ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Statins show promise to reduce major complications following lung surgery
• Fat, sugar cause bacterial changes that may relate to loss of cognitive function
• Independence at home program national demonstration saves more than $25 million
• Pregnancy safer for women with lupus than previously thought
• Cells too stiff to scavenge leads to lupus, an autoimmune disease
• Researchers find molecular mechanisms within fetal lungs that initiate labor
• More accurate method for blood glucose testing
• Study looks at antibiotic choice for treating childhood pneumonia
• Weight-loss surgery may greatly improve incontinence
• Smart insulin patch could replace painful injections for diabetes
• PrEP data links anti-HIV immune response to reduce chance of infection
• Cardio-oncology services may improve patient care if more widely available
• Elevated blood pressure in young adults associated with middle-age heart issues
• Clients lost in system when safety-net agencies close
• Blue light sets the beat in biological pacemaker
• Turning fake pills into real treatments
• Two cultures, same risk for cognitive impairment
• Better outcome prediction of postanoxic coma
• Reversing the deadly side effects of Tylenol overdose
• Researchers successfully target 'Achilles' heel' of MERS virus
• Research team evolves CRISPR-Cas9 nucleases with novel properties
• Cell that replenishes heart muscle found by researchers
• Unpacking the mysteries of bacterial cell cycle regulation
• Smoking allowed in growing number of restaurants, bars in Georgia
• The secrets of secretion
• New agent developed for prostate cancer diagnosis, treatment
• Best Practice Framework is good benchmarking tool for Fracture Liaison Services worldwide
• No 'heckler's veto' in online ratings of doctors, study shows
• Saliva exonerated
• Millions of smokers may have undiagnosed lung disease
• Current monitoring of pacemakers, defibrillators may underestimate device problems
• Relationship seen across studies between cyberbullying, depression
• Prevalence of overweight, obesity in the United States
• Most women with early-stage breast cancer undergo imaging for metastatic cancer despite guidelines
• More women are reaching 100 but centenarian men are healthier
• Patient controlled analgesia in the emergency department is effective
• Heart patients can stop blood thinners when undergoing elective surgery
• Study could reduce unnecessary cancer screening
• Drinking a lot of beer increases exposure to mycotoxins
• Why the bloating during menopause? Blame the hormones or the lack of them
• Stress hormones could undermine breast cancer therapy
• Molecular sunscreen: How DNA protects itself from UV light
• How to predict biphasic allergic reactions in children
• Decreased rates of high-grade cervical lesions in young women
• Smoking around your toddler could be just as bad as smoking while pregnant
• Grandparental support helps reduce risk of child obesity
• Obesity: Small intestine contributes to chronic inflammation
• MERS coronavirus: Candidate vaccine gears up for clinical trials
• Primed for medical nanotechnology? Soft core, hard shell
• First clear evidence of link between smoking, prostate cancer
• Users to fine-tune hearing aids themselves
• Cardiac device wearers should keep distance from smartphones
• Patients test drive pacemaker before choosing permanent implant

Statins show promise to reduce major complications following lung surgery Posted: 22 Jun 2015 03:25 PM PDT Statins have been shown to reduce complications from cardiovascular surgery. To determine whether statins might also help those undergoing major lung surgeries, a team of researchers conducted a well-designed study that randomized patients to receive either a statin or placebo before and after surgery. They found that patients undergoing major lung resection experienced fewer complications overall, however, the differences between groups for specific complications or changes in inflammatory markers failed to reach statistical significance.

Fat, sugar cause bacterial changes that may relate to loss of cognitive function Posted: 22 Jun 2015 03:20 PM PDT A study indicates that both a high-fat and a high-sugar diet, compared to a normal diet, cause changes in gut bacteria that appear related to a significant loss of 'cognitive flexibility,' or the power to adapt and adjust to changing situations. This effect was most serious on the high-sugar diet, which also showed an impairment of early learning for both long-term and short-term memory.

Independence at home program national demonstration saves more than $25 million Posted: 22 Jun 2015 03:19 PM PDT House calls, a long-running option dating back to the early days of medicine, can be used in a new way to improve geriatric care and lower costs, says a new report.

Pregnancy safer for women with lupus than previously thought Posted: 22 Jun 2015 03:18 PM PDT Most women with lupus whose disease is not very active will have a safe pregnancy, new research concludes. The study also identified several risk factors that might put some women with systemic lupus erythematosus at higher risk for bad outcomes in pregnancy.

Cells too stiff to scavenge leads to lupus, an autoimmune disease Posted: 22 Jun 2015 01:20 PM PDT Macrophage cells require agility to scavenge and digest dead cells and prevent an immune response to self. In lupus, the macrophages lose that agility, scientists report.

Researchers find molecular mechanisms within fetal lungs that initiate labor Posted: 22 Jun 2015 01:20 PM PDT Researchers have identified two proteins in a fetus' lungs responsible for initiating the labor process, providing potential new targets for preventing preterm birth. They discovered that the proteins SRC-1 and SRC-2 activate genes inside the fetus' lungs near full term, leading to an inflammatory response in the mother's uterus that initiates labor.

More accurate method for blood glucose testing Posted: 22 Jun 2015 01:18 PM PDT Researchers have found a way of obtaining more accurate measurements from glucometers: by using blood plasma or serum rather than whole blood.

Study looks at antibiotic choice for treating childhood pneumonia Posted: 22 Jun 2015 01:18 PM PDT Hospitals are doing a better job of using antibiotics less commonly associated with antibiotic resistance to treat children hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), new research shows.

Weight-loss surgery may greatly improve incontinence Posted: 22 Jun 2015 12:49 PM PDT For severely obese people, bariatric surgery may have a benefit besides dramatic weight loss: it can also substantially reduce urinary incontinence. This study is the first to examine the longer-term effects of the surgical procedure on incontinence three years after bariatric surgery.

Smart insulin patch could replace painful injections for diabetes Posted: 22 Jun 2015 12:45 PM PDT The first 'smart insulin patch' that can detect increases in blood sugar levels has been developed by researchers. The patch has the ability to secrete doses of insulin into the bloodstream whenever needed.

PrEP data links anti-HIV immune response to reduce chance of infection Posted: 22 Jun 2015 12:45 PM PDT Some individuals exposed to HIV-1, but who remain uninfected, have a certain pattern of virus-specific immune responses that differentiated them from individuals who became infected.

Cardio-oncology services may improve patient care if more widely available Posted: 22 Jun 2015 12:03 PM PDT The impact of cancer treatments on cardiovascular health is an important consideration when treating cancer patients, but many hospital training programs have no formal training or services in cardio-oncology and a lack of national guidelines and funding are frequent barriers to establishing such programs, according to an American nationwide survey.

Elevated blood pressure in young adults associated with middle-age heart issues Posted: 22 Jun 2015 12:03 PM PDT Young adults who had blood pressure that was elevated but still within normal range for long periods of time were more likely to show signs of cardiac dysfunction in middle age, according to a study.

Clients lost in system when safety-net agencies close Posted: 22 Jun 2015 10:17 AM PDT Safety-net agencies, such as food banks and nonprofits offering health care, serve vulnerable individuals who are uninsured or underinsured and help them connect with services, such as health care, legal aid and housing. An American researcher offers recommendations for agency leaders and policymakers to make sure safety-net agencies are sustainable and, if they do close, clients continue to receive the services they need.

Blue light sets the beat in biological pacemaker Posted: 22 Jun 2015 09:52 AM PDT Using optogenetics, researchers have established a new approach for pacing the heart and synchronizing its mechanical activity without a conventional electrical pacemaker. This finding could help avoid many drawbacks of electrical pacemakers.

Turning fake pills into real treatments Posted: 22 Jun 2015 09:51 AM PDT A series of fascinating studies showed that many people respond positively to placebo pills -- even when they are told that the pills don't have any active ingredients. Researchers are now testing these "open-label" placebos for the first time among cancer survivors.

Two cultures, same risk for cognitive impairment Posted: 22 Jun 2015 09:48 AM PDT Diabetes is a known risk factor for cognitive decline and dementia, age-related conditions that affect memory and thinking skills. However, little is known about how the diabetes-cognitive decline link compares across cultures.

Better outcome prediction of postanoxic coma Posted: 22 Jun 2015 09:48 AM PDT EEG-measurements enable better prediction of the outcome of a coma that was caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain. A new method helps to make reliable and correct estimates in about 50% of patients, instead of only 10% of patients with the methods currently used. This involves continuous EEG-measurements focussing on the speed with which the brain's activity recovers. It seems that recovery over time is a better indicator of the severity of brain damage than single brief measurements, which are currently done.

Reversing the deadly side effects of Tylenol overdose Posted: 22 Jun 2015 09:47 AM PDT New research could help reverse deadly side effects caused by excessive doses of the drug acetaminophen, the major ingredient in Tylenol and many other medicines. Researchers have developed a mathematical model of acetaminophen metabolism based on data from rats. The findings suggest that giving patients glutamine -- a common amino acid in the body -- alongside the standard antidote for acetaminophen overdose could prevent liver damage and boost the body's ability to recover.

Researchers successfully target 'Achilles' heel' of MERS virus Posted: 22 Jun 2015 09:47 AM PDT Researchers studying the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, or MERS, have found molecules that shut down the activity of an essential enzyme in the virus and could lead the way to better treatments for those infected. The team identified molecules that inhibit an enzyme essential to MERS virus replication, and also discovered a characteristic of the enzyme that is very different from other coronaviruses.

Research team evolves CRISPR-Cas9 nucleases with novel properties Posted: 22 Jun 2015 09:46 AM PDT A team of researchers has found a way to expand the use and precision of the powerful gene-editing tools called CRISPR-Cas9 RNA-guided nucleases. In their report, the investigators describe evolved versions of the DNA-cutting Cas9 enzyme that are able to recognize a different range of nucleic acid sequences than is possible with the naturally occurring form of Cas9 that has been used to date.

Cell that replenishes heart muscle found by researchers Posted: 22 Jun 2015 09:46 AM PDT Regenerative medicine researchers have identified a cell that replenishes adult heart muscle by using a new cell lineage-tracing technique they devised. Adult heart muscle is comprised of cells called cardiomyocytes. Most cardiomyocytes don't replenish themselves after a heart attack or other significant heart muscle damage. The new cell-tracing technique allows them to detect cells that do replenish themselves after being damaged.

Unpacking the mysteries of bacterial cell cycle regulation Posted: 22 Jun 2015 09:46 AM PDT As part of their long-term investigation of regulatory factors in the bacterial cell cycle, molecular biologists now report finding a surprising new role for one factor, CpdR, an adaptor that helps to regulate selective protein destruction, the main control mechanism of cell cycle progression in bacteria, at specific times.

Smoking allowed in growing number of restaurants, bars in Georgia Posted: 22 Jun 2015 09:46 AM PDT Despite the passage of Georgia's Smokefree Air Act in 2005, the number of restaurants and bars that allow smoking has doubled in recent years, according to researchers.

The secrets of secretion Posted: 22 Jun 2015 09:46 AM PDT Living tissues rely on their ability to package, transport and secrete liquid, where and when it's needed. Nature's secretion system is responsive, self-regulatory and intrinsically linked with its surroundings. Synthetic systems haven't been able to replicate that complexity -- until now. A new system spontaneously releases only enough fluid to replace what is lost on the surface.

New agent developed for prostate cancer diagnosis, treatment Posted: 22 Jun 2015 09:46 AM PDT An agent called PSMA-617 is capable of attaching specifically to prostate cancer cells. This agent can be labeled with various radioactive substances. When chemically bound to a weakly radioactive diagnostic radionuclide, it can detect prostate tumors and their metastases in PET scans. If labeled with a strongly radioactive therapeutic radionuclide, PSMA-617 can specifically destroy cancer cells. A first clinical application of this radiopharmaceutica has now delivered promising results.

Best Practice Framework is good benchmarking tool for Fracture Liaison Services worldwide Posted: 22 Jun 2015 09:28 AM PDT The success of the Capture the Fracture Best Practice Framework has been confirmed as a single set of quality standards which can be used effectively to benchmark Fracture Liaison Services within a variety of health-care systems worldwide. Findings revealed that services for hip fracture patients had the highest proportion of gold grading while vertebral fracture the lowest.

No 'heckler's veto' in online ratings of doctors, study shows Posted: 22 Jun 2015 09:28 AM PDT Doctors have many concerns about online crowdsourced ratings, which are intended to make patients better-informed consumers of health care, but this is a big one: They worry that complainers will be the most outspoken contributors to rating sites, skewing scores and resulting in a kind of heckler's veto. A new study finds that that fear is unwarranted.

Saliva exonerated Posted: 22 Jun 2015 09:28 AM PDT A gene previously suspected of wielding the single greatest genetic influence on human obesity actually has nothing to do with body weight, according to a new study.

Millions of smokers may have undiagnosed lung disease Posted: 22 Jun 2015 09:27 AM PDT More than half of long-term smokers and ex-smokers who are considered disease-free because they passed lung-function tests have respiratory-related impairments when more closely evaluated with lung imaging, walking and quality-of-life tests. Many of those people likely have the earliest stages of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, an incurable progressive disease that is the third leading cause of death in the United States.

Current monitoring of pacemakers, defibrillators may underestimate device problems Posted: 22 Jun 2015 09:27 AM PDT The current monitoring of patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices such as pacemakers and defibrillators may be underestimating device problems, according to researchers who propose systematic methods to determine accurate causes of sudden death in those with CIEDs as well as improved monitoring for device concerns.

Relationship seen across studies between cyberbullying, depression Posted: 22 Jun 2015 09:27 AM PDT The median percentage of children and adolescents who reported being bullied online was 23 percent and there appears to be a consistent relationship between cyberbullying and reports of depression in a review of social media studies, according to a new article.

Prevalence of overweight, obesity in the United States Posted: 22 Jun 2015 09:27 AM PDT More than two-thirds of Americans are either overweight or obese, according to new estimates. Overweight and obesity are associated with a variety of chronic health conditions, which could potentially be avoided by preventing weight gain and obesity.

Most women with early-stage breast cancer undergo imaging for metastatic cancer despite guidelines Posted: 22 Jun 2015 09:27 AM PDT Most women -- about 86 percent -- with early-stage breast cancer will undergo imaging to determine if the cancer has metastasized, despite international guidelines that recommend against testing, found a Canadian study.

More women are reaching 100 but centenarian men are healthier Posted: 22 Jun 2015 07:10 AM PDT New research has found an increasing trend in the number of people in the UK reaching age 100 over the past two decades. The study also found that, whilst women were far more likely to reach 100 than men, males tended to be healthier and had fewer diagnosed chronic illnesses compared to women.

Patient controlled analgesia in the emergency department is effective Posted: 22 Jun 2015 07:10 AM PDT Two studies are the first to track the effectiveness of patient-controlled pain relief (PCA - patient-controlled analgesia) in patients from the Emergency Department to the ward. The studies show that PCA is effective.

Heart patients can stop blood thinners when undergoing elective surgery Posted: 22 Jun 2015 06:23 AM PDT Patients with atrial fibrillation who stopped taking blood thinners before they had elective surgery had no higher risk of developing blood clots and less risk of major bleeding compared to patients who were given a "bridge" therapy, according to research.

Study could reduce unnecessary cancer screening Posted: 22 Jun 2015 05:52 AM PDT Contrary to expectations, a CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis does not improve cancer detection in people with unexplained blood clots in their legs and lungs, a new study has found. The results are expected to improve patient care and reduce screening costs around the world.

Drinking a lot of beer increases exposure to mycotoxins Posted: 22 Jun 2015 05:42 AM PDT Researchers have analyzed the mycotoxins produced by certain microscopic fungi in the beer and dried fruits, such as figs and raisins, confirming that these products meet food regulations. Only for heavy beer drinkers - who drink more than a liter a day -, the contribution of this commodity to the daily intake is not negligible, approaching or even exceeding the safety levels. Mycotoxins are toxic metabolites produced by fungi that contaminate fruits, cereals and derivative products. Scientists have analyzed those of the Fusarium genus in 154 brands of beer on the market in Europe.

Why the bloating during menopause? Blame the hormones or the lack of them Posted: 22 Jun 2015 04:18 AM PDT Many women experience water retention and bloating when their hormone levels change, but how sex hormones affect water balance is not understood. A new study offers an explanation, finding that sex hormones can directly control how the body reabsorbs water.

Stress hormones could undermine breast cancer therapy Posted: 22 Jun 2015 04:18 AM PDT Stress hormones often given to patients to treat the side effects of therapy may cause a subset of breast cancers to become treatment-resistant, scientists report.

Molecular sunscreen: How DNA protects itself from UV light Posted: 22 Jun 2015 04:18 AM PDT Using X-rays, scientists measured the ultrafast response of DNA nucleobases to UV light. They found that the UV excited state in the nucleobase thymine decays rapidly, harmlessly dissipating the potentially destructive UV energy. The findings give new insight on how the nucleobases inside DNA protect themselves from light-induced damage.

How to predict biphasic allergic reactions in children Posted: 22 Jun 2015 04:17 AM PDT Children are more likely to have a repeat, delayed anaphylactic reaction from the same allergic cause, depending on the severity of the initial reaction, reports the first pediatric study to look at the predictors for this phenomenon.

Decreased rates of high-grade cervical lesions in young women Posted: 22 Jun 2015 04:17 AM PDT A new analysis indicates that rates of high-grade cervical lesions decreased in young US women after vaccines were made available to protect against human papillomavirus (HPV), but the trend may be due in part to changes in cervical cancer screening recommendations.

Smoking around your toddler could be just as bad as smoking while pregnant Posted: 22 Jun 2015 04:15 AM PDT Children whose parents smoked when they were toddlers are likely to have a wider waist and a higher BMI by time they reach ten years of age, reveal researchers. "We suspect the statistics we've established linking childhood obesity to exposure to parents' smoking may underestimate the effect due to parents under reporting the amount they smoked out of shame," explained the professor who led the study. Worldwide, 40% of children are exposed to secondhand smoke in their own homes.

Grandparental support helps reduce risk of child obesity Posted: 22 Jun 2015 04:15 AM PDT According to an English saying, it takes a whole village to raise a child. A new study has shown how important the support from grandparents could be. According to the study, emotional support from grandparents has a protective effect against child obesity, even with the presence of other risk factors.

Obesity: Small intestine contributes to chronic inflammation Posted: 22 Jun 2015 04:15 AM PDT Obesity is caused by numerous and complex factors, some of which are as yet unsuspected. Scientists have now shown that severe obesity is accompanied by inflammation of the small intestine and enhanced immune response in that region. This phenomenon reduces the insulin sensitivity of enterocytes and increases the absorption of nutrients, thus exacerbating the disease.

MERS coronavirus: Candidate vaccine gears up for clinical trials Posted: 22 Jun 2015 04:12 AM PDT Researchers have demonstrated, in a preclinical setting, the protective effect of a candidate vaccine directed against the coronavirus that causes Middle East Respiratory Syndrome. Planning for the first clinical trial is now underway.

Primed for medical nanotechnology? Soft core, hard shell Posted: 22 Jun 2015 04:12 AM PDT Medical science is placing high hopes on nanoparticles that could be used as a vehicle for targeted drug delivery. Scientists have for the first time succeeded in assaying the stability of these particles and their distribution within the body. Their results show that a lot of research is still needed in this field.

First clear evidence of link between smoking, prostate cancer Posted: 22 Jun 2015 04:12 AM PDT Smoking is a known risk factor for the development of various forms of cancer. However, when it comes to the link between smoking and prostate cancer, the findings of previous studies have been contradictory. Now, for the first time, an international study has provided evidence of a clear link.

Users to fine-tune hearing aids themselves Posted: 22 Jun 2015 04:12 AM PDT More than 20 per cent of people with hearing aids use their devices for less than one hour a day because of problems they encounter with tuning the settings. But now users can participate in fine-tuning their devices themselves.

Cardiac device wearers should keep distance from smartphones Posted: 22 Jun 2015 04:12 AM PDT Patients should hold phone to opposite ear and not store phone in pocket over device. A second study advises limiting exposure to high voltage power lines.

Patients test drive pacemaker before choosing permanent implant Posted: 22 Jun 2015 04:12 AM PDT Patients are test driving a pacemaker outside the skin before deciding whether to have a permanent implant, reveals novel research.

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