الثلاثاء، 19 نوفمبر 2013

ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

In pandemic, parents who get reminders more likely to get kids vaccinated

Posted: 18 Nov 2013 04:32 PM PST

A new study found that the state immunization registry -- the public health database that tracks vaccinations -- can be an effective tool to encourage influenza vaccinations during a pandemic.

Renal stenting does not improve outcomes for renal artery stenosis patients

Posted: 18 Nov 2013 04:32 PM PST

According to the findings from an American national research trial, people who suffer from a narrowing of the arteries that lead to the kidneys, or renal artery stenosis, do not experience better outcomes when renal stenting is used. Instead, a comprehensive regimen of drug and medical therapies works just as well.

Statin use not linked to a decline in cognitive function

Posted: 18 Nov 2013 04:32 PM PST

Based on the largest comprehensive systematic review to date, researchers concluded that available evidence does not support an association between statins and memory loss or dementia.

The big male nose: Why men's noses are bigger than women's

Posted: 18 Nov 2013 01:00 PM PST

Why are men's noses bigger than women's? The answer, according to a new study lies in our physiology. Men's noses are about 10 percent larger than female noses, on average, because males have more lean muscle mass, which requires more oxygen for muscle tissue growth and maintenance. It also explains why we have smaller noses than our ancestors.

Promiscuous mouse moms bear sexier sons

Posted: 18 Nov 2013 12:29 PM PST

Biologists found that when mother mice compete socially for mates in a promiscuous environment, their sons play hard and die young. They attract more females by making more urinary pheromones, but smelling sexier shortens their lives.

SlipChip counts molecules with chemistry and a cell phone

Posted: 18 Nov 2013 10:30 AM PST

Limited access to expensive equipment and trained professionals can impede the diagnosis and treatment of disease. Qualitative tests that provide a "yes" or "no" answer (like at-home pregnancy tests) have been optimized for resource-limited settings, but most quantitative tests -- needed to determine precise concentrations, like viral loads -- are still done in a laboratory. Using a lab-on-a-chip device and a smartphone, researchers developed a method to determine the concentration of HIV RNA in a sample.

Consistent bed, wake time linked to healthier weight

Posted: 18 Nov 2013 10:30 AM PST

Prior research has shown not getting enough sleep can impact your weight, but new research finds the consistency of your bed time and wake time can also influence body fat.

Low-fat fish oil changes cancer tissue in prostate cancer, study shows

Posted: 18 Nov 2013 10:30 AM PST

Men with prostate cancer who ate a low-fat diet and took fish oil supplements had lower levels of pro-inflammatory substances in their blood and a lower cell cycle progression score, a measure used to predict cancer recurrence, than men who ate a typical Western diet, researchers found.

Spironolactone reduces heart failure hospitalizations, but not mortality, study says

Posted: 18 Nov 2013 10:29 AM PST

A late-breaking clinical trial, known as the Treatment of Preserved Cardiac Function Heart Failure with an Aldosterone Antagonist trial, demonstrates that spironolactone did not reduce the primary outcome of cardiovascular death, heart failure hospitalization, nor surviving a cardiac arrest in patients with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction. However, spironolactone did reduce the major burden faced by these patients -- the risk of repeated hospitalizations for heart failure.

Two drugs do not improve kidney function in acute heart failure patients

Posted: 18 Nov 2013 09:01 AM PST

Two drugs tested in a larger trial did not improve kidney function in acute heart failure patients, contrary to results of smaller studies.

Preventing antibiotic resistance in hospital textiles

Posted: 18 Nov 2013 07:24 AM PST

"Antibiotic resistance threatens a return to the pre-antibiotic era". The World Health Organization uses this strong expression when referring to a phenomenon that is rapidly spreading: the increasing resistance of microorganisms to antimicrobial medicines, such as antibiotics. WHO estimates indicate that the excess mortality due to resistant bacterial hospital infections exceeds 25,000 every year, in Europe.

Structure of key part of deadly nipah virus captured

Posted: 18 Nov 2013 06:15 AM PST

Researchers have solved the structure of a key protein in the Nipah virus, which could pave the way for the development of a much-needed antiviral drug.

Study reveals potential breakthrough in hearing technology

Posted: 18 Nov 2013 06:14 AM PST

Computer engineers and hearing scientists have made a potential breakthrough in solving a 50-year-old problem in hearing technology: how to help the hearing-impaired understand speech in the midst of background noise.

Long-term oral contraceptive users twice as likely to have serious eye disease

Posted: 18 Nov 2013 06:14 AM PST

Research has found that women who have taken oral contraceptives for three or more years are twice as likely to suffer from glaucoma, one of the leading causes of blindness which affects nearly 60 million worldwide. The researchers caution gynecologists and ophthalmologists to be aware of the fact that oral contraceptives might play a role in glaucomatous diseases, and inform patients to have their eyes screened for glaucoma if they also have other risk factors.

Depression in pregnancy: New study shows preferences for therapy over medication

Posted: 18 Nov 2013 06:14 AM PST

Women with depression in the perinatal period experience a high degree of conflict in deciding whether and how to treat their depression, but strongly prefer treatments other than antidepressant medications, reports a study.

Cesarean delivery doesn't lower risk of cerebral palsy

Posted: 18 Nov 2013 06:14 AM PST

Cesarean deliveries do not prevent children from developing cerebral palsy, despite long-held medical and community beliefs about the causes of cerebral palsy, according to new research.

Effect of reducing blood pressure with medications immediately following ischemic stroke

Posted: 18 Nov 2013 05:13 AM PST

Researchers examined whether moderate lowering of blood pressure within the first 48 hours after the onset of an acute ischemic stroke would reduce death and major disability at 14 days or hospital discharge.

Effect of lowering of body temperature for adults with cardiac arrest prior to hospital arrival

Posted: 18 Nov 2013 05:13 AM PST

Researchers evaluated whether early prehospital cooling (lowering body temperature) improved survival to hospital discharge and neurological outcome in cardiac arrest patients with or without ventricular fibrillation.

Texting heart medication reminders improved patient adherence

Posted: 18 Nov 2013 05:12 AM PST

Getting reminder texts helped patients take their heart medicines (anti-platelet and cholesterol-lowering drugs) more regularly, according to research.

Hybrid heart valve is strong, durable in early tests

Posted: 18 Nov 2013 05:12 AM PST

A hybrid heart valve created from thin and highly elastic mesh embedded within layers of human cells was strong and durable in a study.

New nomenclature, diagnostic criteria: Antibody-mediated rejection in heart transplantation

Posted: 18 Nov 2013 05:12 AM PST

Antibody-mediated rejection of the transplanted heart is a recognized clinical complication and a major limitation to survival of patients who have undergone heart transplantation. Experts have now developed a new working formulation for the pathologic diagnosis, grading, and reporting of cardiac antibody-mediated rejection.

Influence of pro-smoking media messages lasts 7 days, study finds

Posted: 18 Nov 2013 05:12 AM PST

A first-of-its-kind study finds that an exposure to a single pro-smoking media message increases college-aged students' risk of using tobacco for seven days. The project is the first to attempt to quantify the persistence that cigarette advertising and other pro-smoking media messages have on consumers and has implications for policies that limit tobacco advertising and other efforts aimed at curbing youth tobacco use.

Early statin therapy helps kids with inherited high cholesterol

Posted: 18 Nov 2013 05:10 AM PST

Children with inherited high levels of cholesterol who receive cholesterol-lowering statins in their early years have a lower risk of coronary heart disease than their affected parents, according to research.

New research to help care for breast cancer patients in their homes

Posted: 18 Nov 2013 05:10 AM PST

Pioneering research that could transform the care of cancer patients or people with infections in their own homes has received a significant grant to help develop laser-printed paper-based sensors that can be used to detect biomarkers in cancer patients and see how they are responding to their chemotherapy treatment.

Would an 'anti-ketamine' also treat depression?

Posted: 18 Nov 2013 05:10 AM PST

Yes, says a new study. Thirteen years ago, an article first reported that the anesthetic medication, ketamine, showed evidence of producing rapid antidepressant effects in depressed patients who had not responded to prior treatments. Now, a new study reports that enhancing, instead of blocking, that same target – the NMDA glutamate receptor – also causes antidepressant-like effects.

Surprising role of gene regulator protein in development of skin tumors

Posted: 18 Nov 2013 05:09 AM PST

Findings by scientists reveal a surprising role for histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) – a member of a family of chromatin modifying proteins – in the development of skin tumors. The results emphasize that care must be taken when using HDAC inhibitors as anti-cancer drugs.

Untreated HIV carriers transmit resistant viruses

Posted: 18 Nov 2013 05:09 AM PST

Human-Immunodeficiency Viruses that resist AIDS medicines are primarily transmitted by people who are not actually undergoing treatment. In order to prevent a spread of the resistant viruses increased efforts in prevention and early diagnosis of new infections are needed, as concluded by the Swiss HIV Cohort Study.

Human error most common cause of birth asphyxia: Poor fetal monitoring in 50% of cases, Norwegian study shows

Posted: 18 Nov 2013 05:09 AM PST

Human error is the most common cause of infant asphyxiation at birth, new research shows. Inadequate fetal monitoring, lack of clinical skills, and failure to obtain senior medical staff assistance are most often cited in Norwegian compensation claims following birth asphyxia.

Bitter melon extract may have potential to fight head, neck cancer

Posted: 18 Nov 2013 05:08 AM PST

Preliminary findings show bitter melon reduces cancer cell growth in animal model.

Comparing outcomes of device for chest compressions vs manual CPR

Posted: 17 Nov 2013 12:57 PM PST

Researchers assessed whether cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in which chest compressions are delivered with a mechanical device would result in superior 4-hour survival in patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest compared to CPR with manual chest compression.

Rate of aortic valve replacement for elderly patients increased; outcomes improved

Posted: 17 Nov 2013 12:57 PM PST

Researchers have assessed procedure rates and outcomes of surgical aortic valve replacement among 82,755,924 Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries between 1999 and 2011.

Study examines effectiveness, safety of transcatheter aortic valve replacement in US

Posted: 17 Nov 2013 12:57 PM PST

Researchers describe the experience in the US with transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), including patient selection, procedural details, and in-hospital and 30-day outcomes following TAVR, a less invasive procedure than open heart-valve surgery for replacing the aortic valve in the heart.

Weight reduction decreases atrial fibrillation, symptom severity

Posted: 17 Nov 2013 12:57 PM PST

Researchers evaluated the effect of a structured weight reduction program on atrial fibrillation symptoms.

Physical fitness significantly improves survival, prevents heart attacks in people with stable coronary artery disease

Posted: 17 Nov 2013 12:54 PM PST

A new study highlights the importance of exercise and physical fitness among people with stable coronary artery disease. Researchers found that higher levels of physical fitness lower the risk of having heart attacks and increase survival in those with coronary artery disease, whether or not they have had a procedure to open up their blocked arteries.

Researchers develop formula to more accurately calculate 'bad' cholesterol

Posted: 17 Nov 2013 12:54 PM PST

Researchers have developed a more accurate way to calculate low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, the so-called "bad" form of blood fat that can lead to hardening of the arteries and increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. If confirmed and adopted by medical laboratories that routinely calculate blood cholesterol for patients, the researchers say their formula would give patients and their doctors a much more accurate assessment of LDL cholesterol.

Novel gene variant discovered in severe childhood asthma

Posted: 17 Nov 2013 12:54 PM PST

An international scientific team has discovered a gene associated with a high risk of severe childhood asthma. The specific gene variant may be an actual cause of this form of asthma, a leading cause of hospitalization in young children.

Being an elite male athlete protects against type 2 diabetes in later life

Posted: 15 Nov 2013 05:37 PM PST

A study of almost 400 former elite male athletes shows that former status as an elite athlete reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in later life by 28 percent.
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