ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Vocal cord disorder often mistaken for asthma in elite athletes
• Older people may be at greater risk for alcohol impairment than teens
• Novel approach to study COPD and treatment efficacy identified
• Cell-destroyer that fights and promotes TB reveals what's behind its split identity
• Report finds continuing challenges in changing behaviors that increase cancer risk
• New genetic screen paves the way for long-sought treatments for liver disease
• Unusual suspect: Scientists find 'second fiddle' protein has leading role in type 2 diabetes
• South not the fattest part of U.S. after all
• Regulating density of alcohol outlets a promising strategy to improve public health
• New protein target for controlling diabetes
• Complaint-prone doctors can be identified before complaints occur
• Launch of semi-synthetic artemisinin a milestone for malaria, synthetic biology
• New treatment option for alcohol dependence: Reduced consumption rather than abstinence
• New therapy device enables stroke victims to recover further

Vocal cord disorder often mistaken for asthma in elite athletes Posted: 12 Apr 2013 04:24 PM PDT Athletes with a vocal cord disorder that restricts breathing are more likely to be misdiagnosed and inappropriately treated for exercise-induced asthma.

Older people may be at greater risk for alcohol impairment than teens Posted: 11 Apr 2013 10:29 AM PDT An acute dose of alcohol may cause greater impairment in coordination, learning and memory in the elderly than in young people, according to a new study. Researchers said the findings have profound significance for older people -- a population that is aging worldwide at an unprecedented rate and that includes Baby Boomers as they become seniors.

Novel approach to study COPD and treatment efficacy identified Posted: 11 Apr 2013 10:17 AM PDT Researchers have pinpointed a genetic signature for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) from airway cells harvested utilizing a minimally invasive procedure. The findings provide a novel way to study COPD and could lead to new treatments and ways to monitor patient's response to those treatments.

Cell-destroyer that fights and promotes TB reveals what's behind its split identity Posted: 11 Apr 2013 09:38 AM PDT TB can be a disease not only of failed immunity but also of excessive immune response. Tumor necrosis factor -- normally an infection-fighting substance produced by the body -- can actually heighten susceptibility to tuberculosis if its levels are too high.

Report finds continuing challenges in changing behaviors that increase cancer risk Posted: 11 Apr 2013 09:38 AM PDT New research finds continuing challenges in changing behaviors and risk factors in order to reduce suffering and death from cancer.

New genetic screen paves the way for long-sought treatments for liver disease Posted: 11 Apr 2013 09:38 AM PDT Chronic liver failure is a major health problem that causes about one million deaths each year. A new study reveals a new type of screen for identifying genes that promote liver repair in mouse models of liver disease. The study shows that the MKK4 gene could be a promising therapeutic target to enhance liver regeneration and provides a blueprint for future studies aimed at discovering new therapies for liver disease.

Unusual suspect: Scientists find 'second fiddle' protein has leading role in type 2 diabetes Posted: 11 Apr 2013 09:35 AM PDT Researchers have found that a protein long believed to have a minor role in type 2 diabetes is, in fact, a central player in the development of the condition that affects nearly 26 million people in the United States alone and counts as one of the leading causes of heart disease, stroke and kidney, eye and nerve damage.

South not the fattest part of U.S. after all Posted: 11 Apr 2013 09:35 AM PDT Previous data has shown that areas of the south — specifically Mississippi and Alabama – are the fattest in the U.S. But new data contradicts this.

Regulating density of alcohol outlets a promising strategy to improve public health Posted: 11 Apr 2013 09:34 AM PDT Despite potential, many public health agencies unaware of how to use regulation of alcohol density to address excessive drinking.

New protein target for controlling diabetes Posted: 11 Apr 2013 09:34 AM PDT Researchers have identified a previously unknown biological mechanism involved in the regulation of pancreatic islet beta cells, whose role is to produce and release insulin. The discovery suggests a new therapeutic target for treating dysfunctional beta cells and type 2 diabetes, a disease affecting more than 25 million Americans.

Complaint-prone doctors can be identified before complaints occur Posted: 11 Apr 2013 08:02 AM PDT A small group of doctors accounts for half of all patient complaints against doctors, a new study has found.

Launch of semi-synthetic artemisinin a milestone for malaria, synthetic biology Posted: 11 Apr 2013 04:56 AM PDT The best therapy today for malaria is a drug combination that includes a derivative of artemisinin, now solely available from plants grown in Asia and Africa. On Apr. 11, the first semi-synthetic version of artemisinin will be made available.

New treatment option for alcohol dependence: Reduced consumption rather than abstinence Posted: 11 Apr 2013 04:56 AM PDT A potential new treatment for alcoholism called nalmefene is effective and safe for reducing alcohol consumption in alcohol dependent individuals, says a new study. Traditionally, abstinence has been regarded as the primary treatment goal for alcohol dependence, and current pharmacological treatments for alcoholism are approved only for relapse prevention. However, relapse rates remain high and a goal of abstinence is unacceptable to many patients.

New therapy device enables stroke victims to recover further Posted: 11 Apr 2013 04:54 AM PDT Patients whose progress plateaued after undergoing conventional treatment showed new peaks in recovery under new system.

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