ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• New hope for Alzheimer's: Meds already in use for stroke in some Asian countries
• Discovery of communication link between brain areas implicated in schizophrenia
• Rates of ADHD appear to decrease at higher altitudes
• Are current dietary guidelines for sodium and potassium reasonable?
• Discovering another interoperability challenge in health information exchange
• Common drug is re-engineered to improve surgery outcomes
• New model could help identify root cause of swallowing disorder
• Epidemiology of HIV-1 transmitted drug resistance
• Small portions of fast food just as effective for recovery after work-out as sports supplements
• Stroke classification system called TOAST is easy to use and effective
• Cost of cancer drugs varies widely based on who;s paying
• Team determines structure of toxin in respiratory infections
• Asthma rates among black youth are similarly high in urban, rural communities
• Anesthetic gases raise Earth's temperature (a little) while you sleep
• Open-angle glaucoma: Poor data for the fixed combination tafluprost/timolol
• New tool to diagnose Ebola uncovers some surprises
• ACL surgery may significantly improve physical health and function for at least six years in younger patients
• Risk of breast and ovarian cancer may differ by type of BRCA1, BRCA2 mutation
• Food allergies can be transmitted from blood products to children in rare cases
• Mummified bodies reveal how tuberculosis ravaged the heart of 18th century Europe
• Physicians pioneer the use of stereotactic body radiation for deadly kidney cancer complication
• Default surrogate consent statutes may differ with wishes of patients
• Under-reported suicides: Hiding or compounding the tragedy
• Gut immune system identified as a new and effective target in treating diabetes
• Food for thought: Master protein enhances learning and memory
• Multidrug-resistant shigellosis spreading in the United States
• Turbo-charging hormone can regrow the heart, animal study suggests
• Gene variant, environment can boost severity of respiratory syncytial virus
• Recognizing the signs of child abuse and how to help prevent it
• Sleep problems prevalent for military members
• Study suggests ways to simplify U. S. health insurance enrollment
• Tiny hair follicle holds big clues about the life and death of stem cells
• Just hit 'print': Office inkjet printer could produce simple tool to identify infectious disease, food contaminants
• Too much of a bad thing can be good in brain tumors
• Cerebral curiosity leads to discovery
• More anti-inflammatory genes mean longer lifespans for mammals
• Purging a virus from organ transplants
• Cigarette warning labels may be more effective with imagery
• Gotcha! Ultra-realistic robot proves there's more than one way to scare a fish
• New study questions role of breast milk in obesity prevention
• Catheter-related bloodstream infections examined in home parenteral nutrition patients
• Opening a can of earthworms: Model species for ecotoxicological tests are not identical
• Novel therapeutic procedure helps stroke patient recover three-dimensional vision
• No evidence that low-frequency magnetic fields accelerate development of Alzheimer's disease and ALS
• Central signaling pathway in lymphoma can be blocked successfully
• New study reveals mixed picture on the effectiveness of Viagra and related drugs
• Breast cancer screening: 90 per cent of all cancers can be detected with MRI
• Few commercial weight-loss programs show reliable evidence of effectiveness: Most don't work

New hope for Alzheimer's: Meds already in use for stroke in some Asian countries Posted: 07 Apr 2015 06:29 PM PDT A drug discovery could hold promise in the fight against the devastating effects of Alzheimer's Disease. Scientists, using a animal model, have completed research to suggest that the drug Edaravone could alleviate the progressive cognitive deficits of Alzheimer's Disease, a major social and economic burden worldwide.

Discovery of communication link between brain areas implicated in schizophrenia Posted: 07 Apr 2015 06:09 PM PDT An inhibitory connection between two brain areas has been discovered in mice that can control the timing of information flow into PFC. This insight may help explain what goes wrong in schizophrenia and indicate a path to new treatments.

Rates of ADHD appear to decrease at higher altitudes Posted: 07 Apr 2015 06:08 PM PDT The prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) decreases substantially as altitude increases.

Are current dietary guidelines for sodium and potassium reasonable? Posted: 07 Apr 2015 02:16 PM PDT A recent study looked at how well people in France, Mexico, the United Kingdom and the United States are meeting World Health Organization dietary goals for limiting sodium and increasing potassium intake. The data confirm that people in all these countries eat too much sodium and not enough potassium. But they also suggest that the daily amounts proposed by WHO and other health agencies are unfeasible because the targets are so out of reach.

Discovering another interoperability challenge in health information exchange Posted: 07 Apr 2015 02:16 PM PDT Researchers are proposing strategies for improving and standardizing facility identification in electronic health record transactions.

Common drug is re-engineered to improve surgery outcomes Posted: 07 Apr 2015 02:16 PM PDT A gas molecule has been attached to protamine sulfate by a research team, creating a new nitric oxide generator that could potentially reduce bleeding complications during surgery. During open-heart procedures, physicians administer large doses of a blood-thinning drug called heparin to prevent clot formation. When given too much heparin, patients can develop complications from excessive bleeding. A common antidote is the compound protamine sulfate, which binds to heparin to reverse its effects.

New model could help identify root cause of swallowing disorder Posted: 07 Apr 2015 12:33 PM PDT Nearly 40 percent of Americans 60 and older are living with dysphagia. Although it is a major health problem associated with aging, it is unknown whether the swallowing disorder is a natural part of healthy aging or if it is caused by an age-related disease. Researchers have established a model that identifies aging as a key factor in the development of dysphagia, which may lead to new therapeutic treatments.

Epidemiology of HIV-1 transmitted drug resistance Posted: 07 Apr 2015 12:33 PM PDT Only a limited number of surveillance drug-resistance mutations are responsible for most instances of non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor- and nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor-associated resistance, and most strains of HIV-1 transmitted drug resistance in sub-Saharan Africa and south/southeast Asia arose independently, according to a new study.

Small portions of fast food just as effective for recovery after work-out as sports supplements Posted: 07 Apr 2015 11:13 AM PDT A new study found there was no significant difference in glycogen recovery when cyclists ate fast food after a workout versus when they ingested traditional sports supplements such as Gatorade, Powerbar and Clif products.

Stroke classification system called TOAST is easy to use and effective Posted: 07 Apr 2015 11:13 AM PDT A stroke classification system called TOAST is easy to use and effective, neurologists report. TOAST is used to classify ischemic strokes, which are caused by blood clots and account for about 85 percent of all strokes. A wide range of diseases can cause blood clots in the brain. Establishing the most likely cause influences both short-term and long-term prognoses. It also affects treatment decisions, especially treatments to prevent recurrent strokes.

Cost of cancer drugs varies widely based on who;s paying Posted: 07 Apr 2015 11:13 AM PDT Uninsured cancer patients are asked to pay anywhere from two to 43 times what Medicare would pay for chemotherapy drugs, according to a new study. Uninsured patients who did not negotiate billed amounts for chemo drugs could expect to pay $6,711 for an infusion of the colorectal cancer drug oxaliplatin. However, Medicare and private health plans only pay $3,090 and $3,616 for the same drug, respectively.

Team determines structure of toxin in respiratory infections Posted: 07 Apr 2015 09:43 AM PDT By determining the structure of a common respiratory bacterium's toxin, researchers have taken a step toward development of drugs and vaccines for reactive airway diseases. Mycoplasma pneumoniae is spread by sneezing, coughing, talking and touching hands to the nose. It is thought to be responsible for millions of cases of child and adult asthma.

Asthma rates among black youth are similarly high in urban, rural communities Posted: 07 Apr 2015 09:42 AM PDT Asthma rates among black youth living in urban Detroit and rural Georgia are essentially the same, researchers report, a finding that conflicts with the widely held theory that city life is a risk factor, and pointing instead toward poverty.

Anesthetic gases raise Earth's temperature (a little) while you sleep Posted: 07 Apr 2015 09:42 AM PDT The gases used to knock out surgery patients are accumulating in the Earth's atmosphere, where they make a small contribution to climate change, report scientists who have detected the compounds as far afield as Antarctica. Like the well-known climate warmer carbon dioxide, anesthesia gases allow the atmosphere to store more energy from the Sun. But unlike carbon dioxide, the medical gases are extra potent in their greenhouse-gas effects, scientists say.

Open-angle glaucoma: Poor data for the fixed combination tafluprost/timolol Posted: 07 Apr 2015 09:42 AM PDT Research that focused on open-angle glaucoma provided study results that are uncertain, claiming that information on important outcomes is lacking. As such, no added benefit can be determined for the fixed combination of tafluprost and timolol.

New tool to diagnose Ebola uncovers some surprises Posted: 07 Apr 2015 09:41 AM PDT Abdominal pain, fever and unexplained bleeding - which are commonly believed to indicate infection with the Ebola virus -- are not significantly predictive of the disease, according to the results of a study examining a new Ebola Prediction Score.

ACL surgery may significantly improve physical health and function for at least six years in younger patients Posted: 07 Apr 2015 09:41 AM PDT Most patients who underwent surgery to repair and rebuild an anterior cruciate ligament tear showed significant improvement in physical function at two years, which continued for at least six years following surgery.

Risk of breast and ovarian cancer may differ by type of BRCA1, BRCA2 mutation Posted: 07 Apr 2015 09:40 AM PDT Researchers have identified mutations that are associated with significantly different risks of breast and ovarian cancers. Authors say the results -- which show that some mutations confer higher risks of breast cancer, while other mutations show higher risks of ovarian cancer -- may lead to more effective cancer risk assessment, care and prevention strategies for health care providers and carriers.

Food allergies can be transmitted from blood products to children in rare cases Posted: 07 Apr 2015 09:40 AM PDT In rare cases, children can develop anaphylactic allergies to previously tolerated foods after receiving blood products via transfusion, report the authors of a case study. Blood donors who have food allergies can transfer immunoglobulin E, an antibody that reacts against allergens, from blood products such as platelets, the researchers say, however they note that it is very rare.

Mummified bodies reveal how tuberculosis ravaged the heart of 18th century Europe Posted: 07 Apr 2015 09:37 AM PDT Bodies found in a 200 year-old Hungarian crypt have revealed the secrets of how tuberculosis (TB) took hold in 18th century Europe, according to a research team. "Microbiological analyses of samples from contemporary TB patients usually report a single strain of tuberculosis per patient. By contrast, five of the eight bodies in our study yielded more than one type of tuberculosis -- remarkably from one individual we obtained evidence of three distinct strains," one researcher said.

Physicians pioneer the use of stereotactic body radiation for deadly kidney cancer complication Posted: 07 Apr 2015 09:35 AM PDT Investigators have published what is believed to be the first reported successful use of stereotactic body radiation therapy for an often deadly complication of kidney cancer. The stereotactic ablative radiation therapy (SABR) was used to treat inferior vena cava tumor thrombus (IVC-TT) that reached the heart, a complication of kidney cancer in which the tumor extends into the venous system ? the system of veins that return blood to the heart. An estimated 4 to 36 percent of kidney tumors are associated with IVC-TT.

Default surrogate consent statutes may differ with wishes of patients Posted: 07 Apr 2015 09:31 AM PDT Among a sample of veterans in Connecticut, a substantial number had individuals listed as next of kin who were not nuclear family members, according to a new study. State default consent statutes do not universally recognize such persons as decision makers for incapacitated patients.

Under-reported suicides: Hiding or compounding the tragedy Posted: 07 Apr 2015 09:30 AM PDT Suicide figures may not be as accurate as they are reported, with key Western countries having a higher suicide rate than that reported in official figures, a new study concludes. "The tragedy of suicide is double-edged, the loss of the person and the impact upon those around them. One problem is to determine the accuracy of suicide figures as even today stigma surrounding suicide remains. Through this study we wanted to get a more accurate picture of suicide rates in Western countries," states the lead author.

Gut immune system identified as a new and effective target in treating diabetes Posted: 07 Apr 2015 09:30 AM PDT A commonly-used drug to treat inflammatory bowel disease, such as Crohn's disease, has been shown to lower blood sugar levels in obese mice, potentially identifying the gut immune system as a new and effective target in treating diabetes in humans.

Food for thought: Master protein enhances learning and memory Posted: 07 Apr 2015 09:30 AM PDT Just as some people seem built to run marathons and have an easier time going for miles without tiring, others are born with a knack for memorizing things, from times tables to trivia facts. These two skills -- running and memorizing -- are not so different as it turns out. Researchers have discovered a single protein that energizes muscles and the brain, which could point to potential treatments in regenerative and developmental medicine as well as ways to address defects in learning and memory, they say.

Multidrug-resistant shigellosis spreading in the United States Posted: 07 Apr 2015 08:21 AM PDT International travelers are bringing a multidrug-resistant intestinal illness to the United States and spreading it to others who have not traveled, according to a new report. Shigella sonnei bacteria resistant to the antibiotic ciprofloxacin sickened 243 people in 32 states and Puerto Rico between May 2014 and February 2015. Research by the CDC found that the drug-resistant illness was being repeatedly introduced as ill travelers returned and was then infecting other people in a series of outbreaks around the country.

Turbo-charging hormone can regrow the heart, animal study suggests Posted: 07 Apr 2015 07:25 AM PDT Researchers have discovered a way to stimulate muscle regrowth in the heart of a mouse, opening up prospects of new treatments for people who suffer heart attacks.

Gene variant, environment can boost severity of respiratory syncytial virus Posted: 07 Apr 2015 07:20 AM PDT A particular genetic mutation combined with an urban environment increases the risk of severe disease in children infected with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), an international team of investigators has found.

Recognizing the signs of child abuse and how to help prevent it Posted: 07 Apr 2015 07:20 AM PDT Every 10 seconds a report is made concerning a child being abused. Child abuse can lead to life-long physical, emotional and psychological conditions. Each year in the U.S., more than 1,600 children die from abuse or neglect. April is National Child Abuse Awareness Month and experts are working to help bring awareness to this preventable childhood danger.

Sleep problems prevalent for military members Posted: 07 Apr 2015 06:56 AM PDT Improving the quality and quantity of US military members' sleep following deployment could help reduce other health problems, including depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, according to a new study.

Study suggests ways to simplify U. S. health insurance enrollment Posted: 07 Apr 2015 06:54 AM PDT The federal health-care law has reduced the number of uninsured people by about 10 million. But challenges remain, including how to educate new enrollees about their coverage options. New research shows that communicating new, sometimes confusing information about the Affordable Care Act can be as simple as using plain language, providing comparisons to familiar contexts and using stories about how people might make health insurance decisions.

Tiny hair follicle holds big clues about the life and death of stem cells Posted: 07 Apr 2015 06:54 AM PDT Inside the microscopic world of the mouse hair follicle, researchers have discovered big clues about how stem cells regenerate and die. These findings could lead to a better understanding of how the stem cell pool is maintained or altered in tissues throughout the body.

Just hit 'print': Office inkjet printer could produce simple tool to identify infectious disease, food contaminants Posted: 07 Apr 2015 06:53 AM PDT Consumers are one step closer to benefiting from packaging that could give simple text warnings when food is contaminated with deadly pathogens like E. coli and Salmonella, and patients could soon receive real-time diagnoses of infections such as C. difficile right in their doctors' offices, saving critical time and trips to the lab. Researchers have developed a new way to print paper biosensors, simplifying the diagnosis of many bacterial and respiratory infections.

Too much of a bad thing can be good in brain tumors Posted: 07 Apr 2015 06:53 AM PDT DNA mutations can cause cancer but in some cases, more mutations may mean a better prognosis for patients. A comprehensive genomic analysis of more than 700 brain tumors has revealed one such subtype of the most malignant brain tumor, called glioblastoma, or GBM. This subtype possesses thousands of tumor-specific DNA errors or mutations instead of dozens observed in most glioblastoma cases. It is also associated with longer survival.

Cerebral curiosity leads to discovery Posted: 07 Apr 2015 06:53 AM PDT One researcher's curiosity led to the detection of a baseball-sized brain tumor and sparked an interest into the potential of open health data to help himself and others.

More anti-inflammatory genes mean longer lifespans for mammals Posted: 07 Apr 2015 06:53 AM PDT We age in part thanks to "friendly fire" from the immune system — inflammation and chemically active molecules called reactive oxygen species that help fight infection, but also wreak molecular havoc, contributing to frailty, disability and disease. The CD33rSiglec family of proteins are known to help protect our cells from becoming inflammatory collateral damage, prompting researchers to ask whether CD33rSiglecs might help mammals live longer, too.

Purging a virus from organ transplants Posted: 07 Apr 2015 05:53 AM PDT The switch that can awake a dormant cytomegalovirus, a dreadful pathogen in immuno-compromised patients, has been identified by scientists. The switch can be controlled with common drugs, opening a new strategy for purging the virus from organ transplants.

Cigarette warning labels may be more effective with imagery Posted: 07 Apr 2015 05:53 AM PDT Young adults are more likely to appreciate the dangers of smoking when warnings are presented in images as well as text, according to a new study. The labels used in the study emphasized negative consequences of smoking associated with lung cancer, heart disease and stroke, impotence, eye disease, neck, throat and mouth cancers, and vascular disease.

Gotcha! Ultra-realistic robot proves there's more than one way to scare a fish Posted: 07 Apr 2015 05:53 AM PDT In a side-by-side comparison, a robotic predator can frighten zebrafish just as well as the real thing, a new experiment demonstrates. These results may help advance understanding of fear and anxiety in animal populations, including humans. Zebrafish are increasingly taking the place of more complex animals in behavioral studies. Experiments have shown the advantages of using robots in studies of fish behavior, including repeatability and consistency.

New study questions role of breast milk in obesity prevention Posted: 07 Apr 2015 05:53 AM PDT A new study supports human milk as the optimal first food for babies, but the study raises questions about whether breast milk protects children from becoming obese.

Catheter-related bloodstream infections examined in home parenteral nutrition patients Posted: 07 Apr 2015 05:52 AM PDT Catheter-related bloodstream infection is the most prevalent and severe complication for patients who receive parenteral nutrition therapy at home. A new study examined whether environmental factors have any influence on the amount of time before a first infection.

Opening a can of earthworms: Model species for ecotoxicological tests are not identical Posted: 07 Apr 2015 05:50 AM PDT Scientists say they have found proof that different species of earthworms are being used for ecotoxicological tests. Ecotoxicology employs standardized test procedures that work with model organisms to assess the potentially harmful impact of anthropogenic substances on ecosystems. In order to guarantee the compatibility of these tests on a global scale, the laboratories use model species specified by international guidelines, including a species of earthworm. However, the study recently published shows that this earthworm species actually comprises several different species.

Novel therapeutic procedure helps stroke patient recover three-dimensional vision Posted: 07 Apr 2015 05:50 AM PDT Impaired vision is one of the most common consequences of a stroke. In rare cases, patients may even lose their ability to perceive depth. Such patients see the world around them as flat, like a two-dimensional picture. This makes it impossible for them to judge distances accurately – a skill they need, for instance, when reaching for a cup or when a car is approaching them on the street. A patient with this particular type of visual dysfunction has recently been studied in detail by a research team. The team has developed the first effective treatment regime and have identified the area of the brain that, when damaged, may cause loss of binocular depth perception.

No evidence that low-frequency magnetic fields accelerate development of Alzheimer's disease and ALS Posted: 07 Apr 2015 05:49 AM PDT New research investigates the influence of low-frequency magnetic fields on neurodegenerative diseases.

Central signaling pathway in lymphoma can be blocked successfully Posted: 07 Apr 2015 05:48 AM PDT Cancer researchers have identified a key signaling pathway in B-cell lymphoma, a malignant type of blood cancer. They demonstrate that the signaling pathway can be blocked using compounds that are already in clinical development. This finding might be extremely important for the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of this disease in the future, researchers say.

New study reveals mixed picture on the effectiveness of Viagra and related drugs Posted: 07 Apr 2015 05:48 AM PDT Viagra and other related drugs are not a universal 'cure-all' for impotence, according to a new study. Drugs, clinically known as oral phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE5i), have become the first-line medical treatment option for sufferers of erectile dysfunction (ED) – also known as impotence - since entering the market in 1998. An abundance of studies has demonstrated the effectiveness of such drugs. But researchers, who have studied the responses of more than 2,600 English men (aged 50-87 years), suggest that restoring ED pharmacologically is not a 'cure-all'.

Breast cancer screening: 90 per cent of all cancers can be detected with MRI Posted: 07 Apr 2015 05:48 AM PDT Around 90 per cent of all breast cancers can be definitively diagnosed using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), researchers report. This compares to the combined methods of mammography and ultrasound which yielded a detection rate of just 37.5 per cent.

Few commercial weight-loss programs show reliable evidence of effectiveness: Most don't work Posted: 06 Apr 2015 04:30 PM PDT In a bid to help physicians guide obese and overweight patients who want to try a commercial weight-loss program, researchers reviewed 4,200 studies for solid evidence of their effectiveness but concluded only a few dozen of the studies met the scientific gold standard of reliability.

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