ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Prostacyclin analogs and PDE 5 inhibitors synergistically stimulate ATP release from human RBCs
• Researchers identify switch that controls growth of most aggressive brain tumor cells
• Use of fingerstick blood sample with i-STAT point-of-care device
• Know better, do better. Don’t cut SNAP-ed funding
• Don’t let fear of falling freeze you in your tracks
• Making mixed-income housing work for the poor
• Midwest is crippled by triple-the-threshold mold spores in the air
• Personality a key factor in health care use
• Microfluidic platform gives clear look at a crucial step in cancer metastasis
• Blood pressure cuff may save lives in patients with acute heart attack
• Drug combination in HIV treatment has less benefit for treatment-naive patients
• Proteins identified that may help brain tumors spread
• Digoxin use associated with higher risk of death for heart failure patients
• Final piece found in puzzle of brain circuitry controlling fertility
• Imaging technique detects pediatric liver disease without needle biopsy
• High-intensity exercise for people with heart disease
• Inherited herpes virus may have implications for transplantation
• A new way to prevent obesity and weight gain
• Lifestyle Influences Metabolism via DNA Methylation
• Getting rid of unwanted visitors
• Higher calorie diets increase weight gain, shorten hospital stays for teens with anorexia
• Barriers to HIV vaccine response explored
• Building the best brain: How brain cell connections get cemented early in life
• Transmitting future asthma by smoking today
• MERS Co-V genomes reveal complex transmission patterns
• Cancer cells supported by normal cells in and near tumors
• Paracetamol improves exercise endurance in the heat
• Placebo effect and lessons for the physician-patient relationship
• Proteins that deliver leucine to prostate cancer cells are therapeutic targets
• Researchers identify biomarker for smoker's lung cancer
• Treating Depression Helps Some Smokers Quit
• Carbon monoxide could hold promise of effective preeclampsia treatment, prevention
• Clinical reminders enhance preventative health screening

Prostacyclin analogs and PDE 5 inhibitors synergistically stimulate ATP release from human RBCs Posted: 20 Sep 2013 11:37 AM PDT Prostacyclin (PGI2) and phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5) inhibitors are vasodilators used in the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Although these drugs stimulate vascular dilation directly, erythrocytes also express the PGI2 receptor (IPR) and contain PDE5. PDE5 inhibitors potentiate IPR-mediated release of the potent vasodilator, adenosine triphosphate from erythrocytes. These results demonstrate a novel synergism between IPR agonists and PDE5 inhibitors that could provide a new rationale for the treatment of PAH.

Researchers identify switch that controls growth of most aggressive brain tumor cells Posted: 20 Sep 2013 11:37 AM PDT Researchers have identified a cellular switch that potentially can be turned off and on to slow down, and eventually inhibit the growth of the most commonly diagnosed and aggressive malignant brain tumor.

Use of fingerstick blood sample with i-STAT point-of-care device Posted: 20 Sep 2013 11:33 AM PDT Researchers have determined that fingerstick cardiac troponin I assay testing using the point-of-care i-STAT device is not accurate enough to determine the exact troponin level without the application of a corrective term.

Know better, do better. Don’t cut SNAP-ed funding Posted: 20 Sep 2013 11:33 AM PDT The Farm Bill currently under debate on Capitol Hill contains many facets, but two may be the most important initiatives affecting the health of the American people: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education. One begets the other, but both are crucial to improving the health of our nation and providing opportunity to those who need it the most.

Don’t let fear of falling freeze you in your tracks Posted: 20 Sep 2013 11:33 AM PDT Half of those in nursing homes fear falling, which can turn into a self-fulfilling prophesy.

Making mixed-income housing work for the poor Posted: 20 Sep 2013 11:33 AM PDT Mixed-income neighborhoods help improve the safety and wellbeing of low-income residents, but cannot relieve deeply entrenched poverty or provide upward mobility without additional social services and supports.

Midwest is crippled by triple-the-threshold mold spores in the air Posted: 20 Sep 2013 11:33 AM PDT The Midwest is experiencing very dangerous levels of mold in the air which will result in headaches, itchy throats and runny noses for those with sensitive respiratory systems. The mold count today is 125,000, a high for 2013, and well over the 50,000 threshold that signals a dangerous air quality warning.

Personality a key factor in health care use Posted: 20 Sep 2013 08:14 AM PDT Psychiatrists and psychologists have long understood that an individual's personality can define how he or she views the world around them, reacts to situations, and interacts with others. It now appears that personality traits can be linked to the frequency with which older adults use expensive health care services.

Microfluidic platform gives clear look at a crucial step in cancer metastasis Posted: 20 Sep 2013 08:14 AM PDT A microfluidic platform provides a high-resolution view of a crucial step in cancer metastasis.

Blood pressure cuff may save lives in patients with acute heart attack Posted: 20 Sep 2013 08:14 AM PDT Done in the ambulance, this simple and safe intervention - inflation of a blood pressure cuff to cut off blood flow to the arm during transportation to hospital for acute balloon dilatation – reduces subsequent cardiac symptoms and mortality after acute heart attack.

Drug combination in HIV treatment has less benefit for treatment-naive patients Posted: 20 Sep 2013 08:14 AM PDT When taking some drug combinations to treat HIV, some side effects occur less frequently in treatment-naive patients. Serious side effects overall occur more frequently, however, and some of the results of this studied combination may not be as good as once thought.

Proteins identified that may help brain tumors spread Posted: 20 Sep 2013 08:12 AM PDT Scientists have identified a molecular pathway that seems to contribute to the ability of malignant glioma cells in a brain tumor to spread and invade previously healthy brain tissue.

Digoxin use associated with higher risk of death for heart failure patients Posted: 20 Sep 2013 07:21 AM PDT Digoxin, a drug commonly used to treat heart conditions, was associated with a 72 percent higher rate of death among adults with newly diagnosed systolic heart failure.

Final piece found in puzzle of brain circuitry controlling fertility Posted: 20 Sep 2013 07:21 AM PDT In a landmark discovery, the final piece in the puzzle of understanding how the brain circuitry vital to normal fertility in humans and other mammals operates has been put together by researchers.

Imaging technique detects pediatric liver disease without needle biopsy Posted: 20 Sep 2013 06:47 AM PDT A new, non-invasive imaging technique, magnetic resonance elastography, can now help physicians accurately detect fibrosis (scarring) in children with chronic liver disease -- a growing problem due in part to increasing obesity rates.

High-intensity exercise for people with heart disease Posted: 20 Sep 2013 06:46 AM PDT High-intensity exercise is shown to be protective against coronary heart disease (CHD) and is well known as a popular and time-saving approach to getting fit. But what about people who already have heart disease? Previously, these patients were told to exercise, but only at a moderate intensity to protect their hearts. More recently, however, researchers have found that high-intensity exercise is very beneficial for these patients.

Inherited herpes virus may have implications for transplantation Posted: 20 Sep 2013 06:44 AM PDT Up to half a million people in Britain today may not know it, but in their genetic material they carry a particular form of herpesvirus 6 inherited from a parent. Research has identified a mechanism by which the inherited herpesvirus 6 can escape from the chromosome and may be able to reactivate under certain conditions.

A new way to prevent obesity and weight gain Posted: 20 Sep 2013 06:44 AM PDT The same message to everyone does not work if the goal is to prevent obesity and excessive weight gain in the population, including those considered to be at low risk for gaining weight. In many cases, it is often difficult for people to maintain their weight following weight loss, often returning to the same weight that they were at before the weight loss or gaining even more. One study suggests that it is important for society to broaden the focus from treatment of overweight and obesity to prevention of initial weight gain.

Lifestyle Influences Metabolism via DNA Methylation Posted: 20 Sep 2013 06:44 AM PDT An unhealthy lifestyle leaves traces in the DNA. These may have specific effects on metabolism, causing organ damage or disease. Scientists have now identified 28 DNA alterations associated with metabolic traits. This is a world-first epigenome-wide association study of modified genes and metabolites.

Getting rid of unwanted visitors Posted: 20 Sep 2013 06:44 AM PDT Gut-dwelling bacteria are attracting attention, particularly those associated with human diseases. Helicobacter pylori is found in the stomach of humans, where it may cause chronic gastritis and gastric ulcers, although the majority of infections are asymptomatic. The bacterium has been associated with humans for more than 100,000 years, when it first infected San hunter-gatherers. An international consortium has discovered that the Baka pygmies of Cameroon, another community of hunter-gatherers, have a surprisingly low rate of Helicobacter infection.

Higher calorie diets increase weight gain, shorten hospital stays for teens with anorexia Posted: 20 Sep 2013 06:42 AM PDT Higher calorie diets produce twice the rate of weight gain compared to the lower calorie diets that currently are recommended for adolescents hospitalized with anorexia nervosa.

Barriers to HIV vaccine response explored Posted: 20 Sep 2013 06:42 AM PDT Researchers have discovered that an antibody that binds and neutralizes HIV likely also targets the body's own "self" proteins. This finding could complicate the development of HIV vaccines designed to elicit this protective antibody, called 4E10, and others like it, as doing so might be dangerous or inefficient.

Building the best brain: How brain cell connections get cemented early in life Posted: 20 Sep 2013 06:42 AM PDT When we're born, our brains aren't very organized, but as we grow and learn, things get a bit more stable. How and why does this happen -- and what happens when it doesn't go normally? Researchers have made a major stride in understanding this process, called synapse maturation.

Transmitting future asthma by smoking today Posted: 20 Sep 2013 06:42 AM PDT A new study confirms the lasting legacy of smoking. In the study, researchers exposed animal mothers to nicotine during pregnancy — a proxy for smoking — and found the grandchildren were also at an increased risk for asthma, despite the grandchildren never having been exposed to nicotine themselves.

MERS Co-V genomes reveal complex transmission patterns Posted: 19 Sep 2013 05:13 PM PDT Exactly one year after the first published report on MERS-Coronavirus, the virus continues to defy expectation. In the largest study of its kind, scientists examine the entire genetic code of 21 MERS-Coronavirus samples. Their results suggest that additional human or animal cases -- which have so far evaded detection -- might be the sources of infection.

Cancer cells supported by normal cells in and near tumors Posted: 19 Sep 2013 05:13 PM PDT Investigators report important progress in research aimed at finding ways to fight cancer by targeting the local environment in which tumors grow and from which they draw sustenance. It's part of the first systematic effort to catalog the repertoire of interactions between cancer cells and their environment.

Paracetamol improves exercise endurance in the heat Posted: 19 Sep 2013 05:12 PM PDT Paracetamol has a significant effect on exercise performance and the body's ability to cope with the thermal challenge of exercise in the heat.

Placebo effect and lessons for the physician-patient relationship Posted: 19 Sep 2013 05:12 PM PDT The findings of a comprehensive review of the placebo phenomenon and its consequences for clinical medicine are contained in a new article that provides an in-depth biological and evolutionary approach to examining the placebo effect in relationship to the doctor-patient relationship.

Proteins that deliver leucine to prostate cancer cells are therapeutic targets Posted: 19 Sep 2013 01:31 PM PDT Like normal cells, cancer cells require amino acids for growth, maintenance, and cell signaling, and L-type amino acid transporters (LATs) are the delivery vehicles that supply them. Metastatic, castration-resistant prostate cancer cells are highly dependent on LATs to deliver the amino acid leucine that the cells need for growth and proliferation.

Researchers identify biomarker for smoker's lung cancer Posted: 19 Sep 2013 01:30 PM PDT Researchers have shown that a specific protein pair may be a successful prognostic biomarker for identifying smoking-related lung cancers. The protein is associated with increased expression of the RET oncogene, a particular cancer-causing gene called RET.

Treating Depression Helps Some Smokers Quit Posted: 19 Sep 2013 12:43 PM PDT Adding mood management strategies to smoking cessation programs helped people with depression or a history of depression quit smoking for longer periods than a standard program.

Carbon monoxide could hold promise of effective preeclampsia treatment, prevention Posted: 19 Sep 2013 12:42 PM PDT New study provides evidence for the effects of carbon monoxide in pregnancy, and the role it might have in attenuating the signs of preeclampsia.

Clinical reminders enhance preventative health screening Posted: 19 Sep 2013 09:19 AM PDT Regular reminders for health care providers and patients to schedule preventative health screening tests and procedures resulted in improved provider performance in ordering overdue preventative screening for primary care patients, according to research.

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