ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• In-hospital nocturnal dialysis may be good for the heart
• Beta-glucan-enriched pasta boosts good gut bacteria, reduces bad cholesterol
• Major breakthrough in understanding Alzheimer's disease
• Interactive health data plus incentives may help lower BP and create lasting changes
• Birth control pills pose small but significant stroke risk
• Identifying typical patterns in the progression towards Alzheimer's disease
• A new understanding of dengue virus
• Maternal protein deficiency during pregnancy 'memorized' by fetal muscle cells
• Types of athletic training affect how brain communicates with muscles
• Artificial intelligence used to improve breast cancer patient outcomes
• Hydrocortisone effects on neurodevelopment for extremely low birthweight infants
• Research offers clues about why people end therapy
• More aggressive blood pressure treatment found to reduce heart disease, save lives
• Repairing the brain: Two genes unlock potential for treatment of schizophrenia
• 3-D printed guide helps regrow complex nerves after injury
• Teens with bulimia recover faster when parents are included in treatment
• New technique lets scientists better see, study interface where two cells touch
• Tracing the triggers of late-onset Alzheimer's
• When does an image become a health claim?
• Imaging method has potential to stratify head and neck cancer patients
• Discovery of a triple barrier that prevents cells from becoming cancerous
• Coordinating traffic down the neuronal highway
• New nebulizer set to replace the need for jabs
• Study highlights possible knowledge gap over effects of some diabetes drugs
• Novel role of mitochondria identified in immune function
• Down syndrome research untangles therapeutic possibilities for Alzheimer's
• New light shed on infertility puzzle, could improve in vitro fertilization
• Surgeons, athletic, musical pros join forces to devise new surgical training program
• Study shows racial disparities in environmental health hazards
• Maternal chronic stress linked to more dental cavities in children
• High protein diets, from both animal and plant sources, improve blood sugar control in diabetic patients
• Excessive daytime sleepiness, long naps linked to increased diabetes risk
• Smoking linked with higher risk of type 2 diabetes
• If mom or dad is a smoker, their teenager is more likely to be a smoker too
• Lower bed occupancy linked to lower hospital death rate
• Tai Chi linked to improved physical capacity in certain common long term conditions
• High dietary sodium, potassium may worsen chronic kidney disease
• Global burden of leptospirosis is greater than thought, and growing
• New report examines implications of growing gap in life span by income for entitlement programs
• Genomic differences between breast cancers of African American, white women identified
• Molecular imaging study reveals improved detection of early recurrent prostate cancer
• Scientists identify protein at death's door of cells

In-hospital nocturnal dialysis may be good for the heart Posted: 18 Sep 2015 03:03 PM PDT In-hospital nocturnal dialysis may be good for patients' hearts as well as their kidneys, a new study suggests.

Beta-glucan-enriched pasta boosts good gut bacteria, reduces bad cholesterol Posted: 18 Sep 2015 12:20 PM PDT People fed beta-glucan-enriched pasta for two months showed increased populations of beneficial bacteria in their intestinal tracts, and reduced populations of non-beneficial bacteria. They also showed reduced LDL (bad) cholesterol. This work is part of a broad effort to identify potential prebiotics -- foods that could encourage the growth of health-promoting bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract.

Major breakthrough in understanding Alzheimer's disease Posted: 18 Sep 2015 12:20 PM PDT Researchers believe that periodic clearance of a specific protein across the blood brain barrier could hold tremendous potential for new therapies.

Interactive health data plus incentives may help lower BP and create lasting changes Posted: 18 Sep 2015 12:19 PM PDT Taking small steps with an interactive health platform improved blood pressure, earned incentives. Eighty-five percent of the platform's most engaged users lowered their blood pressure to non-hypertensive.

Birth control pills pose small but significant stroke risk Posted: 18 Sep 2015 10:26 AM PDT Birth control pills cause a small but significant increase in the risk of the most common type of stroke, according to a comprehensive report. Worldwide, more than 100 million women currently use oral contraceptives or have used them in the past. In the United States, there are about 40 brands of oral contraceptives and 21 brands of emergency contraceptive pills.

Identifying typical patterns in the progression towards Alzheimer's disease Posted: 18 Sep 2015 10:21 AM PDT How the brain progresses from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to Alzheimer's-type dementia has been an enigma for the scientific community. However, a recent study has shed light on this progression by showing the typical patterns of the brain's progression to dementia.

A new understanding of dengue virus Posted: 18 Sep 2015 10:20 AM PDT An international consortium of scientists worked to map out the antigenic differences in various strains of dengue virus. Dengue has been around for hundreds of years and has spread throughout the tropics and subtropics, and more than a third of the world's population presently lives in areas where dengue virus is found, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Maternal protein deficiency during pregnancy 'memorized' by fetal muscle cells Posted: 18 Sep 2015 10:20 AM PDT Research in rat models confirms a molecular link between activation of the amino acid response signal and the cell autophagy pathway, which is transferred from pregnant mothers' skeletal muscles to the placenta and the fetus.

Types of athletic training affect how brain communicates with muscles Posted: 18 Sep 2015 10:20 AM PDT The brains of endurance trainers communicate with muscles differently than those of strength trainers or sedentary individuals, new research shows. While it is not immediately clear why the communication between the brain and muscle was different as a result of different types of exercise, one researcher said it offers leads for new means of research into neuromechanical differences in muscle function, muscle performance, muscle stiffness and other areas.

Artificial intelligence used to improve breast cancer patient outcomes Posted: 18 Sep 2015 08:38 AM PDT Researchers are working on a way to use artificial intelligence to predict a patient's response to two common chemotherapy medications used to treat breast cancer -- paclitaxel and gemcitabine. They are hoping to one day remove the guesswork from breast cancer treatment with this technique.

Hydrocortisone effects on neurodevelopment for extremely low birthweight infants Posted: 18 Sep 2015 08:38 AM PDT First placebo-controlled study on stress dose hydrocortisone and neurodevelopment shows that higher doses of hydrocortisone are not associated with brain injury or neurodevelopmental impairments, but may not be effective in reducing risk for bronchopulmonary dysplasia

Research offers clues about why people end therapy Posted: 18 Sep 2015 08:38 AM PDT Researchers long have known many people end cognitive behavioral therapy before the recommended course of treatment has ended, but why that happens has remained something of a mystery. New research involving patients being treated for anxiety has suggested some answers.

More aggressive blood pressure treatment found to reduce heart disease, save lives Posted: 18 Sep 2015 08:14 AM PDT A landmark clinical trial is underway, and has found that a more intensive management of high blood pressure reduces heart disease rates and saves lives.

Repairing the brain: Two genes unlock potential for treatment of schizophrenia Posted: 18 Sep 2015 07:54 AM PDT Research has linked the abnormal behavior of two genes (BDNF and DTNBP1) to the underlying cause of schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is a devastating mental disorder that affects nearly 1 percent of the total human population. These findings have provided a new target for schizophrenia treatment.

3-D printed guide helps regrow complex nerves after injury Posted: 18 Sep 2015 07:50 AM PDT Scientists have developed a first-of-its-kind, 3-D printed guide that helps regrow both the sensory and motor functions of complex nerves after injury. The groundbreaking research has the potential to help more than 200,000 people annually who experience nerve injuries or disease.

Teens with bulimia recover faster when parents are included in treatment Posted: 18 Sep 2015 05:55 AM PDT Involving parents in the treatment of adolescents with bulimia nervosa is more effective than treating the patient individually, according to a new study.

New technique lets scientists better see, study interface where two cells touch Posted: 18 Sep 2015 05:55 AM PDT Cellular interactions that trigger the production of myelin are especially hard to pinpoint. That's because the crucial point of contact between two types of cells -- the connection between axons, along which nerve impulses travel, and glial cells, which support neurons -- is essentially hidden. Now, in a new article, researchers explain a new method to more precisely capture how brain cells interact.

Tracing the triggers of late-onset Alzheimer's Posted: 18 Sep 2015 05:38 AM PDT In a sprawling review of more than 200 articles examining the suggested link between infections of the mouth and Alzheimer's disease (AD), two researchers -- one, an original mapper of the oral microbiome; the other, a scientist who has worked considerably on the connection between oral infection and AD -- have surveyed the current body of research, and point to potential oral microbial culprits.

When does an image become a health claim? Posted: 18 Sep 2015 05:38 AM PDT Images on food and dietary supplement packaging might lead people—appropriately or inappropriately—to infer the health benefits of those products. A study has now shown that people often misremember written health claims on product packages, but that this problem is worse when the packages also feature a health-related image.

Imaging method has potential to stratify head and neck cancer patients Posted: 18 Sep 2015 05:31 AM PDT A potential new way to predict which patients with head and neck cancer may benefit most from chemotherapy has been identified by researchers. These patients commonly receive pre-treatment induction chemotherapy, before either surgery or radiotherapy, to reduce the risk of disease spread. However the effectiveness of such treatment is reduced in tumors with poor blood flow.

Discovery of a triple barrier that prevents cells from becoming cancerous Posted: 18 Sep 2015 05:31 AM PDT Researchers have identified for the first time the triple mechanism that stops chromosome separation in response to situations that compromise the integrity of the genetic information. The loss of this response capacity is characteristic of cancerous cells.

Coordinating traffic down the neuronal highway Posted: 18 Sep 2015 05:31 AM PDT A protein that regulates the growth of neurons by transporting key metabolic enzymes to the tips of neural cells has been identified by an international team of researchers. Their findings open up new avenues for design of drugs for ataxia, a motor coordination disorder.

New nebulizer set to replace the need for jabs Posted: 18 Sep 2015 05:31 AM PDT A revolutionary nebulizer could one day deliver life-saving cancer drugs and vaccines traditionally given by injection. Cheap, light-weight and portable, the advanced nebuliser delivers precise drug doses to patients with life-threatening or debilitating lung conditions including cancer, tuberculosis, asthma and cystic fibrosis.

Study highlights possible knowledge gap over effects of some diabetes drugs Posted: 18 Sep 2015 05:31 AM PDT A gap in scientific knowledge about a family of drugs that are used to treat Type 2 diabetes has been highlighted in a new study.

Novel role of mitochondria identified in immune function Posted: 18 Sep 2015 05:31 AM PDT A new role for an enzyme involved in cell death has been discovered by scientists. Their study shows how the enzyme, called RIPK3, relays signals between the cell's mitochondria "powerhouses" and the immune system.

Down syndrome research untangles therapeutic possibilities for Alzheimer's Posted: 18 Sep 2015 05:11 AM PDT More than five million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Of them, 400,000 also have Down syndrome. Both groups have similar looking brains with higher levels of the protein beta amyloid. In fact, patients with Down syndrome develop the abnormal protein at twice the rate. Results of a pilot study confirms the pathogenic role of beta amyloid in dementia as seen in both AD and Down syndrome.

New light shed on infertility puzzle, could improve in vitro fertilization Posted: 18 Sep 2015 05:11 AM PDT For the first time, researchers have revealed communication between the sperm and the fallopian tube that helps prepare the sperm for its final big push into the egg. The finding could improve in vitro fertilization and help couples struggling with infertility.

Surgeons, athletic, musical pros join forces to devise new surgical training program Posted: 18 Sep 2015 05:11 AM PDT What do surgeons, elite-level athletes and professional musicians have in common? When they perform, the team -- be it a surgical team, a rowing team or choral ensemble -- must act harmoniously for the greatest chance of success. Athletic and musical coaching groups have developed very successful coaching strategies that improve the performance of their teams.

Study shows racial disparities in environmental health hazards Posted: 18 Sep 2015 05:06 AM PDT An online tool used to help identify which California communities are hit hardest by environmental hazards reveals significant disparities by race, according to an analysis.

Maternal chronic stress linked to more dental cavities in children Posted: 18 Sep 2015 05:06 AM PDT Chronic maternal stress, when measured by biological markers, has been found for the first time to be associated with a higher prevalence of cavities among children, according to a study. Chronic stress was also found to be linked to lower probabilities of breast feeding and dental visits by children, according to the research.

High protein diets, from both animal and plant sources, improve blood sugar control in diabetic patients Posted: 18 Sep 2015 05:06 AM PDT High protein diets improve blood sugar control in patients with type 2 diabetes without any adverse effects on kidney function, new research concludes.

Excessive daytime sleepiness, long naps linked to increased diabetes risk Posted: 18 Sep 2015 05:06 AM PDT Daytime sleepiness and taking long naps during the day are both associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, new research shows.

Smoking linked with higher risk of type 2 diabetes Posted: 18 Sep 2015 05:06 AM PDT Current smokers and people regularly exposed to second-hand smoke have a significantly increased risk for type 2 diabetes compared with people who have never smoked, according to a new study. The authors estimated 11.7 percent of cases of type 2 diabetes in men and 2.4 percent in women may be attributable to active smoking.

If mom or dad is a smoker, their teenager is more likely to be a smoker too Posted: 18 Sep 2015 05:06 AM PDT The more a parent smokes, the more their teenage son or daughter will also smoke. Teenagers are much more likely to smoke and be dependent on nicotine if a parent is dependent on nicotine, especially daughters if their mother is dependent on nicotine, a new study concludes.

Lower bed occupancy linked to lower hospital death rate Posted: 18 Sep 2015 05:06 AM PDT Lower bed occupancy is linked to a lower hospital death rate and improved performance against the English four hour waiting target, reveals research.

Tai Chi linked to improved physical capacity in certain common long term conditions Posted: 18 Sep 2015 05:06 AM PDT The ancient Chinese exercise Tai Chi is linked to improved physical capacity among older adults with certain common long term conditions, indicates a pooled analysis of the available evidence.

High dietary sodium, potassium may worsen chronic kidney disease Posted: 18 Sep 2015 05:06 AM PDT High dietary intake of sodium and potassium may speed the progression of kidney disease, according to a new study. Researchers found that high urinary excretion levels of both sodium and potassium were linked with faster progression of chronic kidney disease. Additionally, they noted that patients with chronic kidney disease tend to consume sodium above the recommended daily limit. An estimated 26 million people in the United States have chronic kidney disease.

Global burden of leptospirosis is greater than thought, and growing Posted: 17 Sep 2015 01:00 PM PDT The global burden of a tropical disease known as leptospirosis is far greater than previously estimated, resulting in more than 1 million new infections and nearly 59,000 deaths annually, a new international study has found.

New report examines implications of growing gap in life span by income for entitlement programs Posted: 17 Sep 2015 11:14 AM PDT As the gap in life expectancy between the highest and lowest earners in the US has widened over time, high earners have disproportionately received larger lifetime benefits from government programs such as Social Security and Medicare, says a new congressionally mandated report.

Genomic differences between breast cancers of African American, white women identified Posted: 17 Sep 2015 10:53 AM PDT For the first time, a study has identified genomic differences between the breast tumors of African American and white women, differences that could contribute to the recognized differences in recurrence rate and survival.

Molecular imaging study reveals improved detection of early recurrent prostate cancer Posted: 17 Sep 2015 10:52 AM PDT A recently developed drug was significantly better at detecting recurring prostate cancer in early stages, researchers report. The American Cancer Society reports that prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in American men, behind lung cancer, with about 220,800 new cases estimated in 2015.

Scientists identify protein at death's door of cells Posted: 17 Sep 2015 10:46 AM PDT A protein embedded in the surface of mitochondria -- the energy-producing batteries of living cells -- opens the door to cell death, causing cells to experience severe power failures, according to researchers. The new study suggests that blocking the door with a small molecule inhibitor could be key to the treatment of cardiovascular diseases where extensive mitochondrial dysfunction and cell death hinder tissue recovery.

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