ScienceDaily Health Headlines -- for Saturday, September 10, 2011

ScienceDaily Health Headlines

for Saturday, September 10, 2011

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Birth control pills affect memory, researchers find (September 9, 2011) -- Women who use contraceptives like birth control pills experience memory changes, according to new research. Their ability to remember the gist of an emotional event improves, while women not using the contraceptives better retain details. ... > full story

Exercise boosts health by influencing stem cells to become bone, not fat, researchers find (September 9, 2011) -- Researchers have found one more reason to exercise: working out triggers influential stem cells to become bone instead of fat, improving overall health by boosting the body's capacity to make blood. ... > full story

New strategy for overcoming resistance to targeted cancer drug (September 9, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered a pair of backup circuits in cancer cells that enable the cells to dodge the effect of cetuximab. Until now, scientists haven't known why cancers that initially respond to cetuximab become resistant to it, or how to overcome such resistance. ... > full story

Parents' stress leaves lasting marks on children’s genes, researchers find (September 9, 2011) -- Researchers have shown that parental stress during their children's early years can leave an imprint on their sons' or daughters' genes -- an imprint that lasts into adolescence and may affect how these genes are expressed later in life. ... > full story

Captivated by critters: Humans are wired to respond to animals (September 9, 2011) -- Some people feel compelled to pet every animal they see on the street, while others jump at the mere sight of a shark on their television. No matter what your response is to animals, it may be thanks to a specific part of your brain that is hardwired to rapidly detect creatures of the nonhuman kind. In fact, researchers report that neurons throughout the amygdala respond preferentially to images of animals. ... > full story

Process that clears cholesterol could reverse major cause of heart attack (September 9, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered that an ancient pathway called autophagy also mobilizes and exports cholesterol from cells. ... > full story

Newly identified gene mutation linked to Parkinson's: Single 'spelling mistake' affects mechanism for converting a cell's genetic code into proteins (September 9, 2011) -- Scientists have discovered a new gene responsible for Parkinson's disease. The mutation, a single "spelling mistake" among three billion nucleotides in DNA, regulates the mechanism for converting a cell's genetic code into proteins. ... > full story

Mother's diet influences baby's allergies, research suggests (September 9, 2011) -- A possible link between what a mother eats during pregnancy and the risk of her child developing allergies has been identified in new research. ... > full story

Doctors' and nurses' hospital uniforms contain dangerous bacteria a majority of the time, study shows (September 9, 2011) -- More than 60 percent of hospital nurses’ and doctors’ uniforms tested positive for potentially dangerous bacteria, according to a new study. ... > full story

Chronic pain: Watch out before accepting diagnosis and treatment (September 9, 2011) -- Experts argue that patients should be diligent in demanding proof of safety and benefit before beginning chronic pain treatment, as some medications have little evidence that they alleviate conditions for which they are prescribed. The experts dispel myths surrounding chronic Lyme disease, using it as an example of why patients ensure that diagnostic and treatment tools are approved by the FDA and not just recommended by other patients and physicians. ... > full story

Mutation links inherited narcolepsy with multiple neuropsychiatric disorders (September 9, 2011) -- Narcolepsy is a rare disorder characterized by an excessive urge to sleep at inappropriate times and places. Narcoleptics are also often subject to "cataplexy," a sudden muscle weakness that is triggered by strong emotions. Although most cases of narcolepsy are thought to be caused by complex mechanisms, a small percentage of cases are associated with unidentified inherited mutations. Now, a new study uncovers a mutation that causes narcolepsy in a large family affected by the disorder. ... > full story

Scientists discover blood factors that appear to cause aging in brains of mice (September 9, 2011) -- In a study to be published Sept. 1 in Nature, Stanford University School of Medicine scientists have found substances in the blood of old mice that makes young brains act older. These substances, whose levels rise with increasing age, appear to inhibit the brain's ability to produce new nerve cells critical to memory and learning. ... > full story