Health News

Biological Mechanism Identified That Plays Key Role In Early-Onset Dementia

Date: Oct-10-2012
Using animal models, scientists at the Gladstone Institutes have discovered how a protein deficiency may be linked to frontotemporal dementia (FTD) - a form of early-onset dementia that is similar to Alzheimer's disease. These results lay the foundation for therapies that one day may benefit those who suffer from this and related diseases that wreak havoc on the brain...

Genetic Mutation Linked To Psychiatric Disease And Obesity

Date: Oct-10-2012
McGill researchers have identified a small region in the genome that conclusively plays a role in the development of psychiatric disease and obesity. The key lies in the genomic deletion of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, or BDNF, a nervous system growth factor that plays a critical role in brain development. To determine the role of BDNF in humans, Prof. Carl Ernst, from McGill's Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, screened over 35,000 people referred for genetic screening at clinics and over 30,000 control subjects in Canada, the U.S., and Europe...

Children With Autism Are Four Times More Likely To Wander Than Their Unaffected Siblings

Date: Oct-10-2012
A new study published in the journal Pediatrics (Epub ahead of print) found that nearly half of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are reported to wander or "bolt," and more than half of these children go missing. Led by researchers from the Interactive Autism Network (IAN), the nation's largest online autism research initiative and a project of the Kennedy Krieger Institute, this study provides the most comprehensive estimate of elopement occurrence in a United States community-based sample of more than 1,200 children with ASD...

Gene 'Bursting' Plays Key Role In Protein Production

Date: Oct-10-2012
Scientists at the Gladstone Institutes have mapped the precise frequency by which genes get turned on across the human genome, providing new insight into the most fundamental of cellular processes - and revealing new clues as to what happens when this process goes awry. In a study being published this week online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Gladstone Investigator Leor Weinberger, PhD, and his research team describe how a gene's on-and-off switching - called "bursting" - is the predominant method by which genes make proteins...

Human SARS Virus Genomic Replikin(TM) Count Rises To The Level That Preceded The 2003 Lethal SARS Outbreak

Date: Oct-10-2012
Can the SARS virus return? An analysis of the current virus's genomic Replikin Count has revealed the Count to be increased significantly above the preceding low 'resting' levels 2004-2011. The Count is now in the same elevated range found in 2002 before the 2003 SARS outbreak. The identification of the virus responsible for a second case of SARS-like respiratory virus, "London1_novel CoV 2012", has raised concerns over the risk of the disease spreading (1). These concerns may be justified given the observed rise in virus's genomic Replikin(TM) Count...

Coffee Improves Bowel Function After Colon Surgery

Date: Oct-10-2012
Patients who undergo surgery to remove a part of their colon may be able to handle solid foods faster, while their bowel movements also return to normal quicker, if they drink coffee instead of water. Prior research has also indicated that drinking coffee can have beneficial effects on a person's health. One study from earlier this year found that drinking this beverage in moderation can protect against heart failure, while another study from 2011 suggested that the more coffee a woman drinks, the lower her risk of depression is...

Depression Affects Over 350 Million People Worldwide

Date: Oct-10-2012
Over 350 million people around the world have depression, according to a report issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) on World Mental Health Day (10 October). Depression is a mental disorder that undermines people's ability to function well. However, the stigma associated with the disorder stops millions of people from seeking medical help. Another problem with stigma is that a considerable number of those with depression fail to acknowledge that they are ill. WHO calls for an end to the stigmatization of depression...

Can Internet Usage Result In Depression And Loneliness?

Date: Oct-10-2012
Can Internet usage result in unfavorable consequences, including loneliness and depression? This is a common question among online researchers, according to Joseph Mazer, assistant professor from the Department of Communication Studies at Clemson University. Research has claimed that different motivating factors to surf online can result in adverse outcomes, because the Internet can end up being overwhelmingly compelling. Compulsive Internet use (CIU) is a person's incapability to reduce their time spent online, or to stop all together...

Fast-Tracked Drug Approvals Can Put Public At Risk

Date: Oct-10-2012
Drugs streamed into Health Canada's accelerated review process are more likely to be withdrawn from the market or earn a serious safety warning than those that undergo the standard review, according to a recent paper out of York University. The study, published online by the Archives of Internal Medicine is the first of its kind undertaken in Canada. It tracked a total of 434 new active substances (NASs) approved by Health Canada between 1995 and 2010, examining how many subsequently acquired either serious safety warnings or had to be withdrawn from the market for safety reasons...

Among The Complexities Of Problem Drinking, It May Matter Where You Live

Date: Oct-10-2012
Some people living in disadvantaged neighborhoods may be at increased risk of problem drinking - though much may depend on race and gender, according to a new study in the November issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. Researchers found that of nearly 14,000 U.S. adults surveyed, those living in low-income neighborhoods were generally more likely to be non-drinkers than were people in affluent neighborhoods. That was not true, however, of black and Hispanic men...