ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Research priorities for National Institutes of Health outlined
• Study finds first evidence that PD-1 antibody could help men with metastatic prostate cancer
• Which strategies are most effective for reducing use of low-value health services?
• New study shows differences in blood pressure variation across ethnicity
• Students' PTSD symptoms fluctuate greatly during first year of college
• Certain characteristics predispose women to different hot flash, night sweat patterns
• More evidence that male and female brains are wired differently
• Study links developmental, lipid handling pathways in C. elegans
• Mini-brain model of idiopathic autism reveals underlying pathology of neuronal overgrowth
• Shocking new role found for the immune system: Controlling social interaction
• Drug-use may hamper moral judgment
• Possible to account for disadvantaged populations in Medicare's payment programs
• Loss of independence after surgery for older patients associated with increased risk of hospital readmission
• Stressful trigger events associated with risk of violent crime
• Food nudging can help us to eat in a healthier way
• Simple procedure could improve treatment for common eye disease
• Stand-up comics more likely to die prematurely than film comedians and dramatic actors
• Study finds differing treatment options for women smokers
• Fat cells may play key role in battle against breast cancer
• Driving ability of people with cognitive impairment difficult to assess: Research review
• Not all 'front-of-package' nutrition information produces the same effect
• Hungry parents may feed their kids more, study finds
• Breakthrough in scaling up life-changing stem cell production
• The complex crosstalk between obesity, breast cancer
• Camp stability predicts patterns of hunter–gatherer cooperation
• Dismantling the retinoic acid synthesis pathway in chordate evolution
• A toxic quick-change artist
• Preventing type 2 diabetes: When genes fail to respond
• Radical avoidance of plastics in the home: General environmental exposure limits beneficial effects
• New analysis recommends responsible prescription of opioids to pain patients
• Nearly half of California nursing home residents complete end-of-life care orders
• Brain cell death in Alzheimer's linked to structural flaw
• Shedding new light on protein aggregates and the diseases they cause
• Power up: Growing neurons undergo major metabolic shift
• Why artificial sweeteners can increase appetite

Research priorities for National Institutes of Health outlined Posted: 13 Jul 2016 02:23 PM PDT An American national initiative aimed to prioritize research in studying the prevalence and mechanisms of venous thrombosis in cancer patients.

Study finds first evidence that PD-1 antibody could help men with metastatic prostate cancer Posted: 13 Jul 2016 02:23 PM PDT A new study is reviving hope that the approach also may help men with life-threatening prostate cancer.It is a surprising turnaround because prior results in men with aggressive, advanced-stage prostate cancer showed no evidence of anti-tumor activity with immune therapies that work by blocking PD-1 signals.

Which strategies are most effective for reducing use of low-value health services? Posted: 13 Jul 2016 02:23 PM PDT A new study is the first systematic literature review to examine the entire field of interventions designed to reduce low-value care. It also outlines which strategies are potentially the most effective in improving care delivery. Through an analysis of more than 100 articles published in academic journals prior to spring 2015, the study looked at 10 types of low-value care reduction approaches implemented at healthcare settings across the country.

New study shows differences in blood pressure variation across ethnicity Posted: 13 Jul 2016 12:22 PM PDT Differences in circadian blood pressure variation due to a combination of genetic and cultural factors may contribute to ethnic differences in cardiovascular morbidity, according to new research.

Students' PTSD symptoms fluctuate greatly during first year of college Posted: 13 Jul 2016 12:22 PM PDT A new study is helping researchers better understand how post-traumatic stress disorder fluctuates in students during their first year of college.

Certain characteristics predispose women to different hot flash, night sweat patterns Posted: 13 Jul 2016 12:21 PM PDT Most women will get hot flashes or night sweats at some point in life. However, when these symptoms occur and how long they last can vary dramatically among women. New findings show that women fit into four distinct groups when it comes to getting hot flashes and night sweats, with potential ramifications for therapy and prevention of future health conditions.

More evidence that male and female brains are wired differently Posted: 13 Jul 2016 12:21 PM PDT While measuring brain activity with magnetic resonance imaging during blood pressure trials, researchers found that men and women had opposite responses in the right front of the insular cortex, a part of the brain integral to the experience of emotions, blood pressure control and self-awareness.

Study links developmental, lipid handling pathways in C. elegans Posted: 13 Jul 2016 12:21 PM PDT A previously unknown interaction between metabolic pathways in two different tissues within the C.elegans roundworm triggers a key step in maturation, scientists have discovered.

Mini-brain model of idiopathic autism reveals underlying pathology of neuronal overgrowth Posted: 13 Jul 2016 11:38 AM PDT The majority of cases of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are unknown. Now researchers have created a "mini-brain" model, derived from persons with a particular form of idiopathic ASD characterized by over-sized brains, revealing a defective molecular pathway during brain development that results in early neuronal overgrowth and dysfunctional cortical networks.

Shocking new role found for the immune system: Controlling social interaction Posted: 13 Jul 2016 11:31 AM PDT The immune system affects -- and even controls -- social behavior, a new study has found. Researchers discovered that blocking a single type of immune molecule made mouse brains go hyperactive and caused abnormal behavior; restoring it fixed both. The discovery could have enormous implications for neurological conditions such as autism and schizophrenia.

Drug-use may hamper moral judgment Posted: 13 Jul 2016 08:49 AM PDT Regular cocaine and methamphetamine users can have difficulty choosing between right and wrong, perhaps because the specific parts of their brains used for moral processing and evaluating emotions are damaged by their prolonged drug habits, according to a study among prison inmates.

Possible to account for disadvantaged populations in Medicare's payment programs Posted: 13 Jul 2016 08:49 AM PDT Medicare's value-based payment programs could take into account social risk factors -- such as low socio-economic position, residence in disadvantaged neighborhoods, or race and ethnicity -- but any proposal to do so will entail both advantages and disadvantages that need to be carefully considered, experts warn.

Loss of independence after surgery for older patients associated with increased risk of hospital readmission Posted: 13 Jul 2016 08:49 AM PDT A recent study examined loss of independence (LOI; defined as a decline in function or mobility, increased care needs at home, or discharge to a nonhome destination) among older patients after surgical procedures and the association of LOI with readmission and death after discharge. Currently, quality metrics prioritized by hospitals and medical professionals focus on discrete outcomes, such as readmission or mortality.

Stressful trigger events associated with risk of violent crime Posted: 13 Jul 2016 08:49 AM PDT Trigger events, including exposure to violence, were associated with increased risk of violent crime in the week following exposure among patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder and among individuals without psychiatric diagnoses who were included for comparison, report investigators at the conclusion of their study.

Food nudging can help us to eat in a healthier way Posted: 13 Jul 2016 07:58 AM PDT What we eat in the canteen and buy in the supermarket for dinner depends on the order in which the dishes are presented, and how easy it is to get to the products. This is the conclusion of a collaborative review of existing research into food 'nudging.' Until now there's been very little research on this topic, but researchers behind the review expect healthy food nudging to be a predominant subject in the coming years.

Simple procedure could improve treatment for common eye disease Posted: 13 Jul 2016 07:57 AM PDT A new, minimally invasive procedure appears to be effective for many patients with the common eye disease Fuchs endothelial dystrophy, without the potential side effects and cost of the current standard of care, a cornea transplant.

Stand-up comics more likely to die prematurely than film comedians and dramatic actors Posted: 13 Jul 2016 07:57 AM PDT The world's best stand-up comedians -- household names including Kevin Hart, Amy Schumer, Jimmy Fallon, Chris Rock, Jerry Seinfield, Ricky Gervais and Eddie Murphy -- are more likely to die early than comedic and dramatic screen and stage actors, according to a landmark study.

Study finds differing treatment options for women smokers Posted: 13 Jul 2016 07:57 AM PDT A new study has found important differences between women and men in their ability to quit smoking when taking medications commonly prescribed to help smokers quit.

Fat cells may play key role in battle against breast cancer Posted: 13 Jul 2016 07:57 AM PDT New research highlights how fat cells could help determine the most effective way to fight breast cancer, including using exercise to combat the disease. For nearly a half century, researchers have studied the links between obesity and breast cancer. This recent study has revealed specifically that adiponectin and leptin are possible reasons for poorer response to therapy and higher risk of death in obese persons than in others.

Driving ability of people with cognitive impairment difficult to assess: Research review Posted: 13 Jul 2016 07:35 AM PDT No single assessment tool is able to consistently determine driving ability in people with Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment, a research review has found.

Not all 'front-of-package' nutrition information produces the same effect Posted: 13 Jul 2016 07:34 AM PDT Marketing researchers have compared different types of front-of-package nutrition information labels and found that a "one-size-fits-all" label is not suitable for all shopping scenarios.

Hungry parents may feed their kids more, study finds Posted: 13 Jul 2016 07:34 AM PDT The hungrier parents are at mealtimes, a new study shows, the more they may feed their young children, which could have implications for childhood obesity.

Breakthrough in scaling up life-changing stem cell production Posted: 13 Jul 2016 07:31 AM PDT Scientists have discovered a new method of creating human stem cells which could solve the big problem of the large-scale production needed to fully realize the potential of these remarkable cells for understanding and treating disease.

The complex crosstalk between obesity, breast cancer Posted: 13 Jul 2016 07:31 AM PDT A new study describes how inflammation that characterizes fatty tissue is one of the main microenvironment actors responsible for promoting cancer. The authors also describe the involvement of steroid hormones and others factors produced by adipose tissue in breast cancer development.

Camp stability predicts patterns of hunter–gatherer cooperation Posted: 13 Jul 2016 07:29 AM PDT Reciprocal food-sharing is more prevalent in stable hunter-gatherer camps, shows new research that sheds light on the evolutionary roots of human cooperation.

Dismantling the retinoic acid synthesis pathway in chordate evolution Posted: 13 Jul 2016 07:27 AM PDT The planktonic organism Oikopleura dioica, an animal model in the study of evolution and embryonic development in our phylum (chordates), has lost most of the genes related to retinoic acid metabolism, according to a new report.

A toxic quick-change artist Posted: 13 Jul 2016 07:27 AM PDT Molecular biologists have discovered a mechanism which enables a deadly toxin to penetrate and destroy human cells. Their findings can serve a rational framework for the design and development of new anti-toxin drugs.

Preventing type 2 diabetes: When genes fail to respond Posted: 13 Jul 2016 07:27 AM PDT It is widely accepted that physical exercise lowers the risk of developing diabetes. Yet in one in five participants in related studies this positive effect fails to materialize. Researchers and clinicians have now discovered what occurs in the muscle of these so-called "non-responders".

Radical avoidance of plastics in the home: General environmental exposure limits beneficial effects Posted: 13 Jul 2016 07:25 AM PDT The well-known documentary "Plastic Planet" by Werner Boote starkly illustrates the dangers of plastic and synthetics for human beings and also shows how ubiquitous plastic is. Motivated by this multiple award-winning film, a family of five from Styria completely avoided plastics in their home environment for several months. Environmental medicine experts monitored them and analyzed their urine samples at the start of the experiment and again two months in. The main finding of this human biomonitoring study: even if one avoids plastics as far as possible in the home, a certain amount of exposure is inevitable from chemicals and from the environment.

New analysis recommends responsible prescription of opioids to pain patients Posted: 13 Jul 2016 07:25 AM PDT A recent review and analysis suggests that some policies restricting opioid prescriptions to curb overdose deaths could be harming those who need them the most: pain patients.

Nearly half of California nursing home residents complete end-of-life care orders Posted: 13 Jul 2016 07:16 AM PDT New research finds broad acceptance of written end-of-life care orders among California nursing home residents, with nearly half completing a Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment, or POLST, form in 2011. The study also found no difference in completion of the form by race or ethnicity, suggesting wide acceptance of these orders among California's highly diverse population. The researchers also identified a few areas where the use of the forms in nursing homes could be improved.

Brain cell death in Alzheimer's linked to structural flaw Posted: 13 Jul 2016 07:09 AM PDT Researchers have identified a new biological pathway involved in Alzheimer's disease. In experiments using fruit flies, blocking the pathway reduced the death of brain cells, suggesting that interfering with the pathway could represent a promising new strategy to treat the disease in human patients.

Shedding new light on protein aggregates and the diseases they cause Posted: 13 Jul 2016 07:08 AM PDT Researchers have developed a system capable of quickly screening millions of yeast cells to measure protein aggregates. Proteins regulate all of the processes that keep cells alive, but when misfolded they can clump into large aggregations, a phenomenon associated with diseases including Alzheimer's, Huntington's and Parkinson's.

Power up: Growing neurons undergo major metabolic shift Posted: 12 Jul 2016 10:39 AM PDT A new understanding of how developing brain cells come to rely on oxygen may inform the treatment of brain diseases. The findings reveal a metabolic route thought to go awry in cancer and neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.

Why artificial sweeteners can increase appetite Posted: 12 Jul 2016 10:01 AM PDT Researchers have revealed, for the first time, how artificial sweeteners can stimulate appetite in the brain. Billions of people worldwide consume artificial sweeteners and they are prescribed as a tool to treat obesity, despite little being known until now about their full impact on the brain and in regulating hunger.

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