Health News

Study Shows Protein Complex May Play Role In Preventing Many Forms Of Cancer

Date: May-08-2013
Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have identified a group of proteins that are mutated in about one-fifth of all human cancers. The finding suggests that the proteins, which are members of a protein complex that affects how DNA is packaged in cells, work to suppress the development of tumors in many types of tissues. The broad reach of the effect of mutations in the complex, called BAF, rivals that of another well-known tumor suppressor called p53...

The Extent Of Cyberbullying Among High School Students

Date: May-08-2013
Step into a class of 30 high school students and look around. Five of them have been victims of electronic bullying in the past year. What's more, 10 of those students spend three or more hours on an average school day playing video games or using a computer for something other than school work, according to a study presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Washington, DC...

Team Sports May Deter Bullying, Violence In Girls

Date: May-08-2013
As schools around the country look for ways to reduce violence and bullying, they may want to consider encouraging students to participate in team sports, according to a study presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Washington, DC. Researchers analyzed data from the 2011 North Carolina Youth Risk Behavior Survey to see if athletic participation was associated with violence-related behaviors, including fighting, carrying a weapon and being bullied...

Drosophila Offer Clues To Understanding How Stem Cells Produce Different Kinds Of Cells

Date: May-08-2013
The human body contains trillions of cells, all derived from a single cell, or zygote, made by the fusion of an egg and a sperm. That single cell contains all the genetic information needed to develop into a human, and passes identical copies of that information to each new cell as it divides into the many diverse types of cells that make up a complex organism like a human being...

Low-Volume Institutions Experience Inferior Outcomes In Prostate Cancer Surgery

Date: May-08-2013
The volume of cases performed at an institution each year has a direct effect on the outcome of surgical procedures, and should always be considered when looking at the benefits of a technique, according to a team of researchers at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. Those conclusions were presented at the annual meeting of the American Urological Association in San Diego. The starting point of the study was the rapid increase in the use of surgical robots to assist in radical prostatectomy, in which the entire prostate gland and some surrounding tissue are removed to treat prostate cancer...

Many Adults 45 Years And Older In Africa Have Limited Functional Ability

Date: May-07-2013
The number of adults living into older age in sub-Saharan Africa is rapidly growing yet many older men and women will have an illness or disability that limits their ability to function, according to a study by researchers from the US and Malawi published in this week's PLOS Medicine. The researchers, led by Collin Payne from the University of Pennsylvania, also show that remaining life spent with severe limitations at age 45 in a sub Saharan African setting (Malawi) is comparable to that of 80-year-olds in the US...

Link Between Intimate Partner Violence And Depression Is In Both Directions

Date: May-07-2013
Not only are women who have experienced violence from their partner (intimate partner violence) at higher risk of becoming depressed, but women who are depressed may also be at increased risk of experiencing intimate partner violence, according to a study by international researchers published in this week's PLOS Medicine. Furthermore, there may also be a link between intimate partner violence and subsequent suicide among women, but little evidence to support a similar finding in men...

Study Evaluates Effect Of Increasing Detection Intervals In ICDs On Pacing Function, ICD Shocks Delivered, And Inappropriate Shocks

Date: May-07-2013
Programming an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) with a long-detection interval compared with a standard-detection interval resulted in a reduction in anti-tachycardia pacing episodes, ICD shocks delivered, and inappropriate shocks, according to a study in the May 8 issue of JAMA. "Therapy with ICDs is now the standard of care in primary and secondary prevention. As indications for implants have expanded, concern about possible adverse effects of ICD therapies on prognosis and quality of life has arisen...

Genetic Variations Associated With Susceptibility To Bacteria Linked To Stomach Disorders

Date: May-07-2013
Two genome-wide association studies and a subsequent meta-analysis have found that certain genetic variations are associated with susceptibility to Helicobacter pylori, a bacteria that is a major cause of gastritis and stomach ulcers and is linked to stomach cancer, findings that may help explain some of the observed variation in individual risk for H pylori infection, according to a study in the May 8 issue of JAMA...

Do Not Shop When You Are Hungry

Date: May-07-2013
A new study conducted by researchers at Cornell University suggests that people who are hungry when they go shopping tend to buy higher-calorie food options than those who aren't. The study involved tracking people's food options in a simulated supermarket depending on how hungry they were feeling. A total of 62 paid people participated in the first part of the study, half of them were told not to eat anything 5 hours prior to doing their shopping. However, the other half were given a plate of Wheat Thins to satisfy their hunger...