ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Fecal incontinence is highly underreported
• Leptin may play a role in hearing and vision loss, zebrafish study suggests
• 'I'm bored!' -- Research on attention sheds light on the unengaged mind
• Molecular process in fat cells that influences stress and longevity identified
• Two categories of multiple sclerosis patients defined
• Researchers determine how inflammatory cells function, setting stage for future remedies
• Skip the cake? Neural processes at work during self-regulation identified
• New strategy for battling HIV
• Women twice as likely to suffer infection with kidney stones and other urinary blockages
• Exposure to school-age children ups severity of cold infections
• Metagenome-wide association study of gut microbiota in type 2 diabetes
• Gut bacteria could could play key role in development of type 2 diabetes
• Inadequate cellular rest may explain effects of aging on muscles
• Scientists make old muscles young again in attempt to combat aging
• Pregnancy generates maternal immune-suppressive cells that protect the fetus
• Diabetes is characterized by specific intestinal flora, researchers find
• Taking the battle against the toxic trio beyond 'Leaves of three, leave it be'
• Protein structure unlocks one mystery of multi-drug tolerance
• New insights into functionality of cystic fibrosis protein
• Pain pill abuse: Research sheds light on potential habit-forming properties of tramadol
• Geometry plays a role in GPCR transmembrane signaling
• A birth control pill for men? When?
• Reducing acrylamide levels in french fries
• More heart patients staying out of hospital thanks to telemonitoring
• Melatonin and exercise work against Alzheimer's in mice
• Antibiotics could replace surgery for appendicitis, research suggests
• Antipsychotic drugmakers target marketing dollars at D.C. Medicaid psychiatrists, study indicates
• Smoking relapse prevention a healthy step for new mothers, babies, researchers say
• Blood test accurately detects early stages of lung, breast cancer in humans
• Study looks at risk factors for HIV in U.S. Navy and Marines during 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'
• Study pinpoints epigenetic function of common cancer-causing protein: It's not what science thought
• Robotic surgery through the mouth safe for removing tumors of the voice box, study shows
• Nanotechnology device aims to prevent malaria deaths through rapid diagnosis
• Inner city infants have different patterns of viral respiratory illness than infants in the suburbs
• Using antibodies against immune deficiency
• Severe hunger increases breast cancer risk in war survivors, study suggests
• Brain tumours: Artificial stimulation of the immune system could mean less aggressive treatment
• Learning requires rhythmical activity of neurons
• Researchers even closer to early detection of Parkinson's disease
• Gut reaction: Morality in food choice
• Researchers uncover biochemical chain of events needed to maintain an erection
• Doctors' 'gut feeling' should not be ignored, study suggests
• Medical screening for older drivers is misguided, argues senior doctor
• Should celebrities get involved in public health campaigns?
• Future health risks for obese children may be greater than previously thought

Fecal incontinence is highly underreported Posted: 26 Sep 2012 01:15 PM PDT Fecal incontinence, or the inability to control the bowels, is a highly underreported and stigmatized condition, according to colorectal surgeons.

Leptin may play a role in hearing and vision loss, zebrafish study suggests Posted: 26 Sep 2012 12:30 PM PDT Leptin -- commonly dubbed the "fat hormone" -- does more than tell the brain when to eat. A new study shows that leptin may play a role in hearing and vision loss. This discovery, made in zebrafish treated to produce low leptin, could ultimately help doctors better understand sensory loss in humans.

'I'm bored!' -- Research on attention sheds light on the unengaged mind Posted: 26 Sep 2012 12:30 PM PDT Boredom is often seen as a trivial and temporary, but it can also be a chronic and pervasive stressor that has significant consequences for health and well-being. Despite this, boredom itself is still poorly understood. A new article explores the mental processes that underlie our feelings of boredom with the aim of creating a precise definition of boredom that can be applied across a variety of theoretical frameworks.

Molecular process in fat cells that influences stress and longevity identified Posted: 26 Sep 2012 12:29 PM PDT Scientists have identified a new factor -- microRNA processing in fat tissue -- which plays a major role in aging and stress resistance. This finding may lead to the development of treatments that increase stress resistance and longevity and improve metabolism.

Two categories of multiple sclerosis patients defined Posted: 26 Sep 2012 11:16 AM PDT Medical researchers have found a way to distinguish patients with multiple sclerosis into two meaningful subsets.

Researchers determine how inflammatory cells function, setting stage for future remedies Posted: 26 Sep 2012 10:32 AM PDT A research team has determined how cells that cause inflammatory ailments, such as Crohn's disease, multiple sclerosis, and arthritis, differentiate from stem cells and ultimately affect the clinical outcome of these diseases.

Skip the cake? Neural processes at work during self-regulation identified Posted: 26 Sep 2012 10:32 AM PDT When making healthy choices, we often have to engage in an internal struggle. Now, scientists have identified the neural processes at work during such self-regulation -- and what determines whether you choose chocolate cake or something healthier.

New strategy for battling HIV Posted: 26 Sep 2012 10:32 AM PDT New research shows how the HIV virus targets "veterans" or memory T-cells could change how drugs are used to stop the virus.

Women twice as likely to suffer infection with kidney stones and other urinary blockages Posted: 26 Sep 2012 10:32 AM PDT While more men than women develop kidney stones and other obstructions in the urinary tract, women are more than twice as likely to suffer infections related to the condition, according to a new study.

Exposure to school-age children ups severity of cold infections Posted: 26 Sep 2012 10:32 AM PDT Exposure to school-age children raises the odds that a person with lung disease who catches a cold will actually suffer symptoms like a runny nose, sore throat and cough. While many studies have found that being around school-age children increases the risk of infection, the new findings go one step further: Of people who come down with colds, the course of the infection is much more likely to be worse in people exposed to children.

Metagenome-wide association study of gut microbiota in type 2 diabetes Posted: 26 Sep 2012 10:31 AM PDT Researchers have published a novel metagenomic study on human gut microbiota and their potential impact on type 2 diabetes (T2D), the most common form of diabetes. This work lays an important foundation for comprehensively understanding the genetic characteristics of gut microbiota and their relationship to T2D risk, as well as providing a new way of classifying microbes detected by DNA sequence. The work here also opens the way for transferring the potential value of a gut-microbiota-based approach into a means for clinical assessment and diagnosis of patients at risk of this disease.

Gut bacteria could could play key role in development of type 2 diabetes Posted: 26 Sep 2012 10:31 AM PDT Studying gut bacteria can reveal a range of human illness. Now, new research shows that the composition of a person's intestinal bacteria could play an important role in the development of type 2 diabetes.

Inadequate cellular rest may explain effects of aging on muscles Posted: 26 Sep 2012 10:31 AM PDT Is aging inevitable? What factors make older tissues in the human body less able to maintain and repair themselves, as in the weakening and shrinkage of aging muscles in humans? A new study describes the mechanism behind impaired muscle repair during aging and a strategy that may help rejuvenate aging tissue by manipulating the environment in which muscle stem cells reside.

Scientists make old muscles young again in attempt to combat aging Posted: 26 Sep 2012 10:31 AM PDT An international team of scientists has identified for the first time a key factor responsible for declining muscle repair during aging, and discovered how to halt the process in mice with a common drug. Although an early study, the findings provide clues as to how muscles lose mass with age, which can result in weakness that affects mobility and may cause falls.

Pregnancy generates maternal immune-suppressive cells that protect the fetus Posted: 26 Sep 2012 10:31 AM PDT A new study suggests it might be possible to develop vaccines to prevent premature birth and other pregnancy complications. If so, such vaccines would be the first intended to stimulate the subset of regulatory CD4 T cells that suppress the immune response.

Diabetes is characterized by specific intestinal flora, researchers find Posted: 26 Sep 2012 10:27 AM PDT Whether you have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, in the future may be derived from the composition of your intestinal flora, according to new metagenomics research.

Taking the battle against the toxic trio beyond 'Leaves of three, leave it be' Posted: 26 Sep 2012 09:38 AM PDT With more than half of all adults allergic to poison ivy, oak and sumac, scientists are reporting an advance toward an inexpensive spray that could reveal the presence of the rash-causing toxic oil on the skin, clothing, garden tools, and even the family pet. Using the spray would enable people to wash off the oil, or avoid further contact, in time to sidestep days of misery.

Protein structure unlocks one mystery of multi-drug tolerance Posted: 26 Sep 2012 09:38 AM PDT The structures of key bacterial proteins have revealed one of the biochemical secrets that enables bacteria to outwit antibiotics.

New insights into functionality of cystic fibrosis protein Posted: 26 Sep 2012 09:38 AM PDT CFTR is an important protein that, when mutated, causes the life-threatening genetic disease cystic fibrosis. A new study details how an accidental discovery has provided new understanding about CFTR functionality.

Pain pill abuse: Research sheds light on potential habit-forming properties of tramadol Posted: 26 Sep 2012 09:38 AM PDT A study by a team of University of Kentucky researchers has shed new light on the potential habit-forming properties of the popular pain medication tramadol.

Geometry plays a role in GPCR transmembrane signaling Posted: 26 Sep 2012 09:38 AM PDT A recent study characterizes the movement of rhodopsin, a GPCR and member of a large family of transmembrane receptors responsible for many cellular responses and involved in many human diseases.

A birth control pill for men? When? Posted: 26 Sep 2012 09:38 AM PDT When will men have their own birth control pill? Scientists have been predicting the debut of a male pill within five years for the last 30 years. The factors accounting for that delay -- and new optimism that a male pill will emerge within a decade -- are the topic of a new article.

Reducing acrylamide levels in french fries Posted: 26 Sep 2012 09:38 AM PDT The process for preparing frozen, par-fried potato strips -- distributed to some food outlets for making french fries -- can influence the formation of acrylamide in the fries that people eat, a new study has found. The study identifies potential ways of reducing levels of acrylamide, which the National Toxicology Program and the International Agency for Research on Cancer regard as a "probable human carcinogen."

More heart patients staying out of hospital thanks to telemonitoring Posted: 26 Sep 2012 08:27 AM PDT The use of telemonitoring for cardiac patients is increasing – despite mixed evidence as to how effective it really is.

Melatonin and exercise work against Alzheimer's in mice Posted: 26 Sep 2012 08:01 AM PDT The combination of two neuroprotective therapies, voluntary physical exercise, and the daily intake of melatonin has been shown to have a synergistic effect against brain deterioration in rodents with three different mutations of Alzheimer's disease.

Antibiotics could replace surgery for appendicitis, research suggests Posted: 26 Sep 2012 07:42 AM PDT Although the standard approach to acute appendicitis is to remove the appendix, a study from Sweden reveals that treatment with antibiotics can be just as effective in many cases.

Antipsychotic drugmakers target marketing dollars at D.C. Medicaid psychiatrists, study indicates Posted: 26 Sep 2012 07:42 AM PDT The D.C. Department of Health has released a study by George Washington University School of Public Health & Health Services indicating the high levels of marketing by antipsychotic drug manufacturers to Medicaid psychiatrists in the District of Columbia.

Smoking relapse prevention a healthy step for new mothers, babies, researchers say Posted: 26 Sep 2012 07:42 AM PDT Researchers concerned that women who quit smoking during their pregnancies often resume smoking after they deliver their baby, tested self-help interventions designed to prevent postpartum smoking relapse.

Blood test accurately detects early stages of lung, breast cancer in humans Posted: 26 Sep 2012 07:42 AM PDT In less than an hour, a new test can detect breast cancer and non-small lung cancer -- the most common type of lung cancer -- before symptoms like coughing and weight loss start. Researchers anticipate testing for the early stages of pancreatic cancer shortly.

Study looks at risk factors for HIV in U.S. Navy and Marines during 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Posted: 26 Sep 2012 07:42 AM PDT Same-sex partners and inconsistent condom use were among the major risk factors for HIV infection among U.S. Navy and Marines personnel during the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT) era, a new study reports.

Study pinpoints epigenetic function of common cancer-causing protein: It's not what science thought Posted: 26 Sep 2012 06:46 AM PDT "This is a potent oncogene whose mechanism we thought we knew. But basically in this paper we demolish the accepted model. DNp63a doesn't work through p53 – it operates through epigenetic silencing of anti-proliferative genes," says the study's senior author, Joaquin M. Espinosa, Ph.D.

Robotic surgery through the mouth safe for removing tumors of the voice box, study shows Posted: 26 Sep 2012 06:45 AM PDT Robotic surgery though the mouth is a safe and effective way to remove tumors of the throat and voice box, according to a new study.

Nanotechnology device aims to prevent malaria deaths through rapid diagnosis Posted: 26 Sep 2012 06:29 AM PDT A pioneering mobile device using cutting-edge nanotechnology to rapidly detect malaria infection and drug resistance could revolutionize how the disease is diagnosed and treated.

Inner city infants have different patterns of viral respiratory illness than infants in the suburbs Posted: 26 Sep 2012 06:29 AM PDT Children living in low-income urban areas appear especially prone to developing asthma, possibly related to infections they acquire early in life. Researchers investigated viral respiratory illnesses and their possible role in the development of asthma in urban versus suburban babies. The differences in viral illness patterns they found provide insights that could help guide the development of new asthma treatments in children.

Using antibodies against immune deficiency Posted: 26 Sep 2012 06:29 AM PDT Early, intensive therapy with a biotechnologically produced medication can provide significantly faster pain relief for patients with rheumatic joint inflammation. Damage to joints can also be reduced when the medication is applied right at the beginning of the illness, according to new research.

Severe hunger increases breast cancer risk in war survivors, study suggests Posted: 26 Sep 2012 06:26 AM PDT Jewish women who were severely exposed to hunger during World War Two were five times more likely to develop breast cancer than women who were mildly exposed, according to new research

Brain tumours: Artificial stimulation of the immune system could mean less aggressive treatment Posted: 26 Sep 2012 06:26 AM PDT Brain metastases are common secondary complications of other types of cancer, particularly lung, breast and skin cancer. The body's own immune response in the brain is rendered powerless in the fight against these metastases by inflammatory reactions. Researchers have now, for the first time, precisely characterized the brain's immune response to infiltrating metastases. This could pave the way to the development of new, less aggressive treatment options.

Learning requires rhythmical activity of neurons Posted: 26 Sep 2012 06:26 AM PDT The hippocampus represents an important brain structure for learning. Scientists have discovered how it filters electrical neuronal signals through an input and output control, thus regulating learning and memory processes.

Researchers even closer to early detection of Parkinson's disease Posted: 26 Sep 2012 06:26 AM PDT Medical researchers have now elaborated on the discovery of a way to detect Parkinson's disease at an early stage, and applications in clinical care are not far away.

Gut reaction: Morality in food choice Posted: 26 Sep 2012 06:17 AM PDT Researchers are examining the ethical aspects of food production and consumption. They are helping consumers navigate the maze of moral choices involved in filling their plates and bellies. And they are finding that being morally mindful can lead to better nutrition, as well.

Researchers uncover biochemical chain of events needed to maintain an erection Posted: 26 Sep 2012 06:17 AM PDT For two decades, scientists have known the biochemical factors that trigger penile erection, but not what's needed to maintain one. Now new research uncovers the biochemical chain of events involved in that process. The information, say scientists, may lead to new therapies to help men who have erectile dysfunction.

Doctors' 'gut feeling' should not be ignored, study suggests Posted: 25 Sep 2012 03:36 PM PDT Doctors who experience a gut feeling about serious illness when treating a child in primary care should take action upon this feeling and not ignore it, a study suggests.

Medical screening for older drivers is misguided, argues senior doctor Posted: 25 Sep 2012 03:36 PM PDT Medical screening of older drivers is misguided and typifies a "worrying lack of due diligence" by the medical profession, warns a senior doctor.

Should celebrities get involved in public health campaigns? Posted: 25 Sep 2012 03:36 PM PDT Two experts debate whether celebrity involvement in public health campaigns can deliver long term benefits.

Future health risks for obese children may be greater than previously thought Posted: 25 Sep 2012 03:36 PM PDT Being obese as a child or adolescent may have a larger effect on future health than previously thought, suggests a new study.

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