ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Inside health-reform savings in the United States
• Unnecessary preoperative testing still done on cataract patients
• Racial disparity in cancer mortality is narrowing, suggests new study
• Eight nutrients to protect the aging brain
• Heavy snoring, sleep apnea may signal earlier memory and thinking decline
• The difference between 'Use-By' 'Sell-By' and 'Best-By' dates
• BPA can disrupt sexual function in turtles, could be a warning for environmental health
• Cracking your knuckles: What really happens inside your joints?
• Oxycodone overdose deaths drop 25 percent after launch of Prescgram
• New genomic research amends earlier triple negative breast cancer finding
• Man with restored sight provides new insight into how vision develops
• Brain development suffers from lack of fish oil fatty acids, study finds
• How Twitter can help predict emergency room visits
• Core competencies for oncology patient navigators published
• How oxytocin makes a mom: Hormone teaches maternal brain to respond to offspring's needs
• Immunology: Macrophages as T-cell primers
• Active aging on the up in EU, despite economic crisis and austerity
• New sensor detects spoiled meat
• Building healthier communities should be a priority when preparing for and recovering from disasters
• Low-dose BPA exposure affects fertility in next three generations of mice
• Depression, diabetes associated with increased dementia risk
• Anti-fungal drug shows promise as potential new cancer treatment
• Early use of palliative care in cancer improves patients' lives, outcomes for caregivers
• Journal writing can help mothers raising a child with autism manage stress
• Vision: New technique reduces halo effect caused by lenses
• 59 percent of California physicians support Affordable Care Act, study shows
• Injury prevention programs not widely used in high school
• Protein finding can pave way for improved treatment of malignant melanoma
• New blood test can predict future breast cancer
• Shape-shifting molecule tricks viruses into mutating themselves to death
• Restoring cellular energy signals may treat mitochondrial diseases in humans
• Ovarian cancer: Genetic testing should be accessible to all women with the disease
• Disruption of sleep in children could hamper memory processes
• Light, sound, temperature: Absence of consistent standards found in children's hospital environments
• Mentally stepping back from problems helps youth deal with negative emotions
• Children who understand others' perspectives found to be more popular among peers
• Infants born prematurely: Routes to better outcomes
• Children with disabilities can make competent witnesses
• Potential for prediction of progression for early form of breast cancer
• How molecule protects brain cells in Parkinson's disease model
• Brain reacts to psychotherapy
• Paternal sperm may hold clues to autism
• New potential cause for Alzheimer's: Arginine deprivation caused by overconsumption by immune cells
• UV light robot to clean hospital rooms could help stop spread of ‘superbugs’

Inside health-reform savings in the United States Posted: 15 Apr 2015 05:35 PM PDT In the first year of Medicare's Pioneer Accountable Care Organization program, the 32 participating provider organizations achieved a 1.2 percent savings while maintaining or improving performance on measures of quality of care. Researchers examined how savings differed by potentially policy-relevant characteristics of the participating accountable care organizations.

Unnecessary preoperative testing still done on cataract patients Posted: 15 Apr 2015 05:35 PM PDT Although routine preoperative testing is not indicated for patients undergoing cataract surgery, researchers have found that it is still a common occurrence and is driven primarily by provider practice patterns rather than patient characteristics.

Racial disparity in cancer mortality is narrowing, suggests new study Posted: 15 Apr 2015 05:35 PM PDT Cancer mortality remains significantly elevated among African-Americans. Between 2000 and 2010, overall mortality from cancer decreased faster among African-American women and men than among Caucasians. If current trends continue, racial disparities in cancer outcomes are expected to narrow further and might disappear over time.

Eight nutrients to protect the aging brain Posted: 15 Apr 2015 05:33 PM PDT Brain health is the second most important component in maintaining a healthy lifestyle according to a 2014 AARP study. As people age they can experience a range of cognitive issues from decreased critical thinking to dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Researchers write about eight nutrients that may help keep your brain in good shape.

Heavy snoring, sleep apnea may signal earlier memory and thinking decline Posted: 15 Apr 2015 05:33 PM PDT Heavy snoring and sleep apnea may be linked to memory and thinking decline at an earlier age, according to a new study. The research also suggests that treating the disorders with a breathing machine may delay the decline.

The difference between 'Use-By' 'Sell-By' and 'Best-By' dates Posted: 15 Apr 2015 05:33 PM PDT Confusion over date labeling leads to billions of pounds of food waste every year. An expert explains the difference between "use-by," "sell-by," and "best-by" dates.

BPA can disrupt sexual function in turtles, could be a warning for environmental health Posted: 15 Apr 2015 12:54 PM PDT Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical used in food storage products and resins that line plastic beverage containers. Often, aquatic environments become reservoirs for BPA, and turtle habitats are affected. Now, a collaboration of researchers has determined that BPA can alter a turtle's sexual differentiation. Scientists are concerned findings could indicate harmful effects on environmental and human health.

Cracking your knuckles: What really happens inside your joints? Posted: 15 Apr 2015 12:53 PM PDT "Pull my finger," a phrase embraced by school-aged kids and embarrassing uncles the world over, is now being used to settle a decades-long debate about what happens when you crack your knuckles. Scientists have determined what happens inside finger joints to cause the distinctive popping sounds heard when cracking knuckles. For the first time, they observed that the cause is a cavity forming rapidly inside the joint.

Oxycodone overdose deaths drop 25 percent after launch of Prescgram Posted: 15 Apr 2015 11:06 AM PDT Oxycodone-related deaths dropped 25 percent after Florida implemented its Prescription Drug Monitoring Program in late 2011 as part of its response to the state's prescription drug abuse epidemic, according to researchers. The drop in fatalities could stem from the number of health care providers who used the program's database to monitor controlled substance prescriptions.

New genomic research amends earlier triple negative breast cancer finding Posted: 15 Apr 2015 11:06 AM PDT Investigators tried to validate a previously reported molecular finding on triple negative breast cancer that many hoped would lead to targeted treatments for the aggressive disease. Instead, they discovered that the findings were limited to a single patient and could not be applied to further clinical work. This discovery amends the earlier work and underscores the importance of independent study validation and careful assay development.

Man with restored sight provides new insight into how vision develops Posted: 15 Apr 2015 11:05 AM PDT Fifteen years after California entrepreneur and downhill ski champion Mike May underwent a pioneering stem cell procedure, researchers investigate how functional his vision is. "With sight-restoration procedures becoming more developed, we're going to see more and more cases where people are blind for long periods of time and then get their sight back," said the study's senior author. "But we know very little about what happens in their brains during that period. That is going to be one of the fundamental questions going forward -- what happens when the lights are turned off, and what happens when you turn them back on?"

Brain development suffers from lack of fish oil fatty acids, study finds Posted: 15 Apr 2015 10:33 AM PDT While recent reports question whether fish oil supplements support heart health, scientists have found that the fatty acids they contain are vitally important to the developing brain. Neurobiologists report that dietary deficiencies in the type of fatty acids found in fish and other foods can limit brain growth during fetal development and early in life. The findings suggest that women maintain a balanced diet rich in these fatty acids for themselves during pregnancy and for their babies after birth.

How Twitter can help predict emergency room visits Posted: 15 Apr 2015 10:33 AM PDT Researchers analyzed asthma-related tweets, along with data from air quality sensors, to successfully predict how many asthma sufferers would visit the emergency room on a given day. "We realized that asthma is one of the biggest traffic generators in the emergency department," an author said. "Often what happens is that there are not the right people in the ED to treat these patients, or not the right equipment, and that causes a lot of unforeseen problems."

Core competencies for oncology patient navigators published Posted: 15 Apr 2015 10:32 AM PDT 45 core competency statements have been finalized for oncology patient navigators. These competency statements were created through literature review, focus group data analysis, expert review, and a national survey of oncology patient navigation stakeholders.

How oxytocin makes a mom: Hormone teaches maternal brain to respond to offspring's needs Posted: 15 Apr 2015 10:31 AM PDT Neuroscientists have discovered how the powerful brain hormone oxytocin acts on individual brain cells to prompt specific social behaviors -- findings that could lead to a better understanding of how oxytocin and other hormones could be used to treat behavioral problems resulting from disease or trauma to the brain.

Immunology: Macrophages as T-cell primers Posted: 15 Apr 2015 09:58 AM PDT Macrophages can effectively substitute for so-called dendritic cells as primers of T-cell-dependent immune responses, new research shows. Indeed, they stimulate a broader-based response. "It has been assumed until now that the dendritic cells are considered to be essentially the only cell type responsible for antigen presentation in the immune system. We have now discovered that macrophages can also do this job. Not only that, in certain situations, they can be more effective than dendritic cells," says one researcher.

Active aging on the up in EU, despite economic crisis and austerity Posted: 15 Apr 2015 09:58 AM PDT A healthy and active old age is a reality for many Europeans and is a genuine possibility for many more, despite the 2008 economic crash and years of austerity measures, according to a new report.

New sensor detects spoiled meat Posted: 15 Apr 2015 09:58 AM PDT Chemists have devised an inexpensive, portable sensor that can detect gases emitted by rotting meat, allowing consumers to determine whether the meat in their grocery store or refrigerator is safe to eat.

Building healthier communities should be a priority when preparing for and recovering from disasters Posted: 15 Apr 2015 09:58 AM PDT US communities and federal agencies should more intentionally seek to create healthier communities during disaster preparation and recovery efforts -- something that rarely happens now, says a new report.

Low-dose BPA exposure affects fertility in next three generations of mice Posted: 15 Apr 2015 09:58 AM PDT When scientists exposed pregnant mice to levels of bisphenol A equivalent to those considered safe in humans, three generations of female mouse offspring experienced significant reproductive problems, including declines in fertility, sexual maturity and pregnancy success.

Depression, diabetes associated with increased dementia risk Posted: 15 Apr 2015 09:58 AM PDT Depression and type 2 diabetes mellitus were each associated with an increased risk for dementia and that risk was even greater among individuals diagnosed with both depression and diabetes compared with people who had neither condition, according to a new article.

Anti-fungal drug shows promise as potential new cancer treatment Posted: 15 Apr 2015 09:56 AM PDT A common anti-fungal treatment has joined the ranks of drugs that may be suitable for use in treating cancer, according to research from the Repurposing Drugs in Oncology (ReDO) project. The ReDO project is an international collaboration of anticancer researchers dedicated to promoting the cause of common medicines which may represent an untapped source of novel therapies for cancer. Itraconazole is a drug used to treat a broad range of fungal infections, including skin and nail infections. It also has a lot of potential as a new cancer treatment, according to the ReDo project.

Early use of palliative care in cancer improves patients' lives, outcomes for caregivers Posted: 15 Apr 2015 09:55 AM PDT Significant improvement has been noted in several measures among those who began palliative care early, a new study reports. "Early interventions for caregivers lowered their depression and stress burden in the last month of the patient's life," authors state.

Journal writing can help mothers raising a child with autism manage stress Posted: 15 Apr 2015 09:55 AM PDT Mothers raising a child with autism can manage stress through emotional disclosure in journal writing, an occupational therapy professor reports. These mothers can get burned out because if there is no one there to help them, she said, they can't get out of the house to participate in any interventions for themselves. She compared the situation to the oxygen mask advisory on airplanes: mothers need to help themselves first before they can help others.

Vision: New technique reduces halo effect caused by lenses Posted: 15 Apr 2015 08:25 AM PDT Scientists have developed a new technique that significantly reduces the halo effect that is generated when using multifocal (contact and intra-ocular) lenses and looking at bright point sources in dark conditions. Presbyopia is a result of natural aging and stems from a gradual thickening and decrease in elasticity of the lens inside the eye. Corrective lenses used to address presbyopia often lead to a halo effect. This is basically a glow or color light pattern observed when looking at a bright source of light in front of a dark background. It is mostly experienced at night when people see halos around street lamps and car headlights, and it can make driving at night unsafe or even impossible in extreme cases.

59 percent of California physicians support Affordable Care Act, study shows Posted: 15 Apr 2015 07:33 AM PDT 77 percent of California primary care and specialty physicians understand the basics of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and 59 percent support it, a new study suggests.

Injury prevention programs not widely used in high school Posted: 15 Apr 2015 07:33 AM PDT Injury prevention programs can help reduce ankle, knee and other lower extremity injuries in sports, but the programs are not being widely used in high schools, a new study has found. Researchers surveyed 66 head soccer and basketball coaches from 15 Oregon high schools and found that only 21 percent of the coaches were using an injury prevention program, and less than 10 percent were using the program exactly as designed.

Protein finding can pave way for improved treatment of malignant melanoma Posted: 15 Apr 2015 07:31 AM PDT For the first time, researchers have linked a new protein with malignant melanomas. The protein is detected in aggressive malignant melanoma cells and might be used to predict whether and how the cancer will spread. At the same time, the discovery also opens new doors for future improved treatment of patients with melanomas.

New blood test can predict future breast cancer Posted: 15 Apr 2015 07:31 AM PDT By analyzing a simple blood sample, scientists have succeeded in predicting if a woman will get breast cancer within two to five years. The method -- a metabolic blood profile -- is still in the early stages but over time the scientists expect it could be used to predict breast cancer and more generally to predict chronic disease.

Shape-shifting molecule tricks viruses into mutating themselves to death Posted: 15 Apr 2015 07:31 AM PDT A newly developed spectroscopy method is helping to clarify the poorly understood molecular process by which an anti-HIV drug induces lethal mutations in the virus's genetic material. The findings could bolster efforts to develop the next generation of anti-viral treatments.

Restoring cellular energy signals may treat mitochondrial diseases in humans Posted: 15 Apr 2015 06:28 AM PDT Mitochondrial disorders, rooted in malfunctions within tiny cellular power plants, are notorious complex, with few effective treatments. But by using existing human drugs to improve metabolism in microscopic worms, scientists have set the stage for clinical trials of possible innovative therapies for mitochondrial disease.

Ovarian cancer: Genetic testing should be accessible to all women with the disease Posted: 15 Apr 2015 06:28 AM PDT Recent media attention has focused on American actress Angelina Jolie's decision to have her ovaries and fallopian tubes surgically removed after genetic testing for such cancers. A study suggests that all women with ovarian cancer should be tested for these genes, regardless of their family history. The findings have clinical implications both for the treatment of this disease and for the screening of individuals at-risk.

Disruption of sleep in children could hamper memory processes Posted: 15 Apr 2015 06:28 AM PDT Sleep-disordered breathing can hamper memory processes in children, according to a new study. The research found that disrupted sleep had an impact on different memory processes and how children learn.

Light, sound, temperature: Absence of consistent standards found in children's hospital environments Posted: 15 Apr 2015 06:28 AM PDT The sound, light and temperature levels in pediatric hospital wards often vary, highlighting the lack of consistent environmental standards across Europe, according to a new study.

Mentally stepping back from problems helps youth deal with negative emotions Posted: 15 Apr 2015 06:28 AM PDT Youth who are able to mentally take a step back from their point of view become less upset than peers who reflect on a negative situation from a self-immersed perspective, a study of adolescents has found. The study also found that children are more able to utilize self-distancing strategies successfully as they age.

Children who understand others' perspectives found to be more popular among peers Posted: 15 Apr 2015 06:27 AM PDT Children who are good at identifying what others want, think, and feel are more popular in school than their peers who aren't as socially adept, finds a meta-analysis of 20 studies, that includes 2,096 children from two to 10 years old in Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America. These children are also more able to maintain friendships as they grow older.

Infants born prematurely: Routes to better outcomes Posted: 15 Apr 2015 06:27 AM PDT Routes to better outcomes for infants born prematurely have been identified by researchers through two recent studies. Eleven percent of all births worldwide occur before 37 weeks of pregnancy and are considered preterm.

Children with disabilities can make competent witnesses Posted: 15 Apr 2015 06:27 AM PDT It's estimated that one in three children with disabilities experiences some form of maltreatment. A new study of British children shows that the disclosures of children with intellectual disabilities are as accurate as those described by typically developing children of the same developmental age.

Potential for prediction of progression for early form of breast cancer Posted: 15 Apr 2015 06:09 AM PDT Scientists have identified a way to potentially predict which patients with an early form of breast cancer will experience disease progression. Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is a precursor of breast cancer where the cancerous cells are contained within the milk-making ducts. Without treatment, commonly a combination of breast-conserving surgery and radiotherapy, up to a half of patients will have their disease come back, either as DCIS or as invasive breast cancer.

How molecule protects brain cells in Parkinson's disease model Posted: 15 Apr 2015 06:08 AM PDT Researchers have found how a widely known but little-studied enzyme protects brain cells in models of Parkinson's disease. These findings could provide valuable insight into the development of drug candidates that could protect brain cells in Parkinson's and other neurodegenerative diseases.

Brain reacts to psychotherapy Posted: 15 Apr 2015 06:08 AM PDT A recent study investigates the changes that take place in brain functioning: "The human brain responds to depression. Patients typically show hyperactivity particularly in the amygdala, the striatum and other limbic regions", a researcher explains. "Using psychodynamic therapy, we wanted to determine whether psychotherapy has an effect on these brain activities."

Paternal sperm may hold clues to autism Posted: 15 Apr 2015 06:00 AM PDT In a small study, researchers found that DNA from the sperm of men whose children had early signs of autism shows distinct patterns of regulatory tags that could contribute to the condition. Autism spectrum disorder (autism) affects one in 68 children in the U.S. Although studies have identified some culprit genes, most cases remain unexplained.

New potential cause for Alzheimer's: Arginine deprivation caused by overconsumption by immune cells Posted: 14 Apr 2015 06:23 PM PDT A new study suggests that in Alzheimer's disease, certain immune cells in the brain abnormally consume an important nutrient: arginine. Blocking this process with a small-molecule drug prevented the characteristic brain plaques and memory loss in a mouse model of the disease. Published in the Journal of Neuroscience, the research not only points to a new potential cause of Alzheimer's but also may eventually lead to a new treatment strategy.

UV light robot to clean hospital rooms could help stop spread of ‘superbugs’ Posted: 14 Apr 2015 09:57 AM PDT Can a robot clean a hospital room just as well as a person? A researcher is studying the effectiveness of a germ-zapping robot to clean hospital rooms, which could hold the key to preventing the spread of "superbugs" -- in turn, saving lives.

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