ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• With tobacco, what you don't know can kill you sooner
• Brush-off: Researchers devise a hairbrush that's easy to clean
• Men who buy sex have much in common with sexually coercive men
• Human body has gone through four stages of evolution
• Some with low-risk prostate cancer not likely to succumb to the disease
• New type of prion may cause, transmit neurodegeneration
• Short sleepers are four times more likely to catch a cold
• Research in mice shows potential value of antidepressant in some stroke victims
• Gene leads to nearsightedness when kids read
• Older people getting smarter, but not fitter
• Dialect influences Appalachian students' experiences in college
• Medication treatment for opioid use disorders in primary care increases patient access
• Raising pay can reduce smoking rates
• Benefits for COPD patients using digital health application
• Lyme disease testing: Canadians may receive false-positives from some US labs
• Heart rate, heart rate variability in older adults linked to poorer function
• Clinic notes should be re-engineered to meet needs of physicians
• Circuit in the Eye Relies on Built-in Delay to See Small Moving Objects
• Researchers examine risk factors/patient outcomes associated with colorectal cancer
• Infection with multiple HIV-1 variants leads to poorer clinical outcomes
• Preventive medicine experts speak out about reducing firearm violence
• Five-color nutritional labelling system is the most effective for consumers
• Closer to a treatment for 'asthma of the esophagus'
• Scientists propose attacking bioenergetic metabolism to improve anti-cancer therapies
• 'Eat me' signal whets appetites for tumor-devouring dendritic cells
• Exclusive breastfeeding and the effect on postpartum multiple sclerosis relapses
• Religion, physicians and surrogate decision-makers in the intensive care unit
• Examining service delivery, patient outcomes in Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program
• Deciphering olfactory receptor codes
• Vitamin D may play key role in preventing macular degeneration
• DNA-guided 3-D printing of human tissue is unveiled
• Scientists create designer proteins that control enzyme activity
• 'Happy Meals' bill could improve healthfulness of fast food meals for kids in New York City
• Alzheimer’s disease: Overlooked for 30 years, there is a new kid on the block
• How neurons get their branching shapes
• Epigenomic changes are key to innate immunological memory
• Come here and be quiet! Genes physically held in silencing 'lock-down' in embryonic stem cells
• Watching more TV as a young adult predicts obesity
• Television viewing linked to higher injury risk in hostile people
• The structure of DNA made visible
• Development of growth factor-free tissue adhesive porous films singularly capable of promoting angiogenesis
• Fatal bleeding rare with extended dual antiplatelet therapy
• Prasugrel associated with increased major bleeding in high-risk patients with stable coronary artery disease
• Ticagrelor administered in the ambulance reduces ischaemic events 24 hours after PCI
• Depressed patients have more frequent chest pain even in the absence of coronary artery disease
• Cardiologists fail to identify basic and advanced murmurs
• Gene associated with sudden cardiac death identified by ICD monitoring
• Mouth guard monitors health markers, transmits information wirelessly to smart phone
• Young women with diabetes have 6-fold risk of heart attack
• Inner-city neighborhood may affect risk of developing of heart disease, research finds
• Inducing metabolic catastrophe in cancer cells
• Research team creates model to predict cellular evolution
• Oldest case of leukemia discovered: Prehistoric female skeleton shows signs of this cancer
• Half-dose combo of common diuretics a 'win-win' for hypertension
• Spironolactone 'a clear winner' for resistant hypertension
• Lcz696 targets blood pressure and arterial stiffness
• New analysis adds heart failure data for sitagliptin
• Study quells concerns about NAID safety
• Biologists identify mechanisms of embryonic wound repair
• Close friendships in adolescence predict health in adulthood

With tobacco, what you don't know can kill you sooner Posted: 31 Aug 2015 03:29 PM PDT The public shows "considerable lack of knowledge" about the risk associated with different types of tobacco products, researchers say. What people can benefit from is knowing the varying levels of risk associated with different tobacco products, according to public health researchers, who found that a large number of people aren't aware of the differences.

Brush-off: Researchers devise a hairbrush that's easy to clean Posted: 31 Aug 2015 03:29 PM PDT A researcher is working to make everyday objects easier to maintain so they last longer and don't end up in a landfill. His first such creation is an easy-to-clean hairbrush.

Men who buy sex have much in common with sexually coercive men Posted: 31 Aug 2015 01:38 PM PDT Men who buy sex have less empathy for women in prostitution than men who don't buy sex and are more likely to report having committed rape and other acts of sexual aggression, according to a new study. The study of 101 men in the Boston area who buy sex and 101 men who do not -- all of whom were promised confidentiality -- indicates that the perspective of sex buyers has similarities to that of sexual aggressors.

Human body has gone through four stages of evolution Posted: 31 Aug 2015 01:38 PM PDT Research into 430,000-year-old fossils collected in northern Spain found that the evolution of the human body's size and shape has gone through four main stages.

Some with low-risk prostate cancer not likely to succumb to the disease Posted: 31 Aug 2015 01:37 PM PDT Men with relatively unaggressive prostate tumors and whose disease is carefully monitored by urologists are unlikely to develop metastatic prostate cancer or die of their cancers, according to results of a study that analyzed survival statistics up to 15 years.

New type of prion may cause, transmit neurodegeneration Posted: 31 Aug 2015 01:37 PM PDT Multiple System Atrophy, a neurodegenerative disorder with similarities to Parkinson's disease, is caused by a newly discovered type of prion, according to two new research papers.

Short sleepers are four times more likely to catch a cold Posted: 31 Aug 2015 01:37 PM PDT A new study led by a sleep researcher supports what parents have been saying for centuries: to avoid getting sick, be sure to get enough sleep.

Research in mice shows potential value of antidepressant in some stroke victims Posted: 31 Aug 2015 11:41 AM PDT Working with mice, researchers have added to evidence that a commonly prescribed antidepressant called fluoxetine helps stroke victims improve movement and coordination, and possibly why.

Gene leads to nearsightedness when kids read Posted: 31 Aug 2015 11:41 AM PDT Vision researchers have discovered a gene that causes myopia, but only in people who spend a lot of time in childhood reading or doing other 'nearwork.'

Older people getting smarter, but not fitter Posted: 31 Aug 2015 11:41 AM PDT Older populations are scoring better on cognitive tests than people of the same age did in the past -- a trend that could be linked to higher education rates and increased use of technology in our daily lives, say population researchers.

Dialect influences Appalachian students' experiences in college Posted: 31 Aug 2015 11:03 AM PDT Language diversity isn't always celebrated on campus, a linguist writes in a new article, callomg dialect the 'last acceptable personal trait to make fun of.'

Medication treatment for opioid use disorders in primary care increases patient access Posted: 31 Aug 2015 11:02 AM PDT Expanding the number of sites offering office-based opioid treatment with buprenorphine utilizing addiction nurse care managers, trainings and technical support resulted in more physicians becoming waivered to prescribe buprenorphine and more patients accessing treatment at sites across Massachusetts, a study concludes.

Raising pay can reduce smoking rates Posted: 31 Aug 2015 11:02 AM PDT In addition to restricting when and where tobacco is used at work, research shows that employers can do something else to reduce smoking: raise wages.

Benefits for COPD patients using digital health application Posted: 31 Aug 2015 10:58 AM PDT COPD patients who used a digital health application to report their daily symptoms and received same-day treatment recommendations from their health care provider experienced fewer and less severe COPD exacerbation symptoms, which led to an improvement in daily symptom control, lung function, and activity status, a study has concluded.

Lyme disease testing: Canadians may receive false-positives from some US labs Posted: 31 Aug 2015 10:58 AM PDT Lyme disease is becoming increasingly common in Canada, and Canadians with Lyme disease symptoms may seek diagnoses from laboratories in the United States, although many of the results will be false-positives, according to a new commentary article.

Heart rate, heart rate variability in older adults linked to poorer function Posted: 31 Aug 2015 10:58 AM PDT A higher resting heart rate and lower heart rate variability in older adults at high risk of heart disease are associated with poorer ability to function in daily life as well as future decline, according to a new research.

Clinic notes should be re-engineered to meet needs of physicians Posted: 31 Aug 2015 09:44 AM PDT When physicians prepare for patient visits, one of their first steps is to review clinic notes or health records that recap their patients' medical history. Since the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act of 2009, approximately 78 percent of office-based physicians have adopted electronic health records (EHR). However, previous research found only 38 percent of physicians were highly satisfied with the system, and many believe the way a patient's health information is displayed in EHRs reduces the efficiency and productivity of patient care. Now, in a new study, researchers say it is time to redesign EHR documentation tools to better meet the needs of physicians in order to deliver the best care to patients.

Circuit in the Eye Relies on Built-in Delay to See Small Moving Objects Posted: 31 Aug 2015 09:43 AM PDT When we move our head, the whole visual world moves across our eyes. Yet we can still make out a bee buzzing by or a hawk flying overhead, thanks to unique cells in the eye called object motion sensors. A new study on mice helps explain how these cells do their job, and may bring scientists closer to understanding how complex circuits are formed throughout the nervous system.

Researchers examine risk factors/patient outcomes associated with colorectal cancer Posted: 31 Aug 2015 09:37 AM PDT About 20 percent of colorectal cancer patients have cancers that have spread beyond the colon at the time of their diagnosis. In a new study, researchers provide a detailed comparison of patient outcomes associated with synchronous and sequential colorectal and liver resections in patients with stage IV colorectal cancer, identifying some benchmarks for surgical practice.

Infection with multiple HIV-1 variants leads to poorer clinical outcomes Posted: 31 Aug 2015 09:32 AM PDT HIV-1 infection with multiple founder variants points to poorer clinical outcomes than infection with a single variant, according to research. In the study, researchers analyzed large sample sets from two important HIV vaccine efficacy trials -- the Step HIV vaccine clinical trial (HVTN 502) and RV144, the landmark vaccine clinical trial conducted in Thailand -- to evaluate whether genetic characteristics of the founder viral populations could influence markers of clinical outcomes.

Preventive medicine experts speak out about reducing firearm violence Posted: 31 Aug 2015 09:32 AM PDT A wide range of critical topics related to firearm violence, from the interaction of alcohol abuse with gun violence, effects of changes to gun laws in various states, how criminals obtain guns in a large US city, to how the public perceives gun violence and gun policies, are the focus of a special published edition of Preventive Medicine.

Five-color nutritional labelling system is the most effective for consumers Posted: 31 Aug 2015 09:32 AM PDT The 5-colour nutrition label (5-CNL) is the most effective nutritional information system for allowing consumers to recognize and compare the nutritional quality of foods, a group of researchers concludes.

Closer to a treatment for 'asthma of the esophagus' Posted: 31 Aug 2015 09:32 AM PDT Scientists have elucidated the chemical process behind a mysterious gastrointestinal disease that is becoming more frequent every day: the eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), also known as the 'asthma of the esophagus'. The researchers identified a molecule which plays a key role in this condition and that can be a target in a new therapeutic strategy.

Scientists propose attacking bioenergetic metabolism to improve anti-cancer therapies Posted: 31 Aug 2015 09:32 AM PDT Blocking glycolysis -- the molecular mechanism that makes it possible to extract energy from glucose -- is especially damaging to the division of cancer cells, research shows. Specifically acting on this energy-based peculiarity could be effective in treating cancer in combination with chemotherapeutic agents such as taxol, scientists say.

'Eat me' signal whets appetites for tumor-devouring dendritic cells Posted: 31 Aug 2015 09:03 AM PDT The therapeutic effect of CD47 blockade as a cancer treatment relies more on dendritic cells than macrophages, scientists report. Anti-CD47-mediated tumor rejection will require both innate and adaptive responses.

Exclusive breastfeeding and the effect on postpartum multiple sclerosis relapses Posted: 31 Aug 2015 09:03 AM PDT Women with multiple sclerosis who intended to breastfeed their infants exclusively for two months had a lower risk of relapse during the first six months after giving birth compared with women who did not breastfeed exclusively, according to an article.

Religion, physicians and surrogate decision-makers in the intensive care unit Posted: 31 Aug 2015 09:03 AM PDT Religious or spiritual considerations were discussed in 16 percent of family meetings in intensive care units and health care professionals only rarely explored the patient's or family's religious or spiritual ideas, according to an article.

Examining service delivery, patient outcomes in Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Posted: 31 Aug 2015 09:03 AM PDT Outpatient human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) health care facilities funded by the federal Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program were more likely to provide case management, mental health, substance abuse and other support services than those facilities not funded by the program, according to an article.

Deciphering olfactory receptor codes Posted: 31 Aug 2015 09:03 AM PDT In animals, numerous behaviors are governed by the olfactory perception of their surrounding world. Whether originating in the nose of a mammal or the antennas of an insect, perception results from the combined activation of multiple receptors located in these organs. Identifying the full repertoire of receptors stimulated by a given odorant would represent a key step in deciphering the code that mediates these behaviors. To this end, a tool has been developed by researchers to do exactly that.

Vitamin D may play key role in preventing macular degeneration Posted: 31 Aug 2015 08:26 AM PDT Women who are deficient in vitamin D and have a specific high-risk genotype are 6.7 times more likely to develop AMD than women with sufficient vitamin D status and no high risk genotype, scientists report.

DNA-guided 3-D printing of human tissue is unveiled Posted: 31 Aug 2015 08:26 AM PDT Researchers have developed a technique to build tiny models of human tissues using a process that turns human cells into a biological equivalent of LEGO bricks. These mini-tissues in a dish can be used to study how particular structural features of tissue affect normal growth or go awry in cancer.

Scientists create designer proteins that control enzyme activity Posted: 31 Aug 2015 08:26 AM PDT Scientists have developed a novel approach to control the activity of enzymes through the use of synthetic, antibody-like proteins known as monobodies. The findings have widespread implications for a broad range of industrial, scientific and medical applications in which enzymes are used.

'Happy Meals' bill could improve healthfulness of fast food meals for kids in New York City Posted: 31 Aug 2015 08:26 AM PDT A bill to improve the nutritional value of fast food restaurant meals marketed to children could have a wide enough impact to reduce calories, fat, and sodium, according to a new study.

Alzheimer’s disease: Overlooked for 30 years, there is a new kid on the block Posted: 31 Aug 2015 08:25 AM PDT Alzheimer's disease is associated with the appearance of characteristic neurotoxic protein aggregates in various regions in the brain. Chemical analysis of these insoluble deposits reveals that they are made up of a family of short protein fragments, referred to as beta-amyloid peptides, which are derived from a precursor protein called APP by the sequential action of two enzymes. Scientists have now made a discovery which extends this picture of the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease, and has potentially far-reaching implications for our understanding of the condition.

How neurons get their branching shapes Posted: 31 Aug 2015 08:25 AM PDT For more than a hundred years, people have known that dendritic arbors -- the projections that neurons use to receive information from other neurons -- differ in size and shape depending on neuron type. Now, researchers have discovered a factor helps shape dendritic arbors. The work reveals how the protein centrosomin prevents dendrites from branching out.

Epigenomic changes are key to innate immunological memory Posted: 31 Aug 2015 08:25 AM PDT Epigenomic changes induced by pathogen infections, mediated by a transcription factor called ATF7, are the underlying mechanism of the memory of innate immunity, new research shows.

Come here and be quiet! Genes physically held in silencing 'lock-down' in embryonic stem cells Posted: 31 Aug 2015 08:24 AM PDT A strong physical gene interaction network has been discovered that is responsible for holding genes in a silencing grip during early development. In the same way that people can interact with others in close proximity, say within the same room, or others millions of miles apart, there are also short- and long-range interactions within the genome forming a three-dimensional configuration where different parts of the genome come into contact with each other. The research presents how key decision-making genes which specify the embryo's blueprint for subsequent development are physically clustered in the nucleus of embryonic stem cells and maintained in a silent state.

Watching more TV as a young adult predicts obesity Posted: 31 Aug 2015 08:24 AM PDT The more hours young adults spend watching television each day, the greater the likelihood that they'll have a higher body mass index and bigger waist circumference, a 15-year analysis revealed.

Television viewing linked to higher injury risk in hostile people Posted: 31 Aug 2015 08:24 AM PDT People with hostile personality traits who watch more television than their peers may be at a greater risk for injury, potentially because they are more susceptible to the influence of television on violence and risk-taking behaviors, an analysis has discovered.

The structure of DNA made visible Posted: 31 Aug 2015 07:20 AM PDT From 1952, DNA was sequenced, modified and extensively studied, but no technique was able to produce clear direct images of DNA. Now, researchers have developed a new technique to produce a direct image of the DNA helix and its inner structure.

Development of growth factor-free tissue adhesive porous films singularly capable of promoting angiogenesis Posted: 31 Aug 2015 07:20 AM PDT A group in Japan has developed tissue adhesive porous films that promote angiogenesis without using growth factors. This new technology may contribute to medical cost reduction making expensive growth factors-free.

Fatal bleeding rare with extended dual antiplatelet therapy Posted: 31 Aug 2015 07:18 AM PDT Fatal bleeding is rare with extended dual antiplatelet therapy, according to a secondary analysis of the DAPT Study. Bleeding-related mortality accounted for a minority of deaths in patients treated with dual antiplatelet therapy beyond one year.

Prasugrel associated with increased major bleeding in high-risk patients with stable coronary artery disease Posted: 31 Aug 2015 07:18 AM PDT Prasugrel-based dual antiplatelet therapy is associated with increased major bleeding after stent implantation for high-risk patients with stable coronary artery disease, according to a secondary analysis of the BASKET-PROVE II trial. Major bleedings were more pronounced in elderly and low-weight patients and raise concerns about the safety of prescriptions in these patients.

Ticagrelor administered in the ambulance reduces ischaemic events 24 hours after PCI Posted: 31 Aug 2015 07:18 AM PDT Ticagrelor administered in the ambulance reduces ischaemic events 24 hours after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), according to new findings.

Depressed patients have more frequent chest pain even in the absence of coronary artery disease Posted: 31 Aug 2015 07:18 AM PDT Depressed patients have more frequent chest pain even in the absence of coronary artery disease, according to results. The findings suggest that pain and depression may share a common neurochemical pathway.

Cardiologists fail to identify basic and advanced murmurs Posted: 31 Aug 2015 07:18 AM PDT Cardiologists failed to identify more than half of basic and about 35 percent of advanced pre-recorded murmurs, but skills improved after a 90 minute training session, according to new research.

Gene associated with sudden cardiac death identified by ICD monitoring Posted: 31 Aug 2015 07:15 AM PDT A gene associated with sudden cardiac death in the general population has been identified using implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) monitoring in new research. The research included patients from the DISCOVERY trial and Oregon-SUDS and discovered that a polymorphism in the GNAS gene predicted ventricular tachyarrhythmias and sudden cardiac death.

Mouth guard monitors health markers, transmits information wirelessly to smart phone Posted: 31 Aug 2015 07:15 AM PDT Researchers have developed a mouth guard that can monitor health markers, such as lactate, cortisol and uric acid, in saliva and transmit the information wirelessly to a smart phone, laptop or tablet. The technology, which is at a proof-of-concept stage, could be used to monitor patients continuously without invasive procedures, as well as to monitor athletes' performance or stress levels in soldiers and pilots.

Young women with diabetes have 6-fold risk of heart attack Posted: 31 Aug 2015 07:15 AM PDT Women aged 45 years and under with diabetes have a six-fold risk of heart attack, according to new research. The study in more than 7,000 women also found that young women who had a heart attack (myocardial infarction, MI) were more likely to be smokers than older women with MI.

Inner-city neighborhood may affect risk of developing of heart disease, research finds Posted: 31 Aug 2015 07:15 AM PDT The inner-city neighborhood in which someone lives may affect his or her risk of developing or dying from cardiovascular disease, a new research paper suggests.

Inducing metabolic catastrophe in cancer cells Posted: 31 Aug 2015 07:15 AM PDT Cancer cells survive the stressful environment inside a tumor in part through autophagy, the controlled digestion and recycling of damaged components. However, blocking the process doesn't kill cancer cells, so researchers have been looking for a way to make cells vulnerable to autophagy shutdown. Researchers now describe a way to force cancer cells to destroy a key metabolic enzyme they need to survive.

Research team creates model to predict cellular evolution Posted: 31 Aug 2015 05:57 AM PDT Scientists have not been able to understand and predict how cells evolve in our bodies, and this process is important because evolving cell populations are at the core of drug-resistant infections and cancer development. Now a research team has developed a synthetic biological model that validates computational predictions of how quickly and in what manner cells change in the presence or absence of a drug.

Oldest case of leukemia discovered: Prehistoric female skeleton shows signs of this cancer Posted: 31 Aug 2015 05:56 AM PDT Scientists have discovered what may well be the oldest known case of leukemia. By means of high-resolution computer tomography, they were able to detect indications of the cancer in an approximately 7000 year old skeleton of a woman who died between 30 and 40 years of age. Any other, similar pathologies could be ruled out.

Half-dose combo of common diuretics a 'win-win' for hypertension Posted: 31 Aug 2015 05:56 AM PDT The combination of two commonly used diuretics, each at half dose, can significantly reduce blood pressure without the side-effects caused by full doses of either alone, researchers have found.

Spironolactone 'a clear winner' for resistant hypertension Posted: 31 Aug 2015 05:55 AM PDT In patients with poor blood pressure control despite treatment with a combination of three drugs ('resistant hypertension'), addition of the diuretic spironolactone was significantly more effective than adding other blood pressure lowering drugs.

Lcz696 targets blood pressure and arterial stiffness Posted: 31 Aug 2015 05:55 AM PDT The combination drug valsartan/sacubitril known as LCZ696 significantly reduced aortic systolic blood pressure and pulse pressure compared to the standard angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) olmesartan in patients with hypertension.

New analysis adds heart failure data for sitagliptin Posted: 31 Aug 2015 05:55 AM PDT Patients with type-2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease can safely take the antihyperglycemic drug sitagliptin without an increased risk of cardiovascular complications - even if they have a history of heart failure - a new analysis shows.

Study quells concerns about NAID safety Posted: 31 Aug 2015 05:54 AM PDT In older patients with arthritis and no history of cardiovascular disease, chronic use of any non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug appears safe from a cardiovascular and gastrointestinal stand-point, and regular, non-selective NSAIDs such as ibuprofen and diclofenac appear just as safe as the selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor celecoxib according to results the SCOT trial.

Biologists identify mechanisms of embryonic wound repair Posted: 31 Aug 2015 05:51 AM PDT The process of endocytosis -- how cells 'eat' by absorbing molecules -- drives rapid embryonic healing, scientists have discovered. They suggest the results should be used to design better treatments for wounds in adults.

Close friendships in adolescence predict health in adulthood Posted: 31 Aug 2015 05:51 AM PDT Teens are often warned to beware the undue influence of peer pressure, but new research suggests that following the pack in adolescence may have some unexpected benefits for physical health in early adulthood.

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