ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Stem cells offer clues to reversing receding hairlines
• Role for sugar uptake in breast cancer revealed
• Program results in happier patients, lower costs in esophageal surgery
• Modest weight loss may reduce heart disease, diabetes risks in middle-aged women
• Heart disease linked with dementia in older postmenopausal women
• Total smoking bans work best
• Animal vaccine study yields insights that may advance HIV vaccine research
• Neanderthal genome shows early human interbreeding, inbreeding
• Scientists reduce protein crystal damage, improve pharmaceutical development
• 44% of adults worry e-cigarettes will encourage kids to start smoking tobacco
• Vemurafenib: Result unchanged despite new data
• HPV home tests could identify cancer risk
• 3D technology from film industry improves rehab for stroke patients
• Patient satisfaction with clinical services can affect treatment outcomes
• Improved patient education increases satisfaction with day surgery
• Diet quality links old, young
• Sunlight adaptation region of Neanderthal genome found in up to 65 percent of modern East Asian population
• 3-D tissue printing: Cells from the eye inkjet-printed for the first time
• Computer-controlled table could direct radiotherapy to tumors while sparing vital organs
• Residents of poorer nations find greater meaning in life
• Freezing semen doubles chances of fatherhood for men after treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma
• Scientists provide new insights into cause of human neurodegenerative disease
• Debate continues on impact of artificial sweeteners
• Sporting success does affect birth rates
• Are we hard-wired to follow celebrity medical advice?
• US researchers ponder modern day virgin births
• Will stem cell therapy help cure spinal cord injury?
• Non-specialist psychosocial interventions for children with autism spectrum disorders
• Moderate alcohol consumption boosts body's immune system, study suggests
• EGF receptor ecto-domain mutations: When to screen and when not to screen
• Different parents, different children: bladder cancers arise from different stem cells
• Silencing synapses to deal with addictions
• TV ads nutritionally unhealthy for kids, study finds
• Radiation therapy to treat uterine cancer linked to increased risk of bladder cancer later in life
• Study challenges long-held hypothesis that iron promotes atherosclerosis
• Two in three 13-year-old girls afraid of gaining weight
• Lung cancer death rates continue to fall, helping drive decrease in overall cancer death rates

Stem cells offer clues to reversing receding hairlines Posted: 18 Dec 2013 02:12 PM PST Regenerative medicine may offer ways to banish baldness that don't involve toupees. A trio of papers has been published that describes some of the factors that determine when hair grows, when it stops growing and when it falls out.

Role for sugar uptake in breast cancer revealed Posted: 18 Dec 2013 02:12 PM PST Researchers have shown that aerobic glycolysis -- glucose metabolism in the presence of oxygen -- is not the consequence of the cancerous activity of malignant cells, as has been widely believed, but is itself a cancerous event.

Program results in happier patients, lower costs in esophageal surgery Posted: 18 Dec 2013 02:12 PM PST A new program designed to increase the overall satisfaction of patients undergoing esophageal surgery has resulted in lower patient costs and reduced times on both the operating table and in the hospital.

Modest weight loss may reduce heart disease, diabetes risks in middle-aged women Posted: 18 Dec 2013 02:10 PM PST Sustaining a modest weight loss for 2 years in overweight or obese, middle-aged women may reduce risk factors for heart disease and diabetes. Women who lost 10 percent or more of their body weight reduced almost every measure of cardiometabolic health.

Heart disease linked with dementia in older postmenopausal women Posted: 18 Dec 2013 02:10 PM PST Heart disease is linked with decreased brain function in older postmenopausal women. Women who have high blood pressure or diabetes may also be at higher risk for decreasing brain function over time.

Total smoking bans work best Posted: 18 Dec 2013 12:25 PM PST Completely banning tobacco use inside the home – or more broadly in the whole city – measurably boosts the odds of smokers either cutting back or quitting entirely.

Animal vaccine study yields insights that may advance HIV vaccine research Posted: 18 Dec 2013 10:37 AM PST A vaccine study in monkeys designed to identify measurable signs that the animals were protected from infection by SIV, the monkey version of HIV, as well as the mechanism of such protection has yielded numerous insights that may advance HIV vaccine research.

Neanderthal genome shows early human interbreeding, inbreeding Posted: 18 Dec 2013 10:36 AM PST Population geneticists have produced the first high-quality genome of a Neanderthal, allowing comparison with the genomes of modern humans and Denisovans. The analysis shows a long history of interbreeding among these early humans and a fourth, previously unknown group. The Neanderthal, from Denisova cave, also shows evidence of inbreeding. About 87 genes in modern humans were found to be significantly different from related genes in Neanderthals and Denisovans.

Scientists reduce protein crystal damage, improve pharmaceutical development Posted: 18 Dec 2013 10:03 AM PST Researchers have identified a method for protein crystallography that reduces damage to the protein crystal. This will allow crystals to be studied for longer periods of time as researchers study protein structures for new pharmaceuticals.

44% of adults worry e-cigarettes will encourage kids to start smoking tobacco Posted: 18 Dec 2013 08:30 AM PST Adults nationwide are concerned about the use of e-cigarettes by children and teens, with 44 percent indicating worries that the devices will encourage kids to use tobacco products.

Vemurafenib: Result unchanged despite new data Posted: 18 Dec 2013 08:29 AM PST The manufacturer's second dossier on the drug Vemurafenib contained additional and more recent data, but did not provide any new findings. Hence the result "indication of considerable added benefit" remains unchanged.

HPV home tests could identify cancer risk Posted: 18 Dec 2013 08:29 AM PST HPV self-testing is as effective as tests done by doctors, according to a study. Simple HPV home tests could therefore complement existing screening program, and identify more women at risk for cervical cancer.

3D technology from film industry improves rehab for stroke patients Posted: 18 Dec 2013 08:29 AM PST Researchers have been using 3D technology from the film industry to analyze the everyday movements of stroke patients. The results indicate that computerized motion analysis increases our knowledge of how stroke patients can improve their ability to move through rehabilitation.

Patient satisfaction with clinical services can affect treatment outcomes Posted: 18 Dec 2013 08:27 AM PST Patient assessment of clinical services quality was shown to be an independent predictor of survival for colorectal cancer patients in a study recently published.

Improved patient education increases satisfaction with day surgery Posted: 18 Dec 2013 08:26 AM PST Satisfaction expressed by day-surgery patients can be enhanced by improving the quality of information they receive and also help assure successful post-operative recovery without the need for outpatient follow-up, according to research.

Diet quality links old, young Posted: 18 Dec 2013 07:02 AM PST Understanding how dietary habits are connected through the generations could have valuable benefits for community health, a new study shows.

Sunlight adaptation region of Neanderthal genome found in up to 65 percent of modern East Asian population Posted: 18 Dec 2013 07:02 AM PST With the Neanderthal genome now published, for the first time, scientists have a rich new resource of comparative evolution. For example, recently, scientists have shown that humans and Neanderthals once interbred, with the accumulation of elements of Neanderthal DNA found in up to 5 percent in modern humans. Scientist have found evidence of accumulation of a Neanderthal DNA region found on chromosome 3 that contains 18 genes, with several related to UV-light adaptation, including the Hyal2 gene. Their results reveal this region was positively selected and enriched in East Asians, ranging from up to 49 percent in Japanese to 66 percent in Southern Chinese.

3-D tissue printing: Cells from the eye inkjet-printed for the first time Posted: 18 Dec 2013 07:02 AM PST Scientists have used inkjet printing technology to successfully print cells taken from the eye for the very first time. The breakthrough could lead to the production of artificial tissue grafts made from the variety of cells found in the human retina and may aid in the search to cure blindness.

Computer-controlled table could direct radiotherapy to tumors while sparing vital organs Posted: 18 Dec 2013 07:02 AM PST Swivelling patients around on a computer-controlled, rotating table could deliver high doses of radiotherapy to tumors more quickly than current methods, while sparing vulnerable organs such as the heart, brain, eyes and bowel. Sophisticated computer modelling could be used to slowly move the table -- known as a couch -- and a radiation source in three dimensions to direct radiation precisely to the patient's tumor, researchers have suggested.

Residents of poorer nations find greater meaning in life Posted: 18 Dec 2013 07:01 AM PST While residents of wealthy nations tend to have greater life satisfaction, new research shows that those living in poorer nations report having greater meaning in life. The findings suggest that meaning in life may be higher in poorer nations as a result of greater religiosity: as countries become richer, religion becomes less central to people's lives and they lose a sense of meaning in life.

Freezing semen doubles chances of fatherhood for men after treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma Posted: 18 Dec 2013 06:59 AM PST Men with Hodgkin lymphoma who want to become fathers after their cancer treatment have greatly increased chances of doing so if they have frozen and stored semen samples beforehand, according to research published.

Scientists provide new insights into cause of human neurodegenerative disease Posted: 18 Dec 2013 06:58 AM PST A recent study opens a possible new route for treatment of Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), a devastating disease that is the most common genetic cause of infant death and also affects young adults. As there is currently no known cure for SMA, the new discovery gives a strong boost to the fight against SMA.

Debate continues on impact of artificial sweeteners Posted: 18 Dec 2013 06:53 AM PST New research has added to the debate about how our bodies respond to artificial sweeteners and whether they are good, bad or have no effect on us.

Sporting success does affect birth rates Posted: 17 Dec 2013 06:05 PM PST Births in a Catalan region of Spain increased by 16 percent nine months after FC Barcelona won three major football trophies in 2009, finds a study.

Are we hard-wired to follow celebrity medical advice? Posted: 17 Dec 2013 06:05 PM PST A paper published asks why so many people follow medical advice from celebrities when so much of it is ill-informed and some of it is potentially harmful.

US researchers ponder modern day virgin births Posted: 17 Dec 2013 06:05 PM PST At this time of year, many recount the birth of Jesus to the Virgin Mary. But reports consistent with virgin births are also a modern day phenomenon, according to a study.

Will stem cell therapy help cure spinal cord injury? Posted: 17 Dec 2013 06:05 PM PST A systematic survey of the scientific literature shows that stem cell therapy can have a statistically significant impact on animal models of spinal cord injury, and points the way for future studies.

Non-specialist psychosocial interventions for children with autism spectrum disorders Posted: 17 Dec 2013 06:05 PM PST Many children with intellectual disability or lower functioning autism spectrum disorders, particularly those in low and middle income countries, do not receive psychosocial treatment interventions for their condition. If non-specialists were able to deliver such care, more children may be able to receive treatment.

Moderate alcohol consumption boosts body's immune system, study suggests Posted: 17 Dec 2013 02:10 PM PST Medical science has known for years that people who drink moderate amounts of alcohol actually have a reduced risk of death. Now, new research adds a fascinating twist: moderate drinking may actually bolster our immune system and help it fight off infection.

EGF receptor ecto-domain mutations: When to screen and when not to screen Posted: 17 Dec 2013 02:10 PM PST The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is expressed in normal colonic cells and is activated by specific peptide growth factors that regulate cell proliferation, survival and differentiation. Increased expression and activation of the EGFR has been observed in the majority of colorectal carcinoma, suggesting that the EGFR pathway plays an important role in colon carcinogenesis.

Different parents, different children: bladder cancers arise from different stem cells Posted: 17 Dec 2013 02:08 PM PST A study published shows that progenitor cells that create dangerous, muscle-invasive bladder cancer are different than the progenitor cells that create non-muscle invasive bladder cancer. Though these two cancers grow at the same site, they are different diseases.

Silencing synapses to deal with addictions Posted: 17 Dec 2013 12:53 PM PST Imagine kicking a cocaine addiction by simply popping a pill that alters the way your brain processes chemical addiction. New research suggests that a method of biologically manipulating certain neurocircuits could lead to a pharmacological approach that would weaken post-withdrawal cocaine cravings.

TV ads nutritionally unhealthy for kids, study finds Posted: 17 Dec 2013 12:52 PM PST The nutritional value of food and drinks advertised on children's television programs is worse than food shown in ads during general air time, according to new study.

Radiation therapy to treat uterine cancer linked to increased risk of bladder cancer later in life Posted: 17 Dec 2013 10:47 AM PST Radiation therapy used to treat uterine cancer may increase a patient's risk of developing bladder cancer. That is the conclusion of a recent study published. The findings indicate the importance of monitoring patients for potential signs of bladder cancer to ensure early diagnosis and treatment.

Study challenges long-held hypothesis that iron promotes atherosclerosis Posted: 17 Dec 2013 09:37 AM PST A research team has found no evidence of an association between iron levels in the body and the risk of atherosclerosis, the hardening and narrowing of the arteries that leads to cardiovascular disease, the number one killer in the U.S. The discovery contradicts a long-held hypothesis about the role of iron in the disease and carries important implications for patients with chronic kidney disease or anemia related to inflammatory disorders, many of whom receive high-dose iron supplementation therapy.

Two in three 13-year-old girls afraid of gaining weight Posted: 16 Dec 2013 05:40 PM PST Six in ten 13-year-old girls, compared to four in 10 boys the same age, are afraid of gaining weight or getting fat according to new research that uses data on over 7,000 participants. The study showed that girls were more than twice as likely as boys to be 'extremely worried' of gaining weight or getting fat.

Lung cancer death rates continue to fall, helping drive decrease in overall cancer death rates Posted: 16 Dec 2013 03:37 PM PST The Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer, covering the period 1975–2010, showed death rates for lung cancer, which accounts for more than one in four cancer deaths, dropping at a faster pace than in previous years.

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