Health News

A More Realistic Indicator Of Health Expectancy

Date: Jul-05-2012
"The increase in life expectancy has traditionally been a good resume of a population's state of health. But the profile of diseases has changed: now there is a great prevalence of specific disorders that are not life-threatening yet are very incapacitating," points out Unai Martín. In other words, life expectancy is no longer the only indicator to be taken into consideration: for example, it is not possible to speak of wellbeing if one lives longer but if one is ill or dependent during that extra time...

A Step Closer To Ending The Threat Of West Nile Virus

Date: Jul-05-2012
Mosquitoes are buzzing once again, and with that comes the threat of West Nile virus. Tom Hobman, a researcher with the Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, is making every effort to put an end to this potentially serious infection. West Nile virus infections often result in flu-like symptoms that aren't life-threatening, and some in cases, infected people show no symptoms at all. But a significant percentage of patients develop serious neurological disease that includes inflammation in the brain, paralysis and seizures...

Surprising Genetic Connections Discovered Between Breast Size And Breast Cancer

Date: Jul-05-2012
Using data from its unique online research platform, 23andMe, a leading personal genetics company, has identified seven single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) significantly associated with breast size, including three SNPs also correlated with breast cancer in a genome-wide association study (GWAS) now published online in BMC Medical Genetics. These findings make the first concrete genetic link between breast size and breast cancer risks...

Better Outcomes In Obese Heart Failure Patients

Date: Jul-05-2012
A slim waist and normal weight are usually associated with better health outcomes, but that's not always the case with heart failure patients, according to a new UCLA study. Researchers found that in both men and women with advanced heart failure, obesity - as indicated by a high body mass index (BMI) - and a higher waist circumference were factors that put them at significantly less risk for adverse outcomes. The study findings are published in the July 1 online issue of the American Journal of Cardiology. Heart failure affects 5.8 million people, including 2.5 million women...

Risk For Depression And Chronic Inflammation Increased By Childhood Adversity

Date: Jul-05-2012
When a person injures their knee, it becomes inflamed. When a person has a cold, their throat becomes inflamed. This type of inflammation is the body's natural and protective response to injury. Interestingly, there is growing evidence that a similar process happens when a person experiences psychological trauma. Unfortunately, this type of inflammation can be destructive. Previous studies have linked depression and inflammation, particularly in individuals who have experienced early childhood adversity, but overall, findings have been inconsistent...

Furthering The Development Of Cancer Research: The Genomics Symposium

Date: Jul-05-2012
The symposium themed "The Era of Next Generation Sequencing in Cancer", co-organized by BGI, the world's largest genomics organization, and Imperial College London, was successfully conducted in London, UK. Around 70 experts, scholars, and representatives from the local colleges, institutes and biotechnology industries attended the meeting with the aim to exchange their insights on high-throughput genomics and accelerate the further development of cancer research...

'Magic-Bullet' Cancer Therapy To Be Investigated

Date: Jul-05-2012
Scientists at the University of Sheffield will investigate a new 'magic-bullet' cancer therapy that exploits tumour cells' greed for fat following an award from Yorkshire Cancer Research. Higher rates of the most deadly cancers, such as colorectal and breast cancer, have been linked to obesity or high fat diets because cancer cells use fat to grow larger and more dangerous. They are able to uptake fat by producing large amounts of structures on their surfaces called receptors, which allow chemicals to bind with the cell...

New Approach To Recording Suspected Child Abuse In Patient Records, UK

Date: Jul-05-2012
A simpler, more standard way for GPs to record suspected cases of child abuse is outlined in a paper published in this month's issue of the British Journal of General Practice. The method was developed based on a survey of 11 GP surgeries, led by the UCL Institute of Child Health (ICH) together with the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) and the University of Surrey. The study, funded by the HealthCare Quality Improvement Partnership, looked at how GPs currently record their concerns in patients' electronic records, and the potential problems they face...

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Helps Stroke Patients Swallow Properly

Date: Jul-05-2012
Patients who have suffered a stroke often experience dysphagia, a swallowing disorder after the event. Dysphagia leads to a higher rate of complications, such as dehydration, malnutrition and pneumonia, and greater subsequent healthcare costs. Researchers have now discovered in a new study featured in the July issue of Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience that transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can improve the outcome of swallowing therapy for post-stroke dysphagia. tDCS involves applying weak electrical currents to the patient's affected area of the brain...

How Does The Immune System Power Inflammation?

Date: Jul-05-2012
According to a study published in Nature, a key step into how the immune system powers inflammation has been discovered by Klaus Ley, M.D., a scientist at the La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology. Ley's finding provides new insights into the vital biological mechanisms underlying cardiovascular disease and other disorders. The study focused on neutrophils - important immune cells which play a vital role in many diseases. Dr...