ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

---

• An apple a day keeps the doctor away
• Experts discover whether it's better to be right or be happy
• Importance of food as key provider of vitamins and nutrients
• Study finds known lung cancer oncogenes also drive colorectal cancer
• Changes in proteins may predict ALS progression
• Overworked cellular machines may explain Gaucher disease link to Parkinson's disease
• Researchers discover mechanism controlling development of myelodysplastic syndromes
• Study indicates oral garlic not useful in treating vaginal thrush
• Study: Pay kids to eat fruits, vegetables
• Fungal pathogen shows profound effects from spaceflight
• Research backs risk-reduction surgery for ovarian cancer
• Discovery of 'teen gene' could hold promise for combating severe mental illnesses
• Epidemic of escherichia coli infections traced to one strain of bacteria
• Researchers show genetic overlap in schizophrenia, cognitive ability
• Pain drugs used in prostate gland removal linked to cancer outcome, study finds
• Smoking changes our genes
• Drug residues in Swedish sewage water
• Self-worth boosts ability to overcome poverty
• Ear acupuncture can help shed pounds
• Study analyzes diabetes drug metformin as obesity treatment for children
• Antihypertensives associated with lower dialysis risk for patients with advanced CKD
• Physicians who prefer hospice care for themselves more likely to discuss it with patients
• Teaching residents to provide cost-conscious care
• Regenerative medicine: New tool for transplanting stem cells
• Bedtime for toddlers: Timing is everything
• Retinoblastoma dysfunction promotes pancreatic cancer cell growth, study shows
• Climate change puts 40% more people at risk of absolute water scarcity, study says
• Diversity of antiviral bacteria discovered
• Health care costs steadily increase with body mass
• Heavy marijuana users have abnormal brain structure, poor memory
• Lung lesions of TB variable, independent whether infection is active or latent
• Big step for cell reprogramming
• Call to tighten up value for money appraisals of new drugs in England
• Significant minority think doctors should help 'tired of living' elderly to die if that's their wish

An apple a day keeps the doctor away Posted: 17 Dec 2013 06:05 PM PST Prescribing an apple a day to all adults aged 50 and over would prevent or delay around 8,500 vascular deaths such as heart attacks and strokes every year in the UK -- similar to giving statins to everyone over 50 years who is not already taking them -- according to a study.

Experts discover whether it's better to be right or be happy Posted: 17 Dec 2013 06:05 PM PST Doctors see many couples who lead unnecessarily stressful lives by wanting to be right rather than happy.

Importance of food as key provider of vitamins and nutrients Posted: 17 Dec 2013 02:08 PM PST While dietary supplements can help some people meet their nutrition needs, eating a wide variety of nutrient-rich foods is the best way for most people to obtain the nutrients they need to be healthy and reduce their risk of chronic disease, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Study finds known lung cancer oncogenes also drive colorectal cancer Posted: 17 Dec 2013 10:40 AM PST A study shows that ALK and ROS1 gene rearrangements known to drive subsets of lung cancer are also present in some colorectal cancers. These results imply that drugs used to target ALK and ROS1 in lung cancer may also have applications in this subset of colorectal cancer patients.

Changes in proteins may predict ALS progression Posted: 17 Dec 2013 09:40 AM PST Measuring changes in certain proteins -- called biomarkers -- in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis may better predict the progression of the disease, according to scientists.

Overworked cellular machines may explain Gaucher disease link to Parkinson's disease Posted: 17 Dec 2013 09:38 AM PST Research with fruit fly model suggests that Gaucher disease (GD) is related to Parkinson's disease (PD) through biological pathways triggered by accumulated defective proteins related to GD. Accumulation, due to overworked cellular machines responsible for degrading defective proteins, triggers cascade that leads to the death of dopamine-producing cells that causes PD.

Researchers discover mechanism controlling development of myelodysplastic syndromes Posted: 17 Dec 2013 09:38 AM PST Researchers have discovered a control mechanism that can trigger the development of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), a group of blood cancers. This finding may lead to therapies capable of preventing the progression of these diseases.

Study indicates oral garlic not useful in treating vaginal thrush Posted: 17 Dec 2013 07:46 AM PST In a world-first study, researchers have found garlic does not significantly reduce vaginal candida (thrush).

Study: Pay kids to eat fruits, vegetables Posted: 17 Dec 2013 07:46 AM PST Researchers observed three schools adjust to new school lunch standards that require a serving of fruits or vegetables on every student's tray -- whether the child intends to eat it or not. Students discarded 70 percent of the extra fruits and vegetables -- wasting about $3.8 million each day.

Fungal pathogen shows profound effects from spaceflight Posted: 17 Dec 2013 07:45 AM PST In a new study, the first global gene expression profiling and phenotypic characterization of a fungal pathogen during spaceflight is revealed.

Research backs risk-reduction surgery for ovarian cancer Posted: 17 Dec 2013 07:42 AM PST A study backs preventative surgery to improve survival for women who are at greater risk of getting ovarian cancer and suggests it appears helpful for women at risk of getting breast cancer because of genetic faults.

Discovery of 'teen gene' could hold promise for combating severe mental illnesses Posted: 17 Dec 2013 07:42 AM PST Researchers have isolated a gene, DCC, which is responsible for dopamine connectivity in the medial prefrontal cortex during adolescence. Working with mice models, they have shown that dysfunction of this gene during adolescence has behavioral consequences which carry into adulthood.

Epidemic of escherichia coli infections traced to one strain of bacteria Posted: 17 Dec 2013 07:41 AM PST In the past decade, a single strain of Escherichia coli, or E. coli, has become the main cause of bacterial infections in women and the elderly by invading the bladder and kidneys, according to a new study.

Researchers show genetic overlap in schizophrenia, cognitive ability Posted: 17 Dec 2013 05:53 AM PST Investigators have discovered, for the first time, a direct evidence of a genetic overlap between schizophrenia and general cognitive ability.

Pain drugs used in prostate gland removal linked to cancer outcome, study finds Posted: 17 Dec 2013 05:53 AM PST The methods used to anesthetize prostate cancer patients and control pain when their prostate glands are surgically removed for adenocarcinoma may affect their long-term cancer outcomes, a study found.

Smoking changes our genes Posted: 17 Dec 2013 05:52 AM PST We inherit our genes from our parents at birth. Later in life the genetic material can be changed by epigenetic modifications, i.e. chemical alterations of the DNA the affect the activity of the genes. Such alterations are normally caused by aging, but can also result from environmental factors and lifestyle. New research findings show that smoking alters several genes that can be associated with health problems for smokers, such as increased risk for cancer and diabetes.

Drug residues in Swedish sewage water Posted: 17 Dec 2013 05:52 AM PST Chemists in Sweden have been able to trace narcotics substances and prescription drugs in measurements of wastewater from 33 Swedish sewage treatment plants. Cocaine, amphetamine, and methamphetamine, in measurable concentrations, were found in a total of half of the locations.

Self-worth boosts ability to overcome poverty Posted: 17 Dec 2013 05:50 AM PST For people in poverty, remembering better times – such as past success – improves brain functioning by several IQ points and increases their willingness to seek help from crucial aid services, a new study finds.

Ear acupuncture can help shed pounds Posted: 16 Dec 2013 05:40 PM PST Ear acupuncture can help shed the pounds, indicates a small study, recently published.

Study analyzes diabetes drug metformin as obesity treatment for children Posted: 16 Dec 2013 03:38 PM PST Treatment with the diabetes drug metformin appears to be associated with a modest reduction in body mass index in obese children when combined with lifestyle interventions such as diet and exercise.

Antihypertensives associated with lower dialysis risk for patients with advanced CKD Posted: 16 Dec 2013 03:38 PM PST Patients with stable hypertension and the most advanced stage of chronic kidney disease before dialysis appeared to have a lower risk for long-term dialysis or death if they were treated with the antihypertensive drugs known as angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin II receptor blockers, according to a study published.

Physicians who prefer hospice care for themselves more likely to discuss it with patients Posted: 16 Dec 2013 03:38 PM PST Although the vast majority of physicians participating in a multiregional study indicated that they would personally enroll in hospice care if they received a terminal cancer diagnosis, less than one-third would discuss hospice care early in the course of treating a terminally ill cancer patient.

Teaching residents to provide cost-conscious care Posted: 16 Dec 2013 03:38 PM PST Despite a national consensus among policy makers and educators to train residents to be more conscious of the cost of care, less than 15 percent of internal medicine residency programs have a formal curriculum addressing it.

Regenerative medicine: New tool for transplanting stem cells Posted: 16 Dec 2013 03:36 PM PST Researchers have developed a specialized catheter for transplanting stem cells into the beating heart. The novel device includes a curved needle and graded openings along the needle shaft, allowing for increased distribution of cells. The result is maximized retention of stem cells to repair the heart.

Bedtime for toddlers: Timing is everything Posted: 16 Dec 2013 12:50 PM PST The bedtime you select for your toddler may be out of sync with his or her internal body clock, which can contribute to difficulties for youngsters attempting to settle in for the night, according to a new study.

Retinoblastoma dysfunction promotes pancreatic cancer cell growth, study shows Posted: 16 Dec 2013 12:49 PM PST Cancer researchers have discovered that a protein that normally suppresses tumors actually promotes the growth and spread of pancreatic cancer.

Climate change puts 40% more people at risk of absolute water scarcity, study says Posted: 16 Dec 2013 12:48 PM PST Water scarcity impacts people's lives in many countries already today. Future population growth will increase the demand for freshwater even further. Yet in addition to this, on the supply side, water resources will be affected by projected changes in rainfall and evaporation. Climate change due to unabated greenhouse-gas emissions within our century is likely to put 40 percent more people at risk of absolute water scarcity than would be without climate change, a new study shows.

Diversity of antiviral bacteria discovered Posted: 16 Dec 2013 11:23 AM PST Wolbachia, a symbiont that resides naturally up to 70% of all insect species, are probably the most prevalent infectious bacteria on Earth. Scientists have discovered that Wolbachia can protect their hosts against viral infections. Since then, several studies have been made to further investigate the interactions between Wolbachia and insects, aiming to build new strategies to use this bacterium in the control of diseases transmitted by mosquitoes, such as dengue.

Health care costs steadily increase with body mass Posted: 16 Dec 2013 11:22 AM PST Researchers are giving people another reason to lose weight in the new year: obesity-related illnesses are expensive. According to a study published, health care costs increase in parallel with body mass measurements, even beginning at a recommended healthy weight.

Heavy marijuana users have abnormal brain structure, poor memory Posted: 16 Dec 2013 05:04 AM PST Teens who were heavy marijuana users had abnormal changes in their brains related to memory and performed poorly on memory tasks, reports a new study. The brain abnormalities and memory problems were observed in the subjects' early twenties, two years after they stopped smoking marijuana, possibly indicating long-term effects. Memory-related structures in their brains appeared to shrink. The younger drug abuse starts, the more abnormal the brain appeared. The marijuana-related brain abnormalities look similar to schizophrenia-related brain abnormalities.

Lung lesions of TB variable, independent whether infection is active or latent Posted: 15 Dec 2013 01:09 PM PST The lung lesions in an individual infected with tuberculosis are surprisingly variable and independent of each other, despite whether the patient has clinically active or latent disease, according to a new animal study. The findings could point the way to new vaccines to prevent the hard-to-treat infection.

Big step for cell reprogramming Posted: 15 Dec 2013 01:07 PM PST A group of researchers has discovered a faster and more efficient mechanism for reprogramming induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS). The discovery decreases the time needed for cell reprogramming from a couple of weeks to a few days and reveals new information on the reprogramming process for iPS cells and their potential medical applications.

Call to tighten up value for money appraisals of new drugs in England Posted: 14 Dec 2013 11:48 AM PST The body that appraises the clinical and cost effectiveness of new drugs in England would do well to take a leaf out of its sister organizations' books in Wales and Scotland, says an editorial in the Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin.

Significant minority think doctors should help 'tired of living' elderly to die if that's their wish Posted: 14 Dec 2013 11:48 AM PST One in five people believes that doctors should be allowed to help the elderly who are not seriously ill, but who are tired of living, to die, if that is their stated wish, reveals research published.

You are subscribed to email updates from ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610