ScienceDaily: Top Health News

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• Surprising results from smoke inhalation study
• Walk this way: Scientists and physiology students describe how a motor protein 'steps out'
• NIH study shows 32 million Americans have autoantibodies that target their own tissues
• New clue in battle against Australian Hendra virus: African bats have antibodies that neutralize deadly virus
• Newly identified type of immune cell may be important protector against sepsis
• Genes and disease mechanisms behind a common form of muscular dystrophy discovered
• How stem cell implants help heal traumatic brain injury
• Discovery could help stem smoking-related diseases
• Diet counts: Iron intake in teen years can impact brain in later life
• Pivotal immune cell in Type 1 diabetes in humans identified
• First major genetic mutation associated with hereditary prostate cancer risk
• First step toward treatment for painful flat feet
• Atrial arrhythmias detected by pacemakers increase risk of stroke
• Cause of rare immune disease identified: Genetic mutation leads to cold allergy, immune deficiency and autoimmunity
• Gym benefits help Medicare plans recruit healthy seniors
• New findings lead to test and therapy for kidney failure caused by E. coli
• 70 percent of Europeans suffer from low vitamin D levels, experts say
• Treatment for diabetes and depression improves both, researchers say
• Would you stop eating out to lose weight?
• Dietary DHA linked to male fertility

Surprising results from smoke inhalation study Posted: 13 Jan 2012 06:10 PM PST A new study includes some unexpected findings about the immune systems of smoke-inhalation patients.

Walk this way: Scientists and physiology students describe how a motor protein 'steps out' Posted: 13 Jan 2012 06:06 PM PST Scientists have discovered the unique "drunken sailor" gait of dynein, a protein that is critical for the function of every cell in the body and whose malfunction has been associated with neurodegenerative disorders such as Lou Gehrig's disease and Parkinson's disease.

NIH study shows 32 million Americans have autoantibodies that target their own tissues Posted: 13 Jan 2012 06:38 AM PST More than 32 million people in the United States have autoantibodies, which are proteins made by the immune system that target the body's tissues and define a condition known as autoimmunity, a study shows. The first nationally representative sample looking at the prevalence of the most common type of autoantibody, known as antinuclear antibodies (ANA), found that the frequency of ANA is highest among women, older individuals, and African-Americans.

New clue in battle against Australian Hendra virus: African bats have antibodies that neutralize deadly virus Posted: 12 Jan 2012 04:34 PM PST A new study on African bats provides a vital clue for unraveling the mysteries in Australia's battle with the deadly Hendra virus.

Newly identified type of immune cell may be important protector against sepsis Posted: 12 Jan 2012 11:22 AM PST Investigators have discovered a previously unknown type of immune cell, a B cell that can produce the important growth factor GM-CSF, which stimulates many other immune cells. They also found that these novel cells may help protect against the overwhelming, life-threatening immune reaction known as sepsis.

Genes and disease mechanisms behind a common form of muscular dystrophy discovered Posted: 12 Jan 2012 10:43 AM PST Continuing a series of groundbreaking discoveries begun in 2010 about the genetic causes of the third most common form of inherited muscular dystrophy, scientists have identified the genes and proteins that damage muscle cells, as well as the mechanisms that can cause the disease.

How stem cell implants help heal traumatic brain injury Posted: 12 Jan 2012 08:26 AM PST Researchers have identified key molecular mechanisms by which implanted human neural stem cells aid recovery from traumatic axonal injury.

Discovery could help stem smoking-related diseases Posted: 12 Jan 2012 07:06 AM PST Sufferers of smoking-related lung diseases could have their debilitating symptoms reduced following the discovery of a potential new treatment.

Diet counts: Iron intake in teen years can impact brain in later life Posted: 12 Jan 2012 06:58 AM PST Researchers have found that a lack of iron in the diet during the teenage years can have a negative impact on the brain years later, making the brain more susceptible to such disorders as Alzheimer's. Further, the researchers have identified a common set of genes that influence both iron and brain structure.

Pivotal immune cell in Type 1 diabetes in humans identified Posted: 12 Jan 2012 06:58 AM PST Researchers have demonstrataed -- for the first time in human tissues -- the specific immune system T cells which trigger the destruction of Type 1 diabetes in the pancreas. The finding is an important advance that verifies in humans several important disease characteristics shown in mouse studies and provides a key focal point for interrupting the disease process.

First major genetic mutation associated with hereditary prostate cancer risk Posted: 11 Jan 2012 07:37 PM PST After a 20-year quest to find a genetic driver for prostate cancer that strikes men at younger ages and runs in families, researchers have identified a rare, inherited mutation linked to a significantly higher risk of the disease.

First step toward treatment for painful flat feet Posted: 11 Jan 2012 07:37 PM PST Scientists have made an advance in understanding the causes of adult-acquired flat feet -- a painful condition particularly affecting middle-aged women.

Atrial arrhythmias detected by pacemakers increase risk of stroke Posted: 11 Jan 2012 07:33 PM PST Silent atrial fibrillation is very common and may be the cause of many strokes that previously could not be explained. In all, atrial fibrillation may be responsible for nearly one in five strokes.

Cause of rare immune disease identified: Genetic mutation leads to cold allergy, immune deficiency and autoimmunity Posted: 11 Jan 2012 07:33 PM PST Investigators have identified a genetic mutation in three unrelated families that causes a rare immune disorder characterized by excessive and impaired immune function. Symptoms of this condition include immune deficiency, autoimmunity, inflammatory skin disorders and cold-induced hives, a condition known as cold urticaria.

Gym benefits help Medicare plans recruit healthy seniors Posted: 11 Jan 2012 07:33 PM PST Medicare Advantage plans are not allowed to exclude unhealthy (and costly) seniors, but new research shows that they have effectively used gym memberships to bring healthier (and more profitable) members into their subscriber base.

New findings lead to test and therapy for kidney failure caused by E. coli Posted: 10 Jan 2012 11:04 AM PST Scientists have made new discoveries about the basic workings of endothelial cells that could lead to a diagnostic test for the serious kidney disease known as hemolytic uremic syndrome and a possible treatment.

70 percent of Europeans suffer from low vitamin D levels, experts say Posted: 10 Jan 2012 07:20 AM PST A group of experts has prepared a report on vitamin D supplementation for menopausal women after it was revealed that Europeans have suffered an alarming decrease in their levels of this vitamin. In their opinion, the ideal would be to maintain blood levels above 30 ng/ml. Vitamin D is essential to the immune system and processes such as calcium absorption.

Treatment for diabetes and depression improves both, researchers say Posted: 10 Jan 2012 06:35 AM PST Patients simultaneously treated for both Type 2 diabetes and depression improve medication compliance and significantly improve blood sugar and depression levels compared to patients receiving usual care, according to a new study.

Would you stop eating out to lose weight? Posted: 10 Jan 2012 06:35 AM PST Going out to eat has become a major part of our culture. Frequently eating out and consuming high-calorie foods in large portions at restaurants can contribute to excess calorie intake and weight gain. A new study demonstrates that people can eat out and still lose weight.

Dietary DHA linked to male fertility Posted: 09 Jan 2012 06:22 PM PST A certain omega-3 fatty acid is necessary to construct the arch that turns a round, immature sperm cell into a pointy-headed super swimmer with an extra long tail, according to new research. The study shows that docosahexaenoic acid is essential in fusing the building blocks of the acrosome together. The acrosome is critical in fertilization because it houses, organizes, and concentrates a variety of enzymes that sperm use to penetrate an egg.

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