Health News

College Students At Risk Of Problems Following Early Alcohol Use And Early Intoxication

Date: Aug-17-2012
An early age at first drink (AFD) has been linked to later alcohol-related problems, which is one of the reasons behind the legal drinking age of 21 in the U.S. It is unclear, however, if increased risk is primarily due to initiation of any drinking, or initiation of heavier drinking. A comparison of the influence of these potential risk factors among college undergraduates found that both an early AFD as well as a quick progression from the first drink to drinking to intoxication independently predicted later problems...

Improved Understanding Of Host-Parasite Interaction And Parasite Lifecycle In Malaria

Date: Aug-17-2012
Researchers at Duke University Medical Center may finally have discovered why people with sickle cell disease get milder cases of malaria than individuals who have normal red blood cells. In a finding that has eluded scientists for years, Duke researchers discovered that genetic material in red blood cells may help alter parasite activity via a novel mechanism that alters parasite gene regulation...

New Research Casts Doubt On Landmark 2007 Study: Babies May Not Have A 'Moral Compass' After All

Date: Aug-17-2012
New research from New Zealand's University of Otago is casting doubt on a landmark US study that suggested infants as young as six months old possess an innate moral compass that allows them to evaluate individuals as 'good' or 'bad'. The 2007 study by Yale University researchers provided the first evidence that 6- and 10-month-old infants could assess individuals based on their behaviour towards others, showing a preference for those who helped rather than hindered another individual...

Minnesota's Rivers And Lakes Polluted With Antimicrobials From Personal Care Products

Date: Aug-17-2012
In our zest for cleanliness, have we permanently muddied our nation's waters?   A science team from Arizona State University, in collaboration with federal partners, has completed the first statewide analysis of freshwater bodies in Minnesota, finding widespread evidence of the presence of active ingredients of personal care products in Minnesota lakes, streams and rivers.  These products are a billion dollar industry and can be found in antimicrobial soaps, disinfectants, and sanitizers to scrub our hands and clean countertops. Hundreds of antimicrobial products are sold in the U.S...

Passenger Deletions That Deactivate Essential Genes Provide New Opportunity To Strike Cancer

Date: Aug-17-2012
Genomic deletions promote cancer by carving up or eliminating tumor-suppressor genes, but now scientists report in the journal Nature that the collateral damage they inflict on neighboring genes exposes cancer cells to vulnerabilities and new avenues for attack...

Potential Hurdle To Universal Flu Vaccine Development May Be Overcome: NIH Study

Date: Aug-17-2012
In the quest for a universal influenza vaccine - one that elicits broadly neutralizing antibodies that can protect against most or all strains of flu virus - scientists have faced a sobering question: Does pre-existing immunity generated by prior exposure to influenza virus or vaccine hamper production of broadly neutralizing antibodies? If so, then a universal flu vaccine might work best (and perhaps only) in very young children who have had limited exposure to influenza viruses or vaccines...

Sleep Apnea, Traditionally Associated With Men, Found At High Rates In Women

Date: Aug-17-2012
New research has found high rates of sleep apnea in women, despite the condition usually being regarded as a disorder predominantly of males. The study, published online (16 August 2012) ahead of print in the European Respiratory Journal, also suggested that women with hypertension and/or obesity were more likely to experience sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea is a condition in which there are frequent pauses in breathing during sleep. The incidence of the condition increases with age and it is considered more prevalent in men than in women...

Computer Exercises Can Help Reduce Alzheimer's Symptoms

Date: Aug-16-2012
It is estimated that 35 million people worldwide, including 5.4 million Americans have Alzheimer's disease. These figures are predicted to triple in one generation and the financial burden in the U.S. alone is around $200 billion dollars. A successful clinical Harvard trial now promises new hope for Alzheimer's patients and their families worldwide...

Patients Admitted To Rural Treatment Abuse Programs More Likely To End Up In Criminal Justice System

Date: Aug-16-2012
According to a new report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) that was based on findings from their Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS) for 2009, rural and urban substance abuse treatment admissions in 2009 were different in almost every assessed aspect.  For instance, whilst 51.6% admissions of referrals were from the criminal justice system tended to be rural substance abuse treatment admissions, compared with just 28.4% of urban admissions in 2009, a similar differentiation was observed in the percentage of the referrals made by self-referrals (22...

A Major Secret Of The Brain Discovered

Date: Aug-16-2012
Researchers from McGill University have found a clue indicating that certain cognitive and mental disorders might involve two parts of the brain that were previously believed to function independently. The team led by Prof. Yogita Chudasama from the University's Laboratory of Brain and Behavior at the Department of Psychology made a vital discovery of a critical interaction between the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex, which is involved in decision-making and inhibiting inappropriate behaviors. The findings were published in the Journal of Neuroscience. Prof...