Health News

Studies Shed Light On How To Reduce The Amount Of Toxins In Plant-Derived Foods

Date: Sep-14-2012
A number of environmental toxins pose considerable health threats to humans, and the heavy metal cadmium (Cd) ranks high on the list. Most of us are exposed to it through plant-derived foods such as grains and vegetables. Now, new research offers ways in which investigators can reduce the amount of Cd found in the food we eat, according to a review published online September 12th in the Cell Press journal Trends in Plant Science. "Cadmium is virtually everywhere in the environment, and it is taken up into the human body and bioaccumulates for decades in the kidney," says first author Dr...

An Important Breakthrough In The Fight Against Muscular Dystrophies

Date: Sep-14-2012
An important breakthrough could help in the fight against myotonic dystrophy. The discovery, recently published in the prestigious scientific journal Cell, results from an international collaboration between researchers at the IRCM, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the University of Southern California and Illumina. Their findings could lead to a better understanding of the causes of this disease. Myotonic dystrophy (DM), also known as Steinert's disease, is the most common form of muscular dystrophies seen in adults...

Genetic Test Predicts Risk For Autism

Date: Sep-14-2012
A team of Australian researchers, led by University of Melbourne has developed a genetic test that is able to predict the risk of developing Autism Spectrum Disorder, ASD. Lead researcher Professor Stan Skafidas, Director of the Centre for Neural Engineering at the University of Melbourne said the test could be used to assess the risk for developing the disorder. "This test could assist in the early detection of the condition in babies and children and help in the early management of those who become diagnosed," he said...

'Mad Cow' Blood Test Now On The Horizon

Date: Sep-14-2012
Using newly available genetic sequencing scientists discovered cells infected with prions (the infectious agent responsible for these diseases) release particles which contain easily recognized 'signature genes'. Associate Professor Andrew Hill - from the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the Bio21 Institute - said these particles travel in the blood stream, making a diagnostic blood test a possibility. "This might provide a way to screen people who have spent time in the UK, who currently face restrictions on their ability to donate blood," he said...

Scientists Discover How The Brain Ages

Date: Sep-14-2012
The ageing process has its roots deep within the cells and molecules that make up our bodies. Experts have previously identified the molecular pathway that react to cell damage and stems the cell's ability to divide, known as cell senescence. However, in cells that do not have this ability to divide, such as neurons in the brain and elsewhere, little was understood of the ageing process. Now a team of scientists at Newcastle University, led by Professor Thomas von Zglinicki have shown that these cells follow the same pathway...

Antidepressants, Sleeping Pills And Anxiety Drugs May Increase Driving Risk

Date: Sep-14-2012
Drugs prescribed to treat anxiety, depression and insomnia may increase patients' risk of being involved in motor vehicle accidents, according to a recent study, published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. Based on the findings, the researchers suggested doctors should consider advising patients not to drive while taking these drugs. Psychotropic drugs affect the way the brain functions and can impair a driver's ability to control their vehicle...

Information Theory Helps Unravel DNA's Genetic Code

Date: Sep-14-2012
DNA consists of regions called exons, which code for the synthesis of proteins, interspersed with noncoding regions called introns. Being able to predict the different regions in a new and unannotated genome is one of the biggest challenges facing biologists today. Now researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi have used techniques from information theory to identify DNA introns and exons an order of magnitude faster than previously developed methods...

Gut Bacteria Increase Fat Absorption

Date: Sep-14-2012
You may think you have dinner all to yourself, but you're actually sharing it with a vast community of microbes waiting within your digestive tract. A new study from a team including Carnegie's Steve Farber and Juliana Carten reveals that some gut microbes increase the absorption of dietary fats, allowing the host organism to extract more calories from the same amount of food. Previous studies showed gut microbes aid in the breakdown of complex carbohydrates, but their role in dietary fat metabolism remained a mystery, until now...

Uncertain About Health Outcomes, Male Stroke Survivors More Likely To Suffer Depression Than Females

Date: Sep-14-2012
Post-stroke depression is a major issue affecting approximately 33% of stroke survivors. A new study published in the current issue of Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation reports that the level to which survivors are uncertain about the outcome of their illness is strongly linked to depression. The relationship is more pronounced for men than for women. "Male stroke survivors in the US who subscribe to traditional health-related beliefs may be accustomed to, and value highly, being in control of their health," says lead investigator Michael J...

Gladstone-Led Study Underscores Truvada's Potency In Preventing The Transmission Of HIV

Date: Sep-14-2012
New research from an international team of HIV/AIDS experts has reaffirmed the effectiveness of Truvada-the first and only medication approved by the FDA for HIV prevention. Led by Gladstone Investigator Robert Grant, MD, MPH and Peter Anderson, PharmD, at the University of Colorado, the research provides the first estimate of the drug concentration levels needed for Truvada to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS-expanding our understanding of Truvada's potency and opening the door to new dosing strategies...