Health News

Metabolic Engineer Synthesizes Key Breast Milk Ingredient, Makes Research Possible

Date: Sep-12-2012
A University of Illinois microbial engineer has synthesized a sugar in human milk that is thought to protect babies from pathogens. That's important because 2FL, the shorthand scientists use to describe this human milk oligosaccharide (HMO), has not been added to infant formula because HMOs are incredibly expensive. "We know these oligosaccharides play a vital role in developing a breast-fed baby's gut microbiota and in strengthening their immunity. 2FL (2-fucosyllactose) is the most abundant HMO in breast milk," said Michael Miller, a U of I professor of food microbiology...

Babies' Ability To Detect Complex Rules In Language Outshines That Of Adults

Date: Sep-12-2012
New research examining auditory mechanisms of language learning in babies has revealed that infants as young as three months of age are able to automatically detect and learn complex dependencies between syllables in spoken language. By contrast, adults only recognised the same dependencies when asked to actively search for them. The study by scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig also highlights the important role of basic pitch discrimination abilities for early language development...

Increase In Metal Concentrations In Rocky Mountain Watershed Tied To Warming Temperatures

Date: Sep-12-2012
Warmer air temperatures since the 1980s may explain significant increases in zinc and other metal concentrations of ecological concern in a Rocky Mountain watershed, reports a new study led by the U.S. Geological Survey and the University of Colorado Boulder. Rising concentrations of zinc and other metals in the upper Snake River just west of the Continental Divide near Keystone, Colo., may be the result of falling water tables, melting permafrost and accelerating mineral weathering rates, all driven by warmer air temperatures in the watershed...

Mayo Clinic Suicide Prevention Expert Outlines New Steps To Tackle Military Suicide

Date: Sep-12-2012
The suicide rate in the U.S. Army now exceeds the rate in the general population, and psychiatric admission is now the most common reason for hospitalization in the Army. These concerning trends are described by Timothy Lineberry, M.D., a Mayo Clinic psychiatrist and suicide expert for the Army, in the September edition of Mayo Clinic Proceedings. In the article, he also outlines steps to assess and address military suicide -- an issue he calls a major public health concern. Dr...

IDSA's Newly Revised Guidelines For Group A Streptococcal Pharyngitis - Strep Throat

Date: Sep-12-2012
Although people often say they have "strep" throat, most sore throats actually are caused by a virus, not streptococcus bacteria, and shouldn't be treated with antibiotics, suggest guidelines published by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA). Antibiotics are ineffective against viruses. The IDSA's newly revised guidelines for Group A streptococcal pharyngitis - strep throat - also advise that when a strep infection is confirmed by testing, it should be treated with penicillin or amoxicillin - if the patient does not have an allergy - and not azithromycin or a cephalosporin...

Phase 3 Clinical Trial Begins In Early Form Of Dementia

Date: Sep-12-2012
Investigational drug study follows earlier study with promising results in mild to moderate Alzheimer's patientsTauRx Therapeutics today announced the initiation of a global Phase 3 clinical trial in a type of Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) also known as Pick's Disease...

Rhode Island Hospital Study Shows Wine Has More Cardiovascular Benefits Than Vodka

Date: Sep-12-2012
The next time you call someone a drunken pig, remember this study. Rhode Island Hospital researcher Frank Sellke, M.D., chief of cardiothoracic surgery at Rhode Island and The Miriam hospitals, and his colleagues studied the effects of red wine and vodka on pigs with high cholesterol and found that the pigs with a penchant for pinot noir fared better than their vodka swilling swine counterparts. The paper is published in the September issue of the journal Circulation...

Genetics Predict Smoking Addictions

Date: Sep-11-2012
Genetic nicotine metabolism has recently been seen to predict tendency to become a smoker. In a new study conducted by the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, The Neuro, McGill University, findings show people with a fast nicotine metabolism have a greater brain response to smoking signals than those with a slow nicotine metabolism. Earlier research establishes that greater reactivity to smoking signals anticipates decreased ability to quit smoking and environmental cues encourage greater nicotine intake in humans as well as animals...

9/11 WTC Program Adds 50 New Cancers

Date: Sep-11-2012
Fifty types of cancer have been added to the list of diseases that have affected 9/11 victims and will be federally funded, the National Institute for Occupational Safety (NIOSH) announced today. This means another 70,000 emergency service workers as well as other 9/11 survivors will be entitled to free medical care. According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), approximately 1,000 deaths have been linked to exposure to toxic dust that originated from Ground Zero...

Risk-Glorifying Video Games Linked To Reckless Driving

Date: Sep-11-2012
Teens who play mature-rated, risk-glorifying video games have an increased chance of becoming reckless drivers who experience a high number of police stops, automobile accidents, and willingness to drink and drive. Jay G. Hull, PhD, of Dartmouth College, and leading researcher, said: "Most parents would probably be disturbed to learn that we observed that this type of game play was more strongly associated with teen drivers being pulled over by the police than their parenting practices. With motor vehicle accidents the No...