Health News

Altering intestinal bacteria may lead to obesity treatments

Date: Sep-26-2013
A drug that appears to target specific intestinal bacteria in the guts of mice may create a chain reaction that could eventually lead to new treatments for obesity and diabetes in humans, according to a team of researchers. Mice fed a high-fat diet and provided tempol, an anti-oxidant drug that may help protect people from the effects of radiation, were significantly less obese than those that did not receive the drug, according to Andrew Patterson, assistant professor of molecular toxicology, Penn State, who worked with Frank J. Gonzalez, laboratory metabolism chief, and James B...

Diarrhea not reduced by sulfasalazine in patients receiving radiation therapy

Date: Sep-26-2013
Sulfasalazine, a drug commonly prescribed to reduce diarrhea in patients with inflammatory bowel disease, does not reduce diarrhea in patients receiving radiation therapy for cancers in the pelvic area a Mayo Clinic-led study has found. The study also found that the medication may be associated with a higher risk of diarrhea than a placebo when used during radiation therapy to the pelvis. The results were presented at the American Society of Radiation Oncology's (ASTRO's) 55th Annual Meeting in Atlanta...

What are the benefits of eucalyptus?

Date: Sep-26-2013
Eucalyptus is a fast growing evergreen tree native to Australia. There are over 400 different species of the tree. Eucalyptus Globulus (also known as Blue Gum) is the main source of global eucalyptus oil production. Eucalyptus oil comes from the dried leaves of the eucalyptus tree. The oil is a colorless liquid with a strong woody and sweet scent. Eucalyptus leaves are steam-distilled to extract the oil. Eucalyptus oil contains 70-85% 1,8-cineole (eucalyptol) - an ingredient in some mouthwash and dental preparations. The oil has multiple different uses...

Improved outcomes for Alzheimer's patients who receive early diagnosis with neuroimaging

Date: Sep-26-2013
Patients suffering from early symptoms of Alzheimer's disease who were diagnosed sooner than usual using a brain imaging test received Alzheimer-specific medications earlier than those who did not have the brain imaging results available to their doctors or themselves. These patients also had significantly better clinical outcomes during the subsequent years they were clinically monitored, UCLA researchers have found for the first time...

Comprehensive analysis to detect seasonal cycles of Kawasaki disease season to isolate cause of devastating childhood disease

Date: Sep-26-2013
After more than four decades of research, strong evidence now shows that Kawasaki disease has a distinct seasonal occurrence shared by regions across the Northern hemisphere. The first global analysis of the seasonality of Kawasaki disease, published by PLOS ONE, was carried out using data obtained between 1970 and 2012. It included 296,203 cases from 39 locations in 25 countries around the globe, with 27 of those locations in the extra-tropical Northern hemisphere, eight in the tropics, and four in the extra-tropical Southern hemisphere...

Youths with cross-ethnic friendships feel safer, less vulnerable

Date: Sep-26-2013
Friendships matter throughout life, and in early adolescence they provide validation and emotional support. Now a new study has found that friendships across ethnic groups in urban middle schools help protect youths from feeling vulnerable, making them feel less lonely and at the same time safer. As the population of children in the United States grows increasingly diverse, this study has implications for how educators oversee student interactions...

Changes in endoplasmic reticulum and development of hereditary spastic paraplegia

Date: Sep-26-2013
Hereditary spastic paraplegias (HSP) are a group of hereditary diseases that result in progressive loss of motor function in the lower limbs, and mutations in many different genes have been implicated in disease progression. One common feature of HSP is the progressive degradation of the axons of cortical motor neurons; however, it is not fully understood how mutations in is so many different genes result in axonal degradation...

Patients with common variable immune deficiency at risk for development of autoimmunity

Date: Sep-26-2013
Common variable immune deficiency (CVID) is a genetic disease associated with enhanced susceptibility to infection, autoimmunity, and decreased antibody production. Mutations in the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily member TACI, are associated with CVID and autoimmunity development. Interestingly, autoimmunity develops in CVID patients with only one mutated copy of TACI, and CVID patients with two mutated TACI alleles do not develop autoimmunity...

Renal problems a greater risk for some childhood cancer survivors

Date: Sep-26-2013
Adult survivors of childhood cancers who underwent certain chemotherapy treatments or kidney surgery had worse kidney function that did not recover over time. Because of this, they may be at higher risk for premature renal failure, according to a study published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research...

Study: omega-3 does not combat cognitive decline

Date: Sep-26-2013
There have been many studies advocating how omega-3 fatty acids can benefit our health. But a new study suggests that high levels of omega-3 are of no benefit to cognitive decline in older women. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are types of fats commonly found in plant and marine life. Of particular interest to nutritionists and health care professionals are two types of omega-3 acids - DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) - due to their rumored health benefits...