ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Does obesity lead to more nursing home admission, lower quality of care?
• Ancient anti-inflammatory drug salicylic acid has cancer-fighting properties
• The unintended consequences of a hospital's attempt to improve
• Female heart patients less likely to get blood thinning therapy
• Nature conserves its most vital DNA by multitasking, researchers show
• High blood pressure linked to short-, long-term exposure to some air pollutants
• Large global range of prices for hepatitis C medicines raises concerns about affordability
• Financial relationships between biomedical companies and organizations
• Improving cell transplantation after spinal cord injury: When, where and how?
• Newly discovered gene regulates hyperglycemia-induced beta cell death in type 2 diabetes
• Many patients continue using opioids months after joint replacement
• Risk of international spread of yellow fever re-assessed in light of the ongoing outbreaks
• Urine sample could be used to diagnose complex, serious pregnancy disorder
• RNA simulations boost understanding of retroviral diseases
• Study paves way for new therapies in fight against calcium disorders
• Brain's trigger for binge behavior
• Affordable Care Act is working in Texas, new evidence shows
• New class of protein could treat cancer and other diseases, researchers find
• Whole-person perspective is needed to assess obesity, researchers suggest
• Calcium signals balance the body's response to infection against potential for self-attack
• Female smokers more likely to kick the habit by 'timing' their quit date with their menstrual cycle, study shows
• Brain needs to 'clean itself up' so that it can 'sort itself out'
• When it comes to developing stem cell treatments, seeing is half the battle
• Europe sees constant increase in gonorrhea infections
• Antipsychotic prescribing trends in youths with autism and intellectual disability
• Mapping neural networks to strengthen circadian rhythms
• US may be greatly undercounting pediatric concussions
• Hunting for the brain's opioid addiction switch
• Study investigates why blacks have higher risk of cognitive impairment
• First 3-D mathematical model of uterine contractions created
• Comparison of couples' therapy interventions for breast cancer patients shows different benefits depending on stress level
• Is endurance training bad for you?
• Ever-changing moods may be toxic to the brain of bipolar patients
• Transmission of genetic disorder Huntington's disease in normal animals
• Gels go drugs: New polymer gels for targeted drug-delivery are closer than ever
• Seeing 'living' nanofibers in real time
• Vicious circle of platelets
• Implanted neuroprosthesis improves walking ability in stroke patient
• Flatworms left in sunlight spur investigations into rare metabolic disorders
• New findings linking abnormalities in circadian rhythms to neurochemical to changes in specific neurotransmitters
• Tobacco smoke makes germs more resilient
• Protein that could prevent tumor growth in cervical cancer identified
• Roadmap for biomarker research on Alzheimer's disease should lead to better results
• Antiepileptic drugs during pregnancy: Folic acid could help to prevent autism
• Migraine prevention: Monoclonal antibodies could become additional therapy option
• Whiplash syndrome: Better prediction of long-term consequences
• Halting protein degradation may contribute to new cancer treatment
• Prevention of genetic breast cancer within reach
• Researchers find new signs of stress damage in the brain, plus hope for prevention
• Brain structure that tracks negative events backfires in depression
• Leaky blood-brain barrier linked to Alzheimer's disease
• New UN treatment targets for HIV/AIDS would be 'expensive but worth every penny'
• Researchers find spatial scale changes ecological processes driving disease

Does obesity lead to more nursing home admission, lower quality of care? Posted: 31 May 2016 03:25 PM PDT In a study, researchers examined the care that obese older adults receive when they are admitted to nursing homes. The researchers examined 164,256 records of obese people aged 65 or older who were admitted to nursing homes over a two-year period. They also examined the nursing homes' total number of deficiency citations and quality-of-care deficiencies to determine the quality of care that the homes provided.

Ancient anti-inflammatory drug salicylic acid has cancer-fighting properties Posted: 31 May 2016 03:24 PM PDT Scientists have identified a new pathway by which salicylic acid -- a key compound in the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs aspirin and diflunisal -- stops inflammation and tumor growth in cancer. Both salicylic acid and diflunisal suppress two key proteins that help control gene expression throughout the body. By inhibiting these proteins, the two drugs block the activation of other proteins involved in inflammation and cell growth, including one linked to leukemia.

The unintended consequences of a hospital's attempt to improve Posted: 31 May 2016 03:24 PM PDT As hospitals try to maintain effective and efficient operations, physician call systems can be a critical element in maintaining quality medical care and financial stability. A decade-long study from a large teaching hospital in Toronto, Canada, shows that a change in staff scheduling resulted in 26 percent higher readmissions, an unintended and negative result.

Female heart patients less likely to get blood thinning therapy Posted: 31 May 2016 03:24 PM PDT Female atrial fibrillation patients are less likely than their male counterparts to receive blood thinning therapies to prevent stroke, say researchers.

Nature conserves its most vital DNA by multitasking, researchers show Posted: 31 May 2016 03:24 PM PDT Authors of a new report describe and define 'ultraconserved' as 50 base pairs long DNA elements found in all 12 Drosophila species they studied -- a comparison that is greater than the evolutionary distance between humans and reptiles. Most importantly, the authors show that UCEs are the 'multitaskers' of the genome, involved in numerous biological processes simultaneously, and this multi-layered function may be responsible for the extreme DNA sequence conservation observed.

High blood pressure linked to short-, long-term exposure to some air pollutants Posted: 31 May 2016 03:24 PM PDT High blood pressure was associated with short-term and long-term exposure to some air pollutants commonly associated with the burning/combustion of fossil fuels, dust and dirt, a new study shows. Researchers suggest people -- especially those with high blood pressure -- limit their time outdoors when pollution levels are high.

Large global range of prices for hepatitis C medicines raises concerns about affordability Posted: 31 May 2016 01:52 PM PDT The prices and affordability of recently developed and highly effective direct-acting antivirals for treating hepatitis C vary greatly among countries worldwide, according to a new study.

Financial relationships between biomedical companies and organizations Posted: 31 May 2016 01:52 PM PDT Sixty-three percent of organizations that published clinical practice guidelines on the National Guideline Clearinghouse website in 2012 reported receiving funds from biomedical companies, but these relationships were seldom disclosed in the guidelines, according to a new study.

Improving cell transplantation after spinal cord injury: When, where and how? Posted: 31 May 2016 01:52 PM PDT Spinal cord injuries are mostly caused by trauma, often incurred in road traffic or sporting incidents, often with devastating and irreversible consequences. According to a systematic analysis of 49 animal studies researchers found that after experimental spinal cord injury, transplanting olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) into the site of damage significantly improves locomotor performance.

Newly discovered gene regulates hyperglycemia-induced beta cell death in type 2 diabetes Posted: 31 May 2016 11:33 AM PDT Elevated levels of blood glucose (hyperglycemia) can induce the death of the pancreatic beta cells over time. The death of these cells (responsible for the production of insulin) underlies much of the pathology of diabetes. Exactly how and why they die is not fully understood, but a new research report sheds light on the answer and a new therapeutic target.

Many patients continue using opioids months after joint replacement Posted: 31 May 2016 11:33 AM PDT Many patients undergoing hip or knee replacement are still taking prescription opioid pain medications up to six months after surgery, reports a new study.

Risk of international spread of yellow fever re-assessed in light of the ongoing outbreaks Posted: 31 May 2016 11:33 AM PDT The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has updated its rapid risk assessment on the outbreak of yellow fever with the latest developments, more comprehensive information on the current situation in Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda and an extended threat assessment for the EU. Some of the data used in the assessment were collected during a mission to Angola in May 2016.

Urine sample could be used to diagnose complex, serious pregnancy disorder Posted: 31 May 2016 11:32 AM PDT Scientists have developed a non-invasive method to diagnose preeclampsia -- a complex condition which occurs during pregnancy.

RNA simulations boost understanding of retroviral diseases Posted: 31 May 2016 10:09 AM PDT New molecular dynamics research into how RNA folds into hairpin-shaped structures called tetraloops could provide important insights into new treatments for retroviral diseases.

Study paves way for new therapies in fight against calcium disorders Posted: 31 May 2016 10:08 AM PDT New insights have been gained into the molecular basis of human diseases resulting from mutations in the calcium-sensing receptor, a protein found in cell membranes.

Brain's trigger for binge behavior Posted: 31 May 2016 10:08 AM PDT Rats that responded to cues for sugar with the speed and excitement of binge-eaters were less motivated for the treat when certain neurons were suppressed, researchers discovered.

Affordable Care Act is working in Texas, new evidence shows Posted: 31 May 2016 10:08 AM PDT The percentage of Texans without health insurance has dropped by 30 percent since the Affordable Care Act went into effect, cutting the state's uninsured rate below 1999 levels, a new report shows.

New class of protein could treat cancer and other diseases, researchers find Posted: 31 May 2016 10:06 AM PDT A protein can effectively target a cell surface receptor linked to a number of diseases, showing potential as a therapeutic treatment for an array of illnesses, including cancer, according to the research team.

Whole-person perspective is needed to assess obesity, researchers suggest Posted: 31 May 2016 10:05 AM PDT Authors of a new report recommend that physicians use obesity staging models to recognize and manage weight-related health issues that may not be captured by traditional diagnosis criteria.

Calcium signals balance the body's response to infection against potential for self-attack Posted: 31 May 2016 10:05 AM PDT A key cellular signal provides a vital balance between the body's ability to destroy invading microbes and its need to prevent autoimmune disease, report scientists.

Female smokers more likely to kick the habit by 'timing' their quit date with their menstrual cycle, study shows Posted: 31 May 2016 08:33 AM PDT Women who want to quit smoking may have better success by carefully timing their quit date with optimal days within their menstrual cycle, according to a new study.

Brain needs to 'clean itself up' so that it can 'sort itself out' Posted: 31 May 2016 08:32 AM PDT A new piece of research has revealed how the brain's cleaning up mechanisms function in neurodegenerative diseases. This discovery opens up a new channel for exploring therapies that could palliate the effects of brain diseases.

When it comes to developing stem cell treatments, seeing is half the battle Posted: 31 May 2016 08:28 AM PDT A new MRI contrast agent may help in developing stem cell treatments. While still early in development, stem and therapeutic cells may one day offer effective treatments against diseases, particularly cancer. But one major hurdle in developing these treatments is an inability to effectively monitor them once inside the body.

Europe sees constant increase in gonorrhea infections Posted: 31 May 2016 08:28 AM PDT Since 2008, the overall rate of reported gonorrhea infections has more than doubled across Europe, going up from 8 per 100,000 population to 20 cases per 100,000 persons in 2014.

Antipsychotic prescribing trends in youths with autism and intellectual disability Posted: 31 May 2016 08:27 AM PDT About one in 10 youths treated with an antipsychotic are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder or intellectual disability. Conversely, one in six youths diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder has been prescribed antipsychotics. Furthermore, the results suggest that the proportion of adolescents with autism or intellectual disability has increased among youths treated with antipsychotics and that more youths with autism or intellectual disability have received antipsychotics.

Mapping neural networks to strengthen circadian rhythms Posted: 31 May 2016 08:27 AM PDT While the evidence behind this age-related weakening of the circadian rhythm has been established in medical literature, the mechanisms behind it, and the connectivity structure of the neurons, have remained elusive. To better understand these neuronal and hormonal mechanisms and help develop potential treatments, researchers have conducted experimental analyses of the SCN's connections, with the goal of determining its degree of heterogeneity.

US may be greatly undercounting pediatric concussions Posted: 31 May 2016 08:27 AM PDT New research highlights a substantial gap in how the United States currently estimates the nation's burden of pediatric concussions. Most counts of these concussions are based solely on emergency department visits or on school data, and do not include data from primary care sites, where the vast majority of first concussion visits may occur.

Hunting for the brain's opioid addiction switch Posted: 31 May 2016 08:27 AM PDT New research is contributing to a better understanding of the ways opiate-class drugs modify brain circuits to drive the addiction cycle. The identification of these opiate-induced changes offers the best hope for developing more effective pharmacological targets and therapies to prevent or reverse the effect of opiate exposure and addiction.

Study investigates why blacks have higher risk of cognitive impairment Posted: 31 May 2016 07:48 AM PDT Social and economic disadvantages play a significant role in why blacks face a much higher risk than whites of developing cognitive impairment later in life, indicates an American sociologist.

First 3-D mathematical model of uterine contractions created Posted: 31 May 2016 07:48 AM PDT Although researchers have been seeking the origins of preterm birth for many years, the causes are still relatively unknown. By studying the electrical activity that causes contractions, researchers have developed a multiscale model they believe may aid in predicting preterm birth.

Comparison of couples' therapy interventions for breast cancer patients shows different benefits depending on stress level Posted: 31 May 2016 07:48 AM PDT Is a couples' support group or an enhanced couples' group therapy intervention with skill instruction more effective for helping women diagnosed with early stage breast cancer? Research shows each has its own benefits depending on the patient's stress level.

Is endurance training bad for you? Posted: 31 May 2016 07:45 AM PDT In 2012, Belgian scientists published a study that concluded that repeated bouts of intensive endurance exercise at the elite level may result in the pathological enlargement of the right ventricle, which, according to the article, is associated with potential health hazards including sudden cardiac death. The publication was the cause of considerable debate among experts in the medical and sports communities. Sports medicine physicians have now tested the conclusions of the 2012 study by examining the hearts of elite master endurance athletes. Their findings refute the hypothesis proposed by their Belgian colleagues.

Ever-changing moods may be toxic to the brain of bipolar patients Posted: 31 May 2016 07:44 AM PDT A new study shows that the blood of bipolar patients is toxic to brain cells and may affect the connectivity ability of neurons. The research group also presents an in vitro study model for a disease for which no animal model has been yet developed.

Transmission of genetic disorder Huntington's disease in normal animals Posted: 31 May 2016 07:42 AM PDT Mice transplanted with cells grown from a patient suffering from Huntington's disease (HD) develop the clinical features and brain pathology of that patient, suggests a new study.

Gels go drugs: New polymer gels for targeted drug-delivery are closer than ever Posted: 31 May 2016 07:42 AM PDT New work from physicists will help in development of the new polymer gels for the targeted drug-delivery. The study invokes the methods of theoretical analysis, and particularly a coherent combination of the self-consistent field approximation and the method of scaling.

Seeing 'living' nanofibers in real time Posted: 31 May 2016 07:40 AM PDT Scientists observe artificial nanofibers self-sorting into organized structures in real-time. This brings scientists closer toward developing intelligent, next-generation biomimics that possess the flexibility and diversity of functions that exist in a living cell.

Vicious circle of platelets Posted: 31 May 2016 07:40 AM PDT Inhibition of platelets in Alzheimer's disease patients may become important in therapy in future, say researchers whose findings could be of great importance for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease patients.

Implanted neuroprosthesis improves walking ability in stroke patient Posted: 31 May 2016 07:40 AM PDT A surgically implanted neuroprosthesis--programmed to stimulate coordinated activity of hip, knee, and ankle muscles -- has led to substantial improvement in walking speed and distance in a patient with limited mobility after a stroke, according to a single-patient study.

Flatworms left in sunlight spur investigations into rare metabolic disorders Posted: 31 May 2016 07:40 AM PDT A type of flatworm could be a new weapon in the hunt for better ways to treat a group of diseases that can cause extreme sensitivity to light, facial hair growth, and hallucinations, according to a study.

New findings linking abnormalities in circadian rhythms to neurochemical to changes in specific neurotransmitters Posted: 31 May 2016 07:40 AM PDT Scientists have published results of the first study of its kind to link abnormalities in circadian rhythms to changes in specific neurotransmitters in people with bipolar disorder. The study was conducted using postmortem brains in which 15 brains were used from healthy controls, 15 with bipolar disorder, and 12 with schizophrenia.

Tobacco smoke makes germs more resilient Posted: 31 May 2016 05:26 AM PDT A dental researcher explores microbiological mechanisms as World Health Organization urges for a day of abstinence from tobacco use on May 31. Cigarette smoke and its components promote biofilm formation by several pathogens including Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus mutans, Klebsiella pneumonia and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, report scientists.

Protein that could prevent tumor growth in cervical cancer identified Posted: 31 May 2016 05:26 AM PDT Scientists have identified a protein that has the potential to prevent the growth of cervical cancer cells. The discovery could lead to the development of new treatments for the deadly disease, they say.

Roadmap for biomarker research on Alzheimer's disease should lead to better results Posted: 31 May 2016 05:24 AM PDT Biomarkers could revolutionize the early detection of and therapy for Alzheimer's disease. However, experts have criticized that the big breakthroughs are slow in coming because of a lack of priorities in research. A roadmap should help to push along advances in this area.

Antiepileptic drugs during pregnancy: Folic acid could help to prevent autism Posted: 31 May 2016 05:24 AM PDT If pregnant women take antiepileptic drugs, the child can develop autistic traits. The administration of folic acid preparations appears to be a suitable means of preventing this serious side-effect, suggest researchers.

Migraine prevention: Monoclonal antibodies could become additional therapy option Posted: 31 May 2016 05:24 AM PDT Researchers are focused on preventing or shortening the duration of migraine attacks by looking at established drug treatment options and those that could shape future therapies.

Whiplash syndrome: Better prediction of long-term consequences Posted: 31 May 2016 05:23 AM PDT Possible long-term consequences from a whiplash trauma can be effectively predicted if the injured persons are subdivided into different risk groups shortly after the car accident.

Halting protein degradation may contribute to new cancer treatment Posted: 31 May 2016 05:23 AM PDT A researcher reports carrying out chemical-biological research on proteasomes, with an effort to chase a new treatment for cancer.

Prevention of genetic breast cancer within reach Posted: 31 May 2016 05:21 AM PDT About one in eight women will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime. Causes can be the use of synthetic sex hormones and other environmental factors, but also gene mutations like in the BRCA1 gene (BReast CAncer). US actress Angelina Jolie who underwent a preventive double mastectomy is the most famous carrier of a "faulty" BRCA1 gene. On average, women with this mutation have an up to 87% lifetime risk of developing breast cancer. Tumors usually develop early in life. Until now, prophylactic surgery is the only procedure which significantly reduces the breast cancer risk, but which is also often associated with postoperative complications.

Researchers find new signs of stress damage in the brain, plus hope for prevention Posted: 31 May 2016 05:18 AM PDT When mice experience chronic stress, neurons within part of their brain's fear and anxiety center, the amygdala, retract, new research indicates. It also suggests how such changes could be prevented.

Brain structure that tracks negative events backfires in depression Posted: 31 May 2016 05:18 AM PDT A region of the brain that responds to bad experiences has the opposite reaction to expectations of aversive events in people with depression compared to healthy adults, finds a new study.

Leaky blood-brain barrier linked to Alzheimer's disease Posted: 31 May 2016 05:18 AM PDT Researchers using contrast-enhanced MRI have identified leakages in the blood-brain barrier of people with early Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study. The results suggest that increased BBB permeability may represent a key mechanism in the early stages of the disease.

New UN treatment targets for HIV/AIDS would be 'expensive but worth every penny' Posted: 30 May 2016 04:01 PM PDT Implementing the United Nations targets for HIV testing and treatment would be an expensive but ultimately very cost-effective way to increase survival, reduce the number of children orphaned by HIV, and contain the global AIDS epidemic, say researchers.

Researchers find spatial scale changes ecological processes driving disease Posted: 30 May 2016 12:33 PM PDT Human are contributing to unprecedented rates of infectious disease emergence, climate change and biodiversity loss. Whether human ecological impacts affect disease distribution and organisms differently at local or regional scales has been a question. This multi-scale analysis shows that human alterations to biodiversity impact disease at local scales while climate change impacts disease at regional scales. Once more, focusing on a single scale can lead to inaccurate estimations of human impact.

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