ScienceDaily: Top Health News

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• Abortion rates plummet with free birth control
• BPA's real threat may be after it has metabolized: Chemical found in many plastics linked to multiple health threats
• Neurofeedback offers effective treatment for bedwetting
• Marathon runners may be at risk for incontinence
• How ketamine defeats chronic depression
• Medication use higher among overweight, obese kids
• Toward an artificial pancreas: Math modeling and diabetes control
• What makes self-directed learning effective?
• Shoulder dislocation in older patients poses different challenges in diagnosis, treatment
• Better battlefield triage, transport may raise severely wounded soldiers' survival rates
• Fourteen new biomarkers identified for type 2 diabetes
• Researchers a step closer to controlling inflammation in multiple sclerosis
• Universal map of vision in the human brain
• Genetic risk for uterine fibroids identified
• In cancer, an embryonic gene-silencing mechanism gone awry
• Clot-busting enzymes are working two jobs
• New human neurons from adult cells right there in the brain
• Biologists find electricity in biological clock
• New gene test detects early mouth cancer risk
• Botox versus oral medication for women's incontinence: Benefits, drawbacks described
• Progress reported in tackling initial, recurrent bouts of health care-associated infection
• Nonprescription medication abuse underestimated
• 'Humanized' mice advance study of rheumatoid arthritis; Human stell cells implanted in mice improve chances of better therapies
• Compassion meditation may boost neural basis of empathy, study finds
• BPA linked to thyroid hormone changes in pregnant women, newborns
• Artificial cornea could help save vision, make up for lack of donor corneas
• A molecular scissor related to Alzheimer’s disease
• Chewing ability linked to reduced dementia risk
• Aspirin may temper brain power decline in elderly women at risk of heart disease

Abortion rates plummet with free birth control Posted: 04 Oct 2012 05:09 PM PDT Providing birth control to women at no cost substantially reduced unplanned pregnancies and cut abortion rates by 62 percent to 78 percent over the national rate, a new study shows.

BPA's real threat may be after it has metabolized: Chemical found in many plastics linked to multiple health threats Posted: 04 Oct 2012 05:09 PM PDT Bisphenol A (BPA) is a synthetic chemical widely used in the making of plastic products ranging from bottles and food can linings to toys and water supply lines. When these plastics degrade, BPA is released into the environment and routinely ingested. New research suggests it's the metabolic changes that take place once BPA is broken down inside the body that pose the greater health threat.

Neurofeedback offers effective treatment for bedwetting Posted: 04 Oct 2012 01:29 PM PDT For children, nighttime bedwetting is a common problem, often requiring intervention. The use of medicine and other treatments has met with limited success. Targeting neuronal activities of the brain through neurofeedback, however, has shown promising results.

Marathon runners may be at risk for incontinence Posted: 04 Oct 2012 01:28 PM PDT While many marathon runners may be preoccupied with shin splints, chafing and blisters come race day, one thing they may not consider is their bladder health.

How ketamine defeats chronic depression Posted: 04 Oct 2012 11:17 AM PDT Many chronically depressed and treatment-resistant patients experience immediate relief from symptoms after taking small amounts of the drug ketamine. For a decade, scientists have been trying to explain the observation.

Medication use higher among overweight, obese kids Posted: 04 Oct 2012 10:48 AM PDT Overweight children are far more likely to take prescription medications than children of a normal weight, according to new research.

Toward an artificial pancreas: Math modeling and diabetes control Posted: 04 Oct 2012 10:48 AM PDT Medical researchers propose novel mathematical models for injection of insulin in type 1 and type 2 diabetes. The models simulate injections of insulin in the manner of insulin pumps, which deliver periodic impulses in diabetes patients.

What makes self-directed learning effective? Posted: 04 Oct 2012 10:48 AM PDT In recent years, educators have placed more emphasis on the importance of hands-on participation and student-led inquiry. While the benefits of self-directed learning are widely acknowledged, the reasons why a sense of control over the learning process might lead to better acquisition of material are poorly understood. Psychological scientists address this gap in understanding in a new article by examining the issue of self-directed learning from a cognitive and a computational perspective.

Shoulder dislocation in older patients poses different challenges in diagnosis, treatment Posted: 04 Oct 2012 10:48 AM PDT Although shoulder dislocation can occur at about the same rates in both younger and older patients, injuries in older patients are more likely to be overlooked or misdiagnosed, resulting in years of persistent pain and disability.

Better battlefield triage, transport may raise severely wounded soldiers' survival rates Posted: 04 Oct 2012 10:48 AM PDT Wounded soldiers who sustained chest injuries in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom had higher mortality rates than soldiers in Korea and Vietnam, but improved battlefield triage and transport may have meant that severely wounded soldiers whom would have been considered killed in action in previous conflicts are more likely to get sent to trauma centers in the United States sooner in their course of care.

Fourteen new biomarkers identified for type 2 diabetes Posted: 04 Oct 2012 10:48 AM PDT Researchers have identified 14 novel biomarkers for type 2 diabetes. The biomarkers can serve as basis for developing new methods of treatment and prevention. They can also be used to determine diabetes risk at a very early point in time and enable insight into the complex mechanisms of this disease, which still have not been completely elucidated.

Researchers a step closer to controlling inflammation in multiple sclerosis Posted: 04 Oct 2012 09:16 AM PDT New research suggests a possible new mechanism to control multiple sclerosis.

Universal map of vision in the human brain Posted: 04 Oct 2012 09:15 AM PDT Nearly 100 years after a British neurologist first mapped the blind spots caused by missile wounds to the brains of soldiers, researchers have perfected his map using modern-day technology. Their results create a map of vision in the brain based upon an individual's brain structure, even for people who cannot see.

Genetic risk for uterine fibroids identified Posted: 04 Oct 2012 09:15 AM PDT Researchers detected genetic variants that are significantly associated with uterine fibroid status in a span of three genes including FASN which encodes a protein called FAS.

In cancer, an embryonic gene-silencing mechanism gone awry Posted: 04 Oct 2012 09:15 AM PDT Many types of cancer could originate from a mechanism that cells use to silence genes. This process, which is essential in embryonic development, might be accidentally reactivated in tumor cells, according to scientists.

Clot-busting enzymes are working two jobs Posted: 04 Oct 2012 09:15 AM PDT The body's blood clot-busting enzymes are much busier than previously imagined, with new research showing that they also dispose of every cell that dies prematurely from disease or trauma.

New human neurons from adult cells right there in the brain Posted: 04 Oct 2012 09:15 AM PDT Researchers have discovered a way to generate new human neurons from another type of adult cell found in our brains. The discovery is one step toward cell-based therapies for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

Biologists find electricity in biological clock Posted: 04 Oct 2012 09:11 AM PDT Biologists have uncovered new ways our biological clock's neurons use electrical activity to help keep behavioral rhythms in order. The findings also point to fresh directions for exploring sleep disorders and related afflictions.

New gene test detects early mouth cancer risk Posted: 04 Oct 2012 07:42 AM PDT Researchers have developed a new gene test that can detect pre-cancerous cells in patients with benign-looking mouth lesions. The test could potentially allow at-risk patients to receive earlier treatment, significantly improving their chance of survival.

Botox versus oral medication for women's incontinence: Benefits, drawbacks described Posted: 04 Oct 2012 07:42 AM PDT Oral medication for treating a type of incontinence in women is roughly as effective as Botox injections to the bladder, reported researchers who conducted a clinical trials network study, with each form of treatment having benefits and limitations.

Progress reported in tackling initial, recurrent bouts of health care-associated infection Posted: 04 Oct 2012 07:42 AM PDT Researchers described the progress being made toward preventing initial and recurrent bouts of clostridium difficile colitis (C. difficile or C. diff), a vicious bacterial infection.

Nonprescription medication abuse underestimated Posted: 04 Oct 2012 07:40 AM PDT Nonprescription medications are just as likely a cause of poisoning as prescription drugs, according to a new study.

'Humanized' mice advance study of rheumatoid arthritis; Human stell cells implanted in mice improve chances of better therapies Posted: 04 Oct 2012 06:35 AM PDT Researchers have developed the first animal model that duplicates the human response in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), an important step that may enable scientists to discover better medicines to treat the disease. This is the first time human stem cells have been transplanted into mice in order to find RA treatments.

Compassion meditation may boost neural basis of empathy, study finds Posted: 04 Oct 2012 06:35 AM PDT A compassion-based meditation program can significantly improve a person's ability to read the facial expressions of others, finds a new study. This boost in empathic accuracy was detected through both behavioral testing of the study participants and through functional magnetic resonance imaging scans of their brain activity. The meditation protocol, known as Cognitively-Based Compassion Training, or CBCT, is derived from ancient Tibetan Buddhist practices, although the program is secular in content and presentation.

BPA linked to thyroid hormone changes in pregnant women, newborns Posted: 04 Oct 2012 06:35 AM PDT A new study adds to growing concerns about the health effects of Bisphenol A (BPA), a compound commonly found in the lining of tin cans, hard plastics and certain store receipts. Researchers have linked prenatal exposure to BPA to changes in thyroid hormone levels in pregnant women and newborn boys.

Artificial cornea could help save vision, make up for lack of donor corneas Posted: 04 Oct 2012 06:32 AM PDT Blindness is often caused by corneal diseases. The established treatment is a corneal transplant, but in many cases this is not possible and donor corneas are often hard to come by. In the future, an artificial cornea could make up for this deficiency and save the vision of those affected.

A molecular scissor related to Alzheimer’s disease Posted: 04 Oct 2012 06:31 AM PDT An international research team has revealed the atomic‐level structure of the human peptidase enzyme meprin beta. The enzyme is related to inflammation, cancer and Alzheimer's disease and is involved in cellular proliferation and differentiation. The knowledge of the enzyme structure will allow for the development of a new medication type different from those known up to now.

Chewing ability linked to reduced dementia risk Posted: 04 Oct 2012 06:30 AM PDT Can you bite into an apple? If so, you are more likely to maintain mental abilities, according to new research.

Aspirin may temper brain power decline in elderly women at risk of heart disease Posted: 03 Oct 2012 04:51 PM PDT Daily low dose aspirin could slow the decline in brain power among elderly women at high risk of heart disease, indicates observational research.

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