Health News

In patients with autism, neurons in brain's 'face recognition center' respond differently

Date: Nov-22-2013
In what are believed to be the first studies of their kind, Cedars-Sinai researchers recording the real-time firing of individual nerve cells in the brain found that a specific type of neuron in a structure called the amygdala performed differently in people who suffer from autism spectrum disorder than in those who do not.Autism spectrum disorder and autism are general terms for a group of complex disorders of brain development that affect social interactions, communication skills and behaviors.

Heart disease risk reduces faster than previously thought following smoking cessation

Date: Nov-22-2013
Cigarette smokers who are over 65 years of age may be able to lower their risk of cardiovascular disease-related deaths to the level of never-smokers when they quit faster than previously reported, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2013.A study showed that older people who smoked less than 32 "pack years" - 3.

The cardiovascular effects of psychological stress impact mortality after myocardial infarction among younger women

Date: Nov-22-2013
Researchers have found that women younger than 50 with a recent heart attack are more likely to experience restricted blood flow to the heart (myocardial ischemia) in response to psychological stress.The finding may partly explain why younger women who are hospitalized after a heart attack face a greater risk of complications and dying, compared to men of the same age.The results were presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions meeting in Dallas.

The high cost of cardiac surgery healthcare associated infections

Date: Nov-22-2013
After cardiac surgery, healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are common complications associated with increased morbidity, mortality, and use of resources.Study findings reported at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2013 by investigators from the Cardiothoracic Surgical Trials Network (CTSN), whose Data and Clinical Coordinating Center is at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, revealed the substantial economic impact of HAIs following cardiac surgery and the importance of preventing these infections leading to re-hospitalizations.

Single dose of stem cell therapy during surgery may improve new LVAD patients' heart function

Date: Nov-22-2013
A multicenter team of researchers within the NIH-funded Cardiothoracic Surgical Trials Network (CTSN), led by Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, have found end-stage heart failure patients who receive a surgically implanted left ventricular assist device (LVAD) heart pump may also benefit from a single dose of millions of powerful cells injected directly into their heart during surgery.The CTSN, whose Data and Clinical Coordinating Center is at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, conducted the clinical trial in collaboration with the Cardiovascular Cell Therapy Research Network.

Rapid point-of-care HIV testing preferred by youth

Date: Nov-22-2013
Youth prefer, accept and receive HIV results more often when offered rapid finger prick or saliva swab tests rather than traditional blood tests according to a study by researchers at St. Michael's Hospital.More than 50 per cent of youths who took part in 14 North American studies preferred the rapid point-of-care tests because they are less invasive and provide faster results, said family physician Dr. Suzanne Turner.Her literature review of studies published between 1990 and 2013 on HIV, POC testing and youth, appear in the Journal of Adolescent Health.

Proven strategies to help smokers quit are lacking from most smartphone apps

Date: Nov-22-2013
An estimated 11 million smokers in the United States own a smartphone and increasingly they're turning to apps in an attempt to quit. But many of the most popular anti-smoking apps for iPhones or Androids lack some basic strategies that are known to help smokers quit, according to a new study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine."Quit-smoking apps are an increasingly available tool for smokers," says lead author Lorien Abroms, ScD, an associate professor of Prevention and Community Health at the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services (SPHHS).

Study suggests racial inequality leads to higher cancer mortality in blacks

Date: Nov-22-2013
Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine say metastatic colorectal cancer patients of African-American descent are less likely to be seen by cancer specialists or receive cancer treatments. This difference in treatment explains a large part of the 15 percent higher mortality experienced by African-American patients than non-Hispanic white patients.

Study suggests racial inequality leads to higher cancer mortality in blacks

Date: Nov-22-2013
Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine say metastatic colorectal cancer patients of African-American descent are less likely to be seen by cancer specialists or receive cancer treatments. This difference in treatment explains a large part of the 15 percent higher mortality experienced by African-American patients than non-Hispanic white patients.

Predicting how biological molecules interact with water

Date: Nov-22-2013
A team of biochemists and mathematicians have developed a sophisticated geometric model to predict how a biological molecule will interact with water molecules, computing the results up to 20 times faster than other existing approaches. This new approach may help researchers find new drugs to treat human diseases, said the team, who described their theoretical approach in the Journal of Chemical Physics, which is produced by AIP Publishing.