Health News

Brain study uncovers vital clue in bid to beat epilepsy - role played by protein BDNF identified

Date: Sep-06-2013
People with epilepsy could be helped by new research into the way a key molecule controls brain activity during a seizure. Researchers have identified the role played by a protein - called BDNF - and say the discovery could lead to new drugs that calm the symptoms of epileptic seizures. Scientists analysed the way cells communicate when the brain is most active - such as in epileptic seizures - when electrical signalling by the brain's neurons is increased...

National Sleep Foundation 2013 international bedroom poll first to explore sleep differences among six countries

Date: Sep-06-2013
The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) has released its first international poll, the 2013 International Bedroom Poll, comparing sleep times, attitudes, habits and bedtime routines of those in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Germany and Japan between the ages of 25 and 55 years old. Japan and the United States report the least amount of sleep. Japanese and Americans report sleeping about 30 to 40 minutes less on workdays than those in the other countries surveyed, averaging 6 hours and 22 minutes and 6 hours and 31 minutes of sleep, respectively...

Insulin levels determine effect of weight loss on vascular function

Date: Sep-06-2013
Researchers have discovered that obese people who have lost considerable weight are more likely to have better blood vessel function if they show high levels of insulin following weight loss. The study, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, was conducted by researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and Boston Medical Center (BMC). According to the American Heart Association, there are around 78 million obese adults in the US alone...

'Higher stroke risk' in young people

Date: Sep-06-2013
The occurrence of a stroke is usually associated with people over the age of 65. But according to a new report, young people are now at higher risk for the condition. The consensus report, published in the journal Neurology, analyzed the recognition and management of stroke in people between 15 and 44 years of age in the US. The analysis revealed that overall, 15% of the most common types of strokes occur in young people and adolescents, with more young people showing risk factors for strokes...

Removing the carotid body connection to the brain in rodents significantly reduces blood pressure

Date: Sep-06-2013
Removing one of the tiniest organs in the body has shown to provide effective treatment for high blood pressure. The discovery, made by University of Bristol researchers and published in Nature Communications, could revolutionise treatment of the world's biggest silent killer. The carotid body - a small nodule (no larger than a rice grain) found on the side of each carotid artery - appears to be a major culprit in the development and regulation of high blood pressure...

Life without insulin is possible

Date: Sep-06-2013
Several millions of people around the world suffer from insulin deficiencies. Insulin is a hormone, secreted by the beta cells in the pancreas, which plays a major role in the regulation of energy substrates such as glucose. This insufficiency, primarily caused by diabetes (types 1 and 2), has lethal consequences if it is not treated. As of now, only daily insulin injections allow patients to survive. Several millions of people around the world suffer from insulin deficiencies...

Research confirms Mediterranean diet is good for the mind

Date: Sep-06-2013
The first systematic review of related research confirms a positive impact on cognitive function, but an inconsistent effect on mild cognitive impairment Over recent years many pieces of research have identified a link between adherence to a Mediterranean diet and a lower risk of age-related disease such as dementia. Until now there has been no systematic review of such research, where a number of studies regarding a Mediterranean diet and cognitive function are reviewed for consistencies, common trends and inconsistencies...

Synthetic polymer could stop the spread of HIV

Date: Sep-06-2013
A precisely designed macromolecule that mimics the binding of HIV to immune system cells could be used to stop the virus from physically entering the body, according to a new study led by a materials scientist at Queen Mary University of London. The researchers created the large molecule with several sugar molecules, known as glycopolymers. By using different sugars attached to the macromolecule in solution, the scientists were able to investigate which sugar molecules were the most effective in inhibiting the potential binding of the virus...

Scientists edge closer towards first pancreatitis treatment

Date: Sep-06-2013
Scientists have for the first time provided proof of principle for a drug-based treatment of acute pancreatitis - a disease which is often alcohol-related and for which currently there is no treatment. Each year around 20,000 people in the UK are admitted to hospital with acute pancreatitis. One in five of these cases are severe, resulting in around 1000 deaths annually...

Blind mole-rats are resistant to chemically induced cancers

Date: Sep-06-2013
Like naked mole-rats (Heterocephalus gaber), blind mole-rats (of the genus Spalax) live underground in low-oxygen environments, are long-lived and resistant to cancer. A new study demonstrates just how cancer-resistant Spalax are, and suggests that the adaptations that help these rodents survive in low-oxygen environments also play a role in their longevity and cancer resistance. The findings are reported in the journal Biomed Central: Biology...