ScienceDaily: Top Health News

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• Synesthesia is more common in autism
• AIDS guidelines for children may not improve death rates but may improve treatment access
• People with highly superior powers of recall also vulnerable to false memories
• Non-specialist health workers play important role in improving mental health in developing countries
• New genetic risk factor discovered for severe psychiatric illness
• Fruit bat population covering central Africa carries two deadly viruses
• New study helps predict life expectancy using complete blood count risk score
• For anxious children and teens, context counts
• Protein regulates burning of body fat
• Preterm birth risk increases for pregnant women exposed to phthalates
• Drinking more milk as a teenager does not lower risk of hip fracture later
• Two studies on the use of breast MRI
• Rural, southern regions lack annual training in CPR
• Study finds similar outcomes for repair or replacement of damaged heart valves
• Staying on medication may not translate to avoiding readmission
• New study may impact practice guidelines for mitral valve surgery
• Faster surgery may be better for hip fractures
• Mutations of immune system found in breast cancers
• Texting your way to weight loss
• A happy patient is well connected to a doctor
• Consumers order a healthier meal when menu has nutritional labeling
• New treatment effective at reducing blood clots in brain-injured patients
• Control malaria by segmenting sleeping arrangements
• Most teen mental health problems go untreated
• Medication adherence after hospitalization for acute coronary syndrome
• Link between red cell distribution width levels, depression
• Manipulation of protein could help stop spread of cancer cells
• More than skin deep: New layer to the body's fight against infection
• Obesity a major risk factor in developing basal-like breast cancer
• Preschoolers can learn lasting heart-healthy lessons from Sesame Street
• Scientists fingerprint single cancer cells to map cancer's family tree
• Bacteria use lethal cytotoxins to evade antibiotic treatment
• High cost of cardiac surgery healthcare associated infections
• Novel study charts aggressive prostate cancer

Synesthesia is more common in autism Posted: 19 Nov 2013 04:39 PM PST People with autism are more likely to also have synaesthesia, suggests new research in the journal Molecular Autism.

AIDS guidelines for children may not improve death rates but may improve treatment access Posted: 19 Nov 2013 04:36 PM PST Recent changes to World Health Organization guidelines for starting anti-AIDS drugs (antiretroviral therapy—ART) in young children are unlikely to improve death rates but may increase the numbers of children receiving ART by simplifying access to treatment, according to a new study.

People with highly superior powers of recall also vulnerable to false memories Posted: 19 Nov 2013 10:14 AM PST People who can accurately remember details of their daily lives going back decades are as susceptible as everyone else to forming fake memories, psychologists and neurobiologists have found.

Non-specialist health workers play important role in improving mental health in developing countries Posted: 19 Nov 2013 08:31 AM PST Non-specialist health workers are beneficial in providing treatment for people with mental, neurological and substance-abuse problems in developing countries -- where there is often a lack of mental health professionals.

New genetic risk factor discovered for severe psychiatric illness Posted: 19 Nov 2013 08:28 AM PST Investigators have discovered a new genetic risk factor for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder called NDST3.

Fruit bat population covering central Africa carries two deadly viruses Posted: 19 Nov 2013 08:28 AM PST A population of fruit bats which is found across much of continental Africa is widely infected with two deadly viruses that could spread to humans, new research reveals.

New study helps predict life expectancy using complete blood count risk score Posted: 19 Nov 2013 07:09 AM PST For years, doctors have been divided on how effective annual testing and screenings are for apparently healthy individuals. New research, however, shows that a simple blood test may predict who is at highest risk to develop heart problems – and how long these people may have to live.

For anxious children and teens, context counts Posted: 19 Nov 2013 06:33 AM PST Researchers have shown that teenagers with anxiety disorders show increased activity in a specific part of the brain, the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), when they are interpreting a neutral situation negatively. Ultimately, the mPFC may serve as a biomarker for illness.

Protein regulates burning of body fat Posted: 19 Nov 2013 06:33 AM PST Body fat contains a small number of brown adipose cells -- special fat cells that generate heat without muscle activity. They do this using a protein known as UCP1 that enables babies or hibernating animals to keep warm without shivering. A research team has found that a specific chemical compound can activate UCP1 under certain conditions, and that could also trigger fat burning.

Preterm birth risk increases for pregnant women exposed to phthalates Posted: 18 Nov 2013 01:29 PM PST The odds of preterm delivery appear to increase for pregnant women exposed to phthalates, chemicals people are exposed to through contaminated food and water and in a variety of products including lotions, perfumes and deodorants, according to a study.

Drinking more milk as a teenager does not lower risk of hip fracture later Posted: 18 Nov 2013 01:29 PM PST Drinking more milk as a teenager apparently does not lower the risk of hip fracture as an older adult and instead appears to increase that risk for men, according to a study.

Two studies on the use of breast MRI Posted: 18 Nov 2013 01:28 PM PST The overall use of breast magnetic resonance imaging has increased, with the procedure most commonly used for diagnostic evaluations and screenings, according to a study.

Rural, southern regions lack annual training in CPR Posted: 18 Nov 2013 01:25 PM PST Annual rates of CPR training in the United States are low and vary widely across the country, but the communities most in need of training are the least likely to be trained, according to a new study.

Study finds similar outcomes for repair or replacement of damaged heart valves Posted: 18 Nov 2013 01:00 PM PST New research has found no difference in outcomes at one-year between two recommended surgical options for treating ischemic mitral regurgitation -- repair of the leaky valve or its replacement with an artificial valve.

Staying on medication may not translate to avoiding readmission Posted: 18 Nov 2013 12:29 PM PST A targeted effort to help high-risk heart failure patients stay on their medications did improve adherence to drug regimens, but had surprisingly little effect lowering hospital readmission rates, according to a study.

New study may impact practice guidelines for mitral valve surgery Posted: 18 Nov 2013 10:24 AM PST Researchers report for the first time evidence on whether or not there is any significant difference between the two current surgical approaches to treat patients with severe ischemic mitral regurgitation -- mitral valve repair and mitral valve replacement.

Faster surgery may be better for hip fractures Posted: 18 Nov 2013 10:24 AM PST Among patients receiving standard care for hip fractures, 47% suffered a major complication of death, heart attack, stroke, pneumonia, blood clot or major bleeding event. However, only 30% of the patients in the accelerated surgery group suffered one of these complications.

Mutations of immune system found in breast cancers Posted: 18 Nov 2013 10:24 AM PST Mutations in the genes that defend the body against cancer-related viruses and other infections may play a larger role in breast cancer than previously thought, according to a study.

Texting your way to weight loss Posted: 18 Nov 2013 09:01 AM PST Tracking information on diet and exercise habits through text messages could save time and improve the likelihood of people sticking with their get-healthy routine, say researchers.

A happy patient is well connected to a doctor Posted: 18 Nov 2013 09:00 AM PST The happiest patients are those who have regular contact with their doctors. A study finds that patients who have established "continuity of care" with primary-care physician are most satisfied with their treatment. The study comes as the American health care system moves to a more team-based approach to care, known as patient-centered medical home.

Consumers order a healthier meal when menu has nutritional labeling Posted: 18 Nov 2013 08:20 AM PST An evaluation team has published a new study demonstrating that customers of full-service restaurants use nutritional labeling on menus to make healthier food choices. Customers who reported they used labels purchased 400 fewer calories (representing a relative difference of 20 percent).

New treatment effective at reducing blood clots in brain-injured patients Posted: 18 Nov 2013 08:20 AM PST Researchers have found that a new protocol that uses preventive blood-thinning medication in the treatment of patients with traumatic brain injuries reduces the risk of patients developing life-threatening blood clots without increasing the risk of bleeding inside the brain.

Control malaria by segmenting sleeping arrangements Posted: 18 Nov 2013 08:19 AM PST Better malaria control might come from segregating household sleeping arrangements, according to a new study. The researchers found malaria eradication related more to household size than to a country's wealth or temperature. They found that when average household size drops below four persons, malaria extermination is much more likely. "When we controlled for all the variables, the factor that had the most explanatory power on malaria control was household size," said Prof. Ross McKitrick.

Most teen mental health problems go untreated Posted: 18 Nov 2013 08:19 AM PST More than half of adolescents with psychiatric disorders receive no treatment of any sort, says a new study. When treatment does occur, the providers are rarely mental health specialists.

Medication adherence after hospitalization for acute coronary syndrome Posted: 18 Nov 2013 08:19 AM PST Patients better adhered to their medication regimens in the year following hospitalization for acute coronary syndrome when they were part of a program that included personalized attention from a pharmacist compared with usual care, according to a study.

Link between red cell distribution width levels, depression Posted: 18 Nov 2013 08:17 AM PST Researchers have discovered a link between elevated red cell distribution width levels and depression in patients being treated for heart disease. This new discovery can help physicians provide earlier diagnosis and treatment for possible depression in heart patients.

Manipulation of protein could help stop spread of cancer cells Posted: 18 Nov 2013 07:26 AM PST Understanding how and why cancer cells move away from their original location is important to find ways to stop the spread of the disease. New findings reveal how a protein, called "PRH," is normally able to prevent cells from unnecessary migration. It is likely that this protein is less effective in cancer cells allowing the cells to venture away.

More than skin deep: New layer to the body's fight against infection Posted: 18 Nov 2013 07:26 AM PST The layers of skin that form the first line of defense in the body's fight against infection have revealed a unanticipated secret. The single cell type that was thought to be behind the skin's immune defense has been found to have a doppelganger, with researchers showing the cells, despite appearing identical, are actually two different types.

Obesity a major risk factor in developing basal-like breast cancer Posted: 18 Nov 2013 07:22 AM PST Women who are obese face an increased risk of developing an aggressive sub-type of breast cancer known as 'basal-like', according to research.

Preschoolers can learn lasting heart-healthy lessons from Sesame Street Posted: 18 Nov 2013 07:22 AM PST Preschoolers can learn about healthy eating and exercise through Sesame Street. In a study, preschoolers in Bogotá, Colombia participating in a structured curriculum that used Sesame Street's Healthy Habits for Life materials improved their knowledge, attitudes and habits related to a heart-healthy lifestyle. Also, the percentage of children at a healthy weight improved by 13 percent.

Scientists fingerprint single cancer cells to map cancer's family tree Posted: 18 Nov 2013 06:17 AM PST Scientists have used a DNA sequencing technique to identify mutations present across thousands of cancer cells in three patients with leukemia. The technique can identify the founding mutations from which a tumor evolved, and uses computer software to map the cancer's family tree. The findings could be used to identify the key mutations that occur early in a tumor's development, allowing doctors to use targeted treatments more effectively.

Bacteria use lethal cytotoxins to evade antibiotic treatment Posted: 18 Nov 2013 06:17 AM PST Bacteria that cause infectious diseases produce a number of cytotoxins, and an international research team has now found the mechanism behind one of these toxins. The new results could make it possible in future to develop new treatment methods to impair the cytotoxic activity and thereby reduce the severity of infectious diseases.

High cost of cardiac surgery healthcare associated infections Posted: 18 Nov 2013 06:15 AM PST After cardiac surgery, healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are common complications associated with increased morbidity, mortality, and use of resources. New study findings reveal the substantial economic impact of HAIs following cardiac surgery and the importance of preventing these infections leading to re-hospitalizations.

Novel study charts aggressive prostate cancer Posted: 18 Nov 2013 06:14 AM PST Many patients diagnosed with prostate cancer have indolent, slow-growing forms of the disease that are not life-threatening. However, more than 30,000 American men will die from aggressive prostate cancer this year. This sharp contrast between low-risk and aggressive disease presents a challenge for many researchers and physicians. Investigators have made extensive progress in understanding the molecular mechanisms of disease progression.

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