ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Everyday access to nature improves quality of life in older adults
• Uric acid may lessen women's disability after stroke
• MRI, near infrared spectral tomography increases specificity in breast cancer imaging
• Scientists separate medical benefits of cannabis from 'unwanted' side effects
• Multiple myeloma hides in bones like a wolf in sheep's clothing
• What makes us more likely to take the stairs?
• Hearing test pinpoints middle-ear problems in newborns
• DNA protection, inch by inch
• Vitamin A directs immune cells to intestines
• Traces of HIV detected in the city
• Coffee not associated with lifestyle diseases
• Basic computing elements created in bacteria
• Diabetes complications linked to rising risk of dementia
• New technique for precise light-activated chemotherapy drugs
• Cells help viruses during cell entry
• New atlas of the brain opens up alternative means for studying brain disorders
• Prenatal cocaine exposure linked to adolescents engaging in sex by age 15
• Liver disease linked to drug metabolism, research indcates
• Recruits show lower immunity levels to measles, mumps, rubella
• Is defeat sweeter than victory? Researchers reveal the science behind emotional eating
• It's Not What You Do, but How You Get Yourself to Exercise That Matters, study finds
• Why not build houses the environmentally friendly way?
• Call for breastfeeding guidance for babies with Down's syndrome
• New guidelines for treating diabetic retinal degeneration
• How to engage the population with climate change? Frame it as a public health issue
• Super graphene can help treat cancer
• Secondhand smoke increases stroke risk by 30 percent for nonsmokers
• Gender differences play key role in supporting healthy diets for seniors
• New program using CT technology helping doctors better detect lung cancer
• Overhydration potentially deadly for athletes, experts warn
• Rare genetic mutations occur more often in schizophrenia patients, researchers find
• Many overweight teenagers do not recognize they are too heavy
• Cultural, economic factors affect European antidepressant use
• Prion protein protects against epilepsy
• Money spent on community-based HIV prevention translates into treatment savings
• Less intensive chemo avoids irreversible side effects in children's cancer
• Out-of-pocket health costs tied to antimicrobial resistance, study finds
• How accurate are symptom checkers?
• Some SSRI antidepressants may be associated with increased birth defect risk
• Antibodies to fight chikungunya virus developed
• Tool for diagnosing burnout syndrome

Everyday access to nature improves quality of life in older adults Posted: 09 Jul 2015 03:02 PM PDT Natural environments are known to promote physical, mental, and spiritual healing. People can attain health benefits by spending time outside, often in remote places to 'get away from it all.' Now research shows that green and 'blue' spaces (environments with running or still water) are especially beneficial for healthy aging in seniors.

Uric acid may lessen women's disability after stroke Posted: 09 Jul 2015 03:02 PM PDT Forty-two percent of women treated with uric acid had less disability three months after a stroke compared with women given a placebo, report researchers who say that women benefit from uric acid therapy because they generally have less uric acid circulating in their bodies.

MRI, near infrared spectral tomography increases specificity in breast cancer imaging Posted: 09 Jul 2015 01:26 PM PDT Breast MRI is the most sensitive imaging technique for cancer surveillance and is recommended for screening in women with elevated risk of breast cancer. Unfortunately, breast MRI generates many "false positives," which are regions of the breast that "enhance" under imaging technology, but are not malignant. A dual breast exam using MRI and Near Infrared Spectral Tomography (NIRST) is feasible and more accurate than MRI alone, researchers report.

Scientists separate medical benefits of cannabis from 'unwanted' side effects Posted: 09 Jul 2015 11:48 AM PDT Scientists have found a way to separate medical benefits of cannabis from its unwanted side effects. The research was carried out in mice, but it is hoped that the breakthrough will pave the way for safe cannabis-based therapies that do not cause alterations in mood, perception or memory. Last year the team discovered how the main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, known as THC, reduces tumor growth in cancer patients.

Multiple myeloma hides in bones like a wolf in sheep's clothing Posted: 09 Jul 2015 11:13 AM PDT Multiple myeloma uses a trick akin to a wolf in sheep's clothing to grow in and spread to new bone sites. By overexpressing Runx2, a gene that normally is a master regulator of bone formation, the cells of this largely incurable cancer produce proteins that mimic the normal bone-resident cells.

What makes us more likely to take the stairs? Posted: 09 Jul 2015 10:27 AM PDT Can pedestrians be convinced to make healthy choices when an escalator seems so much faster and more convenient than a staircase? Yes: you just have to make sure that the stairs are far, far away from the escalator -- 100 percent farther away, in fact.

Hearing test pinpoints middle-ear problems in newborns Posted: 09 Jul 2015 10:26 AM PDT Screening method can reduce false-positive hearing results, reducing need for extensive followup tests, family stress, researchers say. In their study, audiologists used high-frequency tympanometry to test middle-ear function in 31 infants between the ages of one week and six months.

DNA protection, inch by inch Posted: 09 Jul 2015 10:26 AM PDT DNA within reproductive cells is protected through a clever system of find and destroy; new research lifts the veil on how this is done. A team of scientists has discovered how the cells produce tiny pieces of RNA -- called piRNA -- that identify and silence 'jumping genes' or transposons: genes that are able to change their position within the genome and therefore alter or disrupt the genetic code.

Vitamin A directs immune cells to intestines Posted: 09 Jul 2015 10:26 AM PDT A key set of immune cells that protect the body from infection would be lost without directions provided by vitamin A, according to a recent study. A team of researchers found retinoic acid is necessary for two of the three types of innate immune cells that reside in the intestine to find their proper place.

Traces of HIV detected in the city Posted: 09 Jul 2015 10:26 AM PDT Since the treatment has become available, HIV is often described as 'undetectable' and the risk of transmission has been drastically reduced. However, the epidemic is still quite present in the lives of many gay and bisexual men ... and in public spaces.

Coffee not associated with lifestyle diseases Posted: 09 Jul 2015 10:24 AM PDT Danish researchers are the first in the world to have used our genes to investigate the impact of coffee on the body. The new study shows that coffee neither increases nor decreases the risk of lifestyle diseases.

Basic computing elements created in bacteria Posted: 09 Jul 2015 10:24 AM PDT Researchers unveil a series of sensors, memory switches, and circuits that can be encoded in the common human gut bacterium. These basic computing elements will allow the bacteria to sense, memorize, and respond to signals in the gut, with future applications that might include the early detection and treatment of inflammatory bowel disease or colon cancer, they say.

Diabetes complications linked to rising risk of dementia Posted: 09 Jul 2015 10:24 AM PDT People who have diabetes and experience high rates of complications are more likely to develop dementia as they age than people who have fewer diabetic complications, according to a new study.

New technique for precise light-activated chemotherapy drugs Posted: 09 Jul 2015 10:24 AM PDT A new technique that uses light to activate chemotherapy drugs in specific cells shows promise as a way to improve the effectiveness of cancer therapies while preventing severe side effects, according to a study. The approach could be used to treat a range of tumors with unprecedented precision by making existing cancer drugs sensitive to light -- an approach that requires less time and effort compared with traditional drug discovery programs.

Cells help viruses during cell entry Posted: 09 Jul 2015 08:34 AM PDT Adenoviruses cause numerous diseases, such as eye or respiratory infections, and they are widely used in gene therapy. Researchers have now discovered how these viruses penetrate the cells, a key step for infection and gene delivery. The cell unwillingly supports virus entry and infection by providing lipids that are normally used to repair damaged membranes.

New atlas of the brain opens up alternative means for studying brain disorders Posted: 09 Jul 2015 07:30 AM PDT A new study has shed some light on the brain's organization and functions.

Prenatal cocaine exposure linked to adolescents engaging in sex by age 15 Posted: 09 Jul 2015 07:30 AM PDT Since 1994, researchers have studied mothers -- some who used cocaine while pregnant and others who did not -- to understand how the drug affected their children's cognitive and social development . Their latest findings suggest a link between prenatal cocaine exposure and an adolescent's likelihood to have sexual intercourse before age 15.

Liver disease linked to drug metabolism, research indcates Posted: 09 Jul 2015 07:28 AM PDT Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), an increasingly common but often undiagnosed liver disease, could have significant medical implications for people with type 2 diabetes, researchers have discovered.

Recruits show lower immunity levels to measles, mumps, rubella Posted: 09 Jul 2015 06:33 AM PDT The percentage of U.S. Air Force recruits with detectable immunity to measles, mumps and rubella was lower than found in previous nationwide samples and may be low enough for outbreaks to occur, according to a study.

Is defeat sweeter than victory? Researchers reveal the science behind emotional eating Posted: 09 Jul 2015 06:33 AM PDT Research by food scientists reveals how a person's emotional state -- particularly in the competitive, wide world of sports -- affects the perception of taste. In particular, people in negative emotional states tend to crave sweets more than those in a positive frame of mind.

It's Not What You Do, but How You Get Yourself to Exercise That Matters, study finds Posted: 09 Jul 2015 06:33 AM PDT Developing any habit starts with a routine. The trick is making exercise a habit that is hard to break. A new study shows that may be easier to accomplish by focusing on cues that make going to the gym automatic.

Why not build houses the environmentally friendly way? Posted: 09 Jul 2015 06:30 AM PDT Green buildings are indeed healthy buildings, say researchers who conducted the first comprehensive review of studies that focused on green buildings and summarized the health benefits for the people who work and live in them. The green building movement has taken off in the past 10 years. By definition, the design of green buildings minimizes impact on the environment by reducing the use of energy and water. Environmental disturbance is also limited during the building process and by the choice of the building site.

Call for breastfeeding guidance for babies with Down's syndrome Posted: 09 Jul 2015 06:30 AM PDT Despite compelling evidence about the benefits of breastfeeding, little is known about the breastfeeding experiences of mothers of infants with Down's syndrome. In the UK, clinical commissioning groups and practitioners have a vital role in empowering and enabling these women to access help and support as soon as the child is born, states a new report.

New guidelines for treating diabetic retinal degeneration Posted: 09 Jul 2015 06:29 AM PDT Diabetes is frequently associated with serious retinal disorders. Along with age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinal degeneration is one of the most common causes of blindness. Now new up-to-date treatment and diagnostic guidelines have been published to help treat the condition.

How to engage the population with climate change? Frame it as a public health issue Posted: 09 Jul 2015 06:29 AM PDT Recent research examines the powerful influence of mass media portrayal of climate change and subsequent public identification with the issue. Climate change is often reported as an environmental issue, this depiction arguably lacks personal relevance to individuals. Reportage of climate change in a public health frame is a more powerful presentation for motivating public engagement and action against climate change, a new study suggests.

Super graphene can help treat cancer Posted: 09 Jul 2015 06:29 AM PDT Silver is often used as a coating on medical equipment used for chemotherapy. The problem is that this silver coating can break down drugs. Now, researchers have found a graphene coating that will help boost chemotherapy's effects.

Secondhand smoke increases stroke risk by 30 percent for nonsmokers Posted: 09 Jul 2015 06:27 AM PDT Nearly 800,000 people in the US suffer a stroke each year. Stroke is responsible for one out of every 19 deaths in the US and it is a leading cause of disability. A new study has found that secondhand smoke increases the risk of stroke by about 30 percent for nonsmokers.

Gender differences play key role in supporting healthy diets for seniors Posted: 09 Jul 2015 06:27 AM PDT Strategies to support healthier diets among seniors need to take into account differences between elderly men and women, according to research. The study explored which types of social support encouraged seniors to boost their daily intake of fruits and vegetables.

New program using CT technology helping doctors better detect lung cancer Posted: 09 Jul 2015 06:27 AM PDT Long-time smokers and past smokers now have a more accurate way of detecting whether or not they have lung cancer thanks to a comprehensive lung cancer screening program that uses CT scan technology.

Overhydration potentially deadly for athletes, experts warn Posted: 09 Jul 2015 06:27 AM PDT While the risks of dehydration are well known, new international guidelines seek to protect athletes from the serious health risks associated with drinking too many fluids while exercising -- potentially including death.

Rare genetic mutations occur more often in schizophrenia patients, researchers find Posted: 09 Jul 2015 06:27 AM PDT A new study adds to the understanding of the genetic architecture of schizophrenia. Past research has shown the impact of commonly occurring genetic variants on a person's risk of developing schizophrenia. This new study focused instead on rare coding mutations that affect protein function. It found that patients with schizophrenia have a higher-than-normal share of these mutations.

Many overweight teenagers do not recognize they are too heavy Posted: 09 Jul 2015 06:27 AM PDT More than a third of overweight or obese teenagers don't see themselves as being too heavy and think their weight is about right, according to a new study.

Cultural, economic factors affect European antidepressant use Posted: 09 Jul 2015 06:26 AM PDT Public attitudes towards mental illness and levels of healthcare spending may explain the huge variation in antidepressant use across Europe, according to a new study.

Prion protein protects against epilepsy Posted: 09 Jul 2015 06:26 AM PDT In the most systematic and rigorous study conducted thus far in its field, the prion protein (PrPC) was clearly shown to play a role in preventing the onset of epileptic seizures. PrPC is perhaps best known in its 'degenerate' form, the prion, and an infectious agent behind dangerous neurodegenerative diseases such as mad cow disease.

Money spent on community-based HIV prevention translates into treatment savings Posted: 09 Jul 2015 06:26 AM PDT Every $1 spent on community-based HIV prevention programs in Ontario saves $5 in treatment costs, a new study has found. The programs have prevented more than 16,000 people from becoming infected with HIV over 25 years and saved Ontario's health care system about $6.5 billion, said the lead author.

Less intensive chemo avoids irreversible side effects in children's cancer Posted: 08 Jul 2015 05:57 PM PDT Children with a rare type of cancer called Wilms' tumor who are at low risk of relapsing can now be given less intensive treatment, avoiding a type of chemotherapy that can cause irreversible heart problems in later life.

Out-of-pocket health costs tied to antimicrobial resistance, study finds Posted: 08 Jul 2015 05:55 PM PDT Many government-run public health systems in developing countries have instituted copayments for visits to clinics and prescription drugs. However, the study's authors found evidence to suggest that such policies are associated with increased antimicrobial resistance, likely because high out-of-pocket costs have prompted low-income patients to turn to the black market or informal clinics for antibiotic and antiparasitic drugs.

How accurate are symptom checkers? Posted: 08 Jul 2015 05:55 PM PDT Online symptom checkers can often be wrong in both diagnosis and triage advice, but they still may be useful alternatives to phone triage services and Internet searches.

Some SSRI antidepressants may be associated with increased birth defect risk Posted: 08 Jul 2015 05:55 PM PDT Some antidepressants known as SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) taken during early pregnancy may indeed be associated with an increased risk of birth defects, finds a study.

Antibodies to fight chikungunya virus developed Posted: 08 Jul 2015 09:46 AM PDT The first large panel of antibody treatments against the chikungunya virus has been reported by investigators. The virus is not spread from person to person but spreads with a domino effect from an infected mosquito to a person and from that person to a previously uninfected mosquito, and on to the next person.

Tool for diagnosing burnout syndrome Posted: 08 Jul 2015 09:41 AM PDT Researchers have validated the usefulness of their tool for diagnosing the burnout syndrome – Spanish Burnout Inventory (SBI) – for the Brazilian cultural, social and work environment.

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