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Wednesday, September 4, 2013

ScienceDaily: Top Health News

ScienceDaily: Top Health News


Proteins in histone group might influence cancer development, study shows

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 04:42 PM PDT

Spool-like proteins called histones play a crucial role in packaging the nearly seven feet of DNA found in most human cells. It has been thought that a particular group of histone isoforms were functionally identical. This study shows that these isoforms can have distinct functions, and that they might play a role in cancer development. The results provide a new mechanism for the regulation of chromatin structure.

Why parenting can never have a rule book: Children's genetics significantly affect how they are parented

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 04:41 PM PDT

Any parent will tell you that there is no simple recipe for raising a child. Being a parent means getting hefty doses of advice -- often unsolicited -- from others. But such advice often fails to consider a critical factor: The child. A new review of dozens of studies involving more than 14,600 pairs of twins shows that children's genetics significantly affect how they are parented.

Brain wiring quiets the voice inside your head

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 04:40 PM PDT

Researchers have developed the first diagram of the brain circuitry that enables a complex interplay between the motor system and the auditory system to occur. The research could lend insight into schizophrenia and mood disorders that arise when this circuitry goes awry and individuals hear voices other people do not hear.

Multi-drug pills help people stick to heart disease prevention regimens

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 04:38 PM PDT

People are much more likely to take preventive medicines if they're combined in one pill, an international study has found.

Sleep boosts production of brain support cells

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 04:38 PM PDT

Sleep increases the reproduction of the cells that go on to form the insulating material on nerve cell projections in the brain and spinal cord known as myelin, according to an animal study. The findings could one day lead scientists to new insights about sleep's role in brain repair and growth.

Uncontrolled hypertension is common, but untreated, worldwide

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 04:36 PM PDT

A global study has found that many patients don't know they have hypertension and, even if they do, too few are receiving adequate drug therapy for their hypertension.

Disrupted heartbeat restored with regenerative intervention

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 12:18 PM PDT

Researchers have found a way to resynchronize cardiac motion following a heart attack using stem cells. Scientists implanted engineered stem cells, also known as induced pluripotent stem cells, into damaged regions of mouse hearts following a heart attack.

The 'weakest link' in the aging proteome

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 12:18 PM PDT

Proteins are the chief actors in cells, carrying out the duties specified by information encoded in our genes. Most proteins live only two days or less, ensuring that those damaged by inevitable chemical modifications are replaced with new functional copies.

Anterior cruciate ligament injuries may be prevented by different landing strategy

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 11:13 AM PDT

Women are two to eight times more likely than men to suffer a debilitating tear of the anterior cruciate ligament in the knee and a new study suggests that a combination of body type and landing techniques may be to blame.

Robotic surgery complications underreported

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 11:12 AM PDT

Despite widespread adoption by hospitals of surgical robot technology over the past decade, a "slapdash" system of reporting complications paints an unclear picture of its safety.

Brain study uncovers vital clue in bid to beat epilepsy

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 09:35 AM PDT

People with epilepsy could be helped by new research into the way a key molecule controls brain activity during a seizure.

Blood pressure drug tends to slow coronary disease

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 09:35 AM PDT

Patients with clogged and hardened arteries who already have their blood pressure under control may benefit from an additional blood pressure-lowering medication, according to new research.

Blind mole-rats are resistant to chemically induced cancers

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 09:35 AM PDT

Like naked mole-rats (Heterocephalus gaber), blind mole-rats (of the genus Spalax) live underground in low-oxygen environments, are long-lived and resistant to cancer. A new study demonstrates just how cancer-resistant Spalax are, and suggests that the adaptations that help these rodents survive in low-oxygen environments also play a role in their longevity and cancer resistance.

An easier way to control genes

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 09:35 AM PDT

Researchers have shown that they can turn genes on or off inside yeast and human cells by controlling when DNA is copied into messenger RNA -- an advance that could allow scientists to better understand the function of those genes.

Women happier when they gain weight, even though they are not as healthy, study suggests

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 09:35 AM PDT

Body weight has a great influence on our quality of life. While physical health deteriorates when weight is gained, mental well-being seems to improve, especially in women. These results offer valuable information for preventive strategies in the fight against obesity.

Ground breaking research identifies promising drugs for treating Parkinson's

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 09:35 AM PDT

New drugs, which may have the potential to stop faulty brain cells dying and slow down the progression of Parkinson's, have been identified by scientists in a pioneering study which is the first of its kind.

Life without insulin is possible, study suggests

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 09:33 AM PDT

Several millions of people around the world suffer from insulin deficiencies. Insulin is a hormone, secreted by the beta cells in the pancreas, which plays a major role in the regulation of energy substrates such as glucose. This insufficiency, primarily caused by diabetes (types 1 and 2), has lethal consequences if it is not treated. As of now, only daily insulin injections allow certain patients to survive.

Hormone may help fight obesity and reduce cholesterol

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 09:33 AM PDT

Research has shown that giving obese rodents a recently identified circulating protein called fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) helps improve their metabolism. Now investigators reveal that a variant of FGF21 has similar effects in obese people with Type 2 diabetes.

Save my limbs

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 09:30 AM PDT

Retrograde access gives surgeons the ability to go through the foot to open up blocked arteries and save the limbs of people whose only other option is amputation.

Lessons from the worm: How the elderly can live an active life

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 09:30 AM PDT

When the tiny roundworm C. elegans reaches middle age —- at about 2 weeks old -— it can't quite move like it did in the bloom of youth. But rather than imposing an exercise regimen to rebuild the worm's body-wall muscles, researchers can bring the wriggle back by stimulating the animal's neurons. And, they say, pharmaceuticals might have a similar effect in mammals.

Aging really is 'in your head:' Scientists answer hotly debated questions about how calorie restriction delays aging process

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 09:30 AM PDT

Among scientists, the role of proteins called sirtuins in enhancing longevity has been hotly debated, driven by contradictory results from many different scientists. But new research may settle the dispute. Researchers have identified the mechanism by which a specific sirtuin protein called Sirt1 operates in the brain to bring about a significant delay in aging and an increase in longevity. Both have been associated with a low-calorie diet.

2013 bedroom poll explores sleep differences among six countries

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 08:33 AM PDT

The 2013 International Bedroom Poll, compares sleep times, attitudes, habits and bedtime routines of those in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Germany and Japan between the ages of 25 and 55 years old.

Scientists edge closer towards first pancreatitis treatment

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 08:33 AM PDT

20,000 people are admitted to UK hospitals annually with pancreatitis. One in five of these cases are severe, resulting in around 1000 deaths annually. Research has found that a calcium inhibiting compound offers unique and effective protection in isolated cells against the disease.

New effective treatment for high blood pressure? Removing tiny organ

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 08:33 AM PDT

Removing one of the tiniest organs in the body has shown to provide effective treatment for high blood pressure. The discovery could revolutionize treatment of the world's biggest silent killer.

Scientists fish for new epilepsy model and reel in potential drug

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 08:32 AM PDT

According to new research on epilepsy, zebrafish have certainly earned their stripes. Results of a new study suggest that zebrafish carrying a specific mutation may help researchers discover treatments for Dravet syndrome, a severe form of pediatric epilepsy that results in drug-resistant seizures and developmental delays.

New therapeutic approach to fight cancer: Inhibiting cancer cells' energy metabolism

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 08:30 AM PDT

Resting cancer cells can be selectively destroyed by inhibiting their energy metabolism, according to a new study.

Can you predict complications with back surgery? Preoperative factors increase risk

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 08:29 AM PDT

For older adults undergoing surgery for spinal stenosis, some simple indicators of poor preoperative health predict a high risk of major medical complications.

Medicaid pays for nearly half of all births in the United States

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 08:29 AM PDT

Medicaid paid for nearly half of the 3.8 million births in the United States in 2010 — an amount that has been rising over time.

Young people now at higher risk for stroke

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 08:29 AM PDT

Fifteen percent of the most common type of strokes occur in adolescents and young adults, and more young people are showing risk factors for such strokes.

Cracking bacteria's secrets may lead to new treatments

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 07:21 AM PDT

Scientists have found another chink in bacteria's armor, mapping for the first time the structure of a protein that plays an important role helping infection gain a foothold in the body.

Language and tool-making skills evolved at the same time

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 07:20 AM PDT

The same brain activity is used for language production and making complex tools, supporting the theory that they evolved at the same time.

Level playing field for Clostridium difficile diagnosis

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 07:19 AM PDT

The largest study of its kind has shown the most effective test for the diagnosis of Clostridium difficile, a bacterial infection which causes 15,000-20,000 deaths a year in hospitals in the United States.

Mediterranean diet is good for the mind, research confirms

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 07:19 AM PDT

Many pieces of research have identified a link between adherence to a Mediterranean diet and a lower risk of age-related disease such as dementia. Scientists have carried out the first systematic review and their findings.

Synthetic polymer could stop the spread of HIV

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 07:19 AM PDT

A precisely designed macromolecule that mimics the binding of HIV to immune system cells could be used to stop the virus from physically entering the body, according to a new study.

Two new versions of the flu vaccine arriving soon

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 07:15 AM PDT

Some of this year's flu vaccine will protect against four strains of the virus. There will also be vaccines which protect against three strains of the virus as well. This is the first year the four strain flu vaccine is available.

Breakthrough model holds promise for treating Graves' disease

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 07:15 AM PDT

Researchers have developed the first animal model simulating the eye complications associated with the thyroid condition Graves' disease, a breakthrough that could pave the way for better treatments, according to a recent study.

Risk factors help predict outcomes for children with rare heart condition

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 06:15 AM PDT

A long-term study of children with a complex heart condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy found that risk factors identified at diagnosis helped predict outcomes.

Creating a 'window' to the brain

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 06:14 AM PDT

Researchers have developed a novel transparent skull implant that literally provides a "window" to the brain, which they hope will eventually open new treatment options for patients with life-threatening neurological disorders, such as brain cancer and traumatic brain injury.

First estimate of total viruses in mammals

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 06:14 AM PDT

Scientists estimate that there is a minimum of 320,000 viruses in mammals awaiting discovery. Collecting evidence of these viruses, or even a majority of them, they say, could provide information critical to early detection and mitigation of disease outbreaks in humans. This undertaking would cost approximately $6.3 billion, or $1.4 billion if limited to 85 percent of total viral diversity -- a fraction of the economic impact of a major pandemic like SARS.

Common phobia you have never heard of: Fear of holes may stem from evolutionary survival response

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 06:10 AM PDT

Does the sight of soap bubbles, aerated chocolate or a lotus flower seed pod bring you out in a cold sweat and make you feel panicky? If so, you could be a sufferer of one of the most common phobias you have never heard of -- trypophobia, or the fear of holes.

Menopausal women at greater risk for asthma hospitalization

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 06:09 AM PDT

Asthma is a disease that mostly affects young boys and adult women. According to a new study, women in their 40s and 50s with asthma are hospitalized more than twice as often as men in the same age group.

Researchers create tool to predict kidney failure or death after injury

Posted: 02 Sep 2013 03:11 PM PDT

Researchers have developed a risk score calculation that can help predict which patients with rhabdomyolysis (a condition that occurs due to muscle damage) may be at risk for the severe complication of kidney failure or death.

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