Health News

Schizophrenia-Like Abnormalities Reversed In Mice By Taming Suspect Gene

Date: May-26-2013
Scientists have reversed behavioral and brain abnormalities in adult mice that resemble some features of schizophrenia by restoring normal expression to a suspect gene that is over-expressed in humans with the illness. Targeting expression of the gene Neuregulin1, which makes a protein important for brain development, may hold promise for treating at least some patients with the brain disorder, say researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health...

Groundbreaking 3D Bioresorbable Device Saved Baby's Life By Restoring His Breathing

Date: May-26-2013
Every day, their baby stopped breathing, his collapsed bronchus blocking the crucial flow of air to his lungs. April and Bryan Gionfriddo watched helplessly, just praying that somehow the dire predictions weren't true. "Quite a few doctors said he had a good chance of not leaving the hospital alive," says April Gionfriddo, about her now 20-month-old son, Kaiba. "At that point, we were desperate. Anything that would work, we would take it and run with it." They found hope at the University of Michigan, where a new, bioresorbable device that could help Kaiba was under development...

Algorithm Developed Offering New Guidelines On Blood-Ordering For Surgical Patients

Date: May-26-2013
Johns Hopkins researchers have developed new guidelines - the first in more than 35 years - to govern the amount of blood ordered for surgical patients. The recommendations, based on a lengthy study of blood use at The Johns Hopkins Hospital (JHH), can potentially save the medical center more than $200,000 a year and improve patient safety, researchers say...

Targeting Cell 'Powerhouses' To Overcome Resistance To Anti-Cancer Drugs

Date: May-26-2013
Re-routing anti-cancer drugs to the "power plants" that make energy to keep cells alive is a promising but long-neglected approach to preventing emergence of the drug-resistant forms of cancer - source of a serious medical problem, scientists are reporting. That's the conclusion of a new study published in the journal ACS Chemical Biology. Shana Kelley and colleagues explain that doxorubicin and other common forms of chemotherapy work by damaging the genes inside the nucleus of cancer cells. Cancer cells divide and multiply faster than surrounding normal cells, making copies of their genes...

1-Step Genetic Engineering Technology

Date: May-26-2013
A new, streamlined approach to genetic engineering drastically reduces the time and effort needed to insert new genes into bacteria, the workhorses of biotechnology, scientists are reporting. Published in the journal ACS Synthetic Biology, the method paves the way for more rapid development of designer microbes for drug development, environmental cleanup and other activities. Keith Shearwin and colleagues explain that placing, or integrating, a piece of the genetic material DNA into a bacterium's genome is critical for making designer bacteria...

Fish Oil May Help The Heart Beat Mental Stress

Date: May-26-2013
The omega 3 fatty acids in fish oil have long been thought to protect against cardiovascular disease - so much so that the American Heart Association currently recommends eating at least two servings of fish a week, particularly fatty varieties rich in omega 3s. However, the mechanism behind this protective effect still remains a mystery. In a new study, scientists led by Jason R. Carter of Michigan Technological University shed light on this phenomenon by providing evidence that fish oil might specifically counteract the detrimental effects of mental stress on the heart...

Teens Protected From Sleep Problems And Depression By Parent And Teacher Support

Date: May-26-2013
A new study suggests that disturbed sleep in adolescents is associated with more symptoms of depression and greater uncertainly about future success. However, perceived support and acceptance from parents and teachers appears to have a protective effect. Results show that disturbed sleep was significantly associated with depressed mood and greater uncertainty about future success...

Sugary Drinks Increase Risk Of Kidney Stones

Date: May-26-2013
According to new research conducted at Brigham and Women's Hospital, sugar-sweetened drinks are linked to an increased risk of developing kidney stones. Twenty percent of men and 10 percent of women in the U.S. suffer from kidney stones at least once in their lives. Patients with kidney stones are often encouraged to drink more fluids as a means of preventing the condition from recurring...

Hormone Replacement Therapy - Updated Recommendations, At Last!

Date: May-26-2013
In order to provide much-needed clarity on the role of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), its benefits and risks, Women's Health Concern and the British Menopause Society released their latest guidelines on Friday. The new guidelines have also been published in the journal Menopause International. Hormone replacement therapy, or HRT is prescribed for women whose progesterone and estrogen levels drop significantly, usually due to the menopause. Progesterone and estrogen are hormones. HRT raises a woman's levels of vital hormones...

People Underestimate Number Of Calories They Eat At Fast Food Chains

Date: May-26-2013
A new report in the BMJ has revealed that people are seriously underestimating the number of calories they are consuming at fast food restaurants. Teenagers are particularly unaware of their calorie intake with most of them assuming that the meals contain more than one third fewer calories than they actually have. Lead researcher, Jason Block, an HMS assistant professor of population medicine at Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, said: "We found that people, especially teens, are consuming more calories than they think they're getting when they eat fast food...