Health News

Gene Flaw Linked To Lower Back Pain

Date: Sep-23-2012
A new study published online first in the journal Annals of Rheumatic Diseases on 19 September, shows how for the first time researchers have identified a gene linked to a common cause of lower back pain: a condition known as lumbar disc degeneration (LDD).  While more research is needed to fully understand the link, the team, from King's College London, hopes the study will lead to new treatments for the condition. LDD is a common age-related problem: for instance, over a third of women aged 30 to 50 will have at least one degenerate disc in their spine...

Iron Transport Implicated In Diabetes

Date: Sep-23-2012
Scientists have been trying to explain the causes of diabetes for many years. Researchers at the University of Copenhagen and Novo Nordisk A/S have now shown that the increased activity of one particular iron-transport protein destroys insulin-producing beta cells. In addition, the new research shows that mice without this iron transporter are protected against developing diabetes. These results have just been published in the prestigious journal Cell Metabolism. Almost 300,000 Danes have diabetes - 80 per cent have type-2 diabetes, a so-called lifestyle disease...

Sugary Drinks Linked To Genetic Risk Of Obesity

Date: Sep-22-2012
People who regularly consume sugary drinks are genetically more susceptible to becoming obese or overweight, researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health reported in NEJM (New England Journal of Medicine), September 21, 2012 issue. The authors wrote that their study provides further evidence proving that genetic and environmental factors act together in driving up the risk of obesity...

Cell Death Discovery May Help Prevent Infertility, Early Menopause

Date: Sep-22-2012
The discovery of a cell death mechanism may lead to new ways to protect female fertility, bringing hope to women who risk becoming infertile through cancer treatment or early menopause, thanks to a new study from Australia that was published online Thursday in the journal Molecular Cell. Researchers from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Monash University and Prince Henry's Institute of Medical Research, in Melbourne, were investigating how egg cells die, when they made their discovery...

High Antioxidant Diet Decreases Risk Of Heart Attack In Women

Date: Sep-22-2012
A diet rich in total antioxidants, especially from fruits and vegetables, can greatly reduce the risk of heart attack in women, according to a new study in The American Journal of Medicine. This particular study was the first to focus on the effects of all dietary antioxidants and their connection to heart attacks. Total antioxidant capacity calculates all antioxidants present in diet and the cooperative effects that take place between them, into one single value. This study followed 32,561 Swedish women between the ages of 49 and 83 from September 1997 through December 2007...

IUDs And Implants Are Best Forms Of Birth Control

Date: Sep-22-2012
Intrauterine devices (IUDs) and implants should be given to adolescents who are sexually active as a reliable method of birth control, as recommended by The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (The College). An IUD is a long-acting reversible contraception (LARC). There are two types available in the U.S. - a non-hormonal copper IUD called ParaGard and a hormonal IUD, Mirena. In the UK, 10 different forms of copper IUDs are available Copper IUDs are T-shaped, which helps to hold the device in place near the top of the uterus...

Emotional Memories Can Be Erased From Our Brains

Date: Sep-22-2012
Emotional memories that are recently formed can be erased from the human brain. A new study by Thomas �gren, a doctoral candidate at the Department of Psychology, under the observation of Professors Mats Fredrikson and Tomas Furmark, has indicated that it is possible to erase newly formed emotional memories from the brain. This finding, published in Science, brings scientists a huge step forward in future research on memory and fear...

Groundbreaking Advancements Lead To Development Of New Cranial Neural Crest Cell Line

Date: Sep-22-2012
Researchers have successfully developed a stable population of neural crest cells derived from mice that can be grown in large quantities in the laboratory and that demonstrates the potential to develop into many different cell types needed throughout the body. This powerful new research tool for understanding stem cell biology and human development and disease is described in an article published in Stem Cells and Development, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the Stem Cells and Development website...

The Growth Of Biobanking Operations

Date: Sep-22-2012
Many biotech observers maintain that the future of healthcare will largely be based on the field of personalized medicine, reports Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN). Although drug discovery efforts require access to increasingly larger arrays of biosamples, demand is exceeding supply, fueling the growth of the biobanking market, according to a recent issue of GEN.* "Personalized medicine is all about tailoring specific therapies for individual patients," said John Sterling, Editor-in-Chief of GEN...

Identifying Natural Health Products Using DNA Barcoding

Date: Sep-22-2012
DNA barcoding developed by University of Guelph researchers has proven up to 88 per cent effective in authenticating natural health products, according to a new U of G study. The study appears in the latest issue of Food Research International. It's a crucial finding because the health product industry is under-regulated worldwide and mislabelling poses economic, health, legal and environmental implications, says study author Mehrdad Hajibabaei...