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Wednesday, March 20, 2013

ScienceDaily: Top Health News

ScienceDaily: Top Health News


Under the skin, a tiny laboratory

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 05:21 PM PDT

Scientists have developed a tiny, portable personal blood testing laboratory: a minuscule device implanted just under the skin provides an immediate analysis of substances in the body, and a radio module transmits the results to a doctor over the cellular phone network. This feat of miniaturization has many potential applications, including monitoring patients undergoing chemotherapy.

Anxiety, depression identify heart disease patients at increased risk of dying

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 05:21 PM PDT

Heart disease patients who have anxiety have twice the risk of dying from any cause compared to those without anxiety. Patients with both anxiety and depression had triple the risk of dying. The findings suggest more frequent monitoring is needed for heart patients with anxiety and depression.

Heart failure patients with depression have four times risk of death

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 05:21 PM PDT

Moderate-to-severe depression quadruples the death rate among heart failure patients. Patients who have heart failure and are also moderately or severely depressed are twice as likely to go the emergency room or require hospitalization. Heart failure patients who report feeling mildly depressed also had an increased risk of death.

Inherited genetic variations have a major impact on childhood leukemia risk

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 05:19 PM PDT

A new study links inherited variations in a few genes to a substantially increased risk of acute lymphoblastic leukemia and helps to explain ethnic differences in the cancer's incidence.

Novel discovery reveals signals from brain aid the spread, persistence of pain

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 05:19 PM PDT

Treatments for pain at the site of an injury may not always be good enough, according to a novel study. The study results could change conventional thinking about pain management, they say.

Fish protein may inhibit cancer metastasis

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 12:56 PM PDT

Researchers have identified a peptide, or protein, derived from Pacific cod that may inhibit prostate cancer and possibly other cancers from spreading, according to preclinical research.

Biennial mammograms best after 50, even for women with dense breasts, experts say

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 11:45 AM PDT

Screening for breast cancer every two years appears just as beneficial as yearly mammograms for women ages 50 to 74, with significantly fewer "false positives" -- even for women whose breasts are dense or who use hormone therapy for menopause.

Promising target for multiple sclerosis treatments identified

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 11:44 AM PDT

Medical researchers have identified an elevated presence in MS patients of a type of white blood cell (CD4 T cell) that expresses NKG2C, a highly-toxic molecule harmful to brain tissues.

High-carb intake in infancy has lifelong effects, study finds

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 11:44 AM PDT

Consumption of foods high in carbohydrates immediately after birth programs individuals for lifelong increased weight gain and obesity, an animal study has found, even if caloric intake is restricted in adulthood for a period of time.

Tomatoes that mimic actions of good cholesterol created

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 11:41 AM PDT

Researchers have genetically engineered tomatoes to produce a peptide that mimics the actions of good cholesterol when consumed. In this early study, mice that were fed these tomatoes in freeze-dried, ground form had less inflammation and plaque build-up in their arteries.

Gene profile may help identify risk for hormone-sensitive, hormone-insensitive breast cancer

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 11:41 AM PDT

The overexpression or underexpression of a newly identified set of genes related to lipid metabolism may help physicians identify whether or not a woman is at risk for hormone receptor-positive or hormone receptor-negative breast cancer and to subsequently tailor prevention strategies appropriately, according to new data.

Conscientious people are more likely to have higher GPAs

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 09:43 AM PDT

Conscientious people are more likely to have higher grade point averages, according to new research.

Brain-mapping increases understanding of alcohol's effects on first-year college students

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 09:43 AM PDT

Scientists have completed a first-of-its-kind longitudinal pilot study aimed at better understanding how the neural processes that underlie responses to alcohol-related cues change during students' first year of college.

DNA catalysts do the work of protein enzymes

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 09:42 AM PDT

Chemists have used DNA to do a protein's job, creating opportunities for DNA to find work in more areas of biology, chemistry and medicine than ever before.

Wireless, implanted sensor broadens range of brain research

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 09:42 AM PDT

A compact, self-contained sensor recorded and transmitted brain activity data wirelessly for more than a year in early stage animal tests, according to a new study.

Brain tumor cells killed by anti-nausea drug

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 09:42 AM PDT

New research has shown for the first time that the growth of brain tumors can be halted by a drug currently being used to help patients recover from the side effects of chemotherapy.

Tenfold boost in ability to pinpoint proteins in cancer cells

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 09:42 AM PDT

A new method for color-coding cells allows cancer researchers to illuminate 100 biomarkers, a ten-time increase from the current standard. This helps to analyze individual cells from cultures or tissue biopsies.

Sex between monogamous heterosexuals rarely source of hepatitis C infection, study suggests

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 09:41 AM PDT

Individuals infected by the hepatitis C virus (HCV) have nothing to fear from sex in a monogamous, heterosexual relationship. Transmission of HCV from an infected partner during sex is rare according to new research.

Sleep study reveals how the adolescent brain makes the transition to mature thinking

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 07:27 AM PDT

A new study conducted by monitoring the brain waves of sleeping adolescents has found that remarkable changes occur in the brain as it prunes away neuronal connections and makes the major transition from childhood to adulthood.

Tiny RNA molecule may have role in polycystic ovary syndrome, insulin resistance

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 06:17 AM PDT

A group of tiny RNA molecules with a big role in regulating gene expression also appear to have a role in causing insulin resistance in woman with polycystic ovary syndrome and, perhaps, in all women, researchers report.

Cushioned heel running shoes may alter adolescent biomechanics, performance

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 06:14 AM PDT

Many of today's running shoes feature a heavy cushioned heel. New research found that these shoes may alter an adolescent runner's biomechanics (the forces exerted by muscles and gravity on the skeletal structure) and diminish performance.

New nanomedicine resolves inflammation, promotes tissue healing

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 06:10 AM PDT

Researchers have developed biodegradable nanoparticles that are capable of delivering inflammation-resolving drugs to sites of tissue injury. The nanoparticles, which were successfully tested in mice, have potential for the treatment of a wide array of diseases characterized by excessive inflammation, such as atherosclerosis.

Links between lifestyle and risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis

Posted: 18 Mar 2013 07:51 AM PDT

Researchers have found a link between several lifestyle factors and pre-existing conditions, including smoking cigarettes and diabetes, and an increased risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis.

Uplifting music can boost mental capacity

Posted: 18 Mar 2013 07:49 AM PDT

Uplifting concertos from Vivaldi's The Four Seasons can boost mental alertness, according to new research.

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