Health News

Protein coding 'junk genes' may be linked to cancer

Date: Nov-19-2013
By using a new analysis method, researchers at Karolinska Institutet and Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab) in Sweden have found close to one hundred novel human gene regions that code for proteins. A number of these regions are so-called pseudogenes, which may be linked to cancer. The expectation is now that this recently developed protein analysis method, published in the scientific journal Nature Methods, will open up a whole new field of research.All information about the human genome is stored in the DNA sequence in the cell nucleus, and was mapped in the early 2000s.

Brain-computer interface technology helps stroke survivors recover hand function

Date: Nov-19-2013
"Virtual reality hands" - controlled by stroke survivors' thoughts - could help them recover use of their hands and arms, according to a small study presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2013."Using a brain-computer interface, we've created an environment where people who may be too physically impaired to move can practice mental imagery to help regain use of their arms and hands," said Alexander Doud, M.S., lead author.

Survival improved and some heart attacks prevented by being physically fit

Date: Nov-19-2013
A new study highlights the importance of exercise and physical fitness among people with stable coronary artery disease. Researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Henry Ford Hospital found that higher levels of physical fitness lower the risk of having heart attacks and increase survival in those with coronary artery disease, whether or not they have had a procedure to open up their blocked arteries."In our study, the patients who were most fit had a 75 percent lower risk of dying from any cause compared to those who were least fit.

The cost-effectiveness of cataract surgery

Date: Nov-19-2013
Cataract surgeries performed over one year eventually save $123.4 billion over 13 years and delivers a 4,567 percent financial return on investment to society according to the results of a cost-utility study, published online in the Academy's official journal, Ophthalmology, and presented at the world's largest ophthalmic conference, the American Academy of Ophthalmology's 117th Annual Meeting, in New Orleans. Researchers say that the results prove that healthcare interventions create substantial economic wealth.Cataract, which affects approximately 24.

Molecule critical to healing wounds identified

Date: Nov-19-2013
Skin provides a first line of defense against viruses, bacteria and parasites that might otherwise make people ill. When an injury breaks that barrier, a systematic chain of molecular signaling launches to close the wound and re-establish the skin's layer of protection.A study led by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania's School of Dental Medicine and published in the Journal of Cell Biology now offers a clearer explanation of the role of one of the players in the wound-healing process, a molecule called FOX01.

HIV protein may impact neurocognitive impairment in infected patients

Date: Nov-19-2013
A protein shed by HIV-infected brain cells alters synaptic connections between networks of nerve cells, according to new research out of the University of Minnesota. The findings could explain why nearly half of all patients infected with the AIDS virus experience some level of neurocognitive impairment.The research was published in the current volume of the Journal of Neuroscience."The synaptic changes didn't appear to be a symptom of nerve death," said Nicholas Hargus, Ph.D.

Injuries from the Tough Mudder Extreme Sports Event

Date: Nov-19-2013
The Tough Mudder, an extreme sports event that bills itself as "probably the toughest event on the planet," resulted in injuries ranging from multiple electrical burns to seizure-induced Todd's paralysis. A case series of serious injuries sustained by participants in one such race was reported online in Annals of Emergency Medicine "Unique Obstacle Race Injuries at an Extreme Sports Event: A Case Series.

The chance of surviving cardiac arrest is higher if CPR continued for 38 minutes or longer

Date: Nov-19-2013
Performing CPR for 38 minutes or longer can improve a patient's chance of surviving cardiac arrest, according to a study presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2013.Sustaining CPR that long also improves the chances that survivors will have normal brain function, researchers said.Cardiac arrest occurs when electrical impulses in the heart become rapid or chaotic, causing it to suddenly stop beating.

Trauma patients' risk of death reduced by blood transfusions en route to hospital

Date: Nov-19-2013
More adult trauma patients survived when they received early transfusions of plasma or red blood cells while en route to the hospital by helicopter or ground transport, in a study presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2013.Trauma is the leading cause of death in people 1 to 44 years old and the leading cause of years of life lost, researchers said.In a retrospective study, 97 patients received pre-hospital transfusions and 480 patients who didn't receive pre-hospital transfusions were controls.

Just 1 minute of CPR video training could save lives

Date: Nov-19-2013
Just one minute of CPR video training for bystanders in a shopping mall could save lives in emergencies, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2013.Researchers used a one-minute CPR video to improve responsiveness and teach compression only CPR to people with no CPR experience.Participants were divided into two groups: 48 adults looked at the video, while 47 sat idle for one minute. In a private area with a mannequin simulating a sudden collapse, both groups were asked to do "what they thought best.