ScienceDaily Health Headlines
for Friday, July 16, 2010
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Insight into why low calorie diet can extend lifespan -- even if adopted later in life (July 16, 2010) -- Research is providing new insight into why a restricted diet can lead to a longer lifespan and reduced incidence of age-related diseases for a wide variety of animals. Scientists have known for some time that a restricted diet can extend the lifespan of certain animals but this work shows how it affects aging mechanisms - and significantly has also shown that the effects occur even if the restricted diet is adopted later in life. ... > full story
New treatment for crippling diabetic Charcot foot (July 16, 2010) -- The alarming increase of morbidly obese diabetics is causing more new cases of a debilitating foot deformity called Charcot foot. But a surgical technique that secures foot bones with an external frame has enabled more than 90 percent of patients to walk normally again. ... > full story
How psychiatric risk gene disrupts brain development (July 16, 2010) -- Scientists are making progress towards a better understanding of the neuropathology associated with debilitating psychiatric illnesses like bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. New research reveals mechanisms that connect a known psychiatric risk gene to disruptions in brain cell proliferation and migration during development. ... > full story
Mechanism for link between high fat diet and risk of prostate cancer and disorders unveiled (July 16, 2010) -- Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men, and diet is considered one of the most important controllable risk factors for inflammation and prostate diseases including benign prostatic hyperplsia (BPH), prostatitis, and prostate cancer. A new study sheds light on the mechanisms of the deleterious effects of a high fat diet on the prostate. ... > full story
'Tough love' no good for obesity interventions, study finds (July 16, 2010) -- Obese people support lifestyle-change interventions, rather than those that purely promote weight loss. Researchers interviewed 142 obese people about their opinions on interventions ranging from gastric bands to legal regulation, finding that non-commercial, non-stigmatizing techniques were preferred. ... > full story
How human immune response to virus is triggered at the atomic level (July 15, 2010) -- A team of biochemists has identified the molecular mechanism by which an immune response is triggered by the invading viruses, according to recent research. ... > full story
Gene associated with kidney disease in African-American population identified (July 15, 2010) -- A scientific team discovers a genetic explanation for the high incidence of kidney disease among African Americans. ... > full story
Sri Lankan children affected by war, tsunami, daily stressors (July 15, 2010) -- Two studies on Sri Lankan children affected by trauma found that both daily stressors and traumatic events contribute to children's psychological health. The first study, of 400 adolescents who survived the 2004 tsunami, found that poverty and family violence were major sources of continuing stress. The second study, of 1,400 children affected by both the tsunami and civil war, focused on the cumulative effect of multiple stressors on children's later functioning. ... > full story
New clues to inflammatory disease discovered (July 15, 2010) -- Scientists studying two inflammation-related diseases, HIV and rheumatoid arthritis, identified changes in specific proteins linked to the action of macrophages, white blood cells that are key to the body's natural defenses. The findings could lead to early diagnosis tools and targeted therapy for diseases that stem from abnormal or uncontrolled macrophage activation, including cancer, cardiovascular disease and neurological disorders. ... > full story
Inherited glycosylation disorder: Researchers find cause of metabolic disease -- and possible cure (July 15, 2010) -- An international team of scientists has discovered the gene mutation responsible for a condition in which eye and brain development is severely disrupted in affected infants. ... > full story
Diabetes shouldn't deter young athletes, study suggests (July 15, 2010) -- Young athletes with Type 1 diabetes may experience a marked decrease in performance as a result of their blood sugar levels, but can compete by learning to manage their condition, suggests a new study. ... > full story
New arsenic nanoparticle blocks aggressive breast cancer (July 15, 2010) -- You can teach an old drug new chemotherapy tricks. Researchers took a drug therapy proven for blood cancers but ineffective against solid tumors, packaged it with nanotechnology and got it to combat an aggressive type of breast cancer prevalent in young women, particularly young African-American women. The drug is arsenic and the cancer is triple negative breast cancer. It has a high risk of metastasizing and poor survival rates. ... > full story
Dementia in diabetics differs from dementia in nondiabetics, research finds (July 15, 2010) -- Researchers say that dementia in some diabetics appears to be caused often by vascular disease in the brain, and the dementia that develops in people without diabetes is more likely associated with deposition of the plaque seen in people with Alzheimer's disease. ... > full story
Conflicted meat-eaters may deny that meat-animals have the capacity to suffer, study finds (July 15, 2010) -- People who wish to escape the ‘meat paradox’ -- i.e., simultaneously disliking hurting animals and enjoying eating meat -- may do so by denying that the animal they ate had the capacity to suffer, researchers in the UK have found in a new study. Those participating in the study also reported a reduced range of animals to which they felt obligated to show moral concern. These ranged from dogs and chimps to snails and fish. ... > full story
Retrovirus replication process different than thought (July 15, 2010) -- How a retrovirus, like HIV, reproduces and assembles new viruses is different than previously thought, according to new research. Understanding the steps a virus takes for assembly could allow development of a way to prevent the spread of retroviral diseases. ... > full story
Diabetes risk: Waist circumference gives better prediction than BMI (July 15, 2010) -- Waist circumference gives a better prediction of diabetes risk than does BMI. ... > full story
Behavior problems in school linked to two types of families (July 15, 2010) -- Contrary to Leo Tolstoy's famous observation that "happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way," a new psychology study confirms that unhappy families, in fact, are unhappy in two distinct ways. And these dual patterns of unhealthy family relationships lead to a host of specific difficulties for children during their early school years. ... > full story
Arsenic shows promise as cancer treatment, study finds (July 15, 2010) -- Miss Marple notwithstanding, arsenic might not be many people's favorite chemical. But the notorious poison does have some medical applications. Specifically, a form called arsenic trioxide has been used as a therapy for a particular type of leukemia for more than 10 years. Now researchers have shown that it may be useful in treating a variety of other cancers. ... > full story
Those who exercise when young have stronger bones when they grow old (July 15, 2010) -- The positive effects of exercise while growing up seem to last longer than previously believed. New findings suggest that physical activity when young increases bone density and size, which may mean a reduced risk of osteoporosis later in life. ... > full story
Supercharged proteins enter biology's forbidden zone (July 15, 2010) -- Scientists are reporting discovery of a way to help proteins such as the new generation of protein-based drugs -- sometimes heralded as tomorrow's potential "miracle cures" -- get past the biochemical "Entrance Forbidden" barrier that keeps them from entering cells and doing their work. The new technique represents a new use for an engineered form of green fluorescent protein, the topic of the 2008 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. ... > full story
Fast food chains have significantly decreased trans fats in cooking oils, study finds (July 15, 2010) -- Five major fast food chains have significantly decreased trans fats in the oils they use to cook food, according to new research. ... > full story
Major Alzheimer's risk gene causes alterations in shapes of brain protein deposits (July 15, 2010) -- Researchers have used a newly discovered class of biomarkers to investigate the possibility that the shape of brain protein deposits is different in people with Alzheimer's who have the highest-risk gene type than in those with the condition who have a neutral risk gene type. ... > full story
Finding cancer 'cold spots' can help minimize radiotherapy side-effects (July 15, 2010) -- Fine-tuning radiotherapy to take into account which parts of a patient's tumor are growing fastest could improve control of cancer while subjecting patients to lower doses of radiation ... > full story
New analysis may help clarify the role of craving in addiction (July 15, 2010) -- Psychologists have shown that behavioral economic analysis may lead to an improved understanding of craving for alcohol and other drugs. This method of studying how craving alters the way a person values a drug is fairly new, but according to the study, it may well help assess cravings more accurately and contribute to identifying more effective ways to defeat addictions. ... > full story
Obesity harms women's memory and brain function, study finds (July 15, 2010) -- The more an older woman weighs, the worse her memory, according to new research. The effect is more pronounced in women who carry excess weight around their hips, known as pear shapes, than women who carry it around their waists, called apple shapes. The study of post-menopausal women is the first in the US to link obesity to poorer memory in women and to identify the body shape connection. ... > full story
Pigs provide clues on cystic fibrosis lung disease (July 15, 2010) -- Aided by a new experimental model, scientists are a step closer to understanding how cystic fibrosis (CF) causes lung disease in people with the condition. The findings could help improve treatments for lung disease, which causes most of the deaths and disability among people with CF. ... > full story
Future HIV vaccines: If we build it, will they come? (July 15, 2010) -- On the eve of the world's biggest AIDS conference this month in Austria, a new research review shows many people wouldn't get inoculated against HIV even if a vaccine was developed. ... > full story
Early exposure to milk protein from cows increases allergy resistance later in life, study finds (July 15, 2010) -- A researcher in Israel has found that babies who are fed cow milk protein early, in the form of infant formula, seem to be protected from developing an allergy to the same protein later in life. ... > full story
Spanish gene expression data promise targeting of anti-angiogenesis treatment (July 15, 2010) -- Analyzing the expression of particular genes in lung cancers could soon allow researchers to identify groups of patients who are likely to benefit most from treatment with angiogenesis-inhibitor drugs. ... > full story
Waterborne diseases could cost over 0 million annually in US (July 15, 2010) -- Hospitalizations for three common waterborne diseases cost the health care system as much as 9 million annually, according to new research. ... > full story
Severe vasculitis: After 40 years, researchers identify possible new treatment (July 14, 2010) -- Researchers have made a major advance in treating people with a severe form of vasculitis, anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis, a rare but devastating disease of blood vessels. In a six-month study, a new treatment strategy provided the same benefits as the current standard of care used for more than 40 years but required less frequent treatments. ... > full story
Plavix may be treatment for dogs at risk of thromboembolic disease (July 14, 2010) -- Companion animals that have a long-term need for anticoagulant drug therapies may soon find help in a top-selling antiplatelet drug marketed to humans: clopidogrel, commonly known by the trade-name Plavix. Researchers have found that clopidogrel may be a safe and effective treatment for dogs that need long-term anticoagulant therapy. ... > full story
Brain fitness program study reveals visual memory improvement in older adults (July 14, 2010) -- A commercial brain fitness program has been shown to improve memory in older adults, at least in the period soon after training. The findings are the first to show that practicing simple visual tasks can improve the accuracy of short-term, or "working" visual memory. The research is also one of the first to measure both mental performance and changes in neural activity caused by a cognitive training program. ... > full story
High-risk prostate cancer associated with significantly lower bone mineral content loss (July 14, 2010) -- Men with prostate cancer lose significantly less bone mineral content (BMC) as they age than men who are free of the disease. The findings are important because loss of BMC can play a key role in the development of fragile bones, fractures and osteoporosis. ... > full story
Brain responses of obese individuals are more weakly linked to feelings of hunger (July 14, 2010) -- Feelings of hunger have less influence on how the brain responds to the smell and taste of food in overweight than healthy weight individuals, ... > full story
Water's unexpected role in blood pressure control (July 14, 2010) -- Researchers have shown that ordinary water -- without any additives -- does more than just quench thirst. It has some other unexpected, physiological effects. It increases the activity of the sympathetic -- fight or flight -- nervous system, which raises alertness, blood pressure and energy expenditure. ... > full story
Medications found to cause long term cognitive impairment of aging brain, study finds (July 14, 2010) -- Drugs commonly taken for a variety of common medical conditions including insomnia, allergies, or incontinence negatively affect the brain causing long term cognitive impairment in older African-Americans, according to a new study which reported that taking one anticholinergic significantly increased an individual's risk of developing mild cognitive impairment and taking two of these drugs doubled this risk. ... > full story
Consumers under-predict learning curve following initial experience with product (July 14, 2010) -- A new study found that consumers often quit using products that would be beneficial for them in the long run because they experience a short period of pessimism during their initial encounter with skill-based products as varied as knitting needles and mobile devices. ... > full story
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