ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Sticky paper offers cheap, easy solution for paper-based diagnostics
• New study sheds light on bone marrow stem cell therapy for pancreatic recovery
• Obesity and under-nutrition prevalent in long-term refugees living in camps
• Serious complications in people with type 1 diabetes and ongoing poor blood sugar control
• Differences in overall health of Latino-American subgroups revealed in new studies
• Acoustic cell-sorting chip may lead to cell phone-sized medical labs
• Cardiac medication may help reduce stiffness caused by certain muscle diseases
• Patients with rheumatoid arthritis appear to be at increased risk for blood clots
• Beta-blocker use not associated with lower risk of cardiovascular events
• Vitamin D supplementation does not reduce rate or severity of colds, study suggests
• 3-D medical scanner: New handheld imaging device to aid doctors on the 'diagnostic front lines'
• Specialty contact lenses may one day help halt the progression of nearsightedness in children
• Intelligence is in the genes, but where? Most genes thought to be linked to intelligence probably have no bearing on IQ
• Length matters in gene expression
• Starting antiretroviral therapy improves HIV-infected Africans' nutrition
• New research model to aid search for degenerative disease cures
• Adult stem cells change their epigenome to generate new organs
• Obesity epidemic means bariatric surgery rates continue to rise, reports plastic and reconstructive surgery
• Implant-based breast reconstruction following radiation has high patient satisfaction rate despite complications
• For people exposed to World Trade Center site, lung function improves with time
• Survey sheds light on high victimization rates in Alaska
• The fight against tobacco can reinforce social inequalities in smoking
• Monoclonal antibody fragment treatments for 'wet' macular degeneration keep elderly drivers behind the wheel, study suggests
• Researchers create most detailed, 3-D rendering of key region of mammal lung
• An apple a day lowers level of blood chemical linked to hardening of the arteries, research suggests
• A novel function for p27 protein in the control of interneuron migration in the developing cerebral cortex
• New findings on the workings of the inner ear
• Egyptian toe tests show they're likely to be the world's oldest prosthetics
• Children's bicycle helmets effective in impact and crush tests, study suggests
• Concussion spectrum in college athletes wearing helmets: 'Not so simple,' say researchers
• Immune system can boost nerve regrowth, study suggests
• Gene responsible for many spontaneous breast cancers identified
• Female athletes show no difference from males in neurocognitive testing after suffering sports-related concussions
• Hospital bedsores linked to patient mortality
• New hope for taming triple-negative breast cancer
• New analysis of U.S. presidential candidates' health care plans estimates uninsured by 2022
• Trojan horse drug therapy provides new approach to treating breast cancer
• New antibiotic cures disease by disarming pathogens, not killing them
• Smoking clouds the brain after stroke: Memory, thinking, decision-making affected by tobacco use
• Sleep apnea plays dual role in stroke
• Novel MRI technique could reduce breast biopsies
• Digital mammography improves population-based breast cancer screening
• New definition of autism in updated psychiatric clinical manual will not exclude most children with autism, expert says
• Low levels of vitamin D are associated with mortality in older adults
• Alzheimer’s disease in men linked to low levels of hormone IGF-1
• Low vitamin D levels linked to more severe multiple sclerosis symptoms
• A simple blood test could be used to detect breast cancer; New clinical study launched
• Tanning beds linked to non-melanoma skin cancer

Sticky paper offers cheap, easy solution for paper-based diagnostics Posted: 02 Oct 2012 03:30 PM PDT Global health researchers are working on cheap systems like a home-based pregnancy test that might work for malaria, diabetes or other diseases. A new chemical technique makes medically interesting molecules stick to regular paper -- a possible route to building such paper-based diagnostics from paper you could buy at an office-supply store.

New study sheds light on bone marrow stem cell therapy for pancreatic recovery Posted: 02 Oct 2012 02:16 PM PDT Researchers have found that a blood vessel-building gene boosts the ability of human bone marrow stem cells to sustain pancreatic recovery in a laboratory mouse model of insulin-dependent diabetes.

Obesity and under-nutrition prevalent in long-term refugees living in camps Posted: 02 Oct 2012 02:16 PM PDT A quarter of households in refugee camps in Algeria are currently suffering from the double burden of excess weight and under-nutrition. According to a new study, obesity is an emerging threat to this community, with one in two women of childbearing age being overweight, whilst nutritional deficiencies such as iron-deficiency anemia and stunted growth remain a persistent problem.

Serious complications in people with type 1 diabetes and ongoing poor blood sugar control Posted: 02 Oct 2012 02:16 PM PDT Strategies implemented in high-income countries to improve blood glucose control in people with type 1 diabetes and so reduce complications, such as heart attacks, strokes, and early death, are working, but there is much need for further improvement, according to a new study.

Differences in overall health of Latino-American subgroups revealed in new studies Posted: 02 Oct 2012 02:11 PM PDT Despite a shared Latino heritage, there are significant differences in the overall health and the use of health-care services among Cuban-Americans, Mexican-Americans and Puerto Rican-Americans -- even between men and women in the same subgroup -- according to new research.

Acoustic cell-sorting chip may lead to cell phone-sized medical labs Posted: 02 Oct 2012 01:19 PM PDT A technique that uses acoustic waves to sort cells on a chip may create miniature medical analytic devices that could make Star Trek's tricorder seem a bit bulky in comparison, according to experts.

Cardiac medication may help reduce stiffness caused by certain muscle diseases Posted: 02 Oct 2012 01:17 PM PDT Preliminary research finds that for patients with nondystrophic myotonias (NDMs), rare diseases that affect the skeletal muscle and cause functionally limiting stiffness and pain, use of the anti-arrhythmic medication mexiletine resulted in improvement in patient-reported stiffness.

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis appear to be at increased risk for blood clots Posted: 02 Oct 2012 01:17 PM PDT A study that included more than 45,000 residents of Sweden with rheumatoid arthritis finds that individuals with this disease had an associated higher risk of venous thromboembolism (a blood clot that forms within a vein), and that this elevated risk was stable for 10 years after the time of diagnosis.

Beta-blocker use not associated with lower risk of cardiovascular events Posted: 02 Oct 2012 01:17 PM PDT Among patients with either coronary artery disease (CAD) risk factors only, known prior heart attack, or known CAD without heart attack, the use of beta-blockers was not associated with a lower risk of a composite of cardiovascular events that included cardiovascular death, nonfatal heart attack or nonfatal stroke.

Vitamin D supplementation does not reduce rate or severity of colds, study suggests Posted: 02 Oct 2012 01:17 PM PDT Although some data have suggested a possible inverse association between serum vitamin D levels and the incidence of upper respiratory tract infections (colds), participants in a randomized controlled trial who received a monthly dose of 100,000 IUs of vitamin D3 did not have a significantly reduced incidence or severity of colds.

3-D medical scanner: New handheld imaging device to aid doctors on the 'diagnostic front lines' Posted: 02 Oct 2012 12:00 PM PDT Engineers have created a new imaging tool for primary care physicians: a handheld scanner that would enable them to image all the sites they commonly examine -- such as inner ears or the health of patients' retinas. The device relies on optical coherence tomography and could offer sooner and better diagnoses for common conditions such as diabetes.

Specialty contact lenses may one day help halt the progression of nearsightedness in children Posted: 02 Oct 2012 12:00 PM PDT Recent experimental work supports the development of a potential cure for nearsightedness, or myopia, by using specialty contact lenses that coax the eye to grow in a way that can correct nearsighted vision while reducing myopia progression.

Intelligence is in the genes, but where? Most genes thought to be linked to intelligence probably have no bearing on IQ Posted: 02 Oct 2012 12:00 PM PDT You can thank your parents for your smarts -- or at least some of them. Psychologists have long known that intelligence, like most other traits, is partly genetic. But a new study reveals the surprising fact that most of the specific genes long thought to be linked to intelligence probably have no bearing on one's IQ. And it may be some time before researchers can identify intelligence's specific genetic roots.

Length matters in gene expression Posted: 02 Oct 2012 12:00 PM PDT Scientists have revealed a surprising interplay between the ends of human genes: If a protein-coding gene is too short it becomes inactive. The findings also explain how some short genes have adapted to circumvent this handicap.

Starting antiretroviral therapy improves HIV-infected Africans' nutrition Posted: 02 Oct 2012 11:57 AM PDT "HIV makes people sicker and, as a result, accessing food becomes progressively more difficult. Antiretroviral therapy makes HIV-infected people feel better and makes them stronger physically -- helping them to improve food security -- in part because they are better able to work and to engage in food-generating activities," a researcher said.

New research model to aid search for degenerative disease cures Posted: 02 Oct 2012 11:57 AM PDT Efforts to treat disorders like Lou Gehrig's disease, Paget's disease, inclusion body myopathy and dementia will receive a considerable boost from a new research model.

Adult stem cells change their epigenome to generate new organs Posted: 02 Oct 2012 11:54 AM PDT Scientists have identified epigenetic changes that occur in adult stem cells to generate different body tissues.

Obesity epidemic means bariatric surgery rates continue to rise, reports plastic and reconstructive surgery Posted: 02 Oct 2012 11:34 AM PDT With rising rates of morbid obesity, the number of bariatric surgery procedures is likely to increase as well, reports a new article.

Implant-based breast reconstruction following radiation has high patient satisfaction rate despite complications Posted: 02 Oct 2012 11:34 AM PDT Breast cancer patients who have received radiation therapy after mastectomy have more problems related to the use of implants for breast reconstruction, according to a new review.

For people exposed to World Trade Center site, lung function improves with time Posted: 02 Oct 2012 11:34 AM PDT For at least some residents and workers exposed to dust and fumes after the World Trade Center (WTC) attacks, follow-up tests show gradual improvement in lung function, reports a new study.

Survey sheds light on high victimization rates in Alaska Posted: 02 Oct 2012 11:34 AM PDT Nearly 60 percent of women in Alaska have experienced intimate partner violence, sexual violence or both over the course of their lifetime, according to the Alaska Victimization Survey, an ongoing assessment of violence against women in the state.

The fight against tobacco can reinforce social inequalities in smoking Posted: 02 Oct 2012 11:34 AM PDT Interventions with young people insufficiently address the social factors of smoking.

Monoclonal antibody fragment treatments for 'wet' macular degeneration keep elderly drivers behind the wheel, study suggests Posted: 02 Oct 2012 11:34 AM PDT The advanced neovascular, or "wet," form of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), left untreated, is the most common cause of vision loss among the elderly and a leading reason for their loss of driving privileges. But results of a new study suggest that monthly injections of ranibizumab improve eye chart test results required for a driver's license, build driver confidence and keep those with AMD driving longer.

Researchers create most detailed, 3-D rendering of key region of mammal lung Posted: 02 Oct 2012 11:32 AM PDT A research team has created the most detailed, three-dimensional rendering of a key region of a mammal lung. The model is important, because it can help scientists understand where and how lung diseases emerge as well as advance how drugs are delivered through the respiratory system.

An apple a day lowers level of blood chemical linked to hardening of the arteries, research suggests Posted: 02 Oct 2012 11:32 AM PDT Eating an apple a day might in fact help keep the cardiologist away, new research suggests. In a study of healthy, middle-aged adults, consumption of one apple a day for four weeks lowered by 40 percent blood levels of a substance linked to hardening of the arteries.

A novel function for p27 protein in the control of interneuron migration in the developing cerebral cortex Posted: 02 Oct 2012 08:34 AM PDT These results by GIGA-Neurosciences researchers (University of Liège, Belgium) increase our understanding of the mechanisms that drive neuronal migration in the cerebral cortex. Disruption of neuronal migration is associated with various neurological disorders characterized by mental retardation, epilepsy,  learning disabilities, or autism.

New findings on the workings of the inner ear Posted: 02 Oct 2012 08:34 AM PDT The sensory cells of the inner ear have tiny hairs called stereocilia that play a critical part in hearing. It has long been known that these stereocilia move sideways back and forth in a wave-like motion when stimulated by a sound wave. After having designed a microscope to observe these movements, a research team in Sweden has discovered that the hairs not only move sideways but also change in length.

Egyptian toe tests show they're likely to be the world's oldest prosthetics Posted: 02 Oct 2012 07:15 AM PDT The results of scientific tests using replicas of two ancient Egyptian artificial toes, including one that was found on the foot of a mummy, suggest that they're likely to be the world's first prosthetic body parts.

Children's bicycle helmets effective in impact and crush tests, study suggests Posted: 02 Oct 2012 07:15 AM PDT To determine the effectiveness of bicycle helmet use, scientists tested how well helmets withstood forces of impact and crush tests when covering human cadaver skulls. They found that helmet use can substantially reduce (by up to 87%) the acceleration experienced by the skull during an impact and can aid the skull in resisting forces up to 470 pounds in a crush accident.

Concussion spectrum in college athletes wearing helmets: 'Not so simple,' say researchers Posted: 02 Oct 2012 07:15 AM PDT Much has been written in recent years about the short- and long-term consequences of concussions sustained in sports, combat, and accidents. However, there appear to be no steadfast rules guiding the definition of concussion. Researchers investigated the signs, symptoms, and clinical histories used by athletic trainers to define concussion in individual college athletes engaged in contact sports. The investigators found a heterogeneous collection of acute clinical characteristics -- a "concussion spectrum," which they discuss.

Immune system can boost nerve regrowth, study suggests Posted: 02 Oct 2012 07:11 AM PDT Modulating immune response to injury could accelerate the regeneration of severed peripheral nerves, a new study in an animal model has found. By altering activity of the macrophage cells that respond to injuries, researchers dramatically increased the rate at which nerve processes re-grew.

Gene responsible for many spontaneous breast cancers identified Posted: 02 Oct 2012 07:11 AM PDT New research links NF1, a known oncogene driver in other cancers, with more than 25% of breast cancers.

Female athletes show no difference from males in neurocognitive testing after suffering sports-related concussions Posted: 02 Oct 2012 07:11 AM PDT A new study conducted to review symptoms and neurocognitive findings in male and female high school soccer players, shows no gender-related differences.

Hospital bedsores linked to patient mortality Posted: 02 Oct 2012 06:28 AM PDT A new clinical has found a direct correlation between pressure ulcers and patient mortality and increased hospitalization. This is believed to be the first study of its kind to use data directly from medical records to assess hospital acquired pressure ulcers in Medicare patients at the national and state levels.

New hope for taming triple-negative breast cancer Posted: 02 Oct 2012 06:28 AM PDT Researchers have identified molecules called microRNAS that can uniquely sensitize drug-resistant, triple-negative breast cancer to chemotherapy drugs. In preclinical studies, the team found microRNA effectively treated cancer in mice and was safe based on toxicity studies.

New analysis of U.S. presidential candidates' health care plans estimates uninsured by 2022 Posted: 02 Oct 2012 06:28 AM PDT The number of uninsured individuals is estimated to increase in every state and to 72 million nationwide -- with children and low- and middle-income Americans particularly hard hit -- under Governor Mitt Romney's plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act and replace it with block grants to states for Medicaid and new tax incentives, according to a new report.

Trojan horse drug therapy provides new approach to treating breast cancer Posted: 02 Oct 2012 06:28 AM PDT When administrative assistant Linda Tuttle was diagnosed with breast cancer, she never imagined her experience would inspire her colleagues to design new treatments to tackle the disease. But after her diagnosis, Tuttle's use of tamoxifen, a drug commonly used to treat breast cancer, inspired medicinal chemists to develop a targeted therapy that delivers a sneak attack to the disease, similar to a Trojan horse.

New antibiotic cures disease by disarming pathogens, not killing them Posted: 02 Oct 2012 06:28 AM PDT A new type of antibiotic can effectively treat an antibiotic-resistant infection by disarming instead of killing the bacteria that cause it.

Smoking clouds the brain after stroke: Memory, thinking, decision-making affected by tobacco use Posted: 02 Oct 2012 06:27 AM PDT A study of stroke patients from Southern Ontario found those who smoke have more difficulty with problem-solving and decision-making than non-smokers.

Sleep apnea plays dual role in stroke Posted: 02 Oct 2012 06:27 AM PDT Improvements to the diagnosis and screening of sleep apnea are critical to stroke prevention.

Novel MRI technique could reduce breast biopsies Posted: 02 Oct 2012 06:27 AM PDT Water diffusion measurements with MRI could decrease false-positive breast cancer results and reduce preventable biopsies, according to a new study.

Digital mammography improves population-based breast cancer screening Posted: 02 Oct 2012 06:27 AM PDT New research from the Netherlands shows that the switch from screen film mammography to digital mammography in large, population-based breast cancer screening programs improves the detection of life-threatening cancer without significantly increasing detection of clinically insignificant disease.

New definition of autism in updated psychiatric clinical manual will not exclude most children with autism, expert says Posted: 02 Oct 2012 06:18 AM PDT Parents should not worry that proposed changes to the medical criteria redefining a diagnosis of autism will leave their children excluded and deemed ineligible for psychiatric and medical care, says a team of researchers.

Low levels of vitamin D are associated with mortality in older adults Posted: 02 Oct 2012 06:18 AM PDT Low levels of vitamin D and high levels of parathyroid hormone are associated with increased mortality in African American and Caucasian older adults, according to a new study.

Alzheimer’s disease in men linked to low levels of hormone IGF-1 Posted: 02 Oct 2012 06:17 AM PDT Low serum levels of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) are associated with Alzheimer's Disease in men, but not women, according to a recent study.

Low vitamin D levels linked to more severe multiple sclerosis symptoms Posted: 02 Oct 2012 06:17 AM PDT Low blood levels of vitamin D are associated with an increased number of brain lesions and signs of a more active disease state in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study finds, suggesting a potential link between intake of the vitamin and the risk of longer-term disability from the autoimmune disorder.

A simple blood test could be used to detect breast cancer; New clinical study launched Posted: 01 Oct 2012 04:15 PM PDT Researchers are launching a new study to determine whether DNA in blood could show early signs of cancer.

Tanning beds linked to non-melanoma skin cancer Posted: 01 Oct 2012 02:11 PM PDT Indoor tanning beds can cause non-melanoma skin cancer -- and the risk is greater the earlier one starts tanning, according to a new analysis. Indoor tanning is already an established risk factor for malignant melanoma, the less common but deadliest form of skin cancer. Now, the new study confirms that indoor tanning significantly increases the risk of non-melanoma skin cancers, the most common human skin cancers.

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