ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Have national smoking bans worked in reducing harms in passive smoking?
• Don't use body mass index to determine whether people are healthy
• Genetic cause of rare allergy to vibration discovered
• Preventive surgery for women at high risk of breast, ovarian cancer
• Why is calcific tendinitis so painful?
• Lifespan of mice extended by as much as 35 percent; no adverse effects found
• It's all about the timing: Fetal expression of core clock gene determines lifespan in mice
• 'How much does it hurt?' For preschoolers, cognitive development can limit ability to rate pain
• 'Gene fusion' mutation uses three-way mechanism to drive childhood brain cancers
• Location may be key to effectively controlling pain
• Researchers urge caution on wearable health devices
• Energy from cellphone towers amplify pain in amputees
• Enzyme key to link between age-related inflammation and cancer
• New piece of the HIV puzzle uncovered
• Purified cashew proteins lend insight into allergic reactions
• Anxiety disorder three times more likely among older adults with COPD
• The future of medicine could be found in this tiny crystal ball
• 44,000 healthy years lost in Europe, 72,000 years could still be lost in the future
• Clean kitchens cut calories
• Study suggests improvements in how mesothelioma is staged
• Drug does not significantly reduce duration of mechanical ventilation for COPD patients
• Scientists map the genome of the common bed bug
• Only a minority of cancer cells affect the growth, metastasis of tumors
• Misery of work second only to illness
• Antiperspirant alters the microbial ecosystem on your skin

Have national smoking bans worked in reducing harms in passive smoking? Posted: 04 Feb 2016 01:22 AM PST The most robust evidence yet, published today in the Cochrane Library, suggests that national smoking legislation does reduce the harms of passive smoking, and particularly risks from heart disease.

Don't use body mass index to determine whether people are healthy Posted: 04 Feb 2016 01:22 AM PST Relying on body mass index (BMI), a numerical measure of a person's height and weight, as a proxy for health incorrectly labels more than 54 million heavy Americans unhealthy when they are not, psychologists report. Many of these 'healthy obese' and 'healthy overweight' people may have to pay higher health insurance premiums.

Genetic cause of rare allergy to vibration discovered Posted: 03 Feb 2016 03:41 PM PST Scientists have identified a genetic mutation responsible for a rare form of inherited hives induced by vibration, also known as vibratory urticaria. Running, hand clapping, towel drying or even taking a bumpy bus ride can cause temporary skin rashes in people with this rare disorder. By studying affected families, researchers discovered how vibration promotes the release of inflammatory chemicals from the immune system's mast cells, causing hives and other allergic symptoms.

Preventive surgery for women at high risk of breast, ovarian cancer Posted: 03 Feb 2016 03:41 PM PST A new article provides an in-depth look at the issues associated with the care of women in families with hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome who have not yet developed cancer themselves.

Why is calcific tendinitis so painful? Posted: 03 Feb 2016 01:11 PM PST Calcific tendinitis of the shoulder, typically characterized by calcium deposits on the rotator cuff, is an extremely painful condition that can severely impair movement and life quality. A new study has found a significant increase in blood vessel and pain receptor growth among patients with this condition.

Lifespan of mice extended by as much as 35 percent; no adverse effects found Posted: 03 Feb 2016 11:57 AM PST Researchers have shown that senescent cells -- cells that no longer divide and accumulate with age -- negatively impact health and shorten lifespan by as much as 35 percent in normal mice. The results demonstrate that clearance of senescent cells delays tumor formation, preserves tissue and organ function, and extends lifespan without observed adverse effects.

It's all about the timing: Fetal expression of core clock gene determines lifespan in mice Posted: 03 Feb 2016 11:57 AM PST Abolishing the 24-hour clock by knocking out a key gene during development accelerates aging and shortens lifespan by two thirds in mice, but this effect is absent if the gene deletion is delayed until after birth, according to a new study,

'How much does it hurt?' For preschoolers, cognitive development can limit ability to rate pain Posted: 03 Feb 2016 10:48 AM PST 'Rate your pain on a scale of zero to ten' -- for most adults and older children, it's a simple concept. But preschool-aged children generally lack the cognitive skills needed to make reliable pain ratings, say experts.

'Gene fusion' mutation uses three-way mechanism to drive childhood brain cancers Posted: 03 Feb 2016 08:11 AM PST A powerful, three-way mechanism by which a mutation drives the growth of childhood brain cancers, was discovered by scientists. The team hopes the discovery will lead to better methods for diagnosing and treating these cancers, which cannot always be cured with surgery.

Location may be key to effectively controlling pain Posted: 03 Feb 2016 08:10 AM PST In real estate, location is key. It now seems the same concept holds true when it comes to stopping pain. New research indicates that the location of receptors that transmit pain signals is important in how big or small a pain signal will be -- and therefore how effectively drugs can block those signals.

Researchers urge caution on wearable health devices Posted: 03 Feb 2016 08:10 AM PST Wearable devices to monitor health are not always reliable or secure according to research. The market for digital devices like smartwatches and fitness bands is growing, with 19 million likely to be sold worldwide this year. They can measure everything from heart rate to physical activity, temperature and even mental wellbeing.

Energy from cellphone towers amplify pain in amputees Posted: 03 Feb 2016 08:09 AM PST Researchers explain anecdotal and conflicting reports as to why some report pain around electromagnetic fields from cell phones.

Enzyme key to link between age-related inflammation and cancer Posted: 03 Feb 2016 08:09 AM PST For the first time, researchers have shown that an enzyme key to regulating gene expression -- and also an oncogene when mutated -- is critical for the expression of numerous inflammatory compounds that have been implicated in age-related increases in cancer and tissue degeneration. Inhibitors of the enzyme are being developed as a new anti-cancer target.

New piece of the HIV puzzle uncovered Posted: 03 Feb 2016 08:08 AM PST New research has revealed that a key immune system component -- innate lymphoid cells (ILC) -- is destroyed during acute HIV infection. This may play a key role in understanding the progression of the disease from HIV to AIDS, say scientists. HIV affects more than 35 million people worldwide.

Purified cashew proteins lend insight into allergic reactions Posted: 03 Feb 2016 08:08 AM PST It's well known that peanuts can cause severe reactions in people who are allergic, but research suggests that the risk of developing a life-threatening reaction could be higher for those allergic to cashews. Now scientists have come up with a fast and simple method to purify the three main cashew allergens to help better grasp how they work and their effects on people.

Anxiety disorder three times more likely among older adults with COPD Posted: 03 Feb 2016 08:08 AM PST The prevalence of past-year generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) for adults aged 50 and older with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is much higher compared to older adults without COPD (5.8 percent vs 1.7 percent), according to a new study.

The future of medicine could be found in this tiny crystal ball Posted: 03 Feb 2016 06:13 AM PST A materials scientist has discovered a way to grow a crystal ball in a lab. Not the kind that soothsayers use to predict the future, but a microscopic version that could be used to encapsulate medication in a way that would allow it to deliver its curative payload more effectively inside the body.

44,000 healthy years lost in Europe, 72,000 years could still be lost in the future Posted: 03 Feb 2016 06:09 AM PST Because Volkswagen has committed large-scale fraud with the software in diesel engines, nine million fraudulent cars, sold in Europe and the US from 2009 to 2015, have emitted a cumulative amount of 526 kilo tonnes of nitrogen oxides more than was legally allowed. The Volkswagen fraud has had an even larger environmental impact in Europe than in the US: more Volkswagens were sold and the population density is higher. Environmental scientists have now provided an estimate of the public health consequences caused by this fraud.

Clean kitchens cut calories Posted: 03 Feb 2016 05:58 AM PST Cluttered and chaotic environments can cause stress, which can lead us to grab more of the indulgent snacks -- twice as many cookies, according to this new study.

Study suggests improvements in how mesothelioma is staged Posted: 02 Feb 2016 03:54 PM PST A new study suggests that significant improvements could be made in the scoring system physicians use to estimate the stage (severity) of mesothelioma, an aggressive and deadly cancer.

Drug does not significantly reduce duration of mechanical ventilation for COPD patients Posted: 02 Feb 2016 11:28 AM PST Among mechanically ventilated patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and metabolic alkalosis, administration of the respiratory stimulant acetazolamide did not significantly reduce the duration of invasive mechanical ventilation, according to a study.

Scientists map the genome of the common bed bug Posted: 02 Feb 2016 09:40 AM PST Researchers have successfully mapped the genome of Cimex lectularius, the common bed bug. Among the findings, scientists discovered more than 800 instances of genes being transferred from bacteria to the bed bug's chromosomes.

Only a minority of cancer cells affect the growth, metastasis of tumors Posted: 02 Feb 2016 09:18 AM PST New research shows that a small minority of cancer cells in neuroendocrine tumors of the pancreas contribute to the overall growth and metastasis of the tumor.

Misery of work second only to illness Posted: 02 Feb 2016 09:12 AM PST British people are at their least happy while at work -- except when they are sick in bed -- according to researchers.

Antiperspirant alters the microbial ecosystem on your skin Posted: 02 Feb 2016 06:05 AM PST Wearing antiperspirant or deodorant doesn't just affect your social life, it substantially changes the microbial life that lives on you. New research finds that antiperspirant and deodorant can significantly influence both the type and quantity of bacterial life found in the human armpit's 'microbiome.'

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