ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• LGB individuals living in anti-gay communities die early, study shows
• Multi-billion dollar baseball industry largely responsible for steroid abuse by MLB players, researcher says
• High frequency of EGFR mutations found in Asian population
• Clinical trial success influenced by biomarker - and receptor-targeted therapies in NSCLC
• Growing number of chemicals linked with brain disorders in children
• Child Obesity: Using attention modification program to decrease overeating in obese children
• Scientists chip away at mystery of what lives in our mouths
• Mobile compression device recommended to prevent DVT after joint surgery
• Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia can reduce health care utilization, costs
• Sleep apnea may contribute to fatigue in multiple sclerosis: Study
• Need for individual clinical judgements for wider use of statins: Experts
• Superbright, fast X-rays image single layer of proteins
• Another reason to not mix work, family: Money makes parenting less meaningful, study suggests
• What do women want? It depends on time of month
• Geographic variation of human gut microbes tied to obesity
• New depression treatments reported
• Advanced practice clinician workforce continues to grow; incentive pay an increasing part of compensation mix
• Social norms strongly influence vaccination decisions, the spread of disease
• Blacks, Hispanics, older people not benefitting equally from better colon cancer treatment
• South African healthcare workers face greater risk for TB, HIV
• Optimizing donor kidney distribution in the United States
• Consequences of protein misfolding in neurodegenerative disorders
• Tinnitus study signals new advance in understanding link between exposure to loud sounds and hearing loss
• Grape seed promise in fight against bowel cancer
• Pregnancy study for overweight women leads to fewer high birth weight babies
• Passive smoking impairs children's responses to asthma treatment
• New research reinforces danger of drinking alcohol while pregnant
• Fathers drinking: Also responsible for fetal disorders?
• Impaired recovery from inflammation linked to Alzheimer's
• Brains have switch board to guide behavior in response to external stimuli
• Cancer doctors have opportunities to cut costs without risk to patients, experts say
• Breast cancer drug found in bodybuilding supplement
• What makes newborn immune system in lungs different, vulnerable?
• Stroke survivors often return to driving without being evaluated for ability
• Head, neck injuries may increase stroke risk among trauma patients younger than 50
• How memory, schizophrenia are connected
• How gut bacteria communicate within our bodies, build special relationship
• Protein switch dictates cellular fate: Stem cell or neuron
• Can-do plan gets women trimmer, healthier, cuts hot flashes
• Moderate exercise cuts women's stroke risk, helps offset increase risk from hormone therapy
• Muscle loss ups mortality, sepsis risk in liver transplant candidates
• Genetics of drug tolerance to address side effects
• Potential therapy for rare, drug-resistant cancer using already-approved drugs

LGB individuals living in anti-gay communities die early, study shows Posted: 15 Feb 2014 09:25 AM PST In the first study to look at the consequences of anti-gay prejudice for mortality, researchers found that lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals who lived in communities with high levels of anti-gay prejudice have a shorter life expectancy of 12 years on average compared with their peers in the least prejudiced communities.

Multi-billion dollar baseball industry largely responsible for steroid abuse by MLB players, researcher says Posted: 14 Feb 2014 05:39 PM PST The widespread use of illegal steroids among Major League Baseball players has been fueled by an "economy of bodily management," the free agent market and exploding television revenues, a labor and disability historian argues in a newly published research paper.

High frequency of EGFR mutations found in Asian population Posted: 14 Feb 2014 05:39 PM PST Adenocarcinoma histology, female sex, never-smoking status, and Asian ethnicity have been considered the most important factors associated with EGFR mutations in non-small cell lung cancer and response to EGFR inhibitors. A recent study has found that, within the Asian population, the frequency of EGFR mutations associated with other demographic and clinical characteristics is higher than previously reported.

Clinical trial success influenced by biomarker - and receptor-targeted therapies in NSCLC Posted: 14 Feb 2014 05:39 PM PST Over the past decade, a great clinical focus has been directed at developing new and innovative therapies for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). An analysis of clinical trials evaluating these therapies demonstrates that the cumulative success rate for new agents for advanced NSCLC is lower than the industry-estimated rate. However, biomarker- and receptor-targeted therapies were found to substantially increase clinical trial success.

Growing number of chemicals linked with brain disorders in children Posted: 14 Feb 2014 05:39 PM PST Toxic chemicals may be triggering the recent increases in neurodevelopmental disabilities among children -- such as autism, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and dyslexia.

Child Obesity: Using attention modification program to decrease overeating in obese children Posted: 14 Feb 2014 05:38 PM PST Attention modification programs, which train a person to ignore or disregard specific, problematic cues or triggers, have been used effectively to treat cases of anxiety and substance abuse. In a novel study published this week, a professor of pediatrics and psychiatry reports using a single session of attention modification to decrease overeating in obese children.

Scientists chip away at mystery of what lives in our mouths Posted: 14 Feb 2014 05:38 PM PST Scientists have pieced together sections of DNA from 12 individual cells to sequence the genome of a bacterium known to live in healthy human mouths. With this new data, the researchers were able to reinforce a theory that genes in a closely related bacterium could be culprits in its ability to cause severe gum disease.

Mobile compression device recommended to prevent DVT after joint surgery Posted: 14 Feb 2014 12:20 PM PST Research could change how patients are treated to prevent blood clots after joint replacement surgery. A study published has determined that after lower extremity joint replacement surgery, a mobile compression device was just as effective as blood thinners in preventing deep vein thrombosis (DVT), but without negative side effects including bleeding complications.

Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia can reduce health care utilization, costs Posted: 14 Feb 2014 12:20 PM PST A new study is the first to show decreases in health care utilization and costs following brief treatment with cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia.

Sleep apnea may contribute to fatigue in multiple sclerosis: Study Posted: 14 Feb 2014 12:20 PM PST A new study provides evidence that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is highly prevalent in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), and it suggests that OSA may be a contributor to the fatigue that is one of the most common and debilitating symptoms of MS.

Need for individual clinical judgements for wider use of statins: Experts Posted: 14 Feb 2014 12:19 PM PST Professors discuss the clinical and public health challenges to increase the use of statins in the treatment and prevention of heart attacks and strokes. Last November, new guidelines for the use of statins in the treatment and prevention of heart attacks and strokes were published.

Superbright, fast X-rays image single layer of proteins Posted: 14 Feb 2014 10:09 AM PST In biology, a protein's shape is key to understanding how it causes disease or toxicity. Researchers who use X-rays to takes snapshots of proteins need a billion copies of the same protein stacked and packed into a neat crystal. Now, scientists using exceptionally bright and fast X-rays can take a picture that rivals conventional methods with a sheet of proteins just one protein molecule thick.

Another reason to not mix work, family: Money makes parenting less meaningful, study suggests Posted: 14 Feb 2014 10:09 AM PST Money and parenting don't mix. That's according to new research that suggests that merely thinking about money diminishes the meaning people derive from parenting. The study is one among a growing number that identifies when, why, and how parenthood is associated with happiness or misery.

What do women want? It depends on time of month Posted: 14 Feb 2014 10:09 AM PST A meta-analysis of research on changes in mate preferences across the menstrual cycle suggests that ovulating women have evolved to prefer mates who display sexy traits, such as a masculine body type, dominant behavior, certain body odors and masculine facial features, rather than traits that are generally desirable in a long-term mate.

Geographic variation of human gut microbes tied to obesity Posted: 14 Feb 2014 10:09 AM PST Researchers know that obese people have a different balance of microbes in their guts: more Firmicutes, fewer Bacteroidetes. Now researchers have found that people living in northern latitudes have a greater proportion of the Firmicutes associated with obesity than do people living farther south, and a smaller proportion of Bacteroidetes. The implications are unclear, though microbes may evolve with people to better extract energy from food in colder climates.

New depression treatments reported Posted: 14 Feb 2014 10:07 AM PST New insights into the physiological causes of depression are leading to treatments beyond common antidepressants such as Prozac and Zoloft, according to an evidence-based report.

Advanced practice clinician workforce continues to grow; incentive pay an increasing part of compensation mix Posted: 14 Feb 2014 10:07 AM PST Findings released in the 2013 Advanced Practice Clinician Compensation and Pay Practices Survey Report highlight the continuing high demand for advanced practice clinicians (APCs). The report survey revealed that approximately 2/3 of organizations reported an increase in their APC workforce within the past 12 months and 2/3 projected an increase within the next 12 months.

Social norms strongly influence vaccination decisions, the spread of disease Posted: 14 Feb 2014 08:12 AM PST Our response to societal pressures about vaccination has a direct effect on the spread of pediatric infectious diseases in areas where inoculation is not mandatory, says research. By incorporating social norms into predictive modelling, a research team found that they can foresee the observed patterns of population behavior and disease spread during vaccine scares-times when anti-vaccine sentiment is strong.

Blacks, Hispanics, older people not benefitting equally from better colon cancer treatment Posted: 14 Feb 2014 08:11 AM PST While new and better treatments have improved the odds of survival for patients diagnosed late stage colorectal cancer, that progress has been largely confined to non-Hispanic whites and Asians and those under age 65.

South African healthcare workers face greater risk for TB, HIV Posted: 14 Feb 2014 08:11 AM PST A large-scale survey of South African healthcare workers has revealed major gaps in workplace protection against tuberculosis, HIV and hepatitis.

Optimizing donor kidney distribution in the United States Posted: 14 Feb 2014 08:11 AM PST Nearly 5,000 people die each year in the US waiting for a kidney transplant. A researcher has now developed a mathematical model that simulates and optimizes donor kidney distribution. The model identifies areas for policy changes, including encouraging more sharing within states. The innovative model could help ease inequities among regions in the US and ultimately help save hundreds of lives.

Consequences of protein misfolding in neurodegenerative disorders Posted: 14 Feb 2014 08:10 AM PST Research has provided new insight into the consequence of accumulated 'misfolded proteins' in neurodegenerative disorders, such as Prion and Alzheimer's disease. These are protein misfolding brain diseases, where genetic mutations, or more commonly, interactions between an individual's genetics and environmental influences cause functional proteins in neurons to become misfolded or misrouted.

Tinnitus study signals new advance in understanding link between exposure to loud sounds and hearing loss Posted: 14 Feb 2014 06:21 AM PST Research reveals why hearing loss is correlated with auditory signals failing to get transmitted along the auditory nerve.

Grape seed promise in fight against bowel cancer Posted: 14 Feb 2014 06:20 AM PST Research has shown for the first time that grape seed can aid the effectiveness of chemotherapy in killing colon cancer cells as well as reducing the chemotherapy's side effects.

Pregnancy study for overweight women leads to fewer high birth weight babies Posted: 14 Feb 2014 06:20 AM PST The world's biggest study offering healthy eating and exercise advice to pregnant women who are overweight or obese has shown a significant reduction in the number of babies born over 4kg (8.8 pounds) in weight.

Passive smoking impairs children's responses to asthma treatment Posted: 14 Feb 2014 04:54 AM PST Children exposed to cigarette smoke at home have lower levels of an enzyme that helps them respond to asthma treatment, a study has found.

New research reinforces danger of drinking alcohol while pregnant Posted: 14 Feb 2014 04:54 AM PST Women who drink alcohol at moderate or heavy levels in the early stages of their pregnancy might damage the growth and function of their placenta – the organ responsible for supplying everything that a developing infant needs until birth - research shows. Placentas studied in a laboratory environment showed that drinking alcohol at moderate (2/3 standard drinks) to high (4-6 standard drinks) rates reduced the cell growth in a woman's placenta.

Fathers drinking: Also responsible for fetal disorders? Posted: 14 Feb 2014 04:54 AM PST Maternal exposure to alcohol in-utero is a known risk and cause of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). FAS children suffer significant problems such as retarded intellect, stunted growth and nervous system abnormalities, social problems and isolation. Until now, fathers have not had a causal link to such disabilities. Ground breaking new research has been revealed which shows dads may have more accountability.

Impaired recovery from inflammation linked to Alzheimer's Posted: 14 Feb 2014 04:54 AM PST New research shows that the final stage of the normal inflammatory process may be disrupted in patients with Alzheimer's disease. A study shows that levels in the brain and cerebrospinal fluid of the molecules necessary for tissue recovery through the clearance of harmful inflammatory substances are lower than normal in patients with Alzheimer's disease. The study also showed association between the lower levels of these molecules with impaired memory function.

Brains have switch board to guide behavior in response to external stimuli Posted: 14 Feb 2014 04:54 AM PST How do our brains combine information from the external world (sensory stimulation) with information on our internal state such as hunger, fear or stress? Scientists demonstrate that the habenula, a specific part in our brain consisting of neural circuits, acts as a gate for sensory information, thus regulating behavior in response to external stimuli.

Cancer doctors have opportunities to cut costs without risk to patients, experts say Posted: 14 Feb 2014 04:53 AM PST In a review article published, experts identify three major sources of high cancer costs and argue that cancer doctors can likely reduce them without harm to patients. The cost-cutting proposals call for changes in routine clinical practice involved in end-of-life care, medical imaging and drug pricing.

Breast cancer drug found in bodybuilding supplement Posted: 13 Feb 2014 03:48 PM PST Researchers have found the breast cancer drug tamoxifen in samples of a widely available bodybuilding dietary supplement.

What makes newborn immune system in lungs different, vulnerable? Posted: 13 Feb 2014 03:48 PM PST Newborns are more susceptible to infections, presumably because of their immature and inexperienced immune systems. The most common dangerous condition in newborns and infants are lower respiratory tract infections caused by viruses, especially respiratory syncytial virus. A study published shows how the immune system in the lungs during early life differs from the one in older children and adults.

Stroke survivors often return to driving without being evaluated for ability Posted: 13 Feb 2014 03:48 PM PST Stroke survivors often resume driving without being formally evaluated for ability -- though stroke can cause deficits that can impair driving, according to researchers.

Head, neck injuries may increase stroke risk among trauma patients younger than 50 Posted: 13 Feb 2014 03:48 PM PST Suffering an injury to the head or neck increases ischemic stroke risk three-fold among trauma patients younger than 50, according to research.

How memory, schizophrenia are connected Posted: 13 Feb 2014 09:24 AM PST Many psychiatric disorders are accompanied by memory deficits. Scientists have now identified a network of genes that controls fundamental properties of neurons and is important for human brain activity, memory and the development of schizophrenia.

How gut bacteria communicate within our bodies, build special relationship Posted: 13 Feb 2014 09:23 AM PST Communication is vital to any successful relationship. Researchers have discovered how the beneficial bacteria in our guts communicate with our own cells. This is a key step in understanding how our bodies maintain a close relationship with the population of gut bacteria that plays crucial roles in maintaining our health, fighting infection and digesting our food.

Protein switch dictates cellular fate: Stem cell or neuron Posted: 13 Feb 2014 09:16 AM PST Researchers have discovered that a well-known protein has a new function: It acts in a biological circuit to determine whether an immature neural cell remains in a stem-like state or proceeds to become a functional neuron.

Can-do plan gets women trimmer, healthier, cuts hot flashes Posted: 13 Feb 2014 08:28 AM PST A woman can beat middle-aged spread, her disease risks, and her hot flashes with the help of her healthcare provider. And even a short term program can spell success for women and fit into a busy provider's practice, shows a demonstration obesity-fighting and health risk reduction program detailed in an article just published.

Moderate exercise cuts women's stroke risk, helps offset increase risk from hormone therapy Posted: 13 Feb 2014 08:27 AM PST Moderate exercise like brisk walking may cut women's stroke risk 20 percent. Moderate exercise also helps offset some of the increased stroke risk in women taking postmenopausal hormone therapy.

Muscle loss ups mortality, sepsis risk in liver transplant candidates Posted: 13 Feb 2014 08:26 AM PST Researchers have determined that sarcopenia -- a loss of skeletal muscle mass—increases risk of sepsis and mortality risk in patients undergoing live donor liver transplantation. Findings suggest that post-transplant sepsis was reduced in candidates with sarcopenia who received early nutritional support with a feeding tube, known as enteral nutrition.

Genetics of drug tolerance to address side effects Posted: 13 Feb 2014 06:50 AM PST If you're a doctor, choosing the best drug for a patient with schizophrenia isn't easy. Researchers are trying to help by better understanding the genetic underpinnings of drug side effects while creating a better way for geneticists to design experiments.

Potential therapy for rare, drug-resistant cancer using already-approved drugs Posted: 13 Feb 2014 06:43 AM PST Scientists have shown that old drugs might be able to do new tricks. By screening a library of FDA-approved anticancer drugs that previously wouldn't have been considered as a treatment for a rare type of cancer, scientists were surprised when they found several potential possibilities to try if the cancer becomes resistant to standard drug treatment.

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