ScienceDaily Health Headlines
for Wednesday, November 5, 2008
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An Anti-frailty Pill For Seniors? New Drug Increases Muscle Mass In Arms And Legs Of Older Adults (November 5, 2008) -- Researchers report that a daily single oral dose of an investigational drug, MK-677, increased muscle mass in the arms and legs of healthy older adults without serious side effects, suggesting that it may prove safe and effective in reducing age-related frailty. ... > full story
Risk Of Sudden Cardiac Death Appears Increased Within 30 Days Of Heart Attack (November 5, 2008) -- The risk of sudden cardiac death following a heart attack has declined significantly in the past 30 years, although patients appear to be at elevated risk for sudden cardiac death for the first month after having a heart attack, after which time their risk decreases unless they develop heart failure, according to new study. ... > full story
Elderly Women Can Increase Strength But Still Risk Falls (November 5, 2008) -- Elderly women can increase muscle strength as much as young women can, a new study from the University of New Hampshire finds, indicating that decline in muscle function is less a natural part of the aging process than due to a decline in physical activity. Yet while the two groups increased similar percentages of strength, the older group was far less effective in increasing power, which is more closely related to preventing falls. ... > full story
Response Rates To Antidepressants Differ Among English- And Spanish-speaking Hispanics (November 5, 2008) -- In the first-ever study of its kind, Spanish-speaking Hispanics took longer to respond to medication for depression and were less likely to go into remission than English-speaking Hispanics. ... > full story
Previously Unknown Immune Cell May Help Those With Crohn's And Colitis (November 5, 2008) -- The tonsils and lymphoid tissues in the intestinal tract that help protect the body from external pathogens are the home base of a rare newly identified immune cell. Researchers indicate that the immune cells could have a therapeutic role in inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. ... > full story
High Blood Pressure Is Related To Depression In Elderly Subjects (November 5, 2008) -- An epidemiological study performed in Spain discloses a relationship between high blood pressure and depression in the elderly. ... > full story
Consuming Even Small Amounts Of Caffeine When Pregnant May Affect Growth Of Unborn Child (November 4, 2008) -- Consuming caffeine at any time during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of fetal growth restriction (low birth weight), according to new research. ... > full story
Liver Transplant Recipients Have Higher Cancer Risk, Study Suggests (November 4, 2008) -- A new Canadian study comparing cancer rates of liver transplant patients to those of the general population has found that transplant recipients face increased risks of developing cancer, especially non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and colorectal cancer. ... > full story
Novel Therapeutic Compounds For Neurodegenerative Conditions (November 4, 2008) -- Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and ALS affect millions of individuals every year. Current medications are modestly effective, at best, and only target the symptoms associated with these debilitating and fatal disorders. ... > full story
Parents' Wartime Deployment Associated With Children's Behavior Problems (November 4, 2008) -- Children ages 3 to 5 with a parent deployed to a war zone appear to exhibit more behavior problems than their peers whose parents are not deployed, according to a new report. ... > full story
Persistent Bacterial Infection Exploits Killing Machinery Of Immune Cells (November 4, 2008) -- A new study reveals an important and newly discovered pathway used by disease-causing bacteria to evade the host immune system and survive and grow within the very cells meant to destroy them. This discovery may lead to new treatments and vaccines for tuberculosis and certain other chronic bacterial and parasitic infections. ... > full story
Violent Video Game Feed Aggression In Kids In Japan And U.S. (November 4, 2008) -- It's not just American kids who become more aggressive by playing violent video games. A new study showed effects of violent video games on aggression over a 3-6 month period in children from Japan as well as the United States. ... > full story
Heart Rate-lowering Drug Improves Exercise Capacity In Patients With Stable Angina (November 4, 2008) -- An analysis of the data from treadmill exercise tests shows that patients who were treated with ivabradine in addition to a beta blocker demonstrated a threefold improvement in total exercise duration at four months compared to those being treated with standard doses of beta blocker alone. ... > full story
Personalized Learning Puts Students In A Class Of Their Own (November 4, 2008) -- A new learning platform is giving the traditional classroom a radical makeover. Using innovative technology, iClass is putting pupils at the center of the learning experience and providing them with more control over what they learn. ... > full story
While Prevalent, Sexual Problems In Women Not Always Associated With Distress (November 4, 2008) -- The largest such study ever published finds that, while about 40 percent of women surveyed report having sexual problems, only 12 percent indicate that those issues are a source of significant personal distress. ... > full story
Women Have More Diverse Hand Bacteria Than Men (November 4, 2008) -- A new study indicates that not only do human hands harbor far higher numbers of bacteria species than previously believed, women have a significantly greater diversity of microbes on their palms than men. ... > full story
Fibromyalgia Can No Longer Be Called The 'Invisible' Syndrome (November 4, 2008) -- Using single photon emission computed tomography, researchers in France were able to detect functional abnormalities in certain regions in the brains of patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia, reinforcing the idea that symptoms of the disorder are related to a dysfunction in those parts of the brain where pain is processed. ... > full story
Optimal Dose Of Vitamin E Maximizes Benefits, Minimizes Risk (November 4, 2008) -- Excess vitamin E can promote bleeding by interfering with vitamin K. Nutrition researchers review some possible explanations. ... > full story
Antioxidant Effects From Eating Almonds (November 4, 2008) -- Eating almonds significantly decreased levels of two biomarkers for oxidative stress in a group of 27 male and female volunteers with elevated cholesterol. ... > full story
Grandmothers As Caregivers Can Cut Risk Of Childhood Injury In Half (November 4, 2008) -- For working parents, having grandparents as caregivers can cut the risk of childhood injury roughly in half, according to a new study. Compared to organized daycare or care by the mother or other relatives, having a grandmother watch a child was associated with a decreased risk of injury for the child. ... > full story
Snakebites: At Least 421,000 Venom Bites And 20,000 Deaths Occur Each Year, Study Finds (November 4, 2008) -- Snakebites cause considerable death and injury worldwide and pose an important yet neglected threat to public health, says new research in PLoS Medicine. ... > full story
Bacteria Shown To Cause Blood Clots: Bacterial Clotting Depends On Clustering (November 4, 2008) -- Bacteria can directly cause human blood and plasma to clot -- a process previously thought to have been lost during vertebrate evolution. The discovery may lead to new clinical methods for treating serious medical conditions such as sepsis and anthrax. The key to clot formation is the location of the bacteria, rather than the total number of bacteria or their concentration. Coagulation occurs only when a cluster of bacteria forms. ... > full story
Gene That Helps Control Production Of Stomach Acid Discovered (November 4, 2008) -- Researchers have discovered a gene that helps control the secretion of acid in the stomach -- information that could one day aid scientists in creating more efficient treatment options for conditions such as acid reflux or peptic ulcers. ... > full story
Aerobic Exercise Combined With Resistance Training Improves Glucose Control In Diabetics, Study Shows (November 4, 2008) -- Patients with diabetes who participate in a program combining aerobic and high-force eccentric resistance exercise demonstrate improvements in glucose control, physical performance, and body fat composition, according to a new study in Physical Therapy. ... > full story
Different Roles For Mothers And Fathers Influenced By Genetics (November 4, 2008) -- New research reveals for the first time that the different roles of mothers and fathers are influenced by genetics. The study shows how variation in where males and females put their parenting effort reflects different genetic influences for each sex. ... > full story
Precipitation Levels May Be Associated With Autism (November 4, 2008) -- Children living in counties with higher levels of annual precipitation appear more likely to have higher prevalence rates of autism, according to a new report. The results raise the possibility that an environmental trigger for autism may be associated with precipitation and may affect genetically vulnerable children. ... > full story
Dramatic Fall In Malaria In Gambia Raises Possibility Of Elimination In Parts Of Africa (November 4, 2008) -- The incidence of malaria has fallen significantly in Gambia in the last 5 years, according to a study carried out by experts there with support from scientists based in London. ... > full story
Biologists Spy On The Secret Inner Life Of A Cell (November 4, 2008) -- The transportation of antibodies from a mother to her newborn child is vital for the development of that child's nascent immune system. Antibodies help shape a baby's response to foreign pathogens and may influence the later occurrence of autoimmune diseases. Images from Caltech biologists reveal for the first time the complicated process by which antibodies are shuttled from mother's milk, through her baby's gut and into the bloodstream -- offering new insight into the mammalian immune system. ... > full story
Seasonal Affective Disorder May Be Linked To Genetic Mutation, Study Suggests (November 4, 2008) -- A new study indicates that seasonal affective disorder may be linked to a genetic mutation in the eye that makes a SAD patient less sensitive to light. ... > full story
Genetic Evidence For Avian Influenza Movement From Asia To North America Via Wild Birds (November 4, 2008) -- Wild migratory birds may be more important carriers of avian influenza viruses from continent to continent than previously thought, according to new scientific research that has important implications for highly pathogenic avian influenza virus surveillance in North America. ... > full story
Oral Rinses Used For Tracking HPV-positive Head And Neck Cancers Holds Promise For Cancer Screening (November 4, 2008) -- A new study validates a non-invasive screening method with future potential for detection of human papillomavirus-positive head and neck cancers. ... > full story
Tweens And Teens Double Use Of Diabetes Drugs (November 4, 2008) -- A study of chronic medication use in children ages 5 to 19 found that America's tweens and teens more than doubled their use of type 2 diabetes medications between 2002 and 2005. Utilization patterns for blood pressure, cholesterol, attention-deficit disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, asthma and depression medications also increased at varying levels. ... > full story
Mending Broken Hearts With Tissue Engineering (November 4, 2008) -- Broken hearts could one day be mended using a novel scaffold. The new scaffold approach could also aid the engineering of other tissues. ... > full story
Skin Cancer: Designer Molecule Tackles Malignant Cells By Two Completely Different Routes (November 4, 2008) -- By playing it safe and using a two-pronged attack, a novel designer molecule fights malignant melanoma. The substance is similar to components of viruses and in this way alerts the immune system. The body's own defenses are also strengthened against cancer cells in this process. At the same time, the novel molecule also puts pressure on the tumor in a different way. It switches off a specific gene in the malignant cells, thus driving them to suicide. With mice suffering from cancer, the researchers have thus been able to fight metastases in the lung. ... > full story
Video-assisted Thoracic Surgery Offers Comprehensive Cancer Removal Compared To Open Surgery, Study Suggests (November 4, 2008) -- Minimally invasive surgery for lung cancer called video-assisted thoracic surgery or VATS is a relatively new procedure performed almost exclusively at academic centers. Now, a preliminary study is giving surgeons an early look at its benefits. ... > full story
Greater Alcohol Outlet Density Is Linked To Male-to-female Partner Violence (November 4, 2008) -- Alcohol-outlet density is associated with a number of adverse health and social consequences. New research examines the relationship between AOD and intimate partner violence. Findings show that an increase of 10 alcohol outlets per 10,000 persons was associated with a 34 percent increased risk of male-to-female partner violence. ... > full story
Human Genes: Alternative Splicing Far More Common Than Thought (November 4, 2008) -- Scientists have long known that it's possible for one gene to produce slightly different forms of the same protein by skipping or including certain sequences from the messenger RNA. Now, scientists have shown that this phenomenon, known as alternative splicing, is both far more prevalent and varies more between tissues than was previously believed. ... > full story
Gene Scan Of Alzheimer's Families Identifies Four New Suspect Genes (November 4, 2008) -- The first family-based genome-wide association study in Alzheimer's disease has identified the sites of four novel genes that may significantly influence risk for the most common late-onset form of the devastating neurological disorder. ... > full story
New Mechanism Of Resistance To Dengue Virus (November 4, 2008) -- It is becoming increasingly common to see individuals infected by the dengue virus who develop an ultimately fatal hemorrhagic syndrome, particularly in children during epidemics. However, in most cases, dengue remains a generally benign or even asymptomatic viral infection. One explanation for this phenomenon is a new mechanism of resistance to dengue virus could form the basis for new strategies to prevent this disease. ... > full story
First International Guidelines For Treatment Of Psoriatic Arthritis Developed (November 4, 2008) -- Rheumatologists, dermatologists and patient advocates have come together to publish the first-ever international guidelines for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis, a disease that mainly affects people who have psoriasis but also some people without it. ... > full story
Criminal Offenders: Childhood Anxiety May Delay Onset Of Criminal Behavior Until After Age 21 (November 4, 2008) -- A new study examines whether certain childhood traits in boys delay criminal behavior until after the age of 21. ... > full story
Odorprints Like Fingerprints? Personal Odors Remain Distinguishable Regardless Of Diet (November 3, 2008) -- Scientists present behavioral and chemical findings to reveal that an individual's underlying odor signature remains detectable even in the face of major dietary changes. The findings indicate that biologically-based odorprints, like fingerprints, could be a reliable way to identify individual humans. ... > full story
Crucial Hormonal Pathway To Bone Building Uncovered (November 3, 2008) -- New study shows parathyroid hormone given intermittently enhances the body's own bone-building action through a specific "co-receptor" on the surface of bone cells. Previously, PTH was known to stimulate bone formation, but the exact mechanism was unknown. ... > full story
Patience During Stalled Labor Can Avoid Many C-sections, Study Shows (November 3, 2008) -- Pregnant women whose labor stalls while in the active phase of childbirth can reduce health risks to themselves and their infants by waiting out the delivery process for an extra two hours, according to a new study. ... > full story
Antioxidants Can Reduce The Toxic Effects Of Lead, Study Suggests (November 3, 2008) -- A research study shows that administering natural antioxidants can reduce the effects of lead poisoning in animals during the gestation and lactation periods. The study suggests that it could also be effective in humans. ... > full story
Weight Does Not Affect Women's Sexual Behavior, Study Finds (November 3, 2008) -- Oregon and Hawaiian researchers have found that a woman's weight does not seem to affect sexual behavior. In fact, overweight women are more likely to report having sex with men than women considered to be of "normal weight." ... > full story
Stem Cell Therapies For Heart Disease (November 3, 2008) -- New research brings stem cell therapies for heart disease one step closer. The findings reveal that our bodies' ability to respond to an internal "mayday" signal may hold the key to success for long-awaited regenerative medicine. ... > full story
Teen Pregnancy Linked To Viewing Of Sexual Content On TV (November 3, 2008) -- Adolescents who have high levels of exposure to television programs that contain sexual content are twice as likely to be involved in a pregnancy over the following three years as their peers who watch few such shows, according to a new study. ... > full story
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