Obese Kids' Artery Plaque Similar To Middle-aged Adults (November 12, 2008) -- The plaque buildup in the neck arteries of obese children or those with high cholesterol is similar to levels in middle-aged adults. Using ultrasound images, researchers equated the "vascular age" to be 45 years old in these children. Obese children who have high triglycerides are the most likely to have prematurely aging arteries; these children should be treated as high risk for cardiovascular disease, researchers concluded. ... > full story
Muscular Dystrophy: Sarcospan, A Little Protein For A Big Problem (November 12, 2008) -- The overlooked and undervalued protein, sarcospan, just got its moment in the spotlight. Researchers now show that adding it to muscle cells might ameliorate the most severe form of muscular dystrophy. ... > full story
What Happens In Vegas? Place As A Risk Factor For Suicide (November 12, 2008) -- The vast majority of recent studies on suicide have focused on identifying psychiatric risk factors. However, a new study in Social Science and Medicine, explores time and place as factors in suicide by closely analyzing the patterns of suicide in a single geographic area, Las Vegas, over a 30 year period. ... > full story
Joyful Music May Promote Heart Health (November 12, 2008) -- Listening to your favorite music may be good for your cardiovascular system. Researchers have shown for the first time that the emotions aroused by joyful music have a healthy effect on blood vessel function. The research team concluded that the cardiovascular benefits of music were similar to those found in their previous study of laughter. ... > full story
Genetic Basis For Some Birth Defects Uncovered (November 12, 2008) -- Scientists have uncovered a common genetic pathway for a number of birth defects that affect the development of the heart and head. Abnormal development of the jaw, palate, brain and heart are relatively common congenital defects and frequently arise due to genetic errors that affect a key developmental pathway. ... > full story
Flu Shot Protects Kids, Even During Years With A Bad Vaccine Match (November 12, 2008) -- Children who receive all recommended flu vaccine appear to be less likely to catch the respiratory virus that the CDC estimates hospitalizes 20,000 children every year. This study found that, even though the 2003-2004 and 2004-2005 flu seasons had poor matches between the vaccine and the circulating flu strains, the shots were clearly protective during the 2004-05 year and possibly even during the 2003-04 year. ... > full story
Minority Children Waiting For Heart Transplants Have Higher Death Rates (November 12, 2008) -- Minority children on the waitlist for a heart transplant have a greater risk of dying than white children do. Socioeconomic factors explain only a small fraction of this increased risk. When all factors including race, area income and insurance were simultaneously considered, children with Medicaid insurance were 20 percent more likely to die while awaiting transplant. ... > full story
Alzheimer's-associated Plaques Found In Symptom-free Older Adults (November 11, 2008) -- Pittsburgh Compound B, an imaging agent that could facilitate the early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, has been used to identify amyloid deposition in the brains of clinically older adults. The findings could not only shed more light on how the illness progresses, but also open the door to the possibility of prevention strategies. ... > full story
Refractive Surgical Practices In HIV-Positive Persons (November 11, 2008) -- People who are HIV-positive are now living longer, healthier lives, thanks to antiretroviral therapy and other treatment advances, and the number of HIV-positive people seeking LASIK, intraocular lenses following cataract removal, and similar procedures is likely to grow in coming years. ... > full story
First Trial Of Gene Therapy For Advanced Heart Failure Shows Promising Results (November 11, 2008) -- Phase I results of the first clinical trial of gene therapy for patients with advanced heart failure show the approach to be promising, with improvements in several measures of the condition's severity. ... > full story
Cancer Risk From Cardiac CT Overstated, Researchers Say (November 11, 2008) -- Radiology and cardiovascular researchers have presented new data that shows the risk of cancer from exposure to radiation during computed tomography for cardiovascular disease has been overstated and that new estimates are several times lower than previously published conclusions. ... > full story
Obese Women More Impulsive Than Other Females, Study Suggests (November 11, 2008) -- A new study finds that obese women display significantly weaker impulse control than normal weight women. ... > full story
New Insights Into Thalidomide-birth Defect Episode (November 11, 2008) -- Scientists in Germany have discovered why the medication thalidomide appeared safe in animal tests before going on the market 50 years ago, only to cause perhaps the most extensive outbreak of drug-induced birth defects in medical history. ... > full story
Obese People At Increased Risk Of Cardiovascular Disease, Even If They Don't Have High Cholesterol Or Diabetes (November 11, 2008) -- Obese people who don't have high cholesterol or diabetes might think they're healthy -- despite the extra pounds. But new research suggests that obesity raises levels of the hormone leptin, which can be as big a threat to the cardiovascular system as cholesterol. ... > full story
Interaction Between Gene Variants May Alter Brain Function In Schizophrenia (November 11, 2008) -- Scientists are giving what may be the first look at how interactions between genes underlie a key symptom of schizophrenia, impaired working memory. Functional imaging studies reveal how a combination of common variants in two genes is associated with reduced activity of important brain structures in schizophrenia patients but not in normal controls. ... > full story
Blood Pressure Control Inequality Linked To Deaths Among African Americans (November 11, 2008) -- Racial disparity in the control of hypertension contributes to the deaths of almost 8,000 African American men and women in the United States annually, according to a first-of-its-kind study. ... > full story
Umbilical Cord Blood May Help Build New Heart Valves (November 11, 2008) -- In the future, babies with heart defects may receive new heart valves created from cells in the blood from their umbilical cords, saved at birth. These valves could grow and change shape as a child develops, avoiding the need for repeat surgeries to replace outgrown valves from animal or human donor tissue or artificial valves. ... > full story
New Hope For HIV Treatment: Cells Exhausted From Fighting HIV Infection Can Be Revitalized (November 11, 2008) -- Researchers have revealed new hope for HIV treatment with the discovery of a way to 'rescue' immune cells that are exhausted from fighting off HIV infection. ... > full story
Key Mechanism That Regulates Development Of Stem Cells Into Neurons Identified (November 11, 2008) -- Researchers have identified a novel mechanism in the regulation and differentiation of neural stem cells. The study found that the protein receptor Ryk has a key role in the differentiation of neural stem cells, and demonstrated a signaling mechanism that regulates neuronal differentiation as stem cells begin to grow into neurons. ... > full story
'Superbugs' On The Rise In Canadian Hospitals, New Study Shows (November 11, 2008) -- Although infection control has been substantially ramped up in Canadian hospitals since the SARS crisis of 2003, the number of resistant bacterial infections post-SARS have multiplied even faster, a new study shows. ... > full story
Doctors Should Disclose Off-label Prescribing To Their Patients, Experts Argue (November 11, 2008) -- Doctors should be required to disclose when they are prescribing drugs off-label, argues a new article in PLoS Medicine. ... > full story
Babies Placed In Incubators Decrease Risk Of Depression As Adults (November 11, 2008) -- Babies who receive incubator care after birth are two to three times less likely to suffer depression as adults according to a surprising new study published in the journal Psychiatry Research. ... > full story
Heart's Surplus Energy May Help Power Pacemakers, Defibrillators (November 11, 2008) -- Researchers have shown that a beating heart may produce enough energy to power a pacemaker or defibrillator. An experimental microgenerator captured enough surplus heart energy to provide 17 percent of the power needed to run an implantable pacemaker. Generator refinements could yield smaller, longer-lasting, and more sophisticated implantable devices. ... > full story
Protein 'Tubules' Free Avian Flu Virus From Immune Recognition (November 11, 2008) -- A protein found in the virulent avian influenza virus strain called H5N1 forms tiny tubules in which it "hides" the pieces of double-stranded RNA formed during viral infection, which otherwise would prompt an antiviral immune response from infected cells, researchers report. ... > full story
Getting Little Sleep May Be Associated With Risk Of Heart Disease (November 11, 2008) -- Sleeping less than seven and a half hours per day may be associated with future risk of heart disease, according to a new article. In addition, a combination of little sleep and overnight elevated blood pressure appears to be associated with an increased risk of the disease. ... > full story
Strong Education Blunts Effects Of Alzheimer's Disease, Study Suggests (November 11, 2008) -- A test that reveals brain changes believed to be at the heart of Alzheimer's disease has bolstered the theory that education can delay the onset of the dementia and cognitive decline that are characteristic of the disorder. ... > full story
New Laser Technique Seals And Heals Wounds (November 11, 2008) -- Not much has changed in the last 2,000 years when it comes to suturing together cuts and wounds. Even with microsurgery techniques, infection and permanent scarring remain major concerns. Now a new laser technique has been developed that seals and heals wounds. ... > full story
Daily Rhythms In Blood Vessels May Explain Morning Peak In Heart Attacks (November 11, 2008) -- Daily rhythms in the activity of cells that line blood vessels may help explain why heart attacks and strokes occur most often in early morning hours, researchers have found. ... > full story
Bacteria In Mouth Help Make Certain Foods Tasty (November 11, 2008) -- Scientists in Switzerland are reporting that bacteria in the human mouth play a role in creating the distinctive flavors of certain foods. They found that these bacteria actually produce food odors from odorless components of food, allowing people to fully savor fruits and vegetables. ... > full story
Cancer Drugs May Build And Not Tear Down Blood Vessels (November 11, 2008) -- Scientists have thought that one way to foil a tumor from generating blood vessels to feed its growth -- a process called angiogenesis -- was by creating drugs aimed at stopping a key vessel growth-promoting protein. But now the opposite seems to be true. ... > full story
Deep Sea Expedition Sets Sail (November 11, 2008) -- Researchers are embarking upon an extreme adventure, plunging deep into the sea to study hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor. They'll share the experience with 20,000-plus school children through interactive sessions. ... > full story
Vitamins E And C Supplements Not Effective For Prevention Of Cardiovascular Disease In Men (November 11, 2008) -- Neither vitamin E nor vitamin C supplements reduced the risk of major cardiovascular events in a large, long-term study of male physicians, according to a new study. ... > full story
1918 Spanish Flu Records Could Hold The Key To Solving Future Pandemics (November 11, 2008) -- Ninety years after Australian scientists began their race to stop the spread of Spanish flu in Australia, University of Melbourne researchers are hoping records from the 1918 epidemic may hold the key to preventing future deadly pandemic outbreaks. ... > full story
Scientists Map Molecular Regulation Of Fat-cell Genetics (November 11, 2008) -- A research team has used state-of-the-art genetic technology to map thousands of positions where a molecular "master regulator" of fat-cell biology is nestled in DNA to control genes in these cells. ... > full story
Important Steps Towards Development Of Human Vaccine Against Malaria (November 11, 2008) -- Every day 2000 children die from malaria in Africa alone. The infection is transmitted from human to human by biting mosquitoes and remains one of the world's most devastating diseases. Despite many years of effort a vaccine is still not available but is urgently needed. ... > full story
Eliminating Soda From School Diets Does Not Affect Overall Consumption (November 11, 2008) -- With childhood obesity increasing, school administrators and public health officials are reducing availability of sugar-sweetened beverages in schools. In a new study in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, researchers found that reduction or elimination of sugar-sweetened beverages from school menus has little effect on total consumption by adolescents. ... > full story
Quintet Of Proteins Forms New, Early-warning Blood Test Before Heart Attack Strikes (November 10, 2008) -- Biochemists have identified a mixed bag of five key proteins out of thousands secreted into blood draining from the heart's blood vessels that may together or in certain quantities form the basis of a far more accurate early warning test than currently in use of impending heart attack in people with severely reduced blood flow, or ischemia. ... > full story
Impact Of Insulin Pump Under Study (November 10, 2008) -- Using an insulin pump to manage diabetes is more convenient than managing the disease with daily insulin injections. That much, physicians already know. But the pump's impact on the lives of diabetics and their primary caregivers is an important question that hasn't been answered yet, researchers say. ... > full story
Can Vitamins And Minerals Prevent Hearing Loss? (November 10, 2008) -- Researchers and physicians at the University of Michigan Kresge Hearing Research Institute are hoping to reverse a rising trend of noise-induced hearing loss with a cocktail of vitamins and the mineral magnesium that has shown promise as a possible way to prevent hearing loss caused by loud noises. ... > full story
Bone Marrow Transplant Can Cure Sickle Cell Disease, Children's Hospital Study Suggests (November 10, 2008) -- A unique approach to bone marrow transplantation has proven to be the only safe and effective cure for sickle cell disease, according to a new study. ... > full story
Engineered Killer T Cell Recognizes HIV-1's Lethal Molecular Disguises (November 10, 2008) -- Researchers have engineered T cells able to recognize HIV-1 strains that have evaded the immune system. The findings have important implications for developing new treatments for HIV, especially for patients with chronic infection who fail to respond to antiretroviral regimens. ... > full story
Seven Years Without A Nose (November 10, 2008) -- Patients whose nose has been destroyed by a tumor or injury carry a severe psychological and social burden. Esthetic reconstruction ranges among the most challenging tasks in plastic surgery. Researchers have presented the different options for nasal reconstruction surgery. ... > full story
Untangling DNA Regulation: Biologists Theorize Role For DNA Packaging In Stem Cell Development (November 10, 2008) -- Biologists have discovered that the organization of DNA's packing material plays a critical role in directing stem cells to become different types of adult cells. ... > full story
Neuroimaging Of Brain Shows Who Spoke To A Person And What Was Said (November 10, 2008) -- Scientists have developed a method to look into the brain of a person and read out who has spoken to him or her and what was said. With the help of neuroimaging and data mining techniques the researchers mapped the brain activity associated with the recognition of speech sounds and voices. In their Science article "Who" is Saying "What"? Brain-Based Decoding of Human Voice and Speech the four authors demonstrate that speech sounds and voices can be identified by means of a unique 'neural fingerprint' in the listener's brain. ... > full story
Multiple Sclerosis Research Charges Ahead With New Mouse Model Of Disease (November 10, 2008) -- A new study highlights the role of a charge-switching enzyme in nervous system deficits characteristic of multiple sclerosis and other related neurological illness. Too much of a charge-switching enzyme causes symptoms of multiple sclerosis and related disorders in mouse models. ... > full story
New Imaging Technology Accurately Identifies A Broad Spectrum Of Liver Disease (November 10, 2008) -- New imaging technology can identify liver fibrosis with high accuracy and help eliminate the need for liver biopsies. Liver fibrosis is a common condition that can lead to incurable cirrhosis if not treated in time. ... > full story
Research On Breathing Disorders And Congenital Heart Defects (November 10, 2008) -- New optical techniques have been developed for visualizing the invisible processes at work in several human diseases. ... > full story
Age Is Not A Key Factor In Cancer Survival, But Clinical Trials Exclude Older Patients (November 10, 2008) -- Age is not an independent factor in cancer survival rates and should not influence decisions about how to treat older patients, according to a new study. ... > full story
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