ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Age-related macular degeneration before and after the era of anti-VEGF drugs
• Health sensing tool measures lung function over a phone call, from anywhere in the world
• Diagnosing mononucleosis: Researchers work to expedite proper treatment
• New drug-delivery approach holds potential for treating obesity
• Cardiovascular risk tool overestimates actual chance of cardiovascular events
• Cognitive-behavioral therapy may help reduce memory problems in cancer survivors who have received chemotherapy
• Psychiatric symptoms impact mental health court engagement
• Study underscores need for health interventions for single parent households in urban subsidized housing programs
• First structural views of the NMDA receptor in action will aid drug development
• Quieting cells' low-oxygen alarm stops flare-ups in rare bone disorder
• Veterans more likely to delay seeking health care
• Two known chemotherapy agents effectively target breast cancer stem cells
• Children with ADHD may benefit from following healthy behaviors, new study suggests
• The social lives of the elderly mirror how they grow older
• Control of fertility: New player identified
• Current cancer drug discovery method flawed, study suggests
• Does supplemental donor milk instead of formula reduce infections in preterm infants?
• Study links some positive effects to calorie restriction in nonobese adults
• Concussion outcomes differ among football players from youth to college
• National study shows new ways to stop weight gain cut young adults' obesity risk by half
• Adult brain prunes branched connections of new neurons
• UK Health Check has only modest impact on risk factors for cardiovascular disease
• Molecular mechanism for generating specific antibody responses to pathogens
• Breast cancer study: Towards personalized treatment
• Nuclear pores captured on film
• Less body fat for toddlers taking vitamin D
• Skeletal marker of physiological stress might indicate good, rather than poor, health
• Expand prescribing of buprenorphine for opioid abuse? Experts weigh pros and cons
• Englerin analogues with anti-cancer activity
• Ibrutinib: Indication of added benefit in one of three therapeutic indications
• Neuroscientists discover previously unknown function of cannabinoid receptor
• Advance could help grow stem cells more safely
• Novel, bacteria-repelling biomaterial could increase the success of medical implants
• Even Einstein struggled: Learning about scientists' failures can boost STEM grades
• Green light for plant-based food packaging
• New drug more effective in treating atrial fibrillation
• Even doctors get confused about reflux disease in babies
• Radiotherapy more effective than chemotherapy for early stage II testicular cancer
• Radiotherapy for lung cancer patients is linked to increased risk of non-cancer deaths
• Growing threat of noncommunicable diseases to survival in pregnancy, childbirth

Age-related macular degeneration before and after the era of anti-VEGF drugs Posted: 02 May 2016 06:54 PM PDT In a study of nearly 650 people with the eye disease age-related macular degeneration (AMD), half still had vision 20/40 or better, typically good enough to drive or to read standard print, after five years of treatment with anti-VEGF drugs that are injected into the eye. The authors of the study say those outcomes would have been unimaginable about 10 years ago, prior to the drugs' availability.

Health sensing tool measures lung function over a phone call, from anywhere in the world Posted: 02 May 2016 01:18 PM PDT Researchers have developed SpiroCall, a new health sensing tool that can accurately measure lung function from anywhere in the world over a simple phone call. It is designed to work with older mobile phones and landlines, not just smartphones.

Diagnosing mononucleosis: Researchers work to expedite proper treatment Posted: 02 May 2016 01:18 PM PDT One researcher wasn't impressed with research on infectious mononucleosis when he wrote his first published review on it back in the 1990s, and he still isn't. Early diagnosis of mono is key in expediting proper treatment, says one expert.

New drug-delivery approach holds potential for treating obesity Posted: 02 May 2016 01:11 PM PDT Nanoparticles that can deliver anti-obesity drugs have been developed by researchers. Obese mice that received the treatment lost 10 percent of their body weight, report scientists.

Cardiovascular risk tool overestimates actual chance of cardiovascular events Posted: 02 May 2016 01:11 PM PDT A widely recommended risk calculator for predicting a person's chance of experiencing a cardiovascular disease event -- such as heart attack, ischemic stroke or dying from coronary artery disease -- has been found to substantially overestimate the actual five-year risk in adults overall and across all sociodemographic subgroups.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy may help reduce memory problems in cancer survivors who have received chemotherapy Posted: 02 May 2016 12:06 PM PDT A new analysis indicates that a type of psychotherapy delivered by videoconference may help prevent some of the long-term memory issues caused by chemotherapy.

Psychiatric symptoms impact mental health court engagement Posted: 02 May 2016 12:06 PM PDT People living with mental illness are overrepresented in the criminal justice system. Interventions to help this population, such as mental health courts, are becoming popular across the country. New research finds that for mental health courts to be successful, every professional engaged in the process should be aware of the relationship between psychiatric symptoms and participant engagement within the system and connect participants with comprehensive treatment and services as early as possible.

Study underscores need for health interventions for single parent households in urban subsidized housing programs Posted: 02 May 2016 10:17 AM PDT Single parents who participate in a housing support program in an urban setting with high levels of community violence had significant symptoms of stress and depression, a new study indicates.

First structural views of the NMDA receptor in action will aid drug development Posted: 02 May 2016 10:15 AM PDT Researchers have obtained images of the NMDA receptor in active, non-active, and inhibited states. Understanding how NMDA receptors activate is critical in designing novel therapeutic compounds for schizophrenia, depression, Alzheimer's and other illnesses.

Quieting cells' low-oxygen alarm stops flare-ups in rare bone disorder Posted: 02 May 2016 10:14 AM PDT The cellular response to the lack of oxygen fans the flames of flare-ups in a rare bone disorder. In fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva, a mutation triggers bone growth in muscles, which limits motion, breathing, and swallowing, among a host of progressive symptoms. The study identifies a therapeutic target for stopping the extra bone growth in FOP and other disorders.

Veterans more likely to delay seeking health care Posted: 02 May 2016 10:14 AM PDT Military veterans are more likely to report delays in seeking necessary healthcare, compared to the US general population, reports a new study. Delays in seeking care are an important issue in the US healthcare system, working against efforts to improve high-quality, effective healthcare. Previous studies have reported that type of health insurance coverage affects delays in receiving care.

Two known chemotherapy agents effectively target breast cancer stem cells Posted: 02 May 2016 10:14 AM PDT Two existing chemotherapy drugs appear to be a powerful pair in targeting errant stem cells that are making breast cancer and enabling its spread and recurrence, scientists report.

Children with ADHD may benefit from following healthy behaviors, new study suggests Posted: 02 May 2016 10:14 AM PDT Children with Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder follow fewer healthy lifestyle behaviors than non-ADHD youth. ADHD youth may benefit from improving lifestyle choices such as increasing water consumption, decreasing screen time and getting at least one hour of physical activity per day.

The social lives of the elderly mirror how they grow older Posted: 02 May 2016 10:14 AM PDT Small changes in the social lives of older people are early red flags showing that their thought processes and brain functioning could be on the decline.

Control of fertility: New player identified Posted: 02 May 2016 10:14 AM PDT Individual small RNAs are responsible for controlling the expression of gonadoliberin or GnRH (Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone), a neurohormone that controls sexual maturation, the appearance of puberty, and fertility in adults, new research shows. The involvement of microRNAs, transcribed from DNA, occurs around birth, and marks a key step in postnatal development.

Current cancer drug discovery method flawed, study suggests Posted: 02 May 2016 10:12 AM PDT The primary method used to test compounds for anti-cancer activity in cells is flawed, researchers report. The findings cast doubt on methods used by the entire scientific enterprise and pharmaceutical industry to discover new cancer drugs.The researchers have developed a new metric to evaluate a compound's effect on cell proliferation -- called the DIP (drug-induced proliferation) rate -- that overcomes the flawed bias in the traditional method.

Does supplemental donor milk instead of formula reduce infections in preterm infants? Posted: 02 May 2016 10:12 AM PDT The combined incidence of serious infection, the intestinal disease necrotizing enterocolitis and death was similar in very low-birth-weight infants who received either pasteurized donor milk or preterm formula supplementation during their first 10 days of life when their own mother's milk was not sufficiently available, according to an article.

Study links some positive effects to calorie restriction in nonobese adults Posted: 02 May 2016 10:12 AM PDT A 25 percent calorie restriction over two years by adults who were not obese was linked to better health-related quality of life, according to the results of a randomized clinical trial.

Concussion outcomes differ among football players from youth to college Posted: 02 May 2016 10:12 AM PDT Concussions in high school football had the highest average number of reported symptoms and high school football players had the highest proportion of concussions with a return-to-play time of at least 30 days compared with youth and college players, according to a new article.

National study shows new ways to stop weight gain cut young adults' obesity risk by half Posted: 02 May 2016 10:12 AM PDT A new study has identified two self-regulation strategies effective in preventing weight gain among young adults. At the end of the three-year study, researchers showed that young adults taught self-regulation strategies were more successful at preventing weight gain than those in the control group and 50 percent fewer had become obese.

Adult brain prunes branched connections of new neurons Posted: 02 May 2016 10:09 AM PDT A new study is first to closely follow development of new neurons in the adult brain, giving potential new insight into neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and schizophrenia.

UK Health Check has only modest impact on risk factors for cardiovascular disease Posted: 02 May 2016 10:09 AM PDT The largest risk assessment and management program for cardiovascular disease in the world, England's National Health Service Health Check, had only a modest impact on risk factors for heart disease and did not meet national and international targets, found new research.

Molecular mechanism for generating specific antibody responses to pathogens Posted: 02 May 2016 08:16 AM PDT Follicular helper T cells (Tfh cells), a rare type of T cells, are indispensible for the maturation of antibody-producing B cells. They promote the proliferation of B cells that produce highly selective antibodies against invading pathogens while weeding out those that generate potentially harmful ones. Researchers have now identified a key signal that drives the commitment of immature Tfh cells into fully functional Tfh cells and thus driving the step-by-step process that results in a precisely tailored and effective immune response.

Breast cancer study: Towards personalized treatment Posted: 02 May 2016 08:14 AM PDT The largest-ever study to sequence the whole genomes of breast cancers has uncovered five new genes associated with the disease and 13 new mutational signatures that influence tumor development. Two new studies pinpoint where genetic variations in breast cancers occur. The findings provide insights into the causes of breast tumors and demonstrate that breast-cancer genomes are highly individual.

Nuclear pores captured on film Posted: 02 May 2016 08:14 AM PDT Using an ultra fast-scanning atomic force microscope, a team of researchers has filmed "living" nuclear pore complexes at work for the first time. Nuclear pores are molecular machines that control the traffic entering or exiting the cell nucleus. In a new article, the researchers explain how the passage of unwanted molecules is prevented by rapidly moving molecular "tentacles" inside the pore.

Less body fat for toddlers taking vitamin D Posted: 02 May 2016 08:13 AM PDT A healthy intake of vitamin D in the first year of life appears to set children up to have more muscle mass and less body fat as toddlers, according to a new study. The findings emerged from research initially aimed at confirming the importance of vitamin D for bone density. The additional benefit in terms of body composition came as a surprise for the research team.

Skeletal marker of physiological stress might indicate good, rather than poor, health Posted: 02 May 2016 08:13 AM PDT One of the skeletal markers that anthropologists use to decipher the past, linear enamel hypoplasia, might need to be looked at in a new light. Scientists show that LEH, a result of stress during an individual's life, might be an indicator of good, rather than poor, health.

Expand prescribing of buprenorphine for opioid abuse? Experts weigh pros and cons Posted: 02 May 2016 08:12 AM PDT Buprenorphine is a critical part of treatment for the growing epidemic of opioid abuse -- but also carries the potential for misuse and diversion. The debate over whether 'to expand or not to expand' prescribing of buprenorphine for opioid abuse is discussed in a new expert review.

Englerin analogues with anti-cancer activity Posted: 02 May 2016 08:12 AM PDT A research team has designed and synthetized a series of analogues of (-)-Englerin A that are highly selective and effective in the growth-inhibition of renal cancer cells.

Ibrutinib: Indication of added benefit in one of three therapeutic indications Posted: 02 May 2016 08:12 AM PDT No added benefit has been proven for chronic lymphocytic leukaemia and Waldenström macroglobulinaemia. Certain patients with relapsed or refractory mantle cell lymphoma benefit from the drug.

Neuroscientists discover previously unknown function of cannabinoid receptor Posted: 02 May 2016 08:12 AM PDT In the brain, there is a delicate interplay of signaling substances and cellular activity. Scientists have now identified another key player within this ensemble. In a laboratory study they found that the 'cannabinoid type 2 receptor' influences information processing inside the hippocampus. The research results might help advance our understanding of schizophrenia and Alzheimer's, say the authors.

Advance could help grow stem cells more safely Posted: 02 May 2016 06:37 AM PDT Nurturing stem cells atop a bed of mouse cells works well, but is a non-starter for transplants to patients. Instead, scientists are developing a synthetic bed.

Novel, bacteria-repelling biomaterial could increase the success of medical implants Posted: 02 May 2016 05:43 AM PDT A new material has been designed to help healthy cells "win the race" to a medical implant, beating off competition from bacterial cells and thus reducing the likelihood of the implant being rejected by the body.

Even Einstein struggled: Learning about scientists' failures can boost STEM grades Posted: 02 May 2016 05:41 AM PDT Students at New York City high schools in Harlem who learned about the failures and personal struggles of famous scientists scored significantly higher on STEM tests than those who did not. The scores of struggling students rose more than those of successful students, according to a new study.

Green light for plant-based food packaging Posted: 02 May 2016 05:28 AM PDT Bioplastic packaging that extends the shelf life of food and tells us when it is no longer fit to eat will result in less waste.

New drug more effective in treating atrial fibrillation Posted: 02 May 2016 05:28 AM PDT Vernakalant, a new drug for treating recent-onset atrial fibrillation, has proved to be considerably more effective than Ibutilide, an established drug in this indication. It was able to normalize patients' heart rhythm more rapidly and with fewer side-effects occurring, report researchers.

Even doctors get confused about reflux disease in babies Posted: 02 May 2016 05:26 AM PDT Clinical symptoms are only rarely validated by the gold-standard reflux test in babies, a new clinical study shows. Gastric reflux is common in infants because the band of muscle, or sphincter, that squeezes the top opening of the stomach shut, does not yet close at full strength, especially in premature babies. As a result, babies often have reflux and spit up after feeding.

Radiotherapy more effective than chemotherapy for early stage II testicular cancer Posted: 02 May 2016 05:26 AM PDT A large study of testicular cancer patients has shown that radiation therapy is a better treatment than chemotherapy for patients with stage IIa disease (where one or more regional lymph nodes contain cancer cells but they are less than 2 cm in diameter). These findings are important because, until now, there has been little evidence about which treatment for testicular seminoma is more effective.

Radiotherapy for lung cancer patients is linked to increased risk of non-cancer deaths Posted: 02 May 2016 05:26 AM PDT Researchers have found that treating patients who have early stage non-small cell lung cancer with a type of radiotherapy called stereotactic body radiation therapy is associated with a small but increased risk of death from causes other than cancer.

Growing threat of noncommunicable diseases to survival in pregnancy, childbirth Posted: 02 May 2016 05:26 AM PDT Fewer women in low and middle-income countries die due to conditions related to pregnancy and childbirth than 10 years ago. The study from Mexico highlights the risk that noncommunicable diseases could undermine recent progress in improving maternal survival.

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