ScienceDaily Health Headlines
for Wednesday, July 14, 2010
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Interferon might help asthma patients breathe easier, study suggests (July 14, 2010) -- An immune-system protein already used to treat diseases like multiple sclerosis, hepatitis C and a variety of cancers might also aid asthma patients, researchers have found. ... > full story
Nearly 5 percent exposed to dengue virus in Florida's Key West, report suggests (July 14, 2010) -- An estimated 5 percent of the Key West, Fla., population -- over 1,000 people -- showed evidence of recent exposure to dengue virus in 2009, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Florida Department of Health. ... > full story
Many physicians do not accept responsibility to report incompetent, impaired colleagues (July 14, 2010) -- More than one-third of US physicians responding to a survey did not agree that physicians should always report colleagues who are incompetent or impaired by conditions such as substance abuse or mental health disorders. The survey also found that substantial numbers of physicians feel unprepared to report or otherwise deal with impaired or incompetent colleagues. ... > full story
No evidence that popular slimming supplements facilitate weight loss, new research finds (July 14, 2010) -- New research evaluating the effectiveness of a broad selection of popular slimming supplements sold in pharmacies and health food shops has found no evidence that any of them facilitate weight loss. Two studies have found they were no more effective than the fake supplements they were compared with. ... > full story
Childhood cancer survivors face higher death risk 25 years later, from cancer, circulatory diseases (July 14, 2010) -- Follow-up of a group of British childhood cancer survivors indicates they have an increased risk of death from second primary cancers and cardiac and cerebrovascular causes more than 25 years after their initial cancer diagnosis, according to a new study. ... > full story
Brooding Russians: Less distressed than Americans (July 14, 2010) -- Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy portrayed Russians as a brooding, complicated people, and ethnographers have confirmed that Russians tend to focus on dark feelings and memories more than Westerners do. But a new study finds that even though Russians tend to brood, they are less likely than Americans to feel as depressed as a result. ... > full story
Finding may pave way for new treatments for muscle wasting diseases (July 13, 2010) -- Scientists have discovered a mechanism that muscles use to regulate the nerves which control them. They believe their finding could yield new ideas for treating symptoms of motor neuron disease - a progressive and incurable neurodegenerative condition that leads to muscle weakness and wasting - and other neuromuscular conditions. ... > full story
Telecommuters with flextime stay balanced up to 19 hours longer (July 13, 2010) -- Compared to their office-bound peers, employees with a flexible schedule and the option to telecommute can work 19 hours more per week before experiencing conflict between work and personal life, according to a new study. ... > full story
Gene therapy breakthrough heralds treatment for beta-thalassemia (July 13, 2010) -- Italian scientists pioneering a new gene transfer treatment for the blood disorder beta-thalassemia have successfully completed preclinical trials, claiming they can correct the lack of beta-globin in patients' blood cells which causes the disease. The research reveals how gene therapy may represent a safe alternative to current cures that are limited to a minority of patients. ... > full story
Radiation after mastectomy improves breast cancer survival, study finds (July 13, 2010) -- Postmastectomy radiation therapy for some breast cancer patients can reduce their risk of recurrence by almost 30 percent and increase their five-year overall survival by almost 50 percent, according to a new study. ... > full story
Larger head size may protect against Alzheimer's symptoms (July 13, 2010) -- New research shows that people with Alzheimer's disease who have large heads have better memory and thinking skills than those with the disease who have smaller heads, even when they have the same amount of brain cell death due to the disease. ... > full story
New preimplantation genetic screening method can predict chromosomal abnormalities, study shows (July 13, 2010) -- The efficacy of preimplantation genetic screening (PGS) has been one of the most hotly disputed subjects in assisted reproduction over the past few years. A new study has now shown, in its groundbreaking proof of principle study, that screening of polar bodies (small cells that are the by-product of egg development), is a reliable method to analyze the chromosomal status of an egg. ... > full story
Avatars as lifelike representations and effective marketing tools (July 13, 2010) -- It is predicted that 80 percent of active Internet consumers and Fortune 500 companies will have an avatar or presence in a virtual community, including social networks, by the end of 2011. A new article investigates the role avatars play in the virtual and consumer environment, how well avatars reflect the personality of their creators, the psychology behind self-representation, and how these virtually made identities are perceived by other members of the virtual community. ... > full story
Mice essentially 'cured' of mild diabetes with enzyme (July 13, 2010) -- Nutrition experts have essentially "cured" laboratory mice of mild, diet-induced diabetes by stimulating the production of a particular enzyme. ... > full story
Gene mutation that causes rare form of deafness identified (July 13, 2010) -- Researchers have identified a gene mutation that causes a rare form of hearing loss known as auditory neuropathy. ... > full story
New 3-D imaging techniques for improved lung cancer drug development (July 13, 2010) -- Advanced imaging technologies that promise to improve effective drug development to treat lung cancer are the focus of the current issue of Optics Express. Research outlines standardized approaches to measure and compare tumor size, as well as to validate the accuracy of such measurements. This validation is a critical new area of research as important new applications for these tools are being explored in drug development. ... > full story
Person's language may influence how he or she thinks about other people (July 13, 2010) -- The language a person speaks may influence his or her thoughts, according to a new study on Israeli Arabs who speak both Arabic and Hebrew fluently. The study found that Israeli Arabs' positive associations with their own people are weaker when they are tested in Hebrew than when they are tested in Arabic. ... > full story
Low vitamin D levels associated with cognitive decline (July 13, 2010) -- Older adults with low levels of vitamin D appear more likely to experience declines in thinking, learning and memory over a six-year period, according to a new study. ... > full story
Mechanism that determines prostate cancer aggressiveness uncovered (July 13, 2010) -- A team of investigators has identified a series of proteins that might make it easier for doctors to better diagnose the more metastatic forms of prostate cancer. ... > full story
Children and teens with Tourette syndrome find relief with self-hypnosis (July 13, 2010) -- A new study of children and adolescents with Tourette syndrome finds that self-hypnosis taught with the aid of videotape training reduced their symptoms and improved their quality of life. Seventy-nine percent of 33 research participants achieved enough improvement in tic control to report personal satisfaction with the technique. ... > full story
Vitamin D levels associated with Parkinson's disease risk (July 13, 2010) -- Individuals with higher levels of vitamin D appear to have a reduced risk of developing Parkinson's disease, according to a new study. ... > full story
Obstructive sleep apnea linked with later risk of heart disease (July 13, 2010) -- Severe obstructive sleep apnea may raise the risk of heart failure in middle-aged and older men. Obstructive sleep apnea significantly predicts the risk of coronary heart disease in men up to age 70. Researchers didn't find a link in women, but said further study is warranted. ... > full story
For speediest athletes, it's all in the center of gravity (July 13, 2010) -- In the record books, the swiftest sprinters tend to be of West-African ancestry and the faster swimmers tend to be white. A study of the winning times by elite athletes over the past 100 years reveals two distinct trends: not only are these athletes getting faster over time, but there is a clear divide between racers in terms of body type and race. Researchers now argue that the answer lies in athletes' centers of gravity. That center tends to be located higher on the body of blacks than whites. The researchers believe that these differences are not racial, but rather biological. ... > full story
Scientists create army of tumor-fighting immune cells and watch as they attack cancer (July 13, 2010) -- Researchers created a large, well-armed battalion of tumor-seeking immune system cells and watched, in real time using positron emission tomography (PET), as the special forces traveled throughout the body to locate and attack dangerous melanomas. ... > full story
Smoking-related colorectal cancer in older women is associated with molecularly defined DNA changes (July 13, 2010) -- Smoking, an established risk factor for colon cancer, may induce specific epigenetic changes and gene mutations that may be involved in the development of colon cancer, according to a new study. ... > full story
Ethical, scientific issues related to 'post-market' clinical trials (July 13, 2010) -- Amid growing concerns about clinical trials for drugs that have been approved by the FDA but are later linked to serious health risks, an independent committee at the Institute of Medicine has developed a conceptual framework to guide the agency through the tough decision of ordering such controversial "post-market" drug-safety trials. ... > full story
Eating foods rich in vitamin E associated with lower dementia risk (July 13, 2010) -- Consuming more vitamin E through the diet appears to be associated with a lower risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study. ... > full story
High potassium? Check your antibiotic (July 13, 2010) -- Older adults taking the antibiotic combination trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) -- widely prescribed for urinary tract infections -- are at increased risk of elevated potassium levels, called hyperkalemia, according to a new study. ... > full story
Radiation device allows for targeted breast radiation to control cancer, study finds (July 13, 2010) -- A new study of breast cancer patients at the Moores UCSD Cancer Center and the Arizona Oncology Services shows that after almost two years, the radiation given with the Strut-Adjusted Volume Implant (SAVI™) controls the rate of cancer and may reduce the complications seen with alternate types of brachytherapy. ... > full story
Supportive community programs can prevent women from gaining weight (July 13, 2010) -- Women who attend programs with ongoing support about healthy eating are less likely to gain weight and be more physically active than women who receive a one-off information session on dietary guidelines, finds an Australian study. ... > full story
Criminalization of drugs and drug users fuels HIV; laws should be reviewed, say experts (July 13, 2010) -- Strict laws on the criminalization of drug use and drug users are fueling the spread of HIV and other serious harms associated with the criminal market and should be reviewed, say experts in a series of new articles. ... > full story
New vitamin D guidelines: Physicians say Canadians should be taking more supplements (July 13, 2010) -- New and updated guidelines on recommended vitamin D intake have been published this week in the online issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal. ... > full story
Regional variations in kidney care raise questions about spending, says Stanford nephrologist (July 13, 2010) -- The type and intensity of treatment older Americans receive for kidney failure depends on the region where they receive care rather than on evidence-based practice guidelines and patient preferences, according to a study to be published in the July 14 Journal of the American Medical Association. ... > full story
Locker room talk: How male athletes portray female athletic trainers (July 13, 2010) -- A college quarterback coming into the locker room with a dislocated shoulder wouldn't care whether the athletic trainer taking care of him is male or female -- or would he? A study from North Carolina State University examining male football players' perceptions of female athletic trainers -- and their comfort level in being treated by females -- shows that the quarterback would most likely prefer a male, unless the dislocated shoulder made him depressed. ... > full story
Antisense therapy for spinal muscular atrophy shows promise (July 12, 2010) -- Scientists have succeeded in reversing symptoms of type III SMA, a relatively mild form of spinal muscular atrophy, in mice by introducing chemically modified RNA pieces called ASOs into their spinal cords. The ASOs fix the molecular mistake underlying SMA by redirecting a cellular editing process called alternative splicing. ... > full story
Universal HIV testing and immediate treatment could reduce but not eliminate HIV/AIDS epidemic (July 12, 2010) -- Implementing a program of universal HIV testing and immediate antiretroviral treatment for infected individuals could have a major impact on the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Washington, D.C., but a new study finds that it would not halt the epidemic, something that a previous report had projected. ... > full story
Bars, restaurants see no significant employment change under smoking bans in two cities (July 12, 2010) -- The passage of smoking bans in two large Minnesota cities was not associated with job losses at bars and may in fact have contributed to higher employment in restaurants, according to new research. The study is the first to examine the economic effects of clean indoor air policies on bars and restaurants as independent types of businesses, the researchers said. ... > full story
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