ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Simple score predicts risk of death for middle-aged adults in the UK
• Research points to future test for ALS
• Homing in on what's wearing out T cells
• Years of good blood sugar control helps diabetic hearts, study finds
• BPA can adversely affect parenting behavior in mice
• Increased risks in pregnancy for obese mothers and their babies, says study
• Study supports IDH gene as prognostic marker in anaplastic astrocytoma
• Alcohol use disorder is widespread, often untreated in the United States
• MRI technology reveals deep brain pathways in unprecedented detail
• Scientists produce strongest evidence yet of schizophrenia's causes
• Triple treatment keeps cancer from coming back
• New knowledge about parental break-up, conflicts
• 'Highly effective' new biomarker for lung cancer discovered
• Intravenous nutrition source could reduce side effects of chemotherapy
• Cytoskeletons shaking hands: Defects in cytoskeletal structures lead to various diseases
• Arterial thrombosis: Cloaking of collagen frees up the flow
• Helping pregnant moms with depression doesn't help kids, study shows
• Endurance athletes should be tested while exercising for potentially fatal heart condition
• No evidence that smoking drug linked to increased risk of suicide or traffic accidents
• Nearly one-third of early adulthood depression could be linked to bullying in teenage years
• Are commercial conflicts of interests justifiable in medical journals?
• New treatment for polycystic kidney disease
• Hyperbaric hope for fibromyalgia sufferers
• Elevated cortisol in autism, research shows
• Condensin II complex is 'master controller' behind DNA structure reorganization during senescence
• Multi-tasking: Benefits on exercise
• End game: Sport can ease the transition into retirement
• For a good gut feeling: scientists explore molecular signals in inflammatory bowel disease
• Teens start misusing ADHD drugs, other stimulants earlier than you might think
• Childhood trauma gets under the skin
• How the tuberculosis bacterium tricks the immune system

Simple score predicts risk of death for middle-aged adults in the UK Posted: 03 Jun 2015 04:19 PM PDT A simple score test can predict the risk of death for middle-aged adults, a British study suggests. Information for the test can be obtained by questionnaires without the need for physical examination.

Research points to future test for ALS Posted: 03 Jun 2015 03:20 PM PDT Researchers have uncovered new insights on the genetic causes of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), which is also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. These findings could uncover a new way to detect a genetic predisposition to ALS before the disease strikes, they say.

Homing in on what's wearing out T cells Posted: 03 Jun 2015 03:17 PM PDT When the T cells of your immune system are forced to deal over time with cancer or a chronic infection they become exhausted - less effective at attacking and destroying invaders. While the PD-1 protein pathway has long been implicated as a primary player in T cell exhaustion, a major question has been whether PD-1 actually directly causes exhaustion. A new paper seems to, at least partially, let PD-1 off the hook.

Years of good blood sugar control helps diabetic hearts, study finds Posted: 03 Jun 2015 03:17 PM PDT Day in and day out, millions of people with diabetes test their blood sugar levels. And many may wonder if all the careful eating, exercise and medication it takes to keep those levels under control is really worth it. A major new study should encourage them to keep going -- and prompt them to work with their doctors on reducing their cardiovascular risk.

BPA can adversely affect parenting behavior in mice Posted: 03 Jun 2015 11:36 AM PDT Biparental care of offspring occurs in only a minority of species. Studies have shown that maternal care can be negatively affected when females are exposed to BPA; however, no studies have shown how this chemical can affect maternal and paternal care. Researchers have used biparental California mice to prove that offspring born to parents who are exposed to BPA receive decreased parental care by both the mother and father.

Increased risks in pregnancy for obese mothers and their babies, says study Posted: 03 Jun 2015 09:44 AM PDT Women with obesity have a range of increased health risks in pregnancy, both for them and their babies, compared with those in the healthy weight category, according to a new systematic review of research.

Study supports IDH gene as prognostic marker in anaplastic astrocytoma Posted: 03 Jun 2015 09:43 AM PDT The mutation status of a gene called IDH1 might have prognostic value for anaplastic astrocytomas, and that it may be worth exploring further whether IDH1 status can predict the best chemotherapy for these patients, a new study suggests.

Alcohol use disorder is widespread, often untreated in the United States Posted: 03 Jun 2015 09:43 AM PDT Alcohol use disorder as defined by a new diagnostic classification was widespread and often untreated in the United States, with a lifetime prevalence of 29.1 percent but only 19.8 percent of adults were ever treated, according to a new article.

MRI technology reveals deep brain pathways in unprecedented detail Posted: 03 Jun 2015 09:43 AM PDT A 3-D map of the human brain stem has been produced at an unprecedented level of detail using MRI technology. In a new study, the researchers unveil an ultra high-resolution brain stem model that could better guide brain surgeons treating conditions such as tremors and Parkinson's disease with deep brain stimulation.

Scientists produce strongest evidence yet of schizophrenia's causes Posted: 03 Jun 2015 09:39 AM PDT The strongest evidence yet of what causes schizophrenia - a condition that affects around 1% of the global population -- has been provided by an international group of scientists. The work strongly suggests that disruption of a delicate chemical balance in the brain is heavily implicated in the disorder. The symptoms of schizophrenia can be extremely disruptive, and have a large impact on a person's ability to carry out everyday tasks, such as going to work, maintaining relationships and caring for themselves or others.

Triple treatment keeps cancer from coming back Posted: 03 Jun 2015 06:39 AM PDT Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide, responsible for some 1.59 million deaths a year. That figure is due, in part, to the fact that the cancer often returns after what, at first, seems to be successful treatment, with recurring cancer often resistant to chemotherapy. A new strategy involving a three-pronged approach might keep an aggressive form of lung cancer from returning, scientists say.

New knowledge about parental break-up, conflicts Posted: 03 Jun 2015 06:38 AM PDT Do maternal couple relationships change throughout the child-rearing years and can the likelihood of parental break-up be predicted? A new doctoral study has investigated these questions.

'Highly effective' new biomarker for lung cancer discovered Posted: 03 Jun 2015 06:37 AM PDT Scientists have found a protein that circulates in the blood that appears to be more accurate at detecting non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) than currently available methods used for screening.

Intravenous nutrition source could reduce side effects of chemotherapy Posted: 03 Jun 2015 05:33 AM PDT A single dose of an FDA-approved intravenous nutrition source may be able to significantly reduce the toxicity and increase the bioavailability of platinum-based cancer drugs, according to a study.

Cytoskeletons shaking hands: Defects in cytoskeletal structures lead to various diseases Posted: 03 Jun 2015 05:32 AM PDT Animal cells harbor three types of cytoskeletal elements: actin filaments, intermediate filaments and microtubules. Despite their name, cytoskeletons are very dynamic structures, which undergo rapid reorganization in cells and thus contribute to numerous cellular processes, such as morphogenesis, motility, intracellular transport, and cell division. Consequently, defects in cytoskeletal structures lead to various diseases, including cancer and neurological disorders.

Arterial thrombosis: Cloaking of collagen frees up the flow Posted: 03 Jun 2015 05:30 AM PDT Blood clots often form when lipid-rich plaques on the inner surface of arteries rupture and platelets aggregate at the site of injury. Cardiologists have now compared the effects of two new platelet aggregation inhibitors.

Helping pregnant moms with depression doesn't help kids, study shows Posted: 02 Jun 2015 05:05 PM PDT A long-term study of mother-child pairs in Pakistan has found that the children turn out pretty much the same, whether or not their mothers received treatment for depression during pregnancy. An earlier study of the same population found that the mothers themselves benefited from the treatment with less depression, and demonstrating related healthy behaviors with their newborns, such as breastfeeding. But those improvements were short-lived.

Endurance athletes should be tested while exercising for potentially fatal heart condition Posted: 02 Jun 2015 05:05 PM PDT Some athletes who take part in endurance exercise such as marathon running, endurance triathlons or alpine cycling can develop heartbeat irregularities that can, occasionally, lead to their sudden death. New evidence shows that doctors who try to detect these irregularities by focusing on the left ventricle of the heart, or on the right ventricle while an athlete is resting, will miss important signs of right ventricular dysfunction that can only be detected during exercise and that could be fatal.

No evidence that smoking drug linked to increased risk of suicide or traffic accidents Posted: 02 Jun 2015 05:05 PM PDT There is no strong evidence that the popular smoking cessation drug varenicline is associated with increased risks of suicidal behaviors, criminal offending, transport accidents, traffic-related offenses, and psychoses, finds a study.

Nearly one-third of early adulthood depression could be linked to bullying in teenage years Posted: 02 Jun 2015 05:05 PM PDT Bullying in teenage years is strongly associated with depression later on in life, suggests new research. Depression is a major public health problem with high economic and societal costs. There is a rapid increase in depression from childhood to adulthood and one contributing factor could be bullying by peers. But the link between bullying at school and depression in adulthood is still unclear due to limitations in previous research.

Are commercial conflicts of interests justifiable in medical journals? Posted: 02 Jun 2015 05:05 PM PDT A group of former senior editors criticize a 'seriously flawed and inflammatory attack' by The New England Journal of Medicine on what that journal believes have become overly stringent policies on conflicts of interest.

New treatment for polycystic kidney disease Posted: 02 Jun 2015 02:18 PM PDT A new technique for treating polycystic kidney disease has been identified by researchers. Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is a genetic disorder where fluid filled cysts grow in kidneys and destroy normal renal tissue. It is the world's most common inherited kidney disease, affecting between 1 in 400 and 1 in 1000 people worldwide -- around 12.5 million individuals.

Hyperbaric hope for fibromyalgia sufferers Posted: 02 Jun 2015 12:35 PM PDT Women who suffer from fibromyalgia benefit from a treatment regimen in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, according to researchers. Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain syndrome that can be accompanied by -- and perhaps related to -- other physical and mental conditions that include fatigue, cognitive impairment, irritable bowel syndrome and sleep disturbance.

Elevated cortisol in autism, research shows Posted: 02 Jun 2015 12:33 PM PDT Functional level appears to play a critical role in the stress levels of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), new research shows. Specifically, lower-functioning children with ASD (LFASD) exhibited significantly higher levels of cortisol, the primary stress hormone in humans, than both high-functioning children with ASD (HFASD) and typical children.

Condensin II complex is 'master controller' behind DNA structure reorganization during senescence Posted: 02 Jun 2015 12:33 PM PDT Scientists have identified how a specific variant of a key protein complex found in human cells called condensin can reorganize a cell's genetic architecture in such a way as to promote senescence, making it an important facilitator in a cell's anticancer ability.

Multi-tasking: Benefits on exercise Posted: 02 Jun 2015 12:33 PM PDT Who says you can't do two things at once and do them both well? A new study challenges the notion that multi-tasking causes one or both activities to suffer. In a study of older adults who completed cognitive tasks while cycling on a stationary bike, researchers found that participants' cycling speed improved while multi-tasking with no cost to their cognitive performance.

End game: Sport can ease the transition into retirement Posted: 02 Jun 2015 10:07 AM PDT Adjusting to the many changes retirement brings can mean the difference between a positive quality of life and one that struggles under the weight of change. A new study examined sport and its ability to impact the quality of life of a person as he or she transitions to retirement.

For a good gut feeling: scientists explore molecular signals in inflammatory bowel disease Posted: 02 Jun 2015 10:05 AM PDT Stress, an unhealthy diet and also the prolonged use of painkillers do not only upset the stomach, but are also associated with chronic colitis, an inflammatory bowel disease. A team of researchers has now investigated one of the signaling pathways related to colitis in more detail. Their results underline the prospects of treatments currently under development and also indicate possible new therapeutic approaches.

Teens start misusing ADHD drugs, other stimulants earlier than you might think Posted: 02 Jun 2015 10:05 AM PDT Despite stereotypes about college students resorting to black-market Ritalin to help them cram for exams, young people are actually most likely to start misusing prescription stimulant drugs in their high school years, according to new research. The peak ages for starting to use these drugs without a prescription -- in order to get high or for other effects -- are between 16 and 19 years.

Childhood trauma gets under the skin Posted: 02 Jun 2015 10:04 AM PDT Long-term changes in immune function caused by childhood trauma could explain increased vulnerability to a range of health problems in later life, according to new research. The study found heightened inflammation across three blood biomarkers in adults who had been victims of childhood trauma. Childhood trauma was defined by the researchers as experiencing sexual, physical or emotional abuse, neglect, or separation from caregivers before the age of 17.

How the tuberculosis bacterium tricks the immune system Posted: 02 Jun 2015 10:04 AM PDT Tuberculosis is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis and it affects over 12 million people globally. Scientists have discovered how the tuberculosis bacterium can trick the patient's immune cells to lower their defenses.

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