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Thursday, December 29, 2011

ScienceDaily: Top Health News

ScienceDaily: Top Health News


Turn down the iPod to save your hearing

Posted: 28 Dec 2011 10:48 AM PST

A new study clearly demonstrates that harmful music-listening habits among teens could result in hearing problems much earlier than expected from natural aging. She recommends that both schools and parents provide early education on hearing health to stem the risk.

Scientists map susceptibility to type 2 diabetes

Posted: 28 Dec 2011 10:48 AM PST

New research has provided the first proof of molecular risk factors leading to type 2 diabetes, providing an "early warning" sign that could lead to new approaches to treating this and other human disease conditions.

Brain cell malfunction in schizophrenia identified

Posted: 28 Dec 2011 08:17 AM PST

Scientists have discovered that DNA stays too tightly wound in certain brain cells of schizophrenic subjects. The findings suggest that drugs already in development for other diseases might eventually offer hope as a treatment for schizophrenia and related conditions in the elderly.

New way to ensure effectiveness of TB treatment?

Posted: 28 Dec 2011 08:17 AM PST

A new study using a sophisticated "glass mouse" research model has found that multidrug-resistant tuberculosis is more likely caused in patients by speedy drug metabolism rather than inconsistent doses, as is widely believed.

MRI scan 'better' for heart patients

Posted: 22 Dec 2011 04:50 PM PST

A magnetic resonance imaging scan for coronary heart disease is better than the most commonly-used alternative, a major UK trial of heart disease patients has shown.

How dengue infection hits harder the second time around

Posted: 21 Dec 2011 12:17 PM PST

One of the most vexing challenges in the battle against dengue virus, a potentially fatal mosquito-borne virus, is that getting infected once can put people at greater risk for a more severe infection down the road. A new study details how the interaction between a person's immune response and a subsequent dengue infection could mean the difference between getting a mild fever and going into fatal circulatory failure.

Silk microneedles deliver controlled-release drugs painlessly

Posted: 21 Dec 2011 11:07 AM PST

Bioengineers have developed a silk-based microneedle system able to deliver precise amounts of drugs over time and without refrigeration. Because they are made under normal temperature and pressure and from water, they can be loaded with sensitive biochemical compounds and maintain their activity prior to use. They are also biodegradable and biocompatible. The new system addresses drug delivery challenges, and could be applied to other biological storage applications.

Disease-causing strains of Fusarium prevalent in sink drains

Posted: 21 Dec 2011 11:04 AM PST

A study examining the prevalence of the fungus Fusarium in bathroom sink drains suggests that plumbing systems may be a common source of human infections.

Supersized market economy, supersized belly: Wealthier nations have more fast food and more obesity

Posted: 21 Dec 2011 11:04 AM PST

New research suggests obesity can be seen as one of the unintended side effects of free market policies. A study of 26 wealthy nations shows that countries with a higher density of fast food restaurants per capita had much higher obesity rates compared to countries with a lower density of fast food restaurants per capita.

Global view of how HIV/AIDS hijacks cells during infection

Posted: 21 Dec 2011 11:03 AM PST

Scientists have identified how HIV -- the virus that causes AIDS -- hijacks the body's own defenses to promote infection. This discovery could one day help curb the spread of the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

Pathogenic landscape of HIV

Posted: 21 Dec 2011 11:03 AM PST

In perhaps the most comprehensive survey of the inner workings of HIV, an international team of scientists led by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco has mapped every apparent physical interaction the virus makes with components of the human cells it infects -- work that may reveal new ways to design future HIV/AIDS drugs.

Rare genetic mutations linked to bipolar disorder

Posted: 21 Dec 2011 11:03 AM PST

Scientists report that abnormal sequences of DNA known as rare copy number variants, or CNVs, appear to play a significant role in the risk for early onset bipolar disorder.

New method of infant pain assessment

Posted: 21 Dec 2011 07:58 AM PST

Recently, the accuracy of current methods of pain assessment in babies have been called into question. New research measures brain activity in infants to better understand their pain response.

New process could advance use of healthy cells or stem cells to treat disease

Posted: 21 Dec 2011 07:58 AM PST

In a discovery that may help speed use of "cell therapy" -- with normal cells or stem cells infused into the body to treat disease -- scientists are reporting development of a way to deliver therapeutic human cells to diseased areas within the body using a simple magnetic effect.

New evidence that bacteria in large intestine have a role in obesity

Posted: 21 Dec 2011 07:58 AM PST

Bacteria living in people's large intestine may slow down the activity of the "good" kind of fat tissue, a special fat that quickly burns calories and may help prevent obesity, scientists are reporting in a new study. The discovery could shed light on ways to prevent obesity and promote weight loss, including possible microbial and pharmaceutical approaches, the authors said.

Some 'low-gluten' beer contains high levels of gluten

Posted: 21 Dec 2011 07:58 AM PST

Beer tested in a new study, including some brands labeled "low-gluten," contains levels of hordein, the form of gluten present in barley, that could cause symptoms in patients with celiac disease, the autoimmune condition treated with a life-long gluten-free diet, scientists are reporting.

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