الأربعاء، 9 يناير 2013

ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

Synthetic stool can cure C. difficile infection, study suggests

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 05:16 PM PST

A newly developed synthetic "poop" can cure nasty gastrointestinal infections caused by Clostridium difficile, a toxin-producing bacterium, a new study suggests.

Reduction in air pollution from wood stoves associated with significantly reduced risk of death

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 05:16 PM PST

Male deaths from all-causes, but particularly cardiovascular and respiratory disease, could be significantly reduced with a decrease in biomass smoke (smoke produced by domestic cooking and heating and woodland fires), a new article suggests.

Concerns raised over the effectiveness of a costly and invasive procedure for melanoma

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 05:16 PM PST

A special report finds that thousands of melanoma patients around the world are undergoing an expensive and invasive procedure called sentinel node biopsy, despite a lack of clear evidence and concerns that it may do more harm than good.

Cancer screening unlikely to benefit patients with a short life expectancy: Less than 10 years and risks are likely to outweigh benefits

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 05:16 PM PST

Breast and colorectal cancer screening should be targeted towards patients with a life expectancy greater than 10 years: for any shorter life expectancy the harms are likely to outweigh the benefits, concludes a new study.

Triple mix of blood pressure drugs and painkillers linked to kidney problems

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 05:16 PM PST

Patients who take a triple combination of blood pressure drugs and common painkillers are at an increased risk of serious kidney problems, especially at the start of treatment, finds a new study.

Nobel laureate James Watson puts forth novel hypothesis on curing late-stage cancers

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 05:16 PM PST

In a new paper he regards "among my most important work since the double helix," Nobelist James Watson sets forth a novel hypothesis regarding the role of oxidants and antioxidants in cancers that are currently incurable, notably in late-stage metastatic cancers.

Cognitive benefit of lifelong bilingualism

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 05:15 PM PST

Older bilinguals expend less energy when performing a cognitive flexibility task. The findings suggest the value of regular stimulating mental activity across the lifetime. As people age, cognitive flexibility -- the ability to adapt to unfamiliar or unexpected circumstances -- and related "executive" functions decline. Recent studies suggest lifelong bilingualism may reduce this decline -- a boost that may stem from the experience of constantly switching between languages.

Lung cancer patients live longer if they use beta-blockers while receiving radiotherapy

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 05:15 PM PST

Patients with non-small-cell lung cancer survive longer if they are taking beta-blockers while receiving radiotherapy, according to a new study.

First oral drug for spinal cord injury improves movement in mice

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 05:14 PM PST

An experimental oral drug given to mice after a spinal cord injury was effective at improving limb movement after the injury, a new study shows.

Two-drug combination may slow deadly thyroid cancer

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 01:22 PM PST

A combination of the drugs pazopanib and paclitaxel shows promise in slowing anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC), according to a new study. The two drugs together resulted in greater anti-cancer activity in ATC than either drug alone, according to new research.

Weight counseling decreases despite rise in obesity

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 01:22 PM PST

While the number of overweight and obese Americans has increased, the amount of weight counseling offered by primary care physicians has decreased -- especially for patients with high blood pressure and diabetes -- according to researchers.

Post-operative intravenous acetaminophen may help reduce use of morphine in infants

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 01:22 PM PST

Among infants undergoing major surgery, postoperative use of intermittent intravenous paracetamol (acetaminophen) for the management of pain resulted in a lower cumulative morphine dose over 48 hours.

Failure rate of antibiotic treatment for gonorrhea documented

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 01:22 PM PST

In an examination of the effectiveness of cefixime, the only oral cephalosporin antimicrobial recommended for treatment of Neisseria gonorrhoeae (gonorrhea) infections, researchers found a clinical treatment failure rate of nearly 7 percent for patients treated at a clinic in Toronto.

Vitamin D supplementation does not reduce knee pain, cartilage loss in patients with osteoarthritis

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 01:22 PM PST

In a two-year randomized trial, patients with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis who received vitamin D supplementation did not have a significant difference in knee pain or cartilage volume loss compared to patients who received placebo.

Hold the diet soda? Sweetened drinks linked to depression, coffee tied to lower risk

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 01:21 PM PST

New research suggests that drinking sweetened beverages, especially diet drinks, is associated with an increased risk of depression in adults while drinking coffee was tied to a slightly lower risk.

Obesity drops among children enrolled in NY state Women, Infants, and Children nutrition program

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 12:12 PM PST

New York children participating in a federal nutrition program had healthier eating behaviors and lower rates of obesity two years after improvements to the program were undertaken, according to a new study.

Female athletes three times more likely to suffer from anterior cruciate ligament ruptures

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 11:21 AM PST

Female athletes are three times more likely to suffer from anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) ruptures, one of the most common knee injuries, compared to male athletes.

New marker of drug response may speed pace of lung cancer prevention trials

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 11:21 AM PST

Testing medicines to prevent lung cancer requires treating many thousands of high-risk individuals and then waiting five, 10 or 15 years to discover which of them develop cancer and which, if any, experience survival benefit from the treatment. A new study proposes a possible point on the way to benefit, which if validated, could dramatically reduce the number of patients needed and time required to test drugs for lung cancer prevention.

'Tricorder' closer to reality: Portable X-ray source could put medical diagnosis and terrorism prevention in the palm of the hand

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 10:20 AM PST

The hand-held scanners, or tricorders, of the Star Trek movies and television series are one step closer to reality now that an engineering team has invented a compact source of X-rays and other forms of radiation. The radiation source, which is the size of a stick of gum, could be used to create inexpensive and portable X-ray scanners for use by doctors, as well as to fight terrorism and aid exploration on this planet and others.

Stem cell materials could boost research into key diseases

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 10:20 AM PST

Stem cell manufacturing for drug screening and treatments for diseases such as Huntington's and Parkinson's could be boosted by a new method of generating stem cells, a study suggests. Scientists have developed a family of compounds that can support the growth of human embryonic stem cells on a large scale for use in drug testing or treatments.

Blood brothers (and sisters): Sibling study discovers genetic region linked to control of key blood-clotting protein

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 09:29 AM PST

In 2006, the lab of Dr. David Ginsburg at the Life Sciences Institute put a call out for siblings attending the University of Michigan to donate blood for a study of blood-clotting disorders. The samples were collected over three years and have now enabled the researchers to identify the specific parts of the genome responsible for levels of a key substance for blood clotting.

First study of Oregon's Hmong reveals surprising influences on cancer screenings

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 09:29 AM PST

Cervical cancer rates for Hmong women are among the highest in the nation, yet past research has shown that cervical and breast cancer screening rates for this population are low -- in part because of the Hmong's strong patriarchal culture.

Teens susceptible to hepatitis B infection despite vaccination as infants

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 09:29 AM PST

New research reveals that a significant number of adolescents lose their protection from hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, despite having received a complete vaccination series as infants. Results suggest teens with high-risk mothers and teens whose immune system fails to remember a previous viral exposure are behind HBV reinfection.

Postpartum depression prevalent in under-developed countries, could impact baby health and mortality

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 09:24 AM PST

Two-thirds of mothers with sick babies in Ghana at risk of depression, which could put babies at higher health risks such as low birth weight and poor nutrition.

Prescription drug misuse remains a top public health concern

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 09:24 AM PST

Prescription drug misuse is second only to marijuana as the nation's most prevalent illicit drug problem, with approximately 22 million persons nationwide initiating nonmedical pain reliever use since 2002, according to a new report. The report also shows variations in use by state, with combined 2010 and 2011 data indicating that rates of past year misuse among those aged 12 or older ranged from 3.6 percent in Iowa to 6.4 percent in Oregon.

Simulated Mars mission reveals body's sodium rhythms

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 09:24 AM PST

Researchers report that -- in contrast to the prevailing dogma -- sodium levels fluctuate rhythmically with 7-day and monthly cycles. The findings, which demonstrate that sodium is stored in the body, have implications for blood pressure control, hypertension and salt-associated cardiovascular risk.

Why obese people have higher rates of asthma

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 09:24 AM PST

A new study has found that leptin, a hormone that plays a key role in energy metabolism, fertility, and bone mass, also regulates airway diameter. The findings could explain why obese people are prone to asthma and suggest that medications that increase leptin-signaling may relieve asthma in obese people.

Genes and obesity: Fast food isn't only culprit in expanding waistlines -- DNA is also to blame

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 09:24 AM PST

Researchers say it's not just what you eat that makes those pants tighter -- it's also genetics. In a new study, scientists discovered that body-fat responses to a typical fast-food diet are determined in large part by genetic factors, and they have identified several genes they say may control those responses.

Parasitic worms may help treat diseases associated with obesity

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 08:24 AM PST

On the list of undesirable medical conditions, a parasitic worm infection surely ranks fairly high. But parasites are not all bad, according to new research. A study demonstrates that once inside a host, many parasitic worms secrete a sugar-based anti-inflammatory molecule that might actually help treat metabolic disorders associated with obesity.

Adaptable prosthetics for amputees being developed in the UK

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 08:13 AM PST

Approximately one in every 1,000 people in the UK is an amputee. Many lose their limbs as the result of tragic accidents or due to active military combat and for some amputees losing a limb can feel like losing their freedom. Engineers are turning an academic concept into a practical product that could lessen the misery of thousands of amputees.

DNA prefers to dive head first into nanopores

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 06:18 AM PST

A new study from Brown University researchers finds that DNA strands have a natural tendency to be pulled through nanopores headfirst. The research answers some fundamental questions about how DNA interacts with nanopores, which soon may enable lightning fast DNA analysis.

New target for common heart condition identified

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 06:18 AM PST

Researchers have found new evidence that metabolic stress can increase the onset of atrial arrhythmias, such as atrial fibrillation, a common heart condition that causes an irregular and often abnormally fast heart rate. The findings may pave the way for the development of new therapies for the condition which can be expected to affect almost one in four of the UK population at some point in their lifetime.

Nutrisystem improves arterial function in obese, postmenopausal women, study finds

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 06:17 AM PST

Researchers in Florida report that they have found that Nutrisystem, with or without low intense resistance exercise, improves arterial function in obese, postmenopausal women.

High salt intake linked to social inequalities

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 05:45 AM PST

People from low socio-economic positions in Britain eat more salt than the well off, irrespective of where they live.

Molds are able to reproduce sexually: Researchers grow penicillin-producing fungi with new properties

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 05:41 AM PST

For over 100 years, it was assumed that the penicillin-producing mold fungus, Penicillium chrysogenum, only reproduced asexually through spores. Biologists have now shown for the first time that the fungus also has a sexual cycle, i.e. two "genders."

Most physicians don't meet quality reporting requirements, study finds

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 05:38 AM PST

A new study shows that fewer than one-in-five healthcare providers meet Medicare Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) requirements.

New company applies regenerative medicine to corneal transplants

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 05:38 AM PST

Ocular Systems, Inc. (OSI), Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and the North Carolina Eye Bank have formed a new company based on a promising new technology aimed at engineering replacement corneas in the lab for transplantation.

Brief class on easy-to-miss precancerous polyps ups detection

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 05:38 AM PST

Most people know a colonoscopy requires some preparation by the patient. Now, a physician suggests an additional step to lower the risk of colorectal cancer: Ask for your doctor's success rate detecting easy-to-miss polyps called adenomas.

Centralization to fewer surgeons results in better survival after esophageal cancer surgery

Posted: 07 Jan 2013 01:22 PM PST

Patients who undergo surgery for esophageal cancer have a much greater chance of long term survival if the operation is carried out by a surgeon who has performed this particular operation many times before, according to a large-scale study conducted by researchers in Sweden.
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