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Tuesday, June 26, 2012

ScienceDaily: Top Health News

ScienceDaily: Top Health News


Computer analysis of EEG patterns suggests a potential diagnostic test for autism at two years old

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 05:30 PM PDT

The largest, most rigorous study to date to investigate EEGs as a potential diagnostic tool for autism offers hope for an earlier, more definitive test. Widely available EEG testing can distinguish children with autism from neurotypical children as early as age two. Findings could be the basis for a future objective diagnostic test of autism particularly at younger ages when behavior-based measures are unreliable.

Genetic heart diseases may be responsible for unexplained stillbirths

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 05:28 PM PDT

Genetic researchers have made an important step towards resolving the mystery of the causes of intrauterine fetal demise (IUFD), or stillbirth, where a baby dies in the womb after the 14th week of gestation. IUFD is responsible for 60% of perinatal mortality and occurs in about one in every two hundred pregnancies in Europe. Up to half of these stillbirths are unexplained. Now scientists have found that up to 8% of these unexplained deaths may be caused by specific genetic heart conditions.

Statins appear associated with reduced risk of recurrent cardiovascular events in men, women

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 01:54 PM PDT

Cholesterol-lowering statin drugs appear to be associated with reduced risk of recurrent cardiovascular events in men and women, but do not appear to be associated with reduced all-cause mortality or stroke in women, according to a new report.

Ozone exposure linked to potential heart attacks

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 01:29 PM PDT

Young, healthy adult volunteers exposed for two hours to ozone developed physiological changes associated with cardiovascular ailments, according to a small study.

Sounds of summer can be a danger to hearing

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 01:29 PM PDT

Hearing can be permanently damaged by loud summer noises such as fireworks, marching bands, construction and the like. An audiologist explains decibels for common sounds and offers tips and expertise to safeguard hearing.

Viewing images of high-calorie foods brings on high-calorie cravings, research finds

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 01:04 PM PDT

New research indicates looking at images of high-calorie foods stimulates appetite and reward centers in the brain.

Treating vitamin D deficiency may improve depression

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 12:23 PM PDT

Women with moderate to severe depression had substantial improvement in their symptoms of depression after they received treatment for their vitamin D deficiency, a new study finds.

Testosterone-replacement therapy improves symptoms of metabolic syndrome

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 12:23 PM PDT

Hormone-replacement therapy significantly improved symptoms of metabolic syndrome associated with testosterone deficiency in men, a new study from Germany finds.

Hormone, oxytocin, shows potential as weight-loss treatment

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 12:23 PM PDT

A reproductive hormone helps regulate food intake and energy metabolism without causing adverse effects, a new animal study finds.

Metformin may lower cancer risk in people with type 2 diabetes

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 12:23 PM PDT

A commonly prescribed diabetes drug, metformin, reduces the overall cancer risk in people with Type 2 diabetes, a large systematic review study finds.

Rate of severe reactions higher than thought in young children with food allergies

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 09:59 AM PDT

Young children with allergies to milk and egg experience reactions to these and other foods more often than researchers had expected, a study reports. The study also found that severe and potentially life-threatening reactions in a significant number of these children occur and that some caregivers are hesitant to give such children epinephrine, a medication that reverses the symptoms of such reactions and can save lives.

Smallest and largest fetuses at greater risk of being stillborn, research finds

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 09:58 AM PDT

The tiniest and the heaviest fetuses are at much higher risk of being stillborn than those of average weight, new research has found.

Low vitamin D levels linked to weight gain in some older women

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 09:54 AM PDT

Older women with insufficient levels of Vitamin D gained more weight than those with sufficient levels of the vitamin, according to a new study. The study of more than 4,600 women ages 65 and older found that over nearly five years, those with insufficient levels of Vitamin D in their blood gained about two pounds more than those with adequate levels of the vitamin.

New hormonal gel combination shows promise as reversible birth control for men

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 09:51 AM PDT

Male hormonal contraceptives applied daily to the skin reduce sperm production, finds a new study. Very low sperm counts resulted for about 89 percent of men using a new combination of hormones, the authors reported. They combined a transdermal (skin) gel containing the male hormone testosterone and a gel containing a new synthetic progestin called Nestorone.

Experimental drug helps diabetes patients lose weight

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 09:50 AM PDT

An experimental drug helped significantly more overweight patients with diabetes shed pounds, compared with placebo, a new study finds.

'Dessert with breakfast diet' helps avoid weight regain by reducing cravings

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 09:50 AM PDT

Dieters have less hunger and cravings throughout the day and are better able to keep off lost weight if they eat a carbohydrate-rich, protein-packed breakfast that includes dessert.

Ratio of appetite-regulating hormones marker of successful dieters

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 09:50 AM PDT

A pre-diet measurement of two hormones related to weight regulation can help predict which dieters will be more likely to maintain their weight loss and who will not, according to a new study.

Secondhand smoke is linked to type 2 diabetes and obesity

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 09:50 AM PDT

Adults who are exposed to secondhand smoke have higher rates of obesity and Type 2 diabetes than do nonsmokers without environmental exposure to tobacco smoke, a new study shows.

Experimental insulin drug prevents low blood sugar

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 09:50 AM PDT

An experimental insulin drug prevented low blood sugar among diabetic patients more often than a popular drug on the market, a new study finds.

Why do fat cells get fat? New suspect identified

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 09:49 AM PDT

As the world fights obesity at the human level, a new finding at the microscopic level could help fuel that fight. The work helps explain why fat-storing cells get fatter, and burn fat slower, as obesity sets in -- and could lead to new obesity drugs.

Overweight men can boost low testosterone levels by losing weight

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 09:49 AM PDT

Weight loss can reduce the prevalence of low testosterone levels in overweight, middle-aged men with prediabetes by almost 50 percent, a new study finds.

Gut hormone receptor in brain is key to gastric emptying rate; may help prevent obesity

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 09:49 AM PDT

Researchers have discovered how a hormone in the gut slows the rate at which the stomach empties and thus suppresses hunger and food intake.

Type 2 diabetes, cured by weight loss surgery, returns in one-fifth of patients

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 07:09 AM PDT

A new study shows that although gastric bypass surgery reverses Type 2 diabetes in a large percentage of obese patients, the disease recurs in about 21 percent of them within three to five years.

Speeding up bone growth by manipulating stem cells

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 07:09 AM PDT

Differentiation of stem cells into bone nodules is greatly accelerated by nanomolecular scaffolds.

Diet, exercise or both? What obese older adults need to do to reduce cardiometabolic risk

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 07:09 AM PDT

Obese older adults can reduce their chance of developing the metabolic syndrome by losing weight through dieting alone, but adding exercise to a weight loss program has even more benefit, a new study finds. The results show that a combination of diet-induced weight loss and frequent exercise almost doubled the improvement in insulin sensitivity compared with dieting alone.

Timing of menopause symptoms relates to risk markers for heart disease, stroke

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 07:09 AM PDT

The hot flashes and night sweats that most women experience early in menopause are not linked to increased levels of cardiovascular disease risk markers unless the symptoms persist or start many years after menopause begins.

Full-term children conceived with fertility drugs are shorter than their peers

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 07:09 AM PDT

Among children born full term, those conceived with the help of fertility drugs are slightly shorter than naturally conceived children but overall are physically healthy, a new study finds.

Fungicide used on farm crops linked to insulin resistance

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 07:09 AM PDT

A fungicide used on farm crops can induce insulin resistance, a new tissue-culture study finds, providing another piece of evidence linking environmental pollutants to diabetes.

Do you always have room for dessert? Blame ghrelin, study authors say

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 06:25 AM PDT

A new study suggests that the appetite-inducing hormone ghrelin increases the incentive for humans to eat high-calorie foods, even on a full stomach.

Binge eating improves with deep brain stimulation surgery

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 06:25 AM PDT

Deep brain stimulation reduces binge eating in mice, suggesting that this surgery, which is approved for treatment of certain neurologic and psychiatric disorders, may also be an effective therapy for obesity.

Common diabetes drugs associated with increased risk of death

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 06:22 AM PDT

Compared to another popular drug, three widely used diabetes medications are associated with a greater risk of death, a large new analysis finds.

Gut microbes battle a common set of viruses shared by global populations

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 03:53 AM PDT

The human gut is home to a teeming ecosystem of microbes that is intimately involved in both human health and disease. But while the gut microbiota is interacting with our body, they are also under constant attack from viruses. Researchers have analyzed a bacterial immune system, revealing a common set of viruses associated with gut microbiota in global populations.

Timing of ADHD medication affect academic progress

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 03:53 AM PDT

Researchers have found a correlation between the age at which children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder begin taking medication, and how well they perform on standardized tests, particularly in math.

Exercise, even mild physical activity, may reduce breast cancer risk

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 03:53 AM PDT

A new analysis has found that physical activity – either mild or intense and before or after menopause – may reduce breast cancer risk, but substantial weight gain may negate these benefits. The findings indicate that women can reduce their breast cancer risk by exercising and maintaining their weight.

Exome sequencing gives cheaper, faster diagnosis in heterogeneous disease, study shows

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 03:47 AM PDT

The first report of the diagnostic use of the technique of exome sequencing,  where short sequences of DNA are analyzed, shows that it can give good results at low cost, according to new research.    The scientists were able to perform a genetic diagnosis in around 20% of 100 cases of patients with intellectual disability (ID) and 50% of the 25 cases of blindness studied.  Not only is the exome test cheaper, but results are available more quickly than with Sanger sequencing, they say.   

Large waistlines are linked to increased mortality risk older people

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 03:47 AM PDT

Older people with large waistlines have a higher mortality rate than those with a slim waistline.

Scientists detect new immune alert signal

Posted: 22 Jun 2012 01:37 PM PDT

A new discovery expands our knowledge as to when the mammalian cell detects an incoming viral attack – and what the cell does to protect the body. The new finding may in future improve vaccine efficiency and could provide better treatment of recurrent infections.

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