ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Going barefoot: Strong 'foot core' could prevent plantar fasciitis, shin splints, and other common injuries
• Study advances potential test to sort out precancerous pancreatic cysts from harmless ones
• Study quantifies risk of cardiac arrest in children during spine surgeries
• Stretch mark science: What happens to your skin when pregnancy gives you a stretch mark?
• 'Good' mozzie virus might hold key to fighting human disease
• African-Americans with depression more likely to have strokes, heart attack
• Social and practical barriers keep HF patients from benefits of exercise therapy
• Bone protein inhibits prostate cancer invasion, scientists find
• Mother's age at birth may influence symptoms of depression in daughters
• Minority patients less likely to receive analgesic medications for abdominal pain
• Researchers devise new diabetes diagnostic tool
• Vitamin D deficiency may limit immune recovery in HIV-positive adults
• Blood phosphorus levels can help predict kidney failure risk in African Americans
• Obesity and type 2 diabetes harm bone health
• Compounds discovered with potential to treat persistent tuberculosis
• Scientists find surprising trait in anti-HIV antibodies
• Nondrug interventions improve quality of life for Chinese cancer patients
• Prostate cancer screening drops dramatically in middle-aged men
• Measuring immune cells before surgery may help predict recovery time, study finds
• Self-healing sensor brings 'electronic skin' closer to reality
• For kids prone to wheezing with respiratory infections, early antibiotics help?
• Study compares risk of anaphylaxis among marketed IV iron products
• Drug driving: Are your meds affecting you?
• New technique could prevent dangerous biofilms on catheters
• Nanotech-based sensor developed to measure microRNAs in blood, speed cancer detection
• Team approach may reduce readmissions due to falls in seniors
• Navy researchers recruit luminescent nanoparticles to image brain function
• Eating to impress: Men eat more food when dining with women
• Gene mutation linked to reckless drunken behavior
• Researchers find experimental drug can help fight debilitating side effect of ovarian cancer
• Cancer cells poised for growth when opportunity knocks
• Small RNA has big impact on prostate cancer
• The unwanted extras in your morning filter coffee
• Advanced method, first platform of DNA simulations developed
• New advanced computing systems under investigation
• Millions of those infected with hiv have never been diagnosed due to the fear of being tested, new research reveals
• Ringing the changes 'opens the road to new medicines'
• How to eliminate pain tied to tooth decay
• First insights into changes to developing brain caused by gene associated with autism
• Endurance athletes who 'go against the grain' become incredible fat-burners
• Hallucinations linked to differences in brain structure
• 3-D mapping a new drug-delivery tool
• Metabolic profiles distinguish early stage ovarian cancer with unprecedented accuracy
• Nearsightedness progression in children slowed down by medicated eye drops
• Being at 'high risk' of ill health has become a disease in its own right
• Tougher disability benefit assessment may have taken 'serious' toll on mental health
• Study provides strongest evidence yet of a link between breakfast quality and educational outcomes
• Modulating brain's stress circuitry might prevent alzheimer's disease
• Nearly half of hepatitis C patients on medicaid denied coverage for life-saving drugs
• Large-scale modeling shows confinement effects on cell macromolecules
• Study sheds light on why parasite makes TB infections worse
• New study on patterns of electronic cigarette use among adults in the US
• RNA-based drugs give more control over gene editing
• Research points to why some colorectal cancers recur after treatment
• Regenerative medicine speeds healing of eye tissue following surgery

Going barefoot: Strong 'foot core' could prevent plantar fasciitis, shin splints, and other common injuries Posted: 17 Nov 2015 03:19 PM PST Barefoot activities can greatly improve balance and posture and prevent common injuries like shin splints, plantar fasciitis, stress fractures, bursitis, and tendonitis in the Achilles tendon, according to one expert.

Study advances potential test to sort out precancerous pancreatic cysts from harmless ones Posted: 17 Nov 2015 03:15 PM PST In a 'look-back' analysis of data stored on 130 patients with pancreatic cysts, scientists have used gene-based tests and a fixed set of clinical criteria to more accurately distinguish precancerous cysts from those less likely to do harm.

Study quantifies risk of cardiac arrest in children during spine surgeries Posted: 17 Nov 2015 03:15 PM PST Although the vast majority of pediatric spine surgeries are safe, a handful of neuromuscular conditions seem to fuel the risk of cardiac arrest during such operations, according to new research.

Stretch mark science: What happens to your skin when pregnancy gives you a stretch mark? Posted: 17 Nov 2015 03:15 PM PST Don't believe the hype when you see those creams and ointments promising to prevent or reduce pregnancy stretch marks. Dermatologists are still learning about what causes stretch marks in the first place. For a new study, researchers investigate what could be causing them at the molecular level.

'Good' mozzie virus might hold key to fighting human disease Posted: 17 Nov 2015 03:15 PM PST A new virus has been discovered that is carried by one of the Australia's most common pest mosquitoes. The new virus -- known as Parramatta River virus -- infects only mosquitoes and doesn't pose any direct health risks to people, according to the researchers.

African-Americans with depression more likely to have strokes, heart attack Posted: 17 Nov 2015 03:12 PM PST Major depressive symptoms -- perceived stress, neuroticism, life dissatisfaction -- are associated with nearly twice the increased risk of stroke and coronary heart disease among African-Americans. African-Americans with depressive symptoms suffered more chronic conditions, exercised less, and had lower levels of education and income.

Social and practical barriers keep HF patients from benefits of exercise therapy Posted: 17 Nov 2015 03:12 PM PST Lack of social support and barriers to exercise (such as lack of transportation) reduce the amount of time heart-failure patients exercise. Assessing and eliminating barriers to exercise may reduce hospitalizations and heart disease deaths in people with heart failure, say authors of a new report.

Bone protein inhibits prostate cancer invasion, scientists find Posted: 17 Nov 2015 11:50 AM PST A secreted protein predominantly expressed in bone inhibits prostate cancer metastasis to bone, new research shows. Prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among men in the United States. If detected at early stages the prognosis is quite favorable; however, aggressive forms of metastatic prostate cancer spread primarily to the skeleton.

Mother's age at birth may influence symptoms of depression in daughters Posted: 17 Nov 2015 11:50 AM PST The daughters, but not the sons, of women who give birth at age 30 or older are more likely to experience symptoms of depression as young adults, according to new research.

Minority patients less likely to receive analgesic medications for abdominal pain Posted: 17 Nov 2015 11:35 AM PST Minority patients with acute abdominal pain are less likely to receive analgesic medications, compared to their white counterparts, new American research demonstrates.

Researchers devise new diabetes diagnostic tool Posted: 17 Nov 2015 11:35 AM PST Researchers have developed a new test to help diagnoses diabetes, which they say will lead to more effective diagnosis and patient care. The research shows how a genetic test can help doctors to differentiate between type 1 and type 2 diabetes in young adults.

Vitamin D deficiency may limit immune recovery in HIV-positive adults Posted: 17 Nov 2015 10:18 AM PST Low levels of vitamin D may limit the effectiveness of HIV treatment in adults, a researcher has found. An 18-month longitudinal study was conducted in which the immune status of 398 HIV-positive adults was measured at 0, 3, 6, 12 and 18 months. The researchers, through observation, related the rise in immune function to whether or not individuals had adequate levels of vitamin D.

Blood phosphorus levels can help predict kidney failure risk in African Americans Posted: 17 Nov 2015 10:18 AM PST An increase in serum phosphorus levels in African Americans with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with faster progression to kidney failure, known as end-stage renal disease (ESRD). The study confirmed in African Americans what previous studies in Caucasians demonstrated, that an increase in the biomarker predicted ESRD risk.

Obesity and type 2 diabetes harm bone health Posted: 17 Nov 2015 10:03 AM PST In a new animal study, researchers examined how the development of obesity and insulin resistance contribute to bone-fracture risk and whether exercise prevents weight gain and diabetes and protects bone health. They found obesity and type 2 diabetes negatively affected bone, but exercise prevented weight gain and diabetes and increased bone strength. These findings could inform interventions to improve bone health among individuals with obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Compounds discovered with potential to treat persistent tuberculosis Posted: 17 Nov 2015 10:03 AM PST In a substantial number of cases -- some two billion, in fact -- the tuberculosis bacteria (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) isn't active at all. Instead, it hides inside cell aggregates, latent and persistent, waiting to break out. Now, scientists have discovered several first-in-class compounds that target these hidden infections by attacking a critical process the bacteria use to survive in the hostile environment of the lungs.

Scientists find surprising trait in anti-HIV antibodies Posted: 17 Nov 2015 10:01 AM PST Scientists have new weapons in the fight against HIV. Their new study describes four prototype antibodies that target a specific weak spot on the virus.

Nondrug interventions improve quality of life for Chinese cancer patients Posted: 17 Nov 2015 10:01 AM PST A meta-analysis of dozens of studies of traditional Chinese medicine and other nonpharmacological interventions meant to improve patients' quality of life affirms that these approaches, on the whole, help alleviate depression, fatigue, pain, anxiety, insomnia and gastrointestinal problems in Chinese cancer patients.

Prostate cancer screening drops dramatically in middle-aged men Posted: 17 Nov 2015 10:01 AM PST Prostate-specific antigen testing has dropped significantly in middle-aged men after a 2012 recommendation that all men should not be routinely screened for prostate cancer, according to a new study.

Measuring immune cells before surgery may help predict recovery time, study finds Posted: 17 Nov 2015 10:01 AM PST The behavior of a type of white blood cell can indicate how soon patients will be back on their feet after hip surgery, according to a study. The scientists plan to use the findings to develop a diagnostic blood test that patients can undergo before surgery.

Self-healing sensor brings 'electronic skin' closer to reality Posted: 17 Nov 2015 08:29 AM PST Scientists have developed a self-healing, flexible sensor that mimics the self-healing properties of human skin. Incidental scratches or cuts to the sensors "heal" themselves in less than one day.

For kids prone to wheezing with respiratory infections, early antibiotics help? Posted: 17 Nov 2015 08:29 AM PST In children whose colds tend to progress and lead to severe wheezing and difficulty breathing — such that they are given oral corticosteroids as rescue therapy — researchers have shown that giving a common antibiotic at the first sign of cold symptoms can reduce the risk of the episode developing into a severe lower respiratory tract illness.

Study compares risk of anaphylaxis among marketed IV iron products Posted: 17 Nov 2015 08:29 AM PST Recipients of intravenous (IV) iron (n = 688,183) enrolled in the fee-for-service Medicare program from January 2003 to December 2013 were the focus of recent study, which compared the risk of anaphylaxis among patients and products.

Drug driving: Are your meds affecting you? Posted: 17 Nov 2015 08:27 AM PST Warning labels on medications about the dangers of driving are not enough to stop people getting behind the wheel with most driving while affected by drugs, according to Australian research.

New technique could prevent dangerous biofilms on catheters Posted: 17 Nov 2015 08:25 AM PST Biofilms frequently coat the surfaces of catheters, and of various medical implants and prostheses, where they can cause life-threatening infections. New research shows that coating implants with a certain 'activator' can prevent Staphylococcus aureus, the leading cause of hospital-acquired infections, from forming biofilms.

Nanotech-based sensor developed to measure microRNAs in blood, speed cancer detection Posted: 17 Nov 2015 08:25 AM PST A newly developed, simple, ultrasensitive microRNA sensor holds promise for the design of new diagnostic strategies and, potentially, for the prognosis and treatment of pancreatic and other cancers.

Team approach may reduce readmissions due to falls in seniors Posted: 17 Nov 2015 08:25 AM PST A comprehensive care program that involves a team of specialists from multiple medical disciplines for treating injuries sustained from falls in older adults could help reduce hospital readmissions, according to researchers. Under the program, the 30-day readmission rate for falls declined 10 percent from 2012-13 and remained unchanged in 2014. The 30-90 day readmission rate from 2012-13 also declined, before rising slightly in 2014.

Navy researchers recruit luminescent nanoparticles to image brain function Posted: 17 Nov 2015 08:21 AM PST Scientists are on pace to develop the next generation of functional materials that could enable the mapping of the complex neural connections in the brain. The ultimate goal is to better understand how the billions of neurons in the brain communicate with one another during normal brain function, or dysfunction, as result of injury or disease.

Eating to impress: Men eat more food when dining with women Posted: 17 Nov 2015 08:20 AM PST If you're a man, how much you eat may have more to do with the gender of your dining companions than your appetite. A new study has found that men will eat significantly more food in the company of women than they will with other men.

Gene mutation linked to reckless drunken behavior Posted: 17 Nov 2015 08:20 AM PST Researchers of the University of Helsinki, Finland, have identified a genetic mutation which renders carriers susceptible to particularly impulsive and reckless behavior when drunk. The research took advantage of the unique Finnish data on impulsive sufferers of alcoholism and their relatives, and the discovery is based on long-term research cooperation between the University of Helsinki Psychiatry Clinic and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism in the United States.

Researchers find experimental drug can help fight debilitating side effect of ovarian cancer Posted: 17 Nov 2015 06:33 AM PST Women who have ovarian cancer often develop a condition called ascites, which is a buildup of fluids in the abdomen. A drug that inhibits a receptor called the Colony-Stimulating-Factor-1 Receptor, or CSF1R, reduces ascites with minimal side effects, new research shows.

Cancer cells poised for growth when opportunity knocks Posted: 17 Nov 2015 06:32 AM PST Researchers have identified a mechanism that allows cancer cells to respond and grow rapidly when levels of sugar in the blood rise. This may help to explain why people who develop conditions in which they have chronically high sugar levels in their blood, such as obesity, also have an increased risk of developing certain types of cancer.

Small RNA has big impact on prostate cancer Posted: 17 Nov 2015 06:32 AM PST microRNA, miR-124, reduced tumor growth and increased cell death in castration-resistant prostate cancer, new research concludes. This small RNA fragment hit multiple targets, reducing androgen receptor signaling and reviving the potency of enzalutamide, a treatment for advanced prostate cancer. In addition, miR-124 impeded EZH2 and Src, proteins that contribute to treatment resistance.

The unwanted extras in your morning filter coffee Posted: 17 Nov 2015 06:24 AM PST New research examines chemical leaching into coffee from filter coffee machines and electric kettles. The alarming results suggest that caffeine consumption is not all we have to worry about in our coffee culture.

Advanced method, first platform of DNA simulations developed Posted: 17 Nov 2015 06:24 AM PST A new simulation method allows researchers to note -- with unprecedented accuracy -- of structural changes in DNA and of the interaction of DNA with proteins and drugs.

New advanced computing systems under investigation Posted: 17 Nov 2015 06:24 AM PST Scientists are studying how to improve the development of advanced computing systems to create faster software under the auspices of RePhrase, a new research project from the European Union Horizon 2020 program. These new techniques will make it possible to improve applications such as industrial manufacturing processes and railway traffic monitoring, as well as the diagnosis of mental illnesses.

Millions of those infected with hiv have never been diagnosed due to the fear of being tested, new research reveals Posted: 17 Nov 2015 06:24 AM PST British academics have carried out the largest global review of psychological barriers behind HIV testing and the factors that may influence people's decision to be tested.

Ringing the changes 'opens the road to new medicines' Posted: 17 Nov 2015 06:24 AM PST Inspired by the classic 'ball-in-a-cup' children's toy, researchers have discovered an innovative method to make medicinally important molecules.

How to eliminate pain tied to tooth decay Posted: 17 Nov 2015 06:12 AM PST An abundance of sweets during the holidays increases the threat of cavities and tooth sensitivity. Researchers have found a way to regrow enamel to protect teeth. Perhaps one day their gel could be used as teeth strips or in a mouth guard, they say.

First insights into changes to developing brain caused by gene associated with autism Posted: 17 Nov 2015 06:12 AM PST New insights show how even very small changes to synapses can alter brain function and could lead to intellectual disabilities. Researchers note that new research will help in the development of better treatments.

Endurance athletes who 'go against the grain' become incredible fat-burners Posted: 17 Nov 2015 06:12 AM PST Elite endurance athletes who eat very few carbohydrates burned more than twice as much fat as high-carb athletes during maximum exertion and prolonged exercise in a new study -- the highest fat-burning rates under these conditions ever seen by researchers.

Hallucinations linked to differences in brain structure Posted: 17 Nov 2015 06:12 AM PST People diagnosed with schizophrenia who are prone to hallucinations are likely to have structural differences in a key region of the brain compared to both healthy individuals and people diagnosed with schizophrenia who do not hallucinate, according to new research.

3-D mapping a new drug-delivery tool Posted: 17 Nov 2015 06:12 AM PST Scientists have developed a new method that can 'see' inside dispersed cubosomes (dispersed cubic liquid crystalline phases) with unprecedented detail. The breakthrough can help to improve their design significantly for better drug or nutrient delivery.

Metabolic profiles distinguish early stage ovarian cancer with unprecedented accuracy Posted: 17 Nov 2015 06:12 AM PST Studying blood serum compounds of different molecular weights has led scientists to a set of biomarkers that may enable development of a highly accurate screening test for early-stage ovarian cancer.

Nearsightedness progression in children slowed down by medicated eye drops Posted: 16 Nov 2015 06:26 PM PST Atropine .01 percent eye drops slow down nearsightedness by roughly 50 percent in five-year clinical trial on Singaporean children. Researchers suggest low-dose drops safe as 'first line' defense against rapid development of nearsightedness in children.

Being at 'high risk' of ill health has become a disease in its own right Posted: 16 Nov 2015 06:26 PM PST Classifying an individual as being at 'high risk' of developing a particular condition/disease has become a disease in its own right, and is turning the healthy into the sick, argues an expert in a new editorial.

Tougher disability benefit assessment may have taken 'serious' toll on mental health Posted: 16 Nov 2015 06:26 PM PST The introduction of a more stringent test to assess eligibility for disability benefit in England may have taken a 'serious' toll on the nation's mental health, concludes new research.

Study provides strongest evidence yet of a link between breakfast quality and educational outcomes Posted: 16 Nov 2015 06:26 PM PST A new study of 5,000 9- to 11-year-olds demonstrates significant positive associations between breakfast consumption and educational outcomes.The research found that the odds of an above average Teacher Assessment score were up to twice as high for pupils who ate breakfast, compared with those who did not.

Modulating brain's stress circuitry might prevent alzheimer's disease Posted: 16 Nov 2015 03:33 PM PST In a novel animal study design that mimicked human clinical trials, researchers report that long-term treatment using a small molecule drug that reduces activity of the brain's stress circuitry significantly reduces Alzheimer's disease (AD) neuropathology and prevents onset of cognitive impairment in a mouse model of the neurodegenerative condition.

Nearly half of hepatitis C patients on medicaid denied coverage for life-saving drugs Posted: 16 Nov 2015 03:21 PM PST Nearly 50 percent of Medicaid patients infected with chronic hepatitis C whose doctors had prescribed newer, life-saving antiviral drugs were denied coverage to the therapies because they weren't considered "a medical necessity" or because the patients tested positive for alcohol/drugs, among other reasons, according to new research.

Large-scale modeling shows confinement effects on cell macromolecules Posted: 16 Nov 2015 03:21 PM PST Using large-scale computer modeling, researchers have shown the effects of confinement on macromolecules inside cells -- and taken the first steps toward simulating a living cell, a capability that could allow them to ask "what-if" questions impossible to ask in real organisms.

Study sheds light on why parasite makes TB infections worse Posted: 16 Nov 2015 03:17 PM PST Scientists have shown how a parasitic worm infection common in the developing world increases susceptibility to tuberculosis. The study raises the possibility of using inexpensive and widely available anti-parasitic drugs as a preventive measure in places where the parasite and TB are common -- stopping infection with the parasite and reducing susceptibility to TB and the risk of a latent TB infection progressing to disease.

New study on patterns of electronic cigarette use among adults in the US Posted: 16 Nov 2015 03:13 PM PST Adding to a growing body of research on patterns of e-cigarette use, researchers have found evidence that among US adults, some recent cigarette quitters may have done so with the assistance of electronic cigarettes.

RNA-based drugs give more control over gene editing Posted: 16 Nov 2015 03:12 PM PST Researchers demonstrate a commercially feasible way to use RNA to turn the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing system on and off as desired -- permanently editing a gene, but only temporarily activating CRISPR-Cas9.

Research points to why some colorectal cancers recur after treatment Posted: 16 Nov 2015 03:12 PM PST Cetuximab, marketed as Erbitux, is one of the key therapies for metastatic colorectal cancer. Yet the cancer still returns in some patients, shortening overall survival. New research reveals insight into how key proteins, known as epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFR), are regulated, leading to resistance.

Regenerative medicine speeds healing of eye tissue following surgery Posted: 16 Nov 2015 03:10 PM PST A new drug has been found to heal eyes in two days after corneal surgery. Originally created in France for chronic diabetic skin wounds, the heparin sulfate mimetic Cacicol (or RGTA) helps eyes heal faster by stimulating collagen production.

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