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Saturday, January 12, 2013

ScienceDaily: Top Health News

ScienceDaily: Top Health News


Treating eye diseases with anti-VEGF therapies may have side effects

Posted: 11 Jan 2013 12:37 PM PST

A new article reveals that increasingly aggressive therapies that block VEGF could cause damage in treating eye diseases. Scientists discovered inhibiting anti-VEGF might have a harmful effect on the tissue responsible for producing the fluid that bathes the eye, medically termed the ciliary body.

Experts aim to redefine healthcare and research ethics

Posted: 11 Jan 2013 11:39 AM PST

In what they acknowledge as a seismic shift in the ethical foundation of medical research, practice and policy, a prominent group of interdisciplinary healthcare experts rejects an ethical paradigm that has guided the American system since the 1970s and calls for morally obligatory participation in a "learning healthcare system" more in step with the digital age.

To prevent injuries, young athletes may need to play more just for fun

Posted: 11 Jan 2013 11:38 AM PST

One way to avoid injuries in young athletes may be for them to simply spend more time in unorganized free play such as pick-up games, a new has found. Researchers found that injured young athletes who play a single sport such as tennis spent much less time in free play and unorganized sports than uninjured athletes who play tennis and many other sports.

Physical therapy in the intensive care unit is better for patients and the hospital's bottom line

Posted: 11 Jan 2013 11:38 AM PST

In a study evaluating the financial impact of providing early physical therapy for intensive care patients, researchers found that the up-front costs are outweighed by the financial savings generated by earlier discharges from the intensive care unit and shorter hospital stays overall.

Clinical trial finds intensive treatment highly effective for children with high-functioning autism

Posted: 11 Jan 2013 11:38 AM PST

A new program has been found to be highly effective for children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders (HFASDs).

New discovery promises to improve drugs used to fight cancer, other diseases

Posted: 11 Jan 2013 07:14 AM PST

Even when at rest, the human body is a flurry of activity. Like a microscopic metropolis locked in a state of perpetual rush hour traffic, the trillions of cells that make us who we are work feverishly policing the streets, making repairs, building new structures and delivering important cargo throughout the bustling organic society.

New treatment could combat deadly chemical agents

Posted: 11 Jan 2013 07:14 AM PST

An enzyme treatment which could neutralize the effects of lethal chemicals responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people across the world has been developed.

Children once in danger of flu shot can get vaccinated, experts say

Posted: 11 Jan 2013 07:12 AM PST

As many as two percent of children may not receive the flu vaccination due to an egg allergy. But according to a recent study, administration can be safe even in children with a history of a severe allergic reaction to eggs.

Why Down syndrome boosts susceptibility to other conditions

Posted: 11 Jan 2013 06:27 AM PST

A new study has revealed some of the underlying neural factors that explain why people with Down syndrome are more susceptible to Alzheimer's disease, diabetes and autistic spectrum disorders.

Multiple sclerosis study reveals how killer T cells learn to recognize nerve fiber insulators

Posted: 11 Jan 2013 06:27 AM PST

Misguided killer T cells may be the missing link in sustained tissue damage in the brains and spines of people with multiple sclerosis. Mouse studies showed that killer T cells were activated and turned into cells that recognize nerve-coating proteins by Tip-dendritic cells. With probing, tentacle-like membrane protrusions, these instigators arise from inflammatory white blood cells. Conversely, the activated T cells might at times protect against MS. The researchers are seeking specific immunotherapies for MS that avoid side effects of general immunosuppressants.

How belly fat differs from thigh fat, and why it matters

Posted: 11 Jan 2013 06:27 AM PST

Unlike men, women tend to store more fat on the hips and thighs than in the belly. A new study helps explain fat distribution differences by determining how belly and thigh fat differ genetically. This research might shift common thinking about fat -- rather than focusing on how to banish belly fat, perhaps we need to tip the balance in favor of heart-friendly fat in the lower body.

New treatment for psoriasis?

Posted: 11 Jan 2013 06:25 AM PST

Three per cent of the world's population suffer from the skin condition known as psoriasis. A Norwegian research-based company is close to developing a treatment that could help millions. The research may also prove beneficial in the treatment of other illnesses.

Investigating the bystander effect using virtual reality

Posted: 11 Jan 2013 06:24 AM PST

The bystander effect is well-known in behavioural psychology and suggests that the more people who witnessing a violent emergency the less likely it is that someone will intervene. It was first identified in the 1960s, but conducting research on the phenomenon has been difficult. Most experiments rely upon staging fake emergencies or violent encounters using actors, but it is tricky to gauge how genuine a response is.

Game-based economics research explains why we roll the dice on flu shots

Posted: 11 Jan 2013 06:20 AM PST

Using an online computer game that simulates the spread of an infectious disease among its players, researchers learned more about what motivates people to protect themselves from infection – from the flu to whooping cough.

Herbal treatments for postmenopausal symptoms may be recommended as an alternative to hormone replacement therapy

Posted: 10 Jan 2013 06:23 PM PST

Herbal and complementary treatments could be recommended as an alternative to hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for treating postmenopausal symptoms says a new review.

Women should wait at least 12 months before trying for a baby following weight loss surgery, experts say

Posted: 10 Jan 2013 06:23 PM PST

Women should wait at least 12 months before trying for a baby following weight loss surgery and need further advice and information on reproductive issues, suggests a new evidence-based literature review.

Women with pre-eclampsia are at higher risk of complications following childbirth

Posted: 10 Jan 2013 06:23 PM PST

Women with pre-eclampsia are at a higher risk of complications following delivery and should continue to be monitored for up to 72 hours, suggests a new review.

Kidneys sometimes removed unnecessarily due to misdiagnosis of genetic disorder

Posted: 10 Jan 2013 06:23 PM PST

Thousands of individuals have had kidneys removed unnecessarily because doctors misdiagnosed their disease. A new study indicates that approximately one of every five individuals with kidney tumors common in patients with tuberous sclerosis complex, a genetic disorder, has had a kidney removed.

Epigenomic abnormalities predict patient survival in non-Hodgkins lymphoma

Posted: 10 Jan 2013 06:23 PM PST

"Not only do we see more abnormal methylation in non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients than in healthy B-cell populations, but there are three distinct subtypes of the disease in the clinic, each more aggressive than the next. These three clinical trajectories of non-Hodgkins lymphoma were distinctly marked by their levels of abnormal methylation," says a CU Cancer Center investigator.

Breath test identifies bacteria's fingerprint

Posted: 10 Jan 2013 06:21 PM PST

Scientists have identified the chemical 'fingerprints' given off by specific bacteria when present in the lungs, potentially allowing for a quick and simple breath test to diagnose infections such as tuberculosis. Researchers have successfully distinguished between different types of bacteria, as well as different strains of the same bacteria, in the lungs of mice by analyzing the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) present in exhaled breath.

Drug fails to help kidney transplant recipients, study suggests

Posted: 10 Jan 2013 06:21 PM PST

While safe and well-tolerated, angiotensin II blockade did not lessen tissue scarring or prevent kidney failure in kidney transplant recipients. Angiotensin II blockade is known to slow kidney disease progression in individuals without transplants.

Flu vaccine rates in children remain lower than expected, despite recommendations

Posted: 10 Jan 2013 06:21 PM PST

This year's flu season is in full swing with 41 states now reporting widespread illness. Unfortunately, not enough children are getting the flu shot even though health officials recommend that all children 6 months and older get the vaccine. According to a new study, less than 45 percent of children were vaccinated against the flu during a five-year study period.

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