ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Self help books and websites can benefit severely depressed patients
• Muscle, skin and gastrointestinal problems cause a quarter of patients with heart disease and strokes to stop treatment in HPS2-THRIVE trial
• Libertarian paternalism and school lunches: Guiding healthier behavior while preserving choices
• Linking insulin to learning: Insulin-like molecules play critical role in learning and memory
• Long-term use of medication does not improve symptoms for heart failure patients
• Simple method devised for determining atrial fibrillation risk in women
• Texting Gloves Dangerous in Winter, Says expert
• Novel combination therapy shuts down escape route, killing glioblastoma tumor cells
• Genetic variation behind acute myeloid leukemia treatment success identified
• Persistent negative attitude can undo effectiveness of exposure therapy for phobias
• Notion of using herceptin only for HER2-positive breast cancer challenged
• New design could reduce complications in hip replacement
• Obesity, physical inactivity linked with risk for certain molecular subtype of colorectal cancer
• For some, surgical site infections are in the genes
• Researchers test holographic technique for restoring vision
• Eating well could help spread disease, water flea study suggests
• Cell discovery could hold key to causes of inherited diseases
• Controlling element of Huntington's disease discovered: Molecular troika regulates production of harmful protein
• Eat too much? Maybe it's in the blood
• Blood vessels 'sniff' gut microbes to regulate blood pressure
• Women's iron intake may help to protect against PMS
• First study to analyze 25 yrs of data after radiation therapy for prostate cancer patients
• Texting becoming a pain in the neck
• Unlimited source of human kidney cells created
• Protein that may control the spread of cancer discovered
• Microscopy technique could be key to improving cancer treatments with targeted therapeutic drugs
• Superbugs may have a soft spot, after all
• Taking omega-3 supplements may help prevent skin cancer, new study finds
• PTSD symptoms common among ICU survivors
• Bariatric surgery restores pancreatic function by targeting belly fat
• Now hear this: Forerunners of inner-ear cells that enable hearing identified
• Sleep reinforces learning
• When morning sickness lasts all day
• Pain can be a relief
• Sweet news for stem cell's 'Holy Grail'
• Unsolved puzzle in hepatology on the brink of resolution
• 3-D atlas of the human heart drawn using statistics

Self help books and websites can benefit severely depressed patients Posted: 26 Feb 2013 04:40 PM PST Patients with more severe depression show at least as good clinical benefit from 'low-intensity' interventions, such as self help books and websites, as less severely ill patients, suggests a new article.

Muscle, skin and gastrointestinal problems cause a quarter of patients with heart disease and strokes to stop treatment in HPS2-THRIVE trial Posted: 26 Feb 2013 04:38 PM PST The largest randomized study of the vitamin niacin in patients with occlusive arterial disease (narrowing of the arteries) has shown a significant increase in adverse side-effects when it is combined with statin treatment.

Libertarian paternalism and school lunches: Guiding healthier behavior while preserving choices Posted: 26 Feb 2013 02:25 PM PST New US Department of Agriculture regulations have altered what foods schools offer for lunch, but schools cannot require students to eat specific foods. Researchers have now implemented an intervention using the behavioral science principle known as "libertarian paternalism" which led junior-senior high school students to eat more fruits and vegetables by making these foods more convenient, attractive, and normative.

Linking insulin to learning: Insulin-like molecules play critical role in learning and memory Posted: 26 Feb 2013 01:28 PM PST Though it's most often associated with disorders like diabetes, scientists have shown how the pathway of insulin and insulin-like peptides plays another critical role in the body -- helping to regulate learning and memory.

Long-term use of medication does not improve symptoms for heart failure patients Posted: 26 Feb 2013 01:27 PM PST Among patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, long-term treatment with the medication spironolactone improved left ventricular diastolic function but did not affect maximal exercise capacity, patient symptoms, or quality of life, according to a new study.

Simple method devised for determining atrial fibrillation risk in women Posted: 26 Feb 2013 11:12 AM PST Researchers have devised and tested a simple atrial fibrillation risk prediction model, based on six easily obtained factors: A woman's age, height, weight, blood pressure, alcohol consumption and smoking history.

Texting Gloves Dangerous in Winter, Says expert Posted: 26 Feb 2013 11:12 AM PST Fingers are one of the first body parts to suffer from the cold and popular fingerless texting gloves can lead to frostbite and in worst cases, amputation, says an expert.

Novel combination therapy shuts down escape route, killing glioblastoma tumor cells Posted: 26 Feb 2013 10:55 AM PST Scientists have uncovered an unexpected, but important molecular mechanism of mTOR inhibitor resistance and a novel drug combination that reverses this resistance using low dose arsenic in mice. The mTOR pathway is hyperactivated in 90 percent of glioblastomas, the most lethal brain cancer in adults. The data suggest a new approach for treatment of glioblastoma.

Genetic variation behind acute myeloid leukemia treatment success identified Posted: 26 Feb 2013 10:55 AM PST Researchers are working to identify genetic variations that may help signal which acute myeloid leukemia patients will benefit or not benefit from one of the newest antileukemic agents.

Persistent negative attitude can undo effectiveness of exposure therapy for phobias Posted: 26 Feb 2013 10:51 AM PST Because confronting fear won't always make it go away, researchers suggest that people with phobias must alter memory-driven negative attitudes about feared objects or events to achieve a more lasting recovery from what scares them the most.

Notion of using herceptin only for HER2-positive breast cancer challenged Posted: 26 Feb 2013 10:51 AM PST New research finds that the protein HER2 plays a role even in breast cancers that would traditionally be categorized as HER2-negative – and that the drug Herceptin, which targets HER2, may have an even greater role for treating breast cancer and preventing its spread.

New design could reduce complications in hip replacement Posted: 26 Feb 2013 10:51 AM PST Andrew Murtha, a second-year medical student, hopes to specialize in orthopedic medicine. A unique opportunity to collaborate with experienced researchers not only gave him a head start in his medical career, but also allowed him to develop a new design for an artificial hip that should help reduce post-operative complications.

Obesity, physical inactivity linked with risk for certain molecular subtype of colorectal cancer Posted: 26 Feb 2013 10:51 AM PST An increasing body mass index was associated with a higher risk for colorectal cancer with a specific molecular characteristic, and inversely, physical activity was linked to a decreased risk for that same cancer, according to new research.

For some, surgical site infections are in the genes Posted: 26 Feb 2013 10:51 AM PST An estimated 300,000 U.S. patients get surgical site infections every year, and while the causes are varied, a new study suggests that some who get an infection can blame it partly on their genes.

Researchers test holographic technique for restoring vision Posted: 26 Feb 2013 10:42 AM PST Researchers are testing the power of holography to artificially stimulate cells in the eye, with hopes of developing a new strategy for bionic vision restoration. Computer-generated holography, they say, could be used in conjunction with a technique called optogenetics, which uses gene therapy to deliver light-sensitive proteins to damaged retinal nerve cells. In conditions such as retinitis pigmentosa (RP), these light-sensing cells degenerate and lead to blindness.

Eating well could help spread disease, water flea study suggests Posted: 26 Feb 2013 09:05 AM PST Plentiful food can accelerate the spread of infections, scientists have shown in a study of water fleas. Scientists studying bacterial infections in tiny water fleas have discovered that increasing their supply of food can speed up the spread of infection.

Cell discovery could hold key to causes of inherited diseases Posted: 26 Feb 2013 08:38 AM PST Fresh insights into the protective seal that surrounds the DNA of our cells could help develop treatments for inherited muscle, brain, bone and skin disorders. Researchers have discovered that the proteins within this coating -- known as the nuclear envelope -- vary greatly between cells in different organs of the body.

Controlling element of Huntington's disease discovered: Molecular troika regulates production of harmful protein Posted: 26 Feb 2013 08:38 AM PST A three molecule complex may be a target for treating Huntington's disease, a genetic disorder affecting the brain.

Eat too much? Maybe it's in the blood Posted: 26 Feb 2013 08:38 AM PST Bone marrow cells that produce brain-derived eurotrophic factor, known to affect regulation of food intake, travel to part of the hypothalamus in the brain where they "fine-tune" appetite, said researchers in a new article.

Blood vessels 'sniff' gut microbes to regulate blood pressure Posted: 26 Feb 2013 08:34 AM PST Researchers have discovered that a specialized receptor, normally found in the nose, is also in blood vessels throughout the body, sensing small molecules created by microbes that line mammalian intestines, and responding to these molecules by increasing blood pressure.

Women's iron intake may help to protect against PMS Posted: 26 Feb 2013 07:14 AM PST In one of the first studies to evaluate whether dietary mineral intake is associated with PMS development, medical researchers assessed mineral intake in approximately 3,000 women in a case-control study.

First study to analyze 25 yrs of data after radiation therapy for prostate cancer patients Posted: 26 Feb 2013 07:13 AM PST A new study has analyzed 25 years of follow-up data after radiation therapy treatment for prostate cancer patients.

Texting becoming a pain in the neck Posted: 26 Feb 2013 07:12 AM PST Orthopedic surgeon, spine specialist says excessive leaning head forward and down, while looking at a phone or other mobile device could result in what some people call "text neck."

Unlimited source of human kidney cells created Posted: 26 Feb 2013 06:21 AM PST Researchers have successfully generated human kidney cells from human embryonic stem cells in vitro1. Specifically, they produced the renal cells under artificial conditions in the lab without using animals or organs. This has not been possible until now.

Protein that may control the spread of cancer discovered Posted: 26 Feb 2013 06:21 AM PST Researchers have uncovered a novel mechanism that may lead to more selective ways to stop cancer cells from spreading. Cancer biologists have identified the role of the protein RSK2 in cancer cell migration, part of the process of cancer metastasis.

Microscopy technique could be key to improving cancer treatments with targeted therapeutic drugs Posted: 26 Feb 2013 06:21 AM PST For scientists to improve cancer treatments with targeted therapeutic drugs, they need to be able to see proteins prevalent in the cancer cells. This has been impossible, until now. Thanks to a new microscopy technique, medical researchers have now observed how clusters of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) -- a protein abundant in lung and colon cancers, glioblastoma and others -- malfunctions in cancer cells.

Superbugs may have a soft spot, after all Posted: 26 Feb 2013 06:21 AM PST The overuse of antibiotics has created strains of bacteria resistant to medication, making the diseases they cause difficult to treat, or even deadly. But now a research team has identified a weakness in at least one superbug that scientists may be able to medically exploit.

Taking omega-3 supplements may help prevent skin cancer, new study finds Posted: 26 Feb 2013 06:20 AM PST Taking omega-3 fish oils could help to protect against skin cancer, according to new research. Scientists just carried out the first clinical trial to examine the impact of the fish oils on the skin immunity of volunteers.

PTSD symptoms common among ICU survivors Posted: 26 Feb 2013 05:12 AM PST One in three people who survived stays in an intensive care unit and required use of a mechanical ventilator showed substantial post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms that lasted for up to two years, according to a new study of patients with acute lung injury.

Bariatric surgery restores pancreatic function by targeting belly fat Posted: 26 Feb 2013 05:12 AM PST Researchers have found that gastric bypass surgery reverses diabetes by uniquely restoring pancreatic function in moderately obese patients with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes.

Now hear this: Forerunners of inner-ear cells that enable hearing identified Posted: 26 Feb 2013 05:12 AM PST Researchers have identified a group of progenitor cells in the inner ear that can become the sensory hair cells and adjacent supporting cells that enable hearing.

Sleep reinforces learning Posted: 26 Feb 2013 05:11 AM PST During sleep, our brains store what we have learned during the day a process even more effective in children than in adults.

When morning sickness lasts all day Posted: 26 Feb 2013 05:10 AM PST Severe nausea during pregnancy can be fatal, yet very little is known about this condition. Hormonal, genetic and socio-economic factors may all play a role.

Pain can be a relief Posted: 26 Feb 2013 05:10 AM PST When something causes less pain than expected it is even possible for it to feel pleasant, a new study reveals. These findings may one day play a key role in treating pain and substance abuse.

Sweet news for stem cell's 'Holy Grail' Posted: 26 Feb 2013 05:10 AM PST Scientists have used sugar-coated scaffolding to move a step closer to the routine use of stem cells in the clinic and unlock their huge potential to cure diseases from Alzheimer's to diabetes.

Unsolved puzzle in hepatology on the brink of resolution Posted: 26 Feb 2013 05:10 AM PST Primary sclerosing cholangitis is a currently incurable liver disease that mostly affects younger people aged between 30 and 40. There are now justified hopes that this disease could be cured using synthetically manufactured bile acids, a process under development.

3-D atlas of the human heart drawn using statistics Posted: 26 Feb 2013 05:10 AM PST Researchers in Spain have created a high resolution atlas of the heart with 3-D images taken from 138 people. The study demonstrates that an average image of an organ along with its variations can be obtained for the purposes of comparing individual cases and differentiating healthy forms from pathologies.

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