Health News

Discovery of key link responsible for colon cancer initiation and metastasis

Date: Nov-13-2013
Chronic inflammation has long been known as a key risk factor for cancer - particularly colon cancer - but the exact mechanisms of how inflammation heightens the immune response, and ultimately influences the initiation and progression of cancer have remained elusive. It is well established that anti-inflammatory drugs, like aspirin, reduce the risk of colorectal cancer. Now, an ASU research team led by Biodesign Institute executive director Dr. Ray DuBois, M.D...

High tungsten levels double stroke risk

Date: Nov-13-2013
High levels of tungsten in the body could double the risk of suffering a stroke, a new study published in the open access journal PLOS ONE has found. Using data from a large US health survey, the study has shown that high concentrations of tungsten - as measured in urine samples - is strongly linked with an increase in the occurrence of stroke, roughly equal to a doubling of the odds of experiencing the condition. Conducted by a team from the University of Exeter, the study represents the most comprehensive analysis to date of the potential health effects of the metal...

Diagnosing lethal heart rhythm in the womb

Date: Nov-13-2013
A promising technology may enable doctors to diagnose and possibly treat in utero a common cause of stillbirth and sudden death in infants, according to research published in the American Heart Association journal Circulation. The study is the first to document the electrophysiological characteristics of fetal long QT syndrome and to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of the magnetic EKG, or magnetocardiogram, in a sizable population of at-risk fetuses. "Until now, physicians were unable to diagnose a serious heart condition known as long QT syndrome until after birth," said Ronald T...

Volatile organic compound found that attacks the genes that make and transport dopamine

Date: Nov-13-2013
Scientists at Rutgers and Emory universities have discovered that an organic compound, often emitted by fungi, causes symptoms of Parkinson's disease in fruit flies and may be linked to Parkinson's and other neurodegenerative diseases in humans...

New studies show life events influence genes important for memory and drug use

Date: Nov-13-2013
New human and animal research just released demonstrates how experiences impact genes that influence behavior and health. These studies, presented at Neuroscience 2013, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience and the world's largest source of emerging news about brain science and health, provide new insights into how experience might produce long-term brain changes in behaviors like drug addiction and memory formation...

Poorer young breast cancer patients may experience delays in seeking care

Date: Nov-13-2013
Researchers who sought to determine why breast cancers are more deadly in young women found that only a minority of young women experience long delays between the time they detect a breast abnormality and the time they receive a diagnosis, but delays in seeking care are more common in women with fewer financial resources. The findings are published early online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society. A team led by Kathryn J. Ruddy, MD, MPH, and Dr. Ann H. Partridge, MD, MPH, surveyed 585 women recently diagnosed with breast cancer at or under the age of 40 years...

News from Annals of Internal Medicine: 12 November 2013

Date: Nov-13-2013
1. Insufficient evidence that multivitamins prevent cancer, cardiovascular disease or death. A systematic review of published studies found insufficient evidence that vitamin and mineral supplements are effective for preventing cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer, or mortality from those diseases in healthy adults, according to an article published in Annals of Internal Medicine. Two studies included in the review found lower overall cancer incidence in men who took a multivitamin for over 10 years. Those same studies showed no cancer protection benefit for women...

News from the Annals of Family Medicine: November/December 2013

Date: Nov-13-2013
Patients Report High-Quality Care in Federally Supported Health Centers Patients seen in federally supported community health centers in the United States generally report high quality of care, according to data from a nationally representative survey of more than 4,500 patients. Eight-four percent of patients surveyed reported excellent or very good overall quality of services; 81 percent reported excellent or very good quality of clinician care; and 84 percent were very likely to refer friends and relatives...

Impact of aging population 'exaggerated,' say researchers

Date: Nov-13-2013
Federal representatives have long spoken out regarding the impact of the aging population in developed countries, stating that the increase in people living over the age of 65 will strain the economy and health care systems. But according to an analysis published in the BMJ, this impact has been "exaggerated" and the population is actually getting younger. According to the US Administration on Aging, the number of older Americans increased by 18% (6.3 million) between 2000 and 2011...

The extra cost of improved police surveillance technologies

Date: Nov-13-2013
The ever-increasing adoption of digital surveillance technologies by local police departments may dramatically improve the efficiency of criminal investigations, but it also creates the opportunity for abuse and misuse, a University of Illinois expert in criminal law and information privacy says...