ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Metabolic abnormalities may increase cardiovascular risk more in black women than white women
• Support group, home exercise improves mobility for peripheral artery disease patients
• International study reveals that cold weather kills far more people than hot weather
• Drinking chamomile decreases risk of death in older Mexican American women
• Analysis compares stent expansion achieved with guidance from OCT versus IVUS
• New studies contradict earlier findings on Rett syndrome
• Physicians can play key role in preventing foodborne illness
• Re-engineered antibiotic show potential for treatment of drug-resistant bacteria
• Copd is independent risk factor for cardiovascular death, but not risk of stroke
• Australian public not being informed about dangers of medical overdiagnosis
• Acetaminophen in pregnancy may lower testosterone in unborn boys
• Development of gold nanoparticles that control osteogenic differentiation of stem cells
• Mesoporous particles for the development of drug delivery system safe to human bodies
• Regrets? Opting out of clinical trials may prompt more than a few
• DNA bank holds saliva samples of people who stutter
• Biomarker may boost ovarian cancer chemotherapy response
• Injected immune cells safe in multiple myeloma patients, pilot study finds
• Scientists reveal potential new drug target for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis
• Resolving a lymphatic riddle: Researchers to grow, for the first time, lymphatic cells in the lab
• People with metabolic syndrome face higher cardiovascular death risk
• Mothers of sons more likely to develop diabetes during pregnancy
• Researchers focus on potential tool for predicting survival, staging in prostate cancer
• Study pinpoints the likeliest rodent sources of future human infectious diseases
• Inhaled corticosteroids for COPD decrease mortality risk from pneumonia and other causes
• Include men in osteoporosis screening guidelines, experts urge
• Experimental Ebola treatment boosts survival in mice
• Results reported at first all pencil-beam proton center in US
• Surgery followed by ipilimumab treatment in melanoma patients improves survival, say researchers
• Kidney failure impacts survival of sepsis patients
• Hospital admissions strongly linked to disability for older adults in last year of life
• Occupational sun-safety policies examined for local government workers in Colorado
• 'Insufficient evidence' on degenerative brain disease in athletes
• Molecule designed to treat lung cancer shows promising results in mice
• New music strategy shows 70 per cent increase in exercise adherence
• Study findings linking ovulation, racial bias questioned
• Natural plant chemicals could help fight tooth decay, study shows
• What happens inside a membrane? Novel method to watch ion channels in action (and much more)
• Animals' presence may ease social anxiety in kids with autism
• Dasabuvir in hepatitis C: Indication of added benefit in certain patients
• New portable device could test how 'squishy' cancerous tumors are
• Negative findings for children of gay parents don't hold up to scrutiny
• Statistical study of first-year college rape
• The fear of dying in misery in a hospital is driving the assisted dying debate, says medical ethics expert
• More cycling with e-bikes
• Performance enhancing sensor ready for commercialization
• Twitter 'big data' could provide valuable details about transgender individuals' health and social needs
• Gun violence restraining orders: A promising strategy to reduce gun violence in U.S.
• Family history of breast cancer doesn't mean a poor prognosis for women who develop the disease
• Discovery of a treatment to block the progression of multiple sclerosis
• Caffeine intake associated with reduced levels of erectile dysfunction
• More people are dying in hospices in England

Metabolic abnormalities may increase cardiovascular risk more in black women than white women Posted: 20 May 2015 04:39 PM PDT Large waistline, cholesterol disorders and other metabolic abnormalities may increase the relative risk of cardiovascular disease more among black women than among white women. Black women who were overweight or obese had elevated cardiovascular risk compared with normal weight black women even when they did not have metabolic abnormalities. White women who were overweight or obese, but did not have the metabolic syndrome had a cardiovascular risk similar to that of normal weight white women without the metabolic syndrome.

Support group, home exercise improves mobility for peripheral artery disease patients Posted: 20 May 2015 04:39 PM PDT Group therapy that encourages walking at home improves and prevents mobility loss among patients with clogged arteries in the legs, a study concludes. Clogged arteries in the legs can cause pain and fatigue while walking. Maintaining mobility is integral to preserving functional independence, social interactions and daily activities.

International study reveals that cold weather kills far more people than hot weather Posted: 20 May 2015 04:38 PM PDT Cold weather kills 20 times as many people as hot weather, according to an international study analyzing over 74 million deaths in 384 locations across 13 countries. The findings also reveal that deaths due to moderately hot or cold weather substantially exceed those resulting from extreme heat waves or cold spells.

Drinking chamomile decreases risk of death in older Mexican American women Posted: 20 May 2015 01:03 PM PDT Drinking chamomile tea was associated with a decreased risk of death from all causes in Mexican-American American women over 65, a new study has shown. Chamomile is one of the oldest, most-widely used and well-documented medicinal plants in the world and has been recommended for a variety of healing applications. It is currently widely used as an herbal remedy in Mexico and among Mexican-Americans.

Analysis compares stent expansion achieved with guidance from OCT versus IVUS Posted: 20 May 2015 01:03 PM PDT Data from the ILUMIEN II trial found that guidance from optimal coherence tomography was associated with comparable stent expansion as guidance from intravascular ultrasound in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. Results from the study were presented today at EuroPCR 2015, the official annual meeting of the European Association for Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions.

New studies contradict earlier findings on Rett syndrome Posted: 20 May 2015 01:03 PM PDT Bone marrow transplant does not rescue mouse models of Rett syndrome, a severe neurological disease that affects very young girls, a new study shows. The findings contradict seemingly promising results published in 2012, which initiated a clinical trial for human patients. Rett syndrome is caused by mutations in the X-linked MECP2 gene and affects about 1 in every 10,000 girls (it is most often fatal in boys at or near birth). Rett syndrome causes many disabilities, both intellectual and physical.

Physicians can play key role in preventing foodborne illness Posted: 20 May 2015 01:03 PM PDT Food safety awareness is key to understanding the food safety issues on the horizon, and clinicians at hospitals and doctors' offices play a key role in ensuring consumers are aware of the threats of foodborne illness, says an expert.

Re-engineered antibiotic show potential for treatment of drug-resistant bacteria Posted: 20 May 2015 01:01 PM PDT Scientists have developed a second-generation antibiotic that shows early effectiveness against common bacterial infections that pose a serious health threat to children and adults.

Copd is independent risk factor for cardiovascular death, but not risk of stroke Posted: 20 May 2015 01:01 PM PDT Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, is associated with increased risk of dying from a cardiovascular disease such as heart failure or a heart attack, as well as diseases not associated with the heart. However, COPD is not by itself associated with increased likelihood of having a stroke or a systemic embolism, according to a new research study.

Australian public not being informed about dangers of medical overdiagnosis Posted: 20 May 2015 12:16 PM PDT A national survey reveals that only one in ten Australians report being told about the risk of overdiagnosis by their doctors, according to research. The increasingly recognized problem of overdiagnosis happens when someone is diagnosed with a disease that will never cause them any harm, often as a result of healthy people being screened for diseases such as breast or prostate cancer. Overdiagnosis can be harmful due to unnecessary labeling and treatment.

Acetaminophen in pregnancy may lower testosterone in unborn boys Posted: 20 May 2015 12:16 PM PDT Prolonged acetaminophen (paracetamol) use by pregnant women may reduce testosterone production in unborn baby boys, research has found. Researchers say their findings could help to explain reported links between acetaminophen use in pregnancy and reproductive health problems in young boys.

Development of gold nanoparticles that control osteogenic differentiation of stem cells Posted: 20 May 2015 12:13 PM PDT Scientists have successfully developed gold nanoparticles that have functional surfaces and act on osteogenic differentiation of stem cells.

Mesoporous particles for the development of drug delivery system safe to human bodies Posted: 20 May 2015 12:13 PM PDT Scientists have succeeded in developing porous particles (mesoporous particles) consisting solely of phospholipids, a biological component, that are suitable for use as a drug delivery system.

Regrets? Opting out of clinical trials may prompt more than a few Posted: 20 May 2015 11:07 AM PDT Women who choose not to participate in a clinical trial may be significantly more likely to later regret that decision than women who choose to participate in the study, according to a team of researchers.

DNA bank holds saliva samples of people who stutter Posted: 20 May 2015 11:07 AM PDT Scientists want people who stutter to give a spit -- five milliliters to be precise -- to help find the cause and a cure for stuttering.

Biomarker may boost ovarian cancer chemotherapy response Posted: 20 May 2015 11:06 AM PDT A molecule that helps control gene expression may play a role in controlling chemotherapy resistance among patients with the most common form of ovarian cancer. Chemoresistance is a major challenge in cancer treatment and this study may provide a means to overcome resistance, the researchers say.

Injected immune cells safe in multiple myeloma patients, pilot study finds Posted: 20 May 2015 11:06 AM PDT In a report on what is believed to be the first small clinical trial of its kind, researchers say they have safely used immune cells grown from patients' own bone marrow to treat multiple myeloma, a cancer of white blood cells.

Scientists reveal potential new drug target for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis Posted: 20 May 2015 11:06 AM PDT A novel drug target for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis has been identified, which focuses on the cells that are directly responsible for the cartilage damage in affected joints. Rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease that leads to stiff, deformed joints and often crippling pain, affects around 1.5 million adults in the United States. The immune system's attack on the body's own tissue leads to chronic, painful inflammation in the affected joints.

Resolving a lymphatic riddle: Researchers to grow, for the first time, lymphatic cells in the lab Posted: 20 May 2015 10:36 AM PDT For over one hundred years, scientists have debated the question of the origins of the lymphatic system -- a parallel system to the blood vessels that serves as a conduit for everything from immune cells to fat molecules to cancer cells. This debate is over, now that researchers have grown, for the first time, lymphatic cells in the lab.

People with metabolic syndrome face higher cardiovascular death risk Posted: 20 May 2015 10:17 AM PDT People who have metabolic syndrome are more likely to die from cardiovascular disease than people who do not have the condition, and having diabetes or high blood pressure worsens the risk, according to a new study.

Mothers of sons more likely to develop diabetes during pregnancy Posted: 20 May 2015 10:17 AM PDT Gestational diabetes occurs when a pregnant woman has higher levels of glucose, or blood sugar, in the bloodstream than normal. New research suggests that an unborn child's gender can affect the mother's risk of developing gestational diabetes or Type 2 diabetes later in life.

Researchers focus on potential tool for predicting survival, staging in prostate cancer Posted: 20 May 2015 09:28 AM PDT A molecule that promotes metastasis of advanced prostate cancer to the bone, an incurable condition that significantly decreases quality of life, has been identified by researchers. The research may offer new targets for diagnosing and treating this common disease.

Study pinpoints the likeliest rodent sources of future human infectious diseases Posted: 20 May 2015 09:28 AM PDT Researchers have developed a way to predict which species of rodents are likeliest to be sources of new disease outbreaks in humans. The findings could help public health officials take a more preemptive approach to disease surveillance, prevention and control.

Inhaled corticosteroids for COPD decrease mortality risk from pneumonia and other causes Posted: 20 May 2015 09:28 AM PDT Treatment of COPD with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) may decrease the risk of dying from pneumonia and from other causes despite being associated with an increase in the occurrence of pneumonia, according to a new meta-analysis.

Include men in osteoporosis screening guidelines, experts urge Posted: 20 May 2015 08:43 AM PDT Osteoporosis affects more men than prostate cancer. In a large study of smokers, men were more likely than women to have osteoporosis and fractures of their vertebrae. Smoking history and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) were independent risk factors for low bone density among both men and women. Researchers say screening for low vBMD by using QCT in men and women who are smokers will increase opportunities to identify and treat osteoporosis in this at-risk population.

Experimental Ebola treatment boosts survival in mice Posted: 20 May 2015 08:43 AM PDT The number of new Ebola cases is tapering off, but the search for new treatments continues. Now, one research team has found potential drug candidates that successfully treated up to 90 percent of mice exposed to the Ebola virus.

Results reported at first all pencil-beam proton center in US Posted: 20 May 2015 08:42 AM PDT America's first and only proton therapy center to treat patients exclusively with pencil-beam scanning is reporting exceptional results in delivering cancer treatment since opening for patient care just more than a year ago.

Surgery followed by ipilimumab treatment in melanoma patients improves survival, say researchers Posted: 20 May 2015 08:42 AM PDT A study has demonstrated that a drug called ipilimumab improves the relapse-free survival of advanced stage melanoma patients rendered free of disease surgically but at high risk for relapse. Ipilimumab is approved for the treatment of melanoma that cannot be surgically removed or that has metastasized to different sites.

Kidney failure impacts survival of sepsis patients Posted: 20 May 2015 08:42 AM PDT Kidney function plays a critical role in the fate of patients being treated for sepsis, a potentially life-threatening complication of an infection, researchers have discovered. Acute kidney injury is a serious and common health complication, occurring in up to 20 percent of all hospitalized patients and more than 45 percent of patients in a critical-care setting. Sepsis, which is defined as systemic inflammation resulting from an infection, often results in an abrupt decrease in the kidney's ability to effectively filter the blood.

Hospital admissions strongly linked to disability for older adults in last year of life Posted: 20 May 2015 08:42 AM PDT A close association between acute hospitalizations and the development and progression of disability among older adults at the end of life has been found by researchers. Their findings may have profound implications for medical decision-making for older people and those who care for them.

Occupational sun-safety policies examined for local government workers in Colorado Posted: 20 May 2015 08:42 AM PDT Few local government organizations in Colorado had policies on environmental controls, such as the provision of outdoor shade, or administrative procedures, including training and resource allocation, to improve sun protection for their workers and most policies addressed employees' use of personal protection practices, according to a new article.

'Insufficient evidence' on degenerative brain disease in athletes Posted: 20 May 2015 08:40 AM PDT Available research does not support the contention that athletes are uniquely at risk of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) or other neurodegenerative disorders, according to a review. Other reports have linked CTE to a history of concussions and "subconcussive impacts" during the athlete's playing career. However, because of the limitations of case series analysis, no direct causal link between concussion and CTE has been established.

Molecule designed to treat lung cancer shows promising results in mice Posted: 20 May 2015 07:06 AM PDT A new therapy for lung cancer, the most common cancer worldwide, has been identified by researchers. The team's study primarily focuses on lung cancer, yet further studies are ongoing in multiple cancer types, including breast cancer, prostate, sarcoma and colorectal cancer.

New music strategy shows 70 per cent increase in exercise adherence Posted: 20 May 2015 07:04 AM PDT The use of personalized music playlists with tempo-pace synchronization increases adherence to cardiac rehab by almost 70 per cent, according to a study.

Study findings linking ovulation, racial bias questioned Posted: 20 May 2015 07:04 AM PDT Is ovulation related to higher racial bias? Despite previous studies, researchers have been unable to find any evidence that there is an increase in racial bias related to conception risk.

Natural plant chemicals could help fight tooth decay, study shows Posted: 20 May 2015 07:00 AM PDT Oral-care products containing a natural chemical that stops bacteria harming teeth could help prevent decay, a study suggests. The plant natural product acts against harmful mouth bacteria and could improve oral health by helping to prevent the build-up of plaque, researchers say.

What happens inside a membrane? Novel method to watch ion channels in action (and much more) Posted: 20 May 2015 07:00 AM PDT Little is known about how the proteins forming ion channels -- the 'pores' on the cell membrane -- change when they open and close, especially the portion that is 'embedded' in the membrane. Scientists have invented a method, based on the combined and innovative use of known techniques, which allowed them to observe in detail a specific membrane protein and its structural changes.

Animals' presence may ease social anxiety in kids with autism Posted: 20 May 2015 07:00 AM PDT When animals are present, children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) have lower readings on a device that detects anxiety and other forms of social arousal when interacting with their peers. According to a study, companion animals -- like dogs, cats or the guinea pigs in the study --may prove to be a helpful addition to treatment programs designed to help children with ASDs improve their social skills and interactions with other people.

Dasabuvir in hepatitis C: Indication of added benefit in certain patients Posted: 20 May 2015 07:00 AM PDT A new drug combination showed an advantage in three of a total of 10 patient groups with hepatitis C, particularly regarding virologic response, reviewers have found. The extent of added benefit remains unclear, however.

New portable device could test how 'squishy' cancerous tumors are Posted: 20 May 2015 07:00 AM PDT A new device will test a tumor's squishiness (Young's modulus), providing clinicians insight into how best to treat it. Preliminary testing has found that in general, more aggressive tumors are stiffer, but the complex relationship will require more research, according to the engineers.

Negative findings for children of gay parents don't hold up to scrutiny Posted: 20 May 2015 06:59 AM PDT A 2012 study has been widely cited to argue that lesbians and gay men don't make good parents. Now researchers have reanalyzed the same data and reached a very different conclusion.

Statistical study of first-year college rape Posted: 20 May 2015 05:35 AM PDT A survey of more than 480 female freshmen students conducted in 2010 at a university in upstate New York found that 18.6 percent said they experienced at least one attempted or completed rape in the year after they started college.

The fear of dying in misery in a hospital is driving the assisted dying debate, says medical ethics expert Posted: 20 May 2015 05:33 AM PDT The fear of a miserable death in a hospital bed rather than at home is driving public support for mercy-killing law in the UK, an academic has warned.

More cycling with e-bikes Posted: 20 May 2015 05:32 AM PDT Electric bikes make people cycle longer and more often, a new study concludes, adding that the effect is best on women. A new study focused on how people use the electric bike and how the electric bike may contribute to a decrease in motor traffic.

Performance enhancing sensor ready for commercialization Posted: 20 May 2015 05:32 AM PDT A wearable device will provide real-time data analysis of fluid loss during exercise to enhance the performance of fitness enthusiasts and elite athletes.

Twitter 'big data' could provide valuable details about transgender individuals' health and social needs Posted: 20 May 2015 05:26 AM PDT Researchers and public health officials have looked for ways to better understand the health concerns of transgender populations, so social "big data" technologies like Twitter offer an untapped rich source of information that they can use for the benefit of these communities.

Gun violence restraining orders: A promising strategy to reduce gun violence in U.S. Posted: 20 May 2015 05:26 AM PDT Gun violence restraining orders (GVROs) are a promising strategy for reducing firearm homicide and suicide in the United States, and should be considered by states seeking to address gun violence, researchers argue in a new report.

Family history of breast cancer doesn't mean a poor prognosis for women who develop the disease Posted: 20 May 2015 05:26 AM PDT Women who are diagnosed with breast cancer and have a family history of the disease face no worse of a prognosis after treatment than other women with breast cancer, a new study concludes. The research offers a positive message for women who may worry about their future in light of a family history of breast cancer.

Discovery of a treatment to block the progression of multiple sclerosis Posted: 20 May 2015 05:26 AM PDT A drug that could halt the progression of multiple sclerosis may soon be developed thanks to a new discovery.

Caffeine intake associated with reduced levels of erectile dysfunction Posted: 20 May 2015 05:26 AM PDT Men who drink the equivalent caffeine level of two to three cups of coffee a day are less likely to have erectile dysfunction (ED), according to researchers. Men who consumed between 85 and 170 milligrams of caffeine a day were 42 percent less likely to report ED, while those who drank between 171 and 303 milligrams of caffeine a day were 39 percent less likely to report ED compared to those who drank zero to seven milligrams a day. This trend was also true among overweight, obese and hypertensive men.

More people are dying in hospices in England Posted: 19 May 2015 06:02 PM PDT The proportion of people dying in hospices in England has nearly doubled since 1993, but the gap in hospice deaths between people living in the least and most deprived areas appears to be growing, finds a new study.

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