ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Trans fats, but not saturated fats like butter, linked to greater risk of early death and heart disease
• Study details 'rotten egg' gas' role in autoimmune disease
• Radiation costs vary among Medicare patients with cancer
• Study shifts understanding of how bone fractures heal
• Receptors in brain linked to schizophrenia, autism
• New simple proteins play active role in cellular function
• Could flu someday be prevented without a vaccine?
• Using online health forums to serve underserved communities
• Finding a fingerprint for an invasive cancer still in hiding
• Early surgery for mitral regurgitation, before clinical triggers emerge, has best outcomes
• Research advances potential for test and vaccine for genital and oral herpes
• Skeletal muscle atrophy in congestive heart failure
• Behaviors linked to adult crime differ between abused boys and girls, study finds
• SIV shrugs off antibodies in vaccinated monkeys
• Experts suggest upgrades to current heart disease prevention guideline
• Furthering data analysis of next-generation sequencing to facilitate research
• Single interrupted pregnancy may impact later deliveries, new research finds
• Study finds low rate of dialysis facility referral for kidney transplantation evaluation
• New clues found to vision loss in macular degeneration
• Device may detect urinary tract infections faster
• How human cells can dissolve damaging protein aggregates
• Chitin of insects, crustaceans found to be active against pathogenic microorganisms
• Insulin degludec plus liraglutide: No hint of added benefit in type 2 diabetes
• Vortioxetine in depression: No hint of added benefit
• Study examines top high school students' stress, coping mechanisms
• Research pours cold water on ice bath recovery theory
• New breath test shows possible biomarker for early-stage liver disease diagnosis
• Chickenpox vaccination does increase shingles cases, but mainly in young adults
• New combination treatment effective against melanoma skin metastases
• Common class of 'channel blocking' drugs may find a role in cancer therapy
• One technique therapists use that really helps depressed patients
• Energy expenditure increases after gastric bypass surgery
• Insulin pump reduces mortality from cardiovascular disease by almost 50%
• Polyglutamine repeats play key role in functional development of cells
• Steroid therapy benefits patients with pneumonia, study finds
• Knee replacement is effective treatment for degeneration caused by Blount disease
• Mechanism of epidemic bacterial disease identified
• Clinical performance measures for healthcare target underuse of care yet fail to adequately measure overuse
• Researcher studying advances in next-generation stem cell culture technologies
• Survey reveals best practices that lead to high patient ratings of hospital care

Trans fats, but not saturated fats like butter, linked to greater risk of early death and heart disease Posted: 11 Aug 2015 06:55 PM PDT Contrary to prevailing dietary advice, a recent evidence review found no excess cardiovascular risk associated with intake of saturated fat. In contrast, research suggests that industrial trans fats may increase the risk of coronary heart disease.

Study details 'rotten egg' gas' role in autoimmune disease Posted: 11 Aug 2015 02:15 PM PDT A new study has demonstrated how regulatory T cells can themselves be regulated, by an unexpected source: hydrogen sulfide, a gas produced by the body's muscle cells and one often associated with the smell of rotten eggs.

Radiation costs vary among Medicare patients with cancer Posted: 11 Aug 2015 02:15 PM PDT Cost of radiation therapy among Medicare patients varied most widely because of factors unrelated to a patient or that person's cancer, report researchers. Up to two-thirds of patients with cancer receive radiation therapy. Researchers focused on breast, prostate and lung cancers because they represent the most common malignancies treated with radiotherapy.

Study shifts understanding of how bone fractures heal Posted: 11 Aug 2015 02:15 PM PDT Fibrin, a protein that was thought to play a key role in fracture healing, is not required, a team of researchers has discovered. Instead, the breakdown of fibrin is essential for fracture repair. The findings shift understanding of how fractures heal and have implications for efforts to promote fracture repair.

Receptors in brain linked to schizophrenia, autism Posted: 11 Aug 2015 02:14 PM PDT Mice lacking a set of receptors in one type of neuron in the brain developed compulsive, anti-social behaviors, scientists have found. The importance of the receptor, called mGluR5, in other areas of the brain had been previously established. Until now, however, no one had studied their specific role in a cell type known as parvalbumin-positive interneurons, thought to be important in general cognition and generating certain types of oscillatory wave patterns in the brain.

New simple proteins play active role in cellular function Posted: 11 Aug 2015 11:03 AM PDT Scientists have developed simple new proteins almost devoid of chemical diversity that still play a surprisingly active and specific role in cellular function, causing cells to act like cancer cells.

Could flu someday be prevented without a vaccine? Posted: 11 Aug 2015 11:03 AM PDT Researchers have discovered a way to trigger a preventive response to a flu infection without any help from the usual players – the virus itself or interferon, a powerful infection fighter. The finding suggests that manipulating a natural process could someday be an alternative way to not just reduce flu severity, but prevent infection.

Using online health forums to serve underserved communities Posted: 11 Aug 2015 11:03 AM PDT Researchers believe that results from their recently published paper on how people use social media and online health forums can help reach underserved communities and prevent the spread of misinformation.

Finding a fingerprint for an invasive cancer still in hiding Posted: 11 Aug 2015 10:30 AM PDT A new study of a biomarker that can identify DCIS patients who are not at risk for subsequent invasion could save many lives and keep women from having to go through medical and surgical therapy, investigators say.

Early surgery for mitral regurgitation, before clinical triggers emerge, has best outcomes Posted: 11 Aug 2015 10:29 AM PDT Patients with mitral regurgitation face a dilemma of whether to undergo corrective surgery early, when they might have no or few symptoms, or wait until their condition worsens. Current guidelines allow for watchful waiting until certain symptoms appear that would then "trigger" the decision to proceed with surgery. The authors argue that these guidelines are based on relatively weak class C evidence from clinical experience that is now 20 to 30 years old, and surgical methods, including mitral valve repair instead of valve replacement, have now made surgeries safer with good long-term outcomes, especially when performed at high-quality, high-volume centers. The results of a study indicate that delaying surgery until clinical triggers appear leads to increased mortality and congestive heart failure.

Research advances potential for test and vaccine for genital and oral herpes Posted: 11 Aug 2015 10:28 AM PDT Findings from a pair of new studies could speed up the development of a universally accurate diagnostic test for human herpes simplex viruses, according to researchers. The work may also lead to the development of a vaccine that protects against the virus.

Skeletal muscle atrophy in congestive heart failure Posted: 11 Aug 2015 10:28 AM PDT Patients with advanced congestive heart failure lose skeletal muscle mass, but their heart muscles become enlarged to provide the body with an adequate supply of blood and oxygen. It has been known that the protein angiotensin II plays a villainous role in this process. Now, researchers have elucidated the process and identified new therapeutic targets.

Behaviors linked to adult crime differ between abused boys and girls, study finds Posted: 11 Aug 2015 10:28 AM PDT Troubling behaviors exhibited by abused children can predict later criminal activity, and those indicators differ between boys and girls, new research shows. Elementary-aged boys who show "externalizing" behaviors such as arguing, disobedience and fighting are more likely to commit crimes as adults, but girls who similarly acted out were not, the study demonstrated.

SIV shrugs off antibodies in vaccinated monkeys Posted: 11 Aug 2015 10:25 AM PDT Experimental vaccines can protect a majority of monkeys from repeated challenge with SIV. But when the virus does get through, it's not clear whether vaccine-induced antibodies were exerting any pressure on the virus.

Experts suggest upgrades to current heart disease prevention guideline Posted: 11 Aug 2015 10:25 AM PDT Acknowledging key strengths and 'lessons learned,' experts suggest upgrades to current heart disease prevention guidelines. The recommendations are designed, the authors say, to improve subsequent guidelines and clarify key points of confusion related to risk prediction and treatment of heart attacks and strokes.

Furthering data analysis of next-generation sequencing to facilitate research Posted: 11 Aug 2015 10:25 AM PDT A user-friendly, integrated platform for analyzing the transcriptomic and epigenomic 'big data' has been developed by researchers. The scientists say that the new platform -- called BioWardrobe -- could help biomedical researchers answer questions about both basic biology and disease.

Single interrupted pregnancy may impact later deliveries, new research finds Posted: 11 Aug 2015 10:25 AM PDT Even a single incident of abortion or miscarriage can have repercussions for subsequent pregnancies, researchers say. The study suggests that women who have experienced a single pregnancy loss are about 30 percent more likely to suffer complications in subsequent pregnancies than women who have never miscarried or had a single abortion.

Study finds low rate of dialysis facility referral for kidney transplantation evaluation Posted: 11 Aug 2015 10:22 AM PDT Only about one in four patients with end-stage renal disease in Georgia were referred for kidney transplant evaluation within one year of starting dialysis between 2005 and 2011, although there was substantial variability in referral among dialysis facilities, according to a study.

New clues found to vision loss in macular degeneration Posted: 11 Aug 2015 08:34 AM PDT Scientists have identified a pathway that leads to the formation of atypical blood vessels that can cause blindness in people with age-related macular degeneration. The research sheds light on one of the leading causes of blindness in industrialized countries and offers potential targets for treating the disease.

Device may detect urinary tract infections faster Posted: 11 Aug 2015 08:34 AM PDT A new Lab-on-a-Disc platform combines modern microfluidic techniques with fast optical diagnostics to dramatically cut the time to detect bacterial species that cause urinary tract infections -- a major cause of sepsis -- from 24 hours to within 70 minutes.

How human cells can dissolve damaging protein aggregates Posted: 11 Aug 2015 08:33 AM PDT Cellular repair systems can dissolve aggregated proteins and now researchers have successfully decoded the fundamental mechanism that is key to dissolving these protein aggregates in human cells. Their in-vitro experiments uncovered a multi-stage biochemical process in which protein molecules are dissolved from the aggregates.

Chitin of insects, crustaceans found to be active against pathogenic microorganisms Posted: 11 Aug 2015 08:32 AM PDT Chitin of insects and crustaceans has been found to be active against pathogenic microorganisms, scientists report. The study specifically concentrated on chitosan extracted from chitin in the carapaces of insects and crustaceans.

Insulin degludec plus liraglutide: No hint of added benefit in type 2 diabetes Posted: 11 Aug 2015 08:31 AM PDT Review of Insulin degludec plus liraglutide as a medical therapy provided no hint of added benefit in type 2 diabetes due to lack of suitable studies.

Vortioxetine in depression: No hint of added benefit Posted: 11 Aug 2015 08:31 AM PDT A review of the drug Vortioxetine has concluded that there is no suitable data for acute treatment or for relapse prevention. The evidence was only partly considered for the indirect comparison with citalopram.

Study examines top high school students' stress, coping mechanisms Posted: 11 Aug 2015 07:37 AM PDT There is growing awareness that many subgroups of youth experience high levels of chronic stress, to the extent it impedes their abilities to succeed academically, compromises their mental health functioning, and fosters risk behavior. Furthermore, this chronic stress appears to persist into the college years, and researchers warns it may contribute to academic disengagement and mental health problems among emerging adults.

Research pours cold water on ice bath recovery theory Posted: 11 Aug 2015 07:36 AM PDT If the thought of a post workout ice bath is enough to make you shiver, new research will warm your heart. The comprehensive study found cold water immersion after strength training hindered muscle adaptation -- pouring cold water on the long-held theory that an ice bath helps speed up recovery.

New breath test shows possible biomarker for early-stage liver disease diagnosis Posted: 11 Aug 2015 07:35 AM PDT A natural compound called limonene, which is found in oranges and lemons, could be indicative in early-stage diagnosis of liver disease, according to new research. Patients with this illness do not often present with symptoms until the disease is advanced. Even then diagnosis is difficult and the symptoms and signs are often general and can be mistaken for other pathologies. For advanced cirrhosis liver, transplant is the only treatment.

Chickenpox vaccination does increase shingles cases, but mainly in young adults Posted: 11 Aug 2015 07:35 AM PDT Re-exposure to chickenpox virus boosts immunity to shingles for a tenth of the time previously thought. So although vaccination increases shingles cases in 31-40 year olds, in the longer term the benefits outweigh the risks, scientists conclude.

New combination treatment effective against melanoma skin metastases Posted: 11 Aug 2015 06:21 AM PDT In findings never before seen in melanoma, a novel combination therapy was found to be highly effective at treating patients with skin metastases, new research shows.

Common class of 'channel blocking' drugs may find a role in cancer therapy Posted: 11 Aug 2015 06:21 AM PDT Drugs called ion channel blockers, which are commonly used to treat cardiac, neurological, and psychiatric disorders, might prove useful in cancer therapy, according to research findings in fruit flies and mice by scientists that led to unconventional treatment of a case of metastatic brain cancer.

One technique therapists use that really helps depressed patients Posted: 11 Aug 2015 06:21 AM PDT Some depressed patients may be hoping for answers from their therapists, but a new study suggests questions may be the key. The study is the first to show that depressed patients see substantial improvements in their depressive symptoms when their therapists use a technique called "Socratic questioning."

Energy expenditure increases after gastric bypass surgery Posted: 11 Aug 2015 06:20 AM PDT Gastric bypass surgery often leads to a sustained weight loss, and now researchers have found part of the explanation: the operation enhances energy expenditure such that eating actually helps the person lose weight. Gastric bypass reroutes food past the stomach and duodenum directly to the small intestine. People become satiated faster and tend to eat more nutritiously.

Insulin pump reduces mortality from cardiovascular disease by almost 50% Posted: 11 Aug 2015 06:20 AM PDT People with type 1 diabetes who use insulin pump therapy face almost 50% less risk of dying from cardiovascular disease than those who take insulin by multiple daily injections, research concludes.

Polyglutamine repeats play key role in functional development of cells Posted: 11 Aug 2015 06:19 AM PDT Variable polyglutamine repeats in the DNA tune the function of the protein in which they reside, scientists report. To date, these repeats were known only to cause severe neurodegenerative diseases such as Huntington's. These findings now show that polyglutamine repeats may be more than just harmful elements. Moreover, this study lays the foundation for future research into the role of repeats in the emergence and evolution of novel functions and life forms.

Steroid therapy benefits patients with pneumonia, study finds Posted: 10 Aug 2015 02:28 PM PDT Patients with community-acquired pneumonia who received corticosteroids were discharged from hospital sooner, new research indicates, and results showed a reduction in the need for mechanical ventilation and the likelihood of life-threatening complications.

Knee replacement is effective treatment for degeneration caused by Blount disease Posted: 10 Aug 2015 02:28 PM PDT A first-of-its kind study found that knee replacements effectively treat degeneration caused by a bone deformity called Blount disease. Patients who underwent total joint replacements on one or both knees were found to have stable knees, excellent range of motion and no need for pain medications.

Mechanism of epidemic bacterial disease identified Posted: 10 Aug 2015 02:24 PM PDT Through identification of increased toxin production by epidemic forms of group A streptococcus (the 'flesh-eating' bacterium), for the first time scientists are able to pinpoint the molecular events that contribute to large intercontinental epidemics of disease. The study was based on sequencing almost 5,000 group A streptococcus genomes collected over decades.

Clinical performance measures for healthcare target underuse of care yet fail to adequately measure overuse Posted: 10 Aug 2015 01:27 PM PDT American researchers assessing clinical performance measures examined 16 national collections of performance measures and found that more than 90 percent of 521 outpatient measures targeted underuse of care and only 7 percent addressed overuse of care.

Researcher studying advances in next-generation stem cell culture technologies Posted: 10 Aug 2015 01:26 PM PDT A researcher is studying ways to advance the next generation of cell culture technologies—the removal of stem cells from an organism and the controlled growth of those cells in an engineering environment—that could treat debilitating diseases.

Survey reveals best practices that lead to high patient ratings of hospital care Posted: 10 Aug 2015 01:26 PM PDT Based on responses to questionnaires and letters sent to CEOs and medical personnel from a nationwide sample of 53 hospitals, investigators have identified a handful of best practices they say are most likely to give patients a positive hospital experience, a sense of satisfaction and the feeling they come first.

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