ScienceDaily Health Headlines
for Thursday, July 14, 2011
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Why men are at higher risk for stomach cancer (July 14, 2011) -- Researchers have shown how estrogen protects women from the gastric inflammation that can lead to cancer. Several types of cancer, including stomach, liver and colon, are far more common in men than in women. Some scientists have theorized that differences in lifestyle, such as diet and smoking, may account for the discrepancy, but growing evidence suggests that the differences are rooted in basic biological differences between men and women. ... > full story
Pivotal study in Africa finds that HIV medications prevent HIV infection (July 14, 2011) -- An international study has demonstrated that individuals at high risk for HIV infection who took a daily tablet containing an HIV medication -- either the antiretroviral medication tenofovir or tenofovir in combination with emtricitabine -- experienced significantly fewer HIV infections than those who received a placebo pill. These findings are clear evidence that this new HIV prevention strategy, called pre-exposure prophylaxis (or PrEP), substantially reduces HIV infection risk. ... > full story
Goalies tend to dive right in World Cup penalty shoot-outs when their team is behind ... why? (July 14, 2011) -- In the quarterfinal of the 2006 Soccer World Cup, England and Portugal played for 90 tense minutes and 30 minutes extra time without a single goal being scored. This led them to a penalty shoot-out; as one by one, players went against the opposing team's goalie. After four shots by each team, Portugal was ahead 2-1. Portugal's star Cristiano Ronaldo shot to English goalkeeper Paul Robinson's left, but Robinson dove right. Portugal scored, won the game, and went on to the semifinal. When Robinson dove to his right, he was making a common choice for our right-oriented brains, according to a new study. ... > full story
Modulation of inhibitory output is key function of antiobesity hormone (July 14, 2011) -- Scientists have known for some time that the hormone leptin acts in the brain to prevent obesity, but the specific underlying neurocircuitry has remained a mystery. Now, new research reveals neurobiological mechanisms that may underlie the antiobesity effects of leptin. ... > full story
Health-care model improves diabetes outcomes and health, study finds (July 14, 2011) -- A health-care delivery model called patient-centered medical home increased the percentage of diabetes patients who achieved goals that reduced their sickness and death rates, according to health researchers. ... > full story
Positive reframing, acceptance and humor are the most effective coping strategies (July 14, 2011) -- New research has revealed that positive reframing, acceptance and humor are the most effective coping strategies for people dealing with failures. ... > full story
Insight into new drug resistance in hospital microbes (July 13, 2011) -- Hospitals struggle to prevent the infections that complicate treatment for cancer, joint replacement, heart surgery and other conditions. Hospital-acquired infections are often resistant to multiple antibiotics, leading to approximately 100,000 deaths and more than billion in additional health care costs yearly. New drugs are being developed to combat these infections, but resistance invariably emerges to these last-line drugs. Daptomycin, a new antibiotic approved by the FDA in 2003, is used to treat infections caused by multi-drug resistant bacteria, including staph and microbes known as enterococci. ... > full story
Short-term hormone therapy plus radiation therapy increases survival for men with early-stage prostate cancer, study finds (July 13, 2011) -- Short-term hormone therapy (androgen deprivation therapy: ADT) given in combination with radiation therapy for men with early-stage prostate cancer increases their chance of living longer and not dying from the disease, compared with that of those who receive the same radiation therapy alone, according to new research. ... > full story
Atomic structure discovered for a sodium channel that generates electrical signals in living cells (July 13, 2011) -- Scientists have determined the atomic structure of a sodium channel, a pore in membranes of excitable cells, such as brain or heart cells, that emit electrical signals. They gate charged particles crossing the cell membrane to generate electrical currents. These encode information in the brain and make heart muscle contract. Many medications and neurotoxins act on sodium channels. Never before have researchers obtained a high resolution crystal structure of all atoms of this complex protein molecule and their three dimensional relationships. ... > full story
Talking about faith increases hospital patients' overall satisfaction, study finds (July 13, 2011) -- Hospitalized patients who had conversations about religion and spirituality with the health-care team were the most satisfied with their overall care. However, 20 percent of patients who would have valued these discussions say their desires went unmet, according to a new study. ... > full story
Researchers demystify a fountain of youth in the adult brain (July 13, 2011) -- Researchers have found that a "fountain of youth" that sustains the production of new neurons in the brains of rodents is also believed to be present in the human brain. The existence of a vital support system of cells around stem cells in the brain explains why stem cells by themselves can't generate neurons in a lab dish, a major roadblock in using these stem cells for injury repair. ... > full story
Molasses extract decreases obesity caused by a high-fat diet, research suggests (July 13, 2011) -- Experimental results suggests that dietary supplementation with molasses extract may provide a novel approach for weight management in humans. ... > full story
Computerized system to prevent SIDS: 'BabyBeat' also has applications in telemedicine and remote monitoring (July 13, 2011) -- A new system using video and computer software to monitor a baby that could be used to prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), as well as for telemedicine applications, has been developed by two engineering students in Israel. Called "BabyBeat," the system uses computer algorithms to convert video footage to pulses that represent a baby's heartbeat and skin tone. In the event that the system detects an abnormal heartbeat, an alarm sounds to awaken the baby, change its breathing pattern and alert the parents. After further testing, if BabyBeat continues to perform as expected, the students will seek to commercially produce and market the innovation. ... > full story
A closer look at the placebo effect (July 13, 2011) -- A study provides new insights into the placebo effect and suggests that in addition to active therapies, the idea of being cared for is important to patients' health. ... > full story
Immune system suppression linked to blood vessel formation in tumors (July 13, 2011) -- Targeted therapies that are designed to suppress the formation of new blood vessels in tumors, such as Avastin, have slowed cancer growth in some patients. However, they have not produced the dramatic responses researchers initially thought they might. Now, new research might help to explain the modest responses. The discovery suggests novel treatment combinations that could boost the power of therapies based on slowing blood vessel growth. ... > full story
Progesterone inhibits growth of neuroblastoma cancer cells (July 13, 2011) -- High doses of the hormone progesterone can kill neuroblastoma cells while leaving healthy cells unscathed, scientists have found in laboratory research. The results suggest that progesterone could be used to fight neuroblastoma, the most common form of cancer affecting small children. ... > full story
Contact allergies may trigger immune system defences to ward off cancer (July 13, 2011) -- Contact allergies (reactions caused by direct contact with substances like common metals and chemicals) may help prime the immune system to ward off certain types of cancer, suggests new research. ... > full story
The metabolic effects of antipsychotic drugs (July 13, 2011) -- New research may explain why some antipsychotic drugs can promote overeating, weight gain, and insulin resistance. ... > full story
Respiratory disorders prevalent in the Middle East: Desert climate, chemical warfare, water-pipe smoking contribute to lung diseases (July 13, 2011) -- Lung diseases in the Middle East range from the centuries-old pulmonary tuberculosis to modern manifestations caused by chemical warfare. A new article provides pulmonologists and patients with the first comprehensive review of respiratory illnesses specific to the Persian Gulf region, and the challenges in treating them. This unique review is the first of its kind in this topic and will serve as an important landmark reference article. ... > full story
Cancer mortality rates are higher in men than women in U.S., study finds (July 13, 2011) -- Overall cancer mortality rates are higher for men than women in the United States, according to a new study. ... > full story
Your mother was right: Good posture makes you tougher (July 13, 2011) -- Mothers have been telling their children to stop slouching for ages. It turns out that mom was onto something and that poor posture not only makes a bad impression, but can actually make you physically weaker. According to a new study, adopting dominant versus submissive postures actually decreases your sensitivity to pain. ... > full story
Newly discovered molecule essential to resetting 'body clocks' (July 13, 2011) -- A new study exploring the mechanism behind resetting the internal "body clocks" of insects has found a new molecule essential to the resynchronization process. ... > full story
Multiple 'siblings' from every gene: Alternate gene reading leads to alternate gene products (July 13, 2011) -- A genome-wide survey shows how our cells create alternate versions of mRNA transcripts -- and therefore alternate proteins -- by slightly altering how they "read" DNA. Researchers found that, in one type of brain cancer, tumors created differing amounts of these protein alternates than did normal cells. Reading our genetic instructions is less a matter of War and Peace for our cells and more like Choose Your Own Adventure. ... > full story
Accentuating the positive may eliminate the negative in teenagers with anxiety (July 13, 2011) -- Researchers say intervening early during teen years may help to prevent adult problems later ... > full story
Advice to drink eight glasses of water a day 'nonsense,' argues doctor (July 13, 2011) -- The recommendation to drink six to eight glasses of water a day to prevent dehydration "is not only nonsense, but is thoroughly debunked nonsense," an expert argues in a new article. ... > full story
Study investigates association between intake of sodium and potassium and deaths among U.S. adults (July 13, 2011) -- A high sodium intake, especially when combined with a low potassium intake, is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality, according to a new study. ... > full story
Family meals remain important through teen years, expert says (July 13, 2011) -- As children become teenagers, it may be more challenging to regularly include them in family meals, but doing so is key to heading off such problems as eating disorders, obesity, and inadequate nutrition in adolescence, according to a new study. The results showed that teens who eat at least five meals a week with their families are 35 percent less likely to engage in disordered eating than teens who don't. ... > full story
Low dose naltrexone: Harnessing the body's own chemistry to treat human ovarian cancer (July 13, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered that a low dose of the opioid antagonist naltrexone (LDN) markedly suppresses progression of human ovarian cancer transplanted into mice. LDN's antitumor action was comparable to that of chemotherapy (cisplatin, taxol). LDN combined with cisplatin but not taxol had an additive inhibitory action on tumorigenesis. LDN offers a non-toxic and efficacious biologic pathway-related treatment that may benefit patients with this deadly cancer. ... > full story
No substantial link between swine flu vaccine and Guillain-Barre syndrome, experts confirm (July 13, 2011) -- Adjuvanted vaccines used during the 2009 swine flu pandemic did not increase the risk of Guillain-Barre syndrome substantially, if at all, finds a large Europe-wide study. ... > full story
Male flirts less happy at work (July 13, 2011) -- Men who flirt at work tend to be less satisfied with their job, according to new research. ... > full story
Cancer data not readily available for future research (July 13, 2011) -- A new study finds that -- even in a field with clear standards and online databases -- the rate of public data archiving in cancer research is increasing only slowly. Furthermore, research studies in cancer and human subjects are less likely than other research studies to make their datasets available for reuse. The results come from a study of patterns of research data availability. ... > full story
Existence of 'trial effect' in HIV clinical trials confirmed (July 13, 2011) -- A new study has confirmed the existence of a "trial effect" in clinical trials for treatment of HIV. ... > full story
Improving surgical outcomes for children, cancer patients (July 13, 2011) -- Faculty and students across engineering disciplines are using novel 3-D surface imaging technology and complex algorithms to address one of the most difficult questions for cancer patients and children facing reconstructive surgery: Which surgical procedure is right for me? ... > full story
Neural mechanisms of object recognition discovered (July 13, 2011) -- A study examining the brain of a person with object agnosia, a defect in the inability to recognize objects, is providing a unique window into the sophisticated brain mechanisms critical for object recognition. The research describes the functional neuroanatomy of object agnosia and suggests that damage to the part of the brain critical for object recognition can have a widespread impact on remote parts of the cortex. ... > full story
Stem cell treatment may restore cognitive function in patients with brain cancer (July 13, 2011) -- Stem cell therapy may restore cognition in patients with brain cancer who experience functional learning and memory loss often associated with radiation treatment, according to a laboratory study. ... > full story
Psychological adaptation of adopted children examined in Spanish study (July 13, 2011) -- A study on adaptation variables in children from international adoption processes shows that adopted children do not present differences in general when compared to non adopted children. They are also less likely to somatize psychological problems. Nevertheless, adopted children from Eastern European countries do present more problems than others in adaptation, attention span and interpersonal relations. ... > full story
Positron emission tomography may help identify the presence of Alzheimer's disease lesions in the brain (July 12, 2011) -- The use of positron emission tomography (PET) imaging may help identify findings in brain tissue associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD), according to two articles. ... > full story
Younger age associated with greater treatment response in children with amblyopia (July 12, 2011) -- Treatment for amblyopia (commonly known as lazy eye) was associated with better response among younger children (3 to 7 years of age) than older children, according to a meta-analysis of previous studies. ... > full story
Neighborhood fast food availability related to an individual's fast food consumption (July 12, 2011) -- Living near fast-food restaurants appears related to an individual's consumption of these foods whereas living near grocery stores and supermarkets appears generally unrelated to dietary quality, according to a new study. ... > full story
Indirubin, component Of Chinese herbal remedy, might block brain tumor's spread, study suggests (July 12, 2011) -- Indirubin, the active ingredient in a traditional Chinese herbal medicine, might offer a new strategy for treating glioblastoma, a deadly form of brain cancer. A new study shows that indirubin both blocks the migration of glioblastoma cells, preventing their spread to other areas of the brain, and the migration of endothelial cells, preventing them from forming the new blood vessels the tumor needs to grow. ... > full story
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