ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Taking pulse of aging of the brain
• Why aren't pregnant women getting flu vaccine?
• Pygmy phenotype developed many times, adaptive to rainforest
• More than just X and Y: a new genetic basis for sex determination
• Red v. Blue state knowledge about abortion examined
• Quasi-legal drug 15 times stronger than heroin hides in plain sight
• 500 million year reset for immune system
• Blood pressure medication does not cause more falls, study shows
• New mouse model points to therapy for liver disease
• Pigs' hearts transplanted into baboon hosts remain viable more than a year
• Invasion of Americas by mosquito-borne virus likely
• Smoking during pregnancy may affect grandchildren's growth
• Prioritizing suicide research can help lead to fewer suicide attempts, deaths
• White, straight women leading surge in infertility treatments
• Antibiotics in early life may alter immunity long-term
• Stronger drunk driving laws lead to safer roads: Study
• Artificial cells act like the real thing
• Myc inhibition an effective therapeutic strategy against most aggressive brain tumors
• From rectal cells to neurons: Keys to understanding transdifferentiation
• Music to your ears? Evidence of damage to hearing from music
• Genes determine traces that stress leaves behind on brains
• Poor health literacy poses risks for pacemaker, defibrillator patients
• Club cells are 'bad guys' during flu infection
• Provider, parental assumptions on teen sex yield 'missed opportunities' for HPV vaccine
• How genes, gender and environment influence substance abuse
• Women seek anti-aging clinicians to treat menopausal symptoms, study finds
• High-intensity exercise found safe and effective in long-term heart transplant, study concludes
• 'Super-parent' cultural pressures can spur mental health conditions in new Moms and Dads
• Suspect gene corrupts neural connections: Diseases of synapses' demo'd in a dish
• Stem cells reveal how illness-linked genetic variation affects neurons
• DNA methylation involved in Alzheimer's disease
• A shift in the code: New method reveals hidden genetic landscape
• Stuck in neutral: Brain defect traps schizophrenics in twilight zone
• Microchip reveals how tumor cells transition to invasion
• Federal law to combat use of 'club drugs' has done more harm than good, study suggests
• FDA-approved drug restores hair in patients with alopecia areata
• 8,000-year-old mutation key to human life at high altitudes: Study identifies genetic basis for Tibetan adaptation
• Factors that contribute to food trucks' fast spread
• Bivalirudin versus heparin in patients planned for coronary stenting
• key clue for protecting hearts against deadly arrhythmia discovered
• Stroke researchers link ability to self-administer medication with memory loss
• New X-ray imaging developed by scientists
• #FeelingSick: Can Twitter help better identify foodborne illness cases?
• Charges for blood tests vary across California hospitals
• Dopamine replacement therapy associated with increase in impulse control disorders among early Parkinson's disease patients

Taking pulse of aging of the brain Posted: 18 Aug 2014 12:39 PM PDT In an effort to identify how the elasticity of the arteries in the brain correlates with aging well, researchers used optical methods developed in their lab to map out the pulse pressure of the entire brain's cortex.

Why aren't pregnant women getting flu vaccine? Posted: 18 Aug 2014 12:36 PM PDT Both mother and fetus are at increased risk for complications of flu infection during pregnancy. And prenatal care providers say they're advising women to get the flu vaccine, in line with recommendations from various organizations. But many pregnant women don't understand the importance of this advice -- and don't get the vaccine.

Pygmy phenotype developed many times, adaptive to rainforest Posted: 18 Aug 2014 12:36 PM PDT The small body size associated with the pygmy phenotype is probably a selective adaptation for rainforest hunter-gatherers, according to an international team of researchers, but all African pygmy phenotypes do not have the same genetic underpinning, suggesting a more recent adaptation than previously thought.

More than just X and Y: a new genetic basis for sex determination Posted: 18 Aug 2014 12:36 PM PDT Men and women differ in obvious ways, and scientists have long known that genetic differences buried deep within our DNA underlie these distinctions. In the past, most research has focused on understanding how the genes that encode proteins act as sex determinants. But scientists have found that a subset of very small genes encoding short RNA molecules, called microRNAs, also play a key role in differentiating male and female tissues in the fruit fly.

Red v. Blue state knowledge about abortion examined Posted: 18 Aug 2014 10:52 AM PDT A new survey uncovers surprising findings regarding political polarization and knowledge about abortion and health. Although initial results showed some support for the red-versus-blue state divide when it came to abortion health knowledge (but not legal knowledge), this difference between states disappeared when researchers took into account individual-level characteristics, including respondents' political beliefs, their beliefs about whether abortion should be permitted and whether or not they knew someone who had an abortion.

Quasi-legal drug 15 times stronger than heroin hides in plain sight Posted: 18 Aug 2014 10:52 AM PDT Emergency physicians should expect 'an upswing in what on the surface appear to be heroin overdoses,' but are actually overdoses tied to acetyl fentanyl, an opiate that is mixed into street drugs marketed as heroin, a new study suggests.

500 million year reset for immune system Posted: 18 Aug 2014 10:51 AM PDT A single factor can reset the immune system of mice to a state likely similar to what it was 500 million years ago, when the first vertebrates emerged. The model, researchers report, could provide an explanation of how the immune system had developed in the course of evolution.

Blood pressure medication does not cause more falls, study shows Posted: 18 Aug 2014 10:50 AM PDT It's time to question the common belief that patients receiving intensive blood pressure treatment are prone to falling and breaking bones. A comprehensive study in people ages 40 to 79 with diabetes found no evidence supporting this belief.

New mouse model points to therapy for liver disease Posted: 18 Aug 2014 10:49 AM PDT A novel mouse model that closely resembles human NASH has been described by researchers. They use it to demonstrate that interference with a key inflammatory protein inhibits both the development of NASH and its progression to liver cancer.

Pigs' hearts transplanted into baboon hosts remain viable more than a year Posted: 18 Aug 2014 08:34 AM PDT Investigators have successfully transplanted hearts from genetically engineered piglets into baboons' abdomens and had the hearts survive for more than one year, twice as long as previously reported. This was achieved by using genetically engineered porcine donors and a more focused immunosuppression regimen in the baboon recipients, according to a new study.

Invasion of Americas by mosquito-borne virus likely Posted: 18 Aug 2014 08:32 AM PDT While media attention has been focused recently on coronavirus cases in the Arabian peninsula and the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, experts note that another threat lies in the spread of Chikungunya fever, an illness that is transmitted by mosquitoes and can cause fever, joint and muscle pain, headaches, and rashes. While it does not often cause death, the symptoms can be severe and disabling, with no treatment available.

Smoking during pregnancy may affect grandchildren's growth Posted: 18 Aug 2014 08:32 AM PDT Smoking during pregnancy has discernible effects on the growth of a woman's future grandkids, a new study shows. The "likely transgenerational effects from the grandmothers' smoking in pregnancy need to be taken into account in future studies of the effects of maternal smoking on child growth and development. If replicated, such studies could be a useful model for the molecular analysis of human transgenerational responses," said the senior author.

Prioritizing suicide research can help lead to fewer suicide attempts, deaths Posted: 18 Aug 2014 07:21 AM PDT Suicide experts recommend research into early behavioral detection, interventions, use of mass media, and other areas, researchers report. Proposed strategies include research into early detection of suicidal behavior, particularly among youth and adolescents, intervention, evidence-based follow-up care, and reducing stigma through the use of mass media.

White, straight women leading surge in infertility treatments Posted: 18 Aug 2014 07:20 AM PDT Heterosexual white women are twice as likely as racial or sexual minority women to obtain medical help to get pregnant, according to a recent study. While income and lack of insurance only partially explained the lower number of racial minority women receiving fertility assistance, lack of insurance appeared to play a crucial role in whether lesbian and bisexual women received medical fertility help, especially in more recent years, according to an American study.

Antibiotics in early life may alter immunity long-term Posted: 18 Aug 2014 06:59 AM PDT A new study aims to help scientists understand how different antibiotics affect bacteria that play a positive role in promoting a healthy immune system. "This is the first step to understanding which bacteria are absolutely necessary to develop a healthy immune system later in life," says the lead researcher.

Stronger drunk driving laws lead to safer roads: Study Posted: 18 Aug 2014 06:52 AM PDT Changes to British Columbia's laws against driving while impaired have reduced fatal crashes as well as ambulance calls and hospital admissions resulting from motor vehicle crashes, a new study finds.

Artificial cells act like the real thing Posted: 18 Aug 2014 06:50 AM PDT Scientists have created an artificial, network-like cell system that is capable of reproducing the dynamic behavior of protein synthesis. This achievement is not only likely to help gain a deeper understanding of basic biological processes, but it may, in the future, pave the way toward controlling the synthesis of both naturally-occurring and synthetic proteins for a host of uses.

Myc inhibition an effective therapeutic strategy against most aggressive brain tumors Posted: 18 Aug 2014 06:50 AM PDT The Myc protein plays a key role in the development of several tumor types and its inhibition could therefore prove an effective therapy against many different cancers. Previous studies successfully blocked Myc through expression of an inhibitor, resulting in the eradication of lung tumors in preclinical models.

From rectal cells to neurons: Keys to understanding transdifferentiation Posted: 18 Aug 2014 06:48 AM PDT How can a specialized cell change its identity? A research team investigated a 100% effective natural example of this phenomenon, which is called transdifferentiation. This process, by which some cells lose their characteristics and acquire a new identity, could be more generally involved in tissue or organ regeneration in vertebrates, and is a promising research avenue for regenerative medicine. This study identifies the role of epigenetic factors involved in this conversion, underlines the dynamic nature of the process, and shows the key mechanisms for effective transdifferentiation.

Music to your ears? Evidence of damage to hearing from music Posted: 18 Aug 2014 06:48 AM PDT Many people listen to loud music without realizing that this can affect their hearing. This could lead to difficulties in understanding speech during age-related hearing loss which affects up to half of people over the age of 65. New research has examined the cellular mechanisms that underlie hearing loss and tinnitus triggered by exposure to loud sound.

Genes determine traces that stress leaves behind on brains Posted: 18 Aug 2014 06:48 AM PDT Our individual genetic make-up determines the effect that stress has on our emotional centers, researchers have found. Not every individual reacts in the same way to life events that produce the same degree of stress. Some grow as a result of the crisis, whereas others break down and fall ill, for example with depression. The outcome is determined by a complex interaction between depression gene versions and environmental factors.

Poor health literacy poses risks for pacemaker, defibrillator patients Posted: 18 Aug 2014 06:46 AM PDT 40 percent of patients with pacemakers and defibrillators had little to no ability to understand information about their cardiac health, according to results of a new study. The study examined literacy among patients with medical conditions that are common among patients with pacemakers and defibrillators. Individuals with hypertension or high cholesterol were more than twice as likely to have limited health literacy as individuals without those conditions. Diabetics were almost twice as likely to have low health literacy.

Club cells are 'bad guys' during flu infection Posted: 18 Aug 2014 06:46 AM PDT A specialized subset of lung cells can shake flu infection, researchers have discovered, yet they remain stamped with an inflammatory gene signature that wreaks havoc in the lung. Seasonal flu is caused by influenza virus, which can infect a variety of cell types in the lung. Infected cells are typically destroyed by the virus itself or by immune cells that attack infected cells.

Provider, parental assumptions on teen sex yield 'missed opportunities' for HPV vaccine Posted: 17 Aug 2014 10:23 PM PDT Probing deeper into the complex decisions that parents and providers face regarding the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine, researchers found that though both parties appreciated importance of the HPV vaccine, their personal assumptions surrounding timing of administration relative to onset of sexual activity resulted in decreased vaccination rates.

How genes, gender and environment influence substance abuse Posted: 17 Aug 2014 10:23 PM PDT Social integration, including strong family ties, can protect one's wellbeing and even reduce the impact high-risk genes have on health. Scientists call this phenomenon a gene-environment interaction. A study focusing on substance abuse, however, found that a three-way interplay of gender, genetics and social integration produced the different outcomes for men and women.

Women seek anti-aging clinicians to treat menopausal symptoms, study finds Posted: 17 Aug 2014 10:23 PM PDT Feeling that conventional doctors did not take their suffering seriously, women instead sought out hormonal treatments for menopausal symptoms from anti-aging clinicians, according to a study that investigated the appeal of anti-aging medicine.

High-intensity exercise found safe and effective in long-term heart transplant, study concludes Posted: 17 Aug 2014 10:22 PM PDT High-intensity exercise can help stable heart transplant patients reach higher levels of exercise capacity, and gain better control of their blood pressure than moderate intensity exercise, investigators report. Their research shows that high-intensity interval exercise -— training for a few minutes at close to the maximum heart rate -— is safe and more efficient than moderate exercise for improving exercise capacity in different groups of patients with heart disease.

'Super-parent' cultural pressures can spur mental health conditions in new Moms and Dads Posted: 17 Aug 2014 10:22 PM PDT Mental health experts in the past three decades have emphasized the dangers of post-partum depression for mothers, but a researcher says expanding awareness of several other perinatal mental health conditions is important for all new parents, including fathers.

Suspect gene corrupts neural connections: Diseases of synapses' demo'd in a dish Posted: 17 Aug 2014 07:01 PM PDT Researchers have demonstrated in patients' cells how a rare mutation in a suspect gene corrupts the turning on and off of dozens of other genes underlying synapses -- the connections between neurons. In a 'disease-in-a-dish' study, induced neurons of patients from families affected by a mutation associated with schizophrenia and other major mental illness expressed 80 percent lower-than-normal levels of a protein made by a suspect gene.

Stem cells reveal how illness-linked genetic variation affects neurons Posted: 17 Aug 2014 07:01 PM PDT A genetic variation linked to schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and severe depression wreaks havoc on connections among neurons in the developing brain, a team of researchers reports. The study used stem cells generated from people with and without mental illness to observe the effects of a rare and pernicious genetic variation on young brain cells. The results add to evidence that several major mental illnesses have common roots in faulty 'wiring' during early brain development.

DNA methylation involved in Alzheimer's disease Posted: 17 Aug 2014 07:01 PM PDT A new study reveals how early changes in brain DNA methylation are involved in Alzheimer's disease. The research is the first large-scale study employing epigenome-wide association (EWAS) studies -- which look at chromosomal make-up and changes -- in relation to the brain and Alzheimer's disease.

A shift in the code: New method reveals hidden genetic landscape Posted: 17 Aug 2014 07:01 PM PDT With three billion letters in the human genome, it seems hard to believe that adding or removing a base could have much of an effect on our health. Yet, such insertions and deletions can dramatically alter biological function. It is has been difficult to detect these mutations. Scientists have devised a new way to analyze genome sequences that pinpoints insertions and deletions in people with diseases such as autism, obsessive compulsive disorder, and Tourette syndrome.

Stuck in neutral: Brain defect traps schizophrenics in twilight zone Posted: 17 Aug 2014 07:00 PM PDT People with schizophrenia struggle to turn goals into actions because brain structures governing desire and emotion are less active and fail to pass goal-directed messages to cortical regions affecting human decision-making, new research reveals.

Microchip reveals how tumor cells transition to invasion Posted: 17 Aug 2014 07:00 PM PDT A microscopic obstacle course of carefully spaced pillars enables researchers to observe cancer cells directly as they break away from a tumor mass and move more rapidly across the microchip. The device could be useful for testing cancer drugs and further research on the mechanics of metastasis.

Federal law to combat use of 'club drugs' has done more harm than good, study suggests Posted: 17 Aug 2014 06:58 PM PDT A federal law enacted to combat the use of "club drugs" such as Ecstasy -- and today's variation known as Molly -- has failed to reduce the drugs' popularity and, instead, has further endangered users by hampering the use of measures to protect them.

FDA-approved drug restores hair in patients with alopecia areata Posted: 17 Aug 2014 06:58 PM PDT Researchers have identified the immune cells responsible for destroying hair follicles in people with alopecia areata, a common autoimmune disease that causes hair loss, and have tested an FDA-approved drug that eliminated these immune cells and restored hair growth in a small number of patients.

8,000-year-old mutation key to human life at high altitudes: Study identifies genetic basis for Tibetan adaptation Posted: 17 Aug 2014 06:58 PM PDT In an environment where others struggle to survive, Tibetans thrive in the thin air of the Tibetan Plateau, with an average elevation of 14,800 feet. A new study is the first to find a genetic cause for the adaptation and demonstrate how it contributes to the Tibetans' ability to live in low oxygen conditions.

Factors that contribute to food trucks' fast spread Posted: 16 Aug 2014 05:45 PM PDT Gourmet food trucks have spread around the nation, according to researchers who harvested Twitter data to conduct a de facto census of up-scale US food trucks, invented in Los Angeles in 2008.

Bivalirudin versus heparin in patients planned for coronary stenting Posted: 15 Aug 2014 04:59 PM PDT An analysis of all of the previous trials to date has been conducted to better define both the benefits and risks of the competing anticoagulants. Researchers found that, compared with heparin-based regimens, bivalirudin-based regimens increased the risk of heart attack and stent thrombosis. Bivalirudin-based regimens decreased the risk of bleeding, but by how much depended on whether other blood thinners were used more with heparin than with bivalirudin.

key clue for protecting hearts against deadly arrhythmia discovered Posted: 15 Aug 2014 04:57 PM PDT Restoring blood flow to the heart following a heart attack can leave patients with ventricular fibrillation, a dangerous heart rhythm which puts people at greater risk of sudden cardiac death. New research sheds light on how carbon monoxide could be used to protect against life-threatening arrhythmias after a heart attack, scientists report.

Stroke researchers link ability to self-administer medication with memory loss Posted: 15 Aug 2014 04:25 PM PDT Stroke researchers have identified an association between over-optimistic estimation of the ability to take medications accurately and memory loss among stroke survivors. Results indicate that assessing patients for their ability to estimate medication skills may predict memory disorder. Screening stroke survivors for medication self-administration ability may be a useful approach to identifying memory deficits that contribute to poor outcomes.

New X-ray imaging developed by scientists Posted: 15 Aug 2014 04:25 PM PDT Scientists have developed an X-ray imaging system that enables researchers to see 'live' how effective treatments are for cystic fibrosis. Cystic fibrosis affects many of the body's systems, but most severely the lungs, and currently it can take several months to measure how effective treatment is for the early-fatal lung disease.

#FeelingSick: Can Twitter help better identify foodborne illness cases? Posted: 15 Aug 2014 04:22 PM PDT An estimated 55 million to 105 million people in the United States suffer from foodborne illnesses each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), resulting in costs of $2-$4 billion annually. What if Twitter could be used to track those cases and more quickly identify the source of the problem? A new analysis shows that new technology might better allow health departments to engage with the public to improve foodborne illness surveillance.

Charges for blood tests vary across California hospitals Posted: 15 Aug 2014 04:22 PM PDT New research shows significant price differences for ten common blood tests in California hospitals, with some patients charged as little as $10 for one test while others were charged $10,169 for the identical test. The analysis of charges at more than 150 California hospitals looked at blood tests that are often required of patients, such as lipid panel, basic metabolic panel, and complete blood cell count with differential white cell count.

Dopamine replacement therapy associated with increase in impulse control disorders among early Parkinson's disease patients Posted: 15 Aug 2014 04:22 PM PDT Neuropsychiatric symptoms such as depression, anxiety and fatigue are more common in newly diagnosed Parkinson's disease (PD) patients compared to the general population. The study also found that initiation of dopamine replacement therapy, the most common treatment for PD, was associated with increasing frequency of impulse control disorders and excessive daytime sleepiness.

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