ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Blocking brain's 'internal marijuana' may trigger early Alzheimer's deficits, study shows
• How genetic mutation causes early brain damage
• Suicidal behaviour not increased by ADHD drugs, research concludes
• Food poisoning cases underreported, food safety specialist says
• Electrical switch during labor could be faulty in overweight women
• Race a factor in mortality in heart attack patients on anti-clotting drug
• Yoga exercise program tailored for pulmonary hypertension patients
• Supplements of calcium, vitamin D may have too much for some older women
• No evidence that soy food protects against endometrial cancer, study finds
• Gender 'rebalancing' in China: An uncertain future
• Proteins in urine could play important role in stress incontinence
• Vaccine 'reprograms' pancreatic cancers to respond to immunotherapy
• Kidney problems may prevent heart attack patients from receiving life-saving care
• Transfusion after trauma can benefit or harm patients depending on their risk of death
• Human sweat can reduce anti-bacterial properties of brass objects in hospitals and schools
• Suicides among mental health patients under home treatment in England double the number of suicides in mental health inpatient units
• Mental health patients more than twice as likely to be victims of homicide than the general public
• Stress hormone linked to short-term memory loss as we age, animal study suggests
• Limited motor skills in early infancy may be trait of autism
• Fireworks, construction, marching bands can cause permanent hearing loss
• Death by prescription painkiller?
• Survival compared for treatments of uncommon eye cancer
• Treatment of bowel disease not linked with increased risk of cancer
• Self-reported health of young adults has improved
• 'Clot-busting' drugs reduce deaths from pulmonary embolism by nearly half
• Majority of older breast cancer patients use hormone treatment

Blocking brain's 'internal marijuana' may trigger early Alzheimer's deficits, study shows Posted: 18 Jun 2014 10:19 AM PDT A new study has implicated the blocking of endocannabinoids -- signaling substances that are the brain's internal versions of the psychoactive chemicals in marijuana and hashish -- in the early pathology of Alzheimer's disease.

How genetic mutation causes early brain damage Posted: 18 Jun 2014 10:19 AM PDT Scientists have shed light on how a specific kind of genetic mutation can cause damage during early brain development that results in lifelong learning and behavioral disabilities. The study focuses on the role of a gene known as Syngap1. In humans, mutations in Syngap1 are known to cause devastating forms of intellectual disability and epilepsy.

Suicidal behaviour not increased by ADHD drugs, research concludes Posted: 18 Jun 2014 08:17 AM PDT Drug therapy for ADHD does not entail an increased risk of suicide attempts or suicide, as was previously feared, a new register-based study from Sweden shows. Earlier research has indicated that ADHD drug treatment would increase the occurrence of suicidal thoughts. One strong point of the study now being published is that all the individuals were compared to themselves, as this allowed the researchers to take into account the differences between those taking the drugs and those who do not.

Food poisoning cases underreported, food safety specialist says Posted: 18 Jun 2014 08:16 AM PDT There are distinct symptoms for food poisoning and reporting it to your doctor is an important step in improving food safety, a food safety specialist says. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 19,056 cases of infection were reported in 2013 in the United States. However, it is expected that many people don't report getting sick from contaminated food because they don't realize they have food poisoning.

Electrical switch during labor could be faulty in overweight women Posted: 18 Jun 2014 07:06 AM PDT Researchers have identified an electrical switch in the muscle of the uterus that plays a key role in the progression into labor. Crucially, the discovery shows that women who are overweight have a faulty switch. The finding may explain why overweight women have a higher likelihood of irregular contractions and are more likely to require a caesarean section than other women.

Race a factor in mortality in heart attack patients on anti-clotting drug Posted: 18 Jun 2014 07:06 AM PDT The first genetic variations linked to race have been identified that begin to explain a higher risk of death among some African American and Caucasian patients taking the anti-clotting drug clopidogrel after a heart attack. In particular, the team found that two DNA variants common in African Americans were associated with an increased risk of both bleeding and death. In Caucasians, a different variant was linked to additional heart attacks and a higher risk of death.

Yoga exercise program tailored for pulmonary hypertension patients Posted: 18 Jun 2014 07:05 AM PDT A first-of-its-kind yoga exercise program has been developed for patients living with pulmonary hypertension, a chronic lung disease that afflicts women at least two times more than men. Called Yoga for PH, the 40-minute program includes three yoga exercise levels and a nutrition and lifestyle discussion.

Supplements of calcium, vitamin D may have too much for some older women Posted: 18 Jun 2014 04:20 AM PDT Calcium and vitamin D are commonly recommended for older women, but the usual supplements may send calcium excretion and blood levels too high for some of them, shows a new study. The good news in this study is that the investigators found a way to predict which women were likely to develop these excess levels.

No evidence that soy food protects against endometrial cancer, study finds Posted: 18 Jun 2014 04:20 AM PDT No evidence of a protective association between soy food and endometrial cancer risk has been found, concludes a new study. Soy foods are an almost exclusive dietary source of isoflavones, a plant-derived estrogen. Some studies have highlighted their potential cancer protective properties, however, research looking at the link to endometrial cancer has been inconsistent.

Gender 'rebalancing' in China: An uncertain future Posted: 18 Jun 2014 04:17 AM PDT China is the most gender imbalanced country in the world, with an official sex ratio at birth (SRB) of 117.78 (boys for every one hundred girls) in 2011. Over the past two decades the rise in China's SRB has had a wide range of economic and social consequences. Researchers investigate the future impact of this rise using demographic and economic projections. Their results suggest that even if the Chinese government takes action to rebalance the sex ratio, the long-term picture is uncertain.

Proteins in urine could play important role in stress incontinence Posted: 18 Jun 2014 04:17 AM PDT Incontinence is the world's most common chronic condition. However, the problem continues to be a taboo subject: two out of three sufferers do not talk about it, preventing access to successful treatment. Stress incontinence, in which urine is lost involuntarily when coughing, laughing or sneezing, is the most common form of incontinence, affecting 60 per cent of all cases. How it develops is largely unresearched. Scientists have now been able to demonstrate that proteins in the urine could play an important role.

Vaccine 'reprograms' pancreatic cancers to respond to immunotherapy Posted: 18 Jun 2014 04:15 AM PDT A vaccine that triggered the growth of immune cell nodules within pancreatic tumors, essentially reprogramming these intractable cancers and potentially making them vulnerable to immune-based therapies, has developed and tested by researchers. The reprogramming is designed to make the tumors more vulnerable to other immune-modulating drugs that have been useful in fighting other cancers, researchers explain.

Kidney problems may prevent heart attack patients from receiving life-saving care Posted: 17 Jun 2014 06:10 PM PDT Heart attack patients with kidney problems may not be getting the full treatment they need, according to a new study. The study found that patients admitted to hospital with chest pains and poorly functioning kidneys are less likely to be given an angiogram and early invasive treatment, which might increase their chance of surviving a heart attack.

Transfusion after trauma can benefit or harm patients depending on their risk of death Posted: 17 Jun 2014 06:08 PM PDT The risks and benefits of red blood cell transfusions for patients with trauma and major bleeding might vary considerably based on a patient's predicted risk of death on arrival at a trauma center, according to new research.

Human sweat can reduce anti-bacterial properties of brass objects in hospitals and schools Posted: 17 Jun 2014 06:03 PM PDT Researchers discover sweat can cause corrosion of protective qualities of door knobs and taps within an hour of contact. Sweaty hands can reduce the effectiveness of bacteria-fighting brass objects in hospitals and schools after just an hour of coming into contact with them.

Suicides among mental health patients under home treatment in England double the number of suicides in mental health inpatient units Posted: 17 Jun 2014 06:03 PM PDT The number of deaths by suicide among mental health patients treated at home by crisis resolution home treatment teams has more than doubled in England in recent years, rising from an average of 80 in 2003-2004 to 163 in 2010-2011, according to new research. In contrast, suicides on psychiatric wards fell by more than half, from 163 in 2003-2004 to 76 in 2010-2011.

Mental health patients more than twice as likely to be victims of homicide than the general public Posted: 17 Jun 2014 06:03 PM PDT Patients with mental illness are two and a half times more likely to be victims of homicide than people in the general population, according to a national study examining the characteristics of homicide victims across England and Wales. Homicides committed by patients with mental illness have received much media attention, but patients' risk of being victims of homicide and their relationship to the perpetrators has rarely been examined.

Stress hormone linked to short-term memory loss as we age, animal study suggests Posted: 17 Jun 2014 06:01 PM PDT A new study reports a potential link between stress hormones and short-term memory loss in older adults. The study reveals that having high levels of cortisol—a natural hormone in our body whose levels surge when we are stressed—can lead to memory lapses as we age.

Limited motor skills in early infancy may be trait of autism Posted: 17 Jun 2014 02:08 PM PDT Researchers have announced findings that provide evidence for reduced grasping and fine motor activity among six-month-old infants with an increased familial risk for autism spectrum disorders.

Fireworks, construction, marching bands can cause permanent hearing loss Posted: 17 Jun 2014 01:42 PM PDT One in 10 Americans has hearing loss that affects their ability to understand normal speech. Exposure to excessive noise also can damage hearing in higher pitches. "Hearing loss due to excessive noise is totally preventable, unlike hearing loss due to old age or a medical condition," one expert says.

Death by prescription painkiller? Posted: 17 Jun 2014 01:41 PM PDT The number of deaths involving commonly prescribed painkillers is higher than the number of deaths by overdose from heroin and cocaine combined, according to researchers. In a first-of-its-kind review of existing research, researchers have put the spotlight on a major public health problem: the dramatic increase in deaths due to prescribed painkillers, which were involved in more than 16,000 deaths in 2010 in the U.S. alone. Currently, the US and Canada rank #1 and #2 in per capita opioid consumption.

Survival compared for treatments of uncommon eye cancer Posted: 17 Jun 2014 01:41 PM PDT In patients with advanced uveal melanoma, treatment with the agent selumetinib, compared with chemotherapy, resulted in an improved cancer progression-free survival time and tumor response rate, but no improvement in overall survival, according to a study. The modest improvement in clinical outcomes was accompanied by a high rate of adverse events.

Treatment of bowel disease not linked with increased risk of cancer Posted: 17 Jun 2014 01:41 PM PDT Use of a popular class of medications known as tumor necrosis factor alpha antagonists was not associated with an increased risk of cancer over a median follow-up of 3.7 years, according to a study that included more than 56,000 patients with inflammatory bowel disease. However, an increased risk of malignancy in the long term, or with increasing number of doses, cannot be excluded.

Self-reported health of young adults has improved Posted: 17 Jun 2014 01:41 PM PDT Since 2010, when young adults could be covered under their parents' health insurance plans until age 26, self-reported health among this group has improved, a large survey indicates, along with a decrease in out-of-pocket health care expenditures. The dependent coverage provision was associated with an increase in insurance coverage among adults ages 19 to 25 years; no statistically significant changes in health care use; an increase in the probability of reporting excellent physical health; and an increase in the probability of reporting excellent mental health.

'Clot-busting' drugs reduce deaths from pulmonary embolism by nearly half Posted: 17 Jun 2014 01:41 PM PDT Adding clot-busting medications known as thrombolytics to conventional approaches when treating sudden-onset pulmonary embolism patients is associated with 47 percent fewer deaths than using standard intravenous or under-the-skin anticoagulant medications alone, a team of researchers has found, bringing clarity to a decades-long debate.

Majority of older breast cancer patients use hormone treatment Posted: 16 Jun 2014 05:44 PM PDT Women 65 years of age and older comprise about half of patients with breast cancer. Some studies suggest this group initiates therapy less often and discontinues treatment more frequently than younger or middle aged women. 'We found a more positive picture of use,' says the study author. Only 14 percent of the 65- to 91-year-olds in the study didn't start treatment. Non-white women are much more likely to not have therapy.

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