risk of breast cancer as they get older. Background information in the article states that: "Breast cancer is the leading contributor to cancer incidence and cancer mortality in women worldwide, with 1,383,500 new cases in 2008. In the United States in 2008, 41 percent of these women were aged 65 years or older at diagnosis...

Rotavirus Vaccine Not Linked To more Intestinal Problems In Infants

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 09:00:00 PST

After an evaluation of 800,000 doses of pentavalent rotavirus vaccinations in U.S. infants, researchers reported in the February 8 issue of JAMA that there is no increased risk of intussusception after vaccination, despite some previous data indicating that those infants who received the vaccine were at potential increased risk. Intussusception is a condition whereby a portion of the small or large intestine slides forward into itself, like a telescope...

Bladder Infection In Females - Cefpodoxime Disappoints

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 09:00:00 PST

According to a study published in the February 8 issue of JAMA, cefpodoxime, an antibiotic used as a short-term therapy in women with uncomplicated bladder infection (cystitis), failed to meet criteria for non-inferiority in comparison to ciprofloxacin. There have been concerns that ciprofloxacin, classed as a fluoroquinolone antibiotic, is overused, resulting in an increase in resistance rates. The criteria for non-inferiority were defined as cefpodoxime's efficacy lying within a pre-specified margin of 10% of ciprofloxacin's efficacy...

Meningococcal Vaccine Effective In Protecting For Infants

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 08:00:00 PST

A study in the February 8 issue of JAMA reports that routine infant immunizations with a vaccine for serogroup B Neisseria meningitidis, a bacterium that causes serious diseases like sepsis and meningitis, proved effective against meningococcal strains and displayed minimal interference with the response to the routine vaccinations...

Y Chromosome Link For Coronary Artery Disease: Presdisposition 'Passed On From Father To Son'

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 07:00:00 PST

A common heart disease which kills thousands each year may be passed genetically from father to son, according to a study led by the University of Leicester. A paper published in medical journal The Lancet shows that the Y chromosome, a part of DNA present only in men, plays a role in the inheritance of coronary artery disease (CAD). The study, called Inheritance of coronary artery disease in men: an analysis of the role of the Y chromosome, was led by researchers at the University's Department of Cardiovascular Sciences and Department of Genetics...

Growing Up On A Farm Directly Affects Regulation Of The Immune System

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 03:00:00 PST

Immunological diseases, such as eczema and asthma, are on the increase in westernised society and represent a major challenge for 21st century medicine. A new study has shown, for the first time, that growing up on a farm directly affects the regulation of the immune system and causes a reduction in the immunological responses to food proteins...