ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Children’s eye injuries from nonpowder guns on the rise
• Testosterone replacement therapy: Which is best?
• Studies yield mixed findings on high-dose flu vaccine for elders
• Malaria parasite causes red blood cell changes, study suggests
• Nerve cells, blood vessels in eye 'talk' to prevent disease
• Breakthrough in understanding Canavan disease
• Finding the body clock's molecular reset button
• No health drawbacks to veterans' dual use of VA, Medicare Advantage, study says
• How an RNA gene silences a whole chromosome
• Augmenting a gas naturally in our bodies fights RSV infection
• Brain balances perception and action when caught in an illusion
• Researchers train computers to identify gene interactions in human tissues
• Hate to diet? It's how we're wired
• Your adolescent brain on alcohol: Changes last into adulthood
• HIV prevention and risk behaviors follow weekly patterns
• Study links insomnia to impaired work performance in night shift workers
• Potential new treatment for multiple sclerosis
• Oil or fat? Saturated fatty acids might directly damage your heart
• Common back problems may be caused by evolution of human locomotion
• Bullying leads to depression and suicidal thoughts in teens
• Health insurance coverage among cancer patients varies greatly by demographics and cancer type
• Detection of critical heart disease before birth lags among poor
• Outsmarting smartphones: Technology reduces distracted driving among teens
• Two thirds of the world's population have no access to safe, affordable surgery
• New proton therapy technique brings hope of more effective treatment for tumors without causing collateral damage
• Prostate cancer patients who receive permanent radiotherapy implants twice as likely to be free of cancer after five years

Children’s eye injuries from nonpowder guns on the rise Posted: 27 Apr 2015 03:30 PM PDT Over 3000 children were treated in U.S. emergency departments in 2012 for eye injuries related to paintball guns, airsoft guns, BB guns and pellet guns, which are popular non-powder guns. A new report analyzes the trends in hospital admissions associated with different types of firearms and suggests regulations that can help prevent serious injuries.

Testosterone replacement therapy: Which is best? Posted: 27 Apr 2015 03:27 PM PDT Intramuscular injection of testerosterone replacement therapy confers greater health benefits and lower cardiovascular risks than transdermal administration by skin patch or gel, a new study concludes.

Studies yield mixed findings on high-dose flu vaccine for elders Posted: 27 Apr 2015 01:38 PM PDT Is the high-dose version of the flu vaccine more effective than the standard dose for older folks? A new study says yes, but only for the 'oldest old': those 85 or older. For those between ages 65 and 84, the standard vaccine seems to work just as well, researchers report.

Malaria parasite causes red blood cell changes, study suggests Posted: 27 Apr 2015 01:36 PM PDT A model of a malaria-infected red blood cell may lead to better ways to treat malaria, according to a team of engineers and molecular biologists who investigated how this parasite infection causes the red blood cells to stiffen.

Nerve cells, blood vessels in eye 'talk' to prevent disease Posted: 27 Apr 2015 01:36 PM PDT Nerve cells and blood vessels in the eye constantly 'talk' to each other to maintain healthy blood flow and prevent disease, scientists say. The study has implications for treating diseases such as diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration--the leading causes of vision loss in adults. Since the eye is often a good model for understanding the workings of the brain, the findings also provide clues to major neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's, researchers say.

Breakthrough in understanding Canavan disease Posted: 27 Apr 2015 12:23 PM PDT Investigators have settled a long-standing controversy surrounding the molecular basis of an inherited disorder that historically affected Ashkenazi Jews from Eastern Europe but now also arises in other populations of Semitic descent, particularly families from Saudi Arabia. Canavan disease is a type of leukodystrophy that is an incurable and progressively fatal neurological condition.

Finding the body clock's molecular reset button Posted: 27 Apr 2015 12:23 PM PDT An international team of scientists has discovered what amounts to a molecular reset button for our internal body clock. Their findings reveal a potential target to treat a range of disorders, from sleep disturbances to other behavioral, cognitive, and metabolic abnormalities.

No health drawbacks to veterans' dual use of VA, Medicare Advantage, study says Posted: 27 Apr 2015 11:51 AM PDT In a study that looked at a handful of quality measures for chronic disease care, veterans who used both Veterans Affairs care and a Medicare Advantage plan during 2008 or 2009 did no better or worse than those who relied strictly on VA.

How an RNA gene silences a whole chromosome Posted: 27 Apr 2015 10:31 AM PDT Researchers have discovered how an abundant class of RNA genes, called lncRNAs can regulate key genes. By studying an important lncRNA, called Xist, the scientists identified how this RNA gathers a group of proteins and ultimately prevents women from having an extra functional X-chromosome -- a condition in female embryos that leads to death in early development. These findings mark the first time that researchers have uncovered the mechanism of action for lncRNA genes.

Augmenting a gas naturally in our bodies fights RSV infection Posted: 27 Apr 2015 10:31 AM PDT Hydrogen sulfide, a gas produced naturally within our bodies, reduces the severity of respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, a new study shows for the first time. When someone has a RSV infection, his or her body is less able to produce the protective hydrogen sulfide. The study found that a drug that triggers a steady release of this gas decreases the virus's ability to multiply and reduces inflammation of the airways.

Brain balances perception and action when caught in an illusion Posted: 27 Apr 2015 10:31 AM PDT Two wrongs can make a right, at least in the world of visual perception and motor functioning, according to brain scientists who tracked the eyes of students during exercises in a dark laboratory.

Researchers train computers to identify gene interactions in human tissues Posted: 27 Apr 2015 09:48 AM PDT Researchers have trained a computer to crunch big biomedical data in order to recognize how genes work together in human tissues. Combining genomic data from 38,000 experiments, this research group has generated functional genetic maps for 144 human tissues types and organs. This big step in the use of large genomic data sets enables great strides in functional human genetics, with important applications for treatment of disease. The findings shed light on genetic interactions that underlie human diseases, the investigators say.

Hate to diet? It's how we're wired Posted: 27 Apr 2015 09:46 AM PDT If you're finding it difficult to stick to a weight-loss diet, scientists say you can likely blame AGRP neurons -- hunger-sensitive cells in your brain. New experiments show these neurons are responsible for the unpleasant feelings of hunger that make snacking irresistible. The negative emotions associated with hunger can make it hard to maintain a diet and lose weight, and these neurons help explain that struggle.

Your adolescent brain on alcohol: Changes last into adulthood Posted: 27 Apr 2015 09:46 AM PDT Repeated alcohol exposure during adolescence results in long-lasting changes in the region of the brain that controls learning and memory, according to a research team that used a rodent model as a surrogate for humans.

HIV prevention and risk behaviors follow weekly patterns Posted: 27 Apr 2015 08:29 AM PDT The peak time for seeking information on topics related to HIV, such as prevention and testing, is at the beginning of the week, while risky sexual behaviors tend to increase on the weekends, according to a new analysis.

Study links insomnia to impaired work performance in night shift workers Posted: 27 Apr 2015 08:29 AM PDT A new study of night shift workers suggests that overnight occupational and cognitive impairment is more strongly correlated to insomnia than it is to sleepiness.

Potential new treatment for multiple sclerosis Posted: 27 Apr 2015 07:16 AM PDT Scientists have discovered a way to prevent the development of multiple sclerosis in mice. Using a drug that blocks the production of a certain type of immune cell linked to inflammation and autoimmunity, the researchers successfully protected against the onset of MS in an animal model of the disease. The scientists say the next step is to test this strategy using other autoimmune disorders.

Oil or fat? Saturated fatty acids might directly damage your heart Posted: 27 Apr 2015 07:15 AM PDT Olive oil is universally considered a much healthier alternative to meat fat. Plant-derived oils (such as olive oil, canola oil, and vegetable oil) largely consist of unsaturated fatty acids, whereas animal fat is richer in the saturated ones. After a typical meal, carbohydrates are the primary source of energy production by the heart. Under fasting conditions, however, free fatty acids become the major energy producer. Saturated fat in a diet is known to be detrimental to heart health, but its impact on the cardiac muscle has been studied only recently.

Common back problems may be caused by evolution of human locomotion Posted: 27 Apr 2015 05:28 AM PDT A common spinal disease could be the result of some people's vertebrae, the bones that make up the spine, sharing similarities in shape to a non-human primate. The research suggests that the relatively quick evolution of the ability to walk on two legs may have had a substantial impact on modern human health.

Bullying leads to depression and suicidal thoughts in teens Posted: 27 Apr 2015 05:28 AM PDT High school students subjected to bullying and other forms of harassment are more likely to report being seriously depressed, consider suicide and carry weapons to school, according to findings from a trio of studies.

Health insurance coverage among cancer patients varies greatly by demographics and cancer type Posted: 27 Apr 2015 05:28 AM PDT Among patients with cancer, rates of health insurance coverage vary by patient demographics and by cancer type, a new analysis has found. The researchers found that younger, non-white, unmarried patients residing in counties with higher levels of poverty and in rural areas were less likely to have insurance. Moreover, males were less likely to have insurance than females, and people residing in Southern states were less likely to have insurance than people residing in other areas of the country. Also, there was large variation in insurance rates by cancer type, with the highest uninsured rates in testicular, stomach, and cervical cancers, and the lowest uninsured rates in thyroid, prostate, and breast cancers.

Detection of critical heart disease before birth lags among poor Posted: 27 Apr 2015 05:27 AM PDT While prenatal ultrasounds are doing a good job of identifying critical congenital heart disease, those living in poor or rural communities are less likely to find out their baby has heart disease before birth than those in more affluent or urban communities.

Outsmarting smartphones: Technology reduces distracted driving among teens Posted: 27 Apr 2015 05:27 AM PDT Technology can bolster efforts by parents, lawmakers and insurance companies to reduce distracted driving among novice teen drivers, according to a new study.

Two thirds of the world's population have no access to safe, affordable surgery Posted: 27 Apr 2015 05:26 AM PDT Millions of people are dying from common, easily treatable conditions like appendicitis, fractures, or obstructed labor because they do not have access to, or can't afford, proper surgical care, according to a major new report. The new estimates suggest that number of people worldwide who are unable to access basic surgery and anaesthesia is more than twice as high as previously thought.

New proton therapy technique brings hope of more effective treatment for tumors without causing collateral damage Posted: 27 Apr 2015 05:26 AM PDT Researchers have succeeded in making a model of breathing movement that allows for the precise measurement of narrow beams to a dummy tumor in the lung by simulating the motion and physical properties of the chest anatomy in a model, thereby taking a large step towards maximizing the targeting of treatment in mobile organs.

Prostate cancer patients who receive permanent radiotherapy implants twice as likely to be free of cancer after five years Posted: 27 Apr 2015 05:26 AM PDT Results from a randomised controlled trial to compare the use of permanent radioactive implants (brachytherapy) with dose-escalated external beam radiotherapy in patients with prostate cancer show that the men who received brachytherapy were twice as likely to be cancer-free five years later.

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