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Thursday, August 22, 2013

ScienceDaily: Top Health News

ScienceDaily: Top Health News


Antipsychotic drug use in children for mood/behavior disorders increases type 2 diabetes risk

Posted: 21 Aug 2013 02:01 PM PDT

Prescribing of "atypical" antipsychotic medications to children and young adults with behavioral problems or mood disorders may put them at unnecessary risk for type 2 diabetes, a new study shows. Young people using medications like risperidone, quetiapine, aripiprazol and olanzapine led to a threefold increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes within the first year of taking the drug, according to the study.

Disease caused by repeat brain trauma in athletes may affect memory, mood, behavior

Posted: 21 Aug 2013 02:01 PM PDT

New research suggests that chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a brain disease associated with repeat brain trauma including concussions in athletes, may affect people in two major ways: initially affecting behavior or mood or initially affecting memory and thinking abilities. The condition has been found in amateur and professional athletes, members of the military and others who experienced repeated head injuries, including concussions and subconcussive trauma.

What is your heart attack risk?

Posted: 21 Aug 2013 12:21 PM PDT

Researchers in India have carried out a data mining exercise to determine which are the most important risk factors in increasing the chances of an individual suffering a heart attack. They confirm that the usual suspects high blood cholesterol, intake of alcohol and passive smoking play the most crucial role in "severe," "moderate" and "mild" cardiac risks, respectively.

How women achieve a healthier weight may impact long-term health of offspring

Posted: 21 Aug 2013 12:21 PM PDT

New research suggests that the healthy weight and glucose control women achieve through weight-loss surgery don't necessarily translate into health benefits for their future children.

Experimental Ebola treatment protects some primates even after disease symptoms appear

Posted: 21 Aug 2013 12:20 PM PDT

Scientists have successfully treated the deadly Ebola virus in infected animals following onset of disease symptoms, according to a new article. The results show promise for developing therapies against the virus, which causes hemorrhagic fever with human case fatality rates as high as 90 percent.

Mood is influenced by immune cells called to the brain in response to stress

Posted: 21 Aug 2013 12:16 PM PDT

New research shows that in a dynamic mind-body interaction during the interpretation of prolonged stress, cells from the immune system are recruited to the brain and promote symptoms of anxiety.

Tuberculosis genomes portray secrets of pathogen's success

Posted: 21 Aug 2013 12:15 PM PDT

By any measure, tuberculosis (TB) is a wildly successful pathogen. It infects as many as two billion people in every corner of the world, with a new infection of a human host estimated to occur every second.

Genesis and evolution of H7N9 influenza virus

Posted: 21 Aug 2013 10:27 AM PDT

Influenza researchers have used genetic sequencing to trace the source and evolution of the avian H7N9 influenza virus that emerged in humans in China earlier this year.

Putting sleep disorders to bed: New way to improve internal clock function

Posted: 21 Aug 2013 10:27 AM PDT

Researchers have identified how a fundamental biological process called protein synthesis is controlled within the body's circadian clock -- the internal mechanism that controls one's daily rhythms. Their findings may help shed light on future treatments for disorders triggered by circadian clock dysfunction, including jet lag, shift work disorders, and chronic conditions like depression and Parkinson's disease.

MERS virus discovered in bat near site of outbreak in Saudi Arabia

Posted: 21 Aug 2013 10:27 AM PDT

A 100 percent genetic match for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome has been discovered in an insect-eating bat in close proximity to the first known case of the disease in Saudi Arabia. The discovery points to the likely animal origin for the disease, although researchers say that an intermediary animal is likely also involved.

Mother's genes can impact aging process

Posted: 21 Aug 2013 10:27 AM PDT

Researchers have shown that aging is determined not only by the accumulation of changes during our lifetime, but also by the genes we acquire from our mothers.

Bacteria make us feel pain… and suppress our immune response

Posted: 21 Aug 2013 10:27 AM PDT

Researchers found pain from invasive skin infections from Staph, and possibly other serious, painful infections, appear to be induced by the invading bacteria themselves, and not by the body's immune response as previously thought. The research demonstrates that once the pain neurons "sense" the bacteria, they suppress the immune system, potentially helping the bacteria become more virulent.

Schizophrenia symptoms linked to faulty 'switch' in brain

Posted: 21 Aug 2013 10:24 AM PDT

Scientists have shown that psychotic symptoms experienced by people with schizophrenia could be caused by a faulty 'switch' within the brain.

Poor oral health linked to cancer-causing oral HPV infection

Posted: 21 Aug 2013 10:23 AM PDT

Poor oral health, including gum disease and dental problems, was found to be associated with oral human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, which causes about 40 percent to 80 percent of oropharyngeal cancers, according to a new study.

Brain circuit can tune anxiety

Posted: 21 Aug 2013 09:47 AM PDT

New findings may help neuroscientists pinpoint better targets for antianxiety treatments.

How personality affects fertility: Men's and women's personalities linked to likelihood that they will have children

Posted: 21 Aug 2013 09:47 AM PDT

A new study finds a link between men's and women's personalities and the likelihood that they will have children.

Use of tPA for ischemic stroke nearly doubled from 2003 to 2011

Posted: 21 Aug 2013 09:46 AM PDT

Use of the "clot-busting" drug tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) to treat patients with strokes caused by a blockage of blood flow nearly doubled between 2003 and 2011. A research team reports both an overall increase in the use of tPA to dissolve clots blocking arteries supplying the brain and administration of the potentially life-saving drug to a more diverse group of patients.

Psychotherapy lags as evidence goes unheeded

Posted: 21 Aug 2013 09:45 AM PDT

Psychologists analyze why the use of psychotherapy has declined despite a strong evidence base for the efficacy of some psychosocial treatments. The problems, they find, lie within the profession as well as outside.

Elevated levels of copper in amyloid plaques associated with neurodegeneration in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease

Posted: 21 Aug 2013 09:44 AM PDT

Metals such as iron, copper, and zinc are important for many biological processes. In recent years, studies have shown that these nutritionally-essential metals are elevated in human Alzheimer's disease (AD) brains and some animal models of AD. Scientists are now exploring whether these metals are causing the neurodegeneration seen in AD or are indicative of other ongoing pathologic processes.

Shorter working hours do not guarantee happier workers

Posted: 21 Aug 2013 09:44 AM PDT

A reduction in working hours does not necessarily mean happier employees, as it might merely be adding stress to their general working environment. This is according to a study that looks at the impact of South Korea's recently introduced Five-Day Working Policy.

Hand transplantation: New method for local immunosuppression successful

Posted: 21 Aug 2013 09:44 AM PDT

Hope for hand amputees: researchers have successfully tested a new method for local immunosuppression.

Grandmothers who raise their grandkids struggle with depression, study suggests

Posted: 21 Aug 2013 09:43 AM PDT

Grandmothers who care for their grandkids fulltime need help for depression and family strains, report researchers.

Carbon monoxide penetrates gypsum wallboard

Posted: 21 Aug 2013 09:42 AM PDT

Carbon monoxide (CO) from external sources can easily penetrate gypsum wallboard (drywall) commonly used in apartments and houses, potentially exposing people indoors to the toxic, odorless, tasteless gas within minutes, concludes a new study. CO also penetrates painted drywall, albeit more slowly, the researchers determined.

'Virtual heart' precision-guides defibrillator placement in children with heart disease

Posted: 21 Aug 2013 09:42 AM PDT

The small size and abnormal anatomy of children born with heart defects often force doctors to place lifesaving defibrillators entirely outside the heart, rather than partly inside — a less-than-ideal solution to dangerous heart rhythms that involves a degree of guesstimating and can compromise therapy.

Playing video games can boost brain power

Posted: 21 Aug 2013 06:49 AM PDT

Certain types of video games can help to train the brain to become more agile and improve strategic thinking, according to scientists.

Human foot not as unique as originally thought

Posted: 21 Aug 2013 05:54 AM PDT

The mechanisms of the human foot are not as unique as originally thought and have much more in common with the flexible feet of other great apes.

For disappointed sports fans, defeats increase consumption of fat and sugar

Posted: 21 Aug 2013 05:54 AM PDT

On the Monday following a big football game, fans of the losing team seem to load up on saturated fats and sugars, whereas supporters of the winning team opt for healthier foods, according to new research.

Impaired autophagy associated with age-related macular degeneration

Posted: 21 Aug 2013 05:50 AM PDT

A new study changes our understanding of the pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The researchers found that degenerative changes and loss of vision are caused by impaired function of the lysosomal clean-up mechanism, or autophagy, in the fundus of the eye. The results open new avenues for the treatment of the dry form of AMD, which currently lacks an efficient treatment.

Alcohol abuse, eating disorders share genetic link

Posted: 21 Aug 2013 05:48 AM PDT

Part of the risk for alcohol dependence is genetic. The same is true for eating disorders. Now researchers have found that some of the same genes likely are involved in both. They report that people with alcohol dependence may be more genetically susceptible to certain types of eating disorders and vice versa.

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