ScienceDaily: Top Health News

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• Ipilimumab in advanced melanoma: Added benefit for non-pretreated patients not proven
• Strongest evidence yet of two distinct human cognitive systems
• Canadian drinking-age laws have significant effect on deaths among young males
• New heart failure symptom: Shortness of breath while bending over
• Video-game device with goal of preventing patient falls
• Bright future for protein nanoprobes
• Child ADHD stimulant medication use leads to BMI rebound in late adolescence
• New lens design drastically improves kidney stone treatment
• Children exposed to methamphetamine before birth have increased cognitive problems
• Archaeologists discover earliest complete example of a human with cancer, from 3,000 years ago
• Follow the ant trail for drug design: Ant behavior inspires software design
• In IBS, non-GI issues more powerful than symptoms in patients' health perceptions
• Mental health on the go: Reducing anxiety with smartphone app
• Exposure to snuff smoke in non-smokers fell by 90 percent after tobacco control laws in Spain
• Analysis of 50 years of hit songs yields tips for advertisers
• Electronic media associated with poorer well-being in children
• Suppressing unwanted memories reduces their unconscious influence on behavior
• Some truth to the 'potent pot myth'
• Stretchable antenna for wearable health monitoring
• Simple changes to homework improved student learning
• Sepsis study comparing three treatment methods shows same survival rate
• When parents need care: Division of labor among siblings
• Only one fifth of people with hearing problems wear a hearing aid
• New device saves loose teeth, jaws damaged by cancer
• Why chromosome errors are high in women's eggs
• Cardiac Arrest in Pregnant Women More Common Than You’d Think
• Rats' brains may 'remember' odor experienced while under general anesthesia, study suggests
• Program offers parents medical guidance for international adoptions
• Progress made for people with cystic fibrosis
• 'Significant' untapped potential for newborn organ donation in UK
• China halves tuberculosis prevalence in just 20 years
• Closer to detecting preeclampsia: Biomarkers found in urine, blood
• Hepatitis C remains major problem for HIV patients despite antiretroviral therapy
• Children’s preferences for sweeter and saltier tastes are linked to each other and to measures of growth
• Alzheimer's-like symptoms may not be Alzheimer's

Ipilimumab in advanced melanoma: Added benefit for non-pretreated patients not proven Posted: 18 Mar 2014 11:08 AM PDT In 2012, researchers determined a considerable added benefit for ipilimumab in pretreated patients. However, there were no suitable data for non-pretreated patients. Since the treatment effects presented by the manufacturer were not interpretable, an added benefit of ipilimumab in non-pretreated patients with advanced melanoma is not proven.

Strongest evidence yet of two distinct human cognitive systems Posted: 18 Mar 2014 11:07 AM PDT Cognitive scientists may have produced the strongest evidence yet that humans have separate and distinct cognitive systems with which they can categorize, classify, and conceptualize their worlds. The systems also may have different courses of decline in cognitive aging, which would have ramifications for remediation and compensation in dementia.

Canadian drinking-age laws have significant effect on deaths among young males Posted: 18 Mar 2014 11:07 AM PDT Canada's drinking-age laws have a significant effect on youth mortality, a study demonstrates. The study's author writes that when compared to Canadian males slightly younger than the minimum legal drinking age, young men who are just older than the drinking age have significant and abrupt increases in mortality, especially from injuries and motor vehicle accidents.

New heart failure symptom: Shortness of breath while bending over Posted: 18 Mar 2014 09:46 AM PDT A novel heart failure symptom in advanced heart failure patients has been identified by cardiologists: shortness of breath while bending over, such as when putting on shoes. The condition, which cardiologists named "bendopnea" (pronounced "bend-op-nee-ah"), is an easily detectable symptom that can help doctors diagnose excessive fluid retention in patients with heart failure, according to the findings.

Video-game device with goal of preventing patient falls Posted: 18 Mar 2014 08:39 AM PDT Infrared motion-capture technology used in video games is making its way to hospital rooms, where researchers hope to learn new ways to prevent falls among hospital patients. The device looks like a thin black box. The system works by sending a grid pattern of infrared light, invisible to the human eye, into a room, and then examining how objects and persons in the room distort the pattern. The machine analyzes these distortions to make a 3-D map, showing a patient, her bed and tray table, and everything else in the room. If the system detects a person on the floor, it automatically reviews the preceding events as the person moved to the floor, and can detect if that represents a fall.

Bright future for protein nanoprobes Posted: 18 Mar 2014 08:39 AM PDT Surprising new rules for creating ultra-bright light-emitting crystals that are less than 10 nanometers in diameter have been discovered by a team of researchers. These ultra-tiny but ultra-bright nanoprobes should be a big asset for biological imaging, especially deep-tissue optical imaging of neurons in the brain.

Child ADHD stimulant medication use leads to BMI rebound in late adolescence Posted: 18 Mar 2014 08:38 AM PDT New research indicates that thee earlier ADHD medication began in children, and the longer the medication was taken, the slower the BMI growth in earlier childhood but the more rapid the BMI rebound in late adolescence, typically after discontinuation of medication. The study, thought to be the most comprehensive analysis of ADHD and stimulant use in children to date, analyzed the electronic health records of 163,820 children, ages 3 to 18.

New lens design drastically improves kidney stone treatment Posted: 18 Mar 2014 08:37 AM PDT Engineers have reversed a decades-long trend of decreasing efficiency in lithotripsy machines by designing simple modifications to shock wave lenses. The incidence of kidney stones in the United States has more than doubled during the past two decades, due at least in part to the expanding waistlines of its citizens. The condition has also been linked to hot, humid climates and high levels of stress -- a combination of living environments that seems to have led to a rise in kidney stone rates of veterans returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Children exposed to methamphetamine before birth have increased cognitive problems Posted: 18 Mar 2014 08:37 AM PDT Youngsters exposed to methamphetamine before birth had increased cognitive problems at age 7.5 years, highlighting the need for early intervention to improve academic outcomes and reduce the potential for negative behaviors. The researchers studied 151 children exposed to methamphetamine before birth and 147 who were not exposed to the drug. They found the children with prenatal methamphetamine exposure were 2.8 times more likely to have cognitive problem scores than children who were not exposed to the drug.

Archaeologists discover earliest complete example of a human with cancer, from 3,000 years ago Posted: 18 Mar 2014 08:22 AM PDT Archaeologists have found the oldest complete example in the world of a human with metastatic cancer in a 3,000 year-old skeleton. The skeleton of the young adult male was found in a tomb in modern Sudan in 2013 and dates back to 1200BC. Analysis has revealed evidence of metastatic carcinoma, cancer which has spread to other parts of the body from where it started, from a malignant soft-tissue tumour spread across large areas of the body, making it the oldest convincing complete example of metastatic cancer in the archaeological record.

Follow the ant trail for drug design: Ant behavior inspires software design Posted: 18 Mar 2014 08:20 AM PDT New drugs often fail because they cause undesirable side effects. Researchers have now developed simulation software that predicts the properties of active agents and virtually builds new ones. The software's search process is modeled after the behavior of ants. In order to allow the software to search for new composite agents, the research team uses an ant algorithm. Like an ant colony on the search for food, the algorithm screens through the molecular building blocks for components with the desired properties. Depending on the strength of the desirable and undesirable effects of the virtual products, the building blocks receive a 'grade'. In the ant world, this would equate to marking the trail to food with pheromones.

In IBS, non-GI issues more powerful than symptoms in patients' health perceptions Posted: 18 Mar 2014 08:19 AM PDT Social relationships, fatigue and other coexisting medical problems have a stronger effect on how patients with irritable bowel syndrome rate their overall health than the severity of their gastrointestinal symptoms, a study has found. "Self-reported health has been found to be a strong and robust predictor for mortality and morbidity even when controlled for the presence of disease symptoms," a researcher explains. "However, very few studies have looked at self-reported health in relation to gastrointestinal disease."

Mental health on the go: Reducing anxiety with smartphone app Posted: 18 Mar 2014 08:19 AM PDT Playing a science-based mobile gaming app for 25 minutes can reduce anxiety in stressed individuals, according to research. The study suggests that 'gamifying' a scientifically-supported intervention could offer measurable mental health and behavioral benefits for people with relatively high levels of anxiety. The game is based on an emerging cognitive treatment for anxiety called attention-bias modification training. The treatment involves training patients to ignore a threatening stimulus (such as an angry face) and to focus instead on a non-threatening stimulus (such as a neutral or happy face). This type of training has been shown to reduce anxiety and stress among people suffering from high anxiety.

Exposure to snuff smoke in non-smokers fell by 90 percent after tobacco control laws in Spain Posted: 18 Mar 2014 08:18 AM PDT A biomarker of exposure to snuff smoke in non-smokers has been reviewed in a new study, and also their perception before and after the entry into force of two Spanish laws. Law 28/2005 which entered into force in January 2006 partially prohibited the consumption of snuff in public. Five years later, in January 2011, the second law of snuff (Law 42/2010) which extended the ban on smoking in all enclosed spaces such as bars and restaurants and some outdoor spaces such as hospital grounds came into force.

Analysis of 50 years of hit songs yields tips for advertisers Posted: 18 Mar 2014 08:13 AM PDT Researchers have analyzed 50 years' worth of hit songs to identify key themes that marketing professionals can use to craft advertisements that will resonate with audiences. The researchers used computer programs to run textual analysis of the lyrics for all of the selected songs and analyzed the results to identify key themes. The researchers identified 12 key themes, and related terms, that came up most often in the hit songs. These themes are loss, desire, aspiration, breakup, pain, inspiration, nostalgia, rebellion, jaded, desperation, escapism and confusion.

Electronic media associated with poorer well-being in children Posted: 18 Mar 2014 06:39 AM PDT The use of electronic media, such as watching television, using computers and playing electronic games, was associated with poorer well-being in children. Researchers noted that using electronic media can be a sedentary behavior and sedentary behavior is associated with adverse health outcomes, and may be detrimental at a very young age. Similarly, less monitoring by mothers of the time their children spent watching TV or playing video games appears to be associated with higher BMI for children at age 7 and increasing deviance from child BMI norms between the ages of 5 to 9 years.

Suppressing unwanted memories reduces their unconscious influence on behavior Posted: 18 Mar 2014 06:39 AM PDT Researchers have shown that, contrary to what was previously assumed, suppressing unwanted memories reduces their unconscious influences on subsequent behavior, and have shed light on how this process happens in the brain.

Some truth to the 'potent pot myth' Posted: 18 Mar 2014 06:39 AM PDT People who smoke high-potency cannabis end up getting higher doses of the active ingredient, new research from the Netherlands shows. Although they reduce the amount they puff and inhale to compensate for the higher strength, they still take in more of the active ingredient than smokers of lower potency cannabis.

Stretchable antenna for wearable health monitoring Posted: 18 Mar 2014 06:37 AM PDT Engineering researchers have developed a new, stretchable antenna that can be incorporated into wearable technologies, such as health monitoring devices. The researchers wanted to develop an antenna that could be stretched, rolled or twisted and always return to its original shape, because wearable systems can be subject to a variety of stresses as patients move around.

Simple changes to homework improved student learning Posted: 18 Mar 2014 06:37 AM PDT A new educational study offers evidence that simple and inexpensive changes to existing courses can help students learn more effectively. The study found that making a few changes to homework assignments significantly boosted student learning in an undergraduate engineering course.

Sepsis study comparing three treatment methods shows same survival rate Posted: 18 Mar 2014 06:37 AM PDT A five-year, randomized clinical trial at 31 academic hospitals showed that survival of patients with septic shock was the same regardless of whether they received treatment based on specific protocols or the usual high-level of care. Sepsis affects more than 800,000 Americans annually, is the ninth leading cause of disease-related deaths and is the most expensive condition treated in US hospitals, costing more than $20 billion per year.

When parents need care: Division of labor among siblings Posted: 18 Mar 2014 06:34 AM PDT Siblings are not equally involved in caregiving when their aging parents start needing care. In 75 percent of all cases, only one adult child will become a caregiver. Mothers are primarily cared for by their daughters, whereas sons continue to be less willing to become the sole caregivers for their parents. In families without daughters, brothers frequently divide the caregiving work among them, research shows.

Only one fifth of people with hearing problems wear a hearing aid Posted: 18 Mar 2014 06:33 AM PDT A new study has looked at the habits of 160,000 people in the UK aged 40 to 69 years. It found 10.7 per cent of adults had significant hearing problems when listening to speech in the presence of background noise -- but only 2.1 per cent used a hearing aid. One in 10 middle aged adults had substantial hearing problems and were more likely to be from a working class or ethnic minority background.

New device saves loose teeth, jaws damaged by cancer Posted: 18 Mar 2014 06:32 AM PDT Periodontitis can cause teeth to come loose. Mandibular cancer can disfigure a face. With the aid of artificial, foam-rubber-shaped scaffolding, the body can be helped to repair the damage by itself. Using this new method, dentists can insert artificial scaffolding that will determine where the new bone tissue will grow.

Why chromosome errors are high in women's eggs Posted: 18 Mar 2014 06:32 AM PDT It is estimated that up to 60 per cent of eggs are affected by errors in how their chromosomes divide, making it the leading cause of infertility. Chromosome errors also lead to conditions such as Down Syndrome and early pregnancy loss. By using state-of-the-art imaging techniques, the researchers examined the most important process present in all cells to prevent chromosome errors – the Spindle Assembly Checkpoint (SAC) – and looked at how it behaves in oocytes (developing female sex cells).

Cardiac Arrest in Pregnant Women More Common Than You’d Think Posted: 18 Mar 2014 06:30 AM PDT Although cardiac arrest during childbirth is rare, it may be two times more common than previously reported in the literature, suggests the first large U.S. study on the potentially deadly condition. The study, based on data for more than 56 million births, also found that cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was often successful, and that the survival rate improved between 1998 and 2011.

Rats' brains may 'remember' odor experienced while under general anesthesia, study suggests Posted: 18 Mar 2014 06:30 AM PDT Rats' brains may remember odors they were exposed to while deeply anesthetized, suggests research. In the study, rats were exposed to a specific odor while under general anesthesia. Examination of the brain tissue after they had recovered from anesthesia revealed evidence of cellular imprinting, even though the rats behaved as if they had never encountered the odor before.

Program offers parents medical guidance for international adoptions Posted: 18 Mar 2014 06:30 AM PDT With thousands of internationally adopted children arriving in the United States each year, there is a growing demand for a specialized health-care support system that helps adoptive parents and children navigate through the international adoption process. Now, pediatric infectious disease specialists in California have created a new program to meet this need.

Progress made for people with cystic fibrosis Posted: 17 Mar 2014 05:37 PM PDT A decade of strategic efforts to improve care has had a key role in improving quality of life and added years to predicted survival for people with cystic fibrosis in the United States. Process outcomes, such as more timely clinic visits, higher rates of flu vaccination, and more effective monitoring of associated problems, including diabetes and depression, have all improved. So too have key clinical outcomes, such as improved lung function and nutritional status, write the authors.

'Significant' untapped potential for newborn organ donation in UK Posted: 17 Mar 2014 05:37 PM PDT There is "significant" potential for organ donation to be made from among UK newborns, reveals research. But it is going untapped because of current guidelines on the definition of brainstem death, which run counter to those used by many other developed countries, say the authors. There are fewer children than adults on the waiting list for donated organs, but there are also far fewer potential donors for any child, particularly those of a younger age for whom only small sized organs can be used, the authors point out.

China halves tuberculosis prevalence in just 20 years Posted: 17 Mar 2014 05:36 PM PDT Over the last 20 years, China has more than halved its tuberculosis (TB) prevalence, with rates falling from 170 to 59 per 100,000 population. This unrivalled success has been driven by a massive scale-up of the directly observed, short-course (DOTS) strategy, from half the population in the 1990s to the entire country after 2000, according to findings from a 20-year-long analysis of national survey data.

Closer to detecting preeclampsia: Biomarkers found in urine, blood Posted: 17 Mar 2014 02:45 PM PDT Researchers have found a set of biomarkers in urine and serum samples that were different between women with preeclampsia, women with normal pregnancies and women who were not pregnant. These biomarkers tell the story of what is happening to the metabolism of women who have developed preeclampsia. Preeclampsia is a disease of pregnancy that has its origins in insufficient development of the placenta during the first trimester, but usually only presents itself close to term, causing high blood pressure (hypertension) and proteins in the urine (proteinuria) of the affected women. The syndrome can be dangerous for both mother and unborn child, causing preterm birth and restrictions in fetal growth, along with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease later in life for both.

Hepatitis C remains major problem for HIV patients despite antiretroviral therapy Posted: 17 Mar 2014 02:43 PM PDT The risk of hepatitis C-associated serious liver disease persists in HIV patients otherwise benefiting from antiretroviral therapy (ART) to treat HIV, a study has found. It has been suggested that ART slows hepatitis C-associated liver fibrosis; however, whether rates of severe liver complications in patients co-infected with HIV and hepatitis C receiving ART were similar to those with just hepatitis C remained unclear.

Children’s preferences for sweeter and saltier tastes are linked to each other and to measures of growth Posted: 17 Mar 2014 02:43 PM PDT Children who most prefer high levels of sweet tastes also most prefer high levels of salt taste and, in general, children prefer sweeter and saltier tastes than do adults. These preferences also relate to measures of growth and can have important implications for efforts to change children's diets. Many illnesses of modern society are related to poor food choices. Because children consume far more sugar and salt than recommended, which contributes to poor health, understanding the biology behind children's preferences for these tastes is a crucial first step to reducing their intake.

Alzheimer's-like symptoms may not be Alzheimer's Posted: 17 Mar 2014 02:06 PM PDT Lewy body dementia is the most misdiagnosed dementia, affecting 1.3 million Americans. "Early and accurate diagnosis is critical," says one expert. "In fact, it may be life-saving. Unlike Alzheimer's disease, people with undiagnosed LBD may be exposed to medications that can be very harmful to them. Misdiagnosis or lack of diagnosis also delays comprehensive symptom management that could improve their quality of life."

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