ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

---

• Obesity in dads may be associated with offspring's increased risk of disease
• Green tea and red wine extracts interrupt Alzheimer's disease pathway in cells
• Number of multiple births affected by congenital anomalies has doubled since the 1980s
• Tourists face health risks from contact with captive sea turtles
• Native Americans at greater risk of suicide after alcohol intoxication
• One in three children with MS has cognitive impairment
• Steroids help reverse rapid bone loss tied to rib fractures
• Alcohol mixed with diet drinks may increase intoxication more than alcohol and regular drinks
• Childhood emotional abuse dramatically strong among male alcohol-dependent individuals
• Corticosteroid injection, physiotherapy do not provide significant improvement for 'tennis elbow'
• ACE inhibitor for PAD may improve pain-free walking
• New modeling approach transforms imaging technologies
• Pushing boundaries of virtual reality
• Can breakfast make kids smarter?
• Study finds potential to match tumors with known cancer drugs
• Baby boomers in worse health than their parents
• Work-life balance needed for recovery from job stress
• Protein that allows safe recycling of iron from old red blood cells identified
• Vitamin D, omega-3 may help clear amyloid plaques found in Alzheimer's
• MicroRNA molecule may serve as biomarker, target for brain metastases in breast cancer patients
• Some omega-3 oils better than others for protection against liver disease
• Samoan obesity epidemic starts at birth
• Giving transplanted cells a nanotech checkup
• Mitochondrial mutations: When the cell's two genomes collide
• Old age offers no protection from obesity's death grip
• Record number of U.S. children covered by health insurance in 2011
• Trigger turns muscle stem cells into brown fat: Discovery identifies potential obesity treatment
• Gene may help predict best chemotherapy treatment for pancreatic cancer patients
• Popular drug-carrying nanoparticles get trapped in bloodstream
• Biologists map rare case of fitness-reducing interaction in nuclear, mitochondrial DNA
• Overall eating patterns are most important for healthful eating
• Researchers spot attention deficits in babies who later develop autism
• Stroke damage in mice overcome by training that 'rewires' brain centers
• New molecular inhibitors hit difficult cancer target
• Olive oil component alleviates intestinal ischemia and reperfusion
• Can you predict how a disease will spread in a population?
• Caring for dogs to reduce spread of parasite eggs harmful to humans
• RNA promotes metastasis in lung cancer
• Growth arrest in prostate cancer
• Chest pain prior to a heart attack can protect the heart
• Mammogram every two years has same benefit as yearly mammogram for older women, study finds
• Exposure to pesticides in food, air and water increases risk of type 2 diabetes, study finds
• Finding -- and fighting -- the fat that fuels cancer: Research examines role of certain fat cells in tumorigenesis
• Electronic nicotine delivery systems could help reduce smoking, survey suggests
• Benefits of CT outweigh cancer risks in young adults, study finds
• 3-D printing breakthrough with human embryonic stem cells
• Mutations in ASXL3 cause problems similar to Bohring-Opitz syndrome
• Children with autism at significant risk for feeding problems and nutritional deficits
• Imaging biomarker predicts response to rapid antidepressant
• Vitamin C supplements linked to kidney stones, Swedish study finds
• Study highlights important role that patients play in determining outcomes
• 'Nudge' can be ethical choice
• Sunlight may help ward off rheumatoid arthritis in women
• Around 1 in 10 young mentally ill teens drinks, smokes, and uses cannabis, Australian research finds
• Twenty hours of TV a week linked to almost half sperm count of those who watch little TV
• Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists related to adolescent weight loss, study suggests
• High supplemental calcium intake may increase risk of CVD death in men

Obesity in dads may be associated with offspring's increased risk of disease Posted: 05 Feb 2013 05:02 PM PST A father's obesity is one factor that may influence his children's health and potentially raise their risk for diseases like cancer, according to new research. The study is the first in humans to show that paternal obesity may alter a genetic mechanism in the next generation, suggesting that a father's lifestyle factors may be transmitted to his children.

Green tea and red wine extracts interrupt Alzheimer's disease pathway in cells Posted: 05 Feb 2013 05:02 PM PST Natural chemicals found in green tea and red wine may disrupt a key step of the Alzheimer's disease pathway, according to new research.

Number of multiple births affected by congenital anomalies has doubled since the 1980s Posted: 05 Feb 2013 05:02 PM PST The number of congenital anomalies, or birth defects arising from multiple births has almost doubled since the 1980s, suggests a new study.

Tourists face health risks from contact with captive sea turtles Posted: 05 Feb 2013 05:02 PM PST Tourists coming into contact with sea turtles at holiday attractions face a risk of health problems, according to new research.

Native Americans at greater risk of suicide after alcohol intoxication Posted: 05 Feb 2013 02:37 PM PST Native Americans are at much greater risk of suicide after acute alcohol intoxication, according to a new study.

One in three children with MS has cognitive impairment Posted: 05 Feb 2013 02:36 PM PST Data from the largest multicenter study accessing cognitive functioning in children with multiple sclerosis (MS) reveals that one-third of these patients have cognitive impairment, according to a research article. The study indicates that patients experience a range of problems related to cognition.

Steroids help reverse rapid bone loss tied to rib fractures Posted: 05 Feb 2013 02:36 PM PST A series of studies found that steroid drugs, known for inducing bone loss with prolonged use, actually help suppress a molecule that's key to the rapid bone loss process.

Alcohol mixed with diet drinks may increase intoxication more than alcohol and regular drinks Posted: 05 Feb 2013 01:25 PM PST A person's breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) after drinking is influenced by factors such as food. New findings show that mixing alcohol with a diet soft drink can result in a higher BrAC than mixing alcohol with a regular or sugar-sweetened drink. Individuals were unaware of these differences, which may pose safety risks such as drinking and driving.

Childhood emotional abuse dramatically strong among male alcohol-dependent individuals Posted: 05 Feb 2013 01:25 PM PST Alcohol dependent (AD) individuals have reduced central serotonergic neurotransmission. Childhood maltreatment can also have a negative impact on central serotonergic neurotransmission. A new study has found that self-reported childhood emotional abuse is associated with a 90-percent reduction in central serotonergic neurotransmission in male AD individuals.

Corticosteroid injection, physiotherapy do not provide significant improvement for 'tennis elbow' Posted: 05 Feb 2013 01:21 PM PST Among patients with chronic unilateral lateral epicondylalgia ("tennis elbow"), a single injection of corticosteroid medication was associated with poorer outcomes after one year and higher recurrence rates compared with placebo, while eight weeks of physiotherapy did not significantly improve long-term outcomes, according to a new study.

ACE inhibitor for PAD may improve pain-free walking Posted: 05 Feb 2013 01:21 PM PST Among patients with peripheral artery disease and intermittent claudication (pain in the calf that comes and goes, typically felt while walking), 24 weeks of treatment with the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor ramipril was associated with improvement in pain-free and maximum walking times and the physical health aspect of quality of life, according to a new study.

New modeling approach transforms imaging technologies Posted: 05 Feb 2013 11:34 AM PST Researchers are improving the performance of technologies ranging from medical CT scanners to digital cameras using a system of models to extract specific information from huge collections of data and then reconstructing images like a jigsaw puzzle. The new approach is called model-based iterative reconstruction, or MBIR.

Pushing boundaries of virtual reality Posted: 05 Feb 2013 11:33 AM PST Devices that detect and convey sense of touch may have applications in telemedicine.

Can breakfast make kids smarter? Posted: 05 Feb 2013 11:33 AM PST New research has found that children who regularly have breakfast on a near-daily basis had significantly higher full scale, verbal, and performance IQ test scores.

Study finds potential to match tumors with known cancer drugs Posted: 05 Feb 2013 11:33 AM PST Researchers have found a new way to match potential cancer treatments with an individual tumor: assess the landscape of kinases and find a kinase inhibitor that goes after the highest-expressing kinases in that tumor.

Baby boomers in worse health than their parents Posted: 05 Feb 2013 11:33 AM PST Despite having a reputation of being the healthiest and most active generation, baby boomers are actually in worse overall health than their parents, according to a new study.

Work-life balance needed for recovery from job stress Posted: 05 Feb 2013 11:33 AM PST Detaching from work -- mentally, physically and electronically -- is the key to recovery from job stress during nonwork hours, according to an expert.

Protein that allows safe recycling of iron from old red blood cells identified Posted: 05 Feb 2013 10:17 AM PST Scientists have long hypothesized that our bodies must have a special protein 'container' for transporting heme -- the form of iron found in living things -- during the breakdown and recycling of old red cells and other types of heme metabolism. Now researchers have identified this long-sought heme-iron transporter and shown that it is the same HRG1 protein found in a common microscopic worm.

Vitamin D, omega-3 may help clear amyloid plaques found in Alzheimer's Posted: 05 Feb 2013 10:16 AM PST A team of academic researchers has pinpointed how vitamin D3 and omega-3 fatty acids may enhance the immune system's ability to clear the brain of amyloid plaques, one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease. In a small pilot study, the scientists identified key genes and signaling networks regulated by vitamin D3 and the omega-3 fatty acid DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) that may help control inflammation and improve plaque clearance.

MicroRNA molecule may serve as biomarker, target for brain metastases in breast cancer patients Posted: 05 Feb 2013 10:16 AM PST Researchers have identified two molecules that could potentially serve as biomarkers in predicting brain metastases in patients with breast cancer.

Some omega-3 oils better than others for protection against liver disease Posted: 05 Feb 2013 09:37 AM PST Research has found that one particular omega-3 fatty acid has a powerful effect in preventing liver inflammation and fibrosis -- common problems that are steadily rising along with the number of Americans who are overweight.

Samoan obesity epidemic starts at birth Posted: 05 Feb 2013 09:37 AM PST Born slightly heavy on average, a sample of hundreds of infants in American Samoa continued to gain weight quickly after birth, achieving high rates of obesity within 15 months. Breastfeeding slowed weight gain in boys. Findings may presage infant obesity in other populations where obesity is increasing population wide.

Giving transplanted cells a nanotech checkup Posted: 05 Feb 2013 09:37 AM PST Researchers have devised a way to detect whether cells previously transplanted into a living animal are alive or dead, an innovation they say is likely to speed the development of cell replacement therapies for conditions such as liver failure and type 1 diabetes. The study used nanoscale pH sensors and MRI machines to tell if liver cells injected into mice survived over time.

Mitochondrial mutations: When the cell's two genomes collide Posted: 05 Feb 2013 09:37 AM PST Plant and animal cells contain two genomes: One in the nucleus and one in the mitochondria. When mutations occur in each, they can become incompatible, leading to disease. To increase understanding of such illnesses, scientists have traced one example in fruit flies down to the individual errant nucleotides and the mechanism by which the flies become sick.

Old age offers no protection from obesity's death grip Posted: 05 Feb 2013 09:37 AM PST Obesity kills, giving rise to a host of fatal diseases. But when it comes to seniors, a slew of research has reported an "obesity paradox" that says, at age 65 and older, an elevated BMI won't shorten your lifespan, and may even extend it. A new study takes another look at the numbers, finding the earlier research flawed. The paradox was a mirage: As obese Americans grow older, in fact, their risk of death climbs.

Record number of U.S. children covered by health insurance in 2011 Posted: 05 Feb 2013 09:37 AM PST A record number of U.S. children were covered by health insurance in 2011, mostly due to substantial increases in the enrollment rates of public insurance, according to new research.

Trigger turns muscle stem cells into brown fat: Discovery identifies potential obesity treatment Posted: 05 Feb 2013 09:36 AM PST Scientists in Canada have discovered a trigger that turns muscle stem cells into brown fat, a form of good fat that could play a critical role in the fight against obesity.

Gene may help predict best chemotherapy treatment for pancreatic cancer patients Posted: 05 Feb 2013 09:34 AM PST Researchers have identified a gene that may better predict survival for pancreatic adenocarcinoma, the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. The scientists conducted a study that better defines the role of ribonucleotide reductase M1 (RRM1). The RRM1 gene encodes the regulatory subunit of ribonucleotide reductase, the molecular target of gemcitabine, a commonly used chemotherapy in pancreatic cancer.

Popular drug-carrying nanoparticles get trapped in bloodstream Posted: 05 Feb 2013 09:30 AM PST Many medically minded researchers are in hot pursuit of designs that will allow drug-carrying nanoparticles to navigate tissues and the interiors of cells, but engineers have discovered that these particles have another hurdle to overcome: escaping the bloodstream.

Biologists map rare case of fitness-reducing interaction in nuclear, mitochondrial DNA Posted: 05 Feb 2013 09:30 AM PST Biologists believe they have discovered the mechanism by which interacting mutations in mitochondrial and nuclear DNA produce an incompatible genotype that reduces reproductive fitness and delays development in fruit flies.

Overall eating patterns are most important for healthful eating Posted: 05 Feb 2013 09:30 AM PST The overall pattern of food that a person eats is more important to a healthy diet than focusing on single foods or individual nutrients, according to a new position paper.

Researchers spot attention deficits in babies who later develop autism Posted: 05 Feb 2013 07:21 AM PST Researchers are able to detect deficits in social attention in infants as young as six months of age who later develop Autism Spectrum Disorders. The results showed that these infants paid less attention to people and their activities than typically developing babies.

Stroke damage in mice overcome by training that 'rewires' brain centers Posted: 05 Feb 2013 07:21 AM PST Researchers have found that mice can recover from physically debilitating strokes that damage the primary motor cortex, the region of the brain that controls most movement in the body, if the rodents are quickly subjected to physical conditioning that rapidly "rewires" a different part of the brain to take over lost function.

New molecular inhibitors hit difficult cancer target Posted: 05 Feb 2013 07:21 AM PST Early laboratory tests are the first to successfully use an experimental molecular therapy to block a hard-to-target part of a protein complex linked to several types of invasive cancer. Scientists report the rational design of a small-molecule inhibitor they call Y16. In laboratory tests, the inhibitor helped stop the spread of cultured human breast cancer cells, especially when it was used with another compound known as Rhosin/G04.

Olive oil component alleviates intestinal ischemia and reperfusion Posted: 05 Feb 2013 07:21 AM PST Here's another reason why you should include olive oil in your diet: A new research report suggests that at least one compound in olive oil significantly reduces intestinal ischemia (restricted blood supply) and the resulting reperfusion injury (tissue damage caused when blood supply returns).

Can you predict how a disease will spread in a population? Posted: 05 Feb 2013 07:21 AM PST New research has laid the foundation for a new generation of zoonotic disease spreading models, which could allow for more targeted prevention strategies.

Caring for dogs to reduce spread of parasite eggs harmful to humans Posted: 05 Feb 2013 07:21 AM PST New research has shown that dogs act as a major source of the parasite egg, Toxocara, which can potentially contaminate the public environment and infect humans.

RNA promotes metastasis in lung cancer Posted: 05 Feb 2013 07:21 AM PST MALAT1, an RNA molecule, is a marker for progression of lung cancer. Researchers have now found out that MALAT1 activates metastasis-promoting genes in cancer cells. In mice, blocking of MALAT1 reduced the number and size of lung cancer metastases.

Growth arrest in prostate cancer Posted: 05 Feb 2013 07:20 AM PST A previously poorly investigated signalling pathway is crucial for the growth and proliferation of prostate cancer cells. An international research team discovered this when studying the enzyme "soluble adenylyl cyclase" that produces the second messenger molecule cAMP. When the scientists inhibited the enzyme, the cancer cell proliferation was suppressed.

Chest pain prior to a heart attack can protect the heart Posted: 05 Feb 2013 07:20 AM PST Patients who experience chest pain in the 24 hours preceding a heart attack, also called preinfarction angina, have smaller heart attacks and improved cardiac function in the contemporary cardiac stenting era, researchers found.

Mammogram every two years has same benefit as yearly mammogram for older women, study finds Posted: 05 Feb 2013 07:20 AM PST Among older women, getting a mammogram every two years was just as beneficial as getting a mammogram annually, and led to significantly fewer false positive results, according to a new study.

Exposure to pesticides in food, air and water increases risk of type 2 diabetes, study finds Posted: 05 Feb 2013 07:14 AM PST A study led by researchers in Spain reveals that there is a direct relationship between the presence of persistent organic pollutants in the body and the development of type 2 diabetes, regardless of the patient's age, gender or body mass index.

Finding -- and fighting -- the fat that fuels cancer: Research examines role of certain fat cells in tumorigenesis Posted: 05 Feb 2013 07:11 AM PST UT Southwestern research examines role of certain fat cells in tumorigenesis.

Electronic nicotine delivery systems could help reduce smoking, survey suggests Posted: 05 Feb 2013 05:30 AM PST Electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), or e-cigarettes, debuted in China in 2003 and have since become available globally, particularly through the Internet. While they resemble traditional tobacco cigarettes, they produce fewer toxins in the vapor for the smoker. Still, these novel products have unknown long-term health and addiction consequences, are of varying nicotine content and delivery, and may appeal to nonusers and youth. ENDS have been banned by health authorities in Canada and Australia.

Benefits of CT outweigh cancer risks in young adults, study finds Posted: 05 Feb 2013 05:30 AM PST The underlying medical conditions facing young adults who undergo computed tomography (CT) exams represent a significantly greater health risk than that of radiation-induced cancer from CT, according to a new study.

3-D printing breakthrough with human embryonic stem cells Posted: 04 Feb 2013 07:08 PM PST A team of researchers from Scotland has used a novel 3-D printing technique to arrange human embryonic stem cells for the very first time. Scientists hope that this breakthrough will allow three-dimensional tissues and structures to be created using hESCs, which could, amongst other things, speed up and improve the process of drug testing.

Mutations in ASXL3 cause problems similar to Bohring-Opitz syndrome Posted: 04 Feb 2013 07:08 PM PST Mutations which affect the gene ASXL3 cause a novel syndrome similar to Bohring-Opitz syndrome, finds a a new study. This molecular definition distinguishes these children from those with Bohring-Opitz, and other similar syndromes, and highlights a technique able to help define rare diseases.

Children with autism at significant risk for feeding problems and nutritional deficits Posted: 04 Feb 2013 03:46 PM PST A comprehensive analysis of feeding behavior in children with autism spectrum disorders indicates these children are five times more likely to have a feeding problem, including extreme tantrums during meals, severe food selectivity and ritualistic mealtime behaviors. Examination of dietary nutrients showed significantly lower intake of calcium and protein and a higher number of nutritional deficits overall among children with autism.

Imaging biomarker predicts response to rapid antidepressant Posted: 04 Feb 2013 03:46 PM PST A boost of activity at the back of the brain while processing emotional information predicted depressed patients' responses to an experimental rapid-acting antidepressant. The potential neuroimaging biomarker may eventually help to personalize treatment selection by revealing brain-based differences between patients. Scopolamine can lift depression in many, but not all, patients within a few days. The study found that the more dysfunctional a patient's acetylcholine chemical messenger system, the better they responded to the drug.

Vitamin C supplements linked to kidney stones, Swedish study finds Posted: 04 Feb 2013 03:46 PM PST New research from Sweden shows that men who take vitamin C supplements regularly run a higher risk of developing kidney stones.

Study highlights important role that patients play in determining outcomes Posted: 04 Feb 2013 03:46 PM PST When it comes to health care, patients with the motivation, knowledge, skills and confidence to manage their own health have better health outcomes and incur fewer health care costs, according to a new study.

'Nudge' can be ethical choice Posted: 04 Feb 2013 03:46 PM PST As patients and physicians share decision-making in choices among treatment options, decision aids such as videos, websites, pamphlets or books are coming to play an important role. However, in some cases, it may be ethical for the decision aids to provide a "nudge" toward a particular option, say researchers in a new report.

Sunlight may help ward off rheumatoid arthritis in women Posted: 04 Feb 2013 03:45 PM PST Regular exposure to sunlight -- specifically ultraviolet B -- may reduce the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, indicates a large long-term study.

Around 1 in 10 young mentally ill teens drinks, smokes, and uses cannabis, Australian research finds Posted: 04 Feb 2013 03:45 PM PST Around one in ten young teens with mental health issues also drinks alcohol, smokes cigarettes, and uses cannabis on a weekly basis, indicates Australian research.

Twenty hours of TV a week linked to almost half sperm count of those who watch little TV Posted: 04 Feb 2013 03:45 PM PST Healthy young men who watch TV for more than 20 hours a week have almost half the sperm count of men who watch very little TV, indicates a new study.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists related to adolescent weight loss, study suggests Posted: 04 Feb 2013 03:43 PM PST Preliminary evidence from a clinical trial suggests that treatment with glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists was associated with reduced body mass index and body weight in adolescents with severe obesity, according to a new report.

High supplemental calcium intake may increase risk of CVD death in men Posted: 04 Feb 2013 03:43 PM PST A high intake of supplemental calcium appears to be associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) death in men but not in women in a study of more 388,000 participants between the ages of 50 and 71 years, according to a new report.

You are subscribed to email updates from ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610