Health News

Lung Cancer Risk Greatly Increased By Asbestos Exposure, Asbestosis, And Smoking Combined Greatly Increase

Date: Apr-13-2013
The chances of developing lung cancer associated with asbestos exposure, asbestosis and smoking are dramatically increased when these three risk factors are combined, and quitting smoking significantly reduces the risk of developing lung cancer after long-term asbestos exposure, according to a new study. "The interactions between asbestos exposure, asbestosis and smoking, and their influence on lung cancer risk are incompletely understood," said lead author Steven B...

Relationship Between Obesity, Heart Disease And Hypertension

Date: Apr-13-2013
Obesity, heart disease, and high blood pressure (hypertension) are all related, but understanding the molecular pathways that underlie cause and effect is complicated. A new University of Iowa study identifies a protein within certain brain cells as a communications hub for controlling blood pressure, and suggests that abnormal activation of this protein may be a mechanism that links cardiovascular disease and obesity to elevated blood pressure...

Scientists 'Fish Out' Mammary Gland Stem Cells

Date: Apr-13-2013
Stem cells are different from all other cells in our body because they retain the remarkable genetic plasticity to self-renew indefinitely as well as develop into cell types with more specialized functions. However, this remarkable self-renewal capacity comes with a price, as stem cells can become seeds of cancer. Identifying genetic programs that maintain self-renewing capabilities therefore is a vital step in understanding the errors that derail a normal stem cell, sending it on a path to become a cancer stem cell...

Brain Scan Patterns Offer Potential For Pain Measurement

Date: Apr-13-2013
For the first time, scientists have been able to predict how much pain people are feeling by looking at images of their brains, according to a new study led by the University of Colorado Boulder. The findings, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, may lead to the development of reliable methods doctors can use to objectively quantify a patient's pain. Currently, pain intensity can only be measured based on a patient's own description, which often includes rating the pain on a scale of one to 10...

Alcohol Doesn't Increase Risk Of Breast Cancer

Date: Apr-13-2013
A new study has revealed that alcohol consumption doesn't increase a woman's risk of breast cancer, and that moderate alcohol consumption may actually modestly lower the risk of early death among breast cancer survivors at risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). The findings, which were published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, do not support previous studies which found that alcohol consumption is linked to breast cancer risk...

Structure Of Protein LC8 Linked To Cell Division And Medical Applications, ALBA Synchrotron Reveals

Date: Apr-13-2013
A team led by David Reverter, a researcher at the Institute of Biotechnology and Biomedicine (IBB) of the UAB, has determined for the first time the three-dimensional structure of a protein pair: LC8 and Nek9. Depending on whether or not they bind, Nek9 ensures that the chromosomes group and separate correctly during cell division. By analysing the 3D structure, these scientists have discovered a new mechanism that interferes with the protein binding and therefore also contributes to the correct regulation of cell division and other cell processes...

Botox Injections Can Make You Depressed

Date: Apr-13-2013
Cosmetic injections to decrease crows' feet may actually leave people feeling depressed, a new small study reveals. The treatment uses the Botulinum toxin and reduces the strength of the eye muscles which aid in the face's overall formation of a smile. A study led by Dr Michael Lewis of the School of Psychology, Cardiff, Wales, followed 25 people who had received Botox for facial lines and examined the idea of facial feedback - where the expression we make with our faces affect how we feel. According to Dr. Lewis, happiness can make you smile and smiling can make you happy...

How Autophagy Keeps Neural Stem Cells Ready To Replace Damaged Brain And Nerve Cells

Date: Apr-13-2013
Deep inside your brain, a legion of stem cells lies ready to turn into new brain and nerve cells whenever and wherever you need them most. While they wait, they keep themselves in a state of perpetual readiness - poised to become any type of nerve cell you might need as your cells age or get damaged. Now, new research from scientists at the University of Michigan Medical School reveals a key way they do this: through a type of internal "spring cleaning" that both clears out garbage within the cells, and keeps them in their stem-cell state...

Fit In Body, Fit In Mind

Date: Apr-13-2013
New scientific evidence seems to confirm the famous Roman saying "Mens sana in corpore sano". Researchers from the University of Granada have demonstrated that people who normally practice sport have a better cognitive performance than those with bad physical health. More specifically, the results of this research indicate that the former have a better sustained attention span (they react more rapidly to an external stimulus introduced randomly while carrying out a monotonous task)...

New Use For Safety Reflector Technology In Detecting Bioterror Threats

Date: Apr-13-2013
Tiny versions of the reflectors on sneakers and bicycle fenders that help ensure the safety of runners and bikers at night are moving toward another role in detecting bioterrorism threats and diagnosing everyday infectious diseases, scientists said. Their report on progress in using these innovative "retroreflectors" - the same technology that increases the night-time visibility of traffic signs - was among almost 12,000 on the agenda of the 245th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society...