ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Sleep mechanism identified that plays role in emotional memory
• Age-related smelling loss significantly worse in African-Americans
• Chemotherapy: Greater potential benefit in overall survival for eribulin compared with capecitabine
• Jammed molecular motors may play a role in the development of ALS
• BPA linked to obesity risk in puberty-age girls
• Infants express non-verbal sympathy for others in distress
• Scan predicts whether therapy or meds will best lift depression
• Laws help limit junk foods in schools
• Men with restless legs syndrome may be at higher risk of early death
• Easy and effective therapy to restore sight: Engineered virus will improve gene therapy for blinding eye diseases
• Brain's 'dark side' as key to cocaine addiction
• Alzheimer's brain change measured in humans
• Breakthrough allows fast, reliable pathogen identification
• Public health's role in health care reform -- Lessons from Massachusetts
• Lab experiments question effectiveness of green coffee bean weight-loss supplements
• Saliva proteins may protect older people from influenza
• Network of cameras used to track people in complex indoor settings
• Cocoa may help fight obesity-related inflammation
• Low birth weight could be a risk factor for age-related vision loss
• Heroin availability increasing across Washington state
• Recognising low blood sugars could help prevent brain damage in newborn babies
• Wristband simplifies blood pressure measurement
• Dad's life stress exposure leaves mark on sperm, can affect offspring brain development
• New mechanism of TB drug resistance identified
• Commonly prescribed drugs may influence the onset and progression of Alzheimer's disease
• Fingernails reveal clues to limb regeneration
• Vitamin C may be beneficial against exercise-induced bronchoconstriction
• Hearing loss clue uncovered
• Hot flashes before menopause? It can happen
• Moderate-intensity walking timed just right might help protect against Type 2 diabetes
• Sport at competitive level improves the academic performance of secondary education students
• New sickle cell anemia therapy advances to phase II clinical trials
• Hands-free talking and texting are unsafe for drivers, study shows
• Traumatic brain injury patients treated with anti-spasm agent partially recover from disorders of consciousness
• New therapy target for kids' fever-induced seizures
• Younger mothers and older mothers are at higher risk of adverse delivery outcomes
• Walking or cycling to work linked to health benefits in India
• Experimental vaccine shows promise against TB meningitis
• Obesity increases risk of preterm delivery
• Hearing loss in older adults tied to more hospitalizations and poorer physical and mental health

Sleep mechanism identified that plays role in emotional memory Posted: 12 Jun 2013 07:41 PM PDT Sleep researchers have identified the sleep mechanism that enables the brain to consolidate emotional memory and found that a popular prescription sleep aid heightens the recollection of and response to negative memories.

Age-related smelling loss significantly worse in African-Americans Posted: 12 Jun 2013 03:40 PM PDT The ability to distinguish between odors declines steadily with age, but a new study shows that African-Americans have a much greater decrease in their sense of smell than Caucasians. This can have serious consequences. Olfactory loss often leads to impaired nutrition. It also may be an early warning sign of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's, and can predict death.

Chemotherapy: Greater potential benefit in overall survival for eribulin compared with capecitabine Posted: 12 Jun 2013 03:40 PM PDT Subgroup analyses from a phase III clinical trial comparing a newer chemotherapy agent called eribulin mesylate, with capecitabine, a standard chemotherapy medication in women with previously treated metastatic breast cancer, showed increased benefit among women sharing certain traits. Specifically, these analyses demonstrated a greater potential benefit in certain subsets of patients with metastatic breast cancer.

Jammed molecular motors may play a role in the development of ALS Posted: 12 Jun 2013 02:33 PM PDT Delays in the transport of nutrients, proteins and neurotransmitters along the nerve axon could be a major factor in the development of the neurodegenerative disease ALS.

BPA linked to obesity risk in puberty-age girls Posted: 12 Jun 2013 02:33 PM PDT Girls between nine and 12 years of age with higher-than-average levels of bisphenol-A (BPA) in their urine had double the risk of being obese than girls with lower levels of BPA, according to a new study.

Infants express non-verbal sympathy for others in distress Posted: 12 Jun 2013 02:33 PM PDT Infants as young as ten months old express sympathy for others in distress in non-verbal ways, according to new research.

Scan predicts whether therapy or meds will best lift depression Posted: 12 Jun 2013 01:23 PM PDT Pre-treatment scans of brain activity predicted whether depressed patients would best achieve remission with an antidepressant medication or psychotherapy, in a study that may help mental health treatment decision-making move beyond trial-and-error. The study sought to identify a biomarker that could predict which type of treatment a patient would benefit from based on the state of his or her brain.

Laws help limit junk foods in schools Posted: 12 Jun 2013 01:23 PM PDT A US nationwide school survey shows availability of sugar- and fat-laden foods and drinks.

Men with restless legs syndrome may be at higher risk of early death Posted: 12 Jun 2013 01:22 PM PDT Men who experience restless legs syndrome (RLS) may have a higher risk of dying earlier, according to new research.

Easy and effective therapy to restore sight: Engineered virus will improve gene therapy for blinding eye diseases Posted: 12 Jun 2013 11:48 AM PDT Gene therapy using adeno-associated virus has successfully restored sight to people with a rare inherited retinal degeneration, but current therapy requires injecting the virus directly into the retina. Researchers have now caused AAV to evolve so that it is able to penetrate the retina, allowing doctors to inject the virus and its gene load into the vitreous to reach all cells of the retina. This broadens AAV's potential application to more common types of vision loss.

Brain's 'dark side' as key to cocaine addiction Posted: 12 Jun 2013 11:47 AM PDT Scientists have found evidence that an emotion-related brain region called the central amygdala —- whose activity promotes feelings of malaise and unhappiness —- plays a major role in sustaining cocaine addiction.

Alzheimer's brain change measured in humans Posted: 12 Jun 2013 11:47 AM PDT Scientists have measured a significant and potentially pivotal difference between the brains of patients with an inherited form of Alzheimer's disease and healthy family members who do not carry a mutation for the disease.

Breakthrough allows fast, reliable pathogen identification Posted: 12 Jun 2013 10:33 AM PDT Researchers may have developed a way to quickly and reliably diagnose life-threatening bacterial infections and pinpoint the right antibiotics to clear the infections.

Public health's role in health care reform -- Lessons from Massachusetts Posted: 12 Jun 2013 10:33 AM PDT How will full implementation of the Affordable Care Act affect the work and goals of state and local public health departments -- and how can public health personnel contribute to the success of health care reform? The experience in Massachusetts has some important lessons, according to a new article.

Lab experiments question effectiveness of green coffee bean weight-loss supplements Posted: 12 Jun 2013 10:31 AM PDT A major ingredient in those green coffee bean dietary supplements -- often touted as "miracle" weight-loss products -- doesn't prevent weight gain in obese laboratory mice fed a high-fat diet when given at higher doses. A new study also linked the ingredient to an unhealthy build-up of fat in the liver.

Saliva proteins may protect older people from influenza Posted: 12 Jun 2013 10:31 AM PDT Spit. Drool. Dribble. Saliva is not normally a topic of polite conversation, but it may be the key to explaining the age and sex bias exhibited by influenza and other diseases, according to a new study. Research, it provides new insights into why older people were better able to fight off the new strains of "bird" flu and "swine" flu than younger people.

Network of cameras used to track people in complex indoor settings Posted: 12 Jun 2013 10:31 AM PDT Researchers have developed a method for tracking the locations of multiple individuals in complex, indoor settings using a network of video cameras, creating something similar to the fictional Marauder's Map used by Harry Potter to track comings and goings at the Hogwarts School. The method was able to automatically follow the movements of 13 people within a nursing home, even though individuals sometimes slipped out of view of the cameras.

Cocoa may help fight obesity-related inflammation Posted: 12 Jun 2013 10:31 AM PDT A few cups of hot cocoa may not only fight off the chill of a winter's day, but they could also help obese people better control inflammation-related diseases, such as diabetes, according to new research.

Low birth weight could be a risk factor for age-related vision loss Posted: 12 Jun 2013 10:30 AM PDT Medical researchers show that rats with restricted growth in the womb, causing low birth weights when born, were most susceptible to developing age-related vision loss, compared to their normal weight counterparts.

Heroin availability increasing across Washington state Posted: 12 Jun 2013 10:30 AM PDT New data indicates increases in heroin availability, abuse and deaths across the state, particularly among young adults ages 18-29. These increases are concerning because of the high risks of overdose and contracting infectious diseases associated with heroin use.

Recognising low blood sugars could help prevent brain damage in newborn babies Posted: 12 Jun 2013 10:30 AM PDT Researchers studying a rare and potentially lethal childhood disease – which is the clinical opposite of diabetes - have made an important discovery.

Wristband simplifies blood pressure measurement Posted: 12 Jun 2013 10:30 AM PDT The consequences of high blood pressure are one of the most common causes of death worldwide. Despite this, according to the World Health Organization WHO, fewer than one in two of those affected measures their blood pressure regularly. The main reason for this is that regular measurements are costly or inconvenient. An innovative wrist sensor should now change that.

Dad's life stress exposure leaves mark on sperm, can affect offspring brain development Posted: 12 Jun 2013 10:26 AM PDT Stress felt by dad -- whether as a preadolescent or adult -- leaves a lasting impression on his sperm that gives sons and daughters a blunted reaction to stress, according to a new preclinical study. The findings point to a never-before-seen epigenetic link to stress-related diseases such as anxiety and depression passed from father to child.

New mechanism of TB drug resistance identified Posted: 12 Jun 2013 10:25 AM PDT A recent study has identified a new mechanism for PZA-resistance, which provides new insight into the how this mysterious drug works.

Commonly prescribed drugs may influence the onset and progression of Alzheimer's disease Posted: 12 Jun 2013 10:25 AM PDT Multiple drug classes commonly prescribed for common medical conditions are capable of influencing the onset and progression of Alzheimer's disease, according to researchers.

Fingernails reveal clues to limb regeneration Posted: 12 Jun 2013 10:25 AM PDT Mammals possess the remarkable ability to regenerate a lost fingertip, including the nail, nerves and even bone. In humans, an amputated fingertip can sprout back in as little as two months, a phenomenon that has remained poorly understood until now. Biologists now shed light on this rare regenerative power in mammals, using genetically engineered mice to document for the first time the biochemical chain of events that unfolds in the wake of a fingertip amputation.

Vitamin C may be beneficial against exercise-induced bronchoconstriction Posted: 12 Jun 2013 07:18 AM PDT Vitamin C may substantially reduce bronchoconstriction caused by exercise according to a meta-analysis. Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction -- formerly called exercise-induced asthma -- means the transient narrowing of the airways that occurs during or after exercise, which can cause symptoms such as cough, wheezing and the shortness of breath.

Hearing loss clue uncovered Posted: 12 Jun 2013 06:38 AM PDT Researchers have discovered how hearing loss in humans is caused by a certain genetic mutation.

Hot flashes before menopause? It can happen Posted: 12 Jun 2013 06:38 AM PDT More than half of middle-aged women who still have regular cycles have hot flashes.

Moderate-intensity walking timed just right might help protect against Type 2 diabetes Posted: 12 Jun 2013 06:37 AM PDT A 15-minute walk after each meal appears to help older people regulate blood sugar levels and could reduce their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, according to a new study.

Sport at competitive level improves the academic performance of secondary education students Posted: 12 Jun 2013 06:36 AM PDT Academic performance is better if young people play sports competitively, new research suggests.

New sickle cell anemia therapy advances to phase II clinical trials Posted: 12 Jun 2013 06:29 AM PDT Seeking to improve the lives of sickle cell anemia sufferers around the world, researchers are preparing to launch Phase II of a clinical trial to investigate a potential new therapy for reducing the disorder's severest symptoms. More than 100,000 Americans and several million people worldwide suffer from this genetic disorder.

Hands-free talking and texting are unsafe for drivers, study shows Posted: 12 Jun 2013 06:29 AM PDT Using hands-free devices to talk, text or send e-mail while driving is distracting and risky, contrary to what many people believe, says a new study.

Traumatic brain injury patients treated with anti-spasm agent partially recover from disorders of consciousness Posted: 12 Jun 2013 06:29 AM PDT Two traumatic brain-injury patients steadily emerged from minimally conscious state after receiving intrathecal baclofen therapy.

New therapy target for kids' fever-induced seizures Posted: 11 Jun 2013 05:47 PM PDT Fever-induced childhood seizures can be terrifying for parents and carry a long-term risk to brain development. Scientists haven't known what mechanism triggers the seizures. Now they've identified a new key factor, leading to a new therapeutic target. They also found nimodipine, a commonly available L-type calcium-channel blocker, dramatically reduced the incidence and duration of febrile seizures in animals.

Younger mothers and older mothers are at higher risk of adverse delivery outcomes Posted: 11 Jun 2013 05:46 PM PDT Younger mothers are at a higher risk of preterm birth while older mothers are more likely to have a caesarean section, suggests a new study.

Walking or cycling to work linked to health benefits in India Posted: 11 Jun 2013 05:45 PM PDT People in India who walk or cycle to work are less likely to be overweight or obese, have diabetes or high blood pressure, a study has found.

Experimental vaccine shows promise against TB meningitis Posted: 11 Jun 2013 05:44 PM PDT Researchers working with animals has developed a vaccine that prevents the virulent TB bacterium from invading the brain and causing the highly lethal condition TB meningitis, a disease that disproportionately occurs in TB-infected children and in adults with compromised immune system.

Obesity increases risk of preterm delivery Posted: 11 Jun 2013 01:19 PM PDT The risk of preterm delivery increases with maternal overweight and obesity, according to a new Swedish study. Women with the highest Body Mass Index (BMI) also had the highest statistical risk of giving preterm birth – and especially extremely preterm birth.

Hearing loss in older adults tied to more hospitalizations and poorer physical and mental health Posted: 11 Jun 2013 01:18 PM PDT Older adults with hearing loss are more likely than peers with normal hearing to require hospitalization and suffer from periods of inactivity and depression, according to new results.

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