ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Industry conflicts of interest are pervasive among medical guideline panel members, experts say
• 15-year increase in life expectancy for people with HIV in UK
• Melatonin delays onset, reduces deaths in mouse model of Huntington’s disease
• Eating your greens can change the effect of your genes on heart disease
• New discovery could change the face of cell-biology research
• Burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe
• Vitamin E supplement may increase prostate cancer risk, national U.S. study finds
• Ovarian cancer patients survive longer with BRCA2 mutated in tumors, study finds
• Laser removal of heart device wires safe for older patients, study suggests
• Study shows increased prostate cancer risk from vitamin E supplements
• BRCA2 genetic mutation associated with improved survival and chemotherapy response in ovarian cancer
• Folic acid in early pregnancy associated with reduced risk of severe language delay in children
• Use of vitamin E associated with increased risk of prostate cancer
• Medical safety net for undocumented patients
• Emerging pharmaceutical platform may pose risks to retinal health, study suggests
• More intersections mean less outdoor activity for children
• Crop improvement and human medicine: Using proteins to target and manipulate specific genes
• Test helps reduce risk of death in advanced lung cancer
• Annual cost of violence pegged at $6.9 billion after women leave abusive partners
• Experts find continuous glucose monitoring beneficial in maintaining target blood glucose levels
• Evidence points to potential roles for cognitive rehabilitation therapy in treating traumatic brain injury, but further research needed
• Natural processes can limit spread of arsenic in water, says study
• Mushroom compound appears to improve effectiveness of cancer drugs, study suggests
• Link shown between environmental toxicants and atherosclerosis
• Common antibiotic can have serious adverse reactions, review finds
• Ginger root supplement reduced colon inflammation markers
• Stem cells, signaling pathways identified in lung repair
• Inhaler treatment for lung cancer
• Hispanic women have higher incidence of rare breast tumor
• New testing program improves scores, knowledge retention for third-year internal medicine residents
• A safe vaccination for Alzheimer's disease?
• Light can detect pre-cancerous colon cells
• Common medications can contribute to lower urinary tract symptoms in men, study finds
• 40 million tuberculosis deaths due to smoking over next 40 years, study predicts
• Activating brown fat: Research finding may lead to new treatments for obesity and Type 2 diabetes
• Peanut allergy turned off by tricking immune system: New approach makes allergen appear safe and prevents life-threatening reaction
• Uncharted territory: Scientists sequence the first carbohydrate biopolymer
• Swedish heart test saves lives of newborns with heart defects
• Ticagrelor: Considerable added benefit for specific patients, study suggests
• Health benefits of broccoli require the whole food, not supplements
• Some youth too immature to stand trial, experts say
• New drug target for Alzheimer's, stroke discovered
• Improved method for detecting mutant DNAs
• Customized assistive devices for people with spinal cord injuries
• Engineers create touchscreen Braille writer
• New way to screen for brain cancer stem cell killers
• Herbal supplements may cause dangerous drug interactions in orthopaedic surgery patients, study suggests
• New 'genome mining' technique streamlines discovery from nature
• Identifying earliest stages of Alzheimer's disease
• Neuroscientists pinpoint specific social difficulties in people with autism
• Chronic dialysis for kidney disease patients now started substantially earlier
• Physicians treating Latinos have high hurdles to jump, study shows
• Case of the missing monocyte: Gene appears to protect against rheumatoid arthritis
• Battle between the placenta and uterus could help explain preeclampsia
• Men with disabilities four times more likely to be sexually abused than men without disabilities, study suggests
• Adjusting to high temperatures: Researchers discover multifunctional enzyme active in metabolism
• Cheating Father Time: 50-year-old can be every bit as fit as someone 30 years younger, but exercise is key
• Goal to build more than 30 more KASPARs to help children with autism

Industry conflicts of interest are pervasive among medical guideline panel members, experts say Posted: 11 Oct 2011 04:24 PM PDT Researchers have found that conflicts of interest are prevalent and potentially under-reported among individuals participating in the development of clinical practice guidelines, which inform standards of patient care. The findings provide further evidence of the potential influence of industry on medical practice recommendations.

15-year increase in life expectancy for people with HIV in UK Posted: 11 Oct 2011 04:24 PM PDT People with HIV have a 15 years longer life expectancy thanks to improved treatments over the past 13 years, according to a new study.

Melatonin delays onset, reduces deaths in mouse model of Huntington’s disease Posted: 11 Oct 2011 02:15 PM PDT Melatonin, best known for its role in sleep regulation, delayed the onset of symptoms and reduced mortality in a mouse model of Huntington's disease, say researchers. Their findings show for the first time that certain receptors for the hormone reside in the mitochondria, and that there are fewer of them both in affected mice and human brains.

Eating your greens can change the effect of your genes on heart disease Posted: 11 Oct 2011 02:15 PM PDT A long-held mantra suggests that you can't change your family, the genes they pass on, or the effect of these genes. Now, scientists are attacking that belief. The researchers discovered the gene that is the strongest marker for heart disease can actually be modified by generous amounts of fruit and raw vegetables.

New discovery could change the face of cell-biology research Posted: 11 Oct 2011 02:15 PM PDT Rewrite the textbooks and revisit old experiments, because there's a new cog in our cellular machinery that has been just been discovered.

Burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe Posted: 11 Oct 2011 02:15 PM PDT Hospital associated infections (HAI) are often in the headlines, but what is the burden of mortality, morbidity and costs due to HAIs? Researchers now report the results of a prospective clinical investigation into the societal burden of HAIs from 31 European countries.

Vitamin E supplement may increase prostate cancer risk, national U.S. study finds Posted: 11 Oct 2011 01:30 PM PDT Men who take a daily vitamin E supplement -- a regimen once thought to reduce cancer risk -- face an increased risk of prostate cancer, according to results of a large national study. The finding comes from a report summarizing the latest results of the Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT).

Ovarian cancer patients survive longer with BRCA2 mutated in tumors, study finds Posted: 11 Oct 2011 01:30 PM PDT Women with high-grade ovarian cancer live longer and respond better to platinum-based chemotherapy when their tumors have BRCA2 genetic mutations, researchers report.

Laser removal of heart device wires safe for older patients, study suggests Posted: 11 Oct 2011 01:30 PM PDT Using a laser to remove pacemaker and defibrillator wires implanted in heart muscle is as safe in people ages 80 and older as it is in younger people. Researchers found no important risk differences between the two age groups. This should reduce safety concerns and increase the procedure's use in octogenarians.

Study shows increased prostate cancer risk from vitamin E supplements Posted: 11 Oct 2011 01:30 PM PDT Men who took 400 international units of vitamin E daily had more prostate cancers compared to men who took a placebo. The findings showed that, per 1,000 men, there were 76 prostate cancers in men who took only vitamin E supplements, vs. 65 in men on placebo over a seven-year period, or 11 more cases per 1,000 men. This represents a 17 percent increase in prostate cancers relative to those who took a placebo.

BRCA2 genetic mutation associated with improved survival and chemotherapy response in ovarian cancer Posted: 11 Oct 2011 01:30 PM PDT Among women with a certain type of high-grade ovarian cancer, having BRCA2 genetic mutations, but not BRCA1, was associated with improved overall survival and improved response to chemotherapy, compared to women with BRCA wild-type (genetic type used as a reference to compare genetic mutations), according to a new study.

Folic acid in early pregnancy associated with reduced risk of severe language delay in children Posted: 11 Oct 2011 01:30 PM PDT Use of folic acid supplements by women in Norway in the period four weeks before to eight weeks after conception was associated with a reduced risk of the child having severe language delay at age three years, according to a new study.

Use of vitamin E associated with increased risk of prostate cancer Posted: 11 Oct 2011 01:30 PM PDT In a trial that included about 35,000 men, those who were randomized to receive daily supplementation with vitamin E had a significantly increased risk of prostate cancer, according to a new study.

Medical safety net for undocumented patients Posted: 11 Oct 2011 12:44 PM PDT Researchers are exploring the ethical challenges that clinicians and organizations face when providing medical care to undocumented immigrants in the United States. Most of the estimated 11 million undocumented residents of the US have no health insurance and are ineligible for public insurance programs. They are prohibited from obtaining insurance under the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Emerging pharmaceutical platform may pose risks to retinal health, study suggests Posted: 11 Oct 2011 11:57 AM PDT An emerging pharmaceutical platform used in treating a variety of diseases may produce unintended and undesirable effects on eye function, according to a new study.

More intersections mean less outdoor activity for children Posted: 11 Oct 2011 11:57 AM PDT High intersection density and well-connected streets in towns and cities may discourage children from being active and exercising outdoors, according to a new study.

Crop improvement and human medicine: Using proteins to target and manipulate specific genes Posted: 11 Oct 2011 11:57 AM PDT Scientists are using certain proteins to target and manipulate specific genes. That could lead to breakthroughs in understanding gene function and improving traits in livestock and plants, and even treating human genetic disorders.

Test helps reduce risk of death in advanced lung cancer Posted: 11 Oct 2011 11:57 AM PDT A new test has helped reduce the risk of death in lung cancer patients in a recent clinical trial.

Annual cost of violence pegged at $6.9 billion after women leave abusive partners Posted: 11 Oct 2011 10:21 AM PDT Even after women have separated from an abusive partner, the violence still costs Canadians an estimated $6.9 billion a year, according to new research.

Experts find continuous glucose monitoring beneficial in maintaining target blood glucose levels Posted: 11 Oct 2011 10:21 AM PDT Patients with diabetes face daily challenges in managing their blood glucose levels, and it has been postulated that patients could benefit from a system providing continuous real-time glucose readings. Experts have released a clinical practice guideline providing recommendations on settings where patients are most likely to benefit from continuous glucose monitoring.

Evidence points to potential roles for cognitive rehabilitation therapy in treating traumatic brain injury, but further research needed Posted: 11 Oct 2011 10:21 AM PDT There is some evidence about the potential value of cognitive rehabilitation therapy for treating traumatic brain injury.

Natural processes can limit spread of arsenic in water, says study Posted: 11 Oct 2011 10:21 AM PDT A new study shows that deep sediments can grab naturally occurring arsenic in groundwater and take it out of circulation -- a finding that may help to keep wells safe elsewhere, including in the United States.

Mushroom compound appears to improve effectiveness of cancer drugs, study suggests Posted: 11 Oct 2011 10:20 AM PDT A compound isolated from a wild, poisonous mushroom growing in a southwest China forest appears to help a cancer killing drug fulfill its promise, researchers report.

Link shown between environmental toxicants and atherosclerosis Posted: 11 Oct 2011 10:20 AM PDT Environmental toxicants such as dioxins, PCBs, and pesticides can pose a risk for cardiovascular disease. For the first time a link has been demonstrated between atherosclerosis and levels of long-lived organic environmental toxicants in the blood.

Common antibiotic can have serious adverse reactions, review finds Posted: 11 Oct 2011 10:20 AM PDT A commonly prescribed antimicrobial -- trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole -- that has been used since 1968 can cause serious adverse reactions and physicians need to be aware of these in prescribing, states a new review.

Ginger root supplement reduced colon inflammation markers Posted: 11 Oct 2011 10:20 AM PDT Ginger supplements reduced markers of colon inflammation in a select group of patients, suggesting that this supplement may have potential as a colon cancer prevention agent, according to a new study.

Stem cells, signaling pathways identified in lung repair Posted: 11 Oct 2011 09:14 AM PDT Researchers have identified cells and signaling molecules that trigger the repair of injured lungs. The scientists report that destruction of lung tissue in mice induces smooth muscle cells surrounding the airways to secrete a protein known as fibroblast growth factor 10, which induces surviving epithelial cells in the airways to revert to a stem-cell state, proliferate, repair and repopulate the lining of the lungs.

Inhaler treatment for lung cancer Posted: 11 Oct 2011 09:14 AM PDT Lung cancer patients could receive safer and more efficient treatment through a new system.

Hispanic women have higher incidence of rare breast tumor Posted: 11 Oct 2011 09:14 AM PDT According to a new study, phyllodes tumors -- rare breast malignancies accounting for 0.5 to 1 percent of all breast tumors -- tend to be more prevalent in Hispanic patients. Population-based estimates indicate that the incidence of malignant phyllodes tumors is 2.1 cases per million women, with the highest frequencies in Hispanic women.

New testing program improves scores, knowledge retention for third-year internal medicine residents Posted: 11 Oct 2011 09:12 AM PDT A new analysis shows that a multiple-choice testing program coupled with a novel year-long clinical experience helps internal medicine residents improve their scores on the Internal Medicine In-Training Exam.

A safe vaccination for Alzheimer's disease? Posted: 11 Oct 2011 09:12 AM PDT Genetic factors influence the immune response to vaccinations for Alzheimer's disease, which are among the most promising avenues of treatment for the illness. Using a mice model, these factors were studied.

Light can detect pre-cancerous colon cells Posted: 11 Oct 2011 08:29 AM PDT After demonstrating that light accurately detected pre-cancerous cells in the lining of the esophagus, bioengineers turned their technology to the colon and have achieved similar results in a series of preliminary experiments.

Common medications can contribute to lower urinary tract symptoms in men, study finds Posted: 11 Oct 2011 08:29 AM PDT Use of selected prescription medications, including antidepressants, antihistamines, bronchodilators, anticholinergics, sympathomimetics, and diuretics contribute to 10 percent of lower urinary tract symptoms among men, according to a new study.

40 million tuberculosis deaths due to smoking over next 40 years, study predicts Posted: 11 Oct 2011 08:29 AM PDT Smoking could cause 18 million more cases of tuberculosis worldwide over the next 40 years and 40 million additional deaths. That's the sobering scenario predicted by a new study, if smoking continues at current rates.

Activating brown fat: Research finding may lead to new treatments for obesity and Type 2 diabetes Posted: 11 Oct 2011 08:28 AM PDT Activating a specialized type of fat, known as brown adipose tissue, may help combat obesity as well as result in better glucose control for Type 2 diabetes, according to new research.

Peanut allergy turned off by tricking immune system: New approach makes allergen appear safe and prevents life-threatening reaction Posted: 11 Oct 2011 08:28 AM PDT Researchers have turned off a life-threatening allergic response to peanuts by tricking the immune system into thinking the nut proteins aren't a threat to the body, according to a new preclinical study. The peanut tolerance was achieved by attaching peanut proteins onto blood cells and reintroducing them to the body -- an approach that ultimately may be able to target more than one food allergy at a time.

Uncharted territory: Scientists sequence the first carbohydrate biopolymer Posted: 11 Oct 2011 08:27 AM PDT For the first time ever, a team of researchers has announced the sequence of a complete complex carbohydrate biopolymer. The surprising discovery provides the scientific and medical communities with an important and fundamental new view of these vital biomolecules, which play a role in everything from cell structure and development to disease pathology and blood clotting.

Swedish heart test saves lives of newborns with heart defects Posted: 11 Oct 2011 08:25 AM PDT The US Secretary of Health recently supported a recommendation that all babies born in the US are to be screened for critical heart defects, before leaving hospital. Behind this decision is a study from Sweden which shows that a simple test can save the lives of newborns with these heart defects. Other countries too are set to make the test mandatory.

Ticagrelor: Considerable added benefit for specific patients, study suggests Posted: 11 Oct 2011 08:25 AM PDT Since the start of 2011, the active ingredient ticagrelor can be prescribed in Germany in addition to acetylsalicylic acid to avoid blood clots in patients with acute ischaemia of the cardiac muscle. Experts suggest that ticagrelor provides considerable added benefit to specific patients by decreasing the risk of death and myocardial infarction.

Health benefits of broccoli require the whole food, not supplements Posted: 11 Oct 2011 08:25 AM PDT New research has found that if you want some of the many health benefits associated with eating broccoli or other cruciferous vegetables, you need to eat the real thing -- a key phytochemical in these vegetables is poorly absorbed and of far less value if taken as a supplement.

Some youth too immature to stand trial, experts say Posted: 11 Oct 2011 08:24 AM PDT Researchers have found that unlike adults, most children and adolescents who are found incompetent to stand trial are not psychotic; rather, they have cognitive impairments. And, they are often too immature to understand the magnitude of the situation.

New drug target for Alzheimer's, stroke discovered Posted: 11 Oct 2011 08:24 AM PDT A tiny piece of a critical receptor that fuels the brain and without which sentient beings cannot live has been discovered by scientists as a promising new drug target for Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases.

Improved method for detecting mutant DNAs Posted: 11 Oct 2011 08:23 AM PDT Molecular DNA testing methods offer clinicians powerful tools that serve to confirm or identify disease diagnoses. High sensitivity and high specificity, however, are frequently a challenge to achieve with these methods. Researchers now describe a new, robust technique that holds promise for identifying trace mutant DNA sequences (signals) in an overwhelming population of unmutated DNA (noise).

Customized assistive devices for people with spinal cord injuries Posted: 11 Oct 2011 08:23 AM PDT The first active orthosis prototype assists muscles affected by incomplete spinal cord injury.

Engineers create touchscreen Braille writer Posted: 11 Oct 2011 07:21 AM PDT In a two-month summer course on high-performance computing, promising undergrads compete to create innovative applications. This summer's winner developed a touchscreen Braille writer that stands to revolutionize how the blind negotiate an unseen world by replacing devices costing up to 10 times more.

New way to screen for brain cancer stem cell killers Posted: 11 Oct 2011 07:21 AM PDT Researchers have developed and used a high-throughput molecular screening approach that identifies and characterizes chemical compounds that can target the stem cells that are responsible for creating deadly brain tumors.

Herbal supplements may cause dangerous drug interactions in orthopaedic surgery patients, study suggests Posted: 11 Oct 2011 07:21 AM PDT Complementary and alternative medical treatments such as herbal supplements have become increasingly popular in the United States, especially among older patients and those with chronic pain. However, many of these products can have serious and potentially harmful side effects when combined with medications prescribed during and after surgery, according to a review article.

New 'genome mining' technique streamlines discovery from nature Posted: 11 Oct 2011 07:21 AM PDT A newly developed method for microscopically extracting, or "mining," information from genomes could represent a significant boost in the search for new therapeutic drugs and improve science's understanding of basic functions such as how cells communicate with one another.

Identifying earliest stages of Alzheimer's disease Posted: 11 Oct 2011 07:20 AM PDT Addressing the earliest stages of Alzheimer's disease, before a patient shows outward signs of cognitive problems, has sometimes been a challenge for physicians and researchers, in part because they have not been using common and specific terms to describe the disease's initial phases. A new study recommends adding categories to more effectively identify and treat people and give researchers standard definitions to work with.

Neuroscientists pinpoint specific social difficulties in people with autism Posted: 11 Oct 2011 07:20 AM PDT Researchers say they have isolated a very specific difference in how high-functioning people with autism think about other people, finding that -- in actuality -- they don't tend to think about what others think of them at all.

Chronic dialysis for kidney disease patients now started substantially earlier Posted: 11 Oct 2011 07:20 AM PDT It has become increasingly clear that patients in the United States are starting dialysis at higher and higher levels of kidney function. A team of researchers found that over a decade, patients have been starting dialysis approximately five months earlier on average.

Physicians treating Latinos have high hurdles to jump, study shows Posted: 11 Oct 2011 07:19 AM PDT Physicians who primarily treat Latino patients don't feel they can provide them high quality care, report researchers. Among the reasons -- inadequate time with patients, the patients' ability to pay and not adhering to recommended treatments, and difficulties communicating.

Case of the missing monocyte: Gene appears to protect against rheumatoid arthritis Posted: 11 Oct 2011 07:19 AM PDT An estimated 1.3 million people in the United States suffer from rheumatoid arthritis. The causes behind this chronic disease -- which can exhibit itself as pain, swelling, stiffness, deformation, and loss of function in the joints -- have eluded scientists for centuries. A new study offers tantalizing glimmers about the roles of a gene called CCR2, an immune system cell called Th17 cell, and a missing monocyte.

Battle between the placenta and uterus could help explain preeclampsia Posted: 11 Oct 2011 04:52 AM PDT A battle that brews in the mother's womb between the father's biological goal to produce the biggest, healthiest baby possible vs. the mother's need to live through delivery might help explain preeclampsia, an often deadly disease of pregnancy. The fetus must be big enough to thrive, yet small enough to pass through the birth canal. In a new study, researchers describe the mechanism that keeps these conflicting goals in balance.

Men with disabilities four times more likely to be sexually abused than men without disabilities, study suggests Posted: 11 Oct 2011 04:52 AM PDT Previous studies have documented that women with disabilities are more likely to be sexually assaulted than women without disabilities. A new study is the first population-based investigation to examine sexual violence victimization against men with disabilities. Researchers report that men with disabilities are more than four times more likely to be victimized by sexual assaults compared to men without disabilities.

Adjusting to high temperatures: Researchers discover multifunctional enzyme active in metabolism Posted: 11 Oct 2011 04:48 AM PDT Gluconeogenesis is the ability to re-synthesize sugar out of simpler chemical building blocks. It is a central pathway of the metabolism in humans as well as simple bacteria. Researchers have been unable to scientifically analyze this conclusively until now. Scientists in Germany have described a fundamentally new type of multifunctional enzyme in this metabolic pathway.

Cheating Father Time: 50-year-old can be every bit as fit as someone 30 years younger, but exercise is key Posted: 11 Oct 2011 04:46 AM PDT Who is likely to be fitter: a lazy 20-year-old or an active 50-year-old? New research from Norway provides statistical evidence that the 50-year-old can be every bit as fit as someone 30 years younger. But exercise – how much, and how intense – is the key, say researchers.

Goal to build more than 30 more KASPARs to help children with autism Posted: 11 Oct 2011 04:46 AM PDT Researchers in the UK have a goal to build over 30 more KASPAR robots to help children with autism.

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