ScienceDaily Health Headlines -- for Wednesday, May 25, 2011 ~ techdeck

ScienceDaily Health Headlines

for Wednesday, May 25, 2011

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Heart failure risk lower in women who often eat baked/broiled fish (May 25, 2011) -- Risk of developing heart failure may be lower for postmenopausal women who frequently eat baked or broiled fish, but higher for those who eat more fried fish, according to researchers. In a recent study, dark fish such as salmon was healthier for the heart than tuna or white fish such as sole. Eating fried fish one or more times per week was associated with a 48 percent higher risk of heart failure in postmenopausal women compared to those who ate it infrequently. ... > full story

Low-risk patients screened for heart disease tend to receive more preventive care and testing, but outcomes may not be different (May 25, 2011) -- Screening for coronary heart disease (CHD) among individuals at low risk of the condition is associated with increased use of medications (such as aspirin and statins) and increased additional testing, but no difference in cardiac events at 18 months, according to a new report. ... > full story

Migration an overlooked health policy issue, experts say (May 25, 2011) -- If internal and international migrants comprised a nation, it would be the third most populous country in the world, just after China and India. Thus, there can be little doubt that population mobility is among the leading policy issues of the 21st century. However, policies to protect migrants and global health have so far been hampered by inadequate policy attention and poor international coordination. ... > full story

Injection therapy for sudden hearing loss disorder may be suitable alternative to oral steroids (May 25, 2011) -- Treating idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss with injections of steroids directly into the ear appears to result in recovery of hearing that is not less than recovery obtained with the standard therapy of oral corticosteroids and may be a preferable treatment for some patients to avoid the potential adverse effects of oral steroids, according to a new study. ... > full story

Healing power of hydrogen peroxide: How injured cells regenerate during wound healing (May 25, 2011) -- New information has come to light explaining how injured skin cells and touch-sensing nerve fibers regenerate during wound healing. It was found that a chemical signal released by wounded skin cells promotes the regeneration of sensory fibers, thus helping to ensure that touch sensation is restored to healing skin. The reactive oxygen species hydrogen peroxide, which is found at high concentrations at wounds, was found to be a key component of this signal. ... > full story

Medical students have substantial exposure to pharmaceutical industry marketing (May 25, 2011) -- Medical students in the United States are frequently exposed to pharmaceutical marketing, even in their preclinical years, and the extent of their contact with industry is associated with positive attitudes about marketing and skepticism towards any negative implications. ... > full story

Certain biomarkers appear to increase risk of death for elderly patients with heart failure symptoms (May 24, 2011) -- Elderly patients with symptoms of heart failure and increased concentrations in the blood of the biomarker copeptin, or a combination of elevated concentrations of copeptin and the biomarker NT-proBNP, had an associated increased risk of all-cause death, according to a new study. ... > full story

Biomedical engineering students fight hypothermia on the battlefield (May 24, 2011) -- A team of biomedical engineering students is developing a new device to combat hypothermia among wounded soldiers. ... > full story

Study finds widening gap between distracted driving and legislation (May 24, 2011) -- Laws to prevent distracted driving, particularly in relation to cell phone use, have multiplied; a new study finds that there is a widening gap between the data on distracted driving and the laws used to curb it. ... > full story

Population genetics reveals shared ancestries: DNA links modern Europeans, Middle Easterners to Sub-Saharan Africans (May 24, 2011) -- More than just a tool for predicting health, modern genetics is upending long-held assumptions about who we are. A recent study casts new light on the intermingling and migration of European, Middle Eastern and African and populations since ancient times. ... > full story

Brisk walking may help men with prostate cancer, study finds (May 24, 2011) -- A study of 1,455 US men diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer has found a link between brisk walking and lowered risk of prostate cancer progression, according to scientists. ... > full story

What makes an image memorable? (May 24, 2011) -- Neuroscientists shows that the most memorable photos are those that contain people, followed by static indoor scenes and human-scale objects. Landscapes? They may be beautiful, but they are, in most cases, utterly forgettable. ... > full story

Kids dependent on long-term ventilation require longer, more expensive hospital care, study finds (May 24, 2011) -- A new study found that children with complex chronic conditions who require long-term mechanical ventilation have significantly higher mortality, longer length of hospitalizations, higher mean charges, and more emergency department admissions. ... > full story

Mexico social distancing reduced flu transmission: H1N1 study shows closing schools, other measures effective (May 24, 2011) -- Social distancing measures proved effective according to a new study that examined the H1N1 pandemic in Mexico. The study shows three distinct pandemic waves. Results will aid health officials plan for future pandemics. ... > full story

Bipolar disorder and postural control: Mind-body connection suggests new directions for treatment, research (May 24, 2011) -- A new study suggests that postural control problems may be a core feature of bipolar disorder, not just a random symptom, and can provide insights both into areas of the brain affected by the psychiatric disorder and new potential targets for treatment. The findings raises the question of whether therapies that improve motor symptoms may also help mood disorders. ... > full story

Cockroach allergens in homes associated with prevalence of childhood asthma in some neighborhoods (May 24, 2011) -- Researchers compared the household presence of cockroach, mouse, cat, dust mite and other allergens in neighborhoods with a high prevalence of asthma to that in low-prevalence neighborhoods. They found that cockroach, mouse and cat allergens were significantly higher in homes located in neighborhoods where asthma is more common and that children in these higher-exposure homes were more likely to be sensitized to cockroach antigens. ... > full story

Theater-goers, volunteers take heart: Cultural activities are good for your health, Norwegian study finds (May 24, 2011) -- Does going to the theater make you feel good? Or perhaps you love to volunteer in creating exhibits and displays for the local library? A new study from researchers in Norway shows that participating in different cultural activities -- whether in schools, at church, or in the community at large -- is more than just good for your friends and neighbors. It is also good for your health. ... > full story

Acetaminophen linked to lower prostate cancer risk in new study (May 24, 2011) -- A new study finds use of 30 tablets a month or more of acetaminophen for five or more years was associated with an estimated 38 percent lower risk of prostate cancer. ... > full story

Antibody-guided drug works against acute lymphoblastic leukemia (May 24, 2011) -- An antibody packaged with a potent chemotherapy drug to selectively destroy acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells eradicated or greatly reduced the disease for 61 percent of 46 patients in a phase II study. ... > full story

Violence doesn't add to children's enjoyment of TV shows, movies (May 24, 2011) -- Despite growing concern about the effects of media violence on children, violent television shows and movies continue to be produced and marketed to them. A new research study concludes that violence doesn't add anything to their enjoyment of such programs and their characters. ... > full story

Natural product shows pain-killing properties (May 24, 2011) -- Scientists have for the first time accomplished a laboratory synthesis of a rare natural product isolated from the bark of a plant widely employed in traditional medicine. This advance may provide the scientific foundation to develop an effective alternative to commonly prescribed narcotic pain treatments. ... > full story

New genetic testing technology for IVF embryos (May 24, 2011) -- Researchers have devised a new technique, which helps couples that are affected by or are carriers of genetic diseases have in vitro fertilized babies free of both the disease in question and other chromosomal abnormalities. ... > full story

Eggs, butter, milk: Memory is not just a shopping list (May 24, 2011) -- Often, the goal of science is to show that things are not what they seem to be. But now, in a new article, a veteran cognitive psychologist exhorts his colleagues in memory research to consult the truth of their own experience. ... > full story

Particle trap paves way for personalized medicine (May 24, 2011) -- Researchers have trapped individual charged particles in an aqueous solution using a method called "Paul trapping," which uses oscillating electric fields to confine the particles to a space only nanometers in size. The technique paves the way for DNA trapping and sequencing, which would allow for diagnostic testing, therapies and treatments based on each patient's individual genetic makeup. ... > full story

Study of stem cell diseases advanced by new technique (May 24, 2011) -- A rare genetic disease called dyskeratosis congenita, caused by the rapid shortening of telomeres (protective caps on the ends of chromosomes), can be mimicked through the study of undifferentiated induced pluripotent stem cells, according to new findings. ... > full story

Mushroom compound suppresses prostate tumors (May 24, 2011) -- A mushroom used in Asia for its medicinal benefits has been found to be 100 percent effective in suppressing prostate tumor development in mice during early trials, new research shows. ... > full story

Weight gain between first and second pregnancies increases woman's gestational diabetes risk, study finds (May 24, 2011) -- Compared with women whose weight remained stable, body mass index gains between the first and second pregnancy were associated with an increased risk of gestational diabetes mellitus in the second pregnancy. But losing weight between the first and second pregnancies appeared to reduce GDM risk in a second pregnancy, particularly for women who were overweight or obese to begin with, according to a new study. ... > full story

Information overload in drug side effect labeling (May 24, 2011) -- Lists of potential side effects that accompany prescription drugs have ballooned in size, averaging 70 reactions per drug. In a new study, researchers analyzed more than 5,600 labels and have quantified just how complex drug labels have become. ... > full story

Children learn language in moments of insight, not gradually through repeated exposure, study shows (May 24, 2011) -- Psychologists believe they are overturning the dominant theory of how children learn their first words, suggesting that it occurs more in moments of insight than gradually through repeated exposure. ... > full story

Risk of newborn death cut in half when pregancy lasts 39 weeks, new research finds (May 24, 2011) -- Although the overall risk of death is small, a new study found that it more than doubles for infants born at 37 weeks of pregnancy, when compared to babies born at 40 weeks. In 2006, the infant mortality rate was 1.9 for every 1,000 live births for babies born at 40 weeks of pregnancy. The mortality rate increased to 3.9 per 1,000 when a baby was born at 37 weeks of pregnancy. ... > full story

New device could reduce surgical scarring (May 24, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a special wound dressing that they report was able to significantly reduced scar tissue caused by incisions. ... > full story

Apparent genetic link to prostate cancer in African-American men determined (May 24, 2011) -- Some men of African descent may have a higher genetic risk of developing prostate cancer, according to new research. The genome-wide association study determined a marker of risk for prostate cancer in men of African descent, who tend to more susceptible to prostate cancer than men of non-African descent. ... > full story

Globalization exposes food supply to unsanitary practices, scientists say (May 24, 2011) -- As the United States continues to import increasingly more of its food from developing nations, we are putting ourselves at greater risk of foodborne disease as many of these countries do not have the same sanitary standards as the U.S. for production, especially in the case of seafood and fresh produce, say scientists. In 2010 over 80% of fish and seafood consumed in the United States was imported, and much of that came from Asia. Raw domestic sewage and/or livestock manure are frequently used in fish farming in many Asian countries. In Thailand some chicken coops sit in rows suspended over ponds that hold shrimp and fish that feed on the waste that falls from above. ... > full story

Scientists identify most proteins made by parasitic worm (May 24, 2011) -- Scientists have completed a large-scale analysis of most of the proteins produced by Brugia malayi, one kind of parasitic worm that causes lymphatic filariasis, or elephantiasis. The greatly swollen lower limbs that can result from chronic infection with this mosquito-borne parasite can be severely disabling. ... > full story

Quicker detection and treatment of severe sepsis (May 24, 2011) -- Sepsis is the name of an infection that causes a series of reactions in the body, which in the worst case can prove fatal. The problem for both patients and doctors is that the early symptoms are difficult to distinguish from less dangerous infections such as a severe flu or winter vomiting disease. A researcher in Sweden has now discovered a substance in the blood which shows both whether a patient has sepsis and how serious the case is. ... > full story

Poorer reading skills following changed computer habits of children (May 24, 2011) -- Sweden and the US are two countries in which increased leisure use of computers by children can lead to poorer reading ability, according to a new analysis. ... > full story

New made-in-Canada therapy for bladder cancer shows promising results (May 24, 2011) -- Clinical trials for a new bladder cancer therapy show promising interim results. Lead researcher Alvaro Morales says that the breakthrough using the drug Urocidin follows thirty years of his research in this important area. ... > full story

'Genetic predisposition' argument in Canadian courts may diminish influence of other factors (May 24, 2011) -- Using genetic predisposition as a factor in medical conditions presented in Canadian legal cases may diminish the impact of occupational, environmental and social factors in determining health claims, particularly workplace claims, according to a new analysis. ... > full story

Sleep deprivation in doctors (May 24, 2011) -- Sleep deprivation is an issue that affects practicing physicians and not only medical residents, and we need to establish standards for maximum work and minimum uninterrupted sleep to ensure patient safety, states a new editorial. ... > full story

Aboriginal children less likely to receive kidney transplants, Canadian study finds (May 24, 2011) -- Aboriginal children with kidney failure in Canada were less likely to receive a kidney transplant compared to white children, finds a new article. ... > full story

Publicly funded universal health insurance system improved Canadian doctors' salaries, medical historian says (May 24, 2011) -- US doctors might find that their incomes start to rise -- not decline -- when Barack Obama's health care reforms are put in place, says a Canadian medical historian. ... > full story

Better scheduling of admissions can reduce crowding at children's hospitals (May 24, 2011) -- Too many admissions at a hospital at one time can put patients at risk. A new study suggests that "smoothing" occupancy over the course of a week could help hospitals reduce crowding and protect patients from crowded conditions. The strategy involves controlling the entry of patients, when possible, to achieve more even levels of occupancy instead of the peaks and troughs that are commonly encountered. ... > full story

Breast cancer linked to obesity gene, new research suggests (May 23, 2011) -- New research aimed to better identify the genetic factors that lead to breast cancer has uncovered a link between the obesity gene and a higher incidence of breast cancer. ... > full story

Used football faceshields are susceptible to breaking on impact (May 23, 2011) -- Game-worn football faceshields are more susceptible to breaking when subjected to high-velocity impact than are new faceshields, according to new research. Researchers shot baseballs at new and used polycarbonate faceshields. All of the new shields withstood the strongest impact tested, which was designed to match the force of a kick to the face. More than a third of the game-worn faceshields fractured in response to the testing, which included lower forces of impact as well. ... > full story

US home births increase 20 percent from 2004 to 2008 (May 23, 2011) -- After a gradual decline from 1990 to 2004, a new study finds that United States births occurring at home increased by 20 percent between 2004 and 2008. ... > full story

Genome regions that could influence severity of cystic fibrosis identified (May 23, 2011) -- Scientists have pinpointed regions of the genome that contribute to the debilitating lung disease that is the hallmark of cystic fibrosis. ... > full story

OCD: Compulsions lead to obsessions, not the other way around (May 23, 2011) -- New scientific evidence challenges a popular conception that behaviors such as repetitive hand-washing, characteristic of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), are carried out in response to disturbing obsessive fears. ... > full story

Shave biopsy is a safe and acceptable method for initial evaluation of melanoma, study suggests (May 23, 2011) -- A shave biopsy is a reasonably safe and accurate method for the initial diagnosis of melanoma, according to a new study. In the past, some physicians have criticized shave biopsies for not providing accurate T (tumor) stage information, thereby complicating treatment planning. ... > full story

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