ScienceDaily: Top Health News

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• Letrozole may help women with polycystic ovary syndrome become pregnant
• Young Hispanics often obese, at higher risk for heart diseases
• No extra mutations in modified stem cells, study finds
• Minimally invasive heart stents prove safer
• Doctors have ethical obligation to educate, protect athletes from concussion, experts say
• Bacteria hijack plentiful iron supply source to flourish
• Effect of depressed mood on pulmonary rehab completion
• Researchers relate arrests with HIV risk environment
• Safety of fecal transplant to treat C. difficile examined in study
• Wake-up call for more research into cell metabolism
• Urban heat: Not a myth, and worst where it's wet
• Human cells' protein factory has an alternate operating manual: Process may help body rein in disease-fighting side effects
• L-dopa medication could be helpful in treatment of phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder
• 'Yin and yang' of malaria parasite development
• MyChart use skyrocketing among cancer patients
• Study cracks how brain processes emotions
• New approach to remove blood clots
• Immune function predicts infection risk among child trauma patients
• Making a more healthful, low-fat hot dog without giving up texture

• Lung cancer study hints at new treatments
• Tiny DNA pyramids enter bacteria easily -- and deliver a deadly payload
• My brother's keeper: How siblings teach one another about the world
• Most prescription labels fail to meet guidelines, risking dosage errors, Canadian study concludes
• Rotten egg gas holds key to healthcare therapies
• NameExoWorlds: A contest to name exoplanets and their host stars
• Discovery of new drug targets for memory impairment in Alzheimer's disease
• Vitamin D ups bowel cancer survival odds, study finds
• Adolescents from southern Europe are less fit, more obese than central-northern European peers
• Telemedicine for patients with chronic liver diseases
• Living kidney donation does not increase risk of death or heart disease for older adult donors, research shows
• Adults with special needs see gains, challenges with long term oral care
• DNA 'replication fork' reconstituted for the first time
• Immune system component found that resists sepsis in mice
• Think fun when exercising and you'll eat less later
• Nearly 50 percent of grade 12 students in Ontario report texting while driving
• Discovery of new means to erase pain
• Mode of delivery following perineal tear, recurrence rate in subsequent pregnancies
• Why people with bipolar disorder are bigger risk-takers
• Children on dairy farms run one-tenth the risk of developing allergies; Dairy farm exposure also beneficial during pregnancy
• Sugar protects cells from bacterial invasion
• Acetone in breath of Four Days Marches participants provides information on fat burning
• Will genomics soon explain the human brain gain?
• Cinnamon may be used to halt progression of Parkinson's disease, study suggests
• Investigating new therapies to suppress mutant cancer tumor proteins
• Rehabilitation helps prevent depression from age-related vision loss

Letrozole may help women with polycystic ovary syndrome become pregnant Posted: 09 Jul 2014 03:21 PM PDT The drug letrozole results in higher birth rates in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) than the current preferred infertility treatment drug, according to a nationwide American study. PCOS affects 5 to 10 percent of reproductive-age women and is the most common cause of female infertility. Women affected have excessive levels of the hormone androgen, have infrequent periods, develop small cysts on the ovaries and have trouble conceiving.

Young Hispanics often obese, at higher risk for heart diseases Posted: 09 Jul 2014 01:44 PM PDT Obesity is common among US Hispanics and is severe among young Hispanics. The first large-scale data on body mass index (BMI) and cardiovascular disease risk factors among U.S. Hispanic/Latino adult populations suggests that severe obesity may be associated with considerable excess risk for cardiovascular diseases.

No extra mutations in modified stem cells, study finds Posted: 09 Jul 2014 01:20 PM PDT The ability to switch out one gene for another in a line of living stem cells has only crossed from science fiction to reality within this decade. As with any new technology, it brings with it both promise -- the hope of fixing disease-causing genes in humans, for example -- as well as questions and safety concerns. Now, scientists have put one of those concerns to rest: using gene-editing techniques on stem cells doesn't increase the overall occurrence of mutations in the cells.

Minimally invasive heart stents prove safer Posted: 09 Jul 2014 01:20 PM PDT The safety benefits of aortic stent grafts inserted during minimally invasive surgery to repair abdominal aortic aneurysms – weaknesses in the body's largest artery that can rupture, causing potentially lethal internal bleeding -- have been studied by researchers. The study shows that patients who received the minimally invasive aortic repair procedure had a 42 percent reduction in preventable post-operative complications and a 72 percent reduction in mortality, compared with those who had undergone open repair surgery.

Doctors have ethical obligation to educate, protect athletes from concussion, experts say Posted: 09 Jul 2014 01:20 PM PDT The American Academy of Neurology (AAN), the largest professional association of neurologists and a leading authority on sports concussion, is releasing a new position paper that states doctors have an ethical obligation to educate and protect athletes from sports concussion and clear them to play only when the athlete is medically ready, standing firm against objections from players, parents or coaches.

Bacteria hijack plentiful iron supply source to flourish Posted: 09 Jul 2014 11:03 AM PDT In an era of increasing concern about antibiotic-resistant illness, researchers have identified a new pathway to disabling disease: blocking bacteria's access to iron. Scientists showed how bacterial siderophore, a small molecule, captures iron from two supply sources to fan bacterial growth -- as well as how the body launches a chemical counterassault against this infection process.

Effect of depressed mood on pulmonary rehab completion Posted: 09 Jul 2014 11:03 AM PDT People with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who are also depressed have difficulty sticking to a pulmonary rehabilitation program, a study shows. This appears to be particularly true for women, and screening and brief treatment of depression should be considered as part of treatment. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a common and often disabling inflammatory lung disease characterized by a progressive airway obstruction that is not fully reversible. An important component of non-medication treatment for COPD is multidisciplinary pulmonary rehabilitation.

Researchers relate arrests with HIV risk environment Posted: 09 Jul 2014 11:03 AM PDT Practices used in policing injection drug users in Russia might contribute to HIV transmission and overdose mortality, according to a study. The research sought to discover the effect police arrests had on the health outcomes of a cohort of HIV-positive people with lifetime of injection drug use.

Safety of fecal transplant to treat C. difficile examined in study Posted: 09 Jul 2014 11:02 AM PDT Fecal transplantation is effective and safe for treating C. difficile in immunocompromised patients, research has found. Clostridium difficile, or C. diff, has increased to epidemic proportions over the past decade. It is an infection that is often difficult to treat and leaves sufferers with frequent diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, and fever and can lead to dehydration, loss of appetite and weight loss. Patients who are immunocompromised, or considered high-risk, are more susceptible.

Wake-up call for more research into cell metabolism Posted: 09 Jul 2014 11:01 AM PDT More scientific research into the metabolism of stromal support cells and immune cells -- and the role of the metabolism of these cell types in the development of diseases -- could open new therapeutic avenues for diabetes, inflammatory conditions and cancer, scientists conclude.

Urban heat: Not a myth, and worst where it's wet Posted: 09 Jul 2014 11:01 AM PDT A new quantifies for the first time the primary causes of the 'urban heat island' (UHI) effect, a common phenomenon that makes the world's urban areas significantly warmer than surrounding countryside and may increase health risks for city residents. In an analysis of 65 cities, researchers found that variation in how efficiently urban areas release heat back into the lower atmosphere is the dominant factor in the daytime UHI effect.

Human cells' protein factory has an alternate operating manual: Process may help body rein in disease-fighting side effects Posted: 09 Jul 2014 11:01 AM PDT Working with a gene involved in HIV infection, researchers discovered some human genes have an alternate set of operating instructions written into their protein-making machinery, which can quickly alter the proteins' contents, functions and ability to survive. The study is the first to demonstrate the phenomenon of programmed ribosomal frameshifting in a human gene. Frameshifting helps regulate the gene's immune response, the authors report.

L-dopa medication could be helpful in treatment of phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder Posted: 09 Jul 2014 10:59 AM PDT A drug used to treat Parkinson's disease could also help people with phobias or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), scientists report. They are currently exploring the effects of psychotherapy to extinguish fears in combination with L-dopa. This drug does not only help movement disorders, but might also be used to override negative memories.

'Yin and yang' of malaria parasite development Posted: 09 Jul 2014 10:59 AM PDT A 'Herculean study' into malaria parasite development is completed – bringing scientists closer to disrupting the life-cycle of this highly efficient parasite. Scientists searching for new drug and vaccine targets to stop transmission of one of the world's deadliest diseases believe they are closer than ever to disrupting the life-cycle of this highly efficient parasite.

MyChart use skyrocketing among cancer patients Posted: 09 Jul 2014 10:58 AM PDT There has been a sharp increase in the number of cancer patients at one hospital using MyChart, the online, interactive service that allows patients to view laboratory and radiology results, communicate with their healthcare providers, and more. MyChart is an online, interactive service that allows patients to view laboratory and radiology results, communicate with their healthcare providers, schedule appointments, and renew prescriptions.

Study cracks how brain processes emotions Posted: 09 Jul 2014 10:58 AM PDT Although feelings are personal and subjective, the human brain turns them into a standard code that objectively represents emotions across different senses, situations and even people, reports a new study. "Despite how personal our feelings feel, the evidence suggests our brains use a standard code to speak the same emotional language," one researcher concludes.

New approach to remove blood clots Posted: 09 Jul 2014 10:55 AM PDT Experts are now able to save patients from potentially fatal outcomes from blood clots, infected masses or foreign bodies from major cardiac blood vessels without performing open-heart surgery. The AngioVac is a catheter-based device in which thin tubes are inserted into two major veins in the body through the neck or groin area. Under X-ray guidance, the flexible tubes are advanced to the proximal veins, right-sided heart chambers and/or lung arteries. Each is equipped with an expandable, balloon-shaped funnel tip that, when attached to a bypass circuit, vacuums the targeted material, such as a blood, clot out of the body.

Immune function predicts infection risk among child trauma patients Posted: 09 Jul 2014 10:55 AM PDT Researchers studying critically ill children with traumatic injuries have identified an immune marker that predicts which patients are likely to develop a hospital-acquired infection. The study is part of several larger efforts that could lead to the clinical implementation of quick-turnaround immune function tests and treatments to prevent or reverse immune system damage following critical illness or injury in pediatric patients.

Making a more healthful, low-fat hot dog without giving up texture Posted: 09 Jul 2014 10:55 AM PDT Low-fat wieners made with olive oil rather than pork fat make progress toward a healthful alternative hot dog without sacrificing satisfying flavor and texture.

Lung cancer study hints at new treatments Posted: 09 Jul 2014 10:54 AM PDT Studying the most common type of lung cancer, researchers have uncovered mutations in a cell-signaling pathway that plays a role in forming tumors. The new knowledge may expand treatments for patients because drugs targeting some of these genetic changes already are available or are in clinical trials.

Tiny DNA pyramids enter bacteria easily -- and deliver a deadly payload Posted: 09 Jul 2014 08:55 AM PDT Bacterial infections usually announce themselves with pain and fever but often can be defeated with antibiotics -- and then there are those that are sneaky and hard to beat. Now, scientists have built a new weapon against such pathogens in the form of tiny DNA pyramids.

My brother's keeper: How siblings teach one another about the world Posted: 09 Jul 2014 08:55 AM PDT While researchers have long known that brothers and sisters teach each other about the world, most of their observations about this have been made in a lab setting. A new study has investigated a step further by observing how children interact in their natural habitat: their homes. Through the study, investigators not only confirmed that teaching occurs naturally and spontaneously, but that both older and younger siblings initiate learning activities. What's more, siblings acting as teachers use a variety of instructional techniques during these informal lessons.

Most prescription labels fail to meet guidelines, risking dosage errors, Canadian study concludes Posted: 09 Jul 2014 08:54 AM PDT Small print and poor printing on prescription labels handed out by pharmacists may be misread and may lead to errors in taking medication, according to new research. By simply following recommended guidelines for font size, use of bolding, justification, sentence case and spacing, researchers expect pharmacies can improve the legibility of their labels without the need for new technologies or larger labels.

Rotten egg gas holds key to healthcare therapies Posted: 09 Jul 2014 08:54 AM PDT It may smell of flatulence and have a reputation for being highly toxic, but when used in the right tiny dosage, hydrogen sulfide is now being being found to offer potential health benefits in a range of issues, from diabetes to stroke, heart attacks and dementia. A new compound (AP39) could hold the key to future therapies, by targeting delivery of very small amounts of the substance to the right (or key) places inside cells.

NameExoWorlds: A contest to name exoplanets and their host stars Posted: 09 Jul 2014 08:54 AM PDT For the first time, in response to the public's increased interest in being part of discoveries in astronomy, the International Astronomical Union is organizing a worldwide contest to give popular names to selected exoplanets along with their host stars. The proposed names will be submitted by astronomy clubs and non-profit organzsations interested in astronomy, and votes will be cast by the public from across the world through the web platform NameExoWorlds.

Discovery of new drug targets for memory impairment in Alzheimer's disease Posted: 09 Jul 2014 07:50 AM PDT Reactive astrocytes, which have been commonly observed in Alzheimer's patients, aberrantly and abundantly produce the chief inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA and release it through the Best1 channel, researchers have discovered. The released GABA strongly inhibits neighboring neurons to cause impairment in synaptic transmission, plasticity and memory. This discovery will open a new chapter in the development of new drugs for treating such diseases.

Vitamin D ups bowel cancer survival odds, study finds Posted: 09 Jul 2014 07:50 AM PDT Bowel cancer patients with high levels of vitamin D in their blood are more likely to survive the disease, a study shows. Patients with the highest levels of vitamin D have half the risk of dying compared with those with the lowest levels, the findings reveal. The study is the first to correlate total blood levels of vitamin D in bowel cancer patients after their diagnosis -- which includes that produced after exposure to sunlight and that obtained from dietary sources -- with their long term survival prospects.

Adolescents from southern Europe are less fit, more obese than central-northern European peers Posted: 09 Jul 2014 07:50 AM PDT Adolescents in southern Europe are less fit in terms of cardiorespiratory capacity, strength and speed-agility than their central-northern European peers. Moreover, southern adolescents are more obese and present higher levels of total and abdominal fat than those from the center-north of Europe, research shows.

Telemedicine for patients with chronic liver diseases Posted: 09 Jul 2014 07:48 AM PDT Although telemedicine could improve the quality of life of patients with chronic liver diseases, viable home care systems are still lacking. Scientists working on the EU-project "d-LIVER" mean to remedy this situation.

Living kidney donation does not increase risk of death or heart disease for older adult donors, research shows Posted: 09 Jul 2014 07:48 AM PDT Previous studies linking older age with kidney and heart disease have raised concerns about the safety of living kidney donation among older adults. However, in the first study to look closely at this issue, researchers report that older kidney donors (55 years and above) enjoy similar life expectancy and cardiovascular health as very healthy older people who did not donate their kidneys.

Adults with special needs see gains, challenges with long term oral care Posted: 09 Jul 2014 07:48 AM PDT Among adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, the likelihood of having cavities decreased as the number of years receiving dental care increased, researchers report. "Based on these results, patients had a significant decrease in cavities. Dental pain, infection, cooperation level, and hygiene also tended to improve over time; however, results for these outcomes were not statistically significant," said one researcher.

DNA 'replication fork' reconstituted for the first time Posted: 09 Jul 2014 07:01 AM PDT While scientists have had an idea of the molecular tools that cells use to replicate DNA -- the enzymes that unzip the double-stranded DNA and create 'daughter' copies -- they did not have a clear picture of how the process works. Now, researchers have built the first model system to decipher what goes on at the 'replication fork' -- the point where DNA is split down the middle in order to create two exact copies.

Immune system component found that resists sepsis in mice Posted: 09 Jul 2014 06:59 AM PDT Mice lacking a specific component of the immune system are completely resistant to sepsis, a potentially fatal complication of infection, molecular microbiologists report. The discovery suggests that blocking this immune system component may help reduce inflammation in human autoimmune and hyper-inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and Type 2 diabetes.

Think fun when exercising and you'll eat less later Posted: 09 Jul 2014 06:59 AM PDT If you think of your next workout as a 'fun run' or as a well-deserved break, you'll eat less afterward, research has shown. However, if you think of it as exercise or as a workout you'll later eat more dessert and snacks, to reward yourself. For beginning or veteran exercisers, the bottom line is this: "Do whatever you can to make your workout fun. Play music, watch a video, or simply be grateful that you're working out instead of working in the office," said one author.

Nearly 50 percent of grade 12 students in Ontario report texting while driving Posted: 09 Jul 2014 06:59 AM PDT An ongoing survey of Ontario students in grades seven to 12 reveals a number of significant behavioral trends, including an alarming number of young people who are texting while driving. More than 80 per cent of students visit social media sites daily, with about one in ten spending five hours or more on these sites daily. One in five students play video games daily or almost daily with males being almost four times as likely as females to do so.

Discovery of new means to erase pain Posted: 09 Jul 2014 06:59 AM PDT It is possible to relieve pain hypersensitivity using a new method that involves rekindling pain so that it can subsequently be erased, a study by two neuroscientists shows. This discovery could lead to novel means to alleviate chronic pain. The scientists were inspired by previous work on memory conducted some fifteen years ago. These studies had revealed that when a memory is reactivated during recall, its neurochemical encoding is temporarily unlocked.

Mode of delivery following perineal tear, recurrence rate in subsequent pregnancies Posted: 09 Jul 2014 06:59 AM PDT There is an increased risk of severe perineal tearing during childbirth in women who had such a tear in a previous delivery, suggests a new study. Most women tear to some extent during childbirth and in some women the tear may be more extensive. The report found that among women who had a vaginal delivery at second birth, the rate of a severe tear was 7.2% in women with a tear at first birth, compared to 1.3% in women without, a more than five-fold increase in risk.

Why people with bipolar disorder are bigger risk-takers Posted: 09 Jul 2014 06:56 AM PDT Circuits in the brain involved in pursuing and relishing rewarding experiences are more strongly activated in people with bipolar disorder, guiding them towards riskier gambles and away from safer ones, researchers report. The study used brain imaging to identify neural pathways that are responsible for the symptoms of the disorder. The findings will help to design, evaluate and monitor therapies for bipolar disorder.

Children on dairy farms run one-tenth the risk of developing allergies; Dairy farm exposure also beneficial during pregnancy Posted: 09 Jul 2014 06:56 AM PDT Children who live on farms that produce milk run one-tenth the risk of developing allergies as other rural children. According to researchers, pregnant women may benefit from spending time on dairy farms to promote maturation of the fetal and neonatal immune system.

Sugar protects cells from bacterial invasion Posted: 09 Jul 2014 06:56 AM PDT No admission for bacteria: Scientists have succeeded in preventing Pseudomonas bacteria from entering host cells with the help of a sugar complex that binds the bacterial protein LecA. This protein enables the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa to invade human lung cells. Among other things, the hospital germ Pseudomonas aeruginosa can cause inflammation of the skin and lungs in patients with a weak immune system or a chronic illness. Moreover, these bacteria are often resistant to antibiotics.

Acetone in breath of Four Days Marches participants provides information on fat burning Posted: 09 Jul 2014 06:55 AM PDT The concentration of acetone in breath is a suitable marker of fat burning during physical activity, physicists have shown for the first time. Their study, conducted on walkers taking part in the International Four Days Marches in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, shows that there are differences between healthy walkers and those suffering from diabetes.

Will genomics soon explain the human brain gain? Posted: 09 Jul 2014 06:53 AM PDT Three geneticists at the forefront of human evolutionary genomics assess the changing state of the field and how we are moving closer to understanding the evolution of the human brain.

Cinnamon may be used to halt progression of Parkinson's disease, study suggests Posted: 09 Jul 2014 06:52 AM PDT Using cinnamon, a common food spice and flavoring material, can reverse the biomechanical, cellular and anatomical changes that occur in the brains of mice with Parkinson's disease (PD), neurological scientists have found. "This could potentially be one of the safest approaches to halt disease progression in Parkinson's patients," the study's lead researcher said.

Investigating new therapies to suppress mutant cancer tumor proteins Posted: 09 Jul 2014 06:52 AM PDT New research underway is focusing on the mutant version of the p53 tumor protein and how it is vulnerable to certain compounds. When p53 is functioning normally, it regulates the cycle of a cell. It is known as a tumor suppressor because it does not allow cells to divide uncontrollably, the hallmark of a cancer cell. But once p53 turns mutant and goes from quiet Dr. Bruce Banner to the destructive Incredible Hulk, it's no longer preventing cancer; it's potentially causing it.

Rehabilitation helps prevent depression from age-related vision loss Posted: 09 Jul 2014 06:52 AM PDT Depression is a common risk for people who have lost their vision from age-related macular degeneration (AMD), but a new study shows that a type of rehabilitation therapy can cut this risk in half. AMD is a leading cause of vision loss in the United States. About 2 million Americans age 50 and over have vision loss from AMD, and about 8 million have an earlier stage of the disease, with or without vision loss.

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