ScienceDaily: Top Health News

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• Both a Mediterranean diet and diets low in available carbohydrates protect against type 2 diabetes, study suggests
• Celery, artichokes contain flavonoids that kill human pancreatic cancer cells
• High debt could be hazardous to your health
• Obesity kills more Americans than previously thought: One in five Americans, Black and White, die from obesity
• Stressed bacteria stop growing: Mechanism discovered
• Answering critical questions to respond to anthrax attack
• Cell memory mechanism discovered
• A new wrinkle in Parkinson's disease research: Skin cream ingredient may stop effects of Parkinson's on brain cells
• Finasteride: Long-term survival of participants in prostate cancer prevention trial detailed
• Heart's own stem cells offer hope for new treatment of heart failure
• Sugar helps scientists find and assess prostate tumors
• Shining stem cells reveals how our skin is maintained
• More than 28 cups of coffee a week may endanger health in under 55s
• Evolution of hyperswarming bacteria could develop anti-biofilm therapies
• Human eye movements for vision are remarkably adaptable
• Viral infection and specialized lung cells linked to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
• Mountain high: Genetic adaptation for high altitudes identified
• Dad's genes build placentas, explaining grandsire effect
• Worms may shed light on human ability to handle chronic stress
• Remembering to remember supported by two distinct brain processes
• Beating blindness with vegetable oil
• Researchers report a critical role for the complement system in early macular degeneration
• New early warning system for cholera epidemics
• Study examines risk of severe blood sugar swings among diabetics taking fluoroquinolones
• Exercise is no quick cure for insomnia
• The first animal model for sexual transmission of HIV
• Nervous system disease: A new outlet for an old drug?
• Making the brain take notice of faces in autism
• Characteristics of family killers revealed: The male dominated crime most common in August
• In nonsmoking women, breastfeeding for more than six months may protect against breast cancer
• Containing infectious disease outbreaks
• Bee venom: Biophysicists zoom in on pore-forming toxin
• Spicing up your fish fillets with science

Both a Mediterranean diet and diets low in available carbohydrates protect against type 2 diabetes, study suggests Posted: 15 Aug 2013 05:37 PM PDT New research shows that a Mediterranean-style diet and diets low in available carbohydrates can offer protection against type 2 diabetes.

Celery, artichokes contain flavonoids that kill human pancreatic cancer cells Posted: 15 Aug 2013 02:23 PM PDT Celery, artichokes, and herbs, especially Mexican oregano, all contain apigenin and luteolin, flavonoids that kill human pancreatic cancer cells in the lab by inhibiting an important enzyme, according to two new studies.

High debt could be hazardous to your health Posted: 15 Aug 2013 02:23 PM PDT If young people are drowning in debt, their blood pressure may be on the rise and their health could suffer. A new study has found that high financial debt is associated with higher diastolic blood pressure and poorer self-reported general and mental health in young adults.

Obesity kills more Americans than previously thought: One in five Americans, Black and White, die from obesity Posted: 15 Aug 2013 02:23 PM PDT Obesity is a lot more deadly than previously thought. Across recent decades, obesity accounted for 18 percent of deaths among Black and White Americans between the ages of 40 and 85, according to a new study. This finding challenges the prevailing wisdom among scientists, which puts that portion at around 5 percent.

Stressed bacteria stop growing: Mechanism discovered Posted: 15 Aug 2013 02:22 PM PDT Man, a mouse or a microbe, stress is bad. Experiments in bacteria by molecular biologists have uncovered the mechanism that translates stress, such as exposure to extreme temperature, into temporarily blocked cell growth. Bacteria deal with stress by destroying proteins needed for replication.

Answering critical questions to respond to anthrax attack Posted: 15 Aug 2013 02:21 PM PDT Researchers have developed a mathematical model to help answer critical questions and guide the response to an anthrax exposure.

Cell memory mechanism discovered Posted: 15 Aug 2013 01:15 PM PDT DNA binding proteins called transcription factors are required for maintaining cell identity. They ensure that daughter cells have the same function as their mother cell. However, each time a cell divides the specific binding pattern of the transcription factors is erased and has to be restored in both mother and daughter cells. Previously it was unknown how this process works, but now scientists have discovered the importance of particular protein rings encircling the DNA and how these function as the cell's memory.

A new wrinkle in Parkinson's disease research: Skin cream ingredient may stop effects of Parkinson's on brain cells Posted: 15 Aug 2013 01:14 PM PDT Scientists have discovered that an active ingredient in an over-the-counter skin cream slows or stops the effects of Parkinson's disease on brain cells. Scientists identified the link through biochemical and cellular studies, and the research team is now testing the drug in animal models of Parkinson's.

Finasteride: Long-term survival of participants in prostate cancer prevention trial detailed Posted: 15 Aug 2013 01:14 PM PDT Initial findings from a decade ago showed that the drug finasteride significantly reduced the risk of prostate cancer, but among those who did develop prostate cancer, paradoxically, the drug was associated with an increased risk of high-grade disease. Long term results show the small excess of higher grade tumors in the men in the finasteride arm of the study did not translate into an increased risk of death.

Heart's own stem cells offer hope for new treatment of heart failure Posted: 15 Aug 2013 11:51 AM PDT Researchers have for the first time highlighted the natural regenerative capacity of a group of stem cells that reside in the heart.

Sugar helps scientists find and assess prostate tumors Posted: 15 Aug 2013 11:50 AM PDT A natural form of sugar could offer a new, noninvasive way to precisely image tumors and potentially see whether cancer medication is effective, by means of a new imaging technology.

Shining stem cells reveals how our skin is maintained Posted: 15 Aug 2013 10:35 AM PDT All organs in our body rely on stem cells in order to maintain their function. The skin is our largest organ and forms a shield against the environment. New research challenge current stem cell models and explains how the skin is maintained throughout life.

More than 28 cups of coffee a week may endanger health in under 55s Posted: 15 Aug 2013 10:34 AM PDT Drinking large amounts of coffee may be bad for under 55 year olds. A study of more than 40,000 individuals found a statistically significant 21 percent increased mortality in those drinking more than 28 cups of coffee a week and death from all causes, with a greater than 50 percent increased mortality risk in both men and women younger than 55 years of age. Investigators warn that younger people in particular may need to avoid heavy coffee consumption.

Evolution of hyperswarming bacteria could develop anti-biofilm therapies Posted: 15 Aug 2013 10:34 AM PDT Hyperswarming, pathogenic bacteria have repeatedly evolved in a lab, and the good news is that they should be less of a problem to us than their less mobile kin. That's because those hyperswarmers, adorned with multiple whipping flagella, are also much worse at sticking together on surfaces in hard-to-treat biofilms. They might even help us figure out a way to develop anti-biofilm therapies for use in people with cystic fibrosis or other conditions.

Human eye movements for vision are remarkably adaptable Posted: 15 Aug 2013 10:34 AM PDT When something gets in the way of our ability to see, we quickly pick up a new way to look according to a new study. Our eyes are constantly on the move, darting this way and that. Now researchers have found that the precise manner of those eye movements can change within a matter of hours. This discovery might suggest a way to help those with macular degeneration better cope with vision loss.

Viral infection and specialized lung cells linked to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Posted: 15 Aug 2013 10:31 AM PDT Investigators have described another link in the chain of events that connect acute viral infections to the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Mountain high: Genetic adaptation for high altitudes identified Posted: 15 Aug 2013 10:31 AM PDT Scientists have decoded the genetic basis of chronic mountain sickness (CMS) or Monge's disease. Their study provides important information that validates the genetic basis of adaptation to high altitudes, and provides potential targets for CMS treatment.

Dad's genes build placentas, explaining grandsire effect Posted: 15 Aug 2013 10:30 AM PDT Placentas support the fetus and mother, but those organs grow according to blueprints from dad, according to new research. The study shows that the genes in a fetus that come from the father dominate in building the fetal side of the placenta.

Worms may shed light on human ability to handle chronic stress Posted: 15 Aug 2013 08:37 AM PDT Researchers hope a new study will shed light on how our nervous system responds to stress and why some people suffer and others are better able to cope.

Remembering to remember supported by two distinct brain processes Posted: 15 Aug 2013 08:36 AM PDT Remembering to remember -- whether it's appointments or taking medications -- is essential to our everyday lives. New research reveals two distinct brain mechanisms that underlie prospective memory.

Beating blindness with vegetable oil Posted: 15 Aug 2013 08:36 AM PDT New findings suggest that incubating retinal cells with vegetable oils induces biochemical and biophysical changes in the cell membrane, which may have a beneficial effect in preventing or slowing the development of retinopathy.

Researchers report a critical role for the complement system in early macular degeneration Posted: 15 Aug 2013 07:51 AM PDT Researchers report the unexpected finding that in mice genetically engineered to have an inherited form of macular degeneration, turning off the animals' complement system, a part of the immune system, prevented the disease.

New early warning system for cholera epidemics Posted: 15 Aug 2013 07:48 AM PDT Researchers have established new techniques for predicting the severity of seasonal cholera epidemics months before they occur and with a greater degree of accuracy than other methods based on remote satellite imaging. Taken together, findings from these two papers may provide the essential lead time to strengthen intervention efforts before the outbreak of cholera in endemic regions.

Study examines risk of severe blood sugar swings among diabetics taking fluoroquinolones Posted: 15 Aug 2013 05:48 AM PDT Diabetic patients taking oral fluoroquinolones, a frequently prescribed class of antibiotics, were found to have a higher risk of severe blood sugar-related problems than diabetic patients taking other kinds of antibiotics, according to a recent study. The increased risk was low, but clinicians should consider the higher risk when treating diabetic patients with fluoroquinolones, especially moxifloxacin, and prescribe them cautiously, the study's authors concluded.

Exercise is no quick cure for insomnia Posted: 15 Aug 2013 05:48 AM PDT Exercise is a common prescription for insomnia. But hitting the treadmill one day won't translate into better sleep that night, reports new research. It takes four months so people shouldn't get discouraged. This is the first long-term study to show aerobic exercise during the day does not result in improved sleep that night when people have insomnia. The study also showed people exercise less following nights with worse sleep.

The first animal model for sexual transmission of HIV Posted: 15 Aug 2013 05:48 AM PDT Despite the availability of many animal models of HIV infection, none reproduce the physiological conditions of vaginal intercourse, which is the most common route of HIV transmission. Researchers describe an approach for transmission of HIV during mouse mating. Their system provides a platform for investigating how the physiological environment during intercourse influences the rate of HIV transmission, and for testing potential therapies.

Nervous system disease: A new outlet for an old drug? Posted: 15 Aug 2013 05:47 AM PDT A sixty-year old drug designed to treat vitamin B1 deficiency helps ease the symptoms of a chronic, progress nervous system disease, a clinical trial reveals. A large-scale, randomized controlled trial is now needed to help reveal the drugs true potential.

Making the brain take notice of faces in autism Posted: 15 Aug 2013 05:44 AM PDT Difficulty in registering and responding to the facial expressions of other people is a hallmark of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Relatedly, functional imaging studies have shown that individuals with ASD display altered brain activations when processing facial images.

Characteristics of family killers revealed: The male dominated crime most common in August Posted: 15 Aug 2013 05:44 AM PDT Of all the dark forms that murder can take, the slaying of a family by the father is one of the most tragic and the least understood. This first ever study of British 'family annihilators' has analyzed three decades of cases and reveals four new types of annihilator.

In nonsmoking women, breastfeeding for more than six months may protect against breast cancer Posted: 15 Aug 2013 05:43 AM PDT A new analysis has found that breastfeeding for more than six months may safeguard nonsmoking mothers against breast cancer. The same does not seem to hold true for smoking mothers, though. The findings add to the list of benefits of breastfeeding for women and their babies.

Containing infectious disease outbreaks Posted: 14 Aug 2013 04:16 PM PDT Researchers have identified a rapid response which could help halt infectious diseases such as bird flu, swine flu and SARS before they take hold. Focusing on the avian flu virus strain H5N1, research identifies key stages in the poultry trade chain which lead to its transmission to other birds, animals and humans.

Bee venom: Biophysicists zoom in on pore-forming toxin Posted: 14 Aug 2013 10:24 AM PDT Biophysicists offer the most comprehensive picture yet of the molecular-level action of melittin, the major toxin in bee venom. The research could aid in the development of new drugs that use a similar mechanism as melittin's to attack cancer and bacteria.

Spicing up your fish fillets with science Posted: 14 Aug 2013 09:48 AM PDT Scientists have investigated strategies to increase long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in rainbow trout. They looked at the addition of coriander oil to vegetable oil-based diets to increase the bioconversion of alpha-linolenic acid to EPA and DHA.

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