ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

Bionic reconstruction lets patients use a robotic prosthetic hand controlled by the mind Posted: 24 Feb 2015 04:26 PM PST Three Austrian men have become the first in the world to undergo a new technique called "bionic reconstruction", enabling them to use a robotic prosthetic hand controlled by their mind, according to new research. All three men suffered for many years with brachial plexus injuries and poor hand function as a result of motor vehicle and climbing accidents.

High-energy breakfast with low-energy dinner helps control blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes Posted: 24 Feb 2015 03:25 PM PST A small new study shows that, in people with type 2 diabetes, those who consume a high-energy breakfast and a low-energy dinner have better blood sugar control than those who eat a low-energy breakfast and a high-energy dinner.

Tissue engineering: Scientists grow leg muscle from cells in a dish Posted: 24 Feb 2015 03:25 PM PST Scientists have generated mature, functional skeletal muscles in mice using a new approach for tissue engineering. The scientists grew a leg muscle starting from engineered cells cultured in a dish to produce a graft. The subsequent graft was implanted close to a normal, contracting skeletal muscle where the new muscle was nurtured and grown. In time, the method could allow for patient-specific treatments for a large number of muscle disorders.

Potential treatment for drug-resistant tuberculosis discovered Posted: 24 Feb 2015 02:21 PM PST A new small molecule drug has been discovered that may serve as a treatment against multi-drug resistant tuberculosis, a form of the disease that cannot be cured with conventional therapies. While standard anti-tuberculosis drugs can cure most people of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection, improper use of antibiotics has led to new strains of the bacterium resistant to the two most powerful medications, isoniazid and rifampicin.

Skin test may shed new light on Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases Posted: 24 Feb 2015 01:49 PM PST Scientists have discovered a skin test that may shed new light on Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. The study showed that skin biopsies can be used to detect elevated levels of abnormal proteins found in the two diseases.

Teen girls from rural areas more likely to have undiagnosed asthma, be depressed Posted: 24 Feb 2015 10:13 AM PST Teen girls who live in rural areas are more likely than their male counterparts to have undiagnosed asthma, and they often are at a higher risk of depression, according to researchers. "There's a lot of speculation about why females are more likely to be undiagnosed," says the lead researcher. "Maybe it's because boys are more likely to get a sports physical for athletics and they catch it then. Or maybe it's because girls attribute asthma symptoms to something else, like anxiety. That needs further study."

Together, nanotechnology, genetic interference may tackle 'untreatable/ brain tumors Posted: 24 Feb 2015 10:13 AM PST There are no effective available treatments for sufferers of Glioblastoma multiforme, the most aggressive and devastating form of brain tumor. Now a study may offer hope to the tens of thousands diagnosed with gliomas every year, using a nanomedical treatment first engineered to tackle ovarian cancer tumors.

Marine oil supplement has positive effects on post-exercise muscle damage Posted: 24 Feb 2015 10:12 AM PST There may be a greater connection between mussels and muscles than previously thought. A new study has found that taking a pre-exercise supplement of the omega-3 PCSO-524, a marine oil lipid derived from the New Zealand green-lipped mussel, has significant positive effects on post-exercise muscle damage.

In triple-negative breast cancer, even low-androgen tumors respond to anti-androgen therapy Posted: 24 Feb 2015 10:12 AM PST Clinical trials are underway of anti-androgen drugs against high-androgen triple-negative breast cancers, and new work shows the threshold for benefit from anti-androgen therapies may be much lower than previously thought: even breast cancers with few androgen receptors benefit from anti-androgen therapy.

Unique emotion recognition treatment leads to significant improvement in children with high-functioning autism Posted: 24 Feb 2015 10:11 AM PST A unique emotion recognition treatment has been found highly effective for children with high-functioning autism. Children in the treatment group demonstrated significantly improved emotion-recognition skills and lower parent ratings of autism symptoms.

New research provides first glimpse of weight gain guidance for pregnant women with obesity Posted: 24 Feb 2015 10:11 AM PST New research provides the first glimpse of weight-gain guidance for pregnant women with various classes of obesity based on body mass index (BMI), and suggests that they not gain any weight until mid-pregnancy or later.

Unexpected outcomes for elderly couples who stop driving Posted: 24 Feb 2015 09:09 AM PST Even if just one member of a couple stops driving, negative consequences result for both the driver and non-driver, a study concludes. The researcher recommends that the elderly and their adult children carefully discuss and plan for the transition to driving cessation.

Inherited gene variation leaves young leukemia patients at risk for peripheral neuropathy Posted: 24 Feb 2015 09:09 AM PST Researchers have identified the first genetic variation that is associated with increased risk and severity of peripheral neuropathy following treatment with a widely used anti-cancer drug. Investigators also found evidence of how it may be possible to protect young leukemia patients without jeopardizing cures.

Decline in smoking rates may increase lung cancer mortality due to inadequate screening guidelines Posted: 24 Feb 2015 08:29 AM PST A decline in smoking rates may mean that many people who could have benefited from early detection of lung cancer are dying because they don’t qualify for low-dose CT scans, according to a group of researchers.

Findings may help with the management of anticoagulant-related bleeding within the brain Posted: 24 Feb 2015 08:29 AM PST Among patients with oral anticoagulation-associated intracerebral hemorrhage (bleeding within the brain), reversal of international normalized ratio below a certain level within 4 hours and systolic blood pressure less than 160 mm Hg at 4 hours were associated with lower rates of hematoma (a localized swelling filled with blood) enlargement, and resumption of anticoagulant therapy was associated with a lower risk of ischemic events without increased bleeding complications, according to a study.

Need for more sensitive lung cancer screening criteria, study suggests Posted: 24 Feb 2015 08:29 AM PST An analysis of lung cancer incidence and screening found a decline in the proportion of patients with lung cancer meeting high-risk screening criteria, suggesting that an increasing number of patients with lung cancer would not have been candidates for screening, according to a study.

Gene variant, risk, severity of nerve disorder linked to cancer drug Posted: 24 Feb 2015 08:29 AM PST Children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia who had a certain gene variant experienced a higher incidence and severity of peripheral neuropathy after receiving treatment with the cancer drug vincristine, according to a study.

Taking NSAIDs with anti-clotting medications, risk of bleeding, cv events Posted: 24 Feb 2015 08:29 AM PST Among patients receiving antithrombotic therapy (to prevent the formation of blood clots) after a heart attack, the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) was associated with an increased risk of bleeding and events such as heart attack, stroke or cardiovascular death, even after short-term treatment, according to a study.

Do genes play a role in peanut allergies? New study suggests yes Posted: 24 Feb 2015 08:29 AM PST Researchers have pinpointed a region in the human genome associated with peanut allergy in U.S. children, offering strong evidence that genes can play a role in the development of food allergies.

Scientists find cancer weak spots for new targeted drugs Posted: 24 Feb 2015 07:41 AM PST Scientists have identified weak spots in cancer cells that could be targeted and attacked by new precision drugs.

Mapping lizard venom makes it possible to develop new drugs Posted: 24 Feb 2015 06:18 AM PST Lizards and other reptiles are not normally considered venomous, but a number of lizard species actually do produce and use venom. The most classic venomous lizard is no doubt the gila monster -- a heavy-bodied lizard. As the first in the world, a group of researchers has made a comprehensive description of the proteins in the venom which can prove to be relevant in connection with developing new types of drugs.

Previously unknown effect of vitamin A identified Posted: 24 Feb 2015 06:17 AM PST A previously unknown effect of vitamin A in human embryonic development has been identified by researchers, indicating that vitamin A affects the formation of blood cells.

Investigational drug can reduce asthma flareups Posted: 24 Feb 2015 06:17 AM PST An investigational drug appears to cut the risk of severe asthma attacks in half for patients who have difficulty controlling the disorder with standard medications, according to results from two multicenter clinical trials.

Androgen receptor abnormality may not be associated with primary resistance to taxane chemotherapy Posted: 24 Feb 2015 06:17 AM PST Findings from a small prospective study suggest that androgen receptor V7 (or AR-V7) status does not significantly affect response to taxane chemotherapy in men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Treatment outcomes were largely similar for the 17 patients with AR-V7-positive prostate cancer and the 20 patients with AR-V7-negative disease included in this analysis.

Men who have had testicular cancer are more likely to develop prostate cancer, although overall risk of developing aggressive disease is low Posted: 24 Feb 2015 06:17 AM PST A case-control study of close to 180,000 men suggests that the incidence of prostate cancer is higher among men with a history of testicular cancer (12.6 percent) than among those without a history of testicular cancer (2.8 percent). Men who have had testicular cancer were also more likely to develop intermediate- or high-risk prostate cancers.

Active Surveillance of Intermediate-Risk Prostate Cancer Associated With Decreased Survival Posted: 24 Feb 2015 06:17 AM PST An analysis of data on 945 patients with prostate cancer that is managed with active surveillance shows differences in outcomes depending on whether the patient was low or intermediate risk at diagnosis. Compared to patients with low-risk disease, those with intermediate-risk cancer (PSA >10ng/ml or Gleason score 7 or clinical stage T2b/2c) had a nearly four-fold higher chance of dying from prostate cancer within 15 years.

Adjuvant sorafenib and sunitinib do not improve outcomes in locally advanced kidney cancer Posted: 24 Feb 2015 06:17 AM PST Findings from a federally funded study suggest that patients with locally advanced kidney cancer should not be treated with either adjuvant (post-surgery) sorafenib or sunitinib. The average period to disease recurrence was similar between those who received sorafenib or sunitinib after surgery (5.6 years) and those treated with placebo (5.7 years).

Early evidence of increase in higher-risk prostate cancers from 2011-2013 Posted: 24 Feb 2015 06:17 AM PST An analysis of data on roughly 87,500 men treated for prostate cancer since 2005 finds a notable increase in higher-risk cases of the disease between 2011 and 2013.

Preventing diabetic heart condition in mice by amplifying effect of exercise: Potential for benefits of exercise in a pill? Posted: 24 Feb 2015 06:17 AM PST Magnifying a benefit of exercise in mice provided a "profound" protection from diabetic cardiomyopathy, a potentially deadly heart condition that affects many people with diabetes. The discovery demonstrates the power of exercise to prevent chronic health conditions and suggests that one day some benefits of exercise may come in a pill or bottle.

Disparities in breast cancer care linked to net worth Posted: 24 Feb 2015 05:38 AM PST Household net worth is a major and overlooked factor in adherence to hormonal therapy among breast cancer patients and partially explains racial disparities in quality of care. Several studies have shown that disparities in income contribute to disparities in health care between racial and ethnic groups, but no one had specifically analyzed the effect of household net worth on quality of care in breast cancer patients until now.

Keep calm, anger can trigger a heart attack! Posted: 24 Feb 2015 05:38 AM PST The risk of a heart attack is 8.5 times higher in the two hours following a burst of intense anger, researchers have found after investigating the link between acute emotional triggers and high risk of severe cardiac episodes. High levels of anxiety were associated with a 9.5 fold increased risk of triggering a heart attack in the two hours after an anxiety episode.

Peanut consumption in infancy prevents peanut allergy, study finds Posted: 24 Feb 2015 05:38 AM PST Introduction of peanut products into the diets of infants at high risk of developing peanut allergy was safe and led to an 81 percent reduction in the subsequent development of the allergy, a clinical trial has found. "Food allergies are a growing concern, not just in the United States but around the world," said an expert. "For a study to show a benefit of this magnitude in the prevention of peanut allergy is without precedent. The results have the potential to transform how we approach food allergy prevention."

UK 'fit note' linked to fewer people taking long-term sick leave Posted: 24 Feb 2015 05:38 AM PST There is some evidence that the UK 'fit note,' which replaced the 'sick note' in 2010 in the UK, is linked to fewer people taking long term sick leave of 12 or more weeks, reveals research.

Homeless people with mental illness have higher 30-year risk of serious cardiovascular disease, research finds Posted: 24 Feb 2015 05:38 AM PST Homeless people with mental disease have a greater than double risk of developing serious or fatal cardiovascular disease over 30 years than people of the same age and gender with no risk factors for the disease, new research has found.

Water fluoridation in England linked to higher rates of underactive thyroid Posted: 24 Feb 2015 05:38 AM PST Water fluoridation above a certain level is linked to 30 percent higher than expected rates of underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) in England, suggests research. Researchers point out that their findings echo those of previous research, and that while they were only able to look at diagnosed hypothyroidism, there might also be other cases of impaired thyroid function that have not yet been diagnosed--and treated.

'Massive' tobacco industry third party lobbying for revised European Directive Posted: 24 Feb 2015 05:38 AM PST The tobacco industry deployed 'massive' third party lobbying to subvert revised European regulations on tobacco products, helped by regulatory reforms that seem to have made it easier for corporate interests to influence public health legislation, reveals research.

Professional associations call for policies to reduce firearm injuries, deaths in US Posted: 24 Feb 2015 05:37 AM PST ACP and other national health organizations and the American Bar Association release key principles and consensus-based recommendations.

Agriculture expansion in Tanzania may greatly increase human plague risk Posted: 24 Feb 2015 05:37 AM PST The push to boost food production in East Africa that is accelerating the conversion of natural lands into croplands may be significantly increasing the risk of plague according to a new study.

Too many food choices exacerbate the battle against obesity, researchers find Posted: 24 Feb 2015 05:37 AM PST Researchers found that having too many food choices increases the obesity problem. In fact, researchers found that having a choice of a high-fat and low-fat diet does not help -- offspring in this situation tended to eat even more.

Quick test for Ebola developed Posted: 24 Feb 2015 05:37 AM PST Using a simple paper strip similar to a pregnancy test, researchers have found a way to rapidly diagnose Ebola, as well as other viral hemorrhagic fevers such as yellow fever and dengue fever.

The numbers are in: As many as two in three smokers will die from their habit, Australian study concludes Posted: 24 Feb 2015 05:37 AM PST A large-scale population study of 200,000 people puts tobacco death toll as high as two in every three smokers, scientists report. The research is the first evidence from a broad cross-section of the population to show the smoking-related death toll is as high as two thirds.

Possible drug target to combat sleeping sickness discovered Posted: 24 Feb 2015 05:33 AM PST A possible way to keep the parasite that transmits sleeping sickness from reproducing has been discovered by researchers, promising to reduce the health dangers to its human hosts.

Skin cancer patients resistant to leading therapy studied Posted: 24 Feb 2015 05:33 AM PST Powerful drugs known as BRAF-inhibitors have been crucial for melanoma patients, saving lives through their ability to turn off the BRAF protein’s power to spur cancer cell growth. Yet they often work for only a year or less. Scientists know some of the DNA mutations that cause the drug resistance, but scientists have not been able to determine the underlying cause of the resistance in as many as a third of these patients. Now researchers may have found a way to more accurately predict which patients will likely respond to genomic-based follow-up therapies, by looking at unique “protein patterns” in melanoma patients.

No preventive benefits found for widely used kidney cancer drugs Posted: 24 Feb 2015 05:33 AM PST Two widely used targeted therapy drugs— approved by the FDA for use in metastatic kidney cancer —are no more effective than a placebo in preventing return of the disease to increase life spans of patients suffering from advanced kidney cancer after surgery, according to new research results.

Small loop in human prion protein prevents chronic wasting disease Posted: 24 Feb 2015 05:33 AM PST Chronic wasting disease (CWD) affects North American elk and deer, but has not been observed in humans. Using a mouse model that expresses an altered form of the normal human prion protein, researchers have determined why the human proteins aren’t corrupted when exposed to the elk prions. Their study identifies a small loop in the human prion protein that confers resistance to chronic wasting disease.

Pregnant women unmoved by maternity hospital ratings, English study suggests Posted: 24 Feb 2015 05:31 AM PST Media reports in 2008 naming the best and worst NHS trusts for maternity care did not lead to more women going to the top hospitals or avoiding the lowest, a study has found.

First portable system for monitoring patients with Parkinson's disease tested on 50 people from different countries Posted: 24 Feb 2015 05:31 AM PST The evolution of Parkinson's is monitored in real time through a new portable system, with results sent to the doctor to improve the prescription of medication, developers report.

Asian tree rings explain historical plague outbreaks in Europe Posted: 24 Feb 2015 05:31 AM PST Climate-driven plague outbreaks in Asia were repeatedly transmitted over several centuries into southern European harbors, an international team of researchers has found. This finding contrasts the general belief that the second plague pandemic "Black Death" was a singular introduction of Yersinia pestis from Asia to Europe in 1347 AD.

Eye development: Morphogenesis through flowing tissue Posted: 24 Feb 2015 05:29 AM PST In an in vivo analysis of eye development, researchers have gained fundamental new insight into the development of coloboma of the eye, prompting them to revise the classical view of the development of this sensory organ in vertebrates. The team used in vivo 4D microscopy to demonstrate that directed tissue flow transforms the optic vesicle into the optic cup during eye development. This is not only critical for understanding the cause of coloboma ("cat eye syndrome"), but also means that eye development in vertebrates, including humans, is fundamentally different than has been taught for more than 70 years.

Bisphenol A: Finding safe levels a challenge, danish experts maintain Posted: 24 Feb 2015 05:29 AM PST After having examined the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) new health assessment of bisphenol A, Danish experts maintain its assessment of the chemical compound, maintaining that the safe level recently recommended by EFSA does not adequately protect consumers against endocrine disrupting effects of bisphenol A.

Sobering effect of the love hormone Posted: 23 Feb 2015 01:44 PM PST Giving drunken rats oxytocin counteracts its intoxicating effects, researchers have found. "In the rat equivalent of a sobriety test, the rats given alcohol and oxytocin passed with flying colours, while those given alcohol without oxytocin were seriously impaired," a researcher said. This 'sobering-up' effect of oxytocin has yet to be shown in humans but the researchers plan to conduct these studies in the near future.

Working in an interventional laboratory may lead to health problems Posted: 23 Feb 2015 01:44 PM PST Frequent use of lead aprons to protect medical professionals in the interventional lab and radiology departments from radiation exposure is associated with increased musculoskeletal pain, according to a study.

Small molecule might help reduce cancer in at-risk population, study finds Posted: 23 Feb 2015 01:44 PM PST By changing the selectivity of an enzyme, a small molecule could potentially be used to decrease the likelihood of alcohol-related cancers in an at-risk population, researchers report. Enzymes are enablers. They are highly specialized parts of cellular machinery tasked with bringing together molecules to make it easier for chemical reactions to happen. However, sometimes enzymes are defective and malfunction, which can cause disease.

Parasitism runs deep in malaria's family tree Posted: 23 Feb 2015 01:42 PM PST The ancestors of a large family of parasites--including those that cause malaria--were equipped to become parasites much earlier in their lineage than previously assumed, according to new research. The work traces the emergence of parasitism among apicomplexans--complex, single cell parasites that possess highly specialized tools to invade host cells and tissues.

T-cell therapy clinical trial now offered to cancer patients in Michigan Posted: 23 Feb 2015 01:42 PM PST A clinical trial using T-cell therapy that uses the patients' own immune cells to hunt down cancer cells is now being offered at the University of Michigan's C.S. Mott Children's Hospital.

Diet high in red meat may make kidney disease worse Posted: 23 Feb 2015 01:42 PM PST An estimated 26 million people in the United States have chronic kidney disease, which can lead to complete kidney failure. Once the kidneys fail, patients either need to undergo dialysis treatments three times a week or have a kidney transplant to remain alive. "Our study found that patients with chronic kidney disease who consumed diets high in animal protein were three times more likely to develop kidney failure than patients who consumed diets high in fruits and vegetables," the lead author says.

Hair sample tests reveal underreported exposure to tobacco smoke among preemies with lung disease Posted: 23 Feb 2015 01:42 PM PST Public health experts have long known that tobacco smoke exposure (TSE) can be harmful for children with bronchopulmonary dysplasia, a lung disease that often accompanies premature birth. Now a small study using hair samples to measure nicotine levels not only affirms that TSE is common in this population, but also reveals significant exposure among children whose caregivers claim not to smoke at home.

Scientists find key protein that allows Plavix to conquer platelets Posted: 23 Feb 2015 01:41 PM PST The blood platelet protein Rasa3 is critical to the success of the common anti-platelet drug Plavix, which breaks up blood clots during heart attacks and other arterial diseases, researchers have found. The discovery could prove important for creating drugs to alter platelet function.

Resistance to aspirin tied to more severe strokes Posted: 23 Feb 2015 01:41 PM PST People who exhibit a resistance to aspirin may be more likely to have more severe strokes than people who still respond to the drug, according to a new study.