ScienceDaily: Top Health News

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• Obesity in dads may be associated with offspring's increased risk of disease
• Green tea and red wine extracts interrupt Alzheimer's disease pathway in cells
• Number of multiple births affected by congenital anomalies has doubled since the 1980s
• Tourists face health risks from contact with captive sea turtles
• Native Americans at greater risk of suicide after alcohol intoxication
• Steroids help reverse rapid bone loss tied to rib fractures
• Alcohol mixed with diet drinks may increase intoxication more than alcohol and regular drinks
• Childhood emotional abuse dramatically strong among male alcohol-dependent individuals
• Both heavy and incompatible drinking can increase the chances of divorce
• Can breakfast make kids smarter?
• Study finds potential to match tumors with known cancer drugs
• Baby boomers in worse health than their parents
• Work-life balance needed for recovery from job stress
• Protein that allows safe recycling of iron from old red blood cells identified
• Vitamin D, omega-3 may help clear amyloid plaques found in Alzheimer's
• Some omega-3 oils better than others for protection against liver disease
• Tendency to fear is strong political influence
• Samoan obesity epidemic starts at birth
• Giving transplanted cells a nanotech checkup
• Mitochondrial mutations: When the cell's two genomes collide
• Old age offers no protection from obesity's death grip
• Twenty-one minutes to marital satisfaction: Minimal intervention can preserve marital quality over time
• Trigger turns muscle stem cells into brown fat: Discovery identifies potential obesity treatment
• Gene may help predict best chemotherapy treatment for pancreatic cancer patients
• Popular drug-carrying nanoparticles get trapped in bloodstream
• Overall eating patterns are most important for healthful eating
• Researchers spot attention deficits in babies who later develop autism
• Stroke damage in mice overcome by training that 'rewires' brain centers
• New molecular inhibitors hit difficult cancer target
• Olive oil component alleviates intestinal ischemia and reperfusion
• Can you predict how a disease will spread in a population?
• Caring for dogs to reduce spread of parasite eggs harmful to humans
• RNA promotes metastasis in lung cancer
• Growth arrest in prostate cancer
• Chest pain prior to a heart attack can protect the heart
• Mammogram every two years has same benefit as yearly mammogram for older women, study finds
• Exposure to pesticides in food, air and water increases risk of type 2 diabetes, study finds
• Finding -- and fighting -- the fat that fuels cancer: Research examines role of certain fat cells in tumorigenesis
• Electronic nicotine delivery systems could help reduce smoking, survey suggests
• Benefits of CT outweigh cancer risks in young adults, study finds
• 3-D printing breakthrough with human embryonic stem cells
• Children with autism at significant risk for feeding problems and nutritional deficits
• Imaging biomarker predicts response to rapid antidepressant
• Vitamin C supplements linked to kidney stones, Swedish study finds
• Sunlight may help ward off rheumatoid arthritis in women
• Twenty hours of TV a week linked to almost half sperm count of those who watch little TV
• High supplemental calcium intake may increase risk of CVD death in men
• Gold nanoparticle can transport powerful radioactive particles directly to tumors for treatment
• Injection-free vaccination technique could address global vaccine challenge for HIV, malaria
• Researchers develop Rx for deafness, impaired balance in mouse model of Usher syndrome
• Damaged blood vessels loaded with amyloid worsen cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's disease
• Cells predict onset of graft-versus-host disease in men receiving bone marrow transplants from female donors

Obesity in dads may be associated with offspring's increased risk of disease Posted: 05 Feb 2013 05:02 PM PST A father's obesity is one factor that may influence his children's health and potentially raise their risk for diseases like cancer, according to new research. The study is the first in humans to show that paternal obesity may alter a genetic mechanism in the next generation, suggesting that a father's lifestyle factors may be transmitted to his children.

Green tea and red wine extracts interrupt Alzheimer's disease pathway in cells Posted: 05 Feb 2013 05:02 PM PST Natural chemicals found in green tea and red wine may disrupt a key step of the Alzheimer's disease pathway, according to new research.

Number of multiple births affected by congenital anomalies has doubled since the 1980s Posted: 05 Feb 2013 05:02 PM PST The number of congenital anomalies, or birth defects arising from multiple births has almost doubled since the 1980s, suggests a new study.

Tourists face health risks from contact with captive sea turtles Posted: 05 Feb 2013 05:02 PM PST Tourists coming into contact with sea turtles at holiday attractions face a risk of health problems, according to new research.

Native Americans at greater risk of suicide after alcohol intoxication Posted: 05 Feb 2013 02:37 PM PST Native Americans are at much greater risk of suicide after acute alcohol intoxication, according to a new study.

Steroids help reverse rapid bone loss tied to rib fractures Posted: 05 Feb 2013 02:36 PM PST A series of studies found that steroid drugs, known for inducing bone loss with prolonged use, actually help suppress a molecule that's key to the rapid bone loss process.

Alcohol mixed with diet drinks may increase intoxication more than alcohol and regular drinks Posted: 05 Feb 2013 01:25 PM PST A person's breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) after drinking is influenced by factors such as food. New findings show that mixing alcohol with a diet soft drink can result in a higher BrAC than mixing alcohol with a regular or sugar-sweetened drink. Individuals were unaware of these differences, which may pose safety risks such as drinking and driving.

Childhood emotional abuse dramatically strong among male alcohol-dependent individuals Posted: 05 Feb 2013 01:25 PM PST Alcohol dependent (AD) individuals have reduced central serotonergic neurotransmission. Childhood maltreatment can also have a negative impact on central serotonergic neurotransmission. A new study has found that self-reported childhood emotional abuse is associated with a 90-percent reduction in central serotonergic neurotransmission in male AD individuals.

Both heavy and incompatible drinking can increase the chances of divorce Posted: 05 Feb 2013 01:25 PM PST High levels of drinking have repeatedly been shown to predict divorce. A Norwegian study has examined the impact of both level of drinking and compatibility of drinking on divorce. Results indicate that: one, the more people drink, the higher the risk of divorce; and two, risk of divorce is lowered if the spouses drink approximately the same amount of alcohol.

Can breakfast make kids smarter? Posted: 05 Feb 2013 11:33 AM PST New research has found that children who regularly have breakfast on a near-daily basis had significantly higher full scale, verbal, and performance IQ test scores.

Study finds potential to match tumors with known cancer drugs Posted: 05 Feb 2013 11:33 AM PST Researchers have found a new way to match potential cancer treatments with an individual tumor: assess the landscape of kinases and find a kinase inhibitor that goes after the highest-expressing kinases in that tumor.

Baby boomers in worse health than their parents Posted: 05 Feb 2013 11:33 AM PST Despite having a reputation of being the healthiest and most active generation, baby boomers are actually in worse overall health than their parents, according to a new study.

Work-life balance needed for recovery from job stress Posted: 05 Feb 2013 11:33 AM PST Detaching from work -- mentally, physically and electronically -- is the key to recovery from job stress during nonwork hours, according to an expert.

Protein that allows safe recycling of iron from old red blood cells identified Posted: 05 Feb 2013 10:17 AM PST Scientists have long hypothesized that our bodies must have a special protein 'container' for transporting heme -- the form of iron found in living things -- during the breakdown and recycling of old red cells and other types of heme metabolism. Now researchers have identified this long-sought heme-iron transporter and shown that it is the same HRG1 protein found in a common microscopic worm.

Vitamin D, omega-3 may help clear amyloid plaques found in Alzheimer's Posted: 05 Feb 2013 10:16 AM PST A team of academic researchers has pinpointed how vitamin D3 and omega-3 fatty acids may enhance the immune system's ability to clear the brain of amyloid plaques, one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease. In a small pilot study, the scientists identified key genes and signaling networks regulated by vitamin D3 and the omega-3 fatty acid DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) that may help control inflammation and improve plaque clearance.

Some omega-3 oils better than others for protection against liver disease Posted: 05 Feb 2013 09:37 AM PST Research has found that one particular omega-3 fatty acid has a powerful effect in preventing liver inflammation and fibrosis -- common problems that are steadily rising along with the number of Americans who are overweight.

Tendency to fear is strong political influence Posted: 05 Feb 2013 09:37 AM PST Fear can play a role in influencing political attitudes on hot-button issues like immigration, according to new research. The study shows that individuals who are genetically predisposed to fear tend to have more negative out-group opinions, which play out politically as support for policies like anti-immigration and segregation.

Samoan obesity epidemic starts at birth Posted: 05 Feb 2013 09:37 AM PST Born slightly heavy on average, a sample of hundreds of infants in American Samoa continued to gain weight quickly after birth, achieving high rates of obesity within 15 months. Breastfeeding slowed weight gain in boys. Findings may presage infant obesity in other populations where obesity is increasing population wide.

Giving transplanted cells a nanotech checkup Posted: 05 Feb 2013 09:37 AM PST Researchers have devised a way to detect whether cells previously transplanted into a living animal are alive or dead, an innovation they say is likely to speed the development of cell replacement therapies for conditions such as liver failure and type 1 diabetes. The study used nanoscale pH sensors and MRI machines to tell if liver cells injected into mice survived over time.

Mitochondrial mutations: When the cell's two genomes collide Posted: 05 Feb 2013 09:37 AM PST Plant and animal cells contain two genomes: One in the nucleus and one in the mitochondria. When mutations occur in each, they can become incompatible, leading to disease. To increase understanding of such illnesses, scientists have traced one example in fruit flies down to the individual errant nucleotides and the mechanism by which the flies become sick.

Old age offers no protection from obesity's death grip Posted: 05 Feb 2013 09:37 AM PST Obesity kills, giving rise to a host of fatal diseases. But when it comes to seniors, a slew of research has reported an "obesity paradox" that says, at age 65 and older, an elevated BMI won't shorten your lifespan, and may even extend it. A new study takes another look at the numbers, finding the earlier research flawed. The paradox was a mirage: As obese Americans grow older, in fact, their risk of death climbs.

Twenty-one minutes to marital satisfaction: Minimal intervention can preserve marital quality over time Posted: 05 Feb 2013 09:37 AM PST Marital satisfaction -- so critical to health and happiness -- generally declines over time. A brief writing intervention that helps spouses adopt a more objective outlook on marital conflict could be the answer. New research shows that this writing intervention, implemented through just three, seven-minute writing exercises administered online, prevents couples from losing that loving feeling.

Trigger turns muscle stem cells into brown fat: Discovery identifies potential obesity treatment Posted: 05 Feb 2013 09:36 AM PST Scientists in Canada have discovered a trigger that turns muscle stem cells into brown fat, a form of good fat that could play a critical role in the fight against obesity.

Gene may help predict best chemotherapy treatment for pancreatic cancer patients Posted: 05 Feb 2013 09:34 AM PST Researchers have identified a gene that may better predict survival for pancreatic adenocarcinoma, the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. The scientists conducted a study that better defines the role of ribonucleotide reductase M1 (RRM1). The RRM1 gene encodes the regulatory subunit of ribonucleotide reductase, the molecular target of gemcitabine, a commonly used chemotherapy in pancreatic cancer.

Popular drug-carrying nanoparticles get trapped in bloodstream Posted: 05 Feb 2013 09:30 AM PST Many medically minded researchers are in hot pursuit of designs that will allow drug-carrying nanoparticles to navigate tissues and the interiors of cells, but engineers have discovered that these particles have another hurdle to overcome: escaping the bloodstream.

Overall eating patterns are most important for healthful eating Posted: 05 Feb 2013 09:30 AM PST The overall pattern of food that a person eats is more important to a healthy diet than focusing on single foods or individual nutrients, according to a new position paper.

Researchers spot attention deficits in babies who later develop autism Posted: 05 Feb 2013 07:21 AM PST Researchers are able to detect deficits in social attention in infants as young as six months of age who later develop Autism Spectrum Disorders. The results showed that these infants paid less attention to people and their activities than typically developing babies.

Stroke damage in mice overcome by training that 'rewires' brain centers Posted: 05 Feb 2013 07:21 AM PST Researchers have found that mice can recover from physically debilitating strokes that damage the primary motor cortex, the region of the brain that controls most movement in the body, if the rodents are quickly subjected to physical conditioning that rapidly "rewires" a different part of the brain to take over lost function.

New molecular inhibitors hit difficult cancer target Posted: 05 Feb 2013 07:21 AM PST Early laboratory tests are the first to successfully use an experimental molecular therapy to block a hard-to-target part of a protein complex linked to several types of invasive cancer. Scientists report the rational design of a small-molecule inhibitor they call Y16. In laboratory tests, the inhibitor helped stop the spread of cultured human breast cancer cells, especially when it was used with another compound known as Rhosin/G04.

Olive oil component alleviates intestinal ischemia and reperfusion Posted: 05 Feb 2013 07:21 AM PST Here's another reason why you should include olive oil in your diet: A new research report suggests that at least one compound in olive oil significantly reduces intestinal ischemia (restricted blood supply) and the resulting reperfusion injury (tissue damage caused when blood supply returns).

Can you predict how a disease will spread in a population? Posted: 05 Feb 2013 07:21 AM PST New research has laid the foundation for a new generation of zoonotic disease spreading models, which could allow for more targeted prevention strategies.

Caring for dogs to reduce spread of parasite eggs harmful to humans Posted: 05 Feb 2013 07:21 AM PST New research has shown that dogs act as a major source of the parasite egg, Toxocara, which can potentially contaminate the public environment and infect humans.

RNA promotes metastasis in lung cancer Posted: 05 Feb 2013 07:21 AM PST MALAT1, an RNA molecule, is a marker for progression of lung cancer. Researchers have now found out that MALAT1 activates metastasis-promoting genes in cancer cells. In mice, blocking of MALAT1 reduced the number and size of lung cancer metastases.

Growth arrest in prostate cancer Posted: 05 Feb 2013 07:20 AM PST A previously poorly investigated signalling pathway is crucial for the growth and proliferation of prostate cancer cells. An international research team discovered this when studying the enzyme "soluble adenylyl cyclase" that produces the second messenger molecule cAMP. When the scientists inhibited the enzyme, the cancer cell proliferation was suppressed.

Chest pain prior to a heart attack can protect the heart Posted: 05 Feb 2013 07:20 AM PST Patients who experience chest pain in the 24 hours preceding a heart attack, also called preinfarction angina, have smaller heart attacks and improved cardiac function in the contemporary cardiac stenting era, researchers found.

Mammogram every two years has same benefit as yearly mammogram for older women, study finds Posted: 05 Feb 2013 07:20 AM PST Among older women, getting a mammogram every two years was just as beneficial as getting a mammogram annually, and led to significantly fewer false positive results, according to a new study.

Exposure to pesticides in food, air and water increases risk of type 2 diabetes, study finds Posted: 05 Feb 2013 07:14 AM PST A study led by researchers in Spain reveals that there is a direct relationship between the presence of persistent organic pollutants in the body and the development of type 2 diabetes, regardless of the patient's age, gender or body mass index.

Finding -- and fighting -- the fat that fuels cancer: Research examines role of certain fat cells in tumorigenesis Posted: 05 Feb 2013 07:11 AM PST UT Southwestern research examines role of certain fat cells in tumorigenesis.

Electronic nicotine delivery systems could help reduce smoking, survey suggests Posted: 05 Feb 2013 05:30 AM PST Electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), or e-cigarettes, debuted in China in 2003 and have since become available globally, particularly through the Internet. While they resemble traditional tobacco cigarettes, they produce fewer toxins in the vapor for the smoker. Still, these novel products have unknown long-term health and addiction consequences, are of varying nicotine content and delivery, and may appeal to nonusers and youth. ENDS have been banned by health authorities in Canada and Australia.

Benefits of CT outweigh cancer risks in young adults, study finds Posted: 05 Feb 2013 05:30 AM PST The underlying medical conditions facing young adults who undergo computed tomography (CT) exams represent a significantly greater health risk than that of radiation-induced cancer from CT, according to a new study.

3-D printing breakthrough with human embryonic stem cells Posted: 04 Feb 2013 07:08 PM PST A team of researchers from Scotland has used a novel 3-D printing technique to arrange human embryonic stem cells for the very first time. Scientists hope that this breakthrough will allow three-dimensional tissues and structures to be created using hESCs, which could, amongst other things, speed up and improve the process of drug testing.

Children with autism at significant risk for feeding problems and nutritional deficits Posted: 04 Feb 2013 03:46 PM PST A comprehensive analysis of feeding behavior in children with autism spectrum disorders indicates these children are five times more likely to have a feeding problem, including extreme tantrums during meals, severe food selectivity and ritualistic mealtime behaviors. Examination of dietary nutrients showed significantly lower intake of calcium and protein and a higher number of nutritional deficits overall among children with autism.

Imaging biomarker predicts response to rapid antidepressant Posted: 04 Feb 2013 03:46 PM PST A boost of activity at the back of the brain while processing emotional information predicted depressed patients' responses to an experimental rapid-acting antidepressant. The potential neuroimaging biomarker may eventually help to personalize treatment selection by revealing brain-based differences between patients. Scopolamine can lift depression in many, but not all, patients within a few days. The study found that the more dysfunctional a patient's acetylcholine chemical messenger system, the better they responded to the drug.

Vitamin C supplements linked to kidney stones, Swedish study finds Posted: 04 Feb 2013 03:46 PM PST New research from Sweden shows that men who take vitamin C supplements regularly run a higher risk of developing kidney stones.

Sunlight may help ward off rheumatoid arthritis in women Posted: 04 Feb 2013 03:45 PM PST Regular exposure to sunlight -- specifically ultraviolet B -- may reduce the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, indicates a large long-term study.

Twenty hours of TV a week linked to almost half sperm count of those who watch little TV Posted: 04 Feb 2013 03:45 PM PST Healthy young men who watch TV for more than 20 hours a week have almost half the sperm count of men who watch very little TV, indicates a new study.

High supplemental calcium intake may increase risk of CVD death in men Posted: 04 Feb 2013 03:43 PM PST A high intake of supplemental calcium appears to be associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) death in men but not in women in a study of more 388,000 participants between the ages of 50 and 71 years, according to a new report.

Gold nanoparticle can transport powerful radioactive particles directly to tumors for treatment Posted: 04 Feb 2013 12:39 PM PST In a new study, researchers have demonstrated the ability to harness powerful radioactive particles and direct them toward small cancer tumors while doing negligible damage to healthy organs and tissues.

Injection-free vaccination technique could address global vaccine challenge for HIV, malaria Posted: 04 Feb 2013 12:39 PM PST Scientists have demonstrated the ability to deliver a dried live vaccine to the skin without a traditional needle, and shown for the first time that this technique is powerful enough to enable specialized immune cells in the skin to kick-start the immunizing properties of the vaccine.

Researchers develop Rx for deafness, impaired balance in mouse model of Usher syndrome Posted: 04 Feb 2013 12:39 PM PST In a new study, researchers report that hearing and balance can be rescued by a new therapy in a mouse model of Usher syndrome (Usher) that contains the mutation responsible for type 1C Usher. The results provide the first evidence that congenital deafness can be effectively overcome by treatment early in development to correct gene expression.

Damaged blood vessels loaded with amyloid worsen cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's disease Posted: 04 Feb 2013 12:39 PM PST A team of researchers has discovered that amyloid peptides are harmful to the blood vessels that supply the brain with blood in Alzheimer's disease -- thus accelerating cognitive decline by limiting oxygen-rich blood and nutrients. In their animal studies, the investigators reveal how amyloid-B accumulates in blood vessels and how such accumulation and damage might be ultimately prevented.

Cells predict onset of graft-versus-host disease in men receiving bone marrow transplants from female donors Posted: 04 Feb 2013 12:37 PM PST Researchers have identified a clutch of cells that -- if seen in a male patient's blood after receiving a brand-new immune system in the form of a bone-marrow transplant from a female donor -- herald the onset of chronic graft-versus-host disease, or cGVHD. In this devastating syndrome, the patient's tissues come under a vicious and enduring assault by the transplanted cells.

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