ScienceDaily Health Headlines
for Thursday, January 26, 2012
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High animal fat diet increases gestational diabetes risk, study finds (January 26, 2012) -- Women who consumed a diet high in animal fat and cholesterol before pregnancy were at higher risk for gestational diabetes than women whose diets were lower in animal fat and cholesterol, according to researchers. ... > full story
Middle-age risk factors drive greater lifetime risk for heart disease (January 26, 2012) -- A new study reports that while an individual's risk of heart disease may be low in the next five or 10 years, the lifetime risk could still be very high, findings that could have implications for both clinical practice and public health policy. ... > full story
Being ignored hurts, even by a stranger (January 26, 2012) -- Feeling like you're part of the gang is crucial to the human experience. All people get stressed out when we're left out. A new study finds that a feeling of inclusion can come from something as simple as eye contact from a stranger. ... > full story
Morgellons: Unexplained skin condition is non-infectious, not linked to environmental cause: CDC report (January 26, 2012) -- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has completed a comprehensive study of an unexplained skin condition commonly referred to as Morgellons. ... > full story
New standard for vitamin D testing to ensure accurate test results (January 26, 2012) -- At a time of increasing concern about low vitamin D levels in the world's population and increased use of blood tests for the vitamin, scientists are reporting development of a much-needed reference material to assure that measurements of vitamin D levels are accurate. ... > full story
Nanocrystals make dentures shine (January 26, 2012) -- Chemists have developed novel glass ceramics for dentistry. The new kind of glass ceramic with a nanocrystalline structure seems to be well suited to be used in dentistry due to its high strength and its optical characteristics. ... > full story
High-school high achievers who flounder in university: Some students may have undetected reading comprehension difficulties (January 26, 2012) -- Everyone knows a high-school high achiever who has floundered in university. Now researchers may have an explanation for the problem. They say it is likely that some of these students may have undetected reading comprehension difficulties. ... > full story
Environment that nurtures blood-forming stem cells' growth identified (January 25, 2012) -- Scientists have identified the environment in which blood-forming stem cells survive and thrive within the body, an important step toward increasing the safety and effectiveness of bone-marrow transplantation. ... > full story
Many people continue to smoke after being diagnosed with cancer (January 25, 2012) -- A new analysis has found that a substantial number of lung and colorectal cancer patients continue to smoke after being diagnosed. ... > full story
Strategic research plan needed to help avoid potential risks of nanomaterials (January 25, 2012) -- Despite extensive investment in nanotechnology and increasing commercialization over the last decade, insufficient understanding remains about the environmental, health, and safety aspects of nanomaterials. Without a coordinated research plan to help guide efforts to manage and avoid potential risks, the future of safe and sustainable nanotechnology is uncertain, says a new report. ... > full story
Adolescents with autism spend free time using solitary, screen-based media (January 25, 2012) -- Children with autism spectrum disorders tend to be fascinated by screen-based technology. A new study found that adolescents with autism (64.2 percent) spend most of their free time using solitary, or non-social, screen-based media (television and video games) while only 13.2 percent spend time on socially interactive media (e-mail, Internet chatting). ... > full story
Protein in brain could be a key target in controlling Alzheimer’s (January 25, 2012) -- A protein recently discovered in the brain could play a key role in the development of Alzheimer’s disease. ... > full story
Foot and ankle structure differs between sprinters and non-sprinters (January 25, 2012) -- The skeletal structure of the foot and ankle differs significantly between human sprinters and non-sprinters, according to researchers. Their findings not only help explain why some people are faster runners than others, but also may be useful in helping people who have difficulty walking, such as older adults and children with cerebral palsy. ... > full story
Could Alzheimer's disease be diagnosed with a simple blood test? (January 25, 2012) -- A pilot study suggests infrared analysis of white blood cells is a promising strategy for diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. ... > full story
Researchers discover method to unravel malaria's genetic secrets (January 25, 2012) -- Researchers have devised a technique to overcome a genetic oddity of Plasmodium falciparum, the major cause of human malaria, which has stymied research into the organism's genes. The technique opens the door to genetic discovery for the entire organism, which should foster a greater understanding of the parasite, and facilitate discovery of new medications for a disease that infects 200 million people and kills nearly 700,000 every year. ... > full story
In schizophrenia research, a path to the brain through the nose (January 25, 2012) -- A significant obstacle to progress in understanding psychiatric disorders is the difficulty in obtaining living brain tissue for study so that disease processes can be studied directly. Recent advances in basic cellular neuroscience now suggest that, for some purposes, cultured neural stem cells may be studied in order to research psychiatric disease mechanisms. But where can one obtain these cells outside of the brain? ... > full story
How do you mend a broken heart? Coaxing the heart into making replacement cardiac muscle cells (January 25, 2012) -- Scientists are closing in on signals that may be able to coax the heart into producing replacement cardiac muscle cells. Using a zebrafish model system, researchers have identified a family of molecules that can stimulate stem cells to develop into beating heart muscle cells. The research may pave the way towards new therapeutic approaches for cardiac regeneration and repair. ... > full story
Inflammatory mediator promotes colorectal cancer by stifling protective genes (January 25, 2012) -- Chronic inflammation combines with DNA methylation, a process that shuts down cancer-fighting genes, to promote development of colorectal cancer, scientists have discovered. ... > full story
Increased exposure to compound widely used in food packaging associated with reduced immune response to vaccinations for children (January 25, 2012) -- Elevated exposures in children to perfluorinated compounds, which are widely used in manufacturing and food packaging, were associated with lower antibody responses to routine childhood immunizations, according to a new study. ... > full story
Food fried in olive or sunflower oil is not linked to heart disease, Spanish study finds (January 25, 2012) -- Eating food fried in olive or sunflower oil is not linked to heart disease or premature death, a new study finds. The authors stress, however, that their study took place in Spain, a Mediterranean country where olive or sunflower oil is used for frying and their results would probably not be the same in another country where solid and re-used oils were used for frying. ... > full story
How longstanding conflict influences empathy for others (January 25, 2012) -- A young researcher had long been drawn to conflict -- not as a participant, but an observer. In 1994, while doing volunteer work in South Africa, he witnessed firsthand the turmoil surrounding the fall of apartheid; during a 2001 trip to visit friends in Sri Lanka, he found himself in the midst of the violent conflict between the Tamil Tigers and the Sri Lankan military. He is now exploring how longstanding conflict influences empathy for others. ... > full story
Brown fat burns calories in adult humans (January 25, 2012) -- Brown fat burns calories to generate body heat in rodents and newborn humans. Recently, adult humans have also been found to possess brown fat, leading to the suggestion that increasing the amount of brown fat a person has will make them slimmer. However, it has never been shown definitively that adult human brown fat burns energy. But now, researchers in Canada have provided this evidence. ... > full story
Availability and use of sanitation reduces by half the likelihood of parasitic worm infections (January 25, 2012) -- Access to sanitation facilities, such as latrines, reduces by half the risk of becoming infected by parasitic worms that are transmitted via soil, according to a new study. ... > full story
Study shows connection between birth weights and armed conflict (January 25, 2012) -- A new study shows pregnant women exposed to armed conflict have a higher risk of giving birth to underweight babies. ... > full story
With mutation, you can have your cream and eat it, too (January 25, 2012) -- People who carry a malfunctioning copy of a particular gene are especially good at clearing fat from their systems. The report shows how the mutant gene influences metabolism in this way. ... > full story
Tobacco smoking and high blood pressure are biggest killers of Japanese adults, study finds (January 25, 2012) -- The life expectancy of a person born in Japan is among the highest in the world (82.9 years) yet tobacco smoking and high blood pressure are still the major risk factors for death among adults in Japan, emphasizing the need to reduce tobacco smoking and to improve ongoing programs designed to help people manage multiple cardiovascular risk factors, including high blood pressure, according to a new study. ... > full story
Love of a dog or cat helps women cope with HIV/AIDS (January 25, 2012) -- A spoonful of medicine goes down a lot easier if there is a dog or cat around. Having pets is helpful for women living with HIV/AIDS and managing their chronic illness, according to a new study. ... > full story
Women with certain type of ovarian cancer and BRCA gene mutation have improved survival at 5 years (January 25, 2012) -- Among women with invasive epithelial ovarian cancer, patients having a germline (gene change in a reproductive cell that could be passed to offspring) mutation in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes was associated with improved five-year overall survival, with BRCA2 carriers having the best prognosis, according to a new study. ... > full story
Addition of proton pump inhibitor to treatment of poorly controlled asthma in children does not improve symptoms (January 25, 2012) -- Children without symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux whose asthma was being poorly controlled with anti-inflammatory treatment did not have an improvement in symptoms or lung function with the added treatment of the proton pump inhibitor lansoprazole, compared to patients who received placebo, according to a new study. Use of lansoprazole was associated with increased adverse events. ... > full story
Molecular structure and function of essential plant hormone could profoundly change our understanding of a key cell process (January 25, 2012) -- A recent study investigating the molecular structure and function of an essential plant hormone could profoundly change our understanding of a key cell process, and might ultimately lead to the development of new drugs for a variety of diseases. ... > full story
Neurologists should ask patients about abuse: New position statement from American Academy of Neurology (January 25, 2012) -- A new position statement issued by the American Academy of Neurology calls on neurologists to begin screening their patients for abusive or violent treatment by family, caretakers or others. Types of abuse include elder abuse, child abuse, sexual abuse, financial abuse, emotional abuse, bullying, cyberbullying and violence. ... > full story
Parental controls on embryonic development? (January 24, 2012) -- When a sperm fertilizes an egg, each contributes a set of chromosomes to the resulting embryo, which at these very early stages is called a zygote. Early on, zygotic genes are inert, so embryonic development is largely controlled by parental factors. The activation of the zygotic genome therefore represents an important transition toward a more autonomous mode of embryonic development, and has been the subject of much speculation and scrutiny. Now a new study suggests that the reach of parental control in the embryo may be longer than we thought. ... > full story
Membrane fusion a mystery no more (January 24, 2012) -- The many factors that contribute to how cells communicate and function at the most basic level are still not fully understood, but researchers have uncovered a mechanism that helps explain how intracellular membranes fuse, and in the process, created a new physiological membrane fusion model. ... > full story
Poorest smokers face toughest odds for kicking the habit (January 24, 2012) -- Quitting smoking is never easy. However, when you're poor and uneducated, kicking the habit for good is doubly hard, according to a new study. ... > full story
High levels of fructose consumption by adolescents may put them at cardiovascular risk, evidence suggests (January 24, 2012) -- Evidence of cardiovascular disease and diabetes risk is present in the blood of adolescents who consume a lot of fructose, a scenario that worsens in the face of excess belly fat, researchers report. ... > full story
The big picture: Long-term imaging reveals intriguing patterns of human brain maturation (January 24, 2012) -- Now, new research describes the first comprehensive study of coordinated anatomical maturation within the developing human brain. The study reveals that functionally connected brain regions mature together and uncovers fascinating sex-specific differences in brain development. ... > full story
Brain activity linked to delusion-like experience (January 24, 2012) -- People with schizophrenia showed greater brain activity during tests that induce a brief, mild form of delusional thinking. This effect wasn't seen in a comparison group without schizophrenia. ... > full story
Is short stature associated with a 'shortage' of genes? (January 24, 2012) -- New research sifts through the entire genome of thousands of human subjects to look for genetic variation associated with height. The results of the study suggest that uncommon genetic deletions are associated with short stature. ... > full story
Cell signaling key to stopping growth and migration of brain cancer cells (January 24, 2012) -- Inhibition of cell signaling through the Mer receptor tyrosine kinase pathway shown to both sensitize glioblastoma cells to chemotherapy and decrease their ability to migrate to other, non-targeted areas of the brain. ... > full story
It's evolution: Nature of prejudice, aggression different for men and women (January 24, 2012) -- Prejudice against people from groups different than their own is linked to aggression for men and fear for women, suggests new research. ... > full story
Newly discovered heart stem cells make muscle and bone (January 24, 2012) -- Researchers have identified a new and relatively abundant pool of stem cells in the heart. The findings show that these heart cells have the capacity for long-term expansion and can form a variety of cell types, including muscle, bone, neural and heart cells. ... > full story
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