ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Antiviral compound may protect brain from pathogens, West Nile virus, study shows
• Smaller volumes in certain regions of the brain could lead to increased likelihood of drug addiction
• Omega-3: Intervention for childhood behavioral problems?
• Phage spread antibiotic resistance
• Soft-tissue engineering for hard-working cartilage
• Activity after ICD implantation may predict survival
• Age-friendly communities essential to urban elders' well-being
• Cancer survivors have evolving information needs
• Exercise, however modest, found progressively beneficial to the elderly
• Pharmacists help patients control blood pressure, study finds
• Experimental immunotherapy shows high response rate in advanced lung cancer
• Tackling obesity needs a number of magic bullets
• Even Olympic athletes have cardiac abnormalities and may be at risk of cardiovascular disease
• Fee-for-service health care may lead to higher risk for robotic prostate surgery patients
• Epilepsy has been found to reduce the generation of new neurons
• New way to treat skin conditions: World's first mercury-free film-type ultraviolet light source
• Researchers discover new ways to shut down signals involved in brain diseases
• New test detects drug use from a single fingerprint
• Many probiotics are contaminated with traces of gluten
• Strong evidence still lacking on medical marijuana for pain
• Yoga and chronic pain have opposite effects on brain gray matter
• Antibody's unusual abilities might inspire vaccine strategies
• Perspective-taking difficulties diminished when autistic and psychosis tendencies balance
• Link between vitamin E, exposure to air pollution
• Half hour of physical activity 6 days a week linked to 40 percent lower risk of early death
• Diabetes drug may reduce heart attack risk in HIV patients
• Study characterizes effects of severe kidney injury during pregnancy
• Nerve involvement explains why some cancers are very painful
• Genome-wide DNA study shows lasting impact of malnutrition in early pregnancy
• Bacteria contribute to immune suppression in skin after repeated schistosome exposure
• Revealing breast cancer using nanoscale polymers
• Understanding health data: Counterintuitive approach yields big benefits
• RNA splicing machinery offers new drug target

Antiviral compound may protect brain from pathogens, West Nile virus, study shows Posted: 15 May 2015 11:13 AM PDT An antiviral compound may protect the brain from invading pathogens, researchers have found. Studying West Nile virus infection in mice, scientists showed that interferon-lambda tightens the blood-brain barrier, making it harder for the virus to invade the brain.

Smaller volumes in certain regions of the brain could lead to increased likelihood of drug addiction Posted: 15 May 2015 10:48 AM PDT Individual differences in brain structure could help to determine the risk for future drug addiction, new research suggests. The study found that occasional users who subsequently increased their drug use compared with those who did not, showed brain structural differences when they started using drugs.

Omega-3: Intervention for childhood behavioral problems? Posted: 15 May 2015 10:48 AM PDT Omega-3, a fatty acid commonly found in fish oil, may have long-term neurodevelopmental effects that ultimately reduce antisocial and aggressive behavior problems in children, a new study suggests.

Phage spread antibiotic resistance Posted: 15 May 2015 10:48 AM PDT Nearly half of the 50 chicken meat samples purchased from supermarkets, street markets, and butchers in Austria contained viruses that are capable of transferring antibiotic resistance genes from one bacterium to another -- or from one species to another, investigators report.

Soft-tissue engineering for hard-working cartilage Posted: 15 May 2015 10:48 AM PDT An international study points the way toward wider, more effective use of biocompatible materials in repairing human tissues. Focusing on the difficult case of restoring cartilage, which requires both flexibility and mechanical strength, the researchers investigated a new combination of 3-D printed microfiber scaffolding and hydrogels. They expect the new approach to have an impact on other areas of soft-tissue engineering research, including breast reconstruction and heart tissue engineering.

Activity after ICD implantation may predict survival Posted: 15 May 2015 10:48 AM PDT Patients who stayed active following ICD implantation had better survival rates that those who did not, a study concludes. They add that Information collected by ICD devices may one day help clinicians identify and help patients at higher risk for adverse outcomes.

Age-friendly communities essential to urban elders' well-being Posted: 15 May 2015 10:01 AM PDT The future of communities around the world will in large part be determined by the efforts to achieve a high quality of life for their older citizens, according to a new article. Age-friendly communities are designed to promote aging-in-place, which is the ability to live in one's own home and community safely, independently, and comfortably regardless of age, income, or ability level.

Cancer survivors have evolving information needs Posted: 15 May 2015 10:01 AM PDT Judging by the nature and topics of their information seeking, cancer patients' information needs appear to differ depending on the type of cancer they have and where they are in their survivorship.

Exercise, however modest, found progressively beneficial to the elderly Posted: 15 May 2015 09:59 AM PDT Even exercise of short duration and low intensity has life expectancy benefits for the elderly. Such conclusions have been well examined in the general population, where a recommended exercise program of 30 minutes at least five days a week (or 150 minutes per week) has been shown to reduce the average risk of death by 30%. However, such a correlation between the level of physical activity and risk of death has not been so clearly determined in the elderly. Indeed, most physical activity guidelines are the same for the middle-aged adults as for the elderly, even though it is estimated that over 60% of the elderly are unable to achieve this same level of exercise.

Pharmacists help patients control blood pressure, study finds Posted: 15 May 2015 09:55 AM PDT Medical teams with a pharmacist helped patients with hypertension control their blood pressure more effectively, a new study has concluded. Hypertension, or high blood pressure, increases the risk for heart disease and stroke, two of the leading causes of death for Americans.

Experimental immunotherapy shows high response rate in advanced lung cancer Posted: 15 May 2015 08:16 AM PDT An early phase study testing an anti-PDL1 agent in combination with standard chemotherapy in the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer has provided promising early results, prompting multiple phase III studies in lung cancer.

Tackling obesity needs a number of magic bullets Posted: 15 May 2015 07:20 AM PDT No one health issue has the most impact on human health, or engenders more debate about how to tackle it, than obesity. It has become the scourge of the health agenda, especially in the west, and it is a growing problem. Now experts weigh in on the series of challenges faced by everyone in the field of obesity care and study: from environmental and personal factors to biology, behaviour, cutting edge science, politics and public health.

Even Olympic athletes have cardiac abnormalities and may be at risk of cardiovascular disease Posted: 15 May 2015 07:18 AM PDT Even athletes whose performance and fitness are at the very highest level may have life-threatening cardiovascular abnormalities. Indeed, a study of more than 2000 athletes eligible for the summer and winter Olympic games and screened for cardiovascular health has now revealed an unexpectedly high prevalence of cardiovascular conditions, some of which were considered as very serious threats to health.

Fee-for-service health care may lead to higher risk for robotic prostate surgery patients Posted: 15 May 2015 05:35 AM PDT A 'perverse disincentive' for hospitals that have invested in expensive technology for robotic surgery may be jeopardizing prostate cancer patients who seek out the procedure, concludes a new study.

Epilepsy has been found to reduce the generation of new neurons Posted: 15 May 2015 05:34 AM PDT The mission of neural stem cells located in the hippocampus, one of the main regions of the brain, is to generate new neurons during the adult life of mammals, and their function is to participate in certain types of learning and responses to anxiety and stress. New research has discovered that hippocampal neural stem cells in the case of epilepsy stop generating new neurons and are turned into reactive astrocytes, a cell type that promotes inflammation and alters communication between neurons. Now the researchers are exploring the potential of neural stem cells in future therapies to fight the disease.

New way to treat skin conditions: World's first mercury-free film-type ultraviolet light source Posted: 15 May 2015 05:34 AM PDT Scientists have developed the world's first new mercury-free light source that produces ultraviolet radiation for medical applications. It is currently being certified as a medical instrument, and sales are expected to begin in October 2015. This equipment should effectively treat skin diseases such as atopic dermatitis, leucoderma, and psoriasis. Because it can deliver high-intensity radiation to only the affected area, it should reduce the treatment time and patients' stress.

Researchers discover new ways to shut down signals involved in brain diseases Posted: 15 May 2015 05:33 AM PDT A research team has found new ways to block a pathway that may be responsible for several brain disorders, which could open the door to developing better treatments. Their work is focused on the protein NOS-1, which generates nitric oxide, a chemical signal that is linked to neurological disorders from neurodegeneration, stroke and chronic pain sensitivity to anxiety and depressive disorders.

New test detects drug use from a single fingerprint Posted: 15 May 2015 05:33 AM PDT A new, non-invasive test that can detect cocaine use through a simple fingerprint has been presented by researchers. For the first time, this new fingerprint method can determine whether cocaine has been ingested, rather than just touched.

Many probiotics are contaminated with traces of gluten Posted: 15 May 2015 05:32 AM PDT More than half of popular probiotics contain traces of gluten, according to an analysis. Tests on 22 top-selling probiotics revealed that 12 of them (or 55%) had detectable gluten. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley, and patients with celiac disease need to eliminate it from their diet or face pain, bowel symptoms, and an increased risk of cancer.

Strong evidence still lacking on medical marijuana for pain Posted: 15 May 2015 05:32 AM PDT With increasing numbers of chronic pain patients experimenting with marijuana to get relief, physicians need to learn more about the plant and its constituents to counsel patients appropriately about its safety and possible analgesic benefits, according to a leading medical marijuana researcher.

Yoga and chronic pain have opposite effects on brain gray matter Posted: 15 May 2015 05:32 AM PDT Chronic pain is known to cause brain anatomy changes and impairments, but yoga can be an important tool for preventing or even reversing the effects of chronic pain on the brain, according to a new study.

Antibody's unusual abilities might inspire vaccine strategies Posted: 14 May 2015 09:13 PM PDT The recent discovery of a novel antibody that works in an unusual way could inspire new vaccine strategies. The antibody appears to have properties that might keep bacteria like disease-causing E. coli from adhering to human cell surfaces and also dislodge those already attached. Among the common pathogens for which researchers are seeking more effective methods to prevent adherence to human cell surfaces are the forms of E. coli that cause urinary tract infections.

Perspective-taking difficulties diminished when autistic and psychosis tendencies balance Posted: 14 May 2015 09:11 PM PDT Researchers have shed new light on the relationship between autistic tendencies and psychosis proneness in neurotypical adults. The study indicates that while increased tendencies for either condition are associated with perspective-taking difficulties, unexpectedly, these difficulties are diminished in individuals with similar tendency to both autism and psychosis.

Link between vitamin E, exposure to air pollution Posted: 14 May 2015 09:11 PM PDT An association between the amount of vitamin E in the body, exposure to particulate pollution and lung function has been uncovered by a new study. The paper adds to growing evidence from previous studies suggesting that some vitamins may play a role in helping to protect the lungs from air pollution.

Half hour of physical activity 6 days a week linked to 40 percent lower risk of early death Posted: 14 May 2015 09:11 PM PDT Thirty minutes of physical activity -- irrespective of its intensity -- six days a week is linked to a 40 percent lower risk of death from any cause among elderly men, finds new research. Boosting physical activity levels in this age group seems to be as good for health as giving up smoking, the findings suggest.

Diabetes drug may reduce heart attack risk in HIV patients Posted: 14 May 2015 09:09 PM PDT A diabetes drug may have benefits beyond lower blood sugar in patients with HIV. New research suggests the drug may prevent cardiovascular problems because it works to reduce inflammation that is linked to heart disease and stroke in these patients. The drug both improved metabolism and reduced inflammation in HIV-positive adults on antiretroviral therapy.

Study characterizes effects of severe kidney injury during pregnancy Posted: 14 May 2015 09:07 PM PDT The incidence of acute kidney injury that requires dialysis is 1 in 10,000 pregnancies, a new Canadian study reports; otherwise healthy women who acquire a major pregnancy-related complication are at increased risk. In pregnancies affected by severe acute kidney injury, babies are at increased risk of having low birth weights or being born prematurely, the researchers report.

Nerve involvement explains why some cancers are very painful Posted: 14 May 2015 09:07 PM PDT More than half of all cancer patients experience pain, most often associated with the malignancy type, body location and disease progression. Pain researchers report that the relationship between tumors and nerves drives persistent and breakthrough pain and tumor progression in certain types of cancers.

Genome-wide DNA study shows lasting impact of malnutrition in early pregnancy Posted: 14 May 2015 12:28 PM PDT Children whose mothers were malnourished at famine levels during the first 10 weeks of pregnancy had changes in DNA methylation known to suppress genes involved in growth, development, and metabolism documented at age 59. This is the first study to look at prenatal nutrition and genome-wide DNA patterns in adults exposed to severe under-nutrition at different periods of gestation.

Bacteria contribute to immune suppression in skin after repeated schistosome exposure Posted: 14 May 2015 11:29 AM PDT Our two square meters of skin act as a defensive barrier against environmental pathogens but is also covered by beneficial commensal bacteria. A study explores this delicate balance and reports that when schistosome parasites repeatedly penetrate the skin, they are cloaked in skin bacteria, leading to a tightly controlled and limited immune response, due in part to this cloaking mechanism.

Revealing breast cancer using nanoscale polymers Posted: 14 May 2015 10:28 AM PDT A biocompatible polymer selectively targets and lights up cancer tumors for a noninvasive imaging system, investigators report. Generating photoacoustic signals requires an ultrafast laser pulse to irradiate a small area of tissue. By 'listening' to the pressure differences created by the acoustic waves, researchers can reconstruct and visualize the inner structures of complex objects such as the brain and cardiovascular systems. Diagnosing cancer with photoacoustic imaging requires contrast agents that deeply penetrate tissue and selectively bind to malignant cells.

Understanding health data: Counterintuitive approach yields big benefits Posted: 14 May 2015 10:28 AM PDT Extracting meaningful information out of clinical datasets can mean the difference between a successful diagnosis and a protracted illness. However datasets can vary widely both in terms of the number of 'features' measured and the number of independent observations taken. Now, researchers have developed an approach for targeted feature selection from datasets with small sample sizes, which tackles the so-called class imbalance problem.

RNA splicing machinery offers new drug target Posted: 14 May 2015 10:27 AM PDT A widespread cancer-causing protein called MYC promotes the growth of tumor cells in part by ensuring that RNA transcripts are properly spliced, according to new research. Drugs that block parts of the cell's splicing machinery may provide a new way to halt the proliferation of MYC-driven cancers, researchers say.

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