ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Improving diagnosis of thyroid nodules
• Even the very elderly and frail can benefit from exercise
• Modeling sepsis in newborns: Technical achievement will speed the search for better diagnostics, treatments
• Even small weight gains raise blood pressure in college students
• Non-alcoholic red wine may help reduce high blood pressure
• Genome of malaria-causing parasite sequenced: Even when on different continents, organism features same mutations
• Genetic test will help dose blood thinner
• Biopsies may overlook esophagus disease; Study reveals limitations in detecting allergic disorder
• Alcoholics anonymous participation promotes long-term recovery, study finds
• Well-known protein reveals new tricks
• New blood test detects potentially deadly calcium deposits
• Some patients with common kidney disease can skip standard treatments
• Simple Blood Tests Detect Autoimmune Kidney Disease, Help Predict Prognosis
• Neutron detector will advance human disease research
• Doctor and pharmacy shopping linked to prescription drug overdose deaths, study finds
• Crizotinib reduces tumor size in patients with ALK positive lung cancer
• Hispanic lung cancer patients have higher survival than non-Hispanic white patients
• Parents' skin cancer concern doesn't keep kids inside
• Childhood virus RSV shows promise against adult cancer
• Standard chemotherapy provides higher survival rate than experimental in lung cancer patients
• Stage I NSCLC patients who receive radiation therapy are surviving longer
• Brain radiation after lung cancer treatment reduces risk of cancer spreading
• Adding bavituximab to second-line chemotherapy doubles response rate
• Genetic discovery in Montreal for a rare disease in Newfoundland
• Public health messages encourage fathers to speak with their children about sex, study finds
• Protein critical to gut lining repair identified
• Nutritional supplement offers promise in treatment of unique form of autism
• People who get kidney stones more likely to develop kidney failure
• In Rochester, a tale of tainted tattoos: Outbreak highlights new source of infection -- tattoo ink
• Predicting how patients respond to therapy: Brain scans could help doctors choose treatments for people with social anxiety disorder
• Transformation of health system needed to improve care and reduce costs
• Childhood sexual abuse linked to later heart attacks in men
• Storm of 'awakened' transposons may cause brain-cell pathologies in ALS, other illnesses
• Master gene affects neurons that govern breathing at birth and in adulthood
• Immune cell death safeguards against autoimmune disease
• Stem-cell-protecting drug could prevent the harmful side effects of radiation therapy
• Rare autoimmune disease attacks people of Asian descent
• Germ cell-supporting embryonic Sertoli-like cells created from skin cells
• Atypical skin mole may provide means to test for new cancer syndrome
• Pint-size molecules show promise against obesity
• Earlier treatment for young patients with chronic hepatitis B more effective in clearing virus
• Breast cancer screening saves lives, new study shows
• Promising new drug target for inflammatory lung diseases
• Survival 'excellent' following living donor liver transplantation for acute liver failure
• Novel therapeutic targets identified for small cell lung cancer
• Preventing noise-induced hearing loss, tinnitus in soldiers
• Thickening of the heart's right ventricle could foreshadow heart failure and cardiovascular death
• Married lung cancer patients survive longer than single patients after treatment
• Pint-size gene switches show promise against weighty problem
• Students create low-cost biosensor to detect contaminated water in developing nations
• Bacteria on marine sponges can develop capacity to move and inhibit biofilm formation
• Acidic microenvironments in tumors aid tumor cell survival, researchers find
• Popular kids in U.S. and Mexico more likely to smoke, studies show
• Safe, multi-functional anti-inflammatory/anti-allergic drugs developed
• Advocacy toolkit launched to halt the 'runaway train' of cancer in Africa
• Advanced maternal age not harmful for adult children, study suggests
• Almost one in five young children with cancer suffers from a trauma disorder
• Minimally invasive surgery works well for abdominal aortic aneurysms
• Tests for silent neck artery narrowing to curb stroke risk: Waste of resources, experts argue
• Most English football teams don't follow international guidelines on concussion, study finds

Improving diagnosis of thyroid nodules Posted: 06 Sep 2012 05:33 PM PDT Thyroid nodules are thought to be present in about half of all people, but very few of these are cancerous. New research presents a set of diagnostic biomarkers which are able to distinguish between malignant and benign thyroid nodules.

Even the very elderly and frail can benefit from exercise Posted: 06 Sep 2012 03:20 PM PDT A new study has shown that all seniors, even those considered frail, can enjoy the benefits of exercise in terms of their physical and cognitive faculties and quality of life and that these benefits appear after only three months.

Modeling sepsis in newborns: Technical achievement will speed the search for better diagnostics, treatments Posted: 06 Sep 2012 03:20 PM PDT Sepsis, or bacterial infection of the bloodstream, is a grave, hard-to-diagnose threat in premature newborns in the NICU. Even when it's detected and treated with antibiotics, its inflammatory effects can harm fragile babies' development. Now, researchers have modeled the effects of sepsis on the unique newborn immune system, using mice. They and others have begun using the model to identify diagnostic markers and better treatments.

Even small weight gains raise blood pressure in college students Posted: 06 Sep 2012 03:19 PM PDT As a college student, you may be happy simply not to have gained the "Freshman 15." But a new study shows that as little as 1.5 pounds per year is enough to raise blood pressure in that age group, and the effect was worse for young women.

Non-alcoholic red wine may help reduce high blood pressure Posted: 06 Sep 2012 03:19 PM PDT Non-alcoholic red wine was more effective at lowering blood pressure than traditional red wine or gin. Red wine's polyphenols uninhibited by alcohol seem to be the blood pressure reducing element.

Genome of malaria-causing parasite sequenced: Even when on different continents, organism features same mutations Posted: 06 Sep 2012 03:19 PM PDT Scientists have discovered that the parasite that causes the most common form of malaria share the same genetic variations -- even when the organisms are separated across continents. The discovery raises concerns that mutations to resist existing medications could spread worldwide, making global eradication efforts even more difficult.

Genetic test will help dose blood thinner Posted: 06 Sep 2012 03:16 PM PDT Patients suffering from dangerous blood clots will receive genetic testing to help health professionals at the University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System prescribe the proper dose of the blood-thinner warfarin.

Biopsies may overlook esophagus disease; Study reveals limitations in detecting allergic disorder Posted: 06 Sep 2012 03:16 PM PDT University of Utah engineers mapped white blood cells called eonsinophils and showed an existing diagnostic method may overlook an elusive digestive disorder that causes swelling in the esophagus and painful swallowing.

Alcoholics anonymous participation promotes long-term recovery, study finds Posted: 06 Sep 2012 03:16 PM PDT A new study finds that recovering alcoholics who help others in 12-step programs furthers their time sober, consideration for others, step-work, and long-term meeting attendance.

Well-known protein reveals new tricks Posted: 06 Sep 2012 03:16 PM PDT A protein called clathrin, which is found in every human cell and plays a critical role in transporting materials within them, also plays a key role in cell division, according to new research.

New blood test detects potentially deadly calcium deposits Posted: 06 Sep 2012 03:16 PM PDT For the first time, a new test can measure the propensity for calcification to occur in an individual's blood. The test could identify people at risk for vascular calcification, a major cause of heart disease.

Some patients with common kidney disease can skip standard treatments Posted: 06 Sep 2012 03:16 PM PDT Many patients with a common kidney disease who had normal kidney function and only minor urinary abnormalities at diagnosis experienced remission without special treatments. None developed kidney failure over a 20-year follow-up.

Simple Blood Tests Detect Autoimmune Kidney Disease, Help Predict Prognosis Posted: 06 Sep 2012 03:16 PM PDT • Blood tests of particular autoantibodies can accurately diagnose the autoimmune kidney disease called idiopathic membranous nephropathy. • Patients with high levels of these autoantibodies tend to have more severe disease, while those with low levels often experience remission. Each year, an estimated 50,000 people globally are diagnosed with idiopathic membranous nephropathy.

Neutron detector will advance human disease research Posted: 06 Sep 2012 12:42 PM PDT A neutron detector developed for studies focused on life science, drug discovery and materials technology has been licensed by PartTec Ltd. The Indiana-based manufacturer of radiation detection technologies is moving the technology developed at the U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory toward the commercial marketplace.

Doctor and pharmacy shopping linked to prescription drug overdose deaths, study finds Posted: 06 Sep 2012 12:05 PM PDT A new study has found that doctor and pharmacy shoppers are at a greater risk for drug-related death.

Crizotinib reduces tumor size in patients with ALK positive lung cancer Posted: 06 Sep 2012 11:48 AM PDT Crizotinib is effective in shrinking tumors in patients with anaplastic lymphoma receptor tyrosine kinase positive non-small cell lung cancer, a cancer commonly found in people who never smoked, and should be the standard of care for advanced stages of this disease, according to research presented at the 2012 Chicago Multidisciplinary Symposium in Thoracic Oncology.

Hispanic lung cancer patients have higher survival than non-Hispanic white patients Posted: 06 Sep 2012 11:48 AM PDT Analysis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patient records in the California Cancer Registry database during the 20-year period of 1988-2008 indicates that Hispanics/Latinos with NSCLC have a higher overall survival compared to non-Hispanic white patients, according to research presented at the 2012 Chicago Multidisciplinary Symposium in Thoracic Oncology.

Parents' skin cancer concern doesn't keep kids inside Posted: 06 Sep 2012 11:48 AM PDT Does parents' increasing skin cancer awareness make indoor, obese kids? Nope. A new study shows that skin cancer concern doesn't affect kids' time outside.

Childhood virus RSV shows promise against adult cancer Posted: 06 Sep 2012 11:48 AM PDT RSV, a common respiratory virus in infants and young children, is being studied as a safe, effective way to treat cancer. RSV already shows promise in anti-cancer trials overseas. US clinical trials could be on the horizon.

Standard chemotherapy provides higher survival rate than experimental in lung cancer patients Posted: 06 Sep 2012 11:48 AM PDT Treatment with pemetrexed, carboplatin and bevacizumab followed by maintenance pemetrexed and bevacizumab (Pem+Cb+B) is no better than standard therapy with paclitaxel, carboplatin and bevacizumab followed by bevacizumab (Pac+Cb+B) in patients with advanced non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer, according to research presented at the 2012 Chicago Multidisciplinary Symposium in Thoracic Oncology.

Stage I NSCLC patients who receive radiation therapy are surviving longer Posted: 06 Sep 2012 11:18 AM PDT Stage I, non-small cell lung cancer patients who received radiation therapy have an increased median survival of 21 months compared to 16 months, and the percentage of patients who receive no treatment declined from 20 percent to 16 percent, respectively, when comparing the two eras evaluated, 1999-2003 and 2004-2008, according to detailed analysis of the SEER-17 national database presented at the 2012 Chicago Multidisciplinary Symposium in Thoracic Oncology.

Brain radiation after lung cancer treatment reduces risk of cancer spreading Posted: 06 Sep 2012 11:18 AM PDT Stage III non-small cell lung cancer patients treated with surgery and/or radiation therapy have a significantly reduced risk of developing brain metastases if they also receive prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI); however, this study did not show an improvement in overall survival with PCI, according to research presented at the 2012 Chicago Multidisciplinary Symposium in Thoracic Oncology.

Adding bavituximab to second-line chemotherapy doubles response rate Posted: 06 Sep 2012 11:18 AM PDT Adding the monoclonal antibody bavituximab to docetaxel chemotherapy doubles overall response rate and improves progression-free survival and overall survival in late-stage non-squamous, non-small cell lung cancer patients who have already received one prior chemotherapy regimen, according to research presented at the 2012 Chicago Multidisciplinary Symposium in Thoracic Oncology.

Genetic discovery in Montreal for a rare disease in Newfoundland Posted: 06 Sep 2012 11:18 AM PDT Researchers have discovered the genetic cause of a rare disease reported only in patients originating from Newfoundland: Hereditary spastic ataxia. This condition is characterized by lower-limb spasticity (or stiffness) and ataxia (lack of coordination), the latter leading to speech and swallowing problems, and eye movement abnormalities.

Public health messages encourage fathers to speak with their children about sex, study finds Posted: 06 Sep 2012 11:11 AM PDT Public health messages may help encourage fathers to have more conversations with their children about waiting to become sexually active, according to researchers.

Protein critical to gut lining repair identified Posted: 06 Sep 2012 11:11 AM PDT Scientists have identified a protein essential to repairing the intestine's inner lining.

Nutritional supplement offers promise in treatment of unique form of autism Posted: 06 Sep 2012 11:11 AM PDT An international team of researchers has identified a form of autism with epilepsy that may potentially be treatable with a common nutritional supplement.

People who get kidney stones more likely to develop kidney failure Posted: 06 Sep 2012 10:13 AM PDT People who have had kidney stones are twice as likely to need dialysis or a kidney transplant later in life, demonstrates recent findings.

In Rochester, a tale of tainted tattoos: Outbreak highlights new source of infection -- tattoo ink Posted: 06 Sep 2012 10:13 AM PDT A recent study documents 19 cases of tattoos infected with a type of bacteria often found in tap water. Evidence points to a premixed gray ink, the type used in portrait tattoos, as the culprit. Physicians who treated the patients believe that tattoo-associated infections are probably more common than we think and that doctors should think about infectious causes if patients aren't responding to topical treatments that would typically dispel any allergic reactions to tattoos.

Predicting how patients respond to therapy: Brain scans could help doctors choose treatments for people with social anxiety disorder Posted: 06 Sep 2012 09:33 AM PDT A new study has found that brain scans of patients with social anxiety disorder can help predict whether they will benefit from cognitive behavioral therapy.

Transformation of health system needed to improve care and reduce costs Posted: 06 Sep 2012 09:33 AM PDT America's health care system has become too complex and costly to continue business as usual, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine.

Childhood sexual abuse linked to later heart attacks in men Posted: 06 Sep 2012 09:32 AM PDT Men who experienced childhood sexual abuse are three times more likely to have a heart attack than men who were not sexually abused as children, according to a new study. The researchers found no association between childhood sexual abuse and heart attacks among women.

Storm of 'awakened' transposons may cause brain-cell pathologies in ALS, other illnesses Posted: 06 Sep 2012 09:32 AM PDT A team of neuroscientists and informatics experts reports important progress in an effort to understand the relationship between transposons -- sequences of DNA that can jump around within the genome, potentially causing great damage -- and mechanisms involved in serious neurodegenerative disorders including ALS, FTLD (frontotemporal lobar degeneration) and Alzheimer's disease.

Master gene affects neurons that govern breathing at birth and in adulthood Posted: 06 Sep 2012 09:32 AM PDT When mice are born lacking the master gene Atoh1, none breathe well and all die in the newborn period. Why and how this occurs could provide new answers about sudden infant death syndrome, but the solution has remained elusive until now.

Immune cell death safeguards against autoimmune disease Posted: 06 Sep 2012 09:32 AM PDT Researchers have discovered that a pair of molecules work together to kill so-called 'self-reactive' immune cells that are programmed to attack the body's own organs. The finding is helping to explain how autoimmune diseases develop.

Stem-cell-protecting drug could prevent the harmful side effects of radiation therapy Posted: 06 Sep 2012 09:32 AM PDT Radiation therapy is one of the most widely used cancer treatments, but it often damages normal tissue and can lead to debilitating conditions. A class of drugs known as mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors can prevent radiation-induced tissue damage in mice by protecting normal stem cells that are crucial for tissue repair, according to a preclinical study.

Rare autoimmune disease attacks people of Asian descent Posted: 06 Sep 2012 09:29 AM PDT There has been an outbreak of an adult-onset immunodeficiency syndrome in Southeast Asia. The autoimmune disease causes AIDS-like symptoms but is not associated with HIV and is not contagious.

Germ cell-supporting embryonic Sertoli-like cells created from skin cells Posted: 06 Sep 2012 09:29 AM PDT Using a stepwise trans-differentiation process, researchers have turned skin cells into embryonic Sertoli-like cells.

Atypical skin mole may provide means to test for new cancer syndrome Posted: 06 Sep 2012 08:26 AM PDT Researchers have discovered germline BAP1 mutations are associated with a novel cancer syndrome characterized by malignant mesothelioma, uveal melanoma, cutaneous melanoma and atypical melanocytic tumors. Germline mutations are hereditary gene defects that are present in every cell.

Pint-size molecules show promise against obesity Posted: 06 Sep 2012 08:26 AM PDT Tiny strands of RNA affect how our cells burn fat and sugar -- a finding that gives biologists a place to start in the quest for therapies to treat obesity and related health problems, say scientists.

Earlier treatment for young patients with chronic hepatitis B more effective in clearing virus Posted: 06 Sep 2012 08:22 AM PDT Scientists have discovered for the first time that children and young patients with chronic hepatitis B Virus infection (HBV carriers) do have a protective immune response, contrary to current belief, and hence can be more suitable treatment candidates than previously considered.

Breast cancer screening saves lives, new study shows Posted: 06 Sep 2012 08:22 AM PDT Women who undergo screening halve their risk of dying from breast cancer, a new study has found. The study is the largest of its kind in Australia and one of the largest in the world. It followed about 4,000 women in a study of the BreastScreen program in Western Australia.

Promising new drug target for inflammatory lung diseases Posted: 06 Sep 2012 08:19 AM PDT The naturally occurring cytokine interleukin-18, or IL-18, plays a key role in inflammation and has been implicated in serious inflammatory diseases for which the prognosis is poor and there are currently limited treatment options. Therapies targeting IL-18 could prove effective against inflammatory diseases of the lung including bronchial asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), as described in a review article.

Survival 'excellent' following living donor liver transplantation for acute liver failure Posted: 06 Sep 2012 08:19 AM PDT Patients in Japan who underwent living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) for acute liver failure (ALF) were classified as having excellent outcomes, with ten-year survival at 73%. The findings suggest that the type of liver disease or treatment plan does not affect long-term patient survival following LDLT. Donor and patient age, however, does impact long-term outcome post-transplant.

Novel therapeutic targets identified for small cell lung cancer Posted: 06 Sep 2012 08:17 AM PDT • If validated, may have the potential to produce first targeted therapy for this disease. • Molecular profile of small cell lung cancer distinct from nonsmall cell lung cancer.

Preventing noise-induced hearing loss, tinnitus in soldiers Posted: 06 Sep 2012 08:17 AM PDT Antioxidants, dietary supplements and high-tech brain imaging are among some of the novel strategies that may help detect, treat and even prevent noise-induced hearing loss and tinnitus among American troops, according to researchers.

Thickening of the heart's right ventricle could foreshadow heart failure and cardiovascular death Posted: 06 Sep 2012 08:17 AM PDT Researchers report in a new study that thickening of the heart's right ventricle is associated with an increased risk of heart failure and cardiovascular death in patients without clinical cardiovascular disease at baseline. The study is published online ahead of print in the journal Circulation.

Married lung cancer patients survive longer than single patients after treatment Posted: 06 Sep 2012 06:28 AM PDT Married patients with locally advanced lung cancer are likely to survive longer after treatment than patients who are single, according to a new study.

Pint-size gene switches show promise against weighty problem Posted: 06 Sep 2012 06:27 AM PDT New findings establish a connection between microRNAs and cellular metabolism, suggesting that a drug designed to inhibit these tiny molecules -- once considered to be "junk" DNA -- would have a positive effect against obesity.

Students create low-cost biosensor to detect contaminated water in developing nations Posted: 06 Sep 2012 06:25 AM PDT Diarrheal disease is the second-leading cause of death in children under five years old -- killing as many as 1.5 million children worldwide every year. These startling statistics from the World Health Organization (2009) point to the reason why a group of undergraduate students is working to develop a low-cost biosensor -- a simple device that would detect contaminated drinking water.

Bacteria on marine sponges can develop capacity to move and inhibit biofilm formation Posted: 06 Sep 2012 04:42 AM PDT A new study shows that when enough bacteria get together in one place, they can make a collective decision to grow an appendage and swim away. This type of behavior has been seen for the first time in marine sponges, and could lead to an understanding of how to break up harmful bacterial biofilms, such as plaque on teeth or those found on internal medical devices like artificial heart valves.

Acidic microenvironments in tumors aid tumor cell survival, researchers find Posted: 06 Sep 2012 04:42 AM PDT Researchers have discovered that tumor cell survival relies on adaptation to acidic conditions in the tumor microenvironment. Their research investigating the effects of acidity on breast and pancreatic cancer cell lines revealed the importance of autophagy in acidic microenvironments and suggests that a successful treatment strategy might be based on this autophagic dependence.

Popular kids in U.S. and Mexico more likely to smoke, studies show Posted: 06 Sep 2012 04:42 AM PDT New research finds that popular students in seven Southern California high schools are more likely to smoke cigarettes than their less popular counterparts. The study confirms trends observed in previous studies of students in the sixth through 12th grades across the United States and in Mexico.

Safe, multi-functional anti-inflammatory/anti-allergic drugs developed Posted: 06 Sep 2012 04:40 AM PDT A synthetic, anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic family of drugs to combat a variety of illnesses while avoiding detrimental side effects has been developed by a researcher in Israel.

Advocacy toolkit launched to halt the 'runaway train' of cancer in Africa Posted: 06 Sep 2012 04:40 AM PDT Cancer kills more than seven million people a year throughout the world. This is more than HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combined, and African countries, which carry a large part of the burden, are the least able of all developing countries to cope with the challenges it presents, says a consortium of international cancer organizations. In order to try to create a better recognition of the rising burden of cancer in Africa where it is most needed -- in Africa -- a 'toolkit' for local cancer advocates will be launched.

Advanced maternal age not harmful for adult children, study suggests Posted: 06 Sep 2012 04:40 AM PDT Previously existing ideas on how advanced maternal age affects adult health of children have to be reconsidered. It had been thought that mothers delivering later in life have children that are less healthy as adults, because the body of the mother had already degenerated due to physiological effects like decreasing oocyte quality or a weakened placenta. In fact, what affects the health of the grown-up children is not the age of their mother but her education and the number of years she survives after giving birth and thus spends with her offspring, according to a new study.

Almost one in five young children with cancer suffers from a trauma disorder Posted: 06 Sep 2012 04:39 AM PDT The diagnosis and treatment of cancer does not only trigger posttraumatic stress disorder in adults and older children; infants and toddlers with cancer also suffer from trauma disorders, as researchers show in a new study. This discovery should be taken into account while treating children to prevent them from developing long-term psychological disorders.

Minimally invasive surgery works well for abdominal aortic aneurysms Posted: 06 Sep 2012 04:38 AM PDT A minimally invasive procedure known as endovascular repair used for abdominal aortic aneurysms has a low rate of complications, even in high-risk patients such as those with kidney, heart or lung problems, a new study shows.

Tests for silent neck artery narrowing to curb stroke risk: Waste of resources, experts argue Posted: 05 Sep 2012 05:12 PM PDT Tests to screen for "silent" neck artery narrowing in a bid to curb the risk of a stroke result in many unnecessary and costly surgical procedures, and ultimately save very few lives, conclude experts.

Most English football teams don't follow international guidelines on concussion, study finds Posted: 05 Sep 2012 05:12 PM PDT Most professional English football teams don't comply with international guidelines on concussion among players, which ensure they are safe to return to play, new research indicates

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