Health News

Preterm babies can suffer life-threatening infections due to gut bacteria

Date: Mar-21-2014
Babies born prematurely are surviving in increasing numbers. But many withstand complications of early birth only to suffer late-onset sepsis - life-threatening bloodstream infections that strike after infants reach 72 hours of age.While early-onset sepsis often is caused by pathogens acquired from the amniotic sac or birth canal, the causes of late-onset sepsis have been far less clear.But now, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have discovered that preterm babies' guts harbor infectious microbes that can cause late-onset sepsis.

Rebalancing the autistic brain with low doses of antianxiety drugs

Date: Mar-21-2014
New research in mice suggests that autism is characterized by reduced activity of inhibitory neurons and increased activity of excitatory neurons in the brain, but balance can be restored with low doses of a well-known class of drugs currently used in much higher doses to treat anxiety and epileptic seizures. The findings, which are reported in the Cell Press journal Neuron, point to a new therapeutic approach to managing autism.

Using nano-flares to measure genetic content in live cells to catch the early spread of breast cancer

Date: Mar-21-2014
When cancer spreads from one part of the body to another, it becomes even more deadly. It moves with stealth and can go undetected for months or years. But a new technology that uses "nano-flares" has the potential to catch these lurking, mobilized tumor cells early on. Scientists have presented the latest advances in nano-flare technology as it applies to the detection of metastatic breast cancer cells.The report was one of more than 10,000 at the 247th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS).

Increased adiposity and reduced physical activity in children: Cause or effect?

Date: Mar-21-2014
Increased adiposity is likely to cause reduced physical activity in children, according to research published in this week's PLOS Medicine. The results of the study, conducted by Rebecca Richmond and colleagues from the MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit at the University of Bristol, UK, suggest that promoting weight loss in overweight and obese children might also increase childhood activity levels.

Researchers discover how our body clock reacts to environmental changes

Date: Mar-21-2014
Our internal clocks are responsible for our body's daily rhythms, including our sleep and wake patterns and metabolism. Now, researchers from the University of Manchester in the UK say they have discovered a new mechanism by which our body clocks react to environmental changes.The research team, led by Dr. David Bechtold, recently published their findings in the journal Current Biology.The investigators say their discovery could open the door to solutions for individuals who experience negative health implications from shift work, jet-lag and sleep deprivation.

Cardiologists define new heart failure symptom: Shortness of breath while bending over

Date: Mar-21-2014
UT Southwestern Medical Center cardiologists have defined a novel heart failure symptom in advanced heart failure patients: shortness of breath while bending over, such as when putting on shoes.The condition, which UT Southwestern cardiologists named "bendopnea" (pronounced "bend-op-nee-ah"), is an easily detectable symptom that can help doctors diagnose excessive fluid retention in patients with heart failure, according to the findings published in a recent edition of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology: Heart Failure.

Canadian drinking-age laws have significant effect on deaths among young males

Date: Mar-21-2014
A recent study by a University of Northern British Columbia-based scientist associated with the UBC Faculty of Medicine and UNBC's Northern Medical Program demonstrates that Canada's drinking-age laws have a significant effect on youth mortality.The study was published in the international journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence. In it, Dr.

Mathematical modelling tool will help biologists grow tissue in the lab

Date: Mar-21-2014
University of Adelaide mathematicians have devised a method for identifying how cell clusters have formed by analysing an image of the cluster.Published in the Journal of Theoretical Biology, their mathematical modelling tool will be useful in helping biologists and tissue engineers to move towards growing human tissue such as liver in the laboratory."When any tissue or organ develops, the cells have to organise themselves into the correct structure," says Dr Edward Green, researcher in the University's School of Mathematical Sciences.

Not just the gut: negative relationships, fatigue are more powerful than symptoms in IBS patients' health perceptions

Date: Mar-21-2014
Social relationships, fatigue and other coexisting medical problems have a stronger effect on how patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) rate their overall health than the severity of their gastrointestinal symptoms, a University at Buffalo study has found.

Kessler Foundation researchers link endogenous body temperature to relapsing-remitting MS and fatigue

Date: Mar-21-2014
Kessler Foundation researchers have demonstrated for the first time ever that body temperature is elevated endogenously in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) and linked to worse fatigue. The article was published ahead of print on Feb. 21, 2014 in Archives of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. Researchers measured body temperature in 50 patients with RRMS, 40 matched healthy controls, and 22 patients with secondary progressive MS (SPMS).