ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Wealth and power may have played a stronger role than 'survival of the fittest'
• Some things hugs can't fix: Parental warmth does not remove anxiety that follows punishment
• Predicting prostate cancer: Nanotechnology shows promise for more accurate prostate cancer screening and prognosis
• Milk protein comparison unveils nutritional gems for developing babies
• DNA is packaged like a yoyo, scientists find
• Scientists make surprising finding in stroke research
• Direct evidence of gadolinium deposition in brain tissues following contrast-enhanced MRI exams
• New technique to chart protein networks in living cells
• Losing weight substantially reduces atrial fibrillation
• Heart bypass surgery outperforms new generation stents
• Universal public drug coverage would save Canada billions
• Products that Reversibly Change Shape with Temperature May Revolutionize Medicine
• Finger lengths may indicate risk of schizophrenia in males
• Irritable bowel syndrome defined by symptoms, relieved through trust, patience
• New colon cancer culprit found by vet researchers
• Mental health misdiagnosis twice more likely for socially disadvantaged groups
• A breakfast of champions for diabetics
• Study of veterans finds family support during deployment reduces suicidal thoughts
• New system for detecting adverse effects of medications using social media
• Cancer researchers identify new function in an old acquaintance
• Groundbreaking approach to evaluate sleep disorders developed
• Motor neurone disease: Researchers identify new group of gene suspects
• Low vaccination rates likely fuel the 2015 measles outbreak, calculations show
• Memory and effects on the aging brain
• Vitamin D supplementation not associated with lower blood pressure, review suggests
• When cancer cells stop acting like cancer
• Remote ischemic preconditioning fails to improve heart bypass outcomes
• Ablation during mitral valve surgery reduces atrial fibrillation
• Heart failure patients fare better with catheter ablation than Amiodarone
• Study identifies 'lethal' subtype of prostate cancer
• Consistency is the key to success in bread baking, biology
• 'Affinity switch' found for proteasome assembly process in cells
• Genetics: No evidence of role in racial mortality gap
• Label design may affect risk of medication errors in OR
• Research calls for new policies to support women veterans' health care needs
• MitraClip valve repair continues to show benefit in commercial setting
• Self-expanding TAVR widens advantage over surgery at two years
• SAPIEN valve, surgery equivalent at five years
• Benefits seen for first-in-field brain shield used with TAVR: Device designed to deflect particles dislodged during valve replacement
• SAPIEN 3 improves 30-day outcomes for major endpoints, study suggests
• Evolocumab for cholesterol: After one year, patients on new drug fare better than standard therapy
• CT scans appear to dramatically improve diagnosis of heart disease
• Novel anti-clotting therapy in halted trial no better than existing agents
• Bendavia does not reduce scarring from angioplasty after heart attack, study suggests
• Dialing a bespoke signal: New drug design works from outside the cell
• No real cost difference between types of tests that look for heart disease
• Long-term ticagrelor cuts risk of future events after heart attack
• Heart CT scans show slight benefits over functional tests for heart disease
• Health outcomes equal for patients diagnosed by CTA or stress test
• Oncologists reveal reasons for high cost of cancer drugs in U.S.
• Physicians want to learn more about diet, cardiovascular disease prevention
• Pollution levels linked to stroke-related narrowing of arteries
• Risk patterns identified that make people more vulnerable to PTSD
• How NORE1A acts as a barrier to tumor growth
• Do you know the food you’re eating.. or the food you think you’re eating?
• Omics methods: Towards a better prediction of the effects of substances at very low doses
• High dose zinc acetate lozenges may help shorten symptoms associated with the common cold

Wealth and power may have played a stronger role than 'survival of the fittest' Posted: 16 Mar 2015 03:55 PM PDT Researchers have discovered a dramatic decline in genetic diversity in male lineages four to eight thousand years ago -- likely the result of the accumulation of material wealth, while in contrast, female genetic diversity was on the rise. This male-specific decline occurred during the mid- to late-Neolithic period.

Some things hugs can't fix: Parental warmth does not remove anxiety that follows punishment Posted: 16 Mar 2015 01:59 PM PDT A loving mom can't overcome the anxiety and aggression caused by corporal punishment, and her otherwise warm demeanor may make it worse, according to recent research.

Predicting prostate cancer: Nanotechnology shows promise for more accurate prostate cancer screening and prognosis Posted: 16 Mar 2015 01:07 PM PDT A study in the emerging field of nanocytology could one day help men make better decisions about whether or not to undergo aggressive prostate cancer treatments. The prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test was once the recommended screening tool for detecting prostate cancer, but there is now disagreement over the use of this test because it can't predict which men with elevated PSA levels will actually develop an aggressive form of the disease.

Milk protein comparison unveils nutritional gems for developing babies Posted: 16 Mar 2015 01:07 PM PDT Human babies appear to need more of a nutritional boost from breast-milk proteins than do infants of one of their closest primate relatives, suggests a study comparing human milk with the milk of rhesus macaque monkeys.

DNA is packaged like a yoyo, scientists find Posted: 16 Mar 2015 01:07 PM PDT DNA uncoils from the nucleosome asymmetrically (uncoiling from one end much more easily) scientists have discovered. The DNA is packaged into chromosomes, which resemble beaded bracelets. The string of DNA is coiled around beads, called histones, to create nucleosomes. These nucleosomes are braided together into beaded strings that are intricately woven into chromosomes, they report.

Scientists make surprising finding in stroke research Posted: 16 Mar 2015 01:05 PM PDT Scientists have made an important new discovery about the brain's immune system that could lead to potential new treatments for stroke and other related conditions.

Direct evidence of gadolinium deposition in brain tissues following contrast-enhanced MRI exams Posted: 16 Mar 2015 01:04 PM PDT New research finds direct evidence of gadolinium deposition in neuronal tissues following intravenous administration of gadolinium-based contrast agents used in MRI exams. "Despite evidence that trace amounts of gadolinium are depositing in neural tissues, there is currently no data to suggest that it's harmful to patients," notes one researcher.

New technique to chart protein networks in living cells Posted: 16 Mar 2015 10:57 AM PDT Fully automated single molecule measurements allow scientists to probe complex biological networks in living cells.The technique holds promise for understanding diseases and for drug discovery, they say.

Losing weight substantially reduces atrial fibrillation Posted: 16 Mar 2015 10:56 AM PDT Obese patients with atrial fibrillation who lost at least 10 percent of their body weight were six times more likely to achieve long-term freedom from this common heart rhythm disorder compared to those who did not lose weight, according to a study.

Heart bypass surgery outperforms new generation stents Posted: 16 Mar 2015 10:56 AM PDT Despite the advent of a new generation of stents, patients with multiple narrowed arteries in the heart who received coronary artery bypass grafting fared better than those whose arteries were opened with balloon angioplasty and stents in a recent study.

Universal public drug coverage would save Canada billions Posted: 16 Mar 2015 10:51 AM PDT Canada could save $7.3 billion annually with universal public coverage of medically necessary prescription drugs, researchers say. Canada is the only developed country with a universal health care system that does not include prescription drug coverage.

Products that Reversibly Change Shape with Temperature May Revolutionize Medicine Posted: 16 Mar 2015 10:49 AM PDT New research highlights the capability of reversible shape-memory polymers to change their shape when heated to body temperature and then switch back to their original shape when cooled to room temperature.The technology could have applications in temperature intervals relevant for biomedical applications -- for example, devices for external short-term applications such as bandages or temporary fixation parts, where the product would be activated upon exposure to human body temperature. The technology could also be used for home-care products to support the daily life of disabled or elderly people or devices such as reversible self-locking shoe binders for handicapped people.

Finger lengths may indicate risk of schizophrenia in males Posted: 16 Mar 2015 10:49 AM PDT Research suggests that the ratio of the lengths of the index finger and the ring finger in males may be predictive of a variety of disorders related to disturbed hormonal balance. When the index finger is shorter than the ring finger, this results in a small 2D:4D ratio, pointing to a high exposure to testosterone in the uterus.

Irritable bowel syndrome defined by symptoms, relieved through trust, patience Posted: 16 Mar 2015 10:46 AM PDT Irritable bowel syndrome racks up an impact on quality of life and health care spending: costing more than $20 billion a year in treatment and symptoms that include stomach pain and altered bowel habits causing nearly as many missed work days as the common cold.

New colon cancer culprit found by vet researchers Posted: 16 Mar 2015 09:27 AM PDT Colon cancer is a heavily studied disease -- and for good reason. It is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide, and its numbers are on the rise, from 500,00 deaths in 1990 to 700,000 in 2010. This growth comes despite scientists' ever-increasing knowledge of the genetic mutations that initiate and drive this disease. Now, a team of researchers has found evidence of a new culprit in the disease, a protein called MSI2.

Mental health misdiagnosis twice more likely for socially disadvantaged groups Posted: 16 Mar 2015 09:27 AM PDT The shooting of an unarmed teenager in Ferguson ignited a global discussion about implicit racial bias. You might think that clinical therapists -- people trained to understand the mind -- would be immune from this bias. But a new study finds that the social identities of patients and therapists affect the accuracy of the diagnosis: Therapists were twice as likely to misdiagnose mental illness when patients were from a disadvantaged, compared to an advantaged, group.

A breakfast of champions for diabetics Posted: 16 Mar 2015 09:27 AM PDT For people with type-2 diabetes, blood sugar surges -- glucose spikes after meals -- can be life threatening, leading to cardiovascular complications. A new study demonstrates a new way to suppress deadly glucose surges throughout the day by eating a high-caloric breakfast and a more modest dinner.

Study of veterans finds family support during deployment reduces suicidal thoughts Posted: 16 Mar 2015 09:27 AM PDT Family support during deployment is an important protective factor against post-deployment suicidal ideation according to a new study. Suicidal ideation includes thoughts that can range from fleeting consideration of suicide to the development of a specific plan for killing oneself.

New system for detecting adverse effects of medications using social media Posted: 16 Mar 2015 09:25 AM PDT A new system for detecting adverse effects of pharmaceutical drugs tracks information generated by patients on specialized blogs or social networks such as Twitter in real time. The researchers explain that online health information searches are the third most popular activity in Google, with 170,000 searches performed every 5 seconds. "There is a lot of user-generated information these days, so social networks can be a valuable source of information on adverse effects of pharmaceutical drugs after the clinical trial stage is over and the drug is on the market."

Cancer researchers identify new function in an old acquaintance Posted: 16 Mar 2015 09:25 AM PDT Cells have two different programs to safeguard them from developing cancer. One of them is senescence. It puts cancer cells into a permanent sleep. Now researchers have discovered that an enzyme known to be active in breast cancer blocks this protection program and boosts tumor growth. They succeeded in blocking this enzyme in mice with breast cancer, thus reactivating senescence and stopping tumor growth.

Groundbreaking approach to evaluate sleep disorders developed Posted: 16 Mar 2015 09:25 AM PDT "We've developed a non-contact 'breathing sound analysis' algorithm that provides a reliable estimation of whole-night sleep evaluation for detection of sleep quality, snoring severity and Obstructive Sleep Apnea," researchers explain of their newly developed diagnostic approach. "It has the potential to reduce the cost and management of sleep disorders compared to PSG, the current standard of treatment, and could be used at home.'

Motor neurone disease: Researchers identify new group of gene suspects Posted: 16 Mar 2015 09:25 AM PDT Researchers have identified a new host of gene variants that could make people vulnerable to sporadic motor neuron disease, according to a report. Motor neuron disease (MND) is a group of diseases in which the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord controlling the muscles that enable us to move, speak, breathe and swallow slowly degenerate and die.

Low vaccination rates likely fuel the 2015 measles outbreak, calculations show Posted: 16 Mar 2015 09:19 AM PDT Inadequate vaccine coverage is likely a driving force behind the ongoing Disneyland measles outbreak, according to new calculations.

Memory and effects on the aging brain Posted: 16 Mar 2015 09:19 AM PDT A study of brain aging finds that being male was associated with worse memory and lower hippocampal volume in individuals who were cognitively normal at baseline, while the gene APOE ?4, a risk factor for Alzheimer disease, was not, according to a new article.

Vitamin D supplementation not associated with lower blood pressure, review suggests Posted: 16 Mar 2015 09:19 AM PDT A review of clinical trial data suggests vitamin D supplementation was ineffective at lowering blood pressure and should not be used as an antihypertensive, according to an article.

When cancer cells stop acting like cancer Posted: 16 Mar 2015 09:19 AM PDT Cancer cells crowded tightly together suddenly surrender their desire to spread, and this change of heart is related to a cellular pathway that controls organ size, scientists have found. "What we really need in cancer treatment is a way to stop cancer from growing in the organ it has spread to, and we have discovered a mechanism that seems to do that," says the study's senior investigator.

Remote ischemic preconditioning fails to improve heart bypass outcomes Posted: 16 Mar 2015 09:19 AM PDT Patients who underwent a simple conditioning procedure involving the inflation and deflation of a blood pressure cuff on the upper arm before coronary artery bypass grafting, known as heart bypass surgery, had no better long-term health outcomes than bypass patients who did not receive the conditioning.

Ablation during mitral valve surgery reduces atrial fibrillation Posted: 16 Mar 2015 09:19 AM PDT Patients with atrial fibrillation who received ablation while they were already undergoing surgery to correct a leaky heart valve had fewer episodes of atrial fibrillation a year later compared to patients who had the valve surgery alone, according to a new study.

Heart failure patients fare better with catheter ablation than Amiodarone Posted: 16 Mar 2015 09:19 AM PDT Among patients with heart failure and atrial fibrillation, those who underwent catheter ablation were less likely to die, be hospitalized or have recurrent atrial fibrillation than patients taking a heart rhythm regulating drug, according to a new study.

Study identifies 'lethal' subtype of prostate cancer Posted: 16 Mar 2015 09:12 AM PDT Of prostate cancer patients with combination MAP3K7 and CHD1 deletions, about 50 percent will have recurrent prostate cancer, which ultimately leads to death, a study concludes. About 10 percent of all prostate cancers harbor combined MAP3K7-CHD1 deletions.

Consistency is the key to success in bread baking, biology Posted: 16 Mar 2015 09:12 AM PDT Whether you're baking bread or building an organism, the key to success is consistently adding ingredients in the correct order and in the right amounts, according to a new genetic study.

'Affinity switch' found for proteasome assembly process in cells Posted: 16 Mar 2015 08:33 AM PDT Researchers conducted a study that looked at how proteasome-specific chaperones work at the molecular level to help in proteasome formation. Fully understanding this process may present new target sites for drugs and may lead to better treatments for neurological diseases, cancers and other disorders.

Genetics: No evidence of role in racial mortality gap Posted: 16 Mar 2015 08:33 AM PDT There is still no evidence of genetic difference between blacks and whites to account for the health disparities in cardiovascular disease (CVD), according to a new study. The researchers suggest that after a decade of genetic studies, factors such as lifestyle, education and socio-economics - not genetics - are more promising avenues to understanding racial health disparities.

Label design may affect risk of medication errors in OR Posted: 16 Mar 2015 08:33 AM PDT Special redesigned labels for intravenous (IV) medication bags may help to prevent serious medication errors in the operating room, reports a study. The new results provide a new piece of evidence that one specific label design for IV bags can reduce the risk of medication errors.

Research calls for new policies to support women veterans' health care needs Posted: 16 Mar 2015 08:33 AM PDT As more women veterans seek health care in the Veterans Administration (VA) system in the United States, effective approaches are needed to ensure that their unique needs are recognized and met, authors of a new study suggest.

MitraClip valve repair continues to show benefit in commercial setting Posted: 16 Mar 2015 07:21 AM PDT The commercial track record with transcatheter mitral valve repair, approved for patients at high risk for surgery, compares favorably with pre-approval reports, according to findings from a US registry.

Self-expanding TAVR widens advantage over surgery at two years Posted: 16 Mar 2015 07:21 AM PDT Two-year data show a continued survival advantage for self-expanding transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) over standard surgery in high-risk patients with severe aortic stenosis, according to new research.

SAPIEN valve, surgery equivalent at five years Posted: 16 Mar 2015 07:21 AM PDT Five-year data suggest that the SAPIEN transcatheter heart valve is a feasible option for patients with severe aortic stenosis deemed to be at high risk for open-heart surgery, though valve leakage was more common with the first-generation valve evaluated in this study than with surgery, according to new research.

Benefits seen for first-in-field brain shield used with TAVR: Device designed to deflect particles dislodged during valve replacement Posted: 16 Mar 2015 07:20 AM PDT An investigational device that deflects debris away from the brain during transcatheter aortic valve replacement seems to improve in-hospital safety outcomes and cognitive scores at discharge, according to preliminary findings from a small randomized study.

SAPIEN 3 improves 30-day outcomes for major endpoints, study suggests Posted: 16 Mar 2015 07:20 AM PDT The SAPIEN 3 heart valve demonstrated lower death, stroke and paravalvular leak rates than earlier generation devices in patients at high risk for surgery and showed encouraging results in intermediate-risk patients, according to new research.

Evolocumab for cholesterol: After one year, patients on new drug fare better than standard therapy Posted: 16 Mar 2015 07:20 AM PDT Patients taking evolocumab -- an investigational therapy previously shown to dramatically lower 'bad' cholesterol -- were half as likely to die, suffer a heart attack or stroke, be hospitalized or need a procedure to open blocked arteries compared with those who received standard care, according to new research.

CT scans appear to dramatically improve diagnosis of heart disease Posted: 16 Mar 2015 07:20 AM PDT Use of computed tomography coronary angiography, which provides 3-D images of the heart, coupled with standard care allows doctors to more accurately diagnose coronary artery disease in patients presenting with chest pain, therefore, leading to more appropriate follow-up testing and treatments, according to new research. Data also showed a trend toward a lower incidence of heart attacks among the group receiving the tests, known as CT scans, compared to usual care.

Novel anti-clotting therapy in halted trial no better than existing agents Posted: 16 Mar 2015 07:20 AM PDT A novel therapy that would allow doctors to turn the body's blood-clotting ability off and on in a more controlled way was about as effective as established anticoagulants in patients undergoing angioplasty but was associated with higher rates of moderate to severe bleeding, according to an analysis of data from a terminated Phase III trial.

Bendavia does not reduce scarring from angioplasty after heart attack, study suggests Posted: 16 Mar 2015 07:20 AM PDT Patients who received the new drug Bendavia before undergoing angioplasty or receiving a stent to clear blocked arteries after a heart attack showed no significant reduction in scarring as compared to patients given a placebo, according to a new study.

Dialing a bespoke signal: New drug design works from outside the cell Posted: 16 Mar 2015 07:19 AM PDT Exploring the fundamental mechanism by which a cell-surface receptor transmits its signal, an international team of researchers has established proof of concept for an entirely new approach to drug design. They report that a class of synthetic molecules known as diabodies can, from outside the cell, latch onto a target receptor and manipulate it in such a manner as to induce distinct and varying effects within cells and tissues.

No real cost difference between types of tests that look for heart disease Posted: 16 Mar 2015 06:30 AM PDT A study comparing the overall economics of computed tomographic angiography with functional stress tests for evaluating patients with symptoms suggestive of possible blocked coronary arteries found no significant differences in costs over three years.

Long-term ticagrelor cuts risk of future events after heart attack Posted: 16 Mar 2015 06:30 AM PDT Adding the antiplatelet drug ticagrelor to aspirin as long-term therapy after a heart attack significantly reduced the rate of subsequent death from cardiovascular causes, heart attack or stroke, with the benefit appearing to accrue for nearly three years, according to a new study.

Heart CT scans show slight benefits over functional tests for heart disease Posted: 16 Mar 2015 06:30 AM PDT Patients with symptoms of heart disease have similar outcomes in terms of death and major cardiac conditions regardless of whether they undergo a functional stress test or a computed tomographic scan, but the scan may be better at ruling out the need for subsequent tests and procedures in patients who are free of heart disease, according to new research.

Health outcomes equal for patients diagnosed by CTA or stress test Posted: 16 Mar 2015 06:28 AM PDT Patients with chest pain have similar rates of heart attacks and other major cardiac events within two years whether they were evaluated with a new type of CT scan or the traditional stress test, according to results of a study.

Oncologists reveal reasons for high cost of cancer drugs in U.S. Posted: 16 Mar 2015 06:28 AM PDT Increasingly high prices for cancer drugs are affecting patient care in the U.S. and the American health care system overall, say researchers. "Americans with cancer pay 50 percent to 100 percent more for the same patented drug than patients in other countries," says one of the authors. "As oncologists we have a moral obligation to advocate for affordable cancer drugs for our patients."

Physicians want to learn more about diet, cardiovascular disease prevention Posted: 16 Mar 2015 06:28 AM PDT Most physicians are aware of the importance of lifestyle factors in preventing cardiovascular disease (CVD) -- and believe diet is as important as statin therapy and exercise, according to a new survey.

Pollution levels linked to stroke-related narrowing of arteries Posted: 16 Mar 2015 06:27 AM PDT Air pollution has been linked to a dangerous narrowing of neck arteries that occurs prior to strokes, according to researchers. The scientists analyzed medical test records for more than 300,000 people living in New York, New Jersey or Connecticut. They found that people living in zip codes with the highest average levels of fine-particulate-matter pollution were significantly more likely to show signs of narrowing (stenosis) in their internal carotid arteries, compared to those living in zip codes with the lowest pollution levels.

Risk patterns identified that make people more vulnerable to PTSD Posted: 16 Mar 2015 06:27 AM PDT A new computational tool has been built that identifies 800 different ways people are at increased risk for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), permitting for the first time a personalized prediction guide.

How NORE1A acts as a barrier to tumor growth Posted: 16 Mar 2015 06:27 AM PDT Researchers reveal how cells protect themselves from a protein that is a key driver of cancer. Mutations that activate a protein called Ras drive excessive cell proliferation associated with cancer, but their ability to promote tumor growth is limited by the fact that they also induce cells to exit the cell cycle and become dormant, or senescent. How active Ras mutants induce senescence, and how this pathway is disrupted in cancer cells is still unclear.

Do you know the food you’re eating.. or the food you think you’re eating? Posted: 16 Mar 2015 06:24 AM PDT Detailed information about the chemical composition of food products will be readily available to producers, retailers and consumers, thanks to new research. For example, it will be possible to know for certain whether gelatine – used in a huge variety of foods – has originated from pork or beef, while cheese makers will be able to gauge scientifically when their products have reached maturity.

Omics methods: Towards a better prediction of the effects of substances at very low doses Posted: 16 Mar 2015 06:24 AM PDT A public and scientific discussion is currently taking place focusing on the question whether substances at low concentrations may lead to health impairments in humans. For this reason, an increasing number of experimental studies to test such effects are currently conducted using different chemicals. It was possible to demonstrate, for example, that even low quantities of benzo[a]pyrene can have effects on the protein pattern and hence the metabolism and signal pathways in cells, even though the concentration is a hundred times below what is required to drive cells directly into apoptosis.

High dose zinc acetate lozenges may help shorten symptoms associated with the common cold Posted: 16 Mar 2015 06:23 AM PDT High dose zinc acetate lozenges shortened the duration of common-cold associated nasal discharge by 34%, nasal congestion by 37%, scratchy throat by 33%, and cough by 46%, according to a meta-analysis.

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