Health News

New Drug For Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Brain Injury, Shows Promise

Date: Jul-25-2012
A "one-size-fits-all" new class of drugs that targets a particular type of brain inflammation is showing early promise for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis and traumatic brain injury.  A pre-clinical study due to be published this week in the Journal of Neuroscience shows one of the drugs stopped mice bred to have Alzheimer's from developing the full-blown disease...

Undiagnosed Heart Problems Threatening The Health And Quality Of Life Of The Very Elderly

Date: Jul-25-2012
The very oldest in our society are missing out on simple heart treatments which can prolong and improve their quality of life, Newcastle heart experts say. Studying a group of people aged 87 to 89 years old, the team of researchers at Newcastle University found that a routine test in the home revealed that around a quarter of them had undiagnosed heart problems which could be treated with established and cost-effective treatments...

Higher Incidence Of Diabetes In Native-Americans Linked To Fat-Hoarding Genes Likely Developed Due To The Nature Of Ancient Feasts

Date: Jul-25-2012
Why do Native Americans experience high rates of diabetes? A common theory is that they possess fat-hoarding "thrifty genes" left over from their ancestors - genes that were required for survival during ancient cycles of feast and famine, but that now contribute to the disease in a modern world of more fatty and sugary diets. A newly published analysis of fossilized feces from the American Southwest, however, suggests this "thrifty gene" may not have developed because of how often ancient Natives ate. Instead, researchers said, the connection may have come from precisely what they ate...

The Effect Of Early Drug Administration On Alzheimer's Disease In Mouse Model

Date: Jul-25-2012
In a study published June 25 in the Journal of Neuroscience, a collaborative team of researchers led by Linda J. Van Eldik, director of the University of Kentucky Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, and D. Martin Watterson of the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, present results showing that a new central nervous system drug compound can reduce Alzheimer's pathology in a mouse model of the disease. The drug, called MW-151, is a selective suppressor of brain inflammation and overproduction of proinflammatory molecules from glial cells...

Patients With Arrhythmias Should Receive Quicker Results With The Fine Tuning Of Cardiac Ablation

Date: Jul-25-2012
University of Michigan heart researchers are shedding light on a safer method for steadying an abnormal heart rhythm that prevents collateral damage to healthy cells. Irregular heart rhythms, or arrhythmias, set the stage for a common, debilitating disorder called atrial fibrillation that puts adults as young as age 40 at risk for fatigue, fainting, cardiac arrest, and even death. Medications can help, but doctors also use catheter ablation in which electrical impulses are delivered to a region of the heart to disrupt the arrhythmia...

Survey Reveals Decline In Male Ontario Students Fighting; Increased Bullying And Mental Distress Among Females

Date: Jul-25-2012
An ongoing survey of Ontario students in grades 7 to 12 conducted for the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) shows that while the majority of students have healthy relationships and report overall good mental and physical health, some negative trends, especially among girls, have raised concerns. The 2011 Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey (OSDUHS) Mental Health and Well-Being Report reveals important trends in mental and physical health and risk behaviours among Ontario students...

Improved Understanding Of Mechanisms Underlying Blood Disorders

Date: Jul-25-2012
A Finnish research team together with researchers from New York, USA, has uncovered a protein structure that regulates cell signalling and the formation of blood cells. The team's results, published in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, the most prestigious journal in the field, shed light on the mechanisms at play in haematological disorders and provide new opportunities for the design of disease-specific treatment. The work was carried out with funding from the Academy of Finland, the Cancer Society of Finland, National Institutes of Health and the Sigrid Juselius Foundation...

Designer Compounds Inhibit Prion Infection

Date: Jul-25-2012
A team of University of Alberta researchers has identified a new class of compounds that inhibit the spread of prions, misfolded proteins in the brain that trigger lethal neurodegenerative diseases in humans and animals. U of A chemistry researcher Frederick West and his team have developed compounds that clear prions from infected cells derived from the brain. "When these designer molecules were put into infected cells in our lab experiments, the numbers of misfolded proteins diminished - and in some cases we couldn't detect any remaining misfolded prions," said West...

Childhood Obesity Linked To 50% Higher Risk Of Urothelial And Colorectal Cancers In Adulthood

Date: Jul-25-2012
Parents are increasingly conscious of the dangers of childhood obesity. There is a growing recognition of health problems associated with extra pounds, including the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and joint and muscle pain. New research from Tel Aviv University has revealed another significant reason for children to maintain a healthy weight. Dr. Ari Shamiss and Dr...

Researchers Develop Laser Technology To Fight Cancer

Date: Jul-25-2012
Researchers at the Center for Laser Applications at the University of Tennessee Space Institute in Tullahoma have developed a technology that goes on a "seek and destroy" mission for cancerous tumors. They have harnessed the power of lasers to find, map and non-invasively destruct cancerous tumors. Christian Parigger, associate professor of physics, and Jacqueline Johnson, associate professor of mechanical, aerospace, and biomedical engineering, along with Robert Splinter of Splinter Consultants, have developed the invention...