ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Aspartame may prevent, not promote, weight loss by blocking intestinal enzyme's activity
• Largest study of its kind finds rare genetic variations linked to schizophrenia
• New clues in fight against leukemia, other B cell cancers
• Researchers find potential therapy for brain swelling during concussion
• Alarming disparities in health outcomes could be prevented by breastfeeding
• Study sheds light on parasite that causes river blindness
• Drug-caused deaths among health care professionals: New insights revealed
• Rates, causes of emergency department visits for adverse drug events
• Trends in infectious disease mortality in US
• Young blood does not reverse aging in old mice
• Cancer cells 'talk' to their environment, and it talks back
• Palliative care improves quality of life, lessens symptoms
• Protein, salt drive post-meal sleepiness
• Investigators pinpoint cause, possible treatment for rare form of sarcoma
• Right timing is crucial in life
• Teenagers drink a bathtub of sugary drinks a year
• Better surveillance, more cohesive policies needed against Rift Valley fever outbreaks
• New method makes peritoneal dialysis more tolerable
• Sex, gender, or both in medical research
• Regular walking regimen can improve heart health
• New topical immunotherapy effective against early skin cancer
• Key protein that binds to LDL cholesterol identified
• Genetic explanation for cancer's higher incidence in males than females
• New treatment for allergic response targets mast cells
• History of cells told through MEMOIR
• Expression of specific gene differentiates moles from melanoma
• Common probiotics can reduce stress levels, lessen anxiety
• Chronic wound patients who never receive opioids heal faster, new study finds
• Plant compounds may boost brain function in older adults, study says
• Omega-3 fatty acids stimulate brown adipose tissue metabolism
• Woman who lost vision to diabetes shares experience to raise awareness

Aspartame may prevent, not promote, weight loss by blocking intestinal enzyme's activity Posted: 22 Nov 2016 04:31 PM PST A team of investigators has found a possible mechanism explaining why use of the sugar substitute aspartame might not promote weight loss. In their report, the researchers show how the aspartame breakdown product phenylalanine interferes with the action of an enzyme previously shown to prevent metabolic syndrome - a group of symptoms associated with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Largest study of its kind finds rare genetic variations linked to schizophrenia Posted: 22 Nov 2016 03:23 PM PST Genetic variations that increase schizophrenia risk are rare, making it difficult to study their role. To overcome this, scientists analyzed the genomes of more than 41,000 people in the largest study of its kind to date. Their study reveals regions of the genome where mutations increase schizophrenia risk.

New clues in fight against leukemia, other B cell cancers Posted: 22 Nov 2016 03:23 PM PST Biochemical "cross talk" in an important pathway can be altered so that immune system cells that have turned cancerous can be eliminated, say scientists. Their findings could have future implications for treating cancer with the help of microRNAs.

Researchers find potential therapy for brain swelling during concussion Posted: 22 Nov 2016 02:48 PM PST A team of biomedical engineering researchers has identified a cause of fluid swelling of the brain, or cellular edema, that occurs during a concussion.

Alarming disparities in health outcomes could be prevented by breastfeeding Posted: 22 Nov 2016 10:19 AM PST Lack of paid leave and outdated maternity care are barriers to breastfeeding that disproportionately impact families of color. This is the first study to show how these disparities translate into differences in health outcomes.

Study sheds light on parasite that causes river blindness Posted: 22 Nov 2016 10:19 AM PST The parasite that causes river blindness infects about 37 million people in parts of Africa and Latin America, causing blindness and other major eye and skin diseases in about 5 million of them. A study now sheds light on the genetic makeup of the parasite, a step toward the goal of eradication.

Drug-caused deaths among health care professionals: New insights revealed Posted: 22 Nov 2016 09:36 AM PST From 2003-2013, nearly five deaths per 1000 employed Australian health care professionals were caused by drugs, with a significant association between specific professions and drug type, an Australian-first study has found.

Rates, causes of emergency department visits for adverse drug events Posted: 22 Nov 2016 09:32 AM PST The prevalence of emergency department visits for adverse drug events in the United States was estimated to be 4 per 1,000 individuals in 2013 and 2014, and the most common drug classes involved were anticoagulants, antibiotics, diabetes agents, and opioid analgesics, according to a study.

Trends in infectious disease mortality in US Posted: 22 Nov 2016 09:32 AM PST Trends in infectious disease mortality in the United States from 1980 through 2014 have been released by researchers.

Young blood does not reverse aging in old mice Posted: 22 Nov 2016 09:31 AM PST Tissue health and repair dramatically decline in young mice when half of their blood is replaced with blood from old mice, research shows. The study argues against the rejuvenating properties of young blood and points to old blood, or molecules within, as driving the aging process.

Cancer cells 'talk' to their environment, and it talks back Posted: 22 Nov 2016 09:19 AM PST A new method for measuring the mechanical force cells exert on their surroundings has now been devised, which can help scientists design better biomaterial scaffolds for tissue engineering.

Palliative care improves quality of life, lessens symptoms Posted: 22 Nov 2016 09:18 AM PST People living with serious illness who receive palliative care have better quality of life. The study is the first meta-analysis of the effect of palliative care as it relates to patients' quality of life, symptom burden and survival.

Protein, salt drive post-meal sleepiness Posted: 22 Nov 2016 09:18 AM PST Sleepiness after a large meal is something we all experience, and new research with fruit flies suggests higher protein and salt content in our food, as well as the volume consumed, can lead to longer naps.

Investigators pinpoint cause, possible treatment for rare form of sarcoma Posted: 22 Nov 2016 09:18 AM PST Researchers have discovered a potential cause and a promising new treatment for inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors, a rare soft tissue cancer that does not respond to radiation or chemotherapy.

Right timing is crucial in life Posted: 22 Nov 2016 06:27 AM PST Humans, as well as many other organisms, possess internal clocks. The exact timing, however, can differ between individuals – for instance, some people are early risers whereas others are "night owls". Now scientists have investigated what underlies such timing variations or "chronotypes".

Teenagers drink a bathtub of sugary drinks a year Posted: 22 Nov 2016 05:05 AM PST Teenagers, aged between 11 and 18, drink almost a bathtub full of sugary drinks on average a year, according to new calculations.

Better surveillance, more cohesive policies needed against Rift Valley fever outbreaks Posted: 22 Nov 2016 05:04 AM PST Research on the mosquito-borne Rift Valley fever in east Africa and the Arabian Peninsula shows that current surveillance systems are unable to detect the virus in livestock before it spreads to humans. A coherent policy is needed to combat the viral disease, which has the potential to spread to previously unaffected areas, according to research.

New method makes peritoneal dialysis more tolerable Posted: 22 Nov 2016 04:59 AM PST The addition of a new type of fluid for use in peritoneal dialysis makes it easier to tolerate and protects the cells in the abdominal cavity. This could make the peritoneum more resilient to harmful effects, report investigators.

Sex, gender, or both in medical research Posted: 22 Nov 2016 04:59 AM PST Only a minority of medical studies take sex and gender into account when analyzing and reporting research result, report experts.

Regular walking regimen can improve heart health Posted: 21 Nov 2016 05:41 PM PST Heart disease, the leading cause of death in America, can be combated by implementing a simple walking regimen. Researchers found that moderately intensive walking improves cardiovascular risk factors in the short term.

New topical immunotherapy effective against early skin cancer Posted: 21 Nov 2016 05:41 PM PST A combination of two topical drugs that have been in use for years triggers a robust immune response against precancerous skin lesions, according to a new study. The research shows that the therapy activates the immune system's T cells, which then attack the abnormal skin cells.

Key protein that binds to LDL cholesterol identified Posted: 21 Nov 2016 02:56 PM PST A protein that plays an important role in the buildup of LDL cholesterol in blood vessels has been identified by researchers. The finding could lead to an additional strategy to block LDL accumulation, which could help prevent or slow the clogging of arteries that leads to heart disease, the researchers said.

Genetic explanation for cancer's higher incidence in males than females Posted: 21 Nov 2016 02:53 PM PST Scientists offer a genetic explanation for the age-old conundrum of why cancer is more common in males than females. Females, it turns out, carry an extra copy of certain protective genes in their cells -- an additional line of defense against the cells growing out of control.

New treatment for allergic response targets mast cells Posted: 21 Nov 2016 02:48 PM PST A new method that stops allergic reactions by removing a key receptor from mast cells and basophils has now been developed by researchers. Their work has implications for the treatment of skin allergies and asthma.

History of cells told through MEMOIR Posted: 21 Nov 2016 02:39 PM PST Researchers have developed a new method for reading the history and "family trees" of cells. Called MEMOIR, or Memory by Engineered Mutagenesis with Optical In situ Readout, the technique can record the life history of animal cells -- their relationships with other cells, communication patterns, and the influential events that have shaped them.

Expression of specific gene differentiates moles from melanoma Posted: 21 Nov 2016 01:00 PM PST Decreased levels of the gene p15 represents a way to determine if a nevus, or mole, is transitioning to a melanoma, new research finds. The protein p15 functions to inhibit nevus cell proliferation.

Common probiotics can reduce stress levels, lessen anxiety Posted: 21 Nov 2016 01:00 PM PST Studying how gut bacteria affect behavior in zebrafish could lead to a better understanding of how probiotics may affect the central nervous system in humans.

Chronic wound patients who never receive opioids heal faster, new study finds Posted: 21 Nov 2016 11:47 AM PST Opioid exposure is associated with reduced likelihood of healing in patients with chronic wounds, new research demonstrates.

Plant compounds may boost brain function in older adults, study says Posted: 21 Nov 2016 11:46 AM PST The same compounds that give plants and vegetables their vibrant colors might be able to bolster brain functioning in older adults, according to a recent study.

Omega-3 fatty acids stimulate brown adipose tissue metabolism Posted: 21 Nov 2016 08:23 AM PST Omega-3 fatty acids are able to stimulate the activation of brown and beige adipose tissues, a discovery that would promote the development of new therapies for obesity and other metabolism diseases, according to a research study.

Woman who lost vision to diabetes shares experience to raise awareness Posted: 21 Nov 2016 08:14 AM PST It was Labor Day 2015 when Rosetta Ivey-Foster, a 76-year-old retired bank clerk, learned first-hand how quickly diabetes can deteriorate vision. Swift action restored most of her eyesight.

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