ScienceDaily: Top Health News

---

• Incidence of childhood tuberculosis could be 25 percent higher than previous estimates
• Huntington's disease protein helps wire young brain
• New approach to identify genes poised to respond in asthma patients
• Neighborhoods with healthy food options less likely to have overweight kids
• Minimally invasive surgery underused at many U.S. hospitals
• Six cases where big data can reduce healthcare costs
• Healthcare worker hand hygiene rates increase three-fold when auditors visible
• Study Examines Survival Following Repair of Failed Bioprosthetic Aortic Valves
• Removing gall bladder for suspected common duct stone shows benefit
• No increased risk of blood clot following HPV vaccination found by study
• Antibiotics after gall bladder surgery do not appear to reduce risk of infection
• Varenicline combined with nicotine patch improves smoking cessation rates
• New technologies fuel patient participation and data collection in research
• Early predictor for preeclampsia found by researchers
• Extreme obesity may shorten life expectancy up to 14 years
• Signs of severe maternal sepsis should be regarded as an obstetric emergency
• Virtual reality crowds produce real behavior insights
• Health most common major stressful event in Americans' lives last year, poll finds
• Many Texans eligible for subsidies from ACA still believe coverage is too expensive
• Harmful hookahs: Many young smokers aren't aware of danger
• New compounds that could affect circadian rhythm uncovered in study
• Cognitive assessment provides window into proficiency level of robot-assisted surgeons
• Gene mutation findings may lead to treatment for liver cancer
• Link shown between inflammation in maternal blood, schizophrenia in offspring
• Variations in key gene predict cancer patients' risk for radiation-induced toxicity
• No rest for the bleary: Interrupted sleep can be as physically detrimental as no sleep at all
• Nurse-family partnership reduces preventable mortality
• Same genes drive mathematics and reading ability
• Bacterial switches in human gut pave way for therapeutic manipulation
• Drowning remains a top cause of death for children with autism
• Better visualizing of fitness-app data helps discover trends, reach goals
• Possible pathway for inhibiting liver, colon cancer found
• Widespread oral health problems among Navajo, study shows
• New smartphone app offers easy and inexpensive solution for hearing screening
• HIV study leads to insights into deadly infection
• FDA-approved transcatheter heart valve offered to patients
• Low doses of arsenic cause cancer in male mice
• Adults with mental illness twice as likely to use tobacco
• Fungus in yogurt outbreak poses threat to consumers
• Wet wraps cut need for drugs in kids with eczema
• Underage drinkers heavily exposed to magazine ads for alcohol brands they consume
• Treatment-resistant hypertension requires proper diagnosis
• Olfactory receptors in the skin: Sandalwood scent facilitates wound healing, skin regeneration
• Working memory is key to early academic achievement
• Contradictory findings about effect of full moon on sleep
• Healthy lifestyle adds years to life
• Advantages of standardizing diabetes treatments
• Sibling composition impacts childhood obesity risk
• Spinal cord mass arising from neural stem cell therapy
• Millions of informal caregivers at risk for chronic pain, injury trying to help disabled family members
• Partial knee replacement safer than total knee replacement, study finds
• Significant step towards blood test for Alzheimer's
• Consuming whey protein before meals could help improve blood glucose control in people with diabetes
• Larger newborn care units provide better protection for very preterm babies
• Tremors, shuffling and confusion may not be Parkinson's but Lewy Body Dementia
• Slim down for the health of it and possibly reduce your hot flashes in the process
• The tortoise and the hare: A sex difference in marathon pacing
• Chemotherapy resistance in inflammatory breast cancer due to newly identified mechanism

Incidence of childhood tuberculosis could be 25 percent higher than previous estimates Posted: 08 Jul 2014 03:57 PM PDT New estimates indicate that over 650,000 children develop tuberculosis (TB) every year in the 22 countries with a high burden of the disease -- almost 25 percent higher than the total number of new cases worldwide estimated by WHO in 2012. The research also suggests that about 15 million children are exposed to TB every year, and roughly 53 million are living with latent TB infection, which can progress to infectious active TB at any time.

Huntington's disease protein helps wire young brain Posted: 08 Jul 2014 03:57 PM PDT A surprising new role for the Huntington's disease protein has been uncovered: it helps wire connections in early brain development. Understanding more about how the protein works may help inform treatment for early stages of the disease. Huntington's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that causes a wide variety of symptoms, such as uncontrolled movements, inability to focus or remember, depression and aggression.

New approach to identify genes poised to respond in asthma patients Posted: 08 Jul 2014 03:56 PM PDT Researchers have identified new genes that likely contribute to asthma, a disease that currently affects over 200 million people world wide. The frequency of asthma is rising across the developed world as well as in several large developing countries. Treatment for asthma usually includes long-term nonspecific medication, as there is no cure at present.

Neighborhoods with healthy food options less likely to have overweight kids Posted: 08 Jul 2014 03:56 PM PDT Children with a greater number of healthy food outlets near their homes had a reduced likelihood of being overweight or obese, finds a study. Children who had access to at least one healthy food outlet within 800 meters (about half a mile) of their home had a 38 percent decreased risk of being overweight or obese compared to those who did not. Each additional outlet for healthy foods within that distance was associated with a 19 percent reduction in risk of being overweight or obese.

Minimally invasive surgery underused at many U.S. hospitals Posted: 08 Jul 2014 03:56 PM PDT Hospitals across the country vary substantially in their use of minimally invasive surgery, even when evidence shows that for most patients, minimally invasive surgery is superior to open surgery, a new study shows. The finding represents a major disparity in the surgical care delivered at various hospitals, the study's authors say, and identifies an area of medicine ripe for improvement.

Six cases where big data can reduce healthcare costs Posted: 08 Jul 2014 01:58 PM PDT Some of the clearest opportunities to reduce costs through the use of big data have been highlighted by researchers in a new article. Specifically, researchers discuss the role of algorithms in reducing cost in the following categories: high-cost patients, readmissions, triage, decompensation (when a patient's condition worsens), adverse events, and treatment optimization for diseases affecting multiple organ systems.

Healthcare worker hand hygiene rates increase three-fold when auditors visible Posted: 08 Jul 2014 01:57 PM PDT Hand hygiene rates were found to be three times higher when auditors were visible to healthcare workers than when there were no auditors present, according to a study in a major Canadian acute care hospital. The study examined the Hawthorne effect, also known as observation bias -- the tendency of people to change their behavior when they are aware of an observer -- using an electronic monitoring hand hygiene system in real-time, eliminating many of the biases inherent to human observation.

Study Examines Survival Following Repair of Failed Bioprosthetic Aortic Valves Posted: 08 Jul 2014 01:57 PM PDT In an analysis of about 460 patients with failed bioprosthetic aortic valves who underwent transcatheter valve-in-valve implantation, overall survival at one year was 83 percent, with survival associated with surgical valve size and mechanism of failure, according to a study. Surgical aortic valve replacements increasingly use bioprosthesis implants rather than mechanical valves. Owing to a considerable shift toward bioprosthesis implantation, it is expected that there will be an increase in the number of patients with degeneration of these types of valves.

Removing gall bladder for suspected common duct stone shows benefit Posted: 08 Jul 2014 01:57 PM PDT Among patients with possible common duct stones, removal of the gall bladder, compared with endoscopic assessment of the common duct followed by gall bladder removal, resulted in a shorter length of hospital stay without increased illness and fewer common duct examinations, according to a study.

No increased risk of blood clot following HPV vaccination found by study Posted: 08 Jul 2014 01:57 PM PDT Although some data has suggested a potential association between receipt of the quadrivalent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and subsequent venous thromboembolism (VTE; blood clot), an analysis that included more than 500,000 women who received the vaccine did not find an increased risk of VTE.

Antibiotics after gall bladder surgery do not appear to reduce risk of infection Posted: 08 Jul 2014 01:57 PM PDT Among patients who underwent gall bladder removal for acute calculous cholecystitis, lack of postoperative antibiotic treatment did not result in a greater incidence of infections, according to a study. Acute calculous cholecystitis (inflamed and enlarged gall bladder along with abdominal pain) is the third most frequent cause of emergency admissions to surgical wards. In the United States, approximately 750,000 cholecystectomies (surgical removal of the gall bladder) are performed each year and about 20 percent of these operations are due to acute calculous cholecystitis.

Varenicline combined with nicotine patch improves smoking cessation rates Posted: 08 Jul 2014 01:57 PM PDT Combining the smoking cessation medication varenicline with nicotine replacement therapy was more effective than varenicline alone at achieving tobacco abstinence at 6 months, according to a study. The combination of behavioral approaches and pharmacotherapy are of proven benefit in assisting smokers to quit. Combining nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) with varenicline has been a suggested treatment to improve smoking abstinence, but its effectiveness is uncertain.

New technologies fuel patient participation and data collection in research Posted: 08 Jul 2014 01:57 PM PDT The changing dynamic of health studies driven by "big data" research projects will empower patients to become active participants who provide real-time information such as symptoms, side effects and clinical outcomes, according to researchers. The analysis lays out a new paradigm for health research, particularly comparative effectiveness studies that are designed to assess which therapies work best in routine clinical practice.

Early predictor for preeclampsia found by researchers Posted: 08 Jul 2014 12:39 PM PDT A biomarker has been discovered that could give expecting mothers and their doctors the first simple blood test to reliably predict that a pregnant woman may develop preeclampsia, at least as early as six weeks into the pregnancy. Preeclampsia is a cardiovascular disorder generally occurring late in pregnancy and often resulting in an early delivery, creating immediate and potentially lifelong risks to both mother and baby.

Extreme obesity may shorten life expectancy up to 14 years Posted: 08 Jul 2014 12:39 PM PDT Adults with extreme obesity have increased risks of dying at a young age from cancer and many other causes including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and kidney and liver diseases, according to results of an analysis of data pooled from 20 large studies of people from three countries. "Given our findings, it appears that class III obesity is increasing and may soon emerge as a major cause of early death in this and other countries worldwide," said the senior author of the study.

Signs of severe maternal sepsis should be regarded as an obstetric emergency Posted: 08 Jul 2014 12:38 PM PDT In the UK, about 50 pregnant and postnatal women develop life-threatening severe maternal sepsis (infection of the blood or 'blood poisoning') for every woman who dies from the condition, according to a new study. The study also suggests that signs of severe sepsis should be regarded as an obstetric emergency, and that doctors should be aware that prescribing antibiotics does not necessarily prevent progression of an infection to severe sepsis.

Virtual reality crowds produce real behavior insights Posted: 08 Jul 2014 11:09 AM PDT Scientists are advancing virtual reality technology in the service of studying the science of the swarm: how patterns of crowd movement emerge from individual behaviors. They have developed a wireless virtual reality system to study how pedestrians interact with each other and how those individual behaviors, in turn, generate patterns of crowd movement. It's an everyday experience for all kinds of animals including ants, birds, fish and people.

Health most common major stressful event in Americans' lives last year, poll finds Posted: 08 Jul 2014 11:09 AM PDT A new poll released today that examines the role of stress in Americans' lives finds that about half of the public (49 percent) reported that they had a major stressful event or experience in the past year. Nearly half (43 percent) reported that the most stressful experiences related to health.

Many Texans eligible for subsidies from ACA still believe coverage is too expensive Posted: 08 Jul 2014 10:21 AM PDT Half of Texans who are eligible for premium subsidies under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and who looked for health plans in the ACA's Health Insurance Marketplace said cost was the main reason they didn't enroll in a plan. The report specifically looked at lower- to middle-income families in Texas who don't have access to health insurance through an employer and who earn too much to qualify for public programs. That group includes approximately 2 million uninsured Texans and is a key target population of the ACA.

Harmful hookahs: Many young smokers aren't aware of danger Posted: 08 Jul 2014 10:18 AM PDT Despite warnings that hookah smoking can be just as dangerous as cigarettes, many young adults believe that using the water pipes is not harmful to their health, according to a study. "With hookah smoking on the rise, particularly among young adults, our goal was to identify factors influencing perceptions, attitudes and preferences toward hookah smoking," said the lead researcher.

New compounds that could affect circadian rhythm uncovered in study Posted: 08 Jul 2014 10:17 AM PDT A surprising new role has been found for a pair of compounds that have the potential to alter circadian rhythm, the complex physiological process, present in most living things, that responds to a 24-hour cycle of light and dark. At least one of these compounds could be developed as a chemical probe to uncover new therapeutic approaches to a range of disorders, including diabetes and obesity.

Cognitive assessment provides window into proficiency level of robot-assisted surgeons Posted: 08 Jul 2014 10:17 AM PDT Cognitive assessment can effectively measure the expertise of robotic surgeons with varying levels of experience, researchers have determined. For the cognitive testing, the participants' cognitive engagement, mental workload and mental state were calculated from the measured EEG during each task. When they compared the results of both testing approaches among the three groups, the researchers found that cognitive assessment detected significant differences that were not identified by the tool-based metrics available through the surgical robot.

Gene mutation findings may lead to treatment for liver cancer Posted: 08 Jul 2014 10:17 AM PDT Two genetic mutations in liver cells may drive tumor formation in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA), the second most common form of liver cancer, researchers say. iCCA strikes bile ducts, tube-like structures in the liver that carry bile, which is required for the digestion of food. With so much still unknown about the disease, there is no first-line, standard of care and no successful therapies.

Link shown between inflammation in maternal blood, schizophrenia in offspring Posted: 08 Jul 2014 09:17 AM PDT Maternal inflammation as indicated by the presence in maternal blood of early gestational C-reactive protein -- an established inflammatory biomarker -- appears to be associated with greater risk for schizophrenia in offspring. "Inflammation has been shown to alter brain development in previous studies, and schizophrenia is a neurodevelopmental disorder. Thus, this study provides an important link between inflammation and schizophrenia and may help us to better understand the biological mechanisms that lead to this disorder," one author explained.

Variations in key gene predict cancer patients' risk for radiation-induced toxicity Posted: 08 Jul 2014 09:17 AM PDT Key genetic variants may affect how cancer patients respond to radiation treatments, according to a study. The current results are based on a genome-wide association study, a type of study in which researchers examine numerous genetic variants to see if any of them are associated with a certain type of complication, which could sometimes emerge years after treatment was completed.

No rest for the bleary: Interrupted sleep can be as physically detrimental as no sleep at all Posted: 08 Jul 2014 09:17 AM PDT Interrupted sleep can be as physically detrimental as no sleep at all, researchers explain in a first of its kind study. In the study, the investigators establish a causal link between interrupted sleep patterns and compromised cognitive abilities, shortened attention spans, and negative moods. The researchers discovered that interrupted sleep is equivalent to no more than four consecutive hours of sleep.

Nurse-family partnership reduces preventable mortality Posted: 08 Jul 2014 09:17 AM PDT Low-income mothers and their first-born children who received home visits from nurses were less likely to die from preventable causes during a two-decade period, according to a report. Beginning in 1990, this trial enrolled low-income, primarily African-American mothers living in disadvantaged neighborhoods, and assessed maternal and child mortality for over two decades until 2011.

Same genes drive mathematics and reading ability Posted: 08 Jul 2014 09:17 AM PDT About half of the genes that influence how well a child can read also play a role in their mathematics ability, say scientists who led a study into the genetic basis of cognitive traits. While mathematics and reading ability are known to run in families, the complex system of genes affecting these traits is largely unknown. The finding deepens scientists' understanding of how nature and nurture interact, highlighting the important role that a child's learning environment may have on the development of reading and mathematics skills, and the complex, shared genetic basis of these cognitive traits.

Bacterial switches in human gut pave way for therapeutic manipulation Posted: 08 Jul 2014 09:15 AM PDT The microbial ecosystem in the human gut can switch from one stable state into another, without staying for a long time in between. Key groups of bacteria tend to be either nearly absent, or relatively abundant in any given individual. This discovery highlights fundamental organizing principles of the intestinal ecosystem and they suggest novel strategies for diagnostic purposes and therapeutic manipulation to improve well-being and health.

Drowning remains a top cause of death for children with autism Posted: 08 Jul 2014 09:15 AM PDT Many families beat the summer heat with trips to swimming pools, beaches, and water parks; but water safety concerns are particularly heightened for families of children with autism. In fact, drowning remains a leading cause of death in children with autism because they often become overstimulated with crowds and escape to unsafe environments.

Better visualizing of fitness-app data helps discover trends, reach goals Posted: 08 Jul 2014 09:15 AM PDT Researchers have developed visual tools to help self-trackers understand their daily activity patterns over a longer period and in more detail. They found people had an easier time meeting personal fitness and activity goals when they could see their data presented in a broader, more visual way.

Possible pathway for inhibiting liver, colon cancer found Posted: 08 Jul 2014 08:12 AM PDT The structure of a protein complex involved in liver and colon cancers has been revealed by an international team of researchers. This structural data discovery opens up additional research opportunities into drugs that can act on the binding of these proteins, thereby possibly inhibiting cancer cell growth.

Widespread oral health problems among Navajo, study shows Posted: 08 Jul 2014 07:31 AM PDT Despite some modest improvements, poor oral health remains a major problem in the Navajo Nation and among American Indians overall, a new study shows. The study showed that 69.5 percent of Navajo children had untreated tooth decay. While that's better than the 82.9 percent in 1999, it's still unacceptably high.

New smartphone app offers easy and inexpensive solution for hearing screening Posted: 08 Jul 2014 07:16 AM PDT A lightweight, automated and easy-to-use mobile health solution called hearScreen is ideal for developing countries and use in rural areas.

HIV study leads to insights into deadly infection Posted: 08 Jul 2014 07:15 AM PDT New insights into how the HIV virus greatly boosts its chances of spreading infection has been gained by research that also indicates why HIV is so hard to combat. "We now have a better understanding of the role of these protein enhancers in HIV infection. However, it's clear that much more research is needed in this area," one researcher says.

FDA-approved transcatheter heart valve offered to patients Posted: 08 Jul 2014 07:15 AM PDT The new FDA-approved transcatheter heart valve therapy helps patients with aortic valve disease who are at high risk to undergo open-heart surgery. The CoreValve System replaces a diseased aortic heart valve through a minimally invasive procedure, without open-heart surgery and without surgical removal of the diseased valve. The device is typically inserted via an artery in the leg or upper chest, and then guided through the arteries into the heart.

Low doses of arsenic cause cancer in male mice Posted: 08 Jul 2014 07:15 AM PDT Mice exposed to low doses of arsenic in drinking water, similar to what some people might consume, developed lung cancer, researchers have found. Arsenic levels in public drinking water cannot exceed 10 parts per billion (ppb), which is the standard set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. However, there are no established standards for private wells, from which millions of people get their drinking water.

Adults with mental illness twice as likely to use tobacco Posted: 08 Jul 2014 07:15 AM PDT Adults with mental illness are twice as likely to use tobacco as adults without mental illness, according to a new American report. The report found 37.8 percent of adults with mental illness smoke, compared to 17.3 percent of adults without mental illness. Nearly one-half of adults in the study who experience mental illness reported smoking in the last 30 days. Smoking rates are highest among those with serious mental illness, multiple disorders and substance use disorders.

Fungus in yogurt outbreak poses threat to consumers Posted: 08 Jul 2014 06:29 AM PDT The fungus responsible for an outbreak of contaminated Greek yogurt last year is not harmless after all but a strain with the ability to cause disease, according to research. "When people think about food-borne pathogens, normally they list bacteria, viruses, and maybe parasites. Fungal pathogens are not considered as food-borne pathogens. However, this incidence indicates that we need to pay more attention to fungi. Fungal pathogens can threaten our health systems as food-borne pathogens" says the lead author.

Wet wraps cut need for drugs in kids with eczema Posted: 08 Jul 2014 06:29 AM PDT One in five children in the US suffers from the painful, itchy skin condition known as eczema. To control their symptoms, many children are prescribed powerful medications like immunosuppressants or topical steroids. Researchers at National Jewish Health in Denver evaluated an approach known as wet wrap therapy to help find simpler, safer treatment options. The therapy has never been used as a standardized treatment for children with eczema. Hopefully, that's about to change.

Underage drinkers heavily exposed to magazine ads for alcohol brands they consume Posted: 08 Jul 2014 06:29 AM PDT Underage drinkers between the ages of 18 and 20 see more magazine advertising than any other age group for the alcohol brands they consume most heavily, raising important questions about whether current alcohol self-regulatory codes concerning advertising are sufficiently protecting young people.

Treatment-resistant hypertension requires proper diagnosis Posted: 08 Jul 2014 06:25 AM PDT High blood pressure -- also known as hypertension -- is widespread, but treatment often fails. One in five people with hypertension does not respond to therapy. This is frequently due to inadequate diagnosis, researchers suggest.

Olfactory receptors in the skin: Sandalwood scent facilitates wound healing, skin regeneration Posted: 08 Jul 2014 06:25 AM PDT Skin cells possess an olfactory receptor for sandalwood scent, researchers have discovered. This data indicate that the cell proliferation increases and wound healing improves if those receptors are activated. This mechanism constitutes a possible starting point for new drugs and cosmetics.

Working memory is key to early academic achievement Posted: 08 Jul 2014 06:21 AM PDT Working memory in children is linked strongly to reading and academic achievement, a new study has shown. Moreover, this finding holds true regardless of socio-economic status. This suggests that children with learning difficulties might benefit from teaching methods that prevent working memory overload.

Contradictory findings about effect of full moon on sleep Posted: 08 Jul 2014 06:21 AM PDT According to folklore, the full moon affects human sleep. International researchers are trying to determine whether there is any truth to the belief. Studies have found that people actually sleep 20 minutes less when the moon is full, take five minutes longer to fall asleep and experience 30 minutes more of REM sleep, during which most dreaming is believed to occur.

Healthy lifestyle adds years to life Posted: 08 Jul 2014 06:21 AM PDT Live longer thanks to fruit, an active lifestyle, limited alcohol and no cigarettes. This is the conclusion of a study by public health physicians who documented for the first time the impact of behavioral factors on life expectancy in numbers. The results are intended to be integrated into prevention and health counseling in primary care.

Advantages of standardizing diabetes treatments Posted: 08 Jul 2014 06:21 AM PDT Medical treatment guidelines are suggestions that international organizations such as the American Diabetes Association, the European Society for the Study of Diabetes and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, used to set the tone in the control of the disease and how to apply a better therapy, depending on the physical condition of the person.

Sibling composition impacts childhood obesity risk Posted: 08 Jul 2014 06:21 AM PDT Having obese brothers and sisters is a more revealing indicator of child obesity than having obese parents, according to a new study. Older children in a two-child household with an obese parent are 2.3 times more likely to be obese, but that number jumps to 5.4 times for those with overweight younger siblings. If the child is the younger sibling in a two-child household, parental obesity is not relevant to risk, but having an obese older sibling is associated with a 5.6-fold higher risk.

Spinal cord mass arising from neural stem cell therapy Posted: 08 Jul 2014 06:11 AM PDT A spinal mass was found in a woman with complete spinal cord injury eight years after she had undergone implantation of olfactory mucosal cells to hopefully regain sensory and motor function. Authors caution that physicians should be vigilant in follow-up of patients who undergo stem cell interventions.

Millions of informal caregivers at risk for chronic pain, injury trying to help disabled family members Posted: 08 Jul 2014 06:11 AM PDT Informal caregivers provide almost half a trillion dollars' worth of support to individuals with disabilities each year. These caregivers - usually family members - often perform physically-demanding tasks with little or no training, which can result in muscle strains and chronic pain. With very little data on the physical impact of informal caregiving, new research is identifying which tasks caregivers say are the most physically demanding and where they experience the most body pain.

Partial knee replacement safer than total knee replacement, study finds Posted: 07 Jul 2014 06:27 PM PDT Partial knee replacement surgery is safer than total knee replacement, according to a new study. Up to half of knees that require replacement, usually because of severe osteoarthritis, can be treated with either partial or total replacements. With partial replacements, also known as unicompartmental replacements, only the damaged parts of the knee are replaced and the remaining surfaces and all the ligaments are preserved.

Significant step towards blood test for Alzheimer's Posted: 07 Jul 2014 06:27 PM PDT Scientists have identified a set of 10 proteins in the blood which can predict the onset of Alzheimer's, marking a significant step towards developing a blood test for the disease. A blood test could be used to identify patients in the early stages of memory loss for clinical trials to find drugs to halt the progression of the disease.

Consuming whey protein before meals could help improve blood glucose control in people with diabetes Posted: 07 Jul 2014 06:27 PM PDT Consuming whey protein before a regular breakfast reduces the blood sugar spikes seen after meals and also improves the body's insulin response, a new study has found. Protein consumption is known to stimulate the production of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), a gut hormone that in turn stimulates insulin production.

Larger newborn care units provide better protection for very preterm babies Posted: 07 Jul 2014 06:25 PM PDT New estimates to assess how organizational factors in England impact clinical outcomes of infants born preterm have been outlined by a new study. Results demonstrated that for preterm babies born at less than 33 weeks gestation, the odds of dying in hospital were 32 per cent less if they were admitted to high volume units at the hospital of birth than if they were admitted to low volume units (odds ratio 0.68). For babies born at less than 27 weeks the effect was greater, with the odds of dying almost halved.

Tremors, shuffling and confusion may not be Parkinson's but Lewy Body Dementia Posted: 07 Jul 2014 06:25 PM PDT The importance of an accurate Lewy body dementia diagnosis, which may have life-saving implications, have been highlighted by experts. Affecting more than 1.3 million Americans, Lewy body dementia (LBD) is the most misdiagnosed form of dementia and, following Alzheimer's disease, is the second most common cause of progressive dementia. It is associated with abnormal protein deposits in the brain, called Lewy bodies, that affect thinking, movement, behavior and mood, and is difficult to diagnose.

Slim down for the health of it and possibly reduce your hot flashes in the process Posted: 07 Jul 2014 01:17 PM PDT Now women have yet one more incentive to lose weight as a new study has shown evidence that behavioral weight loss can help manage menopausal hot flashes. For purposes of the pilot clinical trial, hot flashes were assessed before and after intervention via physiologic monitoring, diary and questionnaire. The study confirmed a significant correlation between weight loss and hot flashes. Furthermore, the degree of weight loss correlated with the degree of reduction in hot flashes.

The tortoise and the hare: A sex difference in marathon pacing Posted: 07 Jul 2014 01:17 PM PDT Men are more likely than women to slow their pace in the marathon, according to a new study. The researchers also showed that the sex difference in pacing held across age groups. It also held when adjusting women's performances by 12 percent to address men's greater maximal oxygen uptake and their typically faster performances.

Chemotherapy resistance in inflammatory breast cancer due to newly identified mechanism Posted: 07 Jul 2014 01:15 PM PDT A mechanism of breast cancer cells that leads to chemotherapy resistance in inflammatory breast cancer has been identified by researchers. Inflammatory breast cancer is the most aggressive type of advanced breast cancer and is characterized by rapid development, resistance to chemotherapy, early metastases and a poor prognosis. Inflammatory breast cancer cells display a triple-negative breast cancer phenotype that lacks the receptors needed to promote tumor growth. Therefore, common treatments are not effective for this breast cancer subtype.

You are subscribed to email updates from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610